Especially if you do not hold a religious view of the world, art that depends on magic, religion, and spirituality can sometimes lead to eye rolling. Even as an atheist living in a culture steeped in Christianity, I like to keep myself open to the value of introspection and awe. This applies to the beauty of nature, and also… Read More »
I spend most of my working day reading, writing, sending, and managing email — so the tool I use must be as efficient as possible. When I was on Windows, I was an Outlook power-user. I really came to hate Windows back then so switched over to Mac. I loved everything about my new Mac experience… except I missed Outlook.
I was busy working at my desk on a rainy autumn afternoon when Dave came in with a lovely little white plate and said “Try this.” On a whim, he had made this sweet potato and baked apple dish. Amazing! This is a wonderful dessert to satisfy sweet cravings without any added sugar… who needs sugar when you… Read More »
A client who is responsible for a too-large percentage of my income shared with me an email he sent to someone in which he blew up at the recipient with the most vile all-upper-case yelling I’ve ever seen.
I stream all my video media: TV shows and films. I use Plex to access my ~550-title library, and I have maybe another 100+ (and growing) titles that I purchased on Amazon. But when I browse through my library of titles, they are segregated into Plex and Amazon clients. I wish I could browse a single library of… Read More »
I love being at a tradeshow when it closes. At the moment it closes, exhausted exhibitors applaud as chaos and hubbub ensue and workers emerge from the loading docks to start tearing it all down. It is an organized, frenzied orchestra of elation and exhaustion.
I bought my first IBM PC in 1984. I was a DOS expert in the ’80s, then when DOS went away I became a Windows expert. I even spent a year (with my partner) as a paid presence on a PC support site. But as computers got more powerful, Windows became more bloated and intrusive. In 2014 when it was time to… Read More »
Years ago I built a damned impressive collection of VHS video tapes… and then I junked the whole thing to move to DVDs. (When I think of the money I’ve sunk into this obsession, it is frankly a bit embarrassing!) By the time that BluRay came out, my collection had grown to over 500 movies and a bunch of TV… Read More »
Try to find the positive: it’s usually lurking around somewhere if you look. Sometimes you have to grab it by the lapels or the scruff of the neck to bring it round, but you can always find it. Happiness and positivity are choices we make: you often can’t control the hurdles life throws at you, but you can… Read More »
I love the writings of Elmore Leonard. Not familiar with his work? Did you like the TV show Justified? How about the films Jackie Brown, Bandits, or Get Shorty? All are based on the work of Elmore Leonard. He published an extremely short book, Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing, which I can distill down to just this simple… Read More »
I find it interesting that using real quotation marks in writing does not adequately convey what air quotes mean when speaking.
This is a squash soup with a savory sweet flavor. Try it with pear or apple, and don’t forget the cinnamon. This would be great topped with Sweet Potato Hash, but is just fine without it. If you want to make it a bigger meal, add chicken.
Call this a vanity-post. Back in the first edition of my book, The Gentleviewer’s Obsessive Guide to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I had original collage art at the beginning of each chapter to represent some key motifs of the season. When I went to the second edition of the book, I tool the artwork out because printing a full-color… Read More »
Whenever someone talks about wanting to disband the ACA (which some call ObamaCare), it sets my teeth on edge. Like many other Americans, if it wasn’t for the ACA, I am literally uninsurable unless I go through my own corporation because of pre-existingconditions. Getting insured this way unfairly increases my costs, and frankly this isn’t an option for many other… Read More »