tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-122132542026-03-23T05:56:31.649-05:00"An organist, while practicing one day, hit a particular chord which elevated his consciousness and he experienced what might be called nirvana or a glimpse of heaven -- perhaps a trance of sorts. However, as with all forms of stimulants, it was short lived and he moved one hand and could not find that special chord again. He spent the rest of his life searching for it."Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.comBlogger658125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12213254.post-68334779310739721562009-04-15T02:16:00.003-05:002009-04-15T02:45:18.121-05:00

My father died Tuesday afternoon. He was 81 and had Parkinson's Disease. A year ago he and my mom moved in with my brother, and I'm certain my father was very happy during that time. My mother was with him when he died. Parkinson's had robbed him of his true self, and I'm not sure he even knew what was happening at the end. But I'm certain he knew his family loved him, and I take some comfort in

Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12213254.post-34675855227319066482009-04-09T20:20:00.002-05:002009-04-09T20:24:07.247-05:00

This guy reminds me why I'm proud to be from Iowa.And this lady reminds me why I'm happy I'm not living in Texas.

Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12213254.post-45884937736017451472009-04-09T19:42:00.001-05:002009-04-09T20:01:27.369-05:00

Do you think if I asked, would my employer "cut" my salary by increasing it 4 percent, like the proposed Dept. of Defense budget?

Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12213254.post-41209572779691186032009-04-09T03:30:00.003-05:002009-04-09T03:35:07.357-05:00

The progression of information technology. As a former college professor, I'm struck by the message that students today are being trained for jobs that don't yet exist, using technology that hasn't been created, to solve problems we are as yet unaware of.The implications for those in higher education are mind boggling.

Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12213254.post-50752007737173341472009-04-09T02:42:00.001-05:002009-04-09T02:44:16.260-05:00

Out of tragedy, a brief smile:Maria D'Antuono, a 98 year-old grandmother from the village of Tempera close to the city of L'Aquila, was lifted from her apartment after being trapped in it for two days. When she was asked on Italian television how she had passed the time, she simply replied that she had been keeping busy "knitting."

Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12213254.post-31165846407345832322009-03-29T22:42:00.005-05:002009-03-29T22:49:11.800-05:00

There's a new development on Scenic Ave. just south of Grand St. in Springfield, MO called Scenic Station.I always thought one purchased/owned a condo, like a house. Why would anyone rent a condo? Doesn't that make them apartments?Evidently, Scenic Station has just one condo, and it possesses something.

Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12213254.post-50031797387545116652009-03-29T20:03:00.005-05:002009-03-29T20:49:25.410-05:00

Poynter has posted an essay written by the late John Walter, a founding editor of USA Today, in which he blames three people for newspapers' demise. It's a good read by an intelligent writer. I'm not sure I agree with all of it, but Walter makes several salient points, which Charles Batchelor nicely summarizes in the comments section:1) It's not wise to discount the product and then ask people to

Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12213254.post-44262152371563803002009-03-17T00:27:00.001-05:002009-03-17T00:27:27.575-05:00

Eric Etheridge has an interesting "Opinionater" piece (http://ping.fm/bRbXs) in Monday's "New York Times" on the "inevitable" demise of newspapers.Etheridge notes that several "Internet enthusiasts" say it's time to stop trying to save the newspaper industry and get on with the revolution. "Instead, experiment with new ways of doing journalism in the digital era."One possibility: “a hyperlocal

Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12213254.post-9878468612183522082009-03-16T00:46:00.001-05:002009-03-16T00:46:49.664-05:00

In order to be as efficient as possible, I'm trying to use Ping.fm to update multiple services, namely Twitter, Facebook and Blogger. What you're reading should appear on my blog and as a note on my Facebook account, not on Twitter.It's too long for Twitter, but should be fine on Blogger and Facebook. I just have to remember to input the proper code at the beginning of a post.

Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12213254.post-87835116056250514882009-03-15T23:01:00.003-05:002009-03-15T23:03:43.521-05:00

I'm trying to use an alternative service for blogging that will upload posts automatically to multiple locations. It's supposed to work for blogger, but so far isn't. Fortunately, I'm not the only one having this problem... so it's them, not me. I think.

Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12213254.post-33702860433774389622008-11-01T23:58:00.004-05:002008-11-02T00:23:35.818-05:00

I got a new camera for my birthday this year. I wanted a digital SLR but couldn't justify the cost, especially for additional lenses. So I got something close: a 10 megapixel Olympus SP-570 ultra-zoom. It has the longest superzoom lens on a compact camera, covering the 35mm equivalent range of 26-520mm.I've dabbled in 35mm photography since high school, even had my own black and white dark room

Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12213254.post-3552909504628312422008-09-28T19:08:00.003-05:002008-09-28T19:15:35.379-05:00

I know, I know. I keep saying I'll have more to say more regularly and then don't follow through. Yes, I annoy me, too.Chez DocLarryManor is a bit lonely this weekend. Mrs. DocLarry is up north visiting family, Baxter is at summer camp. So, here are a couple photos of the boy to tide you and me over until Wednesday.Baxter enjoying the lush green grass of someone else's lawn. I can't ever get mine

Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12213254.post-4922115053097260932008-08-09T21:37:00.000-05:002008-08-09T21:38:37.941-05:00

I'll leave chastising John Edwards for having an adulterous affair with Rielle Hunter to others. Personally, I don't care that much. I think he did a very dumb thing while campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination and am disappointed for that reason. For everything else, it's none of my business. But I do want to draw attention to the role of the National Enquirer in this, ahem,

Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12213254.post-78552559940715210662008-06-24T02:35:00.003-05:002008-06-24T02:41:58.503-05:00

Kids of all ages enjoy watching an odometer turn to a bunch of zeros all in a row. That can be a fun part of summer travel. But with skyrocketing gas prices and an economy in the tank, many families won't be making those long trips.Never fear...thanks to YouTube you can enjoy an odometer turning over to 200,000 miles (hell, it might be the only time you EVER get to see that!) without leaving

Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12213254.post-49239526760704001412008-06-24T02:30:00.001-05:002008-06-24T02:33:09.263-05:00

I helped elect Claire McCaskill in 2006 because I thought she would better represent Missourians. Now, I'm not so sure. Two recent actions are feeding my disappointment in the first-term senator.McCaskill Urges Anheuser-Busch Board to Reject Offer in which the senator informs us she "sent [a] letter to the Anheuser-Busch board of directors urging them to reject InBev’s offer to purchase the

Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12213254.post-61173706313374243202008-06-17T04:25:00.000-05:002008-06-17T04:25:01.107-05:00

Found this over at Watching Those We Chose:Conservative columnist George Will claims average Americans “are better off today than they were in 2000-2001.” This despite all evidence to the contrary.Since Will is never wrong, this homeless veteran must be better off:And so are these laid-off workers.And the family who used to live in this house.And certainly those in New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward

Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12213254.post-6661548172937256712008-05-22T01:22:00.002-05:002008-05-22T01:30:37.209-05:00

I'm sure the massive increase in the price of gas is having an impact on summer travel.WASHINGTON (AFP) - More than half of Americans will not be taking a summer holiday this year, opting instead to stay home and save money as the US economy slumps, a survey published Wednesday showed.What about you? How has the high price of fuel affected your plans? A certain news operation wants to know.

Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12213254.post-37767979891458586992008-05-22T01:16:00.003-05:002008-05-22T01:56:42.308-05:00

I'm sorry Sen. Ted Kennedy has brain cancer. And yes, the story IS news. But the man is NOT dead yet. So could the media please stop eulogizing him?BOSTON - After the Boston Red Sox's 86-year span without a World Series championship, perhaps the most familiar streak in Massachusetts is the half-century that a Kennedy has represented the state in the U.S. Senate.Now, the news that Sen. Edward M.

Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12213254.post-83653810229200763272008-05-22T00:58:00.005-05:002008-05-22T01:57:18.098-05:00

This is just...oh, I don't know. Embarrassing is too tame. Frustrating, certainly. Disgusting? Still not strong enough. Aggravating...WASHINGTON - The House overwhelmingly rejected President Bush's veto Wednesday of a $290 billion farm bill, but what should have been a stinging defeat for the president became an embarrassment for Democrats.Only hours before the House's 316-108 vote, Bush had

Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12213254.post-29654433473082084762008-05-21T00:14:00.002-05:002008-05-21T00:20:15.789-05:00

This could prove interesting:Big box electronics retailer, Circuit City, has filed papers with the Federal Communications Commission claiming the agency is working outside its jurisdiction over retail labeling. As part of the upcoming DTV transition next February, the FCC last May, adopted a rule requiring retailers to label TVs with only analog (NTSC) tuners as incompatible with digital

Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12213254.post-18047963921072052512008-05-20T00:42:00.004-05:002008-05-20T00:45:27.740-05:00

I wonder how long before this appears somewhere in the states?TWO Belgian beer fans have launched a video game named Place to Pee, which allows players to fly down ski slopes or kill aliens while relieving themselves at urinals. Werner Dupont, a software developer and Bart Geraets, an electrical engineer, got the idea while drinking beers. The Place to Pee' booth is designed for two users

Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12213254.post-44029538204061206352008-05-20T00:29:00.001-05:002008-05-20T00:37:42.852-05:00

I found this several months ago. It's cute.

Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12213254.post-31377287162632544672008-05-20T00:16:00.002-05:002008-05-20T00:27:50.840-05:00

My father's Parkinson's has progressed to a point where my mother can no longer take care of him by herself. An infection put him in the hospital for awhile, and then into a long-term care facility. Mrs. DocLarry and I paid a visit to him shortly after he'd been moved to the "facility." He was extremely unhappy, and I can't say as I blame him. Most of the "patients" appeared to be waiting to die.

Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12213254.post-38014737511170286282008-05-19T23:54:00.003-05:002008-05-20T00:16:44.912-05:00

The TV news producing bidness can be very taxing. One only has a finite amount of time in which to squeeze news of the day. The problem may be exacerbated by the finicky news goddess who seems to prefer feast or famine, but nothing in between.Tonight is a great example of feast: a sweeps package running nearly 4 minutes, a franchise package running 2:30, a night-side reporter package also running

Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12213254.post-27936854074068337112008-04-04T03:08:00.002-05:002008-04-04T03:16:16.982-05:00

Yeah, I know...long time no blog. Trip out on this video featuring Sen. Mike Gravel. Charles Manson stole it from the Beatles. U2 stole it back. I'm not sure WHAT Gravel is doing with it.Seriously, I'm impressed by the video, especially Gravel's willingness to play-along. Not sure if other candidates could pull this off. Gravel has always marched to his own beat in the campaign. Perhaps this is a

Larry Burkumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08076508753743010819noreply@blogger.com0