Most mornings while getting ready for work I watch Imus on MSNBC, as I have ever since he started broadcasting on TV in addition to his radio program. He is the definition of a curmudgeon (yes, I did just look this up on m-w.com and yes, his picture is there - if you squint really hard), but has interesting guests on and fairly lively political discussions. I've listened to him since I was in 7th grade and he was on WNBC out of New York (depending on the weather, we usually got signals from both Philadelphia and New York, and as a result I grew up a Knicks fan). He was eventually fired by that station, among others, during his Days of Wine and Cocaine era. At one point he read an on-air ad for Aer Lingus (and no, he did not make the inevitable, obvious jokes that Howard Stern would) and muttered at the end, "Protestants have to ride coach". This may have been the reason for one of the firings.

This morning he had on Stanley Bing (real name, Gil Schwartz, Executive Vice President of Communications for CBS Television; Fortune columnist and novelist) to talk up his two new books. I read Bing's column every time I get the chance to leaf through Fortune (usually only when I'm traveling and I stuff the latest issue into the last scintilla of space in my briefcase), and read his first novel Lloyd: What Happened, which was funny/sad/true-to-life glimpse into one man's corporate ladder climbing and the resultant (not so nice) changes in who he was. The two new books have gone on my birthday/Christmas list, though I suspect I'll just have to buy them for myself. (The title of today's entry is particularly obscure, although it may be familiar to those who read the last page of Fortune.)

Winter has not just settled in, it's moved its big hairy ass into the prime seat in front of the fire, demanded a hot toddy, breathed its foul, chill breath on all surfaces, and made it known it will be staying until at least April this season. We will have snow, sleet, freezing rain and all manner of ugly precipitation on Friday and into the weekend. This, of course, makes me feel horribly guilty that I will be heading to Florida on Sunday. Yeah, right.