I'm not a good person to ask about the blogmeet portion of the event, since Beloved Wife TNT & I didn't arrive until noon on Saturday (would've been 11, but we forgot that Indiana is on Eastern Time right now), and wimped out of the Lafayette Brewing Co. long before midnight - a little sleepy from the long drive, fighting to stay warm, and the yummy food & beer, both at TC's Restaurant and the LBC.

As for the Wolf Park experience itself, well, I've been there before, and all I can say is that it was even better the second time around. I already knew some of the names & history of the 4-legged residents, so there was a certain level of comfort upon returning. Not unlike visiting relatives for the holidays.

And I mean the GOOD relatives, not drunken Uncle Bob whose always trying to get you to invest in pyramid schemes.

Wes of Bodhran (Drum) Roll, Please! pointed out one of the biggest virtues of Wolf Park as a venue for observing wolves when he said, "there was no Disneyfication about wolves". All the romanticizing and mythology is stripped away. You see the wolves as they are. Although their environment is enclosed, there is no sense that the wolves feel confined. This is not a zoo. The wolves are free to be who they are and interact with each other as they see fit.

"But," I hear you ask, "can't you get all that from just watching a good nature documentary?"

Sort of, but - while things like the Dutcher's story, "Living With Wolves" would make good prep for a Wolf Park visit - it's just not the same. A documentary is heavily edited and only makes the points that its creators want to get across. At Wolf Park, the wolves show you how they live, in their own way, in their own time, and with no point to make other than "this is who we are".

What fascinated me about the visit is that 99% of wolf behavior happens for a reason. No matter if they're standing, sniffing, rolling in something, pawing at someone, or even laying in the grass, you can ask your tour guide "why?" and get yet another insight into the mind of these animals as they struggle to find a balance between amusing themselves individually and fulfilling their roles as pack members. Sometimes they vie for status. Sometimes they seek to reinforce the position they already hold. Sometimes they just want to roll in the grass because it tickles.

When approached with a philosophical mind, you may find yourself discovering parallels to your own life.

But even if you don't want to get THAT deep, there's also a distinct pleasure in the experience for dog owners. If you've had your dog for years, observing his behavior day after day, you'll tend to think of it in terms of how he's "just like a person". A trip to Wolf Park brings insight for how his behavior is "just like a wolf". You'll gain understanding as to which of your dog's actions result from domestication, and which are left over from the wild. At times you'll exclaim "my dog does that too!", and other times you'll be relieved that your dog has left his wild brethren's habits behind him. But in either case, you'll come away with a deeper knowledge of the "little wolf" in your house.

Best of all, Wolf Park also helps you comprehend these insights by providing a friendly, knowledgable staff that is positively giddy to answer any questions you have. Like anyone else who knows what they're talking about, they love to discuss any and all aspects of wolves, Wolf Park, wolf society, foxes, bison, habits, environments, and - of course - how you can get a chance to meet a wolf up close & personal.

Speaking of the staff, when Gale hands you a heavy, oddly-shaped object and asks you to guess what it is... well, I won't give it away, but I can at least tell you that you're holding it upside down. Hold it with the pointy things aimed towards the floor.

Also, be sure to ask Gale about the "skeletons in her closet". She's got a LOT of them, and isn't shy about sharing if you express an interest.

Oh, and I heard a rumor that she's got an intriguing exhibition planned for later this year. Still in the planning stages, but I hope it's up & running the next time I go to Wolf Park.

Now, as for the blogmeet portion of the experience, I'll make an observation that I've found holds true for every blogmeet I've been to. It was too damn short, and there wasn't enough time to chat with each person as I would've liked. In this case especially, because we were all either trying to stay warm, or sitting around a HUGE table, so mingling was restricted. So although I had a lot of fun at Wolf Park, I regret not arriving early enough to get in on some of the more free-form socialization at Blake's house the night before.

With those restrictions in mind, I'll say a few words about the bloggers I met for the first time:

Machelle of Quality Weenie - I'd always gotten the impression from her blog that she was quite outgoing. And this may be true when she's not freezing. But the sense that I got when I met her is that she's more of a listener than a talker. Unfortunately, so am I, so we didn't get to be as chatty with each other as we might under warmer and more mobile circumstances. Still, it was a pleasure to finally meet one of my oldest (blog-time-wise) and dearest blogdaughters in person.

Mrs. Wes - I never even got the chance to introduce myself, but I *did* notice that she asked a lot of insightful questions during the Wolf Park tour, so I know that she's thoughtful, bright, and engaging. When I finally get to meet her again, I know it'll be a good time. I suspect Wes is just being selfish and trying to keep her all to himself.

Oddybobo of Bobobloggger - No surprise at all. If you've ever read her blog or had her playing around in your comments, she's every bit as sweet, laughing and adorable in person as she is in writing.

BloodSpite of Technography - Like I've said, I'm a better listener than talker, so I was right in my element with BloodSpite, because he can tell you tales all night long and keep you entertained the whole time. For the record, he's neither as bloody nor as spiteful as his name implies :-)

BloodSpouse - After hearing what a wildman BloodSpite was in his youth, I wondered how he survived. Turns out that BloodSpouse had been a civilizing influence on him. She didn't get to talk a whole lot, since BloodSpite isn't the sort to leave a lot of dead air in a conversation. Nevertheless, from her patient smiles as he told stories that she'd probably heard a thousand times, I was left with the impression of a kind and supportive woman, and one VERY lucky man, who I hope realizes what a good deal he got :-)

J. Wiley of Back Home Again - He was a surprise. A lurker who popped in at the Lafayette Brewing Company to meet the crazy blog crew he'd been reading about for so long. Sadly, I only got to pass a dozen or so words with him while getting a beer from the bar (remember, big table, not much mingling - he was at the other end), but I was flattered and honored that he took the time to see us. I just wish I'd have known he was coming so that I could've read his blog & gotten to know him better. Ah, well, he's on the "Bloggers I've Met" roll, now, so I'll make up for it.

Also, if you're the sort who does, please include J's father in your prayers.

For further Howl on the Prowl reviews, see:

Contagion of Miasmatic Review
BloodSpite of Technography
That 1 Guy of Drunken Wisdom
Oddybobo of Bobo Blogger
Machelle of Quality Weenie (also some photos here)
Tammi of Tammi's World
Ktreva of The Reality Ranch (part 1 and part 2)
Wes of Bodhran (Drum) Roll, Please!
Blake of The Laughing Wolf

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1 Fantastic post, but on the downside I guess this means I need to do a real wrap-up post too. Agree on wishing there had been more time just to talk, but there never is enough of that at any blogmeet.

Posted by: Laughing Wolf at February 26, 2006 07:29 AM (5cMH5)

2 I so wish I could have been there too... Even though it *was* the coldest weekend we have had! Glad you had a good time.

Posted by: Richmond at February 26, 2006 08:01 AM (e8QFP)

3 Damn....funny witty...and he's pretty damn accurate too Was great fun Harv, will def try to go again some time! However it will have to be somewhere, and time....warmer.....

Posted by: BloodSPite at February 26, 2006 08:14 AM (+SBBH)

4 I said the same thing about comparing my dogs to the wolves, very definate parallels and sometimes I wonder if mine are really all that domesticate. They act like animals at times.

Posted by: Machelle at February 26, 2006 10:55 AM (BksWB)

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(Introduction)

Let there be such oneness between us,
that when one cries, the other tastes salt.

(CAUTION: Romantics beware - comments may contain naughtiness)

[Like the Love Notes? Get the e-book]

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(Introduction)

(click to enlarge)

[(Rubber stamp: Support the Seperation of Church and State www.godoffmoney.com]

Or support the separation of idiots and rubber stamps at www.useyourdamnspellchecker.com

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Need a gyrating representation of an Elder God to make your sing-along experience complete?

Dancing Karaoke Cthulhu

Song list:
1999
Always On My Mind
American Woman
Aquarius
Bad Moon Rising
Betty Davis Eyes
Another One Bites the Dust
Bizarre Love Triange
Bohemian Rapsody
California Dreaming
I Think I'm a Clone Now
Come Together
Don't Stand So Close To Me
Eat It
Every Breath You Take
Eye of the Tiger
Fever
Funkytown
Hotel California
I Shot the Sheriff
Johnny B. Good
Knockin On Heaven's Door
La Bamba
Love Me Tender
My Way
Love Potion #9
Puff the Magic Dragon
Purple Haze
Radio Ga Ga
Respect
Riders on the Storm
Satisfaction
Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
Stairway to Heaven
Take On Me
Time Warp
With or Without you
Waltzing Matilda
White Wedding
YMCA
Yellow Brick Road
Zombie

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One of my blogless friends from high school passed this along to me:

Talking Spanish Inquisitor Plush Doll

Manufactured by ToyVault - who has an extensive "Holy Grail" line, as well - and available at fine on-line stores everywhere (Google "Talking Spanish Inquisitor" to comparison shop).

Warehouse 23 has the best description of the item, but they're currently out of stock.

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(A Filthy Lie cross-posted from IMAO)

Discovery Channel has a show called "Mythbusters" wherein special-effects experts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman examine popular urban legends, constructing elaborate experiments to determine whether they have any basis in fact. For example, if you use a bullet in place of one of your truck's fuses, can it go off and shoot you?

Recently, Adam & Jamie undertook one of their most intriguing investigations to date: Does the cuteness of a puppy actually effect its potency as an energy drink, as claimed by Glenn Reynolds?

First, test puppy A:

Wow! That's one ugly puppy!

After thorough blending:

The beverage was fed to an anonymous test subject, known only as F.J.:

Hmmm... doesn't look too energetic...

Next, test puppy B:

Blend! Blend! Blend:

What does F.J. think about this one?

And there you have it folks, Glenn Reynolds was right: "the cuter the puppy, the better the energy drink"

Be sure to check out Mythbusters next week when they investigate whether worshipping Satan can make your crappy book rise to #1 at Amazon.

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(A Precision Guided Humor Assignment cross-posted from IMAO)

Wandering about the greeting card aisle this last Valentine's Day, I was struck by the fact that there seems to be a card for almost every occasion.

Except the War on Terror.

It occurs to me that Hallmark could make a killing if they expanded their offerings a bit, for example:

Infidels! You make me mad!
Praising Allah's not so bad.
You must do things Islam's way,
Listen now to what I say.

Pray five times toward Mecca town
Women covered with a gown
No more pork and no free speech
No bikinis on the beach

Obey me lest I chop your head
Blow you up, and make you dead.
I return to my cave now after that.
To dine upon this tasty rat.

YUM!

Love,
Osama

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(Introduction)

To me, fair friend, you never can be old
For as you were when first your eye I eyed,
Such seems your beauty still.

(CAUTION: Romantics beware - comments may contain naughtiness)

[Like the Love Notes? Get the e-book]

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(Introduction)

(click to enlarge)

[Happy Birthday Granny - Love Pie Face]

Yes, Granny loved Pie Face, and wished that she could cherish his gift forever...

But Granny also needed a beer, and tappers were a buck a piece at the VFW...

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In the comments to this entry about Hugh Laurie's marvelous American accent posted by Jim of Parkway Rest Stop, commenter Sluggo chimes in:

Why do Americans sound so phoney when they try to put on an English accent, but the gotammed Brits can sound like they just rolled in from Lincoln, Nebraska whenever they want?

If I had to guess, I'd say that it's because the "accentless" cornbelt dialect is quite popular in movies & TV, and fairly consistent between speakers. If you can tell the difference between someone from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska, I'd be flabbergasted. So of the thousands of famous people who speak "Normal American", you can pick any one of them to emulate & pass yourself off as a Yank.

Famous British accents, however, are numerous and conflicting in style. If you're in-country and travel 20 miles down the road (or even across town in London), it's going to be noticably different. It's just harder for an American to pick one and find enough examples of it to master it properly. Who should I pick? Mick Jagger? Pierce Brosnan? Benny Hill? John Cleese? Tony Blair?

So my short answer is: because Hollywood is a district of Los Angeles, not London.

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Filthy Lie Assignment reminder: What urban legends about Evil Glenn should the Mythbusters team investigate? due by 11pm EST Friday, February 24th. Late entries must be accompanied by a lame excuse.

Wednesday Linky Stuff

Basil's Blog Tip: Alternatives To Blogger Part 3: Blogsome - Short answer - like Wordpress.com except with more template control.

Basil's Blog Tip: How to display Day By Day vertically in your sidebar. - Can't believe how painless that was! - copy, paste, rebuild, done.

New Precision Guided Humor Assignment: What underutilized resources could we apply towards winning the War on Terror?

Filthy Truths

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(Introduction)

All I need is my one star in the sky, to wish for you every day.

(CAUTION: Romantics beware - comments may contain naughtiness)

[Like the Love Notes? Get the e-book]

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(Introduction)

(click to enlarge)

[Davis 12x2=24]

From "Victor Davis Hanson: The Unauthorized Biography", p 17:

"Although today the strength of his writing is legendary, Victor was a poor student as a youth, sometimes resorting to the use of 'crib notes' when answering questions like 'What is 12 times 2?' and 'Name?'"

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Here's some advice from a guy who does job interviews.

Also, Jim of Snooze Button Dreams is a sweetie, so if you have more questions about what interviewers are looking for, leave him a comment or drop him a line.

Personally, I'd like to hear more of what he has to say on this topic, since articles from an interviewer's perspective aren't as common as I wish they were.

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Got kids that need a nighty-night fairy-tale?

Try "A DragonÂ’s Tear" by Josh of Quibbles & Bits.

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Bloggranddaughter Carmen of I'll Do What I Wanna Do...Gosh! asks about the age-old mystery:

If the professor on GilliganÂ’s Island can make a radio out of a coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat?

As far as I know, they never address the question on the show, but I'd like to take offer up some plausible reasons.

* No nails.

* Simply can't make waterproof tar/glue/sealant out of the local plants.

* The propellor, shaft, and/or other engine parts were damaged when the boat hit the beach.

* No gas to run the engine.

Did I miss anything?

Posted by: Harvey at 08:17 AM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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(Introduction)

There's no finer caress than a love letter, because it makes the world very small, and the writer and reader, the only rulers.

(CAUTION: Romantics beware - comments may contain naughtiness)

[Like the Love Notes? Get the e-book]

Posted by: Harvey at 08:09 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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(Introduction)

(click to enlarge)

[IF YOU SAVE THIS DOLLAR AND PUT THIS MESSAGE ON 10 1 dollar bills YOU WILL BE BLESSED W/MORE $]

Bah! You kids today... you have it SO easy, with your spam-pyramids and your state lotteries... Back in MY day, we had to make up our own ineffectual money-for-nothing schemes, and by golly, we LIKED it that way!

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I've never owned a ferret, but I've played with a few. They're funny and adorable.

Blogson GEBIV lost his ferret, Slinky.

I mourn with him.

I also noticed that he was feeling down in general, possibly for non-Slinky related reasons:

But sometimes it's hard to see where I've really done any good by being around.

I'm reminded of a quote, and I'm paraphrasing: "I'll make about as much of a hole in life as your finger does when you pull it out of a bucket of water."

I know what he's TRYING to get at with the quote - that when your finger leaves the water, the water closes up like your finger was never there. But the FIRST thing I thought of was that the quote was referring to taking your finger out of a hole in the BUCKET, and all the water would drain out.

I believe the second one is closer to the truth.

Truth is, I would be a very dry bucket without GEBIV. I owe him a LOT. Mostly in regards to the Alliance of Free Blogs.

Because he's one of the few people who actually GETS why I post assignments twice a week.

It's not because I think it's important, it's because there's satisfaction in meeting the challenge of trying to be silly on a specific topic twice a week. It helps you develop a little self-discipline as a writer, and it also gives you a chance to experiment with new styles & techniques of humor. Some work, some don't, but at least you TRY, and you broaden your horizons by doing so.

The fact that he's been one of the few people who consistently completed assignments with me is greatly appreciated. Sometimes that game got pretty darn lonely.

He's also one of the few people I'd trust to do justice to the round-ups, and I'm VERY grateful that he took those over for me. He gives me the chance to spend more time with my wife, friends, & blogkids. You ALL owe him one for that.

Whether that "one" is a debt of gratitude or a punch in the head, I leave to your discretion, but still...

Anyway, GEBIV, you're a good writer with a great sense of humor, and your absence would leave me with a broken bucket and a puddle on the floor, so leave your finger where it is.

...Which only SOUNDS dirty.

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I've been tag-team memed by bloggranddaughter ArmyWifeToddlerMom and blogdaughter Teresa of Technicalities.

With sparkling dialogue, and a plot that clips along rapidly, rarely pausing to gaze at it's own navel. The only time cinematographic hue makes a difference is the rare occasion in black and white movies where the color of something is a plot point. "What a lovely red dress!"... um... it's gray... so that part of the scene just fell flat.

2: What is the one single subject that bores you to near-death?

Generally, very little, since I tend to hang around with excellent story-tellers. Most of the bloggers I know could write an intriguing essay on floor-sweeping techniques.

Outside of that, the process of color-co-ordination involved in decorating a room, and picking out non-functional items that complement the decorating scheme.

When I die and go to hell, I will be forced to shop for such items, accompanied by a dull-witted woman who uses the word "cute" WAAAAAY too much.

3: MP3s, CDs, Tapes or Records: what is your favorite medium for prerecorded music?

CD's - mostly because - having grown up with vinyl records and tapes - I was tickled pink by a format that let me skip directly to the beginning of the next song without either having to guess where it started, or risking putting a damaging scratch in the medium.

On the other hand, I'm quite partial to tapes, too, since most of my music collection is pre-MP3 legacy, and I appreciate how durable cassettes are. None of that "OO! Be gentle! Don't scratch it!" crap. Sit on it, step on it, drop it in the mud. It'll play fine.

4: You are handed one first class trip plane ticket to anywhere in the world and ten million dollars cash. All of this is yours provided that you leave and not tell anyone where you are going ... Ever. This includes family, friends, everyone. Would you take the money and ticket and run?

Immediate response - HELL no! Beloved Wife TNT is irreplaceable!

But assuming that WEREN'T an issue... that's a LOT of money... would being a rich bachelor be SO bad?...

Well, no...

But it's the "can't tell anyone" part that would kill me. I'd have to quit blogging, because - regardless of pseudonym - SOMEONE would recognize me eventually. So I'd be forced to settle for whatever friends I could bump into randomly in the meat-world, without the efficient screening process of blogs.

Not a process I'd care to engage in again.

5: Seriously, what do you consider the world's most pressing issue now?

People who want to use the government to "help" me. I'd settle for being left alone. Really.

6: How would you rectify the world's most pressing issue?

Blog.

Seriously.

The only way to make changes in the world is to float good products out into the marketplace of ideas, and blogging is the best way for an individual to do that. There are no guarantees, but you never know who might be listening and how far your voice can reach.

Beats yelling at the TV.

7: You are given the chance to go back and change one thing in your life; what would that be?

I would've changed jobs before I got fired.

8: You are given the chance to go back and change one event in world history, what would that be?

I would make sure the 16th Amendment never got passed.

9: A night at the opera, or a night at the Grand Ole' Opry --Which do you choose?

Opera - I assume there's SOMETHING good out there, and I don't like country music.

10: What is the one great unsolved crime of all time you'd like to solve?

The murder of Fidel Castro.

What? He's not dead yet?

Oh, wait... it's still the 21st, isn't it? Nevermind...

11: One famous author can come to dinner with you. Who would that be, and what would you serve for the meal?

P.J. O'Rourke - One of the few people who can make me laugh out loud with their writing.

Dinner would consist of a bottle of 18 year old Glenmorangie and some Hoyo de Monterreys.

12: You discover that John Lennon was right, that there is no hell below us, and above us there is only sky -- what's the first immoral thing you might do to celebrate this fact?

Well, I'm already in agreement with John Lennon on that point, so I'd consult my list of daily immoralities and do whichever one was next. Probably either cursing or fornication.

Lynn of a Sweet, Familiar Dissonance - because she LOVES memes. (Hey, at least this one has an opera question)

Kevin of Eckernet - so he'll take a break from posting disturbing pictures like this one.

RedNeck of RedNeck Ramblings - he needs a break from doing all that laundry.

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