27 April 25

Today in computer history: On 27 April 1981, Xerox PARC introduced the first computer mouse. My tie shows mice at a computer keyboard, controlling a game where tinier mice are running in a maze. Below the monitor there's a slot in the tie, where the tail comes through to show a long list of cheeses (on dot-matrix-style "paper") and another mouse with a very long cable-tail! The tie's label says it is "Slice of LIFE neckwear." 

Today is also National Gummi Bear Day, which was established in 2022 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of HARIBO Goldbears. I wore my gummi bears necktie in January to help celebrate Beth's birthday.

 

 

24 August 23

Today I am presenting a quick online workshop to introduce some new features of Blackboard (called Learn Ultra) to some EKU faculty. I'm wearing my very special "Slice of Life" tie that features mice crawling over a computer while playing a computer game (involving a mouse running in a maze), where the tail of the tie slips through a slit in the tie to show a cable-tailed mouse running over a list of cheeses on dot-matrix-printer paper. The pin on my tie proclaims that I am a "Learn Ultra Rockstar"!

21 January 22

Today my Beginning Ethics class meets for our first computer lab session. The class is "in person" but our textbook and all of the assignments are online, and so I've scheduled our Friday classes in a computer lab. I'm taking this opportunity to wear one of my favoritest ties. It shows mice at a computer keyboard, controlling a game where tinier mice are running in a maze. Below the "monitor" there's a slot in the tie, where the tail comes through to show a long list of cheeses (on dot-matrix-style "paper") and another mouse with a very long cable-tail! The tie's label says it is "Slice of LIFE neckwear."

4 August 20

Yay! I'm 67 years old! And as in past years I'll say that I hope this is in my "middle ages." I've chosen my "Slice of Life" tie, featuring mice crawling over a computer while playing a mouse-maze game, where the tail of the tie slips through a slit in the tie to show a cable-tailed mouse running over a list of cheeses. And I've added a tie clip (thanks to Barry Tait and Jennifer Woodruff Tait) featuring a crown, to honor the co-birthdays of British Queen Mother Elizabeth (1900-2002), U. S. Former President Barack Obama (1961), and King Jazz Artist Louis Armstrong (1901-1971).

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20 November 19

On this date in 1985, the Microsoft® corporation released "Windows 1.0," their first attempt at a mouse-driven user interface for personal computers. It was a very crude cousin of what Apple was developing as a truly graphical (icon-based) interface. You can find a quick video review of Windows 1.0 at https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=S-SuAaYDZIk. My tie featuring "mice" is very special -- it is called a "Slice of Life" tie because it has a slot through which the tail comes out on the front. The tail displays a computer mouse running on a list of cheeses. On the front of the tie, some biological mice are playing a video game showing mice running in a maze.

18 October 18

Today I'm attending the 2018 Kentucky Convergence Conference, at the University of Louisville, Shelby Campus. This annual event celebrates the role of technology in higher education. My "Slice of Life" tie is special because it has a cut where the tail comes through to the front, showing a mouse (with a cable-tail) running on a dot-matrix-ish list of cheeses. The mice on the computer keyboard are watching a monitor display of other mice running in a maze. It's an amazing tie. The extra tag on my conference badge says "I Color Outside the Lines."

12 June 17

On this date in 1665, England created "New York" where New Amsterdam had been. But I've worn all four of my New-York-City-themed ties recently, so today I've chosen one of my own favorite computer-themed ties. It's called a Slice of Life® tie because there's a slit five inches from the bottom where you pull through the "tail" so it can be seen! In this case the main image shows some (biological) mice playing a computer game with an (animated) mouse in a maze, while the tail has another mouse with a computer-cable tail running on a list of cheeses. And the list of cheeses is "printed" to resemble the kind of paper with edge holes that were needed for dot-matrix and other ancient printers.

24 April 16

I chose today's tie to harmonize with World Week For Animals in Laboratories, urging action to stop inhumane experimentation. This is a "Slice of Life" tie, with a slit to poke the small end to the front to show it off. The "tail" shows a mouse running on a list of cheeses. The main part shows mice playing with a computer, watching a game display of a mouse in a maze (which is my connection to animals in laboratories). This afternoon's special event is the "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood Live!" show, which we're attending with Mallie and Nate (and their parents and Uncle Ben and Aunt Amanda). Daniel Tiger and his friends do not count as animals in laboratories, but they do encourage humane treatment of all people (and animals).

27 April 15

34 years ago today, Xerox PARC introduced the "computer mouse." My tie shows mice running all over a computer, but it is special because it has a slit to let the "tail" come to the front, in this case showing a mouse running down a list of cheeses.

22 January 14

30 years ago today Apple Computer announced the arrival of the Macintosh® personal computer! This is my "Slice-of-Life" tie, where the tail of the tie returns through a slot to show up on the front.

1 October 12

Today in my Honors Seminar class we will be talking about the use of mice (and other animals) in scientific/medical research. My "Slice of Life" tie shows some mice in a maze, being tested by some other mice at the control computer. The tail of the tie, which slips through a slit in the front, shows another mouse running down a list of cheeses.

4 April 12

RATS! Today is World Rat Day, and all of my rodent-themed ties are limited to mice. But the laboratory maze on this tie could be run with rats. World Rat Day honors ratlist, "the longest standing mailing list on the internet dedicated to the topic of the pet rat." The earliest saved messages from this list are dated April 4, 2002, and so today is celebrated as the tenth anniversary. My wife says she can identify mice as "cute" and rats as "nasty." You can read more about the taxonomy of mice and rats here.

13 September 10

Today is "Programmers' Day"! September 13 is the 256th day in 2010. The number 256 is significant in computing and telecommunications because it is the number of possible values for a byte (eight bits) of binary data (2⁸ = 256). Programmers' Day (День программи ста) is an official professional holiday in Russia (only, at this time), falling on September 12 in leap years and September 13 otherwise.

The mice on my tie are probably not programmers themselves, but they clearly enjoy running programs.

08 July 09

Today's tie was selected by Jean Marlow, our Director of Instructional Technology, whose birthday was on Sunday. She said that my "Thinker" tie is her favorite.














Yesterday was another computer-issues day, so I wore my "Slice of Life" tie featuring mice playing computer games (featuring mice) and a tail that lists many cheeses.

25 March 09

Today is my first day introducing Blackboard 9 to EKU. We are not sure that the campus is ready to change the system dramatically, and so I am visiting with faculty in several departments and colleges to gauge their interest. This is my "Slice of Life" tie, described well for 26 June 08.

26 June 08

On this date in 1284 - According to legend, the Pied Piper lured 130 children of Hamelin, Germany away. I know that technically the piper had been dealing with rats, not mice, but we can pretend that the creatures on my tie are "lab rats" to make the connection. This is a "Slice of Life" tie, named especially for having a horizontal slit on the front, about five inches from the point, to allow the tail of the tie to poke through. This one has a mouse (with a computer cable tail) running on a printout of names of cheeses.














In other news of the day, in 1974, the Universal Product Code was scanned for the first time to sell a package of Wrigley's chewing gum at the Marsh Supermarket in Troy, Ohio.