Special Holiday Extravaganza!

So, since this is an extra-long holiday weekend, here's an giant size blog post to go along with it. Actually, it's just a bunch of stuff that is cluttering up my to blog file, none of which is significant enough to support its own post but each of which I want to get out there. This is just a gussied-up pic dump, but extravaganza sounds a lot classier, no?

Without further ado:

I have more than one friend who is (or has been) in the rusty-metal-as-art school . For them, here's this detail of a large hangar-type door in the old Sand Point naval base site.

 

Is is settling if your highest athletic achievement is third in your age class in a 5K? Cuz this might be the last, best medal I get.

After I posted some pics of the new office, I was chided for not yet having my books in some sort of order. Well, they have been organized, but I can't say I am very happy with the result.

 

This totally looks like some sort of tree you'd encounter in a D&D campaign, no?

Why do I love the look of this cat illustration so darn much?

A little facile, but good advice nonetheless.

 Phatic communication and social pleasantries explained.

 I can't decide whether this is irony or poignancy.

This is exactly how I remember European beaches - totally ordered, and you can tell when you move from one resort's territory to another's by the change in umbrella color. The effect even has power on the ground.

And last but not least: steampunk, heck - there was a time when real life looked like this.

(Sorry there are no citations...)

Thanks

There's a lot wrong with the mythology of Thanksgiving, which arose from a particularly distorted view of our history, and we should recognize that.

There is a benefit, separate from any specific stories, to taking a moment to be grateful for all that we have.

Valuing the people that we know, the comforts that we enjoy, and even the things that we have will hopefully encourage us to realize what is truly valuable.

Taking time from our labors to come together and celebrate and share is good, and let us also be mindful of those who have been less fortunate than we have.

So, on this day I am humbly thankful for the material privilege I enjoy, the friends that I have found, and the love that I have shared.

And just so this doesn't become a too much of a sunrise sermonette, I am also grateful to live in a world where Wonder Woman rides a giant kangaroo.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.