The other day my 78 year old mother asked me what "hash-tag" means. I told her it has something to do with Instagram and/or Twitter, I think I was right when I spoke this. I really don't know as I do not "hash-tag", Instagram, or Tweet. I like keeping track of others and sharing and do this via Facebook (and now this blog). I have no use for other social medias, and I already waste way too much time on the one (and now this blog).
I have seen the Instagram photos shared on Facebook (the food porn, the tinted to look like all the photos in the family photo albums, and the daily selfies), followed by the dozen or so (average for some people I know) of "hash-tags", I assume linking or labeling to those that follow similar things I guess. It appears you can "hash-tag" people, places, things, actions, issues, causes, and even products or companies. I was even told that if I "hash-tag" products/companies/services in my blog that the "hash-tagged" products/company/services would ask to place their advertising on my blog, and this would lead to more recognition for me, and them, and might even lead to compensation (getting paid to blog).
But I don't "hash-tag".
One of the reasons I do not "hash-tag"is, as I said earlier, I do not use Instagram. The reason I do not use Instagram is I do not have one them "smart phones". Yep that is right, as much as I love science, technology, and gadgets, I do not have an iPhone, Android, Samsung, or Google device. Never felt that they were that necessary. My phone makes and receives calls and I can text when I need to, what else do I need? I have a laptop for everything else.
Now here is the issue I face, my current "dumb phone" is getting old (3+ years) and beat up (glued and held together with tape), although I haven't wrecked or cracked the screen. It is this way because I can't find a "dumb phone" and my provider is not carrying "dumb phone" replacements. They want to sell you a "smart phone" along with the accompanying data plan. I don't want the data plan, so I am stuck with the old down trodden "dumb phone". I would take one of the new shiny "smart phones" because I guess it would make me look cool. If they would let me have one and not get the data plan that would be great, but they want me to pay for the data plan. I don't want to pay for the data plan because....
I don't "hash-tag".
[May be I should "hash-tag" all the "smart phone" companies and providers and they would place ads on my blog and then I would make money and use that money to offset the cost of the data plans needed for a "smart phone". But then they would want me to have a niche in my blog about how great their phone and data plan are, and you know I don't niche blog....]
Thursday, March 6, 2014
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
To the Grammar Elitist of the World.
Dear Grammar Elitists (GEs)
First of all, I want to say; "Get over yourselves."
Seriously no one likes your pretentious holier-than-thou attitude of going around and correcting/editing everyone else's syntax, spelling and/or usage. Have you never heard of poetic license, author's voice, and a whole bunch of other fancy (read as crappy) styles and formats we were forced to learn and use when we wrote and we needed to stay within the contraints. Little Brown Book, MLA, blah, blah, blah.....
If the powers that be wanted to have a set of parameters, rules, theorems, and laws pertaining to the english (not capitalized on purpose) language, then they should have made it a Science. And all english majors would get a Bachelor of Science instead of a Bachelor of Art degree in the academia world. Webster and Johnson should developed laws like Newton and physically gone out and proved there existence.
They didn't, so it is an art, and hence you have the freedom to express yourself anyway you want. To deviate from the norm as you like, to stray from the path, to stretch the boundaries, to use the imagination, to express your view point as you see fit. Did we tell Picasso where to place a nose, Pollack not to use a tricycle to paint, Mozart which chord comes next, DeMille how to do a close up, or Sol LeWitt which shapes to sculpt? NO WE DIDN'T! We just enjoy.
(I know, there are some that will debate this and say that music has rules, a canvas has limitations, and the lens has boundaries, but you would be stifling their creativity. We wouldn't have new genres of music, new mediums in art, and special effects in film, if people stuck to the "rules".)
So is it 'who do you love', 'whom the bell tolls', i before e except after c, no dangling modifiers, and that the plural of box is boxes, yet the plural of ox is oxen and not oxes.
Here is something to think about:
"He told him he was allowed to go?" Grammatically incorrect. Tell me where the "that" goes.
And why are we bound to homonyms like to, too, and two, or homographs like box and box? We cold not come up with something better or varied?
I know this is just the tip of the iceberg, at least for me it is.
Sincerely,
The Rest of Us.
First of all, I want to say; "Get over yourselves."
Seriously no one likes your pretentious holier-than-thou attitude of going around and correcting/editing everyone else's syntax, spelling and/or usage. Have you never heard of poetic license, author's voice, and a whole bunch of other fancy (read as crappy) styles and formats we were forced to learn and use when we wrote and we needed to stay within the contraints. Little Brown Book, MLA, blah, blah, blah.....
If the powers that be wanted to have a set of parameters, rules, theorems, and laws pertaining to the english (not capitalized on purpose) language, then they should have made it a Science. And all english majors would get a Bachelor of Science instead of a Bachelor of Art degree in the academia world. Webster and Johnson should developed laws like Newton and physically gone out and proved there existence.
They didn't, so it is an art, and hence you have the freedom to express yourself anyway you want. To deviate from the norm as you like, to stray from the path, to stretch the boundaries, to use the imagination, to express your view point as you see fit. Did we tell Picasso where to place a nose, Pollack not to use a tricycle to paint, Mozart which chord comes next, DeMille how to do a close up, or Sol LeWitt which shapes to sculpt? NO WE DIDN'T! We just enjoy.
(I know, there are some that will debate this and say that music has rules, a canvas has limitations, and the lens has boundaries, but you would be stifling their creativity. We wouldn't have new genres of music, new mediums in art, and special effects in film, if people stuck to the "rules".)
So is it 'who do you love', 'whom the bell tolls', i before e except after c, no dangling modifiers, and that the plural of box is boxes, yet the plural of ox is oxen and not oxes.
Here is something to think about:
"He told him he was allowed to go?" Grammatically incorrect. Tell me where the "that" goes.
And why are we bound to homonyms like to, too, and two, or homographs like box and box? We cold not come up with something better or varied?
I know this is just the tip of the iceberg, at least for me it is.
Sincerely,
The Rest of Us.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Enough.
As a "hardy" New Englander, and I never really minded the winters here, but I can say I have had enough of the "polar vortex". I like the snow, even like going out and shoveling it (snow-blowing now). I find it awe-inspiring in its beauty, less so when it starts to get dirty, so new snow always freshens it up and returns it to a state of pretty.
But the cold this season has actually been an annoyance, may be it is my age or that I have just grown tired of it. This winter my joints have ached, my muscles are stiff, I have had times when I can't get warm enough, and this is all before I go out to push the snowblower around or rake the roof.
Also being an altruistic environmentalist for the most part, I do not like the use of salt, as it is not good for the local flora and fauna. I also do not like the use of sand, as it tracks into the house and now I have to vacuum more often. But with the longer stretches of cold, I have had to resort to use of salt to subdue the ice, making it possible to get in and out of the house and driveway. Which by the way was so icy and couple of times that my car slide halfway down the drive from where I had parked it earlier (no harm, no foul, but still).
I know that more comfortable days are just around the corner, but I am ready today.
But the cold this season has actually been an annoyance, may be it is my age or that I have just grown tired of it. This winter my joints have ached, my muscles are stiff, I have had times when I can't get warm enough, and this is all before I go out to push the snowblower around or rake the roof.
Also being an altruistic environmentalist for the most part, I do not like the use of salt, as it is not good for the local flora and fauna. I also do not like the use of sand, as it tracks into the house and now I have to vacuum more often. But with the longer stretches of cold, I have had to resort to use of salt to subdue the ice, making it possible to get in and out of the house and driveway. Which by the way was so icy and couple of times that my car slide halfway down the drive from where I had parked it earlier (no harm, no foul, but still).
I know that more comfortable days are just around the corner, but I am ready today.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Grilled Cheese
I think that people overlook the brilliance and greatness of a simple grilled cheese. You know the right thickness of a good crusty bread with a nice sharp cheddar. Griddled to a crisp perfection on the outside and a melty goodness on the inside, maybe served with a couple of bread-n-butter pickle slices.
Now I know everyone is going to want to add extras to enhance the sandwich, whether it be ham, tomatoes, tuna, whatever....but then it is no longer a true grilled cheese sandwich. It can be modified by adding or varying the cheeses, maybe a Gruyere, or a Muenster, even introducing a Brie or a little Stilton. Anything else would be sacrilegious in the kitchen.
I guess it can be paired with other things, a nice bisque (your flavor choice), or fresh green salad (for something healthier). But the grilled cheese has to stand alone.
Now I know everyone is going to want to add extras to enhance the sandwich, whether it be ham, tomatoes, tuna, whatever....but then it is no longer a true grilled cheese sandwich. It can be modified by adding or varying the cheeses, maybe a Gruyere, or a Muenster, even introducing a Brie or a little Stilton. Anything else would be sacrilegious in the kitchen.
I guess it can be paired with other things, a nice bisque (your flavor choice), or fresh green salad (for something healthier). But the grilled cheese has to stand alone.
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Cigars and such....
As stated in my interests one is cigars, I work part-time in a fine tobacco establishment, with a retail store and private smoking lounge. Through this job, I have been exposed to an unending assortment of cigars over the years. I have smoked everything from Connecticut Broadleaf to Honduran to Brazilian, and everything in between. So here is a list of cigars that I think are not to be missed...of course they are not ranked in any particular order.
- Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Robusto
- Davidoff Special R
- Davidoff Nicaraguan Puro Robusto
- Prometheus God of Fire by Don Carlos
- Camacho Blackout Robusto
- UnderCrown Robusto
- LFD El Jacko
- Liga Provada #9
- Partagas D No. 4
- Paul Stulac Red Screamin' Sun Robusto
- Avo XO Intermezzo Toro
- Davidoff 25th Anniversary
- Davidoff Entreacto
- LFD Air Bender Chisel
- Eiroa Robusto
- Cohiba Siglo VI
Now there are some lines, that have several cigars in different sizes and it really doesn't matter which one you hand to me. For example, AF Don Carlos, Davidoff Winston Churchill series, Liga Pravada, and any Davidoff Colorado Claro.
Let me know what you think.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
My working life...a renaissance?
A friend posted a question asking what jobs have you done during your life time. It is an interesting question, so here is the list of jobs that I have done....
As you can see, I am kind of a renaissance man. I have a diverse tool set and have been exposed to a lot of different things. I like to be doing something new and challenging. My education is in the sciences and engineering, but I put my self through school swinging a hammer and driving. I have always tried to have a part-time job in a hobby, that explains personal trainer, movie projectionist, umpire, coach, and a few of the sales jobs. Some of the other jobs I just picked up along the way.
So which of this jobs did I enjoy the most...well there are a few I like (outside of the hobby jobs), liked education, loved engineering and consulting (still doing that), my time in the military was interesting, I still work two or three hobby jobs, it is great if you can get paid to do your hobby.
I am currently trying to break into the energy field in consulting, which is going slow, but I hope to do it soon. I would also like to go back to school and eventually get my PhD and teach into retirement at a small university, not so sure about this one, but that is what I aspire to to do.
- Milking Cows (along with other farm chores)
- Dishwasher
- Weekend Cook
- Telephone Lineman
- Military Soldier (intel)
- Sales Clerk (several different stores/retailers)
- Door to Door sales
- Personal Trainer
- Industrial Hygienist
- Security Guard
- Asbestos Abatement
- Substitute Teacher
- Teacher
- Coach
- Movie Theatre Projectionist
- Roofer/Sider
- Framer
- Landscaper
- Lab Assistant
- Truancy/Resource Officer
- Wrecker Driver
- Baseball Umpire
- UPS Delivery Driver
- Engineer
- Consultant
- Project Manager
As you can see, I am kind of a renaissance man. I have a diverse tool set and have been exposed to a lot of different things. I like to be doing something new and challenging. My education is in the sciences and engineering, but I put my self through school swinging a hammer and driving. I have always tried to have a part-time job in a hobby, that explains personal trainer, movie projectionist, umpire, coach, and a few of the sales jobs. Some of the other jobs I just picked up along the way.
So which of this jobs did I enjoy the most...well there are a few I like (outside of the hobby jobs), liked education, loved engineering and consulting (still doing that), my time in the military was interesting, I still work two or three hobby jobs, it is great if you can get paid to do your hobby.
I am currently trying to break into the energy field in consulting, which is going slow, but I hope to do it soon. I would also like to go back to school and eventually get my PhD and teach into retirement at a small university, not so sure about this one, but that is what I aspire to to do.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Jealousy
There is a person that I am jealous of, but not for the reasons that everyone would think. That person is Brad Pitt.
I am not jealous of his rugged good looks, the fact that he is in a relationship with Angelina Jolie, or that he is a great actor. I am not jealous that he has dated other famous and beautiful women, the movie star lifestyle, or any and everything that comes with all that.
I am jealous of his humanitarian work, that Mr. Pitt has adopted kids from all over the world, his work with the One Campaign, his work in Haiti, Chad, New Orleans, and Sudan, his support of environmental friendly design, and his stance on same sex marriage. That is what I am jealous of.
You may say that it is easy for him because of his status and wealth in society, and that may be true, but that is not what makes the man. It is his vision and doing what he feels is right.
I try to live the same way with the exception of the large bank account.
(Honorable mention in this category- George Clooney and Matt Damon)
I am not jealous of his rugged good looks, the fact that he is in a relationship with Angelina Jolie, or that he is a great actor. I am not jealous that he has dated other famous and beautiful women, the movie star lifestyle, or any and everything that comes with all that.
I am jealous of his humanitarian work, that Mr. Pitt has adopted kids from all over the world, his work with the One Campaign, his work in Haiti, Chad, New Orleans, and Sudan, his support of environmental friendly design, and his stance on same sex marriage. That is what I am jealous of.
You may say that it is easy for him because of his status and wealth in society, and that may be true, but that is not what makes the man. It is his vision and doing what he feels is right.
I try to live the same way with the exception of the large bank account.
(Honorable mention in this category- George Clooney and Matt Damon)
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