Why a Blog? (or as Groucho once asked: Viaduct?)

First of all, this wasn’t my idea. You can thank (or blame) the Rebel Knitter who encouraged all of this by convincing me that I would enjoy the process. We’ll see.

Although, for the past thirty years, I’ve made my living as a writer/broadcaster and film critic, I began entertaining the notion of posting blogs after I started to disappear from the various venues where I used to ply my trade. Through posting, I figured that I could continue to write despite the unfortunate circumstances (and certain dubious individuals).

O.K. Here’s the deal. What I plan to do each week is continue to review movies (beginning tomorrow with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) on each Wednesday. I’ve decided to forgo doing the customary opening day review. Although Fridays have been – and continue to be – the rule, I thought by Wednesday many people might have already seen the picture. This allows for a quicker response to my blog.

On Tuesdays, I plan to do DVD reviews on new releases. Since I don’t have the luxury of getting free copies, I’ll concentrate on those films I saw during their theatrical run. The rest of the time I hope to cover a number of cultural and political topics that arouse interest. But be forewarned. I don’t come with any ideological bent. Nor do I want to turn the blog site into a Bill O’Reilly slug-fest. Instead of answering each of your responses individually, I’ll likely gather up the interesting ones and respond on one post. (Hey! I’d like to get outdoors this summer, too.)

Since I’m new at this, I have no idea yet about using visual aids to provide colour to the blogs, but I’m sure the Rebel Knitter will have some ideas. Some days, I may just draw your attention to the work of other scribes, or items that I think make for a compelling read. Throughout my career, as I ran into numerous roadblocks, I developed a termite approach to the trade. When I discovered knots in the wood, I simply moved elsewhere to places more accepting and interested in the kinds of things I do. With that in mind, I hope to find an agreeable following here.