Back Again, and Cold.
I have spent the past 2-1/2 months in Central America where, with the exception of four nights that I spent at or above 9,000' of altitude, the weather was never once as cold as it has been upon my return to Seattle. The last night I spent in Seattle, May 1, I wore...
News of the Day
It's been a little hectic for me of late as there has been a swirling amalgam of things that has prevented me from using this much—I quit my job, had my birthday, became very ill, attempted to celebrate quitting my job and my birthday while being very ill, bought a...
Image of the Day
Today's best shot (bad pun alert) goes to the following Montana based Radio Shack store. According to The Guardian, "Since October, independent dealer Steve Strand has been offering a gift card for a $125 (£77) pistol or a $115 (£77) shotgun and a free background...
Fine, or not quite enough
When I was in high-school I went through a long and frustrating stage when the word I most frequently said to my mother was "fine." I'd come home from school and she'd ask, How was your day, and I'd exasperatedly huff, Fine, and then storm off to my room. How was...
On Facebook & Friends
I was thinking the other day about all the friends I have on Facebook. I had just logged into the site, which is something I don't do often: despite understanding the functionality and appeal of Facebook, it's just not my thing. I clicked on the "Friends" link and...
How To Fulfill Your Dreams
In anticipation of my birthday, which occurs in just over a month, I've decided to become contemplative. "Decided" is a stretch - mostly, like breathing, it simply happens of its own accord. Six-to-eight weeks before every New Year's and every mid-April...
PÄ…czki Day
Today's Mardi Gras. The French translation is literally Fat Tuesday, and it marks the unofficial beginning of Lent, which commences tomorrow with Ash Wednesday. Traditionally the purpose of Fat Tuesday was, as the name implies, to eat fatty foods in preparation...
Mc-What??
There's plenty of supporting evidence if you're inclined to be a Things-Didn't-Used-To-Be-This-Bad crank: the Tea Party movement comes immediately to mind, as do most of the currently serving members of the Republican Party who are intent on removing any useful...
You Say Poh-tab-lah
The other day I was in a city-owned building downtown: one of those 1960's cement block uglies whose sole architectural emphasis seems to have been functionality, specifically, How to ensure that the people working inside this building feel like they're nothing more...
Silly silly people
Sometimes people are silly. That's a very gentle way of acknowledging that when one works in a service industry it's easy to grow exhausted by others' behaviors. Over-working oneself in such an industry only magnifies the situation exponentially. As can be...
Pullman on Libraries
I understand that since this is my space to write in, it should follow that I am the one doing the writing. But I've been tired of late, and instead of my words today I'd like to share someone else's. Below is a PDF of a speech recently given by the British author...