"The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter." —Mark Twain
You Can’t Read That! is a periodic column featuring banned book reviews and news roundups. YCRT! News A federal judge has ruled that Arizona’s ban on ethnic studies classes (and the associated wholesale banning of books in the Tucson Unified School District) was motivated by racial discrimination, a potentially lethal blow to the ban. I say “potentially” because as […]
When I returned from the Death Valley ride earlier this month, I uninstalled the helmet-mounted Bluetooth comm system I’d put in for the trip and sent it back to Amazon for a refund. No, I’m not that big an asshole … the unit was defective. I may get something to replace it, or I may not. […]
Then it started to rain, so she went inside and made some coffee and did what she had never done in her life: tried the newspaper crossword. “What a stupid exercise,” said her dæmon after five minutes. “Words belong in contexts, not pegged out like biological specimens.” — Philip Pullman, La Belle Sauvage La Belle […]
My son bought a wireless Bluetooth comm system for his motorcycle helmet and I thought that might be a dandy thing to have too, so I cashed in my Christmas Amazon gift cards on one. My friend Ed helped me install it, but the first time I turned it on there were indications of trouble. Sound came […]
McCulloch: it’s not the first name to spring to mind when you think of aviation, but it’s not a name you should ignore, either.
So I get home from a four-day motorcycle ride yesterday and no one’s home but the dogs, who are delighted to see me (as am I to see them). I have a quick errand to do, so I take Mr. B with me in the truck. Bicyclists ride up and down Catalina Highway all the […]
As in first post of the new year. Hooray! If I have resolutions—and I’m not saying I do—one would be to finish writing the memoir I started last year. Others would be to keep posting to my weblogs, perhaps setting up a separate blog for Air-Minded posts, while continuing to send out Paulgram newsletters. Perhaps I’ll try to climb out […]
A collection of photos from this year’s holiday season: putting up the tree and decorations, Christmas Eve clam chowder with friends, Christmas morning, visits to the air museum and Mount Lemmon. New faces in the photos are Georgianna and Don King, Donna’s sister and brother-in-law, who spent the week with us, and Donna’s friend Millie, who […]