Archive for February, 2012
Bumper Stickers o’ the Day
Posted in Regular Features, tagged Humor, Miscellaneous, Society on February 28, 2012 | 2 Comments »
Girly Things
Posted in Smith Family Tales, tagged Children, Family, Humor, Life on February 25, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
A few weeks ago, on a warm, sunny Sunday afternoon, I stopped at my ex-wife Deanna’s house. Our son Dustin was there, along with his two energetic daughters Maddie and Sarah, ages seven and four. As usual, I had about two minutes to say hello before the girls hustled me off to get my undivided [...]
This Just In
Posted in Regular Features, tagged Humor, People, Society on February 22, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
PORTLAND, OREGON — Timothy Chapek, 24, was charged with burglary after he broke into a house in Portland and took a shower. Unknown to Chapek, the owner of the residence was at home at the time. Accompanied by two barking German shepherds, he confronted Chapek through the closed bathroom door, shouting that he had a [...]
Diabolical
Posted in Recollections, Personal, tagged Family, Life, Memories, School on February 19, 2012 | 4 Comments »
When I retired in 2005, I made two solemn vows: I would never again wear a wristwatch, and I would never again set an alarm clock. So far, I have kept those vows. If I want to know the time, I whip out my cell phone. If I need to get up early, I go [...]
Quotes o’ the Day
Posted in Regular Features, tagged Humor, Opinion, People, Quotes on February 16, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. – Mohandas Gandhi ### Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you. – Nathaniel Hawthorne ### The only sure thing [...]
Something to Gain
Posted in Notable Prose and Poetry, tagged Fiction, Literature, Science Fiction, Society on February 13, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Damon Knight (1922-2002) was for many decades an influential and respected author, editor, and critic in the world of science fiction. How influential and respected? Well, the Science Fiction Writers of America awards the annual “Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award” for lifetime achievement in the field. Not too shabby. In 1941, at age 19, [...]
Tune o’ the Day
Posted in Regular Features, tagged Music, People, Relationships on February 10, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
The 1980s-90s alternative band Concrete Blonde was fronted by one of the best female singers in the rock world ever, Johnette Napolitano. That’s a subjective thing, I know, but Napolitano was, and still is, truly talented. I consider her near the top among female rock voices through the years. The band is among my handful [...]
Make It Cry
Posted in Miscellanea, tagged Food, Humor, Miscellaneous, Society on February 7, 2012 | 2 Comments »
Diner slang, the colorful lingo used by cooks and waitresses to communicate orders, dates back to the mid-1800s. You would expect cultures everywhere to dream up clever ways to describe food orders — to say “pin a rose on it” instead of “add a slice of onion.” But no, diner slang is strictly an American [...]
Trivia Questions o’ the Day
Posted in Regular Features, tagged History, Humor, Miscellaneous, Society on February 4, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
The Questions… 1. Snowflake, Arizona, founded in 1878, is located high in the White Mountains along the New Mexico border. How did Snowflake get its name? 2. In 1841, a portrait artist from South Carolina invented the collapsible metal squeeze tube, which revolutionized the way artists store their oil paint. What did artists commonly use [...]
“That Which Providence Hath Destroyed”
Posted in Edutainment, tagged History, People, Politics, Religion on February 1, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
In 2002, the BBC conducted a poll to determine the 100 greatest Brits in history — as chosen by the British public of 2002. The results were skewed accordingly. Princess Diana placed third, one place ahead of Charles Darwin. Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson was number nine, trailing John Lennon, number eight. Although the top 10 [...]
