The original text of “A Christmas Carol has been chopped into 47 sequences, which form the chapters of this book. For each of these, we start with Dickens’s original. (Why 47? Well, I wanted to do an even 50, but the book won’t break down that way. It insists on 47.) It hasContinue reading “SCREEN SCROOGES: Rules of the Game”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
All At Sea
It has been suggested to me that my notes on postcards dealing with the military, particularly during World War II, have not been fully representative. The Army, including the Women’s Army Corps (ch), is well-represented, but what about the Navy? In fact, the Navy was considered just as rich a service for postcardContinue reading “All At Sea”
Three More Old Comics
Now, I have mentioned this is not a food blog, and have repeated that. Something I have not mentioned is that this is not, technically, a blog dedicated to reviewing vintage smut. But I have acquired three more comic books of the type I discussed in the space a while back, and I thoughtContinue reading “Three More Old Comics”
Preview Trailer
So we have come to the end of the serialization of another one of my bestsellers that no one ever bought, and which has become obsolete in the twenty years or so since I wrote it. It was an adventure to write Ranunculus to You in the Days when research demanded at least cabfareContinue reading “Preview Trailer”
Passing Note: One of Nine
We interrupt our regular sequence of columns for a brief personal note. Yesterday marked the passing of Scottie Lampe, a black cat who served as Alpha in his household for seventeen and a half years, teaching bipeds when cats need to be fed (often), when cats need to be brushed (whenever they feel likeContinue reading “Passing Note: One of Nine”
It’s Not About That
Despite what a lot of people say, there has always been a line to cross when it came to comedy. I have heard it said that the twentieth century was a dark age when all things were funny and nothing was too offensive to make a joke about. A lot of evidence for thisContinue reading “It’s Not About That”
Volume of Memories II
I have mentioned before that I own a number of books I have no intention of reading, but preserve because they remind me of the person who passed them to me. Among the most readable is Anita Brookner’s Hotel du Lac, which was thrust into my hands by an irritated acquaintance, who said….. Continue reading “Volume of Memories II”
Free Advice Worth Every Penny
I have been getting a lot of advice lately. Fortunately, almost all of it is in the form of old postcards, so there is no need for me to make a personal decision on whether it’s good or not. Some genius whose name I have forgotten once wrote that all advice is bothContinue reading “Free Advice Worth Every Penny”
Ranunculus to You, Yarrow to Zucchini, plus Secret Code
YARROW “War”* No, this is not a joke about bows and yarrows. This plant is also known as Achillea, or Achillea millefolia, or, from that, Common Milfoil. The millefolia is a reference to a plant with many leaves. The other part of the name refers to the hero Achilles, who apparently always carried anContinue reading “Ranunculus to You, Yarrow to Zucchini, plus Secret Code”
Regional Joke Quiz
Not too long ago, we discussed the principle that the Scots are one of the few ethnic groups left which allowed, and sometimes encouraged, ethnic jokes about themselves. The Scottish joke may ot have the currency that once it did, but it is still out there, doing its work with a minimum of fuss.Continue reading “Regional Joke Quiz”
Blogsy Babbles 