Multi-tasking media consumption

I've started a disturbing habit lately...caught between the indecision of either watching my latest Netflix arrival or delving further into my stack of summer reading, I've started to attempt both at the same time. Then I wonder why I can't remember what happened in either. Oy!

I should probably isolate the two stacks in separate rooms, TV in one, laptop in another, and books in the bedroom. Then they wouldn't all simultaneously tempt me. So while I'll put in the next episode of Deadwood, I'll also try to sneak in a few pages of "The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2006" edited by Dave Eggers. It's a collection of excerpts from blogs, websites, television shows, court cases, graphic novels, magazines, books, and other publications from the last year that collectively represent the broad range of writings from a wide array of modern media sources. And it's fantastic! Comics and the Iraqi constitution and Things You Should Know About Chuck Norris and Kurt Vonnegut...all in one book. It's like I died and went to ADHD-readers heaven.

Another series I've been enjoying lately is Slate Magazine's Blogging the Bible series. David Plotz is the author of a weekly series in which he reads, analyzes, and then write about each chapter of the Bible from the not so halcyon days of Genesis, to the John-on-an-acid-trip pages of Revelation. He's on Chronicles now, and every issue of this series has been both insightful, and hilarious. Highly recommended to queue up in your list of weekly on-the-job procrastination reading list.

While toggling between blog-haunting and occasionally working, I've been catching up on all the missed podcasts from this blog about Korea: http://metropolitician.blogs.com/scribblings_of_the_metrop/. I am a little ashamed to admit it, but I finally caved an bought an iPod. And...I think I love it. Harley don't hate me for it!