Author: CaptainJaq

I am a father as well as a world traveling, dog loving, scuba diving, book collecting, writer - currently residing somewhere in Eastern Europe. His words have been spoken by Capt. Jean-Luc Picard and Robin Hood, been read by David Copperfield, and criticized by his 7th grade English teacher. He'd like to thank the members of the Academy, although he doesn't know why. In his spare time, he's a university professor and a kick-ass uncle.

This guy…

DSCN3167So about 41 year ago, I was being bussed back and forth to sixth grade. This was some genius plan to move kids around and for a year, we all left our neighborhoods and went to “sixth grade centers.” I started late, because the first part of that school year, I was sent to a private Jewish school run out of the temple we attended. Not sure why I was yanked away from friends I had been going to school with for the previous two years (might have had something to do with the whole bussing situation) but it happened. And I hated it. Continue reading “This guy…” →

Home, I’m Darling – Day 7 London 2020

Jan 28 – Home I’m Darling

Hearts.jpgTuesday morning I was up bright and early. Lin once again made fried egg and bacon sandwiches and we joked about the reviews I would leave regarding her hospitality. Truth be told, she was an amazing host. She took absolutely great care of me and Cecil, her wonderful cat, even slept with me a couple of the nights (and the less said about the hardness of the fold out bed, the better). Continue reading “Home, I’m Darling – Day 7 London 2020” →

The History Boys – Day 6 London 2020

Jan 27 – The History Boys

Craft Beer for all people.jpgMonday was my last full day of this trip and there was still some shopping I wanted to do. To that end, I arranged to meet my friend Tim at Forbidden Planet, just in case there was something I wanted to get. Turns out there was. I ended up picking up a really cool Spider-Man journal for notes and writing and then, when Tim showed up, had a fun time showing him around the place. Continue reading “The History Boys – Day 6 London 2020” →

The Vagina Monologues – Day 5 London 2020

Jan 26 – Vagina Monologues

Cyberdog at CamdenSunday was the one day I didn’t have any shows planned. We’d thought about trying to get tickets for something else, but the only things available for Sunday were outrageously (for us at least) expensive. This left us open for other endeavors and without any time constraints.

First up was meeting with friends from Lithuania. Continue reading “The Vagina Monologues – Day 5 London 2020” →

A Delicate Balance – Day 4 London 2020

Jan 25 – A Delicate Balance

With Sean at Cyrano.jpgOne of the nice things about visiting London is seeing friends. There are a number of folks I know on the Island and whenever I can, it’s always nice to see them. So once I knew the dates and schedules, I began making plans. Continue reading “A Delicate Balance – Day 4 London 2020” →

Death and the Maiden – Day 3 London 2020

Jan 24 – Death and the Maiden

Marx through treesI get up early. Can’t help it. No matter when I go to bed, I still wake up early. Even if I go back to sleep, waking up early is a bane of my existence. In this case, it was fine, in that I was able to chat with Rasa and Monki before Lin woke up. But when that was over, it also meant I was up for a while until Lin woke up. So I watched some TV and read a bit. It wasn’t an issue, since we had planned for this, having booked the afternoon tour at the Highgate Cemetery. Continue reading “Death and the Maiden – Day 3 London 2020” →

Night of the Iguana – Day 2 London 2020

Jan 23 – Night of the (Los) Iguana

Las Iguanas Menu.jpgOf all the days I was going to be in London, this was the only one Lin was actually working. In a practical sense, what this meant was that she was up and out of the house early, leaving me to fend for myself. So since I was on vacation, I lounged around for a bit, made myself some breakfast, and called Rasa and Monki. All of which took me to about 9:30am. When I relax I really relax, huh? Continue reading “Night of the Iguana – Day 2 London 2020” →

Come From Away – Day 1 London 2020

Jan 22 – Come From Away

Photo Jan 22, 3 45 20 PM.jpgA few months back, I was lamenting the lack of theatre in my life. Having grown up in the theatre (I joined The Rainbow Company, a professional children’s theatre group at the age of 9 and was with Las Vegas Little Theatre for a number of years) this was something I missed. Interesting that when I lived in Vegas, I certainly didn’t see all the local theatre open to me, but at the same time, I knew it was always there, so it was okay. Continue reading “Come From Away – Day 1 London 2020” →

2020 – Looking back to look forward

shutterstock_710565352It’s strange to think that yet another year has passed, that in the arbitrary marking of the start and end point of the annual circle of the planet around the sun, we’ve come around yet again. But we have and so I’m going to set down some thoughts on the 12 months which just passed and 12 which are in front of us, just to take stock. Continue reading “2020 – Looking back to look forward” →

Starlog!

starlog_1Growing up, my passion for film, filmmaking, and science fiction was spurred, pretty much, by one magazine – Starlog. I used to get it all the time, especially if the cover was about a film/TV show I was either desperate to see or one I had seen and was obsessing over.

Today, I discovered the Starlog Archive online. Can’t wait for a break in my daily work so I can dive in and read some of the original thoughts on films long since sequalized, lionized, disregarded, and remade.