Signs of Improvement

I opened my Sunday paper this morning and got something of a surprise...there were actually advertising inserts in it! They had disappeared back in April, when it became clear to stores and manufacturers that no one would be doing much shopping (for anything except essentials) in the near future.

But today, there was a six-page Target ad and a multi-page insert with coupons from Proctor & Gamble. To me, this is an indication that retailers and suppliers alike believe the worst is behind us. The proof will come in the coming weeks, of course.

Celebrating at a Distance

Yesterday evening, Jill and I joined in a mini-parade to celebrate a milestone for a friend and neighbor.

Julia King, a former classmate and fellow drama-kid with my son, TJ, received her master's degree from the University of Delaware. We decorated our car with a sign and balloon and joined a small caravan driving past her house, blowing our horns and waving. Her neighbors were outside waving and holding signs as well.

Julia was in her cap and gown, smiling and teary-eyed. The whole thing only lasted about 10 minutes, but I'm sure it gave Julia something of a substitute for what should have been a big moment in her life.

Congratulations, Julia...and I hope the next time you have a celebration we can all be there for real!

Fan Art: Return to Trek

I haven't really done any Star Trek-related art in something like 20 years, probably not since I did some spot illos for friends' fanzines when I still lived in New York. But I was casting around for something new to work on and I got an idea--why not do a montage of all the captains from the various series, not unlike the Superman montage I posted earlier this month?

So I started work on it yesterday. Here are two versions of Captain Kirk. I'm not sure if I prefer the more organic look of the straight line work, or the slightly techno feel of the shading done in dot matrix.

I'd appreciate your reactions.

 

Conspiracy Theorists

In a letter in this morning's edition of my local paper, a reader writes, in part:

It turns out that the governors of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York have inflicted draconian measures on over 41 million individuals for purely political purposes.  They have conspired to skew and interpret the statistics in a manner that, at best, has put a serious hurt on our economy in terms of unemployment, business failures, and general disruption of the lives of their citizens. 

This leads me to ask the question: What possible political advantage does the writer believe these governors could have gotten from essentially shutting down the economies of their states for ten weeks or more? What did they have to gain from this?

To me, this is frequently where conspiracy theories fall apart. The theorists can never adequately explain what value the conspirators acquire from their plot. And, if this is the case, why did so many others take the same actions, despite differing political and philosophical stances? Why do the scientific experts agree that this was the smart thing to do? Are they all "in on it"? And, again, if so, what do they gain?

Your thoughts?

Approaching Re-opening

In just a few days, my part of Pennsylvania is scheduled to move into what the governor is calling "Yellow Phase". The stay-at-home order will be lifted, non-essential retail will be able to re-open and, as I understand it, gatherings of 25 people or fewer will be permitted.

Still not allowed: Gyms, barber shops and hair salons, dining in at restaurants, sports arenas and theaters.

It is said we can move to "Green" by the end of the month, if all goes well...which means all businesses can re-open provided they can limit capacity, maintain social distancing, and everyone wears masks indoors.

How are things around you?

Fan Art: Two Ideas from Arrow

OK, I think we've had enough controversy for a while.

Here's some more fan art, a portrait of Stephen Amell in his role as Oliver Queen/Arrow/Green Arrow, in two different shading effects:

After I'd done these, I got to thinking, "what would it look like if the makeup department had given Amell a beard more like the one Oliver Queen usually sports in the comic books?"

Thoughts? Comments?

Memorial Day: How Do We Remember?

Traditionally, we celebrate Memorial Day with parades--parades that feature marching bands playing patriotic songs, and military and veterans units marching, and military equipment rolling down the main street of town.

But, continuing my theme from yesterday's post, is that the most appropriate way to remember our war dead? In doing so, are we not glorifying the very thing that resulted in their deaths? Now, I have no objection to the laying of wreaths or placing of flags on graves. Indeed, those activities were what gave rise to the original name of the holiday: Decoration Day (my grandmother called it that long after the official designation changed). Those are appropriate memorials to those sacrificed in war.

But wouldn't a better public celebration be one dedicated to peace? A celebration that said, "Let us never have to add to the men and women we honor this day"? No more speeches touting our military might, our preparedness for combat. Let us instead speak of our preparedness for peace.

Memorial Day: What Is It We're Remembering?

This weekend we "remember" those who have died in all of the nation's wars. But what, exactly, are we supposed to remember? How they died? What they died for? Or, perhaps, the lives they might have had if not for the war that killed them?

In many, I would almost say most, cases, we simply do not know how they died. Most deaths in war are quite anonymous--a bullet fired by an unknown opponent, a bomb dropped by a plane far overhead, and the death occurs in the midst of a vast number of deaths.

What they died for? In the history of this nation, I can think of only three wars in which the participants died for a cause worth celebrating: The American Revolution, dying for the right to be an independent nation; the Civil War, dying for the principle that no man should be a slave; and World War II, dying for the idea that a madman should not rule a continent, let alone a world. The others? What did men die for in the War of 1812? The Mexican War? The Indian wars? The Spanish-American War? World War I? The Korean "War"? The Vietnam War? Desert Storm I and II? Afghanistan? If you can tell me, I'd love to know.

But the lives they might have had? Yes, that I can commemorate! The weddings, the marriages, the children, the accomplishments they all might have achieved in lives not cut short by unnecessary deaths.

Those I will honor and remember.

Thoughts on Memorial Day

This weekend we celebrate and honor our dead from all wars, as we should.

But I am bothered by a recent trend, common at least since 9/11--calling our soldiers, sailors and marines "warriors". It seems to suggest--to me, at any rate--that their primary purpose is attack, rather than defend. I much prefer to call them, as we once did, servicemen and servicewomen, because they serve in a variety of ways: defense, protection, rescue, construction, etc.

"Warrior," in my mind, conjures up an image of Sylvester Stallone as Rambo, Robert Duvall in Apocalypse Now ("I love the smell of napalm in the morning"), or John Wayne is his worst jingoistic moments. I prefer to think of our servicemen and women as Henry Fonda in Mister Roberts, Harry Morgan in MASH, or even Matthew Broderick and Morgan Freeman in Glory.

I may have more to say on this tomorrow and Monday.

If I Were a Rich Man

In the song of that title from Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye dreams of the ways in which his life would change if he had "a small fortune." He describes a grand house (well, in Anatevka terms) with servants...but that is not primarily for him--it's for his wife, Golde. He talks of being respected and asked for advice. But, most importantly, he wishes for the time to spend in prayer and study: "That would be the sweetest gift of all."

So, I've been thinking of what I would want if I were suddenly rich (a lottery win or something similar). First of all I would pay off any debts--and not just mine, but those of my children as well. Second, I would set up a trust fund for them, so that I knew they would be taken care of in the future. Third, I would spend on myself and my wife: Move to a home without stairs, so that Jill can get around more easily. Take a really nice vacation (once that might have included a cruise...under current conditions, I'm not so sure).

Fourth, I would choose a charity or two and set up a foundation to support them. I'm not sure which ones...that might depend on my exact situation when this windfall occurs.

What would you do with "a small fortune"?

You Can Still Fly!

Yesterday, I began a discussion of what superpower people would like to have. Last night, I participated in a Zoom meeting with members of my church and, in an odd coincidence, our rector began with an "ice-breaker" question: What superpower would you like to have?

Naturally, I brought up my blog post and talked about flight. Some other suggestions were teleportation (from a woman who is currently quarantined because she works with covid patients), empathic communication, super-speed, and walking on water. The rector said that would have been useful when she lived in the Seattle area, where they seems to be a water obstacle between where you are and where you want to go all the time. Having grown up on Staten Island, I quite agreed.

Once again, what extraordinary ability would you like to have?

You Can Fly!

Ask nearly anyone what superpower they would most want to have and "flight" seems to come up as the answer. Since we were little, we have wished we could soar with the birds. And the idea of the joy of flight goes back to childhood.

What first delights an audience at a production of Peter Pan? When Peter sails through the window of the Darling nursery. What's the most stirring image in The Wizard of Oz? The Wicked Witch of the West on her broomstick. What brings an audience to cheer in Dumbo? When he first spreads those magnificent ears and swoops through the air.

So, what's your favorite "flying scene"?

Fan-Art: Comedy Crossover

A few years back, a friend suggested a fanfic crossover, as Sheldon Cooper of The Big Bang Theory took a job in the titular town of Eureka. She asked me to put together some art for it. This is the result:

Science-Fiction Fandom

I first hooked into SF fandom through comic books, but I didn't become a really active fan until my early 20s, when I met many of the folks who had organized the original Star Trek conventions in New York City in the mid-1970s. When I moved out of my childhood home in 1976, I first became room mates with one of those fans, Thom Anderson. I started working on the cons with Thom, Steve and Elyse Rosenstein, Devra Langsam, Linda Deneroff, Stu Hellinger and many others.

Traveling to out of town conventions with them, I met Rich Kolker...who quickly became a good friend and eventually the best man at my wedding. Rich chaired a Trek con in the Washington area, the well-remembered August Party, and I worked in an unofficial capacity on those as well. There I met a group that included TJ Burnside, her brother Malcolm, Pat Paul and, ultimately, my wife, Jill Wilkins.

This is all in the way of getting into a discussion of how fandom has changed in the last 40 years--and how this pandemic is likely to change it in the future. When I got into the fandom, the primary methods of communication were meetings at conventions and fanzines. After I had kids, attending conventions became infrequent...and then it seemed the cons themselves became less prevalent. They moved out of the center cities that once housed them and into the suburban and airport hotels, primarily because the central hotels were no longer affordable. Some of them have simply ceased to exist (Lunacon, the NYC area meeting, being one of those).

Fanzines died out as well...replaced by on-line communication (first on services like CompuServe and then moving to blogs, websites and Facebook). It might seem more immediate, but I feel something is lacking. What that is I can't quite articulate...perhaps a feeling that you are truly talking to more than just yourself.

Fans out there--what are your thoughts?

Finally, a Fun Evening!

For probably the most fun Jill and I have had in eight weeks, we participated in two virtual events yesterday evening.

The first was a "virtual cocktail hour" hosted by our friend, Cat. A half-dozen or so people from all around the country--Pennsylvania, Illinois, New Jersey, Florida--got on their cam-equipped devices to share drinks and conversation for an hour or so.

A break for dinner, and then we logged into the "virtual pub quiz" hosted by my son, Brian. Not surprisingly, we were the oldest participants, since most of the players were his friends from his college days. I miss these trivia contests, since I used to be a regular weekly player at a local bar. (The pandemic didn't end that; it stopped because the bar changed hands and the new owners wanted to take the place in a different direction.)

I came out in the bottom half of the standings, but it was still a good time!

To-Do List

I actually have a to-do list; the trouble is, most of it can't be done under current conditions.

As I've said, I intended to use retirement to get more involved with community theater--but community theater is shut down for at least another two to three months, possibly longer.

I intended to clean out my garage, which is filled with stuff we stuck in their over the years when we didn't know what else to do with it. But now, even if I wade in to throw stuff out, there's no place to take it.

Anyone got any ideas? Organizations that are still operating that need volunteers?

A Different Kind of Fan Art

Sometimes when I'm involved in a community theater production, most often when I'm directing, I try to do a piece of art for the cast. Often it starts as individual portraits of each cast member which are arranged as a final montage.

The first one I did was actually for a show in which I played a part, 12 Angry Men. Here's the finished product (and, yes, that is me second from the left in the top row).

Zealotry

In the current climate, I'm not sure which of these two groups irks me more:

 The "open-now" protesters who insist that nothing short of an immediate end to all isolation and quarantine directives, including (in some cases, most especially) wearing masks and keeping social distance; or 

The "lock-everybody-away" insisters who maintain that nothing short of complete lock-down, with only essential services ("essential" defined by their values, of course) permitted to operate.

 The first group seems to have two types within it: Business people who struggling to stay afloat (and I understand their frustration), and right-wingers who see any government regulation as an infringement on their right to do as they damned well please (I understand them, but I think they're ill-considered).

 The second group, similarly, has two types: Essential workers (and their families) who do not want to be placed in greater harm's way than necessary (as one of them until two weeks ago, I understand), and self-righteous prigs (sorry, no other word comes to mind) who glare at anyone not wearing a mask--even when 12 feet from anyone else in an open park--as a danger to the health and safety of the community as a whole.

Zealotry does nobody any good. There has to be a common ground. While I agree there are certain businesses that simply cannot be conducted safely right now (how do you give a haircut or manicure from six feet away?), there are others that could make the appropriate accommodations (is it really impossible for a real estate agent to show a house with the proper precautions?)

 Let's work together to find the right balance.

More Than Acquaintances

Remembering Marty Pasko yesterday got me to thinking of all the comics professionals I have met in life. Some have remained only professional relationships; others are friends, as Marty was; some are not quite friends, but more than acquaintances.

Some of the friends date from before either one of us had a professional career in comics, among them Peter David and George Perez. Others are people I knew peripherally before we became pros, but our friendships grew through our pro contacts, such as Paul Levitz and Bob Greenberger.

The more than acquaintances are many: Mark Evanier, Walt and Weezie Simonson, and Jo Duffy are notable among that group.

In your life, do you have similar relationships?

In Memoriam: Marty Pasko

I really hoped I would be year or more into blogging before I had to post one of these.

Marty Pasko died overnight on Monday. He was 65 and it's being reported as "natural causes." Marty was one of my oldest friends in comics...yet, strangely someone I met face-to-face only a handful of times. Back when I was managing editor of Comics Scene, Marty was on the verge of becoming our regular columnist (indeed, I had hired him and just finished editing his first column) when it was decided to stop publishing.

Marty had one of the sharpest minds for both writing and business in the industry...and though we didn't always agree, I could always see that his viewpoint was well thought out and worth considering. And he was willing to admit he was wrong when you (or events) proved him so.

I'll miss our exchanges on Facebook, which is where I encountered him most often in the past few years.

Early Reading

What are some of the first things you can remember reading on your own?

Born as I was before the start of the Dr. Seuss classics like The Cat in the Hat, the first things I recall reading were from a set of books my mother had, with short stories and things for children, divided up into volumes aimed at specific age groups. It was there I encountered some of A.A. Milne's poems, and Dr. Seuss's marvelous "The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins."

We made monthly trips to the library by the time I was grade school. There I discovered the Dr. Dolittle books by Hugh Lofting and the Freddy the Pig novels by Walter R. Brooks. In the school library, I came across the first science-fiction novel I can recall reading: The Spaceship Under the Apple Tree, by Louis Slobodkin.

From then, I found the SF section in the public library--first in the children's section and when I had devoured everything there, the librarian gave me permission (although I was under age) to venture into the adult section. A life-long love had begun.

Spotting Mistakes

When watching a TV show or movie, what "goofs" will catch your attention?

Last night, Jill and I watched In The Loop, a political satire starring Peter Capaldi. For the record, we enjoyed it, but near the end there was a scene with an error that I couldn't help noticing. When I mentioned it, Jill asked, "Out of all the things is this film, that's what you felt worth commenting on?"

The mistake: In a scene that was intended to in a meeting room at the UN headquarters in New York, there was a mural that purported to be the UN emblem. Except it wasn't. It had the world map in a circle, surrounded by olive branches... but the map was the wrong one. It was a standard Mercator projection, like this:

But, of course, the UN uses a polar projection in its emblem:

The UN deliberately chose that image because it gives precedence to no particular part of the world, and represents the various contents in close proximity to their size, relative to each other.

Now, the studio would have required permission from the UN to use its actual emblem, but the one they used already wasn't the real one: the olive branches were different and other details were not quite right, either. But if they'd used a polar projection map--just not the one the UN specifically uses--they probably would have been OK...and I wouldn't have noticed.

So, my question to you: Would this have caught your eye? What other "mistakes" have caused you to comment when watching a movie or TV show?

Fan Art 2: Superman

Another piece of art I did several years ago, obviously before Henry Cavill and Tyler Hoechlin were cast to play the Man of Steel. Maybe at some point I will redo this one and add them in.

One Week In

Today marks one week since I retired. What's changed? I no longer have someplace to go three days a week. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, I have nothing to replace that commitment. I'm looking for volunteer work of some kind, but even most of that is "on hold" right now.

I'm watching a lot of TV...finding I have access to stuff I didn't know I had. Last night, I watched the pilot episode of Ally McBeal, a show I didn't catch up with in its original run until the second season. I just found out I can watch Eureka from the beginning; I hope it's as good as I remember it.

There's a lot of British TV I'm enjoying. For instance, if you've never seen QI, a series that's been running in the UK for more than 15 years, you're missing some really hilarious stuff--imagine a talk show/quiz show developed by a cross between Monty Python and the folks from the "Carry On" films.

I caught up with the first season of Star Trek: Discovery, but haven't felt the urge to watch the second season yet. I've watched the first half of the first season of Picard, but, again, no real urge to get back to it. I lost interest in the CW's superhero shows, with the exception of watching the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" crossover; even Supergirl seems to have gotten very dark lately.

How are you filling your time?

Government by Galinda

“I thought we could wind it down sooner, but I had no idea how popular the task force is until actually yesterday when I started talking about winding down...."

That was President Donald Trump explaining why he has backtracked on his plan, announced just 24 hours earlier, to "wind down" the Coronavirus Task Force by May 31. Note that his concern is not how effective the Task Force has been, or what good work it has achieved, but how "popular" it is.

It's as though we are being governed by Galinda from Wicked: "Popular, I know about popular...."

My Life in Theater

One of the local community theaters I work with, Colonial Playhouse in Aldan, PA, is trying to keep its members and supporters in touch with a newsletter that includes occasional interviews with those members and supporters, conducted by other members or supporters.

Recently, my friend Ally Batot, interviewed me for that project. I thought the results were interesting enough to share here.

What was your first show with Colonial?

The first show I did at Colonial was The Bride of Brackenloch in, I think, 2010. I had worked with the director, Erin Guard, in a show at Barnstormers and when I saw she was directing this one, I decided to audition. I played Chief Inspector Yardley.

What is your favorite part of community theatre?

That's really difficult to answer. I've enjoyed virtually everything I've done in theater, from acting to directing to lighting to set design. My favorite part is really the people I've worked with.

What first got you interested in theatre?

Now we're going way back. My earliest memory of being on stage was playing the Easter Bunny in a skit in third grade. I really started in theater in high school, playing (among other roles) General Bullmoose in Li'l Abner, Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz, Richard in Take Me Along. I guess I fell in love with the idea of entertaining.       

What is your favorite show you’ve ever done?

Right now, I'd have to say Inherit the Wind. Other faves were Forbidden Broadway and Macbeth.

I know you’ve done a lot of work on stage and behind the scenes; Which do you like more - acting or directing?

As I age out of the roles I'd like to play, I'm finding directing more rewarding. There's great satisfaction in developing a plan, a vision of how to put a play on stage and seeing it come to fruition.

What is the funniest thing that's happened during a show?

Boy, that's tough to say. There were some very funny moments during Bedroom Farce involving a collapsing piece of furniture. It was supposed to collapse...but getting it to stay upright until the right moment was a challenge.

What are some of your dream roles?

As I noted, I'm aging out of a lot of parts I'd like to play. Looking at the ones I'm still in the right age range for, I'd say Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof, Fagin in Oliver!, Col. Pickering or Alfie Dolittle in My Fair Lady (I'd settle for playing those in Pygmalion), Mayor Shinn in The Music Man, King Henry in The Lion in Winter.

Do you prefer musicals or straight plays? Why?               

I love musicals, but I'm rarely cast in them these days because my dancing skills are abysmal. If I'm going to sing, it's more likely in some kind of a review. As far as directing goes, I'm definitely a straight play guy.

What has kept you sane during this quarantine?

You're assuming I was ever sane to begin with! I try to get outside as often as I can, with appropriate precautions, just to get some fresh air and natural light.

Have you taken up any new hobbies?

Not yet. But I'm retiring at the end of April, so I'll have to find some stuff to do, at least until the community theaters reopen. I'm thinking of starting a blog, tentatively titled "Retirement Diary".

Some people choose to spend their newly found free time learning a new language. If you could learn any new language, what would it be? Do you know any other languages besides English?

I can read a bit of Spanish (at least enough to get the gist of a newspaper article), I can speak a bit (with a terrible accent) in terms of asking directions, answering simple questions. If I were to approach learning another language, I'd consider German.

Dog person or cat person?

Dog person, definitely--mostly because I'm highly allergic to cats. I can appreciate the sleek beauty of a cat, but only from a distance. I like the unconditional love a dog can give.

What’s something that inspires you?

My family. Good music. Heroism in everyday life.

If Hollywood was to make a movie on your life, who would you want to play you?

Tom Hanks...if he was good enough for Mr. Rogers, he's good enough for me.

If you could direct any show at Colonial with an unlimited budget, what show would it be?

I have several on my bucket list: The Lion in Winter, The Philadelphia Story, The Matchmaker (the straight play inspiration for Hello Dolly!)

What is something that would be in the “special skills” part on your resume?

Singing, I guess. I consider myself an actor who sings. Even when doing a number as a stand-alone piece, as in a talent show or review, I try to create a character. Other than that, I'm a decent amateur artist, which lends itself to set and scenic design.

What is the first thing you want to do once we’re out of quarantine?

Hug my friends!

If you'd like to know more about Colonial Playhouse, here's a link to their website:

http://colonialplayhouse.net/

Perfect Casting?

In the days before comic-book movies became blockbusters, when they were looked on as just "kid stuff", comic fans used to suggest and argue about what actor was the best choice to play a favorite character.

These illustrations, though done just a few years ago, represent the people I saw as most physically or temperamentally suited to play these characters in my youth.

Roger Smith, best known as one of the stars of 77 Sunset Strip and Ann-Margret's husband, as Green Lantern Hal Jordan. Gil Kane based Jordan's looks, in part, on Paul Newman, and I thought Smith embodied the same kind of All-American good looks.

Jack Lord, star of the original Hawaii Five-O, resembled, to me, a cross between Jack Kirby's and Jim Steranko's version of Nick Fury. His gruff, no-nonsense attitude as Steve McGarrett seemed to be the right personality for a guy who was a commando sergeant in World War II.

This one isn't really an actor, and may only be familiar to New Yorkers of a certain age. Jim Jensen was the news anchor at WCBS Channel 2 in the Big Apple for something like two decades. I always thought he bore a startling resemblance to Reed Richards, Mr. Fantastic of the Fantastic Four.








Do you have any actors or celebrities you think would be perfect for a role as a comic-book character?

Year Without a Spring?

1816 is known as the "Year Without a Summer," because a massive volcanic eruption in the East Indies released a high-altitude cloud of dust and ash, reducing sunlight and dropping global temperatures by as much as 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

I am starting to think 2020 may be remembered as the "Year Without a Spring," as the COVID-19 pandemic causes so many of the normal activities of spring to be curtailed, postponed or outright eliminated. There is, so far, no baseball season (and increasingly unlikely there will be), no NCAA basketball March Madness, the NBA and NHL seasons have been suspended. Churches were unable to hold their usual colorful and joyous Easter celebrations. Passover seders became isolated one-family affairs rather than the multi-family gatherings they generally are.

May movie premieres, usually the start of the busy summer season, are not happening. June weddings have been postponed to the fall or even next year.

What do you think?

Worship in a Time of Pandemic

I know a lot of you may not be particularly religious, but if you are, a question:

How is your place of worship dealing with services and maintaining community during lock-down? I'm an Episcopalian, and my own parish is live-streaming (via Facebook) Morning Prayer every Sunday and Noonday Prayer Monday through Friday. We are fortunate because just a few months before all this began, we called a new young rector with the technological savvy to pull this all together, aided by our even younger youth minister.

In addition, they are offering on-line community events on a regular basis, mostly using Zoom.

How are things at your church, synagogue, temple, or mosque?

Fan Art 1

Some 30 years ago, I was very active in science fiction fandom, including writing and drawing for fanzines. As I got older and family took up more time, I drifted away from it. Then, a few years ago, I started working on some art pieces just for fun.

Here's one of the first ones I did:

Obviously, I did this before the casting of John Hurt, Peter Capaldi and Jodie Whitaker. Since I still have all the individual elements I used to make this one, someday I'll have to rework it to include those three...and whoever else plays the Doctor after they do.

First Day

For those who don't know me...or haven't read my profile...my name is Patrick Daniel O'Neill, Pat to my friends. After working at a variety of jobs over the past 50 years, I decided to retire this month. I had a lot of plans for how to spend my time in retirement, most of which have--at least, for the time being--been put in abeyance by our current crisis.

Among my past careers, I was a writer. I wrote about many things--office supplies and equipment, jewelry, broadcasting equipment, and my favorites: comic books, science fiction, film and TV. So, with so much time on my hands now, I thought a blog might be a good idea. (I tried on a few years ago, but it never seemed to gel.)

What will I be discussing here? Good question. A lot of it will be simply outlining how a newly retired guy uses his time. Some of it will be talk about the things I thought would be taking my time--primarily community theater. I've been involved in it for about a decade and thought retirement would allow me more time for the various aspects of it. But, of course, our virus quasi-quarantine has closed all the theaters for, apparently, at least the next few months.

I'll also discuss films, TV, comics, and--probably--politics. We are, after all, in an election year.

At any rate, I'll find something to write about every day if I can. I hope you'll join me and comment.