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.
Myths And Legends: The Sumatran Death Ship
The Dutch vessel was called the SS OURANG MEDAN, which translated from Malay to “Man of Medan,” the latter being a Sumatran island. So much has been written and discussed about the unimaginable incident that brought this ship’s name into the public spectrum. But what might be even more incredible is that this much heralded event…might not have ever happened.
Throwback Thursday: What Is Capgras Delusion?
Is your spouse really your spouse, or a pod person? Is delusional misidentification a real thing? This post first ran in 2020.
Guilty Pleasures: SKYSCRAPER
Our hero “is able to leap tall buildings in a single bound,” right? Uh, no, that’s another guy. In the 2018 action/disaster film, SKYSCRAPER, our hero, Will Sawyer (Dwayne Johnson), can leap his way into the world’s tallest building, which happens to be on fire, while outrunning both the bad guys and the police—and he can do all this on only one leg.
Throwback Thursday: Curious Possessions II
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. This post first ran in 2020.
Magic In The Stone
Magic is a key component in just about every sword & sorcery novel, be it benevolent or for the darkest of evil. In one of my early stories, THE SWORD OF TYRON (original title: BERBORA), magic is used to transcend time itself. I’ll show you one of those scenes—but first, some backstory.
Throwback Thursday: “The Supreme Excitement Of Our Time!”
THIS ISLAND EARTH has aged rather well, considering it first hit the silver screen nearly seven decades ago. I first presented this post in 2020.
Cult Classics: One Person’s Opinion
A great philosopher (either Plato or Frank Zappa; I’m not sure) once said, “Opinions are like assholes. Everybody has one, and they all stink.” With that in mind, I’ll reference an article that I read last week about twenty-five movies that, while considered “cult classics,” are not worthy of such adulation.
Throwback Thursday: Outrageous Film Teasers
I had forgotten about this post, which first ran in 2020. To reiterate my warning from back then, don’t be drinking anything when you read some of these crazy film teasers. 😊
The Saga Of Greasy Neale
Elly de la Cruz, the exciting rookie, had just stolen three bases in the same inning, a rare feat that had occurred only 47 times in the history of Major League Baseball. As for the Cincinnati Reds, the last player to accomplish it did so in 1919, over a century ago. That player’s name: GREASY NEALE.
Throwback Thursday: Blowing Shit Up: The Final (I Hope) Rambo Film
Well, I haven’t heard anything about a new RAMBO film, and that’s probably a good thing. This post first ran in 2020.
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