The Internet

Enter at Your Own Risk

Enter at Your Own Risk

My ISP has been pestering me lately, claiming that my equipment is outdated, and I am not taking full advantage of the higher data rates available on my current Internet plan. I was skeptical, as always, that this was another ploy to sell me less for more – just how bad could my 14-year-old modem/router […]

Artificial Dementia

Artificial Dementia

While it is widely known that Pompeii was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, only serious historians will recall that this catastrophic event took place on August 24, 79 AD. If you are curious what typical Pompeiians ate for breakfast that morning nearly 2000 years ago, there are a few conserved bits of papyrus that […]

A Do-It-Yourself BS Detector

A Do-It-Yourself BS Detector

Both of my parents were educators, and reading was a common pastime in my family.  Dad subscribed to U.S. News and World Report, the Los Angeles Times and the Pasadena Star News.  When we got a TV, his favorite news provider was Walter Cronkite.  For those too young to remember, Cronkite anchored the CBS Evening […]

You Need This

You Need This

I was doing some last-minute online research for an overseas flight when it hit me – I’d forgotten to pack my neck pillow.  It’s hard enough to get a little rest on a plane, and small things like this make a difference.  Shortly after my packing epiphany, an ad for my exact same pillow showed […]

Reality Check

Reality Check

Reality can be disappointing.  Self-help books and motivational speakers tell us the answer is to set ambitious goals and reach for the stars.  When the results don’t meet our expectations, disappointment soon follows.  There are many ways of dealing with this. In the 60’s, one answer was to give up on reality completely and settle […]