outside Hopewell, NJ
I like to refer to New Jersey as “Our Little Secret” because of its surprising diversity and beauty. Of course if you don’t live here you can’t call it that. You’ll have to find something else to Read the rest of this entry »
our little secret
Posted: March 17, 2012 in New Jersey, PhotographyTags: Barnegat Light, Frenchtown, Hopewell, humor, humour, LBI, life, New Jersey, Newark, parking, Photography, Red Bank, refineries, tourism
Trifextra – “lost”
Posted: March 16, 2012 in FictionTags: challenge, fantasy, fiction, good lovin' gone bad, life, lost, love, reality, relationships, Trifextra, writing
Time for the Trifextra weekend challenge: Write a story entitled ‘Lost’ in exactly 33 words. The word ‘lost’ can only appear in the title, not your 33 words. And away we go! Read the rest of this entry »
another day
Posted: March 15, 2012 in FictionTags: fiction, flash fiction, life, luck, New York, Photography, random
Jimmy sat on the bench in Union Square, his bench, keeping alert. He could spot them streaming through the park – the suburbanites hustling to make their escape from gray reality of the city to the warm, muted colors of home. He’d always pick out a few who would toss Read the rest of this entry »
discovering doonesbury
Posted: March 13, 2012 in TrasklandTags: college, comedy, discovery, Doonesbury, Genesis, Gentle Giant, humor, Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, life, Norman, Oklahoma, random, satire, Tangerine Dream, Traskland, University of Oklahoma, USC, work
I believe the comic strip Doonesbury is one of the great achievements in the history of American humor and satire. The fact Garry Trudeau has been able to sustain this franchise while continuing to maintain high quality and relevance for 40+ years is nothing short of astounding. I don’t read it religiously as I once did, but thanks to Read the rest of this entry »
what’s new in fictional music
Posted: March 11, 2012 in Arts, Humorous BitsTags: album covers, albums, fiction, fictional music, graphics, killing time, Manitook Mountain, music, Paradox of Nihilism, random, Rasmus Hardiker
It’s time to get musically graphic, folks.
Earlier today the venerable Anagram King posted this new variation of a viral thingy from a few years ago. It’s a simple, creative and fun diversion, especially when all your writing ideas are still gestating. Create a fictional cover for a fictional album by a fictional band! So let’s all play along, shall we? All you have to do is follow these simple steps. Read the rest of this entry »
Trifextra – “mail call”
Posted: March 9, 2012 in FictionTags: 33 words, challenge, fiction, publishing, rejection, Trifextra, writing
Trifextra – Week Seven Challenge: Give a story or snippet of a story which includes, in exactly 33 words, a justified exclamation point. Make us believe that your exclamation point simply needs to be in your story. Read the rest of this entry »
common threads #7: marriage
Posted: March 8, 2012 in Observations and CommentaryTags: Common Threads, contracts, law, love, marriage, security
The argument for marriage essentially boils down to one of four reasons, or a combination thereof.
– Love
– Security
– Companionship
– Unplanned Pregnancy
Love is a slippery, tricky beast, ain’t it? Physically grabbing onto a chunk of love so you can hold it in your hands and examine it as a Read the rest of this entry »
shorts: 4
Posted: March 7, 2012 in ArtsTags: Bruce Lee, do-re-mi, film, Lou Gehrig, movies, Planet of the Apes, ScarJo, shorts, The Artist
Latest installment of one sentence, 20 word max movie reviews. Entire list can be found on the Shorts page.
That Thing You Do! (1996) – Pitch perfect time capsule of one fictional band’s rise to the top of the pop charts in mid 60’s. (4) – 3/7/12
Taking of Pelham One Two Three, The (1974) – Film captures 1970’s grit which also Read the rest of this entry »
the pocket watch
Posted: March 5, 2012 in TrasklandTags: American Waltham Watch Company, Del Boca Vista, generation, humor, life, pocket watch, time, watch
Rummaging through a box of old knick-knacks I came upon a pocket watch. Pocket watches seem to have gone out with the Lindy and the speakeasy. It’s a shame, isn’t it? There is a certain dignity invoked when one is asked for the time and fashioning a response first begins with a knowing, slightly superior glance followed by a tug of a chain, not unlike the Read the rest of this entry »
Trask Avenue 
post-authentic world
Posted: March 19, 2012 in Observations and CommentaryTags: authentic, blogging, Blogosphere, culture, internet, life, music, post-authentic world, society, Springsteen, SXSW, truth
On Saturday I watched Bruce Springsteen’s March 15th keynote address from the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival in Austin, Texas. He said a lot, but one thing in particular intrigued me.
“We live in a post-authentic world. Today, authenticity is a house of mirrors. It’s all just what you’re bringing when the lights go down.”
Contextually he was speaking about music, but the descriptor “post-authentic world” is reflective of a broader societal shift. Nowadays it is far more difficult to separate real from fake, sheen from substance. It takes work. Reality is constantly being distorted and thanks to Read the rest of this entry »