Update

      Since I don't have any particular topic in mind, I thought I'd just update you on a few things.
      My niece: At home, on pain meds, will see a specialist on the 27th. Otherwise, we don't know much more than we did. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. She's a brave little thing, that's for sure.
      DRP: The Debt Reduction Plan is still in place. I should pay off another credit card in November of this year, barring unforeseen events. Another in 2007. The final card will go in 2008, leaving only my first and second mortgage. The second mortgage should go in 2009, leaving only the house payment. And that should go in 2010. It seems weird to be planning that far ahead. Almost as if I'm asking for trouble. Did you know that most major Japanese corporations have 100 year plans? Many have 200 year plans. Wouldn't you like a look at them? I would.
      Global warming: I made a mistake yesterday and started discussing global warming with a rabid Republican. I also lost my temper. He didn't know what he was talking about, quoting talk show hosts and Internet columnists. When I suggested several science journals, he said, "People can twist facts to mean anything. Scientists hate Bush and God." The only sane reply you can make to that is to leap the table and choke the speaker to death.
      The terrible thing about global warming is that it has become political. Liberals use it to attack Bush. Conservatives use it to attack liberals. Both of them are totally missing the point. Global warming itself should not be political; it should be science. What we should do --if anything -- about it, that's politics. And neither side is willing to actually look at the science. Instead they trot out pet scientists.
      My rabid Republican brought out that the Antarctica ice cap is growing. I explained that its growth was predicted back in the 1980s as a consequence of global warming. I even attempted to explain why the raise in temperatures would cause the growth using a salt shaker and a fork. (It has to do with the fact that the earth orbits the sun at a tilt and that it wobbles as it does so and that the Arctic melts first, releasing fresh water into the oceans and raises the freezing point of the ocean. [Saltwater freezes at lower temps than fresh so the fresher the water, the easier it is for the ocean to freeze.] Antarctica, while warmer, is still below the freezing point so it grows. Also, the Arctic melting increases the amount of moisture in the atmosphere, and that increases the amount of snowfall on Antarctica. But back to our story.) He cut me off. "I don't care about that. I support our president."
      I gave up at that point and kept attempting to change the subject. He kept on. I finally told him that I didn't want to talk any more about it. He got a triumphant look on his face and said, "I would have never imagined that you would censor anyone. That's a liberal for you!" So ... I told him what I thought: He was an idiot, and I didn't want to be his friend any more because his idea of a discussion was to beat the other person into submission and that I was sure Bush would appreciate it if he'd stop defending him since the president has defenders that don't make Bush look like a fool. It was not one of my more successful social occasions.
      Scientists are certainly not blameless in this mess. They've lost the public's trust. They've allowed themselves to become corrupted by politics and the desire for money. Science has moved from being the pursuit of knowledge to the pursuit of personal glory and wealth. Maybe it's always been that way and I'm just naive to assume otherwise. All in all, it's pretty depressing.
      As for my rabid Republican friend, he called to apologize later that afternoon and I apologized back. It might have blown over, but he just had to say, "But I was right." I hung up on him and didn't take his other two calls. He called me at home, but I let the answering machine pick it up. Some doors need to be closed.
      Scrabble: This computer Scrabble game is going to be the bane of my productivity. I've played nearly 20 games over the past two days. It's not as much fun as playing with people, but it is fun.
      Play: Tryouts for the play I'm directing will be Monday and Tuesday night next week. After that, I will be in rehearsal every night (except Sunday) until the play opens March 30. I'm already missing my free time.
      Darkness, Oklahoma: I'm still wrestling with the "Town Meeting" problem, but I think I have it solved. I simply skipped the set-up for the meeting and started with them meeting with a few quick lines to explain how they all got there. It's a bit rough, and I need to add a few lines to some other scenes to make it seem more plausble, but so far, so good. I won't have it finished by the end of February as I hoped, but I should have no problems in getting it done in April and then off to my first readers. (I'm hoping you folks who volunteered are still interested.)
      Figments: I've mentioned this play here a couple of times. It's been slowly coming together. I think I will be able to finish it this summer. I'm cautiously excited about its potential. It's funny (I think) and exciting (a murder in unusual business enviroment). I might really have something here.
      The Gazette: My family newsletter is running very late this month. Yes, this is the February issue! I should be able to finish it this week so that it will at least get mailed in February. Sigh. And then I need to turn around and do March's immediately. So really, I shouldn't playing computer Scrabble. Maybe I should use it for a reward.
      Diet: Question: If you cheat constantly, is it really a diet or is it more of a vague suggestion of a diet?
      And now I'll close. Have a great day!