Turbines to Speed

My computer upgrade is complete with tonight's RAM boost from 128 Mb to 512 Mb.

Lee Goldberg's A Writer's Life: More on Bond

Variety reports that screen tests are ongoing this week for the new James Bond. The latest front-burner names, as reported here a few days ago, are Daniel Craig and Henry Cavill, with a couple new faces thrown in the mix: ER's Goran Visnjic and Aussie actor Sam Worthington. The lack of stars in the running (like Clive Owen) is due, Variety reports, to the producers' unwillingness to pay gross points to their leading man. They want to snag their next 007 for a fraction of the $25 million paid to Pierce Brosnan.

Return to Smallville

The WB's Smallville returns for a fifth season tonight. I've distanced myself from the show over the years. I was already too old for a teen show when it premiered in 2001, but I didn't buy many of the storylines in the third or fourth seasons.

What interests me most is the interaction between mythic characters: Lex and Clark, Clark and Jonathan, Lex and Lionel, Lana and Clark, Lois and Clark. The writing has been mostly forgettable, but things may be shifting into high gear this season, as Smallville was originally envisioned to have a five-year run.

At the start of the season, Jor-El (voice of Terence Stamp) will strip Clark of powers, letting him son live as a mortal. Sound familiar? Actually, it could be an idea to build a season around. The main drawback has always been that the story of Superman has been told and retold many times over. Even if writers deviate wildly from it, they eventually have to come back to center. The sense that anything can happen—naturally present with original characters (Buffy Summers, Veronica Mars, Josiah Bartlett, Greg House, Alan Shore, Sam Beckett...)—is not there for Smallville.

UPDATE (9:00 PM ET): The season premiere hit all the right notes, hopefully setting the stage for a faster-paced season. I was glad to see Erica Durance in the opening credits. As I've mentioned, she is just the dose of reality the show needs. Having met Lois last season, it was kind of a letdown to see Clark go back to Lana, sacrificing a chance to train in the Fortress of Solitude to save Lana after a run in with disciples of Zod,

As a consequence, Clark's powers were drained, leaving him unaware that the real danger is not the disciples of Zod, but the shape-shifting Brainiac.

Mike Post

TV theme king Mike Post turns 61 today.

Erika Eleniak

Original Baywatch bombshell Erika Eleniak is 36 today. Catch up at her official site.

Where something might have come to life

A couple of writer friends haven't blogged of late claiming they have nothing to say. I suppose all bloggers worry they'll one day run out of material, but it's professionally hazardous for writers. (Hence Lawrence Block's addage that a plumber can't say he has plumber's block.)

Writers are drawn to work with words just as athletes are drawn to compete. Writers need to stimulate their creativity with as much input as possible.

A lot of writers blog about process, but a general discussion (I start with an idea, and...) is almost useless to fellow writers, Beyond the basics of putting one word after another, writing is discovery: a little bit different for everyone, every time. I read blogs because they offer some hint of how everyday events transmute into created works.

To not write is to give in to the multitude of forces working against creative expression. Let this go too long and there is only blank space where something might have come to life.

Right here, life is about to form on this planet for the very first time. A group of amino acids is about to combine to form the first protein...

Here they go . . . the amino acids are moving closer . . . closer . . . closer . . . Ohhhh! Nothing happened! You see what you've done?

Can He Do It?

After brainstorming a George Wong story the past week, I've shifted back to Chris Harvey's P.O.V. yesterday morning. That's all I'll say about that for now.

I spent the afternoon whipping up a batch of five poems for Naked Knuckle. Editor Greg Edwards has always encouraged me to send up to five. It felt good to meet the challenge. The next challenge is actually making it into the magazine, but in submission there is hope.

Resolution

I can't speak for other NCIS fans, but I thought last night's episode resolved the Kate-Ari-Gibbs storyline nicely.

Those of us jolted by Kate Todd's death last season got a chance—along with the team members—to come to terms as Sasha Alexander appeared in various costumes and attitudes as Kate's memory haunting each team member in a special way.

In the end, it was revealed Ari killed Kate to torment Gibbs, who reminded the terrorist of his father, the deputy director of Mossad. Ari sets up an ambush in Gibbs's basement, but finally Gibbs does not kill Ari himself. Instead, Ari's control at Mossad, his half-sister Ziva, shoots him in the head while Gibbs looks on.

Blood pools around Ari's head. He is most certainly gone.

No, no, no. Run, run, run.

Charles In Charge, the Sitcom That Will Not Die, is now airing on UPN 9 Secaucus.

Zap2it.com: 'Get Smart' Agent 86 Dies

LOS ANGELES Don Adams, the nasally voiced secret agent in the TV series spoof "Get Smart" died on Sunday, Sept. 25 at the age of 82.

"Meditate in my direction...feel your way."

If you didn't already, now you know I'm a Grease fan. Olivia Newton-John is 57 today.

IMDb: Thomas Bond Dies

Actor Thomas Ross Bond died in a Northridge, California hospital on Saturday. He was 79. The Texan actor died in Northridge Hospital following complications from heart disease, his manager Frank Marks confirmed. Bond was best known for playing gang member Tommy and later Butch the bully in 1930s TV shows Our Gang and The Little Rascals. He went on to play Daily Planet photographer Jimmy Olsen in The Adventures Of Superman and Atom Man Vs Superman in 1948 and 1950 respectively. Bond quit acting in 1951 to direct and produce TV shows, before retiring in 1991. He is survived by his wife of 52 years Pauline and producer son Thomas Ross Bond II.

She's Back.

Mysterical-E's reprint of "For Old Times' Sake" is live, featuring Gin E.L. Fenton's fine rendition of Kate Holden. Thanks, Gin!

Heather be thy name

Heather Locklear turns 44 today, and this Tuesday she'll guest on Boston Legal with former T.J. Hooker co-star William Shatner.

Domo arigato, Mr. Ubuntu

I've made the switch from a woefully encumbered Windows ME to an Ubuntu distribution of Linux. I'll surf the Web with Firefox, word-process with OpenOffice, e-mail with Evolution, IM with GAIM. What else is there? I've taken the opportunity to rename my computer "Cuddy."

Coincidence

My cable is on the blink this afternoon, but a minute ago I had Sci-Fi Channel on, playing the new "Outer Limits":

"Do not attempt to adjust the picture. We are now controlling the trans—"

The cable cut to static, and I had to reply, "No, you're not."

I like baseball, but...

Not when the playoffs and World Series preempt House and Bones.

Is it too much to ask that all Tuesday games be day games?

One week to Serenity

The movie made from Joss Whedon's Firefly premieres September 30, and I'm ready with a free pass to any show at my local United Artists stadium theater.

An Oldie But a Goodie

Mysterical-E editor Joe DeMarco has accepted my first C.J. Stone story, "For Old Times Sake," for reprinted in the Fall 2005 issue—due out any day now. I welcome your feedback.

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

LIMA (Reuters) - A plane carrying Gambian soccer fans to Peru made an unauthorized detour and faked a fuel emergency to land in time for the West African nation's game in a world youth tournament, officials said Wednesday.

IMDb: Kudrow's 'Comeback' Canceled

Former Friends star Lisa Kudrow is disappointed after learning cable network HBO has canceled her comedy series The Comeback. After Friends ended last year, Kudrow signed a deal with HBO to write, executive produce and stars in the mockumentary comedy about former sitcom star Valerie Cherish, who is desperately trying to revive her career. Although HBO ordered 13 episodes of The Comeback, the show only managed to gain 1.5 million viewers and received mix reviews. A publicist for HBO confirms, "(Co-creator) Michael Patrick King and Lisa Kudrow developed a uniquely original series. However, we looked at our schedule, and, given our future commitments, we felt we would not be able to give the show the support it needed."

AP: Crippled Jet Lands Safely at L.A. Airport

By GILLIAN FLACCUS, Associated Press Writer Thu Sep 22,12:06 AM ET

LOS ANGELES - A JetBlue airliner with faulty landing gear touched down safely Wednesday at Los Angeles International Airport after circling the region for three hours with its front wheels turned sideways, unable to be retracted into the plane.

The pilot landed on the back wheels, then eased onto the awry front tires, which shot flames along the runway before they tore off. The metal landing gear scraped for the final yards as the plane came to a stop.

Within minutes of landing, the plane's door opened and the 140 passengers walked down a stairway with their luggage and onto the tarmac, where buses waited.

E-Ring

Tonight's premiere of E-Ring, NBC's Pentagon drama from Jerry Bruckheimer, was not bad, Benjamin Bratt stars as Major Jim "JT" Tisniewski, one of those charged with authorizing U.S. military action. My only concern is the show may get bogged down in the negotiations to use force and will end up like a role-playing game, where "players" plan the action, then sit back and watch it unfold from a distance. We'll see if the show has legs, though.

What just happened?

For three months, there was no doubt in my mind Ari Haswari had sniped Kate Todd in cold blood. Last night's episode of NCIS remarkably put that in doubt.

The way the scene plays out, Kate takes a bullet in the vest shoving Gibbs to safety. Then, getting up from that, she's shot between the eyes. Cut to Ari looking through his sniper scope, saying, "Sorry, Caitlin."

So. Did Ari actually kill Kate, or was he just looking on?

Best Character Name Ever

Scott Baio guests on Arrested Development this season as the Bluths' new attorney, Bob Loblaw. Say that three times fast.

Dave White's Writing Block

Jackson Donne author Dave White has been scrounging for something, anything, new to blog. In response to his dilemma, David Terrenoire commented:

This is precisely why I don't blog.

Instead, I rant to my wife and she has the good sense to ignore me.

I'm not a fan of blogs that exist solely or largely to rant. I started this blog early last year and thought I'd quickly run out of things to say, but I haven't. Here's why:

1) Since some people know me as an editor or moderator, my blog covers not only these fields, but all my interests.

2) Despite the wide-openness, I make sure whatever I want to post catches my interest for at least one sentence (i.e. one coherent thought).

3) My blog has become a visual reminder of my thought processes, keeping them more organized, more ready to become creative writing than if I didn't blog. Blogging works better for me than a paper journal. I dislike the word "journal". It seems falsely formal (French for "diary"), too formal to describe the work I do with pen and paper.

4) I don't post much detail about works in progress because my ideas are still forming, not quite coherent.

I don't care if I ever get back...

Much of my writing energy has lately gone to poetry. I actually do care if I get back to fiction, but I don't want to force it. I have been reading fiction—including Laurence Shames (The Naked Detective, DetecToday's October feature), Raymond Carver (What We Talk About When We Talk About Love), Ian Rankin (A Good Hanging), and Tod Goldberg (Simplify)—and editing other people's fiction, so writing my own could happen very soon.

On the bright side, I'm currently not obliged to write anything, so I'm going to enjoy what I do write.

Edward Hirsch

At last week's DetecToday chat, I learned crime fiction author Peter Spiegelman is also a poet. One of his favorite poets is Edward Hirsch. After some Net searching, I learned Hirsch's style is straightforward, the kind of poetry I've traditionally enjoyed. So today, I ordered two Hirsch titles, The Night Parade and Wild Gratitude, from abebooks.com.

Can't beat a good basketball poem.

TV Tonight

There are three TV shows I want to tape in a two-hour block: NCIS, Bones, and House. Luckily there are two VCRs in the house. My brother recommends we hold off on TiVo until we're forced to upgrade to HD TV sets in 2007.

For fans of NCIS's dearly departed Kate Todd (Sasha Alexander), the character appears in tonight's season premiere wearing a Catholic schoolgirl outfit in one of Special Agent DiNozzo's fantasies. Meanwhile, according to IMDb, Alexander is attached to Mission: Impossible 3.

How I Met Your Mother

Alyson Hannigan, Neil Patrick Harris, what could possibly go wrong?

This CBS sitcom is narrated by middle-aged Ted (voice of Bob Saget) force-feeding his kids the story of how he met their mother. (Sounds like fun already, right?)

At the core of the show are four friends: Marshall and Lily (Hannigan), who in the pilot get engaged after nine years of dating; younger Ted, Marshall's best friend who suddenly feels pressure to meet "The One"; and Barney (Harris), the group's confirmed bachelor.

If you're keeping score, that's three story arcs plus Saget's exposition, all of which allow no time to focus on any one character long enough to care.

And to top it off, Robin, "The One" Ted meets and declares his love to in the pilot, is by the end of the episode revealed not to be the "Mother" in question. Way to keep us in suspense.

IMDb: Depp Laments Lost Richards Role

Johnny Depp has missed out on the chance to star alongside Rolling Stone Keith Richards, because the rocker's schedule is too busy. The Charlie And The Chocolate Factory star had been looking forward to Richards making a cameo appearance as his dad in 2006's Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. But now the legendary guitarist, who was the inspiration behind Depp's alter-ego Jack Sparrow, is too busy with his band's world tour to take time out for acting. Depp says, "It doesn't look like it will happen now. Keith is on tour so it's hard to fit into the timeframe we're working to."

Emmy Wrap

This is the first year I've had more than a passing interest in the Emmys, which may mean I'm watching too much TV, but...

Highlights:

William Shatner wins for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama (Boston Legal)

David Shore wins for Best Writing in a Drama (House, "Three Stories")

Tony Shalhoub wins for Best Actor in a Comedy (Monk)

I was pulling for Hugh Laurie for Best Actor in a Drama, but it went to the respectably talented James Spader (Boston Legal)

A surprise to me was the nomination of Charles Durning for his guest spot on NCIS as a Medal of Honor recipient who turns himself in for murder.

Bryan Singer

It's also Bryan Singer's 40th birthday. I think he'll do a good job with the touted Superman Returns, but all the same I'm avoiding hype about the movie. I want to preseve my surprise.

To Parker on His 73rd Birthday

Robert B. Parker's birthday has me thinking of longevity. When asked why they still read Parker, many fans say that Spenser and company are like old friends. Point taken, but there are authors/series we stop reading. Two of mine are James Lee Burke's Dave Robicheaux and John Sandford's Lucas Davenport. I've also almost given up on Robert Crais's Elvis Cole. Why do we give up on some authors yet keep reading others?

One reason is that series become too personal. The books become less about the protagonist plying his trade and more about the many facets of his personal life. Another reason is that series fall into patterns that are too predictable. While both of these have been true of Parker's series from time to time, a big reason people still read him is that his prose style is very accessible; somehow it seems clearer than a lot of other styles.

Your thoughts?

Little Threshold for Threshold

I watched the premiere of Threshold last night, and was fairly bored by it. I figured the show had a lot going for it. I liked Carla Gugino as the original girlfriend on Spin City and from her short-lived turn as TV's Karen Sisco. Brent Spiner always gives a nuanced performance. And yet I found the show very derivative. It was created by Star Trek Voyager and Enterprise writer Brannon Braga, and this could have been his chance to break from the dull Trek formula, but I couldn't help thinking of the unwatchable Xindi storyline. Aliens infecting human DNA is too much like The X-Files.

Anyway. Friday nights have long been the low point of TV viewing.

AFP: Jackie Chan says too old for film fights

TORONTO (AFP) - Hong Kong action movie star Jackie Chan said he is getting too old to do the stunts that made him famous and hopes to prove to audiences he can act too.

"The life of an action star is very short. I want to be an actor like Robert De Niro, like Dustin Hoffman or Clint Eastwood who in their 70s or 80s can still act," the 51-year-old Chan said at the world premiere of his latest film "The Myth" at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Easy Trivia

If you spell out the numbers 1 through 999, which vowel do you never use?

AP: No Smiling for Passport Photos in Germany

Thu Sep 15,11:47 AM ET

BERLIN - Germans were ordered Thursday to stay serious when having their photographs taken for new passports, wiping away any grins, smirks or smiles so that biometric scanners can pick up their facial features.

Interior Minister Otto Schily ordered passport authorities to only accept pictures taken from the front showing the "most neutral facial expression possible," starting Nov. 1.

Facial recognition systems match key features on the holder's face and work best when the face has a neutral expression with the mouth closed.

"A broad smile, however nice it may be, is therefore unacceptable," the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

AP: Cocoa Beach Salutes 'I Dream of Jeannie'

COCOA BEACH, Fla. - This city has been linked to "I Dream of Jeannie" ever since a jingle in the opening of the TV show's first season in 1965 told how a genie followed Capt. Tony Nelson "back to Cocoa Beach, a mythical town in a mythical state called Florida."

Now, in an arms-crossed nod and blink to its perpetuity in television reruns, Cocoa Beach's 13,000 residents are marking the 40th anniversary of the show's first episode with a celebration Friday. Although none of the cast members will attend, there will be two Jeannie look-a-like contests, music and the serving of a mixed drink with secret ingredients called Jeannie's magical potion.

"Bones" and "House" Score in Ratings

Zap2it.com reports strong ratings for Fox's duo of Bones and House. The real competition will start next week, when Nielsen Top 20 favorite NCIS returns. I'm all for a good horserace.

AP: WWII Soldier's Last Letter Makes It Home

Wed Sep 14, 3:43 PM ET

POOLE, Neb. - It took more than 60 years, but the final letter of a soldier killed in World War II finally made it home.

Gary Mathis bought a box of old newspapers at a yard sale in Kansas, and discovered the letter inside a newspaper from 1915. The letter's envelope has military post office markings dated March 6, 1944.

Teaching Writing

Author Keith Snyder answers the question of whether MFA writing programs are worthwhile. In short:

The only hard-and-fast rule I can think of is to research the instructor. Though a lot of impressive publication doesn't mean anybody knows what they're talking about, I'd avoid anyone with very little publication history. If I wanted to write for a wide audience, I'd also avoid anyone who's published only in small literary journals.

I know more professional writers without MFAs than with, and MFA programs are easy to make fun of because so much bad writing comes out of them; but if the student's got a knack for writing (no way around that one) and puts in the time (no way around that one, either), and the teacher's good, I can see the benefit being worth the investment. In that circumstance, a well-placed instructor can also be a business contact.

This strikes me as very sound advice. My MA program was recommended by an undergrad prof I respected. Going in knowing nothing about the program's current teachers, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I took workshops in fiction, poetry, and playwriting, and while it's true none of the work I produced in grad school has sold, I did develop the habit of reading more closely, to really get at how and why a piece worked. I apply this today polishing work in a variety of genres.

The bottom line is and always has been exploring your writing territory. Which stuff comes easy to you? Which is a challenge? How many topics can you personally possibly write about? Which advice should you follow? Classes can teach you to ask the right questions; the answers are most often found elsewhere.

My motivation for teaching is to provide a good foundation on which writers themselves can build.

Subtle Much?

The Valleyspeak refers to the title of NCIS's two-part, third season premiere (Part 1 airs Tuesday, September 20), in which the team deals with the murder of Kate Todd at the hands of charismatic terrorist Ari Haswari. The title? "Kill Ari."

Reminds me of a two-part Hunter episode called "Rape and Revenge."

Scientists Reconsider Habitability of Saturn's Moon

Ker Than
Staff Writer
SPACE.com

Recent findings from NASA's Cassini spacecraft and new discoveries about organisms here on Earth that thrive in extreme conditions are causing scientists to rethink the possibility that there may be life on Saturn's cloudy moon Titan.

Analyzing data from Cassini's recent Titan flybys, scientists at the Southwestern Research Institute (SwRI) in Texas and Washington State University announced last week that several of the key elements crucial for life on Earth are also present on Titan, including liquid reservoirs, organic molecules and ample energy sources.

Synthesis

Lunatic Chameleon re-opens to submissions today with the topics: relationships, Wacky Fun!, and duct tape. I'd been puzzling over writing a poem about any one of those until a friend suggested I combine them. Wacky fun with duct tape in a relationship. Brilliant!

UPDATE (4:00 PM): Editor Nan Purnell has accepted the poem, titled "Let me do all the work."

Ben Savage's Birthday

Ben Savage—brother of Fred and star of the heaviest-handed moral teen sitcom ever (Boy Meets World)—turns 25 today.

I like life lessons, but over seven years, Boy Meets World ceased to be a clever couch for them. It consistently showed what a good kid Cory Matthews was, what a bad seed (but still a good kid) his best friend was, and slowly turned his older brother into a comic relief moron. What else can we expect from the creator of Charles In Charge and My Two Dads?

AP: Headphones May Worsen Hearing Loss

By MARTHA IRVINE, AP National Writer Mon Sep 12, 8:49 PM ET

CHICAGO - Researchers fear the growing popularity of portable music players and other items that attach directly to the ears — including cell phones — is contributing to hearing loss in younger people.

"It's a different level of use than we've seen in the past," says Robert Novak, director of clinical education in audiology at Purdue University in Indiana. "It's becoming more of a full-day listening experience, as opposed to just when you're jogging."

Increasingly, Novak says he's seeing too many young people with "older ears on younger bodies" — a trend that's been building since the portable Walkman made its debut a few decades back.

I was never comfortable wearing headphones, turning up, and zoning out. I pride myself on being able to enjoy music or talk radio at the lowest volume necessary. The less I impose on others, the more I enjoy.

Logistically speaking, a Walkman seldom stayed clipped to my belt when I walked. The phones themselves required such frequent adjustment as to defeat the true reason for wearing a Walkman/Discman/iPod: to look cool.

Roll the Bones

I'm guardedly curious about Fox's new show Bones, based on the work of forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs, premiering tomorrow night at 8. Given that I was an Angel fan, I'm interested to see how David Boreanaz fares playing a human. And I'm not sure this is good or bad, but female lead Emily Deschanel seems to resemble Amanda Peet (whom I like) with even higher-wattage eyes.

Unfortunately the show is slotted against NCIS, a must-see for me. So unless Bones is riveting, I'll lose track of it until the first round of reruns.

After Bones, House premieres its second season, so it may be the first night I've watched Fox exclusively. Gulp.

September 11

It's taken me until just past midnight on September 12 to gather my thoughts on September 11, 2001.

I worked a Monday/Wednesday/Friday schedule at Hofstra that year, so that Tuesday morning I was home working at the computer with the TV off until a friend IMed me that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center.

At first I thought it was a small plane, and that the crash was an accident. I'd heard the towers could withstand that kind of impact. Slowly the details came in, however. It was a jumbo jet, not an accident, an attack. I thought there would be enough time to evacuate the towers. When one collapsed, I hoped the other would stand. For a while it felt as if every good thought I had would go for naught.

In some ways I miss my view of America before September 11. I believed we were relatively secure, that terrorists wouldn't succeed if they tried. I've always disliked the shortcut phrases "9/11" and "Ground Zero," but they remind me it's better to be safe than to feel safe. I would never have had this level of awareness were I not reminded freedom isn't free.

On an institutional level, I don't know that we've increased actual safety. But despite the hassle, uncertainty, and fear, I've savored every second of my life the past four years and am grateful for the perspective to have done so.

True to My School

Received my high school alumni bulletin the other day. Normally I just scan the notes for classmates, then discard the thing and go on with my life. Today, though, I began to think, Maybe someone actually wants to know what I've been up to since 1992. So here's what I wrote:

Gerald So holds an M.A. in Creative Writing from Queens College/CUNY and has taught English at Hofstra University. He has published short stories and poetry and is currently Fiction Editor for The Thrilling Detective Web Site. Catch up with him on his web log: http://geraldso.blogspot.com.

To be honest, I was spurred largely by the announcement of a classmate's brother's wedding. This particular classmate and I shared a high-five and a hug upon learning we were exempt from the senior English final. According to the announcement, she was in the wedding party and still goes by the same name. That doesn't mean she's single in this day and age, but I can hope.

Travels With Brother

With gasoline prices being what they are and with the weather on our side yesterday, Henry and I decided to complete some errands on foot. Henry walks from Penn Station to Rockefeller Center for work, and I walk a mile a day around the block for exercise, but it's good to put this to practical use now and then.

We walked to the bank, the camera store, K-Mart, Sports Authority, and Roosevelt Field, where we had lunch at Cafe Spice (Indian-French fusion) in the less-crowded-than-usual food court. (Must be the gas prices.)

We ended up 2.2 miles from home before heading back. I sweated some wearing my black Ken Bruen Martyrs Tour t-shirt, but at no point would I have traded the walk to sit in a car and hunt for parking.

Clijsters Wins U.S. Open

Kim Clijsters won her first Grand Slam, dispatching a listless Mary Pierce 6-3, 6-1 at the U.S. Open.

I'm reminded of Capriati's first Grand Slam title after injuries and personal problems. For that moment the past no longer matters; you've silenced the doubters. Looking back on all that led to this moment, one title seems sweeter than ten.

Word Association

Duane Swierczynski relayed on a survey question, "What's your favorite word?"

My answer was "clandestine," but the runners-up deserve mention:

archipelago, recapitulate, horripilation, labyrinth, incendiary, aplomb, lilliputian, raconteur, acumen, accolade, antediluvian, dilatory, interdiction, pomegranate, quandary, conundrum, quixotic, verve, incisive, antithesis, herculean, onus, obsidian, raciocination, tetrahedron, rhombus, sililoquy, expedite, panorama, exculpatory, repudiate, vacuum, photon, bicameral, oblivious, datum, verbatim, glassine, tangential, acuity, apothecary, windfall, desolate, dramaturge, chivalry, chicanery, indicative, succinct, fabricate, skein, reprehensible, manifold, inculcate, osmosis, permutation, coagulate, incarnate, moribund, fecund, proclivity, anion, subterfuge, fussilage, aftermath, decipher, quotient, exponent, rapier, wanderlust, rhapsody, philatelist, tarmac, numismatist, plucky, discern, divination, coda, adhesive, valor, vagabond, copious, contagion, opaque, kaleidoscope, oscillate, praeternatural, conjecture, ubiquitous, riposte, incumbent, diligent, vigilant, redoubtable, imminent, banal, apogee, aperture, ajar, tantalize, locus, eloquence.

Clijsters Beats Sharapova

Kim Clijsters took the first set, then withstood a comeback to beat top-seeded Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-7, 6-3. She will face Mary Pierce in tomorrow's final. Pierce rallied from a set down against Elena Dementieva, 3-6 6-2 6-1, taking a sanctioned 12-minute injury timeout for thigh and back treatment, reversing the match's momentum.

New Company Launches With Aim of Colonizing Mars

Ker Than
Staff Writer
SPACE.com

A new center that aims to be a cross between a museum and an amusement park may soon allow people to explore a Martian settlement without ever having to leave Earth.

The Martian research and outreach center will be operated by Four Frontiers, a new Florida-based space commerce company whose main objective is the establishment of a permanent human settlement on Mars.

"We see ourselves as the pioneers of the new space frontier," said Four Frontiers' CEO Mark Homnick. "We follow in the path made by the early explorers such as NASA and the ESA. We settle in the new land, we turn it into a home and add value."

AP: Study: Breakfast Helps Girls Stay Slim

By ALEX DOMINGUEZ, Associated Press Writer

BALTIMORE - Girls who regularly ate breakfast, particularly one that includes cereal, were slimmer than those who skipped the morning meal, according to a study that tracked nearly 2,400 girls for 10 years.

What'll I Think Of Next?

I've written a rhyming poem inspired by the movie Top Gun.

AP: Thailand Emerges As Fake Passport Capital

By ALISA TANG, Associated Press Writer

BANGKOK, Thailand - Thailand has emerged as one of the criminal world's main sources for fake and altered passports for frauds, fugitives and terrorists, including at least one al-Qaida-linked operative, Thai and foreign police say.

Thai police previously viewed forgery as a petty crime. But under pressure from Western governments after the Sept. 11 attacks, they say they are now cracking down on the black market that aided Hambali, the mastermind of the 2002 Bali attacks and alleged leader of al-Qaida-linked Southeast Asian terror group, Jemaah Islamiyah.

Reuters: Inspired by wheelbarrow, BIC sells 100 billionth pen

PARIS - It started as an answer to leaky pens carried by American soldiers during World War Two, was perfected and made popular by an Italian-born baron and has written its way into history as the world's biggest-selling pen.

More than half a century after honing a cheap version of the ballpoint pen, Bic, the French firm which built an empire out of making things to be thrown away, said Thursday it had sold its 100 billionth -- 100,000,000,000th --- disposable ballpoint.

I prefer PaperMate black medium points, but a tip of the cap to BIC.

Red Auerbach Hospitalized

AP Photo / Winslow Towson

Boston Celtics icon Red Auerbach, 87, has been hospitalized in Washington DC. His family has requested his condition not be disclosed.

Hair Apparent

I just watched a 1990 episode of MacGyver where a fully-mulleted Mac is guest-teaching physics. To demonstrate center-of-gravity, he calls a skeptical linebacker up to the front and jukes him over his shoulder. The linebacker, Deron, was played by Richard Dean Anderson's future co-star, a square-afroed Christopher (then known as "Doug") Judge.

Samuel L. Jackson's Favorite Movie to Star in

As just admitted on Live with Regis & Kelly, Samuel L. Jackson's favorite movie in which he starred—a guilty pleasure of mine—was The Long Kiss Goodnight:

"Mitch Hennessey was this sort of bumbling private eye who'd sing this blues song ["Bad to the Bone"] to remind himself of things. I actually had people come up to me on the street and go, 'Puttin' keys in my left pocket...'

"I had to renew my passport while working on that film and the studio did it for me, so the picture on my passport is my character from the film, Mitch Hennessey."

All I can say is, "This gun ain't ham-on-rye."

How to Proceed?

For some time, I've butted my head against an idea for a second Chris Harvey P.I. story. It occurs to me I may have better luck for now writing a cop story with Harvey's friend Lieutenant George Wong as protag. Updates here as the idea takes shape.

Reuters: Word test may give clues to Alzheimer's disease

By Patricia Reaney

DUBLIN - Could a simple word test be used to identify people who might be suffering from the very early stages of Alzheimer's disease? British scientists think so.

Results of a study presented at a science conference on Tuesday revealed that people in the first stages of the incurable illness cannot write down as many animals and fruits in one-minute period as healthy individuals.

Professor Andy Ellis of the University of York in England also discovered that the characteristics of the words the Alzheimer's sufferers produced were different.

They retained very familiar words, ones heard frequently and words learned in early, rather than late, childhood.

"Just by looking at the characteristics of the words people produced you could correctly determine whether somebody came from the group of healthy controls or the Alzheimer's patients," he told the British Association science meeting.

Advantage Ciljsters

Wimbledon has the aura of class and tradition, but for me, the U.S. Open has more potential for drama: players under the lights extending matches late into the New York night like kids fending off the first day of school.

Many of my favorite players have retired or pulled out of this year's Open, but in their absence, others have won me over, none more so than Belgian Kim Clijsters. Years ago, I saw her as the rising teen phenom threatening veterans like Jennifer Capriati and Lindsay Davenport. Now 22, she's been through wrist surgery and an aborted engagement to Aussie star Lleyton Hewitt and is still regarded the nicest player on tour. She'd been picked by many to win this year's Open, but to make that prediction come true, she had to get past Venus Williams, who came in having won another slugfest with sister Serena.

Clijsters's serve was broken late in the first set and early in the second, but in the end she proved herself the fitter player, running down balls and stretching for improbable shots with her patented split (seen below) to win 4-6, 7-5, 6-1.


Onlookers have questioned Clijsters's toughness in big matches. She lost the 2001 French Open to Capriati 12-10 in the third set. "This could be a career-changer," John McEnroe said of her win over Williams last night.

Clijsters next faces Maria Sharapova in the semifinals. Sharapova pulled out a dramatic three-set win over compatriot Nadia Petrova earlier last night. I'm a Sharapova fan, but her yelling father Yuri reminds me of Palpatine, swaying my rooting interest to Clijsters. And really, if I can't root for my favorites against all odds, what's the point?

Inbox, Outbox

I snail-mailed three poems today, got a rejection in my mail, revised the rejected poems, and e-mailed them to Defenestration.

AP: Armstrong: Mars Easier Voyage Than Moon

By SEAN YOONG, Associated Press Writer

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Neil Armstrong said Tuesday that a manned mission to Mars will not happen for at least 20 years — but the effort might be easier than what it took to send him to the moon in 1969.

AP: Lance Armstrong, Sheryl Crow Engaged

AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian

Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and rock star Sheryl Crow are engaged. The cyclist announced the engagement in a statement Monday, and said he asked Crow on Wednesday while they were in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Labor Day 2005

Celebrated my aunt's birthday at East Buffet in Huntington, still the best Chinese buffet I know of. I had to be careful not to overindulge there because another cousin was grilling burgers and hot dogs for dinner.

Between meals I polished three poems to be mailed to Iodine Poetry Journal tomorrow.

AP: Grisham to Donate $5M to Katrina Relief

Bestselling writer John Grisham and his wife will contribute $5 million to a relief fund they established this week at a Tupelo bank to help Mississippians rebuild after Hurricane Katrina.

Billboard: Big bucks back next mobile frontier: Broadcast TV

SAN FRANCISCO - Want to watch TV on your mobile phone? The wireless industry is betting billions that you do.

If I owned a cell phone I'd want to watch TV on it.

Excuse me

David Bates of My Favorite Bullet has accepted my poem "Excuse me", about a daydream gone too far. It will appear in the September issue, to be posted by the end of next week.

DVD Buys

Last season I had to choose between House and Veronica Mars, and the former drew me in more consistently. The DVD set was released two days ago. I ordered it today for $37.25 to find it's already on backorder.



The fourth season of Smallville arrives on shelves September 13, but I pre-ordered it for $37.24. The highlight of the season, as I've mentioned, was Erica Durance as Lois Lane. The DVD set includes features on the show's writing process and the actresses who've played Lane: Phyllis Coates, Margot Kidder, Dana Delany, and Durance. (No Teri Hatcher?)

The Next Bond Author

Lee Goldberg cites a Scotsman.com article on the search for "a big, established name" to write a one-off Bond novel in commemoration of Ian Fleming's centenary (in 2008).

Early favorites to be approached include Lee Child, John le Carré, and Frederick Forsyth.

UPDATE: Child and others respond on Galleycat.

E! Online: Bond-ing Trouble for 007 Producers

Now that Pierce Brosnan's license to kill has been officially revoked, finding a replacement 007 is proving to be a difficult task.