I wrote a lot of words today. My brain hamster is really tired. I worked that poor hamster. I made him get up in the spinning wheel. I made him run fast faster fastest. I wouldn’t let the hamster rest. The hamster ran and ran and ran. The end results I was pleased with. SomeContinue reading “On the Thursday View”
On Writing My Congressman
The text of an e-mail I just sent to Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger: Dear Representative Ruppersberger, Like many Americans, I have been following the health care debate the past year. I believe that the health care system we have is broken and badly in need of repair. I find it appalling that in this, one ofContinue reading “On Writing My Congressman”
On the Path to Health Care Reform
So. Where does health care reform go from here? (For those reading at some future date, the context — Martha Coakley lost a special election in Massachusetts, depriving Democrats of the 60 vote majority they had in the Senate). As strange as this sounds, I think that health care reform is in a better positionContinue reading “On the Path to Health Care Reform”
On Being at a Loss for Words
This is one of those days where I can think of nothing to blog about. I could write about how gorgeous the weather was today. I could write about politics, like the special election in Massachusetts tomorrow, but that’s depressing me right now. I could write about writing, but there’s very little there to say,Continue reading “On Being at a Loss for Words”
On a Holmesian Find
One of the rarest of all Sherlock Holmes books — and one of the most-sought-after — is Ellery Queen’s The Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes. This anthology, published in 1944, collected Holmesian writings that had been published over the previous decades, with stories by Bret Harte, Mark Twain, John Kendrick Bangs, and many others. Some wereContinue reading “On a Holmesian Find”
On Signs of a False Spring
Today, it felt like spring. No, it wasn’t as warm as springtime often is. No, there were still mounds of snow in parking lots and a glaze of ice on the sidewalks. No, the sun was still far too low in the sky, and the clouds shifted awkwardly throughout the day. And yet! After weeksContinue reading “On Signs of a False Spring”
On Reading The Right Stuff
As mentioned a few days ago, I picked up Tom Wolfe’s The Right Stuff at Border’s going-out-of-business sale. I cannot count the number of times I’ve seen Philip Kaufman’s film the past twenty-five years. Fifty times? I’d almost think that was too low. One of the first CDs I bought? A recording of Holst’s “TheContinue reading “On Reading The Right Stuff”
On Cinematic Insights
Ever have a moment of pure epiphany? A moment where, suddenly and without warning, you’ve thunk a thought that has never been thinked before? (Yes, I’ve had Dr. Seuss on my mind recently. Just let that go for a moment.) I had one of those moments today. It’s all to do with a movie, oneContinue reading “On Cinematic Insights”
On Monday Stuff
After changing the typeface for my blog to Georgia last week — because I wanted a serif font for the body text, rather than a sans-serif font — I changed my mind and went to Palatino Linotype. It’s nothing against Georgia. It’s a nice font. But Palatino Linotype is me. It’s what I work in.Continue reading “On Monday Stuff”
On the Closing of Borders
The local Borders is closing. I went to the mall last night. Years ago, Owings Mill Mall was nice, upscale, nearly 100% occupancy. These days, it’s run down, junky, and vast sections of storefronts stand empty. Mainly, I wanted to go to GameStop and cash out an old pre-order, which the employees wouldn’t do. IContinue reading “On the Closing of Borders”