Great Smoky

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Why there is "Just for Men" hair color

Not that I use it, of course, but you hear stories around the coffee pot. (Yeah - the coffee pot. That's where I heard it...)

Friday, July 03, 2009

Fun Bookmark

Bookmark
Originally uploaded by Cross-stitch ninja.

For all you punsters, readers and grammar nazis out there. This example from "Cross-stitch ninja" on Flickr made me chuckle. I want one just like it.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Dog is my Copilot

Dog is my Copilot
Originally uploaded by wordjunky.

The Bellaire Club in Houston has recently begun having a "dog friendly" AA meeting. Here you see the chair and leader with their respective "ala-dogs".

In keeping with the traditions of AA we have kept anonymity by blurring faces.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Screen Names vs. Real Names

Many applications, especially the social networking ones, allow users to pick a "screen name" rather than using a real name. This can be important if your name happens to be John Smith and you want to stand out. Even Facebook has opened up to it as of last night.

I actually came up with my screen name ("Wordjunky") when I started blogging in 2004. At the time I was not certain what I was going to say or how my voice would evolve. I used it as my "online persona" and to set up accounts in various services like Flickr, del.ico.us, digg, etc. When Twitter showed up and I decided to try it out it was natural to use that for my identity as well since I had already established it as a 'brand' (for lack of a better term).

However, when it came to a profile name, I read an article saying that having a real name lent a bit more credibility to your "tweets" so I chose to add my real name. In addition, when networking with others I found that introducing myself as "Wordjunky" only works well with a geeky subset of all my acquaintances. Granted it is a large subset, but you get funny looks from HR types and suits. I have been modifying my online self so that the stage/screen name and real name are easily identifiable for anyone who cares to look.

My disclaimer. I am not trying to be controversial or outrageous online. There are no pictures of me having "wardrobe malfunctions" or doing keg stands nor do I use my blogs or Twitter to rage and flame. Potential followers, prospective employers, friends, enemies, or others who check up on me will find an opinionated person who has many interests and takes stands on issues, but who also writes for an intelligent and broad-minded audience. As long as I do that I don't think it matters what I call myself.

I suppose if I were writing some radical call to arms or were trying to embarrass my workplace I might have a reason to keep anonymous, but that is not the case. And if it were I wouldn't admit it here.

Saturday, June 06, 2009

What did you learn in school today?

When I was a kid, back in the days when "duck and cover" was the way to avoid being vaporized by an A-bomb, I remember learning how America works. We were the good guys. Like John Wayne, we didn't fight the bad guys until they attacked us. And we never beat up on smaller helpless people no matter what, because that is the kind of country we were. We had even renamed the "Department of War" to the "Department of Defense" so people would know that was our stance.

As a teenager I went to a summer church camp where I met some folks who ruined the world for me. They taught me songs like "Where have all the flowers gone", "If I had a hammer", "Blowing in the wind", and this one, my favorite:

WTF happened? Cuba (Bay of Pigs) never attacked us. Vietnam never attacked us (Tonkin Gulf? Hah!). Neither did Panama, Grenada, or Haiti. Iraq? Well, last time I checked Kuwait (1991) was not close to our border. And did Sadaam had anything to do with 9-11? At all? Not from what I have seen. Maybe we should acknowledge the truth and go back to having a "Department of War". Or we could just call it the "Ministry of Peace".

I don't consider myself a liberal. Far from it I think we should hark back to the wisdom of the founding fathers and "beware of foreign entanglements". The Monroe Doctrine served us well for many years. When it was replaced by "The Bush Doctrine" we somehow magically went from a world leader to a belligerent jingoistic meddlesome imperialist nation in a few short years. Lets hope things are beginning to turn around.

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Facebook is for Geezers too.

As I approach a very significant birthday (hint, it ends in a zero) I am better appreciating the value of social networking for people like me who are closer to the end of a career than the beginning. I recently posted some grade school class pictures and almost immediately got back in contact with people I had not seen in {mumble} years. One of my sisters created a private Facebook group just for the family so we can chatter on about stuff from several states apart as if we were next door to each other. It's cheaper than a plane ticket and more comfortable than the spare bedroom or fold-out couch. Not to mention if when someone gets annoyed there is no dramatic door-slamming.

The web seems to be awash lately in opportunities to connect with everyone else on the planet. While I am sure that many, if not most, of the apps are wonderful it is not possible to follow all of them so I use the ones that work for me. The applications I find most useful are Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. The common attribute these 3 products have is they have all reached a "critical mass" of users, so there is a good chance I will find at least some folks who either know me or share interests. My inner tightwad also appreciates they are no-cost, at the level I use them.

What a deal. I can put my resume online, catch up with friends I have not seen in years, chat online with my daughter who is away at school, send email to damn near anyone, and all without leaving the house. Pretty neat.

Extra credit - Can you find Me?