Assorted Thoughts from my Climate-Controlled Oubliette in Northern Virginia

So, I'm currently in the midst of a rather large project that requires quite a bit of original writing. It's uncanny - when I didn't have to write, I couldn't wait to post my musings in this space every day. But now that I'm being forced to write against my will, I've lost all desire to write anything here at all. Actually, "desire" isn't the right word - "ability," I should say. The process of involuntary writing has drained every last ounce of creative energy I once had.

What's worse, I've discovered through this project that - by all objective measures - I'm a horrible writer. I'm trite, needlessly grandiloquent, and excessively verbose. I'm hopelessly obsessed with the passive voice, and I have no compunction ending sentences with prepositions. I split infinitives willy-nilly. I'm a bad writer, and it's taking a toll on me, my coworkers, and my closest friends.

Perhaps when this project is over (in a few short weeks, hopefully), I'll rediscover my penchant for blogging. Until then, at least Doza's still sending me random web links:

• A recent gem from The Onion.
  

• Looking to kill some time at work, but you've tried everything FetchFido has to offer? This game will keep you occupied for hours. Nay, days.
• This one's from Alayne: actress Sienna Miller (I have no idea who she is) recently dissed my beautiful hometown. She called it "Shitsburgh"! She's beautiful and creative! Anyway, her publicist issued the lamest excuse ever in response.
  
• And finally, since I'm out of random links from Doza (I guess I didn't have as many as I thought), let me just give you my take on the Steelers' embarassing loss last night. Look, they can go 1-15 this year, and it still wouldn't diminish the fact that they won the Super Bowl nine months ago. Their fifth.