In case you were interested, my win percentage on Literati currently sits at 56 percent. I really need a hobby.

I went shopping today for the first time in a really, really long time and I picked up Sarah Brightman's "Harem." I've promised Liz a copy of the CD (along with "La Luna"). On first listen, I really enjoyed the album and was enchanted by "The Long Journey Home," which samples from A.R. Rahman's "Taal." But as time went on, I'm not so sure. I really like the first song, "Harem," and I was slightly bewildered by the new pop version of "What a Beautiful World." In general, this is a more pop, dancing, electronica album and Sarah's voice is still of a classical bent. It's a weird, weird juxtaposition -- she is still soaring high above the music, but the music seems to overpower her sometimes, so there's a vibrato overcompensation. The music and Sarah don't always fit together. I'll have to listen again more closely to know for sure what the final verdict is. I'll be interested to hear what Liz has to say about the CD.