Something on the Insane Side

26.  Read the following 29 books: A Confederacy of Dunces, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, A Prayer for Owen Meany, Anna Karenina, Atonement, Beloved, Birdsong, Brave New World, Catch 22, Death Comes for the Archbishop, Infinite Jest, Lord of the Flies, Of Mice and Men, On The Road, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Portnoy's Complaint, Rebecca, The Color Purple, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Handmaid's Tale, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Little Prince, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Poisonwood Bible, The Power of One, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Things Fall Apart, White Noise

28.  Travel to the following places: Thailand, Vietnam, Greece, India, Brazil, Bora Bora, Spain, South Africa, Seychelles, Chiapas, Mexico, Iceland, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Machu Picchu, Peru, New York City, Jerusalem, Alaska

If you haven't read Rebecca, it's a must.  (Thank you Aunt Mary!)  I finished reading it last week, but I'm still thinking about it.  In my opinion, those are the best kind of books.

And of course, Chiapas was so wonderful.  Words don't really explain how great it is.  But, for your next trip, think about it!

One of the best things I've read a while.  Why are you so terribly disappointed?

What happened to my bonus? What happened to my job? What happened to my country? Why can't it all go the way it's supposed to go? You mean having a kid won't solve my marriage problems? Why don't these drugs make me feel better? Where's that goddamn waiter with my salad? Have you seen the stupid weather today? Is this really all there is?

These are, from what I can glean, the most important questions of the day, of the month, of modern life itself. Hell, what with the economy and job situation, the housing market and the overall feel and texture of the nation right now, it's no wonder Americans are, by and large, a goddamn miserable bunch. We don't like anything right now. No politician, no decision, no situation, no inhale, no exhale. We are sick to death of all of it, including ourselves.

Some entertaining links from Kottke's The Noughtie List.  A few highlights that I really liked are listed below.

The Decade with No Name - The New Yorker

The Top Ten Everything of 2009 - Time Magazine

The Ten Worst Things About the Worst Decade Ever - Time Magazine

The Decade Definer - Vanity Fair

Mister Narrative of the Decade - Click Opera Blog

That's So Aughties - Vanity Fair

Photo credit goes to JBF mx.

Merry Christmas to all from San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.  While it would be wonderful to be enjoying a white Christmas in Longmont, Colorado with my sweet family, I think I'm in the next best place.  Chrissie and I are looking forward to relaxing and having a great vacation.

Yesterday evening Chrissie and I visted the World's Largest Christmas Tree in Mexico City.  It was so fun!