Sick Day

Some of you might be thinking, "Oh nice, tomb...you start this blog and then you pull a Brad and not update it."

Yes, I intended to update this weekend on a couple of things: Remember the coffee post? Stuff I found in my eye? No, I haven't forgotten. Also, I spent Saturday night and part of Sunday morning with executives from RJ Reynolds, including the CEO. Who, by the way, is completely in my kink box--50ish, newly divorced woman, CEO, made $XX millions of dollars last year, not afraid of the drinky, and thinks Tommy is funny. Yes!

So, I had some stuff to say...but, being out until 5:30 am, consuming a larger than recommended amount of vodka and champagne (not together, mind you), and then shovelling snow for two hours on Sunday without being wise enough to wear a hat...I got sick. Not just a little sick. ALOT sick. I hate this. It is like the flu bug was infected with a cold and then invaded my body.

However, I am not puking (using the Shakespearean spelling), which is a good thing. I am also soliciting Soup Recipes. Chicken, tomato, potato, as long there are not big chunks of anything in it. Send them to me here or to my email box.

I will get to the more interesting stuff after I convalesce.

--tomb

Tom's BEEF

So, those of you who remember me from The Great RadioTiki Experiment will recall that on occasion, I had a few things to get off my chest. Well, now I have a portal and no editors! (See Jeff)

Two big beefs for you today.

1.) The illinois state lottery.

2.)Blogspot.com (oooooh, the host of this site, oooooh)

Item #1: Damn you lottery! I have other things to spend that $20 bucks on... Stop having a bing giant prize and making me play, even though I have a nigh-zero chance of winning. Yes, the mega-millions jackpot is now up to $180 million. So, of course my brain says, "sure, you have almost no chance of winning, but if you don't play--you have no chance at all." Oh no! I gotta play. So why $20? Well, I did a quick-pick like 6 years ago and won $150 on it first try, so I decided to stay with those numbers. It was 4 $5 tickets and I copied them on to one of those reader-sheets and keep it in my own "I-am-78-years-old-and-I-play-my-grandkids-birthdays-in-the-lottery-everyday" proctective plastic envelope. So, when I go... when I play... only when its over $100 million... then I just hand the guy my envelope. Slick, huh? Oh, did you say sad? So now its "Up there" and its been there for two weeks. So I play.

Somebody win, so I can go back to ignoring the lottery.

Item#2: Now, I am not exactly sure who to be mad at here--maybe even myself for my own stupidity. BUT! Since I have registered for and created this blog, my spam has increased 100-fold. I am not exaggerating. I just dumped it 15 minutes ago...hang on, I'll check again now...5 more. (two of the "she will love you more than any other guy" that I now get 25 times a day) It is all addressed in ways like "tikitomb" or a variant--a name I have never used before this blog. Now, I did use my long standing email address for my profile because of its connection to my aforementioned radioshow, and I expected some spam. However, this is bordering on the stupid. Wait, it's been another 3 minutes, I'll check again...yep, there's one more "RX from Canada".

Thanks, Blogspot (or Google, cause you are the owners) thanks for screwing me. I really hope I don't dump something important.

--tomb

Most Embarssing Google Search (today, at least)

Google. Images. "Spears Bald".
Choose your poison after that. This is what I chose:

Its...just, well...I just had to know. OK?

This is like watching a supernova. Eventually, her inner core will collapse in on itself from the sheer density of her own self-absorbtion. Then she will truly be star. Unless the unsuing nuclear chain reaction disintegrates 12 city blocks of L.A.

Can't wait for the book her kids will have ghost-written.

--tomb

Why am I addicted to this?

It's on for two hours in prime time on Wednesdays, and numerous times during the week. My kids like it too. Is it science masking itself as fun? Or is it simply fun, with a facade of science?

My answer may lie in the fact that occasionally, when actual scientific info needs to be presented, a stylized video-drop is show that says "warning, science content."

Sigh.

But still I can't stop watching it. I am thinking of suggesting a few of my own myth ideas: Carpet-induced static charge causing a fire for example. Of course I am saving all of my good ideas for "Dirty Jobs." (Airline Fuel Bladder Cleaning--look it up. Its heinous.)

--tomb

Not everyone likes theatre nerds, apparently.

It has happened again. A show that I find to be intelligent and well written is dying in the ratings. Subsequently, tonight I am sure we will all be saying Goodbye to:

In their infinite wisdom, NBC has decided to replace it on the schedule with the "Black Donnelly's". Oh yes--witty banter, backstage shennanigans, a rare glimpse in to the world of Live-scripted-sketch comedy is to be replaced by yet another ridiculous crime drama. This time it a Sopranos-wanna-be except with Irish hoods. Huzzah.

"Studio 60" hasn't officially been cancelled, and NBC has ordered 22 episodes.

But there is no scheduled date of return. Good Bye, Studio 60.

--tomb

Easy like...

...Sunday Morning. Did you think I was going to say, "...like a prom-date"? Well I didn't, but I thought that when I wrote it. My blog, my stream of consciousness. That's the way it works, right?

Again, I have much that I have decided to immortalize in this space, but again--I have decided to put that off for bit and tell you about my morning. Why? Why not? A word of advice I received regarding "L'arte du blog" said short bursts, nigh meaningless, are better than nothing.

I was a bit melancholy last night...I did the final edits of the show, posted it, sent the podcast and stream feeds, and updated the title blurb on the site...all for what could be the last time. So I was a little sad.

But I slept in today, which I never get to do. Then, I was presented with french toast made out of french bread, and the best coffee that has ever come out of our crappy black & decker brewer. There was NPR on the kitchen radio as I ate my breakfast and watched the coyotes run around on the frozen pond. The winter has made our local predators frisky and playful as they scour our greenspace for mice and rabbits. It really is picturesque and wonderful to watch--if you are not a bunny. Finally, a very peaceful morning was concluded with reading Neil Gaiman's 10 year old one-off comic "One Life", sent to me by a long-time listener, Mikester. (Thanks!)

So the quiet introspection of the morning healed the bit of sorrow from the night before.

Thought I'd share.

--tomb

Previews, signs, and portents

Since I have started the blog I am already starting to fall into the trap of other bloggers/journal-keepers. I have bunches of ideas and things that I intend to put in the blog, but: Only when I am not anywhere near my computer. Then the idea is gone when I actually get there. This happens when I try to keep a journal too.

So, in an effort to stem the tide I offer this post. Essentially a preview of things that I intend to write about. This will also serve as a reminder to myself.

In the next few days look for the following:

• The joys and danger of NOT stirring one's coffee or tea.
• Why blogging is like golf.
• Odd foreign objects that I have found in my eye.

There, I 've committed to these entries. It's done. I can't go back. All you can do is tell me which one you'd want to hear about first.

--tomb

Ex Terminus, Infit

Just because it seemed like a good idea, I have begun my blog. Brad has one. I can do it too.

I haven't yet decided if I like that word, "blog". I know it is very popular and is, in fact, the acceptable industry descriptor for this...thing... However, I find it to be a bit too dismissive a term for a respectable undertaking such as this. Afterall, it is quite a commitment keeping track of one's thoughts, feelings, moods, ideas, crackpot theories, and managing an ever-changing list of one's favorite/current media choices all on a daily or quasi-daily basis. Why slap it which a simple, near-guttaral sound, like "blog"? Blog. Bleah. Blahg. It just sounds awful. Go ahead, put it in the context of how you might use the word in normal conversation:

"Go to my blahg."
"Read my blahg. "
"I put it on the blahg."
"Did you see my blahg?"
"I've got to update my blahhhhhggg."

I mean, this is a great thing, this ever growing community of online-journaleurs. There are budding writers the world over that are now just coming into their own via their...blog... connecting, however lightly or indirectly, with other souls in the world. Each with a chance to add to the process, expand his thinking, spread her manifesto, challenge a preconception! Why couple it to the sound of a bowel obstruction? "Blog."

"What's the problem, Doctor?"
"Well, you'll have to have surgery. We need to remove a blog from your duodenum."
"oh."

For now, however, I am left with the term. It is what it is, and in order to make myself referentially understood, I will call it "blog". But, I am ever-vigilant, and will be giving it some thought. The right term will come to me. Then my campaign will begin. Don't bother to console me or give me false hope with terms like "web-journal", or "e-diary", or anything like that. "Blog" has captured the market because it's one-syllable, and its fun for the kids to say. The word I am looking for will have similar characteristics, but be a bit more respectful of the endeavor it describes.

All that being said: Welcome to my blog. I hope you like it. This inaugural post is titled "From the end, comes the beginnning." It is a nod in no small part to my years as one of the hosts of the Great RadioTiki Experiment. Our show was based in a home-studio and if you are so inclined you may check out the archives. You can even check out one of our fan-supported sites called the RadioTiki Wikipedia. The show's funny, subjective to your sense of humor, of course. BUT! It has one of the best, most loyal listening audiences on the net today. I have no idea if their numbers are large relative to other shows, but there are thousands of them, and they have been just fantastic and supportive since we announced the upcoming "big change." The show soon will take on a different form as I move myself and my family from the Chicago area over to the UK. This will involve some time away from the mics as I get settled in my new country, and we figure out if its possible to continue doing the show. Why not do a blog? I am about to embark on an international adventure, dammit. Surely, some record of it must be kept.

"What if no one reads it?" Indeed, what if? Do you know how many millions of these things are written and not read? Who am I to suggest that mine is any better? It's not. I do this for posterity first, sanity second, entertainment third. Plus it will be a great place to point my friends and family so that they may keep up to date with my invasion of Britain.

Now that my ego is slightly in check...I say slightly because this thing is by definition ego-driven, it could not exist without it... anyway, with ego in check, I will close this initial post by explaining what this blog will likely not be:

1) A link fest. Rarely, if I find something that really moves me, I'll try to mention it. Otherwise, I don't go in for long lists of "cool sites". It diminishes the impact of the few that I actually do want to share. Face it, how many of you go to the third or fourth link on someones lengthy list? How about even the 2nd item?

2)A photo gallery. I am bad about this. I have hundreds of digital photos that I have taken over the years, and none are accessible to me and my family. I doubt if I will get the inspiration to put many in here. I could be wrong, but for now--don't look for bunches of pics from me.

3)Purposeful, actual insight into my soul. You may find this if you look for it, but...I will not be trying hard to be deep or meaningful. Just me. I find that the dark, brooding, morose, overly poetic journals get on my nerves. I may complain, you may get a taste of my politics, but mostly just my observations. Ok--Occasionally a post about what I ate tonight.

Thanks for coming by, and thanks for making to the end of this first post. Comment if you like, I have no clue what the etiquette dictates for things like this.

--tomb