Today was a comedy of technical errors. I wear egg easily, as I’ve had a lifetime of opportunity, and self-deprecation (there’s that wonderful word again) is a virtue. Really. Here’s my story.
posted in technology | Comments Off on Protect me from myself | 484 words
Let’s see, the last stanza went on about how “there is no joy in Mudville“. True, the original dealt with the enigmatic game of baseball, but today it was all football. And, as the man said, there is no joy in Green Bay. I offer up the poem as the only one I can remember learning from my grandmother, so it must have been a long time ago. Today’s loss is only minutes old, and the cold lingers.
posted in media | Comments Off on Reminds me of a poem | 437 words
Since the annual flow of papers that represent my meagre earnings have begun to appear in the mailbox (evil contraption), I’m reminded that I’ll have to produce a declaration for the various levels of government in a few weeks. Much less work than a few years back, due to my decision to trust software. While wandering through the shops recently, I noted the display racks for the latest edition; I also failed to see “my brand” anywhere.
posted in economy | Comments Off on Changing of product line | 370 words
Those who are passionate are to be admired, I guess. I mean, if you aren’t “in the circle”, then the intensity these people have for their field probably goes right over your head. Pick any one of the topics available at sites such as about.com; somewhere there are people gathering, at this very moment, to celebrate “their” subject. Unless, of course, the subject is being alone, or hermit lifestyle 101, or something similar. But I digress.
posted in education | Comments Off on Passionate about something | 313 words
My thesaurus is threadbare when it comes to that most useful of descriptive nouns: the gadget. I live in a second language world, so my vocabulary now has terms like gugusse, patente, chose. None very useful to those who don’t live inside the other nation of Canada. Bear with me.
posted in environment | Comments Off on Don’t shop for gadgetry when you’re hungry | 458 words
Further proof that the universe is unfolding as it should; last evening saw the first episode of American Idol VII. When anything gets to the point where Roman numerals are useful (football games, kings and popes, encyclopedia volumes) then there’s a whole mythology available to those who care about trivia. Will this be the meltdown season? Is there another Reuben in the wings? Should I be videotaping these programs for my grandchildren?
posted in Idol | Comments Off on Let the auditions begin | 381 words
You’re out for a great meal at your local hamburger joint, and the cook offers up the plate with the aside that the meat is not quite cooked, due to a need to save on fuel costs. You’ve been shopping for an umbrella, and the clerk brings to your attention that one of the panels is not covered, because of the need to save on materials. You’ve just purchased a “bus book” but the publisher has included an insert that says three chapters are missing, to save on printing and paper costs.
posted in economy | Comments Off on Snow; to be removed | 345 words
Buoyed in part by my declaration yesterday that schools weren’t as violent as some in the media would have us believe, I went back to class today. In some ways, I was the student, because we can’t help but learn from those in front of us. In other ways, my role was to inform, to elicit, to confirm, to “teach”. How easily we can wear the hat that fits the scene.
posted in education | Comments Off on Showing the path to take up | 364 words
I still remember that time that I had to prove my “new kid” status, and I ended up punching the other guy in the nose. I got strapped for my troubles, and figured out that violence wasn’t really matched to the playground. To be fair, I was eight years old, and although the powers that be said that a child is able to completely determine what is right or wrong by the age of seven, I was a bit slow. There, my history as a fighter in a nutshell.
posted in education | Comments Off on Response to armed escalation | 364 words
In summation, a life between parentheses. The premise offered this afternoon by my friends over at Thalassa, during a series of short documentaries dealing with the world as seen from a container ship. Often, while my bus does its short detour beside the river, I see heavily laden freighters, inbound and outbound, with carefully corded containers. This was a chance to see vignettes from the life of those that move “all our stuff” around the globe.
posted in education | Comments Off on A life between parentheses | 313 words
