Words and music - more holiday ideas

I generally reject the entire notion of buying into most manufactured holidays and the hyper-consumerism that along with them, especially this one. But I'm big on words and music. So I'll throw some ideas out there for that "hard-to-buy-for" person, as I believe books make especially great gifts. I'm not giving any music ideas, because I believe that the best route is for people to simply take the music they like for free off the internet - ahh the magic of technology. But just in case, here's few ideas:
-The Exotic Sounds of Martin Denny
-the Best of Rosa Passos
-Ted Leo & The Pharmacists "Shake the Sheets"
-Cucho Valdes "New Conceptions"

Some books I purchased for others this holiday are "Angela's Ashes", which I also want to read after seeing the film. Apparently, it won a Pulitzer. A close college friend is heading down under, so I'm picking up a copy of Lonely Planet's guide to Eastern Australia for him. And "The Polar Express" for a kid I know with train on the brain...

Here's some of my favorites over the past few years that are readily available at cheap prices online or at your local bookstore. Based on this blog, their oriented more towards sports and sex.
-Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand
-Dark Star Safari by Paul Threoux
-The Easy Hour by Leslie Stella
-Manhole Covers by Mimi and Robert Melnick
-Ty Cobb by Charles Alexander
-Papa Bear by Jeff Davis
-Best American Erotica 2004
-Three Way; Erotic Stories by Alison Tyler
-the Complete Peanuts 1953-54

I just finished up "The Best American Short Stories of 2003". I've read the annual collection every year since 1992, and while there are always a few really goond ones, there are always a lot of stories that I don't like. This year was different and about 75% of the stories are ones that I really enjoyed. Must be the editing of Walter Mosley. I can't explain it...

Not sure what I'll start in on after the holidays. I'll probably quickly finish up both Dickens "Hard Times" and Old D's "Crime and Punishment." I have a biography of Napoleon that's been sitting on my bedside stand for a year, but its so big its scary. I usually plow thru bios pretty fast, so maybe I'll take that on before I hit James Farrell's "Studs Lonigan" trilogy this spring...

Friday night I didn't get sex, but I did help bake some ooey gooey chocolate chip cookies.

Big weekend planned with family coming into town. We'll be doing the hillbilly thing, as I'm being forced to chaperone their rural asses down to North Michigan Ave to see the pretty lights. Ugh!

SOX NEWS:
I see the Sox signed Clement. Those Sox being the ones that are Red. I'm not happy about it, I really thought we'd see him on the southside for sure in 05. The Lee/Pods trade made some sense to me until today, when the Sox resigned Timo Perez while letting Clement get away. Check out today's Cheat's blog (link below or at right) as he says it better than I ever could.

The Sox also have picked up Bobby Jenks (RHP) off waivers from Anaheim.
"Jenks, 23, battled arm problems in 2004, going 0-2 with a 10.71 ERA (23 ER/19.1 IP) in five starts at three different stops, including Class AAA Salt Lake. He underwent elbow surgery on July 20. Jenks was a fifth-round pick by the Angels in 2000 and was ranked as Anaheim's fifth-best prospect by Baseball America in 2004."

Music I listened to today - Big Country, High Llamas, Brian Eno, Hooverphonic (great sex music)...