The Galway Chronicles

As we prepare for a trip to the Emerald Isle, I'm reading some historical fiction about Ireland: The Galway Chronicles by Bodie and Brock Thoene.

I've finished and enjoyed two of them so far. The books don't compare to the classics by James Joyce, but they do have good guys and bad guys and lots happens to the poor Donovan family. The books are set in the 1840's, when the English ruled Ireland and sent troublesome young men to America or the gallows. Knowing something about Irish history and geography helps make them interesting.

I'm listening to A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, by Joyce. Again, my increased familiarity with the country helps me understand the context in which Stephen Dedalus struggles to figure out who he is.

If Man Walked on the Moon Today

If Man Walked on the Moon Today is a nice satire of today's media industry.

Choosing a career

Purdue University's Center for Career Opportunities has a page for discovering who you are and finding an appropriate career (major).

It relies on identifying oneself as one of six types.

How the media work

Archbishop Chaput's essay on the media, its obligation to present the truth, and its shortcomings in doing so.

Leave 'em at home

Apparently, one cannot take snow globes on airplanes. Who knew? (You gotta love the little picture showing the red circle and slash over the cute little snow globe.) (Note, however, that the slash goes from upper left to lower right on street signs; on the snow globe, the slash is on the other diagonal.)

Mike's wanderings

Mike Warner made it to Four Corners at the end of June in his journey around the country visiting national parks.

Failure and system architecture

Charles Perrow's opinion piece in the June 28 Washington Post discusses the role of human controllers in systems such as subways and airliners and discusses the different system architectures of the airliners designed and manufactured by Boeing and Airbus.

He argues that Boeing's modular design may be safer in situations when the consequences are catastrophic.