Gordon Dymowski's Blog, page 23

Endings At the Beginning of the Year

Last night: a phone call from a relative - the kind of relative who is more an infrequent Facebook friend - revealed some bad news.

My aunt, cousin, and his two kids were in an auto accident. The kids were Ok. My cousin was airlifted to a local hospital.

My aunt....didn't make it.

Ironically, the aunt was my mom's younger - and remaining - sister. (Mom's youngest sister died several years ago). Telling Mom was tough - part of it was concern for her well-being (after all, I was starting to adjust...

Blog THIS, Pal: 2015 In Review

It's become a yearly tradition for Blog THIS, Pal! - I wish I could remember who started it. (I think pal Roger, but I could be sorely mistaken).

But it's a great way for me to generate some content and help build my SEO (especially after a pesky cybersquatter stole the domain I had bought...and the less-than-ethical domain registrar never gave me a chance to pay my bill).

Simply put: I choose one random blog post per month, and link to it via a clever quote. It allows me to not only see h...

Some Closing Thoughts on 2015

If there's one thing I can say about 2015 with full confidence, it's this:

2015 was the year when light started breaking through the darkness in my life.

I've written before about how a friend's untimely death began shifting my attitudes towards life. Much of 2013 to that point was about finding gainful employment (and pursuing further schooling towards certification at DePaul); much of 2014 was intermittent work and building a fledgling writing career.

But 2015 - much of that paid off. Semi-con...

RIP - Lemmy of Motorhead

Was a bit dismayed to hear that Lemmy, lead singer/bassist of Motorhead, has passed away.

Part of my disbelief is due to his indomitable approach to touring, playing, and living the "rock and roll lifestyle." He was a man with a killer work ethic, and I admired that.

Plus, I also think Motorhead was a frickin' awesome band.

If you can, hunt down the documentary Lemmy. And when you play these YouTube videos, please play them loud.

Lemmy would want it that way.







+++++++++++++++++++++++...

Where Stories Come From: LEGENDS OF NEW PULP FICTION

You've probably all read the news about my appearance in the Legends of New Pulp benefit anthology....and the story behind the story is one that's very complicated. A bit "writey-whitey, typey-wipey", in Doctor Who terms.

(OK, forget I just said all that...but this story has a very interesting pedigree...and this is going to be a really long post)

It all started with news from pal Tommy of Pro Se Productions about his health, and some of the measures he would need to ta...

Doctor Who: THE HUSBANDS OF RIVER SONG (Review)

Doctor Who Christmas specials are....well, a bit of a tough call. They're not meant to be part of the regular "season" (although last year's Last Christmas  provided a nice coda), so there is greater opportunity for a much broader, more fist-pumping feel good episode to be produced and shown....and each Christmas special has its detractors.

But The Husbands of River Song is a near pitch-perfect Christmas special, which starts as a clever romp but then shifts into a much more somb...

Some Holiday Thoughts & Videos

As you can probably gather from my absence, things have been rather busy...but Mom's health issues will do that to me.

Things since October have been...a blur. A whirlwind of experiences which have helped me realized many key lessons...not unlike those learned by Ebenezer Scrooge, except without any supernatural influence.

First and foremost - I've learned that I can't do it all, and that pushing myself to the extreme can be very dangerous. The old adage is true...if I don't take care of m...

I've Been Published! LEGENDS OF NEW PULP

Just in time for the holidays....my short story 'Pather has been published in the Legends of New Pulp anthology published by Airship 27 Productions.

I'm particularly proud because Legends is a benefit book - all proceeds go to help Tommy Hancock of Pro Se Productions. (Details below, and in light of my recent issues with Mom's health - and that's a post yet to be written - it takes on additional emotional weight).

Yes, there will be a Where Stories Come From post about 'Pather, b...

Mondays with Columbo: AN EXERCISE IN FATALITY

I'm going to say this once: Robert Conrad should be receiving the kind of ironic respect that is showered on William Shatner.

You know - a guy who has a well-defined image, who doesn't take himself too seriously, and who - unlike Shatner - did all of his own stunts.

And if this Columbo episode proves anything, it's that Robert Conrad could act if given the right script.

Think of it this way - An Exercise in Fatality was produced five years after The Wild Wild West was canceled....not b...

THE DEATH OF SUPERMAN LIVES - A Review

To be completely honest, I'm not quite sure how to feel about The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened?, the documentary which focuses on the unmade Tim Burton/Nicholas Cage 1990s Superman film.

On the one hand, it does a good job as a documentary focusing on the effort and thought behind the development of the film. The Death of Superman Lives shows great insight into the development process....as well as the reason why the film may not have been made. (SPOILER - Warner Brothers had a...