In Defense Of My Junk Box: Married to An Engineer

Just about every electrical or mechanical engineer I know has some kind of junk box—a treasure trove of parts accumulated over the years, all saved with the hope they might come in handy someday. My own junk box started at a very early age. Too young to work a...

Justifying My AI Hobby By Finding Blaze A Forever Home

From my early teenage years, technology has always played a significant part in my life. Though I was late to the party, I joined the technology revolution as the world transitioned from vacuum tubes to transistors in 1963. By 1975, I found myself in the midst of the...

Maximizing Profit: Reliable Designs Or Frequent Repairs?

When I retired, my wife strongly suggested I put some of that newfound free time into cleaning rather than gaining another level in my current game. My trusty old vacuum cleaner, however, decided it wasn’t up to the increased workload and promptly broke a belt. Of...

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

How To Be A Successful Mass Murderer

How To Be A Successful Mass Murderer

I’m not going to ask why you’re here. We've all thought about it. The jerk cutting you off on the freeway, the traffic jam you were stuck in because you were cut off or maybe it’s just the people you have to work with. You know, the ones demanding you honor their...

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Duolingo, How To Enjoy Learning A Language

Duolingo, How To Enjoy Learning A Language

Today I completed my 76th consecutive Spanish lesson with Duolingo. Why Spanish? Why Duolingo and why is the number of days important? This isn’t my first attempt to learn a new language. My work brings me in contact with a number of different languages and while I...

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Random Posts

  • Opinionbypen 2016 Goals in Review, How Well Did I Do?Opinionbypen 2016 Goals in Review, How Well Did I Do?
    I force my wife to read the first draft of all my posts. I’ve found that this keeps me out of trouble with her and gives me some insight on how people will feel when they read it. I mention that because after reading this post she said I always seemed sad when summarizing my […]
  • Professionalism, Why Is It Disappearing?Professionalism, Why Is It Disappearing?
    I had no idea what was happening when I watched my first fencing tournament. The director was giving directions in French, the opponents would come together, lights came on the scoring box, the director would call halt and award a point. I did not yet have the background I needed to appreciate the sport. I […]
  • Who Supports Ending Net Neutrality? Texas Senator John Cornyn, But Why?Who Supports Ending Net Neutrality? Texas Senator John Cornyn, But Why?
    I’ve always believed you shouldn’t get involved in a fight you have no hope of winning. I find it unfortunate that I’m not heeding that advice with regard to net neutrality. Still, I can’t help but wonder why Texas Senator John Cornyn supports an organization using fake comments to support its decision to eliminate net […]

Random Posts

  • A Very Personal Look At The Engineering Decision Making ProcessA Very Personal Look At The Engineering Decision Making Process
    I’ve written a number of posts about how engineers think and make decisions, so I was stunned when my Wife questioned my decision making process and demanded details. My first response was to deny any malfeasance on my part but when I recovered my composure I realized she might have a point. Having admitted that […]
  • Food ScoutFood Scout
    In almost every war movie I’ve watched there’s one guy that seems to be able to scrounge anything. In the corporate engineering world we all scrounge for parts but the talent we really admire is the food scout. It’s no secret that engineers are strongly food motivated. I don’t know what the connection is but […]
  • Why is An Engineer So Brutally Honest But Still Can’t Read A Schedule?Why is An Engineer So Brutally Honest But Still Can’t Read A Schedule?
    For a marketing person, introducing a potential customer to an engineer is the stuff nightmares are made from. Engineers can be brutally honest about technology. Note I said technology. We’re perfectly capable of lying. Ask us about schedule, percent complete, does this dress make me look fat…. On second thought, we’re not always good about […]

Random Posts

  • What Happened To Conversation?What Happened To Conversation?
    I remember the day I made my first and last comment on LinkedIn. It was a discussion on a manned Mars mission and how it should be abandoned because the odds against the voyagers surviving were high. I remarked that Columbus’ crew probably faced the same fears. Boy, did I get absolutely shredded for that […]
  • Congress, Too Focused on Being Politicians? – Part 2Congress, Too Focused on Being Politicians? – Part 2
    There’s an old saying “The enemy of my enemy is my ally”. Congress has certainly made me see the truth of that. My Mother-in-Law is a very nice person that shares my love of technology. There’s two topics where we are polar opposites, choice of computer platforms and politics. I can usually get past her […]
  • 3D Printer In The Home, Useful Or Just A Toy?3D Printer In The Home, Useful Or Just A Toy?
    Last week my wife was complaining that she needed a funnel to put her spices in the spice jars. I could have shown her how to make a funnel out of paper or gone down to the store to buy her a funnel but those  solutions never occurred to me, instead I used my 3D […]

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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

  • Your Incredible Power To Influence Technologic EvolutionYour Incredible Power To Influence Technologic Evolution
    Evolution is one of those topics on which everyone has an opinion. Don’t worry, I’m not going to try influencing your opinion but I am going to tell you how it works to your advantage. Consider your phone for example. Wait, you thought I was talking about the biology version …
  • Why Would You Want To Write A Blog?Why Would You Want To Write A Blog?
    Ever notice that the moment you describe a problem to an engineer, they stop listening to you? Before you’ve finished describing the problem, they’ve started working on a solution for you. True, some of the very best engineers have the ability to remain focused on you until you’ve fully described …
  • Language and CultureLanguage and Culture
    I read a lot of Science Fiction and Fantasy. I enjoy the way it gives the author the freedom to explore different concepts, different rules of physics, different societies. I also don’t have to look for a deeper meaning. One of the books that really made me think was “The …
  • Why Isn’t There An American Micro Bit?Why Isn’t There An American Micro Bit?
    I don’t know if you’ve seen this headline, “Every 11-year-old in Britain is getting a free minicomputer,” or what you thought when you did but I found it amazing that this was being done in Britain. The Micro Bit giveaway is a program sponsored by the BBC in a joint …
  • An Insidious Plot Against MenAn Insidious Plot Against Men
    I’ve recently become convinced that my wife has embarked on a deliberate campaign to fatten me up. I don’t know why, I certainly don’t need additional help but I can find no other explanation for her actions. Consider this. It’s the weekend, I’ve spent a grueling day exercising the dogs, …
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