Gruesome difficulties returning from Chicago: a thunderstorm delayed my plane to Pittsburgh, causing me to miss my connection. I spent the night, or at any rate abous six hours of the night, at a Red Roof Inn near the airport and then caught an early flight to Philadelphia and finally to Ithaca. YUCK. But the conference was tremendously fun and interesting; I was going to drop a bunch of names here with a thud but I think instead I will take a nap and then provide you with some notes later. It's good to be home, though I already miss being surrounded with friends and the more or less enlightened folk temporarily populating that strangely windowless hotel (Vegas without the bells and lights, but plenty of gaudy decor and smoke). A glance at the front page of USA Today (complimentary in the lobby of your local Red Roof) was sufficient to depress me deeply about the state of the world and consider relocating to Mars, or perhaps Provence. High time to resurrect Lawrence's "Rananim" plan.