New Year's Eve 2020

Yet another New Year's party I was not invited to.

2020 was not a good year. For anyone.

Here's to hoping 2021 will be better--for all of us.

Holidaze 12/30/20

More yumminess from Dollar Tree.

Holidaze 12/29/20

Yumminess from Dollar Tree.

Christmas 2020

Like the hat says...Merry Christmas, everybody.

Holidaze 12/24/20

There have been many, many versions of Charles Dickens' classic novella comitted to screen and cinema, from Reginald Owen to Alistair Sim to Mr. Magoo to a singing, dancing Albert Finney to a singing, dancing Kelsey Grammar. (Yes, the mind, it boggles.)

But my second favorite (right after Alistair Sim's version from 1951) is the made-for-TV endeavor from 1984 with George C. Scott as a big ol' bear of a Scrooge. His reluctance in the face of the teachings of the spirits, and his ultimate conversion to their point of view, has stood as one of the great moments in Christmas cinema, big screen or small.

For years, I enjoyed the hardcover edition of A Christmas Carol released in conjunction with the Scott TV movie. Not only did it contain the full text of the novel, but it also included holiday traditions and recipes from the Victorian era meant to make the season that much more bright.

Of course, I lost that edition of the book when I had to move out of La Casa del Terror in 2016. So much of personal importance was lost that day. So much had to be left behind.

But some items can be--and have been--replaced.

Granted, this edition of A Christmas Carol won't arrive in time for the holiday itself--I ordered it late, and the Postal Service isn't running at peak efficiency these days, mostly because of the pandemic--but it will arrive before the New Year begins.

Close enough for me.

Holidaze 12/23/20

Holidaze 12/22/20

Holidaze 12/21/20

Holidaze 12/19/20

Holidaze 12/18/20

Holidaze 12/17/20

Holidaze 12/16/20

Atop the converter box at La Casa de Mama.

Holidaze 12/15/20

One of several Holidaze decorations at the job.

Holidaze 12/14/20

An oldie, but a goodie: Angelique, atop the living room lamp at La Casa del Terror.

Every Picture Tells a Story 12/12/20

Granted, this photo is from seven years ago--oh, all the things that have happened since then!--but it's still a fair approximation of how I look today.

Holidaze 12/11/20

Holidaze 12/10/20

NOMNOMNOMNOM

Holidaze 12/9/20

Holidaze 12/8/20

If you know the name William Dean Howells at all, it's likely from one of his novels like The Rise of Silas Lapham, which I'm pretty sure I had to read in college, though I have no recollection of its storyline or contents.

Christmas Every Day is more of an extended short story than a full-blown novel or even a novella, and its title pretty much tells the tale: It's the story of a child who wants it to be Christmas every day. Complications--if not outright hijinks--are sure to ensue.

This book won't take me long to read; it's only 48 pages long, and part of that count is taken up by an introduction by Richard Paul Evans, author of The Christmas Box, which was inspired by the slender volume I hold in my hand (metephorically speaking--I can't very well type with a book in my hand, now can I?).

It's yet another festive holiday find from Village Discount Outlet. (Why yes, I go there quite often--why do you ask?)

Holidaze 12/7/20

"The Cinnamon Bear" was a radio show that originally ran on a daily basis from Friday, November 26, 1937 to Christmas Day of that year. It told the story of Paddy O'Cinnamon, who helps youngsters Judy and Jimmy in their search for the Silver Star that's supposed to be atop their tree, but has been spirited away to the enchanted world of Maybeland. There, they encounter friends who try to help them on their quest and foes who try to stop them--so, y'know, typical quest.

I found this boxed set at (where else?) Village Discount Outlet, where it cost me the price of one CD--not a bad deal, really, for a month's worth of holiday entertainment.

Holidaze 12/4/20

I found this compilation of Dr. Seuss books Recently at Village Discount Outlet (where, obviously, I can find ANYTHING). It includes six of his most popular titles--including, of course, How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

It's somewhat shocking, after having been exposed to the Chuck Jones animated special (with Boris Karloff as the voice of the Grinch), the live-action abomination with Jim Carrey, and the more recent animated feature with Benedict Cumberbatch providing the Grinch's vocals, how relatively brief Dr. Seuss's original book is--you can read it in about 10 minutes.

But oh, what a ten minutes those are.

Holidaze 12/3/20

See this white chocolate Sam the Snowman from "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"? I found him at Dollar Tree. How long do you think he lasted? If you guessed "minutes," you'd be right.

Holidaze 12/2/20

In 1990, graphic artist Michael Ploog, best known for his work at Marvel Comics on titles like Werewolf by Night, Monster of Frankenstein and Ghost Rider, adapted a story written by L. Frank Baum, widely acclaimed for his Oz stories.

Here, though, Baum tackles a much more broadly known character: Santa Claus.

The story is much different than what you may think you know about Ol' St. Nick. There's action. Adventure. Romance. Even death. But it all ends up where you'd expect it to: With a large man with a white beard in a red suit.

It's an exciting, refreshing read--highly recommended, if you can track down a copy. (Mine came from eBay. Your mileage may vary.)

Holidaze 12/1/20

Holidaze 11/30/20

Another find from Village Discount Outlet.

Every Picture Tells a Story 11/28/20

Holidaze 11/27/20

The Holidaze display, such as it is, at La Casa de Mama.

From left to right: A deer ornament bought at Target; SpongeBob SquarePants, acquired from a box of cereal; a cardinal bought at Village Discount Outlet; an angel from the same establishment; SpongeBob's pal, Patrick, also from a box of cereal; and a tiger from Target.

This is all I'm putting up this year. No tree--the cats just knock it over anyway.

Gobble Gobble 11/26/20

Tobias Turkey (yes, that's his real name--he's got a tag and everything) and I wish you a happy, warm Thanksgiving. It's been a rough year, but we'll get through this.

Gobble Gobble 11/25/20

Every Picture Tells a Story 11/24/20

My Covid face.

This Week's Travel Reading, Up Up & Away edition

Growing up as an avid comic book reader, Superman was never one of my favorites. He was just too powerful, in body and mind, to hold my attention for long.

I much preferred the flawed, brooding characters over at Marvel comics: Spider-man, who was always nursing bruises (both physical and psychic); the Hulk, the story of a man trapped in a body over which he exerted little to no control (hello, teenagers everywhere); the X-Men, outcasts one and all.

I still read Superman from time to time--whenever relatives gave me comic books as presents for Christmas or my birthday, the stack invariably included at least on issue featuring the Man of Steel--but I never sought out his adventures.

So why, then, am I reading a history of Superman, you might reasonably ask?

Because the history of Superman is the history of comic books. Without the runaway success of Superman in 1938, you wouldn't have had Batman stories a year later. Or Captain America comics a couple of years after that. Or Captain Marvel tales. Or...you get the idea.

Jerry Seigel and Joe Shuster (Superman's creators) paved the way for everything that was to come in the following years/decades. And author Larry Tye lays out the circumstances that created the mightiest man to ever walk the Earth (or, more likely, fly over it) in a clear, entertaining way.

Shk Shk Shk, Ha Ha Ha...

Yes, I know--an old photo again. Sorry, but Jason is still in storage, along with 90% of my other toys. That does not mean he doesn't wish you a Happy Friday the 13th. (Double negative--sorry again.)

Veterans' Day 2020

From the days of La Casa del Terror, this photo of my GI Joe collection, with a Fighting Yank doll in the mix for good measure.

I tip my cap to all who served and those who contnue to serve. You have my eternal admiration and gratitude.

Every (Kitty) Picture Tells a Story 11/10/20

Cocoa wants to know what you think you're doing.

RIP Alex Trebek

During some of the darkest times in my recent life--my recovery from my heart attacks, my episode of self-harm, my periods of unemployemnt, and, most recently, my lockdown due to COVID-19--I had one constant that kept me sane and challenged my intellect: Jeopardy, the TV game show hosted since 1984 by Alex Trebek.

Trebek was urbane and sophisticated, but never condescending or mean-spirited. He presided over the show in a calm, friendly way, like he'd be a cool guy to have a drink with after work.

Yesterday, Trebek died after a year-plus battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 80.

I have no doubt that Jeopardy will go on with a different host, just as so many other game shows have gone on or been revived with a new face in place.

But it just won't be the same without Alex Trebek at the helm.

This Week's Travel Reading (Yellow Brick Road Edition)

According to the ever-helpful Wikipedia, L. Frank Baum wrote 14 novels based around the magical land of Oz, where Scarecrows talk, Tin Woodsmen dance and Lions are cowardly, until they're not.

Pictured above is the first in the series, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. (The title has been cut short for this edition; apparently, "Wonderful" wasn't so, well, wonderful.) It's brisk, easy reading--something I need on my train trips these days.

Every (Kitty) Picture Tells a Story 11/6/20

Moore wants to know what you think you're doing.

FYI

I've already posted more entries in 2020 than I did in any of the the last four years. By the time this year is over, I may well surpass the total for all four years--combined.

That is all.

Shocktober 2020: One Last Look Back

I hope one and all had as fabulous a Halloween as possible under the current circumstances. Shocktober is over for another year, but the Holidaze are just around the corner. Expect appropriate posts soon.

Halloween 2020

This is the shirt I'm wearing to this year's Halloween Movie Bash at JB's place tonight. 

I bought it from an online outfit called Wicked Clothes, which I found, oddly enough, through a popup ad in my email. 

They even sent me a Halloween-themed face mask as a free gift. I'm wearing that to HMB tonight, too.

Whatever you do to celebrate this holiday, do it safely...but do it, even if it's watching horror movies by yourself in the dark. We have to get some fun out of life, even amid the pandemic. As I've long said: "Play Safe, but play."

Shocktober 10/30/20

The small but festive (and, most importantly, high-and-away-from-kitty-reach) Halloween display at La Casa de Mama. On the Left: A Halloween plaque I found at Village Discount Outlet. On the right: A Halloween card sent by JB.

Shocktober 10/29/20

Shocktober 10/28/20

If you've never heard of the Shaggs, don't worry--they're pretty obscure. I only found about them through "The Steve & Garry Show" back in the '80s, when radio personality Steve Dahl played their music with fair regularity, especially at this time of year.

Why? Well, first of all, they're pretty bloody awful.

No. Seriously. This is likely the worst album you've ever heard. The Wiggins sisters--Dot, Betty, Helen and Rachel--try to play instruments and sing, but are mostly successful at neither. Their father, Austin Wiggins, thought they had talent, though, and got them bookings in their native New Hampshire. He also got them into a recording studio to produce their first album, Philosophy of the World. It got little airplay at the time and faded into obscurity.

Why, you might ask, am I bringing up the Shaggs?

Because one of their songs is entitled "It's Halloween."

That was always one of my favorite songs to play around this time of year. I mean, who can resist lyrics like "It's Halloween, it's Halloween, it's time for scares, it's time for screams, it's Halloween, it's Halloween"?

Wait...where are you going? Come back here, you!

Anyway...this album got a lot of play on my CD player back in the day. And now? Thanks to eBay, I can play it again. It may not be good, but it's good for me--and that is good enough.

Shocktober 10/27/20

Happy Birthday, Godzilla! Not looking too bad for 66 years young.

Shocktober 10/26/20

The last time I mentioned Horror Hotel, I lamented that the converter box in Mom's living room no longer picked up Retro TV, also home of Drive-in Movie Maniacs, Offbeat Cinema and Halloween Harvey's Festival of Fear.

Since then? The converter box has been replaced, and now I get ALL of the aforementioned shows--very important at this festive time of year.

I also get Comet, a sci-fi channel that often runs horror movies as well.
Throw in Movies! and This, and I pretty much have all my October TV watching covered. If only I could get TCM over the airwaves, my Halloween horror fest would be complete.

Unfortunately, Mom no longer has cable, and I'm not making quite enough to swing it, so over-the-air viewing is what I have to work with.

And Lamia? She covers my Saturday nights with trivia, humor and beauty to spare. Nearly every Saturday night, you can find me on the living room couch (a.k.a. the bedroom), curled up and ready for my weekly dose of Horror Hotel.

Not this coming Saturday night, though. That has been reserved for the annual Halloween Movie Bash (a.k.a. HMB), this year held again at JB's place. Sadly, JB has no access to Retro TV and thus must settle for my descriptions of all the horror movie shows I get to see.

Then again, he has cable, and thus can watch TCM whenever he wants. So there's that.

Not that I'm jealous or anything like that. (Except I totally, totally am.)

Every Picture Tells a Story 10/25/20

 

Every Picture Tells a Story 10/24/20

 

Yet another party I was not invited to.

Shocktober 10/23/20

Retro TV is, especially at this time of year, a haven for horror movie fans. 

Not only do they run monster movies on Saturday nights--on either Offbeat Cinema or Horror Hotel (hosted by the lovely Lamia, Queen of the Night)--or Sunday nights on Halloween Harvey's Festival of Fear, but even on Friday nights, via the crazy crew at Drive-in Movie Maniacs. 

DIMM shows a lot of the same movies as the other aforementioned horror-movie shows--they're all dipping from the same public-domain pool--but they have a lot of fun with it, especially the host, Terrible Tim.

They're worth staying up late for on a frosty Friday October Night--or any Friday night, really.

Shocktober 10/22/20

I found this postcard for WGN's horror showcase, Creature Features, on Facebook recently. Wouldn't you have loved to have received this in the mail circa 1973? Wouldn't you love to receive it now? I know I would.

Shocktober 10/21/20

Yes, I know. You've become tired of my going on about Tomb of Dracula, Marvel's signature horror comic for the better part of a decade. 

But you know what? These stories still hold up 40 years later. 

Granted, things got crazier as the series went on--Drac even encounters the Silver Surfer in this volume--but Marv Wolfman's scripts and the Gene Colan/Tom Palmer art still deliver the mood and the food for thought. 

Shocktober 10/20/20

 

Shocktober 10/19/20

 What would Shocktober be without a pint of Pumpkin Cheesecake Ice Cream from Target? A little less sweet, I'd say.