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These are pictures of how a bilco door was constructed at a friends house. I'm just saving them for ideas about ours. 

News from Afghanistan

CNN is reporting the US Embassy in Afghanistan is "under siege" by the Taliban . . .

This is probably inconsequential in the long run, except that the press will seize on it as a Tet moment and start pushing for a quicker withdrawal, when of course it should generate the opposite approach. 

History Repeats

I kicked off the NFL season by continuing a grand tradition: the Sad Sack Slapjacks got their butts handed to them 134.08 to 75.42 in fantasy football. 134 points is a monster game (my opponent's D earned 33 points alone) so a loss was all but inevitable, but I didn't help  by starting a WR benched for injury and going with Bradford over Cutler. Ugh.

Just back from an interview in IL, about 60 min from here. Yes, it's a long ride everyday and yes, I would take the job if it was offered.

Facts

While the White House might think the War on Terror is winding down, the *77* US troops wounded today in Afghanistan might disagree.

Tomorrow my 9/11 column will be published in the Journal-Sentinel. Please pick up a copy if you can.

Ouch

Me: (as I put on Voltron via Netflix) "This was my favorite show from when I was a kid" 

Smiley: "So it in black & white, cuz it super old?"

[It's not in B&W, he just assumed it would be.]

In My Time by Dick Cheney

Yesterday I finished Dick Cheney's autobiography "In My Time". It's no shock that I hold the man in high regard, and I'm grateful that a man of his character and strength was there to guide us through the last decade. Politics aside tho', it was a very well written political bio, solidly constructed and entertaining. Well done.

Second Son

Lee Child's short story "Second Son" is the tale of a teenage Jack Reacher, circa 1974, as his family relocates to a Marine base on Okinawa. Unlike Stephen King's recent short, *this* one features both a plot and some fine writing. It certainly left me hungry for the upcoming Reacher novel, which meant it done did it's job and did it well.

A Moving Tribute

KISS FM played a moving 9/11 tribute this morning, mixing actual audio of the day from flight controllers, Bush, news reports, and calls from the Towers. I teared up in the car but of course the kids seemed oblivious to its impact and just argued among themselves. Afterwards I called KISS and spoke to Wes McCain, and thanked them for making the effort.

The Burrowers

Last night I watched "The Burrowers", a movie set in the 1870's. White homesteaders are attacked and their women kidnapped. A posse sets out to recover them from the Indians, only to discover some . . . *thing* else took them. Think "The Searchers" blended with "Alien". I liked it, but way too little time was given to the creepy crawly aspect. It was 85% western, 15% horror. I grade it a B/B-

Entertainment (coupon) Books

If anyone wants an Entertainment book, the kids have some for sale. Let me know.

The Start of the NFL Season

i couldn't find the remote for the big screen so I'm forced to watch the game on the kids tv in the hallway. Ugh.

update: Booyah baby! 42-34, w/ the Packer's D putting up a wall @ the one w/ 3 seconds on the clock. Whew!

It was a good game - Grandma J

Mile 81

Yesterday I finished reading Stephen King's new ebook "Mile 81". My verdict? Turdalicous. If it had any other writer's name on the cover, it would never have made it past an agent's desk, much less into print. Aside from the lack of a story (!) King tries hard to make a character sound like a young kid, which to Stevie means mixing vulgarities, brand names he swiped off the nearest TV ad, and slang from three different decades. For your own sake, skip it.

Got a call back about a job I applied for and the voice mail  directed me to the company website  - which then asked for my credit card # to pay for the privilege of  filling out a screening questionnaire/IQ test. But don't worry; if I get the job I'm promised the $ back! Yeah, uh, I'll pass, thanks.

hanging w/ the kids in the backyard b4 heading to work

Grandma J: Did they complain it was 2 cold

me: nope

Grandma J: Interesting, they complained about playing in the park because it was too cold. :)

me: in fairness, as I've often said, my backyard is far warmer than most of the city given all the sun exposure it gets.

Cucumbers

Some of the yield from our garden

Cool Waters

@ cool waters

just went down the tube slide w/ lu 2x gc 1x

my family accounts for 6 of the FIFTEEN patrons in the entire water park right now

smiley is tall enough for the adult slides! And he loves them!

just went on the tube slide w/ park!

Although the air was chilly the water was warm, and w/ the park nearly empty my water-anxiety w/ the kids was nil. It was a great trip (my 1st there) courtesy of passes the kids earned from the library's summer reading program.

HH Holmes

Before work today we watched "HH Holmes, America's 1st Serial Killer", a documentary about the subject of the book "Devil in the White City". It was nothing I hadn't heard b4, but it was interesting all the same.

Centurion

I just finished watching "Centurion", a British movie about the unknown fate of the 9th Roman Legion, which disappeared from all records in the mid-2nd century. The film uses the belief that the Legion was destroyed in warfare w/ the Picts to set up a chase involving a few Roman survivors eager to return to their own lines. The film had mixed to negative reviews, but I liked it.

Bummer

Ah, to spend 7-4 at work and go home to find not one but FIVE rejection letters from jobs. At least one was actual snail-mail, so I had a glimmer of hope for a second.

Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

strawberry stuffed french toast for dinner

The kids hated the stuffed french toast, but tough - it was yummy and we're gonna have it again.

yeah, they're kooks. YaYa doesn't like anything anymore, Smiley ate half but abandoned it, LuLu accused us of putting cottage cheese in it, and Junie just ate all the strawberries and left the rest.

We still demand they take at least one bite of every item offered to them at dinner - no exceptions, and they abide by it. But beyond that, they can be a pill.

If you want the recipe you'll have to ask Lisa for details, I was helping LuLu with homework during the prep. But it's texas toast, cream cheese, and fresh cut strawberries. I think she said something about sugar too, hence the 'ask her' :)

Fave Songs

My children's fave songs as of the end of August a) the '80's-ish "Denim" jingle from the Target back to school ads 2) "Pumped up Kicks" by Foster the People. 3) Lovesick by Emily Osment (which is actually quite catchy) and 4) "The Lazy Song" by Bruno Mars (which Lauren calls "the monkey song" after seeing a Youtube cover of it)

Care for some reviews?

For the 4th of July holiday Lisa and the kids were out of town while I was stuck here working. That was also the time when Netflix stopped streaming Babylon 5. With no family to fill my evening, and in dire need of another series to watch, I picked up the Aussie/American Farscape. I fell in love, and have streamed an episode or more each night. Last night, to my sorrow, I finished the 88th and final episode.

While the original story is a clear ripoff of one I wrote in 1986 (goodness knows how they got a hold of my 6th grade binder), it quickly blossomed into a complex, imaginative, sexy drama. Well done. Well done indeed. And while I know there's a follow-up miniseries, I happen to think the finale was the perfect ending for the show.




Better off Ted is another series we just finished watching in its entirety. It is laugh out loud funny, well written, and charming. It was also knocked off the air after only two seasons. Shame on you TV viewing America.




My buddy Fred sent me the 1st half of Doctor Who - Series Six. Possible SPOILERS ahead.

"The Impossible Astronaut"/"Day of the Moon" was the two part season opener, and while the former was the stronger of the two, they were both great. I loved Matt Smith's performance and the fact that (writer/producer) Steven Moffat dared to finalize the (apparent) future of the show. Not that he won't wiggle out of it, naturally, but it was fun to see down the road - even if we eventually turn off down a side street.

I thought "The Curse of the Black Spot" was lame, lame, lame, and in retrospect I shoulda/coulda/woulda fast forwarded the whole dang thing. OTOH, "The Doctor's Wife", the episode written (mostly) by Neil Gaiman, rocked. I love the notion of the TARDIS interacting with the Doctor, and I'm pleased to see a bit of the mythology expanded upon - a pretty neat trick for a show in it's 48th year.

There was nothing terribly original about "The Rebel Flesh"/"The Almost People", but you know what? I loved them both. I thought the atmosphere was creepy and the acting and writing sharp; so sharp that I failed to comment on a well used sci-fi staple (dopplegangers come to life) until after the show was over. I do hope, however, that the 'ganger is NOT the explanation for "The Impossible Astronaut".

I wasn't bowled over by the mid-season finale, nor the long-awaited reveal of River Song's identity. I agree completely with the green girl's assessment of the (new era) Doctor as being very aggressive, vengeful, and egotistical, at least by Doctor Who standards. I am sick of the whole "the universe quakes before me" vein of the show, and I'm glad Moffat outed it.

As for the 'reveal', I guessed it five minutes into the program (when Rory tried to recruit River) and told Lisa, who I'd actually suckered into watching it. When we were done with the episode she held my foreknowledge up as evidence that it was poorly written. I disagree. Sometimes I just know how *I'd* write something and wager that my notion is on par with the pros.

Call it my own egotistical Doctor moment.

Wise Words

Never ignore the instincts of a coward