Distractions

Reading: "Pretty Maniacs" #1-3 (2004-05) by Shinsuke Kurihashi (inferior, girly sequel to manga series "Maniac Road"); "Fables: March Of The Wooden Soldiers" (2003-04) by Bill Willingham and various artists (war and dirty politics...the fairytale thickens in the fourth collection of this American comic); and "The Riddle Of The Sands" (1903) by Erskine Childers ("The first and best of spy stories," proclaims the cover quote from "The Times" - and that was enough to open my wallet).

Watching: Just got through a DVD of "Howard Stern On Demand" compiled by PB. The shock jock's guests included an uncharacteristically shy Sarah Silverman, Springsteen guitarist/"Sopranos" star Steven Van Zandt and "alien abductee" Riley Martin, whose deluded ramblings are delivered in a voice so dignified you can't help but pay attention.

Listening: "The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack" (2007) by Sixx:A.M. I was never a fan of Motley Crue, but this companion to bassist Nikki Sixx's year-in-the-life tome is excellent in a cheesy rock opera way - narration, memorable rhymes, monster riffs and layers of sound that evoke Christmas, carnivals and more.

Playing: "Puzzle Quest" (2006) on Nintendo DS. Imagine an RPG in which an ultra-addictive gem-matching game is the mechanic by which you kill enemies, forge magic items, lay siege to cities, etc. I made it halfway through last year using a ROM image when the emulator crashed and wiped my save file. Oh well, I thought, a cheap, legal copy will turn up at Electronics Boutique in the future. RS took pity on my plight, posted one over from the US and now I'm overdosing.