"There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio..."

And who said the world isn't a strange place...
I haven't seen it, yet, but I hear tell that Dirty Harry (Clint Eastwood) put a bullet in the brain of the Republican Convention. The way I hear it, he was speaking and acting in a somewhat disjointed, vulgar, and disrespectful manner. There are two different views I have heard expressed on this live, surreal display by someone I believed to be a remarkable actor, as well as an incredible director, in the motion picture industry. The first view, which would be the most damaging to him personally, is that he is suffering from some possibly mild, but definite form of dementia, or he truly is a horrible person. Although, in a much more forthright approach, he is expressing exactly the same amount of respect and consideration that the entire Republican Convention is showing to President Obama. Which brings me to the second view: that Mr. Eastwood performed the strange impromptu bit of stage acting on purpose, in order to bring discredit upon the Convention itself, and show up the Republicans for who they truly are in a more direct manner. 
Well, not having seen it, I can't really give an opinion. I can only say, I really hope he wasn't expressing his own sentiments, because I do have a lot of respect for the man, at least up to this point. And that's all I can say about that. 
Moving on in this strange and wonderous world...
You know, I've been a batchelor, and living by myself for a long time. I haven't even really dated anyone seriously, or for that matter dated seriously period, for a helluva long time. There are a number of reasons for this. One being, not having met the right person. Another being, that I am quite comfortable living by myself, and yes, it is safer. 
But a considerably younger woman (30 yrs. old), not that the age matters (OK, it shouldn't matter; but to one degree or another, it does to some of us), has me thinking it might be time to really let the monkey throw a wrench ( yeah, I'm sure you get it, monkey-wrench) into my life. I am very set in my solitary lifestyle. I do have my good friends, Eddie, and Albert. And, of course, my many other friends that I see upon occasion. They, however, are all platonic friends, and just about entirely all married. And none of them require much of my time, or that I make any big adjustments in how I live. Yep, safe, and comfortable.
Now, I'm not saying I will spend time with this particular woman, or even get to know her any better than I do right now. But she makes me want to expand my life beyond just looking out for myself. Remarkably, she does have that effect on me. And just recently, I have begun to realize what a big change that would be. Yes,  I have been thinking about the fantastic (not fantastic in the sense of wonderful, although it very well could be, but in the sense of:  unbelievable) possibility of sharing my life with another person. Think of the Big Bang, but think of it in terms of your world view expanding in an explosive manner. I can't really stress enough the impact upon my view of the world.
As I've said before, reality is all in your perception, which is most assuredly influenced by your perspective. Change your perspective radically, and well, the world seems to be an entirely different place.
Anyroad. For the moment, I have nothing else to say about that...or anything else...but Dr. Who is in his tardis, and all is right with the world... 

Looking for a Fortress of Solitude

I can always tell I'm reaching the close to exhausted stage by the sudden craving for sugar. I've given up most of my unhealthy sweet treats. Things like cake, ice cream, milk chocolate, frosting (yep, just frosting out of a can), m&m's (peanut, of course), etc., etc. But when my energy level hits its dregs (bottom of the barrel), well, my sugar jones (addiction) hits with a considerable impact. Yes, I am whining about being tired. Thursday nights I like to try to get to an informal Mandarin class at another Mandarin student's house, but I haven't made it in quite a bit of time. Either I have too much I have yet to get done, or the wind has gone out of my sails, which is the case this evening. I am quite the party pooper. C'est la vie. 
Of course, Eddie is always happy to have me home, as I'm sure my seven wives would be. If I had seven wives. And I always have a book to read. Many, many books, actually. I also have no trouble telling the world to go away on an evening like this. It's good to relax and regroup when needed, which is more often than I would like, but sometimes it is much easier to go with the river current , than to fight your way upstream.
So, the update goes like this: Albert is still out in the world somewhere, but I expect I'll see him soon. Those nasty, smelly Republicans are still down in Tampa, pulling every dirty trick they can think of, to make President Obama look bad. There currently haven't been any more attempts on doing bodily injury to my person, but as they say, I am watching my back. 
The world can appear as a dark and dangerous place. But we must not forget, it is also a wonderful place. And there is no better time to be alive than now. Trust me on this. Squeeze out all the enjoyment and wonder you can. And there is lots of wonder, of all kinds, to be had. I'm sorry there has to be so much darkness in the world. But I do like a bit of darkness in my world. To paraphrase the title of a ghostly anthology I happen to like, I am "Acquainted With The Night".  

The Dark & The Light

The world keeps on spinning, life plunges on, and we do what we do. The Human being tends to be the only animal that thinks, sometimes overly so, before acting. Animals always know what to do by instinct. The human must consider things before deciding to move forward, stand still, or move backward. Or, to put it a different way, the three F's. Fight, Freeze, or Flee. 
We are capable of creating our own reality, be it for the good of all, or for our own selfish purposes. There are always those who are telling us what we can, and what we can't do. I have always had trouble with those who believe they are the authority on what can and can't be done. I believe we can do anything if we want to bad enough. But, anything, could be good, Light if you will, or bad, Dark. "Don't go to the Darkside, Luke."
Of course, we don't have to do anything. We can lay on the couch watching TV and eating ice cream. Which, I think we all need to do occasionally. But it does leaves a lot to be desired as a lifestyle. Now, I'm not much of a revolutionary, since I don't believe violence solves anything, but in point of fact, generally makes things much worse. So, I must channel my anger into non-violent, and yet, productive outlets of expression. Which can take certain amount of thought, and creativity. Not quite as easy to do as I'd prefer. We live in an age of violence. Which is maybe how it's always been, since man first gained intelligence, of a sort. And in our culture, the gun rules. We prize winning at any price. This is the age of not only making sure you get yours, but also making sure that they, don't get their's. Fill in whoever you don't like for they. Ah. Remember Robert Duvall's line from Apocalypse Now? "I love the smell of napalm in the morning. It reminds me of victory." 
We haven't come very far since the dawn of Man. At least in a truly spiritual sense. I would hate to have to bet on whether we are headed for the Light, or the Dark. And no. I am not talking about the next world. I'm talking about this one. 

We All Live On This Planet, So Give Me Some Elbow Room

Well, life seems to be happening still, at least for the moment. Lots of things going on, including the Klu Klux Klan Con -oops!- I mean the Republican Convention in Tampa, Florida. There's also a hurricane in that neighborhood, but unfortunately, it won't be whisking all those horrible excuses for human beings over the rainbow. Although I'd settle for anywhere far from our shores. You know, with all the lying, cheating, and stealing of democracy, mainly in the form of attempts at preventing many Americans from exercising their voting rights, these rich and almost exclusively white, fat cats have crossed the line, and become traitors to the principals this country was founded on. As far as I'm concerned, they are traitors to democracy, and should all be prosecuted for treason. Their current strategy seems to be coupling all their usual tactics together, which would be turning the truth around, or spinning the truth if you prefer, outright lying, and spending billions of dollars on political ads. I really hate those people. My Grandmother, if she were alive, would tell me it's wrong to hate anyone, so for her, I'll just say, I really don't like those damn #%^*...well, you get the idea. 
And, once again, to quote a famous fictional character, that's all I have to say about that.
Albert is doing some travelling at the moment. He's trying to unite some of his brothers of the fur (bears of all colors) in his battle against the destruction of the planet by the rich and corrupt humans. Can't say I blame him in the least. Lucky for me he's made me an honorary bear, of sorts. He can be a bit scary when he's upset. Anyroad, he doesn't feel he can be away for too long, since he believes my life is in danger, and he has decided to be a kind of unofficial bodyguard. I'm twice lucky, since he seems to like me. At least for a human. 
Hmmm. What else is going on...not much I can think of at the moment. 
Finished reading Michael Cisco's The San Veneficio Canon. Yikes. Don't even know what to say there. His language creates amazing images, and I can't even begin to say how incredibly strange the atmosphere of his story is from beginning to end. And that's not even mentioning the weirdness of the story itself. I still am not completely sure about how I feel about the book, which includes two novels, his award winning The Divinity Student, and its sequel, The Golem. I am quite impressed. And I can tell you this, I will not be forgetting the characters, or the story, anytime soon.  
Moving on...A barbecue that some of my Chinese friends, and English learners, had planned for today was cancelled, due to potential bad weather. A shame, but I'm sure we'll reschedule it, or something like it, for another time. 
Final thoughts for the day. The world, is a lot larger than we can possibly conceive of at any given time. But the most important part of the world, is what is right in front of us, and all those we share it with. We do need to look out for each other, regardless of our differences. So, be kind, stand fast when needed, and remember, corporations are not people. But animals are. Or at the least, they deserve our protection. Eddie made me put that in. He is right, though. I have met far fewer animals than people that I didn't like. But, after all, I am only human, and I am very far from perfect.

I Might Wish I was a Dragon, But Eddie's Glad I'm Not

The way life appears to us really depends on the moment. Our perspective influences our perception, and how we are feeling has everything to do with our perspective. Imagine you are pure spirit, detached from the flesh, and with the ability to see all of reality. Not just the world as our poor human senses perceive it, but as it truly is. Can you imagine that? Of course not. We aren't pure spirit, but stuck within this physical body of flesh and blood. Well. I suppose if you are some kind of transcendent zen master, it might be possible to stand outside your body, and be at the center of things. Just a thought.
Some days when I awake, I feel neutral. After I've gone out and tortured myself by jogging, I start to actually feel like life isn't such a bad thing. Other days, I awake under a dark cloud. These are days that I wish I could take a sledgehammer to the workings of the world. I don't, however. I believe negativity breeds negativity. The same being true for violence. But that doesn't stop me from having days when I wish I were capable of being violent. Not randomly, of course. Against enemies of Humanity. You know, like tyrants, dictators. And yes, the Republican Party. Luckily, my Mother raised me to have great respect for life, even when that life seems pointless and destructive. 
But there are days when I awake feeling like I am the dark cloud, instead of having one over me. Or, if you will, the Dragon in me rises to the surface. It's appropriate. I was born in the year of the Dragon. The trick for me, is to channel my anger at the petty, destructive, ignorant, greedy, and selfish actions of the unenlightened, into constructive and productive actions of my own. Isn't that what an ancient, and exceedingly wise Dragon would do? (Ok, I am not only not ancient, but I can't really claim to be all that wise, either). Emotions, like anger, can cloud our minds. Well, my mind at least. We are (OK, I am, anyway), only human, and as human, we will not be able to divorce ourselves from our emotions. But we can choose to see the world in a wider perspective, and channel our emotions into worthwhile actions. 
Albert, meanwhile, tells me I'm full of sh--. According to what I can make of his bearish language, he says there's only life. You're either eating dinner, or you are dinner. And if you're eating dinner, you better enjoy it. 'Cause something will be eating you soon enough. He's a cheerful guy. 
Have a good dinner. 
  

Barbecued English, and Some Translation from Bear

Language is a living thing, and it is always "evolving". Expressions, greetings, and even curse words/phrases, change in everyday use, and somewhat regularly. From What's Up (or wassup, if you prefer), to the Where you at? of New Orleans, How are you?, How you?, Howdy?, and of vourse the infamous New York, How you doing? As well as all the simplified greetings: Dude, Yo, Hey, etc. 
English is not a simple language, and definitely not an easy language to learn, particularly on the run. Most of us Americans don't really put much effort into our pronunciation, or into making an attempt to speak slowly. It's gotta' be hell for someone trying to learn English. In trying to tutor English, or in my case, simply trying to make it easier to learn English within an open conversation group, not only have I personally learned more about the language I speak, but I now find it much easier to understand bad English, broken English, and even some very badly pronounced English. I also find, that even when talking to native English speakers, I now do a lot of talking with my hands. Seems I can't help myself. But even at it's most trying, I love leading the conversation groups for ESOL learners. I enjoy myself so much, that I should probably pay them for allowing me to be there.
Plus ( a bonus), if the hurricane that's supposed to hit Florida Sunday, doesn't arrive here on Tuesday, my wonderful international friends are organizing a big barbecue in a local park. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. I feel quite blessed, as well as lucky, to know these wonderful people.
And now, before I hunt down some lunch, a word from Albert, my large black bear friend. From what I gather, he did his best to track the person/thing/evil-monster-that-looks-like-me, after he bit his hand off. Which by the way, saved my life, in case you haven't been keeping up with current events. Anyroad, from his description of the track he followed, and where he lost all trace of it, I gathered that my double came from, and went back to, Little Valley, my hometown. Albert could not penetrate the barrier, or spell (if you don't mind my calling it that), that makes it very difficult for anyone, except those who have always resided there, to enter its boundaries. And so, it would seem that someone (maybe more than one someone), or something back in Little Valley wishes me harm. Seems I may have to watch my back while I try to find some answers.
Well, for now, I plan on relaxing for the remainder of the day. After fixing some lunch, I shall, hopefully, have time to read a book, and give Eddie a head-rub or two. And barring any assassination attempts, maybe I'll get a decent night's sleep. Happy trails...

Being Enlightened is a Good Thing. So there, You Bunch of Stupids!

Anyhow, getting back to the way I feel about Dr. Who...I just finished reading a collection of stories by Howard Waldrop, titled "Howard Who?" It was first published in 1986, and recently released in a beautiful paperback edition by Small Beer Press. Waldrop is a national treasure. He writes mostly science fiction in the form of alternate history, but like no one else ever has, or could. Absolutely wonderful stuff. Anyway, one of my two favorite stories in the collection is called "Man-Mountain Gentian", which is a story about a sumo wrestler in a future where the sport has become a mental exercise with the help of electrical energy. But its mainly about two sumo wrestlers, and the build up to their big match, with both their careers on the line. It is an extremely wonderfully written story. But for me, the best part was the ending. The match is over. (Spoiler warning!) Man-Mountain has taken his wife out to dinner to celebrate. They have gone back home, climbed onto their futons, and turned on the TV. And the story ends with the line, "Gilligan is on his island. All is right with the world." I love that line. I laughed out loud. If, however, you never heard of Gilligan's Island, an old TV show, well...you might not get it. Anyroad, that's a bit how I feel about Dr. Who.
When I was walking with Mom a little earlier, I saw two Muslim women, who were walking as well. I didn't really think about my typical, neutral behavior at the time, but I did afterwards. My Mother is very friendly to everyone. I am not, particularly. It's not that I'm unfriendly. I'm just kind of neutral towards everyone, meaning, I just don't pay a lot of attention, and tend to mind my own business. But later I realized, that for those people who probably get a lot of negative attention, I do need to try to give some positive attention towards. Just a smile, or hello. It seems like the enlightened thing to do. There are a lot of very unenlightened people out there, that the rest of us have to make up for. Better to be adding positive energy to the world, than negative energy. 'Cause let's face it, we are either doing one or the other.
So, time to put some rice & vegies together. I just got back from walking with Mom, Eddie's (my cockatiel) done yelling at me for the moment, and I need to start reading "The San Veneficio Canon" by Michael Cisco. For now, I can only advise you, if you haven't already done so already, find the place where, for you, all is right with the world. And then, Stand Fast.

Dr. Who's on First. Who's on First? No, Dr. Who...

I have been a fan of Dr. Who since the first time I saw an old episode on PBS (public television) over twenty years ago. For those who have no idea what I'm talking about, Dr. Who is a long running science fiction series that has been around for a very long time. Dr. Who, is the last Time Lord (his entire home planet , and the race of Time Lords, were wiped out in a war that took place at some long ago time). He is immortal for all intents and purposes. When he is fatally wounded and dying, he regenerates. When this happens, his appearance completely changes. Besides being a convenient way of changing the lead actor who plays the Doctor, it has been a great device to keep this show on the air for an extraordinary amount of time for a tv show. Many decades. And the show has a very strong cult following. In a nutshell, the Doctor travels around the universe through time and space, rescuing those who need to be rescued, and saving worlds from evil of all sorts. It's not a show for everyone, you either love it or you don't. I am one of those who love it. There are Dr. Who books written by many fine authors, and there are probably books written about the Dr. Who phenomena. 
Anyroad. I'm sure you can find out a lot more about the Doctor just by googling him.
Unfortunately for me, being able to see Dr. Who has been rather problematic. PBS, which depends upon donations by members, has only carried the show for brief periods of time. The SiFi channel, also, only carries it occasionally, and almost never carries the most recent shows. But now, on my current basic cable programming, I get the BBC America channel, and yes! Praise the lord and pass the ammunition! (a rather old expression), I can now, once again, watch the Doctor in all his glory, as well as all his companions, friends, and enemies.
So, with all the hate, prejudice, violence, cheating, stealing, lying (mostly by those da** Republicans), and all the other terrible things going on in the world, the Doctor is once again in his Tardis (a time and space machine in the shape of one of the old blue British police boxes). 
And therefore, all is well. 

World's Still Here It Seems...At Least For the Moment

Some Countries are freer than others. I think you would find that hard to argue with. I consider myself lucky to have been born in the US. And that's what it is, luck of the draw. Look at what happens to dissenters in Russia and China, as well as many other "less free" places. Here, at least for the present, I can say whatever I like about the government, including criticizing those in charge, and as long as there is no physical harm threatened, I remain free and "un-tortured". 
Of course, if those who would be the new "Royal" American class come to power, that might change. We'll just have to see if there is a second American Civil War coming. It might be necessary to prevent the disenfranchisement, and yes, even the enslavement, of the poor, the old, the disadvantaged, and the minorities. I really don't like those Republican sons-of-beechnuts.
Anyroad, once again I had great plans for my day, but due to a long bout of wrestling with demons (a physical thing, not a spiritual one), instead of sleeping, I have to settle for getting some of the less strenuous chores taken care of. I'm not really happy about it, but as an infamous killer supposedly once said, "Every day above ground is a good one." So, I will settle for doing what I can.
My demon wrestling didn't seem to disturb Eddie, but Albert did a lot of bear-type grumbling during the course of the night. He left early in the morning, whether because of my making to much noise or not, I couldn't say. Once I was up, Eddie proceeded to have a very agitated morning. He drove me crazy until a short time ago, when he finally settled down and took a nap on my shoulder, followed by another nap on my foot. He's preening (grooming himself) at this time.
So, yes, I know I have a couple of things to catch up on, but they'll just have to wait for now. I am going to have a cup of tea, read some Howard Waldrop (I'm reading his collection "Howard Who?"), and go walking with Mom. Gotta' make sure she gets her exercise. Assuming the world is still here tomorrow, and for most of us I hope it is, well...we'll take things from there...'til then, be well...  

I Hate Republicans...Can I Still Vote?

One of the laws they are trying to pass in many states is that everyone will have to take a written test, which is designed to find out how you feel about Republican candidates. Well, "everyone" being everyone who is not rich, white, corporate, or yes, Republican. For all those who don't meet their standards (liking Republicans, and believing Corporations are people), they have plans to find a way to deport them. Maybe to Gitmo.
It's an interesting time to be alive in this country. It seems there is a major effort on the part of all those right wing conservatives, to tear down democracy, and create a land with freedom for some. Mainly, once again, the rich and privileged. And to hell with all those embarrassing poor, disadvantaged, and minority people. Who needs 'em, anyway.
Ok, then. Being Friday at 11:03 am, I now have to prepare myself to get to the Library so I can help confuse and bewilder my English learning friends with how amazingly not simple the English language is. So, maybe more later. I do also have a review of a story collection by John Langan that I hope to get posted on my other blog, Books & Birds, as well. 
So, until later, please be kind to any Corporations you run into. As well as "job creators", of course.
Hasta luego...  

Just Another Day? That's One Way To Look At It...

Well, against all odds it would seem, I did manage to get a decent amount of sleep last night. Not as much as I would have liked, but definitely enough to get by. Thanks at least in part to Albert, my big, furry, sometimes roommate (He's a black bear. Really). He actually saved my life twice. Once on Friday night, when a vanishing spider attacked me in the middle of the night. Ah, you never heard of a vanishing spider. I wouldn't expect you to know of this rare, ugly arachnid, since outside of Little Valley (the place I come from) there aren't any. And they are extremely rare within Little Valley. Which does lead me to believe that this had been a special delivery from someone, or something, from my place of origin. By the way, they are called vanishing spiders because, like chameleons, they have the ability to completely blend into their backgrounds. They also are lethally poisonous.

Anyroad, I started to wake when I felt something land on top of the bed covers. I didn't bolt awake because as big as these ugly things are, they aren't all that heavy. But the next thing I felt did a lot more than completely wake me up. Something tried to punch a hole through one of my kidneys (I was sleeping on my stomach, as usual). And that, was Albert. It seems, at least according to my bearish friend, that bears have a very sharp sense of hearing. He had not only heard the spider plop down on top of the covers as it landed on top of me, but he also heard it creeping softly across the ceiling before it dropped. So, he killed the spider with one blow. But I was under that blow, which left me incapacitated, but loudly moaning, with a very bruised lower back. 

Now, this attack did worry me. But maybe not as much a it should have. Which is why it was a good thing that Albert decided to keep an eye on me. So, three nights (more or less) later, I was having another tough time finding my way to dreamland. This would have been late Monday night, or to be more accurate, in the wee hours of Tuesday Morning. I took it into my head to go jogging to make up for missing a couple of days of exercising. The little track I jog on is somewhat isolated, and except for one street light at the far end of a parking lot which on the side of the field, it is completely unlit. Pretty darn dark, actually. But I have jogged there for close to ten years, and could do it with my eyes closed. Well, maybe with my eyes closed. I'm not going to try it.

Anyway, there I am jogging along, breathing like a freight train (do freight trains breath?), and I get hit (but this time it's not Albert) in the back of the neck, knocking me to the ground. When I roll over in an effort to start getting to my feet, I am looking up at myself. Yup, it's evil me. The guy, or thing, that looks like me, but makes my skin crawl when I look at him. Or it. He/it takes advantage of my shock, and plants a foot on my chest to immobilize me. Sometime around then, I see he (it) is holding a rather large, and sharp looking knife. I am seeing all this, but my brain has stopped functioning. But I haven't seen anything, yet. His unpleasantly smiling face drops towards me like a silent falling moon, when, in my state of complete disconnect, I hear a growl, and instead of seeing that knife sink into my chest, it disappears in front of my eyes, along with the hand of my doppleganger (I believe it's a German term for a double, someone who looks exactly like someone else). I am showered with the blood of my evil twin, who has disappeared from my immediate vicinity. It seems I owed my life to Albert a second time. You see, he decided to follow me, and act as an unseen protector of sorts. He doesn't think humans are very smart, and that would include me. But whereas it wouldn't actually bother him for most adult humans to meet their demise (die), he feels he owes me something for sharing my humble abode with him. He also has a soft spot for children. That probably has something to do with the little girl who rescued him when he was a young cub. 

And there you have it. That's pretty much the whole story of how Albert saved my life twice. He hasn't said too much about it, other than to say that even though he did spit the hand out (he bit it completely off, which may be why my would be assassin ran off so quickly) immediately after, he still has a really bad taste in his mouth. Off course, I am giving a rough translation. I can't use the kind of language he did, since my Mother reads this blog. 

But, we both have recovered. He more quickly than I, it would seem. And although yesterday did not see me in a good frame of mind, today was actually a pretty decent day. So, life goes on. At least for the moment...     

A Moment Please

I'm afraid I've gotten a bit behind on things, which does happen somewhat regularly. My immune system disorder, or at least some of its symptoms, have been making sleep particularly difficult for several days now. Well, that and I tried to kill myself Friday evening. No, it wasn't attempted suicide. I'm not capable of doing myself in, never mind the fact that I do truly enjoy life, even at the worst of times. It was attempted murder. By my other self. Not a strictly serious attempt, however, or I would probably be dead. But all that is another story, and being a bit rushed at the moment, it will have to wait.
I do want to mention that it is my late Grandmother's birthday today. She left this world over thirty years ago. Her name was Theodora McCarthy. She was a warm, funny, and wonderful woman. And I hope she can be  a quarter as proud of me as I am to have had her for a grandmother.
As a last note, starting tomorrow (I hope) I will be posting book reviews for those who are interested, to my other blog, which I have not used in years, it seems, Books & Birds at www.bookblurb.blogspot.com. I feel it would be best to do these at another location as not everyone will be interested. 
And so, Goodnight. I hope the morrow finds you well...

Did You Say Something?

Hello? Speak up! Say something, for pete's sake. I can hear someone breathing. Maybe you need to take better care of yourself. And what have you been eating?! Your breath stinks! Sorry for being so blunt, but you could at least gargle with some mouthwash, or chew on some breath mints, for crying out loud. I know, I know, you just want to flit around reading other peoples' thoughts, and whatnot. You really don't want to talk to anyone, or especially, run into them face to face. That would be terribly uncomfortable. Oh, the embarassment. I bet you are on your couch right now, in your underwear.
But should reading peoples' private thoughts and such be that easy? Don't you think there should be a price to be paid for invading peoples' personal blogs? After all, have you never heard of the "no free lunch" rule? Please. Don't insult my intelligence. I'm sure you have no concern for those whose humble lives you drop in on to read about  whenever you feel like it, without a by-your-leave of any kind? I do have to say, that does show a certain lack of respect. 
You read my inner most thoughts and feelings, and yet, you have never offered me a cup of tea, inquired about my health (not really that great at the moment, thanks for asking), or even sent me flowers. And worse, I have never gotten a word out of you, in any form. THAT, is cold. 
Now, I'm not expecting to be paid for banging on this keyboard in some vain attempt to communicate to the world around me. Uh, uh. I would just like a little recognition. Maybe a kind word. At least some form of acknowledgement. Really. It would be nice.
Well, my Mom always told me that one day I would understand what it is to be unappreciated. I hope she's happy now, anyway. Y'all are truly unbelievable. Maybe it's because you just weren't brought up right. Or, maybe you were raised far from the normal conventions of human society. I can only begin to guess.
I bet you don't even think that I could possibly be talking to you. You probably believe that you are an intelligent (doubtful), mature (Hah!), adult human being. But I can assure you, it's only a physical thing. 
Well, it is my feeling on this particular subject, that you should make a point of doing something very nice for me. It doesn't have to be much. (I'm actually pretty easy to please.) Or, I will have no choice but to come looking for you, wherever you may reside, and pitch my tent in your front yard. If you have one. But I'm sure I will be able to settle in somewhere close by. Spend some time talking to your neighbors. Follow you around, see where you shop. Stuff like that. It could be interesting. For me, anyway.   
Maybe I'll see you soon...I'll check my schedule...  

Magic Hour

It was in the movie Reign Of Fire, where I first heard twilight time, the moment between the setting of the sun and the fall of full night, called the magic hour. I think of it that way always, now, but not because of the adverse effect it has on dragons' keen vision, since I've never seen a dragon. Well, not a traditional dragon. But that's another story.
Twilight is that magical time when anything seems possible. The world at that moment appears to be changing, pulling a werewolf transformation, if you will. After all, the night holds an air of danger that the bright light of day does not. But ah, that moment in between. It's as if time stands still, and it feels like something beyond the usual humdrum reality surrounding us, is about to step through. I love that time of day.
I remember being in a park in Burlington, Vermont, a good number of years ago, back when I was in college. It was a beautiful clear summers day. This park had an old tower made of bricks at one end. It dated back a good hundred years or so, and was approximately three stories high. When the sun set, I was standing on the top, and I remember seeing a Russian wolfhound and a tall, thin, and very strange looking man seemingly appear out of thin air, about two hundred feet out from the tower on the lawn below. First, there was just a shimmer in the air, and then as if slipping through from another place, Presto! There they were.
I will never forget that sight. It struck a chord deep within me that ran shivers up and down my body.
Magic hour. Don't go looking if you don't want to see.     

Inspire Me, Dammit!

I'm sure I don't need to tell you that some days are tougher than others. Those, generally, are the days I really would rather not get out of bed. Or, on a really bad day, I might just prefer to be buried out back.
On those worse than the average day, even a smarter than the average bear (Yogi Bear), just might need to find inspiration wherever it happened to be available.
Inspiration doesn't necessarily have to be positive. As a sales manager I once worked, for many moons ago, once said, "If I hold a gun to your head, I bet you'll have no problem accomplishing what I want you to." Well, experience makes me think he's right. I only had a gun held to my head once, but did just what the guy holding the gun wanted. I gave him all the money I had on me.
In my case, inspiration varies greatly. For instance, the only reason I managed to crawl out of the blanketing warmth of sleep to go jogging this morning, was because I knew I would feel a lot better later in the day for having done so. Other days, I might actually feel like going out to jog. Really. There is a day like that every once in awhile. 
And when it comes to being consistent in struggling along with physical exercise, even watching what the athletes at the Olympics go through can be quite inspirational. Particularly the female athletes. At least for me. Hey! I know I'll never date any of them. But I guy has to have a dream.
Anyroad, I have to clean Eddie's cage. A couple times a month it has to be disinfected as well, and this is one of those times. It's a long and tedious task. But some poor schmuck has to do it. Yeah. Me.
And so, onward. The lesson I guess, is find inspiration where you can, and use it. And if you do find some, please, send some of it this way, will ya'? I'd appreciate it. 
Have a nice day.   

Dueling Minds

For those of you who drop in from time to time (or every day, for that matter) in order to be entertained by the mixture of factual, and not-so-factual, tall tales that I spill forth, this particular entry is actual a book review. So be forewarned. I have always enjoyed stories from the darkside (pardon the pun; if you don't get the pun, you're not missing anything you should regret), or horror stories if you prefer. The horror genre covers a rather large range of literature (Yes, I said literature. If you have a problem with that, I'm glad I don't know you. So, imagine me sticking my tongue out at you right now). Some stories move swiftly along, and depend more on action, and some shock value. Others build slowly, and create atmosphere, as well as of course, tension and emotion. I enjoy all kinds as long they are original, and well written. And I highly enjoyed the combination of stories put forth by the authors that Brian James Freeman collected for Cemetery Dance's 10th volume in their Signature Series, Dueling Minds.
The concept behind the anthology was getting a group of writers to each produce a story based on the same  piece of artwork, which in this case was a painting by Alan M. Clark, as seen on the cover of the advance reading copy above. The authors themselves are Brian Keene, Gary A. Braunbeck, Tom Piccirilli, Tim Lebbon, Jenny Orosel, and Gerard Houarner. And all the stories are as unique as their authors. I am not going to go into a breakdown of each story, as I would be afraid of giving away too much. But Brian Keene's "Purple Reign" is fast paced, and while not a direct part of his "rising dead universe", could be considered as being not very distant. I would love to see some form of follow-up or expansion, but then, like many others, I do enjoy his work. Gary Braunbeck, with "Bargain", adds another wonderfully dark and atmospheric story to his already considerable collection of exceptional tales connected to Cedar Hills, a place he has made famous, as well as infamous. Tom Piccirilli's "Between the Dark and the Daylight" incorporates a dark horror tale with the type of noir writing that he is known so well for, and with a nice little knife twist. And what can I say about Tim Lebbon...dark, and very strange. "Falling Off The World" lives up to what I would expect from him. And that, is saying something, to quote Dumbledore. Amongst all these male writers, Jenny Orofel adds just the right touch. Although you wouldn't know she was a woman just by the writing alone, her story, I think, really helps round out this anthology. A Love triangle? or is it? And finally, there's "The Breath of Bygone Spirits" by Gerard Houarner. A wonderful ghost story that is oh, so much more. This was the perfect story to end on, as far as I'm concerned. Don't argue with me. You'll lose.
I loved this book. Unfortunately, it is sold out by the publisher, so if you want a copy, you have to go to the secondary market. 
Brian Freeman has done a wonderful job in putting this anthology together, and deserves a lot of credit for gathering these talented writers between these covers. He is an exceedingly talented author himself, and I highly recommend his novels, The Painted Darkness, and Blue November Storms. Although I haven't read it, yet, I also look forward to reading his other novel, Black Fire. 
So, from time to time, whether requested or not, I will drop in a book review. I hope some of you find these of some small value, or at least, slightly interesting.
Anyroad, whatever you get to doing, enjoy yourselves. And try to stay out of trouble.  

I Saw Myself On The Way Downtown...

Suppose there are gaps in reality, as we know it. Kind of like blank spots, or holes, if you will. Now, suppose that these blank spots have millions of tiny little particles moving around at incredible speeds. Similar to the idea put forward by the author who wrote the book "The Universe From Nothing" (I think that's the correct title). So let's (abbreviation for: let us) take it to the next step, and let's theorize that all these crazy little particles that we can't see, moving at incredible speeds in these gaps in our everyday reality, which we occasionally might barely notice, if at all, in our peripheral vision, have the ability to create additional matter that then becomes added to our reality as if it's been there all along. A bit mind-boggling, don't you think?
I never really thought too much about it until recently. Oh, hell, I never thought about it until recently. I mean, I have had those moments of feeling like I'm not quite picking up on something that's happening around me. Or that feeling that someone, or something, wasn't there a minute ago. But I always put it down to momentary inattentiveness, or a little touch of paranoia.
Well, to understate the case, I had quite shock a couple of days ago. It was the kind of hot, humid day that suggests you're really in the middle of a tropical jungle, instead of southern New England. It was late afternoon, and I was trying to get to the Post Office before it closed. I was stuck at a red light. The sun was shining strongly, not a cloud in the sky. I happened to look over at the car next to me, and noticed it appeared to be a new Subaru, similar to my sister's, even down to the same dark color. As I watched, the tinted passenger side window glided slowly down, and I found myself staring at what appeared to be, me. Even the round reflective sunglasses looked exactly like mine. He looked exactly like me, but he gave off a really bad vibe. It's very difficult to describe how I felt. The best I can do is to say, a hole opened in the world around me, and I could feel a strongly evil presence. I felt threatened just by his looking at me. As he stared back at me, he removed the sunglasses in a slow deliberate manner. Having looked into my eyes in the mirror every day, I could see that his eyes were my eyes. But then again, they weren't. There was something wrong with them, but on the inside. Looking into them, I could see he was amused, but not in what I would say was a nice way. Not in way that meant well towards me. I felt like all the blood in my body had turned to ice. Then, as I still stared, this apparition casually put the sunglasses back on, and continued to watch me, as the passenger window went back up blocking my view. The light had changed, and the other car pulled away. I sat there for at least a good minute while the vehicles behind me were beeping their horns, but I really wasn't paying attention. I was completely stunned. My brain had ceased operating. And I still felt so cold, I had to turn the air conditioning in the car off.
Of course, now that it's over, my mind is working overtime in an attempt to deny that the entire incident could have happened at all. And I can't blame it. My world seems to have come to an end. I just wish  I had an inkling as to what world I'm actually in, now...