Boomer, the cat

Boomer the cat
The wonderful, wonderful cat
He'll growl and hiss, he'll spit and slap
Your heart will go pit-a-pat
When you see Boomer, the grumpy cat

Boomer the cat
The anemic, pitiful cat
He'll try to growl, he'll try to spit
Your heart will go rat-a-tat
Taking Boomer to the emergency vet

Boomer the cat
The wonderful, wonderful cat
He'll growl no more, no purrs for you
Your heart will break right in two
When you lose Boomer, the wonderful cat

999 entries of blog on the wall, 999 blogs, take one down, pass it around ... oh, wait, that doesn't work for this

Gentle Readers, post number 999 has arrived and with it, the faint aroma of N-E-W-S! I'll save it for the thousandth post, however.

But not to leave you with nothing, I ran the Locomotive Half Marathon yesterday morning and enjoyed their inaugural event. My time was about 7 minutes slower than my PR, but that's okay because I haven't put in the training miles at all and I got a nice, long-sleeve shirt and a medal on a red, white, and blue ribbon for running without dying. I followed up the race with a pleasant afternoon at the Atlanta Greek Festival enjoying souvlaki and baklava. Opa!

No. 998

Post number 998 and I am running race number 98 tomorrow. Coincidence? Discuss.

I thought I would have a little more than numbers to announce at this time, but maybe by race number 101 (the U.S. 10K Classic on Labor Day, which was also race number 1 five years ago [and making it 101 is no coincidence]). Ciao for now!

Putting the 'cell' in cell phones

And while I'm posting ....

I discussed a news story, the one about a prisoner on death row in Texas who secreted a cell phone (contraban in prison) in an orifice often used for hiding contraban, with my favorite trainer and she wondered what the preferred ring tone is for such devices (after acknowledging that it was no doubt set to vibrate).

Her best guess was Cop Killer but I heard the perfect song while at Steak 'n' Shake on Monday night: Back Door Man.

Does Jim Morrison's estate receive a cut from T-Mobile?

No. 996

Yes, I've been away for too long, but I've been busy dealing with a new relationship and I've forgotten how much time one of those can monopolize. For someone who has many, many projects to complete before the 'FINIS' title is cued and called, the time aspect of a relationship is always a challenge.

I am, typically, ambivalent. Yes, some of it is enjoyable and some of it is not, but this describes everything, non? I am thankful for parts and disappointed by pieces and so it goes.

In other news, I continue to run and have had a decent year of it. I got under 1:50 for a half marathon, ran a 10K in 48 flat, and am good for t-shirts for another decade. Tennis game has improved and I actually won a T2 division (doubles, with the help of a good partner) and finished second in a K-Swiss (singles) division.

What would be nice is to finish another screenplay, but time ... time ... time. Or do you prefer the Outsiders' Time Won't Let Me ooh ahh?

"The nature of freedom of choice is that some people will misuse their responsibility and hurt themselves in the process. We should do our best to educate them, but without diminishing choice for everyone else."

Who knew George McGovern could be so perceptive?

One of the reasons I do not trust Google News

And while we're at it, I don't trust Bill Gates and his foundation, either.

Who acts as though they have Christmas in their heart all year 'round?

The redeemed Scrooge and MaliVai Washington, that's who.

What wonderful things one can find when searching

The photos are priceless at this site:

"If Moses had a committee, we'd still be in Egypt."

The Gentleman
Deliberate Gentle Love Master (DGLM)



Steady & mature. You are The Gentleman.

For anyone looking for an even-keeled, considerate lover, you're their man. You're sophisticated. You know what you want both in a relationship and outside of it. You have a substantial romantic side, and you're experienced enough sexually to handle yourself in that arena, too. Your future relationships will be long-lasting; you're classic "marrying material," a prize in the eyes of many.

It's possible that behind it all, you're a bit of a male slut. Your best friends know that in relationships you're fundamentally sex-driven. You're a safe, reliable guy, who does get laid.

Your ideal mate is NOT a nut-job. She is giving and loving, like you, but also experienced.

Consider: The Maid of Honor (DGLM), someone just like you.

Link: The Online Dating Persona Test @ OkCupid - free online dating.

Drowsy Driving Prevention Week

I know, I know, it's been a while, but I'm back and bringing you, Gentle Reader, the 411 on drowsy driving.

And for those who are too drowsy to get out of bed, the alarm clock that rolls off the night stand and leads you on a merry chase until you turn it off:

I<3ME4ME

A license plate from California seen in Atlanta traffic. To feel better about yourself, do you really need to place this pronouncement above your car's tail pipe?

I was interested in running Chicago until this.

Sleuth

If it's possible, I appreciate Michael Caine even more these days.

The Chosen

The title is clever for a list of essential works on Judaism.

How can you be unfaithful with your own spouse?

Quite a coincidence to read that article after watching Random Harvest on TCM this morning. And somewhere, Rupert Holmes is shaking his head.

Once more into the bracket breach

The last grand slam event is taking place in Flushing Meadows and it's my last chance to win a t-shirt (and not $200 worth of French food, thank you, Jebus), my last chance to put my bracket strategery to the test.

Of course, now that one of my semifinalists has lost -- in the first round! -- I have to utter the phrase imprinted at birth upon Brooklyn Dodgers fans: "Wait 'til next year."

Do scorecards exist for prosecutors?

If so, Eddie Jordan may receive as low a rating as Mike Nifong. And if New Orleans is lucky, Shirley Franklin will move to the Big Easy when she's done fixing Atlanta.

SkyMiles and treadmills

I have plenty o' SkyMiles and I'm thinking of putting them towards a ticket to Las Vegas in December and running in the half marathon that begins on the Strip.

I've never been to Sin City, never seen the Les Folies Bergere, and it's been a long time since I've played blackjack at a table covered with green felt (has it really been 25 years?!?). So, Vegas entices me with or without company.

Whether I travel or not will depend upon the results of the Silver Comet Half Marathon. The motor on yet another treadmill has given up the ghost, so I don't know how my race preparations will suffer as a result. I may have to return to the mean streets to train, but as Bartleby (was the scrivener also a long-distance runner?) would say, I prefer not to. Too much time running on asphalt, concrete, and hard courts takes a toll on my joints and tendons.

I could handle the pounding when I was just running, but now that I'm playing tennis, too, ooh, I feel it and not in a good way, especially in the Achilles tendons. Ow!

How Doctors Think, or
Melodramatic Menopausal Women

From How Doctors Think:

Attribution errors happen when a doctor's diagnostic cogitations are shaped by a particular stereotype. It can be negative: when five doctors fail to diagnose an endocrinologic tumor causing peculiar symptoms in "a persistently complaining, melodramatic menopausal woman who quite accurately describes herself as kooky." But positive feelings also get in the way; an emergency room doctor misses unstable angina in a forest ranger because "the ranger's physique and chiseled features reminded him of a young Clint Eastwood—all strong associations with health and vigor." Other errors occur when a patient is irreversibly classified with a particular syndrome: "diagnosis momentum, like a boulder rolling down a mountain, gains enough force to crush anything in its way."

My editor and I parsed "melodramatic menopausal woman" after I opined that a comma should have been placed in the series. In other words, the woman was:

• persistently complaining,
• melodramatic, and
• menopausal.

My editor thought the sentence should stand as is, because it could be inferred by series placement that "menopausal" belongs with those two previous qualifiers.

At such times, the best action is to ignore grammatical convention and not risk inciting menopausal women everywhere. This pragmatic approach is why she is the best.

As for attribution errors, don't we all engage in those daily? I do, and especially those days when I'm married.

Lastly, is "diagnosis momentum" really comparable to a runaway boulder?

Big Noise from Winnetka

Seriously, where can you hear "Big Noise from Winnetka" anymore, let alone watch Bob Crosby and his band perform it?

It's great to have a day dedicated to Ann Miller on TCM. Earlier, it was Jam Session with Louis Armstrong and now, it's Reveille with Beverly with the Mills Brothers, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and an extremely young Frank Sinatra. "Cielito Lindo," "One O'Clock Jump," "Take the 'A' Train," and "Night and Day."

If I could only find a team trivia place that plays that kind of music, too -- life would be a dream, sh-boom, sh-boom!

Scombroid fish poisoning

A headline I never imagined you, Gentle Reader, would see at mfblogger. I am not, however, surprised to bring you this from the AP headline writers:

Miss. health officials seek advice from CDC on whopping cough outbreak

"Whopping cough" -- hee!

Myrna Loy

On TCM, all day today, is the lovely Ms. Loy.

To paraphrase, Paul Krugman was put on Earth to make weathermen look good.

Granulocytes R Us

Granulocytes are indicated for patients who have granulocytopenia due to marrow failure, or who have a congenital granulocyte function defect, and sepsis or infection unresponsive after 24-48 hours to adequate antibiotic therapy, and are expected to recover bone marrow function (if granulocytopenic).

You know me, I love research, so when the ARC called and asked if I would donate granulocytes to an 11-month-old that was ailing, I said, "Sure. What?" And then I hit the Web.

Turns out that granulocytes are microbial-killing white blood cells. So, 2 hours of sitting in a chair while watching classic Perry Mason episodes is all it takes to help an infant fight off a life-threatening infection. It's a great way to start your day.

I'm sure the Red Cross would be happy to take your call volunteering to do the same, and they will be extremely grateful if you're CMV negative, which means your donation can be given to patients with weak immune systems. 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.

Detail oriented

So Monday morning, after I pick up my glasses from the floor and toss them on the kitchen counter, I make coffee, toast my brown sugar cinnamon Pop-Tarts, and sit down to enjoy a bit of Raffles on TCM. Pop-Tarts, coffee, and an old movie -- truly a great way to start the day.

After the shave and shower, getting dressed, making the day's lunch, I put on my glasses and head for the door. Or try to.

Everything is out of focus, a bit distorted, and I'm wondering what the hell? I adjust the glasses on my face and it's a little better but still blurry.

I take my glasses off, hold them up to see if the frame is straight, and they are. I hold them up to the light to see if the lenses are clean.

The left one is pretty filthy, so I clean it with my handkerchief, slip the glasses back on, and my sight is marginally better, but still not what it was last night. Is this how turning 50 works? Wake up one morning and the eyes are much worse? Those of you who went before need to warn the back of the line!

I manage to drive to work and I thank the Lord that I have some reading glasses at my cube so I can read my computer screen. When I put on my reading glasses, I take one more look at my usual glasses. Oh.

It is at this point that I discover I am missing a right lens.

And people wonder why I laugh when they compliment me on being "detail oriented."

Rachel Smolkin deserves an award

Her article, "Justice Delayed" in American Journalism Review, exposes the failure of Bill Keller, Evan Thomas, Nancy Grace, Selena Roberts, Bob Ashley, and others to follow the rules of journalism: "Be fair; stick to the facts; question authorities; don't assume; pay attention to alternative explanations."

In the article, Dan Okrent attempts to explain away his colleagues' fraud, Bill Keller comes across as delusional and inattentive, but Evan Thomas of Newsweek becomes the poster boy for all that is wrong with today's "opinionated, but fair" media:

We fell into a stereotype of the Duke lacrosse players. It's complicated because there is a strong stereotype [that] lacrosse players can be loutish, and there's evidence to back that up. There's even some evidence that the Duke lacrosse players were loutish, and we were too quick to connect those dots.

It was about race. Nifong's motivations clearly were rooted in his need to win black votes. There were tensions between town and gown, that part was true. The narrative was properly about race, sex and class... We went a beat too fast in assuming that a rape took place... We just got the facts wrong. The narrative was right, but the facts were wrong.

What?!? "The narrative was right, but the facts were wrong." How can someone supposedly working as a serious journalist assert "the narrative was right, but the facts were wrong" as a defense? Shouldn't that statement be reserved for use only in a story in The Onion?

Surely, Thomas cannot be that demonstrably idiotic and still continue as an editor-at-large for a major magazine, can he? The answer is, sadly, yes.

No, honestly

Suppose your last name was Buck -- do you really want to be arrested while driving a car naked? Do you want to delight headline writers that much?

Californication

It's always fun to read foreign writers' observations of American television, especially the marketing of new shows. (While enjoying a chuckle about the lack of fact checking at The Guardian -- "Patricia Keaton [sic]"?). Can a new show with David Duchovny appear soon enough?

5 oh ...

... has come and gone and I appreciated the efforts by many to mark the Big Day. My tennis team wore black shirts to commemorate the occasion, my 83-year-old aunt sent me a one-word message ("Prunes!"), and my annual physical went well (nothing like a prostate exam to put the exclamation point on "Happy Birthday!").

Yes, I scheduled my physical for my birthday (so I could hear my doctor rave about my 40 bpm pulse rate). Yes, I went to work on my birthday (because I like what I do). And then I had fried rice and played 3 hours of tennis.

If I missed anything, I would've liked to fit in a Braves game, a trip to Nakato's, a Guinness at the Prince of Wales, and ....

But, as Martin Fry would croon, who needs the moon when we've got the stars?

What's cooler than Chris Isaak at the All Star game?

Other than Willie Mays wearing number 24 again, nothing.

The Band Wagon

I'll be in the chair again this Sunday, if low iron doesn't interfere like last time, and up next for my viewing pleasure is The Band Wagon.

In my classic movie dreams, an AFI rep comes to me and asks for five films that deserve more attention from the voters. Easy:

1. Sullivan's Travels
2. Holiday
3. The Band Wagon
4. My Man Godfrey
5. Between the Lines

If I don't move too much during my musical entertainment, Wonder Bar is a future possibility, and if musicals are out, maybe I can find Three on a Match on a DVD for the session after this. Ann Dvorak is a complete hottie!

Speaking of which, I leave you with Anita Page:

How many tennis players are named after rock operas?



Meeting your father's faves (with him in tow!) and handing them a big check for charity must be so satisfying and fun.

The question that resulted in our trivia win tonight ...

What legendary rock band's last studio album was "Division Bell"?

No, I had no clue. My only contribution was shooting down a wrong answer ("it's not the Stones").

Me and NPR

A friend sent me a text message this evening to ask if I was involved with the CDC project she heard about while listening to NPR yesterday. I replied, "c'est moi."

1) It's pretty cool to have friends contact you regarding a story they heard on NPR, and 2) It's pretty cool to be contacted by a booth bunny!

The coolest is when you hear a friend of yours offer commentary on NPR. Yo, props to TM!

This is my kind of study

And while you're visiting nature.com, check out "Ancient disease resistance made us vulnerable to HIV." I don't expect this article to make a dent with Eleni Papadopulos-Eleopulos and the Perth Group because it is hard to make an impression upon those who choose to be so obstinately hard-headed they risk the lives of many.

For the wrong-headed, a final link for those who ignore that viruses are living things that evolve from forces other than large drug corporations (that cluster would be the majority of "progressive" activists): "Drug resistance doesn't always come from drugs"

Learn something. Be an eldest child.