Anythink blog
Discovering backyard bird songs
Apr 28 2017
When I hear this particular type of bird sing, I know its name. To my ears, the sound is lovely, although the word is not. Oddly, the two – sound and word – are said to be one for this specific bird: the killdeer.
If you hear a bird call and wonder about its name,...
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Earth Week: Can cli-fi novels help save us from ourselves?
Apr 15 2017
What can literature do to help solve the world's problems? This question surrounds a new genre of fiction that's been "heating up" the literary scene. Viewed by some as a subgenre of sci-fi and by others as a new genre in its own right, "cli-fi" is the term being used to describe the slate of...
Prepping for Paris: language edition
Apr 6 2017
Some people decide to go on a trip, buy their tickets, book their hotels and leave the rest to chance. I am not one of those people. For me, planning a trip is not just a necessity, it’s a pleasure. In the preparatory stages, the vistas of possibility have yet to be winnowed by time or finances or...
'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend': the weirdly wonderful show you're not watching
Mar 24 2017
The CW’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend will return this fall, after having been renewed for a third season. If this title does not ring a bell for you, you’re probably not alone...
Daily work at 'The Daily Show'
Mar 20 2017
The Daily Show (The Book) is a compelling read. It presents the workings of a unique program in a style well-suited to the subject. This book shows the show during Jon Stewart’s tenure...
The whimsical world of Hildafolk
Mar 19 2017
Some books are so good you want to share them with the world. Not every good book elicits this reaction, though. Some books we want to keep for ourselves; they’re too weird or personal for us to press into the hands of friends, family and strangers. But every once in a while – if you’re lucky – you...
Review: 'A Meal In Winter'
Mar 18 2017
This is a small book that packs a big punch. One of the most impactful books I have read this year is A Meal in Winter by ...
6 fairytale retellings
Feb 17 2017
Once upon a time, classic fairytales were told. And retold. And retold. Today, there are several different versions of the traditional stories we have come to know and love. Here are six books and movies that capture the magic and mystery of their originals....
Bringing stories to life at Short Story Reading Club
Feb 16 2017
Stories take time. Whether bingeing the newest season of your favorite TV show, listening to an audiobook or engrossed in the pages of a novel, stories are experienced in hours, days, months and occasionally years. But short stories are different. Short stories, to paraphrase...
'400 Days': Space movie or something more?
Feb 6 2017
Some of the highest grossing films in history have involved space in some capacity. However, I have never been a fan of space movies. I don't know what it is about space movies, but I've never found them enticing. Recently, I didn't have many movies rented and...
The cosmic country of Sturgill Simpson
Feb 3 2017
The highest compliment I can pay Sturgill Simpson is that I wish his songs were longer. Wistful and raucous, earthy and cosmic, Simpson’s songs create emotional spaces so transporting you...
Sherlock: The game is... over?
Jan 26 2017
In recent years, there has been a resurgence of Sherlock Holmes in pop-culture....
Talking about 'Crosstalk' by Connie Willis
Jan 12 2017
I just finished reading Crosstalk, the 2016 novel by Connie Willis, and I’m humming with pleasure, my thoughts whirring...
Cinema Cuba
Jan 4 2017
Cuba is a country of 11 million people that is roughly the size of Pennsylvania. For being less than 100 miles off of our coast, it’s surprising how little most know about this country and its people. A great way to bridge culture gaps and create greater understanding is through actively watching...
The 2017 reading challenge
Jan 3 2017
2016 has been a page-turner of a year – literally.
This year I have turned the pages of more than 80 books from cover to cover. Many of them books I never would’ve read had it not been for Book Riot’s 2016 Read Harder...
A history of Hedwig
Dec 29 2016
Barely off to the races with its national tour, Hedwig and the Angry Inch recently finished up a week-long run at Denver’s Buell Theatre. Euan Morton stepped beautifully into the tall shoes of the title character (no small feat, as the 2014...
A different kind of 'Christmas Carol'
Dec 15 2016
A Christmas Carol is one of the most popular, adapted, parodied, quoted, analyzed and just plain beloved books of all time. It’s a story everyone knows – or thinks they know – with a main...
'Chicken People': Resources for backyard farmers
Dec 13 2016
Has the thought of backyard chickens crossed your mind? Backyard flocks have become one of the most popular new hobbies for individuals and families looking for a more sustainable lifestyle. I have had the pleasure of learning how to raise my own backyard flock over the past four months. I have...
The art of adaptation: from 'Story of Your Life' to 'Arrival'
Dec 1 2016
Hollywood has always been in the adaptation business. It used to be that producers plundered Broadway and the works of classic literature for material. Nowadays the emphasis has shifted to comic books and video games, but in the end little has changed; just try to think of the last movie you saw...
You can code: Get started with these resources
Nov 28 2016
Coding. Computer science. Javascript. HTML. Sound like a foreign language? Don’t worry – Hour of Code™ is here to help. Hour of Code™ is a world-wide celebration of all things computer science with a strong emphasis on coding, the language of computers. The...