Category Archives: Jack Handy

For some reason, as I watch the “debt ceiling” debate unfold, I find that the voice of Katy Jurado echos in my mind. From “High Noon“: Kane will be a dead man in half an hour, and nobody’s going do … Continue reading →

I recently was issued, and resolved, a “fix-it ticket” (equipment violation) for my car. I thought it might be worthwhile to share some of the things I discovered along the way. This is pretty CA-specific, of course.

One of the darkly amusing features of the modern American bureaucracy is the way that it uselessly and reflexively reacts to freak occurrences. I saw my favorite example of this just after 9/11: Someone inside the commercial real-estate company that … Continue reading →

life (noun) 1: A series of minor annoyances separating major problems that lead to the crisis that kills you.

I spent a lot of time interviewing in May, and as a result I saw the inside of a lot of companies. Specifically, I saw what sorts of computers the programmers had on their desks. Macs. Macs, Macs, Macs. Sure, … Continue reading →

I find that some new projects are monopolizing my time, and, as a result, this blog cannot receive the attention it is due. I’m therefore putting it on pseudo-hiatus, in which state it will be updated “when I feel like … Continue reading →

“Number Eighty-Six has a confession, that Number Two is unmutual!” (From “A Change of Mind“.)

I’ve been watching James Burke’s “Connections” series on YouTube, and it’s caused me to consider the possibility that for a good part of my life I may have been pursuing counterproductive strategies. I like to go off on my own, … Continue reading →

Say what you will about the guy, he’s got some kind of character: Khamis Gadhafi, son of the dictator, who runs Libya’s special forces when he’s not gadding about on the heir-to-oil-billions internship track, skedaddled back to Libya when the … Continue reading →

This is a little old, but it’s still, I think, noteworthy. Have a look at this heartwarming little chart, from Global Macro Monitor, via Jim Lacey at NRO: Sure, it’s only one quarter. It’s still unsettling to see the central … Continue reading →