Why Reading Fiction Is Good for You
I’m a bit of an oddball among writers, because I don’t condemn the television set. On the contrary, I think everyone, and especially serious writers, should watch TV, including TV comedies and dramas, because the audio/visual format provides a perspective on story that you can’t get from reading a novel. This flies in the face […]
Stranger in a Strange Land
This past week, the Little One and I watched “First Contact,” the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode. Not the Star Trek movie by the same name, but the series episode, which originally aired exactly 21 years ago this past Saturday. Also this past Saturday, we read as part of our Torah Parsha: “Do not […]
Favorite Holiday TV Episodes
Every year around this time, everyone begins talking about Christmas movies that we’ve all seen, some dozens of times. But when NetFlix began highlighting not only Christmas movies but also TV episodes, I began putting together my own list of some of my favorite holiday episodes. (Many of them you can see via NetFlix online […]
The “In Plain Sight” Drinking Game
I wrote earlier this week on Be the Story about how I was getting into In Plain Sight. Unfortunately, if you’re unfamiliar with the show, I can neither confirm nor deny that it even exists. We all know, you know, but we don’t actually know. The location at which this game will occur is also […]
I Am Such a Geek (The Star Trek: TNG Trivia Game)
One of the quip-hits from an ebook I’m putting together for Read-an-ebook week, Catnapping for a Living: Humorous Sketches and Tails (because I don’t have enough time to think of a better title): “Tomolok the Romulan is dead now, you know. But he’ll always be G’Kar to me. I am such a geek.” And if […]
The Needs of the Many…
I kind of exhausted myself, by accident, writing what was supposed to be an inspirational post Monday. And it indeed was inspirational, especially for the people who had been there to witness the events I described. But as for me, it was emotionally draining to write. Then, yesterday, I pulled together for BeTheStory.com a post […]
Mission Magical
How I love Mission: Impossible! Let me count the ways… There’s a quirk of personal history connected with this show. The first time I ever saw it was as a teenager, when I happened to catch a rerun of a 1970 episode, “The Killer.” In this episode, co-starring Leonard Nimoy, the IMF team cons a […]
My Favorite Romantic Movies
As it’s two days before Valentine’s Day, instead of coming up with a proper “Friday Fun” post, I thought I’d slack off and just list some of my all-time favorite romantic movies (and TV show episodes). (BTW, pictured to the right are the flowers I bought for the Missus this year, which she picked out, […]
Our Favorite Star Trek Episodes
Yes, Star Trek. Specifically, The Next Generation. The Little One and I have been watching select episodes together. I’ve been enjoying them on DVD, and she both startled and thrilled me when she started enjoying the show right alongside me. I panicked just a little when—right in the middle of a Borg marathon—she asked to […]
Two Women Search for the Meaning of Life
I finally got to see Julie and Julia over the weekend. Unlike many stories, it doesn’t serve as a means of escape. Rather, there is substance and inspiration woven through it. The film compares the stories of Julia Child and Julie Powell. Both faced an impasse in their lives; both set out on a search […]