My brother, Colin, posted about Pink Floyd a while back, though it was not a Tuesday post. While I consider Dark Side of the Moon one of the classic albums of all time, in many ways, I have always preferred Wish You Were Here. For those of you who are not familiar with Pink Floyd or with the history of the band, there is a story behind this album. The band, Pink Floyd, formed in London in 1965, and at…
Today I want to talk about Douglas Adams’ science fiction masterpiece, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I discovered the novel a few years after its publication and fell in love with his irreverent and quirky sense of humor. I cannot remember where or when I found this book, but what I do remember is the strange looks my wife gave me as I giggled and chortled my way through it. Yes, it is classed as science fiction, but the plot is…
Happy Fourth of July, folks! Today’s the day that Americans celebrate the obtaining of independence through activities like eating food from the grill, swimming, and setting off fireworks. We can’t set off fireworks where we live, but my eldest daughter isn’t very fond of them regardless, so we’re intending to make some food on the red-white-and-blue theme! Like RW&B fruit skewers, which we did a few years ago! I hope everyone has a safe and pleasant day, whatever you decide…
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…
There was a variety of fodder for today’s post (I recently went on a trip with my friends, I am having some foot issues, and so on), but I thought I would just briefly address the recent sinking of the Titan submersible. As some of you probably already know, the Titanic, which was hailed as an unsinkable ship, was named after the Titans of Greek mythology. However, the novella Futility, which was written by Morgan Robertson before the Titanic was created,…
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…
For Funny Friday, I thought I would present you with a quotes smorgasbord! I do have some notable favorites on the types of people who tickle my funny bone, but I hope you enjoy them nonetheless! “The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like, and do what you’d rather not.” –Mark Twain “They say such nice things about people at their funerals that it makes me sad…
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…