tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38254522332848583442024-02-18T21:47:49.435-08:00Thin Slice of LifeObservations of the oddities of everyday life--Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825452233284858344.post-56340027594359806762010-11-07T18:48:00.001-08:002010-11-07T18:48:54.206-08:00FaithWell, I though I would throw out my post election blog into the morass of post election analyses. I will try not to comment on the issues that may have caused the shift in power in the House, as that would be for another post. But having watched a lot of television commentary on the election results, I do know one thing—both Democrats and Republicans still don’t get it. By “it” I mean the pulse --Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825452233284858344.post-25822227812283074812010-10-12T21:01:00.001-07:002010-10-12T21:01:30.831-07:00The Ant and the GrasshopperSo are you an ant or a grasshopper? It seems an odd question, but when you talk about the housing crisis and its governmental solutions, homeowners are clearly divided into ants and grasshoppers. And if you’ve been reading my articles, you know that I root for the ants. Aesop’s fable, “The Ant and the Grasshopper” is well known. It goes something like this. There is a grasshopper that spends the --Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825452233284858344.post-27650568939541976612010-10-04T19:27:00.001-07:002010-10-04T19:27:21.177-07:00Medical ErrorsTo err is human, but to forgive is divine. That is the common Alexander Pope saying. It essentially means that it should not be surprising if you screw up, but expect to be crucified if you do. This is no more true than in medicine. Medical errors accounted for about 195,000 deaths a year nationwide in 2002. That number seems to be holding steady even in recent years. There are numerous ways in --Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825452233284858344.post-7360034920874078852010-09-19T18:07:00.000-07:002010-09-19T18:11:01.822-07:00ProbabilityThere is a fairly common probability mind bender that continues to keep problem solvers deeply divided. It comes it many different variations, with goats, money, envelopes, and doors. There are only possible answers to the problem. I used to believe one answer but the more I think about the problem, the more I believe the other answer. I will present you with both the problem and both answers --Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825452233284858344.post-10416129587426095452010-08-29T19:44:00.001-07:002010-08-29T19:44:28.156-07:00The Problem With FreeRecently I have doing more on my iPhone. This is, of course, relative to me only. So by “doing more”, I mean getting a screen protector and buying an app. But even then, I cannot do that without frustration. Let me begin with some clarification. I am not one those people who go through the App Store and buy an app just because it looks appealing, saying, “eh, it’s just $0.99.” I know myself well --Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825452233284858344.post-72613193820553241982010-08-22T20:26:00.001-07:002010-08-22T20:26:51.941-07:00LazinessI finally missed a week of posting. It was a good run, but it had to end sometime. I would like to say that I did not post anything last week because I was on vacation, which I was. Unfortunately, that would not be the true reason for it. The true reason I did not post anything last week was that I was lazy. Plain and simple. Now laziness comes in varying degrees and thresholds. For me, sleep is --Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825452233284858344.post-560676896090377022010-08-02T19:16:00.000-07:002010-08-02T19:19:51.977-07:00My iPhone4 GripesThe iPhone4 has been out for several months now, and it has already had a good share of criticism. The most striking critique of the iPhone4 was the fact that it could drop a call if you held it the wrong way, like some sort of fickle telephone mistress. This fact alone led Consumer Reports to not recommend the iPhone4. This then led to the discovery that the iPhone OS (iOS) was calculating your --Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825452233284858344.post-54428241248769959742010-07-26T21:17:00.000-07:002010-07-26T21:18:13.765-07:00Go TeamI went to a Phillies game today. It was an afternoon game and they were playing the Colorado Rockies. Now as much as I enjoy going to a baseball game, there are several things that are really not well thought out about the whole experience. And by the way, the Phillies won this game, but not without some drama in the top of the ninth. My first issue is with the stadium. I have been to several --Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825452233284858344.post-22295637215599249412010-07-18T21:38:00.000-07:002010-07-18T21:39:08.107-07:00Bored of DirectorsThank goodness for BP. That is probably what all the executives on Wall Street are thinking. Not only did they skate by on the soiled tatters of their underwear the first time around, but they escaped the potential, “hey, wait a second…” the second time around because BP had to go and pollute the Earth. Wall Street, remember? The people who created labyrinthine risk vehicles that distributed the --Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825452233284858344.post-61611473474038864372010-07-12T17:46:00.001-07:002010-07-12T17:46:58.688-07:00No Sync For You!I am a Mac person. I know that sounds weird given my lack of unabashed and limitless love for the iPad. It also seems weird given the fact that I do not even own and Intel based Mac, and those came out over three years ago. And not that it matters, but I was a Mac person before the iPod came out and everyone started jumping on the Mac bandwagon. I had a Powerbook 520c back in the day that cost my--Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825452233284858344.post-37118961154004359392010-07-05T19:06:00.000-07:002010-07-05T19:07:17.724-07:00TwilightI have never been one to get caught up in fleeting fads once they have taken a life of their own. For example, I never watched The Crying Game, nor do I ever intend to watch it, since I did not get a chance to see it before everyone and their cousin said it was the greatest movie ever. Likewise, I will not be watching several other Oscar winning movies. The same is true for books as well. --Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825452233284858344.post-2620014086506042862010-06-28T18:00:00.000-07:002010-06-28T18:01:16.614-07:00DIY: Laminate Part IIIf you have been wondering if I left my basement looking unfinished, fear not. I have continued on quest to install laminate flooring. When I last left you, I had ripped up the carpet, removed the tack strips, and hammered out the nails. Then, of course, I swept the floor. Then next step is laying down the underlayment. As far as I know, there are two reasons for underlayment. The first is to --Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825452233284858344.post-51404288712130303552010-06-21T12:32:00.001-07:002010-06-21T12:32:56.544-07:00Why We Need the iPad and Why We Really Don'tI recently wrote about the iPad and carefully stepped around some of the issues about which most people criticized the iPad, and for good reason. I was never against the iPad. It simply did not fit into my life the same way the MacBook Air did not fit into my life. But now I am reading all these stories about naysayers who have turned around to praise the iPad and written I-was-wrong articles and--Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825452233284858344.post-17226827189276549062010-06-14T18:12:00.001-07:002010-06-14T18:12:58.930-07:00DIY Laminate Part ISo it is summertime. That means it is time to start with all the pet projects that have been sitting on your to do list. For me, one of those projects was installing laminate flooring in the basement. When we first moved into our house, the basement was finished, which we had felt was a bonus. But as the years went by, two things became apparent that made the basement an undesirable place to hang--Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825452233284858344.post-68457616858296709982010-06-06T19:04:00.000-07:002010-06-06T19:05:13.061-07:00Commuter KidsThis is going to be one of those posts. One of those posts that start with an, “In my day…” and then ramble on about how things have changed for the worse. So here it is. In my day, school did not give kids back problems. What, you say? You do not see about what I am getting? Did you try imaging it with the most crotchety voice you could imagine? Still nothing? Well, I guess I will have to spell--Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825452233284858344.post-80256976458044052112010-05-31T20:04:00.001-07:002010-05-31T20:04:51.020-07:00ParadesMemorial Day is upon us. A day dedicated to the brave that have defended our country and its principles. It also happens to be a day where we can not work and have parades. Now I have never been a big parade person. I can probably count the number of times I have been to a parade on my hands. However, in my limited experience I can tell that parades are probably quite different on so many levels.--Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825452233284858344.post-24020510107329420552010-05-23T21:14:00.001-07:002010-05-23T21:14:22.966-07:00LotteryRecently Mega Millions has joined Powerball in my state. It was a big move and there was lots of press to get people started buying tickets. After all, there are not that many multistate lotteries. And that is where you win the big money. You can always expect both lotteries to be in the tens of millions of dollars, and tickets are only a dollar. This is in comparison to many state lottery --Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825452233284858344.post-68309473271055337482010-05-16T20:52:00.000-07:002010-05-16T20:53:16.662-07:00Garage SalesI went to some garage sales over the weekend. That would be plural—sales. Although I did also visit several garages, but that is besides the point., Anyways, my last visit to a garage sale was about two years ago, and I only went to ones that were in my development. This time, I went to one held at a church, a random house in a random neighborhood, and several in a development. I do not imagine a--Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825452233284858344.post-55015400610729012012010-05-10T19:25:00.001-07:002010-05-10T19:25:59.462-07:00What Healthcare Reform MisunderstandsSo it is finally done. Healthcare reform has not only passed, but it has seemingly survived the first round of amended bills and cries of unconstitutionality. Most importantly, some of it is now in effect. But before the new healthcare bill can take hold and show us what it can do for us, it will have to cut through all the rants and raves about it. You have the pure Obama Democrat on one hand, --Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825452233284858344.post-25849214521715395732010-05-02T20:35:00.000-07:002010-05-02T20:36:04.574-07:00Are Women More Gullible Than Men?I got your attention with that title, did I not? Do you really think I am going to foray into possibly dangerous and politically incorrect territory? Well, yes, I am. I could have titled this post many different things, but I thought the most generalized and possibly most specious would be the most appropriate. I was browsing through the Amazon Kindle bookstore (and yes, I also read my Kindle --Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825452233284858344.post-62761133708319402282010-04-26T19:59:00.001-07:002010-04-26T20:01:22.556-07:00The 100 Calorie FallacyI was hungry for a little snack the other day, so I went into the pantry to scrounge for something to eat. After scanning the shelves, I decided on a small 100 calorie pack of fruit snacks. You know, the sugary jelly treat shaped like fruits and artificially flavored to taste like fruit. Yummy. When my snack attack was finally satisfied, three empty bags of fruit snacks sat in the trashcan. You --Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825452233284858344.post-32857809606682559172010-04-18T20:55:00.001-07:002010-04-18T20:55:43.110-07:00Tandem DrivingFor everyone out there that has either had to follow someone in a car or lead someone in a car to a destination, I am going to teach you the rules of tandem driving. They are not difficult. There are not many of them. And if followed by both parties may actually get you places faster than if you were driving one car.Rule #1: Do not lose your follower. It sounds simple and almost self-explanatory,--Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825452233284858344.post-87350849293224434262010-04-12T21:12:00.001-07:002010-04-12T21:12:55.782-07:00Flying Off The HandleFlying is like going to Taco Bell. Despite having a horrible experience you keep coming back to it. Let me tell you about a recent flying experience with US Airways. I was flying with my family—my wife and two children, one of who is under a year old. We booked this flight months in advance through Orbitz. We chose seats on Orbitz. Since the youngest was to be an infant in lap, no seat was need --Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825452233284858344.post-84182646453954275222010-04-04T18:21:00.000-07:002010-04-04T18:22:56.251-07:00The USPSIt is tax time again. I went to my local post office to mail in my tax return. It was Thursday 1:30 pm. It was not a holiday. It was after lunch. When I got there, I was met by a ten person line and one postal employee. Now this post office has three areas for three employees to help customers. And only one person was working. All the people in line, including me, were rolling their eyes. For --Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3825452233284858344.post-78262536243897847352010-03-29T19:30:00.001-07:002010-03-29T19:30:48.216-07:003D RevolutionI was singing “Good Morning” to my daughter the other day since she seems to love Broadway showtunes. The song is from “Singing in the Rain”, and stars Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds. It was the first “Mamma Mia” or “Movin’ Out” of its time. I say that because it was not written as a cohesive musical. It was simply a bunch of songs that were written and organized around a plot. The plot of the --Ed.http://www.blogger.com/profile/09271476982738554606noreply@blogger.com0