Thanks, Ginger--that's perfect.

I heard what you said, and I know what you meant, and either you're stupid, or you don't know me at all. When you say quality of life, you mean your life. Not mine. You train me to duck and to kick and then you go home to your family. I'm out there, hitting and getting hit, and that's my life. That's my quality, man. So when you tell me the next good hit I take could be my last, I say bring it on. Let him try. But that's how I'm going out, not home, sitting, almost dead forever.

Quite liked that one, actually.

Still shaving words off mine, at the moment.

Y'know, my kid's probably gonna end up a lot like you, ita. Not sure how comforting that is...

erika: It's great that the research engages you... Apart from when you get that first twist of an idea in your belly or into one of those frenetic grooves where it feels as if the words are scrolling behind your eyes, I think the "aha!" or "boo!" moments in research are often what keeps me going.

Also... (and humour me, as I've now been awake for 48 hours) I'm thinking as a side project you could create some sort of CSI/L&O update of Clue... It's hightime we gave Colonel Mustard a more innocuous name, took his candlestick away, kicked him out of the billiard room and stuck him in the meat-packing district with crutch! Best game of Clue ever, I say...

Phew. Off to drop off paper # 1 ... 2 weeks, 2 more to go. Ooohh printing out your story now Deb, that way I can bask in it during the long busride to campus.

edited because I forgot the "belly."

Yeah... "Exgirlfriend drops a dime. Move back three spaces." "The police find a claw hammer in your truck. But you're a carpenter. Move ahead five spaces." "You have a chance to flip on Miss Scarlet for a lighter sentence. But the forensics are lousy. Do you take a chance with the jury?"

"The client's sister, in the Social Services supply closet, with an aluminium crutch."

Right. Something like that. It kind of reminds me of Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets(as what doesn't, right?) But it's a foggy night and this detective and his partner are out working a case, and one says "I always wanted to work a case in this shit."
And his partner says why, as it's cold, wet, and miserable.

"Because it makes me feel like Sherlock Holmes going after Murray."
"Murray Who?"

"Professor Murray...the guy behind all those murders."
And then they both agree it's too bad there are no Moriarties in West Baltimore.

I'm thinking, if they were used as, well, a blunt instrument, could you tell they were the vic's?

Probably not 100 percent, but circumstantially, sure -- right height, looked the same, vic's fingerprints (and possibly DNA, though I don't know how much you'd get) on them.

And then they both agree it's too bad there are no Moriarties in West Baltimore.

On the series, they came up with one.

Oh, man, Luther Mahoney. Best. television. villain. ever.

Hot, too. Erik Todd Dellums is gorgeous.

It's true...he does fit the whole Evil Mastermind thing nicely. Never even thought of that. And, yes, he is. In a scary way. Stringer on The Wire is like that, a little closer to being legitimate, and he's a regular character. Love this.