I spent much of a Sunday afternoon downloading Seventies and Eighties TV show theme songs from iTunes and editing them* into gain-consistent 20-second clips with tasteful fade-ins and -outs to serve as fillers between songs in the playlist I’m compiling for an upcoming ballroom dance. If this sounds like fun, you must be a geek,… Continue reading Filling the Dance Gap
ARCO’s Corporate Art Collection in Midland – The Rest of the Story
In which we continue to fill in the gaps in the history of ARCO’s corporate art collection in Midland.
Questioning a Gallant Gesture
A front page article in our local newspaper described how the incoming president of the University of Texas at Austin – the second largest university in Texas, by student population – has declined a $1 million salary in favor of “only” $750,000 per year (plus deferred pay, and a bonus which he also requested be… Continue reading Questioning a Gallant Gesture
Local Nature
Just a few random observations from the Wide World of Nature – Midland, Texas Edition. First, the following video is noteworthy in spite of its poor quality (shot through an office window with a zoomed-in iPhone), because it shows a ladder-backed woodpecker who landed on a red yucca and began working over the blooms. These… Continue reading Local Nature
Workplace Retrace
Someone recently posted a photo on Facebook of their office walls, and that caused me to think about the offices I’ve had over the course of my career(s). In four decades of work, they’ve run the gamut from yuck to bling, and in looking back I’ve realized that some were pretty noteworthy. The Introductory Bullpen… Continue reading Workplace Retrace
More Texas wildflower action (with 17% more bugs, too!)
The bluebonnets are thinning out in the Texas Hill Country, but wildflower season is far from over. The amazing fields of blue are giving way to even more vivid arrays of yellow, red, and white blooms, and not just from the typical flowering plants. Cacti are busy putting out their own displays of color. And,… Continue reading More Texas wildflower action (with 17% more bugs, too!)
Kicking into Kickstarter? Be prepared to kick yourself.
A Facebook friend posted a link to this New York Times article. It’s a long but entertaining look at a failed* Kickstarter campaign to fund a PID-controlled espresso machine. The article is a cautionary tale about what happens when a good idea is poorly executed, and project backers feel they have been treated unfairly, if… Continue reading Kicking into Kickstarter? Be prepared to kick yourself.
Another Ill-placed Dove Nest
If you’ve spent much time around doves you know that they run a close second to sheep for being the dumbest animals on God’s green earth. I make this assessment based primarily on the ridiculous places they choose to build their nests. For all I know, they’re geniuses when it comes to differential calculus and… Continue reading Another Ill-placed Dove Nest
Walmart Closings: Even MORE Theories!
The recent disclosure by Walmart that it’s closing five stores in order to repair “plumbing issues” is so mysterious – I can’t find any formal announcement or press release on the company’s website – that it’s spawning myriad conspiracy theories by folks for whom the X Files reboot can’t come soon enough. I’ll be the first… Continue reading Walmart Closings: Even MORE Theories!
Getting the Old Shoulder
So, the good news is that the tumor is benign. The bad news is that my right arm will perpetually hang limply by my side like a giant knackwurst. But, I could theoretically still win the Super Bowl. *rewind* Some of the above is true. *rewind* The pain in my shoulder began last October or… Continue reading Getting the Old Shoulder