tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77045812011-04-21T21:45:42.277-04:00I attribute many of the good things in my life to accident. Or perhaps I should credit "divine order," as one sage would put it. This page is full of happy accidents.Omarinoreply@blogger.comBlogger691100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1115345615313051922005-05-05T22:12:00.000-04:002005-05-06T10:32:40.606-04:00

The Center for Serendipity has MOVED!! All my new posts will go to the new site...check out:http://cfs.smileystation.com/There you'll find the first new post about futuristic television programs...Soon I will import all the old posts from Blogger to the new site...

Omarinoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1114836152480916202005-04-30T00:40:00.000-04:002005-04-30T00:44:12.790-04:00

Blogger hasn't been the most reliable place in the last several weeks, and now I have a better option available. Soon I will move the blog to:http://cfs.smileystation.comBut for now it stays on Blogger. Even so, you can update your bookmarks now: cfs.smileystation.com currently points to Blogger. Of course I will have it point to the Center for Serendipity's new home after I move it.

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1114483113811899212005-04-25T22:20:00.000-04:002005-04-25T22:38:33.813-04:00

Occasionally I have a great, eye-opening event in my life when I say with awe and wonder: "I did not know that!" Typically following this realization is a new period of discovery and understanding of something in our world.I recently have had such an "I did not know that!" moment which has caused me to learn a great deal about the way people with disabilities access the World Wide Web. Previously

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1112838944744756462005-04-06T21:55:00.000-04:002005-04-06T22:24:55.343-04:00

A question that has surfaced with some frequency in the mass media lately is: are bloggers journalists? Cynthia Webb says she discussed "whether (or which) bloggers are journalists" at the Harvard Law School.Being a lawyer myself, I'm not surprised that people at Harvard Law School would ask such a silly question. Even though law school purports to teach us how to ask the right questions, lawyers

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1112663175118780592005-04-04T20:46:00.000-04:002005-04-04T21:06:15.120-04:00

If your ears are observant when you visit the cinema, you will surely recognize these two sounds even though you likely do not know exactly where they come from.The first sound is the call of the red tailed hawk. (Visit that link and click on "Play sound from this species" to hear it.) This is the standard sound used in the movies to indicate someone is in a forlorn wilderness. One might hear it,

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1112066939246002282005-03-28T21:58:00.000-05:002005-03-28T22:28:59.253-05:00

I grow weary (yet indignantly energized) when someone in the press suggests (L.A. Times editorial; visit www.bugmenot.com for login) that the U.S. has no energy policy. They point to $50 a barrel oil, $2 a gallon gasoline, and say, "we have no energy policy! This must change!"I roll my eyes. Of course we have an energy policy, silly! It's called conquering Iraq! That country is second in oil

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1112040750138450342005-03-28T15:10:00.000-05:002005-03-28T15:13:59.523-05:00

I used to think that people who wore tight clothes when they went to the gym or out running were only doing so to show off their bodies. Certainly this is a benefit of their apparel that I can appreciate, and for many folks donning tight gear it may be a motivating factor--even a primary one.But I have since learned that there are much more practical reasons to don tight or skimpy clothes for

Omarinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1112037641453524642005-03-28T14:18:00.000-05:002005-03-28T14:20:41.456-05:00

Awhile ago in the supermarket I spotted a new product on one of those tipsy cardboard displays: Jack Daniels Mustard.At first the appearance of such a product puzzled me. Who would buy a mustard because of the Jack Daniels name? It’s not as though the expertise required to make whiskey is somehow transferable to mustard.Upon further reflection I figured that perhaps Jack Daniels mustard was there

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1111955486241879132005-03-27T15:29:00.000-05:002005-03-27T15:31:26.243-05:00

Today is quite a dreary one outside. A thick grey sheet covers the sky, and some cars have on their headlights.I like sunny days, but dreary ones are nice too. I'm so content to be inside my nice warm home, writing or cleaning or cooking. Sun brings me outside, while clouds bring me home.

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1111955301612759592005-03-27T15:17:00.000-05:002005-03-27T15:32:39.416-05:00

I love all of nature's seasons. Just when I'm starting to get tired of one, another comes along. Every season has signs that herald its arrival, to wit:Spring buds on the trees crowds of tourists returning to Washington Union Station, aboard both trains and tour buses talk of baseball the ice cream man returns to the streets of Glenmont ("Hello!") Summer Memorial Day barbeques the

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1111630249420945812005-03-23T20:47:00.000-05:002005-03-23T21:10:49.423-05:00

Yesterday I took a trip to Whole Foods Market, a place that bills itself as the "world's leading natural and organic foods supermarket." This is a remarkable supermarket in many ways, including in its decor. The entire store (including the floors) is decorated in earth tones. Though I would expect this to look dirty, they instead make it look pleasantly earthy.Matching this earthy decor are the

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1111233854933843552005-03-19T06:44:00.000-05:002005-03-19T07:04:14.936-05:00

Recently I read a book about plastic surgery. The author, a surgeon himself, says that women have a much higher tolerance for pain than men. He can perform extensive operations on women--sucking their fat out, stretching their faces, blasting their skin with lasers--and the women will suffer through the experience with little complaint. Men, on the other hand, will come into his office whining

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1110830800833462502005-03-14T14:57:00.000-05:002005-03-14T15:11:21.276-05:00

The most soothing part of my morning is my train ride in to work. It gives me about fifteen minutes during which I can sit and do pretty much nothing.I have noticed that the nature of my ride varies considerably depending upon where I sit. I feel most separated from my immediate surroundings in the train car, and most connected with the world whizzing past outside the train, if I sit directly

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1110830021890514842005-03-14T14:26:00.000-05:002005-03-14T22:20:55.323-05:00

About eight months ago, I terminated my subscription to the Washington Post. This ended a habit I had been engaged in for over fifteen years: a daily date with a bundle of newsprint.The biggest single reason I cut the newspaper was because it started my day on a sour note. Generally I would awaken, stumble out to the front door, and begin my day with a dose of headlines. Not an uplifting start to

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1110762857126657022005-03-13T20:01:00.000-05:002005-03-13T20:14:17.126-05:00

Must advertisements and their relentless message to consume, consume, consume pervade our daily lives? Examples of advertisement proliferation abound: stickers bearing advertisements placed upon bananas in the grocery store. I suppose this is regarded as particularly effective as I remember reading that Wal-Mart ascertained that bananas are the single most common item in a grocery cart. the "

Omarinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1110723147129908062005-03-13T08:52:00.000-05:002005-03-13T09:12:27.133-05:00

A few days ago, an acquaintance from work invited me to a party at her home. She told me it was a "pampered chef" party. Having no idea what this was or that it was a brand name, I was naive enough to think that I would be, well, "pampered" with good food. I was honored--as I always feel when I'm invited to someone's home for social purposes--and I accepted the invitation. The day before the

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1110509588740834052005-03-10T21:52:00.000-05:002005-03-10T21:53:08.873-05:00

"Come on, tell me I'm not Kramer."--television character on SeinfeldI am Omari Norman.I am not sure exactly what makes me Omari. Many elements comprise my identity. My name (first and last) is part of it. So is my past. My likes, dislikes, and passions are a big part of my identity. My body is also a key part of who I am. Even so, though, I have a difficult time explaining exactly what my "

Omarinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1110298023604947962005-03-08T10:59:00.000-05:002005-03-08T11:07:03.606-05:00

The "open door" and "close door" buttons inside elevators are too difficult to distinguish in fleeting moments. I think they need to be color coded.Often at work, someone will rush up to the elevator just as the doors are closing. If a person inside the elevator is quick witted and notices the elevator-catcher, she will quickly reach for the buttons to manipulate the doors. (Which button she

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1110236720636549932005-03-07T17:37:00.000-05:002005-03-07T18:05:20.643-05:00

Now that I have graduated from a high school and two institutions of higher education, I understand why people give money to their alma maters. Of course, a big reason for donations is a desire to be charitable and to help the institution that has helped you along in life. But part of what drives donations is a selfish desire to bolster the value of one's degree.Quite simply, the better a

Omarinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1109945729519085952005-03-04T09:07:00.000-05:002005-03-04T09:15:29.520-05:00

Have you ever heard that Waylon Jennings song, "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)"? If not, this post will be completely lost on you, but you can hear a clip of it here.I can perfectly imagine George W. Bush saying, "Let's go to Luckenbach, Texas." Perhaps he would be at a summit of world leaders. At the end, all the leaders start discussing where to have their next summit. Bush says

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1109890455116489702005-03-03T17:28:00.000-05:002005-03-03T20:04:01.983-05:00

I love escalators.It is quite likely that I use escalators much more than the average American does. Every work day, I make a total of six trips on escalators as part of my commute on Metrorail. One of my stations has one escalator ride, while the other has two. (Certainly there are Metrorail commuters who use escalators even more than I do, as trips through some stations entail rides on three or

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1109816282690528602005-03-02T20:52:00.000-05:002005-03-02T21:40:25.746-05:00

One of my "midweek sorties" (as I like to call them) to the grocery store reminded me that all is not what it seems when you're looking at the supermarket shelf.First, take a look at the following product:Doesn't this look like candy? Just open up that bag, and there are some yummy mints inside...actually no, this is dishwasher detergent. Another funny thing about it is that the user does not

Omarinoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1109641232376150342005-02-28T20:22:00.000-05:002005-02-28T20:40:32.376-05:00

I'm from Denver, where snow is a routine occurrence. One would not know this from watching Denver newscasts, which always feature hatless reporters standing in the middle of snowstorms in front of a road, imploring everyone to drive more slowly. Despite the idiocy of Denver television news, snow is common there--certainly compared to snow in Washington, D.C. Denver snow must accumulate to several

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1109368672160738132005-02-25T16:20:00.000-05:002005-02-25T16:58:46.513-05:00

"I'm Not Really Here"--title of a Tim Allen book"I was ensconced!"--"George Costanza" of the television program SeinfeldI am often amazed at people's ability to ensconce themselves in their own private worlds, even when they are in very public places. This ensconcement can be so effective that people do not notice things I'd think are obvious--such as the presence of other human beings.This

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1109366010999530262005-02-25T16:05:00.000-05:002005-02-25T16:13:31.000-05:00

This afternoon I called to schedule an appointment for an eye exam. This is my first eye exam since I enrolled in this health plan, so finding a doctor involved playing roulette with the list of optometrists on my plan's Web site. I found a doctor close to my office, so I gave her a call."I need an appointment for an eye exam," I said. The swift and immediate response: "what kind of insurance do

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1107829267471935602005-02-07T20:40:00.000-05:002005-02-07T21:21:07.470-05:00

iPod listeners are readily identified by their white earbuds. Sometimes they even strap the player proudly strap to their shoulder bags (never to their belts--that would be so, like, not cool--more like a fogey wearing a cell phone on a belt or a contractor carrying a tape measure and a Nextel on his waist! And, of course, never to a backpack with two straps--that's so little kid!) iPods are a

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1107400093919296982005-02-02T22:04:00.000-05:002005-02-02T22:08:13.920-05:00

The people of Iraq faced threats and the real possibility of death in order to exercise their right to vote. When I saw headlines heralding the high voter turnout in Iraq, tears welled up in my eyes. The people of Iraq are brave and they have earned my utmost respect. Their courage reminds me never to take my right to vote--and my ability to do so in peace--lightly.

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1107126703030657302005-01-30T17:58:00.000-05:002005-01-30T18:11:43.030-05:00

"You learn something new every day," goes the saying. Indeed, this is quite true for me. Most of the new things I learn each day are not particularly useful in their own right, but are interesting nonetheless. Here are some of my recent daily discoveries: Much of the English vocabulary comes from two different languages: German and Latin. Often Germanic words are simple, direct, and forceful,

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1107113264574373642005-01-30T13:50:00.000-05:002005-01-30T14:27:44.576-05:00

Unless you live blissfully unaware of happenings in the U.S. news media, it is likely you have heard the story of the man whose aborted suicide attempt resulted in eleven deaths. As the Associated Press put it: "A suicidal man parked his SUV on the railroad tracks [in Glendale, California] and set off a crash of two commuter trains Wednesday that hurled passengers down the aisles and turned rail

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1106442014012114802005-01-22T19:32:00.000-05:002005-01-22T20:00:14.013-05:00

"It's snowing." This would have been an accurate statement a few hours ago here inside the Capital Beltway, but "it" has since stopped snowing. Now "it" is calm. Why do we refer to weather happenings with a simple "it"? It's snowing, it's raining, it's sunny...always "it" is doing things. Trusty Dictionary.com says that "it" is a pronoun. What, then, is the antecedent for this pronoun? Who, or

Omarinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1106179125230530522005-01-19T18:30:00.000-05:002005-01-19T18:58:45.230-05:00

Why do people give things away, expecting no compensation and being satisfied with mere accolades? I'm not speaking of people giving away money; I'm thinking of ways they spend their time or effort instead. Examples of people freely giving things away abound in the computer world, for example. Many websites catalog free software, and I always turn to these places when there's some oddball unmet

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1105308633152115162005-01-09T16:24:00.000-05:002005-01-19T18:29:34.890-05:00

Being engaged to a brilliant, challenging woman for a long time taught me a thing or two about love and romantic relationships. Or several. Dating for six months after that has taught me a few other things, too. Here are a few. Maybe I'll add more if I can think of any. Maybe you'll benefit from my knowledge, but fact is, I'll probably benefit even more because I'm finally writing all this stuff

Omarinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1104984017349015692005-01-05T22:55:00.000-05:002005-01-05T23:00:17.350-05:00

Most newspapers do not use formal means of address (e.g. "Mr.," "Ms." etc.) in their news stories. People are referred to merely by last name. (The New York Times and Wall Street Journal are rare exceptions in this regard. This sometimes leads to mild absurdities, such as "Mr. bin Laden" in the Wall Street Journal.) But this all changes in the obituaries. Then one becomes "Mr." Only in death

Omarinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1104982959780273222005-01-05T22:24:00.000-05:002005-01-05T22:44:48.476-05:00

News reports indicate that CNN likely will eliminate its long-running shout program, Crossfire, from the lineup. Good riddance to it. Some people are under the mistaken impression that CNN does an excellent job of covering national and world news. It does not, for several reasons. First of all, programs on CNN are not about news. They are instead about the people who purport to give you news.

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1104717020296754052005-01-02T20:14:00.000-05:002005-01-02T21:03:45.386-05:00

Going to the dentist inevitably involves the setup of a full-blown construction site in your mouth. There is such an immense variety of sounds and sensations that, if amplified ten times, would be suitable to any large building construction project. In the middle of last week I suddenly began experiencing discomfort in one my teeth whenever I bit down on something crunchy. Figuring this was not

Omarinoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1104471432742296212004-12-31T00:24:00.000-05:002004-12-31T00:38:51.273-05:00

Look at these two words, paired together: "United States." That's plural, isn't it? There are many states, united. Plural. Indeed, our Constitution seems to think that United States is plural. For instance: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude...shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." Not its, but their. When did United States become singular in

Omarinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1104468343892204362004-12-30T23:16:00.000-05:002004-12-30T23:49:20.953-05:00

"This is our basic conclusion: Our nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one white - separate and unequal." --The Kerner Commission's report on urban riots that erupted in U.S. cities in the summer of 1967 At risk of contorting the Kerner Commission's words, is the same phenomenon happening today but in a different arena? Is our nation moving toward two societies, one fat,

Omarinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1104289181037223332004-12-28T21:28:00.000-05:002004-12-28T22:07:59.596-05:00

During my tours of duty on the treadmill, I used to have the (dis)pleasure of watching a plastic surgery television show on the Discovery Health channel. Each episode of the program followed a predictable pattern. Ordinary Janes (most subjects of the program were women) would make an initial appearance complaining about some aspect of their anatomy--to wit: "my butt is just too little. Everyone

Omarinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1103941047077348142004-12-24T20:40:00.000-05:002004-12-24T21:17:27.076-05:00

You have no privacy. Get over it. --Sun Microsystems CEO Scott McNealy Search engines these days are phenomenally efficient. Indeed, Google has changed the way I find information on the Internet. Before Google, my preferred way to find any sort of information was to pick through the Yahoo Directory, one level at a time, until I found what I was looking for. This was time consuming and

Omarinoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1103845800606164142004-12-23T18:32:00.000-05:002004-12-23T19:24:15.016-05:00

I listen to a lot of public radio. One staple of NPR is the afternoon program All Things Considered. Sprinkled throughout the program are sponsorship...um, make that "underwriting" messages: "Support for NPR comes from..." However, two of my favorite public radio programs are not from NPR but rather come from Public Radio International. (No, NPR and PRI are not identical.) Every day I try to

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1103755034908553912004-12-22T17:07:00.000-05:002004-12-22T17:44:25.806-05:00

Have you seen the movie The Terminal with Tom Hanks and Caterine Zeta-Jones? Though the movie tended to be a bit simplistic, the concept was quite novel: almost all of the movie was set in an airport terminal. Indeed, I would say that the true star of the film was the set itself: a stunning representation of a live, functioning airport. It was difficult to realize that the set was actually

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1102548665003093192004-12-08T18:29:00.000-05:002004-12-08T18:31:05.003-05:00

There are some words, phrases, and monikers in our language that I would like to see recast. In present form, they are misleading. Such phrases and monikers include: "Health Insurance." We do not have health insurance in this country. It does not pay to keep you healthy; it pays if you get sick. It will not pay for smoking cessation, but it will pay if you get lung cancer. It will not pay for

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1102299616125718202004-12-05T21:04:00.000-05:002004-12-05T21:20:16.126-05:00

It was such a perfect day to eat you, because your bright red, shiny skin stood in such perfect contrast to the clear blue sky. Yet red was not your only color: a cunningly curved, green stem stretches gracefully from your top, evoking images of okra. And how appropriate those images are, for inside you were speckled with delightfully delicate white seeds, just link the subtly slimy gumbo green.

Omarinoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1102126836398506102004-12-03T21:20:00.000-05:002004-12-03T21:20:36.396-05:00

Sometimes I think I'm a little too strongly wedded to the way things were. For as long as I've lived in the Washington metropolitan area, the Red Line has been a part of my commute. I used to join Montgomery County commuters at Fort Totten; then I moved to Montgomery, first to Glenmont and now to Silver Spring. So when I first heard a new station would be built between Rhode Island Avenue and

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1101424992759050622004-11-25T18:22:00.000-05:002004-11-25T18:23:12.760-05:00

My life exposes me to television very little. Until just a couple of months ago, I had three primary contact points with the boob tube. One such point of contact was in the lobby of my apartment building. In an apparent effort to make the place look swanky, the management has placed a flat-screen television just outside the elevator. It constantly displays CNN, which generally features people

Omarinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1100738712061909472004-11-17T19:44:00.000-05:002004-11-17T19:45:12.060-05:00

Newspaper companies around the country face a miserable picture of stagnant or declining circulation, and the Washington Post Company is no exception. Readership of the paper version of its flagship publication has been flat for years, even though its region's population is booming. Sure, people log in to the website, but this is little consolation for newspapers because businesses pay much less

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1100307555214743232004-11-12T19:58:00.000-05:002004-11-12T19:59:15.213-05:00

As I sloshed home in the rain this evening, I had a thought: what if humans lived underwater? No, I wasn't wondering what life would be like if we set up huge underwater bubbles and lived in them, like the world of the Jetsons in reverse. I was wondering how different our lives would be if we had all our intelligence and all our "human" characteristics, but we all naturally lived deep in the

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1099868037914417682004-11-07T17:52:00.000-05:002004-11-07T17:55:09.196-05:00

Jack of all trades, master of nothing. --Some old saying. Marriage can carry a heavy burden these days. It seems we expect a lot from the relationship between man and woman which we dub "marriage." Here are just a few: Hot loving. Or, more precisely, hot sex. Sex between married man and woman is, perhaps, the only fully sanctioned brand of sex in our Puritanical culture. Because sex outside

Omarinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1099193785711621512004-10-30T23:36:00.000-04:002004-10-30T23:36:25.710-04:00

What is it that makes us human? Some say that our distinguishing characteristic is "metacognition"--that is, our ability to think about our thoughts. We think, therefore, we are. Or something like that. But how can we prove this? We don't know that other living things (animals, plants even!) are not thinking about their thoughts. They might be so advanced that we cannot understand their thoughts

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1099017911594057142004-10-28T22:44:00.000-04:002004-10-28T22:46:08.996-04:00

Today at work I was fortunate to receive a free Charms Blow Pop. I eagerly sucked the sweet candy and then crunched through the sugary shell to reach the bubble gum inside. As I sat in my office and chewed the gum (which was tough enough to give my jaw a real workout) I realized that I had not blown a bubble-gum bubble in a long time. Probably years. So I formed my lips and pursed my tongue in

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1098840745336041572004-10-26T21:31:00.000-04:002004-10-26T21:32:25.336-04:00

It's a busy world, and each of us plays a part. I've been known to ruminate in this space and wonder, what's it all for? Sometimes the answer is more apparent than I at first realize: it's a busy world, and each of us has a job to do. Each of us has a role to play, a niche to fill. A wave of appreciation for the part each of us plays in the world washed over me as I stood in an airport this

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1098673448780541812004-10-24T23:01:00.000-04:002004-10-24T23:04:08.780-04:00

America is a grand land of great size and enormous geographic diversity. There are many U.S. states that are larger than some entire countries. And of course there are many U.S. counties that are larger than some U.S. states. Certainly we have small places like Rhode Island and Connecticut but, with states like Texas, California, and Alaska dominating our map, one might safely say that America is

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1098594303459519992004-10-24T01:01:00.000-04:002004-10-24T01:05:03.460-04:00

Television is a bastion of the attractive, the rich, the privileged. Looks are, quite possibly, the most important asset for anyone who wants to "make it big" on television. Perfectly straight teeth, a megawatt smile, thick luscious hair--all are essential. If you have glasses, dump them and insert the contacts. For women, staying very (perhaps even dangerously) thin is also a necessity. This is

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1098402556193353552004-10-21T19:48:00.000-04:002004-10-21T19:49:16.193-04:00

You and I share a very important skill: we both can read the English language. It's quite likely that you also speak English, and can also write in it, as I can. (hey, don't take this for granted--it is quite possible to be able to speak a language, but not write it or read it--just as it's possible to play an instrument without knowing how to read or write sheet music.) If you are like me,

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1098146124859785142004-10-18T20:35:00.000-04:002004-10-18T20:35:24.860-04:00

I now live in a tower in rapidly transforming Silver Spring, Maryland, making me a proud Montgomery County resident. A few months ago I gave up my first motor vehicle, reasoning that I no longer needed it. This is true: shopping, entertainment, and the Metro are all steps from my building. Usually I am glad that I sacrificed my car: no more parking, no more gas, no more worries about someone

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1098144979908952332004-10-18T20:15:00.000-04:002004-10-18T20:16:19.910-04:00

Tonight finds me fuming about the presidential election that awaits us in two weeks. My apartment building has a television just outside the elevator, and it continuously shows the garbage on cable television that passes itself off as "twenty-four hour news." The talking heads frequently call this election "the most important in a generation," while asserting that the differences between the

Omarinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1097960595397842492004-10-16T17:02:00.000-04:002004-10-16T17:03:15.396-04:00

After another day of working, I found myself at the Blair Park Giant, where I selected various foodstuffs for the evening's meal. I then returned home to actually cook the stuff. As I chopped garlic and cracked open a can of tomatoes, I had a thought that often floats into my head as I cook: housework is underrated. It's not me who underrates housework. The time, strength, and effort that it

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1097960548491418932004-10-16T17:01:00.001-04:002004-10-16T17:02:28.490-04:00

Today as I went for a run near Rock Creek Park, I noticed a single tree leaf fluttering to the ground. The fluttering leaf was part of such a beautiful scene: the pavement glistened with water from recent rainfall. The large stone houses were beautifully grand. The weather was delightfully cool, and the air brought clarity and crispness to my lungs with each sharply drawn breath. I could not help

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1097960499749043922004-10-16T17:01:00.000-04:002004-10-16T17:01:39.750-04:00

I have everything a person could want: a home that's warm in the winter, cool in the summer. A television providing ready entertainment. A refrigerator full of nourishing produce and meat, and a supermarket just blocks away with much more to pick from. A wallet with slivers of plastic that allow me to purchase all I could possibly want from that supermarket. Soft carpet under my feet, giving

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1097449819578924982004-10-10T19:08:00.000-04:002004-10-10T19:10:19.580-04:00

Currently happening in Sudan is something sometimes referred to as "ethnic cleansing." What a ridiculous term. This is not "cleansing". The people being murdered are not dirty. This is not Comet or Ajax. This is not a porcelain tub. No, there is no such thing as "ethnic cleansing." Call it murder. Call it genocide. Do not use this insulting, degrading term.

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1096681813603089432004-10-01T21:33:00.000-04:002004-10-01T21:50:13.603-04:00

Do you ever see a commercial on television and then wonder what product or service the sponsor offers? BASF used to be one of the worst offenders. Drug companies used to be even worse: "ask your doctor what Lipitor can do for you." Uhh, okay. (At least new government regulations allow drug companies to actually say what their drugs do!) In honor of such ridiculous television advertisements, I

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1095946065340811132004-09-23T09:05:00.000-04:002004-09-23T09:27:45.340-04:00

Members of the press have often asserted that Walt Mossberg, "Personal Technology" columnist for the Wall Street Journal, is the most influential technology pundit. He does have a huge following. That is unfortunate, as Mossberg has demonstrated on many occasions that he does not know what he is talking about. The most clear example is his repeated assertion that there needs to be a "unified"

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1094919203233281992004-09-11T12:02:00.000-04:002004-09-11T12:13:23.233-04:00

The small things in life can make a big difference. One of those small things is a bar of soap. Proctor and Gamble, makers of Ivory soap, once marketed the brand as "The Soap that Floats." P&G says this floating property was an accident: one day a P&G worker left the soap mixing machine running too long, creating a frothy concoction. Thus the soap's density was less than that of water, which

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1094348109838176842004-09-04T21:09:00.000-04:002004-09-04T21:35:09.836-04:00

"Metro Opens Doors," says the Washington (D.C.) Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Indeed this is true, for each day thousands of doors open at my own Silver Spring station alone. I can only imagine all the places where those open doors are allowing people to go as Red Line trains clatter past my home in Silver Spring. Even so, sometimes this slogan causes me to smirk because the curious eye

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1091459043435388182004-08-02T10:26:00.000-04:002004-08-02T11:10:10.816-04:00

Though I am not a huge fan of enclosed shopping malls (or, as retail gurus would call them, "regional shopping centers") I do make an occasional trip to a mall to acquire life's necessities. One redeeming quality of the mall is the opportunity it offers for people watching. Indeed, it seems to me that one attraction of working in a mall shop is the constant parade of women walking past. A couple

Omarinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1091456745971743342004-08-02T10:24:00.000-04:002004-08-02T10:25:45.973-04:00

Occasionally someone asks me about the origin of the alias I typically use online, "massysett." It's a bit of an interesting story. While I was in college and gazing into a CRT in my dorm room, I decided I needed a separate e-mail address that I could give to untrustworthy parties. I wanted something unique--something that did not require me to append a collection of random digits to the end.

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1091132325316470162004-07-29T15:38:00.000-04:002004-07-29T16:18:45.316-04:00

Not far from where I live in beautiful Montgomery County, Maryland is Wheaton Regional Park. Summer at the park is such a delightful time: people go fishing at the lake (sometimes discovering snakehead fish) , mothers push their babies in strollers, dog owners bring their best friends to the dog park, and I go running through the gardens and the forest. A few weeks ago, good friend Melanie and I

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1090876154157768312004-07-26T17:04:00.000-04:002004-07-26T17:09:14.156-04:00

Currently you will find me at what I call the "home office" in Denver. I'm here to take the bar examination, which takes two days (Tuesday, July 27 and Wednesday, July 28.) Every time I return to my parents' house, something fresh and new greets me. This time it was my parents' new refrigerator. This is no ordinary refrigerator. Instead, it is a Maytag stainless-steel behemoth--so large that it

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7704581.post-1090811583109545612004-07-25T22:31:00.000-04:002004-07-25T23:13:03.110-04:00

It seems such a simple place, doesn't it: the grocery store. Sometimes the most we hope for from these places is to get out of them quickly, without encountering the dreadedly long checkout lines or the leperous customer at the checkstand who waites until everything has been scanned before beginning to complete her check. I understand these common grocery-store frustrations. Sometimes I just

Omarinoreply@blogger.com0