RIP Dave Cockrum

Wearing Superman pajamas and covered with his Batman blanket, comic book illustrator Dave Cockrum died Sunday.

The 63-year-old overhauled the X-Men comic and helped popularize the relatively obscure Marvel Comics in the 1970s. He helped turn the title into a publishing sensation and major film franchise.

Cockrum died in his favorite chair at his home in Belton, South Carolina, after a long battle with diabetes and related complications, his wife Paty Cockrum said Tuesday.

At Cockrum's request, there will be no public services and his body will be cremated, according to Cox Funeral Home. His ashes will be spread on his property.

--A family friend said he will be cremated in a Green Lantern shirt.

Cady is turning 13 and we are having a party!

Who knew that Bruce Lee loved birthday parties as much as he loved making movies!?!

Cady is turning 13 and we are having a party!

What: Pizza, Cake, Candles, Presents, Film Making, Movie Watching
When: Saturday, December 9th at 5pm
Who: By Invitation Only!
Where: Marty's Monster McMansion!
Why: Because that Pic of Bruce Rocks!

Beg me and you might actually get invited. Beg me!

I may have found yet another hobby!!

--My neighbors are going to be so pissed if they find out!!

I got measured!

Greed:	Very Low
Gluttony:	Low
Wrath:	Very Low
Sloth:	Low
Envy:	Very Low
Lust:	Medium
Pride:	Very Low

The Seven Deadly Sins Quiz on 4degreez.com

My food fest aftermath

So yesterday I was completely off my diet. Ate as much as I wanted, way more than I wanted really. My morning weigh-in was 244, (41 lb total loss so far).

The odd thing is that I still ate way less than I use to eat all the time.

We all went out to breakfast to start the day. We went to Shoney's and enjoyed the breakfast buffet! Lot's of sausage, ham and bacon! Plenty of eggs, cheese, and French toast. And really good coffee... Mmmmmmm...

For lunch I had half a pumpkin pie! More, coffee with extra BR love added!

Dinner was a mountain of Classic Turkey and the fixins! Lots-O-Gravy! It was over so fast.

My weigh-in this morning was 249. I gained 5 lbs in one day!!

--Time for my morning bran muffin...

Marty's Diet Status

I hit another diet milestone this morning. 40 pounds down, 60 pounds to go.

I will be keeping a tight handle on my diet for the next few days because on Thanksgiving day BR and I are having a total foodfest. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Lots of mashed potatoes and gravy!

As an experiment, I am going to weigh in that morning and see how much damage one day can do! I have been so good so far. I have had pizza for dinner twice since the diet started (both times were cheese pizza).

Thanksgiving day and my birthday are our pre-meditated foodfests!!

--See you at Denny's for the breakfast buffet!!!

No Sleep Tonight

My neice Holly is having a brain tumor removed right now.

Send all the good vibes you have her way...

UPDATE: Holly is out of surgery and responding well! Talking and joking. All her eyes, fingers and toes are working!

Keep those prayers and good vibes coming!

"There is a profound difference between information and meaning."

--Warren G. Bennis

"There is a profound difference between information and meaning."

--Warren G. Bennis

Hello Saturday !!

I love Saturdays.

This is not news for my dedicated readers. In fact, if you have been reading this for a long time you will have suffered through many posts about Saturday mornings. Posts about the wonders of coffee, getting up early and watching hours of Sci-Fi as BR sleeps in, cartoons, and snuggling with the wife on cold days.

Today, the kids had friends staying over. The boys are currently playing video games and the girls are in the hottub!

Last night I had a the pleasure of taking care of my friend Wendy's son Mark!

I forgot how cool 2 year old kids can be. The way they play is so much fun. I love having conversations with them! We still have a ton of toys for that age kids. I was expecting a small, Tasmanian Devil type terror. He was the greatest. I didn't even mind changing a diaper!

--BR was having fun with him too. Happy times all around!

Happy Veterans Day.

My father was a WWII vet. I have spent a lot of time thinking about him today.

I have the flag that draped his coffin at his funeral. I bought a beautiful, hand made cherry case for it. I considered bringing it out today but it turns out the new house has no flag pole. I need to get a flag pole.

--I must have a flag pole...

Bernie the Burglar by Lawrence Block

Bernie Rhodenbarr novels by Lawrence Block:

1. Burglars Can't Be Choosers (1977)
2. The Burglar in the Closet (1978)
3. The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling (1979)
4. The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza (1980)
5. The Burglar Who Painted Like Mondrian (1983)
6. The Burglar Who Traded Ted Williams (1994)
7. The Burglar Who Thought He Was Bogart (1995)
8. The Burglar in the Library (1997)
9. The Burglar in the Rye (1999)
10. The Burglar on the Prowl (2004)

There are also Bernie Rhodenbarr short stories, "The Burglar Who Dropped In On Elvis" and "The Burglar Who Smelled Smoke".

I LOVE these books. LOVE em!!

The Amiela Peabody Series by Elizabeth Peters

* 1884-85, Amarna, Crocodile on the Sandbank
* 1892-93, Valley of the Kings, Curse of the Pharaohs
* 1894-95, Mazghuna, The Mummy Case
* 1895-96, Dashur, Lion in the Valley
* Summer 1896, London and Kent, Deeds of the Disturber
* 1897-98, The Lost Oasis (Sudan), The Last Camel Died at Noon
* 1898-99, Amarna, The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog
* 1899-1900, Dra' Abu el-Naga', The Hippopotamus Pool
* 1903-04, Seeing a Large Cat
* 1906-07, Valley of the Kings, The Ape Who Guards the Balance
* 1907-08, The Lost Oasis, Guardian of the Horizon (published out of sequence)
* 1911-12, Zawyet el'Aryan, The Falcon at the Portal
* 1914-15, Giza, He Shall Thunder in the Sky
* 1915-16, Giza, Lord of the Silent
* 1916-17, Gaza and Deir al-Madinah, The Golden One
* 1919-20, Children of the Storm
* 1922-23, Valley of the Kings, The Serpent on the Crown
* 1922-23, Valley of the Kings (tomb of Tutankhamun), Tomb of the Golden Bird

Morse Code of Jericho

So I have been watching this new show Jericho.

It's about a small Kansas after nukes start going off. It is good in some ways and crap in other ways but it is interesting in a LOST kinda way.

I found out that at the beginning of each episode, as the opening credits roll, you can hear Morse code. It turns out that it is different every time. Each time it is a clue about the episode:

• #1 JERICHO PILOT
  
• #2 JERICHO FALLO
  
• #3 JERICHO THREE
  
• #4 HE KNOWS ROB
  
• #5 THERE IS A FIRE
  
• #6 THE EMP HITS
  
• #7 PRAY FOR NYC
  
• #8 ROB NOT FBI
  

--Cool Stuff. I bit too soap opera but still good.

Time to get off the sofa

OK, people.

I do not care who you want to vote for, just vote damn you.

--Vote. Do it.

Marty's Diet Status

So the diet is still moving along well.

I got on the scale this morning and was at 250lbs. That is down 35 pounds since this kick-off. It is still a steady down swing with 65 pounds to go to get to my goal of 185 lbs. A total of 100 lbs of weight loss.

When I hit 50 lbs I am planning to buy a new bicycle and start some serious bike action. An guy I know with knee problems like mine has a special touring bike that does his knees really good!

This is a pic of the recumbent bike I want. Not cheap but I want to use it a lot.

--15 pounds to the bike! A reward and a tool to my goals end!