Judgment Day

We are a judgmental species — especially about topics about which we know little or nothing. As you almost certainly must know, actor/comedian Robin Williams recently committed suicide. Upon the news of his death, social media Web sites (as well as the mainstream media) were rife with people bemoaning the loss of this beloved celebrity while…

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An Open Letter to My Sons

Dear Jon and Zack,  Maybe it’s because Father’s Day is approaching, but recently I’ve been thinking a little more than usual about your Grandpa, my father. This coming New Year’s Eve will mark the tenth anniversary of his death, and parts of that day are burned into my memory banks as indelibly as a branding…

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You’re Always Entitled to My Opinion

“Why don’t you climb down off the cross, take the wood to build a bridge, and get over it!” ~ Christopher Titus It seems to me there’s a lot of self-righteous martyrdom going around. Let me rephrase that: It seems to me there’s a lot of undeserved self-righteous martyrdom going around. And with it, somewhat…

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Digital Photography, Digital People

A very good friend of mine recently posted an entry on his blog dealing with elements of the digital world. An admitted and extremely knowledgeable audiophile, he can easily wax poetic about analog versus digital recordings and why analog is superior; something he touched on in the blog. (Incidentally, he isn’t an analog snob and would be…

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Can Language Change Culture?

When it comes to language, humans are an interesting species. And when it comes to English, we’re very interesting. One source claims English contains over one million words (according to the Global Language Monitor: 1,025,109.8 words as of January 1, 2014, with approximately 14.7 being added every day; other sources put English as containing as…

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