Searching for "The Blunt Harpoon"

When I first started blogging in 2004, I acquired a few blogging friends that I have to this day:  Deek, Lorna, Se7en, Astrid, Abby Taylor, Jen T, Wang Chi, Silly Man, Danno, Aisha, SoCal Mom, GnightGirl.

Others have come and gone (Old Horsetail Snake [RIP], Sleepybomb, Sophmom, Dr. Sauce, Marinade Dave, Hattaraspainter), but I still think about them.  One that I think about in particular is Lauren (Dr. Sauce) who was a 14 year old girl and author of a fabulous blog called "The Blunt Harpoon."  She was an amazing writer, not just for her age, but for any age.  She would be around 20 years old now and I wonder about her life and how she's doing.

Lauren, if you're out there, Se7en and I hope you're well and happy and would love to hear from you.  We're both still blogging and us old timers are even on "The Facebooks."  Stalk us...please.

I've Lost a Beautiful Blogging Friend

A couple of years ago, I met Teresa Burns because she commented on a blog post I made.  We both live in the same town, but never made time to get together although we spoke of it through comments and e-mails often.  Shortly after Teresa started her blog in 2008, she found out she had ovarian cancer.

She wrote occasionally about her cancer battle, but not exclusively.  She had a life, after all, which included a beautiful daughter and a loving husband.  If you'd like to read her courageous blog posts, click here.

God bless you and your family, Teresa.  I know you will be missed.

In Memory of Old Horsetail Snake

Oct. 1 and 2, 1930 - March 7, 2009

When I started blogging over four years ago, one of my first blogging friends was Old Horsetail Snake a/k/a Gene Maudlin. "Old Hoss" as he called himself, passed away yesterday. He was a frequent and hilarious commenter here and I will miss him terribly.

Whenever I look at my cell phone contact list, I see the phone number of my Uncle Wayne who passed away last year and I see the phone number of Mama Theresa's Italian restaurant which was destroyed by Hurricane Ike when it devasted Crystal Beach last September. I know I'll never be able to delete those phone numbers from my cell phone and I know will never be able to delete "Hoss" from my blogroll.

See you later, Hoss. Rabbit, rabbit.

From Home Fires by Lois Lane:
From the last line of his obituary (which he wrote himself): “Maudlin plans to be cremated and then will reincarnate.”

Sock Monkey...Anyone?...Anyone?

Are you looking for a top-quality, hand-made sock monkey for that perfect gift for that perfect sock monkey loving person? Then, you should buy one (or four) from my blogger friend Leslie (in the interest of family harmony, here's a link to her husband Grimm's blog, too) and her three generation team of sock monkey makers. Click here for the sock monkey store.*

Here's a short documentary on the sock monkey making process. I'm completing my Academy Award ballot as we speak.




* Don't buy me a sock monkey. They freak me out.

Sex and the Kitties

My blogging friends Grimm and Leslie are having a kitten problem. Here's a video Leslie made. Oh, and read their blogs. They're hilarious.

My Catching Up Blog Post

It's time for a little catching up post. You may or may not have noticed that I haven't been blogging daily lately. Hell, people. American Idol is on for five hours a week for the next few weeks. I'm only human, after all.

Let's catch up, shall we?

Lots of people go through dry spells with their blog writing. I don't have that problem. I have more things rattling around in my little head than I have time to write. I'm more of a stream of consciousness blogger. I don't give any thought as to whether or not a post will be entertaining or funny or touching. It's whatever is in my brain at the time and it has to come out. So, for better or worse, that's what you're getting. It constantly amazes me that anyone is entertained at all by any of this drivel.

That being said, I'VE WON AN AWARD! My fabulously brilliant blogging friend Grimm has given this blog an "Excellent" rating. Grimm and his wife are two of my favorite bloggers and you really should be reading them, too.

Here's my award...

Now, I have to pass on the award to a blog that I rate as excellent. While I love all of you equally (what?!), I have to give the award to my very first blogging friend, Lorna. She is a fabulously entertaining writer though, like most of you out there, she doesn't know how good she really is. Check her out. ((crazy applause for Lorna))

The Best I Can Do

In a comment on my Ringo/Ray Wylie Hubbard post, Grimm mentioned that he wants Ringo's hat. Since I don't personally know Ringo (yet), this is the best I can do.

You're welcome.

Grimm Hits the Big Time

My newest blogging friend, Grimm, (that's him up there with his wife and daughter) left a comment on my last post that he didn't realize that all you have to do to "hit the big time" is to be written about in this amazingly amazing special blog of mine.

He also said he would add that to his goals for 2007. So that he can get the 2006 tax deduction which all persons mentioned in this blog receive, I thought I would help him reach his goal in 2006 rather than have to wait until 2007.

Don't say I never did anything for you, Grimm, my man.

Tax return instructions - Form 1040:

Put the $5,000 "I Was Written About in Laurie's Blog" deduction on Line 26a of your 2006 Tax Return. Most people spend a relatively short time in federal prison for taking the deduction. You're welcome.

Two Year Blog--aversary

My cousin Zina just pointed out to me that the two-year anniversary of this blog passed without nary a mention from me. Although you'll find posts dated prior to 10/4, those were just made to upload pictures and such. My first official post was on 10/4 and it was, appropriately, about New Orleans. I won't link to it so that you will be forced to peruse my prolific and entertaining archives. You don't have anything better to do today, right?

To all my longest blogging friends: Lorna, Wang Chi, JenT., Deek, Old Horsetail Snake, Se7en, Lauren in Lafayette (wherever you are...hope you're well), Astrid and Abby and Mark at Falafel Sex, it's been great fun.

To all my newer blogging friends, to quote Danny DeVito in Throw Mama From the Train, "Remember, a writer writes, always." This is one of the best modes of direct brain to brain communication I can think of and I love it. Keep writing even if you stop blogging.

Edited to add: I went back to see what I posted on 10/4/06, the actual anniversary, and it's the post about my dad being in remission and Pamy calling him "The Tumor-nator." That's appropriate, I think.

Help Neal in Antarctica

My blogger friend Neal in Antarctica is planning a European vacation when his time at the South Pole ends in the near future. He needs advice. Pop over there and help him out. Even if you can't give him any advice, his writing is always amusing.

Fun Times in Antarctica - The 300 Club

I have a blogging friend who is working in Antarctica. His name is Neal and that's him on the right in the picture below. If you've ever wondered what people do with their spare time at the South Pole, you should check out his blog. This is what they do when the temperature dips down to a "bone" chilling -100F:

When the temperature drops to -100F (-73C) we turn the sauna up to 200F (93C). We disrobe and sit inside the sauna naked until we feel like we're cooked then go outside to the pole. The experience gives us a 300F degree (160C) change in temperature in a matter of seconds.

(Hubba, hubba)

Joke for Dad

Dad, my friend Neil over at Food for Thought has posted a joke for you. Who knew when I started this blogging stuff we'd make such nice friends from all over the world?!

Neil is from St Kilda, Victoria, Australia. How cool is that?

Blog Me

I'm not sure how it happened but, at some point, I came across the blog of a lady who lives in Southern California who writes about all sorts of interesting things: travel, raising a daughter, the lifestyle of some of her entertainment industry friends, working for Johnny Carson.

She's a much more socially active blogger than I am and she participates in conventions and things like that. You didn't even know there were such things as blogger conventions did you? In a few weeks, there is going to be a BlogHer Convention. Donna sent me the following interview which I am happy to complete for her.



When did you start blogging and why?
I’m that person in the office that people have always gone to when they need the funny birthday song or clever e-mail or witty office skit and I always enjoyed when people laughed at the things I wrote. A friend of mine had a blog and I saw an opportunity to bore a wider audience with my inane thoughts.

How do you use blogging to build friendships?
Something about the way a person writes or something a person sees in my writing just clicks sometimes. It isn’t a conscious effort.

What don’t you write about? Anything considered a no-no in your book?
I don’t usually write about the two biggies: religion and politics. If I do, it’s in a self-examination sort of way.

How do you feel about meeting bloggers in real life?I’ve only met a few and it was always enjoyable. However, it's difficult for me to transfer everything I know about their personality from reading their writing to the actual physical person standing in front of me. I know so much about them from their posts and then, when I meet them in person, there's an awkwardness for me that I never expect.

What is your favorite thing that you wrote? What got a strong reaction from readers? Links please?Oddly enough, I would say the strongest reaction I got to a post was when I was considering buying a Vespa.

My favorite posts at the moment are the greeting cards post and the bumper stickers I created.

In general, though, I would have to say my readers seem to prefer my weird big-ass animal posts.
Have you written anything controversial? Is blogging controversial?I’ve never written anything intentionally controversial. I’m sure I’ve written posts that my readers disagree with or have shocked some people. However, if they do disagree or find anything controversial, they evidently don’t comment on those posts.

I don't know that I would say blogging itself is controversial but it certainly can be in the keyboards of some bloggers.
Are you and your blogging persona the same person?
Yes. My ego won’t allow me to be anonymous and there is no room in my brain for additional personas (personi?). For better or worse, if I wrote it, you're going to know it came from me.

If you had a super power, what would it be?
That would definitely be invisibility. Oh, the mischief I would cause.

To All My Blogger Friends and Commenters...

I haven't read anyone's blogs for a while but I just put you all on Bloglines so it'll be easier to catch up. I confess that I haven't read some of you for quite a while and would forget about your blogs until you left me a comment. This should fix that! Now, if I would just quit falling asleep on the couch...

Last Plane Out

Neal in Antarctica posted this picture of the last plane departing with all of the non-essential personnel leaving behind those who will winter at the pole. I thought it was a great picture.

Don't you think Last Plane Out would be a great name for a band?

Edited to add:
While you're over there check out the amazing slideshow at the end of this post.

Neal in Antarctica

I have added a new blog link to my sidebar. It's the blog of a guy who is living and working in Antarctica.

I hate cold weather and I would love nothing better than to live in the chaos that is New York City or Las Vegas or the French Quarter. However, the thought of chucking it all and working for a year or so in Antarctica has always fascinated me.

I hope Neal keeps his blog going. It's very new. Pop over there and give him some encouragement. It should be interesting reading.

Current Situation in New Orleans

My new blogging friend Tim has posted a link to a very good article about how things are right now in New Orleans.

Tim and his family are back living in New Orleans and his blog gives you a really good sense of what it's like living day-to-day in today's New Orleans.

Stolen from Old Horsetail Snake

I got these off of Old Horsetail Snake's Bl*g (He doesn't allow the use of the word bl*g on his bl*g. So,since I'm stealing material from him, I shall do the same thing on this post.)

First, A Pirate Joke...
This pirate walks into a bar with a big ship's wheel stuck down his pants. The bartender says, "Excuse me, sir, but do you know you have a ship's wheel down the front of your pants?"And the pirate says, "Aaaargh, it's drivin' me nuts!"


Now, a Cartoon...

Old Horsetail Snake

This is one of my favorite blogging friends. He is better known as Old Horsetail Snake. Hoss lives in an Old and Wrinkly Folks' Home (that's one of his many names for the place where he lives) in Oregon.

This link explains why he is staying in the Old Farts Home (another of his names for it).

This link is a memorial to his wife who passed away a few weeks ago.

I introduce you to him because, if you aren't reading him, you should start today. These are a couple of snippets from his post today. I thought they were hilarious.


While cleaning out his room to move to a smaller apartment in the Old Farts Home, he found an old business card he had created for himself:

Treasure Maps - Fine Wines - White Women - Guns and Butter - Fertilizers and Contraceptives - Stag Parties and Box Socials

GENE MAUDLIN

Free-Booter - Raconteur - Bon Vivant - Gourmand - Connoisseur - Hedonist - Privateer Savant - Iconoclast - Swashes Buckled - Wars Fought - Masses Inflamed - Kings Dethroned - Shipping Disrupted - Devils Advocated - Camps Raided


He also found a card that put him "...in good standing as a member of the 'International Society of Imbibing Physiognomists**', which qualified me to use the title of "Indoor Bird Watcher."

Membership was granted to those who identified the following birds through the bottom of a martini glass while seated:

• Emerald-Throated Dowager
• Extra Marital Lark
• Whiteheaded Crotchgobbler
• Great American Regret
• Red-Eyed Vertigo
• Morning Grouse
• Gimlet-Eyed Bushtit
• Rosy-Breasted Pushover
• Midnight Bed Thrasher
• Swift Running Peewee
• Ruffled Spouse
• Hairychested Nut Scratcher
• Red-Peckered Woodhead

**A stupe who studies the outer appearance of a person - primarily the face - to gain knowledge of the inner personality.

86 Rules of Boozing

You must click on this link. It gives you the 86 Rules of Boozing. Very informative.

Sleepybomb is one of my blogging friends who lives out in Reno. He is originally from New Orleans and his blog is a wonderland of music information. He is a musician and his father, grandfather and uncle were The Dukes of Dixieland. I'm not sure but I think my dad had some old 78's of them that we used to listen to when I was very little. I remember sitting on dad's lap at the dining room table and listening to Tiger Rag. That was my favorite.

This link is to one of Sleepybomb's posts which is a tribute to his dad.