James Pyles's Blog, page 98
January 20, 2019
The Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan
Today (Shevat 14 on the Jewish calendar) is the Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan (1934-1983), an American author and scholar who inspired thousands of Jews to return to Jewish observance. Rabbi Kaplan was a physicist, and applied the same analytical approach to the study of “metaphysics.” He possessed an encyclopedic command of Jewish literature, and […]
Quoting: Patience Enhancing Scripts
What are some of the scripts that create patience? “Things are going as fast as they are. I will do what I can to speed things up and I will accept the reality with serenity.” “Each second of life is precious. And I won’t waste it by causing myself needless distress.” “One never knows where […]
January 19, 2019
Quoting: Learn to Let Go
For those who have mastered serenity, fifteen seconds ago is ancient history. They realize that once something is over, it is over regardless of whether it has been over for many years or for a relatively short time. It is understandable that it can take different people varying amounts of time until they are able […]
January 18, 2019
Quoting: Stages in Willingness to Forgive
There are three levels of willingness to forgive others: (1) Some people forgive anyone who wronged them if that person comes over and asks forgiveness. (2) Others go out of their way to meet those who wronged them to make it easier for them to ask for forgiveness. (3) People on the highest level explicitly […]
January 17, 2019
A Sequel…Why Did It Have to Be a Sequel?
Oh, good grief. I mean “Ghostbusters 3?” Okay, I’m a huge fan of the original 1984 Ghostbusters starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and directed by Ivan Reitman. Every Halloween, I close up all of the blinds on the front of my house, hide from trick or treaters, and watch this comedy […]
Bookpunk
Eleven-year-old Keel watched his thirteen-year-old sister Alina from behind as she trudged down the alleyway. "C'mon. Don't wanna b late," she signaled. The thin, waif-like boy, walking through January’s half-frozen muddy puddles in dirty, sandaled feet, dressed in over-sized khaki shorts with hems down to his shins, and a ratty green sweater made from an […]
Quoting: Shrink Problems Down to Size
The best way to gain a proper perspective about life is to visit a cemetery. You might have many problems, but that is part and parcel of being alive. Compared to those buried in the cemetery, just how serious are your difficulties? Learn to have a sense of proportion to events. If you fail to […]
January 16, 2019
Lepers: A Short Story Review
I became aware of author Keyan Bowes‘s short story Lepers when I received it as part of the latest newsletter from Mysterion Magazine. Since I’m interested in having at least one of my short stories published by that periodical, I thought it might be a good idea to see what they think is acceptable fare. […]
January 15, 2019
The Minor Goddess
“Well, it’s about damn time.” She was more provocative than beautiful, though her piercing brown eyes, dark chestnut-colored hair, and burgundy-painted lips were definitely alluring. She was leaning over her tucked in legs, the skirt of her short, deep, Prussian blue dress hiked up, revealing ample, pale-skinned thighs and just a little more besides…and she […]
Birth of a Science Fiction Horror Story
I’m currently creating a story for an open submissions at Zombie Pirate Publishing called “Full Metal Horror 2,” a sequel to last year’s anthology, which by the way is doing fabulously, both in seller’s rank and reviews at Amazon. Anyway, I’m creating the tale more or less from scratch (it is very, very loosely based […]
