Two months ago, I couldn’t spell “cartographer,” and now I am [on my way to becoming] one. As a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) specialist, my duties include generating and editing maps, and I’ve found the learning curve to be challenging. There are actually two different challenges. One involves learning the systems we use for mapping. Most of our… Continue reading I, Cartographer
Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs died today at age 56, and the world lost a creative visionary. Apple enthusiasts will freely admit the significance of the loss, while even those who rejected or denigrated his contributions will nevertheless continue to enjoy for years to come the benefits of the technologies he championed. I didn’t know Jobs, but I… Continue reading Steve Jobs
Salad Rave
Last night’s dinner at Poehi’s (Coronado Island, CA) was quite pleasant, with the combination of a open-air bayside table (where we watched an enterprising pelican gulp down his own fresh seafood) and good food. I had a pretty straightforward fresh salmon fillet, grilled with olive oil, but the real star of the meal was my… Continue reading Salad Rave
The Art-Producing Instrument As Art
I have a fairly open mind when it comes to art, or, more specifically, what constitutes art. The human imagination is a wonderful and mysterious force, and when it’s imposed on physical materials in unexpected ways, it evokes a wide range of emotions and reactions from the beholder. Such as…what the…? I can’t recall how… Continue reading The Art-Producing Instrument As Art
Another 15 seconds of “fame”
Remember this post? No? Can’t say that I blame you; it dealt with some pretty obscure subject matter. Well, unless you’re a musician and music historian who’s writing a scholarly book about the musicians of Alabama including Gene Sullivan and who had almost despaired of finding a photograph of Mr. Sullivan…until he stumbled across this… Continue reading Another 15 seconds of “fame”
Ditch or Pipeline? Neither is likely to help our water situation.
As parts of the country endure flooding while other regions continue to suffer from a history-making drought and water shortage, it’s logical to wonder why we can’t figure out a way to move some of that water from one area to the other. Associated Press Science writer Seth Borenstein writes that the idea is simply not… Continue reading Ditch or Pipeline? Neither is likely to help our water situation.
Church Construction
Some of you Midlanders (and former Midlanders) might be interested in the following view of the construction going on at First Baptist Church. The new welcome center will go in where the truck is parked on the left side of the photo; the new chapel is on the opposite side of the property. They’ve been… Continue reading Church Construction
Wha…?
I’ve decided I’ve been overworking and overthinking this whole how-to-transport-our-bike issue. Photographer unknown I’m just not sure I can afford the bungee cords.
Desalination a solution for our water woes? Uh, not so fast…
As we creep inexorably toward the one-year mark without meaningful rainfall (how mind-boggling is that, anyway?), ideas that were once bandied about in sci-fi mode now start to take on some semblance of credibility. Like, for example, the idea that we have plenty of water available to Texas, it’s just a bit on the salty… Continue reading Desalination a solution for our water woes? Uh, not so fast…
Reflections on Two Weeks of Employment…
…or, “How Do You People Actually Do This?!” So, a little more than two weeks ago I left the ranks of the self-unemployed freelancers and rejoined the corporate rat race (or drone drama; take your pick), and I’m gradually beginning to feel like I didn’t make The Worst Decision Evah. Yeah, it’s been a fairly… Continue reading Reflections on Two Weeks of Employment…