In Orwell’s 1984, the citizens live with omnipresent telescreens that push propaganda and act as a monitoring camera and microphone. The screens hung on walls; today we carry them in our pockets and pay for the privilege of doing so.
I had a depressing realization the other day: Bernie Sanders is not a threat to the system.
One of the nice things about being approaching 60, having done and been a bunch of different things, is I have a pretty solid view of my capabilities. So I don’t feel bad when I see someone who is light years better than me at a thing, since I know that what I’m seeing is someone who made different choices in their path, and it’s alright that I didn’t compete with them.
[Warning: medical models and vintage tools]
It is, sort of. The thing is that it’s a “flu” nobody has resistance to. Usually the flu comes through every year and a few people die – more than have died, so far, of the coronavirus. The difference is emotional – it’s the difference between squirting blood from an arterial wound, and having a bloody nose. We’ve all had bloody noses and we know how to handle them and mostly, we’ll be OK.
[Warning: Rant]
You cannot blame a virus for being what it is. Viruses (and bacteria) are too small and simple to have enough free will to take any responsibility for their actions.
My welding does not make me proud, but what the heck – I’m going to just forgive myself and move on.
In 2001 (or thereabouts) I attended some health and safety events sponsored by the Alliance of Professional Tattooists.
A lot of the fancy knives you see get their distinctive fanciness from layers of metal welded and shaped together. That’s a high-risk option, because there basically aren’t any steels that expand and contract at exactly the same rate – and anything else means you’re stressing the blade with extremely powerful forces.
This is the story of a commissioned piece.
In 1999, I was returning from teaching a class at Arthur Andersen University in Downer’s Grove near Chicago. At the time, I lived in Baltimore; it was a short flight.