Find Those Detonators

Sorry to disapear for a few days. It's not as if I've been busy or anything. I've just not had much of anything to say. I mean, I could bitch about Scooter Libby, or Edgar Renteria being left off the all-star team, but who really cares?

Part of what's distracted me from hammering out the usual drivel was my birthday yesterday (I'm old now- a quarter of a century), or rather, the unexpected bounty of wholly undeserved but expected gifts. In the past few days, I've gotten a hold of seasons 3-5 of 24, which turns out to have been a very good show that I seem to have latched onto too late, season 8 of Seinfeld (the first non Larry David season, which has more great moments than great episodes), the "new" "Stephen King" novel (published under the name of Richard Bachman, and written about thirty years ago, apparently), a fantastic book about the 1984 NBA draft (that would be the Olajuwon/Jordan/Barkley/Stockton/Sam Bowie draft) called "Tip-Off" which I've already finished, a fantastic, if eclectic, collection of songs from iTunes (highlights include Bryan Ferry's new album of Dylan covers, three tracks by the Zombies, a couple of Toots & the Maytalls tracks, Sam and Dave's "Hold On, I'm Coming", which is among the most perfect singles anyone has ever recorded, and what might be the two best tracks the Ramones recorded during their extended decline- "Pet Semetary" and "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg" also called "My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down"), plus John Updike and Philip Roth novels (old ones). Like I said, a collection as wonderful as it is undeserved.

Right now I'm in the middle of the second Harry Potter novel, which is slightly better than I remember it being, as part of the big re-read of the entire series in anticipation of the new novel. I'm curious as to how Rowling will possibly meet expectations here- if the last episode of Sopranos was a cultural event, this is much bigger in a lot of ways. And while I adored the ending of the Sopranos, I know a lot of people hated it. Think about it- if Harry dies, a lot of people will be pissed off, but you could probably make a good case for Harry's death being the best ending from Rowling's point of view (the same way that Cervantes needed to kill Don Quixote at the end of part two, so no one can write another one, leaving aside artistic reasons altogether.)

Anyway, just wanted all of my loyal readers (both of my loyal readers) to know I hadn't forgotten them.