“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
We left you two weeks ago in an unsavory mash of potatoes and political correctness. Most of the time we chop wood and carry water, enjoy the smell of of rain and the feeling of the sun on our faces. We wouldn’t bother too much with the growing pains of the world but for the … More There You Go Again
There is a lot to be said for the virtual world. The pixel universe gives us a place where ideas can achieve their full flower, grow and grapple with and bump up against other ideas to prevail, or diminish, or merge into something new, and all without having any real skin in the game. But this cannot happen when the gatekeepers of this universe keep their virtual thumbs on the virtual scales. … More A Eulogy For Piedmont
My favorite home movie stars my wife sliding down our snow covered hill on a sled, pursued by our two big-giant puppies. The big yellow one steals the hat from her head at the end of the run and plays keep away, bouncing around in the snow and snorting canine amusement. It reinforces my determined … More The Passing Winds of Change
This column usually appears online a few days before it gets published in the newspaper. Online readers have the advantage of participating in a discussion about an event before it happens (which is somewhat of a national obsession). However, pixels tend to go in one eye and out the other and what we read online … More Better Luck Next Time
Sometimes on a Saturday evening in the winter months, when it was too cold to play outside or perform dangerous experiments in my secret underground laboratory disguised as our basement, the television would be left on and Hee Haw would catch my attention. I wasn’t old or wise enough to appreciate the music, but the … More Cousin Eddie
Outside The Box 