"Stash away the duct tape -- don't use it!" (Homeland Security Czar Tom Ridge, on how to be prepared for a terror attack, February 19, 2003)

I have never much liked Sen. Robert Byrd. But I believe his remarks before the US Senate last Wednesday may provide the most inspiring synopsis of the current political climate. The speech is, without a doubt, the most eloquent rhetoric to come from Washington in many years. I will concede that at a time when President Bush's words carry so far, that's not saying much.

Saw Grandmaster Flash at the Middle East. Excellent show!

Bare concrete floors are impossible to clean. Despite frequent mopping, dark articles of clothing that come in contact with my bedroom floor always seem to pick up dirt. Since the ability to store perfectly wearable clothes on my bedroom floor is so essential to my lifestyle, I have begun to coat my room with Armstrong S-403, a "metal cross-linked acrylic copolymer floor polish."

Active Electronics Sales Corp., a part of Canadian semiconductor giant Future Electronics, ceased all US Active retail operations yesterday with no notice at all. Badly photocopied signs on the windows of the Cambridge location relate the bad news. Need a 74LS04 right now? Looks like you're shit out of luck, pal.