Author Archives: Thom
Christmas gratitude
I don’t want to go into the the Christmas weekend still grouchy about Congress. I’d much rather focus on the good things in life, because if I stop and think for even a moment I can come up with a … Continue reading
The questionable wisdom of crowds
The wisdom of crowds is very suspect when we keep electing these idiots to power. This latest payroll tax cut extension debacle is just another fine example of screwing the American people to win ideological battles. This article sums the … Continue reading
Ninja Cow?
An entire town mesmerized by a cow on the lamb? I give you Ninja Cow! Wayward livestock can pose serious threats to human and other animals. Even a small deer can destroy a car, seriously injuring the occupants in a … Continue reading
Beware of Amazon
I like Amazon.com. I admit it. I do buy things from there. But they also worry me. They are trying to sell everything, and that means that if they succeed, they’re going to put other stores out of business. Some … Continue reading
Statistics and journalism
My dad always had a saying, “Figures don’t lie, but liars will figure.” Or something like that. The other day on the radio I heard a news report that used a seemingly shocking statistic–shocking unless you actually thought about it. … Continue reading
In defense of introverts
I am an introvert. I admit it with pride. It takes work to be an introvert, but not as much work as it would take for me to be an extrovert. I can be extroverted, but I’ll be wiped out … Continue reading
It’s easier to destroy than to create
John Stossel makes a very good point: Government doesn’t create jobs. It simply takes money that might have created a real job and gives it to someone to do work for the government that probably didn’t really need doing (if … Continue reading
Alec Baldwin: Actor, activist, jerk
Alec Baldwin recently got himself kicked off a plane for refusing to stop playing with this smart phone. He apologized to the passengers, but then went on Saturday Night Live to make fun of the crew. I’m afraid what respect … Continue reading
Random Musings: Rats, Lava
Do we, as humans, need to be more rat-like? A recent study suggests so: In repeated tests, rats freed another trapped rat in their cage, even when yummy chocolate served as a tempting distraction. Twenty-three of the 30 rats opened … Continue reading
Hari Seldon Strikes Again
In Isaac Asimov’s book “Prelude to Foundation”, he presents through his character “Hari Seldon” the “Hand-on-thigh Theory”: That which we uncover we invite to be touched. This comes about from an encounter between Hari and a female associate on the … Continue reading