Thanksgiving has always provided a pause in our routines, creating space & time to catch up all the things we can’t seem to get to. At the top of that list is my “to read” pile, which grows without let up over the weeks of nose to the grind routine. Fortunately, I had a wonderful environment with which to catch up, my parents place in Virginia, sitting next to a fire, the dog on my lap. Here are a few of the dents made:
Fiction -
Philip Roth is always a good time, neurotics included: Operation Shylock.
What I Wish Was Fiction -
Palin continues to disgust. Read about who she is campaigning for, reported by her hometown paper.
Citi / Economic Collapse -
Fantastic snapshot and analysis of the culture created, and priorities held, at the top of Citi, before the fall: The Reckoning.
Follow that up with Thomas Friedman’s reaction: All Fall Down.
Top it off with Michael Lewis’ perspective: The End.
Mumbai -
My friend Steve Baer’s (aka Twitchy, Baer-Man, Baer-Claw, etc.) brother Todd (aka Bones), is a reporter working the greater Middle East (including India). See his 4 minute report from Thursday on the attacks in Mumbai, better than anything we were getting on CNN / NY Times / Huffington Post at the time: Indian Forces Gain Ground in Mumbai Standoff.
In-Depth Affairs -
Remember “Why We Fight”, rent it and watch it again. Then read: A Military-Industrial-Media Complex.
As part of a larger series / book on the Cheney Vice Presidency called Angler, we have a 2 part analysis of the actors and events surrounding the White House’s domestic spying program: Conflict Over Spying Led White House to Brink & Cheney Shielded Bush From Crisis.
Tim Wise is wonderful: How Conservatives Scapegoat Minorities, Even for the Wall St Bail-Out.
Music, Art & Design Related -
From DWR: Drawing Circles in Square Times.
A nice summary, albeit surface, on the state of the music industry…and its path to relevance: Ian Rogers On The Death Of The Music CD Business: “I Don’t Care.”
Gerhard Richter continues to fascinate me, and this article is a great overview of his work through 2002: An Artist Beyond Isms.
Sport -
And there is always football (well, football players): Source: Burress Tells Giants He Shot Himself In Leg By Accident.
Enjoy the last few hours of November.
