My musical interests, which tend to be Scottish and Anglophile, have one major exception — Carbon Leaf. I discovered the band in college; they made frequent appearances on the University of Richmond campus a decade ago, and they played other venues around the city when I was student there. 2010 has been a big yearContinue reading “On Carbon Leaf’s New Christmas Album”
On My Life, As a Reality Show
Some people are public. Some people are private. I'm a private person. I couldn't imagine myself as a star of a reality television series; besides the feeling that my life really isn't that interesting (sorry, not all writers lead Hemingway-esque lives, though I would settle for a Fitzgerald-ian life), even blogging skirts the level ofContinue reading “On My Life, As a Reality Show”
On Craig Ferguson and His Pet Dalek
While I anxiously await Doctor Who‘s Matt Smith’s appearance on The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson in an hour and a half, here’s the opening monologue from Ferguson’s Monday, November 15th episode where he goofs off with a Dalek prop: Some thoughts, because I vented on Twitter today some frustrations I’d had when discussingContinue reading “On Craig Ferguson and His Pet Dalek”
On The Scottish Enlightenment’s “St. Thomas”
A year and a half ago, I began listening to the BBC’s Scotland Introducing Podcast, a fifteen minute survey of the latest and greatest from some of Scotland’s best unsigned bands. Every Friday morning, I look for the link in my RSS reader, and I’ve discovered some very good music this way, bands like WashingtonContinue reading “On The Scottish Enlightenment’s “St. Thomas””
On Matt Smith, Craig Ferguson, and Doctor Who
With Doctor Who filming in Utah next week, Doctor Who star Matt Smith will be appearing on The Craig Ferguson Show. Ferguson, of course, is a known Doctor Who fan, as this monologue from his show back in June testifies… At the time of that episode, with Doctor Who heading breakneck towards The Big Bang,Continue reading “On Matt Smith, Craig Ferguson, and Doctor Who”
On Veteran’s Day
Ninety-two years ago today, from the English Channel through the fields of Flanders, across the French frontier and into the Alps, the guns on the Western Front fell silent. World War I, one of the great follies in human history, came to its bitter end. As Garrison Keillor might say on The Writer’s Almanac, twoContinue reading “On Veteran’s Day”
On Beady Eye’s First Single
A little more than a year ago, Oasis went its separate ways. Always a volatile group, the Gallagher brothers had finally had enough of one another, and Noel bolted. In a few months, the first post-Oasis album from either of the Gallaghers will be out. Liam Gallagher has carried on with the last Oasis line-up,Continue reading “On Beady Eye’s First Single”
On a Book Everyone Should Read
I have read a lot of books in my time. I have owned a lot of books in my time. More of either than I would care to admit. 😉 I could tell you what my favorite books are. (My favorite book of all time, by the way, is The Hound of the Baskervilles byContinue reading “On a Book Everyone Should Read”
On Fixing Facebook’s News Feed Font
Tuesday morning, as I was settling down to my first cup of coffee for the day, I logged into Facebook and noticed something. No, not the big banner at the top of my news feed telling me that it was Election Day and which of my friends had already voted, though that was a usefulContinue reading “On Fixing Facebook’s News Feed Font”
On Flattening Pennies on Train Tracks
I flattened a penny on the train track. Today was grey and gloomy. The alarm, when it trilled, ripped me from a dream about Taco Bell and the fall of governments to the pattering sound of rainfall on the roof and outside the window. I thought briefly of driving to work. The rainy dampness wasContinue reading “On Flattening Pennies on Train Tracks”