In response to the extensive feedback* I’ve recently received, we’re starting over (again!) with the Gazette, and basically returning to a more-or-less traditional blog format. It’s going to take a while to get reformatted, so please bear with us. *At least five people, representing 87.6% of my total readership, suggested this approach.
Fire Ant Farewell
[Update (years later!) Hahahahah…*cough*…uh, well — just kidding! Apparently, there’s no effective 12-Step program for giving up blogging.] This is the 3,846th post on the Gazette. It’s also the last. After more than six years, it’s time to try something different, although at this point I’m not precisely sure what that means.
“Breaking Away” and Jumping Off
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Breaking Away, the movie that launched a million wannabe bike racers. I wasn’t one of them, but I was still captivated by the story, the characters, and, yes, even the cycling. In 1979, my wife and I were living in an apartment in Richardson, Texas (on Prestonwood Drive,… Continue reading “Breaking Away” and Jumping Off
Twitter vs MSM: A zero sum game?
Say, if you have just a minute or two, go read this article about Lance Armstrong’s bicycle crash and broken collar bone, and then come back here. We’ll wait… *annoying tuneless whistling signifying a break in the action* That was quick; you’re a good reader, aren’t you? So, did you notice anything unusual about Ciaran… Continue reading Twitter vs MSM: A zero sum game?
The Chronicle of Unfortunate Grocery Abbreviations
Me: Are you still coming home for lunch? She: Yep. Me: Good. I’ll fry* you up your usual Chunky Girl soup. She: What’d you just say? Me: Uh…what? Oh, I just said, uh, that I’d make your usual soup. She (doubtful): OK. That’s what I get for being observant. Well, that’s what I get for… Continue reading The Chronicle of Unfortunate Grocery Abbreviations
Turkey Stalking
I’ve written before about the flock of wild turkeys that have taken up residence in my old neighborhood in Fort Stockton. For whatever reasons, the size of the group has dwindled from the upper teens to just three, a gobbler (male) and two hens. The male has been known to exhibit aggressive behaviors towards people,… Continue reading Turkey Stalking
Snack Tip
Who says cooking is complicated? Locate a half-full jar of marshmallow cream in the back of your pantry. If you have only a full far, ask your wife to make a half batch of fudge. Put said jar of marshmallow cream in the microwave. Nuke for 15-20 seconds, depending on your clean-up capabilities. Into the… Continue reading Snack Tip
My Idea for a “Taken” Sequel
So, we took in a matinée showing of Taken today, and as we walked out of the theater I bounced this idea off MLB. “They need to pair up Liam Neeson’s Bryan Mills with Bruce Willis’s John McClain and have them be dads who volunteer to be chaperones on a high school trip in order… Continue reading My Idea for a “Taken” Sequel
Random Thoughts On Inauguration Day
We rejoice today, for at long last, the fires of Mordor have been quenched, and the evil intentions of The Empire have been thwarted. How bright is that light that signals a new dawn, where Jupiter has finally aligned with Mars, and Starbucks lattes, thick with the foam of freedom, are but one thin dime,… Continue reading Random Thoughts On Inauguration Day
Book Review: “The Metamorphosis”
When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin. Thus begins Franz Kafka’s novella, The Metamorphosis, as translated from the original German by Stanley Corngold. The rest of the story is spent describing the remainder of Gregor’s short and painful existence as a… Continue reading Book Review: “The Metamorphosis”