all this and cheap sod

+++ I watched and enjoyed The Riches Monday night. It has Eddie Izzard and Minnie Driver, both of whom I find interesting, and I love that even though it's a crime show (I have crime show fatigue), they seem to be taking a fresh approach. It doesn't hurt that I adore Eddie Izzard, the Irish Traveller angle, and the idea of a suburban long con. (I love a good con story, which is why I also like Hustle.) Anyway... so far (one episode), so good.

+++ note to the woodpecker outside my window: it wasn't wood yesterday, and it's not wood today. Your optimism is alternately cheering and pathetic.

+++ I got a summons for jury duty! For some special panel circuit court thingy. I've never been on a jury, so that could be interesting. I'm really in the mood to DISPENSE SOME JUSTICE... which shouldn't be a problem as long as I remember not to say that out loud while punching my fist into my palm during jury selection. (so much to remember!)

+++ This article on retrocausality alternately thrills and horrifies me. (I am full of contradictory feelings lately.) I may never sleep again worrying about it. THANKS, SCIENCE!

+++ When thoughts of retrocausality are stressing me out, I should just remember the sheer lunatic brilliance of Charlie Murphy's True Hollywood Stories from the Chappelle Show season 2. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Big thanks to BBD who loaned the DVD to me, and to Leslie for recommending it a long time ago! (I watched Chappelle's Show sporadically, and somehow missed these when they aired.) The idea of Prince playing basketball in full Purple Rain regalia is one I will treasure ALWAYS.

+++ I am intrigued by Jonathan Lethem's Promiscuous Materials page. I love that he is putting his money where his mouth is after that fascinating Harper's essay, The Ecstasy of Influence. (In case you are too time pressed or insuffuciently interested to click the link, the gist is he's offering various of his short stories to filmmakers and dramatists for ONE DOLLAR with a few restrictions. Pretty damn cool.)

+++I have been thinking about reading lately. I was working on writing up some Meg Cabot books, and it made me think about how my taste in books has changed over the course of my life so far (developed is probably a more accurate word than changed because I see it as more of a natural progression than some sort of river jumping course correction), which reminded me how much I hate the phrase "light reading," even though I know it is a sometimes necessary distinction. It's a cheap way to distance the reader from the material, which I don't like. (not that I think a person has to love every single thing they read, but this "light reading" phrase -- if there are air quotes I hate it more -- is reminding me of "guilty pleasure," which I don't like either. Own it, bitches! Come on... can't we all put a lampshade on the head of our inner puritan/snob? Life's too short. ) Anyway... I didn't really reach any conclusions, which is fine because I get 100% guilt-free pleasure from just considering it. Fair warning: I'll probably be blathering on more about this when I get to the Meg Cabot thing, which should be soon.