Author: Alex Diaz-Granados
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Memoria Mater & Other Bits of My Mind II
With Mother’s Day – my fifth since my mom’s death in 2015 – getting farther and farther away in the rearview mirror of life, I still find myself with no shortage of things to write about her. A remarkable woman, Mom was, and she led an interesting, even adventurous life. Born and raised in the…
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Memoria Mater: Mother’s Day 2020 (and Other Pieces of My Mind)
Yesterday was Mother’s Day, the fifth occurrence of the celebration honoring mothers, motherhood, and the bonds between mothers and their children since my mom, Beatriz Diaz-Granados, died, Needless to say, it was a difficult day for me; I was close to my mother, who passed away on July 19, 2015 at the age of 86…
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Life in the Time of COVID-19: Stupidity and Craven Disregard for Public Health …Two Things That Irk Me
Today the U.S. reached another unhappy milestone in the novel coronavirus pandemic: as of 4:30 this afternoon, 78,469 Americans – young, middle-aged, and elderly; rich, poor, famous and not famous – have died from COVID-19 in a four-month period. By way of comparison, the bloodiest post-World War II conflict in U.S. history resulted in 58,220…
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Movie Review: ‘Eye of the Needle’
Eye of the Needle (1981) Directed by: Richard Marquand Written by: Stanley Mann, based on the novel by Ken Follett Starring: Donald Sutherland, Kate Nelligan, Christopher Cazenove, Philip Martin Brown, Rupert Frazer, Barbara Ewing, Faith Brook, Ian Bannen On July 24, 1981, MGM-United Artists released Eye of the Needle, a suspense/romantic thriller set in Great…
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Bits and Pieces of My Mind, or Random Thoughts
Well, it’s Thursday, May 7, 2020, the 75th anniversary of Germany’s signing of the unconditional surrender documents at Allied headquarters in Reims, France, which ended the European phase of World War II. Actually, the May 7 signing at Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower’s headquarters was the first surrender ceremony; Soviet dictator Josef Stalin protested that the…
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Book Review: ‘William Shakespeare’s The Clone Army Attacketh: Star Wars Part the Second’
On July 7, 2015, Philadelphia-based Quirk Books published Ian Doescher’s William Shakespeare’s The Clone Army Attacketh: Star Wars Part the Second, the fifth book in a series of nine in which the author reimagines the Skywalker Saga as plays written by the greatest dramatist in English literature – William Shakespeare. Doescher, who was born in…
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Book Review: ‘William Shakespeare’s The Phantom of Menace: Star Wars Part the First’
Prologue. Outer space. Enter CHORUS. CHORUS Alack! What dreadful turmoil hath beset The strong Republic and its bonds of peace. O’er distant trade routes all do sigh and fret As fears of grim taxation do increase. The greedy, vile Trade Federation hath Created a blockade none may pass through. With deadly battleships they block the…
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Coming Soon to ‘A Certain Point of View, Too’ & Sunday Thoughts
Hi, there, Dear Reader. I hope this post finds you safe, healthy, and reasonably sane after almost two months of social distancing and stay-at-home orders issued by the authorities in your home state or country. It’s Sunday, May 3 where I am, and in my part of Florida, it’s almost 2 PM as I start…
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Music Album Review: ‘John Denver: Definitive All-Time Greatest Hits’
John Denver: Definitive All-Time Greatest Hits is a two-CD compilation of the best songs written or performed by the late singer/songwriter/activist John Denver (1943-1997). Produced by Rob Santos and put together by Gary Pacheco for BMG Heritage and Denver’s original label RCA, this 24-track collection was dropped on October 4, 2004 – the 35th anniversary…
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Book Box Set Review: ‘William Shakespeare’s Star Wars Trilogy: The Royal Imperial Boxed Set’
On October 28, 2014, Philadelphia-based Quirk Books (home of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) released William Shakespeare’s Star Wars Trilogy: The Royal Imperial Boxed Set, a collection of author Ian Doescher’s best-selling mashup of the works of George Lucas and William Shakespeare. Comprised of Doescher’s Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope, The Empire…
A Certain Point of View, Too 