Kurt R.A. Giambastiani's Blog, page 49
May 19, 2015
Churchill’s Black Dog
Nailsclicking on the hardwoods, he pads toward my dawn-chilled room. I see his greyed muzzle poke around the open doorway, black nose wriggling. His old limbs are stiff, but he’s always been like that; he was never young. Churchill’sBlack Dog was never a pup, never ayoung whelp filled with enthusiasm and love of life.He’s always […]
May 14, 2015
The Drear
Dark, brooding clouds mock my mood While I fight my inner black they replenish the world Perhaps if I step out from under the eaves look up into their steel-grey banks their cleansing rain will wash the soot from my soul —
May 12, 2015
Where R = N
Fair warning: I’m going to use some bad words in this post. Racial epithets, mostly, but I’m going to discuss them as words, not employ them as slurs. Still…you’ve been warned. I’ve been having a running argument discussion with some folks online about thename of the Washington DC NFL franchise: the Redskins. In this particular […]
May 7, 2015
Goodbye to Tipping
I’m a good tipper. As long as the service is good, I generally tip 20% because after a glass or two of wine, the math on 20% is easier than figuring out 15%. (Yes, I can be that lazy.) I understand the business model for restaurant wait-staff–low wages are compensated for by customer tips–but I’ve […]
May 4, 2015
Black is the New Noir
This weekend, we went to the cinema(which we rarely do), and saw a very fine film, butI’m not going to tell you about it. Instead, I’m going to tell you aboutBerniebecause, as good as that othermovie is, the movie you really need to see isBernie,starring Jack Black. Now before you get all wrinkle-nosed about Jack […]
May 1, 2015
Recommendations
Take coffee with cream in a glass mug: When thedollop of white plunges into the dark liquid depths, I see the beauty of swirlingnebulae and brief-candle galaxies, fluid artwork made just for me. Learn to cook at least one thing really well: It not only provides my dearest ones with the anticipation and enjoyment of […]
April 28, 2015
Amazon and the Devaluation of Art
The 14th century was a seriously bad time marked by The Black Death and The Hundred Years’ War. After the plague, to combatthe wage inflation caused by there being 30-50% fewer folks standing around, the nobility said, “Sure, I’ll pay you twice what I used to pay you,” and then they turned around and devalued […]
April 23, 2015
The Return of Quality
Gentlefolk, start your DVRs. Ripper Street is back with Series 3 (that’s “Season” 3, for us here in the States), airing on BBC America beginning April 29. BBC canceled the show after its second season, citing low viewership in the UK, but when an online petition garnered over 50,000 signatures, the production company was able […]
April 21, 2015
Dumpy Old Man Hunt
Yesterday, my wife reached the limit of her patience and dragged me out to shop for new clothes. She thinks I dress like a dumpy old man…which I do because, well, because Iam a dumpy old man. Personally, I never look at my ass–ever–so if my pants are baggy in the rear, it’s of little […]
April 20, 2015
No One Thing
Last week, a co-worker enteredthe elevator. As we descended, she asked, “So, are you still writing your little books?” [Hrmnmrmnm.] My wife and I have a phrase. We got it from the movieKeeping the Faith (one of my favorite rom-coms: it’s about a rabbi, a priest, and a high-powered businesswoman, played by Ben Stiller, Edward […]
