Florida rocked, and an attentive reader might notice that I almost never ever use the term "rocked" which I would include in a list of Top Ten Annoying Overused Words in America, along with "awesome" and "sweet". But Florida in late January is warmish and wonderful, particularly when one scores a beach-eating highrise room featuring an ocean view and an always-available jacuzzi downstairs for fifty bucks a night. So Stewart and I did all the wrong things, like eating too much fried seafood and impersonating Giuliani supporters at a RonJon Surf Shop rally in order to photograph the top of Rudy's head as he rushed into the bus. As a dieting left-wing liberal who officially hates overdeveloped beachfront condos, Republican politics AND cable television, it was frightening to watch myself morph into the Ugly American Tourist so effortlessly. What the hell, it was fun. And you can bet that I will be perusing only the Democratic candidates on my state's touchscreen ballot next Tuesday. And No More Television, other than the endless stacks of VHS tapes now found in virtually every room of my house. And eating sensible food in sensible portions. And decrying developers and ugly tall buildings like I usually do.

NTD, who does not plan to use the word "rocked" again for the rest of 2008