Just so you know, I'm feeling a bit better now. I needed a juicebox and possibly a nap -- that'll have to wait -- but things are looking less disasterous now. Second wind and all. I mean, if reading this doesn't give you a little chuckle, then what can? Oh, Ari... bet he's counting the days until retirement.

If you're up for a little paranoia indulgence, there's this bit of sad news: one of the marines who participated in the operation to retrieve Pvt. Jessica Lynch died in an auto accident today. No explanation yet, just drove off the road en route to his girlfriend's. Supposed to propose to her real soon it says. Tragic stuff, and pretty coincidental too, considerinng the dodgy details around the "resuce operation/movie" and Pvt. Lynch's being sequestered in a military hospital under armed guard.

I'm not saying I believe the military killed him because the whole Iraq war farce is coming apart at the seams, but the thought did cross my mind. Too much X-Files when I was growing up probably. Maybe he just let the car drift: I've read before that many car "accidents" are really suicides, but that after the fact its almost impossible to tell. Some kid in my high school went out like that. The official story was accident, but everyone knew. Perhaps Josh Daniel Speer was wracked with guilt or shame or something else just eating him up inside, couldn't keep it together. War breaks people. Maybe it really was just an accident. Too bad this poor kid is dead in any case.