Dan and I went to El Pollo Loco to have their first day lunch. It was everything we expected -- and more. The manager gave us each a coupon for a free two piece meal. There were lines but they moved quickly. This is as monumental for Turlock as the arrival of In-N-Out Burger was a few years ago.
GMAIL DOWN?
I run all of my email through gmail to take advantage of the archiving and the spam filters. It appears that they are currently experiencing problems of some sort. My email isn't getting through and I can't access the site. I'll give it a few hours and if things remain constipated I'll redirect my mail a different direction. In the meantime realize that I'm not ignoring you. 11 a.m. update: Gmail now seems to be functioning normally.
SAFEST PLACES TO LIVE
Starting to get paranoid about natural disasters? Forbes has come out with a list of the 10 safest places to live:
1. Honolulu, Hawaii
2. Boise City, Idaho
3. Santa Fe, New Mexico
4. Yakima, Washington
5. Spokane, Washington
6. Richland-Kennewick-Pasco, Washington
7. Medford-Ashland, Oregon
8. Corvallis, Oregon
9. Salem, Oregon
10. Las Cruces, New Mexico
Except for #1 they are all in the western part of the continental US.
BETTER SURGEONS
Apparently gamers make better laparoscopic surgeons. I suppose we shouldn't be surprised.
NERDTV
PBS has a new downloadable one hour show featuring interviews with people who would be of interest to Geeks.
HIGH-TECH CIRCUIT-RIDERS
Bob's CT article has generated a little discussion (and a lot of rant) over at Doug Groothuis' blog. I'm not sure if we should be more concerned about those who rant about the trend or those who embrace it without much critical thought.
Again, my feeble attempt at theological reflection on the phenomena.
TO LAUGH OR CRY?
English hold religious joke contest.
BE NICE TO THE CANADIANS
We Americans get more oil from them than any other country.
YET ANOTHER TAKE ON 'REFUGEE'
Eric Zorn: "Evacuees" is too mild for this situation, too much like a word you'd use to describe a person relocated temporarily for his own safety during a brief period of uncertainty or disruption.
And "survivors," as suggested by others, has a "Whew! That's over!" connotation that's clearly inappropriate.
"Refugees" better keeps our eye on the ball; more starkly reminds us with each use that these afflicted citizens need long-term refuge and that their plight is now similar in many respects to those from other lands who have been forced to abandon nearly everything to survive. It's a proud word--my father and his family were refugees from Nazi Germany--and it should further inspire us to do right by these "internally displaced persons," the proper technical term.
That was Tuesday. By yesterday Zorn, a Chicago Tribune columnist, had changed his mind.
Whatever we call them, it's a monumental task ahead.
2 comments:
Brad, re: the 10 safest places in the U.S., it looks like these 10 are off major earthquake faultlines, also. My wife and I are moving to Spokane next month, not for the safety but to be near our grandchildren. :-)
What about the Mystery Bulge in Oregon? Past performance may not indicate the future. ;-)
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