Rambling

So, I finally went to the doctor today. I was feeling pretty crappy on Friday afternoon, but spent much of Saturday either sleeping in my bed or reclined on the couch (when I wasn't chasing a wild goose, but more on that later), and thus felt much better yesterday. No coughing, a relatively clear head - I finally beat this thing. Or so I thought, until I woke up this morning and was back to crappy. I don't think the P.A. I saw really knew for sure whether this is viral or bacterial, but he put me on a Z-Pack, just in case. Hopefully, I'll be done with this soon.

The party on Friday night was fun. This was Mike and Dana's 15th annual costume party. The crowd was pretty small this year, though, I think because they've moved to a town that's fairly far from most of their friends in the big city. Sheila and I were a big hit (photos forthcoming), especially our big blue hair. Liza and David Gest were there, but David didn't have bruises about the head, as I thought he should. Dana was Anna Nicole Smith and Mike was Roy, complete with gaping wound on the neck and a tiger beanie baby clipped to his collar; ironically, Sigfreid couldn't make it to the party because he cut off a portion of his finger the day before, while chopping carrots.

Saturday was a comedy of errors. When I got home early Saturday morning from the party (2:00), I realized I had left my purse at M&D's. I called them at 12:00 and said I would come and get it; Dana said she could drop it off for me, since she was going to be in our general area later in the day. First, though, she said they were going to a tag sale. I told her she didn't have to do that, she said she would call me when they got back from the tag sale, but also that if I decided to come and get it in the meantime, her doors were unlocked. I decided to go and get it in the meantime.

I called their house at about 3:00 and there was no answer. I left a message on their answering machine, telling them I was coming, and headed out. They live about a half hour away. I got there and still no one was home, so I found my way in and, much to my disappointment, my pocketbook was not there. Back home. A little while later, Dana calls to say she is 15 minutes away and will be dropping off my bag. Cool, since I needed my wallet and debit card to do a little shopping. Finally, I get my bag and head back out. My first stop: the video store. I pick out "Hollywood Homicide", "Hulk" and "28 Days Later". At the register, I realize that my debit card is not in my wallet, never had been, as a matter of fact; all along it had been in the pocket of the pants I wore the day before, which of course were in the dirty clothes in my room. Back home again.

I was ultimately able to get all that I needed, but oy! What a day.

Take away the green light, and this is pretty much what I saw last night.

God bless all the men and women who have been fighting the fires in California. And may God watch over all of those who lost so much this week.

Man stuck in toilet looking for phone: "Passengers on a New York commuter train had extra reason to be unhappy with a fellow passenger with a cell phone. "

What was I just saying about cell phones on public transportation? What a moron.

U.S. Officials See Hussein’s Hand in Attacks on Americans in Iraq: "Saddam Hussein may be playing a significant role in coordinating and directing attacks by his loyalists against American forces in Iraq, senior American officials said Thursday."

Yes, yes, we know. He's living in Tikrit. Will you catch him, for the love of God??

Top 5 Worst LOTR Halloween Costumes: "So, you've beaten the odds and got yourself invited to a costume party tonight eh? Want to show off your uber-geekness for all things Rings? Well here is a list of ideas NOT to use....because too much geek can be a bad thing."

You have to be pretty darn geeky to get some of the joke, but then...I am.

A Little Less 'Joe Millionaire' to Love: "By airing the show only once each week during the sweeps, Fox is cutting its ratings losses. Next Tuesday, Fox will repeat the season debut of Kiefer Sutherland's series '24' for the third time; two repeats of 'That '70s Show' will fill in on Nov. 11, and another 'That '70s Show' rerun paired with 'The Simpsons' will substitute on Nov. 18. "

I guess the new Joe Millionaire is so bad that FOX has pulled it from Tuesday nights during November sweeps. I'm glad I read this article. I would have tuned in on Tuesday night for 24 and been bananas when I found that JM was on instead. FOX put all their eggs in one basket, apparently. So, if any of you want to try to catch the 24 season premiere, it'll be on on Tuesday, November 4. I can't believe, however, that they won't be airing any new 24 episodes until December. Repeats of That 70s Show and The Simpsons draw more viewers than new episodes of 24? I find that hard to believe.

Red Skies At Night

A note from the Weather Center: "The northern lights were seen around 7 pm in Connecticut and it featured bright reds. "

I saw the northern lights in my own freakin' backyard last night. I had to stop at the grocery store on the way home, so I didn't pull into my driveway until about 6:45 P.M. I live in a rural area, at the top of hill, so there is very little interference from city lights when stargazing. When I looked up to admire the sky full of stars (as I am wont to do, being the geek that I am), I was rendered breathless by what I saw - virtually the entire sky was red, even though it was long past sunset (and besides, I was looking east). I thought, "This looks like the aurora borealis, or at least what I think it would look like." When I told my mother what I saw, she told me that she just heard on the news that it was viewable. So, I scrambled to get my cameras out and set them for night photography, which took some browsing through manuals. By the time I got outside, though, it had already vanished.

However, I don't think even I could forget what I saw. Magnificent.

Cell phone etiquette 101: "There's a fair chance that anyone reading this column has been annoyed by a cell phone at least once. My personal pet peeves are ringing phones in movie theaters and people who insist on sharing their lives with the entire public transportation system. I ignore my phone on the bus. It feels strange to have a conversation with half the city listening in. Yes, I keep it on, but it's always on 'vibrate' or in 'silent mode.' "

Oh, my blood is boiling just thinking about the customers who would come into Tommy K's with their headsets on, fully involved in a conversation. They would roam around the store, speaking very loudly; then they would approach the register, still on the phone, completely immersed in their conversation, at full volume, never once acknowledging that I was even standing there. Why can't people understand how rude that is? Whatever happened to polite society? I got to the point where I would just stand there at the register after they put their items on the counter, and wait until they actually looked me in the eye and acknowledged my existence before I would even ring up the first item. I just recently took a train ride from Newark to New Haven, and there was at least one person talking on their phone for the entire 2.5 hour ride, sometimes more than one at a time. II can't read, I can't snooze, and I don't really care to hear about their day.

Personally, I don' think cell phones should be allowed in public buildings or transportation at all. Gotta make a call? Go outside. Waiting for a call? Too bad, let them leave a message. No one is that indispensable.

Rant complete.

Dean Cain to play Scott Peterson in movie.

Perfect.

The New Jersey child abuse case, the one in which the adoptive parents are accused of starving 4 adopted boys, just baffles me. If they were indeed starving these children to death, why in the world would they have a family portrait taken? It is clear from the photo that there is something seriously physically wrong with them, especially when seen next to the Jacksons' 7 other obviously robust children. I just don't get it.

A pugkin.

Jack Smack

Last night's season premiere of 24 was notable, for a few reasons. It was presented without commercial interruption by Ford and its F-150 truck - instead of commercials, the episode was bookended by the first and second halves of a short film called "The Donation", a cheeky homage to 24, starring the F-150.

What the series has lacked in character development (due to its single day format - how much can one person change in a day?) it has always made up for in thrills. Now, it seems, we are finally getting some character payback, now that we know them all a little bit. And by advancing the story three years from the end of last season, the characters can be in places in their lives that are drastically different from before. Spawn now works at CTU, in some sort of junior technical capacity, and she seems to know what she's doing. Maybe she went to the local community college in the intervening years. And she's dating Jack's new partner, the very appealing Jay (or is it Jason?). I already have crushes on 2 men on this show (Palmer and Kiefer) - I don't think I can find room in my heart for another. Well, maybe it won't be my heart that will be pre-occupied with him.

Anyway, I may be mistaken, but I think Tony and Michelle, who had their first kiss/makeout session last season, are now married. President Palmer, last seen lying on a sidewalk after contracting an especially virulent virus (that's redundant, isn't it?) from an intentionally infected handshake, has recovered from the assassination attempt, although he seems to still suffer some physical effects of the virus - I don't think he was ever completley cured, just brought into remission. He's also been a busy boy in the romance department since we last saw him - he shared a kiss last night with his physician (a woman, yes) that was much more than platonic. Lucky girl.

Then there's Jack. Poor Jack. His love life is in a shambles, apparently. It seems that in the three years since we last saw him, he entered into a relationship with Kate Warner (last year's femme fatale) that did not last. (The relationship is in fact still in the process of ending - she called him last night to tell him that she found a leather jacket he left behind) It seems that his work put an end to the relationship, especially the part where he spent the past year deep undercover with a Colombian drug lord, Salazar. So deep, in fact, that he's now a drug addict!! This was revealed at the very end of the episode, when it finally became clear why Kiefer was all sweaty and irritable during the show - he got his kit out of his office closet, tied off his arm and was ready to shoot up when good old Spawn called him on the phone and prevented him from getting his fix. Kiefer was fantastic, throughout the entire episode.

All this and a deadly virus about to be unleashed on the population. Bring it on.

Anderson Coooper: "This CNN anchorman has a range. He is as conversant in whom Beyonce is dating as in what's going on in Baghdad. "

Homeless gnomes gather dust in France: "'In wanting to set them free, the Liberation Front has virtually imprisoned them,' policeman Sylvain Brucker told Reuters, adding the local prosecutor could decide to sell the kitsch garden ornaments in a police auction. "

How sadly ironic.

Tonight, 9:00 P.M. EST, on FOX.

Adults are taking back Halloween: "“The notion that Halloween is simply for kids is a misconception based on the centrality of trick-or-treating in the 1950s, when there was an attempt to take the mischief out of Halloween and ‘infantilize’ it,” says Nick Rogers, a history professor at York University in Toronto and author of “Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night.”"

I don't think I ever stopped celebrating Halloween. We have a party to go to on Friday night, and Sheila and are going as Thing 1 and Thing 2, from Dr. Seuss' Cat in the Hat. We are going to look so awesome. I made my goldfish last night and he's sitting in his fish bowl at home, as we speak. All I have left to do is spray my wig blue tonight. I wonder if we're going to drive to the party with the wigs on, or put them on in the car when we get there. I think it would be pretty funny if we rode around with them on.

Crossover Act: "'I can do a gig in a dress or not. When I came down the East Coast last time I had a beard and I was in blokey mode, as I call it. And when I went down the West Coast I was in girlie mode. Just like a woman can wear pants or she can wear a skirt. It's her choice, and it's my choice. It's got nothing to do with the comedy. If you look at the comedy, I'm just talking crap about history. Does it matter if I have lipstick on? If I take it off, does the comedy change?' "

Great article from the Washington Post on Eddie Izzard, with nice accompanying blokey photo.

I don't recall details of cutting up friend.

You'd think that would be something one would remember.

360°

Aha!! And I didn't cheat.

Reichen & Chip: Reality sets in: "After Arndt had helped Lehmkuhl, a former Air Force captain, through the difficult years of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” closet; after Lehmkuhl supported Arndt when his online entertainment company was swept away in the flood of dot-com failures; and after the couple beat 11 other teams in a race around the world, they decided to break up."

That's a shame. They both seemed dumber than a box of rocks, but they were very supportive of each other and that is what I think won them the race. Too bad it's not enough to make it work in real life.

Neanderthals, Fire Poles and Medusa

Eddie Izzard was fabulous. Over the past couple of days I've caught myself smiling as a bit from the show popped into my mind. He covered his usual dizzying array of topics - seeing-eye dogs, Greek Mythology, customs agents, the invention of fire, Christopher Walken - in his brilliant circuitous fashion. If you've seen any of his shows, you know his performances are almost impossible to describe (and if you haven't, you should) - as Eddie says, he basically gets on stage and "talks bollocks" for a couple of hours.

Things got off to a shaky start for us, though. Sheila and I arrived at Holly's at about 5:00, which gave us plenty of time to eat some Chinese take-out and get to the Shubert in Boston for an 8:00 show. Unfortunately, due to an unknown traffic catastrophe beyond our control, it took us an hour and a half to get to the theater, putting us in our seats a good half hour after the show started. I could hear his voice and the audience laughing as we climbed the stairs to our section. I'll never forget seeing him standing there on stage as the usher opened the door: the long, military style blue satin coat, the red corset top, the micro-mini black skirt, the fishnet stockings and the black stiletto boots. Just gorgeous. As if all that glamour wasn't enough, Mr. Izzard has acquired his very own set of breasts ("down at the shop," as he told Charlie Rose), which filled out his corset tops nicely, but interfered with his microphone at times.

A selection of the very appropriate Tom Jones was played during intermission, after which Eddie emerged in a slinky, spaghetti-strapped black number, slit way the hell up to here. I love the way he struts/swaggers onto the stage, looking not so much like a woman, but very much like a bloke who likes to wear makeup and women's clothes. (Eddie, however, would take exception to that - he says he doesn't wear women's clothes, he wears his own clothes. To paraphrase him from the Charlie Rose appearance, he crosses no boundaries because he doesn't believe in those boundaries and is therefore simply a "vestite", since there is no "trans-ing" involved).

Much of the show is a blur to me, partly because I spent the first half hour or so decompressing from the traffic nightmare and partly because most of what I do soon becomes a blur to me. (I'll be snatching up the DVD as soon as it becomes available, especially since we missed the first half hour - he refers back constantly to the earlier parts of his show, and there were some jokes I know I missed). Some of the highlights, though, would include Medusa at the beauty parlor, the failed seeing-eye dog pushing its master into traffic, the Doppler cats, the Sirens, the child-wearing horses and the Christopher Walken impersonation. The stage decoration was also memorable, with military-style camouflage netting on either side of the stage, showcasing the masculine/feminine juxtaposition that is Eddie Izzard.

Take away the skirts, heels and makeup, though, and what you're left with is a very funny, intelligent man. Or, a Sexie bloke who talks bollocks.

Jim Carrey to play Six Million Dollar Man

Oh no no no no nooooo! Hollywood is bound and determined to destroy all the heroes of my youth.

At first glance, I thought this photo was a macabre new mobile for a baby's crib.

I'm still not feeling all that well. I don't think I have a sinus infection - I've had enough of them to know one when I see one. This must be some sort of stubborn virus. I'm seriously considering going home early today, getting some good sleep. I need to be snuggled under a big puffy blanket with my sound machine set to Ocean Waves. Or even just prone on the couch, under that same puffy blanket, of course. Just not here.

Unbelievable: "One of the paper's reporters saw the judge 'making unambiguous gestures after discretely lifting his judicial robe and opening his trousers,' it said. "

I'm sorry, but someone has to say it...Here comes da judge!

Bored to Tears, Woman Hurls TV Out Window.

My hero!!! Too bad there wasn't a network programming executive strolling by just as she chucked it out the window.

The velvety-smooth Kiefer is back: 24 Season Premiere - Tuesday, October 28 9pm/8c. That's a week from tonight, folks. And it looks like Spawn will be with us for another season of incredibly stupid decisions as she unnecessarily distracts her father as he tries to save the world yet again. She did get a new haircut, though.

I'm up to 3 shows now.

The Anderson Cooper Fan Club. Did you know that Cooper's mother is Gloria Vanderbilt? I did not know that. Or that he can speak Vietnamese. I love his approach to the news. He has a sense of humor about things he should have a sense of humor about and is serious when he needs to be. Try to watch his CNN show, 360 degrees (I don't know how to insert a degree character!), weeknights at 7:00 P.M. EST, to see what I'm talking about.

Even more gray-goodness can be found here, an Anderson Cooper fan listing.

"And that never happened."

Have you seen this?: "In the clip, from a QVC home shopping channel telecast, a caller from California identified only as Renee had just begun extolling the virtues of QVC Item 17183, the Telesteps 12.5 foot aluminum telescoping ladder, when the incident occurred."

If not, click here (or right-click and "Save Target As..." to download to your computer first). And they say there's nothing good on television these days.

Diana letter 'warned of car plot': "'XXXX is planning 'an accident' in my car, brake failure and serious head injury in order to make the path clear for Charles to marry.' "

Could it be that she was murdered, and Mohamed al Fayed is not a paranoid crackpot? Or was she the paranoid crackpot and this all just a tragic coincidence? My guess: we will never know.

Monday Monday

I've been MIA these past few days as a result of getting hit with some sort of cold/virus which has had me basically on the couch. I've still got a bit of a cough and some congestion, but I am better, even if I do feel really tired.

I managed to get out on Saturday and buy some mums and pumpkins. It was a beautiful autumn day, just perfect for that kind of thing, including baking an apple pie, which I did in the afternoon.

I had Marty for the weekend, while Sheila went to New Hampshire with friends. Petie and he were happy to have each other to play with, and I got to have some cuddle time with Marty Moon.

Now I'm preparing for the big night, Friday, when we see the fabulous Eddie Izzard at the Wang Center in Boston. I still can't quite believe I'm going to see him. I better damn well feel better by then!

Flash of 70's Sequins: "His limbs twirling like the blades of a windmill, Mr. Jackman channels the energy that was Allen with a rejuvenating life force all his own. And you don't feel — as you so often do with such interpretations — that your memories of the prototype have been blurred. This is a performance that, against the odds, holds on to its integrity."

His Hughness gets rave reviews from the NYTimes, while the show itself gets panned. In general, I'd have to agree with the reviewer's assessment. Not only that the show is mediocre, but that Hugh Jackman, by sheer force of will and talent, makes it worth the price of admission.

SpyDaddy is a Song and Dance Man

'Alias' Dad: "As the seemingly honorable but still questionable agent and father on 'Alias,' Garber makes the family drama as tense and gut-wrenching as the espionage. In addition, he is playing a character even he doesn't know the entire truth about, and he wouldn't have it any other way. "

Can I tell you how tempted I am to watch the shows I've taped so far this season?? December 2 can't come soon enough! (thanks to Colleen for the link)

Weekend in NY

New Jersey and New York, actually. I had a wonderful visit with Colleen and her sister and brother-in-law. They live at Liberty Point, Jersey City, with a to-die-for view of the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline. Pulling onto the Liberty Point access road and seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time was incredible.

We weren't able to get tickets to Eddie Izzard. Colleen and I went into town on Friday afternoon and headed for City Center box office immediately, to no avail. So, we decided to check on ticket availability for various shows at the discount booth in Times Square. "The Boy From Oz", Hugh Jackman's show in previews, was on the board, so we got in line. An hour later, as we approached the ticket window, TBFO was no longer listed; we decided to go for "Gypsy", with Bernadette Peters. At the last minute, though, I asked the guy behind the window if TBFO was indeed sold out, and he said he'd check. Came back with 2 tickets. Yippee! Colleen and I were both very pleased with the show, especially Mr. Jackman. What a stage presence, and what a voice.

We had already started drinking before the show - actually, we started at the Pig & Whistle even earlier, before we got in line for tickets, and then at McHale's at 8th and 46th streets. It was about a half a block from the theater. I just read today that it was a hangout for Dorothy Parker and has been voted "best hamburger in the city". I knew I liked that place. We continued after the show, taking a train into Hoboken and the Whiskey Bar. We drank, did a little dancing and sweated our asses off.

We went back into the City on Saturday, this time for some eats and some sightseeing. We ate at a bistro in SoHo, then walked through Little Italy and Chinatown. Then we took the subway uptown, sat on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and watched a pretty bad mime. Then into Central Park for a long but leisurely stroll.

We were too tired (or at least I was) to do much more than hang out on Saturday night, so we stayed in and watched a couple of episode commentaries on the Alias DVDs. And eat some chocolate chip cookies.

All in all, a great weekend. Thanks, Coll!

(photo by me on Colleen's camera)

TeeVee Reviews Carnivale: "Apparently the show is about some struggle between Good and Evil, played respectively -- I think -- by Stahl and Brown, and I only figured out that much because Anderson helpfully comes on at the beginning of the very first show and pretty much says that's what the show's about. Good thing, too, because otherwise I'd be hopelessly lost."

I really really wanted to like this show. Really. But the writers are not making it easy. I know more about the inside workings of a carnival at this point than I do about any of the characters or their motivations. And nothing ever happens! Sure, they move from town to town, but nothing about the central plot has been revealed; so Ben found a photo of his mother and father? That was 3 episodes ago and nothing has been explained. Ben speaks only about 10 words per episode, and I'm pretty sure they are the same 10 words every episode.

While I would be completely justified in dropping Carnivale from my viewing roster, I know I won't. I'm going to ride this one out until I find out who the hell these people are supposed to be, even if I wind up choking on the show's excessive dust.

Off to NJ and NY, maybe a show, maybe Eddie, maybe not, but a good time anyway. Have a great weekend I'll be back on Sunday.

A Male Lesbian Whose Appeal Is Mainly Cerebral: "Mr. Izzard is undoubtedly seductive, but his brand of seduction aims directly at the head, not below the belt. After a couple of hours in his company, your mind is likely to be so crammed with the odds and ends — mostly odds — of what he's been saying, that you have no room left for your own thoughts."

Wouldn't it be cool if we could get in to see him tomorrow or Saturday night?

BOCKAA!!!

I just got an e-mail from a co-worker, claiming to contain "possibly the very best chicken joke ever." I may have to agree with that assessment:

A chicken and an egg are lying in bed. The chicken is leaning against the
headboard smoking a cigarette with a satisfied smile on its face.

The egg, looking a bit pissed off, grabs the sheet, rolls over and
says;"Well, I guess we finally answered THAT question."

I finished reading "Mystic River" last night. It's a superlative piece of crime fiction, but it's also more than that, I think, almost a Shakespearean tragedy. Cannot wait to see the movie.

Angry Moroccan teacher throws pupils out of window: "'They did not listen. They should have listened."

While this is certainly taking punishment a bit too far, I wonder how many teachers around the world have wanted at some point to do exactly what that woman did?

Will Eddie Izzard be the new Dr Who? I don't know about him in a leading role. I think he works better with a low-movie-profile, playing supporting characters.

Speaking of Eddie, his tour hits NYC this week, starting tomorrow night. I tried to get tickets to Friday night's show, but they were sold out long ago. (I've already got tickets to see him in Boston on the 24th of this month - yay!) I called and the ticket sales agent said that there were some on hold and I might want to call some time this week in case they are released. In any event, I'll be heading to NYC anyway on Friday, for a night out on the town with Colleen, and staying with her for the weekend. We're going to try to see a show that night, if not Eddie then maybe Hugh Jackman in "The Boy From Oz". Whatever we do, I'm sure we'll have a great time.

Reading, Writing, and Rocking: "The new comedy School of Rock (Paramount) is uncut bliss: It had me buzzing, bopping up and down in my seat, practically pogoing out of the theater playing air guitar. I scribbled superlatives in my notebook; I heard myself tell a colleague, 'Dude, that movie rocked.' I wonder, now that the ecstasy has dissipated a bit (but only a bit), how a formulaic farce-heart-warmer about a fake teacher and a bunch of 10-year-olds could be such a mystical experience—one of the biggest highs I've had at the movies in years. "

Yet another must-see-movie on my list. Jack Black teaching a bunch of middle-schoolers how to rock? Talk about a sure thing.

Elderly farmers' wives shown erotic film by mistake: "'We found it very interesting to see men can hold on for such a long time."

Cat saves drowning lamb: "Gardeners Adrian Bunton and Karen Lewis knew something was wrong when they found their cat in an agitated state, miaowing and trying to communicate something."

Frog eggs fell from sky in hurricane: "Hurricane Isabel brought unholy high winds and lashing rain to the East Coast. It also dumped something almost biblical on Connecticut. "

Mulder, frogs just fell from the sky!

Conn. Woman Convicted in Son's Suicide: "A woman was convicted Monday of contributing to the suicide of her 12-year-old son, who hanged himself in his closet with a necktie after being picked on for months at school over his bad breath and body odor."

What a sad story. If she did indeed try to get him to clean himself up, is she guilty of contributing to his death? Could she in reality have forced him to bathe? I suppose the answer is different, depending on the kid. And, based only on what they said in the article, I'd have to say that she should have made more of an effort to get him some kind of counseling. Soiling your pants in the morning so you won't have to go to school? The alarm bells should have been clanging.

Celebrities Urge 'No' Vote on Recall.

Or, "Celebrities Who Will Never Work on a Schwarzenegger Project".

Dark Parable of Violence Avenged: "'Mystic River' is the rare American movie that aspires to — and achieves — the full weight and darkness of tragedy."

Damn, I can't finish reading this soon enough! I can only read the intro to reviews because I don't want to be spoiled, but all that I have read has been glowing. I'm a big fan of Eastwood-directed movies, and I think Sean Penn puts most of today's actors to shame, and to think of the 2 of them putting this heartbreak on screen, God I can't wait. I must finish the book this weekend.

Oh, and BTW, I recommend the book (see link on left).

Tale of the Clooney conwoman: "“Now the mother supposedly has a sister who supposedly killed herself — she did it on George’s answering machine,” says Rosenfield. “And the mother is suing George for wrongful death. But the woman and the daughter and the sister are all the same person.”"

Man charged in cathedral sex stunt dies: "A man who was to appear in court Tuesday on charges of having sex with his girlfriend inside St. Patrick's Cathedral as part of a radio show stunt has died at his home in Virginia, his lawyer said. "

Police are reporting eyewitness accounts of a mysterious man with long white hair and beard, dressed in white robes and wearing sandals, seen in the vicinity of the victim's home near to the time of his death.

Washington Insiders' New Firm Consults on Contracts in Iraq: "A group of businessmen linked by their close ties to President Bush, his family and his administration have set up a consulting firm to advise companies that want to do business in Iraq, including those seeking pieces of taxpayer-financed reconstruction projects."

My God, this stinks to high heaven. Why didn't Mr. Bush just ask us all to write a personal check to his friends and dispense with the war itself?

I Spy

I jumped headlong into Alias this weekend. We had recently been lamenting the extremely sad state of television and I was mourning my loss of quality TV programs - no more Buffy, no more Farscape, no more X-Files; Six Feet Under and The Sopranos are on hiatus until early next year. What's a girl to do? I really like MI-5, but one decent show is not enough. So, I decided to give Alias a try.

If Alias was on any other night and time besides Sunday at 9:00 P.M., I would have likely watched it from its beginning. As it was, though, I was already juggling 3 shows in that particular time slot and there just wasn't room for a fourth. Now, however, there is room. So, I went out and rented all the Alias season 1 DVDs this weekend and I am hooked. I have one disc left, which I'll watch tonight.

I think the show works because its infrastructure is so solid: once you accept the fairly ridiculous premise, everything works because the acting and, especially, the writing is so good. The show has a breathless pace (the cliffhangers are actually cliffhangers - I mean, Sydney is usually hanging from something while being shot at when the show suddenly ends and leaves you scrambling for the skip button on the remote so you can get to the next episode sooner. Too bad that doesn't work in real time), but occasionally slows down long enough for the characters to relate to one another. Or to not relate to one another, as the case may be; Sydeny's relationship with her father is the heart of the show for me, or at least that's where it lies for me in the first 16 episodes. Where the show went in the second season, I'm hoping to find that out soon.

Anyway, so that's where I've been for the past few days.

Smoking Ban Begins Tomorrow: "Connecticut joins four other states - California, Delaware, New York and Maine - in enacting statewide bans aimed at protecting workers from secondhand smoke."

While I am a smoker, this probably won't affect me too much. I never smoke in restaurants, or any other public place, except for bars, and I hardly ever go to those anymore. Anna Liffey's is notoriously smoky - a basement bar filled with Irish, English and Scottish customers, historically heavy smokers. They may have to add an outdoor patio just to keep the majority of their patrons. Or have the whole pace empty out every 30 minutes or so.

Facing Death for Adultery, Nigerian Woman Is Acquitted: "The panel also cited more substantive grounds. The police officers who arrested Ms. Lawal produced no witnesses to fornication, the court said. The court also gave a nod to what defense lawyers had called the 'sleeping embryo' theory: under some interpretations of Shariah, an embryo can be in gestation for up to five years, meaning that Ms. Lawal's baby could have been fathered by her former husband."

Alright class, now who can tell me what century this event took place in?

Man binds bear bites with duct tape: "Murphy grabbed his rifle but before he could raise it, the mother bear pinned him face-down.

It then clamped her jaws around his right shoulder and started shaking him like a rag. He said he felt teeth pressing against his skin, then a pop as they sliced through."

The couple who moved in downstairs earlier this year (was it earlier this year?), are no longer a couple. She left him in the beginning of August and a friend of his moved in. A huge, beefy, weight-lifting, no-shirt-wearing, jar-headed friend. I swear to you that, other than when he's pulling out of the driveway in the morning on his way to work, I have yet to see this guys with a shirt on. Sheila caught a glimpse of him shaving his chest in the bathroom one day. He looked like the kind of guy who might still have trouble tying his shoes, but I don't like to make snap judgments about people. Ahem.

I came to the conclusion last night, however, that this ape is actually an ape. Or maybe mildly retarded.

A VERY loud bang woke me up at about 2:30 this morning. When I say loud, I mean LOUD, like shaking the walls loud. A minute later, again. Another minute later, again. Magilla's bedroom is below mine, and I'm about to go downstairs when I hear Dave come to his room and tell him to knock it off: "I gotta go to work in a few hours, man." So, I go to the bathroom and pee because now I'm wide awake. When I get back to my room I see my cat Winnie perched on my pillow looking intently out the window at something. Then I hear the BANG again, but a bit muffled. I look out the window and see shadows from their deck on the lawn; the lights in the backyard are blazing. One of the shadows is moving (which is what Winnie was watching), and from the movement and the sound, I deduce that this Olympic-size moron is lifting weights. In the middle of the fucking night. The sound was him dropping them. He must have moved outside after Dave came to his room and thought that would be better. I'm about to go downstairs when I hear Dave again. No noise after that, except for the door slamming as Magilla came back inside.

Long-gone microchipped cat finds owner: "Call it Ted's excellent adventure, with a high-tech twist: A cat with an ID microchip implanted under his skin was returned to his owner 10 years after he jumped out a window and vanished. "

Singer Robert Palmer dies at 54 - Sep. 26, 2003.

Okay, people! You can all stop dying now, alright?? And I think CNN could have used a better photo than one that looks like it was taken while he was having the heart attack.

A few screencaps from the ROTK trailer, which will be available on the net on Monday, September 29.

I got chills.

Subway's New Campaign: "'Though Jared's story was compelling, how do you make it ongoing?' Mr. Altschul asked, adding playfully, 'Do you make him get fat again?'"

Oh please, yes!

MSN to close chat rooms: "Will Doherty, from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told CNN the decision would contribute to the 'digital divide' and create online 'gated communities' where only people who can afford to pay can chat on the Internet. "

That's complete bullshit. MSN is not the only portal to chatting, not by a long shot. Let Microsoft close their chat rooms - it's within their rights to do so. People who really want to chat will find a way to do it. And there will be fewer children roaming, unsupervised, through the chat rooms of the world.

One simple rule: Don't support ABC's cruelty. I could not agree more. What in the world are they thinking?? The only reason I can see for continuing the show is greed, pure and simple.

I rented a few movies this weekend:

The Hunted - Tommy Lee Jones, Benicio del Toro. Directed by William Friedkin (French Connection). With all the talent involved, you'd think this would have been a decent movie. It wasn't. Bad editing, ambiguous writing and del Toro's way off-the-mark performance made this one a big disappointment. Tommy Lee Jones looks awesome with a beard, though.

Bring Down the House - Steve Martin, Queen Latifah, Eugene Levy. Liked this one, laughed out loud in a few spots. This movie has been made a million times before, but the leads make it fresh.

The Kid Stays in the Picture - Fascinating and funny ego trip/"documentary" on Hollywood producer Robert Evans, narrated by Robert Evans. If you have any interest in behind-the-scenes Hollywood stuff, and can understand Evans' mumble, it's worth watching. Evans is the producer responsible for such films as Love Story, Chinatown, The Godfather, Marathon Man, and, if you believe him, for the resurrection of the flagging Paramount Studios. It has a sort of a Sunset Boulevard feel to it.

I also rented Rabbit Proof Fence, but I had a killer headache last night and just couldn't stay up late enough to watch it. I'm keeping it for an extra day, and hope to be able to watch it tonight, after MI-5.

Cheeseburger Fries - processed cheese and beef compound that has been breaded and deep fried. And we wonder why most Americans are overweight.

Casting call for the new Stepford Wives movie being filmed nearby. Too bad I'm not 5'8" or taller, slim and pretty.

Oh my God, the recall vote is back on for Oct 7. I would really really love it if, after all this, the recall was voted down and Davis remained governor.

Does the Bennifer live? This is not something I would usually post about, but if they indeed fooled the press and in fact never broke up, well, cool beans for them.

Bodybuilder arrested for offering to kill Kobe Bryant's rape accuser.

Wha?? Talk about a circus.

Site Work

I'm working on changing the layout and look of this page, finally tackling CSS. Access may be unreliable over the next day or so, or formatting will be wonky, but I'll hopefully be able to get this place in shape fairly soon. Thanks!

Ian McKellen has updated the White Book. He writes about his last day of filming in New Zealand.

Hurricane Isabel Pounds East Coast: "But a few thousand hardy — or foolhardy — souls ignored evacuation orders. Virginia Beach police suggested they write their names in permanent marker on their forearms so they can be identified if they are injured or killed.

At Howard's Pub on the Outer Banks' isolated Ocracoke Island, bartender James Tucker said he and five other employees resolved early Thursday to 'hang out and drink beer until the cable runs out.' "

We won't see much from Isabel here in Connecticut. We are supposed to get some high winds and heavy rain, though, so we're shutting down the computers here at work. Speaking of wind, I need to get home and bring the deck furniture inside before it gets blown all over the neighborhood.

This is a very cute story, but I can't help thinking there are some people out there who could use a little help.

Anyone else think Anderson Cooper is the most adorable thing on television? He's young, yet serious, without being an overblown gasbag. And he's got those dreamy eyes. ;)

Hands down, the best thing you'll read all day. No additional commentary is needed.

Read about and listen to NPR's story about Fortune's Bones, a skeleton literally discovered in a closet here in Waterbury, CT.

Woman Gets $150, 000 for Bad Hair Job. If she does end up with premature hair loss, then I think they were right to give her that much money. I won't be going to any Regis salons any time soon.

The man can't tax our Internet access anymore. Long live the people!

"Klaatu, barada nikto." I've always wondered where that phrase came from, and being, in the grand scheme of things, only semi-geeky, I had never seen "The Day the Earth Stood Still." I saw it tonight, on AMC, and I actually let out an "A-ha!" when he said it. Cool movie, elevated above others of its time and genre by good acting, a good score and some timeless social commentary. What "Klaatu, barada nikto" means, however, I leave to the truly geeky.

Appeals court blocks California recall, at least until March, and if an appeal is denied.

I fart in your general direction!!

So XF fans aren't the only freaks out there, huh? If we ever do get to England, Castle Doune should be on our itinerary.

I had a weekend overcrowded with get-togethers. Dinner on Friday night with friends; an engagement party on Saturday; and Zachary's 4th birthday party in Rhode Island yesterday. I am wiped out! It's just as well that I was out of the house for most of the time, though. When I was home and watching TV, there was no place on the dial where you were safe from mourning someone, or something. If it wasn't John Ritter, it was Johnny Cash, and if it wasn't either of them, it was a look back at the 11th of September. I caught the end of The Amrican Experience: New York on PBS last night. Former Mayor Ed Koch was crying as he told the story of a parent he met at the first annual memorial, and so was I. Mario Cuomo spoke eloquently, as usual, and his words offer hope. But my tears surprised me. I suppose it shows how close to the surface it all still is.

It's a bad week for Johns. John Ritter, Johnny Cash, and, possibly next, Pope John Paul II?

Letterman reportedly to become dad. It's about damn time. I was about to place my bet on him.

John Ritter has died. I can't believe it. I had decided last week that I was going to post about him, how he was a guilty pleasure of mine, and I never did. RIP, John. I don't care what anyone says, you were cool.

Returning From Iraq War Not So Simple for Soldiers. Excellent article.

Still Hard at Work, Wielding Questions, Science and Steel: A heartbreaking look at 3 lives still affected by the events of that day two years ago.

First Richard Chamberlain, now Tab Hunter finally comes out. Who's next? Care to place a bet?

Bush cites Sept. 11, 2001 frequently. I try not to be too cynical, but this seems to be all too true to me:

Democrats argue that Bush uses terrorism as a refuge when he is uncertain about an answer or in trouble on an issue.

9/11 is Bush's safety net, the prism through which he views all issues. Whether that's purely political manipulation or truly the way he sees things, remains to be seen. Personally, I think someone told him, "If you can't think of an answer, throw 9/11 and terrorism in there." And I get the feeling that President Bush quite frequently can't think of an answer.

At last, a reason to buy the Sunday paper.

Who's targeted by music swapping suits? Were these people still swapping music files after the new law was announced? Or are they going after individuals who downloaded music in the past? I stopped what little activity I participated in as soon as I heard that the RIAA was given permission to pursue online music swappers, but all of this makes me quite nervous. And while I feel bad for the individuals who have been served, I must say, however, that the defense that they didn't know it was illegal is pretty flimsy. Come on, you've been trading music files long enough to have over 1,000 files, yet you're not even a bit aware that what you are doing may not be within the law? What makes music-swapping so cool is the fact that you are getting something for nothing, with a minumum of fuss, and we all know that any such activity must be a crime.

One month from today, Andrew Jackson will be looking peachy.

While I have been remiss in my duties here, I am not entirely to blame - Blogger is acting up. I'm not even sure this will post. So, hang in there, please!

The New York Times Spotlight on 'The Lord of the Rings', featuring new interviews with Viggo Mortensen and Peter Jackson. I'm nearing the end of my re-reading of LOTR, and after seeing the ten minute preview of ROTK on the Two Towers DVD, I have to say my anticipation level is through the roof. I may end up eating my words but, I think there's very little chance that I will be disappointed.

"This guy owes me bacon now."

Good Lord! Why didn't anyone tell me she was undergoing a sex change?

Cool! Makes sense that is comes from the land of Bond.

Our time-travelling spammer is serious. How sad.

George Clooney can't get a date in Italy.

And in other news, Gina can't get a date in Connecticut. How about we hook these two kids up?

Who's the Loser?

The answer, at last: what the hell does Beck say in the first line of the chorus of Loser? Yes, like you I also thought he was singing, "Oh-oh-oh Canadaaa..." but no -- he actually says soy un perdedor. Knowing this doesn't mean the song makes any more sense to me, but at least I know why I couldn't figure out what he was saying. Speak English for Christ's sake! ;-)