Ancient History – Art Steinmetz

I briefly did a personal blog starting in 2008 just to see what all the cool kids were doing. It is of scant interest today, but I’m a hoarder.

Oktoberfest 2010 - Eighties Throwback!

The fashion of every decade looks ridiculous in retrospect but you can certainly say eighties fashion was a damn sight more colorful than Grunge. And music? Who goes to a…

Oktoberfest 2009 - Bollywood!

It’s that time of year again. Oktoberfest! We decided to celebrate it when the Germans do - in September. Go figure.

Merry Christmas!

The Night Before the Steinmetz 2008 Christmas

Holiday Trigonometry

The older kids have been terrific in helping to put up the various Christmas decorations this year. This is our first Christmas in the new house so I felt that we had to…

He’s Up!

Hot Chocolate Face-Off

You may be going through life drinking your basic Swiss Miss instant hot chocolate and being perfectly happy. Still, if you are like most people you occasionally wonder if…

Drunkard’s Drive

“Drunkard’s walk” is the metaphor used in Statistics to describe a random path or it could refer to a drunk guy walking around. It could also refer to the Google Street View…

Twice Flat Broke

I came across a book at a flea market last year called “Cheer Up!,” published in 1933. It was written by Roger Babson, a noted investor of the day who predicted the 1929…

White Slavery, Buggery And Pederasty -Or- What I Saw At The Flea Market

I love books and paper and print. I love stationary, notebooks and fancy pens. Ironically, my handwriting is atrocious and I hate the physical act of trying to form letters…

What You Think Matters In Politics, Doesn’t

Many of my friends think the policy positions of the presidential candidates matter to voters. They don’t. Obama will win and McCain will lose. That result was baked in the…

Ancient Chinese Secret, Huh?

As long as I can remember noticing, 30 years ago, say, Chinese take-out places have used the same chopstick sleeve with the same horrible English greeting.

Oktoberfest 2008 - Art Turns 50!

And, yes, it was my 50th Birthday party, but let’s not dwell on that. Yes, I did get drunk in front of my boss but let’s not dwell on that either. We found a caterer who…

Lies, Damn Lies And Charts

Even Nobel Prize Winners Can Be Graphically Impaired

Bavarian Beer Dreams

In August of 2004 we took a family vacation to my Mother’s home turf of Bavaria. It was a chance for my kids to connect with their heritage and my Mom to reconnect. For me…