I need to clean out my car. A sample of what's inside:

• Burton snowboard boots, size 7 mens
• red, Patagonia R2 jacket
• miscellaneous clothes to give to goodwill
• pair of red leather shoes
• adidas track shoes
• HP all-in-one printer, copier, scanner (covered in aforementioned R2)
  

I am still trying to process my weekend so I'll get back to that later. Today is the Fourth of July, so if you're lucky enough to have it off, have fun. I have to work until 7:30 and then I might cruise around looking for some fireworks.

According to a new study by the NYT, "Britons have low opinion of the U.S." The poll indicates that "there has probably never been a time when America was held in such low esteem on this side of the Atlantic," Anthony King, a professor of government at Essex University, wrote in an analysis of the results. Other highlights:

• Asked to rate Bush as a leader, 77 percent described him as either "pretty poor" (34 percent), or "terrible" (43 percent).
  
• 65 percent thought America "vulgar," 84 percent said Americans are "preoccupied with money" and 90 percent said the U.S. was "dominated by big business."
• 70 percent, however, said they liked Americans "a lot" or "a little."

Online survey of 1,962 adults with a margin of error plus or minus 3 percentage points.



so proud.