At a dinner party I recently attended, the hosts commented on having seen the movie Four Weddings and a Funeral during their vacation cruise. Several of us immediately began waxing eloquent about the film’s delightful humor. Whereupon our hosts concluded their assessment, which we had interrupted in our enthusiasm: they’d been bored stiff. A sense of humor …
Category: Blog
Apollo 11’s 25th anniversary
On July 20 we marked the 25th anniversary of an historic event: my 10th birthday. As it happens, on the same day we marked the 25th anniversary of the landing of men on the moon–the best birthday present any 10-year-old ever had. President John F. Kennedy told Congress on May 25, 1961, that the United …
Lakes
Wherever you go in Canada, you’ll hear the question, “Are you going to the lake this weekend?” That’s more than you can say for some other phrases, like, say, “Confederation” and “cultural identity.” Lakes are, of course, depressions with water in them. Those depressions can be formed in a number of ways, from tectonic and …
Photography
I’ve been interested in photography ever since I bought my first camera as a kid–an all-plastic (including the lens) special that cost all of $1. Over the next couple of years, with that camera and its sequel, a $10 Instamatic, I shot lots of pictures of friends, scenery, and my cat (LOTS of pictures of …
Keeping cool
I went to university in Arkansas, a state which boasts two of the distinguishing characteristics of the South: heat and humidity. As a member of the Harding University Marching Band, I got to spend an hour and a half every day of every week out in the sunshine practicing halftime shows in late summer, and …
Barbecuing
Summer may officially begin tomorrow, on the summer solstice, but for many people, summer really begins the first time they’re able to barbecue in their backyard. I am not one of them. I enjoy eating the fruits of someone else’s barbecuing efforts as much as the next guy, but to actually stand at the grill? …
Horse racing
Horses have been domesticated for more than 6,000 years, Ill bet that when the first Central Asian nomad with a horse met the second Central Asian with a horse, the first one said, “Race you to that tree over there” and the second one said, “You’re on,” and their friends wagered a skin of fermented …
The science of swimming
This summer, people will flock to lakes, oceans, rivers and “concrete ponds” for the express purpose of plunging themselves into the water and flailing around madly. It’s called swimming, and it’s pretty strange behavior, considering the human body is not at all designed for water locomotion. Nevertheless, it’s been going on for a very …
Hobart’s Funnies
Necessity is the mother of invention, as the old saying goes; and in warfare, necessities can be urgent indeed. As a result, many technological innovations occur during wartime. The First World War brought us huge advances in aircraft design; the Second World War brought us atomic energy. But on a less grandiose scale, technical innovations …
IndyCar racing
You can keep your hockey, your baseball, your lacrosse–this week, my favorite sport is in the spotlight, as 33 drivers contest the Indianapolis 500. No other sport involves as much science and technology as automobile racing. Public fascination with technology first made it popular: at the first organized race in France 100 years ago, the …
Tennis, anyone?
It’s summer, and love is in the air…also, love-15, love-30, game, set, and match. Yes, it’s tennis time, and the air is filled with the distinctive “thwock” of balls hitting racquets and balls hitting courts, plus the occasionally equally distinctive sound made by a player who just missed an easy return. Of course, being the …
May 1994 science anniversaries
“What hath God wrought?” is one of those famous quotations associated with great historical events, like Neil Armstrong’s “One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” But “What had God wrought?” wasn’t spoken: it was sent as a series of dots and dashes from Baltimore to Washington over the first public telegraph …
My latest live walk and vlog
Buy Autographed Books
Most Recent Episodes
-
Episode 168: Dan Flanigan – An American Tragedy
A chat with novelist, playwright, poet (and practicing lawyer) Dan Flanigan about An American Tragedy, third book in his Peter O’Keefe crime-fiction series. Websitedanflaniganbooks.com Facebook@eAuthorDanFlanigan X@_DanFlanigan Dan Flanigan’s Amazon Page Amazon Links for An American TragedyAmazon.comAmazon.ca About the Book No good deed goes unpublished In the scorching summer of 1988, amidst the frenzy of the… -
Episode 167: E.C. Hibbs – The Shade Between Shadows
A chat with author, artist, and storyteller E.C. Hibbs about the first book in her new Nightland Quartet, The Shade Between Shadows. Websiteechibbs.weebly.com Facebook@echibbs Instagram@e_c_hibbs TikTok@e_c_hibbs YouTube@echibbs E.C. Hibbs’s Amazon Page Amazon Links for The Shade Between ShadowsAmazon.comAmazon.ca About the Book I didn’t think myself truly silent. I possessed a voice, as sure as any… -
Episode 166: Jennifer Anne Gordon – The Japanese Box and Other Stories
A chat with award-winning horror author Jennifer Anne Gordon about her new short story collection, The Japanese Box and Other Stories. Websitejenniferannegordon.com Facebook@JenniferAnneGordonAuthor Instagram@jennifergenevievegordon X@JenniferAnneGo5 Jennifer Anne Gordon’s Amazon Page Amazon Links for The Japanese Box and Other StoriesAmazon.comAmazon.ca About the Book A collection of short stories contemplating horror, grief, and trauma. Simulacrum: A dark comedic… -
Episode 165: Dr. Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes – A Fifth of the Story
A chat with author, podcaster, and blogger Dr. Katherine Hutchinson-Hayes about her new spy thriller, A Fifth of the Story Websitedrkatherinehayes.com Facebook@authordrkatherinehayes Instagram@authordrkatherine X@khutch0767 Dr. Katherine Huthcinson-Hayes’s Amazon Page Amazon Links for A Fifth of the StoryAmazon.comAmazon.ca About the Book A fascinating thriller of espionage that takes you into the secretive world of the CIA… -
Episode 164: Kristen Ciccarelli – Heartless Hunter
A chat with New York Times bestselling YA author Kristen Cicarelli about Heartless Hunter, The Crimson Moth Book 1, a “dangerously romantic Scarlet Pimpernel-inspired fantasy.” Websitekristenciccarelli.com Facebook@AuthorKristenCiccarelli Instagram@kristenciccarelli Pinterest@kciccarelli Kristen Ciccarelli’s Amazon Page Amazon Links for Heartless HunterAmazon.comAmazon.ca About the Book Enemies-to-lovers doesn’t get more high stakes than a witch and a witch hunter falling… -
Episode 163: Sebastien de Castell – Play of Shadows
A chat with award-winning fantasy author Sebastien de Castell about Play of Shadows, Book 1 of Court of Shadows, set in the world of his popular Greatcoats series. Websitedecastell.com X@decastell Facebook@decastell Sebastien de Castell’s Amazon Page Amazon Links for Play of ShadowsAmazon.comAmazon.ca About the Book Swordplay, magic, intrigue and friendships stronger than iron: the first… -
Episode 162: Lyn McGinnis – Amarel Mountain
A chat with author Lyn McGinnis about Anu Awakes, an epic fantasy series, and the most recent release in that series, Book 2, Amarel Mountain. Websiteanuawakesseries.com Bluesky@anuawakes Goodreads Instagram@anuawakes Lyn McGinnis’s Amazon Page Amazon Links for Amarel MountainAmazon.comAmazon.ca About the Book Descendants of the Tolku of the Primary Epoch, the Koru, Yakku and Yelda, now… -
Episode 161: Jared N. Michaud – Brightstar
A chat with new author Jared N. Michaud about his upcoming YA science fiction novel Brightstar, first book in the Energematric6 space adventure series. Websiteenergematrice6.com Facebook@Energematrice6 X@Energematrice6 Instagram@jarednmichaud Jared N. Michaud’s Amazon Page Amazon Links for BrightstarAmazon.comAmazon.ca About the Book Brightstar is the beginning of an epic space-adventure series that introduces readers to Nate, a… -
Episode 160: Breakfield & Burkey – Enigma Tracer
A chat with the writing team of Charles Breakfield and Rox Burkey about their long-running techno-thriller series, Enigma, and Enigma Tracer, first book in their new Enigma Heirs trilogy. Websiteenigmabookseries.com Facebook@TheEnigmaSeries X@EnigmaSeries@1rburkey Instagram@enigmabookseries YouTube Amazon Links for Engima TracerAmazon.comAmazon.ca About the Book The clock is ticking … can Gracie uncover the truth? Phillip Pliant is… -
Episode 159: Steve Truitt – The Mindset Chronicles
A chat with author and former television host Steve Truitt about his new science fiction novel series, The Mindset Chronicles. Websitestevetruitt.com Facebook@AuthorSteveTruitt Amazon Links for The DeletionAmazon.comAmazon.ca Steve Truitt’s Amazon Page About the Book In a world where artificial intelligence has become an integral part of daily life, the sudden death of all AI sends…
