J.B. Sommerset

There are very few Adam Sandler movies I actually like. For the most part it's the same movie over and over again. It's okay sometimes. But I have to be in the mood to waste a couple of hours watching one of his movies. I guess you might say I have a love hate relationship with him and his work. Most of it, is very "Meh". There's only one Adam Sandler movie I will watch over and over again- outside of " Eight Crazy Nights ", which my family insists is a "Christmas movie". That movie would be, you probably guessed this one, " Happy Gilmore ". And it's really not even a good movie, it's just super nostalgic. There are some other movies he's in that are good, but they don't have a replay value- case in point " Reign Over Me ", " Punch Drunk Love ", and " Uncut Gems " among others. They're good movies, but they just aren't worth watching multiple times, especially Uncut Gems.  So when ...

Before I get started, let me express that I have not seen all of Nicholas Cages movies so I can't say for sure if this is the strangest one, but damn, it's up there. Lets get started. Okay, I admit it, Nicholas Cage is one of my guilty pleasures. For the most part, I don't think his movies are good, in fact his acting is, well, something... The thing is his movies are fun. Very fun, even the ones that get " meme " status. He has a habit of not taking much seriously. In truth, he actually can act, well sometimes. I think he just operates a little differently than most of us. When he's on, he's on, and when he's not, he's still on- success even with his failures.  This last weekend I stumbled across a movie I didn't expect out of Nicholas Cage. It's a weird little film, like super weird, and quite possibly it makes it into the top 10 most awkward movies I think I have ever seen. That's right, squirm in your seat awkward, get up and pret...

(Photo Credit: J.B. Sommerset (2023)- Into the October Woods) I was reading an article about physics a while back and this little gem came to me. I laughed aloud at the thought of it. I had to write it down before moving on to the next article. I amuse my self so much. I hope you find it amusing too.  "Is the glass half full, or is it half empty? Well, that all depends on the quantum superposition of the glass and its contents. It is what it is, until it is observed by a Debbie downer or a Sally Sunshine. Until then you will have to excuse me, I am thirsty and there is a glass in front of me..."  J.B. Sommerset Cheers!

Well, we made it. Here we are in 2024, I waited a couple of days to make sure it was legit. Apparently it is, we have passed through another segment of time to the next micro-epoch of the 2020's. With how weird it has gotten since 2016, its anyone's guess what's next. I mean, it's been escalating in weirdness for a while now. One of my favorite authors is Kurt Vonnegut, I have read his catalogue of strange stories and oddities, the man's entire collection of works. Some of the most interesting and down right bazaar stories. But I have to say, not even he could have prepared me for how strange the future actually is.  So, here comes 2024, strap in and open your mind, things are about to get stranger, especially because it's an election year here in the good old U-S-of-A, and that means "double-play" for the circus monkeys and spin doctors. The stories we might encounter could just break us. All you creators out there might find your self lacking next t...

God knows we could all use some change from last year. So here it is, the changing of the guard. Here comes 2024, I hope you are all wearing your plot armor.  Cheers!

I think I posted this one a while ago. A long while ago. But being that we just that "Halloween", I thought about posting it, but wasn't sure that I should. I try not to be stale here on the site and avoid repeating myself. So I wasn't going to repost. Then I watched " Renfield " just before Halloween, and decided I had to repost the original story by " Bram Stoker ". That's right, the bi-weekly audiobook this week is " Dracula " by Bram Stoker (Incidentally if you haven't seen "Renfield", it's fun entertainment, it's good for a laugh or two, a great Saturday night movie).  Cheers!

I must admit, I hate words like "influencer" and "content creator", especially with regard to the interwebs . The interwebs has changed so much in the arts, least of all is the dignity of true artists. It takes away from the actual title and what it means to be an author, artist, or musician. As an example, when you are a writer, it's pretty clear what you do- you write. When you are an artist, it's also pretty clear what you do- you create art. A musician creates music and a sculpture makes... well you get the idea.  Ad nauseam!   I do not associate " influencer " or "content creator" with   any specific talent or creative outlet, other than marketing themselves as such and convincing people to believe that's what they are. That being said, I also acknowledge that whether I want it to change or not, the arts are changing; a rebranding if you will. And as much as I hate the terms used, that is the future for a while.  I read a lot of ...

This week I am digging back into one of my favorite authors. A surly man from another century who writes like my grandfather chasing whipper-snappers off his lawn. The master of irony, satire, and pointed whit and criticism. That's right, the one, the only, Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens to those more cultivated). This time, however, it's going to be some of his lesser read, but no lesser valued works- Life on the Mississippi. These ones a long one, and it's two parts, both are posted below. I hope you all enjoy them! Cheers!

Every once in a while I get all nostalgic, nostalgic like a drunk historian under hypnosis. I start reminiscing about my life and how things have gone, thinking about the things that would be different had I made some different choices. Inevitably this leads me down the rabbit hole of old stories and movies.  I was in one such mood last night, a driftless melancholy, a stillness if you will. Usually, when I am in such moods I tell stories that start off with "back in my day", but last night there was no one to spin a yarn for. It was just me and my lonesome, so I did the next best thing- turned on the TV and found a movie that meant something to me. In this case, that movie was a classic from "back in the day", that day was a day in 1985.  You guessed it...  Back to the future .  I watched it, I loved it, then I went to bed missing the old days. But it got me thinking, why was Back to the Future such a good movie? What made it stand out in the eighties, and why does...

So I did another art.  This one stares into your soul, and not in a good way. It turned out better than I thought but also a lot worse than I thought. Recently I have been demonizing politicians, and a while ago, I posted several of the ones I have already done. Then I tried coloring them with " Krita ," one of my favorite art programs. I liked the results, and it was easier than I thought it would be. If you are in the market for a free art program (available on Mac OS, Win, and Linux), I highly recommend downloading and getting to know it... biblically- if you know what I mean.   Check it out... Cheers, and keep on creating.

I do a lot of art outside of the kind from my stories and books. I don't often post them because of the nature of what they are- a view into what some may mistake for my political persuasion.  A lot of them are political, religious, or socially commentative. I keep them to myself because nothing brings out the pitchforks and the torches like politics and religion. And although they are images I might have drawn, they do not necessarily reflect the full context of my beliefs. The problem is keeping them to myself detracts from my authenticity, and I firmly believe that a person should always be authentic, regardless of who's at the draw bridge trying to burn the castle down. In all probability, authenticity is the reason someone will want to burn the castle down.  Despite all that, these are actually a commentary on my feelings about radicalization, they could, and some of them do have blue ties on. I just don't have web images of those, so I posted the ones I do have in ...

Instead of an audiobook this time around, and because it is Halloween, I decided to post a different kind of story. Sometimes I like to go back to my roots for a different kind of storytelling. If I am in the mood for something a little spooky, and because it's that time of year, I like to revisit some  creepypasta  stories from my late-night internet binges. The ones hustled to me straight from some shady and abysmal corner of the "dark web." Some of you might not know what a creepypasta is. Short and straightforward, a creepypasta is an internet story based on a legend. They are told around late-night digital fires, like those on Reddit , Tumbler , or 4Chan . They are retold until someone decides to commit them to internet lore. Most, if not all, have an element of horror to them. Despite their reputation for being "lower" quality, and literary dreg, some are very well written and well put together. Some... not so much.  These days I stay away from the chart r...

John Cleese is one of my all-time favorites when it comes to comedy, satire, and writing. I love most of what he does, from his work with Monty Python to his stage roles. His commentary has shaped the world of comedy for the better part of half a century. Today's video talks about creativity- which he is something of an expert on. However, the title of this one is a little misleading, it's not about a war on "wokeism" it does talk a little bit about the subject, but it is more about the creative process and how it can be stifled or hindered. For any aspiring author, writer, or musician, it's well worth a peep. Hope you all enjoy it! Cheers!