Given than I'm still hammering away at a Frasier idea (and I think I'm closing in on one now), all of my inconsiderable mental energies are going toward that and it doesn't leave much for crafting one of my trademark whipcord tight, razor witted entries tonight. I'm having trouble just typing right now and I still have to get up and walk down the hall later. So tonight's offering will be a few quick'stakes, followed by a little screed that's been percolating for a few days.

The 'stakes:

• I went on a shopping spree at Virgin the other day and came home with what I think is a fairly eclectic selection of CDs: Lyle Lovett, Lyle Lovett and his Large Band; the soundtrack from Swingers; Colin Raye, I Think About You; Dave Matthews Band, Crash; and Journey, Infinity (a nostalgia selection from the high school file). It's not the trendy, edgy type of playlist a lot of other folks seem to favor, but I like it.
• Support Your Local Sheriff is a hilarious movie. They don't make 'em like that any more.
• Life will go on after Seinfeld ends its run...especially for people like me who didn't watch it in the first place.
• Zoe's latest trick is to pick her nose and wipe it on someone else. Me, for example. We don't approve, but at least she's not eating it.
• I always have heartburn. Always.
• Beth says I snore. To quote Phoebe of Friends: "Hello, Kettle? This is the pot. You're black."
• Gateway's tech support's answer to everything is "Reinstall Windows 95." Don't do it.
• Casting about for inspiration for another 'stake, I just asked Beth what I've been bitching about lately. Her answer: "I don't know, honey. I don't listen to a lot you say."

The screed:

There's been a spasm of internecine warfare in the online journaling community of late. Alan of Heinovision is apparently on a long list of shit lists, J* is freaking out because all her e-mail isn't congratulatory, Maggy is hurt and angry at Spaceman and Gus because they were less than congratulatory of her in their journals, this person's mad at that person and that person's bagging on the other and... Yawn. I think it's all pretty silly, myself.

I'm relatively new to this online journal thing and I did my youthful indiscretion bit when I started a flamewar with Elly (she's back, btw) a couple of months ago. Since then, I've come to the opinion that talking about other journals in your own journal is sort of incestuous and really silly. This whole notion of a "community" is silly, at least for me. In here, I pretend other journals don't exist. I'm not a part of any community; I'm just a guy who keeps a journal on the web. The fact that others do it too has no bearing on me and doesn't make us compatriots. I'm not even sure why I do it, but I know I do it for me. I like stringing words together and I like putting them out there for public consumption (I am a writer, after all), but that's the extent of it. If you read my journal and are entertained, fine; if you're not, fine; if you're revolted or uplifted, fine. I don't care.

I read other journals strictly for entertainment, which I think is the only reason anyone should do so. If you find that you're getting bent out of shape -- or puffing up with pride -- over something someone else writes in their journal, then I suggest that perhaps you need to step back and get some perspective. Unless you know them personally and they have some sort of impact in your daily life, it's a little nutty to let what they say get to you. It's all words from a stranger written about strangers read by other strangers, and taking any of it personally is stranger still. Get a grip.

Now, having said all that I'm going to break my own unwritten rule and comment on something I read in someone else's journal: I agree with (not my) Beth when she says this guy is an asshole. Specifically, I'm referring to his "review" of this entry in Scott's journal.