Very nice, look's like he's lost weight.

Turquoise IS supposed to be the universal flattering colour, I suppose...

I see that flock as lost some luster since I last checked in.

That "as" was one purpose, to give PCB some nostalgia for the old sod.

Are you calling my Uncle 'Enry an old sod, Dr?

Despite my use of flamin', I'm not a flamin' Cockney, you know!

I can never get comfy on these Adirondack chairs. I wish I could because they seem so right, but them and sun-loungers - can't get on with either of 'em.

Who is that swim-suited man?

can I be his friend?

His name is Jack, and he is the nation's premier ship degausser, and yes, I've already made all the jokes about removing the gausses from all those ships. He also makes a mean smoked salmon, and he does it with cigarette smoke. I'm sure he would allow you to be his friend, Amanda.

I've just read that the governor of Virginia is hotly tipped to be Obama's running mate. What's he like, Virginians?

He's got curly hair.

I ran into him outside d'Egg when he was campaigning for governor. So if y'all need any favors once he's elected, just give me a buzz.*

*That means buy me drugs.

Tim Kaine's a good guy, PCB. I highly recommend voting for him, if you have the chance. I once sat next to him at a luncheon. That is, until the sponsors of the luncheon discovered that he'd mistakenly been seated with the losers and rescued him to the head table. Before that, though, he promised to make me a Knight of the Chancery if he goes to Washington.

I once sat next to Pat Robertson, too, at a luncheon, not too long after his brief run at the Presidency. But no one came to rescue him. He made no promises, either, except for some vague line about everlasting life and the liberal media. I do not recommend voting for him.

Sorry for being late on this -- and for double-posting, but on a fast-moving site like crackskull no one ever goes back to read the posts on the penultimate drawing! So pretend you are looking at the peanut tower, not the guy in the bathing suit:

1) Terry: I'd love a get together of Sparky's devoted fans -- and D.C. would work great! But . . . .

>"the womenfolk among us would promise not to move to another state/country"

2) Might be too late! I am moving to Ireland for a year (graduate school) and there's an off-chance I could go as early as October 1 (more likely next spring); should know in a few weeks. If D.C. doesn't work, I think that will move the geographical center of sparky's fandom about where the Titanic ended up.

3) sparky: McCabe and Mrs. M: a classic and the LC soundtrack makes it. (Sisters of Mercy is actually one of my all-time favorite songs)

4) pcb: Dance me to the End of Time: Leonard does exude sex appeal on that one, no question!

5) pcb: if you like Nick Cave, see his movie The Proposition (he wrote the screenplay and soundtrack). It's depressing as hell -- you'll love it (I did).

6) PSH fans: he stole every scene in Ripley and almost every movie he's in. But for REALLY disturbing, see Happiness, although I don't recommend it if you want peace of mind (I watched it once during a bout of insomnia, not knowing what I was watching, and had to watch hours of Nick at Night reruns of I Love Lucy to try to shake the angst.

6) John C. Reilly: another underrated all-star. Look for a horror flick called Dark Water. It's okay as those things go, but he steals the movie as the real estate guy/apartment manager.

So, here's what I think: a gathering of Leonard Cohen/PSH/Nick Cave/Wally Torta fans at a big infectious diseases whoop-dee-do in D.C. a week before the Presidential election sounds like an affair not to be missed!

I'll bring the infectious disease!

I'll bring the dee-do* if someone else brings the whoop. Whoop would take up a whole other suitcase and with these surcharges I'd have to re-finance to do that. Or sell a daughter into white slavery. Very character-building is white slavery - it would be the making of her, really, but, you know, dangit, I'd probably miss her. I expect I'll hold her back that way her whole life. Deny her fantastic opportunities and stuff.

Dee-do* is gin, right?

Helen, have you a website I can visit? I tried clicking through the comments but nowt.

Did Helen just offer us all a place to stay in Ireland? Imagine what mischief a guy like Sparky could cause on the Emerald Isle!

PCB: No website; best I have is flickr, and it's a sad offering to the creative forces who gather on crackskullbob:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/milezero/sets/

Dr. Research: As they say in Ireland: a hundred thousand welcomes! The Irish have trouble recognizing mischief as mischief . . .

Mischief? Any mischief I get up to is strickly verbal, and even then it's of the Harold & Kumar Visit Ireland variety. I'm no Banksy, alas. Although a couple of years ago I did place a tip jar outside my window at our downtown Norfolk office, and gathered $1.87 before some tight-asses put the kibosh on it. Does that count as mischief?

There are probably enough itinerant artists in Ireland. But if you were willing to perfect a little soft shoe action, you might be a good busker. I could see that. Maybe pin a slightly ripped picture of Bernice to your shirt. People couldn't help but take pity on that. I bet some sweet little old lady would have you around for a hearty meal of potatoes and coddle.

I had to push this into 20-comment territory. Sparky, you've got a three-peat!