Blog
Kelly Joe Phelps has died
I learned that my favorite folk guitarist died last month in his home in Iowa. I first heard Kelly Joe Phelps play on A Prairie Home Companion back in the 90's. It was so stunning that I scrambled to find out who that was and what was the name of his album. I bought...
Two things to improve your life
First Thing - non-liquid detergent One thing I do to live intentionally and conscientiously is to look for ways to prefer products that do not come in plastic bottles. Why? Plastic can be recycled of course. But the less plastic in the world the better. Earth Breeze...
Google’s LaMDA chatbox and computer sentience – Why no computer will ever think
Everyone agrees Google LaMDA was not sentient artificial intelligence. They don’t consider what it means about our relationship with our creations.
Can I get a little awkward with you?
Can I get a little awkward with you? Right now I have that wonderful feeling of having just come from the dentist; my teeth feel clean, freshly scraped. I have minty freshness from the fluoride, that little place where my lower front teeth meet is smooth and clean...
New Website Launch
Join me in celebrating a new milestone - I am officially announcing the launch of my new website! I've been wanting to give this site a facelift for a long time. With my new writing career, I decided it was time to pull the trigger. Many thanks to Amy Hufford, owner...
Mexico on My Mind – part 6: The Beach of the Dead
If one goes to the farthest south end of the Sayulita beach where the sand turns to jagged rock, a secret road can be found that leads behind the rocks to Playa de los Muertos, a hidden beach invisible from the rest of the world. On the way, to the side of the road,...
Mexico on My Mind, Part 5 – Your lounge chair is now ready
Neither of us slept well the first night following our traumatic entrance into Puerto Vallarta. But by 10 a.m. the next morning, we found ourselves in the backseat of the car of Mr. Benjamin Sanchez, our Uber driver, as he drove us to Sayulita on a mountainous,...
Once Upon a Time in Puerto Vallarta
American corporations such as Hilton Hotels are careful to export a complete American experience and install it fully on foreign soil. No matter the country, soft-skinned American wimps like us can escape to our creature comforts like clean water, air conditioning,...
My employment regression
Here is a little interruption from my Mexico trip diary to talk about what I did today. In case you saw my Facebook post and wondered what's going on, I am working for a company that provides staff for events: conferences, weddings, parties, etc. I make $15/hr and I...
That Sinking Feeling, We Are Being Kidnapped
Outside the Puerto Vallarta airport was a sea of taxis. Tired and sweating drivers stood around with rumpled collars. Again, a field of eyes turned on us. Getting a taxi at the PV airport is a racket. A young lady approached us with a kind of ticketing booklet and...
