The Arrival
THE ARRIVAL is one of those SF films that we like to have in the SF community to show off to folks who ask – what the heck is science fiction about anyway?
Winter Is Coming
The Winter Solstice begins on Wednesday, the traditional start of Winter, and it marks a time most noticeable in the northern climes with the advance of cold and snow… and yet, it can also be seen as a reminder of change, a time of sleep, and a harbinger of death. For the young, Winter is a…
On The Origins Of Maauro
Hmmn, how to discuss this without generating spoilers? Well I will just have to give it a go. For those of you who do not know her, Maauro is the heroine of her own series of books with MoonDream Press (an imprint of Copper Dog Publishing) that begin with the novel, My Outcast State, continues…
Musings on The Book Of 5 Rings (FINAL)
The victorious army, the resolute winner usually suffers far less casualties than the defeated. When Alexander the Great defeated his enemies it was in the rout that followed the battle where the true casualties were incurred. With discipline broken and men not supporting each other, Alexander’s disciplined legions harvested their enemies like wheat. It would…
Ink Master: Pop Culture or Ancient Heritage
PERHAPS PREDATING ALL WRITTEN LANGUAGES, tattooing has been around for many millennia. The oldest mummified and tattooed human being dates to roughly 3,250 BC, and perhaps scientists will one day find the remains of tattooed individuals thousands of years older still. Tattooing sprouted from many different cultures for the multi-use purposes of decoration, identification, ritual…
WestWorld: When Something Old is New Again
REMAKES ARE A DIME A DOZEN in television and movies these days, but every now and then something special comes along where the child outshines the parent. “Battlestar Galactica” comes to mind, as well as John Carpenter’s “The Thing,” and possibly the upcoming premiere of Netflix’s “Lost in Space” reboot series. In the case of…
Musings on the Book of 5 Rings Part III
How much of the Book of 5 Rings can we apply to the modern Dojo of soccer moms, office workers and children? What can we risk in a world of American lawyers and lawsuits? Musashi was in the business; to the extent he trained people, of turning out killers. He lived a life, often devoid…
Musings on the Book of Five Rings Part @
The question is, does the “Book of Five Rings” have meaning in our modern world, in the martial arts as we practice them, and even in life more generally? It is important in reading the Rings to understand what Musashi has to say to our modern world, and what he does not. As such, it…
ARRIVAL… Cleverly Original, or 1960’s Retread?
I’ve seen the movie, and yes, it is as deeply emotional and cerebral as all the previews and reviews make it out to be. Praiseworthy? Certainly. But startlingly original? Well….. The premise of ARRIVAL is that 12 mysterious spacecraft (gargantuan split ovoids) touch down (actually hover several feet off the ground) across the globe and…