Category: Uncategorized

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What It Is: 1/18/10

What I’m reading: Cloud Atlas

What I’m listening to: Welcome to the Pleasuredome, Who Are You, White City: A Novel, and some B.S. Report podcasts

What I’m watching: In the Loop. Are you telling me you haven’t wathed it yet?

What I’m drinking: DH Krahn & Q Tonic

What Rufus & Otis are up to: Their first Sunday greyhound hike together.

Where I’m going: Nowhere! So don’t try and get me to go anywhere.

What I’m happy about: Not being in Haiti, I guess.

What I’m sad about: I think I’m going through that seasonal affective disorder. I’ve just sorta generally been down this past week, not just because of my pal Sang’s death. Also, my iPod repair ultimately failed, so I had to order up a new one.

What I’m worried about: That I won’t get round to writing that Books O’ The Decade post, nor the Emerson seminar one. I gotta buckle down. You guys deserve it.

What I’m pondering: Who to cheer for if we end up with a Saints/Jets Superbowl.

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What It Is: 1/11/10

What I’m reading: Cloud Atlas, by David Mitchell (look! there’s proof!). Since I haven’t gotten back to my Man Out of Time decade-trospective on books, I thought I’d check out one novel that’s regarded as a Tops Of The Decade. Also, Emerson’s Divinity School Address for a St. John’s Alumni seminar on Tuesday in NYC.

What I’m listening to: Some of my old Mad Mix playlists, and Telepopmusik.

What I’m watching: NFL playoffs, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Visitor, and not much else.

What I’m drinking: Old Raj & Q-Tonic, for my pre-birthday present.

What Rufus & Otis are up to: Oh, you know the drill: Rufus using Otis as a pillow, Otis lounging on my fainting couch, etc. Sadly, we discovered this weekend that Otis is a crypto-Muslim:

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Where I’m going: I have that St. John’s event on Tuesday, but that’s about the extent of my travel plans. Amy took me out to Marea on Saturday night for my pre-birthday dinner, so it looks like my EZ-Pass tag will get a little workout.

What I’m happy about: Making my first non-emergency visit to a dentist since 1988 (cleaning and checkup), finding a navy pinstripe suit in my size/cut at a Macy’s sale, helping Amy with a bunch of housecleaning, honoring my pal Sang’s memory by making a joke about Asian drivers in the parking lot outside his wake/funeral. And I turn 39 today! Yay, me!

What I’m sad about: Sang & I are never going to have our follow-up conversation about Chandni Chowk to China. Also, my 120gb iPod has only party survived my emergency surgery to replace its battery.

What I’m worried about: When I’m going to see all the friends I haven’t made time to see, and the ones who’ve let our friendship drift.

What I’m pondering: Reconstituting my old Smart Guys Salon for occasional weekend brunches in NYC with friends.

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On Hold

One my pals, Sang Lee, was found dead in his apartment yesterday, apparently victim of a heart attack. I’m pretty grief-stricken right now, so my final Man Out of Time post is on hold for the moment.

Rest in peace, friend.

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Live well

Posted by Frank Wilson at Books, Inq. – The Epilogue this morning:

The happiest people are those who think the most interesting thoughts. Those who decide to use leisure as a means of mental development, who love good music, good books, good pictures, good company, good conversation, are the happiest people in the world. And they are not only happy in themselves, they are the cause of happiness in others.
– William Lyon Phelps, born on this date in 1865

I think it sums up how I try to live. Or at least how I live when I’m living best.

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Blogbreak!

I’m taking this week off! I just finished our 430-page year-end issue, so I’m taking a break from everydarnthing! No Unrequired Reading, no wacky literary recommendations, no etc., etc., amen!

Come back next week for my big-ol’ decade-end post and a special New Year’s edition of Unrequired Reading!

And have a happy Christmas, my Christian readers!

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Taking a Leak

This was shot in my office a few months ago, and is one of my lead arguments for why I prefer to work at home:

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What It Is: 11/9/09

What I’m reading: The Book of Basketball, by Bill Simmons, When The Shooting Stops . . . The Cutting Begins: A Film Editor’s Story, by Ralph Rosenblum, and Pop: The Genius of Andy Warhol, by Tony Scherman and David Dalton. The latter was on display in my library when I stopped in a few days ago, so I borrowed it and gave it a read. I might go on a Warhol kick this winter, because I suspect he’s key to an understanding of celebrity (not just in terms of the “15 minutes” thing) in our age.

What I’m listening to: Everything, Everything, by Underworld.

What I’m watching: Role Models (better than it should have been), and the first 3 episodes of The Singing Detective.

What I’m drinking: Miller’s & Q-Tonic

What Rufus is up to: Coming to the office with me last Friday, as part of his Ambassadog duties, and going on a nice, long greyhound hike on Sunday (no pix).

Where I’m going: L.A.! In fact, I’m already there!

What I’m happy about: The Yankees won their 27th World Series! I finished that Nov/Dec issue! And I’m kindasorta getting that “novel” going for National Novel Writing Month, even though it’s pretty shapeless and the characters need a lot of work.

What I’m sad about: Not having much time to explore L.A.

What I’m worried about: I don’t know. I’m pretty tired right now, so I don’t have the energy to worry.

What I’m pondering: Why it took me so long to start twisting my crazy anecdotes into ficton.