Thoughts on Living the Life Creative
So this year’s total for the movies was 55. That included a bunch of documentaries and four movies that were so bad that they got called out for it. But among the rest were some truly great ones. Most years, getting down to my magic number of nine is tough, but there’s an obvious line.... Continue Reading →
When we get together, the stories come out. It's what people do. For Christmas, these are three of the best, most beloved stories ever written in English. Together with the stories "Behind the Story", biographies of the authors, how two of them helped create Christmas as we know it today, and ways for your family... Continue Reading →
Something New For Your Stocking This Year!Anyone who has followed along the last few years knows I’m a traditional Christmas media kind of guy. There’s nothing unexpected on my list of favorites (HERE), except for Berkeley Breathed’s “A Wish For Wings That Work”. “A Christmas Carol", “White Christmas”, “Miracle on 34th Street”, Charlie Brown, the... Continue Reading →
A Classic Lost and Then Recovered My goal this year was to expand the diversity of my reading. While my reading list has included female authors and authors of color, it has been dominated by white men. This is the last book of that effort for 2020. I'll talk about what I've learned in my... Continue Reading →
Vice (2018) – The biography of former Vice President of the United States, William Cheney. A quiet bureaucrat who became one of the most powerful men in the world. Directed by Adam McKay Starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Sam Rockwell, Alison Pill Why I Liked It: A brilliant cast makes one of the... Continue Reading →
A Pair Of Losers One benefit of “cutting the cord” on my television watching is getting a wider array of viewing. Documentaries could be found on cable or satellite, but it was a limited range and limited quality. (Not much interested in “documentaries” that breathlessly tell me how “ancient aliens” are the basis for modern... Continue Reading →
I do not understand how I have avoided reading John Scalzi to this point. Talk about a writer in my wheelhouse! Science Fiction with a bit of an attitude, Hugo award winner, buncha other writing bric-à-brac to keep his walls decorated. The only thing I can think is that he hit the big time in... Continue Reading →
American Folk (2017) In the days that followed 9/11, two strangers try to find their ways home. In a shared road trip across the country, they bond over a love for folk music, and the kindness of strangers. Director – Dave Heinz Starring Joe Purdy, Amber Rubarth Why I Liked The Film – Folk music,... Continue Reading →
I might as well be upfront about these movies. I didn’t much like any of them. The first two had no redeeming value for me, and the third one gets by on style alone. So rather than drag you through three weeks of agony, I’ll dispatch them all at once. I Love You, Alice B.... Continue Reading →
Destiny of the Republic – A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard (2011) – James A. Garfield was popular and respected leader elected President of the United States, much against his will. There were high hopes for this self-made man, and the change he could bring to the... Continue Reading →
Stories Are My Life 