Let the countdown begin . . . .

Saturday night I will be going to see The Who at the Hollywood Bowl, and I'm very excited. One of my favorite albums of all time is Quadrophenia, and my favorite song off of that album is Love Reign O’er Me - -

(Pete's theme)

Only love

Can make it rain

The way the beach is kissed by the sea

Only love

Can make it rain

Like the sweat of lovers

Laying in the fields.

Love, Reign o'er me

Love, Reign o'er me, rain on me

Only love

Can bring the rain

That makes you yearn to the sky

Only love

Can bring the rain

That falls like tears from on high

Love Reign O'er me

On the dry and dusty road

The nights we spend apart alone

I need to get back home to cool cool rain

I can't sleep and I lay and I think

The night is hot and black as ink

Oh God, I need a drink of cool cool rain

Be careful what you ask for . . .

I grew up a sports fan. My grandfather had season seats for the Angels, my family had season seats for the Rams while they were in Anaheim, and I had season seats for the LA Kings for about 10 years. So growing up, a big part of my life was watching sports, and when I was in my late 20s and early 30s, a big part of my social life revolved around sports. It was pretty common to attend a Kings game on Saturday night, and a Rams game Sunday afternoon. On one such occasion, my friends and I were hanging out in the Forum Club during and after a Kings game, and I met this really, really handsome guy. He was up from San Diego to see the Niners play the Rams the following afternoon. The Niners/Rams game was always the biggest game of the year. Even during the years when the Niners were the dominant team in the NFL, the Rams always played them tough. I was excited at the prospect of seeing him again the next day. He said he would be at a sports bar near the Stadium, where we used to meet up with friends before the game - our version of tail gating.

Of course, I was happy to see him the next day, and after talking to him for a bit, he asked me if I would come with him to his car. Hey, it was close by, it was light out . . . why not? Why you may ask, did he want me to come to his car? Was it to drink? Get stoned? Make out? None of the above? If you picked the latter, you win the prize. We walked down the street to his car, where he pulled out . . . red and gold make up and a red velvet and gold trimmed cape. Yes, I was hanging out with "Niner Man" and he needed help with his make-up for the game. He travelled to all Niner games - home and away - and ran around the stadium, cape a-flying.

While I was a bit disappointed, I felt like I did a pretty good job with the make up on his face and chest, but pretty much walked behind him as we walked back to the bar. To be honest, it was hard to walk next to him and not get slapped by the cape.

I am still a very big sports fan, but now I get my thrills more frequently from football pools than actually attending the games. . . and with the Rams in St. Louis, I now cheer for the SD Chargers. A friend and I attended the Chargers/Niners game a few years ago, but I didn 't spot Niner man this time . . .

How cool does this sound?

The last two years, I have taken vacations sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation . The first trip was to the Peruvian Amazon, and last year, was a trip to a bottlenose dolphin research facility in Belize. This year, I am hoping to go Wolf Watching in Yellowstone in February. Ever since my grandfather turned me on to Farley Mowat’s "Never Cry Wolf" , I have been fascinated by these creatures, and I think it would be a unique experience to see them in the wild.

The simple things in life are the best . . .

A walk, some breakfast, and a sunny spot to lie in . . .

Let them eat cake!

My Marie Antoinette costume was a big hit at the party. Everyone was really in the spirit and there were some great costumes. I had almost as much fun in the afternoon helping Mike put together an outfit to dress as a woman. We headed out to the Goodwill Thrift Store, and figured out that Mike took a size 16. I understood why he wanted to be accompanied by a female - had he been alone trying on dresses he might have looked a tad creepy. Amazingly, we even found some size 10 1/2 shoes he could wear . . .

It's funny how the mind works . . .

Last night I went and saw Wynton Marsalis. He was playing with 4 other very talented jazz musicians. Amazingly, at least to me, the pianist - who was incredible - is 24 years old . . ..

One song they played was "On a Clear Day, You Can See Forever" (which is also a very good Streisand movie from back in the days when she was a talented comedic actress - you know, before Yentl). The song reminded me of the holiday special - A Charlie Brown Christmas, which is known for being an innovative animated show, in part, because of its use of a jazz soundtrack, and jazz versions of many holiday classics. At the time it was first made - in 1964 - the tv execs objected to not only the music, the use of children to voice the characters, and the lack of a laugh track, but the speech by Linus on the true meaning of Christmas, which quotes from the book of Luke:

"And there were in the same country shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them! And they were afraid ... And the angel said unto them, "Fear not! For, behold, I bring you tidings o great joy, which shall be to all my people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ, the Lord."

"And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, and good will toward men."

"That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown." - Linus Van Pelt

With Halloween next week, the holiday season is upon us. And with elections the week after, Linus' wise words should guide us - Peace on Earth, and good will toward men.

Another walk down memory lane . . .

My post about the Clash, and the comments to it, got me thinking about some of the bands and shows I've seen over the years. Some of my favorite concerts from 1979 - 1982 were The Police. I saw them on their first tour of America in 1979 while they were promoting Outlandos d' amour, their first album, that included the hit song Roxanne. Rumor had it, they were touring the country in a Ford Econo line van. Sting may be living in mansions and recording 12th century lute music now, but at the time, they were an exciting new band with a heavy ska influence. They played the entire first album, and when they came out for an encore in bathrobes, they repeated songs they had already played. Sting quipped that now that they were in California, they were no longer pale Brits, they were tanned surfer boys.

In 1982, they had recorded a couple more successful albums, and were playing at the Sports Arena. Sting was an energetic performer - great voice and ska dancing while he played his bass. What I remember about Stewart Copeland is that he had written across 4 drums in electrical tape "fuck off you cunt".

The key to attending concerts at the Sports Arena is to get down the escalators to the floor level, where you are pretty free to move around, and to get to the stage for the encores. We were dancing up against the stage, when the guy behind me said - "if you don't stop dancing, I'm going to get a hard on". I turned around and said hello, and noticed who he was with - John Belushi. I looked at Belushi, or down at Belushi - he was really short - and he gave me a devilish smile, and sort of squatted down and did his super spy stealth movement . . . . which made me laugh. A couple of weeks later, he was dead from an overdose. And a couple of years later, the Police had broken up. But it was fun while it lasted . . .

This week's additions to my Ipod from iTunes are:

1. Hurt - Johnny Cash
2. The Ricky Gervais Show, Seasons 1, 2, and 3.
3. 
   I'm a big fan of Gervais from the British version of The Office . . . and I love Johnny's version of this song. It's also probably my favorite video.

Variety is the spice of life . . . .

I'm going with friends Friday night to see Wynton Marsalis at the new Segerstrom Concert Hall, which is part of the OC Performing Arts Center. They describe the show as - "Wynton Marsalis is an icon of the jazz world. As a musician, band leader, composer, educator and advocate, he has furthered the art of jazz through sheer commitment and unmatched creativity as well as immense talent. The eight-time Grammy winner is joined by a stellar group of colleagues for a not-to-be-missed evening of swinging music."

I've never seen Marsalis play, but have heard great things about him. I've always liked jazz because when I was a kid, my folks would take us to a pizza parlor that also had live jazz music one night a week. The folks would drink a pitcher or two of beer, and my brother and I would drink "suicides" - a mixture of coke, 7-up, root beer and dr. pepper or orange . . . . They were called suicides because if you drank more than 2 of them, you were likely to get a horrible belly ache . . .

The first time I saw the Clash was in 1980, at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. When the album London Calling came out, my roommate and I were so enamored with it, that we bought tickets to see the band, and bought the album - on 8 track tape - so we could listen to it in her 1970 Volvo on our way to the show. Amazingly, we weren't jumped and killed by the punks - I was wearing my new bright blue spandex pants, and Liz had on black satin ones I think. They had taken out all the seats for the show, so it was just a crowded dance floor. The things I remember about the show was how great London Calling and Train in Vain were, how awful Joe Strummer's teeth were (he had them fixed shortly thereafter), and how friendly the band members were. At one point, someone threw his leather jacket on the stage. Mick Jones returned it to the owner, saying politely, "thanks, mate, but I already have a jacket." Later in the show, the barrier between the crowd and the stage started to collapse, so between songs, the guys jumped down to help security fix it.

Now they are being honored at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - On Saturday, "Revolution Rock: The Story of the Clash" opens to the public and will be on display until April 15, 2007. Among the exhibit's pieces are instruments, including Simonon's famous smashed bass from the cover of "London Calling" — regarded as one of rock's finest recordings. The exhibit also includes stage clothing, memorabilia and original manuscripts from songs like "Know Your Rights" and "Clampdown."

Long live the Clash!

And now for something completely different . . .

Want to find out how your name would look in Russian? Enter your name here -
http://www.callme.nm.ru

I am a liberal
I am a feminist
I am an environmentalist

I am proud to bear these "labels" that are used to disparage my kind by the Right Wing in this country. "Liberal" is used by the GOP like "Commie" was used by McCarthy. With the upcoming elections, I wanted to post this article written by Kevin Tillman, pictured here with his late brother Pat Tillman, who was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan. The military's cover-up of that tragedy is still under investigation. The following is an articulate statement about the War in Iraq, by some one who has been there, copied from www.truthdig.com

After Pat’s Birthday

Posted on Oct 19, 2006 - By Kevin Tillman

Editor’s note: Kevin Tillman joined the Army with his brother Pat in 2002, and they served together in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pat was killed in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004. Kevin, who was discharged in 2005, has written a powerful, must-read document.

It is Pat’s birthday on November 6, and elections are the day after. It gets me thinking about a conversation I had with Pat before we joined the military. He spoke about the risks with signing the papers. How once we committed, we were at the mercy of the American leadership and the American people. How we could be thrown in a direction not of our volition. How fighting as a soldier would leave us without a voice… until we got out. Much has happened since we handed over our voice:

Somehow we were sent to invade a nation because it was a direct threat to the American people, or to the world, or harbored terrorists, or was involved in the September 11 attacks, or received weapons-grade uranium from Niger, or had mobile weapons labs, or WMD, or had a need to be liberated, or we needed to establish a democracy, or stop an insurgency, or stop a civil war we created that can’t be called a civil war even though it is. Something like that.

Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is.

Somehow our elected leaders were subverting international law and humanity by setting up secret prisons around the world, secretly kidnapping people, secretly holding them indefinitely, secretly not charging them with anything, secretly torturing them. Somehow that overt policy of torture became the fault of a few "bad apples" in the military. Somehow back at home, support for the soldiers meant having a five-year-old kindergartener scribble a picture with crayons and send it overseas, or slapping stickers on cars, or lobbying Congress for an extra pad in a helmet. It’s interesting that a soldier on his third or fourth tour should care about a drawing from a five-year-old; or a faded sticker on a car as his friends die around him; or an extra pad in a helmet, as if it will protect him when an IED throws his vehicle 50 feet into the air as his body comes apart and his skin melts to the seat.

Somehow the more soldiers that die, the more legitimate the illegal invasion becomes.
Somehow American leadership, whose only credit is lying to its people and illegally invading a nation, has been allowed to steal the courage, virtue and honor of its soldiers on the ground.
Somehow those afraid to fight an illegal invasion decades ago are allowed to send soldiers to die for an illegal invasion they started.

Somehow faking character, virtue and strength is tolerated.
Somehow profiting from tragedy and horror is tolerated.
Somehow the death of tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people is tolerated.
Somehow subversion of the Bill of Rights and The Constitution is tolerated.
Somehow suspension of Habeas Corpus is supposed to keep this country safe.
Somehow torture is tolerated.
Somehow lying is tolerated.
Somehow reason is being discarded for faith, dogma, and nonsense.
Somehow American leadership managed to create a more dangerous world.
Somehow a narrative is more important than reality.
Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is.
Somehow the most reasonable, trusted and respected country in the world has become one of the most irrational, belligerent, feared, and distrusted countries in the world.
Somehow being politically informed, diligent, and skeptical has been replaced by apathy through active ignorance.
Somehow the same incompetent, narcissistic, virtueless, vacuous, malicious criminals are still in charge of this country.
Somehow this is tolerated.
Somehow nobody is accountable for this.
In a democracy, the policy of the leaders is the policy of the people. So don’t be shocked when our grandkids bury much of this generation as traitors to the nation, to the world and to humanity. Most likely, they will come to know that "somehow" was nurtured by fear, insecurity and indifference, leaving the country vulnerable to unchecked, unchallenged parasites.
Luckily this country is still a democracy. People still have a voice. People still can take action. It can start after Pat’s birthday.

Brother and Friend of Pat Tillman,
Kevin Tillman

Playing Suzie Homemaker . . .

Sunday is my cooking day. Since my brother moved downstairs from me a year ago, we have gotten into the routine of having Sunday dinner together. Tonight on the menu is Spicy Chicken Cakes with Horseradish Aioli, and Nestle Tollhouse Drizzles.

Addendum - the Chicken Cakes are super easy to make and very, very good. I followed the reviewers comments, and added extra cajun spice and a shot of hot sauce. The Cakes needed very little of the Aioli since they were so flavorful on their own. Highly recommended!

A few years ago, I started keeping a list of all the books I read in a given year, both hard copy and audible. And with each year, I have tried to add an additional book every month - this year my goal is 6 books a month, and this is the list to date for 2006:

1. White Out - audio
2. 13 Steps Down
3. Friends, Lovers, Chocolate - audio
4. Hot Money - audio
5. Playing With Fire
6. Slipping Into Darkness - audio
7. Lost - audio
8. Cold is the Grave
9. A Perfect Evil - audio
10. Gentlemen & Players - audio
11. Harm Done
12. Speak of the Devil - audio
13. In a Sunburned Country - audio
14. Babbitt - audio
15. A Sight for Sore Eyes
16. All Creatures Great and Small - audio
17. With No One as Witness
18. No More Dying Then
19. Barrel Fever
20. In Pursuit of the Proper Sinner
21. Banker - audio
22. 44 Scotland Street
23. The Power of One - audio
24. Hidden River - audio
25. Free Fall
26. All Things Bright And Beautiful - audio
27. Final Account
28. In Cold Blood - audio
29. A Short History of Nearly Everything - audio
30. Dead I Well May Be - audio
31. Blood At The Root
32. The Other Boleyn Girl
33. A Place of Hiding
34. The Two Minute Rule
35. A Traitor to Memory
36. Danger - audio
37. The Dead Yard - audio
38. Witness at the Wedding - audio
39. Blue Shoes and Happiness
40. Little Scarlet - audio
41. Esperanza’s Book of Saints
42. A Distant Echo - audio
43. All Things Wise and Wonderful - audio
44. Death on the Downs - audio
45. The Torso in the Town - audio
46. End in Tears
47. The Murder in the Museum - audio
48. The Hanging in the Hotel - audio
49. Middlemarch - audio
50. Judgement in Stone
51. Espresso Tales
52. Strange Affair
53. Night Gardener
54. Ursula, Under
55. The Dead Side of the Mike - audio
56. The Black Dahlia - audio
57. Water for Elephants - audio
58. The Lord God Made Them All - audio
59. The Afghan - audio
60. Four to Score - audio
61. The Mission Song - audio
62. The Mephisto Club - audio

A young Billy Jean King?

No, it's the increasingly feminine Tom Cruise over reacting at yet another soccer match - when does the season end?

As an obsessive-compulsive knitter of too warm wool sweaters, at the first hint of chill I run to my sweater drawer. But unless the Cruise kids play soccer in upstate New York, there is no way it has been cold enough for TomKat to be dressed like this - the kids and women behind them are all in short sleeved shirts. Maybe the Scientology Celebrity Center in Hollywood can provide TomKat with a pamphlet on "What Not to Wear".

A gem worth protecting . . .

Today I hiked back into the Bolsa Chica Wetlands, and was awed by the sight of these precious wetlands coming back to life. Volunteers were busy planting native plants in their continuing efforts to reclaim this environmental treasure from a 100 years of damage from the gun clubs, oil wells and WWII army facilities that altered the habitat for various purposes. It is a beautiful area to hike in, and today was my first hike back into it since they successfully re-opened the Wetlands to the Pacific Ocean.

The Bolsa Chica Land Trust and other groups are still fighting to save parts of the Wetlands from development by Shea Homes, and a private owner. They hope to raise enough money to purchase these properties to be protected from further development.

Way to pick 'em, Nicole!

Country superstar Keith Urban has released a statement announcing that he voluntarily admitted himself to a rehabilitation center last night (Thursday, October 19), with his actress wife Nicole Kidman accompanying him. "I deeply regret the hurt this has caused Nicole and the ones that love and support me," Urban's statement reads. "One can never let one's guard down on recovery and I'm afraid that I have. With the strength and unwavering support I am blessed to have from my wife, family, and friends, I am determined and resolved to a positive outcome." The press release did not make it clear what type of addiction Urban is seeking treatment to overcome. However, he has publicly acknowledged an addiction to cocaine in the past.

From a closeted cult member, to a coke head . . . suddenly my iffy choices in men don't seem so bad! Thanks, Girlfriend!

Be careful who you piss off . . . .

In 1987, Sharon Stone starred with Richard Chamberlain in Alan Quartermain and the Lost City of Gold. In this sequel, Allan Quatermain (Chamberlain) once again teams up with Jesse Hudson (Stone) where the discovery of a mysterious old gold piece sends Quatermain looking for his long-lost brother, missing in the wilds of Africa after seeking a lost white race.

Included in the movie is a scene with Sharon in a bath tub. Rumor had it that becuase she was such a raging bitch thoughout filming, each member of the crew peed in the tub before the scene was shot.

This week's additions to my Ipod from iTunes:

1. All I want is you - U2
2. Hunger Strike - Temple of the Dog
3. Fell on Black Days - Soundgarden
4. What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
5. Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding
6. Fast Car - Tracy Chapman

Nothing says “class” like a gold hearse . . .

A funeral was held in the Bahamas for Anna Nicole Smith's son on Thursday, nearly six weeks after he mysteriously died while visiting his reality TV star mother.
A gold-colored hearse brought the body of 20-year-old Daniel Smith to the cemetery, where the mahogany casket was whisked inside a large green tent for the service.
"The only thing I can tell you is it's going now," Deborah Cartwright of Lakeview Memorial Gardens & Mausoleums, the cemetery in Nassau, told The Associated Press.

We await word on what the grieving mother wore to the wedding, but the betting money is not on black . . .

In New England they have the changing leaves. But in So Cal, we have our own unique signs of the changing seasons . . . me wearing my new hat, and Samantha wearing her favorite sweater.

The GOP - The family values party?

After he was caught encouraging teenage boys to masturbate by text message while voting on bills before the House, Foley claimed to be an alcoholic, gay and that he had been molested as a boy by a "clergyman." Foley has now named the 72 year old retired priest who denies he had sex with Foley as a boy, but admits to taking naked "saunas" with him.

Guess we can now cross "personal responsibility" off the list of supposedly Republican "values" . . .

Two photos from the 21st Annual American Cinematheque Award Honoring George ClooneyBeverly Hills, CA - 10/14/2006. And two questions - is there a more handsome man around than George Clooney? He really is the modern day Cary Grant. Second, are Hef's girls allowed to spend more than a hundred bucks on evening wear? I've never seen them in anything but these cheap ass dresses that most girls on a budget wouldn't wear to the prom.

Dexter - Miami's most likable serial killer?

I watched the first 2 episodes of this new Showtime series on the Showtime website tonight. Michael C. Hall is fantastic, and plays a character far removed from the undertaker he played on Six Feet Under.

Dexter works as a forensic blood analyst for the Miami PD; his sister is a cop, as was their foster father. Dad realized when Dexter was young that he was a psychopath, and channeled his pathology towards killing those who deserve it - a serial killer preying on young boys, a rapist/snuff film killer, cop killers . . . . Dexter floats through life; he realizes that he is incapable of normal, human emotions, so he fakes it.

While I realize that my determination to tune in regularly for any new show has been the kiss of death (sorry Smith and Kidnapped), I'm going to check Dexter out again.

Le Toque! Tres chic?

Ok, maybe not, but it will keep me warm on chilly mornings while walking the dogs . . .

(finished the end of the Raiders/Broncos game)

This is today's being lazy, watching the NFL, project - a knitted cap. And this is the status during the first quarter of the Saint/Eagles game (go Saints! I took them in the local football pool).

I'm going for tropical feel on the front porch - a palm, bird or paradise, and the new additions - yellow and orange hibiscus

I'm rooting for the Angels to win the National League Championship Series between the Cardinals and the Mets . . .

With a host of former Angels on the roster, (David Eckstein, Scott Spiezio, Jim Edmunds, and Jeff Weaver), my heart belongs, at least temporarily, to old St. Louie. And nice to see Spiezio hit triples two nights in a row!

This week's purchases at iTunes -

1. Love will tear us apart - Joy Division
2. Not ready to make nice - the Dixie Chicks
3. Tea & Theater - the Who

Riders on the storm . . .

With a thunder storm approaching, the sky took on a neat look tonight

A rose by any other name . . .

My garden continues to revive itself. This is a "Memorial Day" rose, and has the most amazing, and strong, scent.

I'm not sure who Sacha Baron Cohen is trying to attract here . . . .

but he will be easy to find in the dark

I'd rather be RED . . . I know people tire of Bono being everywhere, doing everything, and making the rest of us lazy bastards look bad, but I admire him.

"Talk show host Oprah Winfrey and humanitarian rocker Bono hit the city's "Magnificent Mile" on Thursday for a shopping spree to promote a new line of clothing, accessories and gadgets, including a special-edition iPod, that will raise money to fight AIDS in Africa.
Dozens of "(Product) Red" items will go on sale in the coming weeks by Gap Inc., Apple Computer Inc., Motorola Inc., Converse Inc. and Emporio Armani. Portions of the product sales will go to The Global Fund, an organization that fights AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

"'Some people won't put on marching boots, so we've got to get to people where they are at, and they're in the shopping malls," Bono said in a phone interview. 'Now you're buying jeans and T-shirts, and you're paying for 10 women in Africa to get medication for their children with HIV."
The Gap, which will debut its Red line in stores on Friday, will donate half the profits to The Global Fund.

"Apple will contribute $10 from the sale of each new red-colored iPod nano. The model, priced the same as its $199 cousins, goes on sale Friday."

Shopping for a good cause? Count me in.

Such a busy girl . . .

As a general rule, I'm pretty happy hanging out around the house with my dogs, knitting, cooking, and watching sports or old British mysteries on tv, but I actually have a fairly busy social calendar coming up - ok, busy for me. Besides getting to dress up as Marie Antoinette for halloween, on November 4th, I'm going to see The Who at the Hollywood Bowl, and I can't wait. The Who - even with just the final two - are one of my favorite bands to see live. So Love, Reign O'er Me . . .

Only love Can make it rain The way the beach is kissed by the sea Only love Can make it rain Like the sweat of lovers Laying in the fields. Love, Reign o'er me Love, Reign o'er me, rain on me Only love Can bring the rain That makes you yearn to the sky Only love Can bring the rain That falls like tears from on high Love Reign O'er me On the dry and dusty road The nights we spend apart alone I need to get back home to cool cool rain I can't sleep and I lay and I think The night is hot and black as ink Oh God, I need a drink of cool cool rain . . .

Also, on calendar . . .

Romeo and Juliet

Next week I'm taking my 17 year old niece to see the Kirov Ballet perform Romeo and Juliet at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. According to the Long Beach Press Telegram: "The company's production of 'Romeo and Juliet' is the one originally created for the ballet by choreographer Leonid Lavrosky when the ballet premiered at the Kirov, which commissioned the work, in 1940. Prokofiev originally wrote the work for the Kirov in 1935-1936 but that version featured a happy ending and was never produced. It was his revised version with the original ending that was finally presented."

I really enjoy going to the theater, especially to the ballet. The dance and music are almost always wonderful, and I love the pretty sets and costumes. I also think it is nice to have an excuse to get dressed up, pretend to be sophisticated, and drink champagne during intermission.

My first Bird of Paradise bloom. And see the guy jogging in the background? 10 seconds after this photo was snapped, my neighbors' Miniature Pinscher started chasing him down the street. To his credit, the guy never even broke stride.

Speaking of jogging, thanks to the inspiration I got from V, the dogs and I went for a jog this morning ourselves! But the truth is that I run so slowly, that even the little one never has to break out of a trot . . .

In the interest of giving equal time to the Bible, October is "Read a Proverb a Day" month (honest, I got an email from my pastor), and the proverb for today, the 10th, which is said to contain many wise sayings and axioms, relating to wisdom and folly, virtue and vice, is:

10:1. A wise son maketh the father glad: but a foolish son is the sorrow of his mother.
10:2. Treasures of wickedness shall profit nothing: but justice shall deliver from death.
10:3. The Lord will not afflict the soul of the just with famine, and he will disappoint the deceitful practices of the wicked.
10:4. The slothful hand hath wrought poverty: but the hand of the industrious getteth riches. He that trusteth to lies feedeth the winds: and the same runneth after birds, that fly away.
10:5. He that gathereth in the harvest, is a wise son: but he that snorteth in the summer, is the son of confusion.
10:6. The blessing of the Lord is upon the head of the just: but iniquity covereth the mouth of the wicked.
10:7. The memory of the just is with praises: and the name of the wicked shall rot.
10:8. The wise of heart receiveth precepts: a fool is beaten with lips.
10:9. He that walketh sincerely, walketh confidently: but he that perverteth his ways, shall be manifest.
10:10. He that winketh with the eye, shall cause sorrow: and the foolish in lips shall be beaten.
10:11. The mouth of the just is a vein of life: and the mouth of the wicked covereth iniquity.
10:12. Hatred stirreth up strifes: and charity covereth all sins.
10:13. In the lips of the wise is wisdom found: and a rod on the back of him that wanteth sense.
10:14. Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the fool is next to confusion.
10:15. The substance of a rich man is the city of his strength: the fear of the poor is their poverty.
10:16. The work of the just is unto life: but the fruit of the wicked unto sin.
10:17. The way of life, to him that observeth correction: but he that forsaketh reproofs, goeth astray.
10:18. Lying lips hide hatred: he that uttereth reproach, is foolish.
10:19. In the multitude of words there shall not want sin: but he that refraineth his lips, is most wise.
10:20. The tongue of the just is as choice silver: but the heart of the wicked is nothing worth.
10:21. The lips of the just teach many: but they that are ignorant, shall die in the want of understanding.
10:22. The blessing of the Lord maketh men rich: neither shall affliction be joined to them.
10:23. A fool worketh mischief as it were for sport: but wisdom is prudence to a man.
10:24. That which the wicked feareth, shall come upon him: to the just their desire shall be given.
10:25. As a tempest that passeth, so the wicked shall be no more: but the just is as an everlasting foundation.
10:26. As vinegar to the teeth, and smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that sent him.
10:27. The fear of the Lord shall prolong days: and the years of the wicked shall be shortened.
10:28. The expectation of the just is joy: but the hope of the wicked shall perish.
10:29. The strength of the upright is the way of the Lord: and fear to them that work evil.
10:30. The just shall never be moved: but the wicked shall not dwell on the earth.
10:31. The mouth of the just shall bring forth wisdom: the tongue of the perverse shall perish.
10:32. The lips of the just consider what is acceptable: and the mouth of the wicked uttereth perverse things.

How is this still an issue in 2006?

Evolution wins out in Mich. curriculum

The State Board of Education on Tuesday approved public school curriculum guidelines that support the teaching of evolution in science classes — but not intelligent design.
Intelligent design instruction could be left for other classes in Michigan schools, but it doesn't belong in science class, according to the unanimously adopted guidelines.

War, sex scandal sinking Republicans in polls

According to Reuters:

President George W. Bush and Republicans are sinking under the weight of the Iraq war and the Capitol Hill sex scandal, according to a flurry of polls, endangering their control of Congress in the November 7 elections. Democrats hold a growing advantage heading into the final four weeks of the campaign, with analysts moving more Republican-held seats into the high-risk category and improving the odds of Democrats seizing control of at least the House of Representatives. The polls, all taken after the sex scandal surfaced, show Democratic candidates with huge leads over Republicans amid broad public unhappiness about the Iraq war, Bush's leadership and the Republican-led Congress. "These polls seem to suggest the public has decided to just 'throw the bums out,"' said Karlyn Bowman, a public opinion analyst at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. "These are huge, huge, numbers and they are very bad for Republicans," she said. "There is not a shred of good news in these polls for Republicans."

The good news for the GOP (and the bad news for the country) is that the Democrats will still manage to fuck this up, and lose the elections.

It took a week since I started filling the bird feeder again for the first bird to fly into the house this afternoon. Fortunately, I caught the dove with a towel and released it outside before Hanna could catch it . . .

Well, being a media whore is a full time job . . .

"Family and friends gathered at a church in this small town to mourn Anna Nicole Smith's 20-year-old son Daniel, who died last month while visiting his mother in the Bahamas after she gave birth to a daughter.

"About 50 people attended the hourlong memorial service Saturday at First Baptist Church of Mexia for the son of the former Playboy Playmate and reality television star and her former husband Billy Smith, who still lives in Mexia.

"Billy Smith looked grief-stricken during and after the service, the Waco Tribune-Herald reported. "

Only two things were missing - "Anna Nicole Smith did not attend and Daniel's body was not brought to Mexia for the service."

Guess she didn't want to interrupt her fake honeymoon after her pretend wedding.

New additions . . . .

While I may be obsessed with "One", this week's new additions to my Ipod (courtesy of I-tunes) were:

1. Simon & Garfunkel - "Bridge Over Troubled Waters";
2. Simon & Garfunkel - "Cecelia";
3. Bruce Springsteen - Live version of "Fire"; and
4. Bruce Springsteen - Live version of "Because the Night"

Ok, I really, really need to get this off my chest . . .

Since the gunman who tied up and shot 10 Amish school girls took the coward's way out and shot himself, can we go back to Henry VIII's times, and at least put his head on a stake somewhere for all the people who are "angry at God" (the killer's excuse) to see?

I never understood how people could attend public hangings in the Old West days, and I'm not generally a big proponent of the death penalty, but this is one public execution I would have shown up to see.