I will occasionally review my favorite TV shows, sometimes a few days late. These won’t be recaps, but general and specific observations from someone who thinks way too much about this kind of stuff and doesn’t get too overly negative if an episode doesn’t make him bacon and massage his feet. I had a lot […]
I love this time of year. You can feel the difference in the air. A special electricity surrounds us. You could blame it on the change from summer to autumn, but something else gives me this feeling – I can see the new television season on the horizon. I have not had as hard of […]
I hesitated before picking up a copy of Joshua Braff’s novel “Peep Show.” On one hand, I didn’t really like his first book. On the other hand, I had two books in my hand for my daughter and Braff’s book had a “Buy Two, Get One Free” sticker on it. Sold, American. In the end, I’m […]
You need a lot of skill to write a book. You need to come up with a good idea, plan it out and use your command of language to make that story come alive. When everything comes together, the end result can really change the way you look at things. Jack Newcastle’s “The Fine Art of Mixing […]
Traveling often puts us at the mercy of other folks. You have to hope that the person in the seat next to you on the plane isn’t a jerk. You have to trust the taxi driver doesn’t try to rip you off. And you have to believe that the person who had the hotel room […]
I had pretty high hopes when I picked up “How I Became a Famous Novelist.” First of all, the fake best-seller list on the back cover showed that the author had a keen eye for the absurdity of mass market publishing. Secondly, Steve Hely, the author, has a strong Hollywood resume, writing previously for David […]
As I got ready for work the other day, I spotted something hidden behind a chair in our computer. Once I realized what it was, I knew I had to make a change. So I found an empty nail in the wall and hung the frame which held some special memories for me. I figured […]
Even though I know better, I am putty in the hands of book marketers sometimes. “Candy Everybody Wants” by Josh Kilmer-Purcell stands as a perfect example. All the marketing department had to do was create a colorful, eye-catching cover and use the title to hearken back to a 10,000 Maniacs song – Michael Stipe sings […]
My big mouth gets me in trouble sometimes. That should not shock anyone. I have learned over the years, however, to not promise things I might not do. I did not follow that guideline earlier this summer during a conversation with my daughter. She loves our family’s annual beach week as much as I do, […]
We visited my wife’s mother recently and spent our usual amount of time sitting outside and talking. They have some really nice shaded areas around the house, and we had a really nice day. At one point, a solitary bug was, well, bugging me. I could see him very clearly fly a few feet away […]