Monthly Archives: July 2016

Close Encounters of the Fundamentalist Kind

Posted on July 31, 2016 by Nathan

You may have heard about Ark Encounter, the replica of Noah’s Ark that was built in Kentucky. This was the brainchild of Ken Ham, founder of Answers in Genesis and an Australian creationist, like Ray Comfort. So they believe the … Continue reading →

Posted in Babylonian, Christianity, Current Events, Evolution, Fundamentalism, Greek Mythology, Mythology, Religion, Science, Semitic | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

They’ll Need a Krang

Posted on July 29, 2016 by Nathan

I’ve been led to understand that the newest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie features appearances from several characters introduced in the 1987 cartoon series, including Bebop, Rocksteady, and Krang. I’ll probably watch it at some point, but I can’t say … Continue reading →

Posted in Captain N: The Game Master, Cartoons, Comics, Metroid, Technology, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Television, Video Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

It’s Slavery, But Not, Like, SLAVERY Slavery, You Know?

Posted on July 29, 2016 by Nathan

I’m sure I’ve mentioned before that my wife used to force me to watch Fox News. Not because she liked it, but because she’s drawn to things that annoy her, and wants to share them with me. I get it, … Continue reading →

Posted in Conspiracy Theories, Current Events, Fox News, Politics, Prejudice, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Terrific Titles of Oz

Posted on July 28, 2016 by Nathan

Perhaps this is scraping the bottom of the barrel bird, but I’ve occasionally thought about the titles of the Oz books, and whether some of them could have had better ones. I’m sure it didn’t matter a whole lot after … Continue reading →

Posted in Characters, John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum, Oz, Oz Authors, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Honey in Your Ear

Posted on July 27, 2016 by Nathan

I’m not sure how it turned out that I’d be seeing so many concerts in a short period of time, but yesterday was the case/lang/veirs show at Prospect Park, only four days after Nellie McKay in Manhattan. I have tickets … Continue reading →

Posted in Concerts, Music, Neko Case | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Something Strange in the Neighborhood

Posted on July 26, 2016 by Nathan

The new Ghostbusters movie was the subject of criticism long before it even came out, with some bottom-feeding Internet denizens being distraught over the idea that the new Ghostbusters were of the female persuasion. Some other complaints focused more on … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor, Prejudice, VoVat Goes to the Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Listen to Her Play, Has Something to Say

Posted on July 26, 2016 by Nathan

I’ve liked Nellie McKay for several years now, and I think she might actually live fairly locally, but I’d only ever seen her live once, five and a half years ago. I noticed somewhere online that she was doing a … Continue reading →

Posted in Concerts, Humor, Music, Nellie McKay | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

To the Victor Goes the Spoiled Music

Posted on July 22, 2016 by Nathan

The Lonely Phonograph of Oz, by Debbie Bumstead – Victor Columbia Edison, the phonograph who was accidentally brought to life with the same powder as the Patchwork Girl, only appeared in The Patchwork Girl of Oz for some brief comic … Continue reading →

Posted in Albums, Authors, Book Reviews, Characters, Comics, Dennis Anfuso, Humor, John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum, Lewis Carroll, Music, Oz, Oz Authors | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Pearls of Conventional Wisdom

Posted on July 20, 2016 by Nathan

I attended a bunch of Oz Conventions back in the 1990s, and the Centennial Convention in Indiana in 2000, but haven’t been to any since then. The International Wizard of Oz Club used to do at least three per year, … Continue reading →

Posted in Dick Martin, Eloise Jarvis McGraw, Eric Shanower, Gina Wickwar, Jared Davis, John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum, Magic Items, Oz, Oz Authors, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

A Samodiva Is the Female Version of a Varkolak

Posted on July 12, 2016 by Nathan

In Anne Nesbet’s A Box of Gargoyles, one of the effects of the strange magic affecting Paris is that some ordinary women turn into Samodivi, described as a sort of Bulgarian vampire. What I’ve found online suggests that, while they … Continue reading →

Posted in Harry Potter, Mythology, Slavic | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments