Sometimes, during grief, we need someone to take our hand, lead us back onto the dance floor, remind us what it is to be alive. Dancing Little Marionettes, Megan BeadleThe Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Mar/Apr 2022, p.14
Surgery By The Eights
Eight hours surgery, eight days in the hospital, and eight weeks for recovery (mostly). I’m half-way through the latter today. Opened up with a knife front and back–insert “foot long” here–in the final phase of tri-modal therapy that includes chemotherapy, radiation and then surgery, the esophagectomy is a “big deal.” And I’m doing quite well, […]

Not ET’s Heart Light
Here are three views of “the alien.” It’s the bright thing. (There’s a tiny icon in the bottom-left corner of each image showing its orientation: from the feet, from the left, and face-on looking straight in. Each image is a thin slice so only those organs “in the slice” are seen. Those above and below […]

Cancer
I have esophageal cancer, a “locally advanced adenocarcinoma of the esophagus” to quote the doctor. It’s down inside the lower third of my esophagus. I noticed difficulties swallowing. Food would get stuck and I’d need a drink of water to flush it down. At first I attributed this to tension and stress; it’s […]

Flat5’s 50 Percent
Stats are interesting. WordPress tallies a lot of information about this website including how many times pages are viewed, where in the world those viewers are, and so forth. (No, it doesn’t capture your credit card or license plate number. At least, not that I’ve found.) This website has been up a little over five […]

Blinking HDMI
Does your HDMI-fed TV go black for a second or two and then come back on? If so, you may have what I’m calling HDMI Blink. Ending a multi-year, on-and-off quest, I think I understand the cause and, with it, I’ve found and verified a solution for, at least, the equipment I have. Sadly, YMMV […]
Purpose of Laws
Outlaws are, by definition, outside the law. Laws don’t stop them. Passing new laws to stop criminals is foolish. Laws define criminals. No more than that. Those who voluntarily comply are the lawful citizenry. That’s me and probably most of you. We voluntarily comply with the law. I slow at the 25 MPH sign because […]

Rainy Sunday at the Bagel Shop
Only 92 F today. Rain in the morning. The winter rye, seeded last Wednesday and watered 5X on each of the four days since, has sprouted in thousands of tiny shoots all over our yard. It’s fall in Phoenix. Just a week ago it was 107. In that intense heat, drivers are impatient … no, intolerant of […]

Interesting Places in Translation
When you travel to a place that uses a language you don’t know, things can be challenging. Where’s my hotel? Where can I get something to eat? What sign means “Bathroom” and which is which? Fortunately, Google Translate has a new app that can help. With it, you point your cell phone’s camera at the […]