Chang not Chang, in his capacity as the spokesman for The Official Ghlaghghee Fan Club, has this to say about the Hat-tastic picture:

O Wrong Scalzi, what is wrong with this picture?

Give up?

The Executive Committee of The Official Ghlaghghee Fan Club is pleased to tell you:

Her Most Glorious Perfect Shimmering Radiant Perfection is nowhere to be seen in this picture.

This is wrong. Make it right.

Very well:

I’m not sure Ghlaghghee entirely approved of the chapeau, however.

I am completely and totally aware of how gobsmackingly lucky I was to meet and marry this person. Thanks for asking. Mind you, I don’t wait until Valentine’s Day to let her know that I know how fortunate I am. Every day is a good day to let those you love know you love them. Not that Valentine’s Day isn’t fun and all. It is. But in terms of letting my wife know how much I love and admire her, it’s just another day around here. I think this is a good way to do things.

So, let those you love know you love them today. And do it again tomorrow. And the next day. And the next. And so on. This is one time where repetition doesn’t get old. Trust me on this one.

The lovely folks at JayMcCarroll.com sent along those buttons named after Zoe Boutin-Perry, and they also dropped into the box the above hat, which Athena claimed for her own and which does in fact look absolutely adorable on her. I also tried it on and regret to say it looks significantly less adorable on me. But I don’t suppose that’s actually all that surprising, is it.

Here’s the particular hat, if you’re taken with it. And while you’re there, of course, don’t forget to stock up on buttons.

Blowing down the houses of pigs I understand: How better to get at the chewy, bacony goodness inside? But taking it out on innocent children’s swingsets? That’s just mean.

However, in point of fact, it was not the big bad wolf who did this dastardly deed, but the big bad windstorm, the very same one which several hours later would cancel my flight out of NYC. This one barreled through Ohio and not only knocked down the swingset but also did enough damage to the roof that we’ve filed an insurance claim. T’was a nasty windstorm, it was.

As regards the swingset itself, it’s not as horrible as it could be, since we were planning to take it down this spring in any event. Athena’s gotten to an age where she’s not using it much, and time has taken its toll on its inherent structural stability anyway — which of course helps to explain its current condition. But it’s still sad. It’s not the way one wishes to see a beloved symbol of childhood go out. Athena’s been consoling herself with Wii, however. I think she’ll make it past this tragedy just fine.

A list of “the top 17 homo love songs.” Oh, go on, you nervous straight person, you. You know you want to see what that link is like, just this once.