Arriving today from Amazon, the second season of The Tudors. I bought the first season about a year ago on a blind buy. It looked like the kind of thing I’d like, and it turned out to be the kind of thing I do like. Oh, any resemblence between The Tudors and the reign ofContinue reading “On the Second Season of The Tudors”
On Let It Be Day by Day
Forty years ago this month the Beatles went into Twickenham Studios to film themselves as they began work on the album that was to follow up “The White Album.” Their intention was to practice a group of songs for a live performance. While that worked out, sort of, the fractures in the group broke openContinue reading “On Let It Be Day by Day”
On the Feast Day of St. Cedd
Today, the seventh of January, is celebrated in the Catholic Church as the feast day of Saint Cedd, who was built a number of monasteries and spread the Christian faith throughout Mercia and Essex in the seventh century. (Curiously, Cedd’s feast day is also celebrated on October 26th.) Cedd, of course, is the namesake forContinue reading “On the Feast Day of St. Cedd”
On the Universe We Live In
Sometimes, I really wish I could live to see the world three billion years hence. Okay, I take that back. It’s not just sometimes. I wish that all the time. In three billion years, give or take a few hundred million years, astronomers believe that the Milky Way, our home galaxy, and M-31, better knownContinue reading “On the Universe We Live In”
On Old Calendars
New year, new calendar time. 🙂 Last year at the office I had three calendars. Two were hanging monthly calendars. There was a Lord of the Rings calendar, specifically for the Battle for Middle Earth games from EA. I also had a Winnie-the-Pooh calendar, which showed Pooh and his friends, including Lumpy. There’s also theContinue reading “On Old Calendars”
On Changing the Decorations
Christmas has passed (unless you’re Orthodox, and then you have a few days left), and I felt the itch. The itch to change my blog theme, that is. I had a wintry theme going for the holidays. The holidays are past. “Change, m’dear, and not a moment too soon!” and all that. 🙂 And sinceContinue reading “On Changing the Decorations”
On the Gaza Crisis
Last week, Israel launched massive air strikes on the Gaza strip, killing nearly 300 Palestinians. The Israelis called up 6,500 reservists, and have now launched a ground campaign into the Strip. A crisis has been brewing in the Gaza strip for a while. This occupied territory has been treated by Israel as a virtual prisonContinue reading “On the Gaza Crisis”
On “New Doctor” Anticipation
So, in about two hours, we’ll know. We’ll know who David Tennant’s replacement is. We’ll know who the next Doctor will be. 🙂 BBC News has a rundown of the leading contenders. Leading, as in, these are the people the bookies in the UK are talking about. As if bookies know anything. The leading candidateContinue reading “On “New Doctor” Anticipation”
On 2009’s Goals
A number of my friends have posted on their blogs their writing goals for the coming year. A sensible thing, that — it lends itself to measurement and accountability. 🙂 Last year, I set a goal — “In 2007 I earned more from writing than I did in 2006. My goal for 2008 is toContinue reading “On 2009’s Goals”
On Stratfordians, Oxfordians, and “The Brain of Morbius”
A few months ago, I picked up off a clearance table at a bookstore Manga Shakespeare: The Tempest. It’s exactly what it sounds like, a manga-styled adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s plays, the comedy “The Tempest.” It’s a late play, written somewhere around 1608 or 1610 if memory serves, based in part on a real-lifeContinue reading “On Stratfordians, Oxfordians, and “The Brain of Morbius””