"The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter." —Mark Twain
In the news
Oh, scare-mongering media, what will you terrify us with next? Well, what more can one say about that? Really. Brain-eating ameobae. I’ll never put anything up my nose again. Not even a finger. More current news, as seen on Facebook: Anent the Dear Leader’s demise, I couldn’t help making a few jokes, but I’m saddened […]
If you looked at an online news site today, read a newspaper, or watched the six o’clock news, you’re aware of this story: Safety Board Urges Car Cellphone Ban The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended a nationwide ban on the use of cellphones and other electronic devices while driving, even hands-free devices. The recommendation […]
We try to keep the world from intruding on our happy lives, but sometimes all defenses fail. I don’t mean to make light of what happened at UC Davis, and god knows the photo itself is horrifying, but this photoshop somehow makes the latest pepper spraying incident all the more Orwellian: What a world we […]
I just ended the longest no-flats streak I’ve had since taking up bicycling again a few years ago. The culprit: the dreaded goathead, a thorn that detaches itself from the devil tree it grows on and then, through some kind of plant/asphalt magnetism, migrates unerringly to the nearest bicycle path. What amazed me, once I […]
We’re spending Thanksgiving in Las Vegas with our son and his family. We won’t hit the road until next Wednesday … which means we weren’t there yesterday for our grandson Quentin’s 9th birthday. Gregory and Beth hired an animal wrangler to entertain Quentin and his guests. What a great idea! There were snakes, snapping turtles, […]
It’s warmer this morning, but the wind’s blowing like crazy. Despite my lingering cold, I was going to hop on my mountain bike and scout out the Hash House Harrier trail I promised to set this Sunday, but I think I’ll put that adventure off until the gusts die down to tropical storm strength. When […]
This old-school political cartoon nails it: The media ignored the Occupy Wall Street protest for almost two weeks and only reluctantly began to cover it when it became impossible not to in the wake of YouTube videos of police brutality, and … of far greater importance … the presence of celebrities among the protesters. Once […]
Just back from my Tuesday morning bicycle ride, a 12.5 mile loop through neighborhoods near my house. When I ride from home I take one of two routes, both mapped out so that I get 9-10 miles in before stopping at the coffee shop 2.5 miles south of here. I’m one of those people who […]