Later today I’m going to a Chris Brown concert for the first time. Just speaking musically for a moment, I think Chris Brown is fine. I don’t like or dislike his music; he has a couple of singles that I enjoy, but for the most part I listen to songs where he’s a feature, not…
I was in Puerto Rico last year when I met the living legend Rita Moreno. I had just started a new job as an arts reviewer, and I told her my philosophy behind reviewing things. “I try to always be positive, because I know how hard it is to create something and how easy it…
I like to complain because it’s fun. There’s nothing quite like whipping myself into a righteous fury and listing all the reasons why something is terrible. I did that a few weeks ago, when I went on a voice rant in my friends and I’s group chat about how Bardock has been changed for the…
Gabriel Jamil Ragland turns 16 years old today. I can’t believe that this child is almost a man. Somehow I’ve managed to keep him alive long enough to where he’s almost ready to do it for himself. I’m so proud of my son, and he hasn’t even done anything. But he doesn’t have to do…
For the first maybe ever, I was able to fully relax. I mean fully relax- no lingering concerns, no anxiety about upcoming events, nothing. It was just me and my completely empty thoughts, experiencing existence without judgment or presumption. It only lasted for about ten minutes. It wasn’t long before a thought entered my head….
Let’s get this out of the way at the top: I think Breath of the Wild is a good game; maybe even a great game depending on what day you ask me. But I don’t think it’s a good Zelda game. At times, BotW feels like an open-world game with a coating of Zelda slathered…
Most quotes from famous people about writing describe it as a grueling, joyless experience. I don’t like those quotes because I fear that they discourage people from trying to write themselves. I also find them somewhat annoying- if writing is so awful, why are these people doing it? There is one that does speak to…
Happy New Year! 2022 was a mixed bag, but I suppose that all years are. I’m still processing what I want to say about all of this, but for now, a quick resolutions post. In 2023, I resolve to: 1) Be a better support to all of my friends, family and loved ones, and 2)…
The first time Gabriel cursed, he was four years old. I was at the park with him. As I was sitting on the bench, he ran over to me out of breath, visibly upset. “Daddy! That little boy over there said I said ‘shit!’ I would never say ‘shit!’” The absolute hardest thing to do…
