RobZerrvations
Musings from a Meandering, Mischievous Mind
The Lazy Life.
They say that there's nothing good on television today, but I have to say that a news article this morning and the movie WALL-E shed a lot of light on our world and how we're gleefully heading off into oblivion as a society. We'll start with the news article. 'Tis the season as we all know and the segment on the morning news was on technology gift giving. There's a fervor these days about creating the connected home, where we run everything on our smartphones, from starting the dishwasher to...
Practis, Practise, Practice.
I admit that I am a bit out of shape right now. I have not been working out as much as I should. Part of it has been the nature of my work lately, which is more strategic than it is literary. I have also been a bit under the weather for the last week, which has muddled my brain more than usual and disrupted my workout routine. There was a time when I worked out every day. I churned through 1,000 reps like it was nothing at all. I could almost do it in my sleep. And rather than be exhausted at...
Exstinktion.
I was watching George Carlin last night. Yes, I know he's dead. A real shame, too, as he seems to be one of the few that can bring tremendous clarity to any subject while tickling your ribs at the same time. Such was the case with this particular concert he did for HBO. If you want to find it out there on Netflix, Amazon Prime or the Internet, this appearance was titled, "Jammin' in New York." This was 1992, mind you, and some of the stuff he said is still so true today, such as the attempts...
“The Man.”
For almost all of my adult life, I have been under a serious delusion. It's a delusion that I created myself, I suppose. After all, I made the decisions about who I dated, who I had long-term relationships with, and who I eventually married. But something has changed this time around. And I'm only beginning to understand the significance and gravitas of it. You see, I'm finally the man. Not a man, mind you. I kind of figured that out some time ago. I mean, the man. No, not the man as in "I'm...
Well Bully For You!
We live in a very funny society. I'm not talking about the "ha! ha!" kind of funny. But rather the funny that is unsettling, almost pathetic. On the one hand, we go on and on about the poor elementary or high school kid who was bullied at school and finally does something about it, whether he shoots the place up with his father's AR-15 or simply kills himself. We wonder why bullying is allowed and why no one will stand up for these kids. We're indignant and angry that in this world today,...
Words, Words, Words.
I don't play bar games very often. I prefer steel tip darts to soft tip, but don't like trying to keep score. I love the idea of pool, but I never paid much attention in math class to things that seem to be important in the game, namely geometry and physics. This is not surprising, given that I can't even add the tip to the bill without using a calculator. I famously failed this last Friday, having to scratch out the number twice before getting it right. It's not that I'm stupid or that I...
Hooray For The Red, White & Who?
There's a lot of people whipped up into a real frenzy these days, largely because of the caustic remarks of a president who had the nerve to call American citizens choosing to take a knee at a football game, "sons of a bitch." Well, that's a first for me. I've never heard a president call a rank and file American a name, and then spin around and claim that he's all about patriotism and honoring the flag when he can't even honor the people he governs. Let's jump off the crazy train for a...
Yes, It Blows Bigly.
Over the last week, I've been glued to the television. As we all know, Harvey came to Houston, and I'm not talking Wallbanger. Perhaps I actually am, for the fierce winds and torrential rains certainly did a number on the town. It still amazes and humbles me how we see the very best in people at these defining moments in our lives. Total strangers risk their own lives to save others, countless boat owners come to town to lend a hand, and search and rescue teams from thousands of miles away...
I Pulled Out Too Soon.
Before I owned this house, I used to laugh all the way through the movie The Money Pit. Now, I think of it as a documentary. This isn't to say that the house we bought is a wreck or a shambles. The bones of it are very good. We had a top-rated inspector go through it all before we closed on the purchase. But the house is 33 years old, making it the oldest house I've ever owned. As such, it has some quirks; some of its own making, others of my own because, well, I'm just not very handy. I am...
Just One Thing.
I have spent most of my life, it seems, either caught up in the past, which I can't change, or the future, which I can't control. I suppose it's something that most of us do. Certainly, we spend a lot of time in the River of Regret in our youth. We visit the river again later in life, looking back at all the wasted opportunities we let slip by or the horrendous errors in judgment we made at one time or another. I certainly know that I spent a lot of time worrying about the future. I could...
Hey Whitey!
It appears that white men are in a ruckus these days. Just look at the nonsense that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia over the weekend as a bunch of white guys carrying Walmart tiki torches chanted, "White lives matter." Now, I am the first to admit that I am a white man. It's really hard to deny that. And quite frankly, I never give it a second thought when filling out a job application or similar government form. I check White when asked my race, unless they go with Caucasian, which...
Moron!
A couple days ago I was talking to a coworker about lost opportunities. I was telling a story about the fantastic, often crazy ideas, I would come up with for trade show exhibits. This included the cruise ship I thought up once, a 20'x40' deck of a ship, complete with wood decking, lounge, portholes and waving passengers above. Not one to let any detail slide, the theme of the cruise changed every day, as did the passenger's clothes, to match the ports of call we had sprinkled elsewhere on the...