Category: Culture

  • There’s a Seinfeld for that

    There’s a Seinfeld for that

    Philosophy, my field of study as an undergraduate, has fallen on hard times of late, and I don’t understand why, given that it is the foundation of every academic discipline;  it is the ‘Ph’ in PhD (which stands for “doctor of philosophy”).  So your professor with a doctorate in Chemistry actually is a “doctor of…

  • Leave the trumpet-blowing to the musicians

    Leave the trumpet-blowing to the musicians

    I am actually a very shy person.  If you find that easy to believe, good; I’ve done what I’m supposed to do.  I may be outwardly shy and non-confrontational but sometimes, inside, I well up with megalomaniacal self-belief.  In my head I act out little vignettes where I not only get my point across but…

  • I outwitted AI using Phil Collins!

    I outwitted AI using Phil Collins!

    Okay, let’s just get this out of the way right at the start.  I am a Phil Collins fan.  And I’m not going to justify it by claiming it’s because he’s such a talented drummer and invented the technique of gated reverb which revolutionized how drums are recorded and defined the sound of rock and…

  • I’ve turned to crime

    I’ve turned to crime

    Contemporary television viewing is decidedly different than in years gone by due to “on demand” streaming services and the modern practice of binging, wherein the viewer watches several “episodes” of a show in one sitting, sometimes without bathing or eating (Doritos, Slim Jim’s, or a big bowl of popcorn don’t count). This means the tales…

  • An abomination

    An abomination

    Does two years in a row make for a tradition? Let’s say it does. My first post of 2025, on New Year’s Day, was about whether you should put pineapple on pizza (of course you should, it’s delicious!), so I thought I’d continue the tradition and write about food today. I am not one to…

  • Sound off

    Sound off

    I am, by nature, an introvert.  I am not shy – nobody would accuse me of that!  And I can hold my own at a party or in a crowded room.  But when it comes right down to it, I’d rather be alone.  And that, I am told, is the indicator.  The test.  Is ‘alone’…

  • A brief history of pink

    A brief history of pink

    We have a gentleman (ahem!, and I use the term loosely) that works here at my residence who is very enamored with the color pink.  I often taunt him about it.  And he retaliates by assaulting me with the color any chance he gets.  One December, I awoke to find that overnight he had filled…

  • Swearing

    Swearing

    WARNING:  This post contains strong language.  Reader discretion is advised. Yesterday, I underwent an outpatient medical procedure meant to diagnose some issues I am having with my bladder. As it involved the doctor looking inside my bladder with a tiny camera attached to a scope, and as there is really only one way to accomplish that…

  • Wikipediasnob

    Wikipediasnob

    I love a good dose of etymology – word origins, and how their meaning has changed over time, not to be confused with entomology, the study of bugs.  But you have to be careful.  There are lots of stories out there.  Many are not true.  Before we all had instant access to the Internet on…

  • The Penguin Lessons

    The Penguin Lessons

    Last March, I wrote a movie review here.  I mentioned how I tend to steer clear of recommending movies (or tv shows, or albums, or books) because I realize that tastes vary and what I think is good you might regard as rubbish, and vice versa.  I could tell you my favorite tv show right…