Rants – Random Connections

An Epiphany on Patriotism

January 7, 2023January 7, 2023 Tom No Comments

History and Genealogy, Miscellaneous, Rants

Yesterday, January 6, is celebrated as Epiphany on the Christian calendar. It’s also Houston’s birthday. I gave him a call and briefly thought about driving down to have lunch with him. That was going to be a stretch to fit in with the rest of the day’s activities, so we just chatted for awhile. Sadly, … Read More “An Epiphany on Patriotism” »

The Good, The Bad, and The Irish

March 20, 2018March 20, 2018 Tom 1 Comment

Music, Rants, Washington Sabbatical

Clonmacnoise Abby and Ruins-006 — Clonmacnoise Abby and Ruins, 2015

In my single, young adult life St. Patrick’s Day was the biggest excuse for a party of the year. I’d dust off the green and tweed and trot out the Irish ancestry (William Taylor, the ship Earl of Donegal, County Antrim, etc., etc., etc.), and purchase large quantities of the chosen poison for the evening, whether Jamison, Guinness, Bailey’s, or some green concoction. It didn’t help that my usual partner in crime back then, Bob Donnan, celebrated his birthday on March 17. I remember a couple of particularly epic parties (barely.) It was also about the only time I’d listen to Celtic music.

Fast forward a few decades and my St. Patrick parties are much less epic, if they occur at all. Since this year’s celebration was on a Saturday, there was the potential for more epicness. While the actual date was celebrated quietly, it was a weekend full of Irish music, including the good, bad, and ugly.

Skagit County Library Dilemma

September 19, 2017October 4, 2017 Tom 2 Comments

Miscellaneous, Rants, Washington Sabbatical

Skagit Valley seems progressive compared to Greenville, but there are some areas where that’s not the case. One place switch taxation. They don’t have a state income tax, but instead, they have a very regressive, high sales tax. This shows up in the way services are provided (or not provided) to citizens.In Greenville County we … Read More “Skagit County Library Dilemma” »

Beer and Hymns

April 20, 2017 Tom 6 Comments

Music, Rants

Say the words “drinking songs” and what pops to mind is probably a group of swaying revelers, mugs in hand, slurring away off-key in an Irish pub or German biergarten. Asked to name a drinking song, most could probably only come up with “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall.” Lately, though, a new phenomenon seems to be popping up – drinking beer while singing hymns. Sounds kind of strange, a bit sacrilegious, and right up my alley.

The Echo Chamber

July 27, 2016July 27, 2016 Tom 3 Comments

Internet, Miscellaneous, Rants

That term has been tossed about quite a bit during this election cycle. As I understand it, it’s the tendency to only listen to those things that support your preconceived notions, and to disavow any evidence to the contrary. I’ve certainly seen that happen, and the speed of media has simply increased the divisiveness created by such echo chambers. Even so, I’ve decided to create my own echo chamber, and here’s why…

RandomConnections on Lockdown

May 18, 2016May 18, 2016 Tom 2 Comments

Rants

I get really, REALLY mad when people steal my work. I just now came across another example on Facebook. Apparently someone visited my post about the cursed Robintation Tree, downloaded the images, then posted them to a Ghost Towns discussion group as her own. However, not only did she steal my photographs, but she copied … Read More “RandomConnections on Lockdown” »

Blog Existentialism

November 15, 2015 Tom No Comments

Rants

I’ve had it happen before. I get so far behind with blog posts that I don’t know how I’ll ever get caught up. Usually this happens when I’ve been traveling and haven’t had Internet access. However, this time it was different. We’ve had two solid weeks of nasty weather, normally a perfect time for hiding in my studio with my computer and getting some writing done. Yet, for some reason I’ve had massive writer’s block. I stare at the mound of data, research, and photos I’ve collected, and don’t write a damn thing. I get distracted by everything else under the sun (or lack thereof, in this case.)

Reflections on Charleston and the Confederate Flag

June 21, 2015June 22, 2015 Tom

Rants

We were on our way back from Ireland, waiting in the Philadelphia airport, when we got the news about the massacre in Charleston. It was a sobering, shattering reminder of the world to which we were returning. Ireland had seemed idyllic. Everywhere you looked it was green and peaceful. Everyone we met was so friendly. … Read More “Reflections on Charleston and the Confederate Flag” »

And on that bombshell…

March 25, 2015March 27, 2015 Tom 1 Comment

Entertainment, Rants

Reports from the BBC are that Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson is to be sacked today for getting into an altercation with producer Oisin Tymon. Apparently Clarkson punched Tymon when Tymon provided Clarkson cold cuts instead of steak after a long day of shooting. I’m sure there’s a much larger backstory there, but we’ll … Read More “And on that bombshell…” »

I Am Fat

June 8, 2014June 10, 2014 Tom 5 Comments

Miscellaneous, Rants

WARNING – weight-related, fitness rant ahead. I promise not do do this often.

There. I said it. I’m fat.

That’s a hard reality to admit out loud. I’ve always hedged a bit by admitting that I’m a bit overweight, but it’s time to face hard facts. I’ve got to lose fifty pounds to get back down to a comfortable weight, and even then I’ll STILL be on the heavy side.

Here’s a comparison. The photo below shows two images of me and Laura. The one on the left was taken in the mid-1990’s. The one on the right was taken this past December.

So, you see, I wasn’t always this way. I know people gain weight as they age, but this is not good.

For most of my early life I was so skinny that people got worried. This photo from the early 1980’s shows how skinny I really was.