The Blood Elevator: Its Meaning & Symbol
The blood elevator scene, sometimes called the ‘river of blood," from Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining is a horrifying and disturbing image in a film full of horrifying and disturbing images. Upon watching it the scene
Illustrating Nightmares: Lounge Lizards by Ralph Steadman
To say that Ralph Steadman has a distinctive style is a bit of an understatement. Primarily an illustrator and cartoonist, Steadman started his career in the 1960s and soon established himself as a counter-culture icon.
Notes from the Dreaming: A Shape in the Darkness
In the darkness, you were dreaming. Dreaming and that is all. You did not see what you thought you saw. You did not experience what you thought you thought was so real. There was not
Freedom by Ambrose Bierce
I'm going to post this with very little comment from me other than to welcome you to this month's theme: FREEDOM. The reason for posting this should be fairly obvious. And by way of
Painting Movement: Jackson Pollock: Autumn Rhythm (Number 30)
Back when I was in High school I took an art history class where we studied the life and works of artists from the Renaissance to the modern period. I had by this time
I Can Hear the Fireworks Up & Down the Line: 4th of July Memories
It is Independence Day. There is red, white and blue bunting hung from porches and windows. The air has the scent of smoke; it’s there in the background but always present. You almost don’t notice it...
A Nothing Day: Comic Books, Video Games & Graveyards
I wheeled the bike from the garage and took a deep breath. It was the start of the lull week that happened every summer. The week when every kid I knew was off at camp
Rain In Summer (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)
Keeping in April's theme being "Rainfall" and National Poetry Month, I'd like to share another rain-based poem. This time it's in the romantic tradition and one that is more just a celebration of the
Saying Goodbye in Paradise (Or Waiting for the Hurricane)
I’m not sure if this is going to work. Or if it will make any sense let alone be entertaining to read. I guess you can call this an experiment. I am going to write
On the Beach with Mars: NASA Image of the Day
Look at that. Look how beautiful. Such a majestic site to behold. It just fills one with wonder and awe. I mean seriously, what an amazing looking dog. Good boy! Oh, and that sky is
Sand & Sea: The Impermanence of Objects, 1st Meditation
Once, a long time ago, I lived in a house near the edge of the world. In the winter, when the air was still, I would lie awake at night and listen to the Ocean,
The Faraway Lands
My first trip to the Faraway Lands came through a Magical Box and was quite unexpected. It happened when I was seven years old and grounded. Now, to my knowledge there are three ways to
Story Graphs by Kurt Vonnegut
I had the privilege of hearing Kurt Vonnegut speak once toward the end of his life. I was overwhelmed by is humor and humanity. He was a unique and brilliant individual. The video below showcases
What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?
It is a question we’ve all been asked at least once at some point in our childhood. And the answer, at least for me, would change depending on the time and place or the frame
In a Forest Dark and Gloomy
I sit and look out my back window into the yard behind my house. It is large and full of trees; a combination of fir and pine and aspen. On this day, early in the
Routinely Creative
I seem to be moving from erratic to consistent in so many ways—how and when I drive, how and when I eat, how and when I prepare for my classes and grade essays, how
Guest Post: Bohemian Rain
A Guest Post from David HicksMy father is long gone, having died in January 2007, and at first he seemed to hang around—at the foot of my bed, threatening to twist my toe to wake
Halfway Through
Another article about my birthday that I published eight years ago. Update: Still working on telling that story. In a few days, I will turn 45 years old. A momentous occasion I have decided. It
Close Your Eyes & Make a Wish: Birthday Thoughts
It's my birthday today, so here's a little thing I wrote nearly 10 years ago about getting older. See? Even this post is aging. Still is relevant though. I’ve always enjoyed getting older. That may
Bonus: Rocket! Groot! Man-Thing!
Hey everyone, the next "real" episode is taking a bit longer to research than I had anticipated so my timeline has been set back a little. Also, I have been traveling quite a bit for
Nearly 9 Hours of Rain On a Porch
In keeping with this month's theme of "When the Rain Comes" I decided to get completely literal with it and simply present to you a video of rain falling. Almost 9 full hours of rainfall.
Digging to China
We walked along the beach, my companion and I, on a cloud-filled morning in late autumn. The air was cold and filled with misty rain. It was the kind of weather that sticks to you;
Opening Day
The smell of cut grass and hot dogs and mustard. The sound of leather on polished wood. The taste of cheap beer drunk from plastic cups. Bunting hung from the eaves and a marching band