Day 990: The Wonderful Wizard Of Political Allegory

originally published September 16, 2014 When digging one’s mental spoon into the lumpy broth of film studies, there are three things one must remember: A disturbing number of gender-based analyses will reveal that most cinematic conflict is based upon the male fear of castration. With a little imagination, you can build a political or social […]

Day 898: A Descent Into The Maelstrom Of Poe’s Final Days

originally published June 16, 2014 So much has been written about Edgar Allen Poe that my contribution of words #898,001-899,000 of this project to the great writer will hardly land an impact crater upon his legacy. But there’s one chapter of Poe’s life – specifically that last one – that stupefies me. Most famous figures […]

Day 812: The Sunday Funniest

originally published March 22, 2014 Three years ago I was a discontented drone, shackled to a job so heaped in mundane repetition, to describe it to friends would often invoke a yawn the size of Black Chasm Cavern. Alas, this project of passion before you hasn’t yet afforded me a tether to a more interesting […]

Day 700: What The Hell Drugs Did I Take? – A Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Story

originally published November 30, 2013 When that girl at the party slipped you a tablet of something she described as “kind of like E”, you simply went with it. After all, you’re young, you work out, and that bacon-laced poutine you ate for dinner should keep anything you ingest in check, right? Except that you […]

Day 631: Slash With Pinache

originally published September 22, 2013 I’m not going to lie, today’s topic passed the border between odd and skull-thwackingly screwy about a mile and a half ago, didn’t pay the toll and stomped on the gas without losing a beat. As a writer who has often struggled in the snowy scavenger hunt for inspiration, I […]

Day 626: Our Mystery Guest – Lover, Killer, International Spy

originally published September 17, 2013 I’m going to slip a little swoosh into my gait today and alter my stride somewhat. Instead of simply telling the story of today’s subject, I’m going to bury the lead about as deep as I can, relating the story of this man’s life while leaving his name behind the […]

Day 550: The Schemers Of Iron Mountain

originally published July 3, 2013 In 1967, a book dropped onto bookstore shelves, one that would rattle the public and tear away the curtain that had been concealing some of the United States government’s darkest secrets. The book contained the findings of a secret think tank – one that revealed the true intent of those […]

Day 530: The Bestselling Hoaxes

originally published June 13, 2013 The notion that ‘sex sells’ is a concept older than advertising itself. The beauty within that tiny catchphrase is that, for a long time, advertisers could manipulate the concept and the public really had no idea that they were merely succumbing to the prodding of their most base urges. We […]

Day 505: Superman’s Spectrum of Weakness

originally published May 19, 2013 Not being a scholar of Superman, I would like to know what challenges he faced before kryptonite came along. Bullets do nothing to the guy, a bridge could fall on him and he’d just dust it off, and I don’t think he ever has to get his cholesterol levels checked. […]

Day 477: Poe’s Stalkiest Fan

originally published April 21, 2013 It’s not uncommon – though perhaps a tad on the morbid-meter – to contemplate one’s legacy after death. Who would make the trip to your funeral? Surely not all of your exes, but hopefully your current significant other and most of your kids. How would you be remembered? For that […]