My apologies, but I remain firmly in the grasp of an unbelievably bad dry spell, a dry spell made worse by the occasional good idea that pops up like a desert mirage, only to vanish the closer I get to turning the idea into actual words. Most of the usual remedies for dry spells—automatic writing, shoveling vast amounts of wet, heavy snow, and drinking large amounts of Diet Dr. Pepper with a side order of Nutri-Grain bars—are not working this time around and I fear that I must simply wait the thing out. Again, my apologies to everyone.

UPDATE 2/24/2010: Okay, there's something on the griddle and I will have it out and up here just as soon as time and the weather (damn, I hate this weather) permit.