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.
Report From The Quarantine Cave 11.0
Year Two (for crying out loud!) of the freaking coronavirus pandemic. Sure, it seems to be trending in the right direction, and many more people have been vaccinated against Covid-19, including my bride and me. But it is far from over, and I choose to listen to the experts, who say that the effects of the new variant strains could launch another surge.
Jack Miller, Meet Teddy Roosevelt
My last two Throwback Thursday posts centered around the Devils Tower in Wyoming, one of my favorite places in the world. I mentioned that in my latest book, BACK ON THE BIKE PATH, my cosmic bike rider, Jack Miller, pays two visits to the Tower, also known as the Bear Lodge to a number of Native American tribes.
“My, What A Big Bat!” Lines From Vintage Horror Movies
No CGI in the classic horror movies of yore, but they could still scare the crap out of you. Here are some memorable lines from a few of them.
Jonathan Creek: Magic, Mystery, And The Macabre
Jonathan Creek is a narrow tributary to a Canadian river. JONATHAN CREEK is also the title of a venerable British TV mystery series, as well as the name of its lead character. And I must say, this exceptional series deserves its cult following.
Report From The Quarantine Cave 10.0
Year Two-plus of the coronavirus pandemic. Well, it might be “plus” for most everyone, but for me it started for real on a day in early March almost exactly one year ago. Hard to forget…
Curious Possessions IV
With seven-plus decades in the rearview mirror I’ve had plenty of time to collect a whole lot of “stuff.” Here is a look at some more “Curious Possessions” floating around my domicile.
Dashing Through The Snow…
Last week I wrote about “bad science” movies and mentioned THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, a 2004 “climate science fiction/disaster” film. In this expanded post I first thought about adding it to my Guilty Pleasures, but given that it grossed over $550 million, I quickly discarded that idea.
Bad Science? Gimme A Break!
I strongly believe in science, especially when it comes to dealing with major issues such as global pandemics and climate change. But when I watch a movie, primarily in two of my favorite genres—disaster films and sci-fi—I’m doing it to escape from reality for a couple of hours, and I’m not particularly concerned with whether the scientific aspects of the story are entirely accurate.
Report From The Quarantine Cave 9.0
Year Two of the coronavirus pandemic: yeah, this time I’m not exaggerating. The first case of Covid-19 showed up in the U.S. a year ago, and here we are, still dealing with it.
The Caribbean: Fun, Sun, Rum, And…Murder?
Over the past decade the British/French “mystery/comedy/suspense” series, DEATH IN PARADISE, has been one of the highest rated shows going, especially in England. My bride and I just finished binging on the first nine seasons (72 hour-long episodes on BritBox) and are eagerly awaiting season ten…
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