Some assorted thoughts on a beautiful Friday morning.

The network news last night (I forget which one - is there a difference?) actually said, "Much of the blame for the slow response to Hurricane Katrina is being laid on President Bush." Wow, wow, wow!!! I hate that it took something so tragic to expose the cracks in this shitty administration, but maybe now people will be able to see in stark relief what some of us have been saying all along. That led right into a piece about how everybody hates P.B. because gas costs $3.20 a gallon, and he "ought to do something about price gouging" especially after "signing an energy bill that puts billions of dollars into the pockets of energy companies and energy traders." I'm paraphrasing here, but I swear this was on the 11:00 news. Rock on! Hippie liberal commie muthafuckas.

On NBC there was an extended interview with these poor people who were vacationers and locals who were stuck in New Orleans and were squatting in an abandoned building. There was a woman from Scotland and a man who'd swum for three hours with his dogs to get there, who broke my heart, sobbing. It was a very powereful and moving story but here's my question . . . so the reporter went and heard all these terrible stories and then, what, got back in his helicopter and left them there? WTF? Maybe he'll come back in a few days and see if they're still alive?

Last night I watched the PBS Watergate 30 years later show, which I think should be required viewing for all Americans.

So, I just had the most vomit-inducing bus ride which did not help my headache, jaw tension, general PhD malaise, etc. I'm having that feeling where I hate everyone for no particular reason, except that all noises are traveling straight into my skin and attacking my brain. All smells, too: the Dumpster outside, the bleach in the tissue culture room, the floor cleaner in the bathroom. Gah!

I want everybody I know - possibly except for myself - to live happily ever after but they tend not to. Somehow the fairy tale idea that "if you just meet a nice guy/girl and settle down it'll be all right" has insinuated itself into my unconscious, but that ain't no guarantee. Which really sucks. I mean, what is love, then, if it can just change? I'm all for enjoying the moment (in theory) but sometimes I feel like no matter who you're with, you'll never stop being alone.

Sometimes I don't feel that way, but those are the zen-like "everything is one" higher consciouness moments, which are cool, but still make me feel lonely. Because if everything is one - and I'm willing to bet that it is - there's still only ONE of it.

Interconnection to the universe, and all that, is terrific until you're falling asleep on the futon clutching the remote control all by yourself. (Wah, wah, wah.)

Here, to cheer us up, this is my friend Matt's funny site: http://www.crapasaurus.com/