restless reformer

When I was 4 years old, I was in the hospital for several days with pneumonia, and it took something like 19 tries to get an IV in me. I would wake up in the middle of the night crying, “No more needles!” No surprise, that led to an irrational fear of needles.
Which […]

[Read more →]

Washington Irving embedded a comical criticism of the way people in modern society uproot in his classic story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow:
There is no encouragement for ghosts in most of our villages, for, they have scarcely had time to finish their first nap, and turn themselves in their graves, before their surviving friends have […]

[Read more →]

Just a few random life updates:

City living is fun. The suburbs were boring. Life’s a lot more interesting with drug houses nearby.  I’ve gone from the Shire (Warsaw) to Mordor (Rochester), and like Frodo, I’m not sure the Shire would ever be a good fit for me again.
Sierra Nevada just put out an […]

[Read more →]

On a semi-cold, rainy afternoon, Sophia is fast asleep for her nap, and I’m on the couch with a Sam Adams Octoberfest and a brand new copy of J.R.R. Tolkien’s story, “Smith of Wootten Major.”
This is what an afternoon should be, and I can’t remember the last time I had one like this.

[Read more →]

I don’t know if there are many readers here who don’t also read SoG, but if there are, I guess I should make the announcement: I’m getting published!
Details to follow in the coming months.

[Read more →]

Just defeated Rhapthorne, Lord of Darkness.
Feelin’ pretty darn good about that.
Overall, a great addition to the Dragon Warrior series, with a few nods to the older games for folks like me who actually remember character names from the past (like Ragnar and Taloon from DW4).

[Read more →]

Since we all found out I was an introvert yesterday, I thought it also appropriate to link this follow-up post from Michael Kruse, who links an article called “Caring For Your Introvert”:
Do you know someone who needs hours alone every day? Who loves quiet conversations about feelings or ideas, and can give a dynamite presentation […]

[Read more →]

I used to be an ISTJ, according to a Meyers-Briggs test I took in college. Apparently, I’ve changed:

I get to be in league with some pretty famous INTPs, including Abraham Lincoln, Descartes, Socrates, Einstein, Jung, Blaise Pascal, five American Presidents. But then there’s the Olsen twins and Rick Moranis, so I’m a little […]

[Read more →]

i repent, i repent of my pursuit of america’s dream
i repent, i repent of living like i deserve anything
of my house, my fence, my kids, my wife
in our suburb where we’re safe and white
i am wrong and of these things i repent
~ Derek Webb, “I Repent”

[Read more →]

We’re an uncle and aunt again.  Sophia’s new cousin, Natalie Elizabeth Prinzi, was born to Brad and Elizabeth at 5:33am on April 27th. 8lbs, 9oz, 20.5 inches. She’s adorable. And Sophia now has a girl cousin. Follow the link to Carter’s and Natalie’s flickr site here (which will be always linked at Sophia’s Place.  

[Read more →]

I had so many good intentions for this past week, including a new Fred the Fundamentalist Christmas episode. Alas, finishing up the Christmas preparations and the release of the title of the last Harry Potter book (SoG: first post, PubCast, second post) kept me too busy to write here. I’m planning to put […]

[Read more →]

“Restless ramblings” is not the term I want to use for these random posts, because “ramblings” is really overused.  But it’ll have to do until I’m feeling more creative.
It’s a little odd being on break from school.  There’s this huge chunk of time now on Tuesday nights that I used to spend in class.  It […]

[Read more →]

The past two years of politics have made me really, really cynical, which I guess is a pretty normal state for thinking people in America. I invested a lot in the ‘04 elections. I write columns for a website. I wrote about it here. I was pro-Bush.
Now I’m disappointed. He’s […]

[Read more →]

Sarah Prinzi, wife of my youngest brother Eric, gave birth this morning to Sophia’s new cousin, Joel Matthew Prinzi. 7 lbs., 19 in. He’s a cutie. Congratulations, Eric and Sarah!

[Read more →]

In an entirely unexpected move, even for myself, I’m changing jobs once again. After two years of being a cardiovascular technician, I’m moving one hallway over and becoming an electrophysiology technician. In short, when it comes to the heart, I used to help the plumbers, and now I’ll be helping the electricians.
This was […]

[Read more →]