With 2017 in the books (pun most definitely intended), here’s a look at my reading for the year in comparison with other years going back to 1996. 2017 was my best year ever in terms of the number of books I read. The 58 books I read in 2017 smashed my previous 2013 record of…
My biggest fear as a writer is that I will be boring. This is why I haven’t written much here lately. With so much being written these days, it sometimes seems like almost anything I try to write is merely echoing what someone else has already said somewhere else. Being a voice in an echo-chamber…
Nothing frustrates me more than not being able to settle on what to read next. I have recently gone through a prolific period of reading, tearing through 14 books since November 1,and on pace to set a record for my best year since I’ve kept my list. On Friday, I finished reading the rather remarkable Unbroken…
With one month left in the year, and 48 books completed, here is my list of the 5 best I read in 2017 so far. This could change in the next month or so, although it would require a really good book to knock any of these five off the list. Assignment to Hell: The…
This time of year there’s usually two things in my mind when it comes to reading: what are the best books that I’ve read this year, and what will be reading next? (The last is always on my mind, to be honest.) I’ve seen a few “best books of 2017” lists already, and I always…
I’m a bit behind on this, but as of this morning, SSL is enabled on the blog. I believe everything is setup correctly so that http requests should automatically be directed to https, but of course, I may have missed a setting somewhere. In theory (and in my testing thus far) when you come to…
There are many benefits to being an older dad. I was 37 when our oldest was born. I was 39 when out next child was born. And I was 44 when our youngest was born. Being older means having a little more wisdom and experience, and maybe not freaking out as much about the inevitable…
You know those old people who are set in their ways? The “back in my day” and “you kids have it easy” types? I see them and wonder how they got to be like that, and then one day, I realize I am like that myself, and never saw it coming. Our third-grader’s teacher sent…
Over much of my youth, I read lots of science fiction in very limited ranges. I discovered Piers Anthony in junior high school and read everything of his I could get my hands on. I did the same with Isaac Asimov. Rarely did I venture beyond. Twenty years ago, however, an event took place that…
I am fascinated by journals and diaries. My own diary was inspired by Isaac Asimov, after I learned he started a diary on his 18th birthday, and kept it up through his entire adult life. My own diary lasted about a decade, and then morphed into the blog I’ve had for the last dozen years.…
I was a skinny kid until I turned 40. I never had to worry about what I ate. I never gained much weight. I never went on a diet. After 40 things started to change. What I ate mattered more. I started putting on weight. I started noticing that I was putting on weight. I…
Earlier this week CrashPlan announced that it was getting out of the consumer backup market and focusing on the business market. When I first saw the announcement, I was dismayed. I’ve been a loyal CrashPlan customer since at least 2013, I think, and their product has worked well for me. At least according to what…