A friend of mine just went on a cruise to Alaska this week and I entertained her 11-year-old while she was gone. We made a lot of pancakes. We went to toy stores, parks, movies, libraries and fast-food places. We rented videos. I did kid stuff all week. We had a good time.

I even found myself watching the Star Wars trilogy again. What did I learn? That the Ewoks, armed only with bows and arrows, actually kicked the Evil Empire's butt!

Do I have to spell it out to you? GWB, fourth-generation warfare is here! Does it work? Just ask George Lucas. Or Hizbullah.

PS: At the library, I picked up a copy of Time magazine and was amazed at their cover story http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1223363,00.html on Iraq. It described a descent into Hell. Bush has now been in Iraq for longer than it took us to fight World War II and what has he accomplished in that time? He has created a terrible nether-world, a destroyed planet, a Darth-Vader-like reality that staggers the mind. It's like the Death Star has landed in Iraq.

PPS: In just 12 days, I leave for the annual Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert. I got my tent, my sleeping bag, my canned food supply from Trader Joe's and my sun screen. All I need now are some mushrooms, a video camera and a hook-up to YouTube and I'll be ready for the ultimate wilderness experience!