Guess what’s going to the printer soon?
Here’s a hint.
(more…)

In light of my last post this seems like a good time to plug Give an Hour.

Give an Hour is a nonprofit organization that provides free mental health care to US Military personnel.  They do good work to help out the people that risked everything for the rest of us.  A lot more vets could use their services than they can possibly provide for so if you can, consider donating.  If you are a mental health professional consider donating your time.  And if you know of anyone that could use their services, please try to gently steer them in this direction.

SGT Biddle was not my friend.  He had in fact stated that expressly on more than one occasion.  He felt we were “buddies” which is to say people the Army forced together whether they liked each other or not, but who were entitled to the same type of loyalty and decency as a friend.
(more…)

“Why Skippy?” Some may have asked lately. “Why haven’t you been updating your site very much lately?”

Here’s why:
(more…)

Just…wrong…
(more…)

Dear Instructor,

I am not being graded for this assignment.  Instead of a well though out response to your question about my ideas on future employment in the graphic design field I am going to eat a lime cream filled cookie.  You cannot see me with the cookie, but rest assured, I am eating the hell out of it.

Mmmmm Cookie.

Wednesday November 16th:

We begin packing for Thanksgiving travel.  We weren’t looking forward to dealing with eight hours of planes and layovers, but hey the family wanted to see the twins.  The day goes uneventfully, and I spend the evening doing a double load of homework so I can be done ahead of time.

Thursday November 17th:

I wake up to discover Thing 1 has puked in her crib.  She doesn’t appear sick, so maybe it was something she ate, or she had reflux.  Packing continues.  Cheap tablet is purchased to load with Wiggles and Elmo videos to keep the critters quiet on the plane.  I keep an eye on my daughter, but she seems fine all day.

Friday November 18th:

Thing 1 has been quite sick, and has evidently spent the night making “vomit-angels”.  My wife takes her to a health clinic, where she is diagnosed with Strep Throat.  My family is warned, but we are told that travel may be feasible if antibiotics are applied soon enough.

Saturday November 19th:

The wife goes shopping for various travel items.  While she is out Thing 2 begins heaving.  Since we don’t want Thing 1 to have to go through another car trip if we can help it, we decide to let her sleep in.  The wife comes home and takes to boy to the health clinic.
(more…)

(more…)

Shark Pool!

(more…)

A national guard soldier from my city was killed in Afghanistan by an IED. I didn’t know the guy and I don’t really know most of my neighbors all that well, but his parents live a few houses down the block from me on the corner.

The police have been camped at the intersection for the past several days because the news media will not leave them alone. Sure, there was the standard feeding frenzy of reporters the day that they found out, but they seem to have failed to grasp the family’s message of “we’re in mourning and we don’t want to talk, please leave us alone”.

I understand the importance of the press, but there’s a point where trying to get the latest scoop can go too far. Intruding on the privacy of a grieving family to get a scoop falls under that purview in my book.