Old Friends and Disneyland – 2017 Summer Holiday

Friday June 30

Hero Up.jpgFriday morning was destined to be a travel day. First up was having breakfast in nearby Oceanside with an old friend, Mike Wallis. I first Mike some 25 years ago when he was my instructor at a comedy traffic school and we ended up having a discussion about Satanism…as you do. Back when I lived in LA, we were pretty tight but, as happens, we drifted away into our own things. We’d chatted a few times over the years, and even gotten together for a coffee or two when I was in town, but even then it had been several years since we’d seen each other. So he came down and we went up and we met for a nice breakfast at a place called Don’s Country Kitchen. Continue reading “Old Friends and Disneyland – 2017 Summer Holiday” →

Family: Food and Fun – 2017 Summer Holiday

Thursday June 29

Midway.jpgThursday was again planned to be a family day. And again, due to jet lag, we were up early. Fortunately, mom and dad also got up early so we could spend some time with them. Faye, her boyfriend Matt and the three kids were all still sleeping, having stayed up late the night before so just the five of us headed out to grab a bite. Continue reading “Family: Food and Fun – 2017 Summer Holiday” →

Animals and Sunscreen – 2017 Summer Holiday

Wednesday June 28

San Diego Zoo.jpgWe woke up bright and early – to be fair, we had no choice. Monki was up at 3:30 or so and that meant we were as well. When she fell back asleep we caught a few more minutes ourselves and then we were up and, with the whole family, ready to hit the day. This was going to be our first day of actual sight-seeing and we were doing it up right – hitting the world famous San Diego Zoo. Continue reading “Animals and Sunscreen – 2017 Summer Holiday” →

Sun and Sand – 2017 Summer Holiday

Shadows.jpgTuesday June 27

After the crazy adventure getting in, our first night was a wash. We ate, said hello, then quickly collapsed. Monki experienced jetlag and was up at 1:30am, ready for the day to start. We were kept active with her until 5:30 when we were finally able to get a couple more hours of sleep. Continue reading “Sun and Sand – 2017 Summer Holiday” →

Coming to America – 2017 Summer Holiday

Sunday-Monday June 25-26

I’ve said it before, but traveling from Lithuania is not easy. At least not by plane. Very few places are accessible directly, and those that are, are usually through the low-cost airlines (let’s never forget Flights for 50p, shall we) and get you someplace near your destination (For example, going to Paris, Ryan and Wizz fly you to Beauvais, which is about an hour away). Anyway, for our flights to the US, where we are going to spend a week on vacation with family in San Diego then all head back to Vegas for mom’s Bat Mitzvah, we decided to do it in two jumps – Vilnius (not even from Kaunas, so that’s another hour added on to the journey) to Paris then Paris to LA. Continue reading “Coming to America – 2017 Summer Holiday” →

One of the greatest science fiction magazines is now available for free online – The Verge

I love that all these great magazines are finding new homes online (that said, I do own several of the original copies, including the three part series of Bester’s The Demolished Man). I’ve even noted it before, specifically when IF magazine, Galaxy’s sister publication, went live online and when Omni hit the digital archives.

So now, most of Galaxy is available online for you to read and enjoy. I suggest you do.

Source: One of the greatest science fiction magazines is now available for free online – The Verge

Commencement 2017

vdu-e1455559276836So I did this thing.

I was asked to give a speech at the commencement ceremony for the Political Science faculty, something between 5-7 minutes. I went on for 8 1/2. Honestly, a bit intimidating speaking before a graduating class. And then you sit there, on the stage, with your fellow presenters, while all the students come up to get their diplomas. And every now and again, one would come over and shake our hands as well. I haven’t shaken that many hands in a long time!

Anyway, if you’re interested in what I had to say, there’s a video below.  Continue reading “Commencement 2017” →

Why I teach.

graduation-bannerYesterday, in an offhand conversation, I was asked whether someone should pursue teaching in Lithuania. My immediate response was “not if they want to make a living.” Here, the powers that be are trying to “fix” the education system with all sorts of radical ideas, including combining all of the many and varied universities into three umbrella institutions among others. And yes, there are issues which should be addressed. One of the areas is pay for the faculty. It hasn’t gone up since 2001. In fact, over all, the baristas at the local coffee houses make more money than your average university lecturer. Continue reading “Why I teach.” →

Weigh in

So a few month ago, I made a post about my own accountability. I was trying to lose weight and get rid of the belly and all that. And I’m still working on it, but I recently hit a milestone for me and I wanted to make an update to keep up with said accountability.

So, as of the end of May, about 4 months or so after I started this thing, I’m down a bit. Continue reading “Weigh in” →

Cinema’s greatest scene: ‘Casablanca’ and ‘La Marseillaise’

Casablanca is widely remembered as one of the greatest films of all time, coming in at #2 on the AFI’s top 100 list and similarly regarded by many other critics. You can quibble with its exact rank, but it’s at least undeniable how iconic Casablanca remains. Even now, more than 70 years after its 1942 release, few movies have ever produced as many enduring quotes. Continue reading “Cinema’s greatest scene: ‘Casablanca’ and ‘La Marseillaise’” →