Hi everyone, Welcome back, and a happy Halloween to you all! BDH and Little Buddha are excited to dress up (as Simon & Garfunkel) and hand out candy again this year. I explained to them that it's supposed to be a little chilly tonight, so we may not have that many visitors...which would mean we'd be stuck with a lot of left over candy. Yeah, I can see why they're looking forward to it. I will have to limit their consumption, though. Once BDH gets going on a sugar rush, I end up chasing him around all night until he... Read more →

Are you a DC Comics or Marvel Comics fan? It's like asking someone if they like Coke or Pepsi, the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees. Your response is an immediate declaration of your priorities, and it draws a clear line between you and "them." Whatever your answer, you'll enjoy Reed Tucker's new book, Slugfest: Inside the Epic 50-year Battle Between Marvel and DC. (out now) Reed, a freelance journalist and author, dives into the history of the competition between these two comic book titans. DC Comics got off to an early lead with the creation of the "holy... Read more →

Hi everyone, Welcome back! How are you? Holy hell, what a night. I woke up at about 2:00 a.m. to the sounds of rattling windows, pouring rain, and a howling wind. I can't remember the last time we had a storm like that around here. We also lost power, which brings its own set of issues. I think it was 4:00 before I was convinced the roof wasn't coming off, or at least was too tired to worry about it and went back to sleep. A few hours later, I heard another variety of sounds, but thankfully, that was the... Read more →

Hi everyone, Welcome back! Come on in, have a seat. How's your weekend going so far? Yesterday was fairly productive on this end. Raked some leaves and cut the garden back a little bit more. There's still one corner I haven't touched yet. I can't bring myself to do it, because the plants also still seem to be doing pretty well right now. Gonna enjoy that for as long as I can. In the meantime, we've got headlines to sort through. The coffee is ready, so help yourself to a nice medium DD, and let's clear out some Sunday Clutter.... Read more →

The remaining Linkin Park members held a tribute concert to their late singer Chester Bennington on Friday, October 27, at the Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood, California. It was the first time the band played publicly since Bennington took his life on July 20. We haven't been through the videos of the entire set list yet, but it was clearly an emotional night for both the band and their fans. It looks like a variety of singers filled in, and band founder Mike Shinoda also handled vocals. Bennington's absence is glaring in every one of these clips, but hopefully the band... Read more →

Hi everyone, Welcome back! What's the plan for the weekend? I know we've got some more raking to take care of, because pick-up starts on Monday. Of course, it may be up to a month before they actually get to us here, but they only come by once in the fall, and we don't need 10 bags of leaves sitting in the garage all winter. Better safe than sorry, right? Other than that, there are a few errands, the Patriots game on Sunday, and.....I think that's it for now. BDH and Little Buddha have new books to read, so that... Read more →

Hi everyone, Welcome back! How are you? Is it just me, or did this week go by quickly? I don't know why that would be, but it feels like it was Monday just a minute ago around here. In any case, the rain has finally stopped, and now it looks like the temperature is going to start falling. It's like it's late October around here or something. Hmm, not sure how I feel about that. What I do know is that I'm excited to hear that the coffee is ready. BDH and Little Buddha made you all a fresh pot,... Read more →

Hi everyone, Welcome back! How are you? It looks like we've got another rainy day ahead of us. That's fine, the Clutter Tree could use it. I need to get BDH and Little Buddha new rain coats, though. Speaking of those two, they tell me that the coffee is ready. Help yourself to a nice medium DD, and let's clear out some Thursday Clutter. The Boston Red Sox will need to find a second baseman over the winter. Dustin Pedroia had cartilage restoration surgery on his left knee yesterday. Recovery time is estimated at seven months, so we're probably looking... Read more →

Hi everyone, Welcome back! Come on in, have a seat. How are you? Guess I don't need to worry about watering the garden this week. That rain is legit. Didn't care much for the wind that came with it, but that seems to have died down. The coffee is ready, so help yourself to a nice medium DD, and let's clear out some Wednesday Clutter. Oh, by the way, Christmas is two months from today. Senator Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) gave it to Donald Trump with both barrels yesterday as he announced that he will not seek re-election to the Senate... Read more →

What's so great about being happy, anyway? Anyone who has ever asked that question will enjoy Matthew Inman's new book, How to Be Perfectly Unhappy, which comes out on October 31. (Click on the link to pre-order the book.) Inman is loved by many as the creator of the popular site, The Oatmeal. He might be known for sarcastic comics involving cats and dogs, but he uses his unique humor and insight to address the personal question buried underneath this unusual title. What Inman lays out is a thoughtful, funny, and crisp argument that being "happy" is too superficial a... Read more →