Some nights I can’t sleep. I just can’t. This is one of them. … I’m currently reading and enjoying The Puppet Masters, by Robert A. Heinlein. Published in 1951, it is commonly interpreted as a Cold War parable about the threat of Communist subversion in the United States. Best line so far, on page 3: “There is one thing no head of a country can know and that is: how good is his intelligence system? He finds out only by having it fail him.” … I really, really like eggnog without alcohol. Good thing it’s so healthy! … One of my favorite products in all of journalism is The Economist’s year-end double issue, which always includes a bunch of fascinating “Christmas specials”–articles on subjects that have little to do with what’s in the news. Last night, I was engrossed in “The story of wheat.” I am not making this up. … I listen to several podcasts regularly, including the NPR News Summary (updated 7 am daily) and Discovery News (on science), but the one I most look forward to hearing is a weekly update called The Audionews from Archaeologica. … All the cool kids in D.C. will be at the Electric Six show on February 18. The bass player is a buddy of mine from college. … My wife and I recently bought one of those newfangled oscillating power toothbrushes, recommended by our dentist. I’ve been using it for a couple of weeks and my teeth have never felt cleaner. … There should be more hockey on television. Two games per week, on OLN, simply isn’t enough. … Peace out.