Yearly Archives: 2010

Belated RIP Steve Landesberg, aka Sgt. Dietrich

Comedian Steve Landesberg’s passing is old news by now but the other day I had a little personal revelation about the well-loved character he played, Detective Sgt. Arthur Dietrich. I’m somewhat like him at work…in a good way. Hear me … Continue reading

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Happy 43rd Birthday Paul!

My third and best college roommate, my bud through thick and thin, and a whole host of other roles…including designated prancer, keeper of the starcrunches and Heavy Metal expert. Sadly, he has the second-worst birthday date in the Western world, … Continue reading

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Katz’s is closing on January 2, 2011

Another little part of Austin I fell in love with when I moved here in 1994 bites the dust as the city continues to transform into Dallas II; I could live with San Antonio, Jr. but I think it’s becoming … Continue reading

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Lunar eclipse was a bust in Austin

Anyone else out there have any luck seeing the rare event? Lunar eclipses happen from time to time but not during the Winter Solstice. NPR said it was the first in 400 years. Despite my recovering health, I took an … Continue reading

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1970: Nixon meets the King

Contrary to the power of Photoshop and the imagination of The Onion, this picture is real. Nowadays the infamous photo has made the rounds for so long it loses the humorous punch it once had in the Eighties; there was … Continue reading

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TRON: Legacy

I’m a fan of the original Tron. Yes, I know the plot is silly, the acting is belabored, the effects are dated and the computer lingo sprinkle throughout the dialog was trying on my mother (who took me in 1982) and … Continue reading

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Sonia came to town!

What a weekend! My friend Sonia came up to Austin Friday night to spend some time with me! Coming with her was her nephews Alex, Tony and Jeremy and her sister Evie, I may be wrong the last person’s name. … Continue reading

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Electric bill improvements

Tell me again why I should be in favor of nuclear power? So far the rate decrease I just received on my upcoming contract for 100 percent wind with Green Mountain deflates the argument to start building more Three Mile … Continue reading

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Regular Joe, more like Tom, gets lifetime opportunity

This happens a bit more often in the lower-level leagues and I think it was caused by the rumination of my cousin-in-law over the movie Rudy. Personally I prefer the movie Miracle which actually happened too. It’s a bit of … Continue reading

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RIP Blake Edwards

Revenge of the Pink Panther was the first non-Disney or Star Wars movie I got to see in theaters. With all the slapstick from Peter Sellers, it was small wonder why kids found it funny and my parents took us … Continue reading

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1990: Graduation!

Better late than never was the defense I used for needing an extra semester. Maybe my family wouldn’t have been as irked if I were attending a public university taking the standard six-year plan at Illinois State. The biggest stigma … Continue reading

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Antikythera Mechanism made of Legos

Two thousand years before Wayne Babbage’s difference engine, the Greeks built a mechanical computer to predict eclipses. Through the X-rays and other observations, a Lego replica was made to demonstrate. I wonder if there is some variation in its accuracy … Continue reading

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Another quiz about the Eighties

My results were probably disappointing to my friends who tend to lean on me for answers to their musical trivia…five out of 10. I am proud to discover that I don’t own any of them since all but one are … Continue reading

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Yo Gabba Gabba! in Austin

Six months we waited for this show which was also a Christmas present to our little friends Ryanne and Corin. Well, I know I wanted to go anyway but we bought two additional tickets since two adults without children present … Continue reading

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Terry Jones’ Medieval Lives

How fitting that the BBC sought out Terry Jones to host and co-write this eight-part series dispelling the commonly held myths about the Middle Ages. Everybody knows he directed, co-wrote and co-starred in the Pythons’ first movie parodying King Arthur. … Continue reading

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