Initiation, Caffeination, Audition

On Friday, I was made an honorary member of the fraternity. It was a short ceremony, involving me and another initiate. I'm now a Friends of the Arts. I got a nice pin to wear. The national officers were there to watch, and we chatted afterward about convention and initiation details. It was very pleasant. We drove into Asheville for the ceremony and bummed around town for the rest of the day. We bought a frame for the certificate so I can hang it in my office. We ate lunch at Mellow Mushroom, stepped inside the comic store, and bought a new phone for the living room at Target. It was a pedestrian afternoon.

I helped Your Sis stamp textbooks on Saturday and read Cat On A Hot Tin Roof a few times. I started to think I could play the lead male even though I initially aimed for the supporting male role. Can't say what triggered that change. That night we caught The Prestige, the Hugh Jackman/Christian Bale magician thriller. It's a nice idea but ultimately a satisfying movie. It drags a bit in the second half. It looks great though, and it doesn't insult the audience. We hit Krispy Kreme, and I wolfed down four doughnuts and a cup of coffee. Sugar rush? Oh, yes. Oh shit, yes.

Sunday night was the audition, and it was by far the most formal I've been in. The previous auditions all had the applicants in the same room, reading with each other and auditioning in front of each other. We could adjust our strategies based on what the other guy did. Not this time. The applicants entered the lobby and filed bio sheets and any resumes and headshots we made. I made a photosheet that afternoon to show them what I looked like with and without the beard. I also listed my shows in Spartanburg and Greenville. There were many more women there for that lead role than men. But this was the first of two days of auditions, and tonight's may be an all-male affair.



We were given short clips of the script to read for each part we wanted. I grabbed copies for the two male roles I thought I could manage. An assistant, Victoria, escorted applicants into a small room where sat the directors and what appeared to be interns reading cues. I went in about half an hour after I arrived. I greeted them shook hands with them, explained where I worked and lived. The house is an hour away, but my office is five minutes up the road. I read the lead role first, and it involved some of the most emotional actions he has. I thought it went just OK; I may have rushed it, and my accent might have slipped. I had dry mouth, and my heartbeat was going nuts. I felt stupid. I had auditioned maybe a dozen times, but it had been two years since my last play, and I had never stepped foot into this building before. I was told I had a "good footing for the character," which was a tidbit they didn't have to share. So I felt pretty good. I asked to read for the supporting part and was asked if I could hang around until they watched the rest of the applicants. I did. And about 90 minutes later, I was escorted back in to read that bit. I was the last person to leave. In the meantime, I chatted with folks, most had worked with this theater before. Victoria checked on me to see if I would wait a little longer each time, I and I assured her I was fine. Of all the places I could be at that moment, I was back in a theater. What was to complain about? We also had a chat about the use of "ma'am," and she made it clear she was not a "ma'am," she was Victoria. But it was friendly conversation, and I appreciated her concern. Many of the others had significant stage experience; some were professional actors. I was surprised by how many people showed up without knowing the play. Parents brought their kids to try out for roles without knowing what kind of situations they may be involved with. The play has some strong language and adult material. I gave one guy a complete rundown of the play right before he walked in and read. I performed my second read better than the first as this was the one I focused on for weeks. I think my accent held better, but I still felt like I rushed it. I thanked Victoria, left the building, and called Your Sis with the details. They don't need me to come back in tonight to read, and now I just wait to hear any news. As I left they said we'll see you Tuesday or Wednesday, which may be what they tell everyone. I can't make assumptions.

I'm content with the experience. I wanted to audition, and I did so. I found a play I wanted to try for, read it, practiced a bit, showed up, read, and didn't embarrass myself. That's all I wanted. Anything more than this is gravy. The rehearsal schedule looks like plenty of time to prepare, and I have no conflicts with it.

Moving Picture of the Day
The trailer for Spider-Man 3. I can't tell you excited I am for this. Sandman may be my favorite Spidey villain, and I can remember reading about him when I was four.

You Can't Handle the Tooth!

I'm scared of dentists. I had bad experiences with my last one, back in high school. He not only used me as a guinea pig for his first application of braces (and thought he could save time by tightening them to get two years' worth of correction in eight months) but he was convicted of selling drugs out of his office a few years later. So I haven't seen a dentist for half my life.

Since then, my wisdom teeth grew in and one of them turned on me this week. The pain was so bad, I couldn't sleep at all Tuesday night; neither ibuprofen nor Anbesol would work. I called Your Sister's dentist this morning to beg for relief, and they indeed squeezed me in for a quick extraction. That's right, it had to go. And I would gladly kiss it bye-bye if it meant I could sleep at night. And I shall, for, lo, the bad tooth, she's a'gone. Tooth extraction feels like someone hooking a coat hanger under your cheekbone and lifting you off the floor. But I was properly numbed, so I was more fascinated than panicked. I got a prescription and took the pill last night. Mix a sleep-inducing painkiller with a guy who was awake for 40 hours and you get a coma. I slept fantastic. The numbness from the gum shots hasn't worn off yet, so I'm doing OK. I got a referral for an oral surgeon to yank my other wisdom teeth, and that scheduling will depend on the success of my audition this weekend. I also will gladly go back to this dentist for my regular teeth duties. They were nice people who helped a poor sap in a crunch.

I have the tooth in a bag next to my bed. It looks quite horrible. But the x-rays showed the rest of my chompers are stylin' and profilin'. I've lived in terror that my teeth have slowly decayed into mashed potatoes, but nope, I've still got years and years of chewing ahead of me. This morning, I feel fine. Well rested and hungry for solid food. There's slight pain between medications but nothing like what I felt Tuesday night.

The NFL
Her Teams
New England (6-2), NY Jets (4-4), Oakland (2-6)
Philly (4-4), Detroit (2-6)
Man, Your Sis is mad at me for rooting for Indianapolis against New England Sunday night.

My Teams
Miami (2-6), Pittsburgh (2-6)
Philly (4-4), Carolina (4-4)
Unless Pittsburgh wins their next 7 games, their season is done. Miami knocked off the previously undefeated Bears (but they're out of it too). Philly, Carolina, and the Jets had the week off.

Picture of the Day
I finished up another mix CD for Your Sis. That's her boy cat on the cover.



In the News
It's a bad week to be Bush. Not only did he swiftly change his tone about Democrats on Wednesday, but the press hammered him on the 180-degree turn. And Bush could only claim he said things in the heat of campaigning. While he refused to agree he was out of touch with voters, his habit of praising an official before firing them became painfully obvious when Rumsfeld was shown the door. Bush claims he held off on the Pentagon change until after the election according to his plan. But some GOP campaign advisers are saying that they could have held the Senate had he done this a month ago. And now Bush says he can get the immigration package he wanted from the Democrats that he couldn't get from hardline Republicans.

It's also fun to hear the talk-show hosts sing a different tune after the election. Even Limbaugh threw the GOP under the bus and claimed he's relieved to not carry their water anymore. No one wants to look like they couldn't see the tide turning to the Democrats after spending the last 6 years calling that party conciliatory cowards. Those contrary voices and bloggers who said a grassroots effort would throw out the GOP now don't seem so cultish and fringe. This may further legitimize the Pajama Media.

Bachelor Weekend

Your Sis drove down to Greenville to visit a college buddy, leaving me to roam the house and neighborhood unsupervised. I finished watching Donnie Darko Friday night. It's an odd movie, one made up of moments that could work as music videos and an ending that doesn't spell out what the film is really up to. I understand that the director's cut explains everything and makes for a less fun film. I don't think I'll see it, but I want the soundtrack very badly. Good acting abounds here.

On Saturday, I finished the director's cut of the Dawn of the Dead remake, and it was a solid horror movie. Easily in my top five. I was impressed with the time taken to let the impact of events seep in, and the end credit sequence my be the best I've ever seen. I've never been a fan of zombie movies. OK, to be precise, Ive never been lured to a movie based solely on the premise that its about zombies. I liked the notion of the first Dawn of the Dead as it sounded clever: survivors hide in a mall and zombies return there out of habit. That's cute. The remake ditches the consumer commentary, and the zombies head to the mall to simply eat the living. Still, it retains enough cleverness to be a fun movie.

I worked on the cover art for a new mix CD for Your Sis and maybe finished up her Star Wars drawing. I'll take another look at it tomorrow. I took advantage of the alone time to eat badly: KFC, Wendy's, and Burger King. But I ran yesterday morning for the first time since the race, and you know, I'm thinking about running in the December 5k. Maybe not. We'll see. I made lasagna Saturday night, and we ate it last night. I thought it turned out a little bland even though I added a chunk of spices. We went through a bottle of Sangiovese (from Biltmore) with the meal. Sleep ensued.

Picture of the Day
I hope this is a joke.


In the News
The elections are tomorrow, and virtually everyone agrees the Democrats will win the House. The question is by how much; some projections suggest a 35-seat swing. They might take the Senate majority, but that's a point of debate. As we learned in 2004, polls mean nothing. The Democrats were projected to win then too. There's no way to spin the election any other way than as a referendum on the administration, specifically the Iraq occupation. And Bush said last week he has no plans to oust Rumsfeld if the Democrats win tomorrow. Democrat representative Nancy Pelosi kept a low profile last weekend so the GOP couldn't use her as a target for their campaigns. She is a top contender for the Speaker position if the Democrats win the majority, and the GOP makes too much hay out of prominent female Democrat candidates. So if the Democrats win as much as some say, who does the GOP blame for it? Bush will already be a lame duck for his last two years. Rumsfeld has Bush's backing (but so did the head of FEMA). The current Speaker of the House will already lose his job if the majority switches. The Big Mean Liberal Media will catch some shit for reporting that Iraq isn't going so well, but the unions aren't really a factor this year unless someone tries to blame the domestic car company losses for scaring voters. Local gas prices here were holding at $2.18 for about three weeks and then shot up seven cents overnight last week. Will that have an effect? If the Democrats win, will this be seen as much as a revolution as when the GOP took Congress in 1994? And will the Democrats likewise screw up their win by trying to pass a heavy handed list of cultural mandates?

Me, I'll just be glad all the damn ads are gone.

Halloween

It was dusky as I arrived home and found Your Sis in the driveway setting up the jack o'lanterns. She made lunchbag luminaries, filled them with wet cat litter, and we set them down the driveway to make a path leading kids to the door. We set some candles in the windows, opened all the candy bags into our plastic cauldron, and waited for kids. Two arrived right before 7 p.m., and then we ate supper as we waited for others. We watched "Six Feet Under" with the front door open in view of the TV, and would you know it, a lone six-year-old walked up right as characters were talking about sex. I don't think it registered with her. We had two large groups arrive within a few minutes of each other.

We also had a lone teenage boy arrive sans costume. He was carrying a pillowcase. He range the bell, and said nothing as I opened the door. Just stood there and held up his bag. Now, I believe in age limits for trick-or-treaters. I do. I wouldn't allow any kid over 12 to do it. But I'm willing to give candy (and we had plenty) to someone who has the right spirit. This boy had none. He just wanted free grub, and he was offering no effort to get it save walking to doors and announcing himself. I held the candy cauldron on my hip, lowered my lids, and said "I need to hear the phrase." "Trick or treat," he mumbled, and I gave him one piece of candy. One. Everyone else got handfuls.

Kathy and Travis came over a little later to show off Anna Claire's pumpkin costume. We ate candy and watched the remake of Dawn of the Dead. While we didn't get to see all of it (Your Sis went to bed, and they left), it had the makings of a fun horror film. I wanna see the rest. I'm also about halfway through Donnie Darko, and I have no idea where this film is going.

Oh, my official 5k time is listed as 31:03:06. I can beat that. I know I can.

Pictures of the Day
Her jack o'lantern. It's much better than mine.


In the News
I'm so fucking tired of the the campaign ads. But John Kerry is a friggin' idiot for botching a lay-up punchline and handing the GOP a bulletin board sound byte to rally around.

The Rest of the Weekend

I woke up dead tired Saturday morning and drove down to Greenville. A small comic convention was held there, and I picked up my comp copies of the Wide Awake anthology with my four-page story. The other Wide Awakers there had nice things to say about my stuff. The con was giving away copies as door prizes, and we sketched inside the front covers. It's a nice comic. The paper stock and colors are top-notch. This is professional printing all the way. I'm proud to be a part of it. I was asked about doing mini-comics and distributing them through Wide Awake at conventions. That's something I can definitely do. I got my first X-Men comic I ever bought signed by the artist (Dave Cockrum, who designed Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, and other iconic X-characters), and I bought an original Archie Comics page for $10. A bargain, I dare say. I shot the shit with the Wide Awakers and had a gay old time.

But I had to scurry off to Spartanburg, and I dropped in on the parents for a few hours. I then headed to the local comic shop where the annual Halloween party was also the store's tenth-anniversary party. I love that comic store. It's pound-for-pound the best in the country (yes, even the ones in Harvard and Kenmore Square). Clear lighting and floorspace, clean presentation. It's a slick packaging of many geek wares. The owners is a great guy and dutifully ships my titles to me each month. And if not him, one of the filthy lackeys. I met up with my comic gang, and learned to my shock that Chris and Jared had a baby. They made costumes for the evening (henchmen from "Venture Brothers"), and we returned to the store, ate some snacks, and then went to a local bar. I love my guys, and I miss them something awful here in Mayberry. Your Sis stayed home and graded papers, and everyone wished she could be in town. I drove back home late Saturday night and slept heavy.

On Sunday, we grabbed groceries and ate at the pub. Coffee, of course, followed, and she went back to work while I lazed about the house. She got back that evening, and we carved pumpkins on the back deck while minding the fire pit. Your Mom called, and we talked about the race. Kathy, Travis, and Anna Claire dropped over for a few hours, and we traded race stories and talked baby stuff. A great night. Not too cold, which is good when your elbow-deep in gourds.



The NFL
Her Teams
New England (6-1), NY Jets (4-4), Oakland (2-5)
Philly (4-4), Detroit (1-6)

My Teams
Miami (1-6), Pittsburgh (2-5)
Philly (4-4), Carolina (4-4)
Carolina couldn't catch a cold Sunday, and their defense was too exhausted to stave off a Dallas flurry in the fourth quarter. Pittsburgh needs to rest their QB for a few weeks, and Philly just can't get it together. Miami? Don't talk to me about Miami.

The Race (post almost as long as run)

Friday was a really long day. I was anxious to get a'runnin' but had to go through a full workday and then kill seven hours before I could start huppin' up the road. Heidi couldn't stay awake and hit the bed at 9:30. I started stretching at 10:00. I watched some TV and eased my way through throwing a leg this way and leaning that way. I drank some warm water. I had eaten a heavy lunch at 3 p.m. and had a six-inch sub at 8 p.m., and that was all I was eating. I seem to run better when I'm hungry.

The weather was not as bad as the early forecasts had stated. It was in the high 40s and drizzly. I wore a sweatshirt -- oh hey, I took a picture:



So, I had my sweatshirt, my Chris Benoit shirt, my luchadore mask, my toy belt, my leather gloves, and the shorts and shoes. Travis, my Brevard buddy, called me at 10:30 to confirm when we were gonna meet up at the race location. After an hour, I packed up some towels, water, camera, extra masks for Travis to choose from, and out the door I went.

The parking lot of the Child Development Center was packed already with cars. Travis had just picked up his registration bag (complete with disappointing race t-shirt and race number). I picked up my bag, and I let him pick out a mask to run in. He chose the La Parka.



I assume the race number was based on order of registration. He was 91. I was number nine. I was told the number paper included a "rip strip" which the officials would take after the race so they could log our official times. I saw about 50 people around the center door, staying in and out of the rain, waiting to start the race. Some had costumes, like this lady in an inflatable airplane:



I chatted with some Travis buddies, all of whom had run before. Of them, I was the lone newbie. Included in them was a triathlete. An older gent.

We moved to the race starting area at 5 til midnight. The organizers yelled out instructions on how to handle the car traffic, which chute to run in at the end of the race, and general thanks for showing up in the rain. I think we had about 60 people at the race start, and we were milling around and chatting. I was near the back of the pack. Suddenly, I heard "GO" and the front of the pack zoomed away.

Travis and I started our boot-camp jog pace. To my relief, I discovered we had the same run rhythm, and staying with him wasn't going to be a problem. I didn't know if he'd be slower or faster than me. The front runners were GONE; they hauled ass down the road. It was very thin around us. Maybe 10 people within 20 yards of us. We hupped down the road for about half a mile before we met up with the older triathlete. He was decked out. Had his super-sheer jacket and a fancy wrist computer for heartbeat and pace stats. He slowed down to match us, sidled next to Travis, and I deferred to them and ran a bit behind. I felt OK with their pace.

My ankles started to hurt first which was unusual. Had to be the downhill angle. I also knew I was going slightly faster than I would prefer. Travis and his friend were starting to quicken, and I kept up with them. We turned onto another road (marked thankfully by a cop blocking car traffic), and we started a slow uphill grade. Cars rolled past us in both directions to our left. Folks stood by the road to watch us. We chatted with other runners who admitted they hadn't done this course before. My quads started to complain, but it was manageable. What surprised me most was I was breathing heavy. I didn't have trouble breathing unless the cramp popped up or I was on the soulkiller hill. I chalked this up to running in a full mask and at a slightly faster pace than I would prefer. But I felt like I was OK with half the distance to go. I made it this far, I thought. The belt acted like a girdle and kept my back straight. But it was heavy and shifted as the clothes settled on me.

We turned onto another road, stopping for a driver who ignored the race signal-folk and drove right through the course. A short turn right again, and we were hitting a steep grade. Travis asked over his shoulder how I was doing. I gave him my quick diagnosis, and he said I was doing great for a first race. This made me feel a little better, and I decided I was gonna tough this out. The grade leveled out, and we turned left to a steep downhill. I had trouble evening out my breath while bounding a little to slow the descent. I was breathing harder than I should have. We had another short uphill, and then a flat stretch before another turn. The rain came down her quickly and then vanished. But I was very wet, and the breath was not there for me. I felt stifled. I took off the gloves and pulled up my sweatshirt sleeves a bit.

We turned left, thanking the cop stopping traffic. We were now back on the main road where we started. But we were right at the bottom of the Jailhouse Hill, and I was already in lung trouble, and my thighs were hardening. I slowed my pace and let Travis and the guy go ahead. I didn't have to keep their pace to finish. Halfway up the hill, I heard cheering and realized we were getting support by people who had already finished and doubled back to watch. I was in some pain here and was split on how to feel about this. It was a nice gesture, but it was a bit condescending. Again, I was hurting here and getting cranky. My legs were locking up, and my breath was gone. I was tempted to take off the mask. I had to switch to power walking to continue moving and alternated jogging with this. Travis and the other guy were gone. I got to the top of the hill, felt my legs loosen up a bit as the grade flattened and went back to the run. It hurt. My head was light and wobbly, and I was squinting to see the finish line. I knew I didn't have long to go so I just threw my legs out in front of me and pumped my arms. My form was shot.

I heard "slow down and move right" and realized I had made it to my chute. I saw a short line in front of me and stopped to be processed. Someone grabbed my ripstrip and took it. Someone else asked my age (and I gave them the wrong one initially; my brains were gone) and told me to walk out from under the tent and back toward the kids center. I knew nobody, and I was dead beat tired. I moseyed toward the center. Some old guy behind me made a comment about the wrestling mask, and soon I was caught by a babbling geezer telling me about living under Ventura's administration in Minnesota. I broke off and walked away.

The center had a table of water bottles and bananas, and I realized I was starving. I gobbled a banana and walked back to the car for my camera. I snapped the finish tent:



and then walked across the street and saw (for the first time) the race clock. When I took this pick, it must have been five minutes after I finished:



I felt pretty good about my time. I found Travis, and we exchanged notes and moved back to the center. I learned some folks had taken a wrong turn and added a mile to their run. As we stood and chatted with other folks, the race organizers handed out awards. To my shock, I was announced as third place for my age division (30-34). Travis was second. We got little ceramic knick-knacks. All the official run times are to be announced later on this week online. The awards wear all given out (as Travis and another pal of his and I traded Chuck Norris jokes). The triathlete said we had averaged a 6.2 mph pace (much faster than my normal 5.5) and had topped out at a stunning 9 mph pace. Someone handed out flyers for an upcoming 5k to launch the town Christmas festivities. But it's a morning race, and I run better at night. It was now 1:20, and we were beat. We went home.

I chatted with a groggy Heidi and showered. As I took off the clothes, I noticed how bulky the clothes felt, and I realized only then that this stuff was heavy. I got on the scale, noted the weight, took off the shirts, and weighed myself again. Yep, the wet shirts added 5 pounds. I had saddled myself with bad running clothes, and that's why i was out of fuel.

But I did it.

I'm Almost Through Talking About Running

The race is tonight. I haven't run since Tuesday, and I only did light exercise Wednesday. Last night, I did nothing that could be described as exercise. I'll do some light work tonight, work up a sweat, and stretch an hour before the race. Travis and I will meet up not long beforehand, and I'll offer him a wrestling mask to wear. I bought more Velcro to adhere to the wrestling belt. It's meant for kids and barely fits on me. As if I didn't feel fat before all this started. I'm eager to end the day and get a'runnin'. I've anticipated this for two years. It's going to be wet tonight, raining all day and into the night, but not as cold as first forecast. I hope to have a heavy lunch today (work permitting) and snack the rest of the evening.

Picture of the Day
Art created with one sheet of paper. You can see more here.


In the News
An Australian Islamic cleric made a ruckus by suggesting that women who don't wear the veil bear responsibility for rape. Why is this news? Christian fundamentalists say the same thing. Christian radio host Dr. Albert Mohler (heard here daily) instructs brides to consider the male attendees of their wedding lest their dresses arouse lust. There's no difference.

She's Sick Again

Your Sis should enter the Olympics for cold catching. She stayed in the sick bed last night after watching "Studio 60" (a standout episode) and finishing off pumpkin pie. My gym rearranged their equipment so I couldn't use the weights, and they reduced the number of treadmills. I ran about 3 miles there yesterday, but I was bookended by people who apparently missed the other available treadmills. I don't like the kind of clustering; it's a small neurosis.

The NFL
Her Teams
New England (5-1), NY Jets (4-3), Oakland (1-5)
Philly (4-3), Detroit (1-6)

My Teams
Miami (1-6), Pittsburgh (2-4)
Philly (4-2), Carolina (4-3)
Carolina's losses to Minnesota and Cincinnati were caused by late turnovers. They should be 6-1. Miami is just horrible. Thoroughly, utterly bad. Pittsburgh can't get rolling, and their quarterback now has a concussion on top of his recovery from an offseason motorcycle wreck.

Picture of the Day
Now this is cool. This is what the shuttle launch looks like from the international space station.


In the (Geek) News
Lucas obviously cribbed material from Japanese filmmaker Kirosawa for Star Wars. Hunt down a film called Hidden Fortress and watch in shock. But a French site is now comparing Star Wars to mid-'70s European comics. The similarities are startling.

Fourth 5k

[Samuel L. Jackson voice] Yes, it was fucking cold out there. Yes, it was windy. Yes, I saw snow as I left work. But if I'm going to run in the mountains at midnight three nights before Halloween, I had to know how it would feel. So I ran. I ran 5k. In the muthafuckin cold goddammit. [/Samuel L. Jackson voice]

I got home from work, pulled on a sweatshirt, wore some baggy shorts, donned a ski cap, and, to quote George Thorogood, out the door I went. For the first half mile, I regreted not wearing gloves, but that pain faded soon. It felt like my lungs were leaking. I had less lungpower, and I blame the cold for that more than the wind. Once the wind died down, the run was not bad, but the wind made the air much sharper. The legs were fine, the cramping was minimal (to which I credit the inability to breathe deep), and my head felt OK with the cap. I think I'll indeed run with a luchadore mask Friday night. My legs were bright red from the run, by the way. I passed by two runners last night, both young women, and now I wonder if I've done enough to be considered a member of the running community. Maybe it's too early for that.

I was winded more than usual after the run, and again I blame the cold. Travis called to say he ran a little bit yesterday to acclimate to the temperature and would definitely be there for the race. I told Your Sis that she didn't have to be there. It's going to be a late night.

I've run 5k four times in two weeks. I'm 34 years old. I've never tried something like this before, and except for random leg aches, I feel pretty good. I'll hit the gym lightly tonight.

Picture of the Day
Saturn has been my favorite planet since elementary school. We studied them in I think third grade. I was a little space nut. I read Sagan's Cosmos, and I got space books for Christmas and birthdays because I was such the nerd. AndI read them all because I was such the nerd. Jupiter may have the Red Spot, and Uranus may have vertical rings (or is that Neptune?), but Saturn as the first God King and head of the Titans, and I read mythology too as a kid. Double nerd! Gaze upon the coldness of space. That's what it felt like last night. And with that, I shall cease the whining.

In the News
During the 2004 elections, Democrats called for a timetable to hand over control of Iraq security to that country so we could bring our guys home. That was packaged by the GOP as "cut and run." Two years later, the U.S. bigwigs in Iraq announced they have a timetable to hand over control of Iraq security to the country so we could bring our guys home. This can cyncically and appropriately be called "midterm election desperation." After three years of repeating "stay the course," Bush said in a recent ABC interview that he never said "stay the course."

We Got Movie Sign

Because it was very cold and Your Sis was tired, we did not go to the high school game but bought a pizza and rooted ourselves to the new loveseat. We watched House of Flying Daggers, one of about a dozen Chinese martial arts movies starring Ziyi Zhang. Everyone knows Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but my favorite so far is Hero. It's nonstop, eye-popping goodness. Oh, Daggers wasn't bad, but it couldn't live up to the Hero standard. And I'll happily watch Zhang for two hours.

Before I got home that night, I hopped into Wal-Mart to find a costume, and it was only when I strolled the toy section did it hit me. I found a toy replica of the WWE U.S. title belt, and I decided to put together as much of a wrestler costume as possible. I've got luchadore masks and wrestling t-shirts. I bought the belt and some athletic tape for my wrists. And that's really all I need. Costume finished. Now, I'm not sure I can run in that mask, but if it's cold enough, yeah, I think I will.

Saturday I finally saw the race route, and it's easier than what I've been running. In fact, right before I bought the new shoes, I ran 3/4 of the course. Look at the comparisons of the elevations.



The W in the top line shows where I turn around and go back up Jailhouse Hill. The only drawback to the race route is that the hill is closer to the end of the race than it is to the end of my regular run. When I run and hit that hill, I've still got a mile to go. In the race, we'll have half that. That means I have less time to settle back into my run and sail to the end. I worry about the traffic control because we'll be running during the first night of the weekend-long Halloween events. And of course the cold. We picked up most of some wine bought at the previous weekend's tasting and looked at stove wire for making candle holders for the front walk. Your Sis napped most of the day, and I worked on her drawing some more. That night we watched Dave Chappelle's Block Party, an energetic film that not only shows how easily Dave is funny, but also presents one helluva concert.

On Sunday, we put up Halloween decorations and bought pumpkins to carve later this week. I still have decorations given to me by the crazy ex-neighbor who emailed me a few months back about the divorce. We walked the older cat outside -- yep, on a leash -- for about a half hour. We hoped to have Kathy and Travis over for pie and coffee, but they had to cancel. Baby Stress. It happens. So the two of us instead watched Master and Commander and ate some pie. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite movies, and I'm still curious to hear the commentary. We've enjoyed the film itself so much we haven't gotten to the commentary yet.

I just returned the Cat on a Hot Tin Roof script to theatre. Holy ow, it's cold outside, and the wind is everywhere. Tonight I hope to run for the last outdoor 5k before Friday night. But this is gonna be a hard run tonight. This is gonna suck.

Picture of the Day
Here's what the belt looks like. It's actually a stylish belt plate, much different from traditional wrestling belts. It's a toy belt I bought, and it barely fits me.

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.

+ + +

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

+ + +

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.

+ + +

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.

+ + +

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.

+ + +

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.

+ + +

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.

+ + +

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.

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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.


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