I have been such a terrible correspondent lately. It’s not that I love my entertainment any less, it’s just been a busy time for me, both personally and creatively. Family sorrow marked the holidays (read my Robert Altman tribute and you’ll probably get the gist of it). That was followed by my annual Major Work Project during the day, and my Brand New Love of Acrylic Paint/Awesome Rebel SLR Digital Experimentation at night. I’ve been so busy that I haven’t even had a chance to play with my new pen-as-mouse pad I got so I can start animating things in Flash.

I’m feeling very artistic right now, which I haven’t in years. I can directly correlate my downturn in creative art to my increased involvement in writing, so it makes sense that my writing is suffering as I rediscover how to hold a paint brush. I will endeavour to keep up a bit more, though, as I have seen and heard a great many things in the last couple months that are worth writing about.

Let’s start with Babel. My neighbour C and I went to see it New Year's Eve, and by the end of the movie I wanted to kill myself. What a downer! I thought the editing and acting were fantastic, but the story was just one giant buzzkill. I am willing to accept that (spoilers ahoy!) a couple could lose a child to SIDS, then decide to go to Morocco to get over that loss (even though the wife hates germs and filth of any kind. Maybe all the flights to Paris were booked?), then get shot by some kids playing a prank. It doesn’t happen all the time, but at least it’s not inconceivable. But that that same couple’s young children would be taken to Mexico, then driven home by a drunk who hates authority, and abandoned in the desert to fend for themselves? Come on. That’s a lot to swallow—too much to make the story believable.

Of course, I saw The Holiday a couple of weeks ago and really liked it. So perhaps my opinions shouldn’t weigh all that strongly.

I’m watching: Deadwood. Hoo, doggy, am I in love with this show! History Television has been running this series uncut since the fall, and I PVR’d it this last go-round. Why did nobody tell me that Timothy Olypant was in this series? I love Timothy Olypant! Also, Trixie and Sol rock my world.

I’m listening to: Good lordy, what aren’t I listening to? I’ve been on a bit of a folk run lately, as I gear up for my trip to Scotland in the spring. So, a little kilt-and-bonnet action (I finally know the tune to Johnny Cope), mixed in with some bluegrassy-folk like Gillian Welch and Abigail Washburn, and some UK folk like Cara Dillon. I also picked up the new Arcade Fire album this morning (shhh! . . .) Maybe with this album, I’ll finally understand what all the hype is about.