Judge SotoMichael?

I've just gone more than a week without seeing a TV or newspaper (and it didn't hurt a bit). But yesterday, the guy across from me in the airport was reading a newspaper and since the part below the fold that was facing me was upside down, I wasn't sure who's picture I was looking at.

I'm not sure I can ever look at her the same way again.

...On A Plane.

So, 6:00am this morning found me standing in line to check my bag at the Duluth International Airport. And I see a guy walking across the airport with that distinctive cap on backwards.



The first thing that went through my mind was, "What the hell would Samuel L. Jackson be doing at the airport in Duluth at 6:00am on a Sunday morning?" The next thing that went through my mind was, "No, that's just some Samuel L. Jackson wannabe...not the real deal."

And the next thing that went through my mind was , "I like Samuel L. Jackson, but if that had been him, I would have seriously reconsidered getting on that plane." I'm betting his flights are pretty un-crowded these days!

Death of a Binky.

Not all Binkies are created equal.

Once upon a time, I was working on a job in Cincinnati and a rather large fellow by the name of Nathaniel interviewed to work for me. I was suitably impressed by him (and I loathed the only other guy I interviewed) so I hired him. I decreed -- as is my wont to do -- that there could only be one Nathan in the department, so Nathaniel would henceforth be known to one and all as...Binky. He was introduced to practically everyone else on the movie as Binky; I'm not sure many people knew his real name.

You may think this was a cruel nickname to hang on some poor young guy who was otherwise as un-Binky-like as one can imagine -- and it was. It got even worse when Nathaniel moved to NY -- and was once again introduced to people...as Binky. I believe he was stuck with the name for 5 or 6 years.

So, did Binky die? No! Heaven forfend! He's alive and well and working far enough from my circle of hell to have outgrown that hated nickname. I saw him only a couple of months ago and he's positively flourishing.

So what the fuck is this post about? It's about my binky! I believe it was around 1994, that Anonymous GF bought a sweatshirt. It was a really comfortable sweatshirt. It was without stupid logos or printing that one might outgrow or come to despise. It was soft and warm. It was everything one could hope for in a sweatshirt.

I decided it was mine.

I wore it constantly. I wore it so much that GF compared it to Linus' security blanket. She decreed that it should henceforth be referred to as my Binky! After about 5 years of constant wear, it started to develop some imperfections. I didn't care. It was my Binky!

GF is not in the habit of dictating to me what I may and may not wear, but she decreed that the Binky was no longer to be worn in public. I heard and obeyed (mostly). A couple of weeks ago, I pulled on my trusty, loyal Binky to do some stuff in the backyard, and even I had to acknowledge that the thing had grown a bit ratty. Need some documentation?








Yup! Poor Binky needed to be put out of its misery. I decided I'd bring it on our trip to Minnesota and say goodbye to it with proper ceremony. You don't just toss such a beloved item in the trash after so many years of faithful service. Things of this nature must be cremated and properly mourned.

So, the other night, after grilled pizza (which I accidentally burned, but that's another story), Vince, his Ex, Anon GF and I all gathered to honor my old, old friend.














Yes, tears were shed -- mine were honest mourning; theirs were from laughing at me -- the bastards! I am now without a Binky. I'm am bereft of Bink. I am Binkless.

I'm on the lookout for a replacement.

This place has been broken for a couple of days. Now it's still a little broken.

I have no idea whether or not anybody else will find their way here today. It seems that if you don't type in the original .blogspot address or the polybloggimous address WITH a www. prefix, you won't get here.

My blogroll got eaten---it's gone. Most links to older posts won't work because their linked without the www. prefix.

Maybe I can fix it all when I get home and have a phone that doesn't drop my calls every 12 seconds.

Say "Hi" if you got here.

Let This Be A Lesson To You!

If you sit in a boat long enough with your legs tucked up under the seat, you get really red from the end of your shorts down to your knee-tops. And from your knees on down, you maintain that fishy, cadaverous hue.

I'm not sure this is terribly attractive. YMMV.

It's An Enigma!

I'm about to get in the boat and go to the far side of the lake because "local knowledge" tells me that's where the fish are.

People from the far side of the lake seem to come over and fish about 40 yards off the end of our dock...because "local knowledge" tells them that's where the fish are.

Should I just fish off the end of the dock or is getting in the boat a prerequisite to catching fish.

(I know part of the answer. Last night we were fishing off the dock -- cause we didn't feel like getting in the boat as full dark approached. While I had the rod behind me--in position to cast, my bait dipped in the water and I caught a small bass before I could bring it forward.)

The Rogaine of The Internet Grows Another Follicle on The UCF Hairball---and I'm Not Calling Anybody Pitiful, But...

First of all, I made my radio debut on Vince's show here in lovely Ely, MN last night. I know for a fact my fan was listening. I've got the text messages to prove it. When I get around to it, I'll post a more thorough description of my experiences on End of the Road Radio -- and there's pics! (Anon GF was recruited as our staff photographer.)

I'll get to that in a day or so. I promise.

In the meantime, what the hell is wrong with you people. There's a CONTEST going on here. Now I know there's been a little holiday, and I know I didn't exactly give you guys a killer deadline -- there's still a week to submit entries -- but the response, so far, is...really pathetic. Without making any value judgments on the entries that have shown up to date, I just want to point out that the current standings are unavoidably easy to recount:

Currently in First Place: Eric!
Currently in Last Place: Eric!
Currently the only Judge named to the panel to help me decide: Eric!

None of that was hard to figure out since Eric has submitted the only friggin' entry!

Now get with it people!