• Other Stuff

    Diamond In The Rough

    Finding a good blog is like finding a diamond in the rough. A truly good blog is few and far between. In a world full of everyone shouting, it is that whisper that so inaudible that is what one searches forever just to find. Here is a random smattering of blog posts I have discovered recently that deserve a mention. I Kissed Christianity Goodbye: Four Stories About Leaving Religion | Somewhere in Arizona | 12/8/14 | Another Black & White Memory “La Tacita de Oro” 1986 | Berlin. Day 3. | Finding Nirvana. | Birds on the Wire…. | Because Chair | Adventures of an Introvert | Blue Winter |…

  • Writing

    Christmas Memories

    There is perhaps no happier time in a child’s life than Christmas day.  As an adult, whenever I think of Christmas, I am reminded of Christmas memories from long ago.Christmas memories include spending time with my parents, the smell of the Christmas tree, the lights, the food, and perhaps best of all, the gifts.  My father was an expert in the most important facet to a young child; the gifts.  Every year, my father would pick out the best gifts for me, and even though it was decades ago, I still remember many of the gifts as if they were yesterday. As soon as I could walk, my father brought…

  • Other Stuff

    Museum Notes: Dorothea Lange’s America

    Dorothea Lange – May 26, 1895 – October 11, 1965 Dorothea Lange’s America Photographs, by order of appearance: Hands, Maynard And Dan Dixon, 1930 White Angel Breadline, 1933 Workers Unite, 1934 Mended Stockings, 1934 Unemployed Men, 1934 Filipinos Cutting Lettuce, 1935 Girl With Mattress Springs, 1935 In The Southwest, 1935 Out Of Rear Window Tenement Dwelling Of Mr. And Mrs. Jacob Solomon, 133 Avenue D, New York City, 1936 Unemployed Men On Howard Street, 1937 Abandoned Tenant Cabin, 1937 Five Tenant Farmers Without Farms, 1937 Death In The Doorway, 1938 Rural Rehabilitation Client, 1938 Funeral Cortege, 1938 Migrant Mother, 1936 Rural Landscape With Grapes Of Wrath Billboard, 1940 Woman In…

  • Writing

    I Need Serenity

    I need just one thing when I’m creating; I need serenity. Thomas W.P. Slatin Before I explain my need for serenity, let’s go back a few years, shall we?  I was born and raised in New York City, then for whatever reason, my parents sent me to college in West Virginia.  I sought refuge from the very different culture and very backwards thinking of those who also attended the university at the time by spending most of my time outside of class in my dormitory room. Knowing that I need serenity to get work done, to study, and to concentrate, I elected to live in a dormitory with a 24-hour…

  • Writing

    Ridiclous Humanities Writing Assignments

    If I had a dollar for every one of the ridiculous humanities writing assignments I was given while in college, I’d be fabulously wealthy.  Here is a small sampling of the many humanities writing assignments I remember being given while in college.  If I had my way, I would have written essays filled with snappy answers to the assignments to mock their ridiculousness. Sentence fragments.  Provide proof of five unique examples.This assignment required the students to seek out sentence fragments.  We were allowed to find them in advertising, magazines, newspapers, etc.  Pretty much anywhere except the Internet.  If the assignment allowed us to reference Internet examples, this assignment would be…

  • Writing

    Discussion: Why The System Is Rigged

    Author and blogger Tracey Lynn Tobin brought up a very sad and disturbing topic on her blog recently about how the system is rigged; specifically, how an alarming 27% of college graduates actually land jobs in their college field of study. Having held several jobs centered around Emergency Medicine since the late 1990’s, I thought that I might add thoughts and observations from my own real-world perspective. Useless DegreesI have a select group of very close friends whom I have known since age 12.  Of this group of friends, myself included, all but a handful of us hold at least a bachelors degree.  And of those with at least one…

  • Writing

    My Writing Process: A Blog Tour

    I am taking part in The Writing Process Blog Tour which is a fun way to introduce you to writers from far afield. Each author will offer brief insights into their writing processes and, in turn, they will introduce you to three more authors.  I was invited by Tracey Lynn Tobin.  Be sure to check out her blog for some amazing writing! What am I working on?My professional career pursuits have varied over the years, and continue to evolve.  It seems that by the time I make it approximately halfway up the corporate vocational ladder, I get bored by my career path and decide to seek employment in a different…