2004: A Preview

I'm not sure if these qualify as "New Year's Resolutions", but they sort of fill the bill. Here are things I want to do or accomplish in 2004, beyond the big stuff I mention in the previous post.

:: There's a new section in my sidebar titled "2004 Reading List". I've always paid lip-service to becoming better read, and I think I've done so, but in drips-and-drabs through the years. Now I want to do more, read more. Thus, the reading list, which comprises books I want to tackle in the coming months. I don't know how many of them I'll get done, but if I can knock out at least half this list, I'll be happy.

Quite a bit of it is very old stuff, "foundational" literature of mythic nature. Basically I want to explore the roots of storytelling, by going upriver to the actual springs themselves and sampling the virginal waters. As I proceed through the list, whichever work I am currently reading will be at top and in yellow type. I may actually add books to the list as the year proceeds, and I will almost certainly roll any unread books over to a 2005 list, when that time comes. The order of the list is pretty random: I won't necessarily be reading in list order.

:: Politics. I plan to keep my political postings at about my current mix. I'm not interested in being a pure political blogger, but I am likewise unwilling to return to my original "no politics at all" policy. I also will refrain from gloating in November if Bush loses, or crying in my beer if he wins.

However, on another political note, I have decided to make official the way I've been leaning for a couple of months now: In the Democratic primaries, I will support General Clark. This is based more on enthusiasm for Clark than any lack of enthusiasm for Howard Dean, whom I plan to support whole-heartedly if he wins the nomination (and whom I have no interest in bashing). But for now, I think Clark represents a level of gravitas that I'd like to see embraced by Democrats in general.

:: Music blogging. I plan to write more about music here, both at random and by plan. One idea I've been nursing is a chronological exploration of John Williams's music – both filmscores and concert works. There's enough Williams music out there that this would take me quite some time.

:: And as always, you can all expect more rants about the Buffalo Bills, more mouth-foamings about people who say bad things about Star Wars (you newer readers, just trust me on this point!), more Images-of-the-Week, more Friday Bursts of Weirdness, and most importantly, more women who trample Britney Spears like the washed-up, unpretty tart that she is.

Onward and upward!