Third 5k

There's something quite manly about running in the rain on a fall evening. I didn't plan to run that route; I left the house thinking I'd run another, shorter path. I had my little reflecting vest on, and I had left my glasses at home. But I got to the bottom of our street, and I decided I should stick to the sidewalks, and that took me on my regular run, and forty minutes later I was done. It felt good. The big hill is still a bitch to climb, but I didn't have to pause immediately afterward. I have to contact the Chamber of Commerce for the race details (what time we show up, the course, etc.). Your Sister got home about an hour later, and we ate pub food. If I run 3 miles, I deserve a fat burger. And right next to us sat Angry Dad. We had small talk with him and his wife about running. It went smoothly, and I was unnecessarily polite to him. I must put up Halloween decorations this weekend and get me a running costume.

Just got an email saying the local comic convention will serve as a publishing party for the Halloween comic I'm a part of. This is the day after the midnight race. It'll be murder waking up for it, but I gots ta go. I might even sign autographs or do sketches for the kiddies.

Picture of the Day
See how closely the 300 film follows the comic. You can view more side-by-side comparisons here.


In the News
There may be no worse time (or, if you will, no later a time) for the administration to admit Iraq is the current version of the Vietnam War. We've lost 70 troops this month alone. NPR analysts say the GOP admits the House is lost to them, but their Senate control can be retained if they keep two seats in Missouri, Tennessee, or Virginia.

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They're still finding 9/11 body parts in New York City.

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Ebert's review of the new Marie Antionette film is so well written, it almost makes me want to see it. But I won't. I didn't dig Lost in Translation, the previous film by Sophia Coppola. By the way, Ebert is back from a summer cancer surgery, and it's good to see he hasn't lost a step.

Run Management

I hit the treadmill Tuesday on a gym date with Your Sis. I have eight days til the race, and I'm not sure how to manage the exercise before then. I'd like to run 5k twice before next Friday, but I worry about burning myself out. I may run tonight and then run Sunday or Tuesday. I mowed the lawn last night at lightspeed to make it a form of exercise. Then I made stir-fry.

My Stir Fry Recipe
Two Chicken Breast Fillets cubed
One diced yellow or red pepper
A small can of pineapple chunks
Half a jar of hoisin sauce
Sprinkles of Mongolian Fire Oil
Dashes of Garlic Powder
Dashes of Szechuan Seasoning
Healthy squirts of Lime juice
freshly ground black pepper (I like a lot)

Put it all in a big Ziplock bag and in the fridge of about 20 hours. Stir fry it enough so the sauce reduces and the chicken cooks thoroughly. You're essentially boiling it. Put over rice and devour.

I still need a running costume.

We watched "Six Feet Under," "Lost," and "The Nine." OK, she watched "The Nine," and I read an article on mass elephant insanity.

Picture of the Day

I'm Gonna Audition

I finished Cat on A Hot Tin Roof last night. In case you haven't seen it, here's a quick synopsis: Margaret and Brick are childless because Brick is depressed over the death of his football-buddy Skipper who professed his love for Brick before dying of heartbreak. Brick's father is dying and will surely leave his huge estate to the first son, Gooper, and his horde of ill-bred kids. But the family isn't telling Big Daddy that he's dying of cancer and have in fact told him he only has a spastic colon. Daddy confronts Brick over his alcoholism and relationship with Skipper, and Brick retaliates by telling him of the cancer. Hilarity ensues.

Now I don't think I can play Brick. He's got to be athletic, and I'm slightly too slight for that. But Gooper is a snake in the grass trying to manipulate his mother into securing the estate to him. He's smart, but desperately unsubtle about his aims. It's a good role. It's the kind of role you can steal the show with, and that's what I can do with him. But it would be a small miracle for me to get that role. It would be too similar to what happened with Greenville Little Theatre. I auditioned for the first time and get a good supporting part in a Williams play. Gooper's a fine part, though. Too good to not try. I told Your Sis about it, and she OKed it. Auditions are in three weeks. I could memorize the part in that much time.

I discovered that, as with Glass Menagerie, Williams rewrote Cat. His first version is just about perfect, but he wrote another third act to accomodate director Elia Kazan, and I don't know which the Asheville company will present. Gooper doesn't change too much in the second version, but everyone does lose some power. The writing's clipped and rushed. The first ending is stronger, and I hope that's what they use.

Picture of the Day
Just one example of clever ads from around the world


In The News
I attribute North Korea's sabre-rattling to Condi Rice's Asia visit. No, I'm not blaming her, but she's to whom the recent comments are targeted. Her reactions and ability to weave together the support of Korea's neighbors are key.

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The NYTimes reports Bush met with several talk-show hosts (registration may be needed) to organize talking points. A picture shows Mike Gallagher, Neal Boortz, Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity and Michael Medved listening to Bush make his policy detials clear. The administration is concerned that conservative radio and TV shows are drifting away from their once solid policy support. The above-mentioned hosts go to great lengths, as does Limbaugh, to say they are conservative before they are Republican. Others say they are neither and are independent, yet they often side with the administration. They hope to play the role of an unaffiliated voter who happens to agree with the administration to make those policies appeal to moderates and undecideds. I don't begrudge them for jumping on the conservative talk bandwagon. It's the easiest show to syndicate to small-town AM radio, and small-town radio needs syndicated shows to get local advertising money. If you want to see someone who clearly jumped aboard, look at Dennis Miller. His schtick switched from cynical to conservative about three years ago. But the hosts' loyalty wavers when the poll numbers drop as evidenced by this come-to-Jesus meeting. The administration needs those shows; they are the unofficial conservative-government media and crucial for the upcoming elections. The hosts may want to appeal to the administration (and score interviews with the big guys), but they must listen to their callers and sponsors. And those two are swaying away from blind support as the administration sloughs its conserative ideals of minimal government and fiscal responsibility.

Second 5k

We watched the high-school homecoming Friday night but left before the third quarter ended. It was cold. We were tired.

I got up Saturday morning and ran another 5k. There was still frost on the ground, and the cold air made breathing tricky. I've got to get used to it before the midnight race at the end of the month. The big hill continues to kick my ass. The effects of the exercise are apparent. I've gone down a few belt notches, and my shoulders (of all things) are more developed.

We grabbed a late lunch at a local sports bar and killed time before heading to a wine tasting. The downtown culinary store hosts one of these every few months or so, and we're on the mailing list because we bought so much kitchen stuff there during the move. This time there were four distributors with their own table and labels. We liked the Vampire Merlot from Romania, and Your Sister dug the Gewurtztraminer. A college buddy of mine dropped into town during the event, and she hadn't been to a tasting before. We showed her the ropes and let her loose. We then hit the pub for a late and slightly buzzed dinner.

The next morning, we tried to eat at the college cafeteria, but it was Fall Break. We instead went to Huddle House, a close cousin of Waffle House. Minus the jukebox, unfortunately. She wanted to see Connastee Falls, and we took the very short trail to the official waterfall viewing area. Then we noticed a natural rock staircase off to the side and hidden by the trees. We shambled down it, left it, continued down the slope, and found ourselves at the middle of the falls. We then shimmied back up and only then discovered the sign forbidding us to use this path. But it wasn't for us, I'm sure. It was for drunken morons who try it at night. We then followed another trail until we noticed what appeared to be a faint path down the mountainside and next to the river. We carefully slid down the side (and we're talking about a 50-degree slope), locking our feet against roots and trees. We indeed found a fantastic spot next to the river at the foot of the falls. And then we struggled back up the mountain. It was a lively bout of inadvertent hiking. We got back to my house around noon, and she had to head back home, but not before dishing some gossip on my ex.

Your Sis and I got groceries and made dinner for Travis and Kathy who were making their return to our place for the first time since Anna Claire was born. Unfortunately, as I was putting away my clothes, I noticed that my closet rod anchor was falling out of the wall. Seems wood-and-metal hangers doubles the weight. I had to clear out the closet and rehang the pole with a screw anchor, a necessary item the previous owners didn't install. That took longer than it should have. I reassmbled the closet and started on the salad just as the pair and baby arrived. We had homemade spaghetti and Blitmore Sangiovese. It was a wonderful. We shot the shit for hours and polished off some blueberry wine made by a local teacher buddy. The baby was again a quiet companion, and the cats didn't bother her too much. Kathy borrowed the first season of "Lost" on DVD and watched the beginning of the third season as it aired this month. We had to straighten out some confusion that caused without giving away too much. Travis said he's still up for the 5k race.

I'm halfway through Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, a play that not only pummels you with its title throughout the script (I've counted six times the phrase is used so far), but features an harrowing two-person first act wherein the lead woman will not shut up about the crushing expectations of Southern gentility. The second act picked up well once the father and son start hashing it out, but that first act is enough to give me second thoughts on auditioning. Williams is an acquired taste but also a community theatre staple. One of my Odd Couple compadres was just in Cat within the last few months, and I'm sure he knocked that role right out of the park. I think I'd rather see him do it than try it myself. At the very least I should audition. Get my name out there.

The NFL
Her Teams
New England (4-1), NY Jets (3-3), Oakland (0-5)
Philly (4-2), Detroit (1-5)

My Teams
Miami (1-5), Pittsburgh (2-3)
Philly (4-2), Carolina (4-2)

Picture of the Day
This is the view you get when you bypass posted danger signs.


In the News
Of course the most pressing concern after the Hawaii earthquake is that it not disturb the shooting schedule for "Lost."

Not Much

"Lost" was cool last night with a last scene that made me smile like a good little geek. I read while Your Sis watched "The Nine," and we both watched "Six Feet Under." She made a chili she wasn't happy with, but I wolfed down two bowls. Still need a costume idea for the race. Your brother called to plan the Thanksgiving get-together, but I don't have the details yet.

Picture of the Day
The magic shoes. Saucony Stabil Mc5s.

In The News
The Shuler/Taylor N.C. Senate race not only takes up about 40 percent of local primetime TV advertising, but it's devolved into pure mudflinging. Taylor's accusing Shuler of owing back taxes, while he himself owed the state for property taxes in this area. The elections can't get here soon enough for me. I'm tired of the signs and the ads. I'm saturated by it all.

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Andre 3000 is producing a show for Cartoon Network. He's providing a lot of material for it.

I Just Ran 5k

The race is two weeks away, and I had yet to run the distance on pavement. On a treadmill, yes. That was easy. But in wind and up the hilly hills and on asphalt and concrete, no. And I was scared that I couldn't do it. My last attempts ended short of the mark, and I was in pain. Yesterday, I even tried to talk myself out of trying it. My stomach was not well, and I was tired. But I got home, dressed up, stretched a bit, and walked out the door. Forty-five minutes later, I was finished.

It hurt from the get-go. My lungs needed to warm up for the race pace, and that took about a mile. I had to shorten my gait and slow my breathing to tackle the uphill slope that runs virtually the entire length of the two-mile stretch I plotted. I modeled my run after the boot-camp jog and shifted my weight from toes to ankles on steep climbs. I talked to myself the whole way too, debating and bargaining and chastising. It wasn't an easy run. I did have to stop for road traffic a few times but for no more than 20 seconds. I got to my two-mile landmark, tied my shoe, turned around, and went back. The rib pain came about three-fourths of the way through, but I used short breaths and clenching to make it fade. When I reached the 5k distance, I walked the rest of the way back home and felt great. Well, proud and tired and a bis surprised, but releived that I finally made it. I ran 5k. On pavement.

I'll not run again until the weekend, and I'll try that distance three more times before the race. Until then I'll work with weights and stretching.

The NFL
Her Teams
New England (4-1), NY Jets (2-3), Oakland (0-4)
Philly (4-1), Detroit (0-5)

My Teams
Miami (1-4), Pittsburgh (1-3)
Philly (4-1), Carolina (3-2)

Moving Picture of the Day
A trailer for the Tarantino/Rodriquez trash film, Grindhouse.

In the News
When we can confirm that North Korea detonated a nuke, then we should worry about what to do about it. So far, we're guessing and panicking. And spinning. The administration and the talking heads are blaming a president who hasn't been in office for six years. They don't like to mention the tidbit that Rumsfeld was on the board of a company that sold that country reactors.

Three-Day Weekend

Let me see if I can remember Friday. Oh yeah, Your Sis hosted a baby shower, so I ducked out and hit the gym. Saturday, we went to the college campus for Homecoming and saw no one I knew. Students, that is. We saw some art teachers, including one who asked me for comparisons between Illustrator on PC vs. Mac. I got to help an art teacher and thus an angel gets its wings. We watched a little of the women's volleyball game before strolling the bookstore and heading uptown. I had to buy new running shoes, and they fit like a foot corset. It's perversely comfortable. I then gave blood, and this time the nurse didn't splatter me with my own oil. We waited for the loveseat to arrive and watched a TiFaux recording of The Importance of Being Ernest, this was the recent film with Reese Witherspoon and Rupert Everett. It was good. Light and witty and fast, like a Wilde production should be done. The chair arrived just about when the film ended. That night we sa The Departed, a brilliant Scorsese picture that rattled Your Sis hard. But she loved the film. It's a tense experience. Also takes place in Boston, so you might be curious about the scenery.

Sunday, she worked on a float for the school homecoming, and I fiddled around the house. Bravo is showing "Six Feet Under," and I inadvertently got Your Sister hooked on it. I saw most of the show when I lived in South Carolina and got free HBO. That night we wtach the TiFauxed "The Day After," the seminal 1980s nuclear-war movie. It doesn't hold up so well, but at the time, it was a cultural phenom. It stars Jason Robards, and I'll happily watch anything he's in. I was off Monday and bought groceries and tried out the new shoes on the sidewalk. This was my first time running downtown and that centrally located hill is gonna kill me in the race. I caught up on some "Venture Brothers" and started inking Your Sis's drawing. The library had a book sale, and I snagged some cheap play scripts and checked out Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. An Asheville company's presenting it, and audtions are in November. I'm considering it, but it depends on whether I like the play.

I hit a milestone with Your Sister last night: I reached her threshold of X-Men geekiness. I showed her the newst comics, and she flipped through. I filled her in on the plot from previous issues, and she rolled her eyes a bit. Then I mentioned how the character interactions stretch back to when we were in middle school and threw out some details from the comic back then. Like Dazzler, the disco mutant. She couldn't take it. She got up from the table to pack her lunch for today. I've known her almost ten years, and this is the only time she had to shut off the nerd spigot.

Picture of the Day
The new loveseat. The cameraphone does it no justice. It's actually green. The cat behind it and to the right? Actually the size of a Buick.

Drinky, drinky

We attended a beer tasting at a new joint opereated by one of the high school coaches. We've known this good sir for a while now, and he's hosted many fine soirees at his place. Great wife, great kids, great digs, and he's a ball of energy. He has a vineyard in his backyard, and the whole family works to harvest it for homemade wine. The new wine store opened about a month ago, and it's a small but swank outlet. It's situated between an ABC store and a high-end restaurant, so the location is just about perfect. We tasted a few beers. OK, I did. Your Sister turns her nose up at beer. Literally. She sniffs it and throws her head back in disgust. I tried an Oktoberfest beer from Flying Dog (a great label out of Colorado), Rogue Dead Man Ale (with a thick lingering taste), some apple cider, and another ale. I admit to being confused; I thought our orders were for 6-packs, not single pint bottles. But I can't complain. I'll drink the beer, and the money supports his restaurant. We drove back to Mayberry and ate Mexican, timing it just perfectly to miss the mariachi band.

I was hoping to delve deep into the college homecoming events tomorrow, but we received word yesterday that the new loveseat will be delivered sometime tomorrow. They give you a four-hour scope for their arrival, and this might scotch half the day. We'll either miss volleyball or football. And this keeps me from wandering the campus, looking for classmates. Grr. Your Sis hosts a baby shower tonight at the house, so I'll duck out and hit the gym. I must be new shoes this weekend. We decorated the house and coasters with horrible, foul, baby animal pictures. It's enough to make me empty those pint bottles right now.

Picture of the Day
Superman can have a bad day too.

In the News
The Foley scandal now becomes the Hastert scandal as the House Speaker tries to keep his job. Something I haven't heard in all of this is a reference to Brian Doyle, the Homeland Security deputy press secretary caught sending pictures of himself to a minor back in March. Of course, no one is saying the GOP is rife with pedophiles. At least, no one with any credibility. But both scandals show the reach and access made possible by the Internet. You can find anything online, including gullible teenage kids. Now I don't espouse Internet censoorship. I'm not fond of censorship of most kinds, and I believe it's fully the responisbility of the parent to protect the kid as much as is practical. And that means you instruct the kid and warn the kid and let them loose and hope they remember. I don't blame the youngsters in this. The blame of course lies with the adults hoping to take adavanatage of younger folks. Not that they're evil or amoral. They simply believe they have an easier time achieving intimacy with a less experienced mind, and that says more about their social construction and insecurities than about their sexual fetishes. Then again, maybe they only desire youngsters. Maybe that's all that works for them. It's hard to say why Foley was acting the way he did when he blames his messages on alcohol and prior molestation. It suggests he didn't know why he was doing such, and I don't believe that. I think he just doesn't want to admit it.

Should Hastert quit? Probably. Not because he deserves it, but because someone has to be accountable in all this. Foley isn't; he's blaming outside influences. The various statements about how informnation was passed along shows that the House is nothing but the average ofice buillding packed with middle managers. No one wants to accept responsiblity for what was to some degree common knowledge. The situation was handled badly, and Haster is the guy who runs the office. If these Foley incidents stretches back as far as is reported, it's possible Hastert wasn't the only speaker to know about this, and I'd like to hear from previous representatives if they had any inkling of what was going on and what measures they took.

I also don't think the reports were carefully times to dirupt the elections. If that was the point, why do this five weeks before we vote? Why not the week before elections to create the best chaos?

"Lost" and "The Nine" (no spoilers)

Just as the second season of "Lost" opened with a sequence that radically widened the story, Season Three gives us a pre-title scene that's more interesting than the rest of the episode. We're also apparently going to see the Lost world through the eyes of a new supporting character, just as we did last year. Season Two is the Tale of Desmond told in jumbled chronological order. It starts with him, it ends with his flashback and our first contemporary off-island scene. This season starts with the opening eye of Juliet, a new Other, and her connections to Henry Gale are obviously noncordial off the bat. But what's really fascinating is how Henry immediately reacts to the arrival of the Lost ensemble. Once again, I'm left armchair quarterbacking the show, hoping it goes in directions I cook up.

"The Nine" is a, well, I'm not sure what it wants to be. It's definitely going for a chummy ensemble feel with stirrings of intrigue and conflict, but it's not what I expected. Bank robbers hold hostages for 52 hours, and the majority of the episode deals with their release and subsequent lives. I expected it to be more like "24," unfolding close to real time as the siege progresses through the season. But we already know who survives, who became close, who acted in remarkable ways, and what happens with the robbers. I didn't like the look of the show; it relies too much on that wet-street, blue-light design of the top CBS crime dramas. Your Sister liked it. Me, I'm not sold.

TicketMaster just alerted me that Duran Duran are coming to Greenville. I may have to go. I didn't care for them at first, but realized a few years later that 1) girls liked them a lot; 2) I bought an entire cassette to get one song ("The Reflex"); and 3) they dominated radio. Duran Duran was inescapable.

Moving Picture of the Day


The official trailer for 300, the story of the Battle of Thermopylae, is out. This is based on Frank Miller's comic and made much the same way as the adaptation of his Sin City.

Done and done

I ran three miles at the gym last night. I still haven't bought new shoes, but the treadmill offers less struggle than roads and grass. I worked at a quicker pace and steeper incline. I also signed up to give blood at the gym Saturday between homecoming events. I don't expect to see anyone I know, but I want to see what the painting student are up to.

The NFL
Her Teams
New England (3-1), NY Jets (2-2), Oakland (0-3)
Philly (3-1), Detroit (0-4)

My Teams
Miami (1-3), Pittsburgh (1-2)
Philly (3-1), Carolina (2-2)


Sketch of the Day
Ta-dah.



In the News
The GOP is pushing hard against the Mark Foley scandal coverage. Speaker Hastert went on the Sean Hannity, Hugh Hewitt, and Limbaugh radio shows all in the same day. That's a full-court press of spin. He claims he won't step down, despite calls from Washington papers and Democrats. He also is trying to say the media held this story until October to scuttle the GOP's election hopes. First, this is blaming the messenger. Second, after the Dan Rather National Guard memo debacle, I'd bet money ABC (who broke the story) spent months gathering all the information they could to present a tight story. Had they not, the GOP would cry libel and try to rally the loyal voters. They can't do that this time. ABC had tons of evidence to confront Foley -- enough that he quit the next day. Now he's blaming alcoholism and molestation by a priest.

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Buried by the above story are comments by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. Not only did he say Afghanistan cannot be won militarily, but he thinks it's a good idea to promote stability there by conceding power to the Taliban. We went to there to get rid of them.

Ouch, Eesh, Yikes.

We had dinner Friday night with Kathy, Travis, and baby Anna Claire. The baby made not one peep in the restaurant.

Saturday morning, I ran on the road. I had a new route picked so I could get two miles in one direction without hitting downtown foot traffic. Unfortunately, that route has no sidewalk, and road traffic forced me to move onto the sloping grass shoulder too often, and now my ankles are killing me. I think my ankles have gotten tender because my fallen arches are forcing them to do more work. I need new shoes, shoes with stronger support. I did manage to run two miles and then ran sporadically on the route back. Your Sis spent most of Saturday doing yard work. We cleaned up and returned to the furniture store to buy a loveseat. We were ridiculously organized. We measured the alcove space at home, tested each loveseat, and measured it. When we returned Saturday, we found our top picks and narrowed them down to one winner. It's supposed to arrive in a week. If we tip the delivery guys, they might take the old couch away. If not, we'll give it to a local charity. I've had that couch a long time (it originally belonged to the crazy neighbor lady who emailed me two months back). We then bought the beloved crackuccino at Starbucks. We attended a birthday party of a gal who recently moved out of Mayberry.

On Sunday, I got up to redo your drawing. Seems I made the unthinking mistake of inking the face last, and I ruined it. I didn't have a tight enough rendering, and the inking changed the features drastcially. I scanned the pencil drawing, printed it with stronger contrast, traced the face to a new board, traced the body from the previous inked version, and inked the new drawing. It didn't take very long, but this time I did the face first. If it didn't look right, there was no need to finish inking the piece. Your Sis said it looks like you this time, and the piece should be finished by week's end. Then I can tackle her drawing. I like to listen to DVD commentary trakcs while I draw, and I got though most of Red Dragon yesterday morning.

We ran by Lowe's to look at outdoor lights, and ran into the head of the local college theatre. We talked to him in the summer about doing theatre work, and not only did he tell us yesterday they were already three weeks into the production I hoped to audition for, he said the audition notice ran in the paper. I have no reason to think the man is lying, but we read the paper front to back and specificaly looked for that notice. Neither of us saw it. I'm disappointed, but if I was doing that, I wouldn't be able to run. An Asheville company is doing Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in the winter, and I might audition for that.

Your Sis worked on the yard some more, and that night we indulged in French Onion soup and cheese bread. Fall has changed my appetites, and I crave the soup.

Moving Picture of the Day
The history of the Middle East in 90 seconds

In the News
When the congressman chairing the House caucus on missing and exploited children resigns when it's revealed that he had sex chats with underage House pages, and it's discovered that some fellow Republicans knew about this almost a year earlier and did nothing, that sounds like a Very Bad Thing. The Speaker of the House changed his version of events since the Friday resignation; he initially claimed he wasn't notified. According to Roll Call, the page committee Republicans investigated Foley without telling the Democrats who serve on the board.

Pain, The Good Kind

Your Sis bought this yoga-prop inflatable ball for exercise. It's low-impact. I tried it for the first time Wednesday, and holy crap, it makes you work. You don't feel the effort during the workout, but you do when you try to stand up.

I've done some yoga before while at MetroBEAT. In one of those decisions that lead to its demise, the paper ran yoga-studio ads in exchange for yoga sessions. The office was given a limited number of sessions, during work hours, in hopes of us paying for more. I liked those sessions, but not enough to continue it after the freebies. I couldn't make room im my schedule, especially since one never knew how long to expect the workday to last.

I woke up Thursday with a bum elbow from the ball workout, and went to the gym last night where I susprised myself by cruising through 3.5 miles. Of course, those are treadmill miles, but I have increased the treadmill speed beyond my ground-run speed, so I think it's close to evening out. I got home to discover I had a tender tummy. The ball exercises targeted my sides, and I really felt it after the run. Even today, I'm feeling it. This may finally erase the love handles.

Picture of the Day
Earth as seen from the orbit of Saturn. We're the speck above the rings.



In the News
Scientists say our hands emit light, and this can be measured to possibly aid diagnosis.

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The Senate has debated Bush proposals for new detainee legislation, specifically to make legal what Bush wanted but was denied by the Supreme Court. But there are concerns that the new bill, if passed, will again face Supreme Court cancellation becuase it removes the writ of habeus corpus from detainees. In other words, they don't have to be told why they're being held. That's a Western notion stretching back to the Magna Carta. The bill also naively demands the president publicly list any extreme interrogation procedures he may approve for specific detainees.

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Variety reports Robert Downey Jr. (late of the you-must-see-it Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) is going to play Iron Man. The character is Marvel Comics' alcoholic mechanical genius, and much is made about Downey (an infamous addict) playing the role. But Iron Man (real name Tony Stark, and this will be my last parenthetical aside) is also a humorless hard-ass with an intense focus on his work. I don't know if Downey can do that for what should be a straight-up action film. Iron Man isn't like Spidey or the X-men. He doesn't brood over his abilities. He revels in them. Imagine Sir Richard Branson fighting bad guys. That's Iron Man. Downey is a magnificent fop and dandy, but is he an action hero? Will Iron Man be an action movie, or will they steer the film toward ponderous banality as with Hulk and Superman Returns? Unlike Ghost Rider or Elektra, I do want to see an Iron Man film. A good one, anyway. I've read the character since I was a tyke.

Can't Stop, Won't Stop

Your Parents returned to the States yesterday. Mr. Dad came to the office to say hi and drop off some thank-you gifts from Mrs. Mom: a nice t-shirt and some fossilized dino rocks. I called Your Mom, and we talked running for a bit. She's been in the Halloween race herself a few times. After work, I surprised myself by running two miles on the treadmill; I only wanted to go one mile initially, but I got into a groove and ran at a quicker pace then normal. Then I hit some machines. I feel good today. No soreness anywhere. I might run tonight on the road, but I'm tempted to let my body recover. Also, we should drop by Kathy and Travis's house to see the baby again and give them some conversation.

We watched the TiFauxed Monday episode of "Studio 60" last night, and for a one-hour show, it seems to last only 15 minutes. I am digging this new series something awful. Yes, Whitford seems to branch away from his Josh character, and the show expanded its ensemble to include the fake-show cast. Also, they did manage to present a fake-show skit that was genuinely funny. Your Sis and I are of like minds: We want to see a whole episode of the fake show. In what appeared to be a counter to any argument that "Studio 60" is anti-Christian, the fake-show cast conducted a throughly Protestant pre-show prayer, complete with a nice comment that Christ had to be sometimes funny to garner so much attention. You don't see a prayer on network shows unless a funeral is involved, and this was certainly a positive presentation of such.

Picture of the Day
Pardon me for geeking out a little here, but this is a SWANK photo of the Dumbeldore Army from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.



In the News
After much ballyhoo, the White House decided to release some of the intelligence report claiming Iraq has made terrorism a greater threat than before we invaded. You can read what's been released here. Democrats petitioned yesterday to declassify the whole thing, but the White House security advisor argues that declassification is too difficult. Horseshit. The Wilson/Plame debacle lead to the revelation that Bush signed an executive order concerning declassification, and all one has to do to release secret material to the public is to simply have Bush or Cheney hand it over to somebody.

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French doctors will attempt the first zero-gravity operation aboard a specially designed aircraft.

Road Runner

Saturday's horrible run convinced me that treadmills weren't doing enough to prepare me for an outdoor 5k street race. I got home yesterday, suited up, cranked up the iPod, and ran down the street. We're high on a hill in the neighborhood, and jogging down it added to the stretching I had done after lacing up the shoes. Once the road flattened out, I opened up. I ran toward downtown, a slow uphill slope all the way. I wanted to run a mile, and I did, but I was achy in the ribs and really out of breath. Also, my quads turned to wood. I stopped after the mile landmark (the first redlight intersection) and walked a few minutes. I got back to the place where I stopped running, started again, and ran home. The second leg was much better. I kept my back straight to hopefully counter the rib pain, and it didn't re-emerge. I had a nice pace going and cruised home. I had to run back up that hill, and only the power of Duran Duran made that happen. When I stopped, I was shot. I breathed hard for 15 minutes after. I was breathing hard after my shower. But my shins were fine, and that was always my weakness when running on pavement. This morning, my thighs are a little tender, but I feel OK. I ran 2.4 miles yesterday, and that's more than half of the 5k distance. I have almost exactly a month to get ready for the race. I can do this. I'm going to do this. Now I just need that perfect costume ...

Green Day and U2 teamed up last night before the Saints/Falcons game in New Orleans. You can see some of the video here. You can also download the songs, but they will only work with Rhapsody and are dependent on a subscription. If you cancel the subscription, the files won't work anymore. I TiFauxed the concert for Your Sister. She's such a Green Day geek.

Sketch of the Day
Here's the Star Wars picture of Your Sister. I'm playing with highlights to build form within all the unlined black spaces. I'm also using lots of shadow in the clothing. The trick is going to be drawing the face in shadow under a black hood.


In the News
Condi Rice responded to Bill Clinton's response to the ABC 9/11 movie. The debate concerns who has done what to get Osama and prevent 9/11. While he was the president, she was the national security advisor to his successor. She was also one of the many people who didn't lose her job after 9/11. That kind of security breakdown, following alerts of a possible attack, is inexcusable, and her boss has many times said that capturing Osama is not a priority. But Clinton was chasing Osama while the GOP went after the Lewinsky affair and said he was only trying to change the subject. Now it's just a pissing contest with gainsaying and it could distract from the important matters during the mid-term elections. What Condi is doing is perpetuating the angle that 9/11 was Clinton's fault even though he had been out of office for eight months. What he is doing is fending off those claims. And it's only important if we ignore the fact that she herself was advising Bush about Osama but not enough for him to take the matter seriously. We were chasing Russians and crafting missile shields. I'd rather blame the men who carried out 9/11 than those standing watch, but it seems obvious from the evidence uncovered after 9/11 about the Bush attitudes toward Osama and his attitude about Osama just months after 9/11 that he's more concerned with using the event to spark foreign policy and majority support for domestic policies than he is with catching the bad guy. Osama is his boogeyman and has more value if left alive and hiding to scare people. And that is the most inexcusable offense.

A Bad Run

The Saturday visit to the gym was a disaster. Not only did I not get the good treadmill and tried to run on the sinking-sand models, but I again developed a rib pain. This has emerged during the last three runs, and I'm not sure if I should blame a lack of decent stretching or a trend in bad form. I had to give up after just a mile and a half. To see if the treadmill was the trouble, I decided to run out the door and down the street. And I did. And I encountered a headwind not unlike El Nino. I got maybe half a mile and had to again stop. I was in pain. Not the legs. They're fine. But my rib was a spearpoint. I'm afraid I'm nowhere near thin enough to try this run despite dropping some weight over the summer. I do have a month to get ready for the 5k though, and some stricter regimens can make it happen. I took my race application to the Chamber of Commerce and was told by the ancient Saturday worker that she had no clue what I was doing there. I had to tell her about the race and that the application behooves all of us to bring the paperwork to that office. I had her give me a receipt so I can prove that I did register when I shop up at 11:30 p.m. for the race.

Later that day, we went shopping for loveseats. The couch in the TV room needs to be replaced; I've had it since the first marriage, and it takes up too much walking room. We found a store near the airport and measured and sat and picked our top five. We drove to Asheville after and ate at The Noodle Shop. It was fantastic as always, and Your Sis plied me with warm sake. I apparently lost my appetite for liquor the same time I developed lactose intolerance and an allergy to peanut butter. It gave me the crunchy cheeks, where my muscles constrict right under my eyes. I hate that. We walked to Old Europe and found it's no longer there but has been replaced by a bistro serving exactly the same fare. We were told Old Europe had move a few blocks over, and now there are two downtown cafes serving coffee and desserts.

And now football ...
YOUR SISTER’S TEAMS:
NFC: Detroit Lions (0-3) /Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)
AFC: Oakland Raiders (0-2) /New England Patriots (2-1) /New York Jets (2-1)

MY TEAMS:
NFC: Carolina Panthers (1-2) /Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)
AFC: Miami Dolphins (1-2) /Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2)

Parity seems to have crept into the league to such an extent that good teams (on paper) are 1-2, and historically bad teams like Cincinnati and Baltimore are 3-0. The Panthers should be 2-1 but ran a bad play last week to lose the game. Atlanta's 2-0 Falcons take on the Saints in New Orleans tonight in what should be an emotional night and a very good game. This is the first game in the SuperDome since Katrina.

Sketch of the Day
Remember this? I've started inking the drawings, and here's what I got so far.
I have to decide how much of the sleeves to darken or if I just draw the lines of the folds.

Nothing Says 'Anniversary' Like Tacos

I just had the yen for tacos and cooked them last night. I found a taco seasoning pack in the grocery store, read the ingredients, ignored the chemicals, and recreated it in the kitchen. I last made Mesxican food ... hm, maybe last year. It was a full spread of vague food wraps that I named ' fajitarritos.' Your Sister passed on salsa verde which isn't like her at all. She's past the cold but is now socked by allergies. Speaking of cold, it suddenly is. We had random frost last night and fall has fallen quickly. I'm ready for it. I look forward to wearing layers and driving on leaf-strewn streets. We caught a little bit of a junior varity game, but hunger and the cold drove us inside.

Moving Picture of the Day
The trailer for 300, an adaptation of Frank Miller's account of the Battle of Thermopylae. It looks JUST like the comic in the way Sin City mirrored the print version. It's a cold, macho story built on honor and military discipline. And gallons of blood. I look forward to seeing the film mainly because it employs so much of the green-screen CGI technique used in Sin City. Whereas Lucas employed the virtual studio to provide backgrounds, the new breed seem to use it for something akin to animation, tweaking physics to punch up action scenes. The majority of the trailer music is from Nine Inch Nails, so it gets a grinning thumbs up from me.

"Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip"

Aaron Sorkin, the guy behind "SportsNight" and "West Wing," has a new hourlong show on NBC based around a fictional network's version of "Saturday Night Live." After the show's producer has a meltdown over a network-yanked sketch, two former show performers are brought back to revamp the show and bring some quality back to the network. It's a nice premise, and allows Sorkin to return to his better backstage "SportsNight" moments when the fictional producers and stars were fighting their network (while at the same time Sorkin was fighting with ABC over scheduling and format).

If you know either of his earlier shows, you'll notice a lot of familiar faces. The "West Wing" alums include CJ Craig's reporter fling, Leo's daughter and girlfriend lawyer, the male GOP White House lawyer, and Josh Lyman. Felicity Huffman cameos as herself, and she starred in "SportsNight." The pace and movement of the show scream Sorkin, and the pilot epsiode looks like it cost a kabillion dollars.

Just as in "West Wing," the first episode concerns a conflict with Christian activists. Whereas Josh faced heat for publicly slamming Christian lobbyists, here a sketch about "Crazy Christians" sparks all the turmoil. Shockingly, "Sunset" takes an explicit swing at Pat Robertson's 700 Club. But the move parallels the debate on the fake show. It suggests "Sunset" will do what the characters hope to with their show: Stand up for biting commentary and face the easily offended with stiff backs. If this is true, this could become the most talked-about show on network TV. Already, "Sunset" has the daring to attack its network's faded-glory comedy show and the network's blessing to do so.

Matthew Perry and Bradley Whitford play the hotshot creators returning to the show, and they hit the ground running. Perry's character is whacked out on painkillers (mirroring Perry's own addiction), and both, like their characters, are coming back to a style of TV they departed. They were both on "West Wing" and know how to work with the scripts. They are the heart of the show along with Amanda Peet as the network president gambling on their comeback. There are even former "Saturday Night Live" people playing faux "Saturday Night Live" people.

The cast, so far, has no holes that I can see, and the hour breezed by in a hurry. And the show already has the curious task of presenting a funny fake show that's one meta-level removed from the viewers. I wanna see if the characters can do it, but that's just one of many reasons why I'm watching "Sunset."

If there's on standout so far, it's Perry. He's in full bloom here, playing someone much different than Chandler. I hope Bradley gets the same chance to distance himself from Josh.

Don't want to risk posting a comment? You can always email me.

Nine and a Half Miles

That's what I ran within three days on Thursday and Saturday. I hit a groove and discovered I could run much easier and longer if I just slowed the pace a bit. My ankles are a little sore, but the pain disappears when I run. I measured a two-mile distance away from the house, and now I know I can run there and back to reach 4 miles, a good measure beyond the 5K distance. Now I just need a costume, something that won't hinder the run. I also discovered the percussion in Green Day's "Holiday" matches my stride pace perfectly; I can use my iPod to keep my run rate. I now can run 5.5 miles in an hour. No one is more shocked than I.

We watched Brevard trounce Asheville High 17-0 Friday night. Your Sis continues to battle a cold and did very little. I started inking the Star Wars drawings in the workshop. We managed to polish off the "Mad About You" TiFaux episodes, freeing up almost 40% of our allotted memory.

We saw Kathy and Travis' baby, Anna Claire, last night. She's a lean baby -- no pudginess after six days -- and she looks like an intelligent kid.

Picture of the Day
Asheville High's scrawny fan contingent Friday night. Guess they knew they were gonna lose.


In the News
The Pope is a moron. Imagine if Bush told a Polish joke. How well do you think that would go over? Well, magnify that by ten, and you have the Pope quoting a Byzantine emperor to insult Muslims. The newest spin on it is the debate as to how the Pope could make a mistake if he's infallible.

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When asked about going into Pakistan to find Bin Laden, Bush said this: "Pakistan is a sovereign nation. In order for us to send thousands of troops into a sovereign nation, we've got to be invited by the government of Pakistan." Wow.


Don't want to risk posting a comment? You can always email me.

It's A Girl

Kathy and Travis welcomed Anna Claire into Mayberry yesterday at noon. Kathy went in for her regular checkup, and the doctors were concerned about insufficient amniotic fluid. They did a C-section, and everyone is fine. Kathy thus had no labor which makes her, of course, less of a woman. Hey, I got here through a C-section, and so did Esther's kid. So did all of you, if I remember right. So we each can kill Macbeth.

I ran three miles Tuesday. I deliberately ran slower and burned up more calories by running farther. I'll start using weights and running on alternate days and hope to run on roads starting next week. Travis, I assume, will still run on Oct. 27, but he may be shot after his first month with the baby. If he can't do run at all, I still will, but if he can't complete the race, I'll stop when he does. No need making him feel weak.

Your Sister was asked to fill-in for the JV volleyball coach, who herself is a new mother. Your Sis isn't going to do it, but it's somewhat flattering to be asked. The only reason to try to fit that into her schedule is to stick it to all the parents who grumbled about her coaching methods. I mean, they couldn't bitch about the results; they went something like 15-5. But she can't take that on now. She stepped away because of teaching workload. It was a tough call for her, but it was final. The athletic director, I'm lead to understand, feels like this is the varsity coach's problem to fix, but the AD is the one who hired a pregnant coach. He needs to find a solution. We suggested to ourselves that Angry Dad get his chance to run the team, but I doubt the other parents will be any happier with his style, and I suspect the girls will mutiny.

Picture of the Day
Behold the bionic arm.


Don't want to risk posting a comment? You can always email me.

For the Record ...

Did very little yesterday. The pets were fed, we were fed, Kathy and Travis were fed, and then we went to bed. Not all together, mind you.

YOUR SISTER’S TEAMS:
NFC: Detroit Lions (0-1) /Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)
AFC: Oakland Raiders (0-1) /New England Patriots (1-0) /New York Jets (1-0)

MY TEAMS:
NFC: Carolina Panthers (0-1) /Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)
AFC: Miami Dolphins (0-1) /Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)

The first weekend of games is over, and a few facts emerged. The Raiders may be the most hapless team in the league, the Packers are a close second, and players seem to be working in fifth gear. The games I saw all included lightning-quick passing defense. Teams are swarming the receivers with gang tackles, and that opens up running lanes.

Moving Picture of the Day
A drag-and-drop map quiz of Africa and the Middle East. The Stans ruined my curve.

In the News
We watched the President's address last night, and it sounded like a weak book report. Bush had to say something or he'd appear aloof. What he said last night had no meat to it. Until the end.

The attacks were meant to bring us to our knees, and they did, but not in the way the terrorists intended. Americans united in prayer, came to the aid of neighbors in need, and resolved that our enemies would not have the last word. The spirit of our people is the source of America's strength. And we go forward with trust in that spirit, confidence in our purpose, and faith in a loving God who made us to be free.

That sounds like Crusade-talk, a mistake he made initially after 9/11 when he actually used the word "crusade" to describe our response. When he talks of "the spirit of the people," it introduces a vague reference that becomes concrete, that of a communal faith, one shared religion. And that last sentence sounds no less than "we're gonna Christianize the hell out of you." I'm not paranoid about state/church theories, but this is a final word that sends the wrong signal to me, not to mention those who already think we're trying to force American Christianity on the world. We cannot waltz into the Middle East again and proclaim to bestow God-blessed civilization on them. That's just a rationale for colonialism. If that's what this administration thinks 9/11 ultimately means -- an opportunity to occupy and proselytize -- then they really are a clueless batch, and we need to get them out of office.

Finally, not for nothing, but five years after Pearl Harbor, Word War II was over. Just how committed are we to win this War on Terror, and is it a war or a foreign policy? I'm not sure it's anything more than an excuse.

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Don't want to risk posting a comment? You can always email me.

I'd Rather Talk About Something Else Today

Your Sis has a school-bred cold and spent the weekend in a headfog. She went to another Ladies Night party on Friday but crashed Staurday and Sunday. I ran at the gym again to the dulcet tones of Nine Inch nails. I also got to see the space shuttle launch. I ran two miles on one of the newer treadmills, and it hurt a lot. I've developed a rib pain in the last two runs, and I'm puzzled as to why. My style hasn't changed, and I'm not running farther.

After that run, I decided to try to fix the lawnmower one last time. I removed the sparkplug and dry-cranked the engine to shift some excess oil around. Then I put the plug back in. It again wouldn't start. I looked at the plug, and it looked just like every plug I've seen. Then I realized almost every plug I've seen has been a discarded one. I zipped to the local hardware store and bought a new one, jacked it in, and the mower cranked right up. So I mowed the lawn, and this is a bad idea when it's 1 p.m. and you've just run two miles. But the lawn hadn't been mowed since FDR's second term, and we finally had enough dry weather for the grass to be mowable. I set the mower to the highest setting because the grass was clogging the blade otherwise. It stopped twice, and I cleaned out the grass glumps with a hose. Also, the next-door neighbors' grandkid was alone and bored, and we chatted while I fixed up the mower. It didn't want to crank up, but a new load of gas fixed that problem. I got the whole lawn done, and that grass monkey is finally off my back. I also, apparently, don't need to buy a new mower.

That night I went with Travis and Kathy to a local sports bar where an Ohio State alumni group were holding court to watch the game against Texas. I was clearly the odd man out, the only one not wearing an Ohio State shirt. We were also easily the youngest folks there by about thirty years. I was persona non grata quickly; one superfan made a point to high-five everyone after a strong showing by Ohio State, and I was passed over almost every time. But I got to eat wings and drink beer and wolf down a burger, so screw him. I also got to buddy up with Kathy's mom, who seemed to like me once she realized we didn't believe pro wrestling was real.

On Sunday, we did nothing but watch pro football.

Your Sis cleared out about 20 epsiodes of "Mad About You" from the TiFaux while I was mowing or getting groceries, and I'm just about to start inking the Star wars drawings.

Your parents left for vacation Friday, and I started taking care of the pets. They found someone to feed them on weekends, so I don't have to make that drive for a ten-minute job.

Picture of the Day
John Travolta as Edna Turnblad in the movie version of the Broadway musical Hairspray. The musical was based on a film wherein Edna was played by Divine, a legendary drag queen cult diva. Edna is thus always played by a man.



In the News
Yes, it does feel like five years has gone by. I was driving to work and heard the first news reports on NPR. When I got to the Creative Loafing office, we watched a tiny, grainy TV set and started work on the next issue of the paper. I kept track of info with the CNN and New York Times websites. I got home about 4 p.m. and watched ABC news for hours and hours. But, of course, almost every channel had switched to some news feed. If there's one moment of footage I remember most from those hours, it's of Buckingham Palace playing our national anthem.

I saw your note about posting comments, and Blogspot is just as frustrating on this end too. You can always email me.

The Children Are Our Future

I left work early to talk to the high school newspaper staff. I met with them a few times a year before to help them launch the semester’s first issue but hadn’t spoken to them since. They asked me this time to help them with layout, and I quickly browsed their papers Wednesday night. When I arrived yesterday, they asked for some tips on using InDesign, the pagemaking software, and then we moved on to specific adjustments with the paper. We talked for about an hour and a half, and they asked good questions. It’s clear they want to make the best product and know they need to alter some elements. But they don’t have that far to go. Their paper looks better than the county biweekly. I don’t get the sense they want to be told what to do, just advised on the best way to do it. And I like that attitude.

Your Sister and I picked out football teams as has become our new pro-football tradition. We chatted it up over dinner, and this is what we decided on:

YOUR SISTER’S TEAMS:
NFC: Detroit Lions/Philadelphia Eagles
AFC: Oakland Raiders/New England Patriots (New York Jets as additional option)

MY TEAMS:
NFC: Carolina Panthers/Philadelphia Eagles
AFC: Miami Dolphins/Pittsburgh Steelers

Miami and Pittsburgh opened the season last night, and Miami showed they have no running game. Pittsburgh won with hard defense and a nice passing strategy.

Picture of the Day
Pirate Kitty at DragonCon.

Runnin' Dirty. Or Not.

I found myself on the Bad Treadmill yesterday. The gym has three versions of treadmills to choose from: a late '80s version, a mid '90s version, and a late '90s version. I prefer the middle ones as they keep a good pace. Usually. But I know there's one of them that will sucker you into a painful run. The tread belt is slack, and makes running a real effort. The slack belt and my run make the whole apparatus wobble, and it'slike running on a miniature pirate ship in a storm. My shins have a sharp ache. I did manage my two miles, but it took some internal bargaining. I couldn't move to another machine because they were all occupied, and pride kept me going. I don't want to rely on a specific running environment. But this did keep me from running further, which was my plan. I'm already running faster than I plan to in the 5k race, and I have seven more weeks of training to go.

We watched the Sharapova/Golovin U.S. Open match yesterday, and it was awful. Neither woman could rise above meditocrity to end it. It took two hours+ to play two sets. There was also some controversy about Sharapova's coaches using signals from their seats to tell her when to eat and drink. That level of coaching is a no-no. But she did win.

Picture of the Day
My world is a little sadder at the knowledge this will happen.



Here's the problem with it; everyone's a nerd now. If you carry a laptop, PDA, an iPod or pimped-out cellphone, use MySpace or Second Life, or blog the minute details of your life to strangers, you are as nerds were back in the mid-'80s. We're all plugged in to technology, something that just wasn't the norm 20 years ago. The guys from the first film didn't have serious, mainstream job prospects back then. It was NASA or Lockheed Martin. Now? Best Buy offers you the Geek Squad for national repairs. Macs use PC chips. 1337 speak is legible to most teens. Nerds run the world. They won. Game over. Now if they want to make a film about nerds vs. geeks (the fanboys, the hardcore online gamers, the mega critics), then you got a fun film for a current audience.

In the News
Say what you will about the newsbloggers, but they've proven to be correct about the administration more than a few times. They passed along items about military policies, wiretapping, and the Plame scandal before they reached mainstream table conversation. And now Bush admits that, why yes, we do have secret prisons outside the U.S. The trikc here is that the prisons were set up to avoid the Red Cross humanitarin investigations and U.S. law on torture. But Bush claims we don't torture anyone. So why make the prisons secret? The prisoners can't be aware if the facilities are known to anyone, so the secrecy is not for them. It must be for people who would have a reason to object to them. So what would be the reason? The methods used to interrogate them.

Ridin' Dirty. Or Not.

Every once in a while (a long while), Your Sister will announce she discovered a song on the radio. Oddly enough, they're always hip-hop. The latest song was unearthed last week as she drove somewhere at her usual 9,000 MPH. All she would tell me at the time is that it's called "Ridin' Dirty", and the lyricw flew by too fast to catch. Being the pop-culure expert of the two and the guy who can work with online music files, I went hunting for it. iTunes lists 15 songs titled "Ridin' Dirty," most of which have quick tempos. I downloaded the five basic tracks (no remixes) and saved them to the iPod. When we drove down to Spartanburg, I played them on the radio. None was the right song. Your Sister than gives me details about the right song -- including lyrics -- details I could have used to find that song the first time and saved myself $5. That night, I run a Yahoo search on the lyrics and immediately find the song that fits her tardy description. I got to iTunes, find it, buy it, download it, and play it for her the next morning. She confirms it's the one. The real bitch of it is that it's not called "Ridin' Dirty." It's just called "Ridin'," a title used by 20 other songs on iTunes.

We got the second season of "Lost" on DVD yesterday and started watching the bonus material. There's a great mini-documentary on assembling a network show.

Moving Picture of the Day
A map of Iraq marking fatalities by nation and day, updated as recently as July.



In The News
I couldn't decide if Steve Irwin's willingness to risk his life made him a noble conservationist or a bad father. It''s not fair, I suppose, to expect the man to change his job once he has kids. The wife met him at his preserve and was allegedly won over by his love of animals and trademark energy. She knew whom she was marrying. As with all his specials, he warns viewers not to approach a dangerous animal just because he is. And then he gets killed by such an animal. There's no need for him to approach those animals to make his point that all animals are wonderful and deserve conservation. He didn't have to swim with them, but it made for great TV, and that's the true source of dismay. He took an unneccesary risk, and, while that doesn't make him a bad father, it does make him as stupid as the people he was trying to warn.

Labor Weekend

I got home Friday just in time to watch the high school football game, but we left at halftime due to heavy rain. And most of the crowd left with us. I assume our team won. The college had its second football game the next day, and I assume they lost.

On Saturday, we went to Flat Rock Playhouse to see Agatha Christie's "The Unexpected Guest." This makes three of her plays I've either seen or performed in. It was tight, and the actors did a nice job. But the facilities are underwhelming. This is the state's theatre, and I expected something like the Greenville Little Theatre's huge building that screams Fine Art Here. No, this is more like a forest lodge. The seats are nice and comfy (and wide), but the rows are packed together too tight for foot traffic, and the aisle isn't slanted enough to allow you to see over the guy in front of you. I've heard about Flat Rock Playhouse all my life; it was THE theatre in the area that one simply must experience. And it looks like a summer camp. The ticket booth is on the back of one wood-slat building, the theatre is by itself, and the concessions are over in another wood-slat building. We ate dinner at a nearby inn, and that was damn good eats. Would I go back to the Flat Rock? Maybe. But it would have to be a killer show. I've seen churches with better accomodations.

On Sunday we visited my parents for a bit and discussed the Thanksgiving trip to Alabama.

On Monday, we hiked for a few hours before Your Sister went to work. We found our favorite Mexican eatery closed for the holiday and instead ate hot dogs. Travis and Kathy's baby is due this weekend, but they are still planning to watch the Ohio State/Texas game on Saturday.

Picture of the Day
the Hooker Ridge hiking trail in DuPont Forest.

Back to the Treadmill

I ran two miles yesterday at the gym. This took as much time as about four songs on the iPod: "You Never Even Call By My Name," one of the Beastles/Beastie mash-ups, "How I Could Just Kill A Man," and "Cochese." After the three runs since Saturday, I'm already developing the tell-tale muscle divots on my hips. My ankles hurt today, oddly enough. I expected to feel it more in my shins and calves. I'm excercising on alternate days to give my body a chance to rest up. I returned home to make fried chicken, and we crashed a little early.

Picture of the Day


The above is part of a campaign to build a 911 memorial.


In the News
From The New York Times: "Richard L. Armitage, a former deputy secretary of state, has acknowledged that he was the person whose conversation with a columnist in 2003 prompted a long, politically laden criminal investigation in what became known as the C.I.A. leak case, a lawyer involved in the case said on Tuesday." The prosecutor is not charging anyone with disclosing the identity of the operative, so Armitage will face no charges unless he lied to a grand jury.

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Two million dark chocolate M&Ms are offered in exchange for The Scream.

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Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld are taking an offensive stance in their current speeches, claiming we are at war with fascism, and war critics are harming America. The term "Islamo-fascism" grew through talk-radio use as hosts tried their damndest to paint a struggle with terrorism as the Third World War or, at least, compare the current administration favorably to Churchill (but, interestingly enough, not FDR, the Democrat president at the time). I don't buy it. Terrorism is not an enemy but a tactic. You may as well wage war on pessimism. None of this can be shocking given that we're two months from the midterm elections. It also helps the above guys that the fifth anniversary of 911 occurs between now and those elections. But waving that bloody shirt also reminds people that Bush himself said last week that Iraq had nothing to do with 911. The election is forecast as a barometer of consensus toward the Iraq occupation, but even if Democrats take over the Congress, there's no suggestion that Bush will change his administration's tactic of sidestepping Congress to continue its policies.

The Mower Doesn't Run But I Do.

I checked the mower last night to see if I could find a clue as to its failure. The engine is smothered in oil. Not a good sign. The spark plug was crusted with burnt oil, and the air filter is drenched in it. I cleaned them both, but again couldn't get the machine to crank. When Travis came over last night, I asked him about it, and he immediately called up his dad. He said the valves were opened when the mower was turned on its side (I had to clean out the blade region), but if I remove the plug and yank the starter chord, this should move the excess oil away from the engine. I'll try that tonight. If it doesn't work, I've got the number of a local repair guy.

Because my evening was now open (and Your Sis was at school until 10 p.m.), I had time to run. I ran a little Saturday, just around the neighborhood to acclimate my knees to pavement shock. I have two months to prepare for the Halloween 5K, a run that features a bitch of a hill. Luckily, my neighborhood is a series of hills piled upon each other, and I can practice near the house. But yesterday I wanted to know if I could run anything close to 5K. I went to the gym, climbed aboard the treadmill, and launched myself with the new iPod in hand and ear. I did pretty well, at least 2 miles before my towel accidentally activated the emergency exit and killed my groove. That's not a bad distance for my first longish run in some time. If I can get myself used to road running, I think I can do this. I discovered that I could reduce my leg pain by running faster on the treadmill, a feat aided by a mix of Queen, Radiohead, and Nine Inch Nails. I've also been advised to get better running shoes by folks online.

Picture of the Day
Crazy Arnold head from a Japanese ad



In the News
Scientists at SUNY claim to have discovered a memory molecule in the brain.

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Told ya the guy who confessed to killing JonBenet was a whacko.

Mow No Mo'

My lawnmower is giving me fits, and the lawn is becoming jungle-acious. My mower repair skills are weak, and this sucker is pretty old for a mower. I bought it in 1996, I believe. I think ten years is a fine tenure for a mower that's gone through four lawns. However, I wouldn't be against a reasonable repair price. The trick is getting to a mower Jedi when I have to drive to Asheville on weekdays. It might not be until Saturday before anyone can look at it. Meanwhile, my lawn might swallow the house.

While discussing Rosemary's Baby, the 1968 horror film about a woman carrying the devil's child, Your Sis commented that it probably helped sway the decision on Roe v. Wade just five years later. I never thought about it like that, but it makes a type of sense.

This weekend was pretty low-key, although I did see Brevard College's first football game in 50 years. We lost and lost badly, but this is essentially a high-school team. The coach came from high school, and the quarterbacks are all freshman. I can't imagine Brevard could summon forth great football players from other established teams. Anyway, it was fun seeing college football even on this small scale. We arrived just as the team left the lockerrom and take the field, and I admit I got the tingles. I intend to see as many games as I can; they play at the high school and it's RIGHT THERE. I have no excuse not to go.

Moving Picture of the Day
Conan O'Brien's opening montage from last night's Emmys.

In the News
I used to consider myself a fairly TV-hip guy, but I've seen practically none of the Emmy winners. Not "24," not "The Office," and not "Amazing Race." We used to watch "Law and Order: SVU" almost every day on USA. I'm glad Alan Alda won for "West Wing" as he did a fine job there.

Cooking with Villainy: Dr. Doom 2

It's one of those run-around days, so I asked my pen pal Dr. Victor Von Doom to fill-in with another of his cooking entries. His first one was a smash hit, bringing in unprecedented hits to this blog. So now as I head to Greenville on an airport run, I leave you in the iron fists of Dr. Doom:

For too long, even in the glory of Latveria, the home oven has been reduced to a simple function by the peasantry. They mindlessly use it to bake. Latveria virtually drowns in a sea of casseroles, for which assuredly The Accursed Richards is rightfully to blame. Doom shall not suffer another casserole. This swears Doom! I bid all my subjects to behold the wonder that is the broil function. Observe how it quickly heats your meager sustenance with an exquisite char, especially those Doom has bless with gas ovens. No, no, not those gas ovens, my fellow Latverians. Fear not. Doom seeks to grill, not to kill. This night, anyway. I bequeath to you the miracle of Doom's Lemon Pepper Garlic Chicken Alfredo with Red Peppers. Attend me!

First, Doom commands you to bring a pasta pot to a boil. Doom uses his mighty power gauntlets for this task as Doom will not bide his time for boiling water.

Doom then commands you to baste two chicken breasts in a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, cracked black pepper, and two minced cloves of garlic. Adhere the glaze with a pastry brush.

Doom commands you to set the broiler on high and insert the chicken in a drip-pan. Doom bestowed to you all these drip-pans for Christmas so there are no excuses for you to lack them. failure to use drip-pans will be met by my Doombots.

Doom commands you to put three cups of penne pasta into the boiling water. Add salt, curs!

Doom commands you to flip and baste the chicken after seven minutes. Stir the pasta lest it adheres to the pot.

Doom commands you to chop one red pepper into bite-size chunks and simmer over low heat with olive oil and kosher salt.

Doom commands you to heat up one half jar of alfredo sauce on low heat. Do not allow sauce to boil. That Accursed Richards somehow made Doom lactose intolerant, and only retail brands allow Doom his beloved alfredo sauce without committing him to hours upon to Doompotty. RICHARDS!!!

Doom commands you to mind the pasta. When it reaches peak density, drain. Add pasta to alfredo sauce, close lid, and shake to coat noodles.

Doom commands you to remove the chicken when done and plate. Cover in noodles. Add last the peppers.

Doom commands you to savor.

Doom prefers to quench his thirst with Flying Dog beer, and you would be wise to follow in Doom's path. Very wise indeed.

Mushroom Trivia

We met with Angela and Dan at Mellow Mushroom for a bar trivia night. I hadn't done this since my Spartanburg days. I regularly went to a downtown bar called RJ Rockers for trivia. Sometimes on Wednesday night, sometimes on Saturday night, sometimes both. I would go with Debbie's co-workers or my comic gang. It was always a blast, and we would either place respectably or lose spectacularly. RJ Rockers, sadly, closed and became a lame Irish eatery, and I hadn't played a beer-supported trivia game since.

Last night was fun, and the game format resembled Rockers' contest. We whiffed on the capital of Maine (Augusta) and the number of minutes in an NBA quarter (12). But the second round featured questions about GI Joe (my favorite 80s cartoon) and Burgertime (my favorite video game). We placed fifth, which isn't bad for the first time. I'm not sure if the winners receive anything, but if not, no loss. We had fun eating and drinking. Angela and Dan just got satellite TV, and we exchanged notes on our favoite shows. They also told horror stories about buying Dish TV, cementing my belief that DirecTV was the better purchase two years ago.

Your Sis talked with the co-chair and things are presumably going to run smoother now.

Picture of the Day
NASA hopes the new Orion capsule will transport us to the moon and maybe Mars.


In the News
The bastards downgraded Pluto from its "planet" status.

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The NY Times reports the FDA approved an over-the-counter "morning after" pill. Customers must be 18 and older.

Tension

Your Sis is having trouble crafting a feasible working relationship with her co-chair. She finds herself struggling to fit surprise plans into a schedule already packed with her own workload. Even though they share the chair position (nominally, anyhow) , they have yet to hammer out a plan of attack. The two have to sit down and discuss scheduling before Your Sis goes Tarzan and destroys a classroom. I've tried to calm her down by suggesting she imagine doing this and coaching volleyball. Nothing is helped by the almost slapstick technical failures in her district. The PCs were refurbished, but the techs failed to install Word, the key program for the schools. Also, Your Sister's wing has no network connection at the moment. Of course, it's two days before school starts. Something will be Bad Wrong. But she worked a lot this summer to have her shit together only to find she's asked to carry someone else's load to their standards and work around missing computer equipment. You wonder why teachers drink?

Picture of the Day
The poster for the upcoming magician thriller The Prestige.



In the News
There's a comic-book adaptation of the 9/11 Commission Report, and it's getting major news coverage. I'm not that curious about it nor any other dramatic interpretation of that day (this year's two 9/11 movies, the impending network recreations). I also believe that I, by now, have a pretty good idea of what went down that day: the dark stars aligned to craft a flat-footed federal reaction to a pie-in-the-sky terrorist plot.

Spiked

Your Sis was assigned the duty of selling tickets at the opening volleyball matches yesterday. She was concerned throughout the weekend about previously vocal (read: asshole) parents making comments. That didn't happen. Mainly she was worried about Angry Dad, the jerk who stormed the court and berated her during matches. He coaches his daughter and niece through the year in club teams. He and his sister were adamant about removing our gal from her job, since she obviously couldn't coach (even though her team only lost five times last year) . Your Sis learned that his daughter isn't playing for a full week because she went on vacation without informing the coach. As punishment, she can't play or suit up. Angry Dad had no reason to appear. But we also learned that because the middle school coach took Your Sis's former position, that school no longer has a volleyball coach, and Angry Dad's niece now can't play for the school. Also, the JV team lost yesterday. We don't take any joy in the girls' failure, but it made Your Sis feel somewhat better about handing over the job.

School officially opens Friday (yes, they're playing sports before school opens), and she's cramming to finish her work. She ran ragged and then had to fix the dislodged pantry door at 10:30 last night. She had a day.

Picture of the Day
Quick, approximate reference guide to the solar system by size:








In the news
Among the items now held as evidence against the British bombers: hydrogen peroxide. You can't even find that in a meth lab.

Partyversary

It was one year ago yesterday that we held the formal ceremony at Silvermont, and then we watched The Village and opened presents at 1 in the morning. Yes, it does feel like a year has passed; we've both been busy with work and hobbies. We ate Indian food using the curry you sent us and had Travis and Kathy over. The meal went over great, and we all took turns preparing the ingredients. We then watched a James Cameron-produced special "decoding" Exodus, hoping to prove scientifically when and how the events happened.

On Saturday, we watched V for Vendetta again, and it holds up, if not improves, with a second viewing. It's obvious they worked on this script before making The Matrix as that movie holds a number of similarities in themes and images with Vendetta. Your Sis stopped the film to bemoan Lucas's treatment of Portman's character in the third prequel as this film proves she's got real acting chops. If she isn't nominated for acting awards for the role, there is no justice. She carries the film.

My lawnmower seems to be in the last mow throes. If it can just last until October, I can junk it and get a new one next year. I've had it for, wow, about seven years now.

Pictures of the Day
One of Your Sis's teaching buddies asked for a mix CD of rambler songs. This is the CD cover art I made for it:


This is one I made for Travis awhile back. I use Photoshop and Illustrator for the art and labels.


In the News
In a rare news conference, Bush said, according to the AP, "the war was 'straining the psyche of our country.' " That's a different spin from what we normally here from him. I wonder how conciliatory we can expect him to be before November.