So I'm trying to turn over a new leaf. I'm 31 today, closer to 35 than 25, feeling overweight and a little gassy. But I'm going to try to collect my thoughts here for no other reason than my own entertainment, since no one probably comes here anymore because, once I started going to bars in Japan, I basically stopped posting. I was inspired by a column I read in last Sunday's New York Times which you can check out at: . It didn't motivate me to run a marathon or do anything meaningful with my life, just simply jot down my random thoughts which entertain me but not really anyone else. I hope you also don't think I'm a snooty New York Times reader. There is just a huge dropoff in terms of journalistic quality in New York City - from the NY Times to the Post/Daily News/etc. And, unless you're going to a bar or a restaurant, there's not that much to do in New York City, so getting through the voluminous 28 sections of the Sunday edition was about the only thing that keeps me off the couch (instead, I go to a park bench to read the paper. Much more active.) Now my brother thinks it's kind of ludicrous of me to make this statement about the City that Never Sleeps. But really, how many times can you go to a museum? I go see a show about once every two months, so I'm taking advantage of that angle. Going running in Central Park - that is good, but if you live in Brooklyn, particularly Ghetto Brooklyn like I do, this involves a 45 minute subway each way to the park. There are no lockers at the park, so once you run and get all sweaty (I can just see those of you who know I sweaty I get wincing as you read that), you have to hop back on the train for another 45 minutes to yucko Brooklyn to shower (yes, I do shower). Then, you'll want a nice meal to cap off the fact that you were productive, so you have get back on the train again and head back into Manhattan. I mean, I suppose in most cities the #1 entertainment involves drinking and eating, and every city is what you make it, blah blah blah. I did do some great people watching in Greenich Village though yesterday. Then, in the late afternoon, I went home, got naked, and laid on the couch and watched The Simpsons. Can't beat that kind of entertainment.

So if you've made it this far you probably figure that you haven't missed much by the fact that I haven't posted in a while. And you would be right, as exhibited by the previous paragraph. I am starting to get a little nervous about all this litigation about downloading music, though. Let's just say I've obtained my fair share of music, and let's just say it was free, and let's just say I do it a lot. That's not going to get me thrown in jail, would it?