Creative commentary plus crafty composition

The expression that there are two sides to just about anything applies, in many peoples’ anecdotal experience, to karma.

What is karma?

Stemming from east Asian religions, karma relates to the culmination of a person’s actions in life (potentially added to by one’s previous ‘states of existence’) impacting, or even deciding, one’s fate moving forward. More simply, karma = destiny, or fate, as influenced by one’s actions. Read the rest of this entry »

Saturday, July 1st, officially marks Canada’s 150th birthday!

While many publicized celebrations are planned across the country for this special occasion, there are a number of other lesser known happenings, which nonetheless contribute to the breadth and depth of the Canadian mosaic…

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The third ten-episodes season of ‘Better Call Saul’ has just concluded, a series in part prequel to one of AMC’s most popular previous runs, ‘Breaking Bad’. Thanks to the pedigree of the contiguous writers/producers, as events evolve the ripples are gradually connecting.

The most significant thread is the character currently known as Jimmie McGill, but who is slowly turning into ‘Better Call’ Saul Goodman. Jimmy’s manifesting a morally flawed character from the beginning, viewing his adventures attempting a deviant level of success is not unlike watching a slow train wreck. Read the rest of this entry »

This coming Sunday brings about another Father’s Day.

As many of us know, especially men who are fathers, this day historically takes a back seat to Mother’s Day on the recognition, celebration radar.

That’s not necessarily bad; after all the fuss and commotion concomitant with Mother’s Day, parents not having to go through a similar scenario only a month or so later can feel less of an ordeal, as long as dads can roll with the lower profile. Read the rest of this entry »

I recently finished reading what I responded to as one of the most helpful commentaries encountered on the craft of writing, “A Story Is a Promise & The Spirit of Storytelling”, by Bill Johnson.

Johnson is a writer and writing teacher. He has a capacity, based on this book, to not only point out the importance of having a structured commitment to turning ideas into audience pleasing stories, but also uses numerous novels and films to reinforce his messages. Read the rest of this entry »

Two of the most colourful words adapted from the German language to English are ‘schadenfreude’ and ‘doppelganger’.

These words, aside from their definitions, have a couple of interesting facets going for them.

They’re both multisyllabic and tricky to pronounce. Enunciating them without tripping over syllables exhibits good training of facial muscles. Read the rest of this entry »

As any true, long-time aficionado is aware, Laura Palmer’s prediction from ‘The Red Room’ in the final episode of the original TWIN PEAKS came true, albeit the actual airing of new episodes a year late. (The fact that she was technically deceased at the time makes the prescience even more impressive.)

In fact, her declaration “I’ll see you again in 25 years” was repeated at the beginning of the first episode of ‘TWIN PEAKS: The Return’. Indeed, not only were we reminded about the prediction, but also the story is picking up where it left off, effectively in real time. Read the rest of this entry »

A product of cable network Showtime, BILLIONS has just completed a high impact second season. The schedule expanded from the original season of ten episodes to twelve.

BILLIONS has become a modern times, high quality organic product. It showcases fast-paced dramatic writing with actors inhabiting their roles in stark transitions of settings. This mix of properties is a dependable formula for customer, i.e. viewer, loyalty. Read the rest of this entry »

Hopefully, the vast majority of us associate mostly happy memories with thoughts about our mothers. If possible, hopefully the vast majority of us make an effort to recognize the annual day for celebrating this so important person’s role, in person or at least by direct communication. It comes about again this Sunday, May 14th. Read the rest of this entry »

Any homeowner for a period of time is bound to encounter the challenge of renovation. Be it related to age, deterioration, or simply a structural facelift, the causes can be many, the options almost limitless.

There are good reasons why renovation reality shows have become a staple of speciality television, not to mention the more historical, but still viable, routes of trade shows and in-store seminars. People, hands-on or not, want to have a handle on what to do, if by themselves or at least how to proceed if dealing with professionals. Read the rest of this entry »