#J. Robert Wagoner

[adamwatchesmovies]

Disco Godfather (1979)

Disco Godfather is the most competent of Rudy Ray Moore’s 1970s films. For anyone else, that would be a selling point. For an actor of dubious talent whose fans mostly like him because his movies are accidentally funny, it's a warning. While this action film has some chuckle-worthy scenes and a few pleasant surprises, it’s overwhelmingly dull.

When Bucky (Julius J. Carry III) gets wacked out on angel dust and hospitalized, his uncle Tucker Williams (Rudy Ray Moore), a retired police detective turned rapper/disco club owner, decides to take down the drug dealers who got his nephew hooked. After repeated, failed attempts to make his way up the chain to the boss behind it all, Williams suspects someone in the department can’t be trusted.

Even before the film begins, there are dark clouds ahead. Did that screen just say "Rated PG"?. Yes, this film was made before the creation of the PG-13 rating but all of Moore’s other films had a lot of cursing and sleazy nudity. You might even say it was a selling point. Of course he isn’t actually playing Dolemite or Petey Wheatstraw (same character, really) but you expect someone called "The Disco Godfather" to be juggling a half-dozen women at least. When you realize he isn't, you brace yourself for the worst.

Moore’s other trademarks are all here. There are plenty of "martial arts" action scenes, each less convincing than the last. The punches and kicks are so slow it couldn’t be more obvious that none of them connect. Even if they did, none would cause anyone any kind of injury. As before, you already have a hard time believing Moore’s character would take down any opponent but director J. Robert Wagoner could’ve tried a little harder!

As for the performances, this is where the movie gets more enjoyable (for the wrong reasons). Take a drink every time you think "this person has to be the worst actor in this movie" and you’ll be dead from alcohol poisoning an hour in. There isn’t a convincing line delivery anywhere, and the wooden reactions are made even worse by the horrendous screenplay. At one point, two thugs attack Tucker in his office. He narrowly fends them off and they run away. From the same corridor comes his secretary, acting as if two bruised and bloodied assassinsrunning past her is the most normal thing she’s seen all day. And of course, Tucker doesn’t call the police or report this. I know what you’re thinking, "It’s because he knows there’s a rat in the precinct" but does he think it’s his former best friend Lt. Frank Hayes (Frank Finn)? How could he when the culprit is the most shifty-eyed, forehead-drenched-with-sweat, crooked-cop-if-I’ve-ever-seen-one ever?

Fans of failed cinema will also enjoy the scenes in which Disco Godfather turns into a wannabe Reefer Madness. While PCP isn’t as "harmless" as marijuana, the recovering addicts are so over-the-top you can’t stop yourself from laughing. The testimonies from the worried parents and former addicts preaching to the at-risk youths can’t be taken seriously. The slogan "Attack the Whack" is too goofy to be effective. It takes all of your willpower not to yell "Wiggedy whack!" whenever someone says something or someone is "whack". You might just explode when you hear it accidentally switched to "Whack the Attack". Then, there’s a so-called testimony from a former victim of angel dust and her speech… is NOTHING! It’s treated as an emotional reflection of a difficult life but it sounds like a placeholder that was meant to be swapped out!

The last enjoyable element of the picture are the psychedellic scenes. The special effects range from bad… to really bad. Some of the drug-induced demons we see make the orcs in Ralph Bakshi’s "The Lord of the Rings" look like the ones in Peter Jackson’s films. It comes out of a nowhere so profound and so surprising your face will be stuck in a permanent confused look.

All of this makes Disco Godfather sound like fun if you like bad movies. It would be if all of the boring bits were edited out and only the wackiest scenes remained. Unfortunately, there is indeed a plot and it's so generic it might as well be the first template you get from a free screenwriting software. The characters are so flat, the overall product so predictable and lackluster that you’ll be bored for about 75% of the running time. You’ll remember Moore’s saying "Put your weight on it!" (I still don’t know what that actually means) but little else about Disco Godfather. (June 25, 2021)

[bestiarium]

The Crawfordsville Monster [modern cryptid; urban legend]

As far as modern urban legends go, most sightings of cryptids and creatures tend to fall into one of several recognizable categories: a lake monster, a flying saucer, an ape-like creature, etc. But every once in a while you have something weirder or unique:

On April 5, 1891, a supposed monster was sighted in the skies above Crawfordsville, Indiana, in the USA. A local pastor, Reverend G. Switzer, left his house to get some water from the well in his backyard when he supposedly experienced a strange feeling somewhere between dread and awe. Uncertain what caused this feeling, he looked up to see a large serpent-like being flying through the sky. The snake moved quickly even though there was no wind that night, and seemed like it was about to land, only to change its mind and take off again.

The paster and his wife were not the only witnesses, for that same day the apparition was seen by two workers about to haul ice on their wagon. They were so frightened of the creature that they took shelter until it was out of sight.

The size of the creature varies between stories, putting it somewhere between 16 and 20 feet (5 à 6 meters). It did not have wings – although other accounts added several fins or fin-like structures – but was able to fly by means of writhing movements, not unlike those of a real snake. The monster was white and had no head, or at least no clearly visible head, but it did have a large, brightly burning eye. Despite the lack of a visible head or mouth, the monster emitted a wheezing noise.

The Crawfordsville Daily Journal named the creature ‘the Midnight Wraith’ but today it is more commonly referred to as 'the Crawfordsville Monster'.

When researching this sighting, I came across some very weird UFO theories. While they tend to strain credibility, I admit that it’s fun to theorize about, in a fantasy worldbuilding kind of way. For example, the last source I listed here mentions a theory about atmospheric creatures that live in the clouds of our planet and stay afloat because of their extremely low-density bodies. The Crawfordsville monster, supposedly, could be such a creature.

Several explanations have been put forth. Some claimed it was a spirit. Professor Robert Burton assumed that the witnesses might simply have been under influence of alcohol or drugs. A later sighting in the same location put forth a simpler, albeit anticlimactic, explanation: two men followed the flying ‘monster’ around until it came close enough for them to identify it as a giant flock of killdeer birds: local birds with a distinct white belly. There were several hundred of them in the flock, and the birds’ erratic flight pattern might have been caused by their confusion from the electric lights, and the many moving ‘fins’ of the monster would have been the wings of the different birds. Perhaps exhaustion in the early hour, combined with the dark night sky, caused the ice haulers and the pastor to mistake the flock for a monster.

Sources: Clark, J., 2005, Unnatural Phenomena: A Guide to the Bizarre Wonders of North America, Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 408 pp., 160 pp., p. 87-88. Zach, K. B., 2003, Crawfordsville, Athens of Indiana, Arcadia Publishing, p. 140-141. Hunt, C. M., 2023, Ghosts & Legends of Crawfordsville, Indiana. Haunted America, Arcadia Publishing, 160 pp., p. 12-18.

(image source 1: Mart, T.S. & Cabre, M., 2021, A Guide To Sky Monsters : Thunderbirds, The Jersey Devil, Mothman, and Other Flying Cryptids, Indiana University Press, 174 pp.) (image source: Enshohma on Deviantart)

[elk96]

Connection -Part 3 (Final Part)

Pairing; J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy's Portrayal x doctor reader)

Word Count: 1505

Warnings: mentions of depression, slight mentions of suicidal thoughts.

The rain was tapping on the glass loudly, creating a calming buzz, interrupted by loud thunder. His heart sat tightly in his chest, his mouth dry. That had to stop. He couldn't keep on spending his evenings like that, he had work to do. 

y/N sighed, rubbed her eyes. She looked at the book he had clutched in his hands.

"How did you like it"?

Robert sucked in a breath. "It was excellent. Most…most enlightening".

"You felt you could relate huh", she asked pleasantly, and he nodded. 

"Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart", she quoted. Her patient nodded, a small smile feathering on his face.

She shifted on her seat, crossed her arms infront of her. Light conversation was over.

"You're of unusual intelligence Robert. Perhaps a bit more than large. I see that very clearly. And…my honest opinion is that you will find your way, eventually. You'll find a way to heal and step up to the circumstances. I'm here to help you do it quickly and without further consequences. I can't do that if you don't let me".

I won't judge you, her eyes promised, and Robert felt the truth in her words.

"I shouldn't have done that", he whispered.

"But you did do it. Because you felt something".

He dismissed whatever he'd felt with a nod. 

"All feelings are valid, Robert".

"I respect him greatly".

"I know".

"He makes me look like an idiot. He's charismatic, he's…smart"- his voice cracked painfully- "and… he deserves his reputation…".

"I don't give a damn about Blackett".

"Then why did you meet with him"? he asked sharply. He lowered his head. "I felt jealous, I guess. And…this couldn't go on for much longer. All the shame, and, the…the failure,.…-he was cruel.…Punishing".

He drew in a sharp breath in an attempt to calm himself down. 

"I didn't want him to die"! he rasped out in desperation. "I just left the apple there…and after that the incident didn't cross my mind at all, but, while I was asleep…".

He swallowed harshly and wiped a stray tear.

She was waiting for him to continue, posture calm and inviting, the smallest of smiles on her lips. As if it was all alright. As if it was normal.

"You're not your thoughts or your emotions, Robert", she said, almost guessing what was on his mind. "You're the witness of them. Everybody at some point of their life has felt jealous and angry, and whatnot. The fact that some people do not know how to control these emotions is not their fault".

Tears had started streaming down his face. His voice was faint, like the feel of moisture on their skin. "Who's is it"?

y/N shrugged. "Perhaps your parents', your teachers', your professors', your friends', the butcher's in your neighborhood. It doesn't matter".

The knot in his stomach pulled again-but this time it was kinder. It was from sympathy. 

"We're all broken, that's how the light gets in", she mumbled softly.

"Did…someone write that too"?

Her smile broadened. "Ernest Hemingway. Start with "The Sun Also Rises". You'll love it. Did you do any laboratory work these days? ", she then asked. 

Robert shook his head. "I don't want to go back there".

"Understandable. You know…at some point, you'll have to forgive yourself Robert".

He let out an ironic chuckle, but when he returned his gaze at her, his eyes were pleading. 

He felt as if he was standing at the edge of a cliff and was teetering between jumping on his own volition or being pushed over. Better leave on your own terms, he thought. His teeth were chattering-weirdly, because, everybody knew he'd done something so much worse. 

  "Yesterday…", he began with a shaky voice, "I was in the same wagon as a young lady and her boyfriend,- and they were kissing and I just… I don't know why…When he left…I kissed her… ".

A small sob made his shoulders wobble. "I can't control myself anymore", he whispered  in a small voice and as if to prove his words, tears started streaming down his cheeks hugging the corners of his jaw. 

He pushed himself to stop-it felt dangerous to have a psychiatrist hear him talk, see him unravel in front of her, but it was easier with her. 

He felt as if a weight was lifted off of his shoulders, as if she was there, to help, to reach out…and-and guide him. 

He shouldn't have done that- he wasn't responsible for his actions anymore…! but-

A gentle, warm hand came to rest on the back of his head. Robert released his face from his hands, only to see her close to him, her expression one of…of sympathy. 

Unbelievable though it was for him…she was there. Even when he wanted to cut his skin open-be freed, finally, from all these thoughts…

He took her hand and felt her warmth carry inside him, the most precious comfort. 

—-----------

~2 Months Later~

The sweet days of April had arrived, and the sun had begun to shake off the winter's mist. Moisture didn't stick to people's clothes anymore, they could hold pleasant conversations in their walks, unafraid of stepping in dirty water ponds. Robert found himself squinting his eyes so as to protect them from the sunlight and smiled to himself. 

He'd learned how to walk with his head straight up again, his heart felt surprisingly light, all thanks to that young doctor he'd been seeing. 

Today, however, he had one more reason to be happy: he was finally free. Off, to make a new beginning. 

He observed the little park across Dr. y/LN' office, the heaviness of the wooden staircase that led him there. His stomach clenched uneasily-not because he was ashamed or…afraid. He'd gotten rid of those feelings. Because of her. 

And this would be the last time he saw her.

She couldn't afford a secretary, at the age of 23 she had little clientele and therefore small paychecks. He knocked hesitantly at the door of her office.  He closed his eyes heavily upon hearing her happy voice. Not often would she get an unexpected patient, he supposed.

He walked to the tiny reception room, but while he was three steps in she called out to him. Either by smell or the sound of his footsteps, she'd recognised him.

"Hello Robert, good evening", she said, and he followed her inside. 

This time he ignored the comfortable armchair, eyes focused on her face.

"Won't you sit"? she asked.

He nodded with a sight.

Chewing lightly on her bottom lip-she did that while she was thinking sometimes- she examined his features for a few moments.

He cleared his throat, divided the weigh between the left and right foot. "I'm leaving Cambridge", he announced awkwardly, and she smiled, as if she'd already guessed it.

"I'll be going to Göttingen. It's…a theoretical physics university".

"Good. You'll…you will thrive there, I'm sure".

"I came to say goodbye. I thought I should…"

"Yeah, I'm glad you did", she muttered, unable to escape the uncomfortable energy that had settled in the room. 

She reached for him, they shook hands. Robert closed his eyes, grateful for the warmth of her. His breath itches when he feels her fingers tangle with his own- it's a new feeling…more…personal.

And then-oh good god- he feels rather than sees her rise to her toes, leaning in to press her lips on his. He doesn't dare breathe, scared the moment will just shatter. He can't bring himself to move either, he doesn't know what to do, it's his first time, and what if she thinks it's rejection?

She doesn't; she knows him better than his mother, better than he knows himself. She pulls back, opens her eyes, smiles at him. Her hand comes to cup his cheek, but at the corners of her eyes tears begin to swell. 

He leans in this time, feels the softness of her lips, inhales her perfume. She parts his lips with her tongue, and then it's just wetness and warmth. She sucks on his bottom lip, he explores her mouth, and it's so so different from that stupid kiss he'd had with that stranger. She sighs in his mouth and before his heart begins to flourish from the happiness she pulls back again.

Tears roll down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that, I'm your doctor", she blurts out in embarrassment. 

She fidgets with the hem of her skirt, Robert just stands there, unsure of how to act.

"This doesn't change anything by the way-and don't think it's out of putty!-I-I haven't told anyone. I'll send my report on Göttingen, and you'll be alright. I promise".

"I'll write to you", he promises.

She swallows harshly. Her hand somehow finds his again.

"When will you be leaving"?

Robert hugs her by the shoulder, brings her body flush against his.

"In a three day's time".

She lifts her face to meet his lips, and this time his heart guides him.

---------

I just wanted to thank those who like and reblogged the first two parts and gave me the motivation to finish this silly little story.

I didn't particularly like it's development, but I guess they deserved to have an ending.

And this final sceneI love.

Please tell me what you think if you read it!!!

[freetheshit-outofyou]

Let me put it in simple and hopefully you understand it skippy. This past election was fair. The ballot counting was part of a process that was legal in terms of how different States handle their elections. Democrats won and Republicans won. Same ballot for both. Same election. So are we all to believe that when Republicans win. It's a fair election. When Democrats win. It's rigged? You've been told this from a failed game show host in the last election. He's butt hurt because he lost. You're butt hurt because the "Big Red Wave" didn't happen. There's no 2000 mules. There's no fucking Santa Claus either.

It's like someone grabbed the stupid tree today and gave it a big hard shake and it's now raining political retards. I digress. (Oh, and yes I know I'm an ableist, it comes form being 100% disabled and being shit on but the very people who wait in the wings to call me an ableist. You can fuck right off.) This post is long, just warning you up front.

Ok Sport, let me try to break this down into little bitty words that you can digest and maybe learn something in the process. Ok, Little One? If you think any election in, say the last 20 years, was fair you are fooling yourself. I’m not talking about ballot box stuffing, I’m not talking about laws requiring I.D.’s or even voter intimidation at the polling locations, I’m talking about the long long game that is being played by both sides but most effectively by Democrats. Are you still following along there Bub? Because, I generally don’t pour my political leanings out here, I can see where lots of scary guns might lead you to believe I’m part of the Red Wave band wagon rather than someone who just wants the government to do what it was originally asked with and stop the ever expanding roll they want to play in EVERYONE day to day life. I’m going to give you that, Princess. I give credit where credit is due and Democrats have the best long game in the political arena, a big part of that is they keep people in power for decades and then get pissed when people are given seats to the bench for a life time because we all know they would love life time seats in Congress. Think I’m wrong there Squirt, follow me down the road of the longest serving member of congress. Of the top 25 longest serving members of congress 15 of them are Democrats.  1.           Robert C. Byrd (D-WV)    Jan 3, 1959-Jun 28, 2010               51 years, 5 months, 26 days

2.            Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI)   Jan 3, 1963-Dec 17, 2012              49 years, 11 months, 15 days

3.            Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT)   Jan 3, 1975-present                        47 years, 7 month, 22 days

4.            Edward M. Kennedy (Ted) (D-MA) Nov 7, 1962-Aug 25, 2009 46 years, 9 months, 19 days

5.            Carl T. Hayden (D-AZ)      Mar 4, 1927-Jan 3, 1969               41 years, 10 months

6.            John C. Stennis (D-MS)    Nov 5, 1947-Jan 3, 1989               41 years, 1 month, 29 days

7.            Fritz Hollings (D-SC)         Nov 9, 1966-Jan 3, 2005 38 years, 1 month, 25 days

8.            Richard B. Russell, Jr. (D-GA)        Jan 12, 1933-Jan 21, 1971            38 years, 10 days

9.            Russell B. Long (D-LA)     Dec 31, 1948-Jan 3, 1987              38 years, 3 days

10.         James O. Eastland (D-MS) Jun 30, 1941-Sep 28, 1941 and Jan 3, 1943-Dec 27, 1978 36 years, 2 months, 24 days

11.         Warren G. Magnuson (D-WA)      Dec 14, 1944-Jan 3,1981               36 years, 20 days

12.         Joe Biden (D-DE)              Jan 3, 1973-Jan 15, 2009               36 years, 13 days

13.         Carl Levin (D-MI)              Jan 3, 1979-Jan 3, 2015  36 years

14.         Claiborne Pell (D-RI)        Jan 3, 1961-Jan 3, 1997  36 years

15.         Kenneth D. McKellar (D-TN)         Mar 4, 1917-Jan 3, 1953 35 years, 10 months

The Republicans have 10 on that list they don’t even enter the list until number 6, there is one exception and I’ll loop back to that. 1.            Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT)      Jan 3, 1977-Jan 3, 2019          42 years 2.            Chuck Grassley (R-IA)    Jan 3, 1981-present                 41 years, 7 month, 22 days

3.            Ted Stevens (R-AK)          Dec 24, 1968-Jan 3, 2009              40 years, 10 days

4.            Thad Cochran (R-MS)      Dec 27, 1978-Apr 1, 2018             39 years, 3 months, 6 days

5.            Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Jan 3, 1985-present                   37 years, 7 month, 22 days

6.            Francis E. Warren (R-WY) Nov 18, 1890-Mar 3, 1893 and Mar 4, 1895-Nov 24, 1929 37 years, 4 days

7.            Pete V. Domenici (R-NM) Jan 3, 1973-Jan 3, 2009              36 years

8.            Richard G. Lugar (R-IN)   Jan 3, 1977-Jan 3, 2013                36 years 9.            Milton R. Young (R-ND)  Mar 12, 1945-Jan 3, 1981             35 years, 9 months, 22 days Then we have Strom Thurmond who played both sides at one point serving as first a Democrat who holds the filibuster record by a single senator speaking for 24 hours and 18 minuets in 1957 to block the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957. He would change parties in 1964 to be a Republican. He is also the only senator to still be serving at 100 freaking years old. (Strom Thurmond (D, R-SC)    Dec 14, 1954-Apr 4, 1956 and Nov 7, 1956-Jan 3, 2003 47 years, 5 months, 8 days)

 I have always given credit to Democrats for their long game, When they are put in power regardless of level have a stack of plans ready to go. Those plans are almost always contrary to what the PEOPLE want but 110% what the Democrat power base and interests want. (See Mr. Biden, day one.) In contrast Republicans talk about plans and what they will do when given power and when they have it they stand there with shocked looks on their faces and their hand devoid of any plan, so they shoot from the hip and miss every mark. (See 2016’s repeal and replace of the ACA.)  But Democrats maneuvering start at street level, and they are effective at it. Where Republicans “Work” if you can call it that at the mid-level. (See redistricting that booted Rep. Sean Maloney (NY). They all do it, if you think they don’t you’re diluting yourself.

There is always talk of ballot box stuffing, ballot harvesting, gerrymandering and the like, more so since CoVID. If you think it’s not happening again see the line above this. It’s happening on both sides, I’m not saying that out of some conspiracy theory, Alex Jones thought process I’m saying it because it’s human nature. Humans cheat at things to win for the sake of the win, and they will cheat more often when they think their chances of being caught are lowest, our voting laws have made that evident. Case in point, I have opted out of every election cycles mail in ballot process since Nevada started doing it, Every cycle I get a mail in ballot, this year I got two? When you go to the poling location they ask you if you have your mail in ballot, I tell them no I burned them. If you do have it, it is dropped into a box and who knows what is done with it. I would prefer it was dropped into a shredder there in front of the voter to remove any doubt of what happed to it but that’s just me. I’d also prefer if mail in ballots were opt-in rather than opt-out. In the 20+ years I was in the Army I had to opt-in for an absentee ballot, I was not just sent one by default. So when I say I give Democrats credit for their ability to advance plan, have plans on hand when needed and their insane ability to keep old ass fuckers in elected seats I truly mean it.

Now, little buddy let’s talk about money and the media. Because none of this happens without the media and money. This is the root of how politicians get rich in office and how “interests” grease the wheels. It is not the mom and pop donor that is feeding the Democrats 1,222,701,185 in 2022 or the 1,010,083,760 to the Republicans it is big money donors that want hand have the ears of the very people they are pouring cash all over. Sure that bump that the individual donor add stacks up but there is a reason we get a text, a robocall, or an email and George Sporos and Richard Uihlein get a phone call they also get direct access to those in power (See the 2016 State Department emails to and from Chris Canavan of the Soros Fund Management and Assistant-Secretary of State Victoria Nuland Soros at that time was trying to used his direct access to the State Department to effect movement of his “vision of Ukrain” via our State Department. Soros would be part of a call with the State department 6 days after the emails were sent.) As if it wasn’t enough that massive donors have direct access to upper ends of the Government to ensure their political will the US Government itself actively worked to stop the flow of money to political opponents. (See the IRS admitting that it targeted Tea Party and Conservative 501(c)(3) and (c)(4)  organizations between 2009 and 2012. Now Sweet pants we get to the media. I’m not going to beat this dead horse very long because it kicks up the flies BUT, it is well documented that mainstream media, online networks and social media have made direct and intentional moves to suppress news that would shine as discouraging light on Democrats while highlighting stories that would show Republicans in an unflattering light. Do you remember the Trump Russian Collusion buttfuck? Of have you, like the media washed that from your mind Comrade? What about the Hunter Biden lap top that was such a work of fiction that Twitter ban people for sharing the story and the mainstream media refused to cover even the Idea of it, and yet here we are with state and federal official investigating it now years later because of it validity. I know you just want to counter with “But Fox news”, Christ Little Britches why in the hell would Fox not be a Right side propaganda outlet when CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, The Times, The Post , and hundred maybe thousands of subsidiary outlets of video and print are doing it for the Left? In conclusion Sport, your entire statement, your entire conclusion is wrong about me. I’m not sure where you dreamed it up from or how you put it together from my posts but than you for playing Bucky.

[ninelivesart]

2023 Draw My Reads

Here is a full list of all the books I read in 2023 and links to the art I’ve made for them.

Just a few quick notes. I didn’t make art for everything I read. I also fell off the wagon a bit toward the end and went through an art block. Not sure if I’ll continue this project into 2024 but I might do some variation. We’ll see.

Also, I read some absolutely filthy (and ridiculous) stuff sometimes. So be warned.

*Sequels will have an asterisk. First book in series will be in parenthesis.

January

1. Alpha Wolf* by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti (Caged Wolf)

2. Feral Wolf* by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti (Caged Wolf)

3. Constantine: Distorted Illusions by Kami Garcia and Isaac Goodhart

4. The Ballad of Never After* by Stephanie Garber (Once Upon a Broken Heart)

5. Wicked Beauty* by Katee Robert (Neon Gods)

6. Vicious by V.E. Schwab

7. Hell Bent* by Leigh Bardugo (Ninth House)

Total (so far): 7

February

1. How Y’all Doing by Leslie Jordan

2. Vengeful* by V.E. Schwab (Vicious)

3. A Court of Mist and Fury* by Sarah J. Maas (A Court of Thorns and Roses)

4. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

Total (so far): 11

March

1. Kingdom of Flesh and Fire* by Jennifer L. Armentrout (From Blood and Ash)

2. The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

3. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

4. Scarlet* by Marissa Meyer (Cinder)

5. Cress* by Marissa Meyer (Cinder)

Total (so far): 16

April

1. Winter* by Marissa Meyer (Cinder)

2. A Soul to Keep by Opal Reyne

3. Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

4. Lauren’s Barbarian* by Ruby Dixon (Ice Planet Barbarians, spinoff series)

Total (so far): 20

May

1. Harvest House by Cynthia Leitich Smith

2. The Song of the Marked by S.M. Gaither

3. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

4. Fable by Adrienne Young

5. Bea Wolf by Weinersmith

6. Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes

Total (so far): 26

June

1. A Ruin of Roses by K.F. Breene

2. Veronica’s Dragon* by Ruby Dixon (Ice Planet Barbarians, spinoff series)

3. Willa’s Beast* by Ruby Dixon (Ice Planet Barbarians, spinoff series)

4. Over My Dead Body by Sweeney Boo

5. Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey

6. A Court of Silver Flames* by Sarah J. Maas (A Court of Thorns and Roses)

7. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Total (so far): 33

July

1. Zodiac Academy: Beyond the Veil* by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti (Zodiac Academy: The Awakening)

2. The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen

3. The Traitor Queen* by Danielle L. Jensen (The Bridge Kingdom)

4. The Little Library Cookbook by Kate Young

5. Sheets by Brenna Thummler

6. Cackle by Rachel Harrison

7. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

8. The Borderlands Princess by Ophelia Wells Langley

9. Bride of the Shadow King by Sylvia Mercedes

10. Vow of the Shadow King* by Sylvia Mercedes (Bride of the Shadow King)

11. Angie’s Gladiator* by Ruby Dixon (Ice Planet Barbarians spinoff series)

12. Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

13. Gail’s Family* by Ruby Dixon (Ice Planet Barbarians spinoff series)

14. Hanna’s Hero* by Ruby Dixon (Ice Planet Barbarians spinoff series)

15. Devi’s Distraction* by Ruby Dixon (Ice Planet Barbarians spinoff series)

16. Destination Alien Bride by Dee J. Holmes

Total (so far): 49

August

1. Destination Alien Mate* by Dee J. Holmes (Destination Alien Bride)

2. Gilded by Marissa Meyer

3. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

4. Cursed* by Marissa Meyer (Gilded)

5. Nadine’s Champion* by Ruby Dixon (Ice Planet Barbarians spinoff series)

6. Callie’s Catastrophe* by Ruby Dixon (Ice Planet Barbarians spinoff series)

7. Ice Planet Honeymoon* by Ruby Dixon (Ice Planet Barbarians)

8. Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell

9. I’m in Love with Mothman by Paige Lavoie

Total (so far): 58

September

1. Cryptid Club by Sarah Andersen

2. Radiant Sin* by Katee Robert (Neon Gods)

3. Ice Planet Honeymoon: Raahosh and Liz* by Ruby Dixon (Ice Planet Barbarians)

4. The Okay Witch by Emma Steinkellner

5. Throne in the Dark by A.K. Caggiano

6. Ice Planet Honeymoon: Aehako and Kira* by Ruby Dixon (Ice Planet Barbarians)

7.  A Soul to Heal by Opal Reyne* (A Soul to Keep)

8. Ice Planet Honeymoon: Rukh and Harlow by Ruby Dixon* (Ice Planet Barbarians)

9. The Barbarian Before Christmas by Ruby Dixon* (Ice Planet Barbarians)

10. Penny’s Protector by Ruby Dixon* (Ice Planet Barbarians spinoff series)

11. Mari’s Mistake by Ruby Dixon* (Ice Planet Barbarians spinoff series)

12. Raven’s Return by Ruby Dixon* (Ice Planet Barbarians spinoff series)

Total (so far): 70

October

1. Bridget’s Bane by Ruby Dixon* (Ice Planet Barbarians spinoff series)

2. Steph’s Outcast by Ruby Dixon* (Ice Planet Barbarians spinoff series)

3. Sam’s Secret by Ruby Dixon* (Ice Planet Barbarians spinoff series)

4. Daisy’s Decision by Ruby Dixon* (Ice Planet Barbarians spinoff series)

5. Flor’s Fiasco by Ruby Dixon* (Ice Planet Barbarians spinoff series)

6. R’jaal’s Resonance by Ruby Dixon* (Ice Planet Barbarians spinoff series)

7. Forged by Magic by Jenna Wolfheart

8. A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

9.  A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber* (Once Upon a Broken Heart)

Total (so far): 79

November

1. The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

2. Namesake by Adrienne Young* (Fable)

3. Blackwater by Jeannette Arroyo and Ren Graham

4. Surviving Skarr by Ruby Dixon* (Ice Planet Barbarians Spinoff series)

5. Squad by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle

6. Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson* (Sorcery of Thorns)

7. Destination Alien Treasure by Dee J Holmes* (Destination Alien Bride)

8. Zodiac Academy: Origins of an Academy Bully by Susanne Valenti and Caroline Peckham* (Zodiac Academy: The Awakening)

9. When She’s Ready by Ruby Dixon

10. When She’s Married by Ruby Dixon* (When She’s Ready)

11. When She Purrs by Ruby Dixon* (When She’s Ready)

12. When She Belongs by Ruby Dixon* (When She’s Ready)

Total (so far): 91

December

1. The Dreaming Forest by LB Black

2. Gold by Raven Kennedy* (Gild)

3. Chained to Krampus by KL Wyatt

4. Once Upon a Dream by Liz Braswell* (Series of standalones)

Total Reads For 2023: 95

My goal was to read 90 books and I beat that by 5. I think I’m going to set my reading goal to just 80 this year. Just to give myself a little more freedom. I did read a lot of really short books just to get my number up and I’d rather just focus on reading whatever I want.

Shortest book read: Ice Planet Honeymoon: Raahosh and Liz by Ruby Dixon

Longest book read: Winter by Marissa Meyer

Current read started in 2023 but will finish in 2024: The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

[denimbex1986]

'Welcome to being a movie fan in the 21st Century, folks. It's not a new phenomenon for the weeks and months leading up to a major blockbuster to be filled with all sorts of hot takes and rampant speculation, but never have we been subjected to that through constant, unfiltered social media reactions. Sometimes, it takes the form of really fun and organic viral sensations (happy #Barbenheimer, one and all!) but, other times, you find yourself staring at a series of ill-informed and wildly off-base tweets making up the wildest claims about a movie — a movie which many of those opinionated individuals haven't even seen yet. "Oppenheimer," for better and worse, has been subject to both extreme ends of the spectrum.

That's not exactly a new development for Christopher Nolan, a director who has inadvertently attracted the most vocal movie fans out there. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone without strong opinions on his "The Dark Knight" trilogy, but even his various original and non-IP films have given audiences a roadmap to tap into his biggest interests, fears, and fixations. That means the inevitable passage of time, recurring portrayals of dead wives/girlfriends, and the fact that the vast majority of his movies embody a very white perspective and worldview.

This is all present and accounted for in "Oppenheimer," admittedly, but a new wrinkle has been added to the mix. Ahead of Nolan's most overtly political film yet, certain segments of moviegoers have sounded the alarm bells and embraced a narrative that his interpretation of the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, "Father of the Atomic Bomb," might somehow justify the horrific killings of hundreds of thousands of innocents. Thankfully, those unfounded fears were never even a remote possibility in the first place.

'The power to destroy ourselves'

Somebody once wrote a line of dialogue about how "You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain," put it in their breakout superhero movie, and all but predicted how bad-faith detractors would attempt to take him down a peg for years to come. Was Chris Nolan a self-fulfilling prophet? A student of history? Or was he just someone with the common sense to look around him and recognize what was what?

If the past really is our best signifier of the future, then it feels truly misguided to look at the filmmaker's past body of work and jump to conclusions that "Oppenheimer" would take the most didactic approach of them all. Not that anyone as privileged as Nolan needs us to circle the wagons on his behalf, but he's clearly made a career out of taking the moral quandaries inherent within complex, oftentimes contradictory characters and testing these to their breaking point in the most extreme of circumstances. After all, that's how we end up with movies about Bruce Wayne becoming an outlaw to save Gotham City, a pair of dueling magicians losing themselves in their obsessions, and a profoundly broken, guilt-ridden man committing an illegal mind heist to be reunited with his kids. Even "Dunkirk," arguably the most straightforward tale of heroism in Nolan's filmography, ends not on the stirring image of a captured British warplane essentially burning in effigy, but a disconcerting close-up on the soldier who only just barely survived this ordeal realizing he'll soon be shipped out to face even greater dangers to come.

Does any of this suggest a storyteller who'd strip the horror out of the most horrific act in human warfare ... or, instead, interpret it as yet another cautionary tale?

'American Prometheus'

For the moment, forget the fact that "American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer," the imposing biography written by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin that "Oppenheimer" is based on, refuses to pull any punches about the complicated legacy of its subject matter. Set aside the reams of documented, historical evidence that the United States' pretext for dropping the bombs on Japan was considered flimsy, even at the time. No, there's an even simpler explanation as to why "Oppenheimer" never even entertained the notion of being a "pro-nuclear bomb" movie: Where would any of the conflict or drama be in that?

There's a reason why the film begins with the haunting quote about the Greek god Prometheus stealing the fire of the gods and gifting it to us mere mortals ... only to be subsequently punished for eternity. Naturally, we then open on a young Oppenheimer already feeling tortured by visions of the quantum universe that only he can see — visions that, disturbingly, resemble violent nuclear explosions. Human nature, the film is practically screaming at its audience right from its earliest moments, will always trend towards self-destruction. Not only is this the quintessential archetype of a Nolan protagonist, but it's also the only dramatic interpretation of Oppenheimer's life that would merit devoting three whole hours to diving into his psychology.

There's a hypothetical, made-up version of "Oppenheimer" that would've actually lined up with the one concocted in the minds of the skeptics — one that's nothing but flag-waving jingoism (probably made by the same folks behind "Sound of Freedom") about how great America is at winning wars and proving doubters wrong. But the much richer text we received instead dares to confront horrible truths about our worst instincts. Because why else make this movie?

'Theory will take you only so far'

A little more than halfway through "Oppenheimer," after reports of Hitler's self-inflicted death and the fall of Nazi Germany come trickling in, the script goes out of its way to literalize the main conceit of the film. After Oppenheimer crashes a meeting of colleagues to discuss the effects of their "gadget" on the wider world, Nolan stages an actual debate about the ethics of dropping the atomic bombs on Japan. Informed that Japan's defeat seems "imminent" and that using their invention would inflict untold harm upon the world, Oppenheimer counters that world leaders can only "fear" and "understand" the weapon if they use it. When he offers up his pie-in-the-sky belief that all war will be unthinkable in a post-nuclear bomb world, the tepid applause his speech inspires only underlines his naïveté and denial.

Ever wonder how "Oppy" could convince himself to continue his work while compartmentalizing the devastating effects it would inevitably have on innocents caught in the blast? So does physicist Niels Bohr (Kenneth Branagh), who bestows the "American Prometheus" title on Oppenheimer and calls for international nuclear disarmament. So does the security council, when Roger Robb (Jason Clarke) calls out Oppenheimer's hypocrisy over when exactly he first began to develop "moral qualms" about his work. 

There are approximately dozens of examples like this throughout the mammoth runtime, where "Oppenheimer" doesn't really tip its hand so much as it slaps us in the face with the cold reality of the entire Manhattan Project. Theory will only take you so far, Oppenheimer's friend Ernest Lawrence (Josh Hartnett) puts it early on. If only those who assumed this adaptation would be "pro-nuke" followed that advice, set their prejudgment aside, and just ... watched the movie.'

[byneddiedingo]

It's Always Fair Weather (Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen, 1955) Cast: Gene Kelly, Dan Dailey, Cyd Charisse, Dolores Gray, Michael Kidd, David Burns, Jay C. Flippen. Screenplay: Betty Comden, Adolph Green. Cinematography: Robert J. Bronner. Art direction: Cedric Gibbons, Arthur Lonergan. Film editing: Adrienne Fazan. Music: André Previn, songs by André Previn, Betty Comden, Adolph Green. Since they satirized (albeit mildly) Hollywood and Broadway in their screenplays for Singin' in the Rain (Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen, 1952) and The Band Wagon (Vincente Minnelli, 1953), it seems almost inevitable that Betty Comden and Adolph Green should set their sights on television, and particularly TV advertising, in the screenplay for It's Always Fair Weather. Maybe it's just that television was seen as the enemy in Hollywood, but the last in their triad of MGM musicals of the 1950s seems a little sharper in tone than than the other two. The movie scores some nice hits on TV tearjerker shows like Ralph Edwards's This Is Your Life and on absurd commercials: The row of dancing soapboxes is a hit at the actual commercial in which a dancer wore a giant Old Gold cigarette pack. The unsentimental tone is there from the very beginning, when after a trio of just-demobilized GIs vows to reunite and celebrate their friendship ten years later, the film jumps ahead to a sour and disillusioning revelation of their midlife failures. Ted Riley (Gene Kelly) has become something of a lowlife, the manager of a boxer he won in a crap game; Angie Valentine (Michael Kidd) had wanted to become a famous chef, but runs a hamburger joint in Schenectady that he calls the Cordon Bleu; and Doug Hallerton (Dan Dailey), once an aspiring artist, is now an advertising executive with a sour stomach and an impending divorce. It all ends well, of course, with the help of a brainy TV producer played by Cyd Charisse and her feather-brained star played by Dolores Gray. Although André Previn's song score is only passable, it supports some fine production numbers staged by Kelly and Donen that take full advantage of the CinemaScope screen, like the trio in which Kelly, Dailey, and Kidd dance with garbage can lids on their feet, or the split-screen effect in which they perform a perfectly synchronized number with each in a different setting. Kelly gets one of his big solo numbers, a kind of echo of the celebrated "Singin' in the Rain" routine, but this time on roller skates, and Dailey, Charisse, and Gray also have good solos. (Kidd, better known as choreographer than performer, got shorted.) I think one reason that It's Always Fair Weather may not have the reputation of the other MGM musicals of the period is that when it came time to release it on television, the big numbers had to be chopped up, panned-and-scanned for small TV screens. Fortunately, it works well letterboxed on today's bigger, wider screens.

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 9.16 (before 1970)

681 – Pope Honorius I is posthumously excommunicated by the Sixth Ecumenical Council. 1400 – Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales by his followers. 1620 – Pilgrims set sail for Virginia from Plymouth, England in the Mayflower. 1701 – James Francis Edward Stuart, sometimes called the "Old Pretender", becomes the Jacobite claimant to the thrones of England and Scotland. 1732 – In Campo Maior, Portugal, a storm hits the Armory and a violent explosion ensues, killing two-thirds of its inhabitants. 1776 – American Revolutionary War: The Battle of Harlem Heights is fought. 1779 – American Revolutionary War: The Franco-American Siege of Savannah begins. 1810 – With the Grito de Dolores, Father Miguel Hidalgo begins Mexico's fight for independence from Spain. 1822 – French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel, in a "note" read to the Academy of Sciences, reports a direct refraction experiment verifying David Brewster's hypothesis that photoelasticity (as it is now known) is stress-induced birefringence. 1863 – Robert College, in Istanbul, the first American educational institution outside the United States, is founded by Christopher Robert, an American philanthropist. 1880 – The Cornell Daily Sun prints its first issue in Ithaca, New York. 1893 – Settlers make a land run for prime land in the Cherokee Strip in Oklahoma. 1908 – The General Motors Corporation is founded. 1914 – World War I: The Siege of Przemyśl (present-day Poland) begins. 1920 – The Wall Street bombing: A bomb in a horse wagon explodes in front of the J. P. Morgan building in New York City killing 38 and injuring 400. 1940 – World War II: Italian troops conquer Sidi Barrani. 1943 – World War II: The German Tenth Army reports that it can no longer contain the Allied bridgehead around Salerno. 1945 – World War II: The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong comes to an end. 1953 – American Airlines Flight 723 crashes in Colonie, New York, killing 28 people. 1955 – The military coup to unseat President Juan Perón of Argentina is launched at midnight. 1955 – A Soviet Zulu-class submarine becomes the first to launch a ballistic missile. 1956 – TCN-9 Sydney is the first Australian television station to commence regular broadcasts. 1959 – The first successful photocopier, the Xerox 914, is introduced in a demonstration on live television from New York City. 1961 – The United States National Hurricane Research Project drops eight cylinders of silver iodide into the eyewall of Hurricane Esther. Wind speed reduces by 10%, giving rise to Project Stormfury. 1961 – Typhoon Nancy, with possibly the strongest winds ever measured in a tropical cyclone, makes landfall in Osaka, Japan, killing 173 people. 1961 – Pakistan establishes its Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission with Abdus Salam as its head. 1963 – Malaysia is formed from the Federation of Malaya, Singapore, North Borneo (Sabah) and Sarawak. However, Singapore is soon expelled from this new country. 1966 – The Metropolitan Opera House opens at Lincoln Center in New York City with the world premiere of Samuel Barber's opera Antony and Cleopatra.

[pgoeltz]

Right outside this lazy summer home

You ain't got time to call your soul a critic, no

Right outside the lazy gate of winter's summer home

Wondering where the nut-thatch winters

Wings a mile long just carried the bird away

Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world

The heart has its beaches, its homeland and thoughts of its own

Wake now, discover that you are the song that the morning brings

But the heart has its seasons, its evenings and songs of its own

There comes a redeemer, and he slowly too fades away

There follows his wagon behind him that's loaded with clay

And the seeds that were silent all burst into bloom, and decay

And night comes so quiet, it's close on the heels of the day

Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world

The heart has its beaches, its homeland and thoughts of its own

Wake now, discover that you are the song that the morning brings

But the heart has its seasons, it's evenings and songs of its own

Sometimes we live no particular way but our own

Sometimes we visit your country and live in your home

Sometimes we ride on your horses, sometimes we walk alone

Sometimes the songs that we hear are just songs of our own

Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world

The heart has its beaches, its homeland and thoughts of its own

Wake now, discover that you are the song that the morning brings

But the heart has its seasons, it's evenings and songs of its own

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Jerome J. Garcia / Robert C. Hunter

Eyes of the World lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc

@pgoeltzcookiman

[ulkaralakbarova]

An itinerant farmer and his young son help a heart-of-gold saloon singer search for her estranged husband. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Matt Calder: Robert Mitchum Kay Weston: Marilyn Monroe Harry Weston: Rory Calhoun Mark Calder: Tommy Rettig Dave Colby: Murvyn Vye Sam Benson: Douglas Spencer Minister at Tent City (uncredited): Arthur Shields Young Punk (uncredited): Larry Chance Prospector (uncredited): Chuck Hicks Dance Hall Girl (uncredited): Ann McCrea Bartender (uncredited): Ralph Sanford Prospector (uncredited): Fred Aldrich Surrey Driver (uncredited): Claire Andre Young Punk (uncredited): Hal Baylor Ben (uncredited): Don Beddoe Prospector (uncredited): Phil Bloom Council City Barfly (uncredited): Buck Bucko Prospector (uncredited): Roy Bucko Leering Man (uncredited): John Cliff Barber (uncredited): Edmund Cobb Prospector (uncredited): Cecil Combs Man in Saloon (uncredited): John Doucette Prospector (uncredited): Tex Driscoll Dance Hall Girl (uncredited): Geneva Gray Wagon Driver (uncredited): Al Haskell Gambler (uncredited): Ed Hinton Prospector (uncredited): George Huggins Prospector (uncredited): Michael Jeffers Prospector (uncredited): Dick Johnstone Prospector (uncredited): Mitchell Kowall Prospector (uncredited): Richard LaMarr Young Punk (uncredited): Anthony Lawrence Saloon Dancer (uncredited): Jarma Lewis Prospector (uncredited): Jack Low Council City Townsman (uncredited): Hank Mann Card Table Dealer (uncredited): Jack Mather Young Man (uncredited): Harry Monty Dancer (uncredited): Fay Morley Prospector (uncredited): Charles Morton Prospector (uncredited): Paul Newlan Blonde Dancer (uncredited): Barbara Nichols Prospector (uncredited): Anton Northpole Council City Barfly (uncredited): George Patay Prospector (uncredited): Jack Perrin Prospector (uncredited): Charles Perry Prospector (uncredited): Ford Raymond Prospector (uncredited): John Rice Prospector (uncredited): Robert Robinson Prospector (uncredited): John Roy Prospector (uncredited): Danny Sands Settler (uncredited): Lucile Sewall Pianist (uncredited): Harry Seymour Council City Barfly (uncredited): Cap Somers Council City Barfly (uncredited): George Sowards Prospector (uncredited): Charles Sullivan Prospector (uncredited): Jack Tornek Young Punk (uncredited): John Veitch Prospector (uncredited): Fred Walton Council City Barfly (uncredited): Bob Whitney Prospector (uncredited): Harry Wilson Trader (uncredited): Will Wright …: Joe Phillips Film Crew: Original Music Composer: Cyril J. Mockridge Editor: Louis R. Loeffler Producer: Stanley Rubin Art Direction: Addison Hehr Screenplay: Frank Fenton Director: Otto Preminger Sound: Roger Heman Sr. Sound: Bernard Freericks Assistant Director: Paul Helmick Costume Design: Travilla Director of Photography: Joseph LaShelle Story: Louis Lantz Songs: Lionel Newman Art Direction: Lyle R. Wheeler Set Decoration: Walter M. Scott Set Decoration: Chester L. Bayhi Special Effects: Ray Kellogg Orchestrator: Edward B. Powell Choreographer: Jack Cole Makeup Artist: Ben Nye Stunts: Bob Herron Stunts: Bob Hoy Stunts: Harry Froboess Stunts: Bob Morgan Stunts: Helen Thurston Stunts: Harry Monty Stunt Coordinator: Fred Zendar Stunts: Tim Wallace Music: Leigh Harline Makeup Artist: Allan Snyder Second Assistant Director: Donald C. Klune Stunts: Dan Heather First Assistant Editor: Orven Schanzer Songs: Ken Darby Movie Reviews: John Chard: What are you chasing Calder? After a stint in jail, Matt Calder is reunited with his son Mark and sets both of them up at a riverside lodge. One day he helps aid a couple who are struggling with their raft down the river. It turns out to be a dubious gambler named Harry Weston and his saloon singer girlfriend, Kay, whom both Matt and Mark have already been acquainted with. Turns out that Harry is in a rush to register his mining claim that he has just won, and sensing his journey will be considerably quicker and safer on horseback, steals, after a fight, Matt’s rifle and horse. Agreeing to let Kay stay behind with the Calder’s, Weston sets off. Once roused and ready to tr...

[markramsey]

Watching Disco Godfather directed by J. Robert Wagoner from 1979 on #Tubi #NowWatching #FilmTwitter #FilmTumblr

[oldsalempost-blog]

The Old Salem Post

Contact: theoldsalempost@gmail.com                              Distributed to local businesses, town hall, library.                            Volume 7 Issue 14                                                                                                  Week of March 27, 2023                https://www.tumblr.com/settings/blog/oldsalempost-blog                                                         Lynne Martin Publishing

EDITOR:  People visit our area for different reasons.  What we have to offer is much like a piece of heaven, here in our own Eden.  We have an abundant supply of God’s blessings of natural resources, churches, families who have lived here for generations, farmers, hard workers, friendly people, and a generous community when others are in need.  If this is what you are looking for, you have found the right place.    LRMartin  

Town of SALEM: Community Easter Egg Hunt April 8th. Help share the true meaning of Easter.  You can help this mission by dropping of wrapped candy at the Town Hall.         SALEM LIBRARY:  Open Monday 10am-6pm– Tuesday-Friday 9am-5pm. Check out their great movie selections and new arrivals.  

Jottings by Jeannie   Hooray for the BOBCAT BATTALION                                       This is Miz Jeannie reporting live from the 54th Annual Military Ball and Awards Ceremony at Seneca High School.  "Enthusiastic" describes the students enrolled in the four year program, the Army Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps, led by Citadel Graduate and combat veteran, Lieutenant Colonel Henry Delacruz.  My impression of military instructors has been colored by films portraying them as sadists and bullies. In fact, in the receiving line, I was I was shaking in my stilettos until students assured me not to fear "The Colonel."     Students LOVED the program and respected and adored  Colonel Delacruz.  Here are some insights they shared:   "He is a fair instructor.  If we don't master a skill he doesn't yell or call us names. He assists us to master the task with confidence."   "Approximately 75% of class time is spent in physical activity or drilling and learning marketable skills."   Some of the  students in the Army J-ROTC program plan to serve our country while tackling challenging careers.  Two have  enlisted in the Marines, and two have enlisted in the National Guard.  I envisioned a bright, protective light around these students and prayed that they would never see combat.  But if they do, they will face the enemy with skill and courage thanks to Colonel Delacruz.      MJ                      

 JOCASSEE VALLEY BREWING COMPANY,(JVBC) & COFFEE SHOP 13412 N Hwy 11 Open Wed-Sat 8am-9pm. Sun 2pm-7pm.  Events this week: Wed: Blue Grass Jam 6:30pm  Fri– FOOD: Wing Wagon  Music: Cecil Tompkins at 6:30pm.  Sat–Music: Canon and Cohen 6:30pm Food: IRON PIG    Sunday: 2pm –7pm            

Tamassee DAR offers Spring Break Camp:  April 3-7, 7:30am-pm.  Breakfast and Lunch and afternoon snack included.  Open to all children K-8th grade.  Fee 100-120/ week. Register 864-944-1390 Ext 118.  Have fun enjoying activities and learning.

Tune in to Joyce Meyer Ministries:  Channel 16 Monday-Friday at 10am—Joyce was abused by both her mother and her father. She was angry and bitter for years.  She shares real life and ministers to all  after she was raised from the ashes of shame .  “You cannot use being abused as a reason to abuse others.”   Jesus was abused, thrashed, ridiculed, and nailed violently to a cross to die.  His last words were…” Forgive them….”   Read Jeremiah 18 1-5  The vessel in the potter’s hands was marred so he made it again and it seemed good.  We all have been marred in one way or another….Jesus can make us new.

ASHTON RECALLS:  By Ashton Hester

I'm glad to see that Pat's Cash and Carry is reopening. I used to deliver Keowee Courier there on Wednesday afternoons during 1993 and 1994. It seemed to be the center of activity for that neighborhood. I also went to Little River Store (operated by former boys' basketball coach Robert Herron), the Gulf Station/grocery store in the middle of town, the store on Highway 11 that Randy Jones (school board member) operated, and Key Mart. Also a store in the Burnt Tanyard area, whose name I forget.   AH

Here is the third installment of Pauline Kelley Cannon's story: DAR STUDENT FROM 1942-1946 RECALLS EXPERIENCES - (Third Installment). . . We lived in the South Carolina building all that first year. Maggie roomed with Midge Green after Mary Jane Rholetter left. . .Miss Lola Wilson, who was secretary for Mr. Cain, lived downstairs. She also took care of the post office. . .The dormitories were heated by steam radiators which made a popping noise until they got hot. . .We had certain times that we had to stay in our rooms and study. This was called study hall. . .Many times during the year we would have fire drills, day or night. We never knew when they would take place. We would often have to go down a ladder or outside steps to get out. . .THE SECOND YEAR we were there we were assigned to the All States Hall, a two-story building. Miss Juliette McCrory (who we called "Miss Jule") was house parent, and Ollie Mae Burrell was supervisor. . .There were only two beds in these rooms. My roommate was Evelyn Swangham. She didn't stay too long, and I finished the year rooming with Betty Hasket. Maggie doesn't remember who her roommate was. . .Our jobs that year were working in the kitchen of the dining room under the supervision of Mrs. Eloise Grant and the dietician, Mrs. Marett (I can't remember her first name), and in the laundry under the supervision of Mrs. Sam Nicholson. . .The dining room was located in Ohio Hobart Hall. In the kitchen was a large stove, a sink to wash dishes, and shelves to store them on for the next meal. There were coolers in the basement for keeping the perishable food and milk. The boys milked the cows and brought the milk up, morning and night. There was a screened porch at the back of the kitchen, where we usually went to peel potatoes, chop cabbage to boil, make coleslaw, and prepare other vegetables and fruits. . .Mr. Cain would come in at times and watch us peel potatoes. Sometimes he would say, "Girls, you are peeling too much off." He would emphasize that we must be thrifty. . .TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK                                              

 EAGLES NEST ART CENTER , 501c3, 4 Eagle Lane, Salem, SC                        Treasure Shop– The Eagles Nest Treasure Store will open on Saturday April 1, 2023  at 9am-3pm.                                                                                          ENAC Hosts BLESSING OF THE BIKES: Saturday April 1, 2023, 1pm-4pm Sons of the Savior M/M, Redeemed Chapter.  This is on outside event.  There will be music, competitions, a prayer tent, and a youth tent.   Come check it out.  

Healthy Sign at Shady Grove Church:  Exercise daily. Walk with the Lord.          Scripture revealed is like going on a hike.   Each time you see something new.  Like a hawk.  A deer.  Flowers in bloom A recent  devotional spoke of God like a trail that can come familiar. When we feel confident in the walk, we can fail to seek a closer look.  We will miss the beauty of each season.  LM

Café Connections– a ministry of Get Up & Go Ministries, Inc– 319 East Main street Pickens, SC.  Visit this sweet place of people who love people and Jesus.  They operate purely on faith. They feed the hungry daily and nourish every one who enters to gather at the table.                        

Easter will soon arrive!   Have a wonderful week!                     Lynne R Martin                                                                                                                                             

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

“THIRD MAN SENTENCED IN SERIES OF FRAUDS,” Toronto Star. February 3, 1933. Page 2.  ---- Charles Sheppard, Salesman for W. S. Pratt, Gets Six Months --- Morris Rosenbaum and Max Beaver, facing two counts, one of burglary and one of wounding, were remanded in custody; further hearing Feb. 8. The two accused men were alleged to have robbed and wounded one Morris Bodler. 

Bail of $2,000 was demanded of Henry Solfjelt on a charge of criminal negligence. The crown explained that the case should stand over till Feb. 17, as the complainant was confined to hospital from the accident..

What was described by the crown as the last conviction to be asked for in a series of false pretence charges on which W. S. Pratt and a salesman said to have been in his employ, each convicted and sent to the Ontario reformatory was heard to-day when Chas. Shippard was arraigned before Magistrate R. J. Browne, charged with securing a part of the sum of $25.00 from W. Warnock by false pretences with intent to defraud. 

Plea of guilty was accepted by the court. The crown expressed willingness to have sentence set at six months definite.

"I may state that I believe Shippard to have been the least to blame in the activities of the W. S. Prati coterie, and in view of the fact that both Mr. Pratt and the other sales- man have been convicted, and because Mr. Shippard has done all possible to assist me in the clearing up of the cases, I suggest that a short, definite term be applied to Shippard. 

"Six months definite," was the order made. Impersonated Army Men On a charge of impersonating Salvation Army officials in order to obtain money, George Fowler and Leonard Elton were sentenced to serve 6 days in jail each.

Pleas of guilty were made by both men, who admitted having committed a similar offense previously, when they received a warning. 

Percival M. Stafford, out ticket of leave from Kingston penitentiary, came before Magistrate Browne to-day on a charge of fraud, pleaded guilty and received sentence of three months definite and three months indeterminate. 

"I think the best place for him is back at Kingston, where the authorities will have to see to it that he serves the balance of his lengthy term." said the court.

Pleading guilty of breaking and entering and theft of $30 from H. A. Griffin and S. J. Lyle, George Flint and Wm. Costin were remanded one week for sentence.

"I want to make a further investigatlon into this matter" stated the crown.

Harry Some was committed for trial on a charge of criminal negligence arising out of an accident Jan. 6. when serious bodily harm was done to L. Simmons, when, it is said, a horse-drawn wagon driven by accused knocked down Mr. Simmons on St. Clair Ave. 

Ten days in jail was given Arthur Holmes, who pleaded guilty to the theft of auto tools from a car parked on Pembroke St. last night. 

Asks for Deportation Robert Arthur asked to be deported and pleaded guilty to the theft of an auto. 

"Very well. if that's the way he feels about it," agreed the magistrate. "Sixty days in jail, with deportation to follow." 

Cites Edward the Third Precedent Howard Johnson, alias James Beatty, and George Baker, alleged ringleaders of a movement advocating force and violence against the law, were heard in part before Magistrate Browne. Both elected trial by jury and reserved their pleas.

When the crown stated that summary trial could be ordered, defence counsel retorted, "Oh no!. The authority for my clients' right to elect jury trial dates back to King Edward the Third." 

"Perhaps you will contend I have not the right to commit for trial," commented Magistrate Browne. 

"Of course you may commit." 

“Thanks a lot." replied the court. "I'm glad I have some right in the matter."

Detective Nursey said he had arrested the two accused at a meeting December 12, and that he heard Howard Johnson say to those assembled in the room ---- "Go back to your hostels and organize. Demand what you want and, if you don't get it,  take it." 

"What About the Pollce?" Nursey then added. "someone in the audience asked - What about police?" 'Never mind the police," Johnson replied, 'our workless are now ready to smash through their lines and demand what they want." 

"Then, as I was taking Johnson towards the door, he turned and shouted to the assembly, 'carry this on to its ultimate conclusion." 

"It was after we had taken charge. of Johnson and Baker that we arrested the other 42 men who were congregated in the basement room." 

Detective Nursey stated he had overheard Johnson say In effect. "I have organized in other places and we have 500 or 600 men behind us in Toronto."

The case was then adjourned to afternoon court. 

Herbert Applegate was shown to have a record extending back to 1928 when he pleaded guilty to the theft of a pair of gloves from a down- town store. "Jail for 30 days," was the order made. 

Held Over For Rest Djies Lalonde and Sam Pawluckuk, were charged with stealing a ride from Sudbury to Toronto. 

They pleaded guilty when brought before Magistrate Tinker in early police court to-day. Both of accused looked in dire need of a rest. "I think you boys should be held over for a day or two and have a wash up and a feed," opined the court. "Ten dollars or ten days each." 

On similar charges. Raymond V. Dell and Leo Coulter explained that they wanted to get to their homes in Montreal and since neither had the price of a railroad ticket they were forced, on account of bad weather, to steal a ride on a freight train. "Unfortunately we were caught as we stepped out of an empty car as the train rolled into Toronto," said the elder of the two. "It'll be $10 or five days each." advised the bench. 

One lone inebriate, Edward Bennett, was ordered to pay $10 or serve 10 days.

Robert Gow, accused of criminal negligence in an auto accident of recent occurrence, was bound under bail of $2,000 to appear for hearing, Feb. 8th.

[fictionz]

New Fiction 2022 - October

Short Stories & Chapters

"Leonora" by Everil Worrell (1927)

"The Hollow Man" by Norman Partridge (1991)

"The Black Stone Statue" by Mary Elizabeth Counselman (1937)

"The Door" by Ann R. Loverock (2020)

"The Events at Poroth Farm" by T.E.D. Klein (1972)

"The Dead Wagon" by Greye La Spina (1927)

"Soft" by F. Paul Wilson (1984)

"Beelzebub" by Robert Bloch (1963)

"The Black Phone" by Joe Hill (2004)

"The Angle of Horror" by Cristina Fernández Cubas (1996)

"The Striding Place" by Gertrude Atherton (1896)

"The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe (1839)

"The Nurse's Story" by Elizabeth Gaskell (1852)

"The Girl With the Hungry Eyes" by Fritz Leiber (1949)

"The Summer People" by Shirley Jackson (1950)

"The Husband Stitch" by Carmen Maria Machado (2014)

"The Phantom 'Rickshaw" by Rudyard Kipling (1888)

"Scales" by Cherene Sherrard (2017)

"The Aztec" by Carmen Baca (2020)

"The Reaper's Image" by Stephen King (1969)

"The Mummy’s Foot" by Théophile Gautier (1840)

"When the Gentlemen Go By" by Margaret Ronald (2008)

"The Pear-Shaped Man" by George R.R. Martin (1987)

"Turn Out the Light" by Penelope Love (2015)

"Unseen—Unfeared" by Francis Stevens (1919)

"The White Cormorant" by Frithjof Spalder (1971)

"A Ghost Story" by Mark Twain (1870)

"The Signal-Man" by Charles Dickens (1866)

"Rearview" by Samantha Hunt (2020)

"The Green Bowl" by Sarah Orne Jewett (1901)

"A Good Student" by Nuzo Onoh (2014)

Dracula Daily - "October" by Bram Stoker & ed. Matt Kirkland (1897, 2021)

Comic Shorts & Single Issues

"Swamp Monster" by Basil Wolverton (1953)

"The Portrait of Sal Pullman" by Lonnie Nadler & Abby Howard (2019)

"O Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad" by M.R. James & Abby Howard (2019)

"Rainbow Sprinkles" by W. Maxwell Prince, Chris O’Halloran, Martín Morazzo, Nimit Malavia (2018)

"Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall!" by Jack Davis, et al. (1953)

"The Harvest" by Shannon Campbell & Pam Wishbow (2016)

"In Each and Every Package" by Reed Crandall, et al. (1954)

"Roots in Hell" by Richard Corben (2016)

"Mars Is Heaven!" by Ray Bradbury, Wally Wood, et al. (1953)

"Save the Last Dance for Me!" by Dennis O'Neil & Pat Boyette (1969)

"Infected" by Bruce Jones, Richard Corben, Steve Oliff (1982)

"Unpleasant Side Effects" by Kerry Gammill, Sam F. Park, Mar Omega (2010)

"The Boar's Head Beast" by George Wildman, Nicola Cuti, Wayne Howard (1975)

"Ill Bred" by Charles Burns (1985)

"Don't Go to the Island" by Sfé R. Monster & Kalyna Riis-Phillips (2016)

"Some Other Animal's Meat" by Emily Carroll (2016)

"Greed" by Becky Cloonan, Jordie Bellaire, Travis Lanham (2013)

"Goin' South" by Nancy Collins, David Imhoff, Jeff Butler, Steve Montano, Renée Witterstaetter, Electric Crayon, Simon Bisley (1995)

"Winnebago Graveyard #1" by Steve Niles, Stephanie Paitreau, Jordie Bellaire, Jen Bartel, Alison Sampson, Aditya Bidikar, Mingjue Helen Chen, Sarah Horrocks (2017)

"Seed" by Fiona Staples, Jose Villarrubia, Michael Dougherty, Todd Casey, Zach Shields, Marc Andreyko (2015)

"Kill Screen" by Lauren Beukes, Dale Halvorsen, Ryan Kelly, Eva de la Cruz, Clem Robins, Bill Sienkiewicz, Rowena Yow, Shelly Bond (2015)

"The Fool of the Web" by Patricia Breen, Roel, Brenda Feikema (1997)

"Fortune Broken" by Sandy King, Leonardo Manco, Marianna Sanzone (2015)

"The Cemetery" by Franco, Abigail Larson, Wes Abbott, Sara Richard (2022)

"The Speed of Pain" by Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino, Dave Stewart, Steve Wands, Will Dennis (2018)

"Gestation" by Marguerite Bennett, Jonathan Brandon Sawyer, Doug Garbark, Nic. J. Shaw (2014)

"Chemical 13!" by Michael Woods & Saskia Gutekunst (2009)

"Hello, My Name Is..." by Nadia Shammas, Rowan MacColl, Licha Myers, Chris Sanchez (2021)

"Sea of Souls" by Jenna Lynn Wright, Alvaro Feliu, Juan Francisco Mota, Ricardo Osnaya, Erik Lopera Tamayo, Jorge Cortes, Robby Bevaro, Maxflan Araujo, Walter Pereyra, Taylor Esposito (2022)

"Crush" by Janet Hetherington, Ronn Sutton, Becka Kinzie, Zakk Saam (2018)

"The End of All Things" by Natalie Leif & Elaine Well (2014)

Video & Electronic Games

Silent Hill dev. Team Silent (1999)

The Excavation of Hob's Barrow dev. Cloak and Dagger Games (2022)

Halloween Forever dev. Imaginary Monsters (2016)

Bride of Frankenstein dev. Paul Smith, Steve Howard, Timedata Ltd. (1987)

Zombies Ate My Neighbors dev. LucasArts (1993)

Darkstalkers 3 (aka Vampire Savior) dev. Capcom (1997)

Movies

Smile dir. Parker Finn (2022)

The Mummy dir. Karl Freund (1932)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers dir. Don Siegel (1956)

The Skin I Live In dir. Pedro Almodóvar (2011)

The Picture of Dorian Gray dir. Albert Lewin (1945)

The Uninvited dir. Lewis Allen (1944)

The Other Side of the Underneath dir. Jane Arden (1972)

Jeepers Creepers: Reborn dir. Timo Vuorensola (2022)

Terrifier 2 dir. Damien Leone (2022)

Ravenous dir. Antonia Bird (1999)

The Experiment dir. Oliver Hirschbiegel (2001)

Ganja & Hess dir. Bill Gunn (1973)

Def by Temptation dir. James Bond III (1990)

Eyes Without a Face dir. Georges Franju (1960)

Under the Shadow dir. Babak Anvari (2016)

Amsterdam dir. David O. Russell (2022)

Deadstream dir. Joseph Winter & Vanessa Winter (2022)

In My Skin by Marina de Van (2002)

Evolution dir. Lucile Hadžihalilović (2015)

Eko Eko Azarak: Wizard of Darkness dir. Shimako Satō (1995)

Celia dir. Ann Turner (1989)

Censor dir. Prano Bailey-Bond (2021)

Halloween Ends dir. David Gordon Green (2022)

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari dir. Robert Wiene (1920)

Black Adam dir. Jaume Collet-Serra (2022)

Trouble Every Day dir. Claire Denis (2001)

Eve's Bayou dir. Kasi Lemmons (1997)

Monster (aka Humanoids from the Deep) dir. Barbara Peeters & Jimmy T. Murakami (1980)

The Mafu Cage dir. Karen Arthur (1978)

Medusa: Queen of the Serpents dir. Matthew B.C. (2020)

Medusa dir. Anita Rocha da Silveira (2021)

Prey for the Devil dir. Daniel Stamm (2022)

It Follows dir. David Robert Mitchell (2014)

Amer dir. Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani (2009)

TV Episodes

The Simpsons - "Treehouse of Horror XXXIII" (2022)

Bob's Burgers - "Apple Gore-chard! (But Not Gory)" (2022)

TV Series

Costume Quest (2019)

Castlevania - Seasons 3 & 4 (2020-2021)

[vhs-ninja]

The Black Godfather (1979)

[schlock-luster-video]

On August 17, 1979 Disco Godfather debuted in Charlotte, North Carolina.