The German defeat marked a turning point in the war, crushing Hitler's drive to isolate the Soviet heartland from the southern oil fields, and the battle remains a powerful symbol of Soviet courage and perseverance during the second world war, which is often called the Great Patriotic War in Russia.

Stalingrad anniversary

Just read a preview copy of Rawhide Kid which will be released next Wednesday. Kinda alright, Marvel is so full of shit with their Parental Advisory-Explicit Content cover tag, this book is tame-tame-tame. Very nice Dave Johnson cover and fine interior pencils from industry vet John Severin.

Hey, Syrian chicken wrap + arabic coffee + baklava = lunch...bunch of stuff to do at work..gotta go...

corn syrup, golden raisins, unbleached enriched wheat flour [flour, reduced iron, niacin, thiamin mononitrate (B1), riboflavin (B2), folic acid], cherries, EGGS, pineapple, partially hydrated vegetable shortening (soybean, cottonseed), PECANS, sugar, fruit peels (grapefruit, orange, lemon), high fructose corn syrup, water, invert sugar, tapioca dextrin, honey, natural & artificial flavors, mono- and diglycerides, spices, salt, polysorbate 60, modified cornstarch, perservatives (sodium propionate, potassium sorbate, sulfiting agents), sorbitan monostearate, citric acid, red 40, turmeric color, yellow 5&6, blue 1. FRUIT CAKE 363 CONTAINS NUTS. MAY CONTAIN TRACE AMONTS OF MILK, SOY PRODUCTS. RBS2052 PRODUCT OF CANADA

*it's still here and festive looking*

Strawberry Bon Bons are a product of Argentina. Sour Fruit Buttons, Ice Blue Mints, Starlight Mints and Anise Buttons are a product of Mexico.

"I come out of the theater with a lot of abstract little markings that I then translate into line. The important thing is that the drawing look a little bit like the actor I am drawing. There is a lot of trial and error and a lot of erasing until I can get it as far as I can, before the final inking. It is not a pretty process"

Al Hirschfeld passes on at 99

Comic Art

With a pow and a zap, cartoon imagery has recently exploded. Artists, graphic novelists, and zine makers everywhere are taking advantage of the potential to tell stories in a recognizable and familiar language. From Japan to Israel to the Americas, artists use cartoon imagery to address problematic issues that are difficult to assimilate into the mainstream through purely realistic depictions. In the process, they participate in the construction of identity in its many guises, weaving aspects such as race, gender, sexual orientation, violence and war, loss of innocence, and the commodification of identity into complex, layered tales. And at times, they make us laugh at ourselves.

Attended the opening of the Comic Release show with the Pack. Very nice, will have to come back to spend more time with less people around.

Baked Goods Talk
"So Johann, what do you think of Devil's Food Cake?"
......."I'm somewhat ambivelent".....

Beers and Polish food with the boyz at the BBT. Ride over was iffy in this snow fall and bill was higher than expected, but we had a good time I think. Dale ran off with some glassware, the scoundral!! Pierogi's were good but we have had better, needed more butter and onions!! Dollar import night, but selection picked over....Garlack was carded despite his sixteen years past the required age.

It also happens more often to fat patients, simply because there is more room inside them to lose equipment, according to the study
Nurse!! where's my pooky thingermagigger!!

A nice gentle snow is coming down here in the burgh, it's very nice.

While at work we were glued to to radio for this. Poor Brownies. I watch more mtv than i should and certainly less than i used to, today it was some type of battle of the sexes bullshit. Almost everyone is good looking and has normal or extroverted personalities, enough I say, I want to see reality programing with people like these, out with the beautiful in with the freaks! The Osbornes, only not known or rich and really really nerdy. Dinner today was number eleven spaghetti with pepperoni flavored sauce, italian bread and later vanilla, coffee.

While walking to the gym I ran into my old workout buddy who was killing time till his kid was done with ccd. He was planning a coffee at starjerks but was easliy persuaded to join me for a quick work out. We decide to do shoulder work which I have been known to ignore. Good to get through forgotten exercises, my bud's sorta a monster doing double my poundages and gettin more than a few ' who's this guy' looks from the other patrons. He had to go and I finished off with some leg presses and calf work. Faced the scale and it told me that the holiday gave me an extra ten pounds that I don't need. Plan for the first quarter of 03', lose that ten plus some more and reinstitute regular shoulder work.

Tostitos Gold Hosts First-Ever Live Halftime Challenge Event During Tostitos Fiesta Bowl As Ohio State Buckeyes and Miami Hurricane Cheerleaders Kick Field Goals For $250,000. Not only did the Buckeyes pull out a great victory but their cheerleaders whupped up their Canes' opposites during the above challenge. And while I'm at it i think tv coverage could have did a little better than five seconds of Miami's weak woodwind section marching at a catatonic pace. Seeing the traditional 'Ohio' signature with the tuba ' i ' dot would have been nice or a few seconds of the cranking Ohio snareline. God bless the FritoLay company for hosting this fine Ohioan victory over those Florida braggarts!

Late night dinner: Deer chops on kaiser roll and horseradish mustard, the deer was slain by my kinfolk out east...yeehaww....

Yesterday I went to the Museum gift shop to buy this great Karim Rashid chess set I had eyed up a few weeks ago, only to find out that they had sold out of their six copies. I was pissed, mostly at myself for waiting to long, they will try to back order it for me. Today I had to settle for a tin box of nifty "Orange" pencils by Rashid, I like them alot, hope that they can get the chess set in for me.

First Day
Roll out of bed early because I can't really sleep extra like I wanted to with a bad headache pounding away. It think it was the homemade wine at last night's New Year's eve get together that did this to me. Long shower, no shave, it sounds like it's raining hard outside. Decide to step out toward campus to scare up some breakfast, the walk is very rainy both coming down and on the ground, lots of splish-spalsh. Freda's is open and I ponder whether it should be French toast of cheese omelet, I decide to go with omelet and a side of bacon. Food comes quick and is exactly what I need at the moment..mmm..coffee. Drunken man three seats down from me tries to get my attention but I ignore him, I don't feel like dealing with that now. He later mutters toward me "asshole" and keeps staring at me attempting to recognize his existence, I don't pay attention, I think he's really pissed off at me. I don't want a strange ass confrontation or worse yet a weird brawl now, today or here. I don't look at him and he soon leaves to hopfully sleep it off. I walk back in the still pouring rain to the office to get some work done so my tomorrow will run smoother, chomp on some wonderful Chinese roll cookies friends from Philly brought me yesterday, work quickly gets done. Get home, call parents and friends to wish them a happy New Year, head still hurts.....

Just back from seeing Gangs of New York. Horribly brutal movie set in Civil War era New York City. Well done time piece but extremely violent.

Alpha Sandwich
Snuck out of work to do some C shopping with Jarlack, we were also lunch hungry. Decide on trying small italian import store we heard made good sandwiches. Once in we were surrounded by various pasta, olive oils, candies and cookies, spices, etc. Toward the back stood the deli section with salami of different shapes and sizes hanging from the ceiling. I ask about the sandwiches and the antler wearing help says that their Italian sandwiches are made with one whole loaf of bread with alot of meats and cheeses and lettuce and tomato. We split the sandwich and decide to go for the hot peppers, and boy were they! A totally great sandwich experience, will see if rest of staff would like this for lunch this tuesday. The best sandwich I've had for a long time, next time either sweet peppers or none at all.

Alpha Sandwich
Snuck out of work to do some C shopping with Jarlack, we were also lunch hungry. Decide on trying small italian import store we heard made good sandwiches. Once in we were surrounded by various pasta, olive oils, candies and cookies, spices, etc. Toward the back stood the deli section with salami of different shapes and sizes hanging from the ceiling. I ask about the sandwiches and the antler wearing help says that their Italian sandwiches are made with one whole loaf of bread with alot of meats and cheeses and lettuce and tomato. We split the sandwich and decide to go for the hot peppers, and boy were they! A totally great sandwich experience, will see if rest of staff would like this for lunch this tuesday. The best sandwich I've had for a long time, next time either sweet peppers or none at all.

I didn't want too but the staff convinced me to drink beer and have a few pieces of pizza with them tonight. Christmas shopping will have to wait till tomorrow.

Yes! Why don't you *! Ha!

Day started with early morning coffee and scones with friend who was coming off a twelve hour work shift. We discussed home schooling, Presidential foibles, the Olympia results, his eleven year old son's infatuation with the battleship Bismarck and other things. Later at work Dale wouldn't shut up about his fantasy football team doing so well, I could really give a fuck and wish he would just do his job and shut the fuck up, I had a lot of things on my mind and things that needed to be done, I just found it particularly annoying today. Had a short somewhat unexpected meeting with someone that I had done business with for the past few years but never met in person. The meeting went better than I expected and was able to achieve my desired goals. For many years I had a certain person in mind from what others told me (mostly negative), but found him to be very personable and friendly.
I was very happy with the overall results of that encounter. A very nice customer who remembers us each year with a wonderful tray of Christmas cookies showed up today. I can not begin to tell you how perfect and delicious these cookies are, Martha Stewart would be hard pressed to do better, Good House Keeping magazine cover material here. Currently sipping on coffee liqueur and typing this. Tomorrow, midnight showing of Two Towers with a band of geekatrons, should be well worth it.

Heard at Work
"You can't expect me to unpack those boxes...I'm an artist not a machine"
-Dale trying to get out processing large holiday product shipment while he works on his LOTR terrain project, I believe he's working on part of Helms Deep.
"I have to go...that was my wife, my son stuck a chickpea up his nose and we have to take him to the emergency room"
-I don't understand, chickpeas are not a food for kids...they should be at least 14 till they have their first chickpea...
"Never trust a straight girl"
-Gender challenged customer who never ceases to confound me.

After shift white trash pizza with the boyz and a trip for supplies to homo despot...work is real grinding this time of year as everyone wants a part of us...I'm feeling fairly rocked and not really in the mood to write shit....

The German super battleship Bismarck was sunk on May 27th, 1941 by British naval fire and torpedoes, or was it? New evidence gathered from recent expeditions to its watery grave three miles down and 600 miles west of the French coast have American and British experts at odds. The American camp championed by Dr. Alfred S. Mclaren of the Explorers Club of New York City and movie director James Cameron believe that the ship was skuttled by its crew to prevent it from falling into British hands as proven by the lack of significant damage to the armored hull of the ship. British naval experts have rejected these recent findings as much rubbish and have acknowledged the skuttling to a greater or lesser degree. Read the article, watch Cameron's Discovery Channel documentary, see the movie.

1943- Operation Galvanic the U.S. invasion of Tarawa begins.

Night at the Opera: Zip out of work for a quicko change into the monkey suit..should shave..looking a bit scruffy..don't feel like it.. pick paisley tie..in a rush, i look ok. Rush to grab coffee to go as i want one and for whatever reason the opera house doesn't serve the stuff. Picked up thirty minutes before curtain time by opera buddy, we talk about Saudi Arabia's religious leanings and religion in general, before you know it we're on the sixth story parking--slam-slam...quick pace to get there before it starts. We make it in good time, i run out to the lobby and get us both a box of Dotts, the official concession of my opera visits. Tonight it's the comic opera Cinderella by Gioachino Rossini. I've never seen this opera before but have always really liked any and all Rossini I've heard. The opening stage setting of a crooked, leaning room where Cinderella and her step sisters and father lived was great. The secret service bit that the chorus does as the Prince visits the first time is hysterical. The singers and chorus were very good, especially the step father(Don Magnifico) and the Prince's valet(Dandini). The costume design for this version moved away from traditional and used a fun 50's high school prom(yeah, how about that) look from the pastel sport jackets of the all male chorus to the giant aqua-net hair of the step sisters and father to the Elvis looking Dandini posing as the Prince. Great music, singing, costumes, staging, choreography and a great sense of humor made this the best opera I've seen in years. I may even go see this again later this week.

The new thing here is my cat always staring at me at about a foot away while she rocks back and forth kneading the floor and purring a monsterously deep purr.......its been happening alot and it's somewhat comical, anything for attention I guess...it works, she gets a kitty rub.....repeat-stare-bobtobobfro-purr-stare-rubrubrub-repeat-stare-.......ah, the life of the house pet.

Back from dentist, first visit in almost two years. Hygienist is totally into my teeth and my brushing habits. She tilted the mirror so I could see all the fine work she was doing and we talked about flossing and how I need to do it more regularly. Till now I've only been an every now and again flossier, but she's got me all excited about doing it every night before I go to bed. Dentist found a broken tooth, a filling missing in action and a cavity, she asked me if I have been eating rocks to which I replied no. I'm coming back next month to get this work done, I may have a root canal and crowns in my future. The hygienist gave me a travel sample of glide floss and a nice orange clear plastic tooth brush, I really think she likes my teeth.

After over four years of fighting in Belgium, north central France, all of eastern Europe, northern Italy, the Dardanelles, the Middle East, German East Afrika, Tsingtao, the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the skies over London and many other places i'm missing, with aircraft, poisonous gas, flame throwers, dreadnoughts, Zeppelins, tanks, machine guns, heavy artillery, submarines and other methods of modern warfare, resulting in some 10,000,000 dead and 20,000,000 wounded, World War One ends with an Armistice signed in a railway car, November 11, 1918.

Extra time today resulted in a spontaneous laundry run: pants, tops and socks. I usually take something to read, this time it's a small book on punctuation hoping to improve some. I load the wershers, insert payment card, water starts pouring in. Only then do I realize that I forgot to grab my book out of the laundry bag and it's now being soaked. Luckily I get it out before it's really wet. I wonder if anyone caught my most swift move? I grab my bottle of Tide and my semi-wet book and get lost reading about terminal marks, in between pages my eyes wander at the black haired hottie doing the same thing I'm doing, washing clothes that is. Close to the spin cycle a crazy man wanders in, tries to say hi to me, mumbles about having to do laundry and then precedes to take off the sweats he's wearing. I've come to accept the fact that I have a very poor sense of smell but this dude completely stank to even me, maybe he should throw himself into one of the double loaders for a few minutes. Spin cycle done, time to drydrydry for thirty minutes or so. Kids are occupied watching Shreck on video, I wouldn't mind seeing that again myself. Read more about various sentence types, slyly glancing at BHH as he folds clothes and then leaves. Thirty minutes up I follow suite, folding then leaving.

Spent the evening grading a collection of Magnus Robot Fighter for a friend at a local coffee spot. It was a pleasure to spend some time with one of the hippest comics of the 60's!

The Dutch are so smart. I knew if I kept slamming them down it would be a good thing. Beautiful warmer Fall day here today, trying to find excuses to walk outside during work.

Stone-spear-sling-arrow-ballista-catapult-bombard-field cannon-railway siege gun-heavy modern artillery-Military laser cannon.

Well, it's good to know they figured it out. Bahhh...

"I never hugged my radio so closely as I did last night. I held a crucifix in my hand and prayed while looking out of my open window for falling meteors. I also wanted to get a faint whiff of the gas so that I would know when to close my window and hermetically seal my room with waterproof cement or anything else I could get hold of. My plan was to stay in the room and hope that I would not suffocate before the gas blew away. When the monsters were wading across the Hudson River and coming into New York, I wanted to run up on my roof to see what they looked like, but I could not leave my radio while it was telling me of their whereabouts."
-Mrs. Delaney, an ardent Catholic from a New York suburb

1938: Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre of the Air present a radio adaptation of "War of the Worlds."

Martians have been on my mind lately......

Spent the evening playing the engaging Lord of the Rings card game with chums, during which we stopped to watch two police cars break up an anti-war protest of about thirty people or so. Nothing to ugly, nobody seemed to be hurt or arrested, but it was momentarily out of control, defiantly marching down the middle of the street. After the excitemnt ended we went back to our card game, drinking fancy coffee drinks and eating maryjane.bmp mary janes.

Richard and I tried a new local deli that does breakfast this morning. We both ordered tall stacks of pancakes with coffees and juice. The cakes were too large to finish and very "hot off the griddle." I think this deli has some real possibilities and was already busy with customer traffic while we ate.

1944: Today starts the Battle of Leyte Gulf, largest naval engagement in history and the begining of the end for the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Don't worry honey, I'm just admiring the beautiful floral design you painted all over your car and the aggressive stickers you stuck on that big 70's bumper. Very nice.

Dinner: Chicken breast, cut carrots and potatoes, Italian bread, home-made sweet pickles and tomato juice and day old bakery bought French Apple pie. Good meal, coffee later.

Braved the cold weather to get the tribe food stuffs from the campus Burger King. Yes, that's five king sized fries, a whopper, a double whopper w/cheese, a double cheese burger and five of the very cool Simpson's Kang toys. Order is put together suprisingly fast, I grab napkins, ketchup and mayo packets and skidaddle back to the club house. The agents on duty were delighted with their toys.

I don't like this new K Mart logo idea. The big K's never going to turn it around with ideas like that. Fukin Walmart. Only Target can save us.

Oh, I almost forgot, it's the anniversary of the Battle of Hastings. Play a very cool simulation.

Your blogger code is:

B5 d-- d-- k-- s+ u- f i- o++ x- e- l c++

hohaho.........

I bought the latest edition of the weekly world news and a York peppermint patty at my local 7-11. The cover story "Iraqi sub prowling Lake Michigan" Iraqisubs.bmp really intrigued me from a strategic point of veiw. The very concept of a fleet minisubs manned by Islamic radicals terrorizing the great lakes region is strange enough, this however is the real deal. Tonight the 7-11 seemed to be operated by very short people, bordering on dwarves.

GOOD HJGHFKJS'S!!! What is that smell!!!!! The jostling has stoped, I don't care I'm climbing out of the bag. I'm tired of looking at fucking bagels. Bagel this bagel that, all we did growing up was chew on fucking bagels (and maybe some yummy pan grease)---What's that smell---it smell sooooooooo good---movejumpmovejumpjumpjumpmove---bah light---but, sniffsniffsniff------------jumpfrom top of baglip-----------ahhhlooky!!!!-----------this tub of soft white goodness----i've tried this before--way long ago---yumyumyum---i'm rolling around in this white goodness---yeahyeahmunchmunchmuch------BOOMSTEPBOOMSTEPBOOMSTEP----Woah the big guys are coming again----I'm outta here!!!!!!!------skipjumpmovemovemoveJUMPOFFTABLEontoFLOOR-----aaaaaaAAAAaaaa------the darknessFALLS__--aaaaaaCRUNCHSPLATTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (This morning after we finished our ritual bagels with cream cheese and coffee, my fellow coworkers and I noticed we were not alone, a FUCKING Cockroacha had jumped out the bagel bag and was dancing in the cream cheese. IT noticed it wasn't alone and tried to make a mad escape, only to be summarily dispatched by Dan's big boot. Fuckings cockroaches and mosquitos can go to hell!!!...grrr....

Behold! QUAOAR

dots3.bmpdots4.bmp I've been told that Dots are one of the lost members of the four food groups. Those who are hopped up on fancy coffee drinks sometimes spell Dots with an extra "t", Dotts (silly). Dots are best bought in a movie sized box at your theatre of choice and not at the local gas stop where they are unloved and stale. Dots are a confectionery triumph.

dots2.bmp

dots.bmp

Turk wanted me to see sorry ass samurai medieval flick with him..FUCK THAT..I'm going to see the PUPPET SHOW!!! Went last year, was so incredibly insane had to go again. Old brew works turned into art commune hosted event. Show started with gnome hosts playing horns and other things, onto a fun puppet/stage show about palindromes, then crazy dance competition between giant dryer lint puppets, intermission. Next up the gnomes battled a giant balloon headed bridge troll and defeated it with music and a sharp pin, then a toy puppet show showcasing US foreign policy and ending with a very traditional marionette rendition of Peter Pan. Went to nearby coffeeshop/bar for sandwich a joe and a few smirnoff ice's. I try to use my two hour old transfer on the ride back only to be chastised by the driver as I get off, he doesn't make me pay though. I swear everytime I try something sneaky it always backfires on me....have to get to work early tomorrow to finish project I started last night.

Spent after hours friday night clearing the clutter at work while others logged numbers into record books and still others drank and entertained. On the way home broke all the rules, bought a bottle of grape Crush (I'm trying all flavors beyond classic orange) and a .99 bag of corn chips at the local gas station. Adventures in food thats bad for you have been tough lately due to the fact our local convenience store somehow closed, how I don't know, they always seemed to be doing good business. Back to work on Saturday by ten, things were busy for a good part of the day. Our afternoon event was well attended as republican Romans faced off against feudal Japanese and ancient Indians, mixed what ifs in miniature on a miniature topography. I think the Indian Elephants were able to flank and crush the Roman cohort around four o'clock or so and were later finished off by deadly Japanese archery, not a good day for the Roman army. Spent the evening with an old training buddy, we attended a local bb show that a mutual friend was competing, etiquette aside we critiqued and laughed too much, any more and I'm sure we would have been asked to leave. Mutual friend was in shape and mentally postive however didn't make the top five trophy cut. He seemed happy enough to just get through it, later I watched him devour about a dozen pieces of pizza as his dietary restrictions were no longer necessary. His entourage was next stopping at Kkreme donuts for round two, my cue to exit stage left. Sunday morning sneak off to the gym for a good back, bis and leg workout then off to work by early afternoon....

I read this really great strip each week in a local entertainment rag. It's a real hoot..go head check it out..gogogo...now...ha.

I like insects and generally leave them alone and try not to step on them. However, the mosquito that was dancing on my front door had it's last tango as my newspaper squashed it like a, you know, bug. We'll have none of that West Nile activity in these parts! SQUITOS BEWARE you are currently insectus non gratus. Ha

i tend to speak in riddles, and getting a straight answer out of me is indeed a notable moment. while i may act a little crazy, i am actually quite lucid and tend to be the voice of reason. my sanity is in a good balance with my insanity.

I haven't posted one of these quizzy things for a while, but it's a cheap post, and pretty much on the mark...oh...Dale confided to me today that he's a connoisseur of all sugars and I witnessed someone wearing k-swiss sandals, what a horrible waste of a fine brand name!

Today my fellow adventures and I faced the Medusa and lived!!! That's all I'll say about that encounter, ask me about it next time you see me in person, luckily none of us turned to stone, but it was close. This past week sucked, everything gettin on my nerves, didn't feel like posting. However nice steak and potato grilling on friday night and saturday late night fun at Indian restaurant/nightclub for half off menu, will go back (dimmed lights, freaky people-us included, non-stop indian dance music, Bollywood videos, vindaloo chicken at #6 spicy, relentless water refills, indian ice cream etc,etc) what a great place...this week is going to suck too...so much to do....argh...

The rolling requiem site is up, detailing the project.

Bartender: "So, your new to Pittsburgh right?" "No, I'm not new at all, but I will take another Smirnoff Ice." I must look like I'm really out of my environment...haha...

Pitt vs Texas A&M at the new Heinz Field today with the relatives...first time there, very impressed. All around open and fresh look. Games at the old stadium were nothing like this...box seating, Sony jumbotron, giant tilting Heinz ketchup bottles when the home team is about to score, everything new and nice. Aggie fans everywhere...impressive performance by the Texas A&M marching band at half time, spit and polish, super dense formations, military step and hard flanks, while playing their "War Hymn" fight song..very cool..Pitt's band was also good but could recruit some more brass players. Oh yeah the game...Pitt tried hard but lost 12-14..they hard some bad calls with field goals, but the made it close. Younger nephew had fun with giant foam panther claw swatting all of us. Spent after game at the Clark Bar, elbowing with alot of really nice aggie fans, I don't know where the Pitt fans were, but they weren't there. I'd do this again.

Drinking "Thumbs Up" the Coca Cola of India in a very nice glass bottle and crunching on Laxmi Brand Coconut Chikki (brittle). The Chikki is very hard and if I'm not careful I'll break a tooth or two. Watching a relatively gentle looking large skinhead bob to and fro to the mambo music on the radio while perusing through the classic ec reprints of Vault of Horror......
End of week dinner at UG, place is bustling, young couple in front of me are showing their baby how to use a toy cell phone. I feel like grabing it (the toy cell phone of course) and throwing it across the room or stomping on it till it is no more...poor kid..I get the turkey burger well done with waffle fries, Heinz ketchup will be used mightily. A big lady setting in front of me is using her plastic straw as a toothpick and didn't finish her pierogis...two strikes. Decide to get the keylime pie instead of the deep dish apple....next time it could be the other way around...pretty stuffed...

Mozart's Requiem has been chosen by the Seattle Symphony Chorale, organizers of a unique 9/11 anniversary event. On Sept 11th starting in New Zealand at 8:46 a.m., the exact moment of the attack, choruses will begin the hour long requiem mass. The event will continue around the globe in different formats for a 24 hour period. So far 160 groups from 24 countries in twenty time zones have signed on. More information will be posted at www.rollingrequiem.org two or three days before Sept.11th.

Heard at work:
>Marshal: "Yeah yaknow, Rich has that bald head the ladies like, that's why I have this long hair, we're both different than short hair guys...it gets the chicks." "Thirtyeight years old two days ago and not one grey hair, probably from not working too much." "The chicks just run their hands through it sometimes." "Seeya...I'm getting over to Trudy's."
>Dale: "Everyone from China's cute"

Some points from today:
1) Given the chance my cat will start grooming my hair...does this mean I'm a member of the pack?
2) Some relatives of mine went bowfishing for carp today...next time I'm demanding to go...shooting fish with arrows sounds like fun
3) All you can eat pasta for dinner sometimes isn't a good idea...ugh..
4) If I see any more of these on the road I think I'll barf...hideous...
Blogger ate an afternoon laundry post I did, I hate when that happens....didn't labor as much as I wanted to today.....back at it tomorrow....

test post*

tonight: Caffeine coworker gives other a right-hook to the buttocks-pow-then spouts, "violence is fun." I grab coffee # 758 of the year and sit and wait for the bus...red headed girl keeps looking at me from behind her notebook which she is reading like a newspaper...yak with staff outside about citations, websites and preferred burial procedures. Bus shows up, I shake to it before I miss it like so many times before....set next to three giant goth chicks, each of whom could eat me up and spit me out, I behave myself and stare out into the street...get off on the s.side...walk past guitar player and two other guys who yell at me to sing with them "Lord I was born a rambling man..." song I laugh and walk past, they keep yelling for me to join them for a least half a block.
Walk into the coffee/bar place I've been hanging out the past few Saturdays...sit at bar and fire up the gin and tonics. I really don't know why I'm doing this, I don't really drink. Place is real busy and upbeat compared to previous nights, I'm not really sure if I'm into this scene right now..I ask if the tv could be put on..I'm denied..I'm a little pissed, all I wanted was the History channel on mute...I could follow the subtitles of "Modern Marvels, the Hoover Dam"...I slam down four gnt's and leave..the guys next to me are holding each other's hands like they were the last couple on earth...I not gettin the vibe tonight..ha..tip, bathroom, leave. On the way back to the bus I pass a long line of folks waiting to get Cambodian food from an outdoor vender..pass diner, see plate of hot roast beef sandwich with gravey/potatoes close to window, think about stopping in, naugh...I don't need that this time of night. "Buddy can you spare a cigarette?", "sorry can't help you I don't smoke"...wait at least 30 minutes for bus, watch the nightlife crowd walk by...bus comes and takes me close enough, stop and visit boyz who started superhero rpg before I left...they are still at it having a good time, I chew on a few of their cold pieces of pizza, leave them a few bucks and go home to sleep (after I write this of course..ha..)

"So when do we start the game?" Richard: "You mean the game between you and me, it's been going on for some time now."...Richard's so funny..haha..more later..ha.

The old man was wearing a yellow theme, beads and a yellow whistle around his neck. His tie was the best, yellow (of course) with brown and black diamonds...I should have told him he had a nice tie, but I didn't. I think the old man was crazy, but that's ok.

Dinner: venison steak, huluski (cabbage and noodles), home grown tomatoes. Life doesn't get better.

Walk by and glance at outdoor rack in front of street used book store scores a copy of I am Legend by Richard Matheson. This is the 1971 Berkley paperback that sports a painted The Omega Man movie cover. This movie was the adaptation of the book and starred Charton Heston as Dr. Robert Neville, the last man alive after an apocalyptic war waged with biological weapons. The movie is good seventies scifi with Heston shooting up alot of vampire/ghouls...looking forward to reading the book, as I have heard much about it.

While checking out a copy of Bulfinch's Mythology and yet another book about WW1, I joke with the venerable campus book store owner who then out of the blue asked me how many times I feel in love this summer...for a brief second I felt like I was asked "what was my favorite color" from Holy Grail..I sputtered, hesitated, then said..."twice"...I wasn't tossed in the air so it must have been the right answer...pause...we both laugh..I walk out..

Walking back from the gym I notice a worn ace of clubs card lying on the sidewalk. I walk by it, then turn around and pick it up and put it in my pocket. The ace of clubs isn't the ace of hearts or diamonds but I can use all the aces I can get in my hand.

I think I have had about seven gin and tonics in me so this should be good (I usually don't drink like this..lol!)....spent the evening on the historic south side, walked around a bit, started with coffee and lemon scone at tuscany, decided a burger would be good now, pass diner, walk in, it looks too slow so I walk out. Spy early seventies look Burger King, totally my scene, decide the time is right for a whopper w/cheese. BK register person can't wait for her shift to end, her machine sounds like a ticking bomb ready to explode....I get my whopper...posse of punk kids are cussing up a storm, I laugh and run the gaunlet through them...whopper actually put together well, does the trick...done...on the way out one of the punk kids asks me for a quarter, then calls me an asshole, hahalol...I decide to go back to tuscany for bar action...I begin the run of gin and tonics...really good looking guy with black hair and glasses two seats down from me is besieged an architect who won't shut up. All he does is talk about this project and these connections and those other pompous friends he has...he literally won't shut up...good looking guy never says anything...this goes on for almost two hours...I felt like doing something drastic to shut him up...good looking guy was really sharp, with a nice olive top over a good build with a particular awesome back that was facing me through this agony...I tried to get achieve some level of GLG's attention but I was too inept and the architect way too mouthy...blahblahblah...it wouldn't stop..I decided to leave.. I think GLG escaped without the architect...good for him...he deserved much better that that one sided conversational horror....

August 17th, 1943---On the anniversary of its one year of operations in europe the Eighth Airforce launched a 376 B-17 raid on the ball bearing plants at Schweinfurt and the Messerschmitt factory at Regensburg. This was the largest and furthest raid into Nazi Germany made by the USSAF to date. The Luftwaffe response was furious and resulted in the loss of 60 B-17's during this raid.

Zipping around the city with the turk, first stop a former traditional diner turned lite Asian food and coffeebar. Place looks the same but somehow newer and brighter..we both get the Iced Vietnamese Coffee to go...really good, will be back. Nice night to be out, weather not to hot, relatively comfortable. More out and about leads to Chinese take out place where we eat and split pupu platter and dumplings, vanilla cokes. Spend time at used book store, they close in sixteen minutes, everything else closes in fifteen minutes. I try to navigate us through the rougher part of town to find open later non-bar hang out I heard about only to find my directions faulty.....we decide to call it a night.

Coffee with bagel and honey, reading about the black gentrification of The Hill in the Times, remarkable photograph of the Roosevelt Theatre, one of The Hill's prime nightsports in it's heyday on page A-11. Like clockwork the two co-workers I always see together wait in line, joke with the help, prep their coffee then happily leave together, they seem pretty much inseparable. The Ramones have been playing all through this, its a good fit.....off to work.

This was a necessary evil in today's fight against hot and sticky weather, I had the Reeses ice cream bar and it was better than I thought it would be. Boy, its still really @#&% hot around here, it would be nice to get a cool front through soon. I think my sweat is sweating.

Today I was called the perenial "bull in a china shop"....I'm just like that sometimes...I just can't help it...sometimes things want me to knock them down...snort..drag hoof..snort...Went to a Philipino restaurant with the turk, our meals were amazingly meat laden with heaping mounds of beef and chicken...I thought food from this part of the world was supposed to light and delicate...wrong...don't tell the big rig truckers..if they get wind of this place they'll be here 24/7. Coffee afterwards at a victorian cafe, we ougled the new strategic Napoleonic wargame by GMT, fooled around with the turk's two player variant for a multi-player ancients game and then did a few rounds of the new Knizia Lord of the Rings game. The Knizia game is very clever and fast, I liked it alot and will probably play it many more times.

I haven't seen a live show in about 5 or so years. There were about seven groups but they were amazing. Ragtime opener-I got rhythm/Fascinating rhythm-The House of the Rising Sun-Channel One Suite. No one plays and shows jazz in this medium better than the Blue Devils.

She parks her bright blue car aggressively in front of me as I walk down the street. The happy blond gets out, walks over to look at someone's garbage that they are about to throw out, looks at the broken multi-color plastic wagon. She turns around at me and says, "au thot I coud fix that for the kidz." Completely happy, completely smiling she walks back and drives away just as aggressively.

I have developed a fine mid-summer cold. I currently have a pounding headache. I am melting in this hot weather. I am not at work and it's driving me crazy. My chin and jaw are red splotched...I still shave like a ten year old.

GEEZEEESFUKKACRISTOS.....why is every time I'm getting kitty litter at the fuckin unifart the entire Asian student snack cravers club shows up before me. Augggghhh....ITS SO SLOW IN LINE....UUGGGHH.....and they're all using their student charge cards...and the sixty something couple behind me are crying about their Klondikes melting...don't look at me just start eatn' those chocolate covered goodies!!....skin head checkout guy senses my whimpering pain and waves me forward because I'm going to pay in CASH, while he waits for the slower charge sales to go through...good man!!!...step-step-step..push door outta here!!!

Today#1: Walk in the Coffee joint for quick buy and go lunch, as I walk in I notice to my left a young brown clad ups driver on break hanging out with the young woman who pushes a baby carriage with plastic babies. No one ever talks or sits with her, never ever, the plastic babies are sometime substituted with small stuffed animals. I get my grande Kenya, turkey sandwich and a cranberry scone and turn to the milk and sugar area. As I pour skim into my coffee I notice unshaven older western dressed gentleman writing large words in a well used standard composition book....pour too much milk....skim milk everwhere....I am a coffee house slob...I can't take myself anywhere....I try to clean up as best I can...as I walk out one of the owners is bringing cases of the famous french soft drink, Orangina.
#2"Whats that up there, with Judy Garland on it?" "Oh, that's Wizard of Oz Monopoly, here I'll get it down for you." "Wow that's really great, I really love Judy Garland, I not gay or anything I just really like Judy Garland." "Don't be embarrassed sir, lots of people like Judy Garland, not just gay people." Ha
#3Out of control out the supadupa market, nectarines look good. I'm driving aggressively, I'm not watching out for the other guy, I almost cause a few wrecks. I need Johnson's Baby Shampoo!!!!! I almost buy Kraft sponge bob square pants macaroni and cheese with powder sea blue cheese but I don't.....lame.

Quick late summer dinner: Homemade meatloaf on Italian roll with Heinz ketchup, cool glass of water and a California nectarine.

Holiday Highlights: Attended small town USA 4th of July parade yesterday, wasn't as small and short as I thought it would be. Rows and rows of various lawn seatery line the street sides, red white and blue balloons all over, this was a bigger thing for the locals than I thought it was going to be, I'm not a local so what do I know? Duck into a parade route bar for a cold one with my compadre, place is completely packed, "Mars Attacks" is on the super station, ha, they disintegrated Congress! Back into the hotness, I have no hat, no sunscreen, I'm really going to burn. Parade starts, VFW vets, fire trucks, boy scouts, christian group, most beautiful baby, Queen of the parade, 1st runner-up, 2nd runner-up, 3rd runner-up etcetc, fire trucks, girl scouts, clowns, classic cars, politicians,
local pizza chain car, local hospital singers, Boss Hogg motorcycle club, christian group, very happy tailwaggin fire station dogs, high school marching band, Uncle Sam, polka band pulled by truck, Civil War reinactors w/cannon, firetruck, firemens' band, drill teams, majorettes, cheerleaders, highschool marching band, christian group w/rock band pulled by truck, clowns on stilts, everybody throwing candy, and a llama, thats right a llama. Nice weather for a parade, not a bad thing to take in this July 4th, 2002. oh, later watched the Boston Pops perform the 1812 Overture through the miracle of television.

HotHotHot...perfect day to work some, buy new shoes and do laundry at the laundromat. Needed new foot coverings badly, bought new white basic NB crosstrainers and a nice pair of NB black walking shoes, eyed up sexy green Diesel (tm) tennis shoes, I think I'll go back and get them soon. Spent some time at Castle Caladan with House Atreides and then with the Baron of House Harkonnen while watching my sock collection roll again and again drying. I think those Harkonnens are up to no good...more later. Late dinner at Super China Buffet, run gauntlet of heat mutants on the walk back...sweat.

Thank heaven for 7-11...To hot to stay inside, decide to take a late night walk toward the campus/business place. Usual bands of bus waiters, street people rocking back and forth and wearing mexican hats, shady agents, etcetc. I pass the Authentic and think about getting a hot dog but the crowd looks too rough and I don't feel like fighting, besides their dogs aren't all that, the fries however are a different story. I decide to stop at the less active 7-11 to scout out some bad food, I decide on two wrapped chicken rolls that have been on the griller for probably too long, a evil looking pastry from the Atlanta Breads display and some Welch's grape juice. I watch the woman in front of me spend $33 on six premade saranwrapped hoagies, a gallon of fruit drink and a large bag of Lays potato chips..wow..I don't feel as bad now. Walking back I pass an abandoned shopping cart that a few hours earlier was the place where Bible thumpers were passing out tracks to salvation, I try to make a connection between them but I can't. Past the action, I decide to plop down and devour my convenience store repast, across from me Galileo and Michelangelo from the museum seem relatively uninterested. Gather mess, march back home, still hot.

Late dinner at Saladins, thought I give turk/mex food a chance. Had a chicken bbq buritto that came with some sort of feta cheese salad. The food was good and the help didn't seem as bothered as the last time I saw them. The only other patron while I was there was an Asian undergrad that was woofing down a large plate that appeared to be a humas/chili/beans dish. Coffee at Startrucks after...walk home I pass determined skateboarders and tribal drumming and dancing on the campus lawn.

Its really hot and people are showing off alot of skin because its the thing to do when its so fucking sweaty-humid hot. So where is this going, well I'll tell you in one word...tattoos. This summer I swear everyone has one somewhere on their skin canvas. Moms, dads, kids, punks, homeless, old people, freaks, professionals, losers, babies, pets, grrrls, fat, skinny, brawny, bald, construction workers, nerds, students...etcetc. The sizes and quality vary wildly from little spot illos to full reproduction of fine art to huge tribal designs..etcetc. Walking art for the 21st century...whats my problem?...I need to get stamped and inked so I can run with the pack....but a part of it all...step up to the plate....perhaps a nice popular corporate logo or some famous holy icon art to watch over me...I'll have to give it some thought....I really need to get with it.....ha....

Sometimes I have to step out of the place, to survey the local settings with an objective or two. Step out toward campus, everyone looks hot and bothered, I too feel melty. Pass what was a former easy going mexican restaurant, now it called SALADINS. Some young Turks bought it, kept half of the menu mexican and added some middle eastern items, I guess you could call it TurkMex cuisine. As I said before this place had a easy rep, now the Turks have a odd habit of hanging out in front looking bothered no matter the temperature. I really think they have something going with this TurkMex attitude thing, I sure it will be a hit with their target demographic. My singular objective had arrived: coconut/pistachio waffle cone at Andrew and Davids, they weren't swamped so it was an easy thing. Crunch the last bit with the m&m at the very bottom, walk back home, no one is eating anything at Saladins, white shirted workers scowl as I walk pass.

Tattoo art today---T-shirtless tanned guy sports Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss" on shoulder, an amazing piece.
Lunch today---chicken, kielbasi and peas in that order.

With picks like The Abominable Dr. Phibes, and the terrifying Fing Fang Foom the Retrocrush Top 100 Monsters list is on the right fiendish track. Geezus, Phibes and the Fing Fang Foom kick so much ass, I'm so happy they made the list.

Torgonus almost sliced off part of his ear while shaving today(not to be trusted with sharp objects or anything with sharpness), was attacked by a large colorful metallic beetle that Torgonus thought he should pick up off the ground(attracted to shiny objects). However, Torgonus did meet two new friends, Tee and Eff while getting a strawberry milkshake at Tastee Freeze.

Morning coffee and scone turns into spectator chess as white decimates black in an early morning field clash. Early on the white knights charged forward to take out the black queen and her entourage. It was all down hill from there as black's moral was broken and the clash became a rout.
Caught a glimpse of the gym centipede as it scurried across the carpet till it reached its hiding space under the cable machine base.

Today's art: Ample deltoid sporting tattoo of Alexander the Great taken from a mosiac design at Pompeii of the battle of Issus.
Tried a bottle of Orangina today, I was told that it is the most popular soft drink in Europe, it was alright I guess.

Conquerer of the known world inked onto a 21st century human and a soda pop about one tenth as exciting as Orange Crush...it was that type of day.

After work beer drinking with the boyz has let me a bit woozy. Just spent twenty minutes or so discussing what are the hot new snack foods with the staff at the corner Uni-mart. Uni-mart generally sucks, but they have no close competition and the have a great location, you know the first rule of retail, "location, location, location!" I settle on a 99 cent bag of Fritos brand Chedder Ranch Flavor Twists, God, I must be drunk.

Suprise visit from long lost cousin and her girlfriend late in the afternoon. Scampered out to the Unius Grillious for samiches and pierogis(ah, pierogis). We whimped out on having the famous key lime or deep dish apple pie as our desert possiblities, maybe next time.

A well regarded President, a quirky zombie lord, a faithful assistant, a helpful canine and a responsible metal man equals this terrific new comic. Did I mention the demon summoning vegetables? Very fun, very great, available at your local comic shop this week, run don't walk, grab your spare change!

It still cold,wet and hail is falling. Also, the Mormon missionaries seem to be on the move in greater numbers in our vincinity. Coldness, wetness, hail and Mormans, we are sooo lucky. I wan't let them convert my Proton Man even if it means sending him out into the harsh weather! Go away we're not interested.....!!!!