Thursday Stylin': back for the holidays*

* Well probably only occasionally. But holy hell, does Alex Kuczynski deserve a smackdown today.

A friend and I watched each of our sorry, no-account football teams wheeze and cough its way to another loss last Sunday. When matters on the field became too trying, we turned to discussing literature. Somehow, Jane Austen came up. I told my friend that when I was in eighth grade, I was made to read Pride and Prejudice.

I admitted to only getting through like 100 pages before I'd had enough of the flouncing. But I kind of wished I'd finished it, if only because some friends whose taste in books I trust almost absolutely have said good things about it.

Now, as regrets go, this one is kind of mild. But after reading today's bullshit from our gal, A-Kucz, I decided I need to finish that. And then maybe polish of Wuthering Heights and other period novels for good measure. Just so I'm not in the club with someone who was forced to read it before she could open her Christmas presents.

Also, there's this bit of obnoxiousness that couldn't go unremarked upon:

I may be the only member of the Asia Society who joined only for the 10 percent discount at the museum store. I have not set foot inside the museum for more than three years, but I visit the store regularly for its shawls, jewelry, toys, home items and books, which this year includes my favorite new book of essays on shopping, "Hooked! Buddhist Writings on Greed, Desire and the Urge to Consume" (Shambhala, $16.95).

Happy consumerist holidays, y'all.