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.
“Madness! Madness!”
The title of this post is an actual line of dialogue—the last in the film, actually—from the much-honored classic, THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1958). It is shouted by a character called Major Clipton as he observes men destroying one another during a World War II battle and is a strong commentary on the madness of war. But hey, it’s MARCH, the month where MADNESS has another meaning.
Throwback Thursday: Myths And Legends—The Island Of The Dolls
There is an otherworldly place not far from the heart of the sprawling Mexico City called La Isla de las Muñecas—the Island of the Dolls. It is located in one of the channels off Lake Xochimilco. For those of us creeped out by the “true” stories of Annabelle and Robert the Doll, or the fictional Chucky, this island can be a waking nightmare.
A Pair Of 7s…Is That Lucky?
Well, I sure hope so, because I’m turning 77 today. Holy crap, how in the name of Zeus’s butthole did that happen!
Throwback Thursday: Is It TERMINATOR 3 or TERMINATOR 6?
Is it “Hasta la Vista, Baby” for TERMINATOR flicks? Who knows? But this last entry was, well, MEH. This post first ran in 2019.
Blimey, A British Royal Who Solves Murders?
Bestselling American author Elizabeth George published her first Inspector Lynley mystery, A GREAT DELIVERANCE, in 1988 to much acclaim. To date the series is still going strong both here and in the United Kingdom, with over twenty titles in print. And in 2001 the books spawned a highly popular BBC One crime drama, THE INSPECTOR LYNLEY MYSTERIES, with a two-part pilot and six seasons, which ran through 2008 and doubtless should have gone longer.
Throwback Thursday: “B” Movies—Burial Grounds For Old Actors?
The 2008 made-for-TV (SyFy Channel) horror/sci-fi film, BONE EATER, which appears on many “Worst” lists, is notable for one thing. Its cast consists of a bunch of long-in-tooth actors that we knew from long-ago television shows. I guess it’s good to know that they’re still picking up a paycheck.
Myths And Legends: More Haunted Truck Roads
Learning about some of these spooky truck roads almost makes you not want to get behind the wheel. But drive we must, so here are a couple more that you might want to think twice about navigating.
Throwback Thursday: “The Obsolete Man”—A Warning
This post, which first ran in 2019, is one of my most disturbing, given that there are numerous people in our country that believe this repressive way of life, which includes the banning of BOOKS, would be acceptable.
It’s 60 Degrees Outside? Brr, Frigid!
On one of my daily walks last week—sun shining, 70° here in Southern California—I got to thinking about why I relocated to the San Diego area in the first place over fifty years ago. For sure, to be able to walk along the beach on a balmy mid-winter day had to be one of those reasons. So why was I bundled up like an off-season tourist in Barrow, Alaska?
Throwback Thursday: Manilow Wasn’t Singing About THIS Mandy
I could have written about the 2018 “psychedelic drama action horror” film, MANDY, as a Guilty Pleasure, given its almost non-existent box office. But “pleasure” is not a word I would use after watching it, though I did find it fascinating in an oddly disturbing sort of way.
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