Discovered something called Talk of the Nation on NPR. I can't remember the last time I spent a half-hour listening/watching the news and feeling like I was any wiser because of it. The show is awesome.

Now I know how fucked we are with the imminent avian flu pandemic. While it would be disingenuous to blame Bush, I can't help but think, "jesus, imagine if we'd spent a quarter of the money we've blown on a needless war on accelerating our readiness for this pending disaster?"

So I found myself wide awake at like 5AM. Decided to take a short walk to the local convenience store for no good reason at all. Just because it's there. About five steps out of my door I had an epiphany; why not watch the sun rise over the ocean from a rock outcropping?

Bad fucking idea.

It's cold. I know it isn't half of what outside will be like in two months but it's still fucking cold. The dog, bless his little fur-lined nuts, had a blast.

The fact that I hate cold as much as I do and still live in New England is a sort of testament to my stupidity.

Speaking of which, I thought to myself, "Self, why don't you take the dog for a walk? Granted, I don't have him on a leash but who the christ is going to be outside at 5:30AM?" Every local with a dog, that's who.

On an entirely unrelated note, hopefully I'll be publishing a song before November is out.