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.
RIP Pete Rose
An exercise in hypocrisy. Last week, baseball legend Pete Rose passed away at the age of 83. The all-time MLB hits leader (4,256), Rose—a polarizing figure throughout his career—was given a lifetime ban in 1989 for betting on baseball, apparently wagering on his own team.
“Cancel Christmas””—More Gems From The Language Of Baseball
The wonderful language of baseball must be quite extensive for author Paul Dickson to create a dictionary of nearly a thousand pages! Here are more of my favorites.
Really? CHILD’S PLAY Is NOT A Guilty Pleasure?!
The 1988 “supernatural slasher” film, CHILD’S PLAY, introduced the world to Chucky, the Good Guy doll possessed by the spirit of a deranged serial killer. I’ve watched it a number of times over the past 36 years and had always thought of it as one of my (many) guilty pleasures. But it’s not.
Myths And Legends: The Screaming Tunnel
Dark, dank, creepy… Abandoned tunnels seem likely places for all manner of paranormal activity. And among the league leaders is a short but spooky one on the Ontario, Canada side of Niagara Falls. It is known as the Screaming Tunnel.
Hanging With The Baseball Gods
“Hello, Jack,” a pair of voices called. And that’s when I DID flip upside-down as I spotted the welcoming guys as they emerged from the blackness: Tony Gwynn and Mickey Mantle! OH MYYY…
A Lot More TWISTERS…But One TWISTER Is Still The Best
Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed the 2024 disaster movie, TWISTERS, with its numerous tornadoes dealing death and destruction all over Oklahoma. But its 1996 predecessor, TWISTER, holds a lofty place on my list of all-time favorite movies. Much of that has to do with its amazing cast…
Myths And Legends: “This Island Is Cursed!”
Gaiola Island sits off the coast of Naples, Italy, in the Tyrrhenian Sea, part of a volcanic archipelago. It is actually two rocky islets, connected by a stone bridge. Once occupied, it now sits abandoned as a result of its checkered history of drownings, murders, disappearances, even suicides. Locals won’t go near it. Ask any one of them and they will tell you, “This island is cursed!”
Guilty Pleasures: SILVER BULLET
Oh yeah, this is a golden oldie, to be sure. The 1985 horror flick, SILVER BULLET, is based on a 1983 novella by Stephen King titled, CYCLE OF THE WEREWOLF. King wrote the screenplay for the film, which did not resonate with most critics. Who cares? I’ve always enjoyed it. What else is new?
The Wonderful Language Of Baseball
It’s not exactly a novel, but THE DICKSON BASEBALL DICTIONARY is one of the best reads that I know. The author, Paul Dickson, defines just about every word and phrase, common and obscure, related to the most excellent game in the world. If you’re a baseball fan, it should be on your bookshelf.
Guilty Pleasures: THE RUINS
The 2008 “survival/horror” film, THE RUINS, is based on the 2006 novel of the same name. Its author, Scott Smith, also wrote the screenplay, so he must’ve known what mattered in paring down the nearly 400-page tome into 90 minutes of screen time. Even so, the much-acclaimed book was a box office bomb, and its reviews were so-so.
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