The science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein, one of the Big Three of the 1950s and 60s, once listed the various plot outlines that stories could take. I cannot find the quote at the moment, but if my memory serves me correctly, they are If this goes on, One who learns better, and Biter bit. … Continue reading Biter Bit
The American Experiment
It seems that “Donald” is no longer a very popular name for babies. The name peaked in 1934 when more than 30,400 babies in the United States were given that name, and it remained in the top ten of baby names until 1990. In 2025 it hit its lowest point, becoming only the 690th most … Continue reading The American Experiment
Three Edits
When I took that History and Appreciation of Motion Pictures course in 1968, one of the things the prof showed us was a film that featured three different edited versions of the same raw footage. It was a short scene from the TV series Gunsmoke, and I was curious if it was available now that … Continue reading Three Edits
What’s the Name of This Country?
When I went to elementary school, I remember believing that the name of the country that I lived in was the United States of America. It was right there in the Pledge of Allegiance. It was one of several countries on the continent of North America, and as the continent was called North America, the … Continue reading What’s the Name of This Country?
Maximo Pleasure
When Apple began its TV streaming service several years ago, I tried watching the sitcom Acapulco but gave up after one episode. It seemed like a pretty conventional sitcom that was set in Mexico. Then not too long ago I noticed that there were four seasons of the show available. Perhaps I had been too … Continue reading Maximo Pleasure
Moron
Pardon me for publishing a second post in a row with a political subject, but when I see Elon Musk Is a Moron in a title, I simply cannot help myself. After all, I recognized that he was a moron long before most other folks did. Dean Baker writes: Remember Elon Musk running around in … Continue reading Moron
Reflections in a Greenish Pool
Once again I’m turning a post over to E-V.com. Yesterday's This Week in Schadenfreude is too good to pass up. This Week in Schadenfreude: Death to Algae! Boy, this story is almost too obvious for this feature. And yet, it is also damn near the Platonic ideal of schadenfreude, so we're going with it. As … Continue reading Reflections in a Greenish Pool
The Bird Mural
I had wanted to snap a picture of the bird mural on the house near the Rite Aid shop on 6th Street, but I never got around to it. Now it’s all fenced off as they’re tearing down the closed Rite Aid and building who knows what in its place. But I managed to snap … Continue reading The Bird Mural
An Analog to Seldon’s Plan
Leon Reed is a historian who lives in Gettysburg, and he’s come up with an interesting interpretation of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series. Being the Asimov fan that I am, I’m always at least curious to hear new insights into his work. To review briefly, Asimov’s stories take place roughly 25,000 years in the future when … Continue reading An Analog to Seldon’s Plan
A Picture Is Worth…
My next door neighbor is moving out so she can have an office/studio in her own home, rather than having parts of her studio in her house and having to rent a separate facility as she does now. But she had difficulty finding movers who could move her 900 pound printing press, and when she … Continue reading A Picture Is Worth…