We come to it at last, the great battle of our times. No, wait. That’s not right. Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup. No, that’s not it, either. Oh! I’ve got it! Next weekend, July 8th through 10th, in Hunt Valley, Maryland, is Shore Leave, a science-fiction and fantasy convention.Continue reading “On My 2011 Shore Leave Schedule”
On Retail Experiences
I have an account at DailyKos, the progressive online community, though I’ve very rarely used it in the past six or seven years. Maybe I’ll post a diary once a year, maybe I’ll log in and make a comment on a post that interests me. Maybe. This morning I saw a diary entitled “Confessions ofContinue reading “On Retail Experiences”
On Seeing Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Last week at work I won tickets to an advance screening tonight of Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the third film in Michael Bay’s trilogy of films based on the popular Hasbro toys and the mid-80s cartoon series. Growing up as I did in the 1980s, I watched the cartoon religiously. The Autobots, the Decepticons,Continue reading “On Seeing Transformers: Dark of the Moon”
On Elbow’s St. Paul’s Cathedral Gig
A month ago Elbow performed an interesting concert for Absolute Radio — they did a live acoustic gig in the crypt of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London which Absolute put live on their website for viewing or listening. Doctor Who fans, of course, know St. Paul’s Cathedral for the iconic image of Cybermen marching aroundContinue reading “On Elbow’s St. Paul’s Cathedral Gig”
On Keeping Calm with Charlie Brown
I have to be honest. I don’t understand the fad over “Keep Calm and Carry On.” I see the phrase all over the place, and I know that it comes from an unused World War II British morale building poster (as I’ve had to write about it at work), and I know that it’s alsoContinue reading “On Keeping Calm with Charlie Brown”
On Wishing I Had More Time for Writing
This is going to sound nonsensical, but I’ll say it all the same. I wish I spent more time writing than I do. It’s nonsensical, in that I spend a lot of time writing. My day job is writing marketing copy; I’ve estimated that I produce between 80,000 and 100,000 words a month, depending onContinue reading “On Wishing I Had More Time for Writing”
On Traveling Travails
I thought I would never get home. I sat on the bench on the platform at the State Center subway stop. The train arrived. I boarded and took a seat. An earlier passenger had left a paranormal romance on the seat. I ignored it. The doors chimed then closed. The doors reopened with a crash.Continue reading “On Traveling Travails”
On Touring the Stairwell Gallery
Like many people, I like to decorate walls with poster artwork. It brings a splash of color into a room, and it’s also a way of personalizing a space. Unfortunately, I have very little wallspace to work with where posters would be feasible. Indeed, about the only place where I can hang something like aContinue reading “On Touring the Stairwell Gallery”
On Disappointment in Marvel Studios’ Thor
I don’t go to the movies very often. Five years ago, I would go at least once a month. Sometimes, during summer blockbuster season, multiple times a week. Now, I go to the movies maybe twice a year. In 2010, i saw Sherlock Holmes on New Year’s Day and The Chronicles of Narnia: The VoyageContinue reading “On Disappointment in Marvel Studios’ Thor”
On Remembering An Old Employee
I woke this morning to two messages on Facebook from an old acquaintance. Someone who worked for me at EB Games a decade ago had passed away last month. His name was Chris Jackson, and I met him one of my first days working for EB Games in Exton in June 1999. He was aContinue reading “On Remembering An Old Employee”