The worst part about being on the sixth floor was that, this evening, when I left the office, it was already dark outside. Which meant that I couldn’t tell that it was snowing once more. It snowed this morning. Oh, we’ve had snow a few times now, but it’s been little more than dustings hereContinue reading “On the First Real Snowfall”
Author Archives: Allyn
On an Excess of Zombies
What is the fucking deal with zombies? I swear, sometimes it feels like the world has gone zombie-crazy. Everybody’s talking zombies. Zombies this, zombies that. Zombies, zombies, zombies. I don’t get it. Why, just today, I pounded my desk at work, lest I shout at the top of my lungs, “Stop with the fucking zombies,Continue reading “On an Excess of Zombies”
On 50 Great(?) Television Shows
When in doubt, blame Keith. 😉 Empire Magazine has revealed its list of the 50 Greatest TV Shows ever. 1. Bold the shows you watch/used to watch. 2. Italicize the shows you’ve seen at least one episode of. 3. Underline the shows you own on DVD (or VCR tape). 4. Post your answers. 50. QuantumContinue reading “On 50 Great(?) Television Shows”
On Saturday’s Plans
Last night, after work, we held a wake. Layoffs had come to the company on Thursday, and my department lost two — a writer and a graphics artist. Usually, when there’s a departure, the department goes to lunch on the last day at a local restaurant. That, sadly, wasn’t an option this time, so theContinue reading “On Saturday’s Plans”
On Sequel Thinking
For absolutely no reason at all today — except maybe that the subway train broke down in the tunnel between stops this morning — I worked out in my mind a sequel to a movie that maybe doesn’t need a sequel: Dave. Dave, of course, is that charming Kevin Kline movie about a Presidential impersonator,Continue reading “On Sequel Thinking”
On the Maddest Ideas
Sometimes, my mad ideas work. I went to fix a cup of coffee. And as I was standing there, getting a coffee mug down out of the cabinet, I noticed, on the counter, was a cannister of Instant Hot Chocolate mix. Hmm, I thought. Could I make a moccachino-like thing? Had I been more awake,Continue reading “On the Maddest Ideas”
On Newt Gingrich’s 1945
I own Newt Gingrich’s 1945. Confession time. I paid full price for it. On the day it came out. 1945. It’s legendary in science fiction circles. Then-Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich made a deal with Baen Books for a series of alternate history novels. Co-written with William Forstchen, 1945 posited a world where AdolfContinue reading “On Newt Gingrich’s 1945”
On Today’s Inauguration
President Barack Obama acknowledged today that non-believers are part of the American tapestry. That’s a far cry from George Herbert Walker Bush, who said that atheists were neither citizens nor patriots. Or from his son, George Bush the Younger, who said that the hallmark of civilization was a belief in god. I’d like to thinkContinue reading “On Today’s Inauguration”
On the End of the Beginning
For a few months now, I’ve been referring to tomorrow’s inauguration of a new President by quoting Gerald Ford’s famous phrase from his address to the nation upon taking the office at Nixon’s resignation — “Our long national nightmare is over.” But that’s not exactly true. George Bush will be leaving office tomorrow at NoonContinue reading “On the End of the Beginning”
On a Nagging Question
I wonder if there’s a statue of Pitt the Elder in Pittsburgh. If there’s not, there should be; the city’s named after him, after all. I mean, if Philadelphia can have a statue of William Penn, surely Pittsburgh can have a statue that commemorates one of England’s greatest Prime Ministers.