This week we were

. . . listening to

Lumiere's version of The West's Awake,featuring Damien Dempsey, from their debut album, which is sung with hope and defiance.

Keb Darge & Little Edith's Legendary Rockin' R&B:it's time to party like it's 1959 with this ace compilation of stomping rockabilly, R&B and jive tunes from the 1950s and early 1960s.

. . . watching

The Werner Herzog documentary seasonpresented by Kilkenny's Butler Gallery off-site at the Set Theatre until tomorrow. Free admission and a nice big screen, just as Grizzly Man was meant to be seen.

George Clooney's new film, The American,a wistful, arty hitman movie. It's like Jason Bourne played at a 10th of the speed (in a good way).

. . . downloading

The historic piano recordings at the National Archive of Irish Composers (naic.ie). The site, which promises to be a wonderful resource of Irish music, was launched last night by a concert that was streamed online.

. . . reading

Eoin McNamee's new book, Orchid Blue, which revolves around a murder in Newry in 1961. It's a good old-fashioned thriller in keeping with the type of atmosphere he created in The Blue Tango.

The latest issue of the ad-free, Dublin-based magazine Punt, on sale this week. It includes a delightful interview with Claire Kilroy. From select retailers (puntmag.wordpress.com).

We may not be very good at economics or honest politics, but we certainly know how to write a short story. The excellent Granta Book of the Irish Short Story, edited by Anne Enright, is a must-read.

. . . happy we went to

LCD Soundsystem at Tripod in Dublin. Our critic complained that Friday night's set was uneven. It was hard to quibble with a rejigged, and storming, set for the following two nights. On Sunday, in particular, James Murphy and band gave a morale bailout to a rapturous crowd.

. . . a bit baffled

By how the colourful mediocrity of

Alice in Wonderland

earned more than $1 billion at the box office, second only to the truly brilliant

Toy Story 3.

. . . happy we watched

Pixar's It Gets Better,an emotional and uplifting video posted on YouTube in which gay staff talk about surviving and thriving after a tough, isolating youth.

. . . wondering

If Mrs Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge, at Cork Arts Theatre from Wednesday, will be a wry antidote to Christmas cheer or something that will massacre it. This twisted Scrooge features Tasers.

. . . playing

Call of Duty: Black Opsand Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood.The big titles for Christmas involve marvelling at the gorgeously rendered scenes (Rome in particular in Assassin's Creed), while also enjoying the whole running-around-killing-things aspect.

. . . looking forward to

Janelle Monae at Tripod in Dublin on Wednesday night. ArchAndroid is one of the albums of the year, and she was stunning during two sets at Electric Picnic.

"One thing we're not exempt from as writers is empathy for other people. I think it would be the height of arrogance for me to stand up and say, 'Nurses should pay tax but I, as a writer, shouldn't' "

Paul Howard on the cut in the artists' exemption in yesterday's Life & Culture