What’s The Bottom Line On Tariffs? How Much Will They Cost Me?

Tariffs are a tax nations charge on imported or exported goods. The importer always pays the tax, and the money always goes straight into the pockets of the country imposing the tariff. But don’t be fooled—while the importer technically pays the tax, the cost always...

French Culture, I’m Forced To Admit I Was Wrong

My father returned from WW2 with pieces of shrapnel slowly working their way out of his body and a deep and abiding hatred of the French. I don’t know about you and your father, but mine never wanted to discuss the details. I never knew his reasons, but he passed his...

What Can Spirit Animals Teach Us About Today’s America?

This week, while perusing my feed on Bluesky, I stumbled upon a post in which someone shared that she had just learned that crows can hold a grudge for 17 years and thus declared crows as her new spirit animal. While many responses expressed surprise or shared their...

From the Doghouse

A look at dogs having fun

Poser Gallery

My gallery of pictures I’ve created in Poser

Nature by Carol

A look at the less technical side of life

Random Posts

  • Sundae Thanks YouSundae Thanks You
    In Udacity’s Psychology course, the second lesson discusses the ethics of psychological experiments and how important it is to make sure everyone involved understands they are taking part in a test. I’m sure my readers understood my previous post was an experiment but I’m not as sure about Sundae. Prior to offering treats to Sundae […]
  • The LinkedIn Numbers GameThe LinkedIn Numbers Game
    Sometimes having easy access to statistics can cause us to focus on the numbers instead of our goal. I used this picture of my dogs for this post because their personality matches illustrates the point. Shelby and Cajun are easily distracted, Sundae will always remain tightly focused on her goal, especially her football.  On the […]
  • Why All The Hate For PO Boxes, Part TwoWhy All The Hate For PO Boxes, Part Two
    Almost two years ago I preordered a Google Nexus tablet, only to have the order cancelled two weeks later because I had used a PO Box as my address. Needless to say I wasn’t happy. Being very frustrated and having limited options, I wrote Google Wallet, PO Boxes and No Nexus 7, and followed up […]

Random Posts

  • Solar Powered Wyze Cameras, An Engineering EvolutionSolar Powered Wyze Cameras, An Engineering Evolution
    As with most engineering projects, it started with a need. In my case, as soon as I got high-speed Internet, I eagerly added several cameras. I chose Wyze because they are affordable, don’t require a monthly subscription, and offer excellent picture quality. Wanting to extend coverage beyond just my house, I opted to power the […]
  • An Engineer Looks At AccountantsAn Engineer Looks At Accountants
    Put a group of engineers together discussing projects and sooner or later the discussion will turn to beancounters. No, beancounters aren’t an apparatus for counting individual beans, we use the term to refer to the accounting department. As you might guess, this is not a term of high regard. There’s no denying that most engineers […]
  • A Dangerous Trend, Amateur Social IsolationistsA Dangerous Trend, Amateur Social Isolationists
    I’ve always dreaded social gatherings. It’s not that I can’t do small talk, no, that would be a lie. I’m abysmal at small talk. Thirty seconds into my part of the conversation, I start seeing blank stares and glassy eyes. At forty five seconds, they usually develop an urgent need to visit the bathroom or […]

Random Posts

  • How To Torture An Engineer, An Engineer’s Wife Shows You The WayHow To Torture An Engineer, An Engineer’s Wife Shows You The Way
    Ever wonder how to torture an engineer? You know you want to get rid of that smug know it all attitude. No, I’m not talking about staking us to an antbed. Over the years, my wife has developed some very effective techniques. Let me share an example with you. Last week I was sequestered out […]
  • The Opinionbypen 2016 StrategyThe Opinionbypen 2016 Strategy
    Please consider this post as a newsletter to my subscribers. Yes, I’ll make sure it has good SEO but that only gets me to the starting gate. There will also be that one lone fool that stumbles onto this post by accident but if experience is any guide, he will quickly leave. Congratulations, that makes you […]
  • A Futuristic Design Concept, REPTILEA Futuristic Design Concept, REPTILE
    Today’s post doesn’t fall into any of my normal categories. It won’t educate you or make you think about an issue. It won’t give you a better idea of how to cope with an engineer (although you will see the imagination that my wife has to put up with). No, today I’m sharing a futuristic […]

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From the Doghouse -It’s all about them

A look at dogs having fun!

Short Stories

With posts like these, ever wonder what kind of fiction I would write?

Random Posts

  • Windows 10, Microsoft Doesn’t Get ItWindows 10, Microsoft Doesn’t Get It
    Have you ever been listening to someone and thought to yourself, “they just don’t get it.” No, I wasn’t talking about our politicians. Although given their actions over the last few year, it’s obvious that they don’t get it either.  Instead I was talking about some of our leading industries …
  • Intelligent Garden Spiders? It’s Not Even HalloweenIntelligent Garden Spiders? It’s Not Even Halloween
    Let me make it clear, I don’t like spiders. It’s not like I run away screaming when I see one. I’ve been forced to share the bathroom with a wolf spider and we both survived but neither of us enjoyed that experience either. On the other side of the spectrum, …
  • What Can Spirit Animals Teach Us About Today’s America?What Can Spirit Animals Teach Us About Today’s America?
    This week, while perusing my feed on Bluesky, I stumbled upon a post in which someone shared that she had just learned that crows can hold a grudge for 17 years and thus declared crows as her new spirit animal. While many responses expressed surprise or shared their own observations, …
  • Poser Debut, an Engineer’s ReviewPoser Debut, an Engineer’s Review
    I think Smith Micro has a real hit with Poser Debut. As  a engineer I’ve always been impressed by an artist’s ability to convey a message using a minimum of information. If I want to represent a bird in a picture I immediately think of feathers, beak, eyes and wings. …
  • The Killing Frost, A Transition to Winter In My GardenThe Killing Frost, A Transition to Winter In My Garden
    After six years, I finally persuaded my wife to write a post for OpinionbyPen. Well, that and the sadness she felt with the transition to winter killing so much of her garden. She’s writing under the nom de guerre of Big Tomato. Keeping the Brussel sprouts at bay, I hasten …
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