In the Shire the year is winding down. Today, December 18th, begins the Yule Days, the six-day celebration of the end of the year. Tolkien writes little of the Yule Days, except to call them one of the chief holidays and a time of great feasting. One imagines that pipeweed was smoked, ale was quaffedContinue reading “On the Yule Days”
Monthly Archives: December 2007
On Andy Serkis and Tintin
Andy Serkis will be reteaming with Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson for the upcoming Tintin trilogy to be directed by Jackson, Steven Spielberg, and a director to be named later. I am not, honestly, familiar with Tintin. I do know, though, that these are some of the best-selling comic books worldwide. Steven Moffat,Continue reading “On Andy Serkis and Tintin”
On Dan Fogelberg
Singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg has passed away. Prostate cancer. He was fifty-six. I’m not sure that I knew Fogelberg’s music, outside of “Same Old Lang Syne.” I first heard that song on the radio, about this time of year, about twelve years ago. It was a sad, wistful song, the story of a man who meetsContinue reading “On Dan Fogelberg”
On Impeaching Dick Cheney
In early November the House of Representatives voted, with bipartisan support, a bill of Impeachment sponsored by Dennis Kucinich to the House Judiciary Committee. Now, we can question why the bill had bipartisan support. A cynic might say the Republicans were trying to embarrass the Democratic leadership of the House. An optimist might think thatContinue reading “On Impeaching Dick Cheney”
On Cats and Annoyances
Outside my bedroom window is the roof of the house. Just off the edge of the roof is a tree. My cat Galahad likes to climb the tree, get on the roof, and miaow at the window. At five o’clock in the morning. He’s been doing this for about a week now. He’ll miaow. He’llContinue reading “On Cats and Annoyances”
On Wrong Christmas Music
John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War Is Over).” Done as a Gregorian chant. That’s just… wrong.
On an Irn Bru Christmas
Irn Bru. Until Wednesday I’d never heard of it. Then, on a few blogs I read I saw a link to a Christmas commercial they did last year that had been posted to YouTube. Sadly, the YouTube version of the commercial wasn’t especially good. Mainly, it was pixelated. I found a link to the RealContinue reading “On an Irn Bru Christmas”
On Naming the States
In 2m 7s Click here to Play I’d have finished faster, had I not skipped Rhode Island. Fortunately, the quiz didn’t ask for that state’s full name. 🙂
On Alzheimer’s Disease
Terry Pratchett, author of the Discworld series, released a public statement over the weekend. He’s been diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease: I would have liked to keep this one quiet for a little while, but because of upcoming conventions and of course the need to keep my publishers informed, it seems to me unfairContinue reading “On Alzheimer’s Disease”
On a Possibly Surprising Musical Lapse
A reader dropped me an e-mail yesterday. Was I, he wanted to know, excited about the Led Zeppelin reunion? As I wrote back, I’m indifferent. It’s not even ambivalence — I simply don’t care. I have a couple of their CDs, but in the end, I’m completely indifferent. I don’t change the radio station whenContinue reading “On a Possibly Surprising Musical Lapse”