Saga: An excitingly new same old story

There is a longstanding observation, which contends that writers are thieves and liars who steal stories from their daily lives and lie about the details. While this reflection is comical in nature, at its heart is a kernel of truth. Each of us — not only writers — is a storyteller who steals tales from … Continue reading

Trying to find a niche for the Nook

I bought an e-reader and I don’t like it. It’s not the wrong one for me, I did my research. The Kobo was too small, I don’t like Amazon so no Kindle for me, and the iPad provided too many distractions. I have enough trouble trying to watch TV and Facebook at the same time, … Continue reading

Five years later — a thousand years from now

Imagining the future can be tricky. On one hand, we picture ourselves wearing jetpacks, flying through the open sky to get to work in the morning, and sending our relatives off (if we’re lucky) to live in space colonies on the moon. Love triumphs over our petty hatreds and we live in peace, not just … Continue reading

One note

Sometimes all it takes is a note. This winter shall be reflected upon as a season of snow days. I am home now, the victim of the latest snow day (actually due to icy conditions in my county of employ). I am sitting at my desk sifting through the mountain of redundant files in my … Continue reading

Nick Offerman: American ham

Many of us know Nick Offerman as the straightforward, bacon-eating, curmudgeon, Ron Swanson, of NBC’s Parks and Recreation. He’s made quite a name for himself there playing the role of a strictly anti-government parks worker to deadpan perfection. Reaching the heights of pop cultural iconography, his Swansonisms sprawl across the internets and he’s won the … Continue reading

Judging a bookshelf by its covers

A few weeks ago our power went out. It had been happening during bad weather all winter, usually for just a few minutes. This time it lasted hours. Once it got down to 58 degrees we decided to head over to my brother-in-law’s for some heat and electricity. After much fussing and crying I got … Continue reading

Just beneath the surface

Occasionally, I read something that I know is intrinsically good, but I can’t quite figure out why it resonates with me. It’s not a common occurrence, but when it happens, I’m always left feeling a bit uneasy. Suffice to say, I’ve read a lot of comic books, and I can rush to judgment as fast … Continue reading