StanleyWheeler

 I had a keen thought earlier to day. In fact it was so sharp that it cut its way completely out of my memory. In the struggle to recapture the fugitive notion, I believe it had something to do with music and how it-- That's where the void takes over. I remember being fairly entranced with the idea and resolved to think and write more about it. Maybe some day I will, but it is not this day - something I have in common with the men of Gondor and Rohan.    Because I could not remember the intriguing thought, I did remember that over the last week I watched Damn the Defiant! Or Obi-wan at sea before the force was with him. I also watched him as King Charles in Cromwell . As you might expect, I preferred him in the role of Captain Crawford. Alec Guinness will forever be Obi-wan to me. Although I had seen him in movies prior to Star Wars , it was that role that made the greatest impression on me. Therefore, he will always be Obi-wan, regardless of the role. Guinness plays Cap...

   I don't think I've talked about this movie before, other than to mention it in passing, It's a western-mystery classic that I never get tired of. I watched it this week while my wife was out of state. First things first: The Blasters and Blades podcast with JR Handley hosted me and Jana Brown. We talked general nerdery and Accidental Pirates in particular - a great time, aside from the fact that I appear to have the charisma of a dry dish rag. The blank wall behind me in no way highlighted any good thing about me. I did get to mention that the sequel to Accidental Pirates is a go for publication as well.  We now return to our irregularly scheduled programming: Five Card Stud , directed by Henry Hathaway, written by Marguerite Roberts and Ray Gaulden, stars Dean Martin, Robert Mitchum, Inger Stevens, and Roddy McDowall. My love for this western is probably irrational, but I never miss an opportunity to watch it if I find it on television. This week I watched in on Pr...

   I suppose that's what writers tell their characters. I don't make a habit of offing my creations--at least not the ones who have become interesting and integral to the story. However, we occasionally fall upon times that try the writer's soul, when a beloved or captivating character must become referenced only in the past tense.  Should the character's demise be played out on stage, or merely reported by messenger number three or via a sad dispatch from the front? I'm in favor of the matter getting stage time, provided that it's meaningful. If I've gone to the trouble of creating a name and backstory and linked the character's tale to the hero or plot, that character deserves a demise worthy of the role. More importantly, beyond what any character deserves, the reader has earned the scene. If the reader has had any chance to get attached to the individual, the reader needs understand that the dissolution fulfilled some purpose, that the sacrifice enno...

  The refit of Xanadu continues without help from Rush, Olivia, ELO, or Coleridge. A box of disappointment arrived today. I ordered it last week. I should've known better than to order through P. Andora Co. How did I come to request this delivery of dismay? It's not a long story, but it goes back to before we closed on the new digs. When male offspring came to have a look at the place, we happened to look at the furnace filter. It looked like a bad and fatal case of black lung. Fortunately, there was a new filter sitting by the unit and we swapped in the clean one. After closing and move in, I thought it would be prudent to acquire an additional filter for change in the future. I noted the size on the old filter and went to the local hardware store to procure the ready replacement.  I thought it would also be prudent to make sure the standby filter fit properly. <Morgan Freeman voice begin> It did not fit . <Morgan Freeman voice end> I compared the sizes as printe...

The good ship Xanadu, as I'm currently calling it, complete with stately pleasure dome and caves of ice but no sign of Olivia Newton John, possesses no dearth of dings demanding attention. Yesterday repairs to the vessel consumed most of the day. I don't quite remember where it began, but I recall correcting a faucet nozzle early in the process. The main task was a minor matter by most standards: a sheet rock and insulation issue where water had damaged it under previous ownership.  I had the foresight to pick up a roll of insulation during the week. I didn't have the prescience to pick up a utility knife. I knew that I had such a tool, so never thought about getting one. The removal of the bad gypsum was mostly accomplished by gravity before I touched it. A good jerk and the rest of it came down. I removed the remaining nails, measured the hole, and transferred the measurements to the replacement sheet rock that was already on hand. During the course of these events, I did...