Random Connections – Page 159 – A collection of photography and exploration focusing on Upstate South Carolina and beyond.

Family Gatherings and Family Bibles

December 21, 2008 Tom No Comments

Saturday night was our annual Taylor Family Christmas gathering. Several were not able to make it this year, so we only had 3/4 of our family present. Even so there were still 28 of us present. This year Mom made a big pot of “grandma soup” and Dad bought some barbecue. Not exactly standard Christmas … Read More “Family Gatherings and Family Bibles” »

The Commons

December 18, 2008 Tom 1 Comment

EdTech, Internet, Photography

The number of libraries, museums, and other organizations that are putting their historic photos on Flickr is growing. Add to that number the New York Public Library. As it turns out, these organizations are part of a larger Flickr endeavor called The Commons. This includes the Smithsonian, Library of Congress, Brooklyn Museum, and Eastman House, … Read More “The Commons” »

Pomegranate on Main

December 18, 2008 Tom No Comments

Restaurants

Tuesday evening we got together with our friends Karen and Herman and tried out Pomegranate on Main. We were in the mood for something different by tasty, and this certainly fit the bill. I only had my cell phone here, so the photos don’t do the place justice. Atmosphere POM is located just across the … Read More “Pomegranate on Main” »

Duncan Family Restaurant

December 17, 2008 Tom No Comments

Restaurants

It’s been awhile since I’ve done a restaurant review. We’ve been eating at home most of the time, and when we do go out, it tends to be to our regular spots. So finding new places lately has been rare. To make up for my slackness, I’m going to do two back-to-back restaurant posts. This first one is my latest visit to the Duncan Family Restaurant in Duncan, SC. Despite previous very, very bad experiences in this location as another restaurant, Duncan Family Restaurant has turned out to be a delightful surprise.

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What Have They Done with My XM?

December 16, 2008 Tom 1 Comment

Entertainment, Music

I really haven’t had much time to pay attention to the outcome of the XM-Sirius merger, or SiriusXM, as it’s now called. I knew there would have to be changes as duplicate channels were merged into a single service. I guess it’s been about three weeks since I started to notice the program changes. Most … Read More “What Have They Done with My XM?” »

The Season of Need

December 15, 2008 Tom No Comments

Miscellaneous

The time from Thanksgiving to Christmas always seems bring to our attention those that are less fortunate in our communities. Laura and I always try to participate in Angel Tree and other charitable works. This year, though, my friend Cindy Sanders from the Middle Tyger Community Center (MTCC) sent us some statistics that just floored … Read More “The Season of Need” »

A Messiah Weekend

December 14, 2008 Tom 2 Comments

Music

As previously mentioned, this weekend was the performance of Handel’s Messiah by the Greenville Chorale and the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra. This is the third year of Christmas collaborations between the two groups. As part of the collaboration we do one concert on our turf at the Peace Center, then drive up the hill to perform … Read More “A Messiah Weekend” »

Songs that Didn’t Quite Make It into Handel’s Messiah

December 14, 2008 Tom 2 Comments

Music, Weirdness

Since I had already committed blasphemy by bringing a synthesizer to a baroque concert… Every Body Shall Be Exhausted His Yolk Is Greasy and His Bacon Is Fried Lift Up Your Head, O Bill Gates Thou Shalt Rake Them For He Is Like A Retainer’s Wire Surely He Hath Worn Our Briefs How Odorous Are … Read More “Songs that Didn’t Quite Make It into Handel’s Messiah” »

The Blasphemous Messiah

December 12, 2008 Tom No Comments

Gear, Music

I apparently committed blasphemy. At least, that’s the impression I got this evening at rehearsal. I introduced an electronic synthesizer to a baroque orchestra. It all started with a conversation that went something like this… Bing: I don’t know if we’ll have a piano available for our Cliffs Valley gig. Me: I’ve got a Yamaha … Read More “The Blasphemous Messiah” »

The End of an Era

December 10, 2008 Tom No Comments

General Technology, Internet

Last night I finally pulled the plug on our old AOL account. It had served us well for over twelve years, but it was time to part company. When we got DSL in our current house about six years ago we had scaled back to just the bare minimum AOL service, just in case of emergency or if we found ourselves in a hotel without Internet access. Now I’m not sure we even own a computer with a modem to even access the service, so it just didn’t make sense anymore. With Blackberries and smart phones, we can have access even when wifi isn’t available. I plan to take what we’re saving in monthly fees for AOL and use them for expanded web access plans on our phones.

To be honest, I had completely forgotten that we still had an AOL account. That’s how little I had paid attention to it. AOL certainly didn’t make it easy to find a way to cancel the service. With the dial-up interface no longer an option, and I had to go to their website and spend some time searching, but I finally found it. As I pulled the plug on the service last night, I began to reflect on my online history, not just with AOL, but with other service I have used.