dateline Edinburgh

Sitting alone in the lobby of the Premier Inn on Lauriston Place, hunched over the keyboard, a dark Monday morning rolling by outside. Sun comes up around 11:30 AM around here this time of year, looks down briefly and then drops like a stone.

Dr. King's day, today. From the great speech:

"...we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity in this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice."

Holy god. What a mind, what a heart.

And as long as we're quoting (much easier than thinking things up on your own), this is from today's Guardian, still the world's greatest newspaper by far. This is Gary Younge writing about the Republican field. There's more and better coverage about our elections over here than you're ever going to get from the Times.

"Chinese terrorists are streaming across the border. Barack Obama is a violent socialist. Mexico has been launching military attacks against America. God has endorsed Mike Huckabee. Spend a week with Republicans in South Carolina and you will hear the most incredible things. That a small minority in any group might say crazy things is not surprising; it is when the majority don't dismiss them as crazy that you start to worry."

He goes on to brilliantly and hilariously dissect the field.

Had our preliminary lunch meeting yesterday with Sally Hobson at the International Festival. Clarified a lot for all of us. Essentially, they have no idea, nor should they, about how we work and what would be most helpful for us. Told her that New York artists of my generation are best understood as either feral children or members of a cargo cult. She laughed, but when I elaborated, she started to get it. Big meetings today and Nancy is going over to the Traverse this afternoon to pitch The Event. All in all, having fun and getting things done.

Now, all you men of my age, its a sad day. Suzanne Pleshette, the hottest of the 70s TV hotties, dead from lung cancer at 70. Had a great life and will forever live in my mind, half-naked and staring meaningfully at me with those beautiful eyes.