The countdown is on...

More than one, in fact...

Four more days until Barenaked Ladies & Alanis Morissette arrive in Quirky to entertain the legions of dehydrated New Mexicans. It's not as exciting as the WWE show Friday night, but I can't catch that in person, so my 2nd favorite band will have to do.

Most importantly, one day until John Kerry delivers the most important speech of his political career. Despite my stance as an ardent Democrat, I think Kerry is going to blow the opportunity to reach beyond party lines, and interested swing voters all over America are going to nod off halfway through. The lesson that can be extracted from the first 3 days of the 2004 DNC is that Bill Clinton remains the #1 Democrat in America, and most of the party loyalists are privately planning for the John Edwards Presidential campaign in 2008. Of course, over 900 American soldiers have already died in Iraq, so it remains possible that W will get fired over sheer mathematics. I have my doubts...

Finally, twenty-five days until Dave Matthews Band returns to Albuquerque, and I will be front row center thanks to my D.C. buddy Kim. Unfortunately, Kim will probably be spending the evening of August 23rd surrounded by post-it notes and mutes, rather than dancing along with DMB.