I need to get my long post done. Just done already. It’s still sitting as a draft. I’ve been busy, though, in good ways.

Here’s a medium-sized post.

I’m reading Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino because Salman Rushdie recommended it. Yes. I caught the tail end of the segment on NPR and then read the piece on the “You Must Read This” page. Rushdie wrote,

I first read Cosmicomics in my early 20s, and it’s a book I’ve gone back to again and again. It is possibly the most enjoyable story collection ever written, a book that will frequently make you laugh out loud at its mischievous mastery, capricious ingenuity and nerve.

Mischievous mastery? Capricious ingenuity? Sign. Me. Up. So far, so good. I started reading it way too late last night so I was unable to read too much, and I was cheated out of my morning reading time on the train because the train never arrived (and yes, I know it was Columbus Day, but my train line runs on every holiday other than Thanksgiving, Christmas, the 4th of July and Memorial Day or something). But I went for a run already, had some food and I’m in for the night — so bed, a book and some tea sound perfect.

Also, one of my more interesting Netflix selections arrived and I started watching it - again, too late in the evening to be able to focus before nodding off. This time, it’s a documentary called Zoo. I’ll state outright that I’m not very squeamish about the sort of fringe elements of culture or the darker side of humanity. I’m rather fascinated. One of my favorite books is Lolita (happy 50th anniversary, btw!) and I’m a big old fan of Ian McEwan, who writes beautifully and explores topics such as incest (The Cement Garden), suicide pacts (Amsterdam) and S&M (The Comfort of Strangers) in his delicate prose.

According to the summary on Wikipedia, Zoo is “a documentary on the life and death of Kenneth Pinyan, a Seattle area man who died unusually after engaging in sex with a horse.” Zoo is short for zoophile - a person with unusually strong fondness for, attraction to or romantic interest in animals. This is different from bestiality in that bestiality involves a sexual act between human and animal; zoophilia is the interest or attraction to animals. There’s a line to cross, apparently.

Anyway - as far as documentaries go, the first 20 minutes or so looked promising and I will finish watching it in the next few days. It was quite the hit at Sundance in 2007. After that, I have the documentary about suicides at the Golden Gate Bridge called, appropriately enough, The Bridge.

And finally, it struck me this morning that Santogold has taken a good dose of inspiration from Siouxsie Sioux. This is not a bad thing, but it just hit me on the drive in to work this morning. Submitted for your comparison, “Red Light” from Ms. Siouxsie Sioux and “My Superman” from Ms. Santi White.

Red Light

My Superman

For quite some time, it’s bothered me that I didn’t know the actual ending of that aphorism. I like to think of myself as a culturally literate person (English and psych majors: please enjoy unpacking that one), so this was especially annoying.

So I used the magic of the internets and looked it up. The full thing is:

If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride.

Of course. Of course! I can see now why we’ve truncated it thus - a) we’re inherently lazy and b) beggars are so passé.

Why am I even talking about this? I was thinking about how I wish it was the weekend already. And about my wishes and hopes for the weekend. I know I will have a good time, but I also hope to get some good pictures. My ultimate wish is to get a decent photo of myself. This photo of me with a cocktail umbrella behind my ear (from the one and only drink I had that night) isn’t the most “professional” thing to have up on Facebook. My primary contacts (and reason for joining) are work-related, so there won’t be “eva gone wild” photos coming any time soon.

Also, they don’t exist. Not only because I don’t allow photography (much like the Louvre and other great cultural centers) but because I don’t go wild. If I get a second drink, that’s a lot.

NOTEWORTHY: My friend Sara (coincidentally, the friend with whom I will be spending the weekend) has another review up on PopMatters, yo. Check it - she saw Earlimart perform and wrote about it. You can read it. And should.

Not as noteworthy: I’m watching Akira because while I’ve seen it before, I couldn’t remember a thing about it when it came up in conversation last week. I’ll probably fall asleep 20 minutes into it just by virtue of being in my own bed again, but I can hang onto it for a bit. I am sending back two Netflix tomorrow, so that means I’ll have two fresh ones heading my way shortly. Tasty fresh Netflix.

This weekend, I could (and should, for work reasons) attend the Renegade Craft Fair in Brooklyn. However, this is Father’s Day weekend. And the weekend we’ll be celebrating my mother’s birthday.

I haven’t really had a full weekend to myself in months and months. There are desperate amounts of cleaning to do, as well as running and other forms of exercise, and a car to be washed. Errands of that sort. Three Netflix movies to watch.

I’d also like to sleep in for a change.

This is what I would like.

And I am, for once, sort of glad I don’t live in Japan.