long-winded frivolity
So for a couple of weeks there, I had access to cable TV (OK, the dish, but I think cable is idiomatic for “subscription TV with channels such as HGTV, TLC, ESPN, Bravo, FOOD, Nick, CNN and C-SPAN, but not…
Book Report: Catch-22
Catch-22 is my usual example of a perfect book, that is, a book that couldn’t possibly be any better without being a good deal worse. I can’t say much more about it at present, as I don’t want to get…
based on the novel
So, rereading Cold Comfort Farm reminded YHB what a great job the filmmakers did creating the movie of the book. I’m very interested in the problem of adaptation, generally. I think it’s one of the great challenges of our technological…
Book Report: Cold Comfort Farm
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There’ll be no butter in hell! chazak, chazak, v’nitchazek,-Vardibidian….
Book Report: Metropolis
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Metropolis, by Elizabeth Gaffney, was a gift. Now, here are my criteria for a good gift. Ideally, a gift should be something that the recipient would not buy for him- (or her-) self. It should be something that the giver…
Book Report: Let Your Mind Alone
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I don’t know exactly where James Thurber lived around here, but it was clearly around here. As I was reading through Let Your Mind Alone I couldn’t help noticing the local color. In fact, when at one point he describes…
Book Report: On Bullshit
Well, and Your Humble Blogger has finally got around to reading the full text of On Bullshit, by Harry G. Frankfurt, and frankly, the irony must be pointed out. Mr. Frankfurt has done no serious research into the history of…
Book Report: Gil’s All Fright Diner
The thing about Gil’s All Fright Diner is pretty evident from the title. It’s a joke, see. It’s just not a terribly funny one. Actually, the bits that aren’t jokes in Gil’s work better than the bits that are. I…
A, 2 or III?
OK, YHB has more or less caught up on political blather, but my lefty blogs have left this blogger confused. Perhaps you can help, Gentle Reader. Which of the following statements reflects the universe you perceive? No Democrat who opposed…
No More E Tickets
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OK, so Your Humble Blogger was at a nice old amusement park, having just enough fun with my Perfect Non-Reader, and there were the signs. I took the trouble to write the text down, since I wasn’t sure I would…