It’s that time of year when my wife and daughter leave to visit her mother for the summer. Of course, I’m not exactly on my own, as older sons are both still at home. They don’t go anymore, as they both are old enough to have responsibilities now. One might think that with the lack of distractions I get lots done in the summer. While that usually is the case, it takes me a little while to get used to…
I am not a big fan of film musicals. I love music, but when it comes to throwing songs into a film, I’m of the mind that 99% of them should stay far away from each other. In my opinion, they rarely achieve an amiable collaboration; either the music overpowers what the actors are doing, or vice versa. Of all the films I have seen that attempted this marriage, I consider no more than three or four watchable and of…
As I have stated in previous posts, I love the Black Hills of South Dakota, especially the world famous memorial to democracy on Mount Rushmore. Although we haven’t visited in more than a decade, past trips to the area are still some of my favorite memories. The four presidents are not unique in South Dakota, however. Less than an hour away is the site of the world’s largest mountain carving currently in progress, the Crazy Horse Memorial. The facts surrounding…
Writing is not an easy business. As with anything, it takes practice and dedication to improving one’s skill, and while I can not speak for other authors, I am always finding something new I’m doing wrong, things that I can do better, or habits in my writing that I try to avoid. Creative writing can be a completely different beast altogether. While a certain measure of research goes into any writing, much of creative writing comes from within. One thing…
The song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” (really, “Over the Rainbow”) was written for the movie The Wizard of Oz. When Judy Garland sings the song near the beginning of the movie, it really draws your attention. The low note on the first syllable of “somewhere” jumping to the higher note just gives a dreamy quality to it that matches song to subject perfectly. While Judy Garland’s version is probably the best-known, I believe Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s rendition of it is so amazing…
Today was Victoria Day here in Canada, or as I and my high school friends always called it, May Two-Four. It was named in honor of England’s Queen Victoria and has been observed in this country since 1845, originally on her birthday, which was May 24, hence the nickname, although now it is always on the Monday immediately preceding May 25. The holiday is a federal statutory holiday, as well as a holiday in six of the country’s 10 provinces…
For Trivia Thursday this time around, I thought I would discuss the Basenji breed. Basenjis are perhaps best known as the Barkless Dog! Now, you may wonder if it is true that they do not really bark. Yes, it is true. But are they silent? Absolutely not! Below is a picture of a much younger me with a Basenji I once had named Penelope. When I first got Penelope, she was obviously a puppy, and I thought no barking meant…
Rather than lament the paucity of true comedy these days, I decided to treat myself, and everyone reading this, to the comedy gold of Tim Conway and Harvey Korman, two of the funniest actors of the seventies. They were regulars on the Carol Burnett show, a program I watched every week without fail. The entire program was full of laughs, but in my opinion the best sketches were the ones featuring the two of them. When the segment began, I…
Much of Central Arkansas (and certain other parts of the state) is still reeling from a March 31, 2023, tornado outbreak that produced two EF3 tornadoes in Arkansas, among other tornadoes. The outbreak, which went across several states and continued through part of April 1, produced 132 tornadoes during a 24-hour period. The EF3 tornado in Central Arkansas (where I am) had peak winds of 165 mph – and to my understanding, it would have been rated as an EF4…
I began my writing career, such as it is, in 2017. My brother, Jann Rowland, was doing well as an author, so why couldn’t I? How hard could it be? I had always been an avid reader, so why not treat the world to my unique humor and sarcastic wit? I won’t describe the rude awakening I had upon publishing my first literary masterpiece, but the reviews were unflattering, to put it mildly. Almost every part of my storytelling was…