I was in the kitchen when I heard Anthony Mason, on CBS This Morning, say a music group played “vibronic pop.” I thought, why isn’t it “vibratic”? I understand why it might be “symphonic.” But neither music nor anything else “vibrons.” It vibrates. The reason words often don’t make sense is that they are usually …
Tag: writing
Facebook Friends, Part Four
This one sat off to the side for a while, mainly because I was working against a deadline with “High, Wild and Handsome.” This one also required some reacquaintance. Reorientation. I had to get my head back in it. You can “page down” a while and find the first three parts. Jerry Lennart set …
Buffaloes in the West
Sure, I tweet. I partake of the social media. It keeps me in touch, perhaps, to a fault. Nowadays it’s possible to get a job in which all that is required is to tweet. They claim it’s “devising a social-media strategy.” They’re too smart merely to “tweet.” I tweet. I tweeted. I have tweeted. I …
Those Fracking Cliches
“Let’s see if the Braves can exact some revenge on the Seattle Mariners.” I just heard Chip Caray say this. Seldom is anything “exacted” except revenge. Seldom is anything wreaked except havoc, and if havoc is in town (or, oh, on a page), it is invariably wreaked. Mothers are seldom sick without also being …
Ready … Set … Okay, Start Over
I just made a difficult decision. I passed up an opportunity to watch Captain Phillips. It won’t air again until Friday. You see, I don’t play the record/save/watch later game. I don’t watch Netflix, either. I know that seems silly, but I think there’s a place for retro, not to mention protecting me from myself. …
Two Kinds of Spam
Having a blog means having to delete all sorts of “spam” messages every day. Many of them are written by online opportunists who, given their amusing misuse of English, make it almost worthwhile, reading the fractured remarks. Some of them are mildly insulting, while, of course, generalized in a way that equally misfits thousands of …
High, Wild, and Handsome
The boy showed up at the third-turn crossover gate in the coveralls he wore while racing his go-kart. The security guard recognized him and waved him across the track in the yellow ‘55 Chevy his dad had given him for his sixteenth birthday. Beau Farnsworth was feeling his oats, having won his 35-lap feature earlier …
High, Wild and Handsome, Part Five
Word spread quickly that the great, mysterious Beau Farnsworth had deigned to grace Charlotte Motor Speedway with his presence. It was approximately a quarter to five, and he hadn’t turned a lap since winning The Winston four days earlier. The veteran Billy Hargitson, winner of exactly one race in the previous decade, had dialed …
Still Not Carolina in My Mind
I don’t travel much any more, and I was a bit surprised at how much I enjoyed my recent nine-day sojourn through ten states. What I expected was that I’d have a wonderful time on the way out to the westernmost terminus, Gainesville, then get antsy and impatient on the way home. What surprised me …
Going on a Tour
Oh, what a busy day. I’m leaving on a long trip in the morning. I’ve got lots on the plate. I’ve got to visit some loved ones this afternoon because it got postponed Sunday, which is why I was cutting the grass yesterday. I’ve filed my monthly sales tax, balanced my accounts, paid pills, caught …
Nightrider's Lament 