Monthly Archives: December 2016

Unnatural Creations

Posted on December 31, 2016 by Nathan

Baba Yaga: The Wild Witch of the East in Russian Fairy Tales, translated by Sibelan Forrester – This volume collects a number of stories involving the infamous Russian witch, as well as some analysis of her character. It’s a bit … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Book Reviews, Fairy Tales, Humor, Monsters, Mythology, Russian | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fullheal the World

Posted on December 30, 2016 by Nathan

I think I’ve played enough of the 3DS version of Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past to get the gist of it, so here’s a preliminary review. I played the PlayStation release of this (called Dragon Warrior VII) … Continue reading →

Posted in Dragon Quest, Language, Magic, Monsters, Video Games | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Show of Patrioztism

Posted on December 29, 2016 by Nathan

I’ve written before on the possible origins of the word “Oz.” It’s kind of a difficult name in the age of online search engines, as you’re likely to get stuff about Australia or ounces, and that’s if it’s limited to … Continue reading →

Posted in Eloise Jarvis McGraw, John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum, Language, Names, Oz, Oz Authors, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Even a Miracle Needs a Hand

Posted on December 28, 2016 by Nathan

I know Christmas is over, but it’s still Christmastide, so I might as well write this review now: ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas (1974) – I know I saw this as a kid, and I remember some of the music … Continue reading →

Posted in Cartoons, Christmas, Holidays, Poetry, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Hollywood Holidays

Posted on December 23, 2016 by Nathan

I don’t have a lot to say about these three movies, but since they’re all Christmas-related, I figured I should get in some reviews before the big day. Krampus (2015) – I sort of had the impression that this was … Continue reading →

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

Flunking Out of Electoral College

Posted on December 21, 2016 by Nathan

Yesterday, the electoral college voted to confirm the election of Donald Trump. Could they have voted otherwise? Technically yes, but they might have been penalized by their respective states. That we still have an electoral college is pretty ridiculous, especially … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Putting the Crap Back in Christmas

Posted on December 18, 2016 by Nathan

Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas – We knew this movie would be bad, and it totally lived up to our expectations. Beth, who will intentionally watch terrible things, has a weird fascination with Kirk Cameron, obnoxiously smug teen heartthrob turned obnoxiously … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Christmas, Fundamentalism, Holidays, Religion, VoVat Goes to the Movies | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

No Shirt, No Shoes, No Salvation

Posted on December 18, 2016 by Nathan

The Simpsons has been renewed through the thirtieth season. And to think I remember all the rumors that it would end after the tenth. I’m sure I’ll still watch it as long as it’s on, assuming I live that long. … Continue reading →

Posted in Cartoons, Catholicism, Christianity, Ethnicity, Humor, Judaism, Prejudice, Religion, Television, The Simpsons | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Playing with the Queen of Hearts

Posted on December 16, 2016 by Nathan

Heartless, by Marissa Meyer – The author of the Lunar Chronicles turns her attention to the work of Lewis Carroll, presenting the back story of the infamous Queen of Hearts. The book explains why the Mad Hatter and March Hare … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, Book Reviews, Fairy Tales, Lewis Carroll, Nursery Rhymes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Money Cat Knows Where the Money Tree Grows

Posted on December 15, 2016 by Nathan

Gay Purr-ee – Apparently Chuck Jones beat Disney to an animated movie about cats in Paris by almost a decade. There was some real star power behind it, too. It was Judy Garland’s only animated role and Robert Goulet’s first … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Music, VoVat Goes to the Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments