I have been car-pooling the past two weeks for the first time in a decade. In the early-to-mid 1990s I car-pooled with three people who insisted on leaving school immediately at 2:45 every afternoon, and if I was not in the faculty room immediately at that time they were displeased with me. I quit that car-pool the year Fei Fei was my independent study student and I was unable to spend any time after school working with her because of their apparent school-phobia. This science teacher is very student-friendly, so we do not leave school until between 3:00 to 3:30, which is much more convenient.

Last night I was browsing the books and magazines at Barnes & Noble, a frequent Friday habit of mine, although it alternates with Borders. I was glancing at an issue of a relatively-new magazine called Scientific American Mind which looked fairly interesting. However, I will never subscribe to a pure-science magazine when there are other magazines more geared towards my interests, such as travel and culture. Right now I only subscribe to two non-sf related magazines: Tracks, a music magazine, and Historical Fiction Review / Solander, the publications of the Historical Fiction Society. I am interested in several magazines about Italy, the best of which is Bell’ Italia, but I hesitate subscribing to it because I do not have time to read another magazine regularly. Instead I will buy an occasional issue at the bookstore instead.

Currently reading: Stephen King’s Secret Windows, a collection of nonfiction primarily geared towards writers.

Currently listening: Bruce Springsteen’s Devils and Dust, the latest of his three acoustic folk-type albums, and clearly the best of the trio.