The Introverted Detective

 What is adulting? What does it mean to be an adult? While I do see that people are considered adults (by others) upon reaching something close to the American dream (notice, something close to it), I think adulting has a lot to do with learning how to care for yourself and be independent. Let's look at the standard of adulthood together.  Courtesy of Pinterest Just from pure observation, I can tell you the American dream never died out, at least not entirely. It is considered adulting to own a home, produce children, and get married. If the American dream is to have a white picket fence, 2.5 kids, and a dog we've hit at least 3/4 of it (given that you include a spouse in with the house, kids, and dog). Adulting has changed in a few ways, though. Houses are expensive. Some of us have paid rent to or are paying rent to our parents.  Another observation I've hit upon has to do with time. Someone I work with said that we make choices with our time and some things fall away (...

 I used to love, and still love, the noir style of Raymond Chandler. Today I'm going to tell you why I love it. This post spotlights one of my favorite detectives - Philip Marlowe - who is the topic of not only books, but radio dramas and movies.  Courtesy of avclub.com Who is Philip Marlowe? He's the main detective character that truly paid off for Raymond Chandler. He's gritty, rough around the edges, has a heart, and can't make a marriage work. He's blunt. He's smart enough to put together pieces during cases that become a tangled ball of yarn. Usually, the case is simple, complicates itself with a bunch of murders and other connected cases, and then has a twist ending. I love it. It's dramatic and fun. Radio dramas of the books are the best things to spend an evening with. They only last about an hour and a half, which makes them a good choice for a quick book.  Some of you may comment with some distaste on the femme fatale, however. I didn't say it ...

 I'm having a book signing on March 11th! Find me at the Carrollton Library from 10 am to 12 pm noon.  That's right, I'm doing a book signing for Wrenville ! I am beyond excited. I'll be selling books, signing books, and greeting the people in my hometown library.  From 10 am to 12 pm noon I'll be signing and selling books at the Carroll County District Library. The address is: 70 Second St NE Carrollton, OH 44615 The library tells me they'll provide light refreshments and I will be providing homemade, crocheted bookmarks with every book you buy. I'm selling the physical copy of the book for 15 dollars, but if you prefer the ebook (approx. 6 dollars) I will have a QR code on the table that leads you to my website, where you can immediately find the link to the Amazon page.  If you want the book now, click here. Full disclosure, I want an excuse to use up all my excess mini balls of yarn. Give me a reason to lovingly make you all bookmarks. I need your suppor...

This blog is for all those Nancy Drew fans who loved the game Ghost of Thornton Hall, which reminds me; this blog actively includes spoilers for the whole game. Please play before you read, if you intend to play the game spoiler-free.  Courtesy of Youtube.com Again, this is your last warning. Don't spoil a game for yourself if you don't have to. You can come back later.  Is everyone else ready to discuss Charlotte? Great! Let's get into it. The plot of this game is simple. A woman has gone missing while having her bachelorette party at a property haunted by Charlotte Thornton. The search for this woman is going differently than planned. Nancy is sent by a previous character (Savannah Woodham) to go check it out.  Today's post is about the ghost we repeatedly see in the game, Charlotte Thornton. She died in a fire the night of her 21st birthday ball. This takes place in the south. There are three theories as to what she is, all of which I'll explore in detail. The en...

I have film suggestions (and one play suggestion) that use the bookend technique. What is that, you ask? Think about how some films end and begin with a similar sequence or shot, like two bookends. It gives closure to the audience. Today I'll illustrate the concept using movies and one play that executes this wonderfully. Courtesy of Lionsgate I'm going to begin by listing the movies I am using for illustration purposes. Y ou will find spoilers in this post for all these films and the one play I reference. In one case, three Simon Pegg films are referenced as a set (because they are a set, technically) since they use the same bookending technique in their dialogue. The movies and play I'm using will be: Knives Out , Frankenweenie , Hot Fuzz and Shawn of the Dead and At World's End , White Christmas , Cabaret You have been warned! Watch these before you proceed, should you want to be surprised by Knives Out or Hot Fuzz , which are mysteries. Either way, they are fant...

 If I said I had a family-friendly movie to bring to a family gathering, what do you picture? While I'm sure you don't expect me to bring Game of Thrones or Fifty Shades of Grey  to the party, you definitely don't expect me to bring a 1930s short film showing black stereotypes in a blatantly offensive way. My point is this; it all depends on the year you are currently living in.  Courtesy of weareunheard.com Some films and cartoons age poorly as the culture changes. Most of us cringe at old media showing racial and gender stereotypes that no longer fit the culture we have been raised in. Fun for the whole family thirty years ago is different from what it is in 2023. Let's talk about the family-friendly rating and how it has changed.  First, we all need to know what "family-friendly" is defined as. Law Insider says this: "Family Friendly with respect to any Entertainment Property, Consumer Product or other Content, means that such Entertainment Property, ...

 I feel like social media is not being used in the way it was intended, much like every invention in the long history of inventions. Today I revisit what it was for, as well as what we shouldn't be doing with it.  Photo courtesy of dlpa.com.au It was not intended as a way to attack people, harass people, stalk people, turn a country against itself, manipulate someone, or otherwise harm people emotionally. Yet, we can see proof of all this happening in our social media. Let's think about that for a beat. Pause and reflect on what we have recently used our social media to do.  The intention was to connect with others and make it easier to communicate, all while sharing cute photos of animals and sharing about our lives. Connection with others was the original intention of social media. It has become entertainment, too, but depending on the entertainment form that isn't all bad. Hamsters, dad jokes, games, and other innocent forms of fun are not bad things. Jokes that harm o...