Random Erik

I’ve just received one of those emails listing qualities that make someone a “Bad American”, and how the author is proud to be one. It starts by claiming the author to be a “Liberal-Progressives (sic) Worst Nightmare”.

Bad American quality number one? He didn’t pay attention when they discussed apostrophes in the American public school system. Maybe the teacher had a progressive-liberal attitude towards punctuation and the author dutifully ignored the lesson.

This piece has been circulating since at least 2000, and has been attributed to George Carlin (who disavowed it), Ted Nugent (who published it in his magazine, but didn’t take credit for it), Andy Rooney and others. While no one is sure, many agree it likely was a contributor to freerepublic.com who goes by the moniker “Bootyist Monk”.

There are many other things listed as beliefs of the “Bad American”: the right to gun ownership, freedom of religion, Harley Davidsons, American products, a “speak English or leave” attitude, etc. The list I received had been shortened in some places and added to in others, often tellingly. And hey, I agree with some of the statements and disagree with others. I just wanted to clarify that, since I’ll be focussing on the latter. Read more »

Maggie has made Best of the Fest for Austin’s FronteraFest theatre festival (that’s a lot of “fest” in one sentence, but I digress). She ran two pieces this year, both worthy of the honor, and her story of Queen obsession “Stalking Roger Taylor” has been chosen. The other piece is every bit as good, but the festival audiences favor the comedy and “Stalking” is a real crowd-pleaser. It even has a sing-along at the end.

And so, Maggie is very happy. But, she immediately said, she’d need to add “wildcard” when she mentioned the show’s “best of” laurels. The festival ends with three bills of “best”, two being judges picks and a wildcard night in which the theatre staff choose the shows they feel should have been picked. And the staff has had to sit through every show, while the judges (I believe) rotate through the weeks. Read more »

Let me start by saying that I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. I always felt that those were an excuse to wait until January 1 to stop doing something, or start doing something. If something needs changing, and I know it, I (try) to get to work on it whatever the time of year.

So why am I launching two new projects on January 1 (and getting around to writing about it on the second)? Well, one involves doing something every day for a year, so it’ll be very simple to keep track of the start and end dates. The other is a weekly, open-ended project. Read more »

I’ve been working in the kitchen as Maggie away. I hauled the Cintiq tablet monitor from the office and hooked it to my laptop on the breakfast bar. Why? Because the office doesn’t get direct sunlight, and until we sort out the lighting my mood is improved by not spending all of my time in there. I draw on the Cintiq, and the Web comic I’m developing is going to change the world forever. So I’m drawing for many hours a day and appreciate the natural lighting. However, I digress. I’m in the kitchen, with our little TV on, watching The Simpsons.

Or, I was watching them before I got engrossed in something. When I looked up, “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader” had come on. I’ve carefully avoided this show. I can’t stand Jeff Foxworthy’s “aw shucks I’m a good-old boy redneck” routine. The title is downright insulting. I teach kids, some that age. I love them. They’re bright, inspired kids. But… I am smarter than them, at least in most ways. I don’t think that is either insulting to them or bragging on my part. I’d be in real trouble if I were teaching rooms full of smarter people. Read more »

This is going to be a difficult piece to write. I’m taking a risk here, opening up in a blog with an admission that may even come as news to my wife and friends. Because I may not be who some people think I am.

It’s an old story. Starting about age 12, everything in my life went a bit crazy. I began experiencing odd feelings when I was around my classmates, or hanging out with my friends at the pool. Watching the way they moved, the way they looked with water glistening on their skin, listening to their conversations and feeling a terrible sense of yearning and loneliness. I can admit it now. I was deeply attracted to members of… the opposite sex. Girls. I loved girls (still do, but from the standpoint of a happily married man with no designs on anyone else honestly Maggie how could you even think such a thing). I thought about them all of the time. ALL of the time. At a time when most guys were worried that they just might grow up to like other guys “in that way,” my focus stayed entirely on girls. Read more »