After work: Nice weather draws me to campus for late dinner. Walk past Hocus Pocus, for a few minutes I make friends with friendly black cat in closed store window. It brushes around the votive candle display and the window wanting me to give it a scratch between the ears, but I can't. Settle on BaBa D's for some Middle Eastern fair, stuffed cabbage in specific. Salad and hummus prelude is quite good as is the main course. Arabic language and music comes from behind me, I'm the only patron in the restaurant. Arabic mixes with english as fellow employees help waitress with her calculus homework. I decide to have baklava, music breaks into Middle Eastern version of "Louie Louie", I can't believe my ears. I have to ask waitress what music we're listening to, she calmly says, Egypt's greatest hits 2001. I'll have to come back here for more of this.

"I have to answer one of nature's fundamental calls..I'm going to get a cookie"....Arthur

All yellow ping pong table on page B10 of today's Times makes me want to break out my paddle slam some white plastic. Doubles are fun, but two players is the best way to play the game...SLAM..AHHHH...wadayamean..its..OUT..uhh..your point..16-18..your serve.

Archimedes, inventor and mathematician of ancient Syracuse, provided many devices to defend the city against a Roman siege during the Second Punic War (215 B.C.). One was a crane with a claw attachment that hoisted Roman galleys partway out of the water, and then released them to fall back and capsize. The Romans were so frightened by his machinery they were said to run in panic every time a bit of rope or wood showed over the wall.

Current event fun from CNN and the Christian Science Monitor: A former cook of Osama Bin Laden told a CSM reporter that when it was time to exit stage left from Tora Bora, Bin Laden had three offers for escape. The first was from Iran, the second was from Iraq and the third was from some "Mafia" types. Yes, you heard it right, the cook said "Mafia" types. Oh, if only to be a fly to see the Osama meeting with the mob(chortle)and then to proceed to shit repeatedly in his soup and everything else around him...thats what I'd do if I was an Afghan camel fly..yesiree.

Just came back from seeing the movie Amelie. Really a great film, didn't really know what to expect, it was really clever, quick paced, and very funny. Photography was well done and quite beautiful. I'm really glad I decided to see this film, very well done! A box of DOTS was easily consumed during the watching. Before the movie I stopped and picked up a menu at Pino's Mediterranean Eatery, this place has been getting the buzz around here and was packed with happy eaters..will have to try it sometime soon. Did try some coconut tofu at Zaw's Asian Food nearby..it was alright but I think that next time I'll try something with real meat like the Mongolian Beef or the Pineapple Chicken..the tofu really wasn't doing it for me tonight.
Last night was also a movie night. After running into my barber, his wife, and one of his film proteges at Starbuck's I decided to go with them and see the movie I laughed at everytime I saw the trailer: The Mothman Prophecies. I think it may be the worst movie I've see for awhile. Totally unfrightening. I realize horror is a hard genre to pull off but this was just plan stupid. Richard Gere was unconvincing and spent most of the movie looking confused and talking to the "Mothman" on the telephone. At one point Gere asks the MM on the phone what is he(Gere) holding in his hand..to which the MM responds correctly "chapstick"..Gere flipped out drops the phone and the chapstick...hahahah..now thats very funny and not at all scary. Do bad some nice shots of Pittsburgh were wasted on this feeble attempt at a supernatural thriller. The Moth Man urban legend is so great..the actual Moth Man should have haunted the set and stopped this movie from ever being made..oh well. France, Amelie, good, smart movie. U.S., The Mothman Prophecies, complete waste of everyones time and $. It was it least fun hanging with three other fun people for an evening, better than staying at home.

At work: Today was incredibly slow, so slow infact we pulled out Dale's black and purple wizard Furby(you know the toy that everyone was killing for three or four holiday seasons ago.. Dale found his last summer for $4 at a thrift store) and tried to use it as an oracle to decide future store policies and purchasing decisions. The weather was so nice and business so dull that we took our little furry friend outside on our deck to sing and answer our queries. Great reactions from lunch time street crowd as Wiz-Furby did his thing..its little wizard's cap is da shit! Wiz/Furby!!Wiz/Furby!!Wiz/Furby!!

Morning coffee at the usual place, reading John Buscema's obituary in the Times while Annie Lennox asks if I'd lie to her, then Tom Petty tells me he doesn't want me around no more. No refills, I really like Ann and Tom but I get the hint, I'm out of here.

Uggg.. the Stillers have lost. The whole city will be numb and depressed for about a week. Started the morning trying to get through the excellent 9-11 compilations by DC and Dark Horse at the Coffee joint. Kept being interrupted by street native Mr T who wanted to talk about his his various conspiracy and Atlantis theories. It was ok though, talking to the T is always fun and the 9-11 parts I got through were excellent. Late January in the burg and people are walking around in t-shirts and shorts...waughhh... I want to make a snowman!

Quote of the day keeping with the theme: "He doesn't need a doctor.. he's fucking Polish!(Dale remarking on the genetic sturdiness of those of eastern european stock)

At work: Attack of the Mutants! High quotient of nutties out buying stuff. Bought a small stack of old 70's comics from some morlocks today mostly because they were books I read as a kid. Morlock quote: We didn't know you were here but we found you on the intermenet(yes that's right, intermenet). Lucky us, our sorryass abandoned site brings them to us, god bless the "intermenet". Late day encounter with know it all, short, musclebound, anti-semite fuck looking for chess set. Why do I suffer these people? When I saw that his t-shirt had the word "testosterone" on it I should have realized gears were missing.

Boss sprung for Pierogi lunch for troops on all fronts. Potato, cheese and potato, sauerkraut, sauerkraut and kielbasi, cottage cheese, cheese potato and jalapenos(jalapenos?) all backed up by Haluski(cabbage and noodles) and Galupki(cabbage rolls). Oh, and the pierogi(s)? were soaked in butter and onions. Everyone stuffed, everyone happy, any diet resolutions tossed to the side today. The ladies from Pierogi Shack(converted gas station into polish food take out) out did themselves and have been swamped with orders because of upcoming Stillers playoff parties. We have to do this again in a few weeks, absolutely incredible.

Todays work quote(made by accounting firm salesperson):We're family based.....even though it(the flyer) says "internet".
Tomorrow: Pierogi!

little work: Dwarven engineers dote over teenage grrl assistants while the tomb takes shape. Metal staff plots pierogi lunch for the tribe on thursday. Husker Du and "Die Meistersinger" peacefully coexist on our musical menu. Snow is all melted and that.

The cast of weird continues: While getting caffeine snacks for Heavy Gear participates at the annex I run into the Crazy tall long bearded guy at the Coffee stop. The same strangent who almost ran me over at 1:00A.M. last night was getting the day old bagel hook up from the boyz. Giant bag of a few dozen or so bagels is gently placed into the rogue shopping buggy, fuel for the Midnight races. No cream available for Richard's decaf, owner of the shopping cart holds door open for me as I walk out. The street is covered with snow.

Trying to find lost notes for post, walking back late at night on sidewalk.. I hear the rattle of a shopping cart behind me.. I don't want to look back, I know its something insane.. walk faster. Rattle continues stronger...faster..I walk faster..it rattles faster..damn its going to pass me..damn..then it does. I knew it! Crazy looking tall long bearded old man pushing metal shopping cart full of garbage and noticeable milk carton races past me and rockets up the street. I can't find my notes anywhere.

At Work again: Balin's Tomb is still pink..Master of the annex requisitions new improved palette for the customer base. Art comtemplates weekend escape to Cleveland to see Dirtbomb at the Ballroom. During mail call the rekkid agents are glued to the screen watching 98 OZZFest at Starlake, I watch with them for a bit. More processing of product..field a cheer-up call..successful..who orders all this shit! Card trade of rare elf for determined goblins. Dale swoons Warhol museum intern..she escapes. New spiderman front piece looks snazzy and a vast improvement over what was there before!

At Work: Started with book processing which leads into coffee break with bagels and Argentinian bread pudding. Lots more processing..Howard Stern with super over the top Letterman as guest on the radio..its always a guilty laugh with Howard. Later at the game board Balin's Tomb is being worked on for store demo soon..Foo Fighters and Queen's Flash Gordon movie music are being played alot for quick energy. Pink insulation foam core everywhere, the price of creativity. The rekkid agents are selling the hell out of the "Dragons" and other choice numbers. Much talk about the upcoming "Stillers" game between the sports sages. Evening musical cap of the Overture from "William Tell" on QED by National Symphony Orchestra followed by more Queen Flash Gordan. Close out, everyone leaves so we can do this tomorrow.

The two things of note today: A street artist who I never have seen before came in and wanted to sell us a small water color he did of our building. I hesitated at first but he was weirdly nice and said he spent last sunday afternoon doing it out in the cold. The more I looked at it the more I liked it and he seemed like the real deal. He wanted 5 bucks, I gave him a 10 spot. He was thrilled to have coffee $. Money well spent for both of us. I guess if I was a whiz kid I could have a picture of this up here, but I'm not whiz enough yet, so maybe later. Thing two, coworker coaxed me try a vanilla peep Valentine heart. Its nice to know that the people who gave us peeps to begin with have decided to branch into other holidays..now thats confectionery vision!

It could have wiped out France! Despite not really liking CNN I tend to watch it a lot, today they spent 10 seconds talking about an asteroid that was only sited in december and could have packed a real whallop if it hit. But it didn't and the anchor person kept on smiling and went on to the next story.

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.