Since I've Been Home

As I really don't have anything else to do, I might as well give you all a brief update of my activities since I arrived back in the good ol' U.S.A. (In case you're wondering, yes, I'm doing this partially as penance for a month of neglect). I haven't been up to anything too terribly exciting, mostly reading and watching television. Really riveting stuff...

In terms of my reading choices, besides my mid-air reading of The Audacity of Hope and The Children of Hurin, I've also finished The Nine by Jeffrey Toobin (highly recommended) and Stephen Mansfield's The Faith of Barack Obama (not-so-highly recommended, but it's a fast read). I'm currently working on The New Imperial Presidency by Prof. Rudalevige, which, in addition to the obvious fascinating nature of the subject, is interesting because I can hear Rudy's distinctive voice (and sense of humor) at many points in the text. Case in point, from the introductory chapter:

The Senate spent most of mid-March debating the emotionally polarizing but substantively limited question of partial-birth abortion procedures. The House of Representatives had its official photograph taken, named a room after former majority leader Richard Armey, and expressed its unanimous sense that fires in nonresidential buildings and executions by stoning were bad things. (Rudalevige, The New Imperial Presidency, 1).

Hopefully, I'll be able to finish it before the end of next week. My goal for the break is to read 10-15 books, including old favorites like The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane and Hamlet, before I once again turn my nose eastwards. I didn't read as much as I should have liked during the semester--I haven't ever, as far as I can recall--and if I want folks to take all my bluster about trying to become an intellectual with even an iota of seriousness, I realise that I need to put up or shut up.

In terms of that most insidious of human contrivances, the box, I have to confess that, thanks to my sister and her collection of the first three seasons on DVD, I am completely obsessed with the show House, M.D. Don't get me wrong. I was already aware of the basic premise of the series and most of the major characters, not the least because so many comparisons were drawn between the series and last year's Writing Center. (Apparently, I was Chase. The identities of the others I leave to your imaginations). But until this week, I hadn't sat down and watched an episode from start to finish. Well, I have--and the actions of Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital's brilliant, acerbic, and non-conformist diagnotisician, and his hapless friends and minions, now consume my thoughts. If the show wasn't as cool as it is, it would be really sad. Anyway, I can see what show I'll be watching regularly on Surf the Channel once I get back to England.

Those few hours I have not spent watching House, M.D., have been consumed with watching episodes of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and Babylon 5 on the Internet. I'm not even going to try to justify my fondness for these kinds of space operas. Let's just say that I'm a sucker for anything with really big space fighters that fire brightly colored lasers at bad guys, and leave it there. I can't help myself. I need help. Some time in the indeterminate near future, preferably.

I haven't much else to add, except that I hope everyone is doing well and that all of your holiday seasons were peaceful and happy ones, filled with memories of good times with family and friends.