As many of you know my first novel The Seeker will be released this Friday, July 31st. As such I thought I would treat you all to some of my favorite quotes from the greatest author of all-time the Bard of Bards: Mr. William Shakespeare. “The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool.” ― As You Like It “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.” ― Julius Caesar “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” ― Hamlet “Oft…
Recent Posts
Mind Blown- Time (Part 1)
Try to focus on this moment right now. Fix it in your mind. You can’t, can you? Because even as you think about a moment that moment has passed. What we consider to be the present is actually the recent past. Our mind makes sense of the data it’s being sent and paints us a picture of the world around us but it takes time to process that data and in that time the world moves on. We live milliseconds in the past never quite catching up to the present. Trippy to think about right? And we haven’t even gotten…
Worth It?- Robocop (2014)
In today’s installment of Worth It? I venture into the world of science fiction to check out the recent remake of cult classic Robocop. This 2014 film was supposed to be the start of a new franchise but with a mediocre box office and less than favorable critical reviews it looks like those plans have been scrapped. Despite all that the new Robocop does have its fans and a pretty talented cast that includes Michael Keaton, Gary Oldman, and Michael K. Williams so I figured I’d give it a go. To be honest I was pleasantly surprised to find out the…
Wily Wordplay- On Love
Greeting Readers!!! After a bit of a break I’m back and what better way to ease back into a routine than with another edition of Wily Wordplay. And considering last week’s landmark Supreme Court decision our topic for today seemed like a no-brainer. So here they are in no particular order my favorite ten quotes about Love: “You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” ― Dr. Seuss “Where there is love there is life.” ― Mahatma Gandhi “It is best to…
How Have You Not Seen That?- Groundhog Day
Ever feel like you’re stuck in an inescapable loop. That no matter what you do you’re trapped to repeat the same patterns over and over again? That you’re doomed to wake up to Sonny and Cher every day for the rest of your life? Well you’re not alone. And if you think you are it’s because you’ve not seen the subject of this month’s installment of How Have You Not Seen That?: Groundhog Day. Long before Bill Murray was a t-shirt he was a genuine movie star. And in 1993 he was at the height of his powers, somewhere between…
Worth It?- Horns
Can Harry Potter pull off an American accent? If you play David Bowie backwards can you hear the Devil speak to you? Is being friend-zoned a special kind of hell? These questions and more will be answered in this edition of Worth It? when we check out the trippy 2014 horror/crime film Horns staring Daniel Radcliffe. Radcliffe plays Ig, a radio DJ who has been accused of raping then murdering his longtime girlfriend. The movie begins with a shot of the couple happy together in the woods than transitions to Ig waking up on his kitchen floor from a bender.…
A Writer’s Tale- The Allahakbarries
Quick show of hands who here knows anything about cricket? Anybody? What about you in the back? Well whether you raised a hand or not you probably could handle a cricket bat as well as the subject of today’s A Writer’s Tale. I’m sure many of you are familiar with J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan (or at least are familiar with Johnny Deep playing Barrie creating Peter Pan in Finding Neverland). What you are most likely not familiar with is Barrie’s lifelong obsession with the sport of cricket and the story of his amateur cricket team the Allahakbarries. Now if that…
Subtitle Subversive- Okuribito
One my goals with this Subtitles Subversives series is to examine films that are not only excellent but give insight into a culture that you and I might not otherwise have. Something powerful that takes us far away from Hollywood and its studios. Okuribito is just such a film. Titled “Departures” for western audiences Okuribito is a film about life disguising itself as a film about death. The movie follows Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki) as he gives up his dream of being cellist and returns to his hometown with his wife. Needing to find work Daigo answers an ad for…
Meanwhile in Countries Not Named America- Civil War in Yemen
The world is a big place. With over 7 billion people divided among nearly 200 nations it’s easy to see how even the most well informed of individuals may not be aware of everything that is currently happening in our world. One of the goals of Meanwhile in Countries Not Named America is to select issues of importance and brief my readers in such a way that they are at least generally aware of the players and principles involved. With global attention tied up in the future of the EU, tensions in the Ukraine, President Obama’s Trans-Pacific Trade agreement, and…
World Building 101: Religion
Hey there! Welcome back to World Building 101 where I take a look at the steps and layers needed to create a successful fantasy or science fiction universe. Previously I talked about Mythology and the importance it plays in laying out the groundwork for your society. Today I’d like to take a look at an element that is tightly connected to mythology and is just if not more important to the shaping of your fledgling world: Religion. As I stated last time it’s easy for many people to get these two things confused. Some people think that mythologies are just…