Taking Bets for 2021
by Steve West on November 27, 2020

Volcano? Locusts? Asteroid? New Nickelback album?
One Reply to Taking Bets for 2021
Web Junkie
Steve West scours the Web searching for interest or absurdity and then shakes his head ruefully when he finds it. Read more »

If I Had A Hammer...
I once heard Leonard Nimoy singing this old Pete Seeger tune and it almost gave me epileptic convulsions. It has nothing to do with this link of an amazing artist who works with Hammer and Nails. It's just that whenever I see a hammer or box of nails or even a picture of Karen Carpenter - that's the song that leaps into my head. Go »
Baby Boomer Blues
I overheard someone of my generation (born in the early 60's) recently say, "Kids today don't even know how to write in cursive," in a negative way. That statement got grumbled agreement from the codgers nearby. I was thinking without saying out loud, "Grandma, you can't even turn on your laptop without getting six viruses and wiring half your retirement money to a Nigerian Prince." Go »
Oscars 2012
Now that I can make no further changes to my picks, I'd like to hear about the categories people wrestled with most. I struggled most with costume, documentary and even adapted screenplay. Goodl luck everyone! Go »
Worst Pun Ever
Recent conversation with Brenda. Brenda: What are you grilling for dinner? me: Wookie steak. Go »
Who Edits Wikipedia?
Without trying to seem overly paranoid, I've always been just a little suspicious of Wikipedia entries since they can be easily manipulated. A student has created a program that tracks just who is making changes to Wikipedia; adding exaggerated claims or deleting sections with negative connotations. Go »
Scott Hardie | November 27, 2020
Dude, don't tempt fate.
I'd bet on more of the same environmental calamities: hurricanes and wildfires and maybe derechos, which I just learned are not spelled derechoes-with-an-e even though they can produce tornadoes-with-an-e. Likely more economic pain as Congress continues not to provide relief to a public that badly needs all the help it can get. Maybe some side effects from a COVID-19 vaccine, hopefully nothing on the scale of the Cutter Incident. And of course, the continued disintegration and polarization of American society; that much sadly seems like a given at this point.
But I'm hopeful for a better 2021, actually. If a vaccine that is declared safe -- if Fauci takes it, that's good enough for me -- is widely distributed and taken, maybe we'll only have to go through one holiday season without seeing loved ones. I'm as eager for this to be over with as anyone.