Art
Formal vs Self Education
Not many days ago… I was engaged in political debate with a person, who was quick to point out their higher learning and acquisition of a Bachelors and Masters, in something or other fields. I’m next to sure this was done to show their opinion was better formed and backed up because of same. I […]
27Jan2019 | Nancy Belle | 5 comments | Continued
Thomas Franklin, New Fireside Contributor
Thomas Franklin and I became friends in 2006. He was an inpatient at a Substance Abuse Treatment Center where I served as a counselor. That program was a 21 day residential care. There was a stipend program at the Center. This allowed up to two clients to remain residents, receive free food, and free intensive […]
2Dec2017 | Gary Clark | 1 comment | Continued
Kansas City City Market, Beignet, and Moody Football Fans
We invested a day at the Kansas City City Market. Today, in fact. A Sunday and the Chiefs are playing – but we have a DVR and are recording the game. We are at the market to meet family and are hoping that we do not inadvertently hear the score of the game. We did […]
17Sep2017 | Gary Clark | 0 comments | Continued
My First Tattoo
Oceanside, California, is located on the border of Camp Pendleton, that really big Marine base. I was there. Not Camp Pendleton, Oceanside. It was 1969 and I was doing what I would later learn was called a ‘walkabout’. I was drifting with the wind, facing the draft, Vietnam, adulthood, and ultimately responsibility. Oceanside was […]
26Sep2016 | Gary Clark | 1 comment | Continued
Oh Lord Won’t You Give Me?
I loved and love Janis Joplin. I like the song she sang, Mercedes Benz, because it reminds me of a Church I attended with a friend when I was about 16. It was located in South St. Joseph. There was a neon sign outside proclaiming PENTECOSTAL SOMETHING OR OTHER CHURCH. A bright white two story […]
31Jul2016 | Nancy Belle | 0 comments | Continued
The “Shoulds” of Life Have Me Down
I have been a responsible man for most of my life. Some would challenge that point – because my failures have stood out like atomic bombs. As a Senior Citizen I don’t face too many life changing events or decisions. But I do have some responsibilities and those become the burrs under my saddle – […]
10Apr2016 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on The “Shoulds” of Life Have Me Down | Continued
Why Bother With Grammar?
I write. But that does not mean that I write correctly. I am a college graduate, but that does not mean that I use proper grammar. I write intuitively – meaning that my sense of grammar drives my structure – and I am sometimes wrong. Any sophisticated endeavor requires both art and science. The late […]
4Dec2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on Why Bother With Grammar? | Continued
“Life Has Killed The Dream I Dreamed”
Have you ever felt like Fantine? Remember her – that forlorn girl of Victor Hugo’s imagination? Hugo was a master of the forlorn, of les miserables. We live in an unfair world. That has been the case in my life – but life often favored me. My life was blessed with work and play, blessed […]
28Sep2013 | Gary Clark | Comments Off on “Life Has Killed The Dream I Dreamed” | Continued
People at Wal-Mart Video
I can not help it. Most of these pictures were taken at the South Belt Wal-Mart in St. Joseph, Missouri. Two of the people are my siblings – but I will not say which.
1Mar2012 | Ohg Rea Tone | 1 comment | Continued
Cisco – A Tale of Addiction, Justice, and Redemption
People are dying. Our Prisons are full. Families are being destroyed. Government sponsored religion in the Criminal Justice System is not working. Federal, State, and Local funds are rewarding bad behavior. We are talking about the Criminal Justice System sanctioned treatment programs for alcohol and drug addiction – substance abuse treatment. Cisco, A Tale of […]
1Dec2011 | Ohg Rea Tone | 3 comments | Continued
World Without End – Ken Follett
Ken Follett has pulled off another fine story. The depiction of life in 14th Century England is so well done that I consider this work a historical novel. Like his previous masterpiece, Pillars of the Earth, Follett spun a story of intrigue, suspense, drama, and of humanity. Follett is a master craftsman. Solid use of […]
19Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on World Without End – Ken Follett | Continued
Wicked: A marriage of literature, art, and music
We marvel att the marriage of art and technology and the ingenuity of those who can master that integration. Steve Jobs and his folks at Apple are prime examples. In the same vein, there is a marriage of literature, art, and culture that can culminate in the same kind of experience. Probably the best example […]
14Oct2008 | bryan | Comments Off on Wicked: A marriage of literature, art, and music | Continued
Wicked, The Snape Effect, and Storytelling
There is a reason that we humans are fascinated with stories. There is a deep connection that we have with the stories of others. From history to social studies to literature, all learning is founded in story. Even in mathematics we learn that a powerful way of getting an answer with numbers is to tell […]
13Oct2008 | bryan | Comments Off on Wicked, The Snape Effect, and Storytelling | Continued
Wicked – A Garden of Good and Evil
You can’t beat a good story in the hands of a skilled craftsman. Gregory MaGuire has crafted a Fabula story in “Wicked, The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.” The story has the freshness of spring flowers in a perennial emerald green garden. But this story is not for the faint […]
6Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | 2 comments | Continued
Born in the USA – Is Springsteen anti-war? (video)
We present here the lyrics and a video of Bruce Springsteen performing ‘Born In The U.S.A.’ Here is the question – is this anti-war, anti-American, anti-insanity? This writer believes Springsteen is following the tradition of historically great artists. His art reflects the conditions of society at a given time. Art lives in history as a […]
5Oct2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Born in the USA – Is Springsteen anti-war? (video) | Continued
Bee Gees Music Videos
I really like these folks. This music dates me for sure – but I believe the songs are relevant yet today. If you are not a fan of the Bee Gees just skip on to our next post. Words: [wp_youtube]dn9cHegvcFI[/wp_youtube] To Love Somebody: [wp_youtube]ykU8iSKkJR0[/wp_youtube] How Deep is Your Love: [wp_youtube]mCj0F0o9u-8[/wp_youtube] You Should Be Dancing – […]
11Aug2008 | Ohg Rea Tone | Comments Off on Bee Gees Music Videos | Continued