Category Archives: Uncategorized

“Here is himself, marr’d, as you see, with traitors.”

If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.
You all do know this mantle: I remember
The first time ever Caesar put it on;
‘Twas on a summer’s evening, in his tent,
That day he overcame the Nervii:
Look, in this place ran Cassius’ dagger through:
See what a rent the envious Casca made:
Through this the well-beloved Brutus stabb’d;
And as he pluck’d his cursed steel away,
Mark how the blood of Caesar follow’d it,
As rushing out of doors, to be resolved
If Brutus so unkindly knock’d, or no;
For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar’s angel:
Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him!
This was the most unkindest cut of all;
For when the noble Caesar saw him stab,
Ingratitude, more strong than traitors’ arms,
Quite vanquish’d him: then burst his mighty heart;
And, in his mantle muffling up his face,
Even at the base of Pompey’s statua,
Which all the while ran blood, great Caesar fell.
O, what a fall was there, my countrymen!
Then I, and you, and all of us fell down,
Whilst bloody treason flourish’d over us.
O, now you weep; and, I perceive, you feel
The dint of pity: these are gracious drops.
Kind souls, what, weep you when you but behold
Our Caesar’s vesture wounded? Look you here,
Here is himself, marr’d, as you see, with traitors.

—  Marc Antony, in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar

 

Roman male portrait bust, so-called Marcus Antonius. Fine-grained yellowish marble. Flavian age (69—96 A.D.). Rome, Vatican Museums, Chiaramonti Museum.

Roman male portrait bust of Marcus Antonius. Fine-grained yellowish marble. Flavian age (69—96 A.D.).

Would you like to be in Skybald’s next heavy metal music video?

Of course you would.  I don’t even need to ask that.

It’s actually quite easy, given an especially creative project that the United Kingdom’s progressive alt-metal band has underway.  Skybald is assembling a montage music video for their newest song, “Kamikaze Pilots,” and are inviting people to submit video clips that can be edited into it.  (The song is really, truly damned great, by the way; it’s my favorite of theirs so far.)

All you need to do, if you’re interested, is query Skybald via their Facebook page right here, and they’ll send you a link to the song where you can play it for free online.  Then just make a video of yourself rocking out to it and send the video to them via the same Facebook page.

“Kamikaze Pilots” is a slight departure from Skybald’s usual style.  It has more of a classic rock/heavy metal feel to it than the band’s past work.  It’s probably more reminiscent of metal in the 1970’s or 80’s.  (Maybe it’s why this old man likes it so much.)  If you happen to like it, then do check out Skybald on Spotify.

 

50334239_1072741616266550_6388330340275978240_n

Cover to “Heavy Metal” #295, Nick Pyle, 2019

fff

Vote for me. No … seriously, this time.

Hey, guys — I was notified yesterday that I’ve received a really nice honor from Spillwords Press.  I’ve been nominated for the online magazine’s Author of the Month for June 2020.  (The editors were kind enough to recently select three of my poems for publication: “This Windy Morning,” “Lie To Me, But Brightly”and “Blue Wolves Move In An Indigo Wood.”)

There is a voting process, and it’s quick and easy; if you are feeling so inclined, you can cast your vote for me or any other nominee by clicking the link below.  (Voting will be held from today through Monday.)

VOTE

If you do vote for me, thanks a bunch.  🙂

 

 

(We’d have a hell of a good time.)

I realized just last night that there are actually people walking around with the surname “Faust.”

I sooooo want a friend with that name so I can repeatedly ask them every weekend if they want to go bargain hunting with me.

We’d have a great deal of fun, is what I’m saying.

I’d challenge every opinion they express, on any subject — even the weather. When they got fed up, I’d wink and tell them I’m just playing devil’s advocate.

 

 

800px-Ludwig_Devrient_als_Faust

Ludwig Devrient als Faust 1873, Holzstich nach F. Th. Hildebrandt

Poetry Pacific will publish “The Writer”

I got some great news today — Poetry Pacific will publish my poem “The Writer” in its next annual edition.  The poem will be published online in May 2021; I’ll post a link here when it appears.

Poetry Pacific is is “a literary e.zine committed to promoting and publishing the very ‘best’ contemporary poetry in English it can find.”  It really is a terrific place to peruse the latest in indie short poetry, as well as artwork from around the world.  I really encourage you to give the site a visit, and consider submitting your own creative work.

You can find it right here.

 

Screenshot (65)

Cover to “Heavy Metal” #299, Giovanni Maisto, 2020

Cover A.

roy

What a day it was for sci-fi 38 years ago today.

If you see an abundance of “The Thing” or “Blade Runner” posts today, it’s because both films opened in theaters 38 years ago today.

We … need a holiday or something. But “Thing/Blade Day” sounds too much like “Sling Blade Day.”

Anyway, both films resonate just fine in 2020 America. “The Thing” is predicated on paranoia about those around you. “Blade Runner” is technically about cruelty to illegal immigrants — and how “human” we all are depending on our reaction to that.

Hey … let’s not even get started on (the overrated) fan favorite “Tron,” also released in 1982. If you want to talk about a movie about a guy trapped in a virtual world and its parallels to the social media age, then I’m gonna need some more coffee.

 

ee - Copy

Throwback Thursday: “Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell” (1978)!

“Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell” (1978) was yet another made-for-television movie that rocked my world when I saw it in early grade school.  But it didn’t age well — not even by a narrow margin.  When I saw it on TV again a few years down the line, like maybe when I was in junior high, I realized it was … truly a third-rate horror movie.  (It was every bit s campy as the trailer below suggests.)

It wasn’t all bad, I guess.  It stars Richard Crenna.  And whatever special effects they used to show the titular monster after its demonic transformation were surprisingly decent for a 70’s TV movie.  (I actually wonder if they used the same rotoscope process that Ralph Bakshi used in the same year’s animated “The Lord of the Rings.”)

 

 

Cover to “The Batman Who Laughs” #1, Greg Capullo, 2019

Variant.  DC Comics.

apigvpx5h__07449.1543245766