A few weeks ago, Eddie Vedder Beagle returned to live with me. It's the first time in his life he is the sole canine in the homestead, and it seems to have affected his behavior. In anticipation of his arrival, I visited the local Petland and bought him a Harley Davidson collar with Bad to …
A new beginning at the VA
The most enjoyable part about my first visit to my new primary care physician at the VA was meeting the team (the doctor has two male nurses) and answering all the questions about myself. I'm one of my favorite topics. There were some interesting moments: Carl, nurse #1: "Would you like to be screened for …
The Scorpion and the Turtle
One day, a turtle sat casually near the riverbank, not hurrying to do much of anything. He continued not hurrying in this manner for quite some time until disturbed by a scorpion that had wandered up from his right. The scorpion was of a rather ferocious looking variety, and quite large as scorpions go. The …
Dunning-Kruger
If you're not familiar with the Dunning-Kruger effect, you owe it to yourself to read up on it. It's a fascinating study that affects all of us, yet few of us can recognize it. Essentially, the unskilled have an illusory superiority effect, where they perceive themselves to be more skilled than they actually are. Conversely, …
on Not Dying
Wires and helicopters do not get along. Wires tend to tear rotors off, and lacking a rotor, helicopters tend to do impressions of falling rocks. As a pilot, you have the shit scared out of you regularly by instructor pilots about the myriad ways you can perish in your chosen profession. Flying from El Paso …
Mandatory Acknowledgement
Forced fun on prescribed days of the week or year have always irritated me. I generally look at ritualistic behavior curiously, wondering how these actions came about and why so many are so willing to jump in and participate, in essence being told what to do and when by unknown parties with unknown agendas. Today, …
The Miami Face-Eater and the Theory of Evolution
I’ve been trying to educate my 77-year old mother about the theory of evolution for some time now. My mother was born and raised in Cuba, moving to the United States in the early 1960’s. She was raised as a Roman Catholic, although when pressed she has a vague, pantheistic view and real anger toward …
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Better Living through Pharmaceuticals
I don't watch much television. I watch baseball games and occasionally watch Comedy Central. Sometimes I'll watch something on TLC or the Discovery Channel. But when I was younger I watched a lot of TV. I don't ever recall seeing commercials for drugs like we do today. Even with as little TV as I watch, …
Inspirational Quotes for the Practical Man
I love inspirational quotes, especially when they are posted on twitter and fill the twitter stream with positive vibes. One day, I was contemplating how some of the more common quotes could be tailored to suit the practical man. You know the type; pragmatic, straight to the point, matter-of-fact kind of guy. Certainly these quotes are suitable …
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Pickles are Bad and I Can Prove It
Pickles are disgusting. I mean they are truly awful. They smell bad, they look bad, they feel bad and most importantly, they taste really magnificently horrid. Pickles don’t exist in nature. They are mutated cucumbers, soaked in formaldehyde and were probably created in a lab by a mad scientist. That may not be true, but …
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