One of my favorite books growing up was Bring on the Empty Horses by David Niven, an autobiography of his life in Hollywood, full of amusing stories about Hollywood greats and their lives off camera. My mother had it on her bookshelf. Niven was an accomplished but not overly famous actor in his day, but he knew a lot of people and had a long career, and thus had a lot of stories. I have a theory, having read this piece by Wil Wheaton, that he might be this era's David Niven. He might have to meet more famous(er) people. Any other candidates?

OMG, I am so pleased to finally have some empirical evidence to point to. For the longest time I thought my wife understood, and was consciously putting the rolls on the right way. Then one day she put one on wrong, and when I asked her, she had no idea what I was talking about. There's a right way? That's right, there is. Read up.

Our hearts go out to the people, including friends, in Iowa this week. We lived in Iowa City for seven years, and still consider it home. Seeing the pictures, reading the stories, it has been wrenching. While nobody we know has been displaced, everyone we know has been affected. We wish them the best of good fortune and goodwill in the coming recovery.

Below is a picture of the Danforth Chapel, on the University of Iowa campus, where we got married. Hundred of volunteers worked tirelessly to keep it (and surrounding buildings) in as good a shape as it is in. Thank you.

(Here is the original link)

Okay, so compare these two photos. The first one is from Macworld, in January 2007. The second is from yesterday, at WWDC. It would appear that Steve Jobs is wasting away. Tell me it doesn't strike fear into you. I mean, aside from the personal issues that Steve and his family must be experiencing with his health...

I have always known that I would live to see Apple without Steve Jobs at the helm (actually, I did live through the Gil Amelio days, just barely), but the thought of it actually happening frightens the bejeezus out of me.

Anyone else find these pictures striking and worrisome? Anyone know any details?

For the first time in years, maybe five years, I spent fifteen minutes lying in the grass this weekend, just enjoying the weather.  It's what I call a "hammock moment," if I had a hammock.  And yesterday, my wife, the college professor, worked at home, all day.  She wore jeans, didn't go to the office, got good work done.  It is a taste of the good life.  The life that was promised to us by an .edu lifestyle.  I am encouraged.

One of these days I will be glad we have a weather radio.  But in ten years of being woken up by the piercing warble of the weather alarm (a delightful feature that has no volume control) I have yet to experience that gratefulness.  

Last night we had a tornado warning.  The weather radio shocked us out of our slumber sometime after midnight to warn us of that tornado warning.  There was no tornado.  We probably could have stayed in bed.  Though our neighbors, about fifty feet up the hill over there to the left, had a tree go through their roof.  Here's the article (jump to "The Loud Boom"). Wherever it says, "Brandenburger" you just read, "Danny's neighbor."

At 1:15 am, about the time their maple tree was meeting their living room, we were all huddled in the basement bathroom, feeling a little silly, tired, and worried that Oliver would not go back to sleep easily.  He did though, and we count ourselves lucky.

I do not regret getting the radio, nor do I regret using it.  But I am not yet thankful for it.  I am thankful, however, that the dulcet sound of chainsaws in the morning was not coming from our front yard.