The following is a work of fiction.

Not Nick Nolte's Diary, Malibu, California
July 18, 2005

Qualia

What would life be like without any sensory input? My genius friend Doug gave me a brain-teaser with that premise the other day. This afternoon, I spent an hour in the admiral's club trying to figure it out. I scribbled on a newspaper with abandon. I wonder if one would stay sane if given nothing new to look at? I know, it sounds like my last marriage, but the whole line of thinking put me at sixes and sevens. Luckily before my plan to New York border I was able to talk a maintenance man into leaving the secure area to get me a couple of Jamba Juices. I usually carry my own vitamin powder but my lawyers advised me to stop carrying it onto planes. Perhaps it's good advice, but they've never found themselves flirting with vitamin-c shock among the friendly skies as I have, Diary. To kill the suspense, I answered the brain teaser to myself while doing the in-flight crossword: given the time you would probably remember everything in your life and step though it. Perhaps that's just what consciousness is: a rerun. Well, I know the logline well. Until we meet again, Diary.