Wow, it's been a few days since I've updated this. I'm finally getting over a fierce cold/flu. I'm not sure how I got it, but I think a week of getting no sleep in New York finally got to me. I spent all day today inside, alternating between playing video games and sleeping. I think I'll do the same tomorrow, but will try to get out for church and a little grocery shopping.

I set up a wireless network at work, which should make life just a little easier at the office. It'll be nice to be able to use the laptop anywhere in the building and have one less thing to plug in every morning.

Waging war by remote control

Finally, the killer robots we've all been waiting for.

It looks as if I'll be in Phoenix a little longer than anticipated, so I have a few minute to update the Web site. Had I known I'd be in Phoenix all day, I'd have made plans with friends.

Our last day in NY was a extremely fun. We did the Empire State Building, Rockerfeller Center, and Macy's, among others. And let's not forget the highlight of the trip, a Conan O'Brien taping. If you looked closely enough, you could see me on national TV last night (I'm the guy in blue sitting behind "Preparation H Man." I wish I had gotten to stay in NY longer, but I'm also glad to be getting home.

Today was a blast. We went to Times Square, saw the Statue of Liberty (from the Staten Island ferry), the Brooklyn Bridge, Greenwich Village, and "Rent." We also got as close as we could to the World Trade Center, a couple of blocks away. It looks pretty much like it appears on the news, only with a strong, almost burning stench of smoldering plastic. It was hard to believe that the fenced-off area only a few weeks ago held the city's two largest edifices. One of the old men in the crowd could only shake his head and click his tongue. What a shame indeed.

As expected, security was especially tight over the city as a whole. But I never thought I'd see so many police and National Guard units camped out in the middle of a city.

Statue of Liberty: closed.

New York Stock Exchange: closed, with a buffer of police cars and barriers around the building.

Well, it looks like we're finally hitting back. I wonder how this will affect my time here in New York or my trip back.

Today, we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a fake medieval
monastary with real medieval religious atrifacts you'd expect to find there, the Hudson River, Little Italy, Chinatown (not as good as San Francisco's Chinatown), Soho, and the Deli made famous by Seinfield.

I'm really looking forward to tomorrow, when we'll see a Broadway show, visit the Statue of Liberty (assuming it doesn't get a bomb threat) and something else.

Today we went to the Hamptons, a group of fancy beach towns on Long Island frequented by celebrities and best remembered -- by me, anyway -- as the focal point of certain Seinfield episode. Some of the landmarks dated back to the 1600s, which is interesting from an America historical perspective. We shopped at a few antique shops (as a guy, not my first choice of activity), participated in a wine tasting and visited a cool mansion whose name escapes me. MBV wanted to show us that there's more to New York than "the City." Maybe so, but judging from today, not much more.

In the "This Always Happens to Me" Dept.: Last night we wanted to see some live music, so we saw a listing for a ska concert. MBV noticed that the band was from Arizona and asked me if I'd ever heard of them. She misstated the name, so it didn't ring a bell. We went to the venue and while listening to the opening band noticed a poster for "Warsaw Poland Bros." I realized this was the new name for Warsaw, the band whose lead singer SB "dated," (for lack of a better term) and whose guitar player made fun of me for drinking a Zima. Suddenly, I realized that that was the band MBV was talking about, and that I was about to sit through an excruciating concert of bad memories...MBV even recreated one of them by requesting "Slow Down Sister," also known as the P-word song. Oh boy...

Tomorrow: Manhatten.

Now I'm in Central Park. I'm struck by the enormity of this city and the foresight of whoever envisioned establishing public space as the municipal core. NY is awesome, in the original sense of the term.

Here I am -- in New York city! I got an unlimited subway/bus card (Bay Area Rapid Transit, are you listening?) and am heading toward Manhattan. I have about nine hours to kill before LS gets here.

I'm sitting in Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, which seems reassuringly busy. The only real difference I've noticed is the Phoenix "bike cops" riding around the place. San Jose, by contrast, looked deserted. Guards searched my ride's car at the airport parking lot, and in addition to the usual check at the ticket counter, asked for a photo ID at the security gate and even at the plane itself. Uh, weren't those hijackers TICKETED PASSENGERS?

MBV called me a "motherfucker" when I told her I was getting in at 6 a.m. Apparently, she's still a little jet-lagged.

Protesters march on Washington

Those anti-globalization cabbage-heads are at it again.

Wanna see something funny?

Whopper of the Week: Karl Rove, Ari Fleischer, and Dick Cheney by Timothy Noah

Well, it looks like Talbot's statements do have some basis.

Salon.com News | Democracy held hostage

"When White House vizier Karl Rove and Ari Fleischer feed an egregious lie to the public about why the president did not immediately return to the White House on Sept. 11 -- insisting that Air Force One and the White House were under threat -- and then try to spin their way out of it when the story unravels, that does not inspire confidence."

Was the White House lying about why Bush didn't immediately return to the Capitol Sept. 11? David Talbot seems to think so, though unfortunately, he doesn't fully explain his remarks.

I've been thinking about that luggage story -- why would someone planning a suicide air attack bother packing up a suitcase?

Hijack instructions found in luggage

The first time in history an airline's luggage screwup has been a good thing.

Well, it looks like the New York trip is still on. MBV finally checked her e-mail from Europe, and said she still wanted LS and me to come. Let's hope my flight plans haven't been completely screwed up. As much as I'm trying to avoid letting terrorists alter my way of life, I can't get around how much the context of this visit has changed in the last three weeks. Not only am I nervous to fly for the first time in my life, a certain sense of solemnity and even gloom has replaced the excitement I felt before. Funny how a terrorist plot can ruin a good trip.

The funny thing is, MBV didn't seem at all fazed by the fact her hometown has been attacked by terrorists. I guess there really is something different about New Yorkers.

The Bush Sr. Apologizes To Son For Funding Bin Laden In '80s

Near the bottom of the page. Funny and more than a little insightful...

TNR Online | No Choice by Lawrence Kaplan (1 of 2)

Just when you think The New Rupublic is moving too far to the left. A nicely argued essay.

Bush issues ultimatum to Taliban

Finally, a Bush speech with actual content. It sounds like we're doing all the right things. If I were a terrorist, I'd have to be a little nervous right now. I like that Bush made it clear that terrorist governments will pay a high price for harboring terrorists. Let's face it, the Taliban is a "government" that should have been taken out a long time ago.

I attended an industry dinner last night purportedly on the riveting topic of real-time computing. But of course, everyone ended up talking about the terrorist attacks. Over and over again, we asked ourselves how such a small and unsophiticated group could cause such severe damage on the most powerful nation in history. I think Taliban officials answered that best earlier this year when they blew up priceless Buddhist artifacts: "It is easier to destroy than to build."