Holiday Ramblings

Hey,
Well I hope that you all had a fine Christmas yesterday. That you were all able to spend time with your families, and consider what matters most: gross commercialism. Nah I'm just kidding. Actually this holiday weekend I listened to two wonderful versions of one of my favorite holiday writings-O'Henry's Gift of the Magi. Nothing like a little literary irony to stoke those heart fires. Here's a link where you can hear a reading which charmed me. I also enjoy Dylan Thomas's A Child's Christmas In Wales, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, and Joyce's "The Dead". To me these are must-reads. Why would you settle for less? (One might add Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory" but that story gives me the creeps. I'm still scarred by the television movie version that featured Capote as narrator. His voice still haunts me.)

I can thank my mom for a wonderful nerdy gift. My brother and I were gifted framed original movie posters from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Wonderful since my brother and I are huge Indiana Jones fans.

Another highlight was watching my luddite brother trying to figure out his new Ipad. Regardless of his avoidance of technology in general, he was very pleased. My mom and I had to explain that he'll have to sign up for an Itunes account to get the full use out of the tablet. He was still hesitant. My brother and I are strangely dissimiliar in some matters and completely alike in others. On one side he's not a big reader and plays video games. He loves Hulu and Youtube. He refuses to get a library card. Yet he loves history as I do, and shares a love of nerdy science fiction like Star Trek. Full of contradictions that kid.

This year the literary haul was thankfully light. I think folks are getting the notion that more books is not what I need. I've got plenty, I assure you. Many folks are psyched to utilize their new Nooks and Kindles this year, but again, I'll stick to the physical thing. Although I hope that you all get enjoy your digital devices nonetheless.

All and all I had a wonderful holiday, I hope that you all did as well. Book Slave.