Remember way back in second grade, when you found that big book on Miss Hoppenleiger's classroom shelf. You know, the one that was loaded with interesting facts and cool stuff and sometimes it was pretty gross. Yeah, that book. And you read how ancient Egyptians would make mummies by shoving a metal implement up corpse's nose to remove the brain through the nostrils. Yeah well that's what happened to me about an hour ago. ...
Monday, March 30, 2020
COVID-19? Nope, not kidding...
Well, this is an interesting turn of events.
Could mean nothing at all. Then again, well...
The symptoms began yesterday. Persistent coughing and a fever that may have been higher than I initially realized. The coughing has diminished for the time being but it comes and goes. No phlegm. In the past few days I'd finally expelled the last of the mucous from a nasty sinus infection in January (my colleagues begged me...
"One Shining Moment 2020"
"One Shining Moment" is the song that CBS uses in the final moments of their annual coverage of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, to recap the highlights of the road to the championship. All well and good... except that there won't be an NCAA men's basketball tournament this year because of the coronavirus epidemic.
So I, foolish I, took it upon myself to...
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
An imperfect solution to the coronavirus situation
I emphasize "imperfect" because there is not an absolutely perfect solution and there never will be. COVID-19 is now such a pervasive element that it's as every reputable engineer will note: there is going to be a trade-off. We won't be able to help one matter without it negatively impacting others.
But from where I sit...
- fast-track production of and widespread...
Sunday, March 15, 2020
Coronavirus: Scenes from a supermarket
Pics that I took tonight at a nearby grocery store...
I made sure to get the entire toilet paper section in one shot:
No more ground beef. Rest of the meat section was also depleted:
See those bagels? That is literally ALL that is left on the bread aisle:
Not even Chef Boyardee pizza is in plentiful supply:
Flour, frozen food, milk, chewing...
Saturday, March 14, 2020
Coronavirus: Calling America to the Carpet
Some are almost rubbing their hands in glee at coronavirus: holding to the notion that this is an obvious sign of the Second Coming because Pestilence is loosed upon the land. Though adherent that I aspire to be, my eyes cannot but roll in disbelief. Pandemics are almost as reliable as Old Faithful and will remain so until the end of time. The average span between worldwide...
Saturday, March 07, 2020
First draft of my first book is finished
Some of this blog's longtime readers may recall how I was writing a book about having bipolar disorder. That was a project I'd been working on for some time, and then Dad passed. It sort of took the wind out of my sails, but I vowed to finish it someday.
Guess what? It's still nowhere near finished. The last time I committed a word to that endeavor...
Friday, March 06, 2020
EMDR
This blog has been operational for sixteen(!) years now, and it's covered a lot of territory. Everything from pop culture to weird news to chronicling my run for political office and anything in between. It's shown readers the inside of a nuclear power plant, to the ancient sanctity of Orthodox Christianity.
But it hasn't depicted everything about my life. ...
Sunday, February 16, 2020
Chris finally watches THE THING (2011)
There is a tradition I never fail to keep: whenever I get snowed in and can't go anywhere, I turn down the lights and crank up the sound and watch the 1982 movie The Thing. Maybe that says something about my baseline state of mind.
John Carpenter's now-classic film of horror and paranoia at an Antarctica research base might not be appropriate viewing for when one is...
Saturday, February 01, 2020
Today's Google Doodle is one I can respect
Some
of Google’s ”doodles” either fly over my head or make me cringe in
disbelief. A lot of them are about historical events and people that at best are extremely obscure or else make me wonder "What the hell are they smoking over there?"
But the one they have for today is as good as it gets and I
recognized it immediately. Give credit where credit is due:...
Friday, January 31, 2020
Various thoughts about the Trump impeachment
As I write this it's 1:35 a.m. and it's all over but the cryin'. Sometime in the next eighteen hours will likely come the final vote on Impeachment 2020 and the end of this mess. Donald John Trump will remain President of the United States for another year and quite possibly more than that.
I've never doubted the outcome. Trump had this in the bag on a party-line...
Saturday, January 11, 2020
Just came out of seeing 1917
George MacKay in 1917
This won't be so much a detailed review as it is a gut reaction to something barely prepared for. 1917 isn't a movie you'll want to read too much of warm. Just go into the theater and for the next two hours be assaulted by the horrors of hell as few things have done in recent cinema history.
But it hit me on the drive back from the theater...
Tuesday, January 07, 2020
This is the way: "New Beskar Steel" wrapping for your iPhone!
Disclaimer: Adam Smith is a friend of mine. He's not paying to advertise his product on The Knight Shift and I didn't ask for any compensation whatsoever either. I'm only sharing this because... well, because it's kewl! And sharing cool stuff is just how I roll on this blog.
Inspired by the hit Disney+ series Star Wars: The Mandalorian, Adam has forged...
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Looking back on 2019, and ahead to the new year
Inspired by a dear friend and compatriot in fighting the good fight, here is my year in review and my goals for 2020.
This year was one of ups and downs, but I like to think that there were more ups than downs.
1. Found a job that I really enjoy and am thankful for the amazing people I get to work alongside.
2. Was able to get back into regular blogging.
3....
Star Wars Story Group, you got some 'splainin' to do... (more about Snoke)
A few days ago I became an uncle. Yaaaay me! Okay, she was born to my best friend from college but the two of us are "brothers from other mothers" if there ever is such a thing. I'm still going to be "Uncle Chris" and I plan on playing the eccentric relative bit to the hilt where the little lady is concerned. What more could a kid possibly want?
Anyway,...
Thursday, December 26, 2019
Return of the Deep-Fried Turkey!
Hey gang, hope the holidays have been going well for y'all! Christmas was rather good on this end. I wound up with some Star Wars, some LEGO sets (Christmas is NEVER complete for me without Star Wars and LEGO no matter how old I get), some clothing, my mini dachshund Tammy received a bunch of toys. And one way or another a lot of new cooking stuff came into...
Saturday, December 21, 2019
About Snoke and THE RISE OF SKYWALKER...
WARNING: This post deals with matters pertaining to Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, which hit theaters less than 48 hours ago. There WILL be spoilers openly discussed so if you aren't one to have the experience of seeing the movie for yourself ruined for you (take the hint: go see it, now now now!) don't read what I'm about to write. It is ONLY...
