Oh, and I think it is very cute for my neighbors to move furniture and slam into walls at ten thirty at night and shit, but for fuck’s sake. I don’t know what they’re doing, but either they’re killing each other or having marathon fuck sessions, and if it’s the latter, I wish they’d both go to sleep already, and if it’s the former, I wish they’d hurry up and die already.

The first thought, when I opened my cell-phone and saw that I had two missed calls — one from my sister, and one from my dad — was that my last surviving grandparent, my mom’s mom, had died. Then I listened to the fragements of voice-mail — seriously? basement apartments blow for cell reception — and heard my sister say, “Don’t worry, Mom’s okay.”

Mom?

My Dad is usually one of those early-to-bed kind of guys, but I called anyway. She’s fine — irregular heart beat. She’s spending the night in the hospital and should be released tomorrow. My sister is spending the night at my parents’ place with Dad. Sometimes I forget my parents aren’t immortal. I’m going to skip my evening night class tomorrow night and spend the night with zer folks.

But I think, even so, it’s fair to say I find the premise of this film unpalatable.

Muse: Knights of Cydonia!

According to Runzheimer International, the Motor City — that’s, uh, Detroit — is the most expensive city in the U.S. to own a car.

Driving a typical mid-size car in the Detroit area costs $12,210 per year with Philadelphia next at $11,081, and Los Angeles in third place at $10,604. Expenses include operating costs (fuel, oil, tires, and maintenance) and ownership costs (insurance, depreciation, and license & registration fees).

Irwin, 44, was killed by a stingray barb that pierced his chest, according to Cairns police sources.

Irwin was in the area to film pieces for a show called “Ocean’s Deadliest” with Phillippe Cousteau, grandson of Jacques, Irwin’s producer and friend John Stainton told CNN’s “American Morning.” But weather had prevented the crew from doing work for that program, said Stainton, so Irwin decided to do some softer features for a new children’s TV show he was doing with his daughter, Bindi.

“He came over the top of a stingray that was buried in the sand, and the barb came up and hit him in the chest,” said Stainton.

Sort of like a Klingon who wants a death in battle, I always had the feeling about Steve Irwin that his preferred death was doing what he loved — which is to say, putting himself in mortal danger. Crickey!

So, I Netflixed the first two seasons of HBO’s “The Wire” last year, and now I’m catching up on the most recently released season — season three. Thank goodness for the season one and season two recap offered on the first disc! Like most HBO series, the series is long, complicated, involved, and hard to keep top of. Me? I’m excited to see how Omar makes his return. (I know keeping track of character names is going to be a bizatch — the only two I remember, McNulty and Daniels!)

Diggin’ it! This show always gets off to a slow start, and this season is no exception. Political tension! Faux-O’Malley’s a creepy little fuck, although I’m not sure why Comissioner What’s-His-Face is so loyal to the Mayor — shouldn’t his primary concern be keeping the police department fully equipped? I wonder if Stringer Bell is still taking economics classes at University of Baltimore.

Ok — the black cop with McNulty after the intro? I’m pretty sure he was in the first season, but absent from the second. Right?

Is the unit still operating out of their location down by the docks?

Blacko-and-Whito-Mc-Light-on-Brains are working a narcotic unit in the Western, apparently. They’re complicated men, and even their women don’t understand them.

Ed Norris: “Fuck Bunk’s off-day!” Yeah, but at the Game? Can you feel the love?

I bet McNulty woulda been a history major in college. “You don’t look at the shit you done before, you do it all over.”