http://chriscarlisle.gather.com Recent Articles on Gather by Chris Carlisle en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:24:57 GMT 2010-01-05T19:24:57Z en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 http://www.gather.com/images/header/logo_gather.gif http://www.gather.com/ http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977777813 I volunteered to coach my coach my five-year-old daughter’s soccer team this fall. Well, that’s not entirely true.  To volunteer means to freely give one’s time, and technically . . . Tue, 18 Aug 2009 03:15:14 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977777813 Chris Carlisle 2009-08-18T03:15:14Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977731481 There’s nothing quite like the feeling you get when you come home after a long, hard day of pretending to work, walking through the front door of your house, and have your wife greet you as you . . . Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:24:07 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977731481 Chris Carlisle 2009-07-07T21:24:07Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977614740 Sunday March 8 at 2am marks the beginning of Daylight Savings Time. I don’t know the complete history of Daylight Savings, but I believe it began in the late 1800s as a measure to protect early rising . . . Thu, 05 Mar 2009 04:16:37 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977614740 Chris Carlisle 2009-03-05T04:16:37Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977597213 Welcome to the official start of Beard Season 2009! Beard season, if you’re unaware, is the longest contiguous time period during a calendar year in which a man can grow his beard before his wife or . . . Tue, 17 Feb 2009 06:09:24 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977597213 Chris Carlisle 2009-02-17T06:09:24Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977585096 (Note: the following article contains references to bodily functions that are not generally topics of discussion in polite company. Since what follows is neither a Nickelodeon cartoon nor a Jack Black . . . Thu, 05 Feb 2009 08:32:40 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977585096 Chris Carlisle 2009-02-05T08:32:40Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977556719 If you’re enrolled in any type of retirement, 401k, or other investment plan, you’ll probably notice something different about your next earnings statement. Due to the economic downturn, most investment . . . Thu, 08 Jan 2009 04:40:25 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977556719 Chris Carlisle 2009-01-08T04:40:25Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977554620 My daughter recently received a Native American Bead Loom (made in Taiwan, which apparently was where the Cherokee settled after walking the Trail of Tears) with the noble intent of making friendship . . . Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:02:43 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977554620 Chris Carlisle 2009-01-06T06:02:43Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977549477 Here we are on the cusp of a new year, a time when many of my colleagues will post their standard year in review column to eulogize the year that was. Unlike them however, my eyes are not looking back . . . Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:46:47 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977549477 Chris Carlisle 2008-12-31T17:46:47Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977543435 Bumping into a coworker outside of work can be, well, awkward. It doesn’t matter who it is: your boss, the annoying guy in the cube next to you, or even the coworker you are accustomed to joking with . . . Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:32:15 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977543435 Chris Carlisle 2008-12-23T14:32:15Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977537739 I found Jesus over the weekend.  He was in my coat pocket. Oh, this wasn't the first time I found Jesus.  I've found him many times over the past few weeks.  A few days earlier . . . Wed, 17 Dec 2008 05:22:46 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977537739 Chris Carlisle 2008-12-17T05:22:46Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977406061 Trying to stay afloat during the nation’s current financial situation pretty much has everyone’s freddies in a mac right now. Will any more banks fail? Will energy and food costs continue to go up? Will . . . Fri, 25 Jul 2008 06:29:32 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977406061 Chris Carlisle 2008-07-25T06:29:32Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977404344 Now that Gather members have had a chance to review the recent changes this latest upgrade has brought (no more home page, posts instead of articles), many of you are probably asking yourself what all . . . Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:58:57 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977404344 Chris Carlisle 2008-07-23T00:58:57Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977394369 This week marks the beginning of the annual running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, or as it's known in the bull community, the goring of the slowpokes. The tradition dates back over 400 years, beginning . . . Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:56:54 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977394369 Chris Carlisle 2008-07-10T10:56:54Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977388609 Recently the family and I attended a Reds game at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. I'm not exactly a die hard fan of the sport; I follow baseball about as closely as I follow nuclear physics. . . . Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:58:57 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977388609 Chris Carlisle 2008-07-03T11:58:57Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977380404 We are gathered here today to pay respects to a dear old friend who is no longer with us. He's someone who I've spent a lot of time with over the past few years and has meant a lot to me. Over . . . Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:14:44 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977380404 Chris Carlisle 2008-06-23T14:14:44Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977374569 It turns out horses are a lot like Lays potato chips:  salty and available in many different sizes for your convenience.  Oh, and then there's that rule about not having just one.  At . . . Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:47:51 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977374569 Chris Carlisle 2008-06-16T14:47:51Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977370553 Let's face it, when it comes to Father's Day presents, not a lot of thought goes into the gift selecting process… or at least not as much as goes into selecting a Mother's Day gift (there, . . . Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:38:26 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977370553 Chris Carlisle 2008-06-12T13:38:26Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977362027 Taking your car in for repair is a lot like bathing a temperamental, still very much clawed cat. You avoid it at all possible costs. Or at least that was my plan when my car first started making a very . . . Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:45:25 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977362027 Chris Carlisle 2008-06-05T11:45:25Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977357153 The end of May/beginning of June marks the start of graduation season. Graduation is both an exciting and scary time for college seniors because it means saying goodbye to the comfortable security blanket . . . Fri, 30 May 2008 05:18:19 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977357153 Chris Carlisle 2008-05-30T05:18:19Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977351064 Recently I was invited to speak to my daughter's third grade class during Career Week, which is when the school asks parents to come in talk about their occupation with the students. The purpose of . . . Thu, 22 May 2008 11:41:43 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977351064 Chris Carlisle 2008-05-22T11:41:43Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977345900 Last Thursday evening while I was diligently working on my latest column (okay, I was playing Guitar Hero), we lost power in our house. It was quite unexpected; we had some inclement weather during the . . . Thu, 15 May 2008 06:27:58 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977345900 Chris Carlisle 2008-05-15T06:27:58Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977341125 Guys, as most of you are already aware, Mother's Day is this Sunday. I realize that many of you have probably thought ahead this year and have already purchased your Mother's Day gifts (pause . . . Thu, 08 May 2008 05:41:40 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977341125 Chris Carlisle 2008-05-08T05:41:40Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977339346 For all intents and purposes, the following is a suicide note. Okay, I'm not really killing myself (you can stop emailing the suicide hotline number), at least not my physical self.   . . . Mon, 05 May 2008 22:39:24 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977339346 Chris Carlisle 2008-05-05T22:39:24Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977336173 With summer approaching and the threat of gas prices eclipsing four dollars a gallon weighing on our minds, most Americans have been taking prudent steps to lessen the effect the higher price will have . . . Thu, 01 May 2008 10:41:44 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977336173 Chris Carlisle 2008-05-01T10:41:44Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977334305 Sunday I took my daughter to BotCon, which is the name for the yearly Transformers convention. She's not big into Transformers (to be totally honest I'm not what you'd call a diehard fan either), . . . Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:45:45 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977334305 Chris Carlisle 2008-04-29T00:45:45Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977332208 Guess where I'm going this weekend? BotCon! I've been to a few conventions for my various jobs, but never one like this. I'm not a die hard fan, although I did enjoy the movie and . . . Fri, 25 Apr 2008 20:29:28 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977332208 Chris Carlisle 2008-04-25T20:29:28Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977331034 "Scream at the top of your lungs until someone pays attention." That's great advice if you've fallen down a well or an elevator shaft. If you're a parent with young children, it's . . . Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:05:39 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977331034 Chris Carlisle 2008-04-24T08:05:39Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977329151 Dear sir or madam Wombat, Do you enjoy writing, but hate the process of trying to sell it?  Yes, trying to get published is a slow, grueling process.  You write lots of cover letters, send . . . Tue, 22 Apr 2008 02:14:09 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977329151 Chris Carlisle 2008-04-22T02:14:09Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977327056 Rather than spread these around all over the place, let's compile a list of issues created by the latest upgrade that we would like to see corrected.  I'll start with the big ticket items . . . Sat, 19 Apr 2008 02:22:42 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977327056 Chris Carlisle 2008-04-19T02:22:42Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977325559 Ah, the life of a celebrity: fancy cars, lavish parties, expensive food, imported children, plus instant reputability for any fringe political or religious beliefs you feel like supporting. Of course, . . . Thu, 17 Apr 2008 05:08:22 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977325559 Chris Carlisle 2008-04-17T05:08:22Z