Today was (finally) a good day.

       After an incredibly trying week, today was a good day. And I damn well deserved it. It started when I woke up, slowly and comfortably in the arms of my lover, with a terrible rain. A rain that washed away the snow and ice I was supposed to shovel today. Many a w00t was said. I came downstairs to the news that my car was fine, with a new battery, and ready to be picked up. Hoorah!        What could be next? A gift of A History of Violence (which I keep wanting to call A Short History of Violence...)? Finding that the Regal on route 1 is playing Fight Club for the forseable future? How about both. But I wasn't in the mood for Fight Club. Not today. Instead Al and I headed into Princeton and found that Tristram Shandy is playing at the cozy little theatre there, where I last went to and saw Pi. The movie was great, and an extended review will come shortly, but before that we did a PREx run. And look what I got. Now, keep in mind I haven't listened to all of these, nor even heard some of the bands, but it is still quite a good haul.

Stay Awake	Satan's Circus
Who Killed....... The Zutons? by The Zutons	The Way to Salvation by King Missle
All This Useless Beauty by Elvis Costello and the Attractions	Business as Usual by Men at Work
Singles Collection by Spandau Ballet	Orson Welles at the Movies

       Stay Awake is the only album I've had a chance to listen to. It's an interesting mix though; it's A bunch of A*M artists "reinterpreting" old Disney songs. Highlights include "Stay Awake" by Suzanne Vega, "Heigh Ho" by Tom Waits and Sun Ra's version of "Pink Elephants on Parade". It's all very creepy, all a bit off. In a good way. And the two pieces in the liner notes, one by Hal Willner and the other by Leonard Maltin, are both worth a read. The close of my day? Thomas' Sweets: chocolate malt and chocolate mousse ice cream, followed by a listen to Stay Awake and a more hit or miss album, The Gershiwn Project.