"When I do not want to say things in real life I often say them here." — Mimi Smartypants
Here’s an interesting and timely article on how collective bargaining can protect the free speech rights of public employees; specifically, librarians and teachers. I knew there was a reason why we’re supposed to keep quiet in the library! Remember those Texas prison wardens who were not allowing inmates to read certain books and magazines? Looks […]
Some highlights from my long weekend motorcycle trip: I rode from Tucson to Las Vegas on Thursday. That night the kids and I went out to dinner, along with our friend Rudy. Rudy’s an old hashing friend; I slept at his house during the trip. I bought a balaclava to wear under my open-face helmet […]
… from Las Vegas, Nevada. Yesterday’s ride from Tucson to LV was just about perfect. No traffic to speak of, and beautiful, cool weather. I stowed my gear at a friend’s house, then went out to dinner with my Gregory and his family. I crashed overnight at my friend’s house, not because Gregory doesn’t have […]
I’m packing for a motorcycle trip to Nevada and Utah, tomorrow through Monday. In Las Vegas I’ll stay with a friend, visit with the kids and grandkids, and take some day rides around southern Nevada; on Sunday my son and I are going on an all-day out & back ride to southwestern Utah, with Gregory […]
Donna saves change in a decorative wooden box, which I’m raiding this morning for quarters. It’s take-the-motorcycle-to-the-car-wash day. I’m going on a cross-country ride to Nevada and Utah later this week, and it just wouldn’t feel right to start a big trip on a dirty bike. I read somewhere that the coin-op car wash industry […]
… but I am, these days, a little more down than up. Particularly over the union-busting going on in so many states, and peoples’ refusal to see what lies behind it. Republican governors and Republican-dominated state legislatures aren’t trying to save money by busting public employee unions and cutting back on education and services funding. […]
Headline to an article about the third reactor explosion in Japan: “Spewing radiation prompts warning.” C’mon, journalists, does radiation always have to spew? Can’t it emanate, spread, propagate, or otherwise pour into the atmosphere? Why must it spew? When Nevil Shute wrote On the Beach, did he make his radiation spew? No, he didn’t, and […]
“So it’s you and a syringe against the Capitol? See, this is why no one lets you make the plans.” — Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire Old Man’s War, by John Scalzi This was a Hugo or Nebula sci-fi award winner in, I think, 2005. It’s what I would call nostalgia sci-fi, written in the Robert […]