Corky Pickering

I'm excited about Taylor Swift this morning, as I just finished watching a 30-minute video of her discussing her songwriting process. Swift has been named one of the 30 greatest living songwriters by The New York Times. She is one smart successful young lady. Of course, anyone who can play the piano has always impressed me from the get-go. My wife isn't a Taylor Swift fan, and I don't really know or particularly like any of the music I've heard either. I guess I'm what you might call – an “Intellectual Swiftie.” Much in the way I first became obsessed with Hemingway the person, and then read his books. But I should probably let Taylor Swift noodle around in my head awhile before I write anything.

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I last wrote a column about taxes back in 2017, so I don't think I'm overusing the topic – but today I'd like to rant a bit.

After years in an office, I spend a lot of time outside communing with nature. The other day, a little finch flew over to land on my chest, but when I glimpsed it with my peripheral vision, I jumped, and she flew away. I also remember how hummingbirds would hover around my hammock and engage […]

My wife cajoled me into going to Trader Joe's with her for some grocery shopping. I know, “Who buys groceries at Trader Joes?” – other than Generation Z'ers and younger folks. You go to a real grocery store. I've actually been a shopper at Trader Joes for decades, but my forays there were intermittent, and […]

How is Max the big Belgian Malinois doing? He's doing great! Getting a bit beat up here and there, but you can't have a good time chasing squirrels without paying the price. He's coming up on five years old come September 11. That's his arbitrary DOB – the date he showed up on our porch – when the vet estimated he was about a year old. He just keeps getting better and better – a far cry from the Maligator we started out with. He doesn't touch anything in the house now (except the cat's food). Before, we had to toddler-proof the place and lock up all our wooden rocking chairs (or find them in pieces upon our return).

My daughter bought a plan that emails me questions every week, which she has selected for me to answer.

My buddy yelled at me the other day when I referred to Alexa as a “she.” I was telling him about my first AI-type experience with her, when he stopped me. “Do you hear yourself?

I saw an interesting piece on CBS's Sunday Morning about the growth of “listening rooms” in bars. Folks pay $20 for a ticket to listen to a complete vinyl album – on a turntable with a high-end stereo system, in an acoustically designed room. About a dozen people are lined up in comfy chairs, drinking […]

I've been trying to replace two lamp shades in our bedroom for at least a decade. As one might guess, neither looked particularly good 10 years ago – and to no one's surprise, their condition hasn't improved.