Another melatonin experiment

I just ate another half milligram about 20 minutes ago, on the assumption that it should start putting me out soon. I set my alarm clock for two hours in advance, so I can't sleep longer than an hour and half. I think I feel it starting to hit -- and supposedly the stuff clears in one pass through the liver. I'm hoping that if 1.5 hours is enough, all of the dose-related melatonin will be gone, leaving only what my body naturally generates.

I saw Syriana tonight, a kind of damn-the-nap-schedule-torpedoes move. I felt a little woozy on the way to the theater. Did I blow a nap opportunity? Maybe so. It certainly didn't provide any nap opportunities. It's not the kind of movie I would doze off in, nor would I ordinarily be able to sleep easily after seeing it. With only five more minutes to go before putting on the sleep mask, there isn't a lot I can say about it just now, except this: even those who liked it say it's hard to follow. I agree. However, that may have been intentional. Among the possible strategic purposes of obscurity and throwaway clues: they want people to talk after the movie. Individuals in a group of friends might pick up on different details, filling in the blanks for each other. There may also be some calculated subtext: "This whole Middle East mess is complicated: if you want to understand it, you've got to start paying attention." Another possibility: people who feel they need to see it again might rent it as a DVD, giving them more control -- "What did he just say? Maybe it's important. Let's back up and try to make it out."