A self-help guru named Marie Kondo has come under fire for her philosophy regarding clutter and possessions. Basically, she’s in favor of getting rid of everything you don’t really need – the “need” part being the element with which people seem to take issue. The main idea of her theory is to get rid of […]
Read MoreJust finished reading Cherie Priest’s Maplecroft, which I recommend for fans of Lovecraftian Horror. The mystery and horror elements involve the sea to some degree, and it started me thinking over the countless nature shows I’ve absorbed over the years. I LOVE nature shows, and deep sea critters are among my favorites to learn about. […]
Read MoreYesterday, a convention I attend every year, Geneva Steam, announced that this year’s event would be their last. I was stunned by the news. It’s a small event, it attracts mostly locals, and it seemed to have a lot going for it, but in the end, the three main people running it all found that […]
Read MoreI was with some friends in a restaurant recently, and I began thinking about all the factors that make for a good restaurant. It’s not always as simple as just serving good food; there’s more to it than that, and I had a few tiny revelations about thew subject while nomming on my pork bun, […]
Read MoreSometimes, when I’m feeling down, I take a look at what other authors have dubbed the Brag Shelf — a shelf full of books I’ve contributed to. It gives me a lift, not only from the sense of accomplishment, but also from the wide variety of material I’ve worked on over the years. The vast […]
Read MoreMy writing career has been intertwined with games since day one. Games have been part of my life for years – even as a child, games were popular in my home. My parents regularly bought games for us kids for Christmas, and we sat around the kitchen table playing Chutes and Ladders and Hi-Ho Cherry-O […]
Read MoreOriginal television programming was one the sole purview of the big three – later big four — networks: ABC, CBS, NBC, and later, Fox. They were the only ones with the budget and the facilities to produce episodic programs for consumer viewing. That strangle hold has all but disappeared now, challenged beginning in the 1980s […]
Read MoreI grew up in a small town in Wisconsin. It wasn’t diverse in any way at that time, but I had one advantage: my parents were open-minded about more things than most, and so I learned to try new things by their example. The most obvious model of this behavior involved food. My folks both […]
Read MoreThe exciting news I have to share is that Pugmire: Tales of Good Dogs is finally available. I have a story in this anthology, “Hidden Within,”, and it’s been three years since I wrote it. The road to this point has been a long and frustrating one, but I’m delighted the book is finally out. […]
Read MoreThere’s a lot of punching down going on in the world right now, and it doesn’t make me happy. Perhaps the most obvious source is the upper levels of the United States Government, but it doesn’t stop there – not by a long shot. So what exactly IS punching down, you may ask? The definition […]
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