Tuesday, September 8, 2026

When your inbox overwhelms you

In the play Octet, recently staged by Raven Theatre at the Goodman, the characters lament their internet addictions, including compulsive gaming, conspiracy mongering, pornography, and doomscrolling.


My problem wasn’t any of those. It was simply being overwhelmed by the volume of email.


Tuesday, August 11, 2026

Start the battle against pantry moths as soon as you see one

I don’t want to alarm you, but do you realize how easy it is to bring bugs home?


I bought a bag of rice at an ethnic grocery store. At home, I poured the contents from the paper bag into a Ball jar. When I opened the jar some time later, insects flew out that I learned were pantry moths. The bag of rice must have contained eggs or larvae. I threw out the rice and washed the jar, whose sides were covered with the telltale webbing that identifies pantry moths. 


Afterward I saw a moth so infrequently that I naively didn’t think about the moths reproducing. But when an occasional moth still appeared months later, action was past due.


Thursday, July 30, 2026

One scam after another after another

For years I’ve rarely shopped in physical stores except grocery and drug stores. But I’m annoyed enough with online shopping to think about going back to brick and mortar businesses.