We were at a dance Saturday night, sitting at a table with eight other fans of Dancing With The Stars, and someone observed that they were surprised that Bristol Palin was still on the show. The consensus was that Bristol’s fan base had kept her in the competition long after her skill ceased to do… Continue reading The Mystery of Bristol Palin
Author: Eric
Turning Eight
Of all the made-up words that accompanied the advent of blogging, “blogiversary” is the most unwieldy and nonsensical…and yet I can’t think of another one to use while announcing that today the Fire Ant Gazette turns eight years old. In many ways, Facebook (and to a lesser extent, Twitter) has brought blogging to its knees,… Continue reading Turning Eight
Great Blue Heron in Distress
We’ve had a Great Blue Heron hanging around the neighborhood for the past few months. It’s quite a sight, especially when winging its way over the mesquite-dotted pasture that surrounds us; there’s a vaguely prehistoric look to its flight. While it prefers to wade along the shoreline of the two ponds, it’s not unusual to… Continue reading Great Blue Heron in Distress
Apple to increase iTunes previews to 90 seconds
It’s about time, literally and figuratively. The AppleBlog reports that iTunes song previews (for tracks longer than 2.5 minutes) will be tripled in length, to 90 seconds. I’ve long argued for this change. Thirty seconds simply isn’t long enough to decide if you like a relatively unfamiliar song (or a familiar one in a new… Continue reading Apple to increase iTunes previews to 90 seconds
Random Thursday
A few observations while marveling at the fact that a “Random Thursday” post is actually getting posted on a Thursday. I was reading the fifth chapter of Lamentations this morning (when’s the last time you read the most depressing book of the Bible?) and a particular verse caught my attention. Now, keep in mind that… Continue reading Random Thursday
The Sci-Fi World of Insects
I walked over to the north pond yesterday, hoping to get some photos of the big crane that’s been hanging out the past few weeks. He flew away before I could do that, so I sat at the water’s edge waiting for him to return. He never came back (thanks to you, Mr. Loudmouth Cell… Continue reading The Sci-Fi World of Insects
Universal Truths
I’m pretty sure I’ve seen it before, but it’s been long enough that I had forgotten most of it (meaning that I may have actually read it just last week, but that’s a completely different story). Anyway, I ran across a friend’s blog post (no longer active) offering a list of “universal truths” and it’s… Continue reading Universal Truths
Voting Daze
I stood in line about twenty minutes today, waiting to cast my vote on the last afternoon of early voting. There were about a hundred people in line when I got to the polling place, and that number stayed steady throughout the time I was there. Entering the building where the voting was taking place,… Continue reading Voting Daze
New Toy: Voyager Hard Drive Dock
I recently filled up a 1TB internal hard drive with Time Machine backups. I ordered a 2TB drive to take its place, and put the full, bare drive in a drawer for safekeeping. A couple of months later, I needed to access some of the data on the old drive, so I pulled out a… Continue reading New Toy: Voyager Hard Drive Dock
In Progress Book Review: “Warriors”
I’m about halfway through a compilation of short stories and novellas entitled Warriors. It’s edited by acclaimed sci-fi/fantasy authors George R.R. Martin (whose Wild Cards series I’ve been devouring whenever I can find a volume in e-book format) and Gardner Dozois. The anthology is filled with stories that go beyond the genres that its editors… Continue reading In Progress Book Review: “Warriors”