Observations
125
Followup on Abraham’s Vision
Maybe that's when Abram looked up and laughed.
Dad • Observations • 03/02/10 • 0 commentsDoing everything we can
No, we're not happy to see you...
Dad • Observations • 12/29/09 • 0 commentsIn defense of Fox News
Last week the big news (aside from Afghanistan and health insurance and a few isolated murders) was that the White...
Dad • Observations • 10/24/09 • 0 commentsHealth “care”
The big topic these days is again “health care,” which is an important debate about something other than health care;...
Dad • Observations • 08/19/09 • 0 commentsSubway violinist
What happens when one of the world's best violinists plays in the subway?
Patrick • Observations • 06/26/09 • 1 commentsElements of grammar
I thought the distinction between "which" and "that" was a good one...
Dad • Observations • 04/20/09 • 0 commentsHow Free are the Throws?
A NYT article about shooting free throws over the past 50 years.
David • Observations • 03/07/09 • 3 commentsNicknames of Famous People
Some people don't need nicknames.
Dad • Observations • 12/13/08 • 0 commentsBest Song to Sing into a Fan
"Laaaaaaaaaaaa-la-la-la-la-laaaaaaaaaaa"
Patrick • Observations • 09/09/08 • 0 commentsThoughts on the Olympics 2008
Olympics needs to eliminate a bunch of events that fall outside the traditional image of the games.
Dad • Observations • 08/24/08 • 2 commentsAssessing ND football
After Georgia Tech, it looked like we were in for a very long season. After the loss to Penn State,...
Dad • Observations • 09/09/07 • 11 commentsLondon 2012 “Branding”
What do you guys think about the new "identity and branding campaign":http://www.london2012.com/about-newlook-video.html for the London 2012 Olympic Games?
Dan • Observations • 06/04/07 • 5 commentsA sad day/time/epoch
So I ask you to give me your reasons for not commenting.
Dad • Observations • 05/26/07 • 2 commentsRunning Out of Lyrics
Some songs fill in missing lyrics with long la-di-dah strings. Isn't that great!?
Patrick • Observations • 03/16/07 • 13 commentsBadminton
Has there ever been a longer rally in any sport than "this one":http://www.glumbert.com/media/badminton in badminton?
Dan • Observations • 03/05/07 • 1 commentsSaying Yes to Mess
Saying Yes to Mess - an article from the NYT about the benefits of disorder.
David • Observations • 12/28/06 • 2 commentsThe Cupertino Effect
"The Cupertino Effect":http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/002911.html is the title given to a spell-checking system when it replaces a misspelled word with the wrong word.
Dan • Observations • 11/15/06 • 2 commentsNotre Dame: Loved by the People, Hated by the Pollsters
ND should be ranked above Florida after this week's games.
Patrick • Observations • 11/11/06 • 13 commentsHigh School Back Scores Ten TDs…
High school back scores ten TDs and still loses!
Dan • Observations • 10/14/06 • 1 commentsCool Clouds
"This site has tons of pictures of cool looking clouds":http://valuca.funtigo.com/?preview=y&g=25544746&cr=1&rfm=y. The one thing I keep saying to myself: Imagine seeing these in _real life_!
Dan • Observations • 09/27/06 • 3 commentsPluto is saved! [NOT]
The key question is how the astrologers will take it.
Dad • Observations • 08/16/06 • 8 commentsLego Advertisements
These Lego advertisements are a nostalgic look back at life as a kid.
Dan • Observations • 08/04/06 • 1 commentsHow Kaavya Got Published
It seems to me this news story has been plagiarized from other similar stories I've heard recently.
Dad • Observations • 04/28/06 • 1 commentsFirst Five Random Songs
Dan decides to discuss five random songs that played on his computer.
Dan • Observations • 04/19/06 • 10 commentsSir Duke
Just now I decided to listen to Sir Duke, which, for about four or five years, I have referred to as The best song ever recorded.
Dan • Observations • 03/15/06 • 6 commentsWhat is an Ellipsis?
To refresh your memory, an “ellipsis” is a typographic “mark or series of marks (”...”, for example) used in writing to indicate an omission, especially of letters or words. (from dictionary.com)” By and large, ellipses are written with three dots that represent that omission and/or exclusion of obvious facts.
Dan • Observations • 03/07/06 • 5 commentsIncompetent and Clueless
Incompetent People Really Have No Clue; They're blind to own failings, others' skills.
Patrick • Observations • 03/04/06 • 4 commentsThe Zillion Dollar Pinata
Bill Cosby is issuing a Cease and Desist on the creators of House of Cosbys, some internet video sit-com that isn't too funny but is popular nonetheless. The internet is breaking a zillion dollar pinata, free candy is flying everywhere and the candy companies are understandably upset.
Dan • Observations • 03/03/06 • 2 commentsOlympic boredom
Maybe what we need is an infusion of new events to pique our interest.
Dad • Observations • 02/22/06 • 6 commentsWhite Castle pledge
...the finest products for the least cost, with the cleanest surroundings and the most courteous employees.
Dad • Observations • 02/22/06 • 1 commentsThe Olympics
The Olympics can teach us a lot about life.
Dad • Observations • 02/13/06 • 1 commentsThe Luge
Watching the Luge event, I was struck by the closeness of the race.
Dad • Observations • 02/13/06 • 6 commentsReincarnation
What's this fascination with past lives our culture has embraced of late?
Dad • Observations • 01/18/06 • 1 commentsMartin Luther King, Jr.
His message ... applies to all of us.
Dad • Observations • 01/16/06 • 3 commentsThe Hajj
Once again, a human stampede in Saudi Arabia has killed hundred of Muslims
Dad • Observations • 01/14/06 • 1 commentsReggie Bush Is Good
USC's Reggie Bush is a phenomenal runner. Check out his high school high light tape.
David • Observations • 11/30/05 • 1 commentsMy Lobotomy
My Lobotomy is probably the worst story I have ever heard on NPR. I just listened to it on my...
David • Observations • 11/16/05 • 1 commentsHalloween Health Scares
New York Times article, "Scare Yourself Silly" talks about our propensity to focus on the distantly horrifying.
David • Observations • 10/30/05 • 2 commentsThe wedding feast
The king invites people right off the street, and then throws a guy out (after binding his hands and feet!) for not having a "wedding garment."
Dad • Observations • 10/10/05 • 3 commentsHurricanes, Habitats, and Humanity
I can't help but look objectively on the situation and lament the supreme inadequacy of our technology.
Dad • Observations • 09/23/05 • 1 commentsSports article chronology
Why do sports articles jump around so much?
Patrick • Observations • 09/11/05 • 1 commentsNew Orleans
Why do you design the dikes for a category 3 hurricane knowing there are category fives out there?
Dad • Observations • 09/01/05 • 4 commentsThanks, but no thanks
A Swedish band covers Rush's "Limelight."
Patrick • Observations/Sounds • 08/17/05 • 3 commentsRocket Science
... some evidence is amassing that indicates that those employed by NASA may not be as sharp as they once were.
Dad • Observations • 07/30/05 • 1 commentsThe globe
Everyone should have a globe.
Dad • Observations • 07/30/05 • 0 commentsYour Estimated Wait Time Is
"Your estimated wait time is...Six-hundred fifty seconds."
Dan • Observations • 07/28/05 • 5 commentsMowing the “Lawn”
Thank you, Mom and Dad, for fortifying me so that a 2.5 hour mow job is easy, no sweat.
Patrick • Observations • 07/27/05 • 0 commentsComputer Train 2
"Can we get to Convent in 30 minutes, or would it make sense to try for another station closer to here?"
Dad • Connections/News/Observations/Puzzles • 07/24/05 • 3 commentsComputer Train
So we got to wondering: what is a fair fare for train service.
Dad • Ideas/Observations/Puzzles/Questions • 07/24/05 • 5 commentsShark Jumping
I was watching a shark-week special on the air jaws sharks of South Africa this week and heard them talk...
Dad • Observations • 07/23/05 • 3 commentsTuring Test Emails?
"I am encouraged by your informing that Ohio University at Athens Eng. Ph.D has two graduate assistants." (A computer emailing me?)
Patrick • Observations • 06/27/05 • 6 commentsWorld in the balance
Individuals acting in their own self interest inevitably cause problems for society, but they also tend to resist the restrictions imposed by governments to mitigate those problems.
Dad • Observations • 06/23/05 • 3 commentsYou are what you eat
Corn on the cob sure is great, isn't it?
Dad • Observations • 06/11/05 • 2 commentsIN YOUR FACE!
"In Your Face" is a new survey from National Geographic, testing facial recognition.
David • Observations • 04/26/05 • 2 commentsGold leaf
I smelled something fishy in the calculations.
Dad • Observations • 03/08/05 • 4 commentsThe things we can do without
Baby Ruth bars: one a decade is more than enough.
Patrick • Observations • 02/25/05 • 3 commentsWhat’s wrong with the NBA
New York Times writer Michael Sokolove writes about the state of the NBA in his article, Clang!, where he lashes out against the dunk shot, the maturity of players, the three-pointer, and the Team USA 2004 Olympic performance, while suggesting rule changes to get the professional game back to how it should be: Watchable.
Dan • Observations • 02/17/05 • 8 commentsESPN’s Game Flow Chart
I was on ESPN.com and saw a "Game Flow" chart, measuring point totals vs time for basketball games.
Dan • Observations • 01/28/05 • 1 commentsStupid Grandstanding Jerk
He put his hands and the ball down to break his fall and fumbled on the 1/2 yard line.
Dad • Observations • 01/15/05 • 0 commentsAtomic Spies
...a classic case of code breaking by a top-secret project called Venona.
Dad • Connections/Histories/Observations • 01/06/05 • 0 commentsForce of Habit
...often, we continue everyday routines just because that's the way we've always done it...
Dad • Observations • 12/30/04 • 1 commentsPredicting the future
It occurred to me the other day that most of life is about predicting the future.
Dad • Observations • 12/18/04 • 1 commentsPhoto Albums of Me in Heaven
I often find myself wondering, "Wouldn't it be cool to see a photo album collection of other people's pictures that you happen to be in?" Yes it would be outrageously cool.
David • Observations • 12/07/04 • 2 commentsWhat’s in a Name?
Now that I have two daughters, I'm confused about names.
Patrick • Observations • 12/06/04 • 1 commentsspill-proof coffee carrier
It all started decades ago when I saw a short item in Scientific American about a "spill-proof coffee carrier" (SPCC).
Dad • Explanations/Observations/Stories • 11/25/04 • 5 commentsA Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss Hart
Rolling Stone magazine, in another "Special Collectors Issue" has listed the 500 greatest songs of all time.
Dad • News/Observations/Reviews • 11/23/04 • 1 commentsMusical Keys
So I whipped out a pad of paper and started to derive the keys from first principles.
Dad • Observations • 11/23/04 • 1 commentsMom, I have a driver’s license.
After a year of mom's prying, Dan finally gets an Illinois driver's license.
Dan • Observations • 11/22/04 • 2 commentsAthletes Brawling
In the USA, brawling athletes get fined. In Uruguay, they get jailed.
Patrick • News/Observations • 11/20/04 • 5 commentsBush’s Certainty
Evidence of George W. Bush's delusional certainty in doing "God's will."
Patrick • Observations • 11/02/04 • 0 commentsVoting for the Seamless Garment?
“Pro-Life Democrats” is an article by Jim Wallis from Sojourners magazine. It’s very good and very thought-provoking. I got the...
David • Observations • 10/30/04 • 2 commentsGrammatickitis
Why do people get paid to write such ungrammatical garbage?
Patrick • Observations • 10/03/04 • 13 commentsQ-Tips, Napster, Gun Control
Q-tips: everybody knows you buy them to stick them in your ear.
Patrick • Observations • 10/03/04 • 2 commentsSurvey Says!
Should small businesses be encouraged to grow and hire more workers?
Dad • Observations • 10/02/04 • 2 commentsThe Debate
I found myself routing for the President rather than for Kerry.
Dad • Observations • 10/02/04 • 2 commentsLast gristle
How come the gristle's always in the last bite of the burger/taco?
Patrick • Observations/Words • 09/25/04 • 2 commentsThe Jeopardy Guy
You must know that Ken Jennings, The Jeopardy Guy has now surpassed all other TV show contestants in number of...
Dad • Observations • 09/18/04 • 2 commentsBig Fish
As boring and staid as it sounds, all of my stories have been completely true.
Dad • Connections/Ideas/Observations/Reviews/Stories • 09/09/04 • 6 commentsGeorge W. Bush by the numbers
George W. Bush's left-wing enemies will have a field day with these statistics.
Patrick • News/Observations/Recommendations • 09/04/04 • 5 commentsThe Church of Wal-Mart?
Forget church, get your kids jobs at Wal-Mart to teach them values.
Patrick • Observations • 08/20/04 • 1 commentsSaint Paul
How he managed to get so much play in the liturgy of the word is beyond me.
Dad • Observations • 07/25/04 • 1 commentsThe Patriot
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Dad • Histories/Observations/Reviews • 07/04/04 • 0 commentsThe war in Iraq
Now it seems like the decision to oust Saddam was shortsighted and foolish.
Dad • Observations • 06/26/04 • 0 commentsSo you want to be Happy?
This makes me unhappy, which, if you read the article, is a _good_ thing.
Dad • Observations • 06/22/04 • 0 commentsWho will win American Survivor?
Now that "the people" can vote for a Survivor winner, who will we choose?
Patrick • Observations • 05/12/04 • 4 commentsStupid vs. Going Far
In the matrix of stupidy vs. days on Survivor, Jenna is tops!
Patrick • Observations • 05/11/04 • 7 commentsFamous Maddens
Are you related to John Madden? Yes, but not the one you're thinking of.
Patrick • Observations • 05/01/04 • 9 commentsInternet commerce
Anything you can do by hand you can do with a computer, in about twice the time.
Dad • Observations • 04/24/04 • 1 commentsThe Meaning of Relativity
In other words... the fact that light speed is everywhere the same leads irrefutably to the conclusion that E = mc2.
Dad • Connections/Ideas/Observations/Reviews • 04/07/04 • 0 commentsPeach
If peaches are not "peach" colored, then what is?
Patrick • Observations • 03/06/04 • 6 commentsRecycling Writing
Ian Frazier has now published three similar essays about getting plastic bags out of trees.
Patrick • Observations • 03/02/04 • 14 commentsGay Marriage
an abomination by any other name still stinks to high heaven
Dad • Observations • 03/02/04 • 4 commentsJumping Frenchmen of Maine
If one of them was abruptly asked to strike another, he would do so without hesitation, even if it was his mother and he had an ax in his hand.
David • Observations • 02/27/04 • 3 commentsThings the Lord hates
There are six things the Lord hates--�no, seven
Dad • Observations • 02/21/04 • 4 commentsGoogle Holidays
You may have noticed that on many holidays Google creates an illustrated adaptation of their logo to celebrate.
Dan • Observations • 02/15/04 • 0 commentsHouse Hunting
Some things I've learned while house hunting here in Utah, submitted for your potential benefit.
Patrick • Observations • 02/14/04 • 0 commentsOne Hundred Years of Oprah
I saw a huge eyesore of a logo on it. It was the Oprah Book Club logo.
Dan • Observations • 02/04/04 • 4 commentsStupid Things You’re Good At
Get your portrait drawn with Stevie Nicks!
Dan • Observations • 01/27/04 • 3 commentsOven heat
I got to thinking lately about leaving the oven on to heat the kitchen.
Dad • Ideas/Observations/Questions/Recommendations/Suggestions • 12/15/03 • 13 commentsThe Hit Machine
On Monday, Karina and I half-caught ABC’s Primetime Live, a poor-man’s 60 Minutes, on which there was a segment about...
Patrick • Observations • 12/03/03 • 2 commentsTo Walk or to Run?
Last night Karina and I caught an episode of Mythbusters (whose site isn’t all that detailed, but there’s a discussion...
Patrick • Observations/Questions • 11/22/03 • 9 commentsHow Do You Learn?
I found an article about how children learn, which I thought would be interesting to those of us in the...
Kathleen • Observations • 11/20/03 • 1 commentsFEAR THIS
Everybody knows where that title line comes from, the “No Fear” fearlessness campaign and apparel line. But even more directly,...
Dan • Observations • 11/04/03 • 1 commentsFuel Guages
Ever wonder about measuring the amount of fuel in a cylindrical tank mounted sideways? I think about it sometimes while...
Dad • Observations/Puzzles • 10/23/03 • 2 commentsLate Entries
So, I’m still awake in the middle of the night (what’s going on with this??) and I commented on Dan’s...
Kathleen • Observations • 10/15/03 • 1 commentsThe Social Contract
Although Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau used the term “social contract” to theorize the need for a governing...
Patrick • Observations • 10/08/03 • 24 commentsInternet Cafe
hi people. dave and i have completed our move from across the street to across the street. our place is...
Dan • Observations • 09/03/03 • 6 commentsSmart People Believe Weird Things
The following article appeared in the 9/02 issue of Scientific American, which David recommended to me. I found it interesting,...
Dad • Observations • 08/22/03 • 3 commentsLast Name Commonality
I actually read, for once, one of those unsolicited emails that Netscape sends me, and I found a link to...
Patrick • Observations • 08/20/03 • 5 commentsFluidity and Memory
Pato tackles the ever expanding "Wait one second"; his father tackles learning and language.
Patrick • Observations • 06/21/03 • 2 commentsChaos and Language
How does bilingualism influence our thoughts?
Patrick • Observations • 06/21/03 • 1 commentsRage for Order
I actually wrote this the other day, but I’ll post it now. I think it’s a small example of how...
Patrick • Observations/Quotes • 06/21/03 • 3 commentsLies, Damned Lies, and Statistics
I started this entry earlier today, but had a computer glitch and lost it. Why is it that when you...
Dad • Observations • 06/04/03 • 2 commentsMemorial Day
It is raining as I get up this morning; the kind of rain that will likely last all day. It...
Dad • Observations • 05/26/03 • 4 commentsTruth, Reality, Nonfiction
Just briefly, because it’s (“truth, reality, nonfiction” is) a subject I could write forever about, I wanted to mention a...
Patrick • Observations • 05/15/03 • 0 commentsInspirations/Ruminations
this is my comment to the neil peart/inspirations stuff posted a bit below. i decided to turn it into a...
Dan • Observations • 05/14/03 • 4 commentsWorse than Harmless
Recalling Dad’s observation about negative information (where some guy told him a WPHS door was locked, but it really wasn’t),...
Patrick • Observations • 05/13/03 • 0 commentsPoetry and Meaning
Dad and I were talking a little bit about the meaning of poetry because I gave him a poem to...
Patrick • Connections/Funnies/Observations • 05/13/03 • 6 commentsReflections on the Passion
For over 50 years now, Ive been listening to the passion reading on Palm Sunday. I dont recall when I...
Dad • Observations • 04/13/03 • 2 commentsRock-n-Roll High School
In searching for information on J. Geils Band (see previous post), I discovered this 1974 song: “Must of Got Lost.”...
Patrick • Observations • 04/13/03 • 2 commentsThe Center for Bio-Ethical Reform
This latest chapter of my life began with a call from Bill Calvin, former Exxon friend, who retired four years...
Dad • Observations • 04/06/03 • 2 commentsRemembering the Titans
I caught most of Remember the Titans a couple of days ago, and it left me feeling kind of melancholy....
Patrick • Observations • 03/17/03 • 3 commentspurple prose, giving things away
but i'm reading through a couple emails and reading maddenation and such, and i'm realizing that for absolutely no reason, i am in a good mood.
Dan • Observations • 03/13/03 • 6 commentsNegative Information, part Duh
i went into coleman-morse center one night because i was really thirsty and there were no cups (they're throwaway styrofoam).
Dan • Observations • 03/03/03 • 3 commentsLiking Things You’re No Good At
I hate baseball. I played Little League when I was 9 and 10, or thereabouts, and I never got a...
Patrick • Observations/Questions • 03/03/03 • 9 comments