Monthly Archives: March 2014

Minority Report

Posted on March 30, 2014 by Nathan

I get the impression that a lot of us from certain backgrounds grow up thinking racism and sexism are largely things of the past. Sure, we’re aware they still exist, but only in backwards places like Alabama. People point to … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Feminism, Fox News, Gender, Language, Politics, Prejudice, Television, The Colbert Report | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Now I Know My ABCs

Posted on March 28, 2014 by Nathan

When listening to albums randomly the other day, the They Might Be Giants record Here Come the ABCs came up. This is one of the children’s albums they did for Disney, and as such it doesn’t stand up to repeated … Continue reading →

Posted in Language, Music, They Might Be Giants | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Birth Control vs. Corporate Control

Posted on March 27, 2014 by Nathan

I haven’t really been keeping up with the news recently. Blame the fact that I’m working and that my wife doesn’t watch cable news as much as she used to. It seems that, aside from Vladimir Putin playing a real-life … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Corporations, Current Events, Health, Medicine, Religion | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Mystery, Ancient and Modern

Posted on March 25, 2014 by Nathan

I remember someone on the old Nonestica mailing list asking why it seems that no Ozites knew the history of their country, and it’s definitely a valid point. In The Lost King of Oz, we read, “Snip knew the names … Continue reading →

Posted in Characters, L. Frank Baum, Oz, Oz Authors, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

You’ve Got to Hide Your History Away

Posted on March 25, 2014 by Nathan

The Hidden History of Oz, Book One: The Witch Queens, by Tarl Telford – This series is a prequel to the Oz books proper, an idea that’s been done a few times, from Hugh Pendexter’s Oz and the Three Witches … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Characters, Hugh Pendexter, L. Frank Baum, Oz, Oz Authors | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Post of the Hours

Posted on March 22, 2014 by Nathan

One common feature of mythology is an explanation of the procession of the seasons, often linking them to particular deities or to the death and rebirth of a god. In Greek mythology, it’s explained that the winter is when Demeter‘s … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Etymology, Greek Mythology, Language, Mythology, Science | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Breakfast Every Hour, It Could Save the World

Posted on March 21, 2014 by Nathan

A few months ago, Amanda Palmer wrote on her blog about the song “Delilah,”, which appears on the second Dresden Dolls album Yes, Virginia. It’s not one of my favorites on the album, but it’s quite poignant, being about a … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Music, Relationships | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Season Cycle Moving Round and Round

Posted on March 21, 2014 by Nathan

Yesterday was the vernal equinox, and hence the official start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, at least according to a lot of calendars. Mind you, since temperatures have been fluctuating wildly in these parts as of late, it’s hard … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate, Global Warming, Holidays, Science | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Whangdoodle Dandy

Posted on March 21, 2014 by Nathan

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, by Julie Andrews Edwards – Yes, this was written by the same Julie Andrews who played Mary Poppins and Maria von Trapp, under her married name. I wasn’t aware of this book in … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Won’t You Come Home, Justin Bailey?

Posted on March 20, 2014 by Nathan

Back in the days when memory cards for video game systems had yet to be invented and battery backup was still new, some games used passwords that would start you where you last left off. Mind you, calling them passWORDS … Continue reading →

Posted in Metroid, Video Games | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments