According to the legends presented by Geoffrey of Monmouth, Julius Caesar’s sword was given the name Crocea Mors (Latin for "Yellow Death"). The British prince Nennius acquired the sword when, during hand-to-hand combat with Caesar, it became lodged in his shield.
That's right! Today I signed up for ESPN's BASS Challenge Fantasy Fishing. I have to admit I signed up because it sounded completely wacky, but it looks pretty cool. It's no different than Fantasy Golf - you basically pick a team of pros and their tournament performance determines your score. You can change anglers at any time (except during tournaments) if you've got a poor performer. Unfortunately, I signed up late, so I'll be missing the first tournament. The boat above belongs to Kevin VanDam, the star of my team.I'm still trying to decide if fishing is a sport, and I could be persuaded either way. There's real elements of skill involved, fierce competition, specialized techniques and equipment, big money and sponsorships. On the other hand, there's no high school or NCAA fishing teams (at least as far as I know) so it's kind of an insider's game. You don't have to be physically fit (outside of having enough muscle to lift the fish) and honestly -- couldn't I have a good day and feasibly do just as well as these guys?
I guess it all comes down to the audience. No one wants to watch someone else do something they could do just as well, and these events draw big crowds and lots of viewers. These people have to respect the talent and skill of the competitors, or they wouldn't watch. So the jury's still out.
Anyway, you can get your own Fantasy Fishing team here. If you want to join my group and compete against me, type "fish on!" in the search bar or click here. See you at the lake!
In Norse mythology, Sigurd is the central character in the Völsunga saga. Sigurd's sword, Gram, was originally forged by Weyland the Smith for Sigurd's father, Sigmund, who received it in the hall of the Volsung after pulling it out of a log into which the god Odin had stuck it—nobody else could pull it out.
Sir Bevis of Hampton was a real Anglo-Saxon hero whose strange adventures were told all over England. The famous sword, Morglay, with which he won so many battles, is still kept as a relic in Arundel Castle. He was one of the first to fight against the new forces from Europe that were trying to conquer England.
I hate forwarding junk emails - so if I receive one and it's got some decent content I usually just post it here. I recently received a list of so-called "ponderisms" from my Supervisor (forwarded, of course) and I thought a couple of them were pretty good.
Greysteel was a sword carried by a Norse hero named Koll the Thrall. Koll was once a slave of a Norse King named Alrek. On a trip to Sogn, Koll spotted a girl brewing ale and told King Alrek of her beauty. The king met the girl, and they were wed the same year. To reward Koll, King Alrek made him an earl and gave him a residence south of the Hard Sea.
In 1934, Hitler declared himself Führer, and combined the offices of President and Chancellor into one – remaining a totalitarian ruler until his suicide in 1945. The Nazi Party emphasised nationalism and antisemitism as its primary political expressions, eventually resorting to murdering its opponents to ensure success. After the restructuring of the state economy and the rearmament of the German military, Hitler established a totalitarian and fascist dictatorship. He then pursued an aggressive foreign policy which resulted in the German Invasion of Poland in 1939, drawing the British and French Empires into World War II.
STALIN, General Secretary of the Communist Party for 31 years. After he became the de facto party leader and dictator in 1928, his programs of industrialization and collectivization in the 1930s coupled with his campaigns of political repression cost the lives of millions of people. However, it helped to make the Soviet Union the second largest industrial nation by 1937, so I guess he deserved the award.
Hmmm.....no wonder the magazine’s border is red! 
Saint Edward the Confessor, son of Ethelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was the last King of England from the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 until his death in 1066. Edward was canonised in 1161 and is considered a saint by the Roman Catholic Church, which regards Edward the Confessor as the patron saint of kings, difficult marriages, and separated spouses. Curtana was the name of his sword.
My company is currently going through some serious cost-savings initiatives. For instance, instead of ordering more Post-Its, they've put a box in the copy room to collect discarded paper. This paper will be cut-up and given to employees to use in place of Post-Its. I said, "In that case, we're going to need a whole lot more Scotch Tape!" 
Ali ibn Abi Talib was the cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad and was raised in his household. When Muhammad reported that he had received a divine revelation, Ali, then only about nine or ten years old, believed him and professed Islam. He was the first male to accept Islam. For the ten years that Muhammad led the community in Medina, Ali was extremely active in his service, leading parties of warriors on battles, and carrying messages and orders. Muslims greatly respect Ali for his knowledge, belief, honesty, his unbending devotion to Islam, his deep loyalty to Muhammad, his equal treatment of all Muslims and his generosity in forgiving his defeated enemies.
If you look at the above images from your seat in front of the computer, Mr. Angry is on the left, and Miss Calm is on the right.
Charlemagne is not only regarded as the founding father of both French and German monarchies, but as the father of Europe: his empire united most of Western Europe for the first time since the Romans. Charlemagne was engaged in almost constant battle throughout his reign, often at the head of his elite bodyguard squadrons, with his legendary sword Joyeuse in hand.
A few weeks ago, I went out to the parking lot after work and found this magnet on the back of my car. I don't have any idea how it got there, and I had to check several times to make sure I was looking at the right vehicle. Even after I unlocked the door, I was looking around the interior to make sure I was in my car. It was a little unnerving...I had the intense feeling like I was in someone else's space.
Hopefully the driver will enjoy spreading the message of patriotism for a few weeks before they "pay it forward" and move it along. Or it will end up in the trash. Either way, God Bless America!
Humorous note: Both Angela and I independently came up with the phrase "Random Acts of Patriotism". Talk about a perfect match!
I've been fooled again! Back in August, my wife pulled the old switcheroo on me and had me using the flat, stale toothpaste while she enjoyed the ample goodness of the fresh tube. I was fooled that time because she had pushed the box up against the electric toothbrush so I couldn't see that the flaps were open. (You can read that post by clicking here.)