Happy Friday the 13th! Enjoy today’s fun video of a delightful impressionist on America’s Got Talent.
Proof That English Is an Amazing Language
For some wild reason, this sentence makes perfect sense. “All the faith he had had had had no effect on the outcome of his life.” and “It is true for all that that that that that that that refers to is not the same that that that that refers to.” (“That” one is from The English Club.) and “No word begins with because, because, because is a …
Fun Fridays – June 6, 2025
I happen to enjoy barbershop quartets and also enjoyed the old Southern Gospel quartets when growing up. I sing bass. So this particular video simultaneously made me laugh and gasp at the vocal range displayed. There are some “inside jokes” that are funny if you follow humorous barbershop competitions. So, if you enjoy such entertainment, watch until the end. Amazing.
The Most Important Word Every Writer Should Know
Failure. It is a word every writer learns to appreciate with time. In the beginning, it is frustrating and angry-making. Along the way it becomes “meh” to the point of quitting completely. Eventually, there comes the realization that it is normal and part of the business. Michael Jordan, basketball icon, said, “I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost …
May 30, 2025 – Fun Fridays
In the last month or so, our Friday adventures has taken us from the sublime of a choir singing “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” to the Museum of Failure and now to a feat of … I have no words. How about: Flawless Hambone. When I slap myself silly, it is usually for a bonehead decision. And it certainly doesn’t look like this! Enjoy something you weren’t expecting today.
Memorial Day
Today in the U.S. we honor the veterans who gave the ultimate sacrifice and died in the military for our country. It is an important day of remembrance. Some interesting quotes to ponder in light of this day: “It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.” — Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address …
Fun Fridays – May 23, 2025
Today’s fascinating video shows, in a two-minute time lapse, the seven days and 65 hours worth of work to set up a stadium for a rock concert. Just imagine the logistics! Which pieces go first, which go last? And all must work flawlessly. This road crew did the setup 19 times in four months in 2022 across Europe. Consider it this way: It took 260 people with 90 trucks moving 1.35 tons of …
When You Share a Name With Another Person
A great question came our way: Although I have been cultivating my online presence as a writer, I have found that someone who shares my name already has a significant online presence. This person does not live a Christian lifestyle: in fact, I would be terribly embarrassed and my professional integrity could be harmed if anyone mistook me for this individual. Perhaps other authors may face the …
Fun Fridays – May 16, 2025
If you have about 20 minutes, give today’s video a go. In this fascinating bit, the host displays and explains 30 optical illusions. Of course, now my eyes are asking me for a break and a return to reality. But then, is reading fiction reading reality, or is it an illusion? That is a philosophical question better left for smarter people than I am.
How to Write a Story That Lives – A TED-Ed Presentation
If you missed this before, spend a little time this week with this great four-minute animated video written by Nalo Hopkinson on writing great fiction. It is also helpful for the nonfiction writer because you, too, tell stories. But yours happen to be nonfiction! Once you are done watching, you can take a short quiz and even go deeper on the TED-Ed site. (Click here for the quiz.) !