Today I was attacked by a common household spice. On lunch break I stopped a the local Indian supply shop to pick up some paprika that I thought would jazz up the chicken I was going to cook. In addition to the small red can of "Rajah" paprika I also picked up some somosas, potato cakes and a hot pepper thing. Chicken, fun Indian food, what could go wrong? Chicken in the pan, I was ready to add the "Rajah", I pulled the tab on the can and it instantaneously blew up like a paprika bomb. I was red powdered chest up. I guess this really isn't such a big deal but I never had a seasoning treat me so rudely. What trespass did I do to offend the paprika gods? After that excitement lunch was good but that hot pepper thing kicked my ass, I can't remember the last time I ate something so freakin hot, I couldn't even finish it.

If I were a work of art, I would be Piet Mondrian's Composition A. I am rigidly organised and regimented, although my cold and unapproachable exterior hides a clever way of thinking and a rebellious and innovative nature. A lot of people don't understand me, but I can still affect them on an emotional level. Which work of art would you be? The Art Test

I'm not so sure about the organised and cold part, but I could live with being this piece of art..

Really too nice for December 5th here, temp probably in the mid 70's all day long. No need for jackets just wear the t-shirts. Last year at this time I think we were freezing to death. This won't last long, and boy we will pay come Jan/Feb. Burr..I can feel it already.

Today a co-worker took me aside and said he wanted to talk in private about something before noon. It sounded somewhat ominous so I broke away as soon as I got a chance to see what was up. No one else around he walks to the back room and brings back a Tupperware container full of Kluski(Polish noodles). His mother had made the noodles for him this morning and he knew that I would react very favorable to getting some. I sneaked him some Golabki(Cabbage rolls) about a month ago, also mom made. Why the secrecy? We are probably the only ones who like this stuff and there isn't enough to go around anyway. So for now its a clandestine eastern European lunch club. That's right, the CEELC is closed to us cabbage kids or anyone else who can at least bring some kielbasa or Mrs T's Pierogies to the table.

You send the boy to college and he first wants to study engineering, fine, thats great. Two years later he switches to the theology dept instead, I don't care, I talked to the wife and whatever makes him happy. We don't see him for a semester and then we start getting crazy postcards from Pakistan. Next thing you know we see our boy on CNN fighting for the Taliban, kids these days, I don't understand he was such a nice quite boy----just my take on the 20 year old American fighting for the Taliban as seen on CNN. It just gets stranger and stranger.

The old lady grabbed tight to my jacket sleeve telling me she needed my help to cross because of her bad eyesight. She seemed to come out of nowhere. I told to hold on and we'll cross when it's safe. Being a busy street at noon downtown it took awhile, she turned to me and said, "your real patient..I wish I could be that patient". I just laughed real hard and she started to laugh too. Walking away I admired the Christmas circus theme windows of the large department store trying hard for good holiday sales.

Today is worlds AIDS awareness day think and link and I'm not really sure if anyone is really listening. The world has had so many problems it seems that most are forgotten about in the winds of time. I have no personal stories to tell but I know that each day thousands of people are lost to this condition. The resources available to mankind are formidable but the wisdom to use them are scarce. So many bright lights are lost to our sight, may peace be with them.

On a suggestion from a friend I spent tonight watching Junkyard Wars on the Learning Channel. Tonight happened to be the two hour Mega World Championship pitting three national teams in semi-serious mechanical competition. Team Raptor from the US was comprised of a group of Lockheed/Martin combat aircraft engineers from their sorta secret Skunk works. Team Bulldog was made up some British army engineers and team Bear seemed to be manned by some mechanically inclined Russians plus a rouge German. Each team had free reign to pick from a huge junkyard and 16 hours to create a vehicle that would win a straight up sand flats race, a rocky rough terrain race, and mile long water race. The Americans were able to pull off a solid victory with little drama( they had to paddle through much of the water race). The show was fairly amusing and I'd probably watch it again.

I really think the big headed blue alien Walkman commercials are brilliant and very funny.

It took two days but I think I've recovered from the Saturday night house warming party. Well attended by punk and metal boyz and grrlls and the rest of us less exciting folk. Furious billiards and pinball in the metal basement as much license was taken in the games of 8-ball. Hip hop first floor meant serious booze and food while dodging the darts masters. I continue my eating rampage that started last Thursday, there is no turning back. The allure of the T-angle bar battleship hoagie at 1:30 a.m. is undeniable. All through the night I watched the pocket Etch A Sketch make its rounds on both floors as the official toy of the evening. At about 2:30 I'm cornered by the man of the house for a few shots of JD, he's really gone. I don't drink but I go through with it for male bonding sake and at least it good whiskey. The carpool leaves at around 4:00 as we drag Dom from his Nintendo baseball game.

Tough going getting up after last nights thang...sleep friendly cool rainy weather doesn't help either..zombie lurch to the HOT sprinkly water chamber...feeling good. Grande Kenyan and cran muf to go as I rapidly advance to work. I think this will be a good day.

Surprise visit at work today by long ago acquaintance. Almost didn't recognize him because he looked like hell. Uncharacteristically long unkempt hair, loss of about 40 or so pounds, wild look in the eyes. Curiosity and concern made me ask if he wanted to step out for a quick coffee to yak to which he agreed. Moving from DC to the west coast two years ago for work apparently sucked the life out of him. As I sipped at my Grande Columbian blend I felt a few gears had broken off and some melded as he rambled on. It was not good to see someone who had it altogether seem so weird in a depressing way. Hopefully he'll be able to turn it around.
Playfully mocked by fellow co-workers for having real "stone fingers" on the keyboard. I never really noticed this before, because it never crossed my mind that I had weighty digital action. I guess I'm just not the delicate type..ho..ho.

Thanksgiving went off without a hitch at the folks house yesterday. Each year some element of the meal is suspect by mom who cooked it. This time the gravy was too runny and the stuffing not seasoned right. I thought the gravy and stuffing were fine and I told her so, that's usually how it goes. Asked Dad for a roll and he playfully tosses it across the table in violation of all table manners. We laugh because after all no one is around but us. After dinner I'm drafted into a game of NASCAR Monopoly by the racing fans of the family, four hours later I gain a taxing victory over my youngest nephew who bet heavily on the NASCAR equivalant of Boardwalk and Parkplace, the little guy had me sweating bullets each time I went around the board till he started to land more on my tracks(properties). Sometimes staying safely in Monopoly jail while collecting rentals is a good thing. Later, near perfect pumpkin pie with coffee makes it all worthwhile. Same nephew who went the distance in monopoly wants to play some two player UNO, which we do for a bit before he leaves. Traditional late night turkey snacking with Mom while Dad again defies leftover convention with a hard salami sandwich and a beer.

Coffee, muffin and the Times at the usual stop sitting at one corner. Behind me local tech suit and ties discuss the future of the city with big money numbers and words. Big money being offered for Bin Laden and the Afghan movie places are jamed. Unafiliated suit D shows up and is asked by suit A is he wants to meet the other players which I guess are suits B and C. They are pieces on a board that I don't care about. Off to work.

A much cooler temperature accompanied by a thick fog is tonights look here. I havn't seen a haze like this for awhile.. a little creepy. Speaking of creepy I saw David Lynch's new movie Mulholland Drive last night, I found myself laughing at alot at things that were just plain wrong. Preview of Brotherhood of Wolves looked awesome. The idea of werewolf intrigue in what looks like pre-revolutionary France could be a great movie. I believe it is a French production refitted for the American market. Sipping on Celestial Seasonings "Sleepytime" Herb Tea as I play on the net.

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh mouth. Terms for the suspension of fighting between the Allies and Germany were signed at Marshal's Foch's headquarters, a railway carriage in the Forest of Compiegne,on November 11th, 1918. This Armistice concluded the "War the end all Wars".

On the way to get the second large coffee of the day my attention is drawn to a couple locked in a playful hong kong action duel. While so occupied I'm practically overrun by a quartet of well dressed, clean cut Mormon missionaries.

I must really like the Vandals because in the attempt to delete my "skrew" spelling invention I posted twice..fucking brilliant..and I can't seem to fix it..fuck it.
Took a trip to Kings with da boyz, something we have not done for awhile. The stares as we walk in are usually priceless. Good to see the war council of vets in the same place we left them a few months ago. Fun older waitress that keeps the coffee coming and convinces all of us to try the "Johan Moose Dropping" ice cream sundae. Disappointing people watching session tonight, Kings is usually crawling with archetypes. Downed our Moose Dropping and went home.

Last nights Chainmail game really fucked me up as I woke up with a resounding headache. The game was pretty good using lots of well painted minis and several sets of Master Maze, but after 7 hours of dungeon crawl action all the wandering monsters murderized us..we suck..Theseus had only one Minotaur to deal with.. I think we had the entire Minotaur local 978 and giant rats-r-us demanding attention. Grown men pushing little metal figures around a miniature labyrinth with tape meaures, heated rules debates, empassioned dice hurling and gamer locker room talk till 3:30 in the morning, not to mention I think we had the cd from the first Conan movie on continual loop. Can we geekout or what!
After some coffee and aspirin I trundled off to gym to hopfully do the body some good. I kicked off with some chest work for the first time in awhile since I pulled something two weeks ago, it went ok but my head was thumping so badly I couldn't really tell. Because of the nice weather their was alot of sleeveless ts and wife beaters being worn, I however went for a blue muti-layered, all covering, gulag sweats which is my standard. After tris and shoulders I did squats and leg presses and then my headache broke, just like I knew it would if I went to the gym. That is one of many reasons why the gym is a good thing. Large coffee from starbucks en route home completes the healing process.

According to this I'm either an elephant a bison or a mouse... I'm more confused than ever.....and speaking of animals, I'd give almost anything to see an old episode of Mutual of Omaha's "Wild Kingdom" with Marlin Perkins getting Jim in mucho animal danger in each show.

"Ph-nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn,"
"In his house at R'lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming"
That is not dead which can eternal lie,
And with strange eons even death may die.
H.P. Lovecraft- The Call of Cthulhu

God in his pity made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form is a filthy type of yours, more horrid from its very resemblance.
Mary Shelly-Frankenstein

Ho Ho Ho, this was sorta fun an I sorta leaned to cut-n-paste. Good thing I'm sorta more punk than geek or goth...ha..ha..ha..boy I suck at all three of these classifications... I need another test.

I AM 29% GOTH.

Goth ny night, normal by day. Deep in my
heart I know I am evil, but not on the
company's time. I do need to eat.

Take the GOTH Test at Fuali.com!

I AM 24% GEEK.

I wanna be a geek. But I'm not. Why would
I even want to be one. Do I think it's fun?
I should try writting an online test application at 1
am in my underwear.

Take the GEEK Test at Fuali.com!

I AM 33% PUNK.

Well, I may know what punk is, but... Okay
maybe some people think I am punk, but is
that enough? Nope.

Take the PUNK/POSER Test at Fuali.com!

Sloane snarled: "Well Hooligan, you asked for it. Here's where I head you for a hospital!' He shifted from the scissors to a spread eagle, and licked his chops as he jammed the pressure on his toe hold. Jimmy's face twisted. Breath hissed through clenched teeth. He pounded the mat and writhed. Hurricane Sloane chuckled. "Nothing in the rules against a man quitting." The kid tensed. "I'll quit--when your shoulders are glued to the mat!" Again the champ shifted, forcing Jimmy flat on his stomach with a half nelson and hammerlock. He sat on the kid's back and secured a crab, the double toe hold. Raising himself, Sloane dug his heels in the canvas and threw everything into a vicious rowing movement. Jimmy groaned. The crowd silenced. For the kingpin's great muscles were bulging and his little eyes gleamed with a killer's intensity. Heather Wayne was at the ring. "Stop it!" she cried. "Oh Jimmy, please, please quit. You shouldn't have gone on with a broken foot. He'll cripple you for life!"------
Excerpts from "The Determination Kid" Ace Sports pulp circa 1935. One hundred and twentyseven pages of pre-war sports action all for a thin dime. I'm not even going to talk about the ad sections that just will not stop. I think "G-8 and his Battle Aces" vol 20 April 1940 is next on the stack, the lead story "Wings of the Dragon Lord" looks pretty great.

Its time to cook the chicken--bok!--bok!--bok!--its dead now in da skillet frying up with lemon pam and lots o pepper. No fancy recipe here just cookin till the smoke detector starts squakkin. Chicken is an essential part of my protein nutritional attack. Must repeat mantra daily ..I like chicken..I like chicken. Next..maybe some nice pasta to go with this chicken..

Been listening to several selections from the Capital Ultra-Loungevery,very cool series. I think this was produced some four years ago, so far "the Crime Scene" is most played with a great Dragnet opener, 007 themes, Peter Gunn Suite, and an Alfred Hitchcock closer to name a few selections. "Bongo Land" is also a winner. Really classy, fun music from a bygone day, highly recommended, good work from the Capital folk.

Last night I got my scheduling all screwed up. Instead of going to see the Misfits at a local venue, I found myself playing Axis and Allies Europe with a customer and his son who I promised a game earlier in the week..pathetic confusion..oh well. It was fun to take in the father/son interaction on just how they were going to conduct the strategic war against the Germany in 1941. The son who was defending the Russian motherland wasn't taking advice to eagerly from his Anglo/American player Dad. Funny how a game made of cardboard, plastic pieces and dice can sometimes simulate the actual political situation. This is sounding too gamegeeky so I'm going to stop, it was a fun three hours of History Channel-like action.
I went to the local upscale gym tonight for an all around workout. I've gotten into the habit the past few weeks to showing up here on friday nights for a change of pace. One of our more aloof customers seemed to recognize me and kept looking at me as to say "what are you doing here". I was going to say something but I didn't fucking feel like it, especially to him. I've been using plate machines for bench press but tonight I felt like doing regular bench and I really yanked something in my inner right shoulder..damn!..I dropped some weight and completed my sets. This really makes me mad, but I think I need to lay off heavy bench, inclines and flys, and focus on other stuff for awhile. However on the lower half, I pushed leg presses to greater weight than ever before to make up for my collapsing chest program. I guess I need to just keep plugging away and be patient for results.

I left work mid-afternoon because low sales were driving me mad and I had to get to my gym to renew my membership today. Good workout made me forget my retail funk, helped spot some big dude through his 315lbs. bench press sets. If I keep eating my spinach and chicken maybe I'll be able to do the same thing someday..probably not anytime soon. EXCELLENT Fall weather, cold, wet, very very blustery, yellow and gold leaves flying everywhere. This is by far my favorite season.

Had another workout at the yup gym, I really liked their Hammer Strength iso-lateral hi row machine, it was a real back burner. The yup gym is a nice place to visit but I think I'm going to renew my membership at my current gym. Its not as flashy but it definately gets the job done and thats what counts.
In the world of boxing Mike Tyson(139lb.) soundly manhandled Brian "Danish Pastry"Neilson(260 lbs.) in a six round bout. Before the fight in Copenhagen the crowd of 25,000 sang the Neilson's theme song "Always Look On The Bright Side of Life" from the Monty Python movie "The Life of Brian" and threw plastic ears into the ring as a reminder of Tyson's ear biting incident with Evander Holyfield. The "Danish Pastry"nicknamed for his ample midsection claimed he would beat Tyson black and blue, but it seems he was on the receiving end and on the canvas the whole fight till he gave up. Tyson who weighed in some twenty pounds heavier than his normal weight claimed that with two more fights he would be ready to assualt the Heavyweight title for a third time. The Tyson camp just seem to get more and more unusual, from ear biting to wanting to eat opponent's children and now, boxing/battering large Scandinavians. Despite all the weirdness, Tyson still is a complete engine of boxing destruction and it will be interesting to see where it all goes. That Mao tattoo on his right arm is just too much.

Last night I went to the super yuppie gym because I couldn't wake up to get to my normal semi-yup gym. Attendance seemed low as I would expect from a friday night, strong sleek physiques, professionals keeping tip top, exercise bike people, and the unshaven, unstreamlined but with new tennie shoes me. I rifled through my chest/tris/legs workout along with a little arms and back so I guess I got the most of my one hour visit. Some good work coming from our small group, not much talking just work. Many multicolored sports drinks downed by the guy who spent the hour punishing his shoulders. One girl wanted to do pull ups but couldn't reach the bars, she kept jumping and jumping. I saw here while I was doing straight bar curls and wanted to help but she got frustrated and walked away..oh well, I'm sure she'll get it next time. Perfect autumn weather, stopped at Starbucks on the walk back for a big coffee and a looksee at the Times.

The music of Beethovens 7th from last weeks movie Zardoz will not leave me alone. I think I would like to see Boorman's Excalibur sometime soon, if I remember Orff's Carmina Burana is used to great effect. That movie has incredible armour designs, especially the Grecian style gold suit worn by Modred. Staff clowning around with yesterdays Vampire gummi fangs..everybody thinks their a funny Nosferatu..."halloween novelties" aren't as popular the second day..candy corn all gone.

Mid afternoon indigestion makes me sneak out to get Pepto-Bismol at the local drug store, so I ask the staff, does anyone want anything? We would like some gum and candy please(usually its Whoppers from Burger King, but suddenly they become 1st graders and want gum and candy)..gum and candy eh?..well what type of gum and candy?(knowing what picky bastards they are)..oh we don't know..just get whatever..no, tell me what you want..we want Wrigleys doublemint or spearmint..and the candy..mmm..whatever...how about some candy corn I suggest...mmm...ok.. they say. Off I go to the RX, along the way the blind rocking guy with boom box is belting the most powerful Star Spangled Banner I have ever heard, Its sounds better than most renditions you hear but occasionally there is weird tonality. Grabed two big bottles of the Pepto knockoff (it was $2.00 cheaper) and the gum for the team. This drug store is as big as an airplane hanger, three weeks before Halloween and not one big bag of candy corn in the whole place..amazing. Next stop speciality candy shop on way back, hardly any corn left, decide to balance out bag with "Halloween Novelties" and gummi vampire fangs. On arrival staff is pleased with their confectionary gifts and convince me to go home early..I agree being I don't feel much better..home I go to guzzle much pink liquid and rest. I think I feel a cold coming on..darn.

Last week the award winning Blast!The Show performance group set up shop for almost a week in our fair city. I thought about going but I'd been there and done that all before and I didn't feel it was worth the $50.00 ticket. The pampered pets from Star of Indiana can't cut it with the big boys at DCISummer Music Gamesso they run off with Canadian Brass for a few years doing some type of midget drum corp crap, then take it to NYC and expect the world to love them, which I guess they did. I snickerd when the review in the Times wondered what the big deal was about, but it didn't matter, everyone acted like they invented the whole genre all by themselves. Whatever.. on any given cool summer evening at a DCI regional any one of the heavies would make Blast look like the South Park VFW drum and baton drill team. I can't believe I'm even writing about this since I've been out of that loop for a real long time.. I think I'm just bitter that Star of Indiana thinks that their crap is better than everyone elses..grrr..more stupid venting on things I don't care about anymore later.

The weekend in a nutshell...Friday I was invited to a group movie night. The selection was Zardoz John Boorman's 1973 scifi vision I swear any movie Sean Connery is in just plan kicks ass, I'm never disappointed. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that this movie existed but never saw it..wow.. just amazing..one of the best intros I've seen in any movie period..very strange, worth watching again, very surreal..recommended. Saturday night I walked over to the campus area to check out Civil War reinactors who were camped out at a local museum. I ran into two customers from work whom I know quite well who were with the 26th Virginia Infantry company F. Who would of thought, rebels bivouacked this far north. It was pretty cold and I asked them if they needed something from the 21st century, but they said that they were ok. Somehow I believed them, they looked warmer than me in their grey heavy wool overcoats with campfires blazing not far away. The Union boys and girls were set up some thirty feet away from them in similar comfort. I said goodbye to search out a hot cup of coffee from somewhere other than Unimart. As I walked away I passed a group of skateboard kidzs that seem bemused that their play area was occupied by 19th century pretend warriors, they didn't seem really angry just confused, I was somewhat amused by them then horrified as I see Nardo the giant towering over the bus stop. Nardo has been a denizen of these parts for quite sometime and I'm still in awe. He must be over 7 feet tall and over 400 pounds..really scary, I can't really give more discription than that, maybe someother time. All of the coffee haunts seem to have closed eariler than I think they should, so I shuffle back home to get some sleep. Sunday night our game huddle decides on Samurai: the game of politics and warfare in feudal Japan 12-17th century. This blast from the past, Avalon Hill 1980, is a multiplayer simulation of the period as players vie for conrol of the japanese court and the ancient capital of Kyoto. My best laid plans were constantly thwarted by the multiple "Cherry Blossom Festival" random events that seemed to crop up over and over again. How can you lay a successful siege only to be called by the Emperor to attend a glorified flower show? Nonetheless Shogun Chris crushed us all with his gameplay and samurai movie dialogue. Not a bad weekend I guess, on to sleep and tomorrow.

Gee, this can't be this easy, there must be more to this than this. I feel like a complete idiot(again) that I didn't start this earlier. And I really like the insta sexy template designed by some other bright person. Oh well, I'll start the real first entry tomorrow. I'm now going off to investigate a large group of civil war reinactors that have camped out at a local museum. Thank you Blogger, I think this will be fun.

This is a test..this is only a test..in case of a real emergency take two aspirins and call us in the morning..boy, I hope I'm doing this right.