A recent discussion on the Ubuntu Forums (the link will work only if you are logged in) has got me thinking about the role of anonymity in online discussions. Is it a good thing? Is it a bad thing? Well, the answer, of course, is that it’s both good and bad. And I think I… Continue reading Anonymity on the internet
Category: Life
Stupid husbands and smart wives on TV
If you’ve seen any American sitcoms featuring het couples in the past ten years or so, you’ll probably have noticed that it’s common for the show to portray the husbands as a stupid but endearing oaf who likes beer, barbecues, watching TV, hanging with the guys, and ogling women; and the wife as a smart,… Continue reading Stupid husbands and smart wives on TV
I’m no longer afraid of death. I’m still afraid of dying, though.
You know when you hear a news story about a young person who has died and the reporter writing it has to go on and on about all the potential that person had? Oh, she was going to be a scientist, a movie star, a businesswoman. She was popular and well-liked. All that jazz. When… Continue reading I’m no longer afraid of death. I’m still afraid of dying, though.
I guess she looks trustworthy
The other day, we were in the video store, and my wife gave her opinion to two random couples on Lars and the Real Girl (thumbs up) and Batman Begins (thumbs down), and I think their reactions went just a tad beyond mere politeness, especially the Lars couple. They actually seemed to really take her… Continue reading I guess she looks trustworthy
Thank me for bagging?
When I was growing up, I was used to (being an American) having cashiers bag groceries for me. I wait in line, wait for the cashier to scan my groceries, and then wait for the cashier to bag my groceries, and then pay for my groceries. Then I studied a semester in England and found… Continue reading Thank me for bagging?
The Car-Free Life: One Year in Review
Last year, suburbanites from birth, my wife and I gave up our car and took a leap into the car-free life void. I have to say a year later that I have no regrets about that decision, even after my dad came to visit and waited with us for 20 minutes for a bus that… Continue reading The Car-Free Life: One Year in Review
Celebrity Performers
I’ve been to a few rock/pop concerts over the years, and I find the celebrity performer phenomenon intriguing. The word celebrity I’m using rather loosely here to refer to anyone the audience is a big fan of. So, for example, at a Dance Hall Crashers or Hoi Polloi concert, the performers are “celebrities”—even though most… Continue reading Celebrity Performers
My allergy went away?
When I was a kid, I knew lots of kids who had allergies, and I was quite smug about not having allergies. Little did I know that you can, over time, develop allergies. Apart from a freakish allergy to a certain antibiotic and a sensitivity to poison ivy and poison oak, I didn’t really experience… Continue reading My allergy went away?
You can vote with your wallet, but you can’t segment the economy
I get messages all the time—whether they’re from feminists, environmentalists, Christians, or Linux users—about how to spend my money and what businesses to support. This has been going on for years. Even in high school, my friend Shannon used to chastise me for using Papermate pens because Papermate did animal testing. My pastor told me… Continue reading You can vote with your wallet, but you can’t segment the economy
Let’s take a moment for the short males
Occasionally, I do some “tag surfing” and just see what other WordPress bloggers are blogging about. I happened today to stumble upon two posts that are related and make me sad when I think about the great guys I know who also happen to be short. Let’s take a moment to acknowledge het short men.… Continue reading Let’s take a moment for the short males