10 things I learned over fourth of july weekend

1. Screen porches rock.

2. Kelly's madre is the best hostess in the world. This involves making fondue and pancakes and cheese grits, but also includes an intangible quality of excellence.

3. Tickets to Glasgow are expensive, but less so if you go through Canada.

4. The new War of the Worlds movie is EXHAUSTING. Seeing it brought a week's worth of accumulated mysterious illnessy tiredness crashing down. It's also not very good, despite the glowing reviews. And Tom Cruise has now achieved The Oprah Acting Effect, wherein I just keep thinking, "But really, you're batshit crazy Tom Cruise, not emoting father guy." (For Oprah, certain elements would obviously be changed, although I will never believe her as emoting father guy.)

5. Not quite as excited about Le Tour this year, but watching it helps. I am very excited about today's team time trial, which will be viewed after work. Sadly, Crazy Jane's on a time delay this year, but you can still check out the Tour de France blog for updates on all things great and spandexy.

6. The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra is excellent and will take the bad taste of Cruise aliens right out of your head. Behold Animala!

7. We heard a long interview with biographer Stacy Schiff about her new book A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America on the way home yesterday. I want to read her Exupery book and also for her and McCullough to arm wrestle over Adams and Franklin's grudges against each other.

8. You really should read Paul Park's A Princess of Roumania.

9. People stay up way too late shooting off fireworks. Don't you have jobs?! Also, it scares George.

10. Something you don't know. (But not really.)