I left my work dinner at 8 so I’d get home at a decent hour.
I got home at nine and - though it seems like five minutes have passed - it’s now 10 pm.

In a nutshell: I am tired.

So… something scary I read today:

MANCHESTER – Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich yesterday said the country will be forced to reexamine freedom of speech to meet the threat of terrorism.

Gingrich, speaking at a Manchester awards banquet, said a “different set of rules” may be needed to reduce terrorists’ ability to use the Internet and free speech to recruit and get out their message.

“We need to get ahead of the curve before we actually lose a city, which I think could happen in the next decade,” said Gingrich, a Republican who helped engineer the GOP’s takeover of Congress in 1994.

I’ve already read two articles about this particular speech and both have jumped to the “Gingrich wants first amendment abolished” conclusion. I’m not saying that’s incorrect, but it’s just the kind of thing that creates a wave of exaggeration and untruth as it radiates out. The synopsis on BoingBoing was “Newt Gingrich has called for America to tear up the Constitution and throw out the first amendment, because free speech helps terrorism. Didn’t this guy take an oath to uphold the Constitution? This is a new low, even for Gingrich.”

Of course, using this hyperbole - “tear up the Constitution” - makes for great quotes and creates heightened drama for discussion. As I’m displaying even now. I don’t know if this is good or bad, honestly.

In one sense, it’s putting words in someone’s mouth and I think it’s not a good way to play things if you ultimately want to come out on top; putting words in someone else’s mouth makes you some brand of liar. Then again, making the story sensational (even a teensy bit) pretty much guarantees that the core issue - in this case, the first amendment - will be discussed more purposefully in the very near future. People will ask questions. People will think. That’s a good thing.

Ah, well. No more of this. Damn, I’m tired. I hope I can fall asleep naturally - this sleeping pill stuff is getting tired and I don’t want to have to rely on them.