Personal messages: 2017

My son and his pals just released a "mixtape" of some of the tunes their indie record label released last year. Have a listen:

https://gradeschoolrecords.bandcamp.com/album/report-card-2016-a-mixtape

* Sniff *

Quietly, with no fanfare or expectation of reward, this week I added my 2000th book to my LibraryThing shelves.

I know other folks on this site have libraries that dwarf mine--but squeezing over 2000 books into our l'il, old house ain't bad.

I have trouble enough hiding about 500 where my wife won't see them, never mind 2000

...actually the total is probably closer to 3500--2000 a just the ones on LT.

Indications are that best beloved may be allergic to my 3,500+ books. This may lead to a household crisis.

An allergy to book dust? One of my nightmares. I know some people who find used bookstores unbearable--old books, hint of mould, the sweaty armpits of the misanthropic, glowering proprietor...

Just posted the best non-fic article I've composed in awhile--quite pleased with this one:

https://cliffjburns.wordpress.com/2017/01/28/the-best-trump-related-article-youl...

I've recorded hours of ambient, spacey music, posting some of it on my blog or on BandCamp.

Today I posted something a bit different for me: a song, of sorts, a spoken word piece intended as a tribute to my Canuck compatriot, Leonard Cohen.

I like the number but, my God, what I wouldn't give for a voice like Cohen's, the timbre, the depth...

https://cliffjburns.wordpress.com/2017/02/19/with-a-nod-to-mr-cohen-new-mp3-reco...

"The Mindful Word" just posted an essay I wrote, offering advice to aspiring writers:

https://www.themindfulword.org/2017/cautionary-advice-aspiring-writers

Today, my blog is ten years old:

https://cliffjburns.wordpress.com/2017/03/18/happy-10th-anniversary

>9 CliffBurns: and >10 CliffBurns:
Congrats on both. My blog went moribund many years ago... takes effort. I've enjoyed yours on and off for a few years now though mostly I just read your missives on L T.

It's been intriguing watching as the blog has morphed over the years...it has become more outward-looking and political. Still cranky and curmudgeonly but not (I hope) as self-absorbed and ornery as that first year or two in particular.

It's become an invaluable venue for me, the reason why I so rarely submit my critical or non-fiction work elsewhere.

Dunno what I'd do without it.

Just posted my essay on a guy who helped create TV's "The Twilight Zone". Charles Beaumont was a remarkable writer and his life, short as it was, was almost stranger than fiction:

https://cliffjburns.wordpress.com/2017/04/03/charles-beaumont-co-creator-of-the-...

Our local newspaper published my letter criticizing a recent Tory budget that, like most Tory budgets, favoured the well-off and ignored the vulnerable:

http://www.newsoptimist.ca/opinion/letters/premier-wall-s-house-is-burning-1.141...

My letter has, to some extent, "gone viral", with thousands of people viewing and sharing it.

I'll be announcing my candidacy for office in the coming days.

I'm running a campaign to the left of Bernie Sanders and Jeremy Corbyn.

A simple, succinct message:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=%22eat+the+rich%22+t-shirt&client=safari&...

My son Sam's latest short film project:

https://vimeo.com/212866301

>15 CliffBurns: heh. Good one.

Our son Sam filmed and edited a music video on inter-personal violence, utilizing some local elementary school students and locations. Lovely work, you can view it here:

https://vimeo.com/218112615

My wife's birthday today. She's away until late tonight, so I can get away with embarrassing her:

https://cliffjburns.wordpress.com/2017/06/01/celebrating-you

>19 CliffBurns: Aaah. She sounds like a lovely lady and I think you are both very lucky to have found each other.

Of course, she'll KILL me when she gets back...

>21 CliffBurns: Yes, and you'll deserve it, but other than that. . . .

Oh, what the heck, I haven't vented for awhile:

https://cliffjburns.wordpress.com/2017/07/16/the-state-of-the-union-2017

Three and a half inches of rain in the past 24 hours. Thank God we installed that weeping tile last year...

I remember coloring in those stupid "precipitation maps" when I was in grade 5 or 6. I recall very clearly that the province of Saskatchewan averages 10 inches of rain ANNUALLY.

So this recent deluge was quite something.

Good to know you're with us for a long time to come, Robert.

And thank you, speaking personally, for the plug on prostate awareness. My wife had a bout with cancer last year and, yes, we've reached the age where more watchfulness re: health is required.

Been there, had something similar. Fortunately my symptoms turned up nothing worse than a kidney stone.

I am fast approaching the age where family gatherings consist of nothing but ache-and-pain comparisons.

My upcoming book projects:

https://cliffjburns.wordpress.com/2017/08/14/august-2017-update-coming-attractio...

(Believe or not, people have been asking.)

Sherron just bought me my birthday present, two tickets to see F.W. Murnau's "Faust", with live musicians accompanying this silent classic:

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/faust-with-mahogany-frog-tickets-36840504942

Thanks, dear!

My son Sam's latest project is a stsssstrange "webcast":

https://www.facebook.com/redroomsshortfilm/?ref=notif&notif_t=fbpage_fan_inv...

It's disturbing and provocative because it's all about the complicity of the viewer, our irresistible urge to click on graphic scenes, our conscience screaming...

Sam's concept has been put on "Story Hive", where viewers can vote for projects they think show merit.

You can find it here:

https://www.storyhive.com/project/show/id/2846

My take on how the Left can reinvigorate itself...and save the world:

https://cliffjburns.wordpress.com/2017/10/03/re-inventing-the-left

A blog post on Neil Gaiman, Stephen Fry, Chris Tarrant, Hay-on-Wye and steam trains:

http://robertday154.wordpress.com/2017/10/10/hay-in-may/

Sounds like a fun event. Robert. Great post.

A blog post on waterworks (of the human male variety):

http://robertday154.wordpress.com/2017/10/16/mr-prostate/

Check out our Hallowe'en costumes this year:

https://cliffjburns.wordpress.com/2017/10/31/happy-halloween-trekkies

>37 CliffBurns: LLAP and Happy Halloween.

Cheers!

Posted some of my new ambient music, for those of you into that sort of thing:

https://cliffburns.bandcamp.com/album/pensees

My picks for my favorite reads of 2017:

https://cliffjburns.wordpress.com/2018/01/04/ringing-in-the-new-year

...and you'll find my favorite films here:

https://cinemaarete.wordpress.com/2018/01/04/best-movies-of-2017

And here are mine...

Books: https://iansales.com/2017/12/18/2017-the-best-of-the-year-books/

Films: https://iansales.com/2017/12/19/2017-the-best-of-the-year-films/

>42 iansales: Some good films there - although I've not seen the Saulnier, Wheatley or Clouzot - but I wasn't that taken with 45 Years. I'm surprised the Jia only got an honourable mention, I love his films.

The Saulnier and Wheatley flicks were re-viewings--"Blue Ruin" is a fascinating look at the price of revenge and "Kill List" went UP in my estimation after seeing it again.

Nothing came close to "I, Daniel Blake" this year, just as "High Rise" blew everything out of the water the year before.

Still recovering from an EVIL flu bug--a solid week of being flat on my back, insensible (well, more insensible than usual).

I'll be taking a leave-of-absence from LibraryThing and other social media as I finish my new collection of poetry and get set up for a new novel this summer (with a short story collection 90% in the can).

Hope everyone has a great spring and summer.

KEEP READING.

Keep writing Cliff!