Mark Twain and The Warriors

My roommate wasn't home when I got in from work last night. Cool, I love having the place to myself. I had it to myself all weekend so this was like a bonus private evening. First thing I did was pop in the new game for the ole Xbox, The Warriors. Remember the Warriors? That's right, there is a video game version of the movie. Some of the original actors return to do voice work also. I'm in heaven. So I blew about an hour last night bopping my way through Coney Island and China Town. After that I broke out the sharp cheddar cheaseball I bought the other night and smeared a few Triscuits with the magnificence of cheese and watched a couple of innings of the world series.

It's funny, I have had no interest at all in baseball's post season this year. Every year, it seems, I am less interested in what happens in the world of baseball. I guess there are so many options available in this crazy modern world and you can only have so many interests. Football and NASCAR are enough for me. Honestly, if follow more than two major sports you are out of control.

After a couple of innings of the game I went to my room and broke out the awesome new Mark Twain biography by Ron Powers. I heard the guy speak on Diane Rehm rencently and I put the book on hold as soon as I got to work. I love it when I hear an author on the radio and know right away that I am going to read his or her book. That happened for the first time several years ago when I first heard Mary Doria Russell speak about her first novel, The Sparrow. I was just starting to listen to NPR and discovering such a good author really cinched the deal.

So far in the Twain bio Samuel Clemens is a teenager still living in Hannibal, MO and is working as a typesetter for a local newspaper. I'm really going to enjoy immersing myself in the life of Mark Twain for the next couple of weeks. This book is a biggun with small print. It's going to take a while, I can tell.

Pay for online news?

I went ahead and did it. I kept my subscription to the New York Times online edition. They call it Times Select. Ewwwwww, fancy. I guess full access to the current paper and their archives back to 1980 at 8 bucks a month is not a bad deal. Of course I have access to the archives via our online resources at work but I still think it's a good deal. I have spent more money on much less enlightening items on the internet than this NY Times subscription, believe me. I consider it money well spent. Now excuse me while I jump over to Ebay and search for more Godzilla figurines.