The Pinnacle of Unpersoning In a time of unpersoning and a culture of cancelation it may serve us well to review (or study for the first time) a bit of history. There is one individual from the last century that is worth a closer look if you are interested in the concept of canceling somebody.... Continue Reading →
Getting Over is Not Getting By
When Using Others is Second Nature Hard times often call for tough decisions, but the decision to use another person is not getting by, it’s getting over. James Joyce’s short story “Two Gallants” presents the reader with two individuals who use others for their personal gain. The characters of Lenehan and Corley appear to move... Continue Reading →
The Grind of Getting By
And the Dream of Getting Ahead "What is your blood and sweat worth?" This is the question Bill Tully, an aging boxer, asks his manager in Fat City. John Huston’s 1972 movie tackles the topic of what it means and what it takes to get by. The movie's characters struggle with the everydayness of work,... Continue Reading →
Kevin Smith’s Relationship Advice
Chasing Amy as Romance for Realists This review isn’t about Clerks. Someday there will be a review about Kevin Smith’s Clerks (and the sequels) but today is not that day, but if I didn’t watch Clerks way back when I was working retail (those years spent in retail sometimes feel like a previous life) then... Continue Reading →
An Author’s Gambler
Alexi Ivanovich and the Mind of a Gambler A good number of stories that are centered on gambling tend to either glamorize or demonize. The protagonist is often portrayed as an individual we should either envy or pity. One exception to these extremes is Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Gambler. Dostoevsky’s protagonist is a gambler we neither... Continue Reading →
The Beauty of Bourbon
You don't need an excuse to drink Bourbon, and nobody should ask you to provide a reason for wanting to drink bourbon on a random Friday afternoon. But if you do find yourself wanting excuses and/or feeling pressured to provide reasons "Bourbon" by Walker Percy is worth a read. Percy provides the reader with an... Continue Reading →
Rewinding and Watching Tape
Second Viewings and Perspective It’s amazing what you can find on streaming services when you're coping with winter doldrums. I found Tape a few nights back while clicking around for a bit. I remembered seeing it around ’05 and liking it. I figured it was worth a second viewing. Tape is a reminder that indie... Continue Reading →
The Point of “Pointless Drinking”
The Wisdom of a Solitary Drinker What is LaVere’s eternal barfly, that drinker at the end of the bar dispensing a bit of 80 proof wisdom, trying to tell us? Is “Pointless Drinking” meant to be some sort of cautionary tale? Is it a plea to abstain or is there some other message? The song... Continue Reading →
Interpretations, Intentions, and Chances
“The Road Not Taken” and Taking a Chance The new year brings resolutions, promises, and chances that can be ignored, compromised, and broken. A closer look at "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost is a good way to ring in the new year and discuss the idea of taking chances. Frost’s poem “The Road... Continue Reading →
Reels, Records, & Reads 
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