Here’s the final titles I bought from the Cold Tonnage 40% off sale, three of which are non-fiction and the fourth just an odd item:
Library Additions: 4 Books, 3 Non-Fiction
September 8th, 2015Quick Hits From a Movie Viewing Party
September 7th, 2015Quick impressions from a movie viewing party yesterday:
Guardians of the Galaxy: Yep! Not my favorite Marvel, but in the top 10.
The Lego Movie: A whole lot better than you had any right to expect it to be.
Coherence: Eh. Ends better than it begins, but shallow California Yuppies sort of spoil the quantum mechanical creepiness.
Also, congratulations to whoever cut the trailer for The Frame: You’ve managed to craft a trailer so stylistically annoying that I never want to see the movie just to spite you…
Shoegazer Sunday: Tuath’s “Ag dúnmharú an timpeallacht” Live
September 6th, 2015Though you can’t tell from the video description, this is Ireland’s Tuath performing “Ag dúnmharú an timpeallacht” live. It’s a straightforward guitar-drive instrumental piece. (I only know the name of the song by tracking down their bandcamp page for the album it came from.)
(Hat tip (indirectly): Primal Music Blog.)
Beware, Evil Doers! You Face The Tick!
September 4th, 2015In 2001, Fox premiered the live-action version of The Tick. I thought they did a pretty credible effort capturing the comic book’s goofy, off-kilter charm, despite an incredibly modest budget for a live action network show (they couldn’t even hire someone who looked like Jimmy Carter for the pilot).
So naturally, it being on Fox, they cancelled it after nine episodes
Now comes word that Amazon is resurrecting the show with Patrick Warburton back in the title role.
If it gets picked up, I may have to finally break down and subscribe to Amazon Prime…
(Hat tip: Bill Crider on Facebook.)
Library Additions: Five Signed Books
September 2nd, 2015More books from that Cold Tonnage 40% off order:
(The scratches in this pic are surface wear on the dj protector.)
Gene Wolfe, Pringles, Mental Floss and Me
August 31st, 2015Mental Floss is one of those sites that does a lot of lists (“10 Celebrities That Played Chess,” etc.). Oddly enough, this week I turned up in the 12 Crispy Facts About Pringles list, touching on Gene Wolfe’s involvement in designing the machine that makes Pringles potato chips.
Funny the things you actually get remembered for…
(Hat tip Bill Crider.)
For Shoegazer Sunday, How About An Entire Slowdive Concert?
August 30th, 2015Here’s an entire hour-long Slowdive concert that took place less than two weeks ago at the Paredes de Coura festival in Portugal. Evidently this went out on Portuguese radio (in mono), and includes nice versions of “Catch the Breeze” and “Machine Gun.”
And just as soon as Slowdive puts out a live album from the current tour I’ll be in full “shut up and take my money” mode…
The Salt Lick Sues The Salt Lick
August 28th, 2015Dispatch from the BBQ Wars:
Salt Lick BBQ is picking a legal fight with a Georgia company it claims is infringing on its name and reputation.
In a lawsuit filed in Texas’ Western District U.S. Court, the Driftwood restaurant chain claims that the Salt Lick Sausage Co. of Cordele, Georgia, is violating the Central Texas company’s trademark by offering barbecue products for sale via its website www.saltlicksausage.com, which is similar in nature to www.saltlickbbq.com.
Salt Lick claims the Georgia company is using marks and iconography that are similar to its own, and that Salt Lick Sausage stands to benefit from the international reputation and publicity enjoyed by Salt Lick.
The ironic thing, of course, is that the sausage is far and away the least impressive of the Driftwood Salt Lick’s signature meats.
But here’s a revealing tidbit:
“The Austin-area company generated more than $25 million in revenue and served more than 650,000 customers at its main restaurant in Driftwood.”
Having been there fairly recently, I can believe it…
John Clute’s Library Going to Telluride Institute
August 26th, 2015I had no idea when I posted that tardy donation news for Allen Lewis’ library yesterday that this would be Great SF Collections Ending Up In Libraries Week.
Critic John Clute’s considerable SF library is ending up at the Telluride Institute, where Clute is a trustee.
Allen Lewis Donates His Entire Collection to The University of Iowa
August 24th, 2015Well, how did I miss this news? Science fiction collector Allen Lewis donated his entire collection of science fiction first editions to the University of Iowa. Here’s another story on the donation, with a few more quotes and pictures of Al in front of his library. (Sadly, the pictures are not large enough to read the titles.)
I’ve sold many a book of Al over the years (and bought one or two from him). Al was famous for hauling a minivan’s worth of books to get signed at SF conventions. He would frequently get a dealer’s table, less to sell a few extras, but to have a base to store his own books from which to hit the autographing lines.
It would be nice to browse through the list of what he donated, if they ever get it online…