Random Observations - Late Night Edition

I just linked my American Express Blue card rewards points to my Amazon account. It looks like 10,000 points yields about $70 or so in rewards. I use my card whenever I can to maximize my rewards points. If I didn't have this damn no new book resolution I would be getting ready to buy $70 worth of new stuff...

I've never been a big rap/urban whatever you want to call it fan, but the Boom Box on WNRN, a great public radio station out of Charlottesville that has transmitters scattered all over the state (the also have an iPhone app, that's how I'm listening to the station now), is starting to make me a convert.

I have always felt particularly creative and thoughtful late at night. I feel very percolative now. It probably won't come to much, I've had too much of Lagunita's brewery's IPA Maximus, but it's nice to know that I can still have moments of intense creativity.

I've never been a big poetry reader, but the Kindle, well the Kindle App, is making me a convert. I've been reading poems during my son's tae kwon do lessons. It's amazing how much really good poets can express in a few lines. If ever asked what book I would want if I were ever stranded on desert island, I always thought Shakespeare or something would be my answer, but now I think I would take a very large poetry anthology. (The Kindle app makes these poems more accessible because I can carry a bunch of them with me and read a few when I have a few minutes here or there. They're like blog posts, much more literary blog posts, from many years ago. Reacting to a poem could actually be an interesting way to generate blog posts, hum, that's something to consider.)

I think I've won my NCAA tourney pool. I'm going to wait to see how the scores look after tomorrow's games, but I think I am in very good shape. As such, I have no conflict in rooting for VCU tomorrow against Kansas (although I would happily have my bracket wrecked to have VCU in the Final Four). I was not surprised that VCU won their games to this point, my picking them into the Sweet 16 is one of the reasons why I'm winning my pool, but I don't like their chances against Kansas. At the same time, the Rams play good D and everybody on the floor can score. I'll watch as much as I can tomorrow.

The beer is gone and it's getting late. Time to call it an evening.