I am a chopper of wood and carrier of water, a keeper of bees, digger of soil, and washer of dishes, but when people ask me "what do you do" I usually satisfy them with "I'm in information technology." If they really want to know, I'll tell them about the decade as a wilderness guide. Some jobs are vocations, some are avocations, but that one was an evocation. I also wrangle pixels and try to herd them into representations of coherent thoughts, which is a provocation. :-)
Are you still reluctantly crouched at the starting line of the age of information and technology? No, it’s not a race if you choose not to run. However, though you may still be, for example, quite content with your 1998 Craftsman riding mower, your repair guy only wants to work on a brand new zero … More Reluctantly Crouched at the Starting Line
We honored our mothers this weekend past, and for those of us fortunate to have them with us, it was an opportunity to embrace the moments we can still share. The rest of us honored the devotion and sacrifice of the women who gave us life, and the memories we cherish. I am of the … More The Wheel Turns
When I was a young lad we moved to Chicken City on a rainy day in May. Our house was on a hill in a quiet neighborhood that, looking back, resembled Mayberry, North Carolina in many ways. At the end of that memorable day spent exploring the new house and its mysterious basement, the wooded … More My Favorite Window
”This tuber is insipid and mealy. It cannot be classed among the agreeable foodstuffs. But it furnishes abundant and rather wholesome nutrition to men who are content to be nourished. It is justly regarded as flatulent, but what are winds to the vigorous organs of peasants and laborers?” So wrote Denis Diderot of the humble … More Content to be Nourished
Here’s the premise: Massive infrastructure and spending bills generally do not help ordinary people as much as they facilitate the transfer of wealth from average incomes, through corporate entities and into the hands of the wealthy. which exacerbates rather than relieves economic and social ills. After two terms under Franklin Delano Roosevelt and massive New … More Change My Mind
“I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.” Are you spending too much time on social media? Here’s a quick fix: Ignore anything that didn’t originate with the sender. My incomplete, biased and unscientific study of the matter predicts that this would eliminate 95% of what you see on facebook or twitter, and free … More The Bonfire of Vanity
After the recent upgrade of my Windows operating system, Cortana suggested lightening up on the cream cheese I was spreading on my bagel, or switching to a low fat variety. I asked her how she knew, since I don’t use Cortana for shopping, but she said she didn’t understand the question. I think the refrigerator … More If Everything You Say Is True, I’d Have to Agree
If you’re one of the good people who still watch The Andy Griffith Show, you might get invited to our barbecue. This classic television series remains one of my favorite diversions, and a lonesome reminder that television is capable of doing some good. It stands in stark contrast to the snark, meanness and debauchery waiting … More You Ain’t Seen The Last Of Ernest T. Bass
Cuthbert Rumbold is an 11 pound Barred Rock rooster who rules the roost in our chicken restaurant and day spa. As is often the case with roosters raised by hand that lose their fear of humans, he can be a bit hazardous. “I would put that rooster right into the stew pot,” a neighbor opined. … More To Be Right, Or To Be Effective?
First of all, we’ll change the names to protect the guilty, but otherwise it happened just like this… About five years ago, a conversation took place between two lifelong friends: “I can’t believe you’re not going to vote for Pagliacci!” “I don’t trust Pagliacci, but I’m not going to vote for Krusty either. Besides, what … More It Is To Laugh
Outside The Box 