Just a piano player

I don't remember where that name came from - I think he referred to himself that way in one of his many letters to me, years ago. Sanf...

This post is silly, but I had a startling 'ain't-it-odd' experience this morning. It started when I happened to glance at Paul...

So, tonight, (thankfully former) President W is speaking before the "let's all convert the Jews to Jesus" conference in Texas....

Karen has a small but impressive collection of antique salt-and-pepper shakers.  One had such an encrustation of salt on its inside that the...

As a computer guy, I have some understanding of the incredible complexity of the Federal Exchange, and a lot of sympathy for the developers ...

Of course Chuck Todd should be retired, for both his frustrating, lazy-ass reporting and his insufferable smugness.  I think we all can agre...

In the summer of 1967, I traveled to Europe with a group of students from my home town.  As I look back on the experience, I've often wo...

This piece got me thinking (always a dangerous prospect).  To summarize, a real-estate guy in Arizona sells 'protective services', ...

A couple of years ago, I remember seeing a presentation on what seemed to me to be an outstanding model for dealing with the issue of electr...

Spending a couple of days in Manzanita, with doggie. This morning, despite clouds and the promise of drizzle (a promise that was indeed ful...

For context, see yesterday's post . When Karen and Eric left Santa Cruz, around 2 this afternoon, Sylvia was mostly comatose, and ever...

July, 1983 My father had been in poor health for a couple of years, but as the summer of 1983 began, it was clear that he was dying.  Afte...

There is actual sun in Portland today, and it's positively mild - what a change!  Time to get out in the yard and do a few long-postpone...

Well over a year ago, I noticed that I get a busy signal whenever I dial (from our home land-line) a phone number in the 503 area code, that...

I think the Egyptian Pharaohs had it right. When a new one came to power, he often ordered that all images of the prior guy be defaced, an...

We remember the photo of the North Vietnamese POW, an instant before being shot in the head. We remember the photos of the jet hitting the...

Got up at my usual time, dressed quickly and headed out the door with the dog.  Totally typical. Our house is at the top of a small hill, ...

I finally decided to bite the bullet, and retire my extremely trusty primary development PC, a Windows XP machine that my son, Ben, built, a...

Sorry, but quick Facebook posts are so much easier, and you get instant feedback (especially when posting pointed political stuff). Fear n...

Yesterday, one of my Facebook friends (a former co-worker) posted a link to a Conservative Facebook page that included this graphic, and a b...