What I'm Reading/Watching/Playing/Hearing

I've been really busy lately, and there is nothing more satisfying than going to my politics folder in Google Reader and hitting "Mark all as read." Whee! I have time to read three different blogs analyzing the latest episode of Project Runway, but doing anything more than skimming the NY Times homepage is too much for me lately.

Also in the mix when I take breaks from work:

1. I started reading White Teeth, by Zadie Smith, because I love love love Zadie Smith's writing. She just has this really sharp writing style and unexpected turns of phrase.
   
   
2. But I wanted something lighter, and breezed through Jeeves and the Tie That Binds, by P.G. Wodehouse. I was glad that I found a Wodehouse book at home that I hadn't read yet, although I'm sure at some point I could re-read them without noticing.
   
   
3. The length of a "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me" podcast is exactly equal to the time it takes me in one day, round trip, to get to and from work. So it's usually how I entertain myself on Mondays going to and from work. I'm sure people on the bus wondering why I'm giggling so much.
   
   
4. The Defiance, Ohio channel on Pandora is giving me lots of Flogging Molly! Whee!
   
   
5. I have recorded a ton of movies on the DVR lately (The Philadelphia Story, Hairspray, The Graduate), but like every time I'm stressed out and the eeee!'s out of town, I've been having a mini Gilmore Girls marathon. I know everyone raves about the first two seasons -- deservedly so -- but the second half of season four is awesome. Besides all the Luke and Lorelai stuff, you have Lorelai opening the inn, Lorelai dealing with her parents, Richard and Emily's marital problems, Luke and his family, and Lane and her mother. Rory's plotline kind of sucks, but everything else is woven together really well.
   
   
6. I'm not going to see The Dark Knight until Wednesday night. Oh my god, I'm not sure I can wait that long. Since I teach (85-minute lectures) on MTW, my Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights are really busy. Maybe this will be good motivation to finish off the lectures early . . .
   
   
7. Robomaro is really cute, once you figure out how to aim the shovel. I got to level 18 or so, at which point it rapidly becomes impossible.
   

And so there you have my coping mechanisms. I haven't had a nervous breakdown in weeks.