On a friend's recommendation, I downloaded (legally) the soundtrack to Avenue Q, and it has immediately rocketed to a place on my top five musical of all time. The irreverent yet wise blending of elements from Sesame Street and Rent is hilarious, touching, understandable, and fun for not quite the whole family. Puppets, people, and Gary Cooper all share in the delivery of amusing looks at society ("If You Were Gay," Everyone's A Little Bit Racist," "Schadenfruede"), touching reflections on relationships ("Mix Tape," "There's A Fine, Fine Line," "The More You You Ruv Someone"), not-quite-so-touching takes on sex ("The Internet Is For Porn," "Special," "You Can Be As Loud As The Hell You Want To (When You're Making Love)"), and quirky thoughts on why we're here ("What Do You Do With A B.A. In English," "Purpose," "For Now"). One of my favorites is a song which carries a friendly kick in the rump for when you need it the most: "There Is Life Outside Your Apartment."

Summer has struck hard, with the sort of oppressive muggy heat that saps your energy and leaves you in a state of near-entropy. I myself would like nothing more than to be able to sit in a tub of ice water for the day, a la "Body Heat" (maybe without Kathleen Turner, although I can think of one or two acceptable replacements), but since I have things that need to get done, I content myself with taking work in small increments and listening to Tom Petty b-sides in between. [Edit] Of course, right after I wrote this, a nice cool breeze picked up outside, making most of what I wrote fairly redundant. Oh well.