Still October, just barely
I swear I'm voting for Barbara "Babs" Bush & Colin Powell. Donald Trumplestiltskin is a buffoon and Hitlery Clinton is a crook and a National socialist, and none of the others seem to be real persons. Nuts to them all.
More stuff, possibly even finishing off the Last Stack of Books that lurks near at hand. So here we go ...
Playboy's Gahan Wilson (1973) - A collection of his cartoons that appeared in Playboy Magazine 1958-72, though maybe two or three seem to show any sign of their context (a little boy on ice skates cutting a design of a naked woman with big tatas in the ice, an Egyptologist finding a papyrus "centerfold" of a nude woman, and a vampire shaking salt on the neck of a young woman who does not seem to be wearing anything under the covers ;9 ). I still don't know how to pronounce his first name, though.
Tube: The Invention of Television, by David E Fisher & Marshall John Fisher (1996) - I've just started reading this heavy tome and have already come to the conclusion that they all invented television.
By The Sword: A History of Gladiators, Musketeers, Samurai, Swashbucklers and Olympic Champions, by Richard Cohen (2002) - I read this recently and was struck by how obnoxious so many of these characters were and are. BTW, swashbucklers were guys who struck or bit their shields during battle, for whatever reason they may have had.
Down the Santa Fe Trail and into Mexico: The Diary of Susan Shelby Magoffin, 1846-47, ed by Stella M Drumm (orig pub 1926, reprt 1982) - An interesting account, from a woman's point of view, of travel through what's now Kansas and New Mexico, and parts of northern Mexico at the time of the Mexican-American War. I was aware that there was a push to annex the parts of Mexico now currently part of the US, but had not known that further attempts were made on Chihuahua and neighboring estados as well. Imagine how things would have turned out had they succeeded.
The River war: An Historical Account of the Reconquest of the Sudan, by Winston S Churchill (orig 1899; reprt 2005) - The original version included maps and illustrations, but the second did not, and that is what we have here. Rather depressing, actually,m considering the atrocious waste and life and resources involved, not just the war, but the mad distatorship that was overthrown as a result. A bit patronizing in places, but young Winnie still managed to recognize bravery and intelligence when he encountered it.
Sherman's March: The First Full-Length Narrative of General William T Sherman's Devasting March through George and the Carolinas, by Burke Davis (orig pub 1980; repub 1988) - As my great-grandfather took part in this little jaunt, it's naturally a matter of interest. I had little idea how ragged and dirty everyone got along the way. Gen. Sherman himself certainly had no liking for the things that happened as they merrily roved along, and often stated he wanted nothing better than to hear the war was over so he could go home again.
Beethoven's Hair: An Extraordinary Historiucal Odyssey and a Scientific Mystery Solved, by Russell Martin (2000) - The strange & terrible saga of a lock of Beethoven's hair, removed from his recently dead head by a young admirer and placed in a locket - to be passed on through the man's son and then (WWII intervening) by mysterious ways to the family of a Danish physician, to finally change hands at an auction and arrive in the US. The "scientific mystery" involved was the question of what caused Beethoven's life-long illnesses, and the results of tests [spolier alert] was massive lead poisoning. Interestingly enough, there was no sign of any opioids, no pain killers, though he was certainly in pain during the alst part of his life; apparently he wished to keep his mind clear in order to continue to work on his music, which after all wa sthe main thing.
Prog Rock FAQ: All That's Left to Know About Rock's Most Progressive Music, by Will Romano (2014) - Hard to know what to say about this, a great big book that appears to be more a collection of magazine articles and interviews, not arranged in any particular order. Most of the people and bands he coveres ... I heard of them, but for the most part haven't actually lsitened to their music. Something I need to see about. Or hear about.
Time for dinner, so I'll cut it off here for now. More later.
More stuff, possibly even finishing off the Last Stack of Books that lurks near at hand. So here we go ...
Playboy's Gahan Wilson (1973) - A collection of his cartoons that appeared in Playboy Magazine 1958-72, though maybe two or three seem to show any sign of their context (a little boy on ice skates cutting a design of a naked woman with big tatas in the ice, an Egyptologist finding a papyrus "centerfold" of a nude woman, and a vampire shaking salt on the neck of a young woman who does not seem to be wearing anything under the covers ;9 ). I still don't know how to pronounce his first name, though.
Tube: The Invention of Television, by David E Fisher & Marshall John Fisher (1996) - I've just started reading this heavy tome and have already come to the conclusion that they all invented television.
By The Sword: A History of Gladiators, Musketeers, Samurai, Swashbucklers and Olympic Champions, by Richard Cohen (2002) - I read this recently and was struck by how obnoxious so many of these characters were and are. BTW, swashbucklers were guys who struck or bit their shields during battle, for whatever reason they may have had.
Down the Santa Fe Trail and into Mexico: The Diary of Susan Shelby Magoffin, 1846-47, ed by Stella M Drumm (orig pub 1926, reprt 1982) - An interesting account, from a woman's point of view, of travel through what's now Kansas and New Mexico, and parts of northern Mexico at the time of the Mexican-American War. I was aware that there was a push to annex the parts of Mexico now currently part of the US, but had not known that further attempts were made on Chihuahua and neighboring estados as well. Imagine how things would have turned out had they succeeded.
The River war: An Historical Account of the Reconquest of the Sudan, by Winston S Churchill (orig 1899; reprt 2005) - The original version included maps and illustrations, but the second did not, and that is what we have here. Rather depressing, actually,m considering the atrocious waste and life and resources involved, not just the war, but the mad distatorship that was overthrown as a result. A bit patronizing in places, but young Winnie still managed to recognize bravery and intelligence when he encountered it.
Sherman's March: The First Full-Length Narrative of General William T Sherman's Devasting March through George and the Carolinas, by Burke Davis (orig pub 1980; repub 1988) - As my great-grandfather took part in this little jaunt, it's naturally a matter of interest. I had little idea how ragged and dirty everyone got along the way. Gen. Sherman himself certainly had no liking for the things that happened as they merrily roved along, and often stated he wanted nothing better than to hear the war was over so he could go home again.
Beethoven's Hair: An Extraordinary Historiucal Odyssey and a Scientific Mystery Solved, by Russell Martin (2000) - The strange & terrible saga of a lock of Beethoven's hair, removed from his recently dead head by a young admirer and placed in a locket - to be passed on through the man's son and then (WWII intervening) by mysterious ways to the family of a Danish physician, to finally change hands at an auction and arrive in the US. The "scientific mystery" involved was the question of what caused Beethoven's life-long illnesses, and the results of tests [spolier alert] was massive lead poisoning. Interestingly enough, there was no sign of any opioids, no pain killers, though he was certainly in pain during the alst part of his life; apparently he wished to keep his mind clear in order to continue to work on his music, which after all wa sthe main thing.
Prog Rock FAQ: All That's Left to Know About Rock's Most Progressive Music, by Will Romano (2014) - Hard to know what to say about this, a great big book that appears to be more a collection of magazine articles and interviews, not arranged in any particular order. Most of the people and bands he coveres ... I heard of them, but for the most part haven't actually lsitened to their music. Something I need to see about. Or hear about.
Time for dinner, so I'll cut it off here for now. More later.