Category Archives: Uncategorized

So the automotive difficulties I mentioned in the last post? As it turns out, the actual drivetrain and electrical systems of the car are pretty much fine. The issue is with the central computer… specifically, the part of the central … Continue reading →

The good news: a former student (from over a year ago) just stopped by my office to tell me again how much he enjoyed the course, and to give me a feather for my hat. So. Very. Cool. The bad … Continue reading →

Last week I had a bit of a scare when my jump drive blandly informed me that no computer I had access to would read it anymore. This was an inconvenience, since I’d just downloaded a program to install on … Continue reading →

For instance, this post taught me that Americans don’t use the word budgie, preferring the usage parakeet. I don’t know why I’m so bemused by this. Maybe it’s because I’ve always considered budgies and parakeets to be two different birds, … Continue reading →

…man has yearned to barbecue with the sun. In grade something or other — 5, maybe? — I did a science project about solar power. As part of this, I (with parental aid) built a solar hot dog cooker in … Continue reading →

On my way into the office today, I overheard one of our graduate students using the phrase internal biological clock. This naturally got me thinking about what an external biological clock would be; I concluded that it would be something … Continue reading →

From Triple-H. Pretty clever, especially by the standards of online quizzes. Ottava rima? Me? That can’t be right!   Too frivolous? But tut, there’s no such thing!Let others ponder thoughts of wrong and right,   Or sit and think how much they love the … Continue reading →

My gmail account name, as you might notice from the side of the page, consists of a pretty common English word; even if it doesn’t come up in your everyday conversations, it’s not one that you’d pay much attention to … Continue reading →

Amontillado somehow doesn’t seem worth the risk of getting sealed away in a cellar.

The Internet is a source for a great many good things, as long as you don’t care about accuracy. Most recent evidence: I’m figuring out the chords to a Loudon Wainwright song (White Winos, if you’re curious) and it’s one … Continue reading →