This Slate columnist doesn’t like electronic versions of newspapers. I agree with some of his points. The interfaces can be clunky and the print can be a little hard to read. But for someone like me, e-newspapers are great. I used to subscribe to the print version of the New York Times and it was a pain in the ass to arrange the paper on my reading stand so that I could see the entire article. My poor nurses were always having to flip pages back and forth and, well, it was just a hassle. I like being able to download the paper onto my computer and being able to see the layout and photographs of the print version. I subscribe to a lot of magazines and, if I had my way, they would all be available in an easy-to-read electronic format. Not only would this let me read them independently, but it would also dramatically reduce the clutter in my place. My magazine rack is overflowing with crap I don’t get around to throwing away. I could start my own periodical library; that’s how bad it is.

iTunes is succumbing to pressure from the major record labels to raise the price of single recordings to as high as $1.25. In addition, some albums will cost as much as $16.00. These changes probably won’t be enough to push me towards illegal downloading; I rarely buy complete albums and I can afford to pay a bit more for the singles I purchase. However, I’m concerned that this move will stifle the trend towards cheap, legal downloading of music. The price increase seems purely motivated by the labels’ greed and they are doing a bang-up job of alienating consumers who want to buy music on-line.
Oops. Never mind.
Back on my regular writing schedule again. This summer is going to see a major push to get the book at least near completion.

When I got home today, there were three or four messages from nurses responding to an ad I had placed in the paper. Good news for me, as I was getting a little anxious about finding a new person. Now to call them all back and see which ones are truly interested. I just have to make sure that I keep the other nurses away from them so that they won’t reveal what an obnoxious brat I am. I only need to maintain the sweet-and-innocent act for the initial interview. After that, the gloves come off.
Heh. I should probably be careful what I write. One of my previous nurses found this blog when she was Googling me after she saw an ad in the paper. Wouldn’t want to give anyone the wrong idea. So if you’re a potential nurse checking me out, I’m really a swell guy and this will be the best job you’ll ever have. I mean, just look through my blog. You’ll get to do all kinds of cool stuff like go to movies, concerts, maybe even trips to exotic locales like Miami. What’s not to like?

Feeling almost back to normal. My voice is still a bit hoarse, though. But it feels good to be back at work and resuming my regular routine.
Over the weekend, I watched a film called Abre Los Ojos (Open Your Eyes). Cameron Crowe did a remake of this movie a few years later called Vanilla Sky. The remake was okay; a lot of unnecessary exposition and a little too smug in its references to certain pop culture imagery. But the original Spanish version is really good. You should check it out if you can. I can’t say too much without giving the whole plot away, but the original has a much more nuanced perspective on the main character and his psyche. Crowe did away with a lot of that subtext, like he didn’t trust American audiences to get at any deeper meaning. If you compare the two, you’ll see what I mean.
Okay, film geek mode OFF.
Al Franken is thinking about challenging Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman in the 2008 election. Norm Coleman is a former Democratic mayor of St. Paul who became a Republican mostly because it served his own political ambitions. He’s the American cheese of Republican senators; bland and artificial. I certainly would love a Democrat to take back his seat, but I’m not sure Al’s the guy. He hasn’t lived in Minnesota for many years and I think he’d have to work hard to convince us that he can reconnect with those Midwestern roots. Maybe he can do it, but he needs to get out of New York pretty soon and start hanging out in places like Brainerd and Ely.

No, I’m not dead, although there were a few times yesterday when I wished I was. My temp was hovering between 100 and 101 most of the day and my heart was beating faster than a hummingbird’s. Throw in some nausea and you have a block-rockin’ party going on inside me. I feel a bit more with it today. I can actually formulate coherent sentences, as opposed to staring at my screen in a semi-comatosed state. If this follows the usual course of other respiratory infections I’ve had, things should start clearing up in the next day or two.
Speaking of things that will turn your stomach, the photos depicting Coalition forces abusing Iraqi prisoners are truly disgusting. People of Iraq, meet your liberators. The road to democracy is a long one and a few of you will get fucked (literally) along the way, but that’s the price of freedom. Bush can’t be too happy with this latest public relations blunder. We have managed to give the Arab and Muslin worlds yet another reason to despise us and I can’t imagine Bush will make a big effort to do damage control. And this isn’t important, but who were the geniuses that took these photos in the first place? Are they completely ignorant of this thing called the Internet?