Last night, as I was roasting potatoes (uncooked cubes slathered in olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and fresh rosemary and cooked for 20-30 minutes) I took advantage of a free trial subscription to Napster. Giving the installation away for nothing made me suspicious; it seemed too much like AOL and who wants that? The surprise was finding "The Specials" from 1979 for $9.99.

I'm almost finished with "Assassins' Gate" and the story just never improves. The contrast between the integrity and sacrifice of the soldiers along with the Iraqi people against the incompetence of the politicians is truly disturbing.