The dictionary defines ruminate as to meditate or muse and that is just what the author of "Ruminations from Chairman Bud" has found himself doing as his tally of years passed grows. Usually this musing occurs late at night when sleep eludes him and a constant flow of thoughts and connections occupies his mind. That there is no pattern would be immediately obvious to an outside observer who might conclude that the only common denominator is a dream-like tendency to jumble words and thoughts into patterns that may or may not ring true when daylight comes. Despite this chaos the author frequently finds himself arising from the warm bed, donning slippers and robe, and advancing to his computer to capture the essence of a rumination before it is lost or scrambled. Fortunately these captured thoughts occasionally are deemed worth keeping and further editing in the light of day. This book is a collection of these ruminations. Any reader who makes a quick perusal of the book's contents will conclude that the subject matter is highly varied and neither follows a pattern nor reveals pearls of wisdom that may benefit humankind. Rather they are sometimes serious, sometimes humorous, but always relatively disjoint when compared to tomes that have been set down by the masters of philosophy or those who attempt to support a particular political or religious theme. On occasion the author sets down his ponderous thoughts on weighty matters like assisted suicide and the question of is there a god. And occasionally the subject turns to more light-hearted subjects such as the life and motivations of a tiny bug scurrying back and forth across a cast-iron tabletop. And there are a few essays of a tutorial nature such as the necessary phases in starting a company based on a whiz-bang invention and on the subjects of types of photography and how they differ. So the potential reader should be forewarned that it is highly unlikely that this jumbled collection will ever appear on the New York Times Best Sellers List and there will be no boisterous book signing sessions at Barnes and Noble. Rather it is the hope that a gentle reading will evoke in the reader a propensity to also occupy a portion of his or her time on earth simply contemplating the world about us and its many strange and interesting facets. Call it musing, mediating, ruminating or whatever, it can take the individual far afield and still return safely back to the reality of life as it unfolds about him or her. Enjoy.