CONGRATULATIONS ERIN!!!!!
You guys, I cannot tell you how proud I am of this lady. Girlfriend ran a fucking
MARATHON today, and who is not endlessly impressed by that?! She's been training for 6 months and from what I could see, it paid off. D, Dave, and I were around mile 23 and she was still running and STILL SMILING.
It was so inspiring to see so many people of every age and seemingly every fitness level chugging along out there. There were lots of great costumes--lots of Supermans and Supergirls (including Miss E!), the odd devil and angel--and then a couple guys who I don't think it was a costume, but were running in full fireman's gear (fundraising?). Now THAT was impressive. Lots of political statements were made (the 2 people wearing "Republicans for Kerry/Edwards" were my favorites) and lots of military pride was shown (mine most of all...wink). Can I be totally myself and tell you how many VERY ATTRACTIVE dudes there were out there??! Lord have mercy. Ahem.
But watching for Erin was the best part, and cheering everyone as they came around the bend onto Crystal Drive. Some people had their names on their shirts or their bodies, and so you could really get into it..."Lookin' good Tom!" "Way to go, Lynne!!" "Almost there, Fatass!" Yes, there was a girl whose shirt said "Go Fatass, Go" and the man next to her's read "Daddy Fatass". HA! People who can run like that AND have a sense of humor about it? I heart you. The weather was absolutely amazing here today--75, sunny, and breezy--and lots of families were making a day of it. Crystal City had moonwalks, face painting, pumpkin decorating, and other things for kids, and kudos to the police and rescue personnel who were stationed to help with traffic and security and safety and runners' health. THANK YOU.
I haven't had a chance to talk to Erin and see how *she* feels about the day, but I hope that amidst all her self-critique of pace and split times and strategy, that more than anything she just feels what a huge accomplishment this is. To her and all the other runners I say: YOU ARE THE SHIT.
PS--special thanks to Dave and D for going with me, and to D for suggesting CC as the place to watch. Smart *and* good company. What a duo.
Yet another Kerry endorsement
This time courtesy of
The Economist.
(thanks to Suzi for the link)
I think D.C. will hit its peak this weekend
As I drove into work this morning I noticed that all the trees are *just* about at their maximum color-change point. All along GW Parkway and driving up Constitution Ave. by the Mall I was treated to yummy bright hues and drifting leaves. Should make a great backdrop to the
Marine Corps Marathon tomorrow. D and I plan to be out somewhere near mile 20 to cheer on ROCK STAR Erin D. as she runs her first (but I'm sure not her last) marathon. E, did you ever know that you're my hero? Good luck!!!
It's a slippery slope...
Starting with a
link Des sent me about how Bush & Co. have finally sunk to using photographs from 9/11 (burning towers, the 2nd jet approaching the 2nd tower, etc) in campaign ads. This led me to thinking about people in the Fly Over states that would probably find these images stirring and evocative (not in the "Ohmygahnohedi'int" way that I did, but in the stirring "gahblsssmerika" way). Which culminated in my getting
Darryl Worley's "Have you forgotten?" in my head, and now I can't stop hearing that song in my mind. Sometimes I hate my brain.
Nancy Reagan is my favorite. I love that they have
these all on kids. If a child dressed in any of these came to my door, I would 1. give them ALL of my candy and 2. invite their parents in for coffee.
This is brilliant. What an odd streak, and the ONLY reason I'm hoping for the Skins to continue bringing the suck on Sunday.
"OH MY GOD I HATE MYSELF"
Why, you ask? Because for lunch I ate the rest of this awesome green bean recipe I cooked up last night. And 2 cookies. After eating 3 wee Snickers earlier in the day. Now I feel like Chet looks. Blech.
I am SHOCKED and DISMAYED
by the size of
his earrings!
PS: call a cab. You owe it to the rest of us to keep us safe from your DUMB ass.
If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all
This is the game plan of 9 major U.S. newspapers who endorsed Bush in 2000 but find themselves unable to do so this year. For many, this is a serious bucking of tradition:
"The decision not to endorse was "an agonizing process," [Nolan Finley of the Detroit News] said, noting that the News has backed every Republican seeking the White House since Ulysses S. Grant."
Which goes to show that what you
don't say can resonate as clearly as what you do. The full article is
here (detailing the *36* papers that endorsed Bush in 2000 but this year are endorsing Kerry).
I think the dead relatives one is my favorite...
Suzi and I watched the feel-good movie of ANY year last night:
Beijing Bicycle. And by "feel-good" I mean "starts happily and then side-swipes you with anger and violence and desperation and you feel wrung out when it's done." I had seen good reviews of this film (in retrospect I probably just read headlines whose gist was "This film is worth watching" without delving into *why* they felt it was) and when the Q and I got together for pizza, chips and soda, and threw in a DVD for good measure, this seemed like
such a good idea. Watching with Suzi was actually helpful and interesting for me because she could enlighten me on aspects of "typical" Chinese life and culture (like relative levels of affluence, or what happens when families have more than one child--in direct contradiction of the One Child rule long in effect there)...That Suz sure is a smartie! She said that films like this go hand in hand with something called Scar Literature, which is typical of post-Cultural Revolution (and particularly post-Tiananmen Square uprising) China: the bleakness felt by many and the cracks that show more and more in everyday life. Important, and relevant, but it won't have you dancing in the streets when you're done.
Oh, and Tom, I stole "The Brotherhood of the Wolf" and "Mystery, Alaska." Suzi is running her own personal Netflix with your DVD stash. Just thought you should know. ;)
I was reading my book yesterday on the metro and got to the part where the author, in the early-80s, lived in Alexandria, VA. He and one of his Teammates were stationed up here during the early formation of
Red Cell, living in an apartment on Duke St. The best part, though, was when he talked about living across from one of their favorite hang-outs: Shooter McGee's!! With all the nuance and enthusiasm of an 11-year-old I smiled to myself thinking "I've been there!"
Yeah, Anne, so have a lot of people.
This...
...plus this are my prescription for happiness right now.
I grew up in the South and still this was new to me
A license plate frame surrounding a mock-up of the
Stars and Bars, proclaiming "JACK AND CHARLIE DANIELS."
I'm going to get Des one for Christmas. I
know she will heart it.
It may surprise some of you to hear that I did not make it out to watch the Golden Knights yesterday morning. I had every intention, but when I woke up at 6:30 it was to the sound of pouring rain (which in all likelihood scrubbed the jump) and while I love me military men, I love my warm, dry bed more. Now if only I could find a way to bring the two together.... Oh. Did I say that out loud?
Anyhoo, I saw
this lovely story in the
Post today about the "shadow" 10-miler that was run by troops in Iraq. I was really taken with the idea of the simultaneous efforts; the doggedness and camaraderie of it are great. Especially when you're running here:
"This is the second year Army organizers have hosted the "shadow race" at Logistic Support Area Anaconda, a sprawling U.S. military base about 60 miles northwest of Baghdad. Once an Iraqi air base, Anaconda reportedly has earned the nickname "Mortaritaville" among troops because of the frequency of mortar and rocket attacks there."
Bet you never thought you'd hear me say this, but GO ARMY.
I watched lots of things this weekend, which I need not catalog here, but I will say that I DVRd and re-watched "
Innerspace" courtesy of HBO and damn, that is still a great movie. I could not get over how young Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan looked! He is aging beautifully. She? Notsomuch. But I don't bring it up to be catty. I bring up the movie because it was one of the great flicks of my younger years and it holds up pretty well over time. I was astonished to recognize actors who went on to be in things I know and love in what was clearly one of the first big breaks of their career. Such as Robert Picardo, later of
China Beach,
The Wonder Years, and
Star Trek: Voyager fame. Or Joe Flaherty, who will always be Mr. Weir (
Freaks & Geeks) to me. Not to mention Andrea Martin whom most of us know from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and/or "Hedwig and the Angry Inch". Seeing Martin Short also makes me wonder: WHERE IS MY JIMINY GLICK MOVIE?!!
One thing I did NOT see was Ashlee Simpson's SNL fiasco. But Steve of course has it available
here.
Why do vacuum cleaners have headlights?
Now this is very interesting...
I finally got around to opening yesterday's mail, and in among the envelopes was something generic, with no company header or return address, BUT the envelope did have a clear window, through which showed the words "Box(es) below to be completed by Virginia Resident(s), Anne Doss." My first thought, as yours might have been, was that this material was somehow election-related. So I tore into the envelope only to discover that it's a donation request from Feed The Children. That is some crafty shit, my friends. I don't think there's anything precisely duplicitous about it, but I'm quite certain they drafted that little maneuver to take advantage of the heightened attention being given to politics, elections, and voter materials right now.
Feed the Children and their evil tricksies....
Space Shuttle Enterprise. Dulles storage facility, September 2001. Look closely...see that wee head? I could *just* stand up.
SR-71 vertical stabilizer with unit insignia. Dulles storage facility, September 2001.
Post-restoration, pre-Dulles Center. Suitland, MD. September 2001.
As Kristin mentioned, I discovered yesterday how to put pictures up here at le Sport. Sadly, I thought I had more interesting files saved at home and was all excited about posting them, only to discover (unsurprisingly) that I have far more shots of aircraft than I do of people. Most are of interest only to me and a *very* few others, but so is most of what happens here on my blog so why stop now?
This is the fore section of the
Enola Gay fuselage. In September 2001 I was employed by the National Air and Space Museum at it's (then one and only) storage facility in Maryland. After about 18 months of restoration and occasional display, this plane was ready to be put into storage to await its transport to the then-under-construction
Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles. We spent several days loading the plane (in parts) onto a tractor trailer and moving her to Maryland. It was a very big moment for me, to be in on the work for something so historically important. Isn't she gorgeous?
Check it out: I've added a translator to this page. It's free and will translate (albeit not entirely perfectly) all the content except for comments into a language of your choice. For all those U.N. visitors I get.
It's raining men
From my Arlington Alerts:
"In conjunction with the Army 10-Miler, the U.S. Army Golden Knights ParachuteTeam will parachute into Arlington on the morning on Sunday, October 24. The jump will take place at 7:10 a.m. The team will land on Washington Blvd. (Rt.27) in the area to the west of the Pentagon (in the vicinity of the old heliport)."
First: The Golden Knights! HOLYCRAPTHAT'SSOEFFINGCOOL.
Second: what a timely and helpful report. Seriously. How many times have their been tests of some security measure or other (or some event that will disrupt traffic) that you don't hear about until after the fact? As in, until after some poor biddy has had the shit scared out of her.
Third: I *was* going to sleep late on Sunday (my first chance in to do so in almost two weeks) but now...um...I think I might manage to rouse myself for this. Anyone care to join me? ;)
Current front-runner on my list of possible Halloween costumes...
I'm telling you, the only thing better would be if I went as the *actual* Snickers bar. But then all night people would just point at me and yell, "Doody! DOODY!!"
I'm so glad that I bothered to pack a nutritious lunch, as I'm now NOT AT ALL HUNGRY because I have been eating Halloween candy hand-over-fist all morning.
Although it got me to thinking: I genuinely feel sorry for people who have peanut allergies. Think of all the great treats you miss out on! Snickers, Reese's, PB&J, summer roll sauce, Crunch n' Munch, and just plain ol' yummy roasted ones at a ballgame or standing in line at 5 Guys. Sorry peanutless people. So sorry.
Team America needs one of these
It has been brought to my attention (thanks, Adam) that The Onion has a whole
Election 2004 page. For those times when Tucker Carlson doesn't quite have all the answers. Times like ALWAYS.
"America!...Fuck yeah!"
So goes a line from the feel-good theme song to "
Team America" which I saw last night. Kids. SO FUNNY. Can I just tell you? The puppets' body movements slayed me, their costumes and armaments were hilarious, the sets were intricate and heavy on the details, and the songs, MY GOD the songs. Like Kim Jong Il singing out how he's all alone and "so rone-ree". I don't want to go into too much detail because being surprised by it made it that much funnier. Susie, Pam, and I were laughing out loud every 30 seconds for the duration of the film. They slam everyone, so whatever your politics you're sure to feel righteous and also offended. Now *that's* fair and balanced. Oh, and as for the sex scene, I want to know what they edited because what I saw seemed to pretty much cover the Kama Sutra. I don't know what's left to show, but apparently all will be answered by the DVD. So then, when I laugh 'til I think I'm gonna pee my pants, at least I'll be in the privacy of my own home.
[Oh! and one cool little aside: if you stay long enough to see the credits, you'll notice one of the 3 main puppeteers is a guy named Scott Land. He is my ex-brother-in-law. One of my brothers was married his sister. He's a master puppeteer and actor (he's been in commercials for years) and clearly his talents came in handy for this work of Art.]
As a follow-up to
this post and my question about newspapers and endorsements of presidential candidates, I offer
this editorial. A conservative FLORIDA paper has decided that it cannot, in good conscience, endorse Bush for President in 2004. However, it's general political slant also leaves it unable to side with Senator Kerry, and so it is, wisely, choosing to endorse no one (yes, other parties, Nader, blah--I know, but we are a 2-party system for now and I don't want to get into those finer points here). I like that they're honest about being conflicted. But mostly I just like that its Conservatives telling W to go fuck himself.
Overheard while I was out buying WAY TOO MUCH Halloween candy at lunch:
Two men are walking down Mass. Ave and one turns to the other and asks, "So how many babies do
you plan on having?"
Um, quick answer there Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, for both of you? NONE. (yes, I'm being v. literal w/ this snark. Sue me.) While I likes me a sensitive fella, that is just...too much.
Also...
I love, love, love the age when toddlers are just learning to walk, and they constantly go around w/ their arms thrown up in the air to balance themselves, like little tottering "X"s. I saw an Itty Bitty squashing down the sidewalk in just such a pose (and fetchingly done up in a furry-hooded parka and Mary Janes...the cuteness, she pains me) and I about gobbled her up.
AND...
Happy Birthday, Viggo.
You sexy thing.
Oh man I can't wait to see this movie
Pam hooked me up with the Terry Gross
Fresh Air interview with Matt Stone of "South Park" and, more importantly, "Team America" fame. Hi-larity shall be had from this film, fo sho.
Since our readership doesn't overlap much
I'm going to crib from John and post
this hilarious link. Many of you may have already seen it, but oh well. We at BlogSport have never claimed to be cutting edge. Just cutting.
Hereby sacrificing any vague claim on street cred I might have had...
I admit to you that for the last hour I've had the lyrics to the 5IVE song "When the Lights Go Out" running through my head:
Baby when the lights go out, Every single word cannot express,
The love and tenderness, I'll show you what it's all about,
Babe I swear you will succumb to me, So baby come to me,
When the lights go out!
Oh. my. GOD. So lame.
I think I'm most pissed at Bush for what he's done to our military
Evidenced in so many ways, not least of which, in
this article forwarded to me by Suzi.
(warning: it's a bit long and requires a NYTimes log-in [free, but a must])
Also, on another note, I have a question: is it standard for major newspapers to come out in open support of a presidential candidate? I know in the last week several publications have chosen a side, but that seems to me to be contradictory to the spirit of impartiality that
should pervade journalism. I know papers are often referred to as having a fairly obviously slant, either conservative or liberal, but to side openly with a candidate? That just seems...not right to me. Can anyone enlighten me?
Several of you have asked, very kindly, how my race was. Which has led me to the dilemma of how to blog about what happened yesterday. I wanted to write about the other parts of my weekend--the fun, hilarious, perfect parts--but also knew that I'd have to get to the events of Sunday and didn't want to lump them in together. So if you want it in order, start with the first posts from today and work your way up. I don't write this to be dramatic or sensational; but really the only people who read the 'Sport are my friends, people who I need to know that this happened.
The deal was, there had been a mix-up wherein my coach didn't register my partner and me in time for yesterday's Occoquan Chase. BUT, she and I were working on the premise that bookings for races are not unlike tickets for a flight--if you go down and wait on "standby", when someone scratches you can hop in their spot. Thus we were at Sandy Run first thing, and got in a spectacular 10-mile row, just us, on calm water with no traffic, on a glorious October morning. When we came back to the dock, as we putzed around waiting to see how the day developed, we received word that several kids from one of our (ACR/TC Williams) rowing clubs had been involved in an accident on the drive down to the race. One of the kids was my partner's daughter. What happened next was a surreal and frantic blur of unanswered phone calls, disjointed information, and finally a desperate drive to the hospital to find out that, in fact, the
absolute worst had happened. Those moments were--it all
is--so awful. I'm still in shock about it, and that is NOTHING compared to what the kids and Laura's family are going through. If you're a praying sort of person, say one for them.
The one solace I've taken from it is that, sitting in that hospital yesterday, I saw such a network of friendship, support, and love--really, of family--that exists among rowers and their families at ACR, TCW, and ODBC. I was so moved, and am proud to be associated with such fine people.
George Michael's biggest fan
Big thanks to Melissa (said fan) and her boyfriend Kevin for hosting a lovely dinner on Saturday night. Her apartment in Dupont Circle is huge, lovely, and SO CHEAP and I hate her for it but she had me and others over for a tremendous potluck. While there I discovered that Miss M, in addition to being quite the painter, celebrates George's entire catalog. I also learned that the surest way to clear the room is to monopolize conversation with the guy from the UK who is here on business and is into aviation and military history as much as I am. It started with the F-22 and went back to the MiG-3 and the next thing we knew, everyone was huddled in the kitchen away from the SCARY AIRPLANE PEOPLE. Sorry, guys! Truly...I didn't mean to be so obtuse, but I have to say it was SO GREAT to find someone to talk with about that stuff.
Put down thy cell phone, wench
Bet you can't guess who said that little gem on Saturday? Wha? ME?! Well, yes. But she was all in costume and she was supposed to be
working at the pub but she dashed away to answer a call and I was all, "Oh HELL NO. I want full-on period play for my $17, woman! There'll be no anachronisms here!"
So, I attended my first
Renaissance Faire (DON'T FORGET THE "E") in Maryland on Saturday.
I went in expecting a pretty healthy dose of hilarity, and in some ways wasn't disappointed. There are many people
in costumes,
speaking Ye Aulde Englyshe, and hocking wares only a bard could love. The thing that astonished me was how so many people used the guise of the Faire to indulge themselves in some serious
goth and
S&M interplay. So many of the women, especially, were
trussed up in corsets, shoving whatever flesh was above their waists up around their chins. MANY more were wearing
black, and dark make-up, and not a few were wearing faux tails (fox, horse, etc.) sewn on the backs of their costumes. Um, did I miss the history class that talked about Ye Aulde Furry Fetishes? The younger adherents, especially, gave off the distinct air that when the sun sets, they get renaissance freaky deaky. But, by the same token in many ways that is no different than people who congregate at raves or clubs--it's just folks of similar interests all gathering to indulge in whatever their hobbies are. It's just that some require less obvious costuming than others.
I ate
steak on a stake (
eh), Italian sausage (phallic?
not to be believed), drank
mead (tasted like cough syrup--blech), and downed a couple very cheap ($3/each) yummy lagers.
We also saw a
sword-
swallower,
jousting, and a comedy duo named Puke and Snot. Susie took pictures which I hope to link to shortly. And I will totally confess to you here that I wanted to buy one of those flowered garlands to wear on my head, but alas, no. Maybe next year?
Respect.
UPDATE: Edited to include Sus's snazzy photos.
"The "Primetime Live" sex poll answers many provocative questions that we have all wondered about, but have never dared to ask..."
Today's On Demand blogging courtesy of Adam, who forwarded
this link. What is it, 1952? "All the questions you never dared ask?" In an age where we're routinely treated to views of L'il Kim only an OB/GYN should have, see sex tapes made by every fool with a recording device, and watch reality shows that cover pretty much all the rest, do we have any more unanswered questions about sex? Poor ABC News...apparently they just crawled out of someone's bomb shelter.
PS--just shows Republicans will lie about
anything.
I mean, I LOVE YOU ADAM. YOU COMPLETE ME! ;)
As I was watching Survivor last night, during the "Previously, on
Survivor" recap, I had a thought: Jeff was probably SO HAPPY to see
Brady voted off, because it restored him to Prettiest Man on the Show status. Not unlike when
Burton and
Colby got the boot, either.
AND....
I'm going to Italy!! Confirmed yesterday that I'm heading to Naples, Sorrento, Rome, and Capri in mid-March '05. I need to start learning important catch phrases like "Waiter! I'm ready to order," and "Yes, more wine, please."
Jangle jangle
Went Anne's nerves. I've had 2 orders of Starbucks TURBO CAFFEINATED coffee, 1 scone, and 1 Krispy Kreme doughnut (mmm...sprinkles!) in the space of 2 hours. Not smart, I know--but there are extenuating circumstances. Now? I'm bouncing off the walls of my office, shortly to be followed by a complete and utter crash coma. Oy.
That doughnut was damn good though, yo.
As Prodigy likes to say, "Breathe with me"
Because I need to calm down a bit. My famille Republicana sent yet another email salvo this morning, with the subject line:
Confused? It is the most inane litany of Clinton facts juxtaposed against Bush facts. OK, 1. Clinton isn't running for President right now. Why are we comparing the two? Is he meant to represent ALL Democrats? Or all Democratic presidents? Because if that's true then I pick Franklin Roosevelt to be the representative of all Dems stacked up next to W. Let's see that email get sent around and see who wins. Also, the stuff that they chose to put up as X vs. Y are TOTALLY incongruous. For instance:
Clinton commits felonies while in office - good...
Bush lands on aircraft carrier in jumpsuit - bad...
What do those have to do with each other?? And do you honestly mean to sit there and tell me that Bush has done NOTHING illegal, unethical, or immoral during his tenure?! There are other choice bits like:
Clinton awards Halliburton no-bid contract in Yugoslavia - good...
Bush awards Halliburton no-bid contract in Iraq - bad...
Clinton spends 77 billion on war in Serbia - good..
Bush spends 87 billion in Iraq - bad...
The slight of hand used to manipulate these facts and figures STAGGERS ME. Not that, at this point, I'm surprised to see outright lying and self-delusion, but the cojones on these sons of bitches really floors me. And scares the hell out of me. I read
another blog yesterday that said "BUSH: Four more years. For more fears." Ex-fucking-zactly.
See? Told you...need to calmy calm. I need to bring it back to indoor-voice levels. And I'm not saying anything here that I wouldn't say to my family-- although I tend to just let these emails slide, hit "delete" and go on with my day--but this one (which we've all seen before) just got to me. Lying liars.
YO! Metro! It's hard enough being a Skins fan right now. PLEASE stop
making it worse.
PS: Y'all could use some good conduct and some good press ASAP. What is this? The FOURTH fuck up in as many months?! I mean, I know we're in D.C., but c'mon. Must you meet our low-to-no expectations *every* time?
Walking through Dupont Circle around 3:30 pm I passed Oprah Winfrey's
Wildest Dreams Come True tour bus. No idea what She-Who-Inflicted-Dr.-Phil-Upon-Us is up to, but you heard it here first.
Substance
Not to be found here. Just wanted you to know. Today, I'm just going to ramble on [shout out to Shelby].
On my way out of the metro last night I ran into several canvassers for the Kerry/Edwards campaign. They were offering literature and bumper stickers, both of which I declined. I have 2 stickers already, and I know all I need to know on the Johns--and as you all know, me likey. But it got me to thinking: those women don't know *why* I said "no thanks" to their handouts. Did saying no automatically equal an "anti-Kerry" vibe to them? Canvassing is such thankless work as it is, between the outright not-interesteds and people in circumstances like mine, I wonder what the proportion is of people who want and take information in that format? Although, in the long run, what matters is who shows up to dance on November 2nd.
Man, "
Inside the Actor's Studio" is on a downslide, huh? I've seen ads for the latest season on Bravo, and DAMN...if they have to go to Jennifer Lopez to fill their bookings then they have a serious problem of either supply or image. Personally, I think they're a victim of moving to a television show format. Apparently those talks went on at the New School as part of the curriculum for some time before someone got the bright idea to put James Lipton's sycophantic ass-kissing on cable. BUT, now that people tune in for the show regularly and they've run through most stars of note, they seem to be scrambling to fill the hour any way they can. They also seem a bit backward in who they've deigned to ask and not to ask so far. For instance: William H. Macy is only just being interviewed for the first time this season. That man is hella-talented, and has been on everyone's radar since "Fargo", so you can't say he's a newcomer and that's why he's only just appearing. And last season they interviewed Ben Affleck? WHO CARES? I'm actually half-inspired to tune in for James Gandolfini's, if only to see him get riled and beat the tar out of JL. That show....just silly.
Justice League: Unlimited has some
money voice talent. I've only caught about a 1/2 dozen episodes so far but have heard the likes of
Carl Lumbly,
Michael York,
John Rhys-Davies,
Stephen Root,
Julie Bowen,
Robert Picardo,
Virginia Madsen,
Pam Grier,
Mark Hamill,
Dana Delany and THE VOICE TO END ALL VOICES:
Michael Ironside. Sweet ass sweet.
Told you. Nothing deep. Nothing meaningful. It's only vaguely coherent. Clearly, I need some coffee.
Things that make me want to crawl away and hide
Or "Why Do Other People Suck So Much?" Part LXXXVII.
1.
John McCain WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?
2.
So, so very glad that you passed your genes on.
I love working in Dupont Circle. The neighborhood is so...
unabashed. As I strolled around on my lunch hour just now, I walked by an ad for a dating service (a la "It's Just Lunch" or "Match.com"). It was very clear, and concise, featuring 4 panels with Lichtenstein-esque cartoons and each panel emphasized what was to be had among its clientele: "Local. Real. Now. HUGE."
Really, why play coy?
Her Royal Dossness is getting a new throne
My boss surprised me this morning with the lovely news that we are up-grading our bum-holders, so I'll be getting a snazzy new ergonomic not-wine, not-red, not-raspberry but-still-somehow-in-that-color-family upholstered chaise. My chiropractor will be so pleased.
And in other news...the
Titney trainwreck rolls on. Oh, I'll be calling you all sorts of things, honey...don't you worry.
If you like Coldplay, BNL, or hobbits...
Check out
Steve's posts about Keane. I mentioned this band to Kristin a few days ago and am growing progressively more in lerv with them by the moment. It's great music for autumn, lazy driving, or puttering around the house...not to mention
the visual impact as well.
"I don't know your thoughts these days
We're strangers in an empty space
I don't understand your heart
It's easier to be apart
We might as well be strangers in another town
We might as well be living in a another time
We might as well be strangers for all I know of you now"
Yep. Sigh. Mmm...cute and sensitive. Gee-neee-us.
I let this go for too long
And now I want to chronicle various things from the weekend and I feel overwhelmed by "where to start?" Too bad I don't know how to put bullets into a blogger post; then I'd just make this like a power point presentation. Because those are SO interesting. :P
Point 1: I hooked up some super cheap ($3/game, $2.50/brewskie) bowling at Ft. Myer on Saturday night. And not just any bowling:
Glow Bowling. It was every frat boys blacklight fantasy come true, with neon paintings on the walls and the MOST inappropriate hip hop music. The lanes (the government, federal, MILITARY,
tax-payer funded lanes) were blasting some of the raunchiest offerings evah. Thing is, this is a family joint, folks. Three lanes over from us there were 2 adorable girls, both 4 or younger (and PS using a handy-dandy elevated ramp to get some velocity on their bowling balls. The cuteness? Not to be believed.) having a blast with their families, all the while enswirled by lines like "I'm gonna have your clothes off by the end of this song." And that lyric was among the more tame. I'm telling you, Des and I exchanged so many "No they di'n't!" looks throughout the night it was like telepathy by the end. Nevertheless, we had a really good time, and I hope you'll indulge me in a wee detail: on the third game (after bowling pretty abysmally to start) I beat everyone except Dave with a lifetime high score of 125. I so wish my 8th grade gym teacher could have seen that. I forced Bry to take a picture of the scorecard with his camera phone but I don't think I'll be able to put it up here on the 'Sport. It'll just have to live in my memoreeeeee...
Point 2: The Skins are really fucking pissing me off. THIS is why I was *cautiously* optimistic. Because the team just has a way of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory and finding the suck with both hands. Adam and I are contemplating suing the team for pain and suffering, because the hope we feel before each came followed by the seemingly now-inevitable disappointment are more than we can bear. I should be clear and say that these comments are directed with laser beam intensity only at the offense. The defense (until the 4th quarter, then it got a little mushy) was spectacular, as usual, and in my opinion has every right to turn to the offense and BEAT THE EVER-LOVING HELL OUT OF THEM. Oh wait: the other teams are already doing that. Sweet and holy Jesus.
Point 3: The weather is astonishing. This is primetime Doss weather, and it's perfect for running and the leaves are starting to change and it's ideal snuggly-cozy sleep weather and have I mentioned that IloveFallsomuchohmygah?!
Point 4:
Oh no. So sad. I actually find it really hard to watch his movies in the years since the accident, but this is much worse. Now I feel awful because I mentioned jokingly on Steve's blog last week (after he made a post about Rodney Dangerfield) that with him plus Janet Leigh, and these things usually happening in threes, who was next? Yeah, I suck, and I feel badly about that. All the more reason for there not to be a remake of
Superman, IMO. Show some respect, people!
Point 5: There really is no point five, because I don't think anyone wants to hear about the archeology stuff I did today or the DVR shows I'm going to watch tonight because there's a
West Wing marathon on today and so I'm
Mrs. Josh Lyman for the rest of the day, or...um. I lost you, like, 2 paragraphs ago, didn't I?
I will wear the shirt with
the sunglasses you're getting me. Thank you, you're a sweetie.
A quiet Friday night at home
Is not what I had last night. And Yay! for that. Isn't it too funny when you're sure how your day is going to go and by the end of it, it couldn't have been more different? Gone were my tra-la-la errands after work and my long run. Instead I joined Clarence and Jonathan at Claro's work happy hour. He slaves away at a bling bling law firm downtown that shells out for a snazzy get-together for employees and guests! On the 11th floor! With spectacular views! Don't ever underestimate what free beer, spice cake and new faces will do for your attitude. Thanks for the invite, fellas...I hope I didn't embarrass you too much with the table dancing.
I was also trying (and failing) to psych myself up to watch the 2nd debate on my own. I think I've mentioned this, but it bears repeating that I CANNOT STAND to watch things like debates and political interviews or talk shows alone. I get very embarrassed for others VERY easily and frequently change the channel unless there is someone there to vent to or at least compel me not to bogart the remote. I couldn't make it through the Veep debate for this very reason. Anyway, Des and Bry kindly offered to have some peeps over to watch chez them, I went, and I watched the whole thing! Yay me! I won't say much on the exchange itself as 1. trying to articulate my feelings on politics often just makes me feel inexpressibly tired and 2. the dude mentioned in
that letter I got irks me soooo much (say it like
Madeline Kahn in "Clue" and you'll just about have it) that I'd probably melt the computer trying to type just what I feel. And melted plastic smells like feet. Or so I've heard.
Let's just summarize: an unexpectedly fabulous yet low-key night. I love those.
Not for nothing, and I'm sure you could guess this, but it is really COLD on the water at 5 a.m. I know...I do it to myself. Just sayin'.
I waaaaant it....
An
early entry onto my Christmas Wish List. You can never have too many long-sleeved t-shirts.
UPDATE: And speaking of, here's a snazzy TWOP extra, the Phil Keogan interview.
I AM SO ANNOYED I COULD SPIT
And for various reasons I can't get into *why* I'm annoyed, so I'm hoping that I can just exorcise a wee bit of it by saying that I am in big capital letters of day-glo hue. But Internet, it's not enough. I am so motherf**king annoyed.
So as a distraction I offer this article, an
interview with my husband, Mr. Probst, where he rightly addresses some of the "post-reality stress syndrome" that contestants may go through and hints at what a dillhole Rupert is (at least, that's how I'm reading it. Don't disabuse me of the notion).
Well, when you put it that way...
Dear Ms. Doss,
Have you done your part to support [Shrubya] and the Republican Party? Our records indicate you have yet to renew your membership in the RNC for 2004. [RENEW? Um, no membership. Of any kind. From any year. Trust me.]
As Treasurer of the RNC, I know how generously you've supported our Party in the past. [??!! !&^#%!!??%$*^%!!!!!] I hope you haven't given up. [LOL] Ms. Doss, we are facing the most liberal Democrat ticket in more than a generation. [thank the sweet almighty Lord] It is up to you to prevent a complete Democrat takeover of the government and the rolling back of the positive reforms [that guy with the ears] and the RNC have accomplished. [OK, dude. If that's true, then start holding your breath....NOW.]
...The choice is clear: America can move forward with [Cheney's monkey]'s positive, optimistic vision for America or retreat to the Clinton/Gore big government, tax and spend ways Democrats long for. [Oh, you mean when we had a booming economy, a budget surplus, and weren't at war with anyone? And when we didn't end sentences with prepositions?]
The stakes are high....don't delay. Please don't quit on your Party now!!
Sincerely,
machine signature of someone who wouldn't know me from Adam on the street
Received 10/05/04, 17:44 EDT. Ignored 10/05/04, 17:45 EDT. Offered up, [with additions/comments] for your enjoyment, 10/07/04, 09:32 EDT.
Seriously, if someone gave me a plane ticket I would be gone before you could say "ex-pat"
Last night I convinced Grace (aka Vroom Vroom or Vroom^2) to meet me for drinks after work, so we moseyed over to
Bar Rouge near Dupont Circle for their fab 1/2 price happy hour. We both decided that we prefer going out on weeknights--cheaper, less crowded, more locals (less college kids and/or tourists), and you get home at a decent hour. I was a little thrown at how many solo business men were there--also a consequence of the weeknight thing--but the drinks were yummy, and it was absolutely lovely to catch up with what's-her-face.
On the way out, we walked past my favorite Mass. Ave. landmark: The Australian Embassy. An evening event was clearly underway, as cars were stopping and disgorging their passengers out and into the oh-so-modern (and so NOT attractive) building. But it wasn't *just* an Australian function. It was an Australian
military function. oh.
my. GOD. Grace can attest to the fact that I stopped dead in my tracks, slack-jawed, and stared. We actually tried to figure out if there were some sort of public space to the embassy--a pub or similar--where we could oh-so-subtly go in to cool our heels and enjoy the, um, "atmosphere."
According to Vroom, Australians are very big fans of American accents. Well, the feeling is mutual my friends! I will happily act as a good will ambassador to this most important Coalition ally. As they say, ask not what your country can do for you. Ask, "How do I get my hands on an Aussie?"
The Fort Awesome prisoner abuse scandal
From the glorious
The Onion.
An open letter to my fellow shopper in Filene's Basement:
GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS. And pick your friends more wisely (which, it should be noted, also requires that you follow stipulation 1. set out previously). You and your Elvira-esque compatriot (ease up on the red lipstick when you are
pale as death, lady) were out using the 3-way mirror in the nearly-full dressing room. I stood in the middle of said room,
looked right at you both, and asked if you were using the one dressing room that I could find to be unoccupied. You BOTH looked back at me and said, "No." I went into said room and (luckily) before I began trying things on, I hear an impatient rapping on the door. "Excuse me! I was in there!" I open the door to find, well,
YOU, Idiot Dressing Room Woman. "I was in there!" you repeat, to which I replied, "I. just. stood. here.
and asked you both. WERE. YOU. USING. THIS. ROOM." You: "Well, I wasn't paying attention." Hmm, well, maybe I won't be paying strict attention when I kick your idiot asses. It's not getting bounced from the stall that bothers me--it's that
you had the gall to look PUT OUT by
me, and Elvira over there rolled her eyes. Ex-fucking-cuse me?! Note to you: the fault here? ALL YOURS. Note to me: get down on my knees tonight and pray to god that neither of you ever procreates.
At least I got some very cute pants, on sale no less. If all I had to show for my time there was my sorry interaction with you
it might have had to be broughten.
Wowed by "N.O.W."
I DVRd Phil Keogan's (of
The Amazing Race fame) new show on Sunday night and got around to watching it yesterday after work--and I got totally sucked in! The premise is that Phil & Co. give a person 3 days and $3,000 to fulfill a life's dream. The 2 men featured on the first show were 1. a family man from Detroit who scuba dives for recreation. His problem is that he is deeply, deathly afraid of sharks, so despite *loving* diving, he's never gotten beyond the Detroit River and 2. an amateur sailor who wants to build a boat and sail to the Farallon Islands just outside San Francisco--a site notorious for treacherous, shark-infested waters. Their 72 hours begins the
moment Phil bestows the money on them--and he takes them by surprise so they have NO IDEA the adventure is coming--so there is a definite "seat of the pants" feel to this show. There's very little in the way of slick production and it's not a foregone conclusion that an endeavor will have the desired outcome. So far the show pulls off the notion of just chronicling people pursuing a dream and pushing their personal envelope. If it's possible, I love Phil even more--he seems like the
coolest, and I totally want to hang out with him (in a non-Mirna way, of course)--for his unflappable but not sappy optimism. Bottom line, check it out. It's more real than 95% of the "reality" TV going these days...and it got me thinking, what would I do with 3 days and $3000?? Hmm....
SpaceShipOne completed it's second flight and won the Ansari X Prize this morning. Details
here. There's also a
very cool documentary on Rutan and the creation of SSO called
Black Sky on the Discovery Channel.
For awhile now I've wanted to figure out the running trail around
Arlington National Cemetery. Whenever I drive past I notice people riding and running thereabouts, so I knew it was possible but couldn't figure out by looking exactly
how one got around over there. Well, today dawned bright, clear, and cool (IloveFallsomuchohmygah) so it seemed the perfect time to go see what I could find. It is definitely round-about, requiring several quicky-quick crossings of the GW Parkway and Rt. 110, but the views are spectacular. Astonishingly, I had never actually been to ANC (and still technically haven't, as I only ran around it--you can't, obviously, run through it) but I got pretty close to the
USMC/Iwo Jima Memorial, the
Netherlands Carillon, and the Hemicycle at the head of Memorial Avenue. We're not maudlin here at BlogSport, but I got a little choked up. It's very stirring and brings out the patriotic in just about anyone. From there I made my way to the Pentagon and south Arlington in general. I'll probably stick to the Parkway and the Mall, as all those traffic crossings don't do much for keeping up your pace, but it was the perfect Sunday run and I was glad to check something off of my "To See in DC" list.
Girl Scout motto
Actually, I don't have any idea what the hell that might be, as I never got past Brownies, but I'm going with the whole "be prepared" thing, so roll we me, aiight people? On the metro just now I noticed an ad for
DC Text Alerts in times of emergencies. So I googled the Virginia version, and sure enough,
Arlington County has the service for those who live or work in the county. You can precise it so that you get information specific to the neighborhoods you live/work in (so that, for example, you don't get texts everytime someone is shot in SE) or have it kept simple with only emergencies and traffic, but not weather, etc. I immediately got messages showing that my registration went through, so we'll see how effectual or helpful this is. I was pretty impressed to see how plugged in the municipal governments are though. ...No, it doesn't take much with me, this is true.
And no picking your nose!
We watched the debate on CSPAN and so had the benefit of split-screen viewing. Plus they never cut away to Lehrer or the audience, so I was very cognizant of the body language on Thursday night. Bush especially looked incredibly agitated, and as
this article says, arrogant and childish. I didn't pick up as much on Kerry not looking at the camera because I knew he was looking at the moderator and the people in front of him, but I suppose the point about the needing to look more "at America" is well made. Thanks to Suzi for the article!
Oh, and a complete aside: I slept for 13 hours last night. JEEZY. CREEZY. I
never do that. Guess I really needed it.
TV's best reality show host has a new show. Phil created and is hosting
an offering on The Discovery Channel called "
No Opportunity Wasted." Who knew Phil was so
carpe diem New Age-y?
I keep forgetting that our gaining a baseball team means
another city is losing one. A nice love letter from a lifelong Expos fan.
WARNING: NEED FOR WARNINGS MAY HAVE BEEN OVERESTIMATED
So I thought at some point that I would do a big entry about last night's debate and how well Kerry did, but more to point how poorly Bush did (wow...my fingers got ahead of me there and began to type out "baby" instead of Bush. Subconscious slip? You decide). Other bloggers have done an excellent job of discussing the exchange, and I also got all my talking out with two co-workers this morning, so I find that my desire to rehash how painful it was to watch Bush is surprisingly sated.
Instead I'll focus on what gracious hosts Clarence and Jonathan were, opening their home to me, Suzi, and other friends (several of whom were Chilean--VERY interesting to watch the debate with people from another country). They (Clarice and J Blo) kept their cat Libby away from me--or, more to the point, my face, as she seemed determined to rub her body (especially the ass end of it) against my hair. I know I'm all lovably soft like a Beanie Baby, but C'MON. Memo to Libby: ANNE HATES CATS. Wait, where was I? Oh yes--so fun to watch with others, as I wouldn't have had the fortitude to watch alone. Only the fact that it was someone else's property kept me from putting my foot through the TV. So they did me a favor, really...if I'd watched alone, at home, I might have damaged my DVR conduit and that would be a REAL reason for capitalization.
PS...work internet may be down for most of the afternoon. In the event I don't get back online, y'all have yourselves a stupendous capitalization-free weekend.
GO NAVY!
Navy beat Air Force last night, improving their record to 5-0 and keeping them in good contention to hang on to the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy for a second year. Among the Academies, no matter who else they play in their schedules any given year, the games against fellow service academies are always marquee match-ups. I attended this game in Colorado Springs in 2000, as well as countless games at Navy (they switch between C Springs and Annapolis each year) and the pomp and circumstance is not to be believed. Heaven for a junkie like me. The thing that throws me about this game, though, is that is was played on a THURSDAY NIGHT. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, mate?
WARNING: THIS SITE MAY CONTAIN EXCESSIVE USE OF CAPITALIZATION
My Irish is up, and I gots shit to say. I'm sure the lions-share of the "screaming" will be about the debate last night, but I will start off with something more immediate:
MY RACE HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
I know!! I cannot begin to tell you how disappointed I am. I got up this morning and went to the boathouse to derig and get the shell on the trailer, only to be greeted by a hastily tacked-up sign by the door: "
Due to high water and debris the Head of the Potomac has been cancelled." I, literally, deflated. I felt my body sag in on itself...I couldn't speak for a second, I was so disappointed. I've been looking forward to this, honestly, for a year, because *last* year's HOTPOT was cancelled because of Hurricane Isabel. Plus, I was going to have spectators! Real, live people. There! To see me! I'm not sure how to articulate why this is such a letdown--it's just an amateur weekend race after all, lots like it, many more in my future, etc.--but I am.
Thanks
so much to everyone who was going to come watch, and cheer. I have 2 more races this season, so here's hoping they come together.
STOOPID HURRICANES STOOPID RAIN STOOPID POTOMAC WATERSHED STOOPID LOGS-THE-SIZE-OF-BUSES STOOPID BUSH oh wait...that's for later.
