No, “recycled television” isn’t referring to re-runs. I’m talking about where to take your old TV when you’re ready to part with it. According to an article in the NY Times, 18 states now have laws requiring manufacturers to take their old equipment and recycle it. The story doesn’t list the states, so I don’t[...]
Thinking of going to see Transformers 2? (Also known as Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.) Think again. After two-and-a-half hours of mayhem, crude jokes, boob shots, and confusing robot fight scenes, I came away with an okay feeling. Just okay. But, after a movie has been hyped this much, and that cost this much (reportedly[...]
The science news website Science Daily posted a story today about how the world’s increasing population will soon outpace our ability to grow food and produce other items necessary for life, like fuel. But hasn’t this scare been going around for 30 years or more? I know I’ve been hearing it my whole life. When[...]
Once again, I’ve uninstalled Google Desktop Search, this time for good. I had the app a couple of years ago, and I remember liking it because its search function was better than any other desktop search tool I could find. And I remember uninstalling it because it slowed my computer down. But I didn’t remember[...]
Today, the U.S. Supreme Court correctly ruled that prisoners do not have the right to DNA tests that might prove their innocence. I use the word “correctly” in the above sentence, because they’re merely in place to determine how the law matches up with the U.S. Constitution. However, given the court’s long history (precedent, anyone?)[...]
“I thought the left loved freedom of the press and open government. I guess that’s only when ‘The Man’ is someone else.” That’s what one commenter said on a news story about the federal government hoping to charge a journalist for publishing news. It’s an astute observation about the way our two-party political system works:[...]
Commentary: A record Powerball jackpot isn’t a record to celebrate (Christian Science Monitor) The editorial board of CSM concluded their piece with this: Before the news media play up the next record-setting mega-lottery like Powerball, they may want to add these kinds of caveats in their reporting. It could deter people from rushing to the[...]
Following are some passages I underlined during a reading of To Sail Beyond The Sunset (1987) by Robert A. Heinlein, the last novel he published before dying in 1988: “I remember Earth. I knew her when she was clean and green, mankind’s beautiful bride, sweet and lush and lovable… It is futile to mourn over[...]
There is a school of thought, albeit a relatively unpopular one, that poor grammar or punctuation on printed signs should be corrected with a Sharpie or other tool, vigilante style. In the News: Vigilante Copy Editor (New York Times) And there are older instances, such as this one (The Virginian-Pilot).
Following are some passages I underlined during a reading of The Cat Who Walks Through Walls: A Comedy of Manners (1985) by Robert A. Heinlein: “It does not do to encourage bad banners; one should retaliate, urbanely but firmly.”
In The News: Adobe starts subscription for Photoshop and Dreamweaver (BBC News) This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone; many software companies are moving in this direction. Instead of having to ship millions of boxes and discs every year when they upgrade the software, they’re just going to add the updates to the online[...]
Following are some passages I underlined during a reading of I Will Fear No Evil (1970) by Robert Heinlein: “…most people think of money as something to pay the rent. But a money man thinks of money in terms of what he can do with it.” “…it’s impossible for a woman to lay it on[...]
For about $5, I made this measuring cup holder that’s hidden inside a kitchen cabinet: (Copyright © 2013 by Wil C. Fry. All rights reserved.)
My wife and I invoked our “30 minute rule” when watching this movie. The rule is: if the movie can’t interest either of us in 30 minutes, then we turn it off and quit wasting our time. According to Wikipedia, this film is based on a 1974 novel and “the story follows the hunt for[...]
Following are some passages I underlined during my 2002 reading of Stranger In A Strange Land (1961) by Robert Heinlein, of which I wrote on Nov. 14, 2002, “Perhaps the best book ever written.” (I no longer feel that way, but it’s still a pretty good book.)
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