Swords, Specters, & Stuff
Welcome to My World
I started this blog in January 2012 for one simple reason: I love to write. I named it “Swords, Specters, & Stuff” because I especially love to write about writing, about books and movies in my favorite genres, about authors that mean a great deal to me. But there’s more to it than that, which is why I included “Stuff” in the title. It is “Stuff” that gives me carte blanche to write about anything, which is why you’ll see stories about special trips to Cooperstown, Sedona, and other places; about getting older; about baseball; about the otherworldly way in which I met my soul mate; about the loss of good friends, and so much more. Enjoy! And feel free to leave a comment.
Throwback Thursday: Is Anyone Watching Pandemic Movies?
Covid variants are still around, but it seems that many have gotten complacent about it. I first presented this post in April of 2020, shortly after most of the world was shut down.
Spielberg Messed Up—An Opinion
Steven Spielberg’s 1977 science fiction classic, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, is definitely in my Top 5 favorite movies. It led me on a decades-long pilgrimage to the Devils Tower in Wyoming, which culminated with me reaching the magical place in 2017. It is an almost perfect movie, with only two things about it that bother me.
Throwback Thursday: A March Miracle—The Texas Western Basketball Team
The world of sports could not present a story more uplifting than this one. The post first ran in 2020.
Myths And Legends: The Mystery Of Flight 19
If you’ve watched the 1977 Steven Spielberg classic, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, you might recall the opening sequence. Researchers are summoned to the Sonoran Desert in Mexico, where a group of old planes has suddenly appeared. They determine that the planes, in perfect condition, belong to Flight 19, a group of five planes that disappeared 32 years earlier, in 1945. Did I say disappeared? Has to be science fiction, right? Wrong. It really happened.
Throwback Thursday: Myths And Legends—The Vanishing Riverboat
The SS IRON MOUNTAIN, a stern-wheel paddle steamer, proudly sailed the waters of the mighty Mississippi River following its launch in 1872. Its owners foresaw a long and prosperous run for the vessel. How could they know that its run would end in barely a decade under mysterious circumstances, to become the stuff of legend?
It’s A Mystery To Me
My bride and I love murder mysteries and detective dramas, cozy and otherwise. We’ve watched just about every series and movie from a number of different countries, especially the UK. I know why this particular genre appeals to me. To be blunt: I SUCK AT DEDUCTION.
Throwback Thursday: James Bond Meets Han Solo?
This film raised an interesting question about the mysterious disappearance and reappearance of a steamboat back in 1882, a true story. I first presented this post in 2020.
The Babadook: An LGBTQ Icon?
THE BABADOOK is a 2014 Australian horror film that is considered a classic of its genre. It tells the story of Amelia, a grieving young widow, and seven-year-old Sam, her out-of-control son. Somehow the film’s “monster,” inexplicably, has become what many call a “queer” icon. How did that happen?
Throwback Thursday: Safe At Home
I was seriously disheartened when I wrote the following post in March of 2020, as I’m sure all of you were. We became captives to the insidious beast called Covid-19.
Remembering Jimmy
“Changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes, nothing remains quite the same.” Jimmy Buffett’s words. Good words…and true. Add to it: just about everything comes to an end. We lost this great entertainer a little over a week ago. I am crushed.
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