I've finished Dave Barry Is Not Making This Up and am now reading Dave Barry In Cyberspace. It isn't as funny as the former, but it has its moments. :)

Example:

"Believe me, you do not want to try to install a new operating system yourself. I have done this several times, and it is terrifying. Your computer is taken over by an Evil Demon Installation Program, very much the way the young Linda Blair was taken over in the movie The Exorcist. First your screen goes blank, and then suddenly your computer starts asking you a series of questions that you could never answer in a million years, like:

"The Installation Program has determined that a conflict exists between your IRQ Port Parameter Module and your Cache Initialization Valve. Shall the Installation Program reallocate the Motherboard Transfer Polarity Replication Allotment, or shall it adjust the Disk Controller Impedance Threshold? Bear in mind that if you answer this question incorrectly, all of your data will be lost and innocent people could die."

This can go on for many hours, and at any moment your computer may start laughing in a diabolical manner and spinning its monitor around 360 degrees and projectile-vomiting green stuff. ( Your newer multimedia computers vomit in a variety of colours. )"

I think I'll buy Dave Barry books as birthday presents from now on. :D

I've finally tapered down my Michael Buble CD-blasting, and am currently playing another wonderful jazz album in the car. Titled "The New Standard", it features Steve Tyrell, a middle-aged American guy with a gruff but likeable voice, doing covers of well-loved classics such as "On The Sunny Side Of The Street", "Smile", "A Kiss To Build A Dream On", even "The Way You Look Tonight". Surprisingly, I liked his interpretation of the last piece, despite considering Buble's version the best so far. I also enjoyed Tyrell's "The Very Thought Of You", which is my favourite song on the album.
He collaborates with a whole slew of notable jazz musicians, but the production on a few of the songs isn't that great, especially when they use synthesizers as "stand-ins" for actual string sections. The resulting effect spoils the piece, but thankfully, such occurrences are quite seldom and often not very noticeable.
There's a foreword by Burt Bacharach, who calls this a "happy album". I fully agree with that assessment! This CD will lift your spirits, and is ideal for the drive home after a long day at work, or better still, on the way to work! Best of all, the songs reflect an era where romance was subtle yet white-hot without all the blatant sexual innuendos and dirty dancing in music videos. Lyrics from "The Very Thought Of You" are perfect illustrations, ie. "The very thought of you / And I forget to do / The little ordinary things / That everyone ought to do... I see your face in every flower / Your eyes in the stars above". Ah, those were the days. :)

My shift just ended, so I'll write again another day. Have a good weekend!