About

Lasciate ogni speranza voi ch’entrate!

This is a waste of time, but I’ll do it because there are those who are foolish enough to feel that, if it’s not done, the blog’s flawed.  The merit of a blog is whether or not the topic is interesting or could be interesting and whether or not it’s handled in an informative, possibly entertaining, manner.  Ultimately, content is much, much more important than form, but, if the form’s lousy, then who the hell will wade through it to evaluate the content?

I welcome comments, pro and con, but, if you can’t spell, if your grammar’s bad, if you don’t know what words mean, if you can’t form rational sentences and paragraphs, then expect me to criticize you.   I want to read and understand what you’ve got to say.  I shouldn’t have to decipher it in the process.  No one should have to put up with incompetence, ignorance, stupidity, or idiocy.

I’ve been an amateur writer and copyeditor for more than 45 years.  When I encounter writing that’s wrong, I usually know that it’s wrong and, most of the time, I know why it’s wrong and what’s needed to fix it.  The rest of the time, it’s just an ache in the gut that eats at me until I identify and resolve the problem.

I’ve completed three unproduced screenplays, a non-fiction book, a novel, and several short stories.  I love to argue.  I have absolutely no respect for about 96% of the population.  They’re the folks who enjoy Cops, Jerry Springer, Rush Limbaugh, other Teletrash, fast food, and all wastes of time and money.  Of the remaining 4%, I prefer to give them a wide berth unless they’ve got a grim sense of humor.

I love crossword puzzles.  I read The Economist, Harper’s, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, The Washington Post, and The New York Times.  I like films.  I like backgammon.  I’m sarcastic.  I’m worse than a skeptic—I’m a cynic.  I’m an accomplished cook and winemaker (yes, winemaker).

I don’t suffer fools gladly.  I’m Catholic.  I’m a so-called liberal.  I believe Fundamentalist Christians are idiots and that anyone who believes in Creationism and/or the inerrancy of the Bible is a damn fool.  I think abortion should be legal, but I think abortion is a mortal sin; however, man’s got free will and, if he wants to sin, then, by all means, be my guest—more room for me in Heaven.  The same goes for divorce.

I hate pretentiousness, the nouveau riche, stupidity, gullibility, and double-dealing. Once you’re off my list of acceptable persons, it’s unlikely you’ll ever get back on.