Sometimes my Microsoft Word macro coding skills surprise even myself. Once a month, every month, I create about two dozen files. Word documents, Excel spreadsheets — you name it, I’m creating it. Fortunately, nothing in Powerpoint, because Powerpoint es el Diablo. Wait. Why am I writing en espanol? No habla espanol, por favor. This isContinue reading “On Writing Word Macros”
Author Archives: Allyn
On Upcoming Asteroid Impacts
The asteroid Apophis, which NASA had rated as having a 1 in 45,000 chance of colliding with the Earth in the April 2029, in actuality has a 1 in 450 chance. And if the asteroid collides with a satellite in Earth orbit in its 2029 pass, then the asteroid will hit the Earth in 2036.Continue reading “On Upcoming Asteroid Impacts”
On My Grandmother and the Beach
My grandmother has a strange fixation on the beach. Today is gorgeous in Charm City. Generally clear, save for large puffy clouds. It was on the chilly side in the morning — mid-forties — but by lunchtime the temperature had climbed into the high-fifties, low-sixties, and there was a brisk wind behind it. In short,Continue reading “On My Grandmother and the Beach”
On Presidential Primary Thoughts
I’ve said very little about the ongoing primary battle between Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in the past few weeks. The reason’s fairly simple — I don’t have a horse in this race. Maryland voted weeks ago, and I didn’t vote for either candidate. But whichever candidate receives the Democratic Party’s nomination in NovemberContinue reading “On Presidential Primary Thoughts”
On Runic Writing
On occasion, I’ve deployed my skills in utilizing J.R.R. Tolkien’s Tengwar writing system. And while I have a large collection of different types of Tengwar fonts and know how to use them, the Runic fonts I’ve never used. I have them. I just don’t use them. But then, I am a self-described “font whore.” YouContinue reading “On Runic Writing”
On the Two-Week Round-Up
It’s a Sunday, so let’s take a look at the last two weeks in the life of Allyn Gibson. 😉 In terms of work, last week was “Hell Week,” that time in the publishing cycle where I have lots to do, deadline looming left, right, and center. And despite some truly harrowing moments in theContinue reading “On the Two-Week Round-Up”
On Fun With Grandmother
There is one thing that I hate most in this world. Okay, maybe not hate, because that’s a bit strong. And maybe not most, because it’s a minor thing, really. But I don’t like it. Can’t stand it. Don’t want to be near it. And that’s burnt toast. Burnt toast is smelly. Burnt toast isContinue reading “On Fun With Grandmother”
On a Friday Morning Meme
Because today is dreary, and because I’ve not yet had a cup of coffee (and thus, I feel sluggish), we shall do a meme! Lay the blame for this at Keith‘s feet: Use the first letter of your first name to answer each of the following. They have to be real places, names, things —Continue reading “On a Friday Morning Meme”
On the President’s Shakespearean Tendencies
Will wonders never cease! While other American presidents have quoted from Shakespeare, it appears that George W. Bush is the only president to emulate Shakespeare. So argues Slate. My first reaction? It can’t be. He doesn’t have the cadences. He talks like a gibbering moron when he’s off script, when he’s not being actively petulant.Continue reading “On the President’s Shakespearean Tendencies”
On Illinois and Atheists
Bear with me for a moment. I’ve been pondering this for nearly twenty-four hours — maybe a little less than that, as I was asleep for, oh, about six of those hours — and I’ve not quite figured out what to say. But something needs to be said. The situation is this. An atheist inContinue reading “On Illinois and Atheists”