Review of
The Long Patrol,
episode 5 of the Battlestar Galactica original series
Three out of five stars
Weak tries at unnecessary humor
The story opens
with the newly reopened Rising Star, a space equivalent of a luxury dining car,
hosting Starbuck on a dinner date. He volunteered to go on a solo deep patrol
and as a consequence was put near first on the list of patrons. Since Athena
was scheduled to work, he made a dinner date with Cassiopeia. However, when Athena
is able to cut short her control room duty, both women are there at the same
time. In some sense, he is saved by an urgent call to return to the Galactica. This
is the first try at humor.
He is flying a
modified Viper that is faster than anything else but has no laser generators.
His mission is to examine a cluster of planetoids, looking for life and evidence
of Cylon penetration. The Viper has a new computer system called C.O.R.A. that
is capable of interacting with Starbuck and flying the ship. It has a seductive
human female voice, and this begins a human-machine flirtation sequence that is
the second attempt at humor.
Starbuck
discovers a penal colony where the prisoners make the adult beverage ambrosia
and have for generations. Children of criminals are automatically incarcerated
with their parents. Children of the enforcers (jailers) also become enforcers. Starbuck
upsets this pattern amidst an attack by a Cylon patrol. The patrol is defeated
but there is a catastrophic loss of high quality ambrosia.
The two
attempts at humor are weak attempts and were largely unnecessary. It is logical
that there would be isolated, small human settlements that the Galactica convoy
would encounter. They would be at risk of a Cylon attack and could provide the
Galactica convoy with desperately needed resources. With so much room within
that area, there is no need to introduce a dining three-way or a seductive
computer.
Review of
Who’s In Charge Here, Beetle Bailey,
by Mort Walker ISBN 0448169320
Four out of five stars
Beetle Bailey was
a comic strip that appeared in the local paper when I was a child and I never missed
it. The characters from Beetle Bailey through Sergeant Snorkel and the buxom
Miss Buxley to the idiot Zero were all exaggerated to make the point. The strip
also included the black Lieutenant Flap, he made his first appearance in 1971 and
is presented as just another officer.
This is
demonstrated on the fifth page. The camp chaplain asks Beetle, “Do the men feel
differently about Lt. Flap because he’s black?” Beetle responds, “Heck no, chaplain.
We think he’s just as big a pain as any other officer.” In other words, rank
overpowers skin color. A powerful message for the early seventies.
This book is a
joyous look back at one of the best parodies of army life. Fans of the
television show M*A*S*H will recognize many of the basic points of humor.
Review of
Boltwood of Yale,
by Gilbert Patten
Four out of five stars
Copyrighted in
1914, this book is a look back at the style of books written for young men at
that time. Roger Boltwood is the son of a very wealthy man and he is about to
turn 21. Up to this point his father has supported him and bailed him out of
his misadventures that included getting in automobile accidents. His father has
reached the point where he has had enough and tells him that as of his
twenty-first birthday, he will no longer be supporting him financially.
Roger is
planning on going back to Yale in the fall, even though he had an extremely
poor academic performance the past year and did not formally move to the next academic
level. Instead of pouting, Roger decides that he is going to make it on his own
and plans accordingly. He is fortunate to win an auto race that gives him
enough money to register for fall classes.
Once back on
campus in the cheaper dorms with a roommate, Roger applies himself and is
convinced to try out for the football team. At first, he is a lower level
scrub, but through injuries to those ahead of him and diligent work, he reaches
the point where he gets into the lineup on occasion. He has to deal with his
former friends, some enemies and a dishonest roommate, but at the end he gets
into the big game against Harvard.
While the story
itself is not that exciting, it is interesting due to the style of the writing.
Some of the words are outdated in usage, for example a man is referred to as a “gay
fellow.” I enjoyed it as a look back in time, something that all people should
do as long as they are willing to accept words and phrases that some now find
objectionable.
Review of
The Lost Warrior,
season 1 episode 4 of Battlestar Galactica
Four out of five stars
Old genre slightly recast
This episode
uses one of the most used scenarios in American entertainment. The western
drama was once a staple of television, with the most popular being Gunsmoke
that ran for 20 years. Most were based on the hero willing to stand in the
street and engage in a gun duel with the evil entity. Battlestar Galactica was science
fiction with ships in space and robotic aliens, but this episode is essentially
a remake of many previous events in the western genre.
Captain Apollo is on a solo patrol when he encounters
a group of Cylons. He leads them away from the fleet until he runs out of fuel
and crash lands on the planet Equellus. It is populated by humans that farm, raise
livestock and dress like people in the old west. Most men also carry firearms
that fire projectiles and the dueling code is still active. In other words, two
men can engage in a fast draw.
The local
village has been taken over by a man called La Certa, his strength comes from a
Cylon called Red Eye that accepts his commands. Since Red Eye is impervious to
kinetic weapons, they must comply when La Certa demands tribute in livestock
and crops. Once Apollo understands that Red Eye is isolated and not part of a
Cylon contingent, he is free to challenge him in a classic western duel.
Apollo is very
much the stranger that comes into town and becomes the hero, rescuing the
village from the tyrant before departing. Seen many times before without the
robot and laser pistols, it is an old story that works fairly well.
Review of
Faberge Treasures Jigsaw Puzzle Book,
ISBN 0810911868
Five out of five stars
Exquisite artwork in jigsaw puzzles
Decades ago, I
had the privilege of touring the Hermitage Museum in what is now St. Petersburg.
While there I am certain that I saw replicas or work created in the Faberge
style and may have even seen one or two originals. Suffice to say that they
were some of the most impressive works of art that you will ever see.
This book
contains images of eight of the works in the form of four small two-sided
jigsaw puzzles. The puzzles themselves have only 12 pieces, so there is no real
challenge to putting them together. Two pages are reserved for brief descriptions
of the depicted works. An art book expressed as a puzzle book; this is an
excellent gift for people that enjoy both.
Review of
Captain America: Civil War,
DVD
Five out of five stars
Super friends battle over principle
When superheroes
battle their evil counterparts, there is almost always major collateral damage.
It is a rare occasion when they meet in a remote area such as the Sahara
Desert. These battles also often include the deaths or serious injury of
innocent bystanders. Concerned about this, governments around the world have
banded together under the United Nations banner to write a series of regulations
governing the superhero group the Avengers.
Captain America
(Steve Rogers) is opposed to signing the new law while Iron Man (Tony Stark) is
strongly in favor. This creates a major rift in the Avengers with the others
being forced to take sides. At first the conflict is verbal only, but there is
an incident where it breaks out into open conflict. Hence the term “Civil War.”
It is superhero against superhero in a battel that shatters unity and leads to
hostility and serious injury. Tony Stark is torn when he visits the penal
facility where some of the Avengers are being held under special and very
restrictive controls.
The action is
intense with a great deal of hand-to-hand fighting. It would seem unlikely that
Captain American would stand a chance against the armored Iron Man, but he
holds his own. Punches and other items are thrown, bodies fly and there is some
literal blood drawn. The dialog is also very good, while there are a few
instances where a cliché is dropped, they are very rare.
Two high points
of the dialog were very amusing. When Tony Stark is trying to convince Peter Parker
(Spider-Man) to leave town and aid him in his task of rounding up the renegade Avengers
his response is, “I can’t, I have homework.” The second is the cameo by legend
Stan Lee. He plays a deliveryman with a package for “Tony Stank.”
Review of
The Ambergris Element,
episode 13 of Star Trek the animated series
Three out of five stars
Transformation from air-breathing to aquatic is questionable
Kirk and Spock are
in a submersible shuttle craft investigating a planet that is almost all water.
It is subject to severe “earthquakes” that have in the past caused massive
amounts of landmass to be lowered into the sea.
While skimming
the surface and gathering data, the shuttle craft is attacked by a giant sur-snake.
They are able to repel the first attack, but when it attacks again, it destroys
the shuttle craft. Kirk and Spock are thrown from the craft and when they
recover, they are now aquatic, unable to survive on land. To have any hope of being
human again, they must go back under water and seek out the intelligent
humanoids that live there.
After a debate
among the leaders of the aquatic creatures, they agree to let Kirk and Spock go
to their submerged hall of records to search for information regarding how to
transform back. The aquatic creatures are weary of air breathers, for there was
apparently hostile feelings between the two groups in the past.
The problem
with this episode is the ease with which the transformation takes place. There
are no side effects or consequential traumas to what would have to be a massive
alteration of body structure. The acquisition of the antidote is also a bit
overplayed.
Review of
The Slaver Weapon,
episode 14 of Star Trek, the animated series
Four out of five stars
Powerful ancient technology up for grabs
Spock, Sulu and
Uhura are on a shuttle craft containing a precious cargo. It is a box from the
long-dead race known as the slavers. Several other boxes have been discovered
and they have contained many things, from being empty to incredible technology
that the Federation has adapted. In the opening, it is mentioned that one of
the boxes contained a device that was modified to provide the artificial
gravity tools used in spaceships.
When the box
starts glowing, it is a signal that there is another slaver box nearby. Unable to
pass up a chance to acquire another slaver box, Spock orders the shuttle craft
landed near the source of the signal. Once there, they are captured by the
Kzinti, a catlike species that is a sworn enemy of the Federation. They also
have a slaver box, but it is empty, so they used it as a lure to attract any
ship that would be carrying a slaver box.
The Kzinti open
the box and there are some artifacts, including some kind of device with
several settings that changes shape when the setting is changed. One setting is
a basic laser, but another fires a beam that creates a nuclear explosion. At
that point, the three Enterprise officers understand that they cannot allow the
Kzinti to keep the weapon, for they could use the knowledge to defeat the
Federation.
The battle is
one of wits as well as the exploitation of the prejudices of the Kzinti. It is
a challenge, for the Kzinti are physically superior to humans and Vulcans. At one
point, Spock says that the odds of him winning a one-on-one battle between the
Kzinti captain and himself are 16 to 1 against. It is a fight cleverly carried
out and one where the outcome is the complete defeat of the Kzinti. It is
interesting to note that the voices of all the Kzinti were done by James
Doohan.
Review of
Post-Deng China: Some Encouraging and Not
So Encouraging Signs, by Winberg Chai
Five out of five stars
This short position
paper was written and presented on March 18, 1997, approximately one month
after the death of Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. There is no question that Deng
was the architect of the incredible transformation of China from an
economically weak country into arguably the highest performing economy in the
world. In this paper, the author briefly discusses the recent history of China,
the position of Taiwan relative to China and the world and what the predictions
are for the immediate future.
The positions
put forward are in essence accurate, yet significantly understated regarding
the results. At the time of Deng’s death, no one could have predicted the
meteoric rise of China to economic pre-eminence. Yet, one can see within the
prose predictions of such an event. The author is correct about the results,
just a bit short on the magnitude. The paper closes with the memorial speech
made by Jiang Zemin for Deng Xiaoping. Deng’s policies have been adapted to conform
to modern technologies, but not fundamentally altered.
Review of
Images of America: Cedar Rapids, Iowa,
by George Henry and The History Center ISBN 0738519243
Five out of five stars
The history of a city through snapshots
As a lifelong
resident of the Cedar Rapids area, many of the references are familiar to me
and some of those with a later date I can recall. The earliest photographs were
taken in the last few decades of the nineteenth century, when the modern era
was in its infancy. An image of the Salvation Army Hall taken in 1890 clearly
shows a utility pole and a streetlight.
To me, the most interesting photo was of the
first graduating class of Washington High School. There were only six
graduates, but four were female and two were male. Given the common history of
the time, where females were generally not educated, this was surprising. Most
of the images involving people are posed, it is entertaining to see what passes
for attire in those times. Professional men wore suits and ties and nearly all
of the women had full buttoned collars and all wore hats when they were
outdoors.
History is largely
the recounting of events, yet some of the most interesting is based on how
things looked at specific times. Not only the buildings, but also the people.
Review of
The ‘50s Volume 1:1954-54, Life in Dubuque
as pictured in The Telegraph Herald ISBN
9780981980683
Five out of five stars
This book
contains minor history of the city of Dubuque, Iowa, that is what it is designed
to do, so it must be given five stars. The photographs are generally posed and they
are the type of images that are common to local papers that are covering local
events. There are pictures of school events, Boys and Girls clubs events and
outings, children sledding and playing in parks and women meeting in order to
do volunteer and community work.
The photographer
that writes the introduction admits that given there were only two frames in
the camera, they had the shot posed if at all possible. Dubuque was a fairly
typical medium sized midwestern town in the 1950’s and these images reinforce
the public images of the stereotypes. On the surface, all was well and good at
that time, there are no hints of any of the darker undercurrents of racism,
sexism and the political unrest of the Red Scare.
Review of
Then & Now: Cedar Rapids Downtown and
Beyond, by George T. Henry and Mark W. Hunter
ISBN 0738539651
Five out of five stars
The development of a city shown via comparison snapshots
As a lifelong
resident of the Cedar Rapids area, I can create a mental picture of nearly all
the locations illustrated in these before and after snapshots. Some of the
structures are in my personal memory banks and I have even been inside some of
the buildings that no longer exist or have been repurposed. Cities are dynamic
entities with parts being built, often modified and then torn down in order to
be replaced by something different. Not always better, just new and different.
If you are
interested in how the city of Cedar Rapids has changed over the last hundred
years or so, this is a book that you should scan. It also makes an excellent coffee
table book that you can pick and enjoy during odd moments of relaxation.
Review of
The Big Book of Baseball Brain Teasers,
by Dom Forker et. al. ISBN 1402713371
Five out of five stars
An exploration of some of the arcane baseball rules
What makes this
book interesting is that many of the situations actually happened and even those
that may not have taken place plausibly could. A scenario is put forward and
the reader is given the opportunity to express their opinion until the rule is
stated and explained. The circumstances are as unusual as a ball getting stuck
in the umpire’s equipment to the specific definitions of what constitutes
interference. Some of them are once in a decade events.
For example,
the rules state very clearly that the outcome is quite different if the batted
ball has passed a fielder or not. Another example covers when a player is tossed
from the game while there is a play involving him still active. A third deals
with a dropped third strike and whether a player that has walked toward the
dugout can still run to first base.
This book is a jewel
for the baseball trivia buff. My favorite rule was, “If no other rule can be applied,
it is the judgement of the head umpire that will prevail.”
Review of
Modesty Blaise: Children of Lucifer,
by Peter O’Donnell and Enric Badia Romero
Five out of five stars
Modesty goes beyond for Willie
This set of three stories featuring Modesty Blaise and
Willie Garvin demonstrate once again how committed they are to each other
without there being a sexual component. Modesty even accepts being sexually
used so that she can buy time for Willie and his allies to prepare for an escape.
In the first
one, called “The Hanging Judge,” a ruthless criminal that had his sentence
extended is out for revenge against the official that did that. He is out of
prison now and has captured the daughter of that official and is torturing her
and capturing it on video. The official and his wife are neighbors of Modesty and
they turn to her and Willie for help. The daughter is very clever and manages
to send a signal to them that gives her location. Using their usual methods,
they are able to rescue her, and she is smitten by Willie.
The second one
is “Children of Lucifer” and it involves a satanic cult that is a front for a
major drug dealing business. The cult provides the drugs for several major
organized crime syndicates and it is a double front. The leader of the cult is having
their leaders gather for a meeting at which he plans to assassinate them.
To protect
their secrets the muscle operatives of the cult knock a woman unconscious on a
ski slope and leave her for dead. Modesty, her man of the moment and Willie
find her and rescue her. The man is a doctor, so he is able to quickly revive
her so that she can tell them what is happening. Modesty calls another one of
her men that is an FBI agent and he sends a team. All Willie and Modesty need
to do is avoid the enforcers long enough for them to get there.
The last one,
called “Death Symbol” is by far the best of the three. In it we learn that
Willie was once a member of the French Foreign Legion and when his unit was ambushed,
Willie was wounded in the leg, and his friend saved his life. The daughter of that
friend has been abducted and is being held as a sex slave in a redoubt in
Tibet. That valley has been taken over by a unit of deserters from the Chinese army,
so the natives there are also slaves.
In order to get
access and acquire intelligence, Modesty allows herself to be captured and used
by the leader. Willie and some of the other locals then manage to destroy their
munitions dump and free the girls. At the end, when they are on the plane,
Willie expresses his appreciation for what Modesty did. Her response is, “Shut
up and let me sleep.”
These stories demonstrate
once again how Modesty Blaise was a comic hero that was well before her time. So
much has been made of other female comic heroes such as Wonder Woman, yet Modesty
had no powers and was the best of them all.
Review of
We Were Soldiers,
DVD version
Five out of five stars
The start of Americanization of the Vietnam War
This is a
powerful movie in many aspects. The first is the dramatic war action where the
combat deaths of thousands of men are depicted. It is brutal, savage and unforgiving,
just as close quarter combat is. The second is the undercurrent of how the U.
S. military made some colossal mistakes in its prosecution of the war. The battle
being depicted is one where the new style of American cavalry, flying into
combat on helicopters, is being developed. The third aspect is the home front,
where the wives of the men in the unit are being notified of their deaths in
combat by telegram delivered by a cabdriver.
Mel
Gibson plays U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Hal Moore,
the leader of a battalion being trained for air cavalry operations. He is also
an academic and has studied the massacre of a French unit by the Viet Minh in
1954. He is determined to avoid the mistakes of the French, where they did not
know the terrain and had no intelligence regarding the strength of the opposing
forces.
When Moore’s 400 man unit is dropped into an
area where an American base has been attacked, the American commanders have no
idea regarding the number of enemy forces in the area. When a soldier of the
North Vietnamese Army is captured, he reveals that the immediate area is the
base for a unit of over 4,000 men. Immediately understanding their predicament,
Moore prepares his men for a major battle. The action is fierce, yet the
Americans hold on, largely due to the American aerial firepower. Orders come
down that make no sense to Moore and he ignores them.
This movie is based on the battle of Ia Trang
Valley, the first major engagement between U. S. forces and those of North
Vietnam. In terms of casualties, it was an American victory, as nearly 2,000
North Vietnamese soldiers were killed. Yet, it was a learning experience for
the North Vietnamese commanders, from that point they realized that they must
proceed with caution in engaging in a major battle with U. S. forces. The
ability of American commanders to call in devastating air strikes meant that anything
approaching a siege was suicide.
This movie also depicts what was one of the
primary U. S. tactics. Occupy a region, engage in a firefight, hold it for awhile
and then pull out. It was not a war where both sides moved forces along a front
in order to expand the territory that they controlled. The ending is powerful
as it shows Moore walking up to the section of the Vietnam Memorial wall where
the names of the fallen of his unit are etched in stone.
Review of
A Comic History of the United States,
by Livingston Hopkins
Three out of five stars
While there are
many cartoons in this book, a more apt title would be “A Comedic History of the
United States.” It contains a series of jokes that often only somewhat follow
history. Most are not that funny and seem designed to be more nonsensical than require
an understanding of the historical allusions. For example, it is not necessary
to understand the fundamentals of the Monroe Doctrine in order to follow the
section about President James Monroe.
This book was first
published in 1880, so by reading it, you are looking back at how humor was
written in that era. It certainly was different from modern satire and farce
and has not traveled well.
Review of
One Size Doesn’t Fit All,
by John Madden with Dave Anderson ISBN 0394563131
Five out of five stars
Madden at his
stream of consciousness best
In my opinion,
there will never be a football broadcast pair that will be able to equal Pat
Summerall and John Madden. Both of them were football experts, but in many ways,
they had the persona of regular guys. In this book, John Madden goes from topic
to topic, sometimes with no real thread between two in sequence.
He talks about
his life, on and off the road, as well as his approach to things. He is not one
to adopt the appearance of a dandy and he often talks about his simple tastes
in food. When he reached the point where his claustrophobia was too great to
allow him to fly, he began taking trains. However, since the trains do not
provide complete coverage of all locations where football is played, a bus was
modified to be his traveling motel room.
Part of Madden’s
broadcast persona was to be humorous when you were not sure if he actually
meant it to be. He was folksy, yet you never doubted that he was an expert on
football. Many people that watched games that he called did not know that his
winning percentage as a coach was 0.759, the highest in the modern era. Even
better than that of the storied Bill Belicheck. He drafted and molded many hall
of fame players, some of which were rejected by other teams.
This book is
not full of deep thoughts, just those of a guy that loved what he did, on the
field, in the broadcast booth and everywhere else.
Review of
Dirt, episode 25,
season 3 of Gunsmoke
Five out of five stars
Sometimes it takes a bullet to wake a man up
Beulah is a
woman considered by nearly everyone as the human equivalent of dirt. However,
there is one man in Dodge that does not. Unfortunately, from her perspective,
that man is going to marry another woman. The family of the prospective bride
does not consider the wedding to be appropriate, the brother of the bride is
steeped in southern tradition and openly expresses his opposition to the
wedding.
The wedding
takes place right on schedule, but when the bride and groom are traveling in
the buggy after the wedding, the groom is shot. Fortunately, while the wound is
serious, it is not fatal. Beulah is found next to the man, so once the bride’s
brother is eliminated as a suspect, Beulah is suspected. Certain items of the
groom’s are found in Beulah’s residence and she confesses to having shot him.
The episode
then takes a dramatic turn, which is clearly the best path for all concerned.
At the end, it is an odd romance, one worthy of a western themed show. In an
amusing twist, Chester in the one catching the bouquet and Matt asks him about having
a wedding. It is a nice scene involving the bromance between Matt and Chester.
Review of
Buchanan’s Range War,
by Jonas Ward
Five out of five stars
Don Porado is a
man that possesses documents of old Spanish land grants to vast regions of
territory. Some of that land is owned by Billy Button and Porado is determined
to acquire it. Billy, his wife Nora and their young son are the closest thing
that Buchanan has to family. To put pressure on Billy, Porado has his giant
goon beat him nearly to death. This brings Buchanan and his friend Coco Bean
back to Billy’s place and makes them frontline soldiers in a vicious range war.
This story is a
bit different from the other Buchanan stories in that he drops his extreme
reluctance to kill, openly stating that the opponents deserve to be killed.
Vastly outnumbered, Buchanan is able to engage them in a series of small
skirmishes where small numbers of the opposition are killed. There is a
climactic final battle and an epilogue. Once again, Buchanan is the target of
some temptation to settle down by a widow woman that fights alongside him.
This is another
of the Buchanan stories where you know that he will prevail in the end, yet
still find it exciting and entertaining.
Review of
The Survivor,
episode 6 of the Star Trek animated series
Five out of five stars
The (re?)kindling of an interspecies romance
This episode has
some aspects of “The Man Trap,” the first episode of the original series to be
broadcast. In that episode a being is capable of altering its appearance in
order to accomplish nefarious acts.
While patrolling the Romulan Neutral Zone, the Enterprise
encounters a man that has been lost for years and beam him aboard the Enterprise.
He appears to be Carter Winston, a well-known philanthropist that once used his
fortune to buy food for a colony that was on the brink of starvation. His
former fiancé, security officer Lieutenant Anne Nored, is onboard the Enterprise,
but Winston jilts her, telling her that it is over between them.
Winston is in
fact a Vendorian, a creature capable of assuming any shape of equal size. He is
a Romulan spy, sent to the Enterprise to impersonate Captain Kirk and order the
ship into the neutral zone. Once there, it can be intercepted by the Romulans and
taken as a prize. However, the Vendorian’s long association with the real
Carter Winston has impressed many of his traits on it, including his love for
Nored.
When the
Romulans attempt to capture the Enterprise, the Vendorian assumes the form of a
missing deflector shield, saving the Enterprise from being captured. The Vendorian
then willingly is arrested as a spy and accepts its fate. At the end, Nored
agrees to be his jailor and there is the potential (re?)kindling of an interspecies
romance.
As humans move
out of the solar system, they will no doubt encounter other beings, most of
which will be quite strange and bizarre. Of course, humans will be strange and
bizarre to them as well. In this episode, the prime alien is capable of absorbing
human traits along with assuming the form. Of all the speculated forms that
aliens could take, an intelligent shape-shifter is one of the most plausible.
On Earth we have chameleons that can change color and other creatures that can dramatically
alter their appearance.
Review of
The Lorelei Signal,
episode 4 of the Star Trek animated series
Five out of five stars
Uhura takes charge
This episode is
memorable for in it Lieutenant Uhura takes command of the Enterprise in a very
forceful way. This was the first time that a female had a command position on
the Enterprise. A certain area of space is known for somehow absorbing
starships on a periodic basis and the Enterprise is sent to investigate.
There is a
colony of females on a planet and they are able to send out a signal similar to
that of the Sirens of Greek mythology. Males find the sounds irresistible,
while females simply find them annoying. Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and another
crewman beam down and have bands placed on their heads that drain their life
energy and age them rapidly. The women on the planet can remain immortal if
they drain male life energy on a regular basis.
Once it is
clear that the males on the Enterprise are being rendered useless, Uhura takes
command and then leads a rescue team down to the planet. When confronted, her “Phasers
on stun, fire!” command is worthy of anything Kirk could muster. Once the
opposing women are subdued, they manage to find the missing members of the
Enterprise crew and restore them to health.
This is my
favorite episode of the animated series, aired for the first time in 1973, it featured
one of several cinematic firsts, a black woman in command, that are the proud
property of the Star Trek legacy.
Review of
Modesty Blaise: The Jericho Caper, The Killing Ground,
Bad Suki, by Peter O’Donnell and Jim Holdaway
Five out of five stars
Modesty and Willie battle evil once again
There are three
distinct stories in this collection, all are excellent and demonstrate Modesty
and Willie at their do-gooding and ferocious best. The first is called “The
Jericho Caper” and it has Modesty in a Central American village enjoying a
peaceful respite. When armed men come and rob the store and take three young
women back with them, Modesty is prompted to action. She summons Willie and
together they travel to the camp of the men and free the women and replace the
leader of the men. They use subterfuge as well as plenty of deadly force. They
are truly a two-person army.
The second
story is “The Killing Ground,” and it opens with Modesty and Willing being tied
up on a boat. An old adversary is going to release them on an island and then
have his team of hired killers track them down and kill them. The deck is even
further stacked against them, the supplies and equipment they were given are
all sabotaged. However, this is of course Modesty and Willie, so one-by-one
they defeat their opponents and win the day.
The third story,
“Bad Suki,” is the best of the three. It opens with Willie saving the life of a
young woman that is high on drugs. With nowhere else to go, he takes her to
Modesty’s place, and she cleans her up and puts her to bed. The woman is angry
and resentful and stomps away. This is the opening where Modesty and Willie
take on a ruthless drug gang. Unlike many of their other actions, there is no
quarter given by Modesty and Willie, although they must escape from a
Houdini-like deathtrap. It shows Modesty and Willie at their idealistic best,
risking their lives to defeat a gang that they detest, making the fight against
drugs personal.
There is no
better fighting team than Modesty and Willie, and in many ways the strip was
ahead of its time. For Modesty is not only a great fighter, she is also the
undisputed leader of the team, commanding great respect from all that know her.
Review of
Buchanan Says No,
by Jonas Ward
Five out of five stars
Tough man to right a rough town
This story opens
with Buchanan a trail hand on a cattle drive with very questionable origins.
The men on the drive are all gun hands and the cattle are of dubious origin. He
has what can be considered a friend in Mike Sandoe and they have arrived at
their destination. They expected a paymaster to arrive at their location, but
the man is late. Annoyed and with his ever-present desire to move on, Buchanan
decides to leave the camp and head into Bella, the town where the paymaster is
located. Sandoe goes with him.
It is a town
mostly owned by a man named Frank Power, at least the good parts. There is a
local sheriff, but he is largely owned by Power. Not one to take kindly to being
told what to do and being denied their rightful pay, Buchanan and Sandoe
quickly run afoul of the powers of the city and end up in jail after getting
beat up on.
The story is
fairly typical of the Buchanan series, all he wants is what he is due, but
circumstances force him to intervene in what he does not believe to be his
fight. There is plenty of action and a lengthy buildup to what is the climactic
showdown that Buchanan would rather not have. Through it all, he has his choice
of women, but in true Buchanan style, he declines with politeness. It is a
great, light western story that you will enjoy.
Review of
Spider-Man and the Black Cat: The Evil
That Men Do, by Kevin Smith and Terry Dodson ISBN
078511095x
Five out of five stars
Hero-villain bonding over sexual assault
Former Peter
Parker and Spider-Man flame Felicia Hardy (Black Cat) returns to New York when
one of her old friends disappears. There is a powerful criminal gang peddling
drugs and she puts her Black Cat costume back on in order to investigate. At
the same time Spider-Man is watching the same gang as an honor student with no
known history of drug usage has died of an unusual overdose. There were no
marks on his body to mark the point of entry.
Even though
Peter Parker is married to MJ, there is an immediate spark between him and the
Black Cat. There are repeated instances of sexual innuendo, including a self-reference
to Black Cat’s ample cleavage. She is one of the hottest of the comic super heroines,
a fact that she is well aware of.
There is also a
very serious side to this story. One of the main villains is a mutant capable
of teleporting objects and he confesses to Felicia the sexual abuse that he
experienced at the hands of his brother. Felicia then bonds with him by
describing the time when she was raped. Even though the villain is a killer,
there is immediate empathy for him.
This is one of
the best graphic novels ever published, it has action, great dialog and a
powerful social message to both male and female victims of sexual abuse.
Review of
Dark Star,
episode 31 of season 1 of Bonanza
Four out of five stars
Gypsy wagons enter the Ponderosa
This episode is
based on the basic biases that people had against the gypsy people. They were
considered a superstitious lot as well as shifty and will steal anything they
want. When Hoss and Little Joe find an injured woman on the Ponderosa, they
take her back to their house and have her examined by a doctor. She is
beautiful and Little Joe is immediately attracted to her, even though she bites
his hand.
A small gypsy
caravan arrives on the Ponderosa and that woman is from that band. She is
considered to be possessed by evil; hence she is called Dark Star. She has been
rejected by the band and she considers herself an exile from all of humanity as
a consequence of what she believes is her possession.
Ben tries to
convince the leader of the gypsy band to take her back and is amused when the
leader invites his family to a pig roast that they are having as long as Ben
brings the pig. There is thievery, hints of evil magic, Little Joe falling for
Dark Star and one of the gypsy men going into a murderous rage over it. All
things that fit into the stereotypes of gypsy people and acceptable in
television of the late fifties.
The story ends
on a down note, yet it was a predictable outcome. There are some amusing scenes
where the gypsy leader openly admits to his malfeasance to Ben and succeeds in
talking his way out of it.
Review of
Johnny Unitas,
by Joel H. Cohen
Four out of five stars
Although his career
stats have long been eclipsed by subsequent quarterbacks, Johnny Unitas can
still get votes as the greatest of all time or GOAT. He played in an era when
quarterbacks and receivers could both get hit more frequently and with greater
force. It was much harder for a receiver to run a predictable route when the defenders
could hit them at any time before the ball was in the air.
This is the
story of the man considered the best quarterback of the decade of the sixties,
a few years after he engineered a victory in what many consider the greatest
game of all time, the 1958 NFL championship game. It was also the game that is
credited with turning the NFL into a national sport. Unitas was the quarterback
for the winning Baltimore Colts.
Unitas was
known for being an unpredictable play caller and an unchallenged leader on the
field. He also knew that it was a team game and that without solid support from
his teammates, he and the team would not succeed. Written at the level of the
middle school reader, this is a good rendition of the life of a man that will
always remain a legend of the game.
Review of
Blood On the Land,
episode 22 of season 1 of Bonanza
Three out of five stars
Implausible
premise that is well played
Jeb Drummond has a flock of sheep, a crew to
move them across the land and an attitude that nothing will stand in his way.
When they reach the boundary of the Ponderosa, one of his men refuses to ride
against Ben Cartwright. Unwilling and unable to tolerate any dissent, Drummond
deals harshly with his former hand.
This sets up a
major clash of wills between Drummond and Ben Cartwright, Drummond is first
determined to take his sheep across the Ponderosa on his way to California and
then to actually take the land from the Cartwrights. To do this, he takes Adam
hostage and will kill him unless Ben signs over some of his land.
This is an
episode that shows Ben Cartwright in a somewhat negative light. When Adam
counsels him to seek the help of the sheriff, Ben refuses, demonstrating a stubbornness
nearly equal to that of Drummond. This is where the premise is implausible, no
person could possibly think that such a scheme to rob a man of his land would
ever work. In the end, Drummond is exposed for what he is, and the Cartwrights
gain a friend.
Throughout the
series, Ben Cartwright is portrayed as a man of integrity that follows the law.
In this episode, he expresses a willingness to go to guns and risk their lives before
he goes to the law and speaks very harshly to Adam about the issue. Although at the end, he acknowledges the error
of his ways.
Review of
Revolt on Alpha C,
by Robert Silverberg
Three out of five stars
When there is a revolution, you must pick a side
Larry Stark is
a young cadet in the Space Patrol, the government organization that is the
space military. Humans have established colonies and bases all the way out to Pluto
in the solar system as well as in the planetary system around Alpha Centauri.
Propulsion systems have improved dramatically to the extent that ships can
travel between the sun and Alpha Centauri in a matter of weeks.
Larry is a member
of the crew of a ship traveling from the Earth system to Alpha C, the main
planet of the Alpha Centauri system that has been colonized. While on that ship,
he interacts with some of the crew members that work in maintenance. He
discovers that their perspective is different from his, while they are careful,
they express some revolutionary feelings. For the people of Alpha C are primed
for a revolt against being controlled from Earth. The revolution becomes
explicit while Larry in on Alpha C and he must decide whether he is to remain
loyal to Earth and fight for the Space Patrol or to join the revolution.
This is a good but
not great book of adolescent science fiction; it presents a choice that many
people have unfortunately had to make. For when there is a revolt against the
primary government authority, it is necessary for nearly all people that can
fight to pick a side.
Review of
Spider-Man: The Venom Saga,
DVD version
Four out of five stars
The animation is quite good for the mid 1990’s and the
story is as well. Venom is one of the best villains that Spider-Man faces, for
he is more than a match for the web crawler. Venom is in fact an alien parasite
that blends in with the host, turning them into an evil entity. In this temporal
sequence of stories, the parasite first blends with Spider-Man, he just manages
to overcome the influence before it transfers to a more suitable host, at least
from the perspective of the parasite. The other host is Eddie Brock, failed
news photographer that has a deep hatred of Spider-Man and Peter Parker.
There are many
battles and Spider-Man is bounced around a great deal. At one point, he is
aided by both War Machine and Iron Man in his battle with his foes. Over the course of these adventures, staple
villains such as the Kingpin, the Shocker, the Rhino and Dormammu also appear. In
the end, there is a touching example of self-sacrifice that serves to put the normal
universe back on an even keel.
The story also
features the astronaut son of J. Jonah Jameson, giving the writers the opportunity
to present J.J.J. in a more human light. He expresses love for his son and
lightens up a bit towards the rest of the world. Venom is a villain like some
of the other classic foes of Spidey, if it appears that it is gone forever, you
hope that the people at Marvel are able to concoct a plausible explanation for its
return.
Review of
Q-In-Law, by Peter David
ISBN 0671733893
Five out of five stars
Lwaxana Troi faces down Q
This novel
features two of the most entertaining characters in the next generation
universe, Q and Lwaxana Troi, the mother of Deanna Troi. Two longtime warring
families, the Nistral and the Graziunas have agreed to stop fighting and
celebrate the unifying marriage of the son of the Nistral leader and the
daughter of the Graziunas leader. The marriage is to be aboard the Enterprise
and many diplomatic dignitaries are in attendance, including Lwaxana.
When she
arrives, Lwaxana states that she is in mourning over her daughter’s inability
to find a mate. She also still has some thoughts of pursuing Picard, a prospect
he tries to avoid. Q appears and while he annoys the crewmembers of the
Enterprise, by the customs of the Nistral and Graziunas, he must be treated as
another honored guest.
The amusing
aspect of this story is that Q and Lwaxana become romantically involved and it
turns out that Lwaxana is more than a match for Q. She gives new meaning to the
old phrase about the wrath of a woman scorned. Even Worf is amused at the
consequences of Q’s actions and Lwaxana’s response. War is averted and Q is put
in his place, not a bad outcome for a good story.
Review of
Germ Warfare,
episode 11 of season 1 of M*A*S*H
Four out of five stars
The demise of Spearchucker
The main
characters of the show are now being fully defined with the minor characters
being set aside. This episode is the last appearance of Spearchucker Jones, a
black physician. Supposedly, the character was dropped because there were no
black physicians in the Korean War. That of course was false, the American
armed forces were integrated at that time. The reality is that there was no room
for the character in the series. With Henry Blake, Hawkeye, Trapper, Frank
Burns, Radar and now Hot Lips, a seventh main character was unneeded.
In this
episode, a North Korean man is occupying a hospital bed and Frank Burns wants
him gone. At first Henry Blake agrees, but he softens to allow the man to stay
in camp for 24 hours as long as he does not take up a hospital bed. When the
man needs blood, it is discovered that Frank Burns is the only person in camp
with that type.
Hawkeye and
Trapper tap Frank for a pint when he is sleeping and they transfuse the blood
into the North Korean, afterwards the patient reacts as if he has hepatitis.
Since it could have come from Frank, Hawkeye and Trapper must keep Frank from
operating or having any interaction with others until he tests clear. Since he
and Hot Lips are desperate for a tryst, they must do all they can to keep Frank
isolated until they can confirm that he is free of hepatitis.
Spearchucker
has only a few lines, there is an emphasis on the relationship between Hot Lips
and Frank. It is clear at this point that the character is superfluous to the continuing
evolution of the main characters. Linville has polished his repertoire of facial
expressions, mannerisms and tones of voice that will make him one of the most
attractive villains in comedy. He has always been an underappreciated actor in
the series. When it comes to physical comedy, he was hands down the best in the
show.
Review of
Between Heaven and Earth: A History of
Chinese Writing, by Shi Bo ISBN 1590300505
Five out of five stars
The structure
of Chinese writing is fascinating, albeit very difficult for western eyes. Constructed
from pictograms, the characters are based on reduced representations of the objects
they depict. They have changed significantly over time, becoming more simple in
structure. This book follows the modifications of some of the characters over
time. It is also a brief history lesson about the various dynasties that ruled
China throughout its long history. The first entry in the chronology is
twenty-first to sixteenth century B.C.E.
One of the most
interesting statements is that Mao Zedong is considered one of the best
calligraphers of his time. Many other significant people in the history of Chinese
calligraphy are also mentioned and given appropriate credit.
Given the length
of time the Chinese have been writing, it is natural that their language would have
evolved a great deal. With the rise of extensive literacy, it is very helpful
to simplify the language so that the masses can understand. As can be seen from
this book, that evolution is logical and sometimes led to violent events.
Review of
Plunked, by Michael
Northrop ISBN 9780545297158
Five out of five stars
The fear that
is part of the game
Jack Mogens is
a Little League baseball player, an outfielder and a good hitter. He goes
through the spring tryouts and is named the starting left fielder. Since everyone
plays in Little League, this means that he will get the majority of the playing
time. He has several close friends on the team, and he has a special eye for
Katie, the team’s talented shortstop.
There is an
incident where Jack experiences the innate fear of baseball players, getting
hit in the head by a pitch. While there is no serious injury, he becomes a
little fearful of inside pitches. Unfortunately, before he can recover psychologically
from the hit, another pitch hits him in the ribs. Painful and scary, but with
no serious injury.
The remainder
of the story describes how Jack battles his personal demons in trying to get
himself to stand in at the plate and not flinch from the inside pitches. Even
though he lies about things, he never really fools his friends, family or
coaches. They stand by him as he works through and overcomes his fear.
This is a good adolescent
sports book, for it is not about the game so much as it is about dealing with
the adversity of a bad incident. All batters get hit at some point, some in the
head. To get back up and stand in tight is something many people have to do. Jack
does it eventually and produces a valuable lesson.
Review of
Henry, Please Come Home,
episode 9 of season 1 of M*A*S*H television series
Four out of five stars
Henry Blake can
be decisive when motivated
Like all new
television shows, it took a few rounds of episodes until M*A*S*H managed to hit
its stride. This episode is not quite halfway through the first season and
seasoned viewers of the show will note that there are still some rough edges.
Due to the high
level of success of the 4077, Henry Blake is given a commendation and promoted
to a position in Tokyo, leaving Frank Burns in charge. Always one to throw his
weight around when he can, Frank tries to make the atmosphere more military and
advances his command and control. He of course alienates the people under his
command.
Desperate to
get out from under Frank Burns, Hawkeye and Trapper concoct a scheme to
convince Henry to come back and retake command. They succeed and things quickly
get back to “normal” at the 4077.
One interesting
feature of these early episodes was the character of Spearchucker Jones, a
black doctor. The character disappeared shortly after this episode in an
attempt to maintain what was thought to be the historical fact that there were
no black doctors in the Korean War. That was in fact not the case, so the
character was removed without justification.
Review of
The Reader,
DVD version
Five out of five stars
Love and revulsion are simultaneous emotions
This movie begins
as if it is solely a romantic tale of somewhat forbidden love, but it is much
more than that. Kate Winslet stars as Hanna Schmitz, a conductor on the city
tram lines. David Kross is the teenaged Michael Berg and the original location
in Berlin, Germany in 1958. Michael becomes sick while walking the streets and vomits
at the entrance to an apartment building. Hanna takes pity on him, cleans him
up and helps him go home.
Michael is
diagnosed with scarlet fever, a very dangerous illness at the time and it takes
months for him to recover. Once he is well, he revisits Hanna’s apartment with
flowers in hand. One thing leads to another and they become lovers, older woman
and teenage boy. The affair continues and quickly includes Michael reading to
Hanna on a regular basis. He learns that Hanna is illiterate, unable to read or
write even the simplest words. There are then flash forwards to an adult Michael
where he recollects events in his past and tries to cope with his present.
These flash forwards continue for some time.
Young Michael
enters law school and in an advanced seminar they attend the trial of some
female Nazi prison camp guards. Hanna is one of the defendants, which strains Michael
psychologically. Hanna is found guilty and given a life sentence. Michael is
torn, because he knows that Hanna is illiterate and could not have done some of
what she was accused of.
When Hanna is
in prison, Michael sends her a tape recorder and cassettes containing books he
has put on tapes. Hanna treasures the material and it motivates her to learn to
read and write. There is a dramatic conclusion to their relationship and an
anticlimax. It is clear from the way it is played that Hanna is the love of Michael’s
life, yet he cannot get past her sordid past. He struggles with his complex
feelings for her, from love to revulsion at what she once was.
This is a movie
about love between a teen boy and adult woman that lasts, but in a very complex
form. It is a reminder that in dark times, people do dark things, sometimes
because they are forced to and other times because they consider it their duty.
Michael struggles to make sense of his feelings, what Hanna did and at the end
he does the right thing, but not to the results he envisioned.
