okay, in what universe

does anna nicole smith's death constitute NEWS?!? like, i never think we've actually gone that far, and then what do i see but round-the-clock cnn coverage with resident silver-haired, stone fox, anderson cooper doing his best faux-gravitas as the tacky image of a cloth-covered body on a stretcher loops for days. insanity. not to say that anyone dying isn't tragic and sad (well, maybe not pinochet) but this?!? this fervour?!? not to say that cnn has any semblance of respectability anymore (does anyone actually think for one second that larry king is a good interviewer? that block of wood on "behind the actor's studio" out-charismas king!). it always reminds me of the john waters quote on the simpsons (about kitsch, but if this isn't kitsch-macabre, i don't know what is): "the tragically ludicrous, the ludicrously tragic."

to happier news: i finished my paper! LAST NIGHT! ie. more than 5 minutes before i have to leave the house to hand it in! i did a fairly respectable job, too. i'm not ashamed of it, at any rate.

there's been a lot of talk about amy winehouse's new album "back to black". my friend hipped me to her a few weeks back, and i've been listening to it. it's actually quite good, but more than anything, i'm impressed by whoever did the mixdown and engineering. it sounds like it's straight out of the 60s, minus the crackle. the recording is warm, the arrangements are pretty spot-on, it sounds rich and her voice does a really good job of capturing the soul and feel of the genre. the song "rehab" is pure motown girl-group fantasticness...the feel is sick! i'm glad i found out about her...apparently she's coming to the t-dizzle so i might go check her out, see if her live show tears me a new a**hole the way sharon jones did. i don't love this as much as i love sharon jones and the dap kings, but that's because amy winehouse is like a slow burn, whereas sharon jones and the dap kings are a raging inferno of funk.

for dinner tonight i'm packing a sandwich of provolone, bagna cauda, roasted peppers, red onion, tomato and basil on an ace francese bun that i'm going to throw in the toaster oven at work to get right melty. alongside leftover chickpea, leek, sweet potato and parmesan soup from last week.

fin.