I try to give both my heroes and villains an emotional dimensionality which provides the motivation for their actions. ~Sidney Sheldon It’s always a challenge to create believable villains as a counterpoint to your protagonist. Villains can’t be over the top, moustache twisting, maniacal laughing, psychopaths without justifying how the…
U is for Ukulele
Once associated with falsetto signing Tiny Tim and his Tiptoe Through the Tulips , the ukulele has been quietly making the rounds as the hipster instrument du jour in recent years. It’s relatively easy to learn (or so I am told), its relatively inexpensive to pick up, and the fact…
T is for Time
Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’ into the future. ~ Fly Like an Eagle – Steve Miller Band I’ve always been fascinated about time as a human construct since I was a kid. Like gravity, time is a unseen force, yet its influence on us informs every waking minute of…
S is for Satire and Sarcasm
Satire (n) –1) the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc. 2) a literary composition, in verse or prose, in which human folly and vice are held up to scorn derision or ridicule. At an early age, long before I could…
R is for Relationships
I wanted to post a witty or sage quote about relationships and friendship, but none that I looked up seemed to encapsulate everything I wanted to say about the subject. Relationships are individual social contracts, negotiated between people often without any spoken agreement. We tend to associate with people that…
Q is for Quotes
Who doesn’t love a good quote. Whether it be a line of dialogue from you favourite movie, some memorable nugget of wisdom passed down through the ages by some sage philosopher or politician, or perhaps even an expression your mother is fond of repeating. Quotes can trigger memories, be a…
P is for Parenting
As a father of two (mostly) wonderful kids, I am always quick to tell expecting parents that parenting is the hardest job you will ever have and also the most rewarding. Being a parent has taught me a lot about myself. I’ve gotten better at balancing my priorities, spending time…
O is for Opportunities
Don’t get too comfortable with who you are at any given time – you may miss the opportunity to become who you want to be. – Jon Bon Jovi From Brainy Quote It`s been my experience that the older we get in life the easier it is to stick…
N is for Learning to Say No
Its in my nature to want to help people and get involved. If there is something I can do to help someone I will try to lend a hand. I think its partly driven by wanting to feel productive and making a difference. I think another part of it is…
M is for Movies
Here we are at the halfway mark in the month long A to Z Challenge. On the one hand, I am like “Wow, it’s half way done!” and on the other hand, I am like “What do you mean we’re only half way done!”. For the letter M I thought…