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The Return of Quality

23 Apr 2015 by KRAG

Gentlefolk, start your DVRs.

Ripper Street is back with Series 3 (that’s “Season” 3, for us here in the States), airing on BBC America beginning April 29.

BBC canceled the show after its second season, citing low viewership in the UK, but when an online petition garnered over 50,000 signatures, the production company was able to reach a deal with (what is now) Amazon Prime Instant Video to fund a third season.

UK residents have already seen this third season, and reports I’ve read state that it’s the strongest, most viscerally charged season to date. The show’s creator, Richard Warlow, was more cautious about future seasons this time, and gave the end of Season 3 a sense of closure while still leaving sufficient loose threads with which to weave a Season 4, should it get picked up again. Here’s hoping on that score! Continue Reading »

Posted in Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Dumpy Old Man Hunt

21 Apr 2015 by KRAG

Dragons AheadYesterday, my wife reached the limit of her patience and dragged me out to shop for new clothes.

She thinks I dress like a dumpy old man…which I do because, well, because I am a dumpy old man. Personally, I never look at my ass–ever–so if my pants are baggy in the rear, it’s of little consequence to me. My wife, as it turns out, looks at my ass a lot, and has strong opinions on what I use to cover it and now, tired of me covering my backside with enough cloth to rig a small sailboat, she was determined to change the status quo that I’d so assiduously preserved.

With this as preamble, I got stuffed in the car and trundled off on a clothes-shopping expedition. I had little say in the matter, other than to unequivocally refuse to set foot in Target. My experiences there have been…unpleasant, exceeded only by dim, nightmarish memories of similar expeditions to K-Mart. She could drive up to the door of Target, but I knew she was physically unable to drag me inside.

So she took me to Kohl’s. Continue Reading »

Posted in Culture | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments »

No One Thing

20 Apr 2015 by KRAG

Simple LivingLast week, a co-worker entered the elevator. As we descended, she asked, “So, are you still writing your little books?”

[Hrmnmrmnm.]

My wife and I have a phrase.

We got it from the movie Keeping the Faith (one of my favorite rom-coms: it’s about a rabbi, a priest, and a high-powered businesswoman, played by Ben Stiller, Edward Norton, and Jenna Elfman). In one scene, the rabbi is going on a date (yes, single rabbis can do that) and in making small talk, he expresses mild surprise at her strong interest in fitness. During this exchange his date, Ali (played by Lisa Edelstein), admonishes him: “No one thing defines me.”

It’s the high point in a scene of brilliantly comic awkwardness that immediately went into our private lexicon. Modified for our personal use (we don’t include the gut-punch), we use this phrase whenever one of us does something a little out of character, exhibits a new interest, or in some way surprises the other. Here. Try it with me…

Finger up. “No one thing.” Continue Reading »

Posted in Culture | Tagged , | 2 Comments »

Getting my Music Geek On

17 Apr 2015 by KRAG

The world of classical music has changed a lot, since I was last playing on a regular basis. I mean a lot.

forScoreExample 1: When I got my viola repaired I purchased a backup-bow. It is not made of pernambuco wood. In fact, it is not made of wood at all. It’s made of carbon fiber. Carbon fiber!

Example 2: I can get sheet music online, in digital format, and display the music on my iPad. A lot of parts in the public domain can be found, free of charge, too. No more stacks of oversized sheets cluttering my office.

This second item is very exciting to me–I can have Symphonic Karaoke sessions!–but I was not satisfied with the way the standard iPad applications (iBooks, Kindle, DocsToGo, etc.) handled sheet music, so I went in search of a more suitable application. Continue Reading »

Posted in Hi Tech, Music | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

You, Your Money, and Me

14 Apr 2015 by KRAG

It's a Trap!To be honest, I started this blog because I want your money. That’s not the only reason, but it’s definitely in the mix.

As a writer, I want people (i.e., you) to read my books. I’ve worked hard writing them, I’m proud of them, and I want folks to read them and enjoy them. I think my books are worth something, though, so I (generally) don’t give them away for free, which means readers must part with some of their money.

Ergo, I want your money. Continue Reading »

Posted in Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments »

Changing the Conversation

08 Apr 2015 by KRAG

La Sainte MadeleineThe USA is beginning another of its quadrennial conversations.

Whassat? You weren’t aware that we had regular national conversations? Not to worry; most folks aren’t aware of it either, but we do have them. You probably know them better by their more common name, the General Election, where every four years we have this big national discussion in which we ask questions, listen to opinions, and (in theory) provide answers in the form of votes.

The problem: We’re not all asking the same questions, and in my opinion, we’re not asking the correct questions, either. Continue Reading »

Posted in Politics | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments »

Don’t Call It a “Jaffa” Cake

06 Apr 2015 by KRAG

Don't Call It a "Jaffa" CakeThe last time I was in Britain there was a flap over the use of the phrase “Jaffa Cake.” McVities, the biscuit company who introduced the original Jaffa Cakes in 1927, neglected to trademark the name and thus it was open for others to use.

I adore Jaffa Cakes–small disks of sponge cake topped with orange jelly and a cover of chocolate–so when a friend asked me to bring a dessert for Easter dinner, I had an inspiration for a super-sized version of my little favorites. But don’t call it a “Jaffa” cake…I don’t want an infringement lawsuit slapped on me!

For those with celiac disease, this is a gluten-free cake. Continue Reading »

Posted in Food, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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