Yes it's corny, but...

The Corn Palace was still standing yesterday in Mitchell, SD.

Below is a close-up of one of the Corn Palace panels. How nice of them to create one to celebrate South Dakota's 1:1 laptop initiative. With the price of corn, this laptop made out of ears of dried corn may be worth more than a real one... 

Mixed messages

Inspired by an e-mail received this morning... I love Motivator! 

Do I write like Dick Cheney looks?

Paul Bogash at Blogush argues that blog authors should NOT include their photos with their blogs. He writes:

I like using my imagination to create an image of the person I am listening to or reading. Some of the people that I have been reading or listening to for over a year have become real people in my imagination. Their hair is cut a certain way, they wear certain clothes, and they walk a certain way.

OK, the theory is fine and dandy, but then he gets .... PERSONAL:

There is one person that I am lucky to not have seen his picture. Doug Johnson. I have read his blog on and off for a year. I know he is a short, squat, cigar, crushed hat, beard that is white, no hair, I mean nothing on top, slick talkin’ Minnesotite. He looks weathered, in a way that makes someone look tough, not old. He has been on one too many ice fishing trips without a shelter, even though people offer him a beer and he accepts, he would rather have a malted milk. He is definitely a hunter and has a stuffed rabbit, no deer, no moose head above the computer he works at. I hope that image is never shattered.

As anyone who has seen me knows, I can best be described as a cross between George Clooney and Brad Pitt - only taller, more buff, and with better hair. Although I am over half a century old, I still get carded in most bars. The only taxidermy near my desk is the rabid grizzly bear I killed in self-defense when I was twelve-years-old, using only my pocket comb.

Just wanted to set the record straight, OK?

Now when read I Paul I envision him looking like the love child of Don Knotts and RoseAnne Barr... Ewwwwwwww, as the kids would say. (He may have slipped up on January 18th and left a photo of himself.) Regardless of looks, Paul has a great blog. Put it in your reader.

So what do you think, would prefer a picture or your imagination for the bloggers you read?

Illustration of your humble author from May '08 School Library Journal's Re-Boot Camp article.. At least they got the body right.