Best Halloween Comic - 2017

    Today's mainstream daily newspaper comics had three different ones use the same banal "You're too old to be trick-or-treating."  "I'll sue you for ageism." shtick.  Jeez.  Where's the creativity, guys?!

Halloween Warning

   Really.  You can't be too careful nowadays.

Music Snobs

   True dis.

Joe Bonamassa Concert

    We're going to see this dude in concert tonight, at Comerica Theatre.  We are stoked.

Gullibility

    Strange but true:  "Gullibility" is not an actual word in English.  Don't believe me?  Go try and look it up in the dictionary.

How to spell Love

Book Excerpt for the Day

    “You must know this.  Elizabeth is in love with you and is distressed that you are in love with someone else.” (…)

    “Oh, gods above.  I never knew.”

    “I am sorry I had to tell you,” said Salasso, the double edge of his words as polite as ever.  “But it may be important for our expedition that you know this.  It would be good if you were considerate of what she feels, and if you took great care not to give her any opportunity, in a moment of danger, for recklessness on your behalf.”  Some humor returned to his expression.  “Or against you, come to that.”

    (from Cosmonaut Keep by Ken MacLeod)

  7*/10.  The complete review is here.

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Cell Phones

    At last!  Someone who agrees with me!  Even if it is a character in a comic strip.

Philosophy Monday

    Apparently, I take to Philosophy more than Knowledge or Wisdom.

Wheel Of Fortune

    "I'd like to buy twelve o's, please."

Christmas Decorations

    It isn't too early to start thinking about creating your own Christmas decorations.

Quests

    Dungeons & Dragons has taught me this as well.

Book Excerpt for the Day

    “Who are you, traveler?  Where do you come from?”

    I had thought I would invent a name for myself; but suddenly there seemed no reason to do that.  “I am Gilgamesh,” I said, and waited for her to laugh in my face, as one might do if I had said, “I am Enlil” or “I am An the Sky-father.”  But she did not laugh.  She looked at me long and close, frowning.  I felt the presence of her, strong and warm and good.  I said after a moment, “Do you know of me?”

    “Everyone knows the name of Gilgamesh.”

    “And is Gilgamesh a murderer?”

    “He is king in Uruk.  Kings have bloody hands.”

    (from Gilgamesh The King by Robert Silverberg)

    6*/10.  The complete review is here.

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Pillows

    Hmmm.  So hard to choose.

Philosophy Tuesday!

    I'm thrilled to find out that Jim Morrison is in heaven.

Monday Pun Day

Pink - Beautiful Trauma

    Available, and free and legal, at Freegal this week.

Book Excerpt for the Day

    “Well, we’re almost there.  Stop one of our Yorkshire literary tour.  We’ll see the famous parsonage at Haworth, where the ill-fated but creative Bronte family lived, loved, and died to the last member.  You’ve read the novels, of course?”

    “I’ve seen the movies,” Joseph said.  “I worked at MGM when they were making the Wuthering Heights with Larry Olivier.”

    “So you’ve never read the novels?”  Lewis’s lips thinned slightly.

    “I might have scanned them in school.”  Joseph shrugged, refusing to admit to anything.  “Real men don’t read Jane Eyre.”

    (from The Graveyard Game by Kage Baker)

    8*/10.  The complete review is here.

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Friday The Thirteenth

    It took me way too long to "get" today's Arlo and Janis strip.

Spelling

    And wouldn't it be easier to say, if "fifth" was spelled "fith"?

Reading vs. Exercise

    If only...

Book Excerpt for the Day

    “You know, once I was listening to NPR,” I said, completely at random.  “They were broadcasting a piece about cryogenics, about how lots of people are opting to just freeze their head because it’s so much cheaper than getting your whole body frozen.”

    “Ummm?”

    “Guess what song they played for the closing?”

    “What, Sookie?”

    “’Put Your Head on My Shoulder.’”

    (from Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris)

    8½*/10.  The complete review is here.

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Realistic Chess

    IIRC, 3-man chess is a real thing, although I don't believe I've ever played it.  Still, the idea of two players ganging up on a stronger third player (a similar strategy is standard fare in the game of Risk), is kind of intriguing.

Art Appreciation Saturday

   For the record, my introduction to Monet and French Impressionism was a trip to the Phoenix Art Gallery one time, n order to earn extra credit in the French 115 night class I was taking at the time.

Chemistry Friday

    My company makes several Potassium-based fertilizers, so this comic was really kewl for me.

Book Excerpt for the Day

    It was late afternoon when I decided a break was needed, and took my dad’s old farm truck to Roxanne’s Truck Café.  I continue to come here even though I’m razzed, teased and jeered at on a variety of subjects, like, “How long does it take a girl crop duster to finish spraying for mites?” the answer being, “Mite be now, mite be later.”

    (from A Dead Red Heart by R.P. Dahlke)

    8*/10.  The complete review is here.

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Thought for the Day

    I completely agree.

RIP Tom Petty

    I couldn't've said it better myself.

Gun Nuts

    You know, when more than 50 people are killed by a white, male, gun nut, and all you care about is hanging on to your f**king assault rifle, something is seriously wrong with you..

Learning French

    Actually, it's not just French letters that this applies to.  Whole syllables in French are silent, especially "-ent".