Another couple of unproductive days gone by. There are things about modern technology - and the Internet especially - that make physical distances shrink to nearly irrelevance. I can talk to friends half a continent away, play video games with them, discuss similar experiences like movies and television.

But sometimes the distances are really emphasized. Sure there are ways of traveling that are far more efficient than in previous centuries, but they're still expensive. So I can be on the phone if I know where to call my friends, but I can't really be there, in a very litteral sense. And there are times when that difference is not a small one.

I'm sorry I couldn't attend the funeral.

Books: It takes energy and motivation to sit down to write a book. Two things I'm on a short supply of right now.