Friday, February 12, 2010
Just a few words to say notapoet is still alive and kicking, though he just barely qualified for that status over much of the last six days. As mentioned in a previous post, the non-poet's oldest grandson turned nine on the fourth. On Saturday the sixth notapoet was privileged to attend his birthday... Sign in to see full entry.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Highs & Lows
Today my oldest grandson turned nine. That's a definite high spot in my life, as it has been each year since I enjoyed the indescribable pleasure of being present at his birth. Welcoming my grandchildren into this world and continually celebrating their existence and watching them grow each year is... Sign in to see full entry.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Accidentally on purpose?
Have you ever thought how nice it might be to get a chance to start over? Not necessarily a do over, yet a real fresh start free of feeling locked in to what has gone before? I have – particularly as it concerns Blogit where less and less of my effort and time has been spent during the past several... Sign in to see full entry.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Five weeks
It's been that long, thirty-five days, since the non-poet last posted to any of his blogs. One might want to ask what has kept him away from a community he is so fond of. So I decided to ask him: “Notapoet, why have you been missing in action for more than a month?” “I've been otherwise occupied.”... Sign in to see full entry.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Is it just me?
Or is anyone else bothered by all the premature "best of the decade" this and that going on for the first decade of the 21st century? That's right, I said "premature." We've got the remaining few days of 2009 plus all 365 days of 2010 to go before the first decade of the century will be done. The... Sign in to see full entry.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Nostalgia and the writer
Every time I get involved with a lengthy writing project, such as this month's NANOWRIMO, it invokes a near overdose of nostalgia. I love it. Virtually any large writing project involves a great deal of research. Fiction is no different, though if you're wired as I am, most of the research involves... Sign in to see full entry.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Sorry, folks
I've been under the weather, and absent from blogging again, most of the last three weeks. "Under the weather" is a more politically correct way of saying "sick as a dog," which for me is usually a drawn out recovery period. Since I have rarely been able to afford even the cheapest health insurance... Sign in to see full entry.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Surprise, surprise, surprise!
I wasn't a very big fan of Jim Nabors' variety show, and I had mixed emotions about the success of Gomer Pyle, USMC. But I loved the Gomer Pyle character on the Andy Griffith Show, and particularly his wide-eyed repetitious expression of surprise at both commonplace and the strange and mysterious... Sign in to see full entry.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Because it's there
has been given as all the reason that is necessary to inspire one to climb a mountain, cross a river, or explore new frontiers. I've been tempted to do many things in life, though none so extreme. Unless, that is, you might consider my occasional surrender to OCD that compels me provide a recent... Sign in to see full entry.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Back in the fold again
Unbeknownst to me till this past Friday I was not a paid up active member of Blogit for upwards of a week. Pressing matters external to Blogit delayed the discovery until I attempted post to a blog and kept getting a sign up screen. An attempt to reply to comments produced the same result. A little... Sign in to see full entry.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Farewell, Uncle Walter
I was saddened to learn of the passing of Walter Cronkite. Cronkite, who was 92, was like a trusted favorite uncle who kept us up to date on the world's tragedies and triumphs throughout a long and distinguished career. Though retired from the nightly news broadcasts for quite some time, his... Sign in to see full entry.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
America's Pastime Takes Center Stage
The First Fan, President Barack Obama, got the ball rolling, though not literally, with the ceremonial first pitch at Tuesday night's annual Major League Baseball All-Star Game at St. Louis. The President, better known for having pretty good basketball skills, was determined to get the first pitch... Sign in to see full entry.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Bits and Pieces
I'm probably not the only one noticing the reemergence of high power TV commercial spots recorded by super pitchman Billy Mays. It turns out that Mays, who died of a massive heart attack late last week, is going to continue selling us products from beyond the grave well into the future. Not only... Sign in to see full entry.
Confessions of a "click whore"
Although I sometimes describe myself as a "click whore," I must confess this is not strictly true. Yes, lots of clicks lead to more pennies from fellow bloggers each month, and I'm not fool enough to completely turn down the possibility of more money. But there is a price to pay if all one does is... Sign in to see full entry.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Mindless drivel
It's an oft voiced claim for much of what we call entertainment these days, particularly when discussions swing around to movies and TV. I grew up in an age when going to the movies was a common and affordable diversion for young and old alike, and television became a regular part of my daily life... Sign in to see full entry.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Excuses, excuses
It took me a little while to get up a good head of steam today. For one thing I slept in for a while Tuesday morning. I normally don't sleep in without a pretty good reason. I had a killer this time – a killer headache. When it turned out to be more than a minor aggravation that disappeared after... Sign in to see full entry.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Yes, Corbin_Dallas. Really!
(If you are mystified by the subject of this post it might pay to scroll down to the previous post, and to click on the comments before reading further) It shouldn't be necessary to point out that President Obama, like John McCain, spent nearly half of those two years campaigning for and winning the... Sign in to see full entry.
What's up with Sarah Palin?
Eight months ago she was campaigning hard as the VP candidate on the Republican ticket. Now she is resigning as governor of Alaska barely half way through her term of office, and no one seems to know why. Other than the fact she planned to resign, Palin was vague about her reasons at a hurriedly... Sign in to see full entry.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Born on the Fourth of July:
Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1804, writer Stephen Foster, 1826, composer Calvin Coolidge, 1872, American President Rube Goldberg, 1883, cartoonist and sculptor twins Abigail Van Buren and Ann Landers, 1918, advice columnists Eva Marie Saint, 1924, actress Neil Simon, 1927, playwright and producer George... Sign in to see full entry.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Attracting readers
It's often a hit or miss proposition. Interesting writing is a key ingredient, of course. But nothing seems to trump a good lead. If the lead doesn't pique interest even regular readers may give your post a pass. Such was my fate yesterday. I thought I had a pretty good lead. But apparently I was a... Sign in to see full entry.