Groundhog Day. We’ve all heard of it. Laughed at it. Questioned the “science” behind it. But how many of us have bothered to actually GO to Punxsutawney, PA – much less learn how to spell it correctly? In a fit of fever-induced haze, I decided that I’d visit Punxsutawney for the 116th Groundhog Day, Feb. 02, 2002.
It’s for security. That’s what they’ll say when we ask why it takes three hours to board a plane, or when the airports are closed, or streets are blocked. It’s for security. The justification for radically expanding the government’s authority to watch us, to detain us, to prosecute us. It’s for security. How we’ll be convinced to present national ID cards in order to purchase a hammer at Wal-Mart, or condoms, or a book on Islam. It’s for security! The rallying cry of a frightened and grieving nation, a nation that has never before surrendered to fear and has only […]
So it’s Monday. Like every other Monday for the past year or so, I get up at an ungodly hour. I somehow manage to shower, grab my bags, and head out the door for Union Station in DC. It’s time once again for my weekly ritual of riding Amtrak to New York’s Pennsylvania Station. It’s a gorgeous morning – the sun is just starting to electrify the eastern sky. And with the streaks of clouds providing depth and texture to the horizon, it’s magnificent. Especially when my cab crosses the Roosevelt Bridge – the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and […]
I honestly thought today was going to be a good day. My friend’s wife had agreed to come into Manhattan so we could all spend an evening together in the city. (This *never* happens. No, really. NEVER.) I had lunch scheduled with a friend and former coworker. Planned to work with my designer to build a new website. NOTHING particularly taxing. Just one of those days that you’re thankful for, now and again, the kind that injects 7.25 hours of blissful boredom into the frenetic Manhattan workday. Unfortunately, my corner of tranquility was driven straight to hell the second I […]
A blustery, bone-chilling cold snap did not discourage thousands of inauguration celebrants Saturday from visiting the national Mall to see a makeshift “Bridge to the 21st Century” and sample the latest technological innovations. The Technology Playground proved a leading draw among a village of tents and kiosks that make up “An American Journey,” the inaugural festival on the Mall. The interactive multimedia center features some of the most advanced computer systems and telecommunications products in use today, as well as some dizzying technologies that are not quite ready for prime-time. Produced by the Los Angeles-based Digital Evolution, Inc., the Playground […]
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