Bright Spots in an Otherwise Long and Sad Week

-- Listening to (so far) the introduction and first chapter of the audio version of Al Gore's The Assault on Reason at the gym. The book is read by Will Patton, who is all right, but I was sort of expecting and looking forward to hearing Al read his own book. Patton does say "yumin" for the word "human," a word which, I would hasten to point out, "has a f*cking aitch in it." (By the way, if the 2007 me had an opportunity to tell the 2000 me how much I like Al Gore now, I have a feeling the 2000 me might not have done all that volunteering for Ralph Nader. This is NOT, please note, an apology.)

--Listening to the soundtrack to I'm Not There while going to and from the gym. I'm Not There is the forthcoming sort-of-biopic of Bob Dylan. Some interesting takes on Dylan songs from a movie which, given the long article in the New York Times Sunday Magazine last month, seems to gibe with what I've learned about how to appreciate Bob Dylan from my friend Chris. I'm looking forward to the movie, and enjoying the soundtrack in small doses.

--Caleb, having learned that his brother's name is Sam (pronounced "Zsha"), has since decided that everyone's name is Sam.

--Sam feels that everyday is Halloween, and therefore each day brings an occasion to carry around a plastic pumpkin and beg for lollipops.

Thanks to family for being able to baby-sit (read: toddler-chase) for us during funerals and benefit dinners, and for just generally being awesome at family-stuff. And thanks to my wife, who has been getting up early with Sam (who, like Robertson Davies or Charles Darwin, is totally opposed to all this daylight savings nonsense).