Monthly Archives: November 2017

Hello, Yellow Brick Road

Posted on November 30, 2017 by Nathan

Let’s take a look at the 2017 Oziana, the literary magazine of the International Wizard of Oz Club, which was recently released. There are three stories this time, plus a one-page poetic work. As far as I can remember, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Characters, Edward Einhorn, Fred Otto, L. Frank Baum, Magic, Marcus Mebes, Monsters, Oz, Oz Authors, Poetry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Join the Odyssey and See the World

Posted on November 23, 2017 by Nathan

I haven’t played Super Mario Odyssey, and I’m sure I’d be terrible at it if I did. There’s a reason I mostly stick to turn-based role-playing. I am, however, quite interested in keeping abreast of new Mario developments and how … Continue reading →

Posted in Donkey Kong, Dragon Quest, Maps, Mario, Video Games, Zelda | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Not All Scumbags Are the Same

Posted on November 21, 2017 by Nathan

As of late, it seems like every celebrity or politician is turning out to be creepy and abusive. I’m glad people are speaking up about it, but it just appears disturbingly common. I’m sure part of it is due to … Continue reading →

Posted in Celebrities, Christianity, Current Events, Fundamentalism, Gender, Politics, Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Let’s Talk About the Hulk

Posted on November 17, 2017 by Nathan

I read the collected Planet Hulk storyline when I heard it was going to be part of Thor: Ragnarok and Comixology had it on sale. I also read a collection of the first several Hulk stories, as I hadn’t before. … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Celtic, Comics, Monsters, Mythology, Relationships | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

All of Our Values Have Been Challenged by the Monsters of Mud

Posted on November 15, 2017 by Nathan

I don’t think I’ve written yet about Ozian people made of mud. According to some religions, humans were originally formed from mud, and we still contain a lot of the same elements, but obviously there’s more to our bodies than … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Characters, Music, Oz, Oz Authors, Places, Ruth Plumly Thompson | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Just Gonna Stand There and Watch Asgard Burn

Posted on November 11, 2017 by Nathan

Thor: Ragnarok – I’ve been looking forward to this one, especially since seeing the trailer where Thor calls the Hulk “a friend from work.” So many trailers are awful, but this one worked. The Thor films feel genuinely epic, combining … Continue reading →

Posted in Comics, Greek Mythology, Humor, Magic, Monsters, Mythology, Norse, Relationships, VoVat Goes to the Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

We’ll Be Riding Out This Storm

Posted on November 11, 2017 by Nathan

Beth and I went to see Tori Amos live at the Beacon Theatre last Tuesday. We’ve seen her perform a few times, but not in some years. This tour is in support of her new album, Native Invader, which I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Albums, Christianity, Concerts, Environmentalism, Music, Mythology, Religion, Tori Amos | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Morbid and Marvelous

Posted on November 10, 2017 by Nathan

The Chickens of Atlantis and Other Foul and Filthy Fiends, by Robert Rankin – This is the fourth, and presumably the last, book in Rankin’s series of novels taking place in a steampunk Victorian England where War of the Worlds … Continue reading →

Posted in Astronomy, Authors, Book Reviews, Christianity, Education, Evolution, Fairy Tales, Humor, Jonathan Swift, Monsters, Philosophy, Poetry, Prejudice, Religion, Robert Rankin, Science | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Best of Inventions

Posted on November 10, 2017 by Nathan

If you’ve read the Oz books, you might remember Smith and Tinker as the creators of Tik-Tok, as well as the Giant with the Hammer and, as per Rachel Cosgrove Payes, the Hundred-Year Alarm Clock. I’ve written about them before … Continue reading →

Posted in Characters, Chris Dulabone, Hugh Pendexter, L. Frank Baum, Magic, Magic Items, Melody Grandy, Onyx Madden/Jim Nitch, Oz, Oz Authors, Phil Lewin, Rachel Cosgrove Payes, Ruth Plumly Thompson, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Please Don’t Feed the Ghosts

Posted on November 5, 2017 by Nathan

Hungry ghosts are a Buddhist concept, but they’ve spread into other East Asian religious traditions as well. The Sanskrit term for this kind of spirit is preta, which basically means “departed.” The Chinese name for them, èguǐ, means “hungry ghost,” … Continue reading →

Posted in Buddhism, Chinese, Greek Mythology, Halloween, Holidays, Japanese, Judaism, Monsters, Mythology, Pac-Man, Religion, Video Games | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments