What I’m reading, watching, thinking: an insight into the Arnold brainwork. This is number three of an occasional series.

Reading: David Foster Wallace. Hadn’t ever read anything of his before, so I thought I’d start with non-fiction, his book of essays “A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again,” which is also the title of the main essay in the book, his take on a Caribbean cruise (taken in the mid-90s).

I was led to the piece by another essay on cruising (the big ship variety, not the gay variety) which I think may have been in Salon.com. Long story short – I did enjoy the essay tremendously. It’s extremely thorough, in the sense that I totally feel I know what going on a cruise would be like in most any aspect you can think of. The essay is also hysterically funny, and the writer makes fantastic use of his own neuroses for the delight of the reader (warning: copious footnotes!). I found it accessible as well, and I do admit to not reading every essay in the book. There’s also a famous one in there on television and its impact on fiction writing. Foster’s thesis is that TV’s had a profound effect on postmodern fiction, but the essay itself I found very hard to follow. Number one, it was written in 1990 so it’s dated (I, for instance, would love to hear Wallace’s take on the internet or its aspects like YouTube or Facebook… or blogs), but also I just found it really, really dense. (And you know, maybe I’m just not smart enough for it, that’s also a distinct possibility).

By the time I was done with that essay wouldn’t you know it but the library wanted the book back. So I didn’t get to read the other essays in the book, some of them on tennis, which interests me . . . not at all. Then again, I really did pick it up for the cruising essay, and I was not disappointed.

I’m kind of fascinated with Wallace ’cause he killed himself a couple of years ago. There were no answers to that in his prose from the 1990s.

Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper in “Silver Linings Playbook”

What I’m Watching: Really, lots of stuff since last report. More on the award hopefuls – I did see Silver Linings Playbook, as well as a few selections from the Palm Springs International Film Festival (see this previous post). Waiting for the second part of the final season of Breaking Bad, and for Downton Abbey, a veritable feast for diva-loving homosexuals (such as myself) and others. I’m hoping the plot of Downton improves from the second season, which I found very soap-opery. From everything I’ve read so far on the season that seems to be the case. And how can the addition of Shirley MacLaine be anything but positive?

Quick thoughts on Silver Linings Playbook:

• most enjoyable Robert DeNiro movie in a long time.
• Yes, I can see what the fuss is all about, Jennifer Lawrence!
• Bradley Cooper should be contractually obligated to remove shirt in all movies he makes.
• It was like sugar in many ways, you got high really quickly but there was nothing lingering, except maybe a headache.
• If only mental illness was such a cakewalk! Still, I did enjoy the fantasy of putting all this pain into a strictly ballroomy rom-com.
• Thank the Universe it wasn’t “I Heart Huckabees.” I didn’t walk out, but I know people who did.

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What I’m Thinking:

Self-censorship on the blog: I thought, a while back, that since I was looking for employment, it would be wise to try and keep it clean, to keep it as non-political as possible, to not have too strong a viewpoint on anything. Well, I was wrong. Playing it safe did not get me a job, although I’m not sure really being out there would have garnered one either. But basically, playing it safe is just really boring. People want to read strong opinions even if they don’t agree. So I made a mistake with that idea. Henceforth, I’m going to try and be the best “Jim” I can be, whatever that turns out to be. But no trying to anticipate audience reaction.

Politics: Yeah, thrilled that BHO won the second term, but I’m still really, really unhappy that Gitmo is still open, and even less happy with the Drone program. Is it only a matter of time before the Drones police us? Or are they already here?

Jobs: I’ll be doing less background acting this year, as there’s too huge an opportunity cost you must pay to do that kind of work. I would be served better by looking for more lucrative things or even using the time for self-care, at least at this point. Of course, the day after I decide this and end my relationship with the calling service, I’m booked on Mad Men! Go figure.

NOLA sabbatical coming up: I’ve accepted an invitation from my sister and brother-in-law to spend a month in New Orleans (May) to get an actual idea of what it might be like, in some parallel universe, to live there.