Just turned in a story about the history and culture of a very old local golf course. During the reporting on this story, I realized for the hundredth time that while I'm a fast writer, I'm a comparatively slow reporter. I've got to spend a day on the Internet, talk to everyone twice, go to the library and then talk to everybody again.

I feel that way about everything in life. I know what to do with information once I get it, but I take information in slowly. At the rate I'm going, I figure I'll be a pretty knowledgeable guy by the time I'm about 800.

Guess I'd better follow Christopher Hitchens' advice, and "hold it down on the smokes and the cocktails."