Welcome to my little Nerdery on the Net! :)

Whilst waiting to be seated at a packed restaurant, a couple who got seated at the bar ahead of us came back out soon after with the statement “It wasn’t fun…we waited four minutes!” If your level of patience is that low…might I respectfully suggest you stay in and cook your own dinner? The upside is that the hostesses won’t be able to resist trying to figure out which parties coming in the door has…

Today would have been my father’s 73rd birthday and was easy to remember given the more famous man he shared it with! He passed away three weeks short of making 71 and his birthdays since have been wonderful days to remember the good times we had together and share one with the audience. If you ever visited with him, you’d learn quickly that he was a tour guide that could pack the maximum number of…

It is so amusing watching the pundits heaping abuse upon Blake Bortles and yet he’s managed to get the Jaguars to a shot at knocking off the Patriots. Much like no one gave him a chance when UCF (the undefeated REAL NCAA National Champions for 2018!) gave the BCS no choice but to put them into the last Fiesta Bowl before the playoff system. Then they gave UCF no chance against Baylor…Baylor was going to…

Perhaps someone might want to explain to the Cheeto In Chief the unassailable reality that whilst his button may be bigger, there’s no way in hell China which has a big button of their own will allow us to drop nukes on their front doorstep. There is a reason diplomacy is left to the purview of actual professionals who have managed to avoid many opportunities for nuclear war ever since Hiroshima and Nagasaki. https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/02/politics/donald-trump-north-korea-nuclear/index.html

So yesterday we went to cinema and saw “Wonder” and to a person we loved it. It should be required viewing for those fortunate enough to have kids who aren’t medical frequent flyers or have special needs. Maybe it might help you understand at least a tiny bit why there are times we might not smile as much or want to howl at the moon in sheer frustration. How we’d do anything to take away…

For as long as I can remember…it really never seemed like Christmas to me until it was time to spend a few hours with Jimmy Stewart and the residents of Bedford Falls. We’ve spent enough time together these many years that we are practically family. These last couple of years, I’ve had the treat of the privilege of shooting the dress rehearsal of “It’s a Wonderful Life” at the Gilbert Theatre in Fayetteville. A happy…

NC’s junior Senator getting ready for lunch with POTUS…well played sir…well played! https://www.cnn.com/2017/10/24/politics/tillis-popcorn-trump-corker/index.html

He actually went there. I’d like to offer the first question for Mr Trump’s test… Q: Whilst you blew $250K in taxpayer dollars ordering your lap dog Pence (and then effectively told him “good doggie” afterward!) to Indianapolis for a pre-planned counter protest that fooled absolutely no one, how many children could have had their CHIP premiums paid with that same money? You know…Children’s Health Insurance Programme you idiots in Washington still haven’t fixed and…

The polls have been open for about seven hours when I cast my ballot in the Raleigh municipal elections in a precinct of roughly 4,200 voters. My vote according to the machine was number 150. The candidates on offer (such as they are) will have far more direct impact on my daily life than any of the fools sent to Washington and currently about 4,000 of my neighbours could care less. At least the bright…

So we're driving along to Fuquay-Varina for my daughter's clogging classes and Alexander is eyeing a can of Coke Zero with avaricious intent when he spies the U in the circle notation. Now, he's been on a "Descendants 2" kick of late and the U made him think of his favourite character Uma. As I had a captive audience and a cousin troublemaker of the best kind, I tried explaining the basic ideas of kashrut…

After reading and hearing about Mr Trump's speech at the accepted forum for the expression of international hatred (the UN General Assembly)…it is truly scary to think that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is now officially the SECOND CRAZIEST person to address the Secretariat. I cannot recall a UN speech by a head of state where their member state called for the complete destruction of another member state. You'd think that would be the ultimate party foul worthy…

And she's parading her husband's wealth in KENTUCKY of all places which has suffered mightily over the years…that is hors categorie tone deaf! Of course, in what has become the usual response to making a political mistake of epic proportions…her strategy was to double-down and return fire to the taxpayers who were flaming her on her feed for her extravagance and arrogance. Perhaps she might want to consider spending that wealth she just shoved in…

Sadly, the GOP in Congress won't dare draw up articles of impeachment against their creature in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue even though he's already hit several of the usual crimes associated with "high crimes and misdemeanors": perjury of oath, dereliction of duty, abuse of authority, intimidation, and conduct unbecoming. And for my money you could throw in moral turpitude as well… Mr President…even though your Vice President and others in the line of succession aren't really…

Wow. This is breathtaking even for our vacuous "leader"… :( https://www.cnn.com/2017/08/12/politics/trump-statement-alt-right-protests/index.html

Looking at the photo, McFarland asked Swift why the front of her skirt did not appear to be lifted. "Because my ass is located in the back of my body," Swift said. McFarland also noted that Swift was closer to Melcher than Mueller in the photo. "Yes, she did not have her hand on my ass," Swift replied. https://www.cnn.com/2017/08/10/us/taylor-swift-trial-testimony/index.html

Two quotes from the eminently quotable Ambassador (and later Emperor) of the Centauri Republic came to mind whilst reading this article: the first a recognition of what we're dealing with and the second a suggestion of how one might actually succeed in high office. Ah, arrogance and stupidity all in the same package. How efficient of you. The quiet ones are the ones that change the universe… The loud ones only take the credit. I…

Latest from the NY Times on the mindset of the person who opened fire on the Republican members of Congress who were training for the annual baseball game at a field in Alexandria VA: The Virginia shooting suspect was an opponent of President Trump and “wasn’t happy with the way things were going,” his brother said. There are quite a few people (myself included) who think that the current administration and the Republican majorities on…

Now the party line is "unexpected reaction to medication". This rather begs the question…what in the hell was so unexpected about having a reaction to medications that likely had explicit warnings against driving whilst you're taking them? Or how about another question? How in the world does a billionaire golfer get banged into chokey for drink driving in the first place? One who could certainly afford a chauffeur who can remain sober and capable of…

Some of the best "Yosemite Sam" imitations Dad would do would come on Memorial Day when he'd be going all "dag blabbit…Memorial Day ain't for those still living!" when people would offer their thanks for his service. It was all I could do to not laugh out loud! He had completely forgotten his distant relative Gen John Logan who was credited with the first official order for Memorial Day… :) I completely biffed this last…

Mr Trump's administration seems to have a real problem with people not remembering the old adage "loose lips sink ships". Perhaps these guys can help find 'em and plug 'em! ;) (As an aside…we realise Mr Trump hasn't been sailing all that long but we would remind him that the ship of state is the only ship that tends to leak from the top!)

Today would have been my grandmother Williams' 104th birthday and our usual celebration of that milestone would be an elaborately designed cake baked by my father in which the candles would reflect the combined ages of her, me, and Uncle Roger who all had birthdays in the first half of May. If we added my oldest son Nicholas whose birthday was yesterday…we could kick that number up to 251! The cluster of early May birthdays…

At least the AMR PR department had a better response to a viral video crisis than United and acted swiftly to stand down the employee involved pending investigation but still…you'd have thought that any airline employees that come near the passengers would be operating under the assumption that there is a live camera pointed at them at all times. You shouldn't NEED that fear to do the job professionally but if you're inclined to harass…