Author Archives: Damien Riley

About Damien Riley

I welcome your comments on my blog! I'm a blogger, teacher, and songwriter who writes movie reviews and posts on other topics on Damien at the Speed of Life. I have three kids and a lovely wife. I'm rileycentral on Twitter. I also blog on education at My teaching blog: Dynamite Lesson Plan. Please leave me your comments!

Why I Keep Calm and Blog On

I don’t write in my blog when I have no good ideas. More than that, I have no powerful inspiration. This is a shame because ideas are golden and setting them down on my blog is a catalyst. They stay … Continue reading

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Posted in Journal, Personal Growth | Leave a comment

As They Are, We Once Were: Teenagers

We should nurture and encourage our teenager population. Let’s follow Lennon’s advice: “All you need is love.” But should we accept the bad attitudes and the phone bills? Continue reading

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Posted in Culture | Leave a comment

6 Reasons to Quit Your Band and/or Music Aspirations

Most musicians try their hand at being in a band. This happens with mixed results across the land. In my case, I recently accepted after my 40′s had started and almost 3 decades of music pursuit had passed that music … Continue reading

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Posted in Journal | Tagged controversial topics, culture, Music Updates, philosophy, self improvement | Leave a comment

My Often Failed Art of Making Friends on Social Media

Perhaps cloning could create this scenario? Or maybe not. Whether found or cloned, this would be an amazing experience. It seems like it shouldn’t be so hard to find connections on social media. Continue reading

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Posted in Culture | Tagged cyberculture, hot topics, pop culture, relationships | Leave a comment

Some Thoughts on Modern Connections, Ebert’s Passing, and Social Media

The internet can make a regular Joe a hero or a hero like Ebert a regular Joe. Whether you seek to profit from your “brand” online or just let people know what you are doing, Ebert’s passing reminds us we get about 70 years and no more. Continue reading

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Posted in Culture, Journal, Motivation, Personal Growth, Psychology, Technology | Leave a comment

Vegas Day 3 – Welcome to Their Machine

The best place a guy could hope to be is “in the game.” In other words: working, consuming, producing, etc. I feel like I am in the game at this stage of my life. There’ve been a couple times I’ve … Continue reading

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Night 2 in Vegas Epic Burger & Show

Since I blogged last, we got on a tram and went to Planet Hollywood to walk around. We ate at Cheeseburger Las Vegas which totally lived up to the promotion. My burger was ethereal. After that, we walked around looking … Continue reading

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Vacation Plus Data Makes One Teacher Better

It got a little windy but good times were had by all. The family pool has several artificial waterfalls and is heated to about 80. There is a small jacuzzi and then a heated pool in the shape of an … Continue reading

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Easter 2013 Day 2 in Vegas

Easter has always been a time to welcome Spring. Best of all, that means it’s not so cold in the morning. We spent the night at the Rio last night. I’m feeling full of life this Easter. Watch this space … Continue reading

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Bad Economy and High Hopes

What if we had less fear of the bad economy? What if we lived in the moment and hoped for more … and what if that happened? What if none of our fears ever materialized? Obviously for some, fears have … Continue reading

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Posted in Inspiration | Leave a comment