I want to be in a book

My friend T is writing a book and I've asked to be in it. Just a walk on part. Something like I ask the hero for directions or bump into him in a bar and pass on some advice or something, and then I'm never seen in the book again. He says he's doing it. The start of the book will start with the usual disclaimer. "This is a work of fiction, any resemblance to persons living or dead is entirely coincidental...except for Greg Koster, he's real." I really hope he gets that book published.

Wives?

Why are the wives of the candidates for president and vice president expected to speak at the Democratic National Conference? What difference does it make? Why should it matter if a guys wife is an effective speaker to a crowd of thousands? The news, correct, the news passes comment on the speeches of the wives of politicians. Stupid. I wish I could write something funny about it. But I think it's just funny on it's own.

Typos

My favourite typo recently was reading how someone was enjoying reading "The Girl with the Pear Earring".

Tivo

I love Tivo. But that's not unusual. I think everyone that has TiVo loves it. I've never heard anyone that has TiVo that regreted getting it. One thing. They tell you that you can rewind live TV. Before you have it you think 'what a stupid useless feature, I'll never use it'. Then, as I did, you find yourself reaching for the remote control trying to rewind real life. It's true. I'm ashamed to admit it. I heard a screach of brakes outside my building window and I leapt up to look out the window to see what had happened. Realising I'd just missed the incident, I reached for the Tivo remote control ... in an attempt to turn back time!!! Not my finest hour. Luckily I was on my own. However, I've told you now. Don't mention it to anyone.

i'm not obsessed

Had a good weekend, if you're interested. But if you're reading here, then you'll be accustomed to inanity. Had a great dinner in Julies Supper Club on Saturday night. It's a fun place and the food was really great. As good a pork chop as I've had. The conversation was great. It was a lot of fun to watch S stumbling and reaching as he talked about his trip to Europe and how Europeans thought Americans were fat. This he said as he was in the process of remembering that E was fat. E has lost 60 pounds and looks like a million dollars. He's worked hard on it, combining Atkins with working out and he is mentally and physically a new man. An inspiration if you will. S begins to apologise for saying the F word in front of him almost. Then says, "but you're not fat now, but even if you were then it wouldn't matter and...", actually I don't remember it exactly because I was laughing so much at the unnecesary awkwardness as S flapped around out of niceness. Then E says - "and did they short as well?" (He's not that tall.) And we laughed more at S's expense. It was so funny.
A little later in the conversation S is saying to Sf how she's obsessed with monogomy, "I'm not obsessed with monogomy" she shouts, to which T, her boyfriend says sotto voce "Good to know, good to know". Such a laugh. It's the stuff of life for me. A nice dinner like that, a fair bit too much to drink and friends telling stories, jokes and laughing both at and because of one another.

Today I'm listening to The Flaming Lips. You should be too. http://www.flaminglips.com Their latest album can be listened to there.
Today Im reading "Eats, shoots & leaves". Its a book about punctuation. I cant wait to read more. When to use the apostophe to convey plurals and possesivenesses.

DNC congress

The Democrats are having their convention this week. Bill Clinton just spoke. The crowd loved him. He came out with a good line. "Strength and wisdom are not opposing values". Nice. Good to see them giving Kerry a position. Clinton pointed out that he could have gone to Vietnam, but didn't. Kerry did. Pretty good stuff.

guitar lessons

So, I wrote previously about buying a guitar. I told the guy that I met to ask about getting lessons that I was doing it so I would be more popular at parties. It's only partly not true. I want to know a few chords so that I can pick up the guitar and sit in a corner, singing Irish rebel songs about setting fire to the next Englishman I see. I have a preconception to maintain in the United States.

toilet brush

As I found myself dusting my toilet brush holder I thought to myself, "I need a hobby". I clearly have way too much time on my hands if I 1. Notice a dusty toilet brush holder 2. Decide it needs my attention. 3. Act on that decision. Considering that at times I hae difficulty dragging myself off the sofa to eat, this shows new lows of boredom.

On another note...

From a book called "Atonement" by Ian McEwan - in worrying about what she was going to wear, one of the characters indecisiveness is described thus; "She was skeptical, because she know the tricks the mind could play. At the same time, her mind was - in every sense - where she was to spend the evening, and she had to be at ease with herself." I like that concept of her mind being where she would spend the evening.

role playing games

There was a woman I dated for a brief period. After we stopped dating she got in touch and we started having these Instant Message converstations or dialogues or what ever they're called. I would chat in good faith only to find that no matter what I said she would be able to twist it around in as if I was in some battle against her. It became like a computer game. One of those old role playing ones with very little graphics that was mainly text entry, like "Dungeons and Dragons". You remember them, you would be trying to get past an elf or somehing in some virtual world and there were only certain phrases that you could say that would allow you to pass and get in to, lets say ... the cave. "Enter command - 'Use spell' ". "Ask the wizard for a potion" ... "pick up the potion, put down the knife." That sort of stuff. That was basically how my mind had to start working when we'd have a chat as I attempted to go more than a few sentences without pissing her off. I'd feel as if I'd lost a life as another chat came to an end as she went off line again. I'd try and document what I'd learned. "Don't mention other women ... thank her for the CD ... remember her dogs name". Building a database of knowledge now to use next time I 'played the game'. It was a massive challenge and one that I never won. What a crazy. If people want to think something about you there's often very little you can do about it. Certainly within the confines of an instant message window.