Things to Which I Am Looking Forward to Engorging Upon

As always, Christmas brings for this blogger a veritable smorgasbord of pop culture miscellany that leaves me in January feeling a little overwhelmed--so much goodness, so little time--and where to start?

Here is a (partial) list of the generous gifts my wonderful family has bestowed upon me. Aren't I a lucky little blogger?

Philips HDRW720 DVD Recorder with 120 GB Hard Drive
I'm far too cheap to spring for TiVo, no matter how tempting it is--one more monthly fee is one more too many. But when I saw this baby on heavy discount at a local electronics chain in the week before Thanksgiving, I begged the wife for an early Christmas present (had to strike while the sale iron was hot) and we grabbed it. I love my wife. TV Guide supplies the subscription info for free (they post a small ad on the listing screen for the privilege--a price I'll gladly pay in lieu of that monthly fee), and it seems to work just fine. Pause TV, rewind, one-touch recording, dump my camcorder contents onto the hard drive--it does everything I wanted it to. Technology is grand.

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Of course.

In a Silent Way - Miles Davis
I've been surprised at how much I like this. This album was apparently the beginning of Davis' fusion phase, of which I know little, but the electronic keyboards and guitars here work very well with that muted trumpet sound.

The Best American Magazine Writing 2005
I get the yearly edition of this every year and it's always a favorite. So far I've read absolutely wonderful pieces on the return of the two American astronauts who got stuck on the International Space Station when the shuttle exploded ("Home," by Chris Jones in Esquire), on a man falsely imprisoned for child rape for two decades-plus ("The Wronged Man" by Andrew Corsello in GQ--that one was a stunner, had me teary at the end), and a man who gave away his kidney to a stranger ("The Gift" by Ian Parker, in The New Yorker).

The Best American Science & Nature Writing 2005
Haven't dug in yet.

On Beauty - Zadie Smith
Eager to read.

Cinderella Man (score) - Thomas Newman
Yet to listen.

Prairie Wind - Neil Young
So far, no Harvest Moon, but still very good.

The Simpsons - Season Six
Ah, the merriment that awaits.

A bottle of sparkling blueberry juice
Delicious.

A wireless router
Surfing the net from anywhere in the house is just as cool as reported.

Until Whenever