Warren Bluhm's Blog, page 39

The humbug of it all

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We need our Arts to teach us how to breathe …

Ray Bradbury wrote that in a poem called “We have our Arts so we don’t die of Truth.”

One of the many outrages of the coronavirus panic is discarding the Arts among the other “non-essential” functions of humans.

Music non-essential? Live performances non-essential — even dangerous?

Humbug.

I say again: Humbug.

I will take this heresy one step further: There is no non-essential human life. To deprive...

You say you want a resolution

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National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is an exercise that comes around every November, where participants pledge to themselves and each other that they will aim to write a novel of 50,000 words or more in 30 days.

It works out to 1,666 words per day, which does not sound daunting until it looms like a target in the distance. But every year thousands of folks discover that if they set their minds to it, they can produce 1,666 words a day and eventual...

Glad … for what ifs

I’m so glad … for speculative fiction.

Of course, ALL fiction is speculative. There are science fiction and fantasy what-ifs …

What if a farm boy in a distant galaxy grew up to be a new hope? (Star Wars)

What if a farm girl accidentally traveled to a magical kingdom and saved her friends? (The Wizard of Oz)

… but all stories begin with “What if.”

What if a shallow rich girl was caught up in a war and had to defend her mansion alone? (Gone With The Wind)

What if a cynical ba...

Not a creature was stirring

Willow The Best Dog There Is



Dejah Thoris, Princess of Mars

A time for seeking the light

Mom would make magic bars – those delightfully tasty, baked combinations of graham cracker crumbs, coconut, chocolate chips and walnuts held together with butter and sweetened condensed milk – and Dad would sit us down in the living room and crack open the Good Book.

It was the only time of the year he would read it out loud to us, so we knew it was special. Luke 2:

“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree went out from Caesar Augustus …”

This is that time of...

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree

So back when Quirinius was governor of Syria, this kid was born in Bethlehem who grew up to change the world.

God made us in His image, so that means in a little piece of us is the power to change the world. In a little piece of us is the creativity to build a world.

To harm or kill one of us is to destroy world-changing and world-building capability.

When you look at another person and realize that is the image of God, it adjusts your attitude.

Merry Christmas, one and all.

2...

Glad … for serendipity

I’m so glad we … had a serendipitous miscommunication.

I’ve been enjoying an early Christmas present — Paul McCartney’s New album, that is to say, the album McCartney released in 2014 called New.

A couple of weeks ago, Red asked me what I want for Christmas, I was stumped for a moment, and then I said, “Well, Paul McCartney has a new album coming out.”

That ended that discussion, until the other day when I casually remarked, “Well, Paul McCartney’s new album came out today.”

She ...

Glad … for the Bill of Rights

I’m so glad we … live in the place where the Bill of Rights was drafted.

Imagine a world so dark and oppressive that someone had to draft such a document.

The First Amendment alone is a masterwork that sets down five essential unalienable rights that should have been self-evident, but apparently they weren’t because they had to write them down.

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of s...

Glad … for winter solstice

I’m so glad … for the promise of light.

By the time most folks read this, the winter solstice will have occurred (unless you’re in the southern hemisphere, in which case hello! and happy summer solstice) — I’m told the solstice happens at 4:02 a.m. CST this Monday, Dec. 21, 2020.

Up until this morning, the amount of sunlight reaching us northerners has been decreasing by increments every day, until there is a mere 7 hours, 48 minutes between sunrise and sunset.

Humans need light. It...

Glad … for my favorite pen

I’m so glad I … found this pen.

As I continue my season of gladness, I look at my hand and remember how grateful I am that I discovered its near-perfect match, wow, probably more than 10 years ago now.

Something about the way the Uni-Ball Jetstream Sport fit in my hand was more comfortable than any pen I’d ever owned. The ink flowed smoothly and I could write for a long time without my hand getting tired.

I don’t know if it’s the greatest pen ever made, but it’s the greatest pen for...