Er - sorry, that post was rather more expletive-laden than neccesary, wasn't it? I seem to be developing a Tourettes-like level of cursing in my downtime, now that I'm back at achool - seven hours of being wholesome a day and having "crazypants!" as my strongest expletive does seem to result in mighty upsurge in my swearing levels once there are no small children in my immediate vicinity.

t sheepish

Heh, Fay-- I know what you mean about the swearing. I come back from writers' conferences and Lewis practically has to duct tape my mouth shut until I relearn how to speak around the kids. Although he has his moments too-- he's just never aware of them.

And I think Bret Easton Ellis absolutely delights in pushing the envelope from that standpoint, whether it advances the story or not. It's one reason I'm not at all crazy about him as a writer-- I don't think he's concerned about overall story arc so much as he is about finding a way to go from shocking scene to shocking scene, if that makes any sense?

I loathed American Psycho and its protagonist with every fibre of my being

And yet, it managed to become a hilarious movie. Granted, nowhere near as graphic as the novel, and the filmmakers definitely made it obvious that he was probably only doing things inside his head.

"Do you like Huey Lewis and the News?"

ION, I know I should know who Nelly Dean is, but I'm totally blanking. Sigh. Senior moments are coming a tad early, methinks.

ETA, Google is my friend, and, yes, beating her to death with a shovel is just about right.

yesterday a guest expressed surprise that I could tell her about the movies we are showing. Later I heard someone ask a cashier, "what's that movie about?" and she said, "er, um, here's a paper you can read about it." and handed the guest a synopsis. We have been showing this movie for a month and the cashier stands next to that synopsis every time she works box office. You'd think just once she'd get bored enough to read it. I felt like asking her, "what would you think if you went to a restaurant and asked your waiter what a dish was like and they told you to read the menu?" but I thought that might come across as mean.

As those of you who have seen my house know, I will read anything that stands still long enough. I tend to buy nonfiction, usually on sale, because if takes me longer to read and I get library guilt. I get my mysteries and the like from the library. Of course, if really like a book, I'll buy it when it comes out in paperback. This is so that if I'm ever trapped in my house for two or three years, I'll have something to read.

I don't read much contemporary "serious" fiction, because I like something to happen in a book. If I wished to dwell on inner insecurities, I have plenty of my own. I have not read many romances, mostly because I find it easier to believe in monsters than romance. It is not because of any disdain for the genre, though.

In the absence of other reading material, I have read cereal boxes, assembly instructions, automotive catalogs, dictionaries, encyclopedias and the occasional MSDS.

I think I've drawn the line at stereo instructions.

I think I've drawn the line at stereo instructions.

Nope, I've gone down that road.

I have read cereal boxes, assembly instructions, automotive catalogs, dictionaries, encyclopedias and the occasional MSDS.

This is me.

I read instructions on tampon boxes and enemas while in other people's bathrooms.

There are magazines and books in my bathroom.

Yeah, I've read stereo instructions in a pinch. Owner's manuals if I wind up in the car (horrors!) without a book.

I think I might actually draw the line at enema instructions, though.

Assembly instructions can be rather soothing if you have no intent to actually assemble something.