I think I've mentioned before that I quite like my little apartment here in Victoria. It's cozy, clean, has a skylight and really, it's everything I need for my purposes and it's starting to feel like mine. Even the location is great, nicely situated equal distance between downtown and the University. But it's also just off a main street, and for some people, the noise of early morning traffic might be frusterating. Fortunately, I tend to sleep through almost anything (even earthquakes). But this morning was the exception: I awoke earlier than I would have hoped (today was a day I could have slept in) because they were doing work on the sidewalk one house away with a backhoe and a jackhammer! A goddamn jackhammer! Seriously, who starts operating a jackhammer at quarter-to-eight in the morning? Infuriating.

In other news the Curious George movie opens today, with the voice talent Will Ferrell as the Man in the Yellow Hat. Often I'm frusterated with the constant efforts of studios to "update" classic children's stories for mass consumption (see the recent Winnie the Pooh alterations for example), so it's somewhat heartening to hear that the movie is merely pleasent and appropriate for very young children to enjoy the adventures of a monkey without being subjected to sexual innuendo (ala Shrek) for once.

I've been well known for bashing singer Jack Johnson on numerous occasions. I thought it should be known that I have no active vendetta against the guy. The fact that I can barely get excited enough to care is pretty much my problem. However, he has recorded the soundtrack for Curious George, and it has been the number one selling album this week. I think Roger Ebert sums up my opinion of this very well in his review (linked to above): "There are songs sung by Jack Johnson, which are pleasant if kind of innocuous."