Sigh.

Over the last few days, I've spontaneously developed large blisters. One on my wrist, right where it can be irritated by my jacket cuff, and one on the back of my right calf, which had already dried out before I noticed it. An earlier injury on my left butt cheek may have also been a blister. I thought it was just a pimple.

So today I find out that one of my friends has been in the hospital since Friday for shingles. He's on an intravenous anti-viral treatment.

As I talked with him, I developed a sneaking suspicion and asked him what the symptoms of shingles were. He described large blisters. Bleah.

So I've got an appointment to see my doctor early tomorrow morning.

Chuckles.

Still collecting podcasts for my PSP. I just finished listening to the podcast of NPR's Wait Wait — Don't Tell Me! from February.

The protests against the Mohammed cartoons were in full swing then. There was a very brief mention of a couple of lines from this poem, called a Shrinklit, of Beowulf, which begins

Monster Grendel's tastes are plainish.
Breakfast? Just a couple Danish.

It goes on to comprise the entire saga of Beowulf, including his demise.

Later on, as king of Geats
He performed prodigious feats

Till he met a foe too tough
(Non-Beodegradable stuff)

Finally, one of my acquaintances sent me this joke:

Rumsfeld is reporting to the President and the Cabinet. He says, "three Brazilian soldiers were killed today in Iraq."

The President says,"Oh,my God!" and he buries his head in his hands. The entire Cabinet is stunned. Usually George Bush shows no reaction whatsoever to these reports.

Just then, Bush looks up and says, "How many is a brazilian??"