I'm in agreement with Jerry Springer today (as appalling as that once would have been for me to admit), as I don't see any benefit to what the Democrats did yesterday. Senator Joe Lieberman, founding member of H.A.D. (Hardly A Democrat), states that the political center has held. With three ultra-conservative judges approved and the 'nuclear option' still available the first time the Dems show any backbone, what did "we" win?

The Administration and its allies will use this to move the judiciary further to the Right and you can bet that Roe v. Wade (amongst other issues) will be turned back, if not immediately within the year once a new Chief Justice steps over the body of the current one.

On an lighter note, why does it seem that every time I'm preparing for a flight anywhere there seems to be at least one airplane crash. The past few days we have witnessed two such events, and although they involved small craft it still makes me nervous. I think as I grow older my belief that man should fly becomes less sure. Back in my Navy days I didn't think twice about flying and actually enjoyed it. Perhaps it's that sense of my own mortality (or mistrust of the aviation industry) that has me giving second thoughts to the whole thing.

By the way, are fellow CSI:Miami fans as curious about last night's season finale as I am. We've seen the death of one cast member and the possible resignation of Calleigh. Is Emily Proctor returning next season? Hate to see the NRA's fave cover girl out of the picture, since she was really one of the more intriguing characters on the show. Along the same lines, I'm wondering which character will be written out of NAVY NCIS in tonight's that season ender. Sadly, my money is on Sean Murray (Agent Timothy McGee) as the team member likely to buy it. I'd hate to see it, but I think fan outrage would negate the other choices. Of course, the actor/actress could want out, so who really knows?

I was saddened to hear of the passing of Frank Gorshin earlier. Of course, in my mind he'll always be remembered for his brilliant portrayal of the Riddler in the old BATMAN television series. As he played the character Gorshin made him far scarier then the Joker, even though in the comics it was the Clown Prince of Crime who was far more off the deep end. I think it was the way that Gorshin really put himself into the character, leaping about the set with that maniacal laugh.

Gorshin was also good in straight dramatic roles, as well as being one of the best in the original STAR TREK episode "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" with Gorshin as the half white/half black Commissioner Bele pursuing his prey even beyond the death of their planet. He also appeared in any number of other televisions shows, often as the heavy. You can get some idea of how varied the man's career was over at the Internet Movie Database site.

It would be easy to end with the over used "Goodnight, funny man" phrase, but Gorshin was more than that. Condolences to his family and many friends.

Far be it for me to get all conspiratorial, but this current brouhaha over the NEWSWEEK article certainly couldn't come at a better time for the Administration. Things are going badly in Iraq, but the demonstrations and deaths caused by the anti-American riots are what is getting coverage.

Of course, over on Fox and in certain circles, all blame is because of reporters and the 'Liberal media'. The actions of this administration and the bad feelings that many in Islamic countries have for us are apparaently the fault of a single article in an American newsweekly that most of those involved in the riots have never heard of. They will ignore the fact that there have been similar reports about the treatment (or rather mistreatment) of Muslims held in confinement since those have generally appeared in the alternative press, in foreign papers or in blogs. If not for irresponsible journalists everything would be just peachy and we'd be beloved as is our right as the One & Only Superpower.

I think we can pretty much lay bets that Republicans in Congress will be holding hearings and trying to pass legislation to curtail the press. For our and their own good, of course!

Donna and I attended a wedding for one of her cousins this past weekend. It got me to thinking about the receptions usually held after the ceremony.

Having gone through three ceremonies myself, I don't think the proceedings tell as much about family dynamics and such as the reception. Even the casual observer at such events can usually tell by just the seating arrangements how things are in the family. Also, it's really interesting to check out the wedding party and notice how the various brides maids & ushers relate. It is easy to tell who genuinely likes each other and who was put together by the whim of the couple.

I think when it comes down to it the wedding reception always appears to be a compromise between what the couple wants and what they feel their family would enjoy. That's not necessarily wrong, but you have to wonder if it bodes well for what is in store down the road.

Just another post since this caught my attention.

From what I've been reading today Pope Benedict XVI has announced or at least indicated that he will be placing the late Pope John Paul II on the 'fast track' to sainthood. Who knew that you could do something like that? Apparently when you have a direct pipeline to the Almighty as the Pope does it doesn't take years of miracles to make the big time (religion wise, that is!).

Seriously, if I remember my childhood catechism correctly you have to have so many miracles performed in your name to get moved up the sacred ladder. Wasn't it three? Somebody would be healed or something after praying to you, then after it was 'officially' investigated and proclaimed valid by the Vatican you'd move one step closer to sainthood. Am I off base here?

Call me cynical, but should popularity be the criteria for this?

Since we're on the subject of cynicism I'm going to add yet another link over on the Left. This is for www.skeptic.com which is the official website for The Skeptics Society and their magazine, appropriately called SKEPTIC. Along with essays by James Randi (you'll find his official site via another link over on the side), you can read articles, book reviews and find information on events in your area. If you're really into it you can join the Skeptic Ring!

Unless something of major import happens later today I only have a few quick comments.

With the infrastructure of New York seeming to self-destruct of late (i.e. the crumbling of a restraining wall on the Westside Highway stopping traffic yesterday) I think the city should worry about other things besides the Olympics and a new stadium for a second-rate football team. Okay, the last comment was a cheap shot from a Patriots fan. Sorry about that!

Also, this being an election year we should remember that apparently none of this is Mayor Mike's fault. Of course, it also wasn't Rudy's fault, because you don't want to criticize "America's Mayor." It must be Dave Dinkens...yeah, that's the ticket!

People keep reminding me that today is Friday the 13th. Besides being a fan of the movie series I can't say that the whole bad luck thing bothers me. Perhaps having been born on Dec. 13th (on a Wednesday, however) I've never found my luck changing for the worst just because of the calendar date.

Even though I have been running my comics reviews over on SHOT'S SHACK recently, I decided that I'd post one here. Since Parting Shots was created to allow me to post this type of thing to begin with I figured I'd go back and forth. Annoying, huh?
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RED SONJA #0 published by Dynamite Entertainment was a twenty-five cent promotion for the up-coming regular series from that company. According to online sources, this particular item garnered sales of around 200,000 copies which were higher than many Marvel & DC titles solicited at the same time. Personally, I think the price tag and the possible future collectable status of the book pushed up the figures beyond what you’d normally see. While there is a core fan base for the character I don’t know that all of that audience will be able to locate this item in some stores. I’m sure we’ll be seeing it showing up (if not already) on eBay.

If it wasn’t for the metal bikini/stripper outfit for which she has become famous, I think I’d have an easier time accepting this character. I just find it impossible to believe that a woman-warrior (preceding a certain warrior-princess by a couple of decades or so) would purposely run around in such an outfit. First off, it offers no protection from the weapons of her opponents, and secondly, all but begs for the leers and low opinions of the type of men she generally encounters. I don’t see it screaming “Hey, barbarian, respect me!”

As far as I know it was only in her initial appearances in the pages of Marvel’s CONAN title, as written by Roy Thomas and drawn by Barry Windsor-Smith, that she wore anything remotely comfortable or suitable for her profession (which was more thief than warrior back then). I believe it was artist Frank Thorne who first put the lady in the metal coin peekaboo, which led to her becoming the highlight of many a comic book convention costume contest. (I remember seeing the pre-Elfquest Wendi Pini winning one such contest in San Diego back in the mid-1970s.)

Having said all that, I can certainly say that Red Sonja, as she appears in this preview, seems suited for those fanboys who like to ogle. The story is written by Michael Oeming and Mike Carey, who present a done-in-one tale of Sonja seemingly falling into a pretty obvious trap and then turning the tables on her attackers. There's nothing new here and not one of Oeming’s better efforts (since he is given joint credit I really don’t know how much to blame him), but it is not something to be ashamed of either.

The art is by Mel Rubi, with coloring by Ceasar Rodriguez and Richard Isanove. Rubi does a nice John Buscema riff, solid work but nothing we haven’t seen in hundreds of other barbarian titles. I will give Rubi credit for not filling each panel with a lot of T&A, even though he doesn’t shy away from showing Red Sonja’s physical attritutes to their fullest. Fans of this type of thing won’t be disappointed. By the way, the cover of this preview is by Greg Land.

Obviously, I’m not the intended audience for this type of thing. However, it you are you’ll probably already be picking up the regular series. Two stars out of four for effort.

Does there really seem to be an unusual number of horrible stories hitting the news of late? It appears that a day doesn't go by without at least one more news report of a crime against children making headlines. I guess it's easy to get viewers attention with such things and I don't put it past the folks responsible for the 27/7 news networks to go in search of such stories. It allows them to bury political and economic events which are more difficult to explain in a sound bite and don't offer dramatic video of distraught family members.

I think the news worthiness of the Jackson trial is starting to drag and the nightly news shows need something. Besides, we're all growing bored with Iraq and the mid-east anyway.

Since I was able to hit Jim Hanley's Universe this past Saturday, I picked up a few freebies as part of the Free Comics Day promotion. I'll be reviewing them over at Shot's Shack for the next week or so, along with some stuff for which I actually paid. These include some promotional issues which went for $.25-$.50 and caught my eye.

Today I start with the SF tale, RUNNERS, which should appeal to the STAR WARS fans and others. It has a bit of the humor and adventure of the original SW film. I haven't wasn't disappointed at all and will be looking for the TPB which collects the first six issues of the series.

Hope folks enjoyed their weekend and had a chance to call or visit with their moms or mom-in-laws. Sadly, my own mom passed away just about three years ago and I miss her very much. Be sure to show your mom's that you appreciate what they have done for you. Even if you didn't get along with them or feel you've drifted apart over the years, you can never go back for one more hug once they have gone.

Well, it seems that the British people are a forgiving lot, or else the opposition is so bad that Blair & Co. still look pretty good. Not a mandate, but then that hasn't stopped G.W. from pushing his own agenda. Apparently there are enough folks on both sides of the pond who seem to believe that things are going along just peachy keen.

Now far be it from me to criticize the security in place in at the British consulate in New York.

But since it was the day of the elections over there and there are a number of folks less than happy with Britain's place in the Coalition of the Senseless, wouldn't you think that the NYPD, the FBI and even Homeland Security might have put at least a couple of extra folks around the site to keep an eye out. Fingers crossed for apparently hap-hazard security camera film isn't something to make the rest of us feel safe.

Of course, the major story in the U.S. remains the possibility that AMERICAN IDOLATRY might be rigged to some degree. Shameful!!

Have a nice weekend and Happy Mother's Day to Kristina's mom!

I'm behind in just about everything lately, so haven't had a chance to post much. Anyway, the big thing this past weekend was America's love affair with Laura Bush. Apparently she's everything that Hillary wasn't and the entire nation can be glad that she is there beside her husband (or rather a step or two behind, unlike that B* Hillary, who doesn't know her place!!).

Wow, the woman can read a script, including getting up at a planned (and no doubt rehearsed moment) to interrupt G.W. during his attempt to make a joke. What a swell gal! The ladies here at work were all gushing over her, which is amusing since they haven't said a single positive thing about her husband since I got here. *shrug*

Caught one of our favorite shows on Sunday night, namely CBS' COLD CASE. I've raved about the show before and continue to find it one of the better offerings from the networks. This time it was a nice tribute (or inside joke, for those who weren't in on it) to the ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW.

For those unfamiliar with COLD CASE, the show deals with a squad of detectives who deal in unsolved murder cases (Cold Cases) from the past. They use new information (informants, old witnesses, etc.) and new DNA/forensic techniques to solve the killings. This time the murder of a young man who may have been the first victim of a serial killer, about to be released from prison. The murder takes place after the performance of ROCKY HORROR and the serial killer is portrayed by Barry Bostwick (who played Brad Majors in the cult classic). COLD CASE always uses music from the era to help with the mood, and this time all the music is from the cast recording (at least it sounds it to me). They also have plenty of clips from the film, as some scenes take place during the midnight showings.

I was actually surprised to discover that Donna has never seen ROCKY HORROR, even on video. It's something we'll have to get around to one of these days. As usual, in those situations where my past comes back to haunt me, Donna gives me the strangest looks. Maybe singing along with the soundtrack wasn't very subtle though.

Oh, and as my ex will attest, I never attended a showing myself, but was introduced to RHPC on VHS when we were dating.

I've been having trouble trying to post the past week, so I apologize for not being here.

It's been a fairly productive week here at Chez Chaput. We broke down and bought a new propane grill, so we can get rid of the old rusted charcoal one in the back. If you happen to hear of a major fire in the Dyker Heights area of Brooklyn this summer, look for my name in the police report.

Discovered recently that I have a ganglion cyst on my right ring finger. Doctors tell me that it may go away on it's own, but could then come back periodically. I'd be better off, they say, to have it removed surgically. The hand specialist said it had to be done in the hospital, a simple procedure but my finger would be wrapped up for up to ten days. Hard to get much typing done, I guess. So I've decided to hold off until Donna and I get back from our California adventure in June. I think I can survive until then. :-)

I was listening to CBS TV on my Walkman and heard that Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany has juat been elected the newest Pope today by the College of Cardinals. He has chosen the name Benedict XVI, which will, I'm sure, be debated and discussed quite a bit.

Apparently he was close to the late John Paul II, so his choice was not totally unexpected. I don't forsee any drastic change in the Roman Catholic church's policies in the near future, but rather an re-entrenchment to very conservative values.

Not being a practicing Catholic any longer this doesn't have an immediate effect on me one way or the other. It will be fascinating to learn more about this man in the next few days & weeks.

I joked with my wife that this particular Cardinal will probably go the Sgt. Schultz route over questions about what he did during WWII. "I knew nothing! I saw nothing!"

Yeah, that's probably not very nice, but that's why we have blogs, right?

It appears to be a battle between bird lovers (re: dirty disgusting birds, I might add) and cat lovers in Wisconsin. Whose side is PETA on this time? :-)

Apparently residents in that state are being asked to allow 'licensed kill...um, hunters' to shoot cats in order to cut down on the population.

Seriously, I can't believe that there are ...okay, I take that back...I'm NOT surprised that there are actually people out there who would like to have open season on kitty cats. The answer, in my humble opinion, is to spade or neuter the animals (capturing them when you can and releasing if necessary, although adoption would be preferable) thereby keeping the future feline population under control.

I think allowing folks to shoot the animals opens up all sorts of horrific possibilities. The murder of household pets, to name just one.

I normally don't post the same item on both this blog and over on SHOT'S SHACK, but decided to make an exception today.

This is from internal e-mail sent to all staff at the Queens Library:
Tuesday, April 12, is NATIONAL LIBRARY WORKERS DAY, as designated by the American Library Association, and timed to occur during National Library Week. It is intended to recognize nearly 400,000 special people whose efforts in libraries across the U.S. serve the public’s need for information and literacy.

Hat's off to my fellow Librarians, the clerical staff, pages and volunteers who serve the public here in New York and around the nation. We don't get nearly enough pay, but we do our job for millions of American each day.

Had a very relaxing weekend, even if I did have to spend part of Saturday working. We went out to Staten Island to return some gifts and I picked up a new jacket. Donna broke down and let me buy her the new Catherine Crier book on the Scott/Laci Peterson trial.

We decided to have some harmless entertainment last night, so we watched SUPERVOLCANO on the Discovery Channel. The premise was an eruption at Yellowstone Park, which some scientists have predicted is very possible in our lifetimes. It was followed by a report on that very issue hosted by Tom Brokaw. Actually both were pretty interesting, if the movie very predictable. The Science Channel is running another show on the Yellowstone volcano later this week.

Oh, it was funny to learn of the arrest of THE APPRENTICE cast member Chris Shelton, known for his temper. Word is that he freaked out at the Hard Rock in Tampa, Florida over the cover charge. Apparently he felt he should have the $20 waived. Think he'll be "FIRED"?

I was sorry to read of the passing of Dale Messick today, at the age of 98. Her long-running comic strip "Brenda Starr, Reporter" was once published in over 200 daily newspapers. When she began working in the 1930s the field was pretty much a male world has died at age 98. "Brenda Starr" began as a Sunday only strip, and later became a daily. The strip is now produced by writer June Brigman and artist Mary Schmich. Ms. Messick both wrote and drew the strip for decades, until she gave the job over to Ramona Fradon and Linda Sutter in 1980.

I had a chance to see Ms. Messick at a San Diego comic convention in the mid-1970s. She appeared on a panel dedicated to Milton Caniff, but spoke of her own early experiences in the industry. I remember her as very entertaining and obviously enjoying the attention and affection of her many fans.

Condolences to her family on this sad occasion.

Rob Kall over at OpEdNews.Com (link on the Left) has some interesting opinion pieces regarding Pope John Paul II. The comments of Prof. Matthew Fox point out some of the things which the media has not mentioned, or mentioned only in passing the past week, despite giving hours and hours of coverage to the Pontiff's dying days and funeral arrangements.

I have to admit to mixed feelings about the whole thing myself. There is no denying the charisma the man had, nor the hardships he had to overcome throughout his life. He also inspired a great many folks to think about things like Iraq, the death penalty, etc. which they might have not considered before. On the other hand, the media is all to willing to forget some of the other things the pontiff proclaimed and pushed ahead in the quarter of a century as the leader of the Catholic Church.

The essays over on OpEdNews remind us of the conservative and sometimes backwards leaning ideas that the late John Paul promoted. As with all things it never hurts to remember the flaws along with the good things as we mourn his passing. Like all of us, the Pope was a human being capable of mistakes.

I spent a great part of the past weekend glued to the set watching coverage of Pope John Paul II. Among the hours of sameness there were some bright spots. I was fascinated to learn something of the younger priests inspired by the Pope, especially those American students in the Vatican seminary. They are far more conservative than one might think, holding to the beliefs and teachings of John Paul rather than the more liberal leanings of many U.S. Catholics.
It will be interesting to see how evangelical they are in the coming years and if they are able to maintain the discipline they seem to have at this point.

It was also interesting to hear and see reports on some of the possible successors to the Pope. Although many of the priests and theologians interviewed warned that you can never really be sure who the Cardinals would choose. Many feel that they would go with some one older, to ensure that the reign would be relatively short, giving the Holy See a chance to see how things settle. John Paul II was such a charismatic individual that it is not likely that next Pope could equal his personal appeal.

Certainly interesting times to be a Catholic, even a lapsed one!

I could not help thinking as I watched the televised 'death watch' from the Vatican, of my own mother's passing. Her last few days were spent in the home of my younger sister, with the aid of a hospice care giver. The priest from her parish came to give her the Prayer for the Sick (which we used to call last rites in the Catholic faith), and even though she had been waking only occassionally she did respond with an amen a couple of times, before going back to sleep.

I'm what is commonly called a 'lapsed Catholic' attending mass only for funerals and weddings. I've never been terribly religious, even as a teenager, despite years of attending mass with my parents and my mother's best efforts. Still I can't help but feel touched by the outpouring of genuine sorrow.

This is so different from the political posturing we witnessed during the period when Terri Schiavo lay in her hospital bed.

From New York Newsday.com:

"Terri Schiavo dies after 14 days without feeding tube. Theresa Marie Schindler Schiavo died today, ending an agonizing 15-year odyssey that divided a family and a nation over her right to die. She was 41. "

Our condolences, of course, go out to her husband and her parents, as well as the rest of her family. We can only hope that both sides of the battle can now put their differences aside and quietly mourn her passing. She is at peace now and her suffering over.

Let us also hope that those extremists who actually threatened violence against legislators and judges during this tragic series of events will be brought to justice. We are very lucky that it went no further than threats, and that wiser heads prevailed.

Can Congress and the President now go on to issues that truly effect the American people?

It appears that a federal court is opening the Schiavo case once again. At least allowing the parents to file another appeal, but not stating that they will hear the case any time soon.

I was surprised to see the New York Post come out editorially and say that it time for the family to allow Terri to 'die with dignity'. Hasn't this been the entire arguement from the start?

Re: Johnny Cochran - like lots of others I made jokes and rude comments about the man's defense of O.J. He was however known prior to that time, and after that case, for his defense of people's civil liberties. He did his share of good for a number of folks and those who begrudge O.J. his own defense should keep that in mind. Sympathy of course goes out to the Cochran family.

The Terri Schiavo situation appears to be winding down, at least on the legal front. Now the news media is getting folks worked up about a difference of opinion on the funeral and whether Terri shall be buried or cremated. Once again, sadly, her parents and her husband differ on what shall be done.

Interesting stories coming out reminding folks (or letting them know for the first time) that George Bush seemed to have a different opinion on prolonging life when he was Governor of Texas. Just last week the life sustaining machinery for an infant were shut off despite the protests of the mother. This thanks to some cost cutting legislation signed into law by the life loving George II.

Regarding the folks outside the hospice in Pinellas Park. Given their love of humanity, wouldn't it be nice if they considered the fact that there are other patients at this facility, who would also like to live their last days with a bit of peace and quiet. I have heard on one incident (I heard this second hand, so take it for what it's worth) where a woman was unable to be at her father's deathbed, since it took her so long to get through the cordon of protesters and security.

It was also fascinating to hear this morning that Michael Jackson has compared himself (not in so many words of course) to Nelson Mandela. According to the "King of Pop" in an interview with Jessie Jackson, he is being persecuted simply because he is a celebrity. Damn us all for tormenting this poor soul!

I don't know how it is where you are but here in the American media center, the three daily tabloids all dedicated their front pages to the Terri Schiavo story. Naturally, each took their own distinctive run at the story.

Newsday was the least offense going with "Their Hope is Dimming", with a photo of the parents. The New York Daily News goes with the more dramatic, but a bit more offense "Death Watch". Finally, the ever delightful New York Post features a calendar on the front page, with the days crossed off and a picture of Terri; the headline "Terri's Doomed." My commute in on the subway allows me to read these over and over again as my fellow passengers read each paper.

The outcome, barring Jeb Bush running in to personally carry Terri out, seems a foregone conclusion at this point. My heart goes out to her family, by which I mean all of her family no matter on which side they find themselves. I'm sure that they all have her best interest at heart, and I am disgusted that individuals (of the religious and political stripe) have jumped on their tragedy as the latest bandwagon to arrive in town.

I'm know I'm not the first to bring this up, but you can be sure that some of these same folks will use her death just as greedily as they have used the legal process for their own purposes. You can bet that their will be hundreds, if not thousands of 'mourners' at her funeral even if the family requests their privacy. Hey, never let personal tragedy get in the way of a good photo op!

According to what I've just read over on the CNN website the U.S. Supreme Court refused to intervene in Terri Schiavo case. This will mean that a lower court decision to remove feeding tube stands, at least until we see what outcome of the latest attempt by Jeb Bush turns out to be.

It will be interesting to see what this action does for Bush in his apparent bid for the '08 GOP nomination. It could come back to blow up in his face, but the base constituency he & his brother aim for may still support him.

Air America has been having some wonderful guests of late, talking about this issue and reminding us that there are OTHER things our government might want to work on. I mean, apparently they are bored with steroids in baseball.

Before he took up weapons and took human life, Jeff Weise created a violent animated short entitled "Target Practice". If you go over to www.thesmokinggun.com you'll be able to view this work. Weise posted this on the Internet and it demonstrates that thoughts of death and revenge were already filling his imagination.

I want to warn you that this is a disturbing piece of work, but it sadly shows that this young man was talented. It is unfortunate that he could not have channeled the anger in less violent areas.

I realize that I made light of the shooting incident yesterday, but the more I read about Jeff Weise, the shooter, the more my heart goes out to him. There is no apology for what he did, but I can't begin to imagine what this poor kid must have been going through. His father committed suicide, his mother in a nursing home and being raised by his grandfather. He was picked on in school and apparently became fascinated with both Hitler and death. How sad is that?

I suppose we should be grateful, considering the ease with which kids can get their hands on lethal weapons, that this type of thing is not even more common. The high school near my home had an incident yesterday where a kid accidentally shot himself in the leg with a gun he had smuggled into school. What's that about?

It's probably not really "dating myself" but rather showing my state of mind, that the first thing I thought of yesterday (upon hearing of the school shootings) was "I don't like Mondays!"

Yeah, it's not really PC of me, is it?

On her show on Air America Radio yesterday, Randi Rhodes did a nice job of going over the time-line and major events in the Terri Schiavo case. As a former resident of Florida, Rhodes is very familiar with the case, before it became a national soap-opera. She reminds her audience (or tells them for the first time, if they were unaware) that in almost every case in which an unbiased judge or arbitrator looked into the case, it was decided in favor of Terri's husband. When various 'religious' & 'ethical' groups became involved this personal tragedy became a political football.

I'm guessing that the GOP and the administration were surprised that the judge yesterday decided in favor, once again, of removing the feeding tube. It is also interesting to see how Tom DeLay is using this situation for his own purposes. Trying to deflect attention from his own political trouble, DeLay and his supporters are using a family misfortune to their own advantage. Does this administration have no shame whatsoever?

Even some folks who believe that Terri's parents are in the right, should take a close look at some of the politicians on 'their side' of the issue. I think they would be sadly surprised. It was Terri's mother who said just the other day that she did not want this turned into something political. Anyone in the White House listening?

While Donna and I don't agree on everything (Surprise, surprise!), we both feel that Congress has more important matters to deal with than the life of a single woman. Terri Schiavo's struggle is between her parents and her husband. Rightly or wrongly they disagree on what would be in her best interest. It is a family matter which should be handled in that fashion.

The part that really sickens me is that a majority of the members of Congress would happily condemn to death a mentally-handicapped teenager, without thinking twice. The only reason they have signed on to this legislation is for an easy election issue. Millions of Americans are injured or killed each year in accidents caused by industry and commercial products, but our esteemed representatives can't seem to do anything about that.

Each and every member of Congress, who can not honestly say that they believe in Terri Schiavo's rights is a fraud and should be held accountable come November '06, or sooner.

The less said about the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave the better. That man could not care less about this family or for anybody else unless they, like him, are multi-millionaires.

Apparently lying to the American people and Congress, as long as you keep the President's back gets you promoted. I see where Paul Wolfowitz is King George's nominee to head the World Bank. I mean he and his fellow neo-cons did such a good job for planning post-invasion Iraq, that, like Condi Rice, he deserves a promotion.

Apparently some writers, here in the Blogverse and in the mainstream press, have nothing better to write about than speculation on the next Presidential campaign. Can anybody seriously consider Condi as a viable nominee?

It appears to me that some Republicans want to push her into the limelight, so they have a female to run against Hillary. I can't even see her constituency would be? Considering her politics and the fact that she is so identified with Bush's Iraq policy, that in itself would be major strikes against her.

Besides, isn't Jeb the heir apparent?

Had a bit of trouble posting yesterday, so I didn't have a chance to mention the departure of Dan Rather. I got home just in time to catch his closing remarks and sign off.

I don't know when I first became aware of television news, probably while watching it with my parents. My father, in particular, was a news junky, reading two newspapers everyday (the NY Daily News & the local paper, the Norwich Bulletin) and a third paper on Sunday (Boston Herald). He pretty much read the entire thing, not just the headlines & sports scores. He also was a fan of the all-news radio stations out of New York. He'd probably love the chance to watch a multitude of cable news stations.

Anyway, the first time that television news really made an impact on me was during the days following the assassination of JFK. The three major networks pretty much dropped all programming and stayed focused on the events of that weekend. That was probably also the first time that I ever saw Dan Rather over on CBS, although it's possible that I had seen him earlier.

Rather and his predecessor, Walter Cronkite, seemed to always have been there. The major events which shaped the national consciousness were all reported by these two gentlemen, either in person (both having traveled to Vietnam and other places), or turning the story over to some other CBS correspondent. It will seem strange not to see Rather each evening, although I suppose his glory days are over.

I'm afraid that we've probably seeing the last of the reporters like Rather and his ilk. The networks and especially the cable news stations will probably go for safer anchors who won't immediately anger anyone.

Courage, indeed!

Since it was announced that Gary Trudeau had hurt his drawing hand, I was wondering how long it would be before he began doing new material. This week's strip has answered my question.

I'm not sure where Trudeau is going with Duke, but I hope that he doesn't pull the plug on a character, inspired by Hunter Thompson. I am sure that some folks will think that he may have crossed a line with today's strip. I don't know how I feel about it, myself.

Apparently the Republican controlled Senate is going to sell the middle-class down the river again. The bankruptcy bill will pass without doubt to the cheers of Wall Street. We've also heard how a raise in the minimum wage will destroy those small businesses King George II praises so highly. Not, of course, that he has ever had to play on the same field that those small business owners. Daddy and Daddy's pals have always been there to help poor George out of his own ineptitude.

If only those soreheads in the unions and folks barely making ends meet would just shut up, things would be just fine.

Our lives are shaped by those around us. Whether for good or bad, the lives of those closest to us change us. What we once were, we no longer are or can be.

Well, Martha Stewart is out of prison and under house arrest (or mansion arrest, in her case). Like the folks over at Air America, I'm not sure how I should feel about the whole thing. Personally, I don't think she did anything overly horrible, but rather stupid. Trying to stonewall the feds did more harm in the long run than fessing up and paying a ridiculously small fine. I think her fame and persona did her in.

I remember when I was living in Westport, CT that Ms. Stewart did not have a good reputation with some folks in the community. Never dealing with her myself I couldn't say if the rumors of her stiffing folks for work done had any truth or not.

I'm not a fan myself, but she is admired by many people and millions use her products even after all the bad publicity. I think she'll bounce back from all this, with a few books, a Barbara Walters/Larry King interview or two and her new 'reality show' of course. She'll be just fine, I'm sure. :-)

Meant to say something yesterday, but I'm temporarily assigned to another branch and spent a good part of the day learning my way around. We open up late today, so I thought I'd take a few minutes during my break.

I had never seen NYPD BLUE until I started dating Donna back in '99. She was a fan of that and ER, another show which I'd never seen on a regular basis. At least with ER, I'd had a chance to catch the pilot, which I had to review for the old Joe Bob Briggs print newsletter. I didn't know a lot of the back story for either show, but reruns and Donna got me up to speed enough to begin enjoying both.

Once we got Court TV on our cable system in Connecticut, we started watching the past seasons of BLUE every night, plus occasional 'marathons' on the weekend or holidays. It wasn't hard to become addicted to the show.

I glad we caught the final episode, even though we'd gotten out of the BLUE habit the past couple of seasons. We've begun watching other things and BLUE fell off our regular viewing schedule. I think they ended the show on a good note, leaving the team together, allowing for any future reunions or one-shot movies.

Dennis Franz, as Det. Andy Sipowicz has become a classic TV character. Franz is a under rated actor and it will be interesting to see where he goes from here.

LOST was very good last night. Finally we get the back story about Hurley (Jorge Garcia ), who has become a fan favorite. Seems that he had his own personal reasons for going to Australia and remains haunted by some events. It was also nice to see Mira Furlan back for few scenes. There remains enough mystery in her character, but I'm hoping that we will see a bit more of her in future episodes.

Next week they'll be going back to reruns for a bit. My guess it that the season finale will feature the birth of Claire's child. If there are spoilers out there about what will happen I don't think I want to know, since I love being surprised each and every week.

Since the show is one of ABC's few hits, especially with NYPD BLUE leaving, I'm sure the show will be picked up for another season. Fingers crossed they don't 'jump the shark' next year.

Certainly not a memorable Oscar show, but hardly unwatchable. Chris Rock will no doubt catch some flack for his Bush-bashing, but I don't think he ever came close to crossing the 'decency line'. Perhaps he wanted to demonstrate to folks that he could work pretty clean. I think he's a safe bet to get this gig again. The audience seemed to like him, except for the Sean Penn who needs to develop a thicker skin and a sense of humor.

No major surprises in the awards that I could see. Maybe those folks more knowledgable of the technical awards (sound editing, design, etc.) might quible, but the big awards seemed to go to those folks generally considered favorites.

By gosh, you can't say the fine folks over at the Miss America pageant aren't keeping up with the changing tastes of the American public. After ABC finally pulled the plug on this event, the pageant organization has decided that the best way to save the thing is by making it a 'reality show'.

Apparently the idea will turn the one night special into a multi-part series, where we get to see such reality staples such as backstabbing and contestant eliminations. The series will begin with regional competitions and then end with the live telecast, just as we've seen in the past.

I don't know if this will really increase the number of folks tuning in, but it might give the show a chance to be picked up by one of the cable networks. How about SPIKE TV the "men's network!" (Whatever the hell that is supposed to mean?

The current concern over the health of the Pope reminded me of something I'd read (or heard) a few times. Apparently the Pope has written a letter of resignation (or whatever it's called in the church) which will be presented when he feels that he can no longer perform his responsibilities. I know that John Paul II doesn't actually have his hands on the day-to-day running of the Vatican, but I'm wondering if anyone knows at what point someone other than the Pontiff would make such a decision?

Perhaps he has instructions in place for such an event, but should he slip into a coma or otherwise be unable to order/request the resignation is there something in place to gather the College of Cardinals who would vote on his successor?

This lapsed Catholic is just curious. :-)

This is the second book I’ve completed in my attempt to go back and read some classic or at least well-known books. These are books that I feel that I should have read at some point, but have never gotten around to actually picking up. Not quite a resolution, but something which was inspired by a class on ‘readers advisory’ held in January by the Queens Library system. If you’re paying attention you’ll remember that the first was Agatha Christie’s AND THEN THERE WERE NONE. As with that book I’m not going to do a review as such but rather talk about what the book brought to mind, either regarding the book or other media interpretations of the story.

Mary Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN was first published in 1818, when Shelley herself wasn’t yet twenty years of age. Conceived originally several years previously when she, her husband (the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley) and several house guests were passing the time reading German ghost stories. Mary and two others set out to create their own stories, but only she actually completed a work. She wrote that the idea came to her as she tried to fall asleep. She said she saw the image of a young man kneeling and working on an artificial being only to have that being come to life to confront his creator. It was that haunting image which formed the inspiration for the story.

Like many folks of my generation, it was the Universal version of that monster with which I first became familiar. I was probably ten or eleven years old when I first saw the movie FRANKENSTEIN on television. During the late 1950s and early ‘60s every television market had some late night television program (likely called “Chiller Theatre” or some such) which ran on a Friday or Saturday night after the late news. From talking to others and reading the articles written by my contemporaries I think we all shared those same memories of sitting up while our parents thought us asleep. No lights save that coming from the B&W set before us, totally hypnotized by what we saw.

The version of Frankenstein we knew was a gaunt and hollow eyed giant, portrayed by Boris Karloff (and later by others including Bela Lugosi and Glenn Strange). He had a flattened head, with metal bolts protruding from his neck. His stiff, slow gait would have allowed most of his victims to escape if they hadn’t been frozen in fear at his very appearance. The creature which Shelley described was indeed horrid to look upon, but it was the yellowish tint of his skin, gigantic height (he stood close to eight feet tall) and other unnamed deformities that caused folks to be startled. In the novel, Frankenstein does not use electricity to bring his creation to life, but rather some unspecified method.

Shelley’s monster is also not mute, as Karloff was in his initial appearance. Through months of observing others, Frankenstein’s creation teaches itself to both speak and to read. Those sections of the novel narrated by the creature demonstrate that he is probably more literate and intellectually curious than most of those around him. It is because of this that we feel sympathy for his plight despite some of his more horrendous deeds.

I’ve seen enough versions on film and television, plus I read the Classic Illustrated version as a kid. Still I don’t remember actually reading the novel even back in high school, where I read just about everything I could get my hands on. I must admit though that as I read the book there were some scenes which seemed to register, as if I had read it before. Very possible that I discovered one of those ‘bowdlerized’ editions that some schools liked to have on hand for we sensitive young minds.

I was reminded as I read that the book was originally published at a time when there were still folks about with memories of the American Revolution. The War of 1812 was only a few years in the past and Napoleon was in exile on the island of St. Helena. The events which make up the story are supposedly taking place at some point in the later part of the 18th century. The movies adapted from the novel for the most part tend to place it in the Victorian era or in the early 20th century, if you look at the styles and equipment used in the Universal films. The language and viewpoints of the novel bring to mind a much different mindset than our own. An age still violent, but when men and women of intellect seemed to believe that we might move beyond the superstition and ignorance of the past. Sadly, while modern technology has advanced to a point that our forebears could not have imagined, society itself has not progressed nearly as fast or as far as they would have hoped.

The book is brilliantly written, but almost unbearably tragic. The character of Victor Frankenstein, who we generally see portrayed as slightly mad to begin with, is here driven not by madness but by curiosity and a desire to understand. Like Prometheus (note the novel’s subtitle: The modern Prometheus) Frankenstein is cursed by fate for what he has brought forth. He suffers not physical pain, but a mental anguish as he sees all he loves destroyed by the creature he brought to life.

It is perhaps the ultimate cautionary tale of man attempting to duplicate that which only nature can or should do. Almost two hundred years after it was first published Victor and his ‘monster’ have become two of the most well known creations in literature. It’s not hard to understand why the story continues to resonate after all this time.

It's pretty frightening to see the video coming out of California and know that Kristina is out there. I also find myself thinking of the other friends and acquantances who might find themselves in actual danger from flooding and landslides. Some of the same roads in the Laguna Hills area we drove during our Christmas holiday seem to be closed or destroyed by the rain and mud.

Donna and I have our fingers crossed that our friends are able to stay safe until the rains cease. Our thoughts and best wishes also go out to anybody reading these words who find themselves in a similar situation.

Many years ago, in what now seems to have been another life, I subscribed to ROLLING STONE magazine. When it began publishing the serialized ramblings of a Dr. Raoul Duke about a trip to Las Vegas I was totally blown away. To discover that it was actually Hunter S. Thompson led me to seek out whatever I could get my hands on. A true American original whose genius and madness will be missed.

Light one up and raise a glass!

It was a pretty hectic weekend, but everything seems to have gone off fairly well.

Folks who know me will tell you that I really cannot keep a secret. I do not have what you would call a 'poker face' and you can read my emotions pretty easily. Anyway, with all that I was still able to pull off very successful 'surprise birthday party' for my wife on Saturday. Naturally the biggest surprise for her was the appearance of her daughter, Kristina, who flew in from California to celebrate with us.

Ordering food and getting various stuff together for over twenty people would not have been possible without the aid of Donna's youngest sister, Marilyn and her brother George. My in-laws are some really great folks and we all did our best to make sure that Donna would not forget her fiftieth b-day.

I was able to get Donna out of the house on Saturday (so the place could be fixed up and food brought it) by taking her to the movies. We saw the new Will Smith comedy, HITCH, which was okay, but certainly nothing to rush out to see. Personally, I thought it was a bit too long in parts, with a scene between Smith and Eva Mendes (apparently showing just how vulnerable and selfless they both are) stopping everything in its tracks. You know, one of those scenes where you catch yourself glancing at your watch. Kevin James, who we like in his sitcom KING OF QUEENS was the best thing about the movie, in my opinion. The guy demonstrates that he can really act given the write script. Like to see him in more films, possibly even in a dramatic role.

Looks like it may not be the smooth sailing for King George that everyone had assumed. He might have some problems even within his own party for some of his Social Security plans. Even Greenspan doesn't seem overly enthusiastic about some details.

I wish I had seen video of the protester tossing the shoe at Richard Perle. Morning Sedition played some of the audio, which was delightful. It's good to see that Howard Dean is still pushing his anti-war position and not trying to play it safe. Fingers crossed that he will continue to move for a more progressive, less centrist Democratic Party which will better represent what many in this country feel is the correct agenda.

Speaking of Morning Sedition, Marc Maron will probably catch some flack for the bit on "Freedom Fighter vs Insurgent", especially his use of the non-PC 'retarded'. Still, those guys are back on my list of morning commute listening. (At least until after basketball season is over and the ESPN can get back to talking baseball.)

As Donna said earlier today, "That just looks silly!" She was, of course, referring to a news report dealing with a new revamping of the classic Warner Bros. characters. I have to admit that I was initially startled, but on second thought I agree with Mark Evanier (link over on the Left) who reminds us that this has all been done before.

Hey, even I liked TINY TOONS!

Once again my cynical side had to laugh when I watched the news last night. The video shows someone waving from behind some vertical blinds, claiming that this is Michael Jackson acknowledging his fans. Couldn't it just as easily be somebody joking around? Now if a baby had been dangled I'd believe it was the King of Poop. Um, Pop, sorry!

I'm sure we all feel safer with a new head of Homeland Insecurity in place. Especially since he vows to 'balance' national security with civil liberties. I know I feel better.

Seems the STAR TREK fans are fighting to keep ENTERPRISE on the air. Always get a sense of deja vu when things like this happen. Of course, with networks like SCI-FI around this sort of campaign may have a happy ending. Back when the original show was cancelled there really was no place to turn. Personally, I haven't been a regular ST viewer since the days of DEEP SPACE NINE, but I know folks who love the show in just about any incarnation, so fingers crossed.

Oh, I see where poor Michael Jackson has the flu (at least that's the last report I read). Cynical folks like me see it as bogus, but I suppose that surgical mask he usually wears might not have worked this time. Maybe one of those nasty potential jurors sneezed in his direction or something.

Thanks to Mark Evanier I've learned that John Ostrander now has a blog of his own. I've placed a link to it over on the Left.

For those of you who don't know it already, John is one of the best comic book writers currently working in the industry. Sadly, he is not considered 'hot' so, like many of the other writers of his generation, he is not given nearly the number of opportunities to prove it as he should. Back when I was active in comics fandom I had to chance several times to chat with him at various conventions.

I recommend that you take a look at his blog to see what he is up to and what he might have to say about the current state of the comics industry.

Oh, and if you ever get a chance to meet John, ask him about A. Robins (The Banana Man). It will make his day!

"-- Howard Dean went from being the hot new face of 2003 to the laughingstock of 2004. Now he is poised for a Democratic Party takeover in 2005." Lead paragraph in CNN article on Dean's new position heading the Democratic Party.

I find this especially insulting, since CNN was among those media outlets (print & broadcast) which first pushed helped push Dean into the spotlight and then turned on him. I'm not saying that the Dean campaign was without fault and that Howard's sometimes over emotional speeches didn't help perpetuate the impression of 'out of control', but the sad thing is that his message was lost (and generally ignored) once the media elite decided that they wanted a more centrist candidate.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Dean can actually bring some needed changes to the party and push aside those in the Dem leadership who basically want to keep the party GOP-Lite.

I was saddened to hear of the death of Arthur Miller last night. He was without question one of America's premier playwrights and possibly the best of his generation. His numerous works including DEATH OF A SALESMAN, THE CRUCIBLE and VIEW FROM A BRIDGE will continue to be performed for generations. It seems that just about every American actor of a certain age wants a chance to portray Willy Loman on stage. It is probably a safe to say that you could probably find one of Miller's plays being presented at some college or regional theatre just about any month of the year here in the states or around the world.

I'm also going to do what every other obit I've seen has done and that's to mention that he is probably better known to many Americans as one of Marilyn Monroe's husbands than he is as a writer. In fact, it's probably real safe to say that the "entertainment" shows tonight will spend almost as much time talking about his short marriage to the tragic star as they do mentioning his decades long work in the theatre. It will be interesting to see which 'stars' the shows spotlight to talk about Miller. (It would be more interesting to see if they could get some of those same stars to name more than one Miller play off the top of their pointed little heads.)

Farewell to one of the great playwrights of the English language. I doubt that we will see many others who can produce half the masterpieces in their careers that he did during his.

Ah, so apparently what we need here is 'spending discipline' in Congress and making the previous tax cuts permanent, then all will be well economically. Damn! It was so simple, no wonder none of us realized it until G.W. told us.

Stupid, stupid, stupid progressive voters! When will we learn what's good for us?

I blame myself for not sticking to my pledge to ignore anything political. Now my oblivion is shattered and I'm ticked off again. *sigh*

I guess the saddest thing about the budget G.W. wants to push is how predictable it is. More money for defense and 'national security (read profits for the military/industrial complex) and cuts in domestic spending. Oh, and lets not forget some more tax cuts (read profits for the already too-wealthy).

Don't expect much from the Democrats in the way of fighting these things. I expect more of them to drop ranks and vote with the GOP, or simply switch parties. It probably seems to them the best way to remain in office and protect their own 'constituents' (read anybody who has donated money to their campaigns).

New York seems to be in for some bad times, at least according to some folks who have looked at the budget figures. Anybody surprised that a blue state, with two Democratic senators (one a possible candidate in '08), a Republican governor (likely to go up against Jeb Bush next time around) and whose population didn't appear to appreciate all the White House had done for them since 9/11 would get the budgetary shaft?

Petty? Not our President!

I don't know that I'd be yelling our "DYNASTY" as some folks are, but I certainly have to hand it to the New England Patriots for hanging on and repeating as Super Bowl champs. It really looked a little hairy there in the fourth quarter, but the Eagles seemed to falter (and why they decided to go back into a huddle was a blunder from which they could not recover) allowing the Pats to maintain their lead.

I didn't get to see the entire game, since we were having a b-day party for one of my sister-in-laws. Saw a few commercials which I enjoyed, the trailer for BATMAN BEGINS and the half-time show (which all of us questioned, even though we all like Paul McCartney). An enjoyable day, which capped off a pretty quiet (thankfully!) weekend.

"I agree to this Constitution with all its faults, if they are such: because I think a General Government necessary for us, and there is no Form of Government but what may be a Blessing to the People if well- administered; and I believe farther that this is likely to be well administered for a Course of Years and can only end in Despotism as other Forms have done before it, when the People shall become so corrupted as to need Despotic Government, being incapable of any other." Benjamin Franklin discussing his uncertainty with the Constitution.

I came across this rather pessimistic quote today and have a feeling that ol' Ben had it pegged pretty accurately. If we haven't already hit that point I don't think it's far off.

Was listening to a radio show the other day and the host was discussing the State of the Union and the Democratic response. He felt that while we were constitutionally entitled to have the address he didn't believe that there was a need for a response, since that wasn't in the Constitution.

This whole democracy thing really is a pain in the ass, isn't it?

Have a nice weekend!

Well, I'm gearing up for another fine Super Bowl Sunday this weekend. Looks like we'll be spending the evening watching the game at my in-laws, so I'll probably be the only New England Patriot fan in the room. Not that anybody is a real fan of the Philadelphia Eagles mine you, but they are still P.O.d about the Red Sox win so this seems to them a good way to razz me. All to macho, I know!

Now I'm a fan of Paul McCartney, but even I have to admit that he is not the artist I would have thought of to front the half-time show. Perhaps ten years ago! I guess he's considered a safe bet after what went down (pardon the expression) last year. Still I generally use the half-time show to visit the bathroom and refill the munchies. On the other hand, I might actually check out the pre-game telecast (which I generally skip except when the commercials are on) to see how John Fogerty is looking. I can't see myself tuning in for the "Super Bowl Gospel Celebration", either!

We all know that about half the SB audience never watches another football game all season, tuning in the spectacular to see what the sponsors are pushing and how clever the ad agencies are this year.

Apparently one car spot was already pulled because of pre-broadcast criticism from a group working with Catholic priest abuse victims. The ad had a priest take a set of keys found in the 'collection plate' only to be confronted by a father and his little girl. When the reverend is shown putting up a sign for his next sermon the word 'L**T' appears and this was reportedly too much for some folks. (My guess being that that word and the little girl appearing in the same commercial implied a bit too much) Perhaps simple white screens with the corporate logo showing for thirty seconds would be acceptable to one & all, huh? I mean, really!!

It will be interesting to see what folks will be blogging about come Monday morning. I'm sure I'll have my own thoughts to share.

Next to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, probably one of the best known writers of mysteries was Agatha Christie. Although her characters Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot may be a tad less well known than Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, still there is no denying that the lady had a lasting impact on the genre. While almost every Holmes story has been adapted to film, Christie is probably close in the number of movies which have used her characters or the plots of her stories (sometimes with only the title remaining unchanged by screenwriters and directors, feeling they knew better). My late mother was an avid reader of Christie and for a number of years I would try to buy her a new collection of Christie's short-stories or novels for Christmas.

I'm sure that somewhere along the line I've read a tale or two by Dame Agatha, but I can't really swear to it. As part of my new plan to read some classics, I felt that I would finally pick up one of her most famous novels (and probably the story most ripped off and adapted), namely AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (also known as TEN LITTLE INDIANS). A quick search of the Internet Movie Database (IMDB.com) shows at least ten movies with those titles, and probably there a few others which have stolen the plot but changed the title, for obvious reasons. I do know that I've seen at least a few adaptations of this novel and the concept has been stol...er, borrowed by dozens of writers especially those writing for television detective shows. Face it, how many episodes of MURDER, SHE WROTE, or the later Perry Mason TV-movies used the idea of folks being invited to a place only to be killed off, one by one?

I don't want to write a review of the novel since I'm sure many of you have already read the book or know the plot even though you haven't. It is, after all, close to being a mystery clicheé. The only things I did want to mention were how fascinating I found the book and what a quick read it was. Once I started it I couldn't put it down, reading it over this past weekend. Also, I can see why some of the screen adaptations probably had to change the story, especially the ending, to make it more palatable to audiences. Not exactly your typical movie happy ending.

If you are not already familiar with the plot, here's a basic summary:

Eight people, who have never met, are invited for a weekend to an island seemingly by an acquaintance of each. When they arrive they are greeted by the two servants (man and wife) and are they informed that their host, a Mr. U. N. Own (think about the name) isn't on the island but is expected. After dinner a recording is played, that accuses every one of them (including the two servants) of murder. The "guests" soon learn that they have all been tricked into coming, by someone very familiar with each of them. Before long the first of them is dead and each suspects the others of secretly being responsible. One by one the list of suspects shrinks as the body count mounts.

If you haven't already read the book, I really do want to encourage you to pick it up. Be warned that certain expressions and racial terms used in the book may be offensive. In fact the book was initially published as "Ten Little N*****s", which was later changed to the better known "Ten Little Indians" until some folks objected to that, hence the title which you'll find on most new editions of the book. However, as my ex used to say, you can't blame somebody for not being ahead of their time.

A check of IMDB.com will show that some film adaptations were known by two or more of the book's titles, depending on where and when they were released. I was surprised to find that the original title was actually used for a made-for-TV film released in 1949. An interesting note about this film is that one of the actors was Arthur Wontner, well known in England for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in five films, but later overshadowed by Basil Rathbone who assumed the role in the American made movies.

I don't want to call it a New Year's Resolution for a couple of reasons. First, it was only a week ago, so I think the deadline for NYRs is past. Secondly, my past experience with such self-promises have almost never born fruit, so why jinx myself from the start.

What prompted this was a program on 'readers advisory' held by the Programming Office for librarians. If I stay awake at these things that in itself is a surprise, but in this case the lecturer was actually interesting. She also told us how she had begun keeping a journal/diary of the books which she read each year. These are not reviews for her own use, but simply the titles of the books and perhaps a line or two to remind her what the book was about.

Anyway, I've gone back and listed the books I have read since the beginning of the month, along with the audio-books I've heard. All I put down are the title, author, date and the genre (if fiction). I will let you know just how long I can keep this up.

At the same time I began this I decided that now might be a good time to actually go back and read or re-read some 'classic' books. Despite having been a pretty active reader for most of my life there have been a number of books which I've never got around to reading. When I have a few minutes to spare I'll even write a bit about what I picked as my first choice.

Well, my hat is off to those brave souls in Iraq who are going to the polls. Of course, if the story which Elayne links to is correct folks aren't really given much choice. If the government is going cut off you monthy food ration you certainly have a strong incentive to vote, other than patriotic enthusiasm.

Still Americans can't seem to get off their duffs even if the polling place isn't a target, so you really do have to admire people willing to put their lives on the line for something our fellow citizens seem to take for granted.

It remains to be seen if the results will in any way change things over there, since I'm sure that the Administration will have put into effect a system to ensure an outcome favorable to "OUR" best interests.

I'm sure that the fine folks over at the Dept. of Homeland Security take these things into consideration, but two events which took place on different coasts seem to point out just how vulnerable is our national infrastructure.

In New York a homeless man sets a fire and disrupts the subway system, for what could be months. Thousands of people have their commutes disrupted and this will, no doubt, cost a few million bucks to repair.

In California, we have a man who decides at the last minute not to go through with a suicide attempt, but leaves his SUV parked on the railroad tracks nonetheless. Perhaps a dozen people have been killed and many more injured, some seriously. This too will disrupt the transportation system at least for several days and also cost a great deal of money to repair.

As I said in the beginning, this is probably not news to anyone but with all the billions of dollars this administration has spent on 'national security', it seems that two guys did a pretty good job of creating havoc by accident.

While I generally do not duplicate links on my two blogs I thought MostlyFiction.com would have enough interest so that I might make an exception.

MostlyFiction.com has 'bookshelves' dedicated to a number of genres, including mysteries, thrillers, humor and science fiction. There is also a page of contemporary non-fiction with many of the same options as the fiction pages. Among those are book reviews, author bibliographies and brief bios, as well as some book excerpts. These allow you to sample the work of a number of authors before heading out to the bookstore or library.

As a librarian I find the site to be nice asset and have recommended it to several patrons already.

Happy reading!

I've made a few changes to my links the past couple of days.

I've dropped Spinsanity, as several other folks have done, but want to be sure that you continue to keep on on political spin by checking out FactCheck.org. I've also added a link to James Randi's website (with a hat tip to Mark Evanier, whose one link to Randi's Johnny Carson piece finally reminded me that I had been meaning to link to Randi for while).

When I was home the other day, the Independent Film Channel (IFC) was rebroadcasting the Michael Moore pre-election event. This led me to add a link to Veterans Against the Iraqi War page. As a Vietnam-era vet myself I support what these folks are doing and hope that other veterans & non-vets will give their site a look and perhaps contribute to their work.

Like many other bloggers, I'm sure, I'd like to send out my condolences to the family and friends of Johnny Carson. Mr. Carson passed away early this morning and I heard of his death a few hours ago. CNN, Fox News and several other channels are doing 'special reports' on this and you can bet that the major networks (especially NBC) will have further comments and events over the next few days.

Others of my generation will know how it was to grow up with Carson. It seems that he was a already a permanent fixture in most American households when we got to stay up with our parents on non-school nights. Jack Paar and Steve Allen I considered better at certain areas of the talk show format, but Johnny took what they had created and made into the perfect vehicle for his talent and wit.

Goodnight, Johnny! We'll miss you.

If you take note over to the links at the Left you'll see that I've dropped Spinsanity.com from the list, but kept FactCheck.org. I'm sorry to see the Spinsanity folks leave, but can certainly understand their desire to work on other projects. The FactCheck people are doing a great job of keeping track of politicians on all sides.

I've also added a link to Veterans Against the Iraq War. As a vet myself I appreciate what these fine folks are doing and hope that others will join them.

Have a good weekend! Let's hope that the snow headed for the North East isn't going to be bad as they are predicting.

I'm guessing that when King George outlined the policy of his first semi-legitimate term "with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world," he wasn't talking about U.S. tyranny.

I have to admit that I was able to get through almost the entire day yesterday with barely a glimpse at His Smugness. Since I've stopped watching the news for the most part and listen to non-news stations my aggravation level has certainly gone down. I figure short of another invasion the all-sports stations won't be reporting on anything that will bother me too much.

Heck, I've so totally tried to cut myself off from GW 'reality' that that I'm back to listening to Howard Stern in the mornings. I've discovered that Howard really hasn't changed much in the four years I stopped listening and that I'm going to miss him when he switches over to Sirius next year.

I don't think that anybody was surprised that the Senate panel would rubber stamp the nomination of Condoleezza Rice. It was nice to see that at least Democrats had the courage to make at least some token resistance. Of course, the GOP toadies will say it was sour grapes on the part of John Kerry. Barbara Boxer also displayed her usual tenacity by calling Rice to account for her past mistakes (which of course Rice wouldn't admit to).

Is it me, or is there something 'creepy' about Rice? I hope that nobody will take it as either racist or sexist, but there has always been something about her which makes me uneasy. As with Dick Cheney, you get the idea that she feels herself superior to those around her and that she is unanswerable for any of her past deeds or comments. Also, like several others in the ruling cabal, she reeks of insincerely in many of her pronouncements.

Like others, I'm doing my best to ignore the upcoming coronation gala, with some hope that there will be just enough disruption to make folks remember that there was no mandate in November.

Actually watched some the national news last night, which is always a mistake. Imagine my dismay when I discovered that there are indications that the administration is already gearing up for further mischief in Iran and Syria.

I love the 'talking heads' who won't deny the charges outright, but choose minor details to nitpick. Of course, the news readers and commentators advise us, the Administration would never try and bring us to war THIS TIME without proving their intelligence was accurate. The American public would demand such a thing. Right...Just like last time!

Anyone really believe that? Or that the Iranians or Syrians would be the initial cakewalk that the coalition found in Iraq? Also, do you believe that even the British would back us on this one?

The other story getting some airplay is the amount of security which will be called into play for the coronation this Thursday. Nice to live in a democracy, but let's keep the royal family and retainers safe from protestors, leftists and other terrorist threats. From the few reports I sat through it seems that we'll have enough troops, police and Secret Service types to take down anything the Yippies can throw at them. :-)

Keep your head down fellow-traverlers, they don't even have to pretend this time out!

I always seem to be behind the times on commenting on things, but how could I NOT!

A member of the House of Windsor dressed in a Nazi uniform? I'm shocked & appalled.

Certainly in bad taste, even for an inbreed member of a royal family, but I can't say that I'm all that upset about it. I can, of course, sympathize with those folks who are genuinely angry about this. I mean, I don't know where the Prince got the outfit, but you would think that someone might have raised some objection or pointed out that it might not be taken lightly.

My thoughts and sympathy are with those folks in California suffering from the continuing rain. We've heard from Kristina and she's doing fine, although she has had some trouble getting to work due to the closing of several roads. She lives in the Laguna Hills area and there have been mudslides along some of the area highways.

I sincerely hope that none of my fellow bloggers or readers are having major problems. Fingers crossed that the worst is over for all of you.

It truly is amazing the amount of fluid the human body produces when trying to rid itself of illness. For the past six days I've been suffering from an upper respiratory infection (as my doctor calls it) and have been laid up at home. I'd probably have used some of that time to read some blogs or even post something, but between the effects of the illness itself and the drowsiness brought on by the medication I really didn't do much except sleep or try to watch day-time television.

Lord knows what I would have done if I was restricted to the blandness of basic cable, but Direct TV let me enjoy hours of movies and reruns of old favorites. The best was having back-to-back episodes of PERRY MASON on the Hallmark Channel every afternoon. I know I've spoken about my fondness for this series before, but it really is a treat not only to see how Perry gets the actual murderer to jump up at the last moment, but also to see the number of actors and actresses in small roles who went on to larger roles after appearing on the show. Also, as with the 'guest stars' who showed up in the later made-for-TV movies with Raymond Burr, it is a kick to see folks who were even then well known appearing in roles, often quite different from what we'd come to expect.

Well, I'm feeling better now so it's back to work and back to watching Prime Time.

I have been pretty busy the last couple of days, not even having the chance to post a bit about my New Year's Eve weekend. I also have not had time to read any of the blogs or on-line columns I generally try to get to daily. Because of that I just read in the CBG Express mailing that Will Eisner has passed away.

I really cannot recall if I ever had the chance to actually meet Mr. Eisner personally, although I did see and hear him at several conventions I attended in the 1980s & '90s. He always seemed to be surrounded by fans and his peers, so going up to him seemed intrusive.

On the other hand, I remember first discovering his character THE SPIRIT and learning about Eisner's early experience, in Jules Feiffer's classic THE GREAT COMIC BOOK HEROES (which I discovered in my high school library, of all places!). When I began seriously collecting comics Eisner's name came up all the time in the various fanzines I read. Finally, Warren Publishing began to publish reprints of THE SPIRIT and it became obvious just what it was that made this character and his creator still resonate with readers.

His various graphic novels and the creative way he (and his collaborators) told the Spirit tales influenced several generations of artists and writers. His is a legacy which will endure.

I am saddened by his passing and my thoughts & wishes go out to his family, friends and legends of fans.

If I don’t have a chance to post later today, I just wanted to take a moment to wish you all a very Happy New Year!

Donna and I are currently planning on staying home tomorrow night, possibly having dinner with her mother and one of her cousins. Not sure what we’ll be watching come midnight, although it may just be the insides of our eyelids. :-)

Hey, it will be strange not to see Dick Clark this year, won’t it? I like Regis, but it will still seem odd.

On New Year’s Day we are having about a half dozen folks over for a late lunch/early dinner (or “dunch”, as Donna and I have dubbed this particular meal time). We expect our guests to come along pretty early so we can watch the Rose Parade together, than have enjoy a pork roast that Donna picked up the other day.

If you’re going to be out driving, either get one of those designated drivers or take a taxi/car-service home. You also might want to just spend the night at friends or stay at a nearby motel/hotel. Sadly, there are going to be way too many folks who won’t be taking this advice and will be behind the wheel after drinking way too much. If you must be out on the road be especially cautious, since I’d like to see you all back again next week.

Take care!

I have the first draft of my latest Joe Bob Briggs book review ready. There may be some changes made prior to its posting on the site, but this is pretty much as it should appear.

The Dvorkin's have done a great job of creating a frightening alternate history, which is even scarier than the one in which we live. Hey, if they can actually make you feel a little sympathy for the first President Bush, while still making him look like a manipulative wimp, they must be doing something right. They also do away with a member of the Bush cabinet whose initials are D.C., so there's another plus.

**************************
DAWN CRESCENT by David & Daniel Dvorkin
Published by Betancourt & Co (Author’s website lists: Wildside Press)
ISBN: 1-59224-613-3

The father & son writing duo of David & Daniel Dvorkin have created an Alternate history, differing from ours beginning with the defeat of the coalition forces of Desert Storm in 1991. The set up for this turn of events actually is earlier and begins with assassination of Anwar Sadat in October 1981. As we soon learn, this was masterminded by a man who takes the name Rashid-al-Bin Sinan, known to his followers as the Grand Master. His plan, carried out with bin Laden like patience, involves planting his followers in the militaries of Arab nations where they will wait until a signal is given.

When Saddam Hussein invades Kuwait things seem to be going quite well for U.S. and allied forces until Sinan’s followers within the Saudi forces turn on and kill their American & British counterparts. What had begun as a sweeping victory quickly becomes a disaster and the allied troops find themselves in active retreat, often unable to tell friend from foe. Even as this is taking place a coup against Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev occurs with a much different result than that which took place in our world.

As a nationalistic Communist government reasserts itself over the Soviet Union and the Middle-East grows increasingly hostile to western influences, elements within the U.S. government decide to take matters into their own hands. One of the first things to change is the man to reside in the White House for the next four plus years. The first President Bush finds himself little more than a puppet and his place on the 1992 Republican ticket is taken by Dan Quayle. From this point all bets are off when it comes to trying to figure out what will become of the American idea of ‘free and democratic.’

The authors tell much of this story through the eyes of Air Force Master Sgt. Harry Elkin, a medical corpsman who suddenly finds he must lead a collection of soldiers and marines through the Iraqi desert, following the Battle of Khafji. We also meet two other characters; fellow Air Force medic Airman Rick Welton and Airman Sharon Alcazar, one of several female members of Elkin’s unit, whom we follow after their escape from the war. Although Rick and Sharon become lovers they find themselves separated as events spiral out of control.

Harry is quickly ‘recruited’ by certain elements in the government to act as the public face of the war, his efforts to rescue his fellow soldiers turned into a propaganda tool. Harry also learns that he and his friends could be expendable if they don’t play by a new set of rules. When they begin to tire of their new roles all three ex-solders end up working for an organization which may have goals of which they are not aware.

We are introduced to a number of characters from all sides of the unfolding events. Some of these people are introduced for brief chapters, while others we see develop into central actors in the drama. Not all of the characters we meet are sympathetic and not all of them will survive long enough for us to do more than get a superficial idea of what drives them. Still even those we see briefly we find that we care about and wonder how or if they will survive.

Personally, I found it hard to put the book down once I started it. The authors create believable characters and develop a scenario which is all too real. It would be easy to imagine that the events they create could have just as easily have actually occurred. I highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys the type of thrillers that Ludlum and Clancy crank out, since in my opinion this is easily as good as some of their bestsellers.
Four stars.

It is truly amazing sometimes when you watch the coverage of events such as the destruction and death toll from the Indian Ocean tsunamis. It also puts into perspective what the media (and I can only speak of the American media, since that is primarily what I see) finds important. Not only the television coverage, but also the daily newspapers. I look forward to seeing the perspective the weekly papers and magazines use when they appear next week, since I expect this story to be cover featured.

Anyway, I have been taken aback that the major story seems to be how some super-model was hurt and traumatized by the event. It seemed that almost every telecast I saw last night, and several newspaper articles focused on the model, actor Jet Li (who injured his foot, apparently while shielding his son from the rising water), several soccer players and others whose well-fare was certainly more important then the hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankans involved.

I'm reminded of a skit I saw years ago, I believe it was on SCTV, but it might also have been on some other sketch comedy show. It featured a nightly news show from a small country covering the destruction of Seattle, WA by some natural event. The loss of life and economic impact was ignored and the fact that no one from this small country was involved was the primary focus. Several nationals who had visited Seattle at some point were 'interviewed' so that a "local" perspective could be sort. I remember it being a funny skit, but one you thought about after it was finished and realized how true it was.

My heart felt thoughts and wishes go out to the families of those effected by the event. We can only hope that many of the missing will be found and that the high loss of live will in the end turn out to be much lower than is believed.

Regarding the amount of U.S. aid being sent, as someone at the UN (I believe) said, the American government will spend a billion or more dollars for a single B1 bomber, but then will offer/promise (not necessarily actually come through with) about a tenth of that to help the millions of people effected by this tragedy.

Compassionate conservatism and Christian values at their finest!

Well, I certainly hope that everyone enjoyed the holiday and are preparing themselves for the New Year celebrations. I had a very nice time in California, celebrating Christmas with Donna's daughter Kristina.

We flew out of JFK last Thursday (12/23) and were picked at LAX by Donna's ex-husband (and Kristina's father) Michael. Michael acted as our host and chauffeur for the next few days, taking us around to some of the places where Donna used to live and to several restaurants. We were joined for most of the weekend by Kristina's friend, Devin.

I have to recommend both Mimis Café in Laguna Niguel for breakfast. The fresh baked muffins and raisin carrot-cake log are to die for. Also, the price is very reasonable. This used to be one of Donna's favorite places and I can understand why. Be prepared to wait a while depending on when you arrive. If you're curious: http://www.mimiscafe.com/

I have been hearing about In-n-out Burger for a while now. Kristina raves about it and when Donna's sister came back after a visit, her husband was also a fan. We had a chance on Sunday, before heading to the movies (where we saw MEET THE FOCKERS, which is a must for anybody who liked MEET THE PARENTS). The great thing about the place is the very limited menu. You'd think that would be a down side, but the choice of a burger or cheeseburger makes life very simple. The place was packed when we got there, which goes to show you that in spite of the hundreds of other restaurants and fast-food places around they must be doing something right! If you like hamburgers you have to give the place a try. I thought the fries were a bit salty, but not too bad and definitely a step above most fast-food fries. Oh, you might want to check out the "secret menu", which you can find over at their website: http://www.in-n-out.com/

By the way, there are other stories told about the place, but check out the bottom of the soda cups to understand where they may be coming from. :-)

Anyway, we had a nice day on Christmas, with Donna and the girls putting together a delicious meal, which included honey-glazed ham, sweet potatoes and Donna's homemade cheesecake. Yummy!

Every year my Christmas gifts run along a theme. We've gone through SOUTH PARK & THE SIMPSONS so that I'll end up with books, t-shirts or other related items. I have Simpson editions of both LIFE & CLUE, which we enjoy playing. This year I made mistake of sitting around with my wife's nieces & nephews watching SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS. I actually enjoy the show and now find myself with a SPONGEBOB t-shirt, 2005 15-month calendar, six-inch inflatable doll and a mini-lunch pail filled with SPONGEBOB sour candies. If you haven't really sat down and watched the program, you might be surprised to find yourself enjoying it. The recurring MERMAID MAN & BARNACLE BOY characters are wonderful examples of super-hero spoofs which are clever enough to appeal to comic fans of all ages.

I just wanted to take a few moments to wish everyone a Happy Holiday and hope that the next few days will find you all enjoying yourselves.

I'll be back next week after a quick visit to the Left Coast to visit my step-daughter. I'll give you all the details of our California adventure when we get back.

My resolution is to post more and to add some more links as I find them. If I can get around to it I'll also try to add some photos to liven up the joint.

Happy Holidays and Be Well!

The tragic events in Mosul, Iraq are simply another indication that the administration and the Secretary of Defense did not prepare or equip the military for the post-invasion efforts. Even the NY Post, which tries not to put the war on the front page could not ignore the attack.

I also read that there will be some anti-war protests come the Ignore-garation in January. You can expect extensive coverage as was the case with similar protests in New York during the convention. In other words, "Protests? What protests?" You'll not hear a word from FOX, unless Michael Moore or other 'celebrities' show up. The major networks and CNN will give you a snippet of chanting, unless there's violence, and that will be it.

I expect Air America & Pacifica, with NPR giving some coverage, to let us know what is going on, plus you know the Blog-o-verse will be putting their two cents in as well.

Me? I'm going to keep my head down and read something mindless.

Happy Holidays!

I'm not sure of the old saying but I think it's something along the lines of: Life is what happens while you're making other plans.

That was certainly the case this past weekend, which was supposed to have consisted of going to my sister's house in Connecticut for her annual open house. Sadly, Donna wasn't feeling up to paar so we had to cancel out. We decided to make the best of things by doing a bit of last minute X-mas shopping and then sitting around on Saturday. That's when life happened....

Around midnight we got a call from one of my wife's sisters to inform us that one of her cousins had died unexpectedly. Donna and she had practically grown up together and their birthdays were only a few months apart. They both would have celebrated their fiftieth b-day next year.

We had an almost sleepless night and the next day was spent trying to contact other relatives, to make plans for the coming week. We are still scheduled to fly out to California to visit my step-daughter on Thursday night, so it's going to be a heck of a week.

Add to that the fact that the Queens Library has sent me to cover for a vacationing librarian in another branch (in which I've never worked and have only a vague idea where it is) and things are really crazed.

According to an article over on CNN.com and other items I've read, the mainstream Democratic party heads seem pretty upset that Howard Dean might very well become their leader. The DNC (Democrats in Name only Committee) want to continue the losing practice of moving further and further into Republican territory. Why should those of us who voted for Kerry (generally with a 'anybody but bush' philosophy guiding us) want to go down that path again in four years?

Is Howard Dean our savior? No, but we can only hope that he will turn around the slide into obsolescence in which the Democratic Party seems headed.

Naturally, I'm not overjoyed that Pedro Martinez is leaving the Red Sox. While not the biggest Pedro fan, I think the BoSox are making a mistake. Of course, I can understand why Martinez would love to have a four-year deal rather than the two-year (plus one-year option) the Sox were offering.

On the other hand, of the National League teams I like the Mets so hope that they aren't making a serious mistake with this signing. It seems that part of the negotiation is that Pedro will not have to undergo an MRI on his shoulder during his physical. If I were the Mets I'd consider pushing for that, while not making it a deal breaker.

Isn't it nice to be able to remain pretty ignorant about political matters? I'm actually enjoying the change.

It seems hard to believe that I've crossed another year with only minimal damage. There has been a change of location and employment, but if that's the worst I can live with it. Trust me, I've had far more traumatic events happen along the way.

I don't believe in fate, but I do believe that we make choices in our lives which we can look back upon to discover how we got to where we are. The past twenty plus years can be directly attributed to buying a fanzine, called AFTA, in a comic shop while I was in college. It will be interesting to see what the coming year brings, won't it?

(Hey, Elayne! Where is Bill-Dale, anyway?)

Since I've gone political 'cold turkey' and tried to ignore all national news, I've found that I'm a much happier person. I don't get angry about things I can't do anything about and find the whole 'hide your head in the sand' thing to be working out just fine.

I've also learned some things by switching from Air America Radio to WFAN & 1050-ESPN.

1) Basketball players and fans are getting beat up (by each other, in fact).
2) Baseball players are shooting up (steroids and human growth hormones).
3) Hockey players are not showing up (there's a shutout/strike, don't you know?).

Apparently, Sammy Sosa is or is not going to the Mets and the Marlins are talking about moving to Las Vegas.

How can anything going on in Congress or some foreign country be half as interesting as this?
Plus, if play a lot of Christmas music it will make you forget that the Bush administration still has no clue what to do in Iraq, or just about anyplace else.

Happy Holidays, sports fans!

Spent the past weekend doing some Christmas shopping and putting up decorations on the front of the house. It looks nice when you see others all light up but setting up the Santas, nativity scenes and assorted lights are a royal pain, in my book. Still it looks nice at night and the kids like seeing the Santa on the front steps.

We haven't begun decorating the apartment yet, since we're not sure how much effort to put into it. We'll be in California visiting Kristina for Christmas and get back a few days before New Years. Since we are leaving Babie in the apartment (with Donna's mom looking in on her) we don't want to tempt the little darlin'. Likely we will put up a few things this weekend, for when we have folks over for New Years Eve.

Either Barry Bonds is a liar or he isn't extremely bright. That seems to be the only way to explain his testimony before a Grand Jury regarding his use of steroids. It's just sad that it has come to this, but I don't suppose it should surprise anyone who has been watching any professional athletics over the past twenty years or so.

Personally, I don't think those professional bowlers would be able to bowl 280 or better except by using illegal substances. :-)

Jason Giambi admits to using steroids and human growth hormones. I am shocked and appalled!! Who would have ever expected such a thing? Ahem...

Not that this is going to keep the rabid fans from filling the seats each and every game, but it does give the sports talk shows something to fill the time. I mean how much mileage can you get from Notre Dame dumping their football coach?

There is some conjecture on why it was Giambi's testimony which was leaked, rather than that of Barry Bonds. Perhaps Bonds denied he uses them and we'll have to see if there is some sort of legal action going on behind the scenes. That is of course, if Bonds did lie under oath. Frankly, it is Bonds which is the bigger story since he is on the verge of beating some long standing records in the up-coming season. Hate to see it done under a cloud, or to have an asterisk next to his stats in the records books. Granted I'm not the biggest Bonds fan, but still....

I had to work a bit late, plus the subway was running a bit slow so I missed JEOPARDY last night. I had heard hints on the 'net that the episode showing Ken Jennings loss was up-coming, but sadly I missed it. Man, what a run, huh?

Looks like he'll be getting a bit more than his fifteen minutes and I'm hoping his lasts a tad longer than the guy who got booted off of AMERICAN IDOL ("She bangs...she bangs...."). Jennings has at least one book he has signed to do and will assuredly be hitting all the talk shows over the next few weeks. It will be interesting to see which sponsors give him a shot and what he'll be willing to endorse.

Anybody else willing to bet that the woman who beat him (probably awarding her a shot at a Trivial Pursuit question of her own) won't last out the week?