It's a Generally Good Life, but Damn That Perpetually Loose Finial

From Wendell Jamieson's "Wonderful? Sorry, George, It's a Pitiful, Dreadful Life":

“It’s a Wonderful Life” is a terrifying, asphyxiating story about growing up and relinquishing your dreams, of seeing your father driven to the grave before his time, of living among bitter, small-minded people. It is a story of being trapped, of compromising, of watching others move ahead and away, of becoming so filled with rage that you verbally abuse your children, their teacher and your oppressively perfect wife. It is also a nightmare account of an endless home renovation.

Yup. And when we're back in Connecticut next week, my sister-and-law and I will watch it (on VHS, natch), lovingly mock it, and let it make us sniffly.

Three hours ten minutes

Things I could have done tonight:

• Taken care of the ironing I've been putting off for weeks (literally--weeks),
  
• Worked my way beyond the first week of September New Yorker-wise,
  
• Tackled some laundry,
  
• Cracked (er, crinkled?) the cover of yesterday's Times,
  
• Dealt with the various piles lurking on/near my desk,
  
• Posted some photos to Flickr, and
  
• Written a blog post more substantial than a flimsy bulleted list.

What I did instead:

• Watched Gandhi.
  

Despite the occasionally bad (and, in a few instances, bad) swarthy pancake makeup and old-person hair (did Nehru really have a slightly botched blond dye job when he became PM?), it was 190 minutes well spent.