Friday Flotsam: Anxiety Attacks and Some Better Things

1. Suffered some major depression / anxiety attacks this week, amounting to pretty much a full break down. Been a while since I've had one of those. If you've never had a real anxiety attack, it is like your brain is short circuiting. As you approach the anxious thought / apparently unsolvable problem, your emotions … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Anxiety Attacks and Some Better Things

Meanwhile, at ‘The Everyman’, It’s Groundhog Day!

Today I got to talk about the modern classic Groundhog Day at The Everyman: And for once, the accompanying photo is absolutely perfect The film very wisely does not give any kind of explanation for the time loop, avoiding the triteness that any such answer would bring. Ironically enough, this makes the central conceit feel … Continue reading Meanwhile, at ‘The Everyman’, It’s Groundhog Day!

Lighting for Writers

Picture this; you're writing a climactic scene in the Great American Novel. You eagerly describe the awesome cool sword-fight pitting the tortured, but handsome police detective against the evil, but even hunkier vampire in the night-shrouded cemetery, while the blonde-haired and surprisingly comely anthropology student watches with baited breath from her position bound to a … Continue reading Lighting for Writers

Poem – “The Bad Season Makes the Poet Sad”

Dull to myself, and almost dead to theseMy many fresh and fragrant mistresses:Lost to all music now; since every thingPuts on the semblance here of sorrowing.Sick is the land to' th'heart; and doth endureMore dangerous faintings by her desp'rate cure.But if that golden age would come again,And Charles here rule, as he before did reign;If … Continue reading Poem – “The Bad Season Makes the Poet Sad”

Poem – “Eldorado”

⁠Gaily bedight,⁠A gallant knight,In sunshine and in shadow,⁠Had journeyed long,⁠Singing a song,In search of Eldorado. ⁠But he grew old—⁠This knight so bold—And o'er his heart a shadow⁠Fell as he found⁠No spot of groundThat looked like Eldorado. ⁠And, as his strength⁠Failed him at length,He met a pilgrim shadow—⁠"Shadow," said he,⁠"Where can it be—This land of Eldorado?" … Continue reading Poem – “Eldorado”

Fun Fact: The Great Unsung DC Love Match

Revisiting Groundhog Day the other night, I realized something I hadn't noticed before. You know the young engaged couple who show up a couple times ("They're supposed to get married today, but Debbie's having second thoughts.")? These guys Well, they're played by a young Hynden Walch and Michael Shannon, respectively. Better known today in these … Continue reading Fun Fact: The Great Unsung DC Love Match