Clik here to view.
Please read: A personal appeal from a former Wikipedia editor
For the past few months, pages on Wikipedia have been headed by a series of “personal appeals,” with folks ranging from Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales to random users, all of them shilling for money to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Get to know the real Artoo Detoo
Years ago, I came to realize that the real hero of Star Wars is not the guy everyone assumes it is, Luke Skywalker—rather, it’s that plucky little astromech droid, Artoo Detoo. I had some fun writing a...
View ArticleObi-Wan Kenobi’s “little friend”
Like many Star Wars fans, when I first saw Episode I – The Phantom Menace, I hated it. For all the usual reasons, of course. But there was one plot point that bugged the hell out of me, made me feel...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bigger is Not Better
WXRT (93.1 FM Chicago) is my favorite radio station. Its morning team in particular, Lin Brehmer and Mary Dixon, are the best in the business: informative, insightful, and erudite, and hilarious...
View ArticleHow to make the perfect grilled cheese — without killing yourself
In Episode 45 of the ever-entertaining, always-informative podcast How To Do Everything, guest contributor McKay Marshall gave his technique on “How to make the perfect grilled cheese.” I found his...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, et al, by John le Carré
I have of late become totally obsessed with the spy novels of John le Carré. I started with his classic The Spy Who Came In from the Cold, a paragon of the genre, then went straight into Tinker,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Canning the “smart cans” for a while (if not longer)
Earlier this week, the trash can disappeared from the street corner near my office. The only sign of its prior existence: two quartets of severed bolts protruding from the darkened pavement, their...
View ArticleClik here to view.
“Be Alert for Foul Balls!”
Sunday, September 16, Cubs versus Pirates at Wrigley Field, bottom of the 7th inning. Chris Leroux pitching, Luis Valbuena at the plate. On a 2-1 count, Valbuena hit a screaming foul ball down the...
View ArticleHow to Ruin a Perfectly Good Ballpark, in Six Easy Steps
Stop me if you’ve heard this one… Step 1: Acquire a professional sports team that plays in an aging but hallowed and much-beloved stadium. Step 2: Declare the team incapable of financial solvency if it...
View ArticlePuzzling solo
The New York Times overhauled its iPad crossword puzzle app a couple of weeks ago, and perhaps the biggest change in this new version is that it’s no longer tied to a third-party social media game...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Laura: Out of a Misty Dream
Watching Laura on TCM tonight… I’ll try to avoid spoilers, but… in the middle of the film, just before the big twist in the plot, Lieutenant McPherson (Dana Andrews) is in Laura’s apartment late at...
View ArticleThe easy targets
Daniel Gross is a very smart man. He has a master’s degree from Harvard and has written several books on Wall Street and American economics. He’s very, very intelligent. I know this first-hand; we went...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Peelian Help Desk
I’ve worked in IT for more than twenty years. Along the way, I have worked in a lot of different realms: academia, government, finance, publishing, manufacturing. What’s strange is how each of these...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Get to know the real Artoo Detoo
Years ago, I came to realize that the real hero of Star Wars is not the guy everyone assumes it is, Luke Skywalker—rather, it’s that plucky little astromech droid, Artoo Detoo. I had some fun writing a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why the Mythbusters Newton’s Cradle failed
What with the Mythbusters having a bit of a mishap this week (a vast understatement by the way, and thank goodness no one was injured), folks have likely forgotten about their most elaborate and...
View Article