In celebration of the 4th of July (which is a big deal to some folks in the United States) I'm throwing the tea into the harbor and declaring a huge discount on 2 great books in the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series -- Books 3 and 4:Clamorous Harbinge...

There are chains that lift us and chains that bind us. The fault lies not in the chains but in how we employ them. We forge the links ourselves and determine their use. I suppose some chains also drive, propel, or hurtle us. The chain I have on my mi...

I finally changed the spark plug in the F650GS. I've had the plug for a couple years or more, but I've been afraid of doing the job. That sounds silly, but I had read the experiences and watched the videos of others who had done it. The task seemed d...

I finally changed the spark plug in the F650GS. I've had the plug for a couple years or more, but I've been afraid of doing the job. That sounds silly, but I had read the experiences and watched the videos of others who had done it. The task seemed d...

For those of you considering participating in theater, let me give you a little advice--a tip from an old hand and veteran of the wars upon the boards waged in spirit gum and grease paint: When you're on stage and all the other actors fall silent wit...

I went fishing one day this week on the reservoir. It's an annual ritual we do with some of our Fish and Game officers. I'll spare you the photo of me with the only fish I caught. The weather was great, but the fishing was not. Four guys caught 6 fis...

Exhaustion laden with disappointment -- that was my week. It was trial by day and play practice by night. 4 days of trial: A young victim's word against that of the defendant. Although her testimony rang true and the experts supported her, the defend...

To be, or not to be an extremist. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous categorization and take up books against a sea of troubles, and, by reading, defy them?To read: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub.Ap...

What makes a noir mystery? Must there be a mystery for it to be noir? If so, noir mystery would seem redundant. The online Merriam-Websters says that noir is "crime fiction featuring cynical characters and bleak sleazy settings." Collins Dictionary s...

Tom Sawyer Abroad, by Mark Twain, is told from Huckleberry Finn's point of view. In chapter 12, Tom has explained how a bronze horse that flies in the Arabian Nights is like the flying balloon on which Tom and his friends have sailed across the sea a...