joel's thoughts

…At least, that’s what SelectSmart.com says. I came across a link today (already forgotten where) to their Presidential Candidate Selector (epileptic ad alert), and figured I’d give it a go. The idea is similar to any of the myriad online quizzes that purport to help you figure out which Star Wars character/Sopranos character/operating system/celebrity/philosopher/rock/tree/fruit you […]

The weather and computers and education are all well and good, but I haven’t said much about politics. I tend to be a peacemaker, sometimes to a fault, and I tend to prefer engaging, ongoing discussion rather than polarizing polemics. So in politically mixed company I generally hesitate to clearly state my positions or thoughts […]

I’m starting to wonder if it’s time to start thinking about beginning to ponder considering taking a look at maybe exploring the possibility of making some changes around here. I know that sounds rash, though, so I promise I won’t rush into anything. I’ve noticed the particular server we’re running on at our webhost hasn’t […]

As in the former hurricane, not my cousin… 🙂 Glancing through the Weather Channel’s slide show of images from Hurricane Jeanne’s effects on Florida and Georgia, I came across this picture of a guy checking out a damaged house. The caption reads: Sun., Sept. 26: Braving high winds, Troy Taynton, of Satellite Beach, Fla, checks […]

This is the third beautiful day we’ve had in a row, with a few more reportedly on the way. A bit chilly in the morning, but the sky is just the right shade of blue with only a few wispy clouds; they weren’t even there yesterday. Just incredible. Not to mention, a stark contrast to […]

Came across this article on different types of worship in today’s church, and something about it bothers me. Not that I disagree with much of the article — he’s just describing and categorizing the various styles of worship found in various churches. Granted, there was a bit of editorializing mixed in that I didn’t always […]

Here’s a post I’d half-written back in May. Thought I’d at least get it off my figurative desk… In one of my first posts, I pointed out an article by Todd Oppenheimer in the San Francisco Chronicle about the drive to put computers in classrooms, and the possible negative effects of that drive. And while […]

MSNBC had an article up today called “What’s to blame for the rise in ADHD?” It talks about a recent study that draws a possible link between the increase in ADHD and the changes in children’s TV programming over the past decade or two. Naturally, it waits to give the opposing viewpoints until later in […]

Wow. Three and a half months without a post. I think part of the problem was something Jenn noticed too: it felt like the longer I went between postings, the more…I don’t know, impressive my post would have to be once I actually made one. Whatever. Here I am, still alive and having all manner […]

Back in the 30’s, Bugatti made some of the finest, super-high-class performance touring and race cars. Ettore Bugatti died in ’47, and for some strange reason in postwar France, the company didn’t find the economy conducive to building high-end sports cars and was forced to shut down. A little more recently, back in ’98, Volkswagen […]