(Originally posted at http://sheepdogtrialling.blogspot.com/)

It was lesson day on Tuesday. Brian, who is English, reported that he was “disconsolate” over England’s loss to Germany, 4-1, on Sunday. “The English and the Germans hate each other. It’s like bloody World War Three!” Nevertheless, Brian apparently recovered because he seemed to be in ( Read more... )

I haven't posted here much in awhile. Mostly I've gravitated to Facebook.

But I've also started a blog about sheepherding. Anyone interested can check it out at: http://sheepdogtrialling.blogspot.com/

I think it's fair to say that the first ValhallaCon was a success. Though exhausted, the concom nevertheless began plotting 2.0 during the Dead Viking party held last night.

We got a nice post-con article from the Bellingham Herald.

Our author guest of honor Nancy Kress also wrote a blog entry during the convention.

I'm happy to announce that Jonathan W. Sodt (A.K.A. Fenmere, the Worm) will be our local artist guest. He's been a fixture in the Bellingham art community for a long time. You can see his work at Grass Dog StudioGeorge Dyson will also be at ValhallaCon and will give his traditional Orion Project presentation. For those who don't know, the Orion ( Read more... )

In the past week, the concom has decided to scale back ValhallaCon a little bit. There will be one track of programming as well as informal coffee klatsches, gaming, and a central hospitality room. To reflect these changes, we've lowered the membership to $35, where it will stay through the end of the convention ( Read more... )

After our meeting this past weekend, the ConCom decided to go forward with ValhallaCon, which is happening on Labor Day weekend (September 4-6) here in Bellingham. Author Guest of Honor is Nancy Kress and science GoH is University of Washington paleontologist Peter Ward. We'll have quite a few local authors on hand as well as some from farther ( Read more... )

I'm pleased to announce that an essay of mine is appearing in today's Washington Post, about my reaction to a genetic test.

I just envisioned an editorial cartoon: Chimpanzees dressed in suits and reading newspapers in a waiting room outside the New York Post's human resources department. Inside the HR office, a chimp is being interviewed by a human NY Post employee. The caption reads: "Why do you think you're qualified to be an editorial cartoonist?"

Okay, so I don't like to get political, but I finally decided it's time to weigh in with my own opinion -- partly because I looked at CNN's electoral map and discovered that Washington state is only *leaning* towards Obama. Leaning?!

Reason #1: Sarah Palin. If you haven't seen the Katie Couric interviews (day 1, day 2) by now, you really need to ( Read more... )

More brilliance from The Onion: Disney Lab Unveils Its Latest Line of Genetically Engineered Child Stars