'Cause the Brits don't understand art

A Picaso adorning a common bedroom in Britain should not be all that surprising. Rowan Atkinson made a joke of it in the film "Bean" by having the main character keeping "Whistler's Mother" on the wall of his flat.

Grimmy loves Spongebob!

I've been a big fan of "Mother Goose and Grimm" since the '80's; I've even got a Grimmy plush. But now I like him even more! Check out the show he's watching!

Back in the SCA

In 1996, I walked away from the Society for Creative Anachronism, vowing "Never again!" Well, never say "never."

After leaving, I spent many more years in medieval re-enacting. I performed with the Order of St. Sebastian, did foam fighting with my buddies Jeff and Allen, and served as Lord Chamberlain to the Royal Court at the Great Plains Renaissance Fair. I had been a fighter in the SCA and whenever I went to an event where there were fighters, I would stop, watch and have a mighty internal struggle over getting back out there. Just before I moved, I went to a fighter practice in Wichita and put on loaner armor. After several minutes of being humiliated and reminded of how out of shape I was, I had two marshals and a knight tell me that, if I wanted to, I could authorize easily. And after nearly 13 years!

Cole and I moved up here to northern Minnesota and looked around for fun in garb. The only game in town was the SCA, so we met the folks and joined up. I am now the group marshal and should have a complete set of armor within two weeks. Our friend Sven is now here as well and he is an authorized fighter and armor maker.

Let the beatings begin! The Kingdom of Northshield is not as restrictive in it's crown list rules as the Middle Kingdom, so my hope is to enter Crown Tournament next year. I do not believe for one moment that I could win. It is for the honor of fighting for my lady. I hope I can make her proud.

Or it could mean there is no such thing!

Once again, greenies ignore real evidence. Can you imagine how unpleasant these people will be in their retirement?

Men have always known this!

Cold pizza and warm beer, the breakfast of champions!

A sincere apology

Politicians are into this, so why not?

Once upon a time, I wrote smack about a co-worker who owned a monochromatic aloha shirt. I felt such a thing was an abomination before God and man. Well, now I own one. What a hypocrite!

Sorry, Sheldon. I'm a bad man...

Ahead of my time, if just by a few days.

Wow. I said it first. But thanks for the affirmation.

Monkey of Doom

Hey, anthropologists! What species of primate is this?

Spring is in the air!

Wow, my first spring in northern Minnesota! After 4.5 months of really, really, REALLY cold weather, we are enjoying a day with both sunshine and air temperatures above freezing. MMmmm...slushy...

Well, I can believe it.

"I don't know how somebody who is in second place is offering the vice presidency to the person who is first place."
The Junior Senator from Illinois, about his opponent

She can because her arrogance is unmatched, which deludes her into thinking that she is in the lead. To her you are Al Gore, an annoying little parasite that should be moved down the hall before you REALLY get in her way.

I'm just saying...

To boldly catalog...

Spock knows how hard we librarians work!

Freedom of Speech? Not if you don't agree with me.

I am so angry about this. Never mind the topic. What this woman is saying is, essentially, "If you don't toe the line and agree with what I am saying, then you don't get a voice." Quoted from the article:

"Meteorologists are among the few people trained in the sciences who are permitted regular access to our living rooms. And in that sense, they owe it to their audience to distinguish between solid, peer-reviewed science and junk political controversy. If a meteorologist can't speak to the fundamental science of climate change, then maybe the AMS shouldn't give them a Seal of Approval. Clearly, the AMS doesn't agree that global warming can be blamed on cyclical weather patterns. It's like allowing a meteorologist to go on-air and say that hurricanes rotate clockwise and tsunamis are caused by the weather. It's not a political statement...it's just an incorrect statement."

How dare you, Dr. Cullen. If you were to have your certification or degree pulled because you spoke against "conventional wisdom," you would be screaming your head off about the loss of your constitutional rights.

Seat Florida and Michigan delgates? No.

Primaries are not about democracy or the "will of the people." They are about membership in political parties. Political parties are, believe it or not, private organizations that can make their own rules. So, as a society of rule and law, it is important in the United States that the rules are followed and that rule breakers are punished. Democrats in Florida and Michigan broke party rules by holding primaries early. Their delegates should not be seated nor should they be allowed a "do over." Their votes were not political enfranchisement, but party procedure.

So, Hillary, shut up and prove to the world that a Clinton is able to follow the rules.

A fond "Farewell" to the King of the Geeks

Gary Gygax has died. A sad day for us who became true geeks playing his game. I was there near the beginning, when "elf" was a player class and the only alignments were good, evil, and neutral. Monty Haul, White Plume Mountain, Tensor, "throw the thief in," all rangers wore green cloaks. What kind of monster is that on the cover of 1st edition Monster Manual? "You know, Lake Geneva is only 3 hours away!" Greyhawk, my kind of town.

Thanks, Gary. It was fun.

From the state that brought you Howard Dean...

...comes an amazing tale of wasted time and money, voter ignorance, poor planning, bad publicity, and whining.

OK, I'm in.

On the eve of "Little Super Tuesday," these are the facts as I see them:
1. Obama is a socialist. Bad.
2. Huckabee is in bed with the Evangelicals. More bad.
3. Clinton is Clinton and would bring that man with her. Most bad.
4. Bloomberg will not run. A pity.

Senator McCain has my respect, even though he scares me at times. So, now he will get my vote.

A quote for this election

"By all means let's be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop out."
-Richard Dawkins

If you research Richard Dawkins, he is pretty much pro-science and anti-religion. However, it is still a good point, regardless of how you view the universe.