Happy Valentines Day! & Gong Xi Fa Cai!

And for Valentine's Day - I got you ... heart medicine.

I'm betting you remember Calvin and Hobbes - the comic strip about the boy and his stuffed tiger. If not - hie thee-self to a bookstore and buy one of the compilations of strips - they are still in print - and they are well worth it.

Bill Watterson - the creator and artist - decided to quit while he was ahead. It's been 15 years since he folded the strip. He was fiercely loyal to his vision and staunchly resisted commercialization.

Bill Watterson is still alive and well - and here's a recent interview with him.

And, if you hadn't noticed - he was a d4mn fine artist.

As such - he has inspired a new generation of artists - and here is some tribute art - Calvin and Hobbes re-imagined.

Part 1
Part 2

Or perhaps you can relate more to cookies that reproduce Calvin's demented snowmen?

"Tis better to have loved, and lost - than never to have loved at all."

What is especially appropriate about talking about Calvin and Hobbes today is that today is also the start of the Year of the Tiger!

Folks born in the year of the tiger (1914, '26, '38, '50, '62, '74, '86, '98) are especially wonderful - no end of truly delightful things are written about Tiger people.

How about this:

Tiger people are difficult to resist, for they are magnetic characters and their natural air of authority confers a certain prestige on them. They are tempestuous yet calm, warm-hearted yet fearsome, courageous in the face of danger yet yielding and soft in mysterious, unexpected places. They enjoy life full of challenges and unexpected events, like visiting unusual places and meet interesting outstanding people. Tiger person finds a pleasure in unpredictable, not afraid to explore new and unusual. Usually open and frank, these people are likely to withdraw and you can be aggressive when trapped. As soon as the tiger person has regained his/her sense of security his/her confidence also returns, enabling him/her to set out once more. These people usually tend to trust their instincts, though there is another side of their personality, which assesses situations thoughtfully before launch any actions.

or:

Unpredictable, rebellious, colorful, powerful, passionate, daring, impulsive, vigorous, stimulating, sincere, affectionate, humanitarian, generous. Can be cold, restless, reckless, impatient, quick-tempered, obstinate, ruthless, selfish, aggressive, unpredictable, moody.

Or, as my mother used to say, "If the meek shall inherit the earth - what'll happen to us tigers?"