Also while I’m here I’m apparently part of a study that is examining the cumulative effects of ‘Golden Girls’ re-runs on the under-50 brain.

Unfortunately, it’s not double-blind.

So I’m still here in Louisiana. Dad’s surgery is on Friday, and I’m just hanging with him until then. I’ve visited with family, hit the game and comic shops, and even managed to do some work here (double-remotely).

I brought a bunch of books to read, much of it comics. I read a collection of MAD Magazine articles my Dad has, volumes two and three of the Marvel Masterworks: Spider-Man series, the first volume of the Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service, Ice Haven to re-read, and something else that’s escaping me at the moment. And who knows, maybe I’ll pick something up here as well.

I also got a new watch, since the battery on my old one died. This one has a built-in electronic compass! What I need that for, I don’t know, but it has it! It’s got a compass in it and this thing that tells time!

Things are going to be a little oddball for a few more days but hopefully they’ll settle down again soon.

I’m in Louisiana. My Dad is having some surgery this week, so I’m down here helping him and my sister out a bit. As you’ve noticed, blogging will be sparse this week.

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I got close to 50 entries in my Great Teaching Baby Paranoia Contest, which isn’t bad considering that’s, like, ten times my average readership. You’re all winners in my book (except for that one guy — you know who you are), and if I could, I’d give you all a prize. But I can’t, so they prize goes to:

Martin’s name was drawn from the pile of entries on Monday morning! He’ll be receiving an autographed copy of Bryant Paul Johnson’s first collection of Teaching Baby Paranoia strips, along with a page of original pencils for one of the strips! He is a lucky, lucky man!

My thanks go to all who entered, to my blog pals who linked my contest, to Modern Myths, and to Bryant Paul Johnson.

Teaching Baby Paranoia can be found online (updates every Friday) and I’m sure the good people at Modern Myths would be happy to sell you a copy of the collection if you ask nicely.

Flush with the success of the U.S. State Quarters series, the mint is looking to finally conquer the challenge that has so far defeated it: making a dollar coin people will use.

Presidents, Well Known or Not, Will Have Their Day on a Dollar

The United States Mint is unveiling four designs for one-dollar coins today, featuring likenesses of the first four presidents. They begin a series that is to last a decade and portray every deceased president.

The first coin, displaying George Washington on one side and the Statue of Liberty on the other, will go into circulation in mid-February, in time for Presidents’ Day. After that, coins with John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison will be issued at three-month intervals.

Here are the designs for the new coins:

What’s interesting is, just the other day, inspired by this video, I was lamenting that all our coins suck and I’d love to have some awesome chunky coins. Lo, here’s almost my wish!

You may recall that the last time our country tried this was the Sacagawea dollar. For some reason, people never took to this coin, and the mint is hoping to avoid a similar problem with the Presidollars:

The size, color and metal content of the $1 coins will be identical to those of the current Sacagawea dollars, but their luster should last longer because of a new anti-tarnishing compound that will be applied to blank coins between the time they are annealed, or softened by heating, and struck with the design.

So it looks like they solved that aesthetic problem of having the gold finish tarnish easy, making the coin unattractive. Let’s hope that also solves the problem of Americans, in general, not being crazy about dollar coins. (I used to be one of those who felt that a dollar coin was a solution to a problem we didn’t have, but I’ve been shown the light and would welcome some good solid coinage.)

They also solved the problem of not having a dead white guy be on the coin. Ms. Anthony and Ms. Gawea both failed to excite the public, so the mint’s back to what it does best…putting the same white guys on the money. You’ll never go poor at the U.S. Mint if you can draw a good Thomas Jefferson! You know, other countries don’t limit their money designs to just their past leaders. Wouldn’t it be nice if, instead of honoring the same people over and over, we threw some honor to other people who happened to be great Americans, if not Presidents?

You wanna give me a dollar coin I’d really look forward to having? Give me this one:

I have a dream that someday we’ll realize that there are people out there who deserve honor more than William Henry Harrison.