Grillzilla!
Ladies and gentlemen, presenting this year's Dent-O-Lantern™ viewable through today in the office of the great dentist Dr. Steve LeBeau. He's so great we don't even hold the fact that he went to Notre Dame against him!

That's a fresh carve so you may see a drop of Elmers on the grill. Or is it "grille?" Ah, who cares. It's a fad that'll out last spinning rims by about a year.

I'll post a couple of detail shots tomorrow. Happy Halloween!

Blazing Pumpkin Bisque
(singing)What do you do with the pumpkin carvings, what do you do with the pumpkin carvings earl-eye in the morning?(/singing)
OK, so now you know I can't sing. But the question remains. You have ... a pumpkin. You cut it open. You scoop out the innards. You cut a picture into it. You put a candle in it. You put it on the stoop. The neighborhood kids smash it. But I digress.
I made another Dent-O-Lantern™ for my dentist this year (I'll post the pic tomorrow). And in making the D-O-Ls, I don't cut the top out of the gourd, I cut off the bottom and use the stem as the nose. So I have a fairly decent-sized chunk of pumpkin cut off the bottom. I hate to waste things. So after separating out the seeds (gonna toast 'em after giving 'em a sprink of Old Bay - mmmm), I have about two cups of raw pumpkin. And this is what I did.
Pumpkin chunks in chicken stock, boiled until soft. About half of a red bell pepper, cut into a large dice and three, count 'em, three of my Biker Billy Jalapenos. The peppers go into the pumpkin and stock and given enough heat to bring the boil back. A teaspoon of sugar, a preliminary (i.e. light) salt and ground black pepper. Hit it hard with the stick blender to make a nice, smooth soup. Hmm. Looks good. But it's not done. It would be better as a cream soup. But I have no heavy cream. But I do have some sour cream. In fact, i have about 2/3 of a cup of "lite" sour cream.
A bit more of blending and it is done. Delicious and with three of the peppers - wonderfully hot. There you go: Blazin' Pumpkin Bisque. Throwing in a nice splat of butter would be nice but not really necessary if you don't want the extra calories.

Think Back
Do you remember all those years ago when Teri Hatcher was, say, Lois on the TV show "Lois and Clark?" Or the woman with the "they're real ... and they're spectacular" sweater stretchers on "Seinfeld?" She was pretty hot.
Now, not so much.

Odds 'n' Ends
First, congratulations go out to the Beantown Boyz. It looked dicey (or should I say "Dice K" hahahahah!) there when the Harp Seal Pups notched some runs but as is the pattern in this series, it was too late and just short. I considered going back and editing my previous posts to reflect my fake prescience (change "could be over in four" to "will be over in four") but really, why bother.
I was falling over laughing at the Washington Redskins episode of fresh hell at the hands of the New England Patriots this weekend (weakened?). I admire Joe Gibbs but I hate Li'l Danny Snyder and his team of economic benefit. I heard a sportscaster refer to a "classless" fourth quarter touchdown and, I suppose, if you're a homer, it would look that way. But I don't think the Pats meant anything against the 'Skins by scoring needlessly. I think the Pats are setting out to go undefeated and set offensive records that will never be broken. Well, as much as records can "never" be broken. Brady will finish the year with a new record for touchdown passes, the team will have all sorts of new records for points scored and I would put good money that they will go undefeated barring significant injury. I guess next week will tell the tale.
And, last and least, apple cider. Friends recently brought me a gallon of freshly pressed cider. I mean freshly. As in done minutes before they came to my door. And it was a small fragment of pure delight. Heaven in a glass. So I bought some commercial cider at my local Safeway the other day. Oh momma - not even close. Not bad, mind you but not in the same league. The commercial cider was to the pressed cider as the Washington Redskins are to the New England Patriots. (See how it all ties together?)

Visualize Whirled Series
I said the Boston Guys With Clubs might take this series in four. Well, the Coloradio Harp Seal Pups (as I will forever call them now) tried to scratch back last night by closing to within a run but the Red Smacks showed them who's on first (and second, and third and then home) another four times and hammered out another big win. I think the Mile High Guys can win one but they've not shown the pitching chops to get it done. And Beckett is waiting to close this one out.
My sympathies go out to my Janqui-loving friends but I know Jake's probably pretty doggone happy right now.

The Fire This Time
My thanks to the Enigmatic Misanthrope for mentioning the new King of Peppers in his comment on my post below. It is the Bhut Jolokia which clocks in at a blistering 1 million Scoville Heat Units. That's hot baby. And, when the season comes around again, you can get the plants here. Am I going to grow them? Oh hail no. I'm concentrating on some fleshier, medium hot peppers next year and a handful of the wonderful Biker Billy jalapenos again.

Until Further Notice
The domicile which has been called "Chez BlogDog" will now go by the name "The Snack Shack." I am feeling the urge to experiment in the kitchen again and that's just downright dangerous.
Today, for example, I made "Schlong's Famous Canned Corn Casserole" with a couple of additions (about a strip and a half of bacon crumbled into the mix and two diced jalapeno peppers) and, as good as it was (and it was good), I want to change it. I'm thinking at least four peppers, a quarter teaspoon of baking powder to fluff it up and cottage cheese instead of the sour cream with maybe half the whole corn kernels.
Then there's gathering the ingredients for the perfect pear sorbet recipe and the first faltering attempts at nutmeg-persimmon sorbet. I'll let you know.
Oh, the other thing that's being flipped in my mind like Greg Louganis off a high board in a San Francisco bathhouse is an ice cream: custard-based persimmon ice cream with a swirl of reduced ruby port. It will either be magic or suck out loud. Actually, it would probably be better if I just made a port and persimmon custard and skipped the frozen bit. Anyone care to weigh in on these ideers?

Anybody Got A Cookie?
I'd really like a cookie right now. Something on the soft and chewy side. White chocloate and macadamia nut. That sounds about right.
Oreos, Milanos, oatmeal & raisin ... there are so many.
Tell me about the cookies that make you go all buttery like Elvis did for the ladies.

Da Wurld Series
I haven't paid too much attention to the beisoboru playoffs but I did watch the first game of the World Series with the Colorado Harp Seal Pups and the Boston Guys With Clubs. This could be over in four.

And One More For Good Measure
(hate)Fargin' weather this time. It's October - late October - and I put the AC on today because the temp still stays up in the low 70s (which by itself is not bad) but the humidity, due to the overcast-skies-but-not-sufficient-to-make-up-the-deficit rain, is lousy. Rain is fine if the cold weather comes behind it. It's just too damnably hot and muggy for late October.(/hate)
I promise I will not bitch about the cold weather when it comes. I promise.

30 More Seconds
(hate)Dear gahdam Blogger, when I check the box to "remember me on this computer" I actually MEAN IT! Don't make me log in every time I sign on to make a post when I have explicitly TOLD YOU not to make me do so. You are so pissing me off right now.(/hate)

30 Seconds Hate
Things are moving faster in this work-a-day world than George Orwell ever would have thought. We don't hate the time to spare for a 20 Minutes Hate. No, we are efficient. We have it down to a zippy 30 Seconds now.
(hate)And what do I Hate for 30 Seconds? The AT&T ads were people need to use their phones in several different places the names of which they concatenate at the end into "one" place. Best argument against the iPhone is that it bundles with AT&T. (/hate)
I'm freakin' hopeless. Even when I'm venting I use words like "concatenate." Sesquipedalian SOB.

Pugs Of War, Peabody Winner
I'm proud to announce that I am the recipient of a Peabody this year. Not the Peabody award for journalism, a Mr. Peabody award for pointless, home-based time travel. The actual award is a small, Bakelite statue of his boy Sherman.
The actual time travel resulted in a really quite amusing paradox but I have to do something now so I'll post more about it earlier.

Another Great Song And Video
Gary Jules cover of Tears For Fears "Mad World." It was used in the movie "Donnie Darko" which I Netflixed no too long ago. Wonderful movie. Jake Gyllenhaal can be forgiven much of his cinematic idiocy when allowance is made for "Donnie Darko." Yes, it's that good. Of course it also stars Mary McDonnell who is a continuing crush of mine. But that's neither here nor there. Here, is the song:

Simple Questions
Apart from certain requirements, such as a plain gold band when a man has been suitably altared, what constitutes acceptable jewelry for men?
Many years ago I said that if I ever found a man's opal ring, I would wear it. Well, I did and I did. I still have it. I have a ring that served as my engagement ring as well. These things sit in a box in my dresser along with such vanities as my high school ring.
I like watches. I think a chunky, high-quality expensive watch looks very masculine and when I wear other than my everyday Times Ironman watch, I wear a Breitling. If I were loaded to the point I could indulge myself, I'd have a Rolex and maybe another insanely high-end watch.
And I do wear a simple gold chain around my neck which has on it my parents' wedding bands. That, I never take off and never will. I think something as freighted with personal meaning is fair game for a man.
But, say, bracelets for men? Pinky rings? "Gold nugget" jewelry? Oh HAIL no. Just flat no.
So I repeat my question: what constitutes acceptable male jewelry for you?

There Are Blessings To Count
Brother Lycurgus was returning home after a stay on a beautiful Georgia sea island and, late at night on the Interstate, he was hit by an idiot who fell asleep at the wheel. His Outback is toast. But he and his passenger are both all right.
For this we give thanks. And we offer our hopes that the quest for a new car is not too onerous.

300
The cat remix (meow mix?) with maybe a couple of skwerls and the "dramatic hamster" too.

More Halloween
I again call your attention to the wonderful, wonderful RavensBlight. I particularly like the "Haunted Paper Toys" section. I'm in the process of making The Face Plate mask. Last year I made Bela the bat. Bela was a pain to make but instructive in the process of making paper toys. There is some wonderful free (well, paper & printer ink aside) spooky holiday stuff at this site. Especially if you've got kids - projects with which you can spend quality crafty time with the younguns.

Boo Again!
Spiderpug, spiderpug, does whatever a spiderpug does.

(It would seem that a spiderpug has at least ten legs though. How does that work?)

This Is How Self Absorption Works
I bought mushrooms at Costco today - chanterelles. I didn't know Costco did chanterelles. This is all about my not knowing. Good fungus. Tasty. Not cheap. But affordable at Costco.

Noob!
Congratulations to the Enigmatic Misanthrope and Missusanthrope as newly minted grandparents to a tiny little girl child. Yes, yes, the parents congratulations, blah, blah. But this bebe is the one the grandparents get to treat like ... well, like grandparents treat grandbebes.

Boo Too 2!
Poo or poo not. There is no 'try.'

Don't Ask
Don't tellovich.

Boo Too!
I find your lack of snacks ... disturbing.

On Sickness
Yesterday I posted about sick blogging. I asked questions. I asked the questions, really, because I don't think they have universal answers.
Sickness, illness, is intensely personal. Even in the instances where there is an epidemic or a pandemic or a family afflicted with something malign, the sickness is a sickness of one individual. Others can be of comfort. Others can sympathize. Others can, as I said, even have the same illness. But if you are sick, you don't usually much care what's happening to anyone else. A flu that makes both ends projectile active will put you off caring about much of anything else. Except death - there are times you'll really, really want that.
Of course, that are those who have acquired some affliction which comes to give a kind of definition to their lives. Lance Armstrong, for all his success in the saddle, has devoted himself to battling cancer. And that's a good thing. Worth blogging about even. And there are those who blog about health issues they pursue - losing weight for example (congrats to Brian Tiemann on his success, in fact). And that's well and good too. But such pursuits are not transient events. Sickness is.
So I am disinclined to post about illness, now that I have actively considered the idea of sick blogging. I posted the first post simply as a point of information. And, in point of information, I'm mostly over what I had. And thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster for that. So, what say you, reader, about the idea of sickness blogging? Is it worth venting about how gawd-awful one feels? Is mankind benefited in any way when someone gives chapter and verse about the frailty of the house of the soul?

Sickness Blogging
Is it worth it? Is there any other form of blogging more self absorbed?

Just
So sick today.

Fun With Stocks
I was just reviewing some info and saw that I bought shares of Halliburton three years ago this month. I paid $34.88 per share. Today the price of a share is (right now) $39.61. Three years and a $5 increase in share price? Not too great a buy. Ha. Not so. The stock has split since I bought it. I have more than doubled my money on it. And my oil services play, bought at the same time, is trading at over triple the price at which I first bought it. I wish I'd had the confidence to buy more.
I am sorry that I bought Microsoft though. I thought the introduction of the Vista OS would pay big. Lesson for the future: never underestimate the capability of Microsoft to suck. But the intro of Halo 3 seems to be working for them these last few weeks. Give me two more points and I'll sell it off.

Stuff I Bought Today
The Paul Reed Smith Dragons CD "Jenna's Eyes"
A PRS 513 T shirt (had to bring the order up to the $25 level)
Tools to sculpt punkins.

See. I really am out of things to post about.

Boo!

Lite Postings
I'm taking the time off to enjoy my new haircut. There's plenty going on (going to try to make Mojito Sorbet today for example) but I'm not going on about it. So there.
My friend the Enigmatic Misanthrope sent me some pugs in costume pics and, since it's the Halloween month, I'll be posting them. Come back later for awwwww-some cuteness.

One Thing You Have To Say For China
You used to be asked "Regular or unleaded?" at the gas pump. Now it's at the toy store.

Paul Reed Smith Himself At Experience 2007
Thank goodness for others' initiative and uToob. I love this song and it gives me a chance to show PRSH playing one of his instruments. I hasten to point out that this performance was on Friday evening and so I didn't hear it live. But I sure wish I had. The song is "Jenna's Eyes."
In his talk on Saturday afternoon, he said that the guitar he played was made from a reject neck and a reject body. The wood PRS buys sometimes has wormholes and what he called "bird peck" which show as flaws and PRS doesn't sell guitars with flaws. So very often PRS makes guitars which are provided to PRS artists but which they wouldn't sell. Seems a little backward but it actually makes hella sense.

I Am So Remiss!
I've been reading, and commenting on the lovely and talented Rachel Lucas's site for a while now and I haven't added the Blue-Eyed Infidel to my blogroll! She was there before she took a break and she back in fine form - how can you not love dressing dogs as long as they are rewarded for their indignity by pieces of tasty pork? So she's there. And there she'll stay. Until I add a few more links and start categorizing the blogroll.
Because I'm sooooo good at organization.
Also, Curmudgeonly & Skeptical is back and has been for a while. Rodger didn't manage to stay away long thank Gawdness.

Last Footy Post Of The Year
Congratulations go to the Geelong Cats who laid waste to the Port Adelaide Power (who do wear cool looking guernseys) by a score of 163 (24, 19) to 44 (6.8). Yow. First Premiership for Geelong in 44 years and a record-breaking winning margin. Geelong has had a magical season. I thought Port Adelaide would be serious competition as they took their previous match against the Kangaroos by a score of 133 to 46. Collingwood gave Geelong a real fight compared to the Power. I hope I get to watch the grand final. That must have been a helluva game.