It's funny how things that have been there for a while sometimes suddenly get renoticed. Oddly, out of the blue, several people recently have asked about or complimented my camera. Okay, yes, it is very nice, but when it was new, not so many people cared. I've had the same camera for just over four years, and it's served me well. Better than 'well' actually—after more than 10,000 images and an 'odometer' turn over, it still takes a great photo. Still, lately, particularly when the conditions are less than optimal, there has been a small drop in picture quality. Nothing you'd see in published …

If it wasn't so hot, it might have been funny. Actually, it kind of is, in a sitcom sort of way. But only in retrospect. I live in a building with seven apartments and a shop downstairs. I've got a great space, the landlord is attentive, the neighbors are friendly, and the building has that unique charm that comes with being 150 years old. A new tenant just rented one of the efficiencies.. My new neighbor began moving in a week ago. The way I discovered this was the door between the hall and the alley to his apartment was left propped open, with no one in sight. It wasn't a really big deal, …

Recently, it's become apparent that my 5-year-old laptop is getting tired. Over the years, I've upgraded the RAM to the max, and it's seen a couple of complete OS overhauls, as well as a hard drive replacement. But a lot of the peripheral hardware, like the card reader and DVD drive, as well as a couple of the USB ports have died, and at its age it's not worth it to replace them. At the time I bought it, I shopped hard, and this computer owes me nothing. In its day it was top-of-the-line, and it's still pretty decent, compared to some of the less expensive laptops out there. When it's retired…

“We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness: — That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the governed; that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, & to institute new Government, laying it's Foundation on such Principles, & organizing it's Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most …

They aren't related issues, but really they are. In the last couple of weeks, the recent ban on dancing at the Jefferson Memorial has been in the news. This week, it's musicians in New York City parks. It seems some city officials have come up with the idea of having “quiet zones” in some public parks, and that means no street musicians. Forget the fact that short of a sound-proof booth, and sometimes not even then, that there are no quiet places in New York City. Somehow, the sound of a harp, or a violin, or a guitar, or whatever, is clearly far worse than the incessant sounds of traffic and…

It may be one of the last bastions of socially acceptable prejudice--the kind of car one drives. That's the funny thing about owning an older vehicle. No one has qualms about insinuating you might be a bit slow for not leaping at the first opportunity to dive deeply into debt to acquire some fiberglass, house-sized, gas-guzzling monstrosity with an engineered lifespan of five to seven years (long enough, if you're lucky, for it to last just as long as the payments). What is now nearly a century of advertising linking one's mode of transportation to one's happiness, personality, reputation and…

With a serious debate ratcheting up in Harrisburg about the future of state education funding, I've found myself thinking a lot about what's really important in education recently. Now, I don't have any children, so I can only use my own school and life experiences as a guide, along with what I've observed over the years, covering various school districts. The first thing I've noticed is that it's pretty obvious that education spending at the state level lately is more of a political football game than actually about the successful education of our children, most of the time. The people doing…

Over the years, I've covered or assisted in covering a number of elections. Since I'm a community reporter, this means that unlike the slick, moneyed campaigns that dominate state and federal races, I get to see politics at the grassroots level. Nay, make that the sprout level, with the occasional grub, as very often the candidates I meet are running for office for the very first time. Some folks have a natural instinct for what will be required of them, or are at least quick learners—but a few would-be future local elected leaders might benefit from a little friendly, if unsolicited, advice…

There are, and always have been bad people among us. Why this is is a matter of debate—some say the evildoers are just bad seeds, while others claim they are the product of their environment and upbringing. Perhaps it is a little of both. But at some point, people become wholly responsible for the choices they make, and unfortunately, some people choose a path of misery and destruction. This week, the world is down one miserable, murderous megalomaniac who was responsible for the deaths of some 3,500 people he never met, mostly U.S. citizens. For the fact that Osama bin Laden will never again…

“The story of Easter is not simply a Christian story. Not only is the very name 'Easter' the name of an ancient and non-Christian deity; the season itself has also, from time immemorial, been the occasion of rites and observances having to do with the mystery of death and resurrection among peoples differing widely in race and religion.” - Easter: its Story and Meaning, by Alan W. Watts, 1950. Today, all around the world, Christians are celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, known in America as “Easter.” But how did we come to call this holiday such? It's not so hard to determine the …

This time of year, on small roadside signs and anonymously pinned to grocery store message boards, hidden in church bulletins and on obscure websites, are the code words that indicate to a local group of watchful, dedicated initiates that another season of amazing bargains has begun: “RUMMAGE SALE” To those in the know, this eagerly awaited sign indicates a near-magical opportunity where household improvements can be accomplished for a handful of coins, the kids (and you) can be clothed in style for an entire season for $5 or $10, and delightful vintage and antique items can be found for a …

"So, what's your New Year's resolution?" You're bound to hear that question at least once in the next few days. It's a question I personally find quite annoying, no matter how innocently asked.  Truth be told, I no longer make New Year's resolutions—I make a wish list. Okay, that sounds a little whifty, I know. But I've come to the conclusion that New Year's resolutions are generally worthless, often depressing and sometimes even damaging. Why? Nearly no one keeps them, and they start with the premise that people are not good enough as they are. Both situations are good for very little …