Bloggity-Blog-Blog-Blog

CameraPhone Zen

2009-07-14T20:50:00.000-07:00

Heading Home

2009-07-13T05:00:00.001-07:00

By now, I'm halfway home. So, if I get home early enough, perhaps I'll post something exciting about the convention. In the meantime... um... Boing Boing is always a good bet for something fun to read.

A Sunday Review

2009-07-12T05:00:00.001-07:00

Had to get these reviews written before we left on our trip, but I think I managed this week. Hope this posts Sunday morning...

Torchwood on the Radio: I listened to all three radio plays in anticipation of seeing the new episodes (Children of Earth) coming up soon. Torchwood: Asylum first aired on BBC Radio 4 on July 1st, and concerns a mysterious girl who appears through the Rift. PC Andy (yay!) calls in Gwen because of the girl's odd gear. This was a strong story, with great performances by the leads of the series, and a nice little moral to it. Torchwood: Golden Age was first aired on the 2nd, and concerns people disappearing in Delhi. The team travels to India to find out why. This was a good example of a story that may have been far too expensive to perform on screen, but worked great on radio. I didn't like it as much as the first tale, but it had its moments. Torchwood: The Dead Line aired on the 3rd. We start with a frantic call from Ianto (well, as frantic as he gets) and includes Rhys (yay!) when Gwen is forced to go solo for a bit. I've always liked the "mysterious phone call from non-existent number" storyline, so this was nicely chilling. All said, I enjoyed the stories and find that I'm really looking forward to seeing Children of Earth.

TV this week:

The Next Food Network Star: "Rachael Ray" - It's always good when they get children in as judges. No one was terribly impressive in this one. I really like Michael, but how can a guy who is that terrified of the camera become a star? Debbie looked like an old pro on Rachel Ray, but Jamika and Jeffrey... nothing there. All told, I think the judges picked the right one to go, but it's going to get tougher from here out, because everyone left is cool.
History Detectives: "St Valentine's Day Massacre; Booth Letter; Cemetary Alarm" - Pity that the research into that gun was not definitive. Makes you hope that someone finds the original shells found at the site so the gun could be authenticated. The Booth letter... wow, the anger directed at Andrew Jackson was extreme. But the investigation itself... double-wow. That was some serious research. The Cemetary Torpedo was an interesting device. The reason it was created makes me squicky.

This week's comic book related review is Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow by James Strum and Rich Tommaso. I fully expected this to be a graphic story of Satchel Paige's life, a biography. It was not. It was much more interesting. Instead of focusing on Paige, the story is about Emmet Wilson, who faces Paige's pitching in his youth but is forced out of baseball because of injury. The book follows Wilson's life as a sharecropper in the South, watching his son suffer. While Paige looms large in the story, this is definitely the story of racism and facing it. Paige was able to face it on his own terms, which is why he was a hero to men like Wilson, who just needed that reminder sometimes. A solid book, and a good read. The introduction and notes just add to the package. Check it out.

My library book this week was This Child Will Be Great by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. I checked out this book after seeing the author on the Daily Show and being impressed with both her presence and her sense of humor. The bits of the story that Jon discussed with her also compelled me to put the book on hold at the library. It is an autobiography of Africa's first female president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, and was just published this year.

From a purely literary point of view, this book is a bit disjointed. The recollections jump around a bit, and at times it's difficult to figure out when you are in her history. The author also assumes you know a little about the recent history of Liberia, and although she eventually fills in the blanks, having a rough background is useful to reading the book. She also tends to write like an advocate, trying to convince the reader with details that may not be strictly needed for the tale she is telling, but are certainly useful if you would question her sincerity or understanding of the situations she faced. And, as Jon Stewart put it, she's faced a LOT. In her 70 years she has faced enough adversary for a dozen women, and taken on responsibilities and burdens most of us could hardly imagine. She has spoken her mind even when it could've cost her life, and nearly did end up dead more than once. She was jailed, exiled, saw good friends murdered, and still managed to carry on and fight for what she sees as the future of Liberia. After reading the book, the reader can only hope that she's right and that she can pass on power successfully to a strong leader once her term is up in three years. I think I'll be watching. I'm only ashamed that I never really noted the events in Liberia that happened in my lifetime until now. As an American, I am truly very ignorant of world events.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

M - Th 11p / 10c

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Economic Crisis

Political Humor

And hey, how can you not want to read a book by a person willing to make a white Jewish comedian an African Chief? And one last note on the book: It has a bibliography AND an index, which is all too often forgotten in a book like this. I am gratified to see those included.

Agatha Christie this week was Evil Under the Sun from 1941. Poirot goes on another ill-fated vacations, to an island hotel where a hot female guest is driving the men to distraction. Well, I got one insignificant fact about this mystery correct, and everything else utterly wrong. Blah. I came up with what I thought was the solution early on, which should have told me I was wrong, but I stuck with my first impression anyway. I don't think I will ever solve a Poirot mystery on my own. I'll note that there is more in this story about intent and desire versus action, and it works very well for the character involved. That was one bit I had figured out early.

Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews -- My Wishlist

CameraPhone Zen

2009-07-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

Pre-Prepared Linkdump

2009-07-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

Once again, Joe puts my thoughts into words.

Well, here's another reason to get a Kindle.

I don't know, it seems like a good plan to me.

Your Social Security Number can be figured out if people know your birthdate and hometown. Oops. The researchers who discovered this think that perhaps we should stop using SSN as a "password" so it can't be used against us.

Ah, finally.

Do Not Meddle In The Affairs of Bards, for your Name Is Silly and Scans To 'Greensleeves'.

Mythbusters Science Kits? Tell us, Dave.

LOLcat Theology.

Pug for the In-laws. Bonus Pug: on this page, check out the link of the pug.

For the Record

2009-07-09T21:45:00.001-07:00

I'm never, ever staying at Motel 6 again. I'd rather sleep in my car than give business to them.

CameraPhone Zen

2009-07-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

Have A Happy 7/8/9

2009-07-08T12:59:00.001-07:00

Seven Eight Nine?

Can't Write, Packing

2009-07-07T19:49:00.002-07:00

Going out of town and off the grid in a couple of days, so blog content will be even lighter than usual.

HELP!

2009-07-06T20:30:00.003-07:00

Hello all! A writer is looking for a high quality scan (at least 300 dpi) of the splash page of the Aquaman story from More Fun #85. If you happen to have that issue sitting around and access to a scanner, please let me know. Thanks!

CameraPhone Zen

2009-07-06T18:05:00.000-07:00

A Sunday Review

2009-07-05T05:55:00.002-07:00

We enjoyed 1776 on TCM on the 4th. I absolutely adore William Daniels and Howard Da Silva in this. It's amazing how this movie manages to make the vote for the Declaration actually full of suspense and doubt. It didn't happen precisely like the movie, but this dramatization certainly makes the whole event entertaining. We try to always watch this movie on the 4th, as well as "Fireworks" from Schoolhouse Rock! I think watching these on the 4th is a good tradition for us.

TV this week:

The Next Food Network Star: "The Ultimate American Meal" - I would have liked to try some of those burgers, and I definitely want to try the winning one. That tiny kitchen with the ancient stove was the biggest challenge. And what happened to Debbie was terrible, but it was definitely her own fault (you ALWAYS say "behind" when you walk behind somebody in a kitchen). Michael's horror at what he'd done was clearly genuine. In the end, I would not have wanted to make that decision.
History Detectives: "Manhattan Project Patent; Galleon Shipwreck; Creole Poems" - The information about the Manhattan Project was all stuff I hadn't heard before, so I was fascinated. The shipwreck discovery was in my neck of the woods, so I was very interested in that as well. And the mysterious book reflected some information I'd just been listening to in a history podcast! So this episode was three for three for me.
Primeval: "Episode 23" - Final episode. Well, probably. I hope the producers get to do a final something to wrap up the series, as they left the cast in... well, a couple of cliffhangers. Still, even if we don't get a wrap-up, I'm very very pleased with how this series turned out. I loved it with very few nitpicks. I would love to see the series continue, but it still managed to feel surprisingly complete.

Here are reviews of the DCBS comic book shipment that arrived this week, of books originally released June 17th and 24th:

Tiny Titans #17 - No Aqualad, but otherwise it's ok.
Wonderful Wizard of Oz #7 - This is how you stick close to the book. This is a fantastic adaptation. I particularly like the balloon.
Captain Britain and MI13 #14 - Ah, well, that's all better then! Still not a big vampire fan, but this seems to be working for me. Pity the series is ending.
DC Superhero Figurine Collection Magazine #31: Aquaman - The figurine itself is very cool, and the magazine that comes with is surprisingly good as well, although I'm not enthused about the choice of Aquaman origins and key stories.
Green Lantern #42 - What, is Hal going to get every color ring by the end of this arc?
Justice League of America #34 - So bored with this.
Justice Society of America #28 - Ma Hunkel appears, so this is a good issue.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold #6 - I don't like the design on Kid Eternity. He looks like a brat with a smirk. Otherwise, nice little story.
Incredibles: Family Matters #3 - A really good continuation of the characters from the movie, so much so that I think I'd like to read an ongoing. No surprise that they jump to comic book format so well, is it?
Northlanders #18 - I'm a little disappointed in the fight action at the end, as I couldn't tell one character from another. But the story... whew. Difficult stuff in there.
Usagi Yojimbo #121 - A pretty standard Usagi tale (which means it's about 20 times better than most comic books out there) with a strangely lame ending.

This week's movie was Ninotchka from 1939, starring Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas. Greta Garbo is a serious Soviet agent sent to deal with three agents who bumble the sale of imperial jewels in Paris. The former owner of the jewels wants them back, and the agents are quickly seduced by capitalism and its pleasures. Ninotchka is not so easily seduced. Garbo delivers hilarious deadpan lines, and as she cracks she becomes a much more interesting character. The movie is about 40 minutes too long, but is very funny. It was banned in the USSR because of the unflattering portrayal of Soviets, and it kept hubby-Eric saying "In Soviet Russia...!" constantly.

My library book this week was Ranger's Apprentice Book One: The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan. I picked this one up based on the Unshelved Book Club review. I knew it was part of a series, but apparently the series is already eight books and counting with a movie on the way! Furthermore, like a lot of great young adult fiction in the past decade or so, it hails from Australia. It's a solid little book, not super-fantastic but not disappointing. There were lots of points in the story where it could have gone into a much darker or depressing tale, but it stayed upbeat. And, yeah, I think I'm going to go read the rest of the series. It's a nice "snack" kind of book.

Another book I read this week was Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins. I picked this one up based on the Unshelved Book Club review. As you may have noticed, I like getting reading recommendations from Unshelved. Tamara's suggestions tend to be for younger readers (she is the children's librarian) and this book is no exception. The main character is an 11-year-old boy, and the writing is a little simple for my tastes. Still, it made for a quick read, and that's good because this is the first book of a series. And I will be checking out more of these. It's a nice read, with plenty of action. Events have consequences, and our hero has to make hard choices. The villains are suitably horrid, and the allies are both nasty and not. And, despite there being a prophecy involved, the result isn't a given for the characters. Not bad for a kid's book.

Agatha Christie this week was N or M? from 1941. Tommy and Tuppence return! And they're not only all grown up, they've got grown children involved in the War. In fact, the adventure starts out with them moaning that their services aren't needed, and gets complicated when they are called in to do some sleuthing against the fifth column in the UK. They accomplish their task in the usual fashion, with plenty of mystery and uncertainty. This was a romp, and while the mystery was difficult to figure out, I'm proud to say I got it before the reveal. Just barely, but I got it. Read this one if you want a fun wartime adventure with good ol' characters.

Fortean Times #250, Special 2009. First item of note: my Fortean Times usually arrives in a nice white envelope which protects it from damage and prying eyes. This issue arrived in a flimsy plastic sleeve, and appeared to have been sent from Belgium (!) instead of the usual New York postmark. The plastic was ripped badly, and the magazine itself was severely bent, but luckily not otherwise damaged. I really hope the distributor can go back to envelopes.

Moving on to the book itself, the cover story is about "Invizikids" aka Imaginary Friends. I never had an imaginary friend, although I certainly felt left out and wished I had. I think at a few points I even pretended I had one, but it never worked... those who had them seemed to have something I didn't understand. And the author of the article seems to see more in them as well. I don't particularly agree with his hypothesis, but it's a fun read. I'd want to see a lot more research before I'd accept that there is more there than simple human nature.

The Editorial page makes it clear that John Michell had not died when the tribute in the last issue was put together. His death was not unexpected, but the timing was impressive. Strangedays goes into Singer sewing machines and red mercury, which is fascinating but stupid. The article on witch-hunting made me ill. Cases of hysteria that cause genuine harm because people can't be bothered to think things through.

The ghost photos article was ok, but I tend to credit double exposure for many of those. I liked the UFO files article on Men in Black, and look forward to reading the rest of the series. Of course, the mere fact that the article is being written is fun proof against the existence of MIB. The Hoaxers article was also very good. It does seem to be human nature to try to pull a fast one on our fellow humans. I liked the Loch Ness Cryptokid story. There were two pieces on the Antikeythera mechanism, with slightly different angles but both informative.

Two more articles, on Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and Uri Geller respectively, were ok. I tend to be overwhelmingly skeptical of Geller, but I admit if the facts of that article are true, I'd love to see a logical explanation since I'd be hard-pressed to come up with one myself. The reviews and letters were normal for Fortean Times, which is to say they were entertaining and somewhat informative. Another good issue.

Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews -- My Wishlist

Happy Independence Day, part 2!

2009-07-04T09:30:00.004-07:00

Watch. Enjoy. Revel in the true meaning of the holiday.

And while we're at it:

Happy Independence Day!

2009-07-04T07:08:00.003-07:00

Declaration of Independence

IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Brittish brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

Linkdump

2009-07-03T19:05:00.000-07:00

Comic Book Legends Revealed #213: DC Survey, Adult Marvel, and Gender-Bending. Comic Book Legends Revealed #214: John Severin, EC Comics (if you read none of the rest, read this one), and Dr. Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum.

Do you want to put your own picture on a shower curtain? I think I great image of Mt Rainier would be nice. But not at that price.

10 Best Uses of Classical Music in Classic Cartoons.

This is a new definition of Cyber-punk.

Freshly tarred street + Crosswalk = People getting stuck on road.

Wait, two unpublished Poirot stories? I'll have to read those... once I've finished all the other Christie books.

I don't really understand why Spain would have a claim to this recovered gold. And speaking of underwater treasure, look at this rock heist that stole $1 million from an underwater farm.

In another story right out of an Aquaman tale, Mexico is looking for a missing island. The reason is logical, they want the territory the island would give them. But you have to wonder where the island went, if it ever existed in the first place.

Laser Kitty!

Triple Pug for the in-laws.

Joy!

2009-07-02T12:37:00.003-07:00

Things that make me happy: The commentary track on Doctor Who: Arc of Infinity, in which the actors totally rip on the story in sheer joy while Colin Baker quietly clucks (yes, clucks) every time his character Maxil comes on screen carrying that ridiculous helmet.

It almost makes the story watchable!

Lazy Linkdump

2009-07-01T21:03:00.000-07:00

According to TPS: 8 Awesome Things Canada Gave the World.

Kurt Busiek has a website.

Exdrawminate! All daleks, all the time!

Library Courier Trucks.

Ok, so let's regenerate.

Want.

It was actually a comet?

There, I Fixed It.

We Need A Flag

2009-06-30T21:10:00.003-07:00

We need a flag of our family coat of arms. I think the center would have to be the Emerald City from the Oz books (although I think I'd add a Space Needle just for fun). In the upper right would be a TARDIS spinning out of a vortex. The upper left would have "stars" that if you look closely would actually be mathematical symbols and short equations. The lower half would have a silhouette of a swimmer leading fishy friends, with an upside-down "V" in gold on his belt. There would be some sort of LEGO creation in the bottom as well, perhaps a progression of penguins that go from realistic to LEGO penguins over a distance. The dominant colors would be blue and green.

And this is what you get when I'm tired and grumpy and unwilling to put work into an intelligent blog post.

Mee mee mee mee mee mee mee mee...

2009-06-29T10:49:00.001-07:00

A Sunday Review

2009-06-28T06:03:00.001-07:00

TV this week:

Primeval: "Episode 22" - It all still hinges on "Claudia Brown" somehow. The herd of "rhinos" was lovely work, and I enjoyed Connor's mad dash through the woods trying to escape. I love Lester's apartment and all the notes. Danny's... activities amuse me. I want to be amused by Christine Johnson's fate, but even for her that was a bit extreme.
The Next Food Network Star: "Dinner at Ina's" - Wow, Teddy really screwed up there. Right then and there he became a goner to me. I didn't see what he did last week as throwing Melissa under the bus: Brett seemed to be the force behind that, while Teddy kept his mouth shut and looked intensely uncomfortable. But Teddy's betrayal of Debbie, especially after they worked so incredibly well together, was nearly unforgivable.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold: "The Last Bat On Earth" - Mister Miracle in the pre-credits, with a mystery villain. Not bad. And the main story, with a title like that, has to be Kamandi! Fun enough. I've never been a big Kamandi fan, but he's ok in small doses.
History Detectives: "Psychophone, War Dog Letter, Pancho Villa Watch Fob" - The Psychophone story is hilarious. The idea that it might have to do with the paranormal was natural, but the real story makes much more sense. The War Dog story was another moment of shame on the United States. I like the guest historian whose ancestors rode with Pancho Villa. It's always cool when an investigation pans out into truth.

This week's movie was Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb by director Stanley Kubrick and Starring Peter Sellers and George C. Scott. This 1964 black comedy is absolutely frightening. The situation set up is all too plausible when strategists overthink possible scenarios. The comedy is incredibly bleak, but somehow manages to still be funny. A lot of that is due to Peter Sellers, but the others also play their parts to the fullest. Brutal, brutal film. And yet I found myself grinning at the end of it.

This week's comic book related review is Torchwood: Rift War. This is a collection of comics from the magazine, and because of that, the quality is a bit uneven. The artwork is great in places, and horrible in others. The story holds together ok, but I found myself scratching my head in a couple of places at the choices made. Overall, it's a decent story although the ending was telegraphed almost from the first pages.

My library book this week was Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter. A small orange kitten was stuffed into the Spencer Library drop box sometime during the night before January 18th 1988. He was found by the library director and assistant director, named Dewey Readmore Books, and soon became a fixture in the library. He passed away on November 29, 2006 at the age of 19, a long life for a cat. In those years, he touched many lives, became moderately famous, and helped that library director deal with her own difficult life. This book is a brutally honest look at just what impact Dewey had on Spencer Iowa, and in Vicki Myron in particular. I picked up this book after reading Todd Klein's review and I truly enjoyed it. You get a lot about Myron's life in between information about the cat, a picture of life in the Iowa cornfields, and you also get a good sense of Dewey's life. I found myself looking up the library's website, and hoping to someday see the documentary that featured Dewey, Puss in Books. I do warn you, it may be a difficult read when you get to the chapters about death. But it was a good read.

Another library book I picked up this week was Dorp Dead by Julia Cunningham. I read this book as a teenager, and while bits of it stuck with me, other bits seemed entirely new reading it as an adult. I had entirely forgotten about the mountain tower and Hunter and even the dog. I deeply remember the ladder-maker and Gilly's spelling: "I purposely never learn to spell, which for the simple indicates stupidity." Because of this book, I never considered bad spelling to be a sign of low intelligence (although there have been times the spelling on the Internet has made me question that conclusion). This is a chilling little story, easy to read despite the unusual narrative voice. There is more than a little of the horror genre in it, as you wonder what Kobalt's real intentions are. In this particular edition, there is an essay (by Betsy Hearne) at the end of the book describing its impact when it was first published (1965) and critical reaction to the book. Put into historical context, the book is even better to my eyes. This is a gem of a book, well worth a read.

Agatha Christie this week was One, Two, Buckle My Shoe first published in 1940, and also published as The Patriotic Murders and An Overdose of Death. Poirot goes to the dentist and only hours later the dentist commits suicide. This one has layers on layers, and the extra two titles might give something away if you are reading closely enough. I wasn't. Nope. I had no clue to the murderer. I don't think I'm stupid, I just think Christie is far more clever than I'll ever be. I did like Christie's description of Poirot's moment of revelation, something we don't usually see quite like that. It was almost inspirational. This one is worth reading if you are Poirot fan if only to see Poirot in a state of utter terror. Heh.

Past Sunday Reviews -- Comics at Amazon.com -- Previews -- My Wishlist

Saturday Night Linkver

2009-06-27T18:54:00.001-07:00

Comic Book Legends Revealed #212: Mike Grell, Batman Beyond, and Wild Dog.

If you want to know why DC Comics is so messed up: THIS! Crossovers suck the life out of a universe unless all creators are on board from the conception of the idea and have enough time to fit it into their own books.

PC Design Mistakes, 15 classic errors in the designs of personal computers.

Speaking of design errors: More Kindle DRM nonsense. Read the original article and the follow-up before getting angry. Still, Amazon has GOT to start explaining what they are selling better. And I refuse to purchase any books with DRM. I'd rather you embedded my name in the code for every page of the book than put restrictions on how I can read it.

Stolen iPhone recovered by three nerds and a laptop.

Three colors, not Four.

Haunt: an experiment to see if the feelings of a haunting can be recreated by controlling humidity, temperature, air movement, electromagnetic frequencies, and sonic frequencies to the norms that ghost hunters find on their investigations. Yes, science! Note: I lean toward a hypothesis that electromagnetic fields playing on human perceptions in ways we don't entirely understand account for a huge number of ghost sightings. I would love to be proven wrong or right with real science. This study won't do it, but it's a step in the right direction.

Pixar grants the last wish of a dying child.

Slashdot on Lockhardt's rant about Math education in the United States. In the comments there are links to HTMLizes versions of the essay.

Hey, the sunspots are finally returning, and scientist may even know why!

Zoo spends half a million dollars on escape-proof Prarie Dog enclosure, prarie dogs escape within 10 minutes of being introduced to it.

And lastly, a video for hubby-Eric to watch:

LEGO Linkdump

2009-06-27T05:27:00.000-07:00

LEGO Pirate Theater.

LEGO at Maker Faire.

What Can't You Do with Legos?

Metafilter has links to LEGO Legends.

The Art of the Brick. Check out the gallery for some freaky images.

Linkdump

2009-06-26T19:48:00.001-07:00

Comic Book Legends Revealed #211: Silent Issues, Starfox, and X-Factor.

Silver Age comics directs us to easter eggs.

Oh, I'm there: Simon's Cat, the book. I love the YouTube shorts.

Want.

Hey, remember Monterey Jack's? Here's explosion of the Box.

Huh, I'm going to die in a volcanic eruption. Maybe. Someday. In the future. Or not.

Boy hit by meteorite. Or something.

Promising progress in treating genetic diseases.

Bumping locks. Locks basically keep you safe from honest people and young kids.

Cannibul Cake.

LOLCat Theology affects dogs.

Pugs for the in-laws.

Rest In Peace

2009-06-25T17:41:00.003-07:00

Wow, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson in one day.

Farrah was a part of my childhood, and I liked her as much as I liked any superstar of the era. I was told that I had Farrah Fawcett hair, but I never saw it.

Michael... what can you say about him? I think nowadays my favorite piece of his work is The Wiz. The "You Can't Win" song is so soulful and angry, and yet still very much pop. And Michael delivered it perfectly. His strangeness later on didn't detract from his earlier work for me, but it did make me shy away from talking about him.

Rest in Peace.

Links

2009-06-24T20:15:00.001-07:00

Martian Space Penguins!

Salads aren't healthy unless you make 'em yourself and make sure you know exactly what's in it.

Somebody came up with a very nice, and very accurate graphic of on-line news page layouts from a few years ago versus today. The rise of clutter, the reduction of readability.

Freeze-Frame Vanity Cards.

This is just weird enough to post: Tautonyms.

Pulling water from the air. Like on Tantooine or Dune.

I think I would have worn these wristbands during the long time we were without health insurance. Now that we have insurance, I wouldn't feel right about wearing one, but that's ok because I can't afford one either (though he'll send them free to people who are uninsured and want one (because I have insurance I won't take advantage)).

Not for the weak of stomach, Darryl Cunningham posts a ten-page story about working in a dementia ward. Usually I post his Dalek drawings, but this is much more serious. He continues with other shorts: It Could Be You hits home because it is me. I suffer from depression and have all my life. I have had many people tell me to just "get over it" (thankfully never my husband). Some other shorts: Mad or Bad and Cut. Intense stuff, and I think I'd buy that book if I can afford it when it comes out.