I keep forgetting it's only thursday. I get the night off because of the holiday. Funny holiday it is too - just one more excuse for people to get drunk and blow things up. How many people will take the time to actually sit down and have discussions about just what patriotism means? Probably very few. Everybody is going to be too busy waving their little flags around and barbequeing vast quantities of meat - and then, after they've all gorged themselves, they're going to either light small explosives or go to some gathering place and watch professionals light vast quantities of large, colorful explosives. There won't be much talk about the concept of "countries" and "borders", or what "national pride" really means (Question: how can you be "proud" of something that you had no direct hand in helping shape?). Nope. Just another excuse to go party. Of course, if you're the average american, everything is about partying, isn't it? Oops, there I go again, painting with a broad brush. We cynical armchair commentators often do that.

The iguana eats toast. That means that I now know that I have two lizards to help clean up the mess that grows every day under the kitchen table. Toast-eating lizards! What next?

cds I listened to while musing about the state of the nation: Swans "Omniscience", "Real Love", "White Light from the Mouth of Infinity", and "Love of Life/Amnesia" (great music to wallow by, if you should feel the need to wallow), and Ida Kelarova "My Home is Where I am..."