Can anyone explain to me why the Hagia Sophia — the former basilica built by the Emperor Justinian, now a mosque in Istanbul — is a campaign issue in South Carolina’s Senate race? Anyone? Anyone? No? My inner historian is scratching his head and biting his lower lip in abject confusion. Constantinople fell to theContinue reading “Is There Something in the South Carolina Water? I Hate That I Have to Ask…”
Author Archives: Allyn Gibson
Getting Pissed at the AI Slop
Given the subject matter of what I am about to write, you may wonder if I mean “pissed” in the Irish sense — getting drunk — or the American sense — irritated. You are right to wonder! Last evening, after I returned from several days in the Old Dominion, Facebook hit me up with anContinue reading “Getting Pissed at the AI Slop”
The Last Card
Grief is weird. Today was the Lancaster Stormers’ Fan Fest. They were to play an exhibition game against the Black Sox (a traveling semi-pro team, AIUI) before the Atlantic League season begins on Tuesday. When I entered the stadium, I saw tables set up around the concourse. A local elementary school was holding an artsContinue reading “The Last Card”
Stupid Eye Tricks
I saw this on Twitter a few days ago and meant to write about it then. But it’s neither urgent nor important, so it fell by the wayside. This post features an image full of the digit 3… and somewhere in that field is a 5! Apparently, it is “absolutely impossible” to find the 5Continue reading “Stupid Eye Tricks”
The Bee on the Sidewalk
The bee looked dead. It lay on the sidewalk, unmoving, its wings splayed at its sides. A fellow bee hovered over it, as though it knew its brother, its playmate had fallen and was waiting for him to return to the sky. It’s a lovely afternoon. I was sitting outside, reading Ring Lardner’s How toContinue reading “The Bee on the Sidewalk”
Things I Can’t Buy
Ah, Facebook, you know me! Facebook serves ads. Ads and algorithmic content are Facebook’s raison d’être, after all, not keeping up with friends, family, and things of interest. It’s vitally important that Facebook show me interesting restaurants in Memphis (never been) and concerts I’d like to see in Tulsa (also never been) instead of, oh,Continue reading “Things I Can’t Buy”
Archons and Pentacostines: An Exegesis
There’s an amusing Tweet I’ve seen the last few years about hardcore Catholic converts that amuses me in a dark, sarcastic way. You’ve probably seen it, too. Let’s do some exegesis here. “Archon” is a Greek term meaning “ruler.” So, a ruler of Constantinople. But this ruler is writing an “epistle on the… eucharist,” soContinue reading “Archons and Pentacostines: An Exegesis”
Trump Threatens War Crimes
This morning, the president posted this to Truth Social: The inner Gen X kid in me, the one who grew up with the threat of nuclear war pretty much daily, is screaming his head off. I wrote my Congressman, Lloyd Smucker (R-Toady). I don’t know that I need to quote what the president said onContinue reading “Trump Threatens War Crimes”
Squishy Cubes
Late last week I went by Ollie’s Bargain Outlet. I was looking for their inexpensive quick-grow grass seed, and they had none (that I could find). So, I bought some groceries while I was there (the Kraft Jalapeno Mac & Cheese — not recommended) and a Rubik’s Cube. It’s called the Rubik’s Squish Cube. It’sContinue reading “Squishy Cubes”
Long Journey, Small Steps, That Sort of Thing
I saw this while scrolling through Twitter a few days ago… No, Alfin. My coding journey began here. Yes, the venerable Timex Sinclair 1000. With its membrane keyboard, 2 kilobytes of memory internal, and a 16 kilobyte external memory pack. A RF switch for connecting to the television. A heavy DC power adapter that gotContinue reading “Long Journey, Small Steps, That Sort of Thing”