An Xmas update + a gift

I'm about halfway through writing my annual "favorite albums of 2008" list, which I should have up in the next few days for anyone who is interested.

My friend gave me a book of philosophical writings by Simone de Beauvoir, which I have been reading, and in looking into it further, I'm excited to see that it's a part of "The Beauvoir Series" produced by the University of Illinois Press. The Series will be seven volumes (three are currently available) of newly translated works. What I've read so far has continued to lend credence to the current theory that, rather than Beauvoir deriving her ideas from Sartre, she was as much an influence on his philosophy as he was on hers (if not more). Whereas, for instance, it has long been held that her novel She Came to Stay (L'Invitée) was heavily inspired by Sartre's Being and Nothingness, new information has come to light demonstrating that he had read the second draft of her novel before he had really begun writing Being and Nothingness. Needless to say, I am extremely excited about this newly translated material (especially since I get to read "Pyrrhus and Cineas," which has finally been translated into English). Thank you Margaret A. Simons!!

Finally, I performed a cover of Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas" at the Harper's Smallwoods Christmas show at Urban Standard on the 13th, which I recorded on Monday and thought I would share with you. If you'd like to download it, you can do so here: All I Want for Xmas. Fair warning: it might be kind of creepy.