A Russian scientist has invented gasoline-powered boots that will let the wearer run at speeds of 25 miles per hour for periods of twenty minutes. Go go gadget boots! These things (especially the accompanying graphic) remind me of my days playing the wonderful role-playing game Paranoia, set in a darkly humorous future. Missions often began with a trip to the R&D; labs (much like James Bond) where the players were given many potentially deadly devices that they had to use (and complete the multi-pages surveys that came with). Devices such as jet-boots. And tactical nuclear hand granades (“Pull the pin, throw, and run. Very, very fast. Maybe while wearing the jet-boots.”). Ah… those were the days.

On NPR this morning I heard someone advocate the logical extention to the “reality-based” TV craze: a show called “A Big Room with a Pile of Money and a Bunch of Knives “. He says the budget would be rather reasonable, as you’d only need a big room, a pile of money, and a bunch of knives. Spinoff potential? You betcha! “Celebrities in a Big Room with a Pile of Money and a Bunch of Knives who want to Marry Someone Else in a Big Room with a Pile of Money and a Bunch of Knives "

Dear Dad,
Happy birthday! You know, I find it pretty neat that people come by and read what I have to say, but I’m especially happy to know that you stop by every day. I do miss you. Leaving home so early, first for the summers and then across the country for college and then life, was very good for me in many ways, but I paid the price of not getting to see you (or mom, or Adrienne, or Lauryl) very often. I’m looking forward to your visit this month, to showing off my county home (note to self: clean the house) and my play. I hope your birthday is a nice one!
Love you and miss you,
eric

You’ve seen those blue signs along highway exits that kindly point the way to the nearest restaurants, gas stations, and hotels. Maybe they’ve even helped you out (during my last drive back from Missouri, I followed a gas station’s billboard that urged me to “Exit Now!”, and was told by the friendly blue sign that the gas station was, in fact, another 7.2 miles to the right). I assume that the highway departments sells this advertising space to help keep our taxes down (always the optimist…). A private company in Alabama named (appropriately enough) BlueSigns wants to replace the signs with directions you can dial up on your wireless telephone or computer. Sounds like a nice system to me, if they get it off the ground.

This directing thing’s trying to be the end of me. Here’s been what I’ve been up to lately: wake up, go to work, go to the theater, go home, go to bed, wake up, go to work, … lather, rinse, repeat. Weekends are slightly different in that I get to skip the “go to work” bit. This is by far the biggest production I’ve been in charge of, and while it’s not exactly overwhelming, it’s mighty tough. Hampering things has been my losing my assistant directer early on to some severe health troubles. My stage manager will be getting more involved in a week or so, and that’ll take some of the day-to-day load off me, but until then it’ll be more of the same. Somehow, though, when it’s all said and done, it’s always worth the troubles.

If you’ve been trying to imagine Monday Night Football with new commentator Dennis Miller, I’d wager that Ironminds has imagined it better than the picture in your head.

Today’s my sister’s birthday. Happy day, Adrienne!

He’s cute, he’s black, he’s on the web. Kittie Art for the masses.

No prescription for the Pill? I think that’s a good thing.

For the very best in Barbie satire, there’s The Decline of Civilization Barbie Page.