In light of the current brouhaha over NFL players “taking a knee” instead of standing during the National Anthem, I felt that it was time that I threw my metaphorical helmet on the field and offered my unsolicited opinion. As far as I can tell, the whole thing started with former San Francisco 49er’s Quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who, in the wake of several high profile incidents of unarmed black men being killed by police officers, decided to sit out the… Read more »

    Over the past several months, I have been honing my basic skills in both Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop; branching out from tutorials and creating my own art and designs.  While I am no expert with a camera, I am fortunate enough to have access to excellent photographs taken by my sister-in-law – Gayle Sutherland.  While practice on stock photos is useful, it is nice to have access to more personal – and exclusive! – images. The challenges of… Read more »

  It will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me that I am, in fact, “not from round here”.   Like countless millions before me, of all races, creeds and colors, I moved to the United States of America in pursuit of a better, happier life.  I moved to escape lingering shadows, holding me back with guilt and false loyalty and inhibiting every attempt to better myself.  It would be a new beginning; pressing the reset button on a life going nowhere…. Read more »

It started with a sudden lurch in the stomach.  As if someone had just sucker punched me in the gut.  I sat down – on the blissfully cool floor – my head spinning a bit, feeling light-headed.  Then the cold sweat began.  Mouth dry. Eyes struggling to focus, despite the prescription glasses, on the painfully bright screen.  For a moment, I thought that I was having one of those dreams that I get occasionally, where I am still asleep but think… Read more »

Halloween is upon us again, and to get into the spirit, I thought I would head over to my bookcase and re-read a scary story or two. As a big fan of the great Victorian Gothic novels – “Dracula” and “Frankenstein” – I thought I would delve a little into the origins of Gothic literature and explore why these books remain so popular. Principally, “Gothic” refers to a style of architecture which developed during the Middle Ages; featuring tall, pointed windows, stained glass, flying buttresses, and soaring spires.  During the late… Read more »