This falls under the category of Shameless Self-Promotion, but it's also an event some of the folks here might be interested in.

This weekend is Earth Fest, a one day event held every year here in Sheboygan, dedicated to promoting community spirit and a healthy environment.

[editor's note, by PoliSigh] promoted by me--this is an incredible story--be sure you read Neal Adams' biography of Babbit. You may have to join the NYT, but it is free and worth it!




As a cartoonist, I always interested when our usually trivial profession touches something deeper.  Such is the story of Dina Gottliebova Babbitt, a young woman in Auschwitz who saved her mother and herself from the gas chambers through her artistic talent.

(Cross-posted from poplitiko)

Brett Favre’s recent un-retirement and the Packer management’s game of "How-Can-We-Miss-You-If-You-Won’t-Go-Away" has caused much angst and outrage here in the Enchanted Land-O-Cheese, but it’s left me with something of a dilemma.

My wife, Lute, (aka the Frisky Ferretlass) has posted a diary over at the Great Orange Place which I thought I'd share.

I seem to be linking to other people's stuff this week.  This is a piece I came across today in an unexpected place that I found thoughtful and moving and which I thought was worth sharing here.  It's from a site about comic books and it's about grieving.

I think I've mentioned my friend Alex Ness here before.  He started up the Dead to my Flesh blog that I also contribute to.  He did an interview this week at his other site Pop Thought that I thought folks here might be interested in.

(Cross-posted from Dead to My Flesh)

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

"A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path..."

The Parable of the Sower and his Seed is unusual in the Parables of Christ in that we also have Jesus’ explanation of what the story means.  You’d think that would prevent other people from putting in their own interpretations.

No such luck.

One of our ferrets has been ailing these past few weeks, and yesterday afternoon he passed.

(Cross-posted from Pop Thought)

I’m somewhat embarrassed to admit it, because it will probably damage my geek street cred, but I have not rushed out to buy the Fourth Edition of Dungeons & Dragons.  Heck, I haven’t even bought the Third Edition.  Either one.  I’d like to say that it’s because I’m a purist, but that’s not quite true; when I play D&D I use the Second Edition rules and real purists only play First.  I have been observing the reaction to the new version from a distance, though, and have skimmed over some of the material.  One thing in particular I noticed:  They’ve changed the alignment system.

By all accounts I've ever read, Broadway legend George M. Cohen was a sincerely patriotic man. The jingoistic fervor he put into such songs as "She's a Grand Old Flag" and "Yankee Doodle Dandy" was genuine enough. And yet, there is a remark that's been attributed to him which, if not cynical, is at least savvy.

He said, "Many a bum show's been saved by waving the flag."

He knew that even if the show was mediocre and the audience ready to leave, he could bring the crowd to its feet with an enthusiastic appeal to their patriotism.

(Cross-posted from Dead to My Flesh)

I read an article in this morning’s paper about a Manitowoc man fighting his landlord over the display of the flag.  The man had hung an American flag upside-down from the railing outside his apartment.  The upside-down flag, of course, is a sign of distress and he wanted to make a symbolic statement that our country is in distress.  The landlord saw it differently.

I intended this to be a reply to a comment lonespark made on another thread but it got a bit long.  Lonespark commented that science fiction and fantasy writers have no qualms about playing around with other religions in their stories, but they seem reluctant to tackle the Sacred Cow of Christianity.

I beg to differ.