Many a year ago, I subscribed to a film service called Seattle FilmWorks. The basic idea was that you would get discounted 35mm film through the mail and then return the roll for processing, all of which was quite inexpensive. The added benefit was that for a small additional fee, they would include a floppy disk with your photos on them in a digital format. Continue reading “On memories and nostalgia”
Category: Monki
On religion
On Mortality
A few days ago, a piece of news came over my Facebook feed about a high school friend. It was his wife, posting on his account, that he had passed, suddenly and without warning, the night before. Now, he and I weren’t necessarily close in high school, and we were facebook friends but hardly ever interacted outside of some casual “likes” on random posts from time to time, but for some reason, his death got me thinking. Continue reading “On Mortality”
Rome – March 29-April 2
March 29, 2018 – So this trip started back in December. As we were driving to Mažeikiai for Christmas, I suggested to Rasa that we invite her mom to go to Rome for Holy Week and to see the Pope deliver his address from the balcony on Easter Sunday. Rasa thought it was a great idea, since her mom hadn’t been on an airplane in probably 40 years and had really never traveled. What a fun way to have a little break and, for someone who is as devout as her mother is, a (probably) once in a lifetime event. Continue reading “Rome – March 29-April 2”
Beyond Rosie: Where Are the Strong Women in Posters?
The high point in the depiction of strong, powerful women in posters almost certainly remains J. Howard Miller’s ‘We Can Do It’ poster from 1942.
Source: Beyond Rosie: Where Are the Strong Women in Posters?
On Judging English Competitions
Several years ago, back when I was regularly attending pub quiz, I met a woman who was the head of a primary school. Being a native English speaker, she had asked me if I could possibly come and be part of a jury for an annual English/speech competition the school hosted. Naturally, I said yes and have been doing it now for several years. In addition, I’ve also done some recording for her as the voice on the audio portions for grammar school English books (and, I was just informed, the English teacher in the books was named for me!) Continue reading “On Judging English Competitions”
A history of the TV remote control as told through its advertising
Was having to explain to my wife, who is from a different culture and generation, what a “clicker” was… after she was lamenting the “old days” of having to actually put the key in the car door to lock/unlock it. So here’s what we found. Enjoy “flipping through channels of the past to check out early television clickers that look like ray guns and complex calculators.”
Source: A history of the TV remote control as told through its advertising
Travels with Monki | David Magazine
My latest piece for David Magazine. Here, I kind of distill the essence of our recent summer trip into one, relatively short essay about taking Monki to theme parks.
I Made A Harry Potter Monopoly Board For My Best Friend’s Birthday | Bored Panda
I just love the creativity here, seeing a girl make her friend a Harry Potter themed Monopoly set.
I know I’m asking for trouble, but I’m hoping at some point that Monki will want something like this and then either Rasa and I can do it as a surprise (Rasa is an amazing artist when the mood strikes her) or, even better, she’ll want to help and we can do it as a project together.
Virtual Reality is really real (but not really)
Holy crap! I just tried a virtual reality rig for the first time. My friend Simonas has a complete set up and has been asking me to come try to out for a while. He’s been telling me about VR truck driving and air traffic controlling but honestly, I didn’t really get what all the fuss was about. Continue reading “Virtual Reality is really real (but not really)”
She’s your kid…
There’s an interesting things that’s been happening as Monki is getting older. She’s developing a personality. Okay, that’s not the interesting part – well, it is, but not really relevant to what I want to talk about. See… along with the personality, you can see certain traits form and develop like eddies and whirlpools in a tidal inlet. Continue reading “She’s your kid…”
Yesterdays and tomorrows
As an older father, right or wrong, I spend a lot of my time running numbers in my head. How old will I be when Monki hits certain milestones – when she graduates high school, for example, I’ll be 67. I’d kinda like to be around for those milestones (call me crazy, I know). Continue reading “Yesterdays and tomorrows”
Female Action Heroes: The 11 Most Influential of Our Time
The world is changing. Like it or not, this is the case. People who have long held privilege in Western cultures are starting to see those privileges leveled with those around them. Personally, I think this is a good thing. Continue reading “Female Action Heroes: The 11 Most Influential of Our Time”
Allowance for Allowances
So, as it does from time to time, the topic of the future came up the other day. In this instance, it had to do with Monki and the idea of an allowance.
It seems that, coming as we are, from different cultures and different generations, we also have a different approach to things like allowances and teaching fiscal responsibility to the little one.
Since it’s still a bit of a ways off, it’s a discussion we will continue to have for a while, debating pros and cons, floating hypothetical situations and ultimately seeing what she needs when she needs it. Continue reading “Allowance for Allowances”
And So It Ends – 2017 Summer Holiday
Friday July 14
Friday morning we again made it to Disneyland and were all about meeting characters. Our first stop, just inside the gates, was Daisy Duck. Since it was early in the morning, Monki was asleep by the time we made it to the front of the line, but we’ll tell her she had a great time and all will be right in her world. Continue reading “And So It Ends – 2017 Summer Holiday”
Getting the Hang of Thursdays 