OK, I’ll admit it…I’m not a frequent reader of Glenn Reynolds’ Instapundit. For one thing, he refuses to return my phone calls, even with the “special” caller ID thing I hacked worked out. And then there’s all the links he’s throwing lately toward Discoshaman and TulipGirl, whom he wouldn’t even know about without lurking for… Continue reading Good Sci-Fi is hard to find
Hiking El Capitan
A year ago, MLB and I hiked to the top of Guadalupe Peak, which at 8,700′ and change is the highest point in Texas. We were exceedingly fortunate in that the weather was beautiful — clear, calm and cool — something that cannot be counted on in that part of the country during this time… Continue reading Hiking El Capitan
Non-essential Updates and Pith-less Insights
Ever had a conversation like this with one of your kids? Uncle Eric, when are we leaving for school? Well, when do you want to leave? Um…I’m supposed to be at school for practice at 7:30. Quick glance at clock. 7:26 a.m. Hmm. And I was supposed to know this exactly how? I guess I… Continue reading Non-essential Updates and Pith-less Insights
Movie Fun: Music in Non-Musicals
I finished watching 13 Going On 30 today during my torture treadmill session. Cute movie… serious lapses in plot (duh)… Jennifer Garner is a revelation. Anyway, my favorite scene in the movie was the Thriller dance at the magazine’s party. I’m a sucker for the interjection of such scenes in movies that are not musicals, especially… Continue reading Movie Fun: Music in Non-Musicals
White Paper: A New Level of Hell
Memo to the Prince of Darkness: Dear Mr. Pod, I would like to propose the immediate implementation of a new level of Hell, if you can find the space. I believe that this proposal will provide a uniquely awful form of punishment to the deserving offender, and I know that you will be astonished at… Continue reading White Paper: A New Level of Hell
Sci-Fi Creature on the Loose!
While sweeping the leaves and acorns off the front drive yesterday (a wasted effort thanks to an unexpected late afternoon thunderstorm) I spotted a flash of green next to the porch. It was a large praying mantis, not exactly rare in these parts but also not an everyday occurrence. Mantids are cool insects to have… Continue reading Sci-Fi Creature on the Loose!
Kerry’s Nuisance Advisory System
In the “gotta laugh to keep from crying” vein, I’m having fun with John Kerry’s interview published in last Sunday’s New York Times Magazine. In an amazingly naive statement, Kerry thinks we can go back to a time when terrorism was simply “a nuisance.” Here’s the complete quote (in context, btw, for you Dem spinmeisters… Continue reading Kerry’s Nuisance Advisory System
Riding in the Tour de Wino
MLB and I recently traveled 110 miles southwest to Fort Stockton, where the annual HarvestFest celebration was taking place. The attraction of this event to us came in the form of a bike ride to the Cordier Estates winery located 26 miles east of town, pretty much in the middle of nowhere. This sounded interesting… Continue reading Riding in the Tour de Wino
A[nother] Reason to Blog
Like any self-respecting blogger, I spend some time (OK…a lot; there, are you satisfied?) poring over visitor logs and being amazed at the variety of ways people stumble across the Gazette. As you might expect, a bunch of folks come by way of search engines, and their search terms are all over the map. For… Continue reading A[nother] Reason to Blog
Ombrophobic Canine
Today was the fourth consecutive rainy day in Midland. I know that doesn’t sound like much to some of you, but this is the desert, folks, and we’re more accustomed to measuring rainfall in terms of consecutive minutes rather than days. If you talk to any real west Texan, they’ll be ambivalent about a situation… Continue reading Ombrophobic Canine