Left to my own devices

Recently I came across an article that served as both an interview of late British actor John Inman, and a promotion of his then-new TV show Odd Man Out . Produced during a hiatus of Inman's hugely popular BBC program Are You Being Served? , this was a series that provided his first starring sitcom role, albeit it on the ITV network. Alas, it flopped, and was canceled after only seven episodes. What is of note from the aforementioned article is how much it seems to focus on Inman's private life. It mentions the mews house he purchased in Little Venice (what he described as the first home he'd ever owned), and how he was still a "bachelor" at age 41. Inman died aged 71 in 2007. The article was from 1977. At the time of his death, the actor had been with his same-sex partner, Ron Lynch, for 35 years. I'll let you do the math. Of course, hiding one's homosexuality is nothing new. Folks such as John Inman would have had to contend with a nosy medi...

Our Pic of the Week this time is singer and pop culture fixture Nick Jonas, who turns 24 today. Enjoy.

A little over a week ago, I was in the hospital. The brief, one-day stay came about because of some stomach pains that wouldn't go away. I went to the ER, they ran some lab tests and a CT scan, and discovered diverticulitis . Some IV antibiotics (and potassium) while at the hospital, followed by oral antibiotics and pain meds have seen an improvement, though I am still not 100%. Overall, I've appreciated the situation, which may sound odd. It is by no means a new, startling sentiment to note that our down times help us appreciate when things are good. Hills and valleys and all that. This episode of diverticulitis (my first and, hopefully, last) has been such an experience. As I lay on the utilitarian bed, under the harsh, sterile glow of the ER lights, a multitude of thoughts went through my mind: Is it cancer? Is this the beginning of the end? Have I done all I want to in this life?

Many of you know how much I like movies. They fill such an important space in my life. Of course, having seen over a thousand of them throughout the years, there were bound to be some that left me scratching my head. Of course, because I couldn't always follow a movie's plot doesn't necessarily mean it was a bad film. Sometimes, strange is good. With that, following are my Top 10 Stranges Movies of All-Time....