Mary Faust: Part Eight

Click on comic to enlarge.

Thanks and shout out to Seattle PI for making larger comics available. You can even rate each comic.

I enlarged a bit more when removing original dialogue but since I had a larger image to start quality has not degraded as much.

How make our entertainment striking, new,
And yet significant and pleasing too?
For to be plain, I love to see the throng,
As to our booth the living tide progresses;
As wave on wave successive rolls along,
And through heaven's narrow portal forceful presses;

Mary Faust: Part Seven

Click on comic to enlarge.

The posts are now erected, and the planks,
And all look forward to a festal treat.
Their places taken, they, with eyebrows rais'd,
Sit patiently, and fain would be amaz'd.
I know the art to hit the public taste,
Yet ne'er of failure felt so keen a dread;
True, they are not accustomed to the best,
But then appalling the amount they've read.

--------------------------------------------------

The tackle box does not have tackle in it.

Mary Faust Part Six

Click on comic to enlarge.

A yearning long unfelt, each impulse swaying,
To yon calm spirit-realm uplifts my soul;
In faltering cadence, as when Zephyr playing,
Fans the Aeolian harp, my numbers roll;
Tear follows tear, my steadfast heart obeying
The tender impulse, loses its control;
What I possess as from afar I see;
Those I have lost become realities to me.

Prologue in the Theatre
MANAGER. DRAMATIC POET. MERRYMAN.

MANAGER

Ye twain, in trouble and distress
True friends whom I so oft have found,
Say, for our scheme on German ground,
What prospect have we of success?
Fain would I please the public, win their thanks;
They live and let live, hence it is but meet.
-------------------------------
I'm filling balloons. Seven Sunday panels gives me lots of balloons.
I ran my final 20 mile training run - 20.09 miles in 3:25:19.90. I will set a new personal record if I can repeat that performance for the marathon on Jan. 31.

Mary Faust: Part 5

Click on cartoon to enlarge.

Sorry about the Comic Sans. I need to download Digital Strip to my home computer. I enlarge the comic strip and then paste text into balloons. I try to fit as much as I can while maintaining readability. I do cheat occasionally by slightly enlarging a balloon to add a bit of white space around the text.

Part of the third verse of Dedication:

Dispersed the throng, their severed flight now winging;
Mute are the voices that responsive rang.
For stranger crowds the Orphean lyre now stringing,
E'en their applause is to my heart a pang;
Of old who listened to my song, glad hearted,
If yet they live, now wander widely parted.

Mary Worth is the work of writer Karen Moy and artist Joe Giella and is owned by King Features Syndicate. All images from the comic strip are owned by King Features. Faust is the work of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and is public domain.

Exercise Log: January 1 - 9

This year so far I walked, ran & biked 44.04 miles, burned 3782.8 calories and weigh 141.3 pounds.

Loki has walked 5.62 miles. He had a great time today walking off leash in the woods and park.

Less than a month until my marathon in Waco. Tomorrow, I run my final 20 mile training run. Then I taper. Thinking about running by time rather than distance tomorrow. Maybe run 4 hours and see how far I go.

Jan. 2: walk, 1.08 miles, 23:36.25
Jan. 3: run, 8.31 miles, 1:24:42.48
Jan. 4: bike, 9.18 miles, 35:00
Jan. 5: run, 6.20 miles, 1:05:00
Jan. 7: run, 5.38 miles, 51:52
Jan. 9: walk, 2.82 miles, 1:04:53.98

Mary Faust: More Dedication

Click on cartoon to enlarge.

Today's larger word balloons allowed me to place more text. If you wish to keep up with the storyline as written by Karen Moy visit Mary Worth & Me. Wanders & friends do an outstanding job of keeping up with the goings on in Santa Royale. You will understand the humor of Mary Worth if you spend any time over there. Be sure to enjoy the Charterstone Jukebox.

Looking forward to the Sunday comic. Lots of balloons to fill.

Sorrow revives, her wail of anguish sending
Back o'er life's devious labyrinthine way,
And names the dear ones, they whom Fate bereaving
Of life's fair hours, left me behind them grieving.

They hear me not my later cadence singing,
The souls to whom my earlier lays I sang;

Mary Faust: Dedication Verse Two, Part 1

Click on cartoon to enlarge. Picture quality degraded because of enlargement. I don't know why syndicates don't make larger versions available for online venues. Maybe to prevent miscreants from rewriting crappy comics? It takes a larger comic to truly appreciate the care Joe Giella put into rendering Wilbur's comb over.

Shades fondly loved appear, your train attending,
And visions fair of many a blissful day;
First-love and friendship their fond accents blending,
Like to some ancient, half-expiring lay;

Mary Faust: Dedication Verse One

Click on picture to enlarge. (Click here for the first part)

Dedication

Ye wavering shapes, again ye do enfold me,
As erst upon my troubled sight ye stole;
Shall I this time attempt to clasp, to hold ye?
Still for the fond illusion yearns my soul?
Ye press around! Come then, your captive hold me,
As upward from the vapoury mist ye roll;
Within my breast youth's throbbing pulse is bounding,
Fann'd by the magic breath your march surrounding.

Mary Worth: Faust

Click on cartoon to make bigger.

An insomnia induced project idea: Goethe's Faust replacing Mary Worth dialogue. A fun way for me to read all of Faust and make Mary Worth a bit more amusing.

Also something to justify the continued existence of this blog.

Exercise Log: December 8 - 12

I ran, biked and walked 27.65 miles, burned 2357 calories and weigh 141.4 pounds.

Light week in terms of exercise because of Radio MASH. Very successful - collected toys for about 5,400 children. Once again, the Brazos Valley comes through.

Received an early Christmas present in the form of a Garmin Forerunner 405. Used for my 18 mile training run this morning. Collected all kinds of interesting data. I can run quite fast in short bursts even during the latter part of a long run.

Need to set the distance units back to non-metric. Accidentally set them to metric while playing with settings last night.

Icky Female Content

This post contains icky female content. If you're squeamish go away now. Here is a nice place: http://ihasahotdog.com/

I await menopause with great anticipation. Please get here soon. I'm tired of this monthly bullshit. 27 fucking years so far. Maybe I shouldn't be so angry and bitchy about a natural process but the copious amounts of Midol I've taken so far don't seem to be working. I'm in pain and I want it to stop. Please don't justify it with Old Testament theology. Adam & Eve ate the damn fruit and I get punished with this pain.

Wonder why women get so damn bitchy once a month? Guys, imagine this: starting around age 13, every month, someone visits your home, work or school and hits your nads with a baseball bat. After a while you might get a little pissed off at this and maybe give a hearty fuck you to anyone who says that this is natural and part of God's plan or punishment. Maybe get a little peeved when medical people and others don't take your pain seriously.

The over the counter meds suck. But because of some stupid crackers that lack self control I can't access more effective medicine without visiting a doctor who will probably say it's just female problems and not that bad compared to others. I am stronger and have better self-control - give me something effective.

At the moment I don't give a shit about the magnitude of others' pain. I just want mine to stop. 1,500 milligrams of acetaminophen and I still feel like someone is slicing my abdomen from the inside. I'm just pissed off that I've endured this crap for 27 years and there is no one I can blame, punch or shout at. At least the there is an entity in the bat analogy written above.

I don't know how or why I've endured this shit for 27 years. If I person did this to me I would have done something long ago. The pain will pass and I will forget about it until next month.

In about 5 minutes the office holiday luncheon will start. I have to make nice even though I don't feel nice. The annoying part is that this crap is joked about, trivialized and women are taunted if they express a bit of irritation because of this. Men injuring their nads is considered comedy gold but no one expects a man to be nice & polite while enduring the pain.

I'm in pain and I don't want to be nice. I just want it to go away and some space to be grumpy until it does.

Santa, I want menopause this year and an Evel Knievel stunt bike set.

Lunch 9/9/09

Healthy Choice Grilled Chicken Teriyaki - the package. Nice design with the exclamation point.

The reality after microwaving:

The apple stuff always splashes into the broccoli. Piece of broccoli invaded apple stuff compartment. No pineapple. Sauce off target.

Radioactive

Neat trick. Adrian does her impression of the Virgin of Guadalupe. I wonder if that will leave a mark on the wall?

Adrian, take your fingers out of your mouth otherwise you will spread the flu virus. Should we call you "H1N1 Adrian"?

Excitement in Mary Worth!

I bet Joe Giella had a great time drawing that second panel. After weeks of drawing old people sitting around eating salmon squares he finally gets to draw some action. I hope this raid gets caught up in the Mary Worth time glacier. Days and weeks of glorious police action.

Santa Royale police could not afford a megaphone or helmets. Budget cuts.

How much protection does sitting inside the box provide?

Mary has been absent for 5 days.

Grr!

Awakened this morning while in the middle of a dream. A dream where I was yelling & throwing things in anger. I might have beat up some people, too.

My alarm went off. The dream dissipated but the emotions remained. Not a good way to start a day. Hit snooze in hopes that a few minutes would calm me down. Only led to more irritation because 5 minutes was not long enough. Hit snooze again but remained awake to try to get into a more positive frame of mind. Got out of bed at 5:40 am. Still angry.

I hate to think what these interrupted dreams are doing to my health.

Breakfast & a walk with Loki helped but still mostly irritated.

I don't get Labor Day off. Part of the building is a sauna (fortunately not my part). Got to listen to a reading of an e-mail about how Barack Obama is taking money from productive people and giving it to the poor and illegal aliens.* Pandora One refuses to work but I got around that. It's Monday. I ate over 800 calories for breakfast and was hungry again at 9:00 am. Getting these whines off my mind is helping.

*I don't mind populist anger. Populist anger led to some very good things - 40 hour work week, voting rights, workplace safety rules, minimum wage to name a few examples. Anger is the only thing that gets people in power off their butt. Fear of the people is good for those in power. Helps keep them in line and realize that their power does not give them the right to abuse people.

This current wave of anger worries me. Seems undirected. No goals or ideas other than Obama sucks, taxes suck, bailouts suck, government sucks, tan foreign people suck, liberal media sucks, I've got mine - fuck you. The tax system needs reform. The debt being left to later generations is alarming. Corporate welfare is more damaging than personal welfare. I've come to terms with the fact that my Social Security payments are for the benefit of others, some of whom I care about, and that I won't see any benefits. Well directed anger can change these things but all I see on television and on the Internet is a bunch of white people throwing temper tantrums. Anger changes the world - temper tantrums just destroy whatever is nearby. I worry because I'm nearby.

Today's Lunch

The package: Healthy Choice Honey Ginger Chicken

The reality after two minutes of microwave heating:

It tasted good.

Exercise Log: July 26 - August 1

This week I ran, biked, walked and rowed 30.09 miles, burned 3086.9 calories and weigh 141.4 pounds.

Monday: ran 3.75 miles in 35:00
Tuesday: rowed 1,976 meters in 10:00
Wednesday: ran 2.44 miles in 25:00
Friday: ran 4.87 miles in 45:00

Thinking about the Cowtown Marathon in Ft. Worth, Texas or the 50K at the same location for my next long distance race.

Unintentionally Humorous Ad Placement

Click on image to enlarge.

Playboy of Charterstone

Original:

I bet Charterstone pool parties are quite awkward. Bare midriff in Mary Worth! I like Mary's pink pot and pearls ensemble.

Wordless:
In the first panel Mary gives a rude gesture to British readers and those who have spent many Saturday evenings watching Are You Being Served? on PBS. The gesture interrupted Delilah's blouse unbuttoning.

Liberal use of clone stamp and paintbrush.

Mary Wordless

Another installment of Mary Wordless.

Original: Yes, that is an adult woman that Mary is dragging away from an encounter with another adult.
Wordless:

Looks like a funky dance in the first panel.

Mr. Smith is too excited about getting a phone number.

Atlas Farted

I came across a funny bit of headline on The Onion: Area Man Insufferable Jerk for Two Months after Reading Atlas Shrugged.

I'm reading Atlas Shrugged and afraid the same thing is happening to me. I'm halfway through and wish to extend a pre-emptive apology for any insufferable jerkiness that results when finished. I finished the part in chapter 6, part 2 where the directives (Directive 10-289) that will attempt to stop progress are read and discussed by Wesley Mouch (a bureaucrat - I guess naming him Rob Leach would have been too obvious) and his advisers.

I'm seeing parallels everywhere. Even in beer commercials. Francisco d'Aconias is the most interesting man in the world and he drinks Dos XX.

I bought the book at a garage sale along with Anthem and The Fountainhead. I read a bit of the Fountainhead in high school but got bored with it. I read enough to participate in the discussion and have been exposed to Objectivism. Received enough exposure to be repulsed by its extremity. Have libertarian leanings but I don't fully buy the rational self-interest stuff. It assumes humans are rational and does not address conflicts between individuals with equally rational self-interests.

I decided to give Atlas Shrugged a try and to be able to say that I read the book when disagreeing with the philosophy. At this point I have several thoughts and impressions I need to sort out. I tried sharing some with Walter but he has never been exposed to Ayn Rand and I love him too much to make him read this stuff. Then I remembered that I have a blog.

Rand could have made her point in half of the pages. My God, this woman is long-winded. I read the introduction by Leonard Peikoff and he included some development notes. Four paragraphs stating the same point: using Atlas Shrugged as a concrete way to explain abstract philosophy. Each of the four paragraphs has that thesis. I got the idea after one paragraph but maybe I process things a little faster.

I'm approaching this like a marathon. I have the map and elevation profile and have even ridden part of the route but I really don't know what it's like until I actually run the race. Having a general outline of the novel has lead to some frustration. I've often flipped a few pages ahead to see if any interesting bits are ahead or a break where I can put the book down. The image of the Monty Python knights screaming "Get On With It!" often go through my head while reading some parts.

I might enjoy the book a bit more if this was my first exposure to Ayn Rand. I know where this book is going and wish it would hurry up and get there.

Rand's greatest achievement so far with this novel is making sex boring. I try not imagine just how screwed up her sex life must have been. I'm glad she never wrote the screen play for an adult film. I imagine it would have been 3 hours long: 2 hours 50 minutes worth of speeches with cheesy music playing in the background, 10 minutes of sex with 7 and 1/2 minutes of that consisting of the actors jerking off. The conversations between Hank Reardon and Francisco d'Aconias are more sexual than the actual sex. A few of the scenes with Reardon and d'Aconias would be at home in Star Trek slash fiction.

Keeping in mind that Rand is trying to convey a philosophy helps me tolerate the one-dimensional characters and the absurd extremes between the heroes (brilliant, competent, high standards of morality) and the villains (stupid, incompetent, false standards of morality). 1,200 pages and she couldn't find time to flesh characters out to at least 1-1/2 dimensions. Many comic books do a better job.

Some people build straw-men in an attempt to bolster their arguments. Rand is building a straw-world. Easy to tear down.

I will finish this book, I will read the long-winded speeches, laugh at non-normal human behavior, tolerate long descriptions of emotions that characters cannot name, enjoy the absurdity and try not to draw too many analogies between the events in the real world and the events in Atlas Shrugged.

If a John Galt managed to organize a strike in our world, we would become deprived of achievements like Sham-Wow.

Data Collection

Mary begins the data collection phase of her meddle.

No, don't go there. Not much of a challenge - a bit of paint and clone. Who is this Moy & Giella and why do they tag Mary's apartment walls?

IE can find my site but Chrome has been having trouble. What gives?

Exercise Log: June 7 - 13

Walked, rode and ran 43.01 miles, burned 3266.7 calories and weigh 140 pounds. Loki walked 4.75 miles.

Monday ran 3.60 miles in 35:00
Tuesday rode 4.83 miles in 20:00
Wednesday ran 5.18 miles in 50:00
Thursday rode 6.12 miles in 25:00
Friday ran 6.77 miles in 1:05:00

Have moved 911.77 miles so far this year.

Killer patio furniture

Another cut off head challenge. Gangs infiltrate Charterstone with their red bandanas and sky blue Sansabelt slacks. The young man on the left pouring the liquid is a member of a rival gang thus the scowl.

Both guys may be scowling because they are the bread to a Toby and Mary "oh for the love of god, please shut up" sandwich.

The roving patio furniture is more troubling.

Yes, Toby, we get it, marriage takes work. How many days will you blather on about it? Even the umbrella has become tired of your droning and is sneaking up on you to kill you. Go umbrella!

Ride the waves

Included the original below. Is someone rearranging Toby, Mary and the pool furniture during this conversation? Yesterday, they were in the middle of nowhere. Today, they are poolside. The pool has also grown in their absence. Maybe the earthquakes are very intense in Santa Royale and the residents are used to it.

Santa Royale is built on a giant electric football field build by ancient alien astronauts.

Reading the dialogue as if sitting in a massage chair makes it funny. With today's soap opera comic strips you have to make your own fun.

The perfect couple

The pool party has moved on.

Dialogue removal was easy for this strip. No foliage or background people to reconstruct. The plants and the people have become bored with Mary and Toby's conversation. Only the sniper hiding behind the rocks remains.

Pool Party sponsored by Sansabelt Slacks

The only pool party where no one wears a swimsuit. The pool has shrunk since the last party. In the original second panel, a dialogue balloon covered 2/3 of the man in the powder blue slacks' face. I decided someone at this party needed to do something that looked remotely fun, so I used a bit of artistic license. Nothing perks up a party like a man in slacks standing around wearing a clown nose. Plus, I had trouble with drawing a regular nose.

Delilah is coming.

These are not the droids you are looking for

After Delilah refuses to participate in a trust exercise, Lawrence tries the Jedi Mind Trick.

Exercise Log: May 31 - June 6

This week I ran, walked, biked and swam 37.63 miles, burned 3355.3 calories and 141.1 pounds.

Sunday: canoed about 30 minutes
Monday: ran 3.51 miles in 35:00
Tuesday: biked 4.27 miles in 20:00
Wednesday: ran 5.06 miles in 50:00
Thursday: biked 5.82 miles in 25:00
Friday: ran 6.67 miles in 1:05:00
Saturday: swam .28 miles

Thinking about doing a triathalon in April of 2010. Need to work on my swimming and road biking.

Shadows!

I had nothing to do with the odd shadows. What sort of creature casts a shadow selectively? A Mary Worth!

I want the ability to selectively cast my shadow in order to create a sense of unease. A cool but useless ability. More useful: the ability to make home accessories disappear.

Delilah ought to reconsider her stay with Mary.

Help my face has fallen and I can't get off the phone!

Mary needs to get the screws holding her face in place tightened. I expect to find circuits under her face like Yul Brynner in Westworld.

Why is Delilah glancing over her shoulder? Perhaps hoping no one sees her adjust her bra strap? Or scratching that itch in an awkward place? The horror.

Suffered from some mouse drift while cloning the curtains. That previous sentence would make a surreal tweet.

Mary Wordless

The clone tool comes in handy when removing dialogue from curtains. Original art on Mary's wall in the first panel. I call it "Be the Brand". I drew the foliage, too.

Three days on a single phone conversation.

Finally came up with a slightly clever title to this series, "Mary Wordless".

Mary Worth without dialogue

Another in a series of Mary Worth without words. I can draw better with a Wacom tablet rather than a mouse. Should have used the line tool on the stairs.

The crappy paint job does add an extra surreal element.

Maybe this will improve my Photoshop skills.

Hopefully this will become funnier as the story progresses.

Exercise Log: May 24 - May 30

I did the 100 push ups.

I walked, ran, and biked 35.28 miles, burned 2747.8 calories and weigh 142.1 pounds. I also did a lot of fishing and some canoeing.

Loki walked 2.98 miles. He enjoyed the fishing holiday.

Mary Worthless

Inspired by a comment of the week on the Comics Curmudgeon: http://joshreads.com/?p=3231 and Garfield Minus Garfield, I present Mary Worthless - Mary Worth with the dialogue removed.

So what is funnier with the dialogue removed - the facial expressions, moving backgrounds or my crappy photoshop skills?

I've been neglecting the blog lately. Maybe this will bring some focus back to it.

Exercise Log: May 10 - 16

My poor blog is getting neglected because of the attention I've been giving the new things: Facebook & Twitter.

Sunday: 46 push ups
Monday: ran 3.58 miles in 35:00
Tuesday: biked 9.41 miles in 35:00, completed 172 push ups (42 max)
Wednesday: ran 5.06 miles in 50:00
Thursday: biked 11.59 miles in 50:00, completed 186 push ups (46 max)
Friday: ran 6.58 miles in 1:05:00
Saturday: walked/ jogged with Loki 1.26 miles in 20:15.89, completed 202 push ups (52 max)

Loki walked a total of 4.5 miles this week.

Tonio K. - Without Love

My kind of church music:



Video lasts 3:33

200 Squats

I did 217 squats. http://www.twohundredsquats.com

So I have some lower body strength and endurance.

Exercise Log: April 19 - 25

Since joining Twitter and Facebook, I've neglected the blog.

This week I ran, walked, biked and rowed 38.23 miles, burned 3199.8 calories and weigh 139.7 pounds.

Sunday: walked Loki 1.5 miles in 35:00
Monday: rowed 3143 meters in 15:00
Tuesday: ran 3.5 miles in 31:23
Wednesday: biked 3.49 miles in 15:00
Thursday: ran 3.5 miles in 35:00
Friday: biked 7.0 miles in 31:16
Saturday: walked and jogged with Loki 3.72 miles in 1:05:52. Threw in some plyometrics.

Monday completed 68 push ups (20 max); 168 crunches (60 max); 185 squats (64 max)
Wednesday completed 77 push ups (23 max); 212 crunches (84 max); 231 squats (89 max)
Friday completed 87 push ups (26 max); 248 crunches (101 max); 278 squats (113 max)

Monday jumped rope 7:03.60
Wednesday jumped rope 7:17.28

Max Romeo: I Chase the Devil

My kind of church of music.

Max Romeo, I Chase the Devil. Video 3:30




Lyrics:

Lucifer son of the mourning,
I'm gonna chase you out of earth!
I'm gonna put on a iron shirt,
and chase satan out of earth
I'm gonna put on a iron shirt,
and chase the devil out of earth
I'm gonna send him to outa space,
to find another race
I'm gonna send him to outa space,
to find another race
Satan is an evilous man,
But him can't chocks it on High-man
So when I check him my lassing hand
And if him slip, I gaan with him hand
I'm gonna put on a ironED shirt,
and chase satan out of earth
I'm gonna put on a ironED shirt,
and chase the devil out of earth
I'm gonna send him to outa space,
to find another race
I'm gonna send him to outa space,
to find another race
Him haffi drop him fork and run
Him can't stand up to Jah Jah son
Him haffi lef' ya with him gun
Dig off with him bomb
I'm gonna put on a iron shirt,
and chase satan out of earth
I'm gonna put on a iron shirt,
and chase the devil out of earth
I'm gonna send him to outa space,
to find another race
I'm gonna send him to outa space,
to find another race
Satan is a evilous man,
But him can't chocks it on I-man
So when I check him my lassing hand
And if him slip, I gaan with him hand
I'm gonna put on a iron shirt,
and chase satan out of earth
I'm gonna put on a iron shirt,
and chase the devil out of earth
I'm gonna send him to outa space,
to find another race
I'm gonna send him to outa space,
to find another race
Move ya with your gun
Mi sey fe lef' ya with your bomb
Move ya with your gun
Mi sey fe lef' ya with your bomb

Exercise Log: April 12 - 18

This week I ran, walked and biked 34.61 miles, burned 3153.6 calories and weigh 137.7 pounds.

Sunday: completed 13 push ups, 32 crunches and 77 squats
Monday: 3.83 miles bike in 15:00; 49 push ups, 109 crunches, 116 squats
Tuesday: 4.24 miles running in 39:37
Wednesday: 3.80 miles bike in 15:00, 56 push ups, 129 crunches, 148 squats
Thursday: 6.63 miles running in 1:05:00
Friday: 62 push ups, 145 crunches, 184 squats
Saturday: Run Thru the Vines 10K in 1:01:21

The numbers for push ups, crunches and squats are totals. There are rest periods between sets.

Links to programs:
100 push ups: http://hundredpushups.com/
200 sit ups: http://www.twohundredsitups.com/
200 squats: http://www.twohundredsquats.com/

Photos on Flickr for 2009 Run Thru the Vines

Big D Marathon

Short video of me at the finish line. Finished in 4:33:55

Exercise Log: March 22 - 28

This week I walked, ran, and biked 40.26 miles, burned 3806.8 calories and weigh 139.7 pounds.

Monday ran 3.52 miles in 35:53
Tuesday biked 3.45 miles in 15:00
Wednesday ran 6.39 miles in 1:05:00
Thursday biked 3.76 miles in 15:00
Saturday ran 9.11 miles in 1:30:34

Next week I get ready for the Big D Texas Marathon

Prithee Thou Blow

Must figure out a way to work, "prithee thou blow" into a conversation today. Into a non-bedroom type of conversation.

So that explains the mysterious body noises.

UU Goofus and Gallant

The context for this cartoon:

http://aperfectworld.blogspot.com/2009/03/actually-read-uu-world.html

I try to be UU Gallant but sometimes, unintentionally, I behave like UU Goofus.

I might try a hidden chalices drawing sometime.

A Pair from The Hooters

My kind of church music. More of that damn 1980's (1985) stuff. I can't help it if I came of age during that time.

Embedding disabled, links instead.

Brother, Don't You Walk Away

All You Zombies

Exercise Log: March 15 - 21

This week I walked, ran and biked 48.77 miles, burned 4617.7 calories and weigh 138.6 pounds.

Monday: ran 4.40 miles in 44:57
Tuesday: biked 3.67 miles in 15:00
Wednesday: ran 7.32 miles in 1:13:03
Saturday: ran 18.01 miles in 3:16:06

Walked Loki 7.42 miles.

I stayed on pace for 18 miles on a warm and humid day so I should be able to handle whatever Big D Texas Marathon throws at me temperature-wise on April 5. This is my last long run.

I'm going to be different

Where did checker shirt dude come from? Did he climb over the Ted Stevens railing to nowhere?

I need to update Mary Worth watch.

Nobody likes those kind of people except Fox News Channel. Those kind of people get their own TV show.

Speaking of ham-fisted loudmouths, why doesn't any of them articulate why socialism is bad? I've heard the hysterics regarding how this stimulus package is taking the US down the path of European style socialism but not any reasons as to why this is a bad thing. I'm not saying it is a good thing, I just want some reasons instead of hysterical rants.

I'm just annoyed with the low standards of reasoning among the US punditry. People receiving a great salary to produce nothing. Really jump start the economy - tax these people 100% and redistribute that money to those who produce something. A bit of useful information, anything.

Actually Read UU World

The TV fast has opened up some time for me to actually read UU World. Instead of watching TV during breakfast, I read an article. I just finished the latest issue. I've been a member for a decade and this is the first or second time I've read an issue of UU World.

I found the articles interesting but not enough for me to remember in any great detail. The article about isolation in these economic times struck a chord.

The structure and tone of the magazine seemed vaguely familiar. Then I remembered, Highlights for Children. I spent a lot of time in waiting rooms as a kid and at one time my mother bought us kids a subscription.

UU World is Highlights for Adults complete with a suggested activity section in the back (discussion questions) and a pull out for younger people. All it needs is hidden pictures and labels like "John Brubeck, Boston, MA., Age 57" next to the poetry and art.

Not that this is a bad thing. I just found it funny.

A hidden pictures puzzle would make a good edition.

For the art director: I'm an UU and I draw pictures.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Up Above My Head

My kind of church music.



Video lasts: 2:55

Clamato Week

I wonder if Guy and Rodd will address this monstrosity: http://www.boozingear.com/blog/2008/01/14/budweiser-clamato-chelada-and-bud-light-clamato-chelada-arrive-nationwide/

This kind of thing brings out my elitist tendencies.

Agnes has captured the essence of every success expert/ life coach populating twitter.

No Television Weekend

Too busy over the weekend to even think about turning on the TV. Found that I have gained an extra hour of sleep by not watching television while eating breakfast. I hope Joe and Mika (hosts of MSNBC's Morning Joe) don't mind. The extra hour of sleep is quite an enticement to make a ban on morning television permanent.

Skipping Adult Swim on Sunday allowed me to enjoy other activities. I made it to bed at a decent hour and even managed to write a couple of gags.

Still transitioning to the laptop. I need to get my contacts and some e-mails from the old computer. I updated my cartoon using Dreamweaver and managed to set up a site with FTP successfully on the first attempt. I have been using Notepad with a little help from FrontPage. I really like auto thumbnail.

Skipping the gym tonight to rest after the Armadillo Dash. My quads are a little sore. If it is not too cold I will take Loki for a walk.

Ben Harper - With my own two hands - Letterman 3-10-03

My kind of church music:



Video lasts: 5:13

Lyrics:
I can change the world
With my own two hands
Make a better place
With my own two hands
Make a kinder place
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands
I can make peace on earth
With my own two hands
I can clean up the earth
With my own two hands
I can reach out to you
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands
Im gonna make it a brighter place
Im gonna make it a safer place
Im gonna help the human race
With my own
With my own two hands
I can hold you
With my own two hands
I can comfort you
With my own two hands
But you got to use
Use your own two hands
Use your own
Use your own two hands
With our own
With our own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands

Armadillo Dash Results

My results from the 2009 Armadillo Dash 1/2 Marathon:

Chip time: 02:08:49
Gun time: 02:09:21
Gender: F
Event: Half Marathon
Division: F 40-44
Place in Division: 13 (out of 27)
Overall place: 344 (out of 604)
Age: 40
Place in Gender: 150
Average Pace: 9:50/M

Comparisons:
Male Winner: 01:16:17
Female Winner: 01:21:55
Field Average: 02:11:00
Linda Causey: 02:08:49 - 344 of 604 finishers & faster than 171 women.
Gender Average: 02:18:00
Half Marathon F 40-44 Average: 02:19:00

2:08:49 is a personal record.

Photos are on Flickr.com. Search ARMD09

Exercise Log: February 22 - 28

This week I ran, walked and biked 42.67 miles, burned 4222.9 calories and 140.4 pounds.

Sunday: ran 12.53 miles in 2:11:41
Monday: ran 3.48 miles in 35:00
Tuesday: biked 3.78 miles in 15:00
Wednesday: ran 8.39 miles in 1:27:26
Saturday: ran 3.62 miles in 35:33

Tomorrow I run in the Armadillo Dash 1/2 Marathon. I will attempt to maintain a 10:45 min/mile pace.

For those running Armadillo, Walter will post photos on Flickr.com. Search ARMD09

No TV: Days 2 and 3

Thanks to no TV, I read while eating instead of watching. I'm actually reading the latest issue of UU World.

Walter has it on during dinner but only he can see it. We are both eating at the table.

I've not noticed a major increase in available time. Maybe 15 - 20 minutes a day so far.

The weekend will be a major test.

Battlestar Galactica is my only exception to the TV blackout.

No TV: Day 1

Ate dinner at the table instead of on the couch. We compromised and listened to the Daily Show and part of the Colbert Report. I did sit at part of the table where I could not see the TV so I let Walter know that he can turn on the picture if he wanted to watch. He chose not to.

I have a bit of a temptation on March 29. Family Guy will feature the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast as guest voices. They will play themselves. I love Family Guy, I love ST:NG. Talk about potential nerdgasm.

Would it violate my Lenten experiment if I watched it on hulu.com?

Lent experiment

I've never been a Catholic and did not understand this whole Ash Wednesday (just a funny name on the calendar for a day that sometimes fell on my birthday. Also found Palm Sunday rather mysterious as a kid)/ Lent thing until adulthood.

I find the whole giving up something for a period of time an interesting spiritual practice. I'm giving it a try this season for personal growth reasons. See what happens in my life.

I'm giving up television for Lent. Not for the reasons Catholics celebrate but to satisfy my own curiosity and possible growth. I suppose I should call it something else since I'm not Catholic. This seemed like a good a time as any to try this and the idea of Lent is what prompted my desire to do this. This would certainly cause me to evaluate my habits and lifestyle.

I believe I don't watch much TV anyway but it will be interesting to see what happens.

As a Unitarian-Universalist, I'm free to make caveats. (Just the sort of attitude that turns some people off our religion. Makes us sort of a religious Borg Collective.) I have to make an exception for the last episodes of Battlestar Galactica. I could record them then watch them after April 11 but there's only 4 episodes left.

I've told Walter about this and posted on Twitter. Stating my intent in public should improve my chances since the fear of public humiliation is a powerful motivator.

Birthday Party Photos

My brother and sister threw a great party for me. My sister did a lot of work and it was a great party. Thanks!

I ate my own head later.

Hot flash fund. I wore the t-shirt in Best Buy when I bought my laptop. I took off the button.

The photo that appeared on the cake. I was 18 months old.

Photos can be printed on the frosting and it is edible. Living in the twenty-first century is so exciting.

More pictures are available for friends and family at Walter's Flickr photostream

Ray Charles - Bein' Green

My kind of church music.



Video lasts 2:44

Exercise Log: February 15 - 21

This week I walked, ran and biked 27.8 miles, burned 2472.6 calories and weigh 138.6 pounds.

I ran my long run today instead of Saturday so it will appear next week.

Monday: ran 3.34 miles in 35:00
Tuesday: biked 3.62 miles in 15:00
Wednesday: ran 7.08 miles in 1:08:53
Friday: biked 5.23 miles in 20:00

I have abs that would make some 20 year olds green with envy.

Product placement

The product placement only works if there is some kind of link or address where one could purchase a late 70's vintage rose t-shirt. I bet it was all sparkly when it was first pressed.

A hipster accidentally wanders into a Santa Royale restaurant and then gets the hell out. No irony here. These people are dead serious.

In less than 24 hours I turn the big 4-0. Will I no longer find Mary Worth amusing?

Two Songs from Arrested Development

1990's Hip Hop in church?

My kind of church music...
The videos consist of a shot of the CD cover.

Man's Final Frontier



Song lasts 2:40.
Space ain't man's final frontier!
Man's final frontier is the soul!


Fishin' 4 Religion



Song lasts 4:10

Lyrics:

Grab the hook, grab the line
Grab the bait, grab the box and wait
Tackle and shackle the topic the faculty has chosen
Chosen by many, chosen by plenty, chosen by any
man or woman who understand
the topic that's known and
[Go by the dock] flock and clock the topic
as I drop my hook and get a bite
The reason I'm fishin' 4 a new religion
is my church makes me fall asleep
They're praising a God that watches you weep
and doesn't want you to do a damn thing about it
When they want change the preacher says "shout it"
Does shouting bring about change ? I doubt it
All shouting does is make you lose your voice
So on the dock I sit in silence
staring at a sea that's full of violence
Scared to put my line in that water
coz it seems like there's no religion in there
Naively so I give it another go
Sitting in church hearing legitimate woes
Pastor tells the lady it'll be alright
Just pray so you can see the pearly gates so white
The lady prays and prays and prays and prays
and prays and prays and prays and prays...it's everlasting
"There's nothing wrong with praying ?" It's what she's asking
She's asking the Lord to let her cope
so one day she can see the golden ropes
What you pray for God will give
to be able to cope in this world we live
The word "cope" and the word "change"
is directly opposite, not the same
She should have been praying to change her woes
but pastor said "Pray to cope with those"
The government is happy with most baptist churches
coz they don't do a damn thing to try to nurture
brothers and sisters on a revolution
Baptist teaches dying is the only solution
Passiveness causes others to pass us by
I throw my line till I've made my decision
until then, I'm still fishin' 4 religion

Fishin' 4 religion (11x)
Fish
[Believe !]
[Everybody in the house tonight...C'mon let me hear you say]
[Fishin' !]

Exercise Log: February 8 - 14

This week I biked, ran and walked 37.45 miles, burned 3790.1 calories and weigh 139.6 pounds.

Monday: ran 3.24 miles in 35:00
Wednesday: ran 7.86 miles in 1:20:00
Friday: biked 4.38 miles in 20:00
Saturday: ran 10.28 miles in 1:46:12

I'm ready to take on a 1/2 marathon.

Great running song:
The Black Eyed Peas - Pump It

Noah's Arrrrrk

This cartoon cracked me up. I found Noah keeping up both the pirate and pairs motif (check out the Jolly Roger flag) especially funny. He even has two parrots. Well played.

System Of A Down - Aerials

My kind of church music:

System Of A Down - Aerials

Embedding disabled - click on link to watch video. Video lasts 4:03

Lyrics:

Life is a waterfall, We're one in the river, And one again after the fall.

Swimming through the void
We hear the word, We lost ourselves,
But we find it all?

Cause we are the ones that want to play,
Always want to go, But you never want to stay,

And we are the ones that want to choose,
Always want to play, But you never want to lose.

Aerials, in the sky,
When you lose small mind,
You free your life.

Life is a waterfall,
We drink from the river, Then we turn around and put up our walls.

Swimming through the void
We hear the word, We lost ourselves,
But we find it all?

Cause we are the ones that want to play,
Always want to go, But you never want to stay,

And we are the ones that want to choose,
Always want to play, But you never want to lose.

Aerials, in the sky,
When you lose small mind, You free your life.
Aerials, so up high,
When you free your eyes, Eternal prize.

Exercise Log: February 1 - 7

This week I walked, ran and biked 42.44 miles, burned 3865.8 calories and weigh 140 pounds.

Monday ran 3.19 miles in 35:00
Tuesday biked 4.9 miles in 22:00
Wednesday ran 7.41 miles in 1:13:31 - Tempo run
Friday biked 5.54 miles in 24:39
Saturday ran 9.12 miles in 1:36:18 - Long run

Sunday: 117 push ups total; 23 max
Tuesday: 152 push ups total; 32 max
Friday: 164 push up total; 34 max

Less than a month from the Armadillo Dash 1/2 Marathon.

Fashion Day in Comics

My eyes! Good thing Lynn is in the back because the sight of that sweater would cause her to faint again. I like the two layer outfit that Mary is sporting. I often dress like that for a morning run in cool weather except my color choices are better.

Pick the black dress. Don't think of the price, think of your retinas.

Vertical lines are supposed to make you look slimmer, while horizontal lines make you look wider. What do diagonal lines do?

A shout out in Agnes. Not really but I like to pretend.

Mama Cass Elliot - Make Your Own Kind Of Music

My kind of church music.

Video lasts 2:46. Song fades out a bit too soon.



Lyrics:

Nobody can tell ya;
There's only one song worth singin'.
They may try and sell ya,
'cause it hangs them up
to see someone like you.

But you've gotta make your own kind of music
sing your own special song,
make your own kind of music even if nobody
else sing along.

You're gonna be knowing
the loneliest kind of lonely.
It may be rough goin',
just to do your thing's
the hardest thing to do.

But you've gotta make your own kind of music
sing your own special song,
make your own kind of music even if nobody
else sings along.

So if you cannot take my hand,
and if you must be goin',
I will understand.

You gotta make your own kind of music
sing your own special song,
make your own kind of music even if nobody
else sings along.

------------------------------------
This is a 52 part series. One song a week.

You can get a preview of upcoming songs by visiting my YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/LCausey) and looking at the Favorites tab. Not all the songs in my favorites are part of the church music series, some are there because I like them. I like the church music songs but I like the others for non-religious reasons. Yes, the Ray Stevens song is in the church music series.