It's now January 11; have been back in Berlin since Dec. 30, and enough already! Feel like it's time to go home. The weather here is dreadul, but i understand that it is dreadful everywhere else. But what really gets me is the isolation: i don't really know anyone here in Berlin, and i feel trapped.

Anyway, some notes. My friend Michael O'Sullivan has started a blog (http://www.osullivan60.blogspot.com/) which is quite charming and witty, rather like Mike himself. And another new blog is from Arthur S. in India (http://www.thispigsalley.blogspot.com/) which offers some of the best film writing around: his close reading of Leo McCarey's "Good Sam" is exceptional.

Of course, Kevin Lee has been a real pioneer in terms of internet film criticism. His writing is simply and utterly amazing, as he parses films, and then adds all sorts of other information, such as samples of reviews, stills and film clips. Kevin is so singular: if i were younger, i hope that i would be as inventive and resourceful as Kevin.

So those are three people who have helped me maintain some sort of sanity here. The temperature has been -2 degrees C, -3 degrees C. Well, why don't they just say, hell froze over, and it's Berlin!