Chris Rodell's Blog, page 85
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
March 6, 2015
Questions: Who is Edmund Pettus & how is Harrison Ford?
(897 words)
I was torn this morning about writing a serious Selma-anniversary post or more light-hearted observations about Harrison Ford surviving plane wreck. So I thought, “I know, I’ll do both!” Why? There’s no rule book here in blog world.
No paycheck.
But no rule book.
• Did you know that Edmund Pettus was a Grand Dragon of the Alabama Ku Klux Klan?
That’s just one of
I was torn this morning about writing a serious Selma-anniversary post or more light-hearted observations about Harrison Ford surviving plane wreck. So I thought, “I know, I’ll do both!” Why? There’s no rule book here in blog world.
No paycheck.
But no rule book.
• Did you know that Edmund Pettus was a Grand Dragon of the Alabama Ku Klux Klan?
That’s just one of
March 5, 2015
Happy Fourth Birthday to our furnace!
(650 words)
Because we celebrate the special occasions of our inanimate household objects, the girls didn’t think it odd that I told them it was time to go downstairs and sing Happy Birthday to the furnace.
The furnace turned 4 on Tuesday.
It’s easy to remember because the installers wrote “3-3-11” right on the front of it. So I see it every single time I stroll through the basement
Because we celebrate the special occasions of our inanimate household objects, the girls didn’t think it odd that I told them it was time to go downstairs and sing Happy Birthday to the furnace.
The furnace turned 4 on Tuesday.
It’s easy to remember because the installers wrote “3-3-11” right on the front of it. So I see it every single time I stroll through the basement
March 3, 2015
February 8days2Amish tweets of the month
My 8days2Amish twitter feed passed the 300 followers mark last week . . . four times! It’s true. I’d get a minor surge of followers who’d then one-by-one drop off. I’m now up to 315. Know what that means? Ashton Kutcher and your 16.5 million followers, watch out! I’m gaining on you. I’m lately getting bursts of followers who promise to get me Kutcher-like numbers if I follow them and pay
March 2, 2015
Men would rather be shocked than think: Shocking!
(678 words)
I read a fascinating story Sunday that illuminated for me something about which I thought I was already expert. That being the mind of a typical man with absolutely nothing to do.
The Rachel Feltman story read: “People, and especially men, hate being alone with their thoughts so much that they’d rather be in pain. In a study published in Science last year on the ability of
I read a fascinating story Sunday that illuminated for me something about which I thought I was already expert. That being the mind of a typical man with absolutely nothing to do.
The Rachel Feltman story read: “People, and especially men, hate being alone with their thoughts so much that they’d rather be in pain. In a study published in Science last year on the ability of
March 1, 2015
Re-Run Sunday: Planes should have horns
I just read another blogger apologizing for re-running a blog, like he’d let his readership down. At www.EightDaysToAmish.com we celebrate ‘em! It’s like a holiday. Well, it is for me at least.
This one is from April ’12 when I wondered how come crashing airplanes don’t have horns to warn the folks on the ground to run for their lives.
It’s been nearly seven days since the crash of
This one is from April ’12 when I wondered how come crashing airplanes don’t have horns to warn the folks on the ground to run for their lives.
It’s been nearly seven days since the crash of
February 27, 2015
Pittsburgh landmark defaced by Patriot fans
(681 words)
I was appalled to see a brash obscenity plastered on one of my favorite Pittsburgh landmarks. Even more appalling, I was the only one who seemed notice.
Maybe that’s good.
That way no Pittsburgh ice skaters will rush out to seek investment advice from MassMutual Financial Group.
Of course, they must be a pretty persuasive bunch.
How else do you explain caretakers at
I was appalled to see a brash obscenity plastered on one of my favorite Pittsburgh landmarks. Even more appalling, I was the only one who seemed notice.
Maybe that’s good.
That way no Pittsburgh ice skaters will rush out to seek investment advice from MassMutual Financial Group.
Of course, they must be a pretty persuasive bunch.
How else do you explain caretakers at
February 26, 2015
I'd like to see Bill O'Reilly interview Bill O'Reilly
(688 words)
I’d like to watch Bill O’Reilly interview Bill O’Reilly if only Bill O’Reilly would agree to be questioned by someone like Bill O’Reilly.
It’d be the intellectual equivalent of watching an old professional wrestling match between Hulk Hogan and Sgt. Slaughter. There’d be eye-gouging, ear-biting, shouted threats and the mutual kind of menace that would make an old Mike Tyson
I’d like to watch Bill O’Reilly interview Bill O’Reilly if only Bill O’Reilly would agree to be questioned by someone like Bill O’Reilly.
It’d be the intellectual equivalent of watching an old professional wrestling match between Hulk Hogan and Sgt. Slaughter. There’d be eye-gouging, ear-biting, shouted threats and the mutual kind of menace that would make an old Mike Tyson
February 25, 2015
Snow plow smashed our mailbox; I suspect foul play
(718 words)
I like to think there was at least some sport involved, like maybe the roadmasters who drive the snow plows had a bounty on our decrepit old mailbox.
“Good news! I just blasted the Rodell mail box clear to smithereens! What’s the pool up to?”
Even before the destruction, ours was probably the ugliest mailbox on our two-mile stretch of rural road and I, of course, didn’t
I like to think there was at least some sport involved, like maybe the roadmasters who drive the snow plows had a bounty on our decrepit old mailbox.
“Good news! I just blasted the Rodell mail box clear to smithereens! What’s the pool up to?”
Even before the destruction, ours was probably the ugliest mailbox on our two-mile stretch of rural road and I, of course, didn’t
February 24, 2015
Suspect runs across frozen Pittsburgh river; a different kind of winter escape
(845 words)
A Pittsburgh burglary suspect’s daring escape attempt has me recollecting all the questionable adventures I’ve had on frozen bodies of water.
Running from the police isn’t among them.
William McManus, 25, is alleged to have ripped off armfuls of scratch-off lottery tickets from a downtown convenience store.
I say “alleged” because I remember being instructed in
A Pittsburgh burglary suspect’s daring escape attempt has me recollecting all the questionable adventures I’ve had on frozen bodies of water.
Running from the police isn’t among them.
William McManus, 25, is alleged to have ripped off armfuls of scratch-off lottery tickets from a downtown convenience store.
I say “alleged” because I remember being instructed in
