Jim Cobb
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Entry 016 Still busy, but…
I just finished my last big project for the year. I feel relieved that it is completed, but I am so tired that it is difficult to be satisfied, more of a “the weekend looks really good for once”. The creative ember is still burning, I woke up last night with a poem in my Read more
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Entry 015 Busy busy busy
Work continues to be a grind. I don’t ever recall being this busy in 20 years of teaching. I have to admit teacher burnout is a real thing. And even though it gets a lot of media attention, the demands just keep growing. I started this blog as a way of giving voice to the Read more
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Entry 014 On Time, Money, Space, and Energy
The last two weeks have been crazy busy for me. I honestly can’t remember a recent stretch where I’ve had so little free time—even time to capture my thoughts. I’ve tried to work on that over the years, because if I don’t write ideas down right away, they vanish. And of course, those are always Read more
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Entry 013 Time and energy
Finishing up with my writing philosophy is the thought of audience. When I write, I usually write for me as I am interested in how the story will turn out. This may seem counter-intuitive, but sometimes the story takes a path of its own and as I write, I see a better path than the Read more
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Entry 012 on interpretation
Continuing from my previous posts, I wanted to talk about interpretation. For communication to work, thoughts and ideas must first be transmitted—and then interpreted. I mentioned Plato’s universals earlier as a key part of this process. If I say I’m thinking of a black and white bird, does a magpie or a penguin come to Read more
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Entry 011 Inspiration
I went for a drive today out to Wivenhoe Dam via Mount Glorious and I was actually hoping for some inspiration to write some poetry. I have committed myself to write 100 quality poems by the end of 2026 for my second collection. However, nothing immediately sprang to mind. I have my photos, and I Read more
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Entry 010 A Milestone: My Tenth Post
Well, here it is—a milestone. My tenth post, appropriately landing on the first day of the month. I’m mostly satisfied with the way the website looks now, which means I can shift my focus more toward creating original content. Unfortunately, I am not one of those people who can greet the dawn with a song Read more
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Entry 009 Evolution of Sci-fi and Fantasy
The earliest examples of modern science fiction and fantasy grew naturally out of the humanist traditions of the Renaissance and Enlightenment. These were times when optimism about reason, progress, and human potential ran high, and the stories reflected that worldview. Heroes were often idealized—noble figures who were brave, courteous, and spotless, the kind who might Read more
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Entry 008 Tropes
I haven’t posted in awhile for 2 reasons. First, I noticed that by accident that I had posted every three days and I didn’t feel that was organic and I don’t want a pattern, so I decided to wait even though I had a topic in mind. Second, I had some people IRL check out Read more
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Entry 007 Suspension of disbelief
Last night as I went to bed, we ran out of gas for the water heater. So, I headed outside to switch tanks, my wife made the observation, “it always runs out late at night.” I went out the door and the physicist took over, 2 young men and 2 old people. We shower for Read more
Phoenix Quill, Cosmic Ink, Galactic Tales and Celluloid Dreams 