Random Connections

It was hot. Extremely hot. My mind wandered to places where I might stay cool that didn’t require air conditioning. Standing under a waterfall seemed like it might be a good idea, but I couldn’t decide which would work best. Eventually, I decided a cave would do. There are no true caves in our area, …

After a long delay, the second episode of the RandomConnections podcast is now online. “The Stone Carvers” is the first episode in a series I’m calling “The Tapho Files.” This episode looks at the artisans that carve headstones. Noun taphophilia – a love of funerals, cemeteries and the rituals of death Related terms – taphophile …

Here it is! Here’s the first episode of the Random Connections podcast! The first episode is based on one of the earliest posts on the blog. I had made a list of science fiction predictions that would have come to pass by 2004 in a post entitled “Yesterday’s Tomorrows.” Ten years later I updated the …

A couple of years ago I purchased a little Akai LPK25 keyboard. I was exploring MIDI sequencing and notation input on mobile devices such like my netbook, and was looking for a quick input device. I was sorely disappointed in what was available inexpensively, and I never seemed to be able to get the keyboard …

There’s no need to fear! Underdog is here! When criminals in this world appear And break the laws that they should fear And frighten all who see or hear The cry goes up both far and near For Underdog! Underdog! Underdog! Underdog! Speed of lightning, roar of thunder Fighting all who rob or plunder Underdog. …

Beautiful cool morning, and Paul W, Brian G, and I decided to squander it with a trip to the Anderson Jockey Lot.  Paul and I have made frequent forays into the world of flea markets.  While growing up, he and his father would scour the yard sales, then resell their goods at various flea markets.  …

Our outings lately have sounded like something from a season of the X-File. A couple of weeks ago we went in search of Blue Ghosts, and last night we went in search of Brood XIX of the thirteen-year cicadas. I had heard these insects last Saturday on my kayaking trip on Lake Greenwood. The noise …

It was the second Saturday of the month, and time for another Lowcountry Unfiltered outing. For this excursion we were headed to the heart of some Civil War history along the Savannah River. The plan was to paddle a 5 mile stretch from Beck’s Ford Landing to Millstone Landing. It turned out to be a …

Back in 1985 my brother Houston introduced me to Todd Rundgren’s innovative album, A Cappella [sic]. Rundgren used digital sampling to create an album made up only of the human voice. He added distortion and manipulated the sounds to emulate drums and other instruments. Back then this was really impressive, and I was amazed that …

Normally our clan gathers at Christmas, but this year many were going to be gone. So, we decided to get the gang together for Thanksgiving. And what a crowd it was – 2 parents, 7 children, 9 in-laws, 12 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren, 1 aunt, 1 uncle, and 1 boyfriend, plus several dogs. 38 in the …