Skip to main content
BenWoods.com

Main navigation

  • Articles
  • My Books
    • Caimans at Work
    • Corporate Ties
    • The Developers
  • About Me
  • Contact me

Welcome to BenWoods.com

You made it! Thanks for visiting.

How about a new article

April 4, 2026

It has been way too long since I added an article and upgraded my site. On the heels of returning from Drupalcon Chicago, I'm looking forward to trying to keep up with the latest and greatest options in Drupal these days. I have been rapidly building new sites at my new gig over at the University of Maryland. At least one of my daughters has taken a mild interest in programming, so maybe I can eventually get her to add some items on the site!

Winning, but before a true prize even existed

April 3, 2024

This year, 2024, marks the 42nd year (should be 43 years in a row since the tournament was canceled in 2020 due to COVID) that I have picked at least one NCAA men’s basketball bracket. I have copies of many of them, including the one from 1981, when I picked my Louisville Cardinals to win the championship. That was the year they lost their first game on a halfcourt shot. Some people might be deterred after that jarring experience, but not me! Then again, I was only 5 when it happened.

Figs are fun

March 28, 2024
figs are fun

It is really remarkable that after writing online stories for 25 years, I have a topic today that I’ve both never written about and something I know more about than almost anything else.

That thing is figs.

How did we get to this point? My uncle had a fig tree in his backyard, and we lived at his house 16 years ago. Coincidentally, my father-in-law also had fig trees, so when we bought a new house 14 years ago, we accepted a gift of a fig cutting and planted it in an auspicious backyard location.

Book review: "The Genesis Machine" by Amy Webb and Andrew Hessel

June 21, 2022

Great book that runs the gamut of synthetic biology

The term "natural" used to be substantially easier to apply to basic items like fruit and animals. It is both exhilarating and frightening to consider "improving" genetic material, but humans have a knack for putting their marks on everything imaginable.

Super Recognisers unite!

August 1, 2021

During high school and college, I worked at Kentucky Kingdom amusement park in Louisville, Ky. Besides battling racuous crowds and the blazing heat, one thing that was interesting to me was trying to keep track of the different people I was seeing throughout the day. As a games attendant (a.k.a. carnival barker), I would attempt to personally say things to people that I saw multiple times, whether at different games or at different parts of the park. This was mostly just a sales tactic, and I think the customers likely thought I was training to have my own magic show.

Pagination

  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Page 4
  • Page 5
  • Page 6
  • Page 7
  • Page 8
  • Page 9
  • …
  • Next page
  • Last page

From the Archive

Crazy survey comments

October 22, 2001

Comments

LALALALALALALALALHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHALALALALLALALALALALALAL
HAHAHAHAHAHAHALALALALALA

Hey Ben, I think you might be a little crazy, :) Did you ride the short schoolbus when you went to school? :)

I think this Bed Woods person is the one who's crazy. I mean, who would make such a survey?!

Should I really worry about the black helicopters flying over Utah?

Everyone is crazy but thee and me, and thee more than me.

Prediction for 2004: Think 2003

January 5, 2004

Is the new year really any different than the year that just passed?

The short answer is no. The long answer is yes. The longer answer is possible, but not probable, and the medium answer is, well, I think I forgot the question.

Back to the short answer, which if I recall, is NO! The year 2004 will be so much like 2003 that you will actually be able to use the same wall and desk calendars, if you haven't already thrown them away. Do not fret, however, because last year's calendars are today's clearance items at your local store.

Goodbye HostGator, hello DreamHost

August 28, 2018

HostGator, it was a good run. But unfortunately, you haven't stayed up with the times.

It's disappointing that your technical support is awful - so much so that for a basic question, I would have to restart a chat multiple times to find someone who had any idea about my question. A few times, I had more success googling and trying random things than asking tech support.

Kick off the season online

September 3, 2001

Even though the college football season started two weeks ago, this past weekend was the real beginning. Just a few teams played last weekend, and most of the games were boring. They were so boring that even my nachos tasted funny.

But by the time you are reading this, you should have gotten a good fill of football. But don't let that stop you because there are plenty of Web sites in which you can get more in-depth analysis.

E-mails overrunning a business near you

November 6, 2000

Is this what the world is coming to? People sitting 6 inches away from each other will not talk to each other but instead, write short e-mails?

An example:

From: Someone

Sent: November, Wednesday 1, 2000 11:41 AM

To: Someone else

Subject: Outside

Did you see that?

Pagination

  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Page 4
  • Page 5
  • Page 6
  • Page 7
  • Page 8
  • Page 9
  • …
  • Next page
  • Last page

Spumoni Press

Spumoni Press

If you’re in need of help with publishing a book or developing a web site, check out Spumoni Press.

Solving Problems

Check out the latest book in the Caimans at Work series! The caimans’ new store is the talk of the town. But with success comes navigating the speed bumps along the way. Have no fear – Raymond and Damon are always up for the challenge, whether they are finding a recipe, picking the right color, just doing laundry or investigating a peculiar mystery at their favorite place - a party, of course!

© 2026 Ben Woods.

Powered by Drupal