September 30th 7:20PM
Presidential debates, blow by blow
One hour into the debates, in my open-minded and fair opinion, Kerry is a clear winner. Again, up to this point. Kerry has made his points much more clearly, and has communicated sincerity. Not bad for someone labeled a flip-flopper.
Bush has rang too many times the same bells ("...it's hard work..."), and fumbled (speaking of a military widow: "...loved her the best I can...").
Kerry has come across as more of a straightforward man, while Bush appears more like a politician searching for the right thing to say, exactly as Bush has tried to portray him.
In other news
On the way home, I stopped at the "Main Street Café and Coffee Company."Unfortunately, they do not yet have their website online, but hope to soon. Some notes:
- Their Zebra mocha is delicious, and less effeminate than a "Vanilla Latté"
- They have an open mic night every Thursday night from 7pm to 9pm, good for spoken-word stuff (poetry, "Slam" poetry, whatever that is), and comedy, no advance notice or cost necessary. Excellent!
- They're having a Grand Opening on October 23rd. Check 209-825-2242 for details.
- They are a Wi-Fi hotspot
September 28th 7:49AM
Off the (sugar) wagon
About 3 weeks ago (not a month, like I previously thought), I decided to take a vacation from most of the unnecessary sugars I consume, thinking it would do something wonderful for my system. The most obvious disruption in my daily diet and routine was the absence of two coffees-three-sugars every morning. Well, I have it on good, unbiased authority that I have been a real dick lately. Plus, I myself have noticed a marked smoothing of the manic highs I used to regularly experience. And brother, that ain't good. I miss it. It's just not me. Also, I don't seem to have lost an inch or a pound.
So forget it, I'm back on the white gold. I have a cup of mediocre-grade coffee in front of me with enough pure cane sugar to make a hummingbird puke, and before I even took a sip, I felt better. I find myself saying things like: "enough sugar to make a hummingbird puke." That's more like it.
I can still eat in moderation, and I suspect that the damage beer does to my waistline is due more to the lethargy I feel after an indulgent night (and resulting lack of exercise) than the carbs or calories themselves.
September 28th 6:40AM
Dept. of weights and measures
We got a new scale over the weekend. The needle on the old one bounced around like the altimeter on a stunt plane. I weigh 233.5. Egads.
September 27th 12:49PM
Friggin' stoopid websites
I am browsing recreational options for a certain upcoming event, and as is my wont, I am trying to use the World Wide Web, this new device that allegedly dispenses information efficiently and easily.
Bullshit.
I've hit server errors, database errors, broken links, and good old poorly-formatted content you name it. I would love to link to the sites to shame them mercilessly, but this project must remain a secret until all the planning is done, so I cannot shine my Blogging Flashlight of Vengeance on these supposedly top-notch websites that continue to fail me. But it burns my ass, I'll tell you that.
Losing hope
I am losing my resolve about my nutritional vow, taken about a month ago. Although I have noticed clear benefits from eating sensibly-apportioned meals, skipping sugared coffee and beer doesn't seem to have done a Goddamned thing for me. I may say fuck it and re-adopt these two beverages, due to reasoned thought and an extended test period, rather than cravings and weakness. I just like the buzz, what can I tell you?
September 27th 12:41PM
Doug Stanhope - brutally funny
Doug Stanhope is a comedian whose website I visit only now and then. His comedy is funny, but it's funny the way car crashes are interesting - they're appealing in a way that you can neither deny nor be proud of. Like when he says that PMS gives women the "strength of an angry retard."
While I admit his writing makes me laugh, I also admit that I feel dirty after reading his blog for more than 20 minutes. His bitterness clings to me like cigarette smoke, residually. Like he says, his comedy ain't for everybody. But if you've ever used the word "cornhole" in a sentence, you probably aren't above his level of comedy.
September 26th 8:46PM
Mean Girls - A thought provoking movie?!
Uh, yeah. We just saw this movie on DVD about a pure-of-heart home-schooled girl who falls in with the cool clique, and then falls out, and several twists and turns abound. Good movie.
Anyway, it demonstrated so well the psychological pigeonholing of public school, I was vividly reminded of my school days, in all their cold-sweat, oppressive glory. It prompted me to realize that that's why I'm such an oddball, prick, pain in the ass - I'm still rebelling against the forces of childhood torment. And I fucking love it. If I can't raise an extra eyebrow tomorrow, I'm just not trying. I better get some sleep, so I can be extra disruptive and out of synch.
God, I love being me.
September 26th 7:55AM
Brains! I mean, 'Love Me tender..."
I have been letting my hair grow out. When it was short, I would wake up looking pretty normal, hair-wise. Now that it's longer, I wake up oddly disheveled, with both sides and the back smashed flat, and the top sticking straight up. I look like Zombie Elvis.
More.. Okay, that's enough
Last night I went crazy and abandoned my loosely followed diet. For the second time in a month, I had beer. I had planned to let it all hang out, but even though it was really good, I barely managed more than a glass. Down at Kelley Brothers Brewing Company/The Brickyard, I consumed beef, pork & beer without any regard to discipline, and it was good. Their Four Towers IPA, brewed on the spot, was heavy and strong, and I loved it. I left satisfied, which is more than I can say for many of the restaurants in town.
September 24th 12:49PM
Shitshack
The restroom where I work gets even less attention than my requests for a raise. It's an embarassment to gas station toilets everywhere. It's a classic example of everybody agreeing something should be done about something, but nobody actually putting their elbow grease where their mouth is. I used to chip in regular effort, but I get sick of being the only one putting in the team effort, and I get sick of it damn fast. So now, I don't do jack shit about it.
Creativity, wasted
I'd like to make something really cool on the computer this weekend; video, graphics, Flash, something like that. But I won't. I never do.
September 24th 12:49PM
Mmm, fish
Last night for dinner: fried trout. Lunch today: leftover fried trout. It was greasy, firm and delicious. I am a fortunate man.
Who's funny?
I've been reading up and reflecting upon stand-up comedians, past and present. These are funny, funny people, with wit and craft that bites deep and pulls back hard.
I used to be funny - but it's been a while. I used to be able to go on and on, peeling off truly witty stuff, for hours. I remember being hilarious, back when I smoked pot, smoked cigarettes, drank too much beer, was thinner, worried a lot about money, and worked really hard for a shit living.
These days, I don't do any of those things. I wonder, were those things the cause of a feel for humor, or were they a symptom of it?
September 23rd 12:40PM
I don't blame you, Pierre
TF1
suspends sending of news crews to Iraq
PARIS, Sept 22 (AFP) - France's top commercial television network TF1 said
Wednesday it has stopped sending news teams to Iraq because of the risk
of kidnappings.
At this point, I don't know why any non-essential personnel are over there at all. Truck drivers, electrical workers, road construction - hire some Iraqis or let the American military do it. At least the Iraqis won't make such a prime target for beheadings, and the military can defend themselves. While reliable information (reporters reporting) from the heart of Iraq is important, it almost seems irresponsible to have anyone there who doesn't abso-frickin-lutely have to be there.
Or, here's an alternative: protect the people you put there! Arm them, hire some muscle, teach 'em kung fu, do something. I wonder how much of that is being done already. Obviously, a red cross, and United Nations blue helmet or a reporters cred isn't going to buy you jack shit when the local decapitators go a-shopping.
September 23rd 7:49AM
Swinging free and easy
It's been nearly two weeks since my little procedure, and my hairy leather raisin pouch is getting back to near-normal. For a few days there, I was concerned I might have to favor a gimpy package forever. Some people know an uncle with a trick knee, I'd be the one to suffer a trick nut: "D'oh! Wait a minnit! I pulled something, I gotta stop for a rest..." Sounds like a problem I would have. But (b)all's well, and I look forward to riding a bicycle soon.
September 22nd 5:47PM
Two wines I tried and liked recently
Fetzer Valley Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon
Uh, some Chilean wine, a Merlot, starts with an 'X'
September 22nd 12:49PM
Britney who?
CNN.com says Britney Spears got married again. Who cares? I just couldn't give a shit less if I was constipated. Jesus, this warrants the top-front page of CNN? What a joke.
September 21st 7:49AM
Anthony's at it again
Mr. Atkielski's updated his Paris blog. I can breathe again. It's not current to date, but he has added content.
September 20th 1:01PM
New drawing
It's been a while, and it's not much, but I've got a new pseudo-pencil drawing posted, doodled whilst on tech support calls at work.
September 20th 12:13PM
US magazine names
Paris Hilton its Woman of the Year. Or something...
What kind of a piece of crap magazine holds Paris Hilton in its highest regard? Yeesh, I'm glad I don't read that rag. Paris Hilton. Shee-it.
September 19th 6:20PM
Get it hot
I am trying very hard to expose myself - to cooking! I got a couple of good books last week at the used bookstore here in Manteca. One of them, a poultry book by Time Life books turned out to be a gem, showing how to dissect a bird for cooking, or carving them afterwards, plus many other procedures and recipes. It has already proved its value.
Tonight: Game hens in a red wine "sauce," (more like a thin soup) from Food Network's website, a pretty darn good cooking site, with video instruction, oodles of recipes, and a glossary of terms, which I, the uninitiated, find invaluable.
The French - defeated again
I started strong this morning, plowing into some French language studies. Then, the rest of the day's plans swept in, and my plans were carried out on a gust. Given the French priority for cuisine, I privately consider cooking part of my French instruction, so I don't feel so bad.
Is the weekend over already?
Yes. Fuck. I've got to figure out a way to escape feeling so cheated on time. Maybe I should live more recklessly, and more for myself; maybe then I wouldn't feel as if time just passes before my eyes while I am powerless to master it.
That would likely make me a real obnoxious jerk in some peoples' eyes. My boss would hate it (reason enough to do so). My wife may not tolerate it. But it might make me happy. Er. Happi-er. 'Cuz let's face it, I've got is pretty posh as it is, in several ways.
I think it's part of my makeup not to be too content in any setting. Something inside me always prods, festers. Keeps me jumpy. And that's a good thing, because otherwise, I'm so lazy, if I were to find myself content, I'd likely come to a full stop and cease breathing entirely.
Sorry, those last three paragraphs are even more off the top of my head than usual, and may not add up to much. But I like them, so I will upload them.
And another random thing
The suckier comics who opened for John Bizarre made me think. They in their bungling efforts made it look (too) easy; Bizarre made it look fun. I am tempted to delude myself that I could do stand up comedy, if I put my mind to it. Maybe not to national acclaim, but I bet I could pull off the odd Saturday night gig in this shuffling, one-horse burg.
September 19th 8:40AM
Bad ass online resource, #2
The Père Lachaise cemetery has definitely updated its site, adding interactive Flash as well, including a virtual tour. If you're planning to go, you must check this out. It is only available in French, (English version "coming soon") but it's very intuitive, and language won't even slow you down. Just pop in the name for the resident you plan to look up, and the map shows you where to go. Zoom in, zoom out, mouse over, "you are here"-type avatar, point-and-click information on points of interest. Excellent! Much better than the tiring search we did on foot when we went! Wow.
September 19th 8:21AM
Bad ass online resource
I wrote my daughter and sent her a link to the (English version) Eiffel Tower website. I haven't been there in a while and wasn't all that thorough when I was, as I recall. They have a Quicktime/Flash dealie that gives you the lay of the Parisian land, pointing out many points of interest & landmarks. I'd link to it here, but it's a Javascript link from the front page of the site ("View of Paris," bottom-right) and you should use that link to see the page properly, with all the interactivity. It's pretty fricking cool, and allows you to zoom in and to mouseover and click on the interesting bits for more info.
September 19th 7:56AM
Étudie les français
After I got up with my son this morning, I studied some French, This, after an improved-but-still-spotty week on that front. It felt good to study; I still enjoy it.
September 18th 3:18PM
The joys of translation
You're missing out on the joys of translation, if you don't read the computerized English translation, linked below. This tidbit alone: "it is the rebellion which has the wind in poop" is worth the time. I couldn't have said it better myself.
September 18th 3:06PM
More of what you read the foreign press for
Today's Le
Monde has the top headline: "Les Américains perdent
le contrôle de l'Irak," or in English: "The Americans
lose control of Iraq." Read
the story translated into English. The knee-jerk reaction in this American
heart is to decry such criticism; but are they wrong? What do we control
in Iraq?
This is one of the reasons I monitor Le Monde; the contrasts between local press and international sources of news are interesting, and are plain examples of the power of the Internet. The world is growing smaller, no doubt.
September 18th 12:11PM
I'm disappointed and embarrassed
I have recently found broken links and broken other things on my site, and am in the middle of fixing them. How silly, and disappointing that no one e-mailed me to let me know. Either I don't warrant enough users that anyone ever tried to click thru, or no one bothered to write when it failed. Bummer.
September 18th 12:04PM
Ho hum
I'm so bored. I got no amusing e-mails today.
Husband of the year, 5 years running
I made dinner last night (late as Hell, but better than never). I made breakfast this morning. Then again, I have been nicely compensated.
Stilted plans
Halloween is coming. The stilts I made last year have languished in storage. I took a maiden voyage last year, and it was less than exemplary. This year, I have pads, a helmet and an idea for a walking stick for support that may help improve safety and effectiveness. If I had a hair on my ass, I'd get out there today. I'd love to add some brief digital video to the stilts page showing them working well.
September 17th 1:04PM
Anthony's just blowing it
Anthony Atkielski's Paris blog is running just over a month out of date now. O, how I enjoy it when it's current, and how I despair when it is not.
September 17th 1:03PM
Whoa
Let's hope this notion doesn't take hold. The U.S. and France have enough friction.
'French hostages blocked by US' say Iraqi Sunnis
DOHA, Sept 17 (AFP) - The Committee of the Ulema, Iraq's top Sunni religious organisation, accused the US Army on Friday of hampering efforts to secure the release of two French journalists kidnapped on August 20.
Yeesh.
September 16th 12:52PM
Comment triste
Expatica.com reports that striking workers have shut down the Eiffel Tower due to concerns about job security and management. If it would have happened while I was there, I would have been both livid and crushed. Then again, just being there is a consolation, which would have been adequate. Still, going up the tower was a high point, no pun intended.
Poor Andrew
An Internet chum of mine, a real good guy named Andrew Phelps, had his father die yesterday. I can only imagine his misery. I hope Andrew's pain is as manageable as possible. How terrible.
September 15th 12:59PM
I'm published!
Hey, Chris Ching thought enough of my review of the movie The Punisher to publish it at his most excellent entertainment aficionado website, sjfanboy.com. My review notwithstanding, you should check out that site, it's got some great local boogie happening.
And the Shitty Website Award goes to...
http://ariesspears.com/main.htm for the category of ridiculously and unnecessarily large header graphic, tipping the scales at a laughable 1,030 kilobytes. What a joke. I try not to rip on amateur websites, but this file (http://ariesspears.com/asbanner.gif) is unconscionable. If you're smart enough to make a big fat 3D image like that, you should be smart enough to know better.
September 13th 7:49AM
A Bizarre weekend
Although we were unsure of our plans until the day of, we did end up going to Fairfield's Pepperbellys, and saw John Bizarre. He ran a great show. As soon as he hit the stage, he was off and running. Whereas the opening act walked through his material almost as if he were asking permission to tell each joke, John B. was in his own dimension, dictating the pace and tone of his set. When I say he ran the show, he ran the show. Some of his material was the same as the last time we saw him, but I expected that, and it's been many beers ago, so even most of that was new to me... A great friggin' show. Loved it.
On the other hand
Pepper Bellys' wait staff were too few, and although they worked hard, the sheer number of guests made it impossible to get a drink within 20 minutes of ordering said drink (or food item, whatever). Also, their cash machine, conveniently installed in the wall out front of the place, was busted. The door guy gave me bad advice was to where the next-nearest ATM was located, so me and my stitched sac went trotting around a few corners before lucking into a cash machine for the fairly costly, very tardy consumable fare that still wasn't delivered 20 minutes after I returned to my seat. It's hard to enjoy comedy when you're wondering if you got stiffed for your refreshments.
September 11th 5:29PM
The Punisher - Punishment enough
What a dog. What a terd. What a dog terd. After the end of the movie, I immediately went to rogerebert.com and read his review. Here's why the movie is a terd, and here's where Roger Ebert went right, and where he went wrong.
First, my expectations: The Punisher was a Marvel comic that was available when I was growing up. I never read that title much, but I caught enough of it via occasional reads of the title itself and Spiderman crossovers to know the broad strokes of the backstory with certainty: Frank Castle/The Punisher is a cop whose family is brutally killed by the mob, and Castle goes stark raving out of his mind. He is completely and pervasively insane. The comic I remember reading depicts otherwise innocent citizens being gunned down from above for the simple crime of littering. Castle is that bent in the noggin. The Punisher is an utterly depraved lunatic, maniacally bent upon the pure, bloodthirsty revenge of the murder of his family.
Now, I realize that this tone may not pitch well to meetings where money men require PG-13 ratings to maximize the cash they can wring out of their films, but at the very least, the Punisher's morbid depression and insanity could stay true to at least his disdain for those in the mob and directly involved with his family's death. But no.
The Punisher's had his family - not only his wife and child, but his own ma and pa, and extended family - savagely murdered at a big family reunion in Puerto Rico (friggin' Puerto Rico??). He's been shot and exploded and left to drown, but is saved after the local witch doctor fishes his horribly ravaged body out of the water. He grows a beard, heals, (and apparently keeps up the Pilates regimen, because his abs and pecs are fabulous for someone who's laid in bed recovering from near-fatal wounds for several months).
Here's where I knew the movie was seriously off course: after he recovers, he snatches a mob snitch, and threatens to torture information out of him with a blowtorch, advising him the first thing he'll smell is his own smoldering flesh, and that since the intense heat of this method kills nerve endings, the first sensation the underling will feel is intense cold. Pretty creepy, right? Yeah, well, our anti-hero disappears behind his victim, and presses the dastardly weapon of torture to... a T-bone steak. Yeah, a fucking piece of beef. Then (and this is where my faith in the movie shattered), he presses a frigging cherry popsicle to the victim's back, and the victim yelps in his mistaken agony. Oh, the horror!
Sweet mother of God. The real Punisher would have torched a hole right through this geek until he saw daylight out the other side, plucked out his charred spleen, and fed it to the guy. This sissy-Mary Punisher enlists the character's help, trusting that the craven little toady just hates his crime boss sooo much. Give me a break, one time.
This movie, and its hero should have been flat, gunmetal black. No frills, no fancy horseshit, just straight-ahead revenge and hair-raising fuckyouitousness. Instead, it was a glossy, swishy, wannabe-tough, Guys and Dolls sort of tough. I thought Castle was gonna start singing "When you're a Jet, you're as Jet all the waaaay...." and snapping his fingers. This guy wasn't Clint Eastwood tough. He wasn't even Fonzi tough. Dammit!
Roger Ebert got his review so wrong, I have to wonder if he watched it at all. His review was like one of those corporate training exercises, where one person tells another person a story, and another and another, until the person at the end has such a disjointed version of it as to be unrecognizable. Ebert's review seemed like he reviewed the third or fourth telling. Here's where it ran aground:
Ebert reports that ""The Punisher" is a long, dark slog through grim revenge. Unlike most movies based on comic book heroes, it doesn't contain the glimmer of a smile". Bull crap. This movie has lots of clumsy grins and goofy smirks, and I hated it for that. From the popsicle scene (I just can't get it out of my head), to a scene where our hero is being beaten to a loosely-connected formation of meaty lumps, while his neighbors next door dance gaily to Italian opera, oblivious to Castle's mutilation, swishing and dipping each other in overly cartoonish fashion while Frank Castle is being ruthlessly stabbed and clubbed to what should be death. This movie is rife with glimmers of smiles, and I wish it were half as dark and grim as he describes.
Ebert continues to say that "The movie is relentless in its violence." Another mistake. From Ebert's description, you'd think it was Faces of Death III. I assure you, it is not. The movie relents plenty of times - besides the popsicle scene (which apparently will haunt me to my grave), there's another scene where the horrible, ruthless evil Bad Guys try to torture information from Castle's plurally-pierced neighbor. Yeah, they yank out the guy's four or five facial piercings, but they do it off-camera, and the guy wriggles and weeps like they're pulling off his testicles. Now, I wasn't looking for something terribly gory, but the Godless, black-garbed heathens left and bragged confidently: "If he knew anything, he woulda talked..." And they cut to a scene where the neighbor is walking, talking, breathing , no broken bones, no nothin'. Wow, the mob must be taking sensitivity courses.
Now, Ebert hit it right when he said the following (and I'm sure he'll sleep better at night knowing he has my approval):
"The film ... is consistently well-acted... Right down the line, the performances are strong..." This, I agree with. How they dragged Travolta into this thing, I'll never know, but he and the hero, Tom Jane, did more for this movie than it deserved.
"The film doesn't simply set up Saint as a bad guy and a target, but devotes attention to the character." That's true too - the characters do get developed. My problem is how they were developed.
"There's so much that's well-done here that you sense a good movie slipping away. That movie would either be lighter than this one, or commit to its seriousness, like "Scarface." This one loses control of its mood and doesn't know what level of credibility it exists on." Also true. This movie either didn't know what notes to hit, or didn't have the confidence to hit them.
As a young comic book reader, I really enjoy seeing their silver screen equivalents succeed, and I regret their failure. I regret this one.
September 10th 10:02AM
One more thing
John Bizarre is back at Pepper Bellys tonight and tomorrow night. I worry about the 10:30 show's turnout, however, because they're giving away tickets to the 10:30pm shows for both nights. You owe it to yourself to show up and consume mass quantities. Hey, you may even see me there, stepping gingerly, and wouldn't that be worth it alone?
September 10th 9:59AM
Gotta go soon
I can't say what I'm going to do when I get there, but I can say there's a vast differenze from anything I've done before.
September 9th 12:49PM
More change
Albeit minor change. I changed the header at the top of the site's pages to Flash, and included a little rocket ship that says "TomBickle.com" on it. It's hard to read, but I don't care about that as much as I should. The header needed something. It still does, but not quite as badly.
September 9th 7:49AM
Hair today...
I'm letting my hair grow out. I'm sick of a short, conservative look, and am leaning toward something more hippie-ish. I have not chosen a specific new style yet, and I'm not very good at it. All I know for sure is that I want it longer, and I don't want a mullet. If you run across a website that is helpful in this choice, e-mail me with the link at the bottom-left. I have tried Supercuts' website, but their "Style File" doesn't help me at all. I need something simple and easy to maintain. I'm willing to learn a little about follicular self-help, but I'm not looking to join the Queer Eye Hall of Fame. Simple. Simple.
Snip-plop, snip-plop
I have tomorrow off, for a delicate procedure. I am unafraid, but wish me luck anyway.
September 8th 5:03PM
Holy merde!
Hey, Stockton has a French restaurant, Le Bistro. I'll have to check that out. It looks a little pricey and their website stinks, but it could be a good place to eat...
Take-out escargot = heaven?
September 8th 12:49PM
The very definition of failure
or
Wow, I jinxed that pretty good
So the damn thing crashed. How depressing.
September 8th 7:49AM
This is pretty cool
Possibly the very definition of cool. Hollywood stunt pilot, European helicopter, and a spaceship with solar wind particles collected "on special tiles made from silicon, diamond, gold, sapphire and other materials." This stuff turns big kids into little kids.
September 6th 4:59PM
I'm too fat
I know it, and I don't feel too horribly bad about it, but I do wish it were different, and I have been reflecting on it.
My problem is will power, commitment to a goal of slimming down. When I try to improve, I do well for a matter of days, and then the sense that "life is too short, live it up" overtakes me and so I do just that.
I spoke with a member of my BNI chapter, Joe of Delta Propane, who is in fantastic shape. He's a peppy guy, and I picked his brain, starting by asking: "What do you EAT?" He made an honest attempt to convey lots of information in a short time. From what I remember, two simple, important things are prominent:
- Eat about six small meals per day, rather than three big ones.
- No refined sugar.
Also, don't go into any exertion on an empty stomach. If you know you're going to burn energy, have something on your stomach. Something about insulin, sugars... I didn't quite grasp it. Anyway...
Nutrition has always been my weak point. As much trouble as I have with exercise, my weakness for and ignorance of food makes that look like a ... piece of cake. There's just too much information - any fat person knows as much about nutrition as anybody else, probably more. It's just putting it into context and putting it to use that is difficult. The government's food pyramid doesn't help me for shit, and there are no shortage of groups who deny its relevance anyway. Who to believe? Butter vs. margarine? Red meats, good, bad? So much junk science, money and so many fads add to the smokescreen. So, what the Hell is a person to do? Maybe some simple guidelines can work. Let's see:
- Eat about six small meals per day, rather than three big ones.
- Don't eat anything bigger than your hand (this is a tough one)
- No refined sugar.
- No more beer! (Something inside me weeps - wait, that's my liver, weeping for joy)
- Drink 8 glasses of water per day
- Get off your ass and move around every day, even if you can't devote much time to it. Walking, running, bicycling, jumping up & down, kung-fu, whatever
I bet I could try that... If I stick to it, I'll let you know how it works. Coffee will never be the same without sugar. Those fake sweeteners ain't gettin' it, either.
September 6th 11:45AM
Bonus Day
Today is Labor Day, and thank God for that. The weekend zipped by like it was on rails. Without an extra day, I would have felt ripped off.
My daughter has been writing me via e-mail, which rocks. When she was here, I as surprised to learn she was not terribly computer-savvy, and so I let her e-mail her Mom often before she left. Now she has her own e-mail addie, and I am sending her links to photos and cool web pages on the Internet. And I'm ragging on her to use the French language CD's I gave her when she was here.
Hostages
It's amazing what's going on with terrorism these days. With all the trouble in Russia, Iraq and elsewhere, one has to wonder how we rate so well here in the States. Raise a glass to those who are keeping us safe. God knows we could be doing better, but we could be doing so much worse.
September 5th 8:53AM
Wow, I was negative last night
I feel better this morning.
September 4th 6:49PM
Time marches on
I got people in my family who are tough as nails, who used to party 'til Hell wouldn't have it anymore, and tell you to kiss their ass with your opinion of their lifestyle. How the mighty have fallen. One is recovering from life-saving surgery, the other can't drink, won't smoke, and has devoted his near future to catching up on his bills. There's only one who has remained true the creed above, and I don't like him so much.
The worst part is, I'm one of these fuckers, except I'm less daring, having lived more carefully from the get-go. At least they actually went after it hard enough to burn out. I've already resigned myself to early bedtimes and worrying about my waistline.
Something inside me is astonished at the lack of bold adventure. Crap.
And another thing
That damned Anthony Atkielski hasn't updated his Paris Journal page. If I didn't like it so much when it was updated, I'd give it up. But when it's fresh, it's good.
September 3rd 12:49PM
What a day
Work has been surprisingly frenetic. We've got shit pods just bursting open all around us, and more on the way as we put out the fires. Incredible. Lucky for me, the most pressing and dicey problems are not mine at all. It's a good thing, too, because some of them have some hairy ramifications.
Crazy.
The good news is, I have Monday off. I've been tired this week, I think I need an extra day.
September 3rd 7:49AM
This looks great
My last support call of the night yesterday was from Chris Ching, who runs www.sjfanboy.com, a site that offers links and reviews to local entertainment and pop culture events. Damn him for having a cooler site than mine!
September 2nd 12:49PM
My boy needs a good dump
Don't we all... Last night my boy was stubbornly cranky all evening and night, the first time he's acted thus since he's been born. My lovely wife thinks he is sufferring from the need of a bowel movement. I hope he gets it.