Chris Rodell's Blog, page 84
March 20, 2015
Do friendships extend lives? Not friends like mine
(647 words)
I just a heard a radio news story that said having good friends is the key to longer life.
Clearly, the people working the radio news programs have cut back on their fact checkers.
In fact, your friends are killing you.
I know mine are killing me.
My friends never call me to attend a poetry reading, a vegen cooking class or join them for a bike trail fitness jag. My
I just a heard a radio news story that said having good friends is the key to longer life.
Clearly, the people working the radio news programs have cut back on their fact checkers.
In fact, your friends are killing you.
I know mine are killing me.
My friends never call me to attend a poetry reading, a vegen cooking class or join them for a bike trail fitness jag. My
March 19, 2015
My talk to 8th graders a near debacle (at first)
(676 words)
Something happened to me yesterday that hadn’t happened in 38 years: I was sent to the middle school principal’s office.
Just the recollection of the last visit made my butt start to sting.
I believe I was maybe the last 8th grader to get paddled in the Mt. Lebanon School District. It happened to me about five times and I’ve heard it hasn’t happened since.
Mt. Lebanon
Something happened to me yesterday that hadn’t happened in 38 years: I was sent to the middle school principal’s office.
Just the recollection of the last visit made my butt start to sting.
I believe I was maybe the last 8th grader to get paddled in the Mt. Lebanon School District. It happened to me about five times and I’ve heard it hasn’t happened since.
Mt. Lebanon
March 17, 2015
Happy St. Patrick's Day! On great Irish creatures
(722 words)
The Irish are so cool they’re the only “i” entity that hasn’t tried a trendy rebrand as something techy, like “iRish” or “iReland.”
I’ve never been to Ireland and am fearful if I go I either wouldn’t fit in, which would be a terminal blow to what little remains of my cool, or else I’d fit in so spectacular they’d by acclaim make me an honorary Irishman and send me on an
The Irish are so cool they’re the only “i” entity that hasn’t tried a trendy rebrand as something techy, like “iRish” or “iReland.”
I’ve never been to Ireland and am fearful if I go I either wouldn’t fit in, which would be a terminal blow to what little remains of my cool, or else I’d fit in so spectacular they’d by acclaim make me an honorary Irishman and send me on an
March 16, 2015
Choose Cheerfulness! Could be year's best week
(778 words)
I woke up today believing this could be maybe the best week of the whole year. I encourage you to indulge that feeling right along with me.
It’s a helpful Monday mindset because the alternative is likely to depress.
First of all, it is indeed Monday. The weekend will never be more distant. That’s very unfair to Monday. When I run the world, we’re going to rotate the
I woke up today believing this could be maybe the best week of the whole year. I encourage you to indulge that feeling right along with me.
It’s a helpful Monday mindset because the alternative is likely to depress.
First of all, it is indeed Monday. The weekend will never be more distant. That’s very unfair to Monday. When I run the world, we’re going to rotate the
March 15, 2015
RRS: Let's make the Bible more fun to read!!!!!!
I’m not saying staying home from church to read this September re-run is acceptable, but this is a thoughtful discourse on how to make the Bible more fun to read. Hint: Just add !!!!!!!!!!!
605 words)
Did you know keyboards prior to 1970 didn’t even include an exclamation point? Before that you had to type a period, backspace and then type an apostrophe above the period to make “!”
605 words)
Did you know keyboards prior to 1970 didn’t even include an exclamation point? Before that you had to type a period, backspace and then type an apostrophe above the period to make “!”
March 13, 2015
Lenten Fridays have me fearing we'll run out of fish
(709 words)
Most readers don’t know it, but I’ve for most of my life tended a 30-gallon aquarium of innocuous tropical fish: gouramis, tetras, guppies, etc.
I stopped doing this about four months ago after it finally dawned on me that watching small emotionless fish swim back and forth in an enclosed space full of fake plants and a sunken Pirate ship was really kind of boring.
The
Most readers don’t know it, but I’ve for most of my life tended a 30-gallon aquarium of innocuous tropical fish: gouramis, tetras, guppies, etc.
I stopped doing this about four months ago after it finally dawned on me that watching small emotionless fish swim back and forth in an enclosed space full of fake plants and a sunken Pirate ship was really kind of boring.
The
March 11, 2015
With watch, Apple continues to trivialize its potential. Is iToaster next?
(672 words)
I don’t mind that Apple is now unleashing a wrist computer for people who are, I guess, too lazy to reach in their pockets to accomplish the exact same task.
It’s the natural trajectory I fear.
What’s next?
The iToaster?
There’s something we use every day that could use some techy zing. After all, the only thing a toaster does is toast bread. What good is that?
I don’t mind that Apple is now unleashing a wrist computer for people who are, I guess, too lazy to reach in their pockets to accomplish the exact same task.
It’s the natural trajectory I fear.
What’s next?
The iToaster?
There’s something we use every day that could use some techy zing. After all, the only thing a toaster does is toast bread. What good is that?
March 10, 2015
I shave my beard; Lucy, 8, charitably lops her locks
(720 words)
People are smiling this week when they see my face. It’s not because they’re eager to see me or because they think I’m going to pay back the $20 I’ve owed them since just before Christmas.
Fat chance.
No, they smile because my face has become their spring-is-here forecast.
The dark, grey clouds on my face have lifted and have been replaced by pure sunshine, that is if
People are smiling this week when they see my face. It’s not because they’re eager to see me or because they think I’m going to pay back the $20 I’ve owed them since just before Christmas.
Fat chance.
No, they smile because my face has become their spring-is-here forecast.
The dark, grey clouds on my face have lifted and have been replaced by pure sunshine, that is if
March 9, 2015
New book declares I'm a Latrobe legend
(610 words)
When I heard I was going to be included in the book “Legendary Locals of Latrobe,” I began to hope the book would be just three pages long.
One page for Arnold Palmer. One page for Fred Rogers.
And one page for me.
I thought I could wear the book around my neck and flash it whenever I wanted to cut in line at the Latrobe Family Cinema or get a free oil change at
When I heard I was going to be included in the book “Legendary Locals of Latrobe,” I began to hope the book would be just three pages long.
One page for Arnold Palmer. One page for Fred Rogers.
And one page for me.
I thought I could wear the book around my neck and flash it whenever I wanted to cut in line at the Latrobe Family Cinema or get a free oil change at
March 8, 2015
Re-Run Sunday: Drunk on the job
I was in the bar Friday evening drinking with a guy who was distracted by a guy who was drinking on the job. My buddy Dave is in human resources with a local manufacturer and he was getting texts about the problem. And it was a big problem. He was angry because the guy was jeopardizing the safety of himself and his co-workers. I was angry because I hate it whenever anyone stops paying
