Rest In Peace, Bret Falk

I got an email today saying that Bret Falk, one of the founders of my TightCircle, Horns, died. Here's a link to my favorite cartoon by Bret that appeared in The Pelican, UC Berkeley's humor magazine.

Oh,what the hell. I'll post the cartoon without permission.

Library Haikus

Margaret had a haiku contest at Carnivorous Nights' Haiku Zoo on the theme of cryptozoology the other month. It gave me the idea to run a little haiku contest at the liberry where I work for the chill'un. I put out the entry forms and a sign out yesterday. I hope the kids write some good haiku.

These were the examples I put out:

Have you been waiting
For Harry Potter Seven?
Prepare to wait more

It's too hot to play
Why not open a good book
about Elephants?

Monsy's Zen Garden

My high school English/Journalism teacher, Montserrat Fontes, used to keep a zen garden on her desk in her classroom where she kept a rolled up dollar, out in the open. I guess it was one way she showed her students that she trusted them. I was playing with the idea of doing something similar in the public library where I work to build a feeling of trust with the kids. Then, I remembered, all the kids know where are cars are parked. Good enough.

Evilkins

One nickname for my cat, Inkblot, is Miss Evilkins because she likes to attack my other peace-loving cat, Milo. TK tells me that Inkblot only does this when I'm in the apartment, so I think the fighting must be associated with territoriality over me. (Inkblot is extremely attached to me.) I woke up this morning with an aphorism in my head -

The love of Mun Mun is the root of all evilkins.