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Accumulating Stuff

Published on 2007-10-02 09:02:00

We cleaned out the basement last week, tossing out articles we'd been saving needlessly, or things which had lost their usefulness over time. Things like old magazines, broken toys, household items, and objects that were once the property of deceased relatives or pets. It was sort of a Spring cleaning in the Fall.Over time, I'd gotten used to weaving my way around piles of bags and turning sideways so I could slip past stacks of cardboard boxes. Meanwhile, others wondered out loud, "How can you

Over And Outsourced

Published on 2007-06-07 06:55:00

First, understand that I call myself a Liberal, with a capital "L," and I'm proud of it.Employees where my wife works were required to go online and take Diversity Training, and it had to be completed by a certain date. About the same time, the company announced that the computer "Help Center," the department that office workers call with computer issues, was being outsourced.My wife speculated that the two events were related, and of course, she was correct. The first time she called, she was u

The Web-Bot Project

Published on 2007-05-22 17:08:00

The Web-Bot Project is old news, but most of the people I talk with have never heard of it.Originally, designed to search the web and then make predictions about the stock market, users claim they soon noticed the program making accurate predictions concerning things such as natural disasters and even the 9/11 tragedy.The History Channel aired a program on the issue, tying in things like the Mayan Calender and the Chinese I Ching (book of changes) which like the Web-Bot Project, predict the end

Bragging

Published on 2007-05-18 11:46:00

Occasionally, because of that wonderful miracle called the internet, we get emails and pictures sent from friends and family, near and far, bragging about this or that accomplishment, or saying something about a son, daughter, or grandchild. Mostly it's mediocre stuff, or something so insignificant it's not worth mentioning -- like, "So-in-so just graduated, and now they're going off to college to become rich and famous."I never really understood all the fuss and fawning over someone for doing w

Spying On the Home Front

Published on 2007-05-17 06:35:00

One of my favorite TV programs is FRONTLINE from PBS.The show that aired on May 15, 2007, Spying On the Home Front, was both informative and a cause for concern. By clicking any of the links above you can watch it (and many other Frontline programs) online, for free.Make some popcorn, or open a bag of chips, and be sure to view all five parts. It's something like 50 minutes in total.It's interesting on several levels. First, there's the troubling aspect of the invasion of privacy. Then, there's

Pockets

Published on 2007-05-01 07:24:00

I'm fond of pockets in my clothing. Being male, I don't carry a purse, and because I'm not a student or traveling hitch-hiker, I don't employ a backpack. But, there are items I need to have with me when I leave home, like my eyeglasses, car keys, and the ever present universal global communicator cell phone thing.The problem is, they're not making clothing with pockets like they used to. I don't know, maybe it's because so much of our clothing is being manufactured in places where the constant p

Warnings

Published on 2007-04-17 07:03:00

I’m not the brightest person around, and I have no experience or education in law enforcement. But, when situations such as the one at Virginia Tech arise and consume all of the TV airtime, and the front pages of our newspapers, I’m left wondering: Who is in charge, and what the hell were they thinking?Shooter On the Loose:After a double murder took place, and the shooter remained unaccounted for, wouldn’t any sensible person suggest that they should lock all the doors? Authorities would,

The End Is Near

Published on 2007-02-26 05:54:00

Here's one for you, if you haven't already heard about it.On a Sunday afternoon, I watched an interesting program on C-Span with Neil deGrasse Tyson. You'd know him if you saw him. He hosts a scientific program on PBS, and he's the Director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York City -- a really smart and entertaining individual.Near the end of the program to promote his new book, there was a question and answer period and someone asked about "asteroids." After that, he went into a long explanati

Fallingwater

Published on 2006-10-24 07:11:00

It’s the sort of thing you always want to do, but for one reason or another, keep putting off. On a picture-perfect autumn day in mid October, we drove to Fallingwater. It was a chilly Saturday morning, and the turning leaves were in full display. The ride there was magnificent; the return trip, with the sun behind us, would be even better.Ever since I first heard the name, Frank Lloyd Wright, and I learned of the futuristic home he’d designed that would rest on top of a waterfall, I’d wan

War: What is it Good For?

Published on 2006-10-13 07:59:00

To say I'm disappointed would be a gross mischaracterization. It was my generation that faced the tragedy known as the Vietnam War. And unlike previous political conflicts that drew the collective national spirit together through reason and purpose (including "The Cold War") with Vietnam, there were more of us against it, than were for it.Now, here we are again, invading another country, killing its citizens, and having the lives of American sons and daughters taken from us in return, with no go