Tumbleweeds have taken over this blog this week… Chalk it up to feeling unwell and overworked. Last weekend, I began to feel congested. On Sunday, I had a sandpaperish throat and clogged sinuses. On Monday, I had congestion in the bronchial passages and a persistent cough. Allergies? A cold? I have no idea. Just whenContinue reading “On Blog Tumbleweeds”
Author Archives: Allyn
On Ukulele Playlists
Several months ago I discovered The Beatles Complete on Ukulele, a weekly podcast of ukulele Beatles covers. I added the feed to iTunes, and within an hour I had all the songs that had been released to date. Since then, I’ve stayed on top of downloading the podcast, though I’ve recently had to fix aContinue reading “On Ukulele Playlists”
On Cynicism, Mitch Daniels, and the Thin Republican Field
Mitch Daniels, the former Bush administration Office of Management and Budget director and current governor of Indiana, has decided not to seek the Republican nomination for President in 2012. Many Republicans saw him as a viable candidate in a weak field, yet Daniels has decided to join former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who would himselfContinue reading “On Cynicism, Mitch Daniels, and the Thin Republican Field”
On “Rebel Flesh” Not Rebelling
Suppose that, in the near-future, there are industrial jobs that are too difficult for humans or robots to perform. They still need to be done, but there’s a high risk of death to a human or the loss of the investment of a robot. Either would make the work cost-prohibitive. But it’s the future, andContinue reading “On “Rebel Flesh” Not Rebelling”
On Apocalyptic Thinking
People are preparing for the Apocalypse. For instance, there are Christians who believe the Rapture will happen tomorrow. Or the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta offered advice for surviving the zombie apocalypse. NASA is even prepared for Viking raids. I’m sure there are pagans who are anxiously awaiting Ragnarok, and some Reformed Gallifreyists mayContinue reading “On Apocalyptic Thinking”
On Completing the 30 Day Song Challenge
A little more than a month ago, I began posting to Facebook and Twitter responses to the 30 Day Song Challenge. As I mentioned at the start of it, some friends of mine at work had been doing the challenge, one sent me the link to the “rules,” and I started answering the various questions.Continue reading “On Completing the 30 Day Song Challenge”
On Batman and Flashpoint Theories
This afternoon, at the office, I read some comic books. I’d gotten behind on my Batman reading, and I read last week’s Batman Inc. #6 and this week’s Batman: Gates of Gotham #1 (which need to be read in that order — there’s an element in the first that is picked up in the second).Continue reading “On Batman and Flashpoint Theories”
On Attempting Ulysses Once More
Yesterday, a package arrived in the mail. It was the Dover edition of James Joyce’s Ulysses, a reproduction of the original 1922 printing by Sylvia Beach for Shakespeare & Company. Like many people, I have started Ulysses. Like many people, I’ve never finished Ulysses. I tweeted last night about the book’s arrival, and in theContinue reading “On Attempting Ulysses Once More”
On My Daily Caffeine Intake
I am nothing without my morning coffee. I started drinking coffee at an early age. I must have been ten. It would be served after church services, and I would help myself to the coffee. Everyone — every adult, anyway — drank it. So why couldn’t I? I drank coffee irregularly. It wasn’t until 1996Continue reading “On My Daily Caffeine Intake”
On “The Doctor’s Wife” and Commercial Breaks
Doctor Who clearly isn’t meant to be watched with commercial breaks. Last night was “The Doctor’s Wife,” the highly-anticipated episode of Doctor Who by Neil Gaiman. I knew of people at work who, despite never having watched Doctor Who, intended to watch last night’s episode solely because of the Neil Gaiman factor. I wasn’t thatContinue reading “On “The Doctor’s Wife” and Commercial Breaks”