Excuse me while I whip this out...

Since everybody else is playing, I'll play too.  These two knives were just pulled from my pocket.

The knife on the left is a Wenger Swiss Army Knife, which is unendingly useful. The right hand knife is my Gerber Descent, which I've carried since it replaced my Kershaw Vapor a year or so back. The blade shape is about ideal for general use, and it holds an edge far better than I'd expect. I'm abusive toward knives, and this one just keeps going.

Lokidude

Seen on a bumper sticker

While driving home from work:

"All your base are neutralized by acid."

I lol'ed like a nerd.

Lokidude

Kilted to kick cancer

First off, the info is here.

I'm not tossing in my hat, at least not for myself.  My traffic is far too low to be anywhere near competitive.  Instead, I'm asking that you donate to one of the other fine bloggers.  I really don't care who.  Back Kelly.  Or Old NFO.  Or Stingray.  Or Alan.  Or JayG.

Because seriously, it's about far more than some online contest.  This is, quite seriously, a matter of life and death.  1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer.  That's TWO DUDES in your average fantasy football league.  That's one of your best drinking buddies.  That's a figure that is far too high to screw around with.

So donate, through whichever blogger you choose.  If you're a man of appropriate age, swallow your shame and get your ass checked out (no pun intended.)

Even though I'm not playing for the big prize, there happen to be pictures of me in a kilt out there somewhere.  Here's the deal.  I'll be donating $40 come payday.  If any of my readers is willing to match me, and email me their confirmation number (utredneck on the gmail service), I'll dig up the picture, and it will be my blogpic for the rest of the year.

Get on it.

Lokidude.

Men with guns

On September 11, 2011, two men walked into a grocery store in Ogden Utah, openly carrying firearms. And not a damn thing happened.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

Lokidude

10 years later

I have plenty of hazy, scattered memories of September 11, 2001.

I remember waking up to a call from Mom, telling me to turn on the TV, that there'd been a horrible accident. I remember watching the second plane hit, and knowing it was not than coincidence. I remember seeing the wreckage at the Pentagon, and being truly scared for the first time in the whole mess.

About that time, I hauled myself over to the university. I really don't know why, I guess I needed a sense of normalcy. Not that anybody did anything. We rigged up a portable radio and speakers and sat outside the band room all day, listening and feeling shell-shocked.

The memory that I hang, to, though, is something the world learned about weeks later. "Let's roll!" Two simple words, uttered by people who had to know they were going to die, but were determined to die on their feet, free and uncowed.

To me, that embodies the American way. To stand up to evil, to get pissed off, and kick it in the nuts, no matter the odds. And THAT is truly what we need to never forget.

Lokidude