I got to see Casino Royale on Thanksgiving night. Daniel Craig is a good Bond; he’s more tortured, he’s suitably bulky (you’d have to have serious muscle to complete those never-ending chases and near-poisonings), there’s a glimpse of humanity underneath the quips and the smooth talking. The crazy fight and chase scene that starts the movie is amazing; the guy he’s chasing is played by one of the guys who started the whole Parkour thing, so he leaps up walls and poles and over fences with ease. And the Bond “girl” is smart and sassy. In short: Thumbs up.

I have also started a new workout program. I have a personal trainer named Maya who works with me at my home every day (whenever I want to, really). She only exists inside of my television, powered by my PS2, but she is fairly interactive. When I first put her disc on, I had to input my stats and take a short fitness test, and she has been creating unique work-out routines for me based on my abilities (not very many) and what I need to work on (lots). The best part about her not being real is that when she says stuff like “Work harder! Work smarter!” and “I want you to feel muscle fatigue with this,” I can curse at her and she can’t hear me. I don’t think I could afford the kind of personal trainer that would let me spit at her, “Fuck you, I’m doing it!” Maya is always nice to me the next time I see her, telling me that she went out dancing last night, and that the skyscraper-loft setting is her favorite place to work out in the city. Good ol’ Maya.