Kathleen Charters and Lawrence Charters
Explorations large and small
This is allegedly a check-in kiosk, allowing you to get a personal, human touch from a machine and not one of those impersonal people. Unfortunately, it would not let you check in. Several things are of interest: While laser printers Continue reading Out of order: coming soon!
This rather large sign asks for humane treatment of roaches and rodents, selling technology that allegedly annoys the vermin. Yes, “las cucarachas” means “cockroaches” and “roedores” means “rodents.” Hate to say this, but most humans just want them gone, and Continue reading Humane treatment of vermin
The National Security Agency (NSA) has a large campus on Fort Meade, Maryland, protected by fences, barbed wire, police dogs, guards, and maybe a dragon or two. It is not visitor friendly. But right outside of the campus is the Continue reading Visit to NSA
Much has been written about how writers plumb the very depths of their souls in an attempt to construct a narrative. But far less attention has been devoted to the narrative arc of plumbing. You might say, “But plumbing is Continue reading Narrative arc of plumbing
What do you do if you need a quick reference to Visual BASIC and the only available reference is in Romanian? Let us consider this logically: First off, you do not wonder, “Why is there a Visual BASIC manual in Continue reading Visual BASIC in Romanian
These two photos, taken from my window at work, were taken 26 seconds apart: Just before the storm hit, the Emergency Alert on my iPhone went off (most smartphones today are set to receive local weather, Amber, and other emergency Continue reading Two photos, 26 seconds
I am leaving. An exit sign beckons in front of me. But I don’t think I want to walk in that direction. Infectious laughter? Excellent. Infectious diseases? Sorry, I’ll pass.
A few minutes after logging in to email, a new message popped up. Opening it, there was an advertisement for a specialty item, a display that you attach to a camera allowing you to see what the camera sees, only Continue reading High cost of ignorance
This “Auto-Motion Interactive Pet Laser Toy for Cats and Dogs” apparently has something to do with Animal Planet, though it isn’t entirely clear on what that “something” might be. Other text on the packaging claims it “projects full-motion laser light Continue reading Laser pointers, cats, and — dogs?