Planet Walt

We are all search engines...

...driven to discover.

a second thought is always good

Here's an example of why it's good to really reflect on ideas that might seem interesting at first: "a jihad on the automotive market"?

my pirate name

My pirate name is:

Dirty Sam Bonney

You're the pirate everyone else wants to throw in the ocean -- not to get rid of you, you understand; just to get rid of the smell. You can be a little bit unpredictable, but a pirate's life is far from full of certainties, so that fits in pretty well. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
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drive-thru rage

We live in troubled times: some fool shot up a fast food restaurant's drive-thru window.

Entry 200

When I created this blog in November of 2004, I thought I'd only post three or four notes as a demo for students in my "Stories and Storytellers" class. Here it is almost two years later and I'm still going, with 200 posts and spot #43 on the list of UThink blogs with the most entries. Wow!

top 10 movies

While surfing yesterday I came across a class blog that asks for the students' 10 favorite movies. Of course, that got me thinking about mine! In no particular order (trying to rank them would be a nightmare), they are:

• Star Wars
• The Matrix
• Double Indemnity
• In the Mood for Love
• Spirited Away
• Heart and Souls
• When Harry Met Sally...
• Aliens
• Charade
• Do the Right Thing

urban racoons

At the tail end of a major home renovation, there are 3 trash bags in the yard behind my house. This morning a hole was poked in one, and some leftover food pulled out. Another bag had the top untied, but nothing was missing. My contractor thinks that some racoons are the culprits. I can buy that with bag #1 (with the hole), but these critters can untie a knot?!? Damn!

neighborhood kid's survey

Last night a kid from the neighborhood was going door to door doing a survey on pets. The kid's about 9 years old, and I think she lives about halfway down the block from me. I was surprised that she was walking around without a parent or older sibling in this age of Amber Alerts, but Prospect Park is a relatively safe and secluded 'hood. Also, it's cool to see parents encouraging their kids to venture out into unfamiliar territory....

first day of classes

Today is one of my favorite days of the year, as I discussed in a post on this day last year. From 9-9:30 this morning I stood in the hallway here at Appleby Hall directing traffic for nervous, yet excited first year students. I can hardly believe that it's been 20 years since I also wandered around on the first day as a wide-eyed freshman (at Georgia Tech)....