I just sent this to the folks I know that are cat owners. I mean, only guys that own cats understand that there's nothing unmanly about cute kitten pictures... Ok there's something VERY unmanly about cute kitten pictures, however, THIS particular kitten is a WAR KITTEN! Do you really believe that he's going to let those puppies live!? Even if he does, then he's most likely going to make them his thralls to labor incessantly in the catnip mines of Purina!

Beebee's Baby Bunny in a Bowl Fun Time Squealy Breakfast

This will be funnier if you watch this short video clip first.

Ok, I can just picture it. It's a sunny morning on the Sprite Sanctuary (our house, if you've never heard the term before). Inside, the cabin folks are walking into the living room with their breakfasts to enjoy a weekend morning together. All of a sudden Beebee (our resident badger sprite) walks by Naomi with this baby bunny in a bowl.

Naomi looks at it and says, "Oh, HOW CUTE!! Beebee, where did you find this baby bunny!?"

To which he answers, "Ahh, found outside. Look like make good breakfast."

A total silence descends upon the room except for the sound of a single spoon clinking against a cereal bowl as it's dropped back into it. Naomi is the first to speak. "BEEBEE!! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND!!?? YOU ARE NOT GOING TO EAT THAT PRECIOUS LITTLE BUNNY!! WHAT DO YOU THINK BUNNY WOULD SAY IF SHE WERE HERE!!??" (Bunny is, of course, our resident rabbit sprite)

To which Ryan would say partly to himself and those around him, "She'd probably say all the words that I can't anymore."

Beebee would be looking at Naomi in confusion. "Baby bunny have everything need to make strong.... blood, bones, gushy insides, fur...ok, not so much fur but lots blood." At this point some sprites would be swooning, but Naomi would have taken the "Beebee's Baby Bunny in a Bowl Fun Time Squealy Breakfast" out of Bebe's hands. Bebe would know better than to confront THIS sprite elder. "Ahhh...Beebee only one know what make good breakfast."

Naomi would NOT allow him any last word in this instance! "No, Beebee! You do not know what constitutes a GOOD breakfast! There's no goodness to be found by eating harmless little baby bunnies! Ryan, after you finish your cereal, would you pop over to the refuge and get Bunny? I'm sure that she will give this baby bunny a good home."

Adrian leans over to Turlock and says in a low voice, "Ya gotta admit.... that WAS pretty funny." Turlock nods while stifling a snicker that he knows would earn him a stern glare and subsequent, "I'm not talking to you Turlock MacBaene!"

Beebee lets out a half groan/growl as he goes to the fridge and pulls a raw piece of chicken out. "This ok breakfast, but not happytime fun breakfast like baby bunny would be."

Which earns him a tiny butt zap and a, "Anything else you'd like to add, young man?"

Beebee just shakes his head...!

Little Drummer Boy

Sometimes Daina and I will see a picture or just have a brief moment of reflection wherein one or more of our characters is "caught in a moment in time". We then tell each other of the scenario and how it is during such moments, that we both wish that our artistic capabilities were worthy of capturing these vignettes in our mind's eye. I hope this particular scenario brings, at the very least, a brief smile to your day.

Adrian Quicksilver forgets just how enchanting his voice and lute playing is. During the annual, Festival of the Bards, that takes place in Bard's Gate every summer, Adrian winds up leaving with a little more than what he arrived with. After a special performance for aspiring toddler bards, Adrian forgot to sing his "Song of Release" to this particular little drummer boy and almost makes it back to his inn when he hears a single diminutive "Thunk" come from behind him. Alarmed, he quickly spins around to see nothing... that is, until he lowers his gaze to see his almost euphorically entranced admirer smiling up at him. He takes the child back to the "Toddlers Grotto" and gently sings a releasing melody right before handing the tyke to his greatly relieved parents.

Kevin

Vote for Barack Obama & Joseph Biden

Greetings Everyone,

I'll try to keep this as brief as possible because my neck pain is bothering me today and I promised Daina that I would not spend too much time staring at the computer screen. I'd also like to take a very brief moment to say that, you're receiving this email because I'm guessing that we're of like mind. If you disagree with my thoughts and statements then you can simply delete this letter now and proceed no further. Understand also that, if you do delete this email, I will like you no less nor more than I did before. Friendships are something that I've always held dear and I certainly would never let my political beliefs interfere with the bonds that I share with each and everyone of you. That being said, please understand that I offer no apologies for what I am about to say as I believe with every fiber of my being that the words contained in this letter are fitting and just to these times just as they would be fitting and just to any time in our history. Truth needs no excuses nor does it make any... it is what it is.

I guess the subject line of this email says it all. I know I may be stating the obvious but please indulge me for the length of this letter. Read it only when you feel that you have the proper time to do so as its content does not lend itself to brief perusal.

Five days… In five days we will be faced with a decision that will reflect upon ourselves for centuries to come. There are few elections in the history of this country that hold the importance of the one that is a mere five days from now. This election holds not only hope for our country on issues such as economics, foreign affairs, security, self reliance, and a myriad of other problems brought about by the current leadership of this country. It will define who we are not only as a country but the greater aspect of who we are as human beings.

I reiterate, few are the elections in the history of this country that hold the significance of the one we are about to undertake. The first presidential election of George Washington that witnessed the launching of a new nation, the election of Abraham Lincoln that saw us through our bloodiest and most shameful period of time revealing the better angels of our nature, the choice of electing Franklin Delano Roosevelt to office that helped us through nationwide poverty, a world at war, and the launching of new prosperity, and, finally, the years of “Camelot” that saw John F. Kennedy presiding over a time of change, and not only standing at the abyss of midnight during the Cuban Missile Crisis, but weathering that storm and starting down the path that allowed mankind to leave its earthly cradle, even though he himself would not be witness to it. In my waking hours, not a day passes where I hope and pray that this upcoming election will join these hallmark periods, in whose noble and mighty company, it will know no shame.

We now stand on the brink of not only doing what is best for our country, but defining that, which makes us most human. Our ability to love and respect our fellow human beings as we love and respect ourselves. It is at this time that we must appeal to the noblest aspect of our nature and make America a nation whose ideals reflect all that is true and good. The idea that states that without a freedom of all people, you have nothing. You have tyranny and deceit. History bears witness to this truth time and time again, and at every single point in time the answer remains the same. When the voice of the people (ALL people) is stolen from them, when you have a single person who uses the power of ultimate leadership to further the agendas of himself and his associates, and stands answerable to no one… then you no longer have a nation of freedom, justice, truth, and that which stands as proper and fitting to the treatment of its people. Freedom must stand for us all… every single individual… or it stands for no one. In this, there is no middle ground from which to govern a country and its people. In the end, it must ultimately be the will of the people that shepards the course of a nation.

Whether we wish it or not, the eyes of the world will watch and judge us. We will arise from this decision as famous or infamous. We will either choose to return to the path of light or continue down the current course to the ruin of us all. Lest we think that this could not possibly happen we need do little more than to look upon the wisdom afforded us by history itself. The greatness that was once Egypt that lasted for thousands of years, the Roman Empire, whose world dynasty was without equal and controlled the civilized world for over a millennia, and the empires of Great Britain and Japan where it was believed that the sun would never set upon them… yet it did.

We as a nation have only stood for little over the span of 230 years. Even today, we cannot ever envision ourselves losing our status as THE world power that drives the machinations of the rest of the world. I’m sure neither could anyone in any of those past empires that stood far longer than a mere two centuries. Nevertheless they DID come crashing down. Do not think for a moment that the same could not happen to us. All of those past nations shared one major concept; they did not reflect the will of their people nor were their leaders answerable to anyone but themselves.

As I’ve mentioned, the tenets of this election run far more deeply than what we should do for the health of this nation. It will more clearly define those aspects that make us human. Love, benevolence, self-sacrifice, compassion, trust, a belief in the equality of all people and the desire to do what is right.

As an educator, I am faced each day with many young faces staring back up at me, hanging on my words, and putting complete trust in the fact that what I’m telling them is the truth. Up until this election race, I have not been able to say that they can do and become whatever it is they desire. To undo the ultimate innocence that is the province of children is an evil thing. However, I cannot lie to them. I cannot sacrifice the truth. Please understand that I have never, nor will I ever, tell them that certain dreams are unattainable for certain people. However, I must tell them our country’s history (up to present day) without coating it in any falsehoods. Even the young can piece together certain facts to come to a conclusion. When the conclusion leads to an end that strips away yet another layer of their dreams, I can often times see some of the light that is innocence disappear from their faces… it’s heart rending… it tears at my very soul. How do you tell someone so young that certain people will think ill or “less than” of them for no better reason than the way they look?

Yet there exist people who will live in a lie for their entire lives simply to feel that they are better than others rather than their equal. People who get so caught up in wanting to be right that they ignore the truth. They ignore the truth to such a degree that they actually begin to believe that the falsehoods they are entertaining are indeed the truth! The truth becomes such a far and distant thing to them that they are willing to choose a course that begins to erode the very qualities that makes them human! They can convince themselves that, as long as there is someone in a position of power, authority, or simply has a source to speak to the masses telling them what they WANT to hear instead of the truth, that they are on the side of right. No one wants to hear that their thoughts are wrong on various aspects, however, when faced with a simple truth that may run contrary to our beliefs, we can choose to ignore it and brush fact aside or delve more deeply into it to get to the truth. To move forward in a positive way the latter must always be the methodology employed or else we remain in the darkness. What we then do with these revelations is the true test of our humanity.

So I am asking that, in five days, you vote for someone who will not only steer this country away from its ruinous path on so many levels, but also someone who in casting a vote for, you will show forth that which defines us as human. I’m asking that you vote for Barrack Obama and Joseph Bidden. Not only because of the historical significance of this nation’s first black president but because they will help everyone get back on their feet again rather than just pad the wallets of the few who sit upon the top of the economic ladder. If you need any further convincing then ask yourself this simple question, “Has John McCain or Sarah Palin mentioned any plan, policy, or even mere idea, that is any different than what George Bush has been employing in his past two terms?” Do not answer me and do not answer this question to anyone else but yourself. I only ask that you be truthful and honest with yourself. No one will be around to judge whether you are wrong or right so please just answer it for yourself. Not to your self-satisfaction, just to your SELF. In the end, you may or may not have an answer that you like but at least you’ll have the truth. You possess the freedom to do with it whatever you will, I only ask that you do that which makes us human. Then take that and please go vote.

Kevin

P.S. If you need any further convincing, consider this: John McCain is 72 years old. By the end of the next presidential term, he’ll be 76. The current average male life expectancy in the U.S. is 75.6 years. So we have a man that’s technically at “Death’s Door” with Sarah Palin lined up as president should he pass away. I think I’ll move to Canada first.

The Gamers: Dorkness Rising

Daina and I just finished watching (we watched it twice as a matter of fact) the newest Dead Gentlemen's flick and follow up film to The Gamers. The Gamers: Dorkness Rising is hilarious! It's quality and production value is considerably better than The Gamers and, at one hour and forty-five minutes long, it's quite a bit more lengthy than the first film. Buy it! Watch it! I mean, C'mon.... Any movie that has a wall of dead bards to hide behind and a cooked undead turkey in it, is Oscar worthy material as far as I'm concerned!!

Um...yeah...

Greetings All,

I was just surfing some online news at Yahoo when I came across an article regarding the Republican Vice Presidential nominee, Sarah Palin. It read as follows,

"First, a campaign-issued timeline said McCain initially met Palin in February, then held one phone conversation with her last week before inviting her to Arizona, where he met with her a second time and offered her the job Thursday."
Now THIS is what kills me! I’m simply trying to get a position as an elementary schoolteacher. Besides just filling out a lengthy application that asks a myriad of questions about my background and experience including a statement from me detailing why I wish to work in that district, I have to jump through the following hoops to even begin to be considered for a position:
o I must complete a well defined program of academic study at an accredited college or university that results in my receiving a Bachelor's Degree and state certifications in the educational disciplines associated with aforementioned academic program.
o I must produce authentic documentation of my official certificates allowing me to practice pedagogy in the State of New York.
o A well polished and detailed resume.
o Letters of recommendation from my college professors, school co-workers and administrators such as teachers and principals respectively.
o References from past employment supervisors.
o My transcripts from my undergraduate and graduate classes at college.
o My placement folder from college - While in college I had to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better to stay in the undergraduate educational program and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 for continuance in my graduate educational program.
o I had to, initially, pass a National Teacher Exam (NTE) that was federally approved and mandated. Later, I had to pass three – 4-hour state examinations, testing my general knowledge, my professional knowledge, and my content specialty knowledge, and must pass yet another “content knowledge” exam if I want to pursue my further certification to teach Social Studies.
o I had to take and pass a class in ASL sign language for the deaf.
o I had to attend seminars on recognizing child abuse, teasing and bullying, and drug abuse.
o I had to successfully complete an online approved course (including a final examination) entitled - “Child Abuse and Maltreatment/Neglect: Identification and Reporting New York State Mandatory Course”.
o I had to be fingerprinted and have a federal FBI cross check done on me as well as a local level law enforcement background check.
o I am not allowed to have any prior felonies, and I am required to report any misdemeanors outside of minor traffic infractions and parking violations.
o I had to sign a document stating that I had no physical or mental disabilities that would prevent me from performing my tasks as an educator.
o I needed to take a "Tine Test" to test for Tuberculosis and come up negative.
For districts that might be interested in actually hiring me the interview process is lengthy and rigorous consisting of:
- An initial interview where I faced a panel of professional and lay people (Yep, I was seated at the end of a long table and was facing nine individuals) consisting of a superintendent, an assistant superintendent, an elementary school principal and a middle school principal, an assistant principal, two teachers, a teaching assistant, a teacher’s aid, and a parent who questioned me on various topics, scenarios, assessment ability, professional knowledge and experience that I had to answer on the spot!
- If I got through that I would have to face another interview with the superintendent or the assistant superintendent and elementary school principal.
- If I passed that, then I would have a final interview with the superintendent or the assistant superintendent and, if I agreed on the contract they were offering, I would finally get the job.
o For my teaching certifications to become permanent:
- Within a five year period of receipt of my initial certifications, I must be hired as a full-time classroom teacher and work for a period of no less than two consecutive years in the same school district.
- From my time of being hired as a full-time classroom teacher, I have a period of five years in which to complete a program of academic study at an accredited college or university that results in my receiving a Master's Degree.
Keep in mind that there are a few steps and processes that I have left out, both in the requirements and interview process for the sake of keeping this email relatively short and to the point.
Again, let’s review my interview process (see above) to become a schoolteacher versus the Republican interview process of ONE phone call and a SINGLE one-on-one meeting in person to get the job of VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!! A position that is one heartbeat away from becoming the most powerful person on Earth!! And you know what? If the principal becomes incapacitated for whatever reason, I would NOT automatically move into their position! Thank God, however, that my pay scale is commensurate with my position and selection process for becoming a teacher versus becoming Vice President of the United States of America.... Oh wait!

Kevin

J!NXED

Hi All,

Ok, so I was cruising through the photos on the J!NX website yesterday. Oftimes you can come across some pretty funny stuff but, at other times, the photo section appears to be used by girls & young (and some not so young) women who take some pretty provocative snapshots of themselves. Anyways, one of the pics is of a girl who has silky jet black hair and (assuming that she's not wearing contacts) some stunning green eyes. The pic evoked more than a few responses with folks complimenting her eyes and looks in general. One that stood out to me was the following: "! i love the name ocarina (hopefully as in ocarina of time) 2 i love your style 3 im not hitting on you but you, my dear, are gorgeous!"

I know, I know.... You're probably wondering, "Why did this particular response stand out to you, Kevin? There's really nothing special about it." You're right! There IS nothing special about the RESPONSE. The thing that stands out is the poster's NAME. I hate to break it to this lad (I'm assuming it's a lad) but, if you really....truly....and sincerely want a girl to believe that you're not hitting on them and your compliments are genuine, it would be advisable to not have the user name.... Adventurer HornyCow.

Kevin