A Pinch Of Thought

Pronunciation of Amontillado

2011-07-02T07:34:00.000-07:00

The word Amontillado has specific pronunciation in Spain and a different pronunciation in Italy. As a reader, of course, in the privacy of one's home you can decide for yourself how to say the word or you can just listen to a recording. But it is always interesting to discover a bit more about the words we use and hear.

Suspense in Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado"

2011-06-02T07:31:00.000-07:00

Creating suspense in a short story is tricky, and none did it better than Edgar Allan Poe. Suspense in "The Cask of Amontillado" is a topic often discussed in schools and this article certainly gives a good description of the techniques used. From the way the characters are presented to the way in which information is both given and witheld, Poe was a master.

Montresor in The Cask of Amontillado

2011-05-17T05:47:00.000-07:00

This article explains the character of Montresor in "The Cask of Amontillado". Montresor is one of the most infamous of villains, and captures the essence of an evil protagonist. Yet there are those who would defend his actions or excuse them as justified. The question he poses, however, is a valid one. Are there reasons when revenge justifies murder?

In the current political environment there are those who would suggest that yes, under some circumstances killing is the only answer. In the context of the story, however, there are few who would be able to justify what Montresor does, especially considering that we have no evidence of what wrongs were done to him.

Fortunato in "The Cask of Amontillado"

2011-05-09T19:31:00.000-07:00

Fortunato is certainly an interesting character in "The Cask of Amontillado". He can be described as the victim of misfortune, a fool, or as a justifiably destroyed enemy. Most pity his fate, but in the end the analysis is always subjective. The linked article describes his character and refers to the ongoing body of academic analysis produced in the last thirty years or so.

The Cask of Amontillado Mood

2011-05-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

So I read "The Cask of Amontillado" back in the day and I understood it just fine, but I never put a ton of thought into it. I just assumed it was a nice story. Poe put a ton of thought into it and really analyzed the mood, as the linked article shows.

Humor Sites

2010-03-06T11:25:00.000-08:00

Did you know that there are 117 MILLION results for "humor sites" on google? I expected maybe a million or two.

What does that say about us as people?

I think it says that we prefer humor and that in general we are looking for humor, fun, and distraction in our lives. Look up "sadness sites" and you will get 2.9 million results. Which overall makes me happy.

What a world it would be if the results were switched. Can you imagine going through a day looking for reasons to be depressed? That would really suck. Unfortunately it appears that there are some individuals out there looking to do just that. I express my condolences and hope that you get to feeling better soon.

Try doing a google search for humor, laughter, funny things, or something else to cheer you up and I'll bet that if you stop visiting those sadness sites you will be feeling happier in no time at all.

Elfquest

2010-02-16T15:01:00.000-08:00

I came across Elfquest some 25 years ago or so. In the years since I pretty much have lost track of it. Whatever copies I once owned are now long gone.

But I was thinking about it and decided to look it up online. www.elfquest.com is alive and well. All of the comics are there for reading, which is pretty cool since I’ve forgotten most of what I read so long ago. On top of that there are stories that I never heard of. All of which is very cool.

You’ll find the site a bit confusing to navigate. You have to click around a bit in order to find what you are looking for, which is kind of strange considering how much traffic they get over there. I would have expected to have something much more user friendly.

Horses

2010-01-14T14:58:00.000-08:00

I don’t know a whole heck of a lot about horses, except that they make for some pretty cute pictures. I got the chance the other day to take my daughter out to see a few horses, and she really enjoyed it a lot.

She is far too young to really do much with horses, and I am not the right person to be teaching her anyway, but it gave me more than a little satisfaction to be able to indulge her. She has a fascination with pink ponies (thanks cartoons), but was equally satisfied with her opportunity to see the real thing up close and personal.

What Games Do You Play?

2009-12-10T11:49:00.000-08:00

So my son is into Bakugan. I've never played it. I understand the game and the concept, but for whatever reason it just doesn't interest me. Which is kind of odd because I do play quite a few games.

I like Magic The Gathering, and have a passing interest in Pokemon. I also enjoy a variety of video games including Guitar Hero, the Fallout Series as well as Warcraft and Starcraft. So I'm into games. Not everyone is. I understand that.

What makes a person like one game and not another? Maybe I'm just getting older now and things that I would have enjoyed even a few years ago are being swallowed up in the ongoing rush of life and continual pursuit of comfort.

What about you? What games do you play?

Getting The Most Out Of Your Blog

2009-11-05T11:43:00.000-08:00

So I suppose that if you want to get the most out of your blog, then you need to know what the "most" really is.

For a lot of people out there getting the most from their blog would mean making the most money or getting the most visitors (so that they can make the most money). It could also be getting the most readers or getting the most comments.

For a very few, getting the most out of their blog is nothing more and nothing less than getting the most enjoyment. There is not necessarily any monetary return on their investment. Rather they are looking to enjoy the time that the spend online and to get a return of happiness.

Me? You ask me what getting the most out of my blog means? Well, I think that getting the most out of this blog is just keeping it up and posting stuff that has meaning on some level to me. How am I doing? Well, lets just say I could be doing better and I could be doing a lot worse.

Flavor Injector

2009-10-02T11:29:00.000-07:00

Have you ever used a flavor injector? You know, one of those little things used to inject flavor into roasts, pork chops, and other yummy meat products?

Personally, I just love to use my flavor injector. Even when there is no realy need for it I like to get it out and inject some of my favorite spices into whatever I happen to be cooking. My personal preference is a mix of steak seasonings, olive oil and just a touch of balsamic or malt vinegar. I use different pre-made steak seasoning mixes. There are a lot of good ones to choose from and I am a bit too lazy to go through the trouble of learning how to make a good mix all by myself.

It also goes good with chicken and other poultry (though personally I don't know a lot of people out there eating swan 3x a week). Though I do love me some duck when I can get it.

Until nexts time, have fun playing with your flavor injector.

Bungee Cords

2009-09-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

It sure seems like I can never get my hands on enough bungee cords. You know, the little stretchy cords with hooks on either end. Take a look at the picture already.

It seems that anytime you have to move anything there just isn't a good way to hold it down or keep in place or keep it from coming apart. These little buggers sure do come in handy.

Case in point: We recently decided to go and visit family in another state. Naturally, being the cheapskates that we are we accepted their invitation to sleep downstairs (which, by the way is much nicer than staying in any hotel). But we needed to bring bedding and so forth because the kids all have their special stuff that they want when they sleep. Enter the bungee. It quickly comes to the rescue holding together everything that either has no straps, or for which the straps broke 2 minutes after purchase.

Thanks bungee!

Woot Woot PR2

2009-08-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it may not really be anything to write home about (but since I'm already home I guess that point is moot), but merry old Pinch of Thought has reached PR 2.

Fact is I'm pretty happy about that. I haven't been running this particular blog all that long and I have done ZERO and I do mean zero SEO on it (not that you can do all that much with the blogger platform anyway). Still hitting page rank 2 in only a couple of months without trying brings a smile to my face.

I have other blogs that I've been working my tail off on and haven't had any kind of results. So I guess I should stop trying to do things right and just keep doing things wrong.

Bridal Shoes

2009-08-05T14:37:00.000-07:00

So my niece got married not too long ago and we went to her open house about a week back. Frankly it was one of the most boring affairs that I've been to in quite a while, but it was good to see my sister again. We haven't been all that close for a lot of years and it was very nice to get together.

Anyway during all the preparation there was much talk about bridal gear. Weddings, of course, entail a whole lot of different things, among which are, of course bridal shoes. My niece, unfortunately, did not purchase anything terribly fancy but over at Zappos they have a very nice selection of different shoes and things which I wish she had found. (Or anywhere else for that matter). There are plenty of places to purchase bridal gear out there I'm kind of surprised they didn't do much looking online.

It looks like I am finally entering that stage where all my nieces and nephews are going to be graduating school (or starting school as it were) and hitting the marriage path. It makes me feel old. But since we only tend to see each other at weddings and funerals at least we'll be seeing more of each other (yes it is a good thing.)

Who Is Kate Daniels?

2009-07-01T13:52:00.001-07:00

Guest Post By Carrie Sund

Kate Daniels is the lead character in a series of books by a husband and wife team, who write as Ilona Andrews. Kate stars in Magic Bites, Magic Burns and Magic Strikes. She is a sassy mercenary working for more than one team in the magical community she plays in.

Kate lives in a world where technology and magic are at war. Kate is there to clean up the magical messes that are inevitably produced when the magic is in control. In her world magic comes in waves, when the tech is up very little magic can be used and when magic is up most technology is rendered useless.

Kate carries a magical blade that often craves a feeding on magical blood. Kate also wields a smart mouth that nearly gets her killed more than a few times. She is rather inept at relationship building. Her past has taught her to run and keep running which is hard on making friends. She was taught to never get close to someone, never show off her power and never let even a drop of her blood be found. As your read the three books you slowly learn why Kate has been taught to fear being found, her very life is in danger if the wrong people find out who she is.

As Kate stays in one place a while and makes a few friends she realizes she rather likes having friends. She begins to realize it even thought it is hard to have friends, as she puts them in danger all the time, it is well worth the trouble. She has a were-hyena, a were-panther and a were-wolf she really cares for by the end of the third book.

Then there is the Beast Lord Curran, a were-lion in charge of all the weres in Atlanta. Kate and Curran have a romantic relationship…..well a messed up romantic relationship. In the three books the relationship is building but it is hard to tell if anything will come of it. All you really know is they care for each other and show it like a couple of 12 year olds. In each book they team up in the pursuit of a magical criminal and you can see the pain in them as they watch each other nearly die.

Kate has incredible power that is not fully revealed in the three books. Each book shows more of the power she has stored up in her, but I have the distinct feeling that there is more to come. Kate grows up a lot in the three books and comes to realize what is truly important to her. She risks her own life by using her power to save her friends. I have been reading a lot lately and I find enjoyed these books more than most.

Why Are Funny Pictures of Cats so Funny?

2009-06-04T11:17:00.000-07:00

So I did a bit of browsing around the web and found a bunch of funny pictures of cats. Links only as I don't own the pics and have no funny cat of my own.

Linky
Linky
Linky

So my question is why we find such pictures amusing? Why are cats (and other animals) so darned funny?

In a way, many of these photos could be construed as cruel or mean spirited though they have been posted only in hopes of brightening our days. I believe that funny pictures of cats are funny simply because they let us know how good we have it.

Road Trip to McDermitt

2009-05-30T14:42:00.000-07:00

So I just took a road trip to McDermitt, Nevada/Oregon. McDermitt, in case you are wondering is a little patch of desert that somebody decided to paste a motel and a gas station on. Okay there is also a casino with a restaurant in it but not much else.

Why was I there? Business. Not much else would get me there except maybe the hunting. But there is plenty of good hunting much closer to home.

I had the unfortunate experience of discovering that it really isn't much fun to change a tire on a desolate desert road. I don't mean highway 95 or some nice ranch road. I'm talking about a little dirt track in the middle of nowhere in 100 degree weather with the dust in your face. Really don't bother trying it.

It is nice to be home again and hopefully next time I'll remember all of my tools.

My Wife' First Archery Lesson

2009-05-23T10:43:00.000-07:00

After a number of years of working too many hours for too little pay I've been given the great blessing of no longer having a job. This has in turn allowed me to pursue some of my hobbies from years gone by - including archery.

I have a wonderful recurve bow, hand made for my mother many many years ago which as long as I remember growing up nobody every fired. Somehow it has passed into my hands. I had a compound bow given to my by my father when I was a teenager which I learned to shoot with and hunted rabbits and coyotes.

Well over the last few weeks I've dusted off that recurve, fitted it out with a new string and taken it out shooting. Oh how much fun.

My wife mentioned that she had never fired a bow in her life. So I took her out with that recurve the other day and we had a blast. Because the bow was made for my mother who is almost the same size as my wife, my wife was able to pull it without problems. It took her a while to get the hang of it but by the end of the evening she was hitting pretty close to where she was aiming.

If you've never tried archery I encourage you to do it. It requires a mixed set of skills to be successful but can be highly rewarding.

Back on Unemployment

2009-05-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

Okay I don't really want to get off onto some politcal rant and it doesn't take an expert to see that many of us are eperiencing economic difficulties.

Today I called up the unemployment folks after running out of work again. But I wanted to say this today:

Thanks to all you government worker grunts out there who are doing your job! I spoke with a couple of folks today after being on hold for a very long time and they were just as pleasant and marevlous to talk to as could be. They were very helpful, very patient and very understanding. They answered all of my questions and helped me out in every way that they could.

I really would find myself utterly ungrateful if I didn't send out a great big public pat on the back.

My First 4WD

2009-05-16T06:33:00.000-07:00

I’ve lived in the country most of my life though I have spent a few years in the city as well. One would think that I would have owned a 4 Wheel Drive vehicle prior to now, but I haven’t. Recently, however, we decided to purchase one. Mostly because we are planning on a lot of outdoor activities for the summer.

I’ve been taking it out into the local hills a lot lately to see a bit of the country and to enjoy the new (to me) vehicle. I have to say that this is something I should have done a long, long time ago. I am seeing things and going places that most people will never see.

I can’t say that this is for everyone, certainly not, but when you get to behold s truly spectacular vista reachable only from a remote back road that is worthwhile. When you add enough of those together it really becomes something special.

Dragons

2009-05-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

Call it a flight of fancy, call it a fascination, but I do really enjoy the thought of dragons. I enjoy the idea that a creature, majestic, intelligent, powerful, almost immortal could dwell here on this planet with us.

Few other creatures in literature captivate the mind so fully as do the thoughts of dragons. I know that I have written at some length on other blogs about them, even going so far as to write stories.

These days in our largely corporate existence it is difficult to allow the imagination time to escape into other realms where fancies like dragons could exist.
We spend out days pursuing the same wealth that dragons are fabled to have horded and battling against challenges that can seem as overwhelming as staring down the fiery breath of a dragon.

Do you dream of dragons? What dragons do you face?

Internet Stuff

2009-05-09T06:25:00.000-07:00

The internet is a nasty place full of every kind of vice known to man. From thieves to smut peddlers to splogs, scammers and spammers. Sometimes it amazes me that there is anything of worth left to read anymore.

When I manage to come across a site that I do really like it surprises me. I’m more shocked by good content, thoughtful layout without clutter and an uplifting, positive attitude not sprinkled with swear words or off-color jokes than I am by provocative pictures and controversial topics. Anymore finding anyone not looking to reel in readers by posting utter drivel either designed specifically for google bots or to create a plethora of inane name-calling comments is pretty tough.

Outside Today

2009-05-07T06:23:00.000-07:00

I’m writing this blog post in the great outdoors today, which is really a lot of fun. Where I live nature is always quite close. There isn’t much around but ranches, farms and a lot of public land. In the spring when it is green the landscape is beautiful and even inspiring.

I love to read and I love to write and looking at the rocky hills reminds me of many of the books I have read as well as putting my mind forward to some of the stories that have been floating around up there but which I haven’t yet written.

Blogging from the great outdoors is, in my opinion, much more inspirational that blogging from my kitchen table or at one of the desks at the public library.

The Wave Board

2009-05-02T01:23:00.000-07:00

So I was thinking of doing one of those "Wordless" posts. Then I realized that if I don't write something I would be going against my very nature. So here are a few words to go with this awesome photo of my son riding my wife's wave board.

Yes, you read that correctly. My wife had a wave board - not me and not my son (though he is really, really, good at it much to the amazement of the older kids at the skate park who are all just jealous that 9 year old can out move them).

Anyway I am a huge fan of nearly every sport and/or pseudo-sport invented. I used to make up games like soccer basketball and chase the weights (don't ask) to keep myself entertained as a kid. I think it is just great that my son would rather be outside having fun doing something that requires energy, coordination and self motivation instead of sitting inside typing on a blog. That is to say having a variety of interests is a good thing.

I want to make a note that I am not endorsing the wave board in particular as a toy. If you all want to go out and buy wave boards because this post inspired you then okay, but frankly that isn't the intent. Rather I just wanted to share a cool photo and say get out there and enjoy the nice weather (I hope it is nice where you live).

Park Swings

2009-04-30T01:18:00.000-07:00

I sure do miss the days of swinging in the swings at the local park. These days I like to take my kids to the park. It takes me back to my childhood when I was the one doing the swinging.

I was one of those crazy kids that gave my mother a heart attack everytime we got near anything that moved. I would swing just as high as I could and then jump out of the swing landing somewhere on my head. (Hey, I never said I was the brightest child).

If I were to pull the same stunts as an adult something tells me that I would get more than just strange looks from the other parents at the park. More than likely some of the mothers would have a few choice words to say to me about the kind of example I would be setting.

Alas, that is one chapter that has closed never again to be re-opened. In the meantime I'll do my best to convince my kids not to follow in my footsteps. Afterall those trips to the doctor's office really weren't all that fun.

The Importance of Seeds

2009-04-25T22:43:00.000-07:00

I read a lot. When I can, I like to read, among other things Louis L'amour, cowboy books. So I got to thinking about what people eat or what they used to eat and I realized that some things haven't changed much.

Seeds are a staple of our diet. Two centuries ago, particularly in the less settled areas seeds were a staple in their raw form. Seeds gathered, dried, and then used later. Beans, for example, were a staple of the cowboy diet. Beef and beans were served almost universally across the west.

In our day, we tend to eat fewer seeds plain, except as snacks. Roasted sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds are common tasty snacks, but are not generally consumed as meals. Most seeds today come in the form of refined breads and cereals. Tortillas, muffins, breakfast cereal, pancakes, tofu, and soy products all stem from the tradition of seed gathering.

Back To The Future - The Movie

2009-04-23T02:07:00.000-07:00

Some of you readers may well not have been alive when Back To The Future came out. Which strikes me as odd since I don't think of myself as all that old. But my oldest boy (9 years) is into skate boards and rock and roll so I figured I would let him in on a movie from my childhood.

Whoa, what a trip down nostalgia lane that was. And what an eye opening experience in terms of how my thinking as well as our overall social thinking have changed in the last 24 years.

I’ve spent most of the last two decades working more than I should so that I can pay bills in order to enjoy the American dream. The time I haven’t been working I’ve been getting an education so that I can do more complicated work so that I can pay for more bills. The days of thinking how cool it would be to own a time machine have slowly turned into how cool it would be to have zero debt.

I think I should spend more time chasing after time machines. In a few short years my kids are going to be out of the “Dad is cool” stage. Will they remember me as the Dad who was always working and too tired/pre-occupied to do fun stuff or as the Dad who helped them chase their own dreams?

Favorite Fruit

2009-04-18T14:18:00.000-07:00

Just a quick poll among you, my few but faithful and dear readers.

What is your favorite fruit?

I'm interested because I'd like to introduce new/different fruits to my kids but I'm not entirely sure where to start since my personal fruit consumption has been limited to the more mundane (apples, oranges, bananas, pineapple, grapefruit).

Freedom To Choose

2009-04-16T02:47:00.000-07:00

I am a huge believer in the ability of an individual to shape his or her own way in life. There are certainly forces out there greater than any one person. Tragedies across the globe have certainly demonstrated that. But these events do not (or should not) detract from our uniqueness.

Each human mind is capable of generating its own thoughts. If thoughts lead to actions, actions to habits and habits to character then it follows that each of us is capable of generating our own characters (pun intended for all you RPG folks). What an amazing power.

The person I am tomorrow may very well not be the person I was today. The person I will be next week can become a better person than the person I was last month. Of course the opposite is also true but why dwell on the negative. Nobody should wake up in the morning and say to themselves “I’m going to be a much worse human being today than I was yesterday and doggone it there ain’t nothing you can do to stop me!”

The choice then is what will you do today to have a better tomorrow? Will you smile? Pass along a funny joke, a hug, a fun web page? Will you get off your chair and do that exercise routine you bought but never used? Read a good book? Pay off your credit card? Call your brother?

Canned Spam

2009-04-09T02:00:00.000-07:00

My Dad used to feed us spam. Mostly when we were camping or when Mom wasn’t around. I remember liking it as a kid. Then I grew up.

I found better things to eat than spam. I lost track of the tasty meat in a can. I got married. I had children of my own.

Then one day I was in the grocery market and noticed the spam. I asked my wife if she like spam. To my utter surprise she said she had never eaten spam in her entire life. That meant that I was the only one in our little family who had ever tasted the stuff.

So I bought a can. I took it home, cooked it up (I love it pan fried on sandwiches with an egg, some spinach, mustard, tomato, pickle and mayo). I fed it to my kids. I fed it to my wife. I waited. I hoped.

And they loved it! Hooray for spam. One more tiny tradition I can pass on to my kids, and one less headache when I don’t know what to make for lunch. Just open a can of spam and everyone is happy.

Honest Scrap Award

2009-04-07T02:32:00.000-07:00

Okay, so for some strange reason I received an Honest Scrap award. Patricia Rockwell over at Subjective Soup nominated me, picked me and awarded me and nine other amazingly wonderful blogs. And while I'm at it might I suggest you jump on over and check out her great blog. No, I mean it go NOW! I'm not spreading the link love just so you can stay here reading this drivel.

Okay, welcome back.

Now, as I understand it the point of the honest scrap award is that you can only claim it if you are willing to write ten honest facts about yourself. Oh, and you have to pass it on to other great blogs.

The official rules: "This award is bestowed upon a fellow blogger whose blog’s content or design is, in the giver's opinion, brilliant."

Well, here goes.

1) This is NOT the only blog I write for. In fact it is not the main blog I write. Check out www.darnuthkeep.com to find out more about my true writing passion. I really, really, really enjoy writing. I like it more than video games. Okay, I can't give myself an honest scrap award now can I? So I think I will give the writing portion of the honest scrap award to (drum roll please) Here And Now 4 Angel. Go on, jump over there. I'll be here when you get back.

2) I have been all of the following in my life, a farm worker, a video game tester, a short order cook, a high school teacher, a quality manager at a software development studio, a quality manager at a manufacturing facility, a training software designer, a lean six sigma black belt, a cage fighter, a graduate student, a video game designer and most recently an unemployed stay at home dad. Anyone else out there a mixed bag? Check out Bryan Karl.

3) I love a good mystery. Blog Tipz reminds me that the mystery of Page Rank may never be solved. Oddly enough I have never written a mystery story - mostly just fantasy and science fiction (with a littly mystery thrown in sometimes).

4) I am a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu purple belt. And the honest scrap award for jiu jitsu goes to Got Jits.

5) I love the Lord of The Rings books. I wouldn't be a writer without them. I wouldn't be writing this blog without them. Sorry, no link love I could find no worthy blog. So if you are looking for an idea to blog about and want an instant RSS subscriber make a good Lord of The Rings books blog.

6) I have a wife and three adorable children. The award for brilliant family blog goes to Glue 4 Families. I really do pray every day that all of our families can retain their strength through the trials of our generation.

7)I have a dog, Addy. She makes my kids happy and doesn't shed too much.

8)Blog awards are not my thing. Just give me a comment and I'm happy.

9)I am all of 5'2" tall and weigh 125 lbs dripping wet. So I could be described as that little guy over there you don't want to piss off because he might just blog about you ;)

10) I love sports, especially wrestling, fencing, archery, shooting, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, hunting, football, and did I mention jiu jitsu?

Hey, thank again for the award (boy am I glad this post is over).

Blogvertise?

2009-04-04T06:28:00.000-07:00

Any of you fellow bloggers out there use blogvertise?

I'm considering joining their little network there and throwing out some paid link love to advertisers. But I am interested in hearing what anyone else might have to say on the subject, such as if they actually pay okay or not. Do they pay on time?

They seem okay up front, but there is nothing like getting the inside scoop from someone who has already been there and done that. I wouldn't think that I would be making a whole ton of cash with them, but every little bit does tend to help.

Hair Removal

2009-04-03T23:21:00.000-07:00

I'm a married guy and every so often my wife brings up the issue of hair removal. One would think that there would be other experts out there more qualified to take this conversation to than myself, but then I am supposed to be the one she confides in.

So far she just isn't happy with anything that she has tried. I don't care one way or the other about her unwanted hair. I'm just glad that such a wonderful woman is willing to put up with me. But the question on my mind is what hair removal methods work the best in terms of ease of use and results?

We've tried waxing, sugaring, and the good old standby shaving. Anything else I'm missing here? Laser treatments are out. I'm not made of money. Anything else that works and doesn't break the bank?

Blogging

2009-03-29T09:37:00.000-07:00

Sooner or later a blogger is going to write a post about blogging. I might just as well get my first out of the way now?

You see, I've been working feverishly of late putting together a number of blogs. Mostly because I have nothing better to do with my time other than look for a new job and create blogs.

So, what do I have to add to the pool of blogging blog posts? Only this: just do it.

It is a rare thing to find a blogger that actually blogs on a regular basis. More often than not they get off to a good start and then end up updating their blog only once every sixteen or seventeen months. They get excited, throw up some reasonably interesting posts, put up some widgets, and then go back to their old habits of watching T.V. and surfing the web for stuff more interesting than their own blogs.

I am in now way vowing not to do these things, simply making an observation. Also I would like to encourage all of you would-be bloggers out there to get back to work (no, not the job that pays, but the job that you should enjoy more than the job that pays).

Does Your Blog Have A Purpose?

2009-03-24T14:58:00.000-07:00

I mean there are so many blogs out there these days that appear to have no purpose at all behind them. I guess you could argue that this blog would be one of them, though I am here to enlighten any would be critics that this blog does indeed serve a purpose.

Truth be told it serves a lot of purposes, though I can’t say that it is anything particularly spectacular at what it does.

I enjoy blogging for blogging’s sake, which is to say that I love to write and it doesn’t much matter to me what I write or when or where. So long as the words that I have inside of me get out then I am content. This is one of the many purposes of this blog. If in the process I get to share something remotely meaningful with someone else then that too is a purpose.

What is the purpose of your blog?

Fishing With Dad

2009-03-12T14:57:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite memories as a child was going fishing with my brother and my father. We would take our poles out to various little lakes and streams and stay out in the wild catching trout and bluegill. It kept us out of trouble and you can sure be those were days when we didn’t watch too much television.

Now I get to take my own son fishing. It is a lot of fun, though I understand now why my dad wanted us to learn to handle our own tackle as quickly as possible. Sitting there doing nothing but monitoring the tackle for your kids can be a lot of work, though definitely worth it when you get to watch them reel in a big one.

I still enjoy fishing with my father. We don’t get to go out as much as we used to, mostly because we haven’t lived in the same state for a long time. Recently I moved much closer (thanks recession) so maybe there will be more chances to get together again. Maybe the three of us will be able to make some more happy memories that will get passed on down to another generation.

Why Are Pictures of Kids and Dogs So Cute?

2009-02-26T14:53:00.000-08:00

Most of the time kids are annoying. I mean they have a lot of moments in life that are funny and many that are also cute, but most of the time they complain (if they can talk), make messes, or completely ignore you? Don’t get me wrong, I love my kids and I like kids in general. I like taking them to the park and on family outings and all that fun stuff, but that doesn’t explain to me why in general people find pictures of kids cute.

As for dogs, they are just one big mess waiting to happen. They rarely do anything useful. They cost a significant amount of money to maintain, and under certain circumstances they can be a real liability. Why then are pictures of dogs and kids cute?

I like my dog. I like to take her to the park and on walks and for family outings. She is a good dog. She sits quietly most of the time and plays nicely when the kids are inclined to show her any attention. But this still doesn’t explain why pictures of her are cute.

Paper Journals

2009-02-12T14:53:00.000-08:00

Do you keep a paper journal. I have off and on for as long as I can remember. I am not a faithful journal keeper by any means, but I do tend to write down the important events in my life.

Now that I blog quite a bit I don’t seem to pay as much attention to may paper journals as much. Perhaps the cathartic experience of writing online is all that I need to keep my emotions calm anymore.

I still like the feel of paper in my hands, however, and I don’t think that the electronic age can really substitute for the tangible feel of turning pages. There is just something special about the thickness and texture of pages, especially good quality paper after it has been written on with a good quality pen.

Have any of you had a similar experience?

The Internet's Appetite For Photos

2009-02-07T08:57:00.000-08:00

It seems to me that people are hungry for photos of just about anything and everything and yet there just aren't enough photos to go around.

One would think that by now there would be a picture of everything already posted, but it turns out that just isn't the case. There are still a lot of things that simply can't be found. Go ahead, do a google search for something specific in a relatively narrow niche and odds are good you won't find exactly what you are looking for. Nobody has posted it anywhere just yet.

Seems to me that there are plenty of things left to get pictures of.

Be Kind To Your Behind

2009-02-05T08:43:00.000-08:00

So there I am sitting in the bathroom when I come across this slogan "Be Kind To Your Behind" marked on a package of hygienic paper (TP for those of you less politically correct).

Now I ask you, which marketing person came up with this? Come on, speak up. I want to know who sits around in an office or boardroom and thinks to themselves, "Be kind to your behind." What triggers such a train of thought in an individual.

It kind of gives the saying "the boss is really riding me" a whole new light. Makes you want to reach for the preparation H in a hurry. It almost provokes images of backside abuse being doled out by those other toilet paper companies.

I don't know who you are, but today you made me laugh. So thank you anonymous marketing person and good luck with your next assignment.

Navel Oranges

2009-01-31T22:53:00.000-08:00

Why are navel oranges called navel oranges? You know, I've been on this planet for some time now, eating oranges when I can get them, but until today I had no idea why navel oranges where called navel oranges.

I honestly thought it had something to do with them being supplied to the navy to fight scurvy hundreds of years ago. Nope.

Turns out that it is becuase the little oranges inside of the orange makes it look like they have a belly button or a navel. All these years and we could have been calling them belly button oranges. Kinda gives new meaning the biblical term fruit of the loins. (Hey the belly button is close to the loins, right).

I suppose it would offend some people if we all started calling them belly button fruit, but I'm pretty sure that I'm going to start.

Scented Candles

2009-01-29T14:52:00.000-08:00

My wife just loves here scented candles. I’m a little meh on the whole idea. I guess I could take them or leave them.

I wonder what it is about scented candles that attracts people (mostly women) to them. I don’t have anything against them, really, I just don’t get the attraction.
Yes, they smell nice (at least most of them) but they seem like a lot of work to get a minimal reward.

Speaking of which we have some rather inexpensive vanilla candles that we recently acquired. Vanilla is kind of a mute scent overall and I’m not sure why she picked that scent. I tend to go for the apple and cinnamon or something along those lines if I’m going to pick up a scented candle.