Grumpy review: Kindles
I've used my Kindle Oasis for several years and thought I'd share my impressions with you. Let's start with the negatives. Cons Goodreads. Amazon embeds Goodreads in the Kindle. You cannot turn it off, even…
Category: Grumpy review
What’s wrong with Rembrandt oils
When I was starting, my budget restricted my paint choices to the cheapest brands. When I had some extra money (haha), I'd treat myself to a tube of Rembrandt paint. Rembrandt was decidedly low-end among…
Grumpy review: Perdido Street Station
I'll cut to the chase: Perdido Street Station by China Mieville is one of the worst books I've ever actually finished. Perdido Street Station is a fantasy novel that also straddles the sci-fi and steampunk…
Review: Killing Commendatore
I became familiar with the Japanese author Haruki Murakami during my current fiction-gorging phase. How could I have been unfamiliar with such a gifted author? It's not an excuse but I go through long periods…
Review: Master’s Touch
Hobby Lobby, for those like me who hadn't shopped there before, is a craft supermarket that also does a brisk business in frames and framing. They carry art supplies too--stretchers, acrylics, brushes, and oil paints.…
Review: Of Human Bondage
I've had this experience a lot lately. Maybe you have too. You reread a book that you once admired only to discover that it doesn't resemble in the least what you remember about it. When…
My easel is not worthless
I wrote glowingly about the Utrecht easel that I purchased. I said that it was a great bargain--an under-$300 medium-duty easel. But soon a support broke and the mechanism to lower and raise the tray…
Geneva Oil Paint non review
Readers have asked why I don't have a review of Geneva brand oils in my Oil Paint reference. The short answer is that I haven't used their oils. The longer answer is a little more…