E D Skinner

Fiction, facts, and philosophy

Miscellaneous

Build a Better Mine
Posts
1/26/13

This year’s flu, in spite of the preventative shots, has completed its round through our family.

Rainy Day in Phoenix
Posts
1/25/13
Peaceful rainy day.
You Guess
Posts
12/29/12
Tally the Score
Posts
12/24/12

We plan to have three sources of income when I retire: the IRA we’ve been building for several decades, an old style retirement fund from an employer many years ago, and Social Security.

One-Time Pad
Posts
12/5/12

Introduction

A one-time pad is one of the best ways of making truly secret messages. Created and used correctly, it can be mathematically proven that it cannot be broken. While anyone looking at the ciphertext might easily guess it is a secret message, figuring out exactly what the cleartext says is truly impossible.

Word of the Day
Posts
11/16/12

Retroproctologist

(I don’t want to know.)

Jimmy Olsen, Cub Reporter
Posts
10/31/12

Write the lead last and break all the rules you wish.

QuiBids Redefines English
Posts
10/12/12

A “bid” is an offer to buy something. The operative word here is offer. If you don’t win an auction with that offer, you don’t pay.

My Favorite Spam
Posts
9/23/12

On yesterday’s Autumnal Equinox post, I got this eloquent and grateful comment. (Apparently I saved his life!)

68 Degrees and Counting
Posts
9/22/12

Fall arrived two hours ago - that’s the Autumnal Equinox, when the length of the day has shortened to equal the length of the night. From here on, nights will be longer than days until next spring.