Boo!

Well really, what else would it be on Halloween night?

Past Things

Halloween is almost here. The Support Staff is really glad. It's not because he likes it. In fact he's pretty tired of the entire subject about now. He's just waiting for the candy to come out of hiding.

I'm pretty sure if he hears my favorite Halloween tune one more time, he's going to run screaming from the house.

But itt was always my favorite.

"Money for Nothing" Dire Straits

Saw this sign on several different street corners. Pointed it out to the Support Staff. I thought we should jump on it. I mean...free income...every month!

His comment: I wonder how much that's going to cost somebody.

"I Love the Night Life" Alicia Bridges

It's interesting to see the evolution of monsters. There are the classics, who were meant to be monsters from the start. And a few that were only meant to frighten but turned into some of the scariest monsters of all.

One kept me out of campgrounds, and one on the sand. At least one went from monster to toast of the town.

The new monsters have a certain elan, an unmistakable flair, an almost classy panache.

But in the end, they all have one thing in common.

Two for one

Headline: FAA Revokes Northwest Pilots' Licenses

I guess now we know why we have to turn off all our electric devices. Somebody has to keep an eye out for the airport.


Halloween is just a few days away. Folks are thinking about costumes for themselves and the kids. Sometimes they run out of ideas for the pets. And a few never run out of ideas.

Nearest Exit Behind You-Update

News Headline: Stray Jet's Pilots Were On Laptops


Apparently rumors are rampant they were watching Mrs. Hughes.


Well okay, why didn't they just say so.

Was that Billion with a B?

A day to contemplate beautiful things.


Source: Hubblesite.org
Saturn's Rings


Source: Hubblesite.org
The Cat's Eye Nebula


Source: Hubblesite.org
The Pistol Star, Core of the Milky Way

I don't care if it did cost $1Billion bucks, I'm glad we fixed Hubble.

Eek!

I've never had a fondness for snakes. It started long before a certain British author made a giant one a repository for the ultimate evil soul.

I think it's because I could never tell if it was the harmless kind that simply kept the mice down in the garden, or the lethal kind more likely to put me six feet under it.

So I was less than sympathetic to read this story.

8-)

The nearest exit may be behind you

First Headline: Northwest Airlines Pilots Miss Airport by 150 Miles

Second headline: Northwest Pilot tells ABC News, 'I Can Assure You None of Us Was Asleep'

Third headline: Wisconsin Air National guard says F-16's were "prepared" to shoot down the plane if the order had come.

Headline to come: Pilots ask Traffic Control, 'Why didn't you twitter us?'

Say Ahhh

On the way to the doc today for the annual checkup. Looking for some music on the radio to distract me from the indignities to come. Talk, talk, talk, nothing but talk.

Finally hit the scanner hoping something interesting would flash by. Got my wish.

Don't you love it when a plan comes together.

"Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!" Robbie the Robot

Barnes & Noble introduced a new ebook reader today. In case you haven't heard of these things, they're electronic devices on which you can download any book that's been digitalized. Probably millions of them by now. It's B&N's answer to Amazon's Kindle and the Sony Reader. All of these digital readers are well over two hundred bucks.

I love books. I love bookstores. I love to browse bookstore aisles waiting for books to leap into my hand. Little plastic devices just don't do it for me. For one thing there's no colorful cover art to lure me in. No promise by publishers of the delights to come. No tantalizing re-cycled paper smell.

Electronic readers by definition require batteries, and cords, and have confusing little buttons that make no sense, taking you forward, backward and everywhere in between seemingly at random, and then stops for no apparent reason. And you can't figure out how to turn them on, or bookmark a page, or, or...too much.

I want simple. Curl up on the couch, turn on the lamp, open the book. Easy-peasy.

So no, dear Support Staff, I don't want any book that requires tech support for Christmas.

When Pigs Fly!

I saw an interesting tattoo today and it got me thinking. It must take extreme confidence to commit to a picture that's going to be with you forever. The people who get names must be the most confident of all, since it's most fraught with peril.

Then there are the folks who have a sense of humor. The brave at heart. The truly creepy. And the folks always ready for Halloween. Don't you wonder what that guy does for a living?

As for me, I find it hard to keep the kitchen the same color for two years in a row. And I'm a chicken. Signing up to get poked a million times with a needle is not on my list of 1,000 things to do before I die.

Nope, a guy comes at me with a needle, it better be filled with swine flu vaccine.

Is this Crazy?

Here's a picture of a monument-to-be, taken in the Black Hill of South Dakota in 1977. The project was started in 1948. That means this picture shows 29 years of progress.

This is how it looks today, after 32 more years of work. So if I've got my math right, this project's been under construction for 61 years so far. They say they take in about $1M a year from tourists.

It's granddaddy took fourteen years to sculpt and cost $1M.

Someday it will look like this, by my reckoning, about a thousand years from now. That assumes the mountain still stands and there's somebody to collect the fees.

Can't help wondering what the guy on the horse would have wanted, the monument or the mountain.

Status: 20,400 words, 59,600 to go.

What's he supposed to be?

Stopped in the pet store the other day. I like the ferrets. Couldn't help noticing the pet costumes for sale. There was quite a variety.

I've always considered the Halloween costumes people pick for themselves an expression of their alter egos. What do the costumes they pick for their pets say about them?

I have to give them credit for getting anything other than a collar on their pets. You can probably guess which one I liked the best.

But some choices are down right disturbing.

Status: 20,100 words, 59,900 to go.

What does that mean?

Vanity License Plate - RU OK?!

I've seen some pretty funny vanity license plates, some in remarkably poor taste, and a few that I simply couldn't figure out.

This one struck a happy cord with me. Here's how it reads to me:

RU OK?! No, but thanks for asking.
RU OK?! Yes I am, thanks for asking.

See what I mean? Win, win.

Of course it could mean; RU OK?! Because you're driving like a manic.

Status: 19,500 words, 60,500 to go.

"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown"- Linus

Asked my Support Staff to pick up a pumpkin for the porch. Now what you have to understand is, the Support Staff isn't a big fan of Halloween. In fact he's a bit of a Scrooge about it. I'm not sure why. Here's the pumpkin he bought.

I couldn't help observing, a little grumpily I'll admit, it was going to be hard to turn into a jack-o-lantern.

So Support Staff handled it.

In case you missed it.

Status: 18,900 words, 61,100 to go.

What did you see?

FlashForward-ABC TV

I find the FlashForward premise intriguing. Imagine that everyone in the world passes out for two and a half minutes. While they're out, they see a vision of their life on April 29, 2010 at a specific time.

Some people see good things, some bad, some see nothing at all. No one knows if what they have seen is their true future.

The story's told through the eyes of several FBI agents. The agency is trying to figure out what caused the blackout and if it will happen again. At the same time, each agent has to deal with their individual vision.

I was immediately hooked. So was the Support Staff. I mean mystery, thriller, sci-fi all wrapped up in one show. What could be better? It's a series, so if it sounds good, jump in before the story gets too far ahead of you.

It's an intriguing question. If you were given the chance to see two and half minutes of your future, would you do it?

Not me. Rather not see the size of my future self.

Status: Unchanged, finished my other project.

The end of the world again?

There's a new brouhaha raging about the end of the world as we know it. The new date is December 2012. That was the end of the Mayan calendar.

You remember the Mayans, they were the guys who ripped out living human hearts as offerings to the Gods. They liked kid's hearts best because they considered them pure. Their kids must have been a lot different than the ones today.

Now the Mayans are trying to weasel out of the whole thing. Sure, now that it's only a few years away. It was much easier to be confident in 900 AD.

Doomsayers are running around coming up with new proofs; da Vinci, I Ching, tea leaves, Dan Brown. After all, there are books coming out, movies being released, probably songs to be sung. Lot's of money to be made between now and 2012, especially by Dan Brown.

As for me, I think the Mayans didn't want to count any higher. Let's face it, chiseling all that math in stone must have been a real pain in the butt.

Status: Unchanged, still working on the old stuff.

"It's a bird, it's a plane..." Superman

There's an old apartment building next door to the library I visit. Today a vulture was circling above it. I wasn't the only one to notice. People around me were looking up and pointing, sort of like the opening to the old Superman TV show.

Of course my mind went immediately to, 'what if?' What if some poor soul was dead in there; what if they had been murdered; what if the rugs were soaked with blood and brains were spattered all over the walls; what if...

I have to stop. It's not easy being me.

Status: Unchanged. Wrote 500 words today, but on another project.

Is this Real?

Yeah...picture today from Minneapolis...yeah...sorry, I got nothing.

Wait, wait, I got it. Be glad ya ain't there today, unless of course ya are.

Status: 18,300 words, 61,700 to go.

Fall in the Country

It's Sunday, a day for quiet contemplation.

Can there be anything more beautiful to contemplate than fall in the country?

Just in case you missed it.


Worked all day on an old project. For some reason, it just called to me for attention.

Status: Unchanged.

Mind the Gap

Julian Beever, Street Artist

To see something amazing, take a few minutes and watch this video. I liked it.

>

Status: 17,750 words, or 62,250 to go.

Bad boy!

I'm sitting in the car at the grocery store while my Support Staff picks up a few things. A white van pulls into the space directly across the aisle from me. Three young guys get out. One of them heads toward the store. The driver steps to the back of the van, and...
well you get the picture. The third guy continues the conversation during the ritual. After things were tucked away, the driver and his pal head for the grocery store. It's a big store with a public restroom. Granted it's at the back of the store, but he was going there anyway.

He was the driver, so I'm guessing the tire was his, but still...

I saw this a couple of times in France, where it's permitted and might actually be written into the Constitution. Maybe the guy was French.

I know our standards have changed but have they gotten so low that we compete with...

This is the next sign we'll be seeing.

Status: 17,100 words, or 62,900 to go.

Let them eat asiago cheese bread

Got some fresh tomatoes from the farmers market. Decided to make bruschetta. Stopped at Panera's for a loaf of some nice chewy bread. The Asiago Cheese bread caught my eye, so I bought a loaf. Mighty good. Made a nice light meal.

Next day decided to make a simple grilled cheese sandwich with the bread. Nothing fancy, good old Elsie cheese product, between two pieces of buttered asiago bread, pan grilled. Seriously you have to try this bread.

As Rach would say, Yum-O.

Status: Unchanged, doing research.

"Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer" M.Corleone

Fiction: Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon.

Every once in a while, I stumble on a mystery writer I haven't read before. Leon has been writing mysteries for twenty years. I found her just last week after a recommendation in bookmarks magazine. Death in a Strange Country is the second book in her series.

I usually like to start at the beginning of a series and watch the characters develop. Unfortunately, I couldn't find her first book. My library ladies don't like to file books on bottom shelves. The library claims to have a copy, but since Leon ended up on a bottom shelf, it could be anywhere.

Police detective Guido Brunetti solves crimes in Venice, Italy. He's an honorable man trying to mete out justice and not rock the gondola. The Italian government is corrupt. His Chief wants crimes that might scare tourists hushed up. And then there are those guys down South.

Guido can't trust anyone around him, since most have family ties to the government or the southerners. Even his own father-in-law, Count Orazio, has shadowy allegiances Guido doesn't fully understand.

Along the way we learn about the city of Venice, and the threats to her survival, both political and natural. We also pick up a smattering of Italian. A lovely language.

If I can find it, I plan to read the next book in the series. The library says they have a copy. Maybe I can get a library lady to help me look. I'll just have to make her an offer she can't refuse.

Status: 16,600 words, 63,400 to go.

Silver Lining

Today is changeover day. Change over from what to what, you might ask. Today is the day I abandoned shorts and tee shirt for long pants and sweater. It's that day every year when summer turns to fall, not because the calendar says so, but because the coolness in the air leaves little doubt. At least for me.

Hardier souls will cling to their shorts for another month or so, but throw on a heavy sweatshirt. That seems a bit odd to me. I might still squeeze in a shorts day or two before abandoning them completely until spring, but I'm only kidding myself.

The leaves on the maple tree across the street are red tipped and getting sparse. Pink roses appear garish against the orange and yellow of fall. Spiders are invading every corner of the house. I even turned the furnace on for a while today. Fall is here.

It's a good day for a little introspection. And maybe some hot chocolate with lot's of marshmallows, or better yet, a little Bailey's. There it is. There's the bright side.

Status: 16,000 words, 64,000 to go.

Rainy Days and Mondays

Rainy days make me lazy. I look forward to them. This picture would hold little interest without them. I love this picture and decided to share it. It reminded me of another old favorite that I liked.

And I'm not the only one.

Status: 15,430 words, 64,570 to go.

Way too Stephen King for me

This was intended to get us all in the mood for fall. Is it just me or does the guy on the right look downright creepy?

I'm sure there's a dead guy stuffed in that scarecrow suit. A dead guy with a pumpkin over his bloody smashed-in head. Are those fingers I see sticking out of the straw arms? And those eyes, those great gawping eyes! I have to go hide in the closet now.

Gee thanks Mount Airy for another generation of kids with scarecrow nightmares. Clowns weren't bad enough?

Status: 14,850 words, 65,150 to go.

Who's that behind the Ray Bans?

I'm fascinated with the Mars rovers. They're the twin robots that landed on Mars in January, 2004. They were built to last roughly ninety days, and travel less than a mile each before fading into history. Five years later, they're still...well...roving.

Now what I find so interesting about these little guys, is their power source. They have small batteries, but most of the power comes from solar cells. Yep, just like the solar cells people put on roofs to generate power. Granted the rovers don't go far in a day, and they move at a snails pace, but they've been going for over five years.

I can't help but question why this technology can't be adapted for cars. It probably couldn't be used everywhere, Seattle comes to mind, but some parts of the country, like the entire Southern half, gets plenty of sun. I guess it all comes down to economics. Apparently it's cheaper to beat up on people in far off countries than develop new stuff here.

For now anyway, we've still got the little pink guy.

Status: 14,237 words, or 65,763 to go.

What's that growing up the table leg?

Sitting in a popular chain restaurant having lunch. Waiter brings pitcher of ice water, and pitcher of ice tea to refill glasses. Turns pitchers sideways to refresh both ice and water. Water and ice dribble onto the floor. Ditto the tea. Floor is carpeted. Realized dark spots on carpet were not decoration.

Inspection certificate on wall read 101 out of 100. Suspect last number of rating was added by wacky bar patron.

My resolution: Never eat here again. Support Staff's resolution: Don't look down.

Where's me boots?

The publishing blogs seem fixated on the book coming out from Sarah Palin's ghost writer. As I've said before, I'm not very political. But frankly I don't know what else there is for Sarah to say. I thought she and Tina Fey covered it all pretty well during the campaign.

Maybe Sarah has included some insider tips on how to field dress a moose, you know, things too graphic for TV. Granted that would be more interesting, but as enticing as that sounds I still wouldn't buy the book.

Still she does look good in hip-waders. If she ends up in Washington, she'll need 'em.

Status: 13,660 words, 66,340 to go.