SmallWorld, by Harry Holdorf
It was quite interesting from the start. The assortment of Santa Clara Valley programmers had tired of seeing who could get their charcoal barbeques lit the fastest (3.2 seconds), and had moved on to creating their own SmallWorlds. While the general public played...
Tater Talk, by Harry Holdorf
It’s funny … when you’re peeling potatoes for frying, you don’t have to peel them all: just the green and the rotten, the stems and sprouts, and then use a brush on the rest. It’s way too easy for the olders of us to criticize the youngers: when Elan was displaying...
What Makes Things Tick, by Harry Holdorf
What Makes Things Tick I’m noticing the seasonal change, as if for the first time. Last night (Sept 27th), I closed the bedroom windows, and tonight I also closed the blinds. After such an unbelievable summer—six months of Western Carolina days strung together, living...
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, by Harry Holdorf
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs The most common use of Maslow’s five-level Hierarchy of Needs is to propose that a person’s basic needs be met before expecting them to act on higher levels. Get them (1) fed, clothed, and bedded down before expecting them to sober up....
Lydia Davis, by Harry Holdorf
I figured out why the Chinese respect their elders—'cause if they didn’t, they’d kill 'em. If you see an old person on their feet somewhere, get them a chair, 'cause they probably wanna sit down. I used to wonder why people could sit somewhere for long periods, doing...
Commoner, Ohio, by Harry Holdorf
COMMONER, OHIO Along state spur 67E, in East-Central Ohio, is this sign: WELCOME TO COMMONER, OHIO Population: 643 Renewable fuels only, and a little bit cleaner lifestyle! There’s only one sign, because there’s only one road into Commoner. Walter Lessing, the owner...
Backside of the Moon Chinese Chicken Ranch, by Harry Holdorf
My name is Johnson Adams, I’m reporting for The Huffington Post. The year is 2084. I’m on board Bloc #342, on my way to a place called the Dark Side Of The Moon Chicken Ranch. I’m hitching a ride with Ann Chu, 23, a farmer from Kunming, Yunnan, China, and Randy...
cows and birds, by Harry Holdorf
I think it was Wendell Berry who said birds and we had much in common, because we both eat bugs. Not that WE actually eat bugs, but bugs are our enemies. Cows we do eat, though. Outside my desk window, it’s basically cows and birds. Cows are quite nimble creatures,...
Wendell Berry, by Harry Holdorf
It’s a hackneyed cliché that great poets, writers, thinkers, are seldom recognized by their contemporaries. Cultures are so caught up in their own little dioramas, the bigger pictures often pass by unseen. Perhaps future generations will recognize Wendell Berry as the...
www.thereisonegod.com, by Harry Holdorf
There was this hairy, black, long, rounded mucus-covered package come slowly sliding out the rear end of a angus cow, standing alone in the middle of a spring-green Carolina meadow. Momma slowly turned and began licking and nudging the gently moving life package, and...