I’ve thought for a long time that I was born to be Beatles fan. The reason? The number one song on the charts the day I was born was George Harrison’s “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth),” which followed (or was followed by) two weeks of Paul McCartney’s “My Love.” Between you andContinue reading “On the Born Chicago Cubs Fan”
On A Needed Holiday
On occasion, my mind is stunned into a stupor. Sometimes it doesn’t take much. Writing about Twilight: New Moon collector dolls sufficed this morning; a thousand brain cells cried out in terror and were silenced. While in that slack-jawwed state, however, something occurred to me. There’s no Philip K. Dick Reading Day. There’s a TolkienContinue reading “On A Needed Holiday”
On Being Pure Poetry
Short, terse, unfriendly,Yet sometimes quite emotive;I am the Haiku. What Poetry Form Are You? And if I weren’t Haiku, I would be the Triolet. If they told you I’m mad, then they lied.I’m odd, but it isn’t compulsive.I’m the triolet, bursting with pride;If they told you I’m mad, then they lied.No, it isn’t obsessive. NowContinue reading “On Being Pure Poetry”
On Things I Wrote Today
I have a confession to make. I have never read Maurice Sendak’s Where The Wild Things Are. There’s a film coming out in three weeks, give or take. Directed by Spike Jonze of Being John Malkovich fame. Screenplay written by Dave Eggers of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius fame. Been in production for years.Continue reading “On Things I Wrote Today”
On Music Musings
In the past year I’ve started buying MOJO on a regular basis. I used to read it, then got out of the habit, and then I’d pick up an issue here and there. But about a year ago, I began to pick it up regularly; if not every month, then certainly three out of four.Continue reading “On Music Musings”
On Napoleon’s Twin Defeats
Twice I fought Napoleon — first on the Great Plains, then in the Pampas region of South America. On the Great Plains, I had at my side Ivan the Terrible. To the north, I had an enemy in Maurice of Nassau. To the east, Napoleon. I made allies with the local tribes, Comanche and Sioux.Continue reading “On Napoleon’s Twin Defeats”
On Reading and Writing, but Not Arthmetic
We’ll start with reading. A few weeks ago, on TrekBBS, novelist Greg Cox recommended in a discussion about alternate histories, a series by Harry Harrison and Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey (writing as John Holm) — The Hammer and the Cross. The premise? The Norse religions put up more of a fight against Christianity in theContinue reading “On Reading and Writing, but Not Arthmetic”
On Beatleology
Beatleology: A Magical Mystery Tour To Discover Your Inner Beatle. It looked cute. I plunked down the money. The result I got wasn’t especially surprising. If you’ve known me long enough, you’ll know where I fall on the Beatle Personality Scale. What was surprising is that I seem not to have a Minor Beatle Sign;Continue reading “On Beatleology”
On Richmond’s New Baseball Team
Richmond is getting a minor league baseball team. The Defenders of Norwich, Connecticut are moving south, to play ball in Richmond. Once home to the Richmond Braves, Atlanta’s AAA franchise, the Diamond will now host the AA franchise of the San Francisco Giants. The team is looking for a new name, and the Richmond Times-DisgraceContinue reading “On Richmond’s New Baseball Team”
On the Return of Merlin
Last night, thanks to the magic of the internet faeries, I watched Merlin‘s second season premiere, “The Curse of Cornelius Sigan.” When last we left Camelot in “Le Morte d’Arthur,” Prince Arthur has been poisoned by the Questing Beast, Arthur made a deal with Nimeuh to save his life, and when the deal cost himContinue reading “On the Return of Merlin”