Everyone Deserves Community

Today at (unpaid) work, I was charged with looking up associations and organizations in Minnesota that would be suitable contacts for my project-- fire/police associations, EMS associations, volunteer organizations perhaps. So, I turned to The Google, everyone's favorite "I don't know where to start this" work tool. Oh. My. God. There is so weird stuff out there. Enjoy my hard, but unfruitful work!

Associations that make sense:

• Minnesota Dental Association:
• Minnesota Broadcasters Association
• Association of Minnesota Counties
• Minnesota Association of Bankers
• Minnesota Golf Association

Associations that may not make sense in other regions, but make sense here:

• Minnesota Corn Growers Association
• Minnesota Canoe Association
• Minnesota United Snowmobilers Association
• Iron Mining Association of Minnesota

Associations that are totally totally bizarre:

• Minnesota Association of Rogue Taxidermy: The epitome of bizarre. Totally weird, I cannot even describe. The pictures (which I would NOT show to small children unless you want pee-stained everything) show taxidermied animals in which more than one species are combined, things have extra eyes or legs, features are 'artistically' enhanced. I don't know how to describe it. Check it out: http://www.roguetaxidermy.com/
• Minnesota Association for Pupil Transportation: Also known as "Bus Driver's Poker Club." Just saying.
• Minnesota Association of Cemeteries: The issue here is the wording. Cemeteries to do not associate, in fact the whole point if cemeteries is that they are full of people who no longer have the capacity to associate. They should change the name to Minnesota Association of Cemetery Workers, Curators, or whatever you call someone who is important enough in the cemetery business to professionally associate with others.
• Minnesota Companion Bird Association: Bah! If that bird was such a good companion, you wouldn't need to associate with other bird owners. This sounds like a "I bought a broken pet" club.
• Minnesota Killie Keepers Association: For the people who keep killifish-- of which there are over 320 species! A) this grosses me out 'cause they are little fish. The little ones bug me the most. Meh, so do the big ones. Heebie Jeebies! B) 320 species?! That makes me feel like membership requirements for the club are: "I have a pretty smallish fish in a bowl/tank/aquarium." Some specialization maybe wouldn't kill the club?

Other associations of cuteness and/or interest:

• Minnesota Bed and Breakfast Association: I bet they have The. Best. Food. Ever. at their meetings.
• Minnesota Association of Weapons Collectors: Wow, there's a meeting where you want to get along with everyone. Everyone. My favorite is that it really doesn't distinguish what kind of weapons. Does someone just walk in with a bazooka while someone like me would be snapping people's arms with a rubberband?
• Minnesota Organization of Numismatists: I just like to say the word numismatist.
• Minnesota Society of Children's Books Writers and Illustrators: Probably the most fun meetings ever, and I bet they rarely use words that someone doesn't know (or at least couldn't sound out).