:: Privatjokr ::

So here's what happened. I was enjoying my 5 hour slumber, minding my own business. At one point I was conscious of my movement as I rolled over onto my stomach. My body was hence contorted in a horizontal ladder climbing pose if that helps you visualize. I had an arm over my head and a leg rotated up and out, bent at the knee. As I settled into the position described, I had a euphoric feeling that this position in which my body found itself was the position of legend. Try all I like, I would never find something so comfortable. Instead of any feeling of panic or anxiety over the fact that this would be my only chance for such luxury, I lost myself in the moment. My body melted into the mattress; I was one with my bed.

Though this sounds as if it were drawn out over time, the entire thing happened in a matter of merely one second.

The following second my alarm sounded...

What a week for football. 8 games decided by 3 points or less, one of which was in overtime. That and one game which came down to a final play, but there is more details on that coming up.

I offer my half-hearted congrats to Peyton Manning for setting the record for passing touchdowns in a season. As mentioned before, I like Peyton, but I idolize Dan Marino (previous holder of the record).

Controversy strikes! My apologies to the Chicago Bears for getting screwed out of the game against my Lions. The Bears lost the game 19-13, though on their final possession threw a pass to the end zone which was caught for what I would have considered a touchdown. I'm of the school of fan who awards touchdowns to receivers who catch the ball in the end zone by establishing possession and getting two feet in bounds. Apparently I am more lenient than the referees in that game.

The news in Detroit is that you will never make Lions fans happy. You lose and they (though used to it) are bitter. You win and they wish you'd lost for better draft position. I overheard a woman trying to explain to her young children that she was upset with the Lions for not taking a dive in that game in order to ensure a better draft pick. Do you think your 6 year old would really comprehend that idea? Is sandbagging for a draft pick a lesson you want to teach your child? Mind you I am not trying to tell her how to raise her children, but it did appear to be a silly conversation.

One more week. One week in which you will see most teams play like they did back in August. Starting QBs if they play at all will only play a series. Key players may take the week off to rest up for the playoffs. Only the few teams who are still in the hunt will actually play this weekend. For those of you who will be ending your fantasy season in week 17, have a stellar week. I'm glad our league ended when it did (Did I mention I won?).

Minneapolis detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth are bored--ever since they solved the Monkeewrench case, the Twin Cities have been in a murder-free dry spell, as people no longer seem interested in killing one another. But with two brutal homicides taking place in one awful night, the crime drought ends--not with a trickle, but with an eventual torrent. Who would kill Morey Gilbert, a man without an enemy, a man who might as well have been a saint? His tiny, cranky little wife, Lily, is no help, and may even be a suspect; his estranged son, Jack, an infamous ambulance-chasing lawyer, has his own enemies; and his son-in-law, former cop Marty Pullman, is so depressed over his wife's death a year ago that he's ready to kill himself, but not Morey. The number of victims--all elderly--grows, and the city is fearful once again.

The detectives' investigation threatens to uncover a series of horrendous secrets, some buried within the heart of the police department itself, blurring the lines between heroes and villains. Grace MacBride's cold-case-solving software may find the missing link--but at a terrible price.

Filled with intelligent, well-drawn characters; sparkling, snappy dialogue; and razor-sharp plotting, P.J. Tracy's stylish, high-voltage new nail-biter will have readers on the edge of their seats.

I want to get this disclaimer out of the way. This was a good book. I did like it. I have listed it as "Don't Read" instead of "Read" because I think though it was good, you might want to read something else.

P.J. Tracy is the pen name for a mother-daughter writing team. Live Bait is their second novel. One time awhile back I happened to be perusing this internet I've heard so much about and came across a recommendation. It read something to the affect of: If you have read all of Jeffery Deaver's books and want something along the same lines to keep you entertained until he releases another, try Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy. I will try to dig up that review for you as it was written sometime in 2004 B.B. (Before Blog). Monkeewrench, though better than Live Bait, is still not as good as Deaver F.Y.I.

Live Bait, as the description states is surely "filled with intelligent, well-drawn characters"; so much so that there is just too much to juggle. Maybe I had too much on my mind due to the holidays, but I feel that the author(s) tried to track too many characters. You are not only introduced to, but also get at least a quasi-intimate knowledge of detectives Magozzi and Rolseth, the entire Monkeewrench software team (4 people), Marty Pullman and Jack Gilbert. This happens while you try to follow the story of 4 local murders and potentially dozens more world-wide.

Many authors write a book or two, establish themselves in the industry and then develop their serial character (Patterson - Alex Cross, Sanford - Lucas Davenport, Evanovich - Stephanie Plum, Connelly - Harry Bosch, Cussler - Dirk Pitt to name a few), Tracy has made the choice to begin with said character, or in this case characters. From Monkeewrench to Live Bait we see the continuation of 6 different people. Live Bait ends as the 6 characters are established further, readers know there will be a third book and the third book will follow the same 6 people.

The book is 340 pages long. I very much enjoyed the final 70 pages of the book. The first 270 seemed to be more of a jumbled mess than anything else. It was a unique story, another plus; however back to the "Don't Read" stamp on this book, it just took too long to get rolling for me to recommend it to you. If you are more patient than I (I don't set the bar too high) maybe you could enjoy this book more than I did.

Buy Live Bait $16.29

| Forum |

It was nice to be in attendance for a Pistons win last night over anyone, but especially the Nets. For any of you who are actually New Jersey fans, first let me say how sorry I am for that fact, but also allow me to share this: Vince looked nasty last night. I think you'll be quite happy with his performance. The important thing, however, is that Half Man + Half Amazing still = a loss to the Pistons. He played very well and should have made you all proud until he quit. He "suddenly" got a cramp or something similar in what appeared to be his hamstring. Instead of taking his lumps and losing graciously he left the game and was worked on by the trainer for the last few minutes. Sure, he could actually have been hurt...maybe I'm biased, but it sure looked like he was fine until the proverbial nail was in the coffin.

Last season the Pistons were the first team to hold Jason Kidd scoreless at any point in his career. You may not agree, but I find some comfort in the fact that last night Kidd had 2 points. Each point represents made free throws he attempted as penalty to the Pistons for technical fouls. Take out some poor officiating and maybe Kidd goes scoreless again.

Enough about the actual game...I have a rant about Palace management.

I am not sure if it there was some special occasion at the Palace last night, but there appeared to be an unusual amount of handicapped people at the game. I saw one blind kid, a handful of mentally handicapped children and a large group of physically handicapped children (many in wheelchairs) lined the court to greet the Pistons at the beginning of the game with high-fives. That is merely a point of fact, I mean it with no ill intent. If this is the case, please explain to me why the house band (I believe their name is the Sun Messengers) decided it was a good time to play their Black Eyed Peas cover which cross-breeds the edited and unedited versions of the song "Let's Get it Started"? "Let's get it started, ha. Let's get retarded in here! Let's get it started, ha. Let's get retarded in here!" Maybe I'm too sensitive about that, but I felt it a little too inappropriate when I heard them play it at the game last week when I didn't see any handicapped attendees.

Some kid held up this sign, it was easily my favorite : "The Nets got Pist.on".

Sing and rejoice, fortune is smiling.

Spanglish stars Adam Sandler as head of a functional household, though married to the only dysfunctional part of the family. His wife, Téa Leoni, is hot...errrr I mean she decides to hire a nanny/housekeeper for the family. The job goes to a Hispanic woman (Paz Vega) who speaks no English. Somehow, the plot develops from there.

Am I the only one who has Sandler so type-cast and pigeon-holed into his slapstick comedy roles that I have a hard time taking him seriously? Sure Punch Drunk Love offered him in a serious role, but he was able to play someone so quirky that his personality fit with the character. In Spanglish he is simply a great guy; a world class chef, patient husband, and an example-setting father. There have been moments in his comedy-ridden past where Sandler has shown a softer side, so it is not completely foreign to see it more prominently here.

The movie was good. I saw it with my sisters, brother, and BooBoo. From what I can gather, both of my sisters liked it a lot. I have no report from the other two.

Rumors have flown surrounding the idea of Oscar nominations for Adam Sandler's work in Spanglish. Sorry Adam, these rumors trouble me. The acting in this movie was all done by Vega and the girl who plays her daughter (Shelbie Bruce). If you can watch Spanglish and see John Clasky and not Billy Madison, Sandler did a good job in the role, but his character was support. He was not lead, so Best Actor he should not be. Does that mean you should not see this movie? No. It was a touching movie, once you get past the loathsome feeling toward Leoni's character.

Spanglish was not my first choice of movies to see last night. I was not very excited to see it at all actually, but I saw it none the less. It was better than I had expected, but I hadn't expected much.

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The release date for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is July 16th, 2005. The sixth book in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling is already tops on the bestseller lists at both Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com with pre-orders.

Order your copy now. $17.99

What is worse than staying awake to try and watch the whole game and falling asleep with roughly 4.5 minutes left in a game where the team you want to lose falls apart and gives up an 11 point lead to lose in the final 4 minutes of the game? Nothing. Nothing is worse than that. No, not even nuclear winter. How do you like these apples: more posting about the Patriots...THEY LOST TO THE DOLPHINS! Brady's "errant pass"...you know, the one that BLEW THE GAME, at least opened the door for me to win my fantasy match up this week putting me in the championship this coming weekend. My thanks to miamidolphins.com for such appropriate photos.

I would think the big news this week is the injury. Terrell Owens underwent surgery today on his right ankle to repair ligament damage. Rumor has it he should be able to play from February 6 if the Eagles can get there. Unable to score points as they were this week will certainly not help them make it to the Super Bowl. Were they that shook up at T.O. getting hurt? I could show you a picture of his ankle injury...or another of Tom Brady getting sacked.

Do I have to address the Lions/Vikings game? Can't I just pretend it never happened? Is it so wrong to do that? Or can I just change the details in my memory? How is this for a change: In my version, Nick Harris (P) does NOT think the long snapper will get a "do-over" and actually tries to make a football play instead of waiting to get tackled THEN throws the ball. Was he serious? This is live, Nick. I know the Lions don't score many touchdowns, but when they do, it is customary to attempt the extra point. Sure, on the time previous they tried for a two point conversion (and succeeded), but now it's time to kick it. Yes blame the long snapper. It was a terrible snap that bounced to the holder (Harris), but do not give him the sole blame. Was this the first time this has happened in the history of the game? No. Teams actually practice the scenario of a missed snap. If you are not going to place the ball for the PAT try, then stand up and either try to run the ball or throw it into the end zone. I'm getting a little too worked up over here...

Peyton has moved up to now only 1 touchdown pass shy of tying Dan Marino's record set back in 1984. Hype Manning all you like, given the option between the two, I take Marino any day of the week. Sure I'm biased. Sure Dan Marino is my all-time favorite NFL player. I still think he did more with less and made it more fun to watch than Peyton does now.

Jaguars are holding press conferences to explain that their player was not actually intending to hurt Packers' receiver Robert Ferguson. Donovin Darius was fined $75,000 by the league for the hit pictured, which left Ferguson temporarily paralyzed. Reports say he regained feeling in his legs while being treated at the hospital. I am not meaning to make light of the situation when I point out that I believe this is why the league outlawed head tackling in the first place. I never want to see a player seriously injured, Ferguson is no exception. Hopefully his recovery will be full and timely.

It was truly a fun week football-wise. Steelers almost losing to the Giants, Patriots squandering an 11 point lead in 4 minutes, Falcons beating Carolina in OT, Lions' near comeback against the Vikings, did I mention the Pats/Dolphins game yet?

Can you think of any better way...

...to embarrass your little sister?

The Coffin Dancer by Jeffery Deaver

Detective Lincoln Rhyme, the foremost criminalist in the NYPD, is on the hunt for an elusive murderer, the Coffin Dancer. He's a brilliant hitman who changes his appearance even faster than he adds to his trail of victims, only one of whom has lived long enough to offer a clue: the assassin has an eerie tattoo on his arm of the Grim Reaper waltzing with a woman in front of a casket.

Like his previous bestselling novels, A Maiden's Grave and The Bone Collector, Jeffery Deaver's latest psychological thriller combines spine-chilling forensic detail with a turbocharged plot. In The Coffin Dancer, Rhyme, tragically paralyzed from a line-of-duty accident, continues to tutor his beautiful protégé, Detective Amelia Sachs, in the art of criminal hunting. Rhyme is certain he's seen this killer before, and his suspicion of an earlier encounter fuels a bitter taste for vengeance. When the chameleonlike assassin targets three federal witnesses for death, the stakes reach a new high. Rhyme's brainpower and Sachs's legwork are the only tools they have to track the cunning murderer through the subways, parks, and airports of a darkly painted New York City. And they have only forty-eight hours before the Coffin Dancer strikes again.

With The Coffin Dancer, Deaver--already an internationally bestselling author whose acclaimed novels have been translated into a dozen languages--uses his trademark plot twists to keep this fast-paced, masterly thriller steamrolling along with breathtaking speed. This is page-turning suspense of the highest order.

Buy The Coffin Dancer $7.19

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Butter (about 2 Tbsp.)
1 lb. walnut pieces or pecan halves (4 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light-colored corn syrup
Coarse sea salt or kosher salt (about 1 Tbsp. or 2 tsp.)
Freshly ground black pepper (about 1/2 tsp.)
Coarse raw sugar (about 1/4 cup)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 15x10x1 inch baking pan; set aside. In a larger bowl stir together the nuts, granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt and pepper until well combined; spread in prepared pan.

2. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden and bubbly, stirring once or twice. Remove from oven. Sprinkle generously with raw sugar; toss to coat. Transfer mixture to a large piece of foil. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Break apart to serve.

3. Store nuts in airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks or in a freezer up to three months.

Makes 20 to 24 (about 1/4 cup) servings.

I apologize for not knowing the magazine from which this recipe was cut. Just so you know, credit for this snack belongs to someone else.

It states the nuts can be served over a salad or other dishes, but I have simply been eating them by themselves. Try for yourself. Be warned though, they're pretty addictive.

In Paris, a physicist dies after performing a laboratory experiment for a beautiful visitor.

In the jungles of Malaysia, a mysterious buyer purchases deadly cavitation technology, built to his specifications.

In Vancouver, a small research submarine is leased for use in the waters off New Guinea.

And in Tokyo, an intelligence agent tries to understand what it all means.

Thus begins Michael Crichton's exciting and provocative technothriller, State of Fear. Only Michael Crichton's unique ability to blend science fact and pulse-pounding fiction could bring such disparate elements to a heart-stopping conclusion.

This is Michael Crichton's most wide-ranging thriller. State of Fear takes the reader from the glaciers of Iceland to the volcanoes of Antarctica, from the Arizona desert to the deadly jungles of the Solomon Islands, from the streets of Paris to the beaches of Los Angeles. The novel races forward, taking the reader on a rollercoaster thrill ride, all the while keeping the brain in high gear. Gripping and thought-provoking, State of Fear is Michael Crichton at his very best.

For my money, there is no better author than Michael Crichton. A new book by any other writer does not excite me nearly as much as a new Crichton. Who else could get me to actually schedule my reading complete with a deadline so I am able to start his book on its release date? Though seen here my calculations were slightly off...

State of Fear was no exception to the highly scientific style of Crichton's "techno-thrillers". I am not sure I have ever found one of his books more interesting, perhaps because I have never found one more relevant to society today. If you have read any of his work, you know he is impressive with the amount of research he does for his books, but State of Fear even comes complete with a full bibliography of his sources.

Despite my fascination with State of Fear, it is not my favorite Crichton novel. I feel it is fair to say that I had no complaints through the majority of the book. The ending simply left me high and dry. I felt like the story was wrapped up too quickly. Maybe the author had a deadline to meet and rushed through the conclusion, maybe not.

I enjoyed the book very much. I do recommend it in its entirety, but if you will not sit down and read this book I do suggest you pick a copy off the shelf and quickly read through one chapter. Pages 451-460 in the book mark the most thought provoking part of the book. Who knows, maybe reading that might get you interested in the whole thing if you're not already. I would actually type out the chapter for you all to preview if it weren't for those pesky copyright laws. I hope you understand.

State of Fear $16.77

| Forum |

I can't wait. There is no point. Why hold off until the end when you can jump on the bandwagon and slander Jake Plummer for his "action" in week 14? Heckled by a fan after throwing another interception in this run away disaster of a season, Plummer decided he'd take matters into his own...finger.

Here, a comment on the Pats. Enjoy it...
The Patriots made many of their supporters doubters in week 14 by giving up 28 points to the Cincinnati Bengals. People who were earlier on the New England fan bus are now questioning the Pats ability to defend.

In related news more and more people are turning their heads to the Steelers as Super Bowl favorites. The credit is not going to Ben Roethlisberger. The credit isn't going to anyone actually. I am not sure if anyone cares who gets the credit, as long as someone is picking up the slack. Game in game out that is the motto in Pittsburgh. Good for them.
I still like the Eagles come Super Bowl time.

Giants continue to let Eli lose. Some people are complaining, they want Warner back in the lineup. My words to them are simple and few, "Joey Harrington."

I did find the best place to watch Monday Night Football (details may or may not come in a later post) and it was actually a fun game to watch...kinda. I was going to comment on the two teams playing without their stars, but can we even call McNair the star Quarterback in Tennessee anymore? I didn't think so either.

You will conquer obstacles to achieve success.

Things got off to a bad start Friday afternoon as I began my excursion. I had a 7pm flight so I did the smart thing and left work at 4 in hopes of making decent time by hopefully beating the traffic. This plan was met with construction and bumper to bumper traffic.

I was thrilled.

Good thing I left early, however. I eventually made my way into the airport and found out that the gate from which I was set to depart was the furthest away from where I came in. I can use the exercise so I hoofed it to the gate and see "NY, La Guardia" on the monitor. Now last time I had checked New York was not on the way from Detroit to Orlando, but maybe they moved it. My gate was moved to right next to where I entered the airport. I make the trek back and wait in line to ask for my exit row seat.

Upon my asking, the woman behind the counter tells me that there are no empty seats available period, including exit row. She says she will write down my seat number and let me know if anything comes up...how kind of her. Much to my surprise I was soon paged back to the counter. She hands me a new boarding pass marked "01 B". My only guess here is that there were openings in first class and they were trying to fit standby passengers on the flight. Why not bump and existing passenger to first class and let someone standby take his seat in economy? I like it.

This was only my second experience in first class and my first on this particular airline. As it turns out, this airline likes to flood your body with booze. Who knew?

=> Read more!

Now, I know I am late with this post. I have been relatively busy recently. There is my excuse.

That aside, I managed to grab my camera on the morning of December the first before I headed off to work and took a few shots of my "first snow".

Ok, having lived in Michigan for the better part of my short life and in Pennsylvania for the rest, I've been through a snow fall or two. It even snowed the night before Thanksgiving, just three weeks ago. The snow flakes on the morning of December 1 were the first while I was living at my condo*.

The pictures are of the gazebo located right next to my building. When I opened my garage I thought it looked nice in the morning snow and decided to capture the moment. Sure it's lost on you all, but it was nice for me, so BACK OFF! I am still adjusting to this whole "owning my own home" thing. Please, be patient with me.

(*Due to my ankle injury I could not drive and had moved back in with my parents for about three weeks time which included the day of the earlier snow fall.)

Your emotional nature is strong and sensitive.

There is a restaurant in Downtown Rochester called Penn Station. This is a chain with locations in roughly 11 states. I called today to have some food delivered so I could work through lunch and was told they would not bring me my sandwich. They said it was "too far" for one sandwich. Here is my complaint that I am sent to the company through their website:

How busy is "too busy" when you will not drive 2.5 miles to deliver one large sandwich? I was told today by a young woman who's name I believe was ***** that the store was too busy and it was too far to drive for just one sandwich. Instead of one large sandwich would you have delivered two small sandwiches? Where is the cutoff?

Courtesy of mapquest.com:
Total Est. Time: 6 minutes
Total Est. Distance: 2.52 miles

6 minutes? My meal would have cost what? $10? I do not know a single pizza place that would not deliver 1 small pizza. Sure, it might take a little longer. If you are THAT busy, tack my delivery at the end of a trip. This is a joke.

I had never tried Penn Station before and now why should I?

1: Start out going NORTH 0.4 miles

2: Turn RIGHT 1.9 miles

3: Turn RIGHT 0.1 miles*

*Yes I know that only adds up to 2.4 miles, the 2.52 is the estimation that accompanied the directions on the internet.

Now here I sit. I'm hungry and grumpy. Not a good combination.

Sideways is the story of a man, Jack (Thomas Hayden Church), who embarks on a trip with his to be Best-man Miles (Paul Giamatti). For the week prior to the wedding, Miles takes Jack to California's Wine Country for some last minute reflection and a lot of good wine. Both men are getting older and appear not to have too much of a future, which would explain the situations in which we find both men. The conflict arises when Miles finds out that Jack's motivation for their wonderful week away is to sew his last wild oat or two.

Based upon the way I have written that first part, I guess it is slightly disheartening to tell you how well I identified with the character played by Giamatti. A man who takes his own interests very seriously and maybe once or twice shuns other people as a result.

The movie was very real. That, however led to things I both liked and disliked about the movie. I laughed practically throughout when I had not expected to laugh much at all. I really did not to know what to expect to be honest. The scripting seemed much more casual as if dialogue was live and not written.

What surprised me was some adult material. It really caught me off guard. It seemed out of place and may have detracted from my overall feeling of the movie. That feeling was a very positive one regardless.

I do not think Thomas Hayden Church could act his way out of a hole in the ground...whatever that means. I will not expect him to win any prestigious awards for his role. He was, however ironic this may seem, perfect to play Jack. He was just the right mix of annoying and chauvinist for the part.

Paul Giamatti is one of the actors that I will go out of my to see perform (with the exception of "that" movie about an obnoxious radio personality who's name I will not mention). In some of my aimless digging around I have seen one or two opinions that list Giamatti as a potential nominee for Best Actor for this film. I do hate to do this, but I will disagree. He was fantastic, my only concern is that "Miles" may have been too flat.

I have taken a few moments of reflection on the movie as I tried to piece together my review. Each time a different part of the movie flashes through my mind and I cannot help but smile. There were a couple of dead spots in the plot when it dragged some, but it was not enough to ultimately bother me.

It was a very good movie. I saw it. I enjoyed it very much, though I did not love it. I think a second time through my opinion of the film would only improve. I will buy this DVD. You should see it. I hope you like it, too.

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I'm going to get to the good stuff early this week so you can skip the rest if you so feel the need. You're welcome in advance.

The team to beat this year is the Philadelphia Eagles. What happened against the Steelers a few weeks ago to give the 'Birds their only loss of the season is certainly an anomaly. Say all you want about record numbers for Peyton Manning folks, I'll take Andy Reid's corps. What is the x-factor? Defense. Indianapolis may have the "Edge" on offense, but in a head to head match up I like Philadelphia. The only question becomes: Will the Eagles simply beat themselves in the NFC Championship? Give McNabb two out of the three Stokley/Wayne/Harrison to accompany TO and we'll again say goodbye to current record holders.

Are the Atlanta Falcons officially the most overrated 9-3 team? Blanked by the Bucs? They have serious Jekyll and Hyde issues in Atlanta that might need some attention from the front office. Is it chemistry? Do they not like each other? Would moving a few players around make a team that's rough around the edges play more cohesively? More consistently? I think it is safe to expect an early exit by the Falcons from the playoffs this year.

I continue to support the program in San Diego as they keep rolling, but I just cannot see them being too successful this post season. To me the Chargers are just a good mediocre team beating mediocre good teams right now. As much as I would rather see them play in February in the place of Colts/Pats, I won't hold my breath.

I look at the success some rookie quarterbacks have had in this league recently (Ben Roethlisberger/Chocolate Krenzel this year, David Carr a few years ago) and I like to think I can look forward to some rookie success by a new Lions quarterback next season. I'm sorry Joey, it is time I went public. Yes, you won in Arizona this week. Yes sometimes they simply drop the passes (Roy Williams), but you just seem preoccupied up there, buddy. Love life got you down? 90% of the women in Detroit would have your children. AND, if you start winning 90% of the men would too! What can we do? I am afraid it is entirely out of our control and we're forced to wait out your contract.

Sorry, I need a moment....

Ok, I'm better now.

So other than that no two teams combined for over 100 points, does that make week 13 a disappointment?

And wouldn't you know it: We finally had an exciting Monday Night game. What is a shame, however, is that the game sucked until 85% of the viewing audience gave up on it and went to bed. Go figure.

Following up on a recommendation, I pulled into the Drive-Thru at Wendy's today for lunch. A little birdie (Doug) told me to check out the Wild Mountain Chicken Sandwich. I figured I would try it. What did I have to lose? (Don't answer that.)

Take Wendy's Spicy Chicken Sandwich and top it with Colby Cheese, Bacon and the Wild Mountain Sauce. I opted against the Lettuce, Tomato and Onion; I am what some refer to as a "picky eater". Regardless of my idiosyncrasies, this sandwich was fantastic.

Wendy's also offers a Wild Mountain Bacon Cheeseburger, though I have not tried it. To be honest, if I went back to Wendy's with the Cheeseburger in mind, I would just end up with another Chicken Sandwich.

Yes, it was that good. Thanks Doug.

In this heart-pounding but touchingly romantic new thriller, Detective Alex Cross pursues the most complex and brilliant killer he's ever confronted--a mysterious criminal who calls himself the Mastermind.

In a series of crimes that has stunned Washington D.C., bank robbers have been laying out precise demands when they enter the building--and then killing the bank employees and their families if those instructions are not followed to the letter.

Detective Alex Cross takes on the case, certain that this is no ordinary bank robber at work--the pathological need for control and perfection is too great. Cross is in the midst of a personal crisis at home, but the case becomes all-consuming as he learns that the Mastermind is plotting one huge, last, perfect, crime.

With twists and reversals that only the mind of James Patterson could create, Roses are Red is by far the most explosive, surprising, and fast-paced novel of his extraordinary career.

I am slowly but surely getting through the Alex Cross series. It is difficult for me to not have finished it so far, but I am sticking to my guns. I said at the beginning I would not try to rush through it. I very much enjoy James Patterson's writing and was afraid that if I tried to read too many of his books in a row I may become tired of the same writing style. This, mind you, would be no fault of the author's.

I actually feel that approaching this series in this fashion makes it more fun for me. I find myself saying, "When is it time for another Alex Cross?" Roses Are Red is the sixth of a ten book series that is definitely picking up steam. The books are getting more and more exciting. If you have read Patterson you know his books are hard to put down.

Roses Are Red was not the best book of this series, though still a very good book in its own right. It was enjoyable from beginning to end and difficult to put down. I will admit that it has been awhile since I have been so excited by the ending of a book as I was when I finished Roses Are Red. I cannot wait to start Violets Are Blue.

You start reading these yet? You should.

So here's the deal. I am always reading a book. Whether or not I have one open in front of me, I am engrossed in one. I have 11 pages to go in the book I am currently reading, which is nothing out of the ordinary. I generally stick to reading a book per 7-10 days or so (though slower recently). The best part about finishing a book is starting the next one.

My problem stems from this fact: A book I have been anticipating for some time now comes out tomorrow. I tried to time my current read to be finished tomorrow, but I will finish early.

I will need to busy myself with other things tonight, possibly not reading at all before bed. I read over breakfast every morning and can easily knock out those last 11 pages then before I have a chance to swing by the bookstore at lunchtime to pick up the book.

Do I finish it tonight?

Do I just start something else and then start the new book in a week?

Do I hold off until tomorrow?

Perhaps I will finish the book tonight and then spend my morning hours tomorrow typing the review for your reference...I think that one will win.

Stay tuned for reviews of both books.

Your nature is both dramatic and romantic.

It has been called into question why I leave the New England Patriots out of my week end comments. I want to set the record straight that the only reason they are excluded is because they are boring.

I wrote that they beat the record for wins, I wrote that they were beaten by the Pittsburgh Giant-killers. I feel as though I mentioned that they have a potent passing offense that holds threat of the "big play" more than any other offense in the league.

I leave them out the rest of the time because they are not flashy. They don't do any fun end-zone dances. Their games do not get exciting in the last few minutes. They are not a part of games with 13 touchdowns scored. They are quiet. They go out and win. I do give them that, but they do it with no style. I refuse to say they look good doin' it.

This may seem like an endorsement for the team in disguise, but understand it is not. Many people look at the characteristics listed above in a positive fashion. Many say that they are signs of winners, of championship ball clubs. So what.

I am a Detroit Lions fan through and through. I need flashy. My team will not make the playoffs this season. Please put teams together who will be fun to watch. The New England Patriots...are...BORING.

The Privatjokr Book Club, or the PJBC.

The question has been raised of how to obtain membership in this, the most exclusive of all clubs. I am prepared to follow suit, though you may not like the answer. The task is an arduous one, only those serious about their book of the month need read on.

There are two methods by which one may gain entry into the Privatjokr Book Club. You are welcome to take any notes necessary...

1) There is a nomadic peoples who during our winter months may be found in the northeast sector of Cambodia. The people worship a stone relic that is always in the possession of their chief. What you must do is not only follow the tribe, but live among them do what it takes to gain the trust of the people. When you feel the time is right you must request to borrow the relic. Tell them you want to show it to your grandmother, perhaps you need to take it to be buffed and/or polished. The motive is inconsequential, the goal is key. The chief needs to see the absence of fear behind your eyes or the mission is compromised. Bring me the relic. Then we will decide by committee the fate of your membership.

2) When I post a book as "Book of the Month" I include the summary from the book or release from the publisher. Read what is posted as you would if you picked up the book from a shelf in the store/library. If That selected sounds appealing to you, read it. If not, hopefully I'll do better next month.

For discussion purposes you can either comment to the blog post here on the homepage or register for the Forum to post there. (Note: you do not need to be registered at this time to *read* the book of the month forum topic.) Discussion of any and all books is in no way required. Though if you feel you have something to say, discussion is encouraged.

Readers of the forum have indicated they would like the coming month's "Book of the Month" (BotM) to be announced on or near the 20th day of the current month. Argument was made that this gives sufficient time to acquire the book prior to the month for which it has been selected.

Books are selected from a variety of authors from a variety of genres in hopes of reaching a larger population. They are not always current best sellers, they are not always current "new releases". The books picked should be available at your local library, though I provide a link to each in case you choose to buy from Amazon.com. Some of the books chosen I have already read, though not all. In either situation, in no way do I guarantee you'll enjoy the book, but I do hope we all will.

*All policies regarding the PJBC are subject to criticism. We try to keep things democratic and take issues to a vote.

Your dearest wish will come true.

There was more action in week 12, which is nice to see. I will admit, however, that my attention on football this past Sunday was lessened after the "Thursday Incident."

I think it is safe to say that I jinxed the Lions. It was my "Any Given Thursday" post that was intended to motivate the team, not demoralize them. It will be nice to be in the record books with Peyton Manning as one of the teams to help pad his stats...

Imagine eight weeks ago. You look at the upcoming schedule and you see Buffalo at Seattle. How many points do you favor Seattle by? 408?
Bills 38 - Seahawks 9.

Monday night Mark Bulger went 35-53 for 447 yards with 2 touchdowns. Brett Favre (in his record 200th consecutive start) was 18-27 for 215 and 3tds. Those numbers do not portray a 45-17 shellacking that the Rams took at the hand of the Packers. I do not like the Packers, but I do have a tremendous amount of respect for how Favre leads his team.

It was nice of Denver to play host to the Snow Bowl on Sunday as conditions were a little...precipitous. As the Broncos have rolled through this season, they hit a road block in the form of visiting Oakland Raiders. If anyone saw the catch Jerry Porter made over his outside shoulder at the end of the first half then you can share in my desire to see that in a highlight reel.

Congrats to those Dolphins down in Miami for winning their second game against a San Francisco team that could not have tried harder to lose. 4 fumbles? Did Tim Rattay start Miami's defense in his fantasy league this week?

In week 12 the real winners were the fans. I forget now which player it was, but I would like to thank whoever it was for celebrating his touchdown by parking it like it was hot.

I guess I can close with a comment on Cleveland v. Cincinnati. Not a big game. Not much happened aside from the 13 touchdowns and five field goals. Cleveland scored 48 points and gained 462 yards, and lost. I don't even know where to start...

I would also like to thank Jeremy Shockey for making himself look like an idiot again by catching 2 passes for 31 yards. His 26 yard catch was followed by a flapping of his arms as if he was Terrell Owens. Jeremy, don't taunt the team that is kicking your [expletive deleted]!

And can I say how perturbed I am for not being able to find a shot of Shockey mid-flap?!?!