Mike Pace's Blog, page 2
February 13, 2019
The Starling Murmations
Most amazing natural phenomena like Niagara Falls, the aurora borealis or a beautiful sunset are awe-inspiring, but explainable. The truly stunning phenomena can’t fully be explained. Take the common Starling.
The Starling is small—sized somewhere between a sparrow and a Robin. They weigh less than 3 ounces, have an eight inch wingspan, and are plentiful in North America as well as the British Isles. Viewed singly, the Starling is hardly what one would describe as beautiful. But when seen...
January 11, 2019
Rocket Cats (Need I Say More?)
Hey Grumpy Cat, maybe you shouldn’t feel so down. Consider the plans 16th-Century military leaders had in mind for your species (which is also proof that our online fixation on cats is nothing new): illustrated manuscripts from that time have recently been digitalized showing a strategy of what looks to be rockets or even jetpacks strapped to cats. 
Yes, this was a serious idea found in pre-Renaissance books once owned by nobility. Scholar in residence at the University of Pennsylvania Mitc...
December 15, 2018
Taking a Mulligan in the Game of Life
Everyday decisions made throughout our lives lead to unknown paths. This we know. It’s these decisions that mold our present standing, and our futures. But it’s only human to reflect on missed opportunities, which, to say the least, can be frustrating,
What if there was a decision in your past that you could change? What if life gave you a mulligan? How much different would your life be? Perhaps your life wouldn’t change that much – that’s what you might tell yourself. But if you’re honest...
November 29, 2018
6 Reasons Why You Should Read Stephen King’s IT
Stephen King’s IT is the bridesmaid of King’s novels. On every list ranking King’s novels, IT always comes in as number 2 or 3 — never number 1. To me it’s King’s best novel.
Quick synopsis: It’s 1958 and something evil is preying on the children of Derry, Maine. A group of seven kids, all at the bottom of the social pecking order, band together and confront the monster, Pennywise the clown. It’s an entity that uses the fears and phobias of its favorite prey, young children, to terrorize an...
February 17, 2015
The Scariest Part
As a father of three, what scared me was the core theme of the book: Would I really do anything to save my child?
It’s very easy to respond, “Of course. A parent would do anything to protect his children.” But put yourself in Tom Booker’s shoes.
Texting while driving, Tom causes an accident on Memorial Bridge with a minivan containing five innocents, including his own daughter, Janie. When he regains consciousness, time’s frozen. He sees the minivan holding the children tipped up on two wheels,...
September 29, 2014
6 Reasons Why You Should Read Stephen King’s IT
Stephen King’s IT is the bridesmaid of King’s novels. On every list ranking King’s novels, IT always comes in as number 2 or 3 — never number 1. To me it’s King’s best novel.
Quick synopsis: It’s 1958 and something evil is preying on the children of Derry, Maine. A group of seven kids, all at the bottom of the social pecking order, band together and confront the monster, Pennywise the clown. It’s an entity that uses the fears and phobias of its favorite prey, young children, to terrorize and d...
September 15, 2014
Taking a Mulligan in the Game of Life
Everyday decisions made throughout our lives lead to unknown paths. This we know. It’s these decisions that mold our present standing, and our futures. But it’s only human to reflect on missed opportunities, which, to say the least, can be frustrating,
What if there was a decision in your past that you could change? What if life gave you a mulligan? How much different would your life be? Perhaps your life wouldn’t change that much – that’s what you might tell yourself. But if you’re honest, yo...
March 25, 2014
Uncertainty + 24-hour News Cycle = Wild Theories of Missing Airplane
It’s not often that the biggest story for two weeks and counting also doubles as a News of the Weird piece, but that’s what is happening with the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
It’s a true, real-life mystery. What happened to a 250-ton Boeing 777 and, more importantly, its 239 souls? Of course, it has all the trappings of a mystery, challenging what we know about the connectivity of our hailed technology. No apparent radar blips; no emails, texts or posts; and not even any debris to spe...
March 20, 2014
Rocket Cats (Need I Say More?)
Hey Grumpy Cat, maybe you shouldn’t feel so down. Consider the plans 16th-Century military leaders had in mind for your species (which is also proof that our online fixation on cats is nothing new): illustrated manuscripts from that time have recently been digitalized showing a strategy of what looks to be rockets or even jetpacks strapped to cats.
Yes, this was a serious idea found in pre-Renaissance books once owned by nobility. Scholar in residence at the University of Pennsylvania Mitch Fr...
March 13, 2014
The Starling Murmations
Most amazing natural phenomena like Niagara Falls, the aurora borealis or a beautiful sunset are awe-inspiring, but explainable. The truly stunning phenomena can’t fully be explained. Take the common Starling.
The Starling is small—sized somewhere between a sparrow and a Robin. They weigh less than 3 ounces, have an eight inch wingspan, and are plentiful in North America as well as the British Isles. Viewed singly, the Starling is hardly what one would describe as beautiful. But when seen in c...
