Category: musings

Whenever I notice coincidences occurring in my life I pay attention because I believe the universe is giving me a gentle nudge to take a look. My latest series may seem trivial but let’s not forget that the kingdom was lost for want of a horseshoe nail. Who knows what wisdom we lose by not […]

On January 26th, a Saturday, we went to the Port Washington Farmers Market to shoot some video. The winter market is held indoors until spring, at the First Congregational Church. It drew quite a crowd. Our friend Pat Wilborn created the event three years ago, along with his wife, Amy, and it’s now showing signs […]

“Of the many thousands of hours spent around kitchen tables—those eternal kitchen tables of the poor!—there is not much to say.” ~Joyce Carol Oates, in Them. “Of those eternal kitchen tables of the poor there is considerable to say.” ~Two-Bit Guru Looking back, the first thing about kitchen tables is that they were in the […]

If you’re squeamish when it comes to mucous maybe you’d be best off not reading this.” ~Two-bit Guru~ Today, I set out to write a piece about using handkerchiefs in preference to tissues. As sometimes happens, my irresponsible mind wandered off track and I found myself writing a fond childhood reminiscence about snot blowing. Read […]

In his book, 59 seconds–Change your Life in less than a minute, Richard Wiseman writes of his research on giving college students free alcoholic beverages in exchange for their taking simple tests along the way to measure their drunkenness. As they drank more and more the students walked a straight line less and less, got […]

Two-bit Guru | Money & Equality | Photo of a roll of dollar bills.

Today I’m thinking about money and inequality. Since the material choices of life without money aren’t very attractive, most of us would like to have more, preferably lots more. But if everyone had lots more we’d still all be in the same boat, except everything would cost more, including the boat. To be better off […]

Two-bit Guru | Folded Paper | Photo of a folded piece of paper.

When I was a kid, it was common practice to tear an 8 1/2 by 11 inch piece of paper from a notebook and with a #2 pencil make lists, sketches, notes, play hangman, slip messages to our friends. We traveled light in those days, no backpacks, only shirt pockets, jeans pockets, coat pockets, and […]

Two-bit Guru | Setting Clocks Back |

“You might be able to save your pennies in a coffee can, but there ain’t no dang way you’re going to save daylight, no where, no place, no time, no how.” ~Two-bit guru~ As a child I was told that daylight saving time was invented so that the farmers could work longer into the evening, […]

Two-bit Guru | Giving Inspiration | Photo showing a folded speech evaluation form.

I wasn’t sure what I was going to write for today’s post, when last Thursday two young fellows each gave me gifts that caused me to feel really good, that glow-in-the-chest kind of good. Their gifts inspired me to share this little story. I help home-schooled kids grow beyond their inhibitions and gain confidence through […]

Two-bit Guru | Let it Percolate | Photo of a lathe in a machine shop.

When I was in my early 20’s I worked in a research lab where I met a man named Elmer, the most unique inventor I have ever known. He was something of a magician when it came to creating all sorts of innovative devices, gizmos, gadgets, machines, whatever. I self-appointed Elmer as my mentor because […]