Monthly Archives: October 2016

Madness and Murder

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Nathan

Happy Halloween! It’s time for a run-down of movies we watched recently. Beth and I generally try to watch some horror films every October, but we’re running out of ones that she’s interested in, so most of these are only … Continue reading →

Posted in VoVat Goes to the Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Koopa Troopa’ll Make Ya Jump, Jump

Posted on October 28, 2016 by Nathan

This video is two years old now, and I first watched it more than a month ago, but I thought it was worth commenting on. As it mentions, jumping in video games is kind of bizarre, because how often do … Continue reading →

Posted in Castlevania, Donkey Kong, Mario, Mega Man, Video Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mountains of Mystery

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Nathan

Even though John Dough and the Cherub clearly indicates that Hiland and Loland are on an island, called Hi-Lo by some and Lo-Hi by others, the map in the Tik-Tok of Oz endpapers shows them as part of the mainland, … Continue reading →

Posted in Chris Dulabone, Dick Martin, Jared Davis, Jeff Rester, L. Frank Baum, Magic, Maps, Marcus Mebes, Melody Grandy, Oz, Oz Authors, Phyllis Ann Karr, Places, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Don’t Morlocks Live in the Future?

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Nathan

The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells – Published in 1895, this was not the first time travel story, but definitely a pioneering work in the genre. The protagonist known simply as the Time Traveller uses a vehicle to travel to … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, Book Reviews, Celebrities, Diana Wynne Jones, Humor, Magic, Monsters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Getting Off the Tract

Posted on October 25, 2016 by Nathan

Holy Faceless God, Jack Chick died yesterday. Hey, isn’t that the day Bishop James Ussher claimed the world began in 4004 BC? I don’t know whether modern Young Earth Creationists still accept that date, but it still seems appropriate. You’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Comics, Conspiracy Theories, Current Events, Fundamentalism, In Memoriam, Jack Chick, Prejudice, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Fostering Musical Talent

Posted on October 24, 2016 by Nathan

Doo-Dah!: Stephen Foster and the Rise of American Popular Culture, by Ken Emerson – I believe Beth purchased this biography of the songwriter at a used bookstore in Portland, Oregon, some years ago. I decided to read it when my … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, History, Music, Prejudice, Stan Freberg | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Devil and Webster’s Dictionary

Posted on October 23, 2016 by Nathan

Apparently a whole lot of people love the Devil, and most of them are poorly spelled. Did no one bother to proofread this before someone used it at a rally? Or are badly written signs just a tradition? If they … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Fundamentalism, Greek Mythology, Humor, Language, Mythology, Prejudice, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Harum Scarab

Posted on October 22, 2016 by Nathan

The ancient Egyptians seemed to have a god for every kind of animal with which they were familiar, some of which were quite prominent and others more obscure. The scarab beetle was a common symbol in Egypt, used for many … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Egyptian, Etymology, Language, Mythology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Fantastic Function Follows Form

Posted on October 21, 2016 by Nathan

Hugh Pendexter III’s article on magic in Ruth Plumly Thompson’s Oz books, which was printed in the Autumn 1978 Baum Bugle, notes, “It seems wise to distinguish between magical technology, in which magic tools and devices imitate the advances of … Continue reading →

Posted in Bill Campbell and Irwin Terry, Fairy Tales, Greek Mythology, Hugh Pendexter, Humor, L. Frank Baum, Language, Magic, Magic Items, Mythology, Oz, Oz Authors, Rachel Cosgrove Payes, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Bad Hombres and Nasty Women

Posted on October 21, 2016 by Nathan

Last night was the last presidential debate of the season, hosted by Chris Wallace. No, not the late Biggie Smalls, but the mutant rodent from Fox News. Not THAT mutant rodent. This will hopefully be the last time Donald Trump … Continue reading →

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