This is the saddest thing I saw all day. I really can't think of a more appropriate way for things to play out though. Dying to protect his tiny piece of rock, protecting it from someone who really loved him, but wanted to take his rock away.

I remember very little about that book because I never really read it when I was a little kid. I was way too damaged, and I probably still am. But that story sums up a lot about warring over politics.

Also, if the German had held up, it could have easily been "95 year old French author shoots down superfan".

Pretty much everything I take pictures of goes to My Flickr page now. However, we have an album of photos here from our trip to Xpu-Ha Palace just south of Cancun, Mexico right here. It's been a couple years and we still can't recommend that place enough.

Some other older pictures are still at my old photo page.

My brother-in-law is almost finished taking part in this year's Mongol Rally. They have made it from London to Mongolia, though their car and one of its occupants did not. There are several posts below that were pretty interesting along the way:

My friend Steve loses at the cellphone and missed out on a drinking opportunity and stranded me in an airport parking lot. I made him a demotivational poster.

[music | Tina Turner - Goldeneye]

I have very rarely seen heat lightning like what we have in NH right now anywhere outside the midwest. This is crazy, but at least I don't feel bad about missing fireworks. Strangely, I was watching Goldeneye when the storm came through and wiped out my satellite.

Speaking of Satellites, here are some photos of the biggest commercial dish in the world coming down:

[music | Throwing Muses - Tango]

Shows are starting to interfere with my life, now that I don't even work? How is that? Apparently the Morrissey show is rescheduled for this Saturday night, but the site keeps changing its mind, so who knows. We have a wedding that day. Then Chris Isaak of all people is keeping me from going to DefCon in Vegas, since that show is on the last day of the Con and we were going to stay a couple extra days to do touristy things. I almost tried the old "but we did already see him...". I decided against it.

I hope his voice is better for those who do get to go. I'm really bummed out now.

[music | Big Audio Dynamite - Medicine Show]

Pretty much all the pictures from Tampa are up now, except the Devil Rays game, but honestly, who the hell cares. Not me. Next week, Toronto.

Adam Gadahn, huh. Why can't any of these wackos just not resemble me in any way?

Dude could be my twin. Mucko, even RMS. WTF. At least I shaved off most of my beard yesterday.

Florida is great, got torched today, there is a set of pictures from SeaWorld at Flickr. More to come including a Devil Rays game and some rad armadillo photos taken tonight.

[music | DJ? Acucrack]

Some photos (some good, some bad) of Defcon 14 day one.

I have to go to the greater Detroit area to install some bunch of network hardware in the next couple of weeks, and I'm trying to find stuff to do.

It just dawned on me today via Natalie that I will be in Detroit over Memorial Day weekend. She was predictably happy about me being gone over the long weekend.

I set about finding shows to go to during that time in Detroit, but found nothing that really stood out, at least on Ticketmaster. If Natalie was going with me, we'd get to Gaelic Storm (especially since I walked by the dining room table tonight and it was the top CD in her stack of stuff from the office). If I was reasonably sure I wouldn't get stabbed or shot, there's the Rap City Showcase, which I think would just be fun, but probably would end in blood, pepper spray, or both. Rap show, Detroit, two dumb white guys. I don't have to watch 8 Mile to know this is probably a bad plan. I thought there was some story about a Detroit Rap Showcase type deal ending in a mass trampling after someone peppersprayed the dancefloor, but I can't find it. I may be making the whole thing up. Maybe it was Chicago. Some flyover state anyway.

I momentarily considered going to Panic Channel, but I'm not convinced yet. I haven't heard a lick of music except to note that we've got 2 original JA members, and one from when they were swirling their last down the bowl. I'm torn on that. Opinions? Maybe I'll get a CD at lunch and make the call.

However, then it dawned on me that, hey, Memorial Day, Midwest. Indy. What kind of Hoosier would I be if I didn't see the 500 mile race at least once live. I know the only way to watch is on TV, I know the whole thing has gone down the crapper in the last decade (but looks like at least speed-wise is doing really well), but I figured if I can score infield passes and decent seats, it's definitely worth the 5 hour ride from Detroit. I'm not going to try and explain why I like open-wheel racing. It's like having a conversation with someone who INSISTS that "not all Kid Rock songs are retarded, he's really musical". Yep, I'll make lots of friends in Detroit.

In any case, I'm going to try really hard to be in Niagara for Tony Bennett on my way back, because how awesome is that? Maybe I'll try and get my wife to drive or fly out and meet me for that, make up for the 10 days away.