Yes, you will probably find most of these essays highly opinionated. Why on earth would I take the time to write them if I didn’t get to stand on a soap box and dish attitude? In most cases, people have already had a chance to reply to these opinions in some forum or another, so no, I’m not especially interested if you disagree with them now. Feel free to write a counterargument and post it on your own web site.
I cantankerously pontificate on the sad state of computer games in 2020. September 2020
Ms. McIntyre’s 1998 Internet Relay Chat transcript of the event. With funny. December 2018
My 2018 holiday card. December 2018
As of 2018, still the only place on the internet you’ll find this recipe! August 2017
The “modern” bathroom is anything but. October 2015
Holy cow. Has it been five years since I last wrote an essay? Dang! And this one’s just a detailed review of a ultra-bargain-basement Chinese-made laser cutter. July 2015
How am I supposed to choose the right cold medicine if I’m sick enough to need a cold medicine?? November 2000
If a convention expects you to sit in front of a room of people and talk for a couple hours over a weekend, the least they can do is buy your membership to the convention, isn’t it? February 1998
Dismaying proof that “more unique” and “exactly the same” are completely proper English. February 2003
Feet, pounds, and gallons vs. meters, grams, and liters. It’s like Barney vs. Godzilla. March 1997
Inspired by example, I humbly re-interpret the Lord’s Prayer in contemporary terms. March 2000
So much sound and fury over such a simple idea. February 2004
An illustrated travelog of an exceptionally pleasant trip from Seattle to Chicago via Amtrak. December 2006
Another forgotten essay (with research!) to answer somebody's question about dying a swimming pool using Kool-aid™. May 1998, posted February 2020
I unearth a long-lost post wherein I provide a window into one of the more unusual web searches I’ve ever run. March 1997
More ranting about why Unix/Linux is not the best thing since sliced bread. Writing this made me feel better, but, really, nobody else needs to read it. September 2005
If you're a masochist . . . otherwise, see above. May 2005
There are also a number of entries on my LiveJournal blog. Alas, they really don’t have much in the way of a decent table of contents system; it’s a pain in the . . . neck . . . to find older entries that I want. So I decided to hand-assemble a table of contents here, pointing to some of the more interesting entries.
A preposterous amount of effort to do, well, nothing! May 2005
Wherein I lay down the first of what turns out to be many many posts about cooking. Or in this case, canning peaches. July 2005
Wherein I find myself chased by trans-fat Heffalumps who sing about lard. August 2005
In which I gasp in awe at the least well-known Cirque du Soleil show in Vegas. November 2005
A particularlarly entertaining (according to friends) collection of observations prompted by a Food Network show, in which I laugh and point at the silliness that even current researchers are indulging in, while trying to improve the modern kitchen. April 2006
Everybody thinks they have trouble finding clothes in their size. I have yet to meet the person who has more trouble than I do. July 2007
I discover the exciting world of “cryoblasting!” June 2007
More about cooking. Yes, you can actually cook with a microwave, not just reheat. June 2007
I explore issues of gender, race, health, height, and Hollywood, and admit that I’m not as cool as I’d thought. October 2007
I talk about Building the Perfect Cat. January 2008
I think this is my most-commented post, where I talk about the remarkable efforts some sleazebag expends to try to trick me into sending them a bunch of money. February 2008
Where I relate the tale of how I “endanger life and limb” by foolishly figuring out how to keep using my really kick-ass older ski bindings on new skis, even though the manufacturers are certain that I’d be much better of with some cheap newer bindings. ‘Cause those old bindings couldn’t possibly still be safe to use, no no no! February 2008
A meme that I’ve run across many times goes something like “the adoption of agriculture, supposedly our most decisive step toward a better life, was in many ways a catastrophe from which we have never recovered.” In this essay, I pull together the evidence that shows this idea to be complete and total nonsense. April 2008
Ruminations on the phenomenon of Lady Gaga, and the problem of finding studly macho dancers. July 2009
A completely different perspective on the musical arts from the previous essay. This one’s about the unique qualities of a non-school-based choir. November 2009
I reveal Deeply Held Secrets about the *.us domain. Yes, the very one that this web site lives in/on. Oooooo! January 2010
I go from “I can’t wait to play with Ruby on Rails” to “Ruby on Rails Sucks” in the blink of an eye. Why? May 2010
Because it’s been far too long since I did a blog entry about food, of course. Including the notable footnote that explains why rhubarb is a fruit. June 2010
If you buy, or plan to buy, anything on eBay, you’ll probably learn a lot of useful things from this essay that explains the theory and practice of sniping. August 2010
I reveal invaluable secrets of a technical support guru. Amaze Your Friends with your newfound powers. January 2011
https://snarke.livejournal.com/32335.htmlAs far as I can tell, after extensive internet searches, I appear to be the first person in the history of the Internet to have made Casaba Jelly. Which is a crying shame, because it's delicious! June 2013