ARCHIVED TOPIC:
[ Line of Sight ]
DATE: August 1, 2002

Monte Cook's Desk

Infiltration Team Surveillance Report
Subject: Cook, Monte J. (#094305)

Subject's deskUpon examining the subject's desk, I found it to be in great disarray. Papers everywhere, as well as a number of books on various subjects, including a dictionary, a reverse dictionary, a thesaurus, a book on castles, and a number of D&D books . Subject's computer appears to be on continually.

The subject has a number of music CDs of a diverse nature -- ambient, classical, classic rock, progressive rock (some obscure) and recent alternative music all present, as well as a number of soundtracks. Also present are a number of computer games, with one titled Freedom Force most prominent. Subject has a number of photographs of his wife on his desk as well. Clearly the subject has a somewhat chaotic, jumbled mind. However, priorities emerge: games, music, and the importance of his wife, Sue (cf. Subject #094402).

Desk also has some some origami miniature monsters, an R2-D2 Christmas tree ornament, a small octopus plush toy, an Unexplained Phenomena page-a-day calendar, and a tin of cinnamon Altoids on it as well. Two Diet Coke cans (one empty, one partially empty) and a package of red-hots are also present. On a bulletin board over the desk hang a number of cards, as well as a list of family members' addresses, a Cook family crest, some paintings showing Seattle underwater, a D&D postcard, and bumper stickers saying: "Bavarian Illuminati Local 23" and "Question Authority." While these anti-authoritarian do not indicate that the subject is necessarily dangerous, he clearly needs to be watched. He might do something completely unexpected, or worse -- he might be tempted to exercise independent thought.

Exhibit A: Desk drawerInside the desk's drawers, I found a great many strange things, far beyond the normal pens and paperclips:

  • A half-full sheet of Snoopy stamps
  • A pink pen that writes in 10 colors
  • Chapstick
  • A badge to something called "MonteCon"
  • A matchbook from Dromoland Castle
  • Not one, but two pairs of prescription eyeglasses
  • A Robby the Robot keychain
  • A number of Pez refills (note: no Pez dispenser)
  • Some Magic cards
  • Cardboard 3-D glasses
  • A "Cthulhu for President" button
  • A toy laser gun, which makes a number of strange (and obnoxious) sounds
  • A leather bookmark, apparently won in a grade school writing contest
  • Not one, but two bottles of bubbles
  • A complex Hewlett Packard calculator*
  • A number of Wizards of the Coast Senior Game Designer business cards
  • A receipt for Chinese food
  • A six-inch leather cord with bells attached to it**
  • A crude, handmade clay cup
  • A pocket radio (nonfunctional)
  • Tiny plastic soldier
  • A Snoopy watch***
  • Not one but two keychains that make sound effects when different buttons are pushed
  • A small instruction book for a digital clock (clock appears to be nowhere around)
  • A Lenin pin****
  • A package of drawing pencils
  • A "Rhoda Rhino" finger puppet
  • An iron-on TSR patch
  • A Monte Cook Freelance Writer business card with a Colorado address
  • Three rubber superballs, one particularly strange one that is clear, with a plastic fox head in the middle
  • A medallion made from a ribbon and a large metal washer from a 1996 Road Rally
  • Headphones
  • A cardboard box wrapped with a rubber band*****
  • A Monte Cook TSR Game Designer business card
  • A coupon for a cup of coffee at "The Queen of Cups" in Minneapolis
  • A University of Illinois Crop Sciences letter opener******
  • A bendy Marvin the Martian toy
  • One AA battery
  • An instruction card for a phone (phone not found)
  • A modron button
  • A plastic sherrif's badge
  • An Illuminati ruler
  • A PGA Tour card*******
  • A letter from the cable company expressing dismay that Mr. Cook has not attempted to sign up for cable

Conclusion: Subject is quite possibly insane. For certain, he collects a strange array of worthless junk with a reluctance to discard it being directly proportional to its degree of strangeness.


Monte's Footnotes:

*
I never have figured out how to use it.
**
I once told my friend Stan! to "be here with bells on." He arrived with this on his wrist.
***
You'd think I had a big thing for Snoopy, but I really don't.
****
Really comes from Communist Russia. Pretty cool.
*****
This is the "unopenable box." My friend Bret gave it to me in high school (or I gave it to him, I don't remember), with the knowledge that if the box were ever opened, terrible things would happen. It's been almost 17 years, and I haven't opened it.
******
My good friend and old TSR coworker Ray Vallese (Planescape fans will probably remember that name) now works there. What a job switch!
*******
I'm at a loss on this one. I've never golfed in my life.

 

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