Fifteen Years Later . . .
Remember this perennial Soviet Union joke? “If the USSR ever takes over the Sahara, within three years there’ll be a shortage of sand.” Yeah, that one? So how’s this for irony?
The Dumbing Down of Virtually Everything (Part IV)
Several months ago, I bitched about the empty-headed celebrity chitchat that passes for “news” on NBC’s Today show. My complaints are usually ineffectual, and this was no exception: my wife still watches Today on the bedroom TV every morning. Then as now, as I brush my teeth in the adjoining bathroom, I’m an involuntary listener. […]
Christmas Puppy Blogging
We’re all happy puppies today. It’s a wonderful Christmas at our house, and we hope it is at yours. Donna brought to our marriage a tradition we’ve followed for 40 years: decorating the tree on Christmas Eve. When our children were little, their first sight of the glorious tree, with presents arrayed beneath it, was […]
Those Damn Memes
This one is called the Meme of Four. Who says you have to be serious all the time? Four jobs you’ve had in your life: truck driver, teacher, pilot, instructional designer. Four movies you could watch over and over: Dr. Strangelove, Klute, The French Connection, The Godfather. Four places you’ve lived: Wiesbaden, Germany; Hoevelaken, The […]
The Fourth Amendment & Other Legalistic Niceties
I meant to write something intelligent about the King’s President’s domestic espionage and warrentless wiretap program, but David Neiwert at Ornicus says it all, and says it better. All that’s left for me to add is this: if you’re surprised by this action of the Bush administration, you haven’t been paying attention.
Death Penalty
On the matter of Stanley “Tookie” Williams, Crips street gang co-founder and convicted murderer who was executed in California early this morning, I look into my soul and can’t find an ounce of outrage. Simply put, I’m not opposed to the death penalty. I’m not opposed to retribution. I’m not opposed, that is, so long […]
Acting Out on Airliners
I have to admit I’m curious as to what actually happened on American Airlines Flight 924. Here’s what CNN said: Dave Adams, a spokesman for the Federal Air Marshal Service, said Alpizar had run up and down the plane’s aisle yelling, “I have a bomb in my bag.” But according to the same article: . […]
This Infamous Date
0342: USS Condor sights periscope in restricted water. Sends message via blinker light to USS Ward. 0610: Japanese carriers turn into the wind and commence launching aircraft. 0637: USS Ward fires on and sinks Japanese midget submarine in Pearl Harbor approaches. 0702: Opana Point radar station reports 50+ incoming aircraft. 0715: Ward’s report reaches ADM […]