J.B. Sommerset

"Foggy Birch" (Photo credit: J.B. Sommerset) This time, I thought I would get all profound and philosophical with my quote of the week. For the most part I am a minimalist, and don't like a lot of extraneous detail when it comes to my writing and my art. However, occasionally I go out on a limb and post something complicated and "floral". This one is from one of my many works in progress. Hope you all like it. "Let it be said that we are all children; age is an assumption, it is relative to those who have aged. There are always older, wiser and more adult things in this world, and when we are among them, we are without the insights of maturation. In those times, we are children, no matter how old we are." J.B. Sommerset Cheers!

When I was a kid I used to read every fantasy book I could get my hands on. Short stories, novels, comics, graphic novels, it didn't matter. Among those were some of the classics. I have posted a number of them over the years here on my site. But there is one author I can't seem to recall ever posting, and I really don't know why. If this is somehow a repost, I apologize. I don't think it is. This week we are going back to the The land of Narnia . I say back to, because most of you out there are very familiar with " The Chronicles of Narnia " by C.S. Lewis . If you haven't read the books, you most likely have seen one of the many film adaptations of them. My biggest disappointment was that only four of the books were ever made into movies, which is a shame because my two favorites were never even considered- " The Horse and his Boy " and " The Magician's Nephew ". I like " The Last Battle ", but it isn't my favorite. S

"Mud and Snow" (Photo Credit: J.B. Sommerset ) Sometimes it pays to have a "down to Earth quote" one that's really note sophisticated or complex, one that is simple, but makes since in ways that the common man can understand. I have a whole section in my notebooks dedicated to this kind of quote. I call it "the simple man section". Given that this is another election year, I thought this one fit the bill, enjoy.  "If you are going to be lazy and cut corners, you probably shouldn't do it while wiping your ass." J.B. Sommerset Cheers!

Okay, for some reason this didn't post like it should have 2 weeks ago, so I am going to make up for it and post it now. Moving forward these will be on schedule, I am adding them to my workflow. Anyway, moving forward. We all know how much I loves me some Mark Twain , I have posted a lot of his works, form " Tom Sawyer " to " Huck Finn ", but for some reason I have never posted this one, which is weird, it sort of falls into his well known works. So, here it is, this week I am posting " The Prince and The Pauper ", Bon, appetite! Cheers!

"The Ocean of Cotton" (Photo Credit J.B. Sommerset 2023) Here's a literary quote for all you writers out there. For a while most of the things I was writing had a fair amount of satire in them. I don't put as much satire in my work any more, it's still there, but it has been toned down quite a bit and here's why... "The problem with satire is that the people whom it is intended for rarely understand it..." J.B. Sommerset Cheers!

While straggling through the wilderness of Netflix shows the other day I came across " The Three Body Problem ". I know of story, mostly of the Chinese novel   by the same name. It's on my reading list, I just haven't gotten to it yet. My list is pretty big, so I prioritize which ones I will read first. This one was high on my list, and that hasn't changed. I suspect there is more in the book than there was in the show. Normally I don't like to watch the show before I read the book, but in this case, I didn't see any good options- There's not much on Netflix I haven't seen, at least from a critical stand point. So when I see something new, I typically like to give it a spin. A lot of my friends recommended the book, so I knew something about it. It went on the old reading list when it was first translated. I decided to watch the show which made it to my plate first.  " The Three Body Problem " is an award winning Science Fiction book by

"The Dying Light" (Photo Credit J.B. Sommerset 2023) Sometimes it helps to remember that our habits and behaviors become us. It's hard to see it happening but we can become the things we hate in such a way. "Do not practice a thing that doesn't bring joy to your heart, for you might just become good at it..." J.B. Sommerset Cheers! 

"Golden Tipped" (Photo Credit: J.B. Sommerset 2024) This one is an oldie but goodie. It's a healthy reminder that happiness doesn't come from some outside thing, it is not to be purchased and it cannot be owned- only experienced. Lastly, that it is in fact a personal responsibility. "One of the secrets to happiness is not in the getting somewhere, or completeing something, it's in the being somewhere and doing something."  J.B. Sommerset (The Last of those who Walk) Cheers!

"The Glow at the end of the World" (Photo Credit J.B. Sommerset 2024) Sometimes people are so reoccupied with doing something that they do not take the time to ask themselves if they should do something. Like playing in "gods toolbox", it's a bad idea. But people just keep doing it, and usually for all the wrong reasons. The quote this week kind of reflects that.  "Did we ever stop to consider that maybe the stars were put so high in the heavens so that man could not reach them..." J.B. Sommerset Cheers!

I was skeptical when I saw the trailer for " The Creator ", it seemed like it had been done a number of times before- from " Terminator " to " A.I. " In other words, I didn't think it could be original or even come across as authentic. I was wrong, and I will give this film more credit than most of the critics did. I think it deserves that, because it's hard to come up with anything that even has original paint. This movie has a crap ton happening, and while it's true that there are so many call outs and themes that appear to be stollen from other movies, I assure you this story is very much an original work. And those call outs are more tributes than anything else. The plot is one that I have addressed here many times and struggle with, especially right now. Artificial intelligence is something I am VERY cautious of. For the most part A.I. has been vilified in movies and stories, it's usually the big-bad-guy in most science fiction films t

"The Breach in the Sky" (Photo Credit JB Sommerset 2024 ) I dug back only a couple of years for this one. And it's oh so perfect for 2024- being that we are going into an election year here in the states. I not usually one to take sides on this matter, but this year is super important. If we have another 4 years with the "terrible tangerine" I am pretty sure all is lost and the apocalypse has begun. Well, anyway, here is the quote of the week. "The thing about treason and sedition is that it only really works out if you are the victor, not some bumbling idiot who just wants their own way." J.B. Sommerset Cheers! 

Every once in a while I like to put a title in here that I have not read and know nothing about. It keeps it fresh and I will most likely post more books that I haven't read before. This audiobook is a little outside of the bi-weekly range, but I have been busy and also "I caught a wee sniffle". I don't know anything about it and I am not really sure if it's going to be any good. But I am down to give someone a few extra likes, clicks, or subs. So here we go, this week is " A Hunt in Winter " by Conor Brady , apparently, its a thriller. We'll see about that. Enjoy! Cheers!

Rising Clouds on the Mountain- Photo credit to J.B. Sommerset (2023) Here's another great quote from my former life. One that has stuck with me for all these years. This one has a spiritual message in it's heart, a lesson I learned from long ago, in the "way back" of my child hood. I might have mentioned here in the past, sometimes I forget to check these things off as I input them. So I hope this one is fresh to all those readers out there and that it isn't a repeat, I am feeling this one today, but not for me, for a close friend.  "It seems to me, largely, that religion is a support group for those who lack faith. And like other support groups it's corruptible in ways a person doesn't see without the wisdom of spirituality." J.B. Sommerset Cheers! 

(Image credit: JBSommerset Copy write 2024) I was surprised when I first heard about this movie and how good it was. I am a big Godzilla fan, I love watching that monster tear a city down while he battles some ridiculous creature with super weird powers. However, lets face it, no one watches Godzilla movies for the plots and character development. Same with other Kaiju   films such as " Pacific Rim ", and " Cloverfield ". We watch them to see giant freak'n monsters have at one another while destroying everything in their path. Which is why I was surprised to see a lot of people saying that " Godzilla Minus One " was no ordinary Godzilla flick. That is was in fact a masterpiece. I did some research and found out that not only was this movie critically acclaimed, it has a 98% on rotten tomatoes, it's been nominated for several awards, and it's budget was only 15 million dollars. The budget is pretty standard for Godzilla movies. But the rest, ju

Art Credit: JB Sommerset (c) (2023) Here is a little number from the time in my life when I thought I was all wise and understood everthing, still, I kind of like this one. This quote has merit. It's from one of my old journals, I revisit them often to see if I am, any wiser and not just a lot older.  "There is a sadness in the action of change and transformation that can only truly be understood when viewed through the lens of hindsight, time, and the accompanied context of history. All things change, its an immutable fact, understanding them is all we can hope for." J.B. Sommerset Cheers!

Since the invention of the digital format there has been an ongoing argument as to which is better, digital or analogue. Hardcore audiophiles will always argue that old vinyl will always be better than digital formats. Old school artists will always scoff at the digital facsimiles or photoshop drawings. And some writers look down on those who "first draft" on a computer, even though in this modern world most of us will have to type drafts for submission.  I am an old schooler and I see the value of first drafting with pen and paper, but thank god people don't have to read that drivel- I would be embarrassed. That being said, in a world of lazy A.I. driven art, music and writing, there is something very important to be said for original analogue.  The best contrast in this argument is Vinyl versus Digital. My wife and I recently bought some vinyl and a fairly descent record player. I instantly noticed how much better the sound was. I used to be a radio D.J. and I had forgo

Last week I went back to watch some old shows while I wait for " Godzilla Minus One " to come to streaming- Which I am really looking forward to. In the mean whiles, I decided to take a break from my murder porn (investigation ID true crime shows) as I am pretty sure the F.B.I. has me on some sort of watch-list by now.  So what else is there to watch when you have watched the good stuff and need a fix? Old shows, re-runs of course, those shows that are sitting on the back burner waiting for another shot, waiting for a second time to shine. Lonely shows hiding in the backs of our playlists, looking for some more love in their forgotten little slots where they are missing the lime-light.  I went through my list of favorites, a not too sizable amount. I looked at my usuals- Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, LOTR, Altered Carbon, Stranger Things, 1899, Vikings, and ad nauseum... I wasn't really feeling any of them. Then, there on the bottom of the play list I saw it. A sh

(Photo Credit: J.B. Sommerset (2023)- Into the October Woods) I was reading an article about physics a while back and this little gem came to me. I laughed aloud at the thought of it. I had to write it down before moving on to the next article. I amuse my self so much. I hope you find it amusing too.  "Is the glass half full, or is it half empty? Well, that all depends on the quantum superposition of the glass and its contents. It is what it is, until it is observed by a Debbie downer or a Sally Sunshine. Until then you will have to excuse me, I am thirsty and there is a glass in front of me..."  J.B. Sommerset Cheers!

Well, we made it. Here we are in 2024, I waited a couple of days to make sure it was legit. Apparently it is, we have passed through another segment of time to the next micro-epoch of the 2020's. With how weird it has gotten since 2016, its anyone's guess what's next. I mean, it's been escalating in weirdness for a while now. One of my favorite authors is Kurt Vonnegut, I have read his catalogue of strange stories and oddities, the man's entire collection of works. Some of the most interesting and down right bazaar stories. But I have to say, not even he could have prepared me for how strange the future actually is.  So, here comes 2024, strap in and open your mind, things are about to get stranger, especially because it's an election year here in the good old U-S-of-A, and that means "double-play" for the circus monkeys and spin doctors. The stories we might encounter could just break us. All you creators out there might find your self lacking next t

I moved back to the woods recently. I come from the woods, somewhere way out there, in Idaho. As a kid I spent most of my time among the trees and the wildlife. Then as I grew up I decided there was more to life than that. For some stupid reason, I moved to the village, then to the town, and then to the city. There was nothing in any of those places for me.  Now that I have aged, and I am a lot older, and a little bit wiser, I realize that it’s not about the state you are in, the place you reside. It’s about the state of mind you are in. I was never in a healthy state of mind in the city. All around me was unhealthy noise. It got old as I got old.  That being said, living in the woods comes with it's own set of challenges. It can be lonely, it can be too quiet at times, there is isolation here, and isolation is not always easy to bare. One must have the tools to deal with it. Loneliness is also a very trying experience, but it helps you to recognize the value of a visit, the import