Wednesday, December 15, 2004

The skeptical scientist

. . . "when did "skeptic" become a dirty word in science? When did a skeptic require quotation marks around him or her? Skepticism lies at the very heart of science."
[Michael Crichton - State of Fear: E-Book Extra - "Aliens Cause Global Warming"]

Heap of trouble

"I've seen a heap of trouble in my life, and most of it never came to pass."
Mark Twain

Believe

"If you believe in nothing, you'll believe in anything." G.K. Chesterton

Sunday, December 12, 2004

Fix it

"You cannot fix the problem if you're consumed with fixing the blame."
[Rick Warren - The Purpose Driven Life]

Wednesday, December 08, 2004

S

Situation: sluggish, sanguine.

Locus: languid, lucent.

Position: impassive, petulant, pensive.


Is it out there?

Is there a better life, a better love out there?
Or do we just trade one set of quirks for an unknown set?
Surely there must exist a partner with positives that outweigh the quirks,
& whose quirks are not intolerable negatives.

Am I a lovable, misunderstood soul
or just a miserable, selfish bastard?

Hey, I write poeœtry & talk of feelings!
Isn't THAT worth something?

If we can't find it in here,
will we ever find it out there?

Monday, December 06, 2004

minus 5 outside

Cold, late night.
My nose is cold & getting colder.
Tucked the tip into my fist,
but it's not getting any warmer.

O° outside, maybe minus 5,
good to be indoors.
I may be awake
but at least I am alive.

Monday, December 06 (1:22 AM EST)Currently - MOSTLY CLEAR Temp: -5

Books I am reading

Books worth mentioning I have read or am reading - Parenthetical "reviews" are simply MY humble opinions.

I am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe (groovy, but not for the young)

From Altoids to Zima: The Surprising Stories Behind 125 Brand Names by Evan Morris (somewhat interesting but a bit short for the $)

Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella (still great - If you build it, they will come - So Much better than the movie)

The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren (potentially powerful in your life)

Darwin's Radio & Darwin's Children by GREG BEAR (captivating Sci-fi)

Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature's Most Dangerous Creatures by Carl Zimmer (WOW - a must read! It'll change your perception of life & evolution)

Swamp Gas Times: My Two Decades on the UFO Beat by Patrick Huyghe (a little lame, not much meat, nothing new here)

The U. P. Trail, The Rainbow Trail, & Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey (classic old westerns - read them in period)

Advertising for Results by G.F. Brown (hard to get into)

365 Meditations for Couples by Sally D. Sharpe, Editor (so-so)

How to Become a Rainmaker: The Rules for Getting and Keeping Clients" by Jeffrey J. Fox (rules to work by - not much new but good reminder)

How to Make Big Bucks in Your Own Small Business: Unexpected Rules Every Small Business Owner Needs to Know by Jeffrey J. Fox (see other Fox review above)

The 9/11 Commission Report by Thomas H. Kean et al. (interesting start, turns dry)

Why Men Don't Have a Clue and Women Always Neez More Shoes: The Ultimate Guide to the Opposite Sex by Allan & Barbara Pease (not so hot & quite sexist - why proprogate old stereotypes?!)

The Procrastinator's Handbook

stuff from a book I am reading. . .

"You may be living an extremely busy life, but do you realize it takes less
than two minutes to hang up your clothes or toss them in the clothes
hamper?"

"Are you constantly shuffling through piles of paper on your desk? You
probably spend more time shuffling each day than it would take you to sort
through the papers once and for allĂ‚— filing, processing, tossing out, or
recycling."

The Procrastinator's Handbook: Mastering the Art of Doing It Now, Rita
Emmett, Walker & Co., NY