Books read recently: none.
DVDs viewed recently: The Battle of Algiers (which should be mandatory viewing for high school students in these United States), The Wild Bunch,* Princess Mononoke, a few episodes from Buffy Season Two, the first half of Fishing With John.
TV shows caught recently: Veronica Mars, which may not be up to the standards of The Wire, but remains the best thing on network tv since they cancelled Buffy and Angel. The acting and writing have been excellent overall, and the pacing is typically brilliant. That said, casting Allyson Hannigan as a self-obsessed celebrity-whore sub-Baywatch child-of-famous-actors was incredibly poor casting (unlike the casting of Paris Hilton as a vacuous rich-bitch ninny in an early episode this season, a role in which Hilton shockingly excelled). Hannigan came across as Stoned Willow, and her character will sadly return.

* Although I'm not sure if Li'l Sphere loved the shootout at Agua Verde; he seemed a bit fussy about Pike's death. I explained that the entire scene was both a redemption and the best possible closure for that character, considering that his pipe dreams of settling down were all but impossible for a man like him, but I think Li'l Sphere found certain aspects of the violence more exciting than appalling, which disturbed him. I suggested that it was meant to be both. Li'l Sphere spit up on me in reply. Touché, young man.