 Everyone else in America is probably taking it easy today, as it’s the day before Thanksgiving — OK, not the grocery store employees — but today I’ll be putting together next week’s paper and cursing you all under my breath.
But here’s some fun Thanksgiving stuff for everyone whose thoughts are going to turkey and pecan pie:
We’re going to see the new Harry Potter movie after work tonight, to celebrate my brother-in-law’s birthday.
On another note, happy birthday to Jonah, who is now, in his own words, an “old bastard.”
Like last time, it pays no money, but it’s still kinda cool.
Suck Da Head, Squeeze Da Tail is a Dungeons & Dragons compilation whose proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity as a way of helping out the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
I wrote the Swamp King prestige class to model the scary dude in the swamp who seems almost supernatural in his mastery of the environment:
They are figures of legend, moving through swamp and marsh as though they were kings riding through their realms.
Some are predators, hunting those who enter their territory with a mix of animal cunning and a mastery of their swampy domain. Others are heroes, protecting the weak who stumble into dangerous wetland territories. But most are mysteries, seldom seen, more known in rumor than in fact, lords of a domain few will ever penetrate and return to tell the tale.
The greatest of swamp kings are said to move through a swamp invisibly, able to appear and disappear at will and are said to command all the beasts of the swamp wetlands.
The five-level Swamp King prestige class starts on page 156.
 The Murloc Guy was an absolute star at BlizzCon, and now all his wacky hijinks are compiled online at Save the Murlocs!
(For the uninitiated, a murloc is a small fishy biped that lives around Azeroth’s coasts. In recent years, they’ve been moving further and further inland, and the rumor is that something in the water is driving them in from their normal habitats. They’re encountered everywhere young adventurers go, and thus a lot of baby murlocs get orphaned. Blizzard gave away in-game World of Warcraft murloc baby pets to BlizzCon attendees.)
- Strange in a totally different way: The George W. Bush Speechwriter. Assemble sound clips from previous speeches (no “new-clee-ur,” alas) and make the president say almost anything you want.
It was a kittentastic weekend around here, as you might expect. We got a few toys for them (and a carpet covered “kitty jail” to hide and climb through and besiege your sister in) although, as all parents probably suspect, their favorite toys ended up being things that we didn’t buy them at all, like the pulls on the blinds.
The two kittens are showing distinct personalities already, with Lucky being essentially fearless (just too busy having fun for much cuddling yet), and Hanna showing the impact of being raised in a house with a lot of children and a lot of dogs. Hanna guards her food like she’s in a prison cafeteria and when she gets a toy she likes, she will puuuuuull and try to take it back to somewhere she can savage it on her own. And this kitten, who is probably less than a pound weight still, has broken not one, but two toys this weekend, by yanking them and engaging in a tug of war, determined to take an entire pull toy (and the ~200 pound guy at the other end) with her under the rim of the waterbed.
Saturday photos:
Sunday photos (all by Jenn):
From San Bernardino County Animal Care & Control:
The San Bernardino County Animal Care and Control Program would like to offer pet owners the following tips to help keep their pets safe this holiday season.
- PLEASE make sure that your pets have proper identification (ID tags, microchips, tattoo, etc.) on at all times because if your pet were to become lost, you would have a much greater chance of finding them.
- If you plan on having a Christmas tree in your home, here are a few things to remember: avoid using tinsel because your pet may think it’s a toy to play with and accidentally swallow and choke on the tiny strings; keep edible foods and gifts away from your tree so that your pet will not be tempted to investigate them; hang small and breakable ornaments out of your pet’s reach; refrain from using chemicals in your tree’s water, which can be harmful to your pets; do not allow your pet to drink the tree’s water which can quickly become dirty and filled with pine needles.
- Electric window displays and lights are very inviting, not only to you and your neighborhood, but to your curious pets as well. Make sure that all of your electrical connections and outlets are secured and concealed. Tape electrical cords to the walls or floors to ensure that your pet will not chew on them.
- Holiday plants, such as poinsettias, ivy, lilies, mistletoe and holly berries may add beauty to your home, but they are very poisonous to your pets.
- Use caution when burning candles. The flames or dripping wax can burn dogs and cats or singe their whiskers or hair. They can also start a fire if knocked over by curious pets.
- Before your family celebrations, make sure that your pets have a safe, quiet area where they can rest. It is best to keep your pet locked up safely in a bedroom where they can escape from all the noise and festivities.
- After you have had your fill of holiday turkey, ham, chicken, and/or roast beef make sure you throw those bones away – do not give them to your pet! Bones can splinter easily and cause damage to your pet’s throat and intestines. Bones can also become lodged in your pet’s throat, which may result in your pet not being able to breathe.
- Avoid feeding your pet chocolate, candy, cookies, and alcohol, which can be toxic to their health. If you want to give your pet a special treat add water or broth to their dry food or mix in some canned food. Avoid feeding your pet high-fat foods, such as gravy and dressing, which can cause serious stomach upsets. Make sure that your guests know not to feed your pet as well.
- After your gifts are opened, quickly dispose of all plastic wrappings, ribbons, and bows that can be easily swallowed by curious pets.
The San Bernardino County Animal Care & Control Program hopes that these pet tips prove helpful and they want to wish all of you and your pets a happy and safe holiday season. And, remember if you are interested in adopting a pet over the holidays, please visit one of your local animal shelters where there are lots of homeless animals just waiting to find a responsible and loving family to celebrate with. For more information, please call the San Bernardino County Animal Care and Control Program toll free at 1-800-472-5609 or visit their website at www.sbcounty.gov/acc.
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