Forever Amber

A friend recently introduced me to I Heart Radio, a website dedicated to hosting various podcasts. In addition to contemporary podcasts, the website also hosts several radio programs from the heyday of  broadcast radio.

I'm particularly fond of the Jack Benny programs;  I was a fan of the television show as a child. Although the radio show was before my time, I'm familiar with most of the cast from the radio days, as they were later brought over to the TV show.

I was listening to a podcast a few days ago in which Jack had walked to a pubic library near his home. There was a bit of commotion in the "library" caused by the radio programs' musical quartet singing the Lucky Strike jingle inside. Of course, Jack apologized to the librarian, who told him that there hadn't been that much of a row in the library since they put "The Kinsey Report" on the shelf next to "Forever Amber".

This joke received a big laugh from the studio audience. Not being familiar with "Forever Amber", the joke went over my head.

Naturally, I had to do a web search for Forever Amber. Wikipedia says it is an historical romance novel written by Kathleen Winsor and set in 17th-century England during the reign of Charles II.

The article goes on to say that the novel, published in 1944, was banned in fourteen U.S. states as pornography. The Massachusetts attorney general cited "70 references to sexual intercourse, 39 illegitimate pregnancies, 7 abortions, and 10 descriptions of women undressing in front of men as reasons for banning the novel". The novel was condemned by the Catholic Church for indecency, which naturally helped boost sales.

The novel was also banned in Australia in 1945.

I assumed that the banning of the novel was simply due to the prudish attitudes of folks in the 1940's. Naturally, I had to find a copy and read it for myself.

As I write this, I've read 80% of the novel. This being the last day of the year, it's unlikely I will finish reading the novel in time to include it in my list of novels read in 2020.

The portions of the novel which cover the history of 17th century England are very well written. The story not only deals with the life of  the fictional "Amber St. Clare", but with life within the court of Charles II.  In the novel, Amber manages to survive the Great Plague of London,the Great Fire of London and the Second Anglo-Dutch War.

Although not blatantly pornographic, the novel does indeed have the "70 references to sexual intercourse, 39 illegitimate pregnancies, 7 abortions, and 10 descriptions of women undressing in front of men" mentioned as reasons for the banning. Amber has sex with and/or marries successively richer and more important men as a way to get to the top of English society. She is involved in the murder of one of her husbands and has at least 2 abortions and three illegitimate children. With no morals to speak of, Amber St. Claire is certainly no role model.

Forever Amber  was the best-selling US novel of the 1940s. It sold over 100,000 copies in its first week of release, and went on to sell over three million copies. The book's success is another example of how well sex sells.

Sixteen Million Views

 

This past October, I mentioned on two of my blogs [robertsimms.blogspot.com/2020/10/fifteen-million and sorryalltheclevernamesaretaken.blogspot.com/2020/10/15-million-views] that the photos I've uploaded to Google Maps had received in excess of 15 million views. Now, in late December, I've learned that these photos have received more than 16 million views.

Naturally, I'm proud of this accomplishment.

I hadn't been checking the stats of late, so I don't know when the number had passed the 16 million mark. Of course, I have uploaded a few photos since October, though not enough to warrant this additional number of views.

I did notice that my photo of what was then known as Silliman University Anthropology Museum was the number one viewed photo in October and December. This photo has been my most viewed photo since, at least, 2018.

In October, the number two spot was held by Negros Oriental State University - Main Campus with St. Paul University Dumaguete in third. Now, the two schools have switched places.

Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus

 

Back in April, during the early days of the COVID pandemic, like many others, I thought it was an appropriate time to reread Albert Camus' The Plague . Finishing the novel, I was still in the mood for dystopian, plague novels to read. After searching the web, I came upon The Last Man. This particular novel was written by the author of Frankenstein - Mary Shelley.

According to the wikipedia article, The Last Man was first published in 1826 whereupon it received terrible reviews. " Individual reviewers labelled the book 'sickening', criticised [sic] its 'stupid cruelties', and called the author's imagination 'diseased'."

The novel would not be reprinted until 1965, when it received better treatment.

I downloaded the novel from Project Gutenberg and transferred it to my Kindle. Sadly, I did not finish reading the novel. In spite of a fairly decent review in wikipedia, the novel was boring and a bit tedious. The novel did put Mary Shelley in my head, and I thought I might reread Frankenstein; or The Modern Prometheus this year. I put the novel in the queue.

I had just finished reading four novels (and a short story) by Yukio Mishima with plans to return to the tetralogy, The Sea of Fertility sometime in 2021, and I thought now would be the time to go in a different direction. I began rereading Frankenstein.

Since 2011, I've kept a record of the books I've read. According to my list posted in January, 2012, I last read Frankenstein in 2011. I even posted a review in September 17, 2011. I wrote:

I was sure that I'd read the book years ago, but as soon as opened the file, I knew right away that I hadn't after all. Since downloading the book, I've been reading a few pages every evening. The story starts slowly.......I was all set to proclaim the novel "cheesy"; had I written a review after getting to the death of Victor Frankenstein's brother, William, I would have given the book a very low rating. I'm further along now and it's getting better (though the monster's narrative of the De Lacey family was a bit tedious at times).

Honestly, as I began this reread, I had forgotten most of what I'd read nine years ago. Reading the novel this 2nd time, I don't believe I can be as generous with my review as I had been in 2011. The novel just drags on and on. It could stand a severe editing. It would work better with 140 pages rather than 280. Frankenstein's traveling to Scotland to create a mate for the monster seems a waste of time. Shelley could have left the story in Switzerland, saving a lot of unnecessary chatter. The same can be said for her dragging the story to the North Pole.

The iconic 1931 film adaptation did well to drastically change the story.

Yukio Mishima's Dark Side

 

After writing mostly positive reviews on the work of Yukio Mishima , I want to write of those areas of Mishima's life and actions which I find most disturbing.

I've already mentioned the uncomfortable elements found in his second novel, Confessions of a Mask, concerning homosexuality and sadomasochism. 

I recently watched the 1985 American biographical drama film based on his life and work - Mishima - A Life In Four Chapters - which uses portions of Confessions of a Mask as a description of Mishima's early life, while the novel, Runaway Horses and Mishima's short film, Yûkoku (Patriotism - The Rite of Love and Death) were used for describing his later life and as an explanation, of sorts, for the end drama of his life.

Mishima had formed his own private army, which he planned to use in a coup d'etat. On November 25, 1970, Mishima and four members of his army attempted to take over a military base in central Tokyo. They barricaded the office of commandant Kanetoshi Mashita and tied the commandant to his chair. With a written manifesto and a banner listing his demands, Mishima stepped out onto the balcony outside the commandant's office to address the soldiers.

The soldiers were not receptive to Mishima's manifesto.

After finishing his speech, Mishima went back into the office and committed seppuku (harakiri).

Mishima had planned his suicide for at least a year. He had often mentioned that he would die after completing The Decay of the Angel, the final novel in his The Sea of Fertility tetralogy. The novel was completed just before his suicide.

Ayanna Pressley's Contradictory Views on Human Life

 

There was a time,many years ago, when I supported the death penalty. I've changed my mind, thanks to the teachings of Pope John Paul II. Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis have followed his lead in condemning capital punishment.

Pope Francis wrote:

"Saint John Paul II stated clearly and firmly that the death penalty is inadequate from a moral standpoint and no longer necessary from that of penal justice. There can be no stepping back from this position. Today we state clearly that ‘the death penalty is inadmissible’ and the Church is firmly committed to calling for its abolition worldwide."

It's been recently reported that dozens of Democrats have called on the incoming Biden administration to end federal executions once Biden is inaugurated. Considering the fact that the US Justice Department has restarted the practice of federal executions after a 17-year hiatus, I see that as a step in the right direction. President Trump has done many positive things in the area of criminal justice reform, but restarting federal executions certainly wasn't one of those.

One of the Democrats calling for the end of federal executions is Massachusetts congresswoman Ayanna Pressley .

"Ending the barbaric and inhumane practice of government-sanctioned murder is a commonsense step that you can and must take to save lives," said Pressley in a letter to Joe Biden.

A link to Congresswoman Pressley's letter to the POTUS elect can be found on her Congressional webpage.

Unfortunately, also found the the Congresswoman's webpage is a letter calling for eliminating the Hyde Amendment. Sadly, in spite of her call for ending the death penalty, Ayanna Pressley is overwhelmingly pro-abortion. She believes abortion care is health care and that health care is a fundamental human right.

As someone who is pro-life, I know that it is difficult for many who oppose abortion to accept the killing of innocent human beings while ending the death penalty for obviously guilty offenders.

Pressley would get much more help from the pro-life community if her stance on abortion was as "pro-life" as her stance on capital punishment. Obviously, Pressley holds "two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time" which would be a case of Cognitive dissonance if she felt any stress or anxiety over having those contradictory views.

Yukio Mishima

 

When I recently wrote a short blog post on the novel, The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea , it had not been my intention to go on to write a series of posts dealing with the Japanese writer, Yukio Mishima, but after having read two additional novels by Mishima following that post, I feel almost driven to do so.

As I mentioned in a post on another blog in late August of last year, I discovered Mishima quite by accident in what I believe is a fine example of serendipity.

I had been watching a number of movies featuring James Cagney. One movie was the 1931 comedy The Millionaire, in which Cagney had a small role. One of the stars of the film was Canadian-American actor, David Manners who is best remembered for his role as John Harker in the 1931 horror classic Dracula, which of course, starred Bela Lugosi.

Learning that Manners was in Dracula led me to hunt for that film on the Internet. It had been ages since I'd watched this classic movie, and luckily I was able to locate it at vimeo.com. Sadly, the film has since been removed from that website, due to a complaint of copyright infringement. In 1999, Lugosi's Dracula was released for home video, with an updated soundtrack composed by Philip Glass and performed by the Kronos Quartet. I was so impressed by Glass' composition that I had to search for more work by the composer.

One of the works composed by Glass that I found on Spotify, was the film score for Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters - a film based on the life and work of the Japanese writer. Of course, now I had to learn more about Yukio Mishima.

Again, after a search on the Internet, I was able to download 13 books written by Mishima and available as mobi.

Normally, when approaching a writer new to me, I start at his or her earliest work and proceed to the end. This had been my approach with Elizabeth von Arnim, E. Phillips Oppenheim , Wilkie Collins , and many, many more. However, with the work of Yukio Mishima, I began with his final work - the tetralogy, The Sea of Fertility. The four books in this work are Spring Snow, Runaway Horses, The Temple of Dawn, and The Decay of the Angel.

Each of the novels depicts what the protagonist, Shigekuni Honda comes to believe are successive reincarnations of his school friend Kiyoaki Matsugae.

Although I had downloaded 13 ebooks, I did not start right away on other works by Mishima following The Sea of Fertility. It was only recently that I came back to Mishima with the reading of The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea. The two novels which I began immediately after were Confessions of a Mask and After the Banquet.

Confessions of a Mask was Mishima's second novel and launched him to national fame in his early twenties. The novel is very disturbing. The protagonist is homosexual, and much of the novel deals with his fantasies involving homosexuality and sado masochism. Although upsetting, I finished reading the novel. However, I doubt I would have gone on to read Mishima's other novels had I read this work first.

After the Banquet is very different than Confessions of a Mask ( to say the least). It is actually very different in tone from the other works I'd read by the writer. Perhaps it was due to the translation, but the novel seemed to be almost non Mashimaesque, if I may coin a word. On the other hand, the difference I see in After the Banquet may be, that when compared to much of Mishima's writing, this novel has a relatively happy ending.

The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea - the Film.

In spite of the location and setting being very different, the plot of the 1976 film, The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea doesn't stray too terribly far from the novel by Yukio Mishima. Being made in 1976, I can understand why the film's producers may have felt that having the film take place in England - with well known actors - rather than in Japan, may have been a better move from a commercial viewpoint. Personally, I would rather the film adaptation take place in Japan, with Japanese actors.

I could very well cope with English subtitles.

I didn't care for Kris Kristofferson in the film. I never found him to be a credible actor, and his eye makeup in this film was too distracting for me.

The film version wasn't bad  but I don't know if I would have gone on to read the novel had I seen the film first. To me, the novel compares favorably to one of my favorite novels - Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment. This film, however, certainly doesn't rate as one of my favorite films.

The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea

In August of 2019 I had serendipitously discovered the work of Japanese writer, Yukio Mishima. Mishima is considered one of the most important Japanese authors of the 20th century.

I was so impressed by what I had read about Mishima that I went into his work head-on, beginning with his tetralogy, The Sea of Fertility. Even before I had finished reading the four novels in the tetralogy, I downloaded every e-book of Mishima's work that I could find.

I have a list of novels that I return to every few years, and The Sea of Fertility is definitely on the list.

I recently finished another of Mishima's novels, The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea. Parts of the novel are quite disturbing, but the novel has become one of my favorites - along side, if not surpassing Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment.

I'm recommending the novel, however, I'm not inclined to give a synopsis. I'm afraid any description from me would contain "spoilers".

In 1976, the novel was adapted into a film starring Kris Kristofferson and Sarah Miles. The setting was changed from Japan to England. The film is available on OK.RU.  I've plans to watch the film in a day or so.

Lennon vs Zappa

 

During the first few days of December, we remember two musical icons who died this month; John Lennon, who was murdered on December 8, 1980 and Frank Zappa, who died of prostate cancer on December 4, 1993.

Lennon and Zappa were both born in 1940 and came of musical age in the 1960's. The two grew up listening to Rhythm and Blues, although they went off in different directions.

In the '60's, when the Beatles were playing , I preferred their music over the music being created by Zappa and his Mothers of Invention. Over the years, I have completely changed my views on Lennon and Zappa.

Lennon was obviously more well known and certainly more commercially successful. Unfortunately, I don't think Lennon was able to cope with fame and fortune, and as he became more involved with drugs, his music suffered.

Zappa, on the other hand, was anti-drug - with the tragic exception of nicotine. Zappa's music continued to grow and evolve through out his life, and today, twenty seven years after his death, his music is continuing to be released from his archives.

For several years after the break up of the Beatles, Lennon isolated himself and basically retired from the music scene, until just before his death. One obvious difference I see between the two artists was the way they each approached performing. Zappa was able to orchestrate and lead his group of musicians in a performance of Lennon's "I Am the Walrus".....something Lennon would not have been able to do. The orchestration of the Beatles' version was done by producer George Martin. Lennon would not have been able to to perform the song in concert.

Additional Thoughts on My Acupuncture Treatments

I last wrote about my acupuncture treatments on November 28. That was before I had completed all 10 of the scheduled treatments and my view of the the treatments were mostly positive at the time.

Not long after that post, and before the final treatment, I was feeling much better, with no sciatic pain.....just a bit of numbness in my foot. I was even feeling well enough to drive the car to my last three sessions.

It's been one week today since I finished the treatments, and I'm less enthusiastic about the results. The woman administering the acupuncture treatments told me there would continue to be numbness for about a week. My foot still continues to "tingle" with numbness and occasional pain in my right lower leg and foot.

I'm having difficulty sleeping - the pain seems to be worse at night.

Perhaps, over time there will be continued improvement, but as I said, I'm not as gung-ho about acupuncture as I was last week.

Catholic Church Statement on Freemasonry

I recently found myself involved in a bit of a kerfuffle on Facebook......hard to imagine, right?

There was some discussion of a 18 story tower that is being constructed in Quezon Park in Dumaguete. The person who started the discussion was against the tower for aesthetic reasons ; the tower would overwhelm every structure and landmark in the area. An illustration follows below.

 

With a few exceptions, most commenting (myself included) held a negative view of the proposed tower. My objection comes from the fact that the tower is a "Masonic tower" and thereby shouldn't be constructed in a Catholic community. I wrote:

"The Masons are an anti Catholic group. ...Catholics are forbidden to join the Masons. A Masonic tower is not proper in this Catholic city".

Almost immediately, I was accused of spreading a lie. A man said that the Catholic church allows Catholics to become Freemasons. I knew this man was either misinformed, or lying himself. I took a look at his own Facebook page and it is filled with Masonic symbols. I would not consider him objective.

As proof that the Catholic Church forbids Catholics from joining the Masons, I left a quote, as well as a link to the Vatican websites. The statement on the website reads :

CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH
DECLARATION ON MASONIC ASSOCIATIONS

It has been asked whether there has been any change in the Church’s decision in regard to Masonic associations since the new Code of Canon Law does not mention them expressly, unlike the previous Code.
This Sacred Congregation is in a position to reply that this circumstance in due to an editorial criterion which was followed also in the case of other associations likewise unmentioned inasmuch as they are contained in wider categories.
Therefore the Church’s negative judgment in regard to Masonic association remains unchanged since their principles have always been considered irreconcilable with the doctrine of the Church and therefore membership in them remains forbidden. The faithful who enrol in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion.
It is not within the competence of local ecclesiastical authorities to give a judgment on the nature of Masonic associations which would imply a derogation from what has been decided above, and this in line with the Declaration of this Sacred Congregation issued on 17 February 1981 (cf. AAS 73 1981 pp. 240-241; English language edition of L’Osservatore Romano, 9 March 1981).
In an audience granted to the undersigned Cardinal Prefect, the Supreme Pontiff John Paul II approved and ordered the publication of this Declaration which had been decided in an ordinary meeting of this Sacred Congregation.
Rome, from the Office of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, 26 November 1983.

Joseph Card. RATZINGER
Prefect

+ Fr. Jerome Hamer, O.P.
Titular Archbishop of Lorium
Secretary

Anyone doubting my word on this can check the Vatican website themselves.

Goldfinger (Novel)

In February of this year I discovered that I could watch some of the early James Bond movies, starring Sean Connery, on OK.RU. I found the first five films - Dr, No - From Russia With Love - Goldfinger - Thunderball and You Only Live Twice. Unfortunately, the last one is dubbed into Russian and I haven't found an English version available.

Not long after that, I learned that the entire Ian Fleming catalogue of Bond novels were in the pubic domain in Canada and available for download at fadedpage.com..

At the time, I had planned on reading all 15 in the series, but stopped after reading #5 - Dr. No.

I didn't mention it in either of my blogs at the time, but in April, Honor Blackman , who played Pussy Galore in the film version of Goldfinger passed away. Of course we all remember the passing of Sean Connery in November.

With the passing of those two stars, I wanted to pick up where I left off with my reading of Ian Fleming, with the novel, Goldfinger.

One thing struck me as odd was that in the novel (which was written in 1958) the Goldfinger character feels the need to explain to Bond (and the readers of the novel) what Karate is. I had no idea that that particular form of martial arts was so new to the West. I was only six in 1958 and would not have been aware of that fact.

There are a number of differences between the novel and the film. It seemed to me that the characters of Jill Masterson and her sister Tilly were more prominent in the novel compared to their roles in the film and the character Pussy Galore, who was a major part of the film, seem superfluous to me in the novel. It was also a puzzle to me why Fleming should have her character be lesbian in the novel. Her only purpose seemed to be as a way of showing Bond to be the ultimate lady-killer by his seducing a lesbian.

Some may wish to read the novel, so I won't give spoilers, but to me, the ending of the film holds together much better the the ending in the novel.

My Acupuncture Treatments

One week ago, I wrote of my beginning acupuncture treatments for sciatica. I was scheduled to receive 10 treatments and the blog post was written after treatment number two. These were scheduled as daily treatments, with the exception of Sundays when the clinic is closed. This past Wednesday was a holiday in Dumaguete, and the clinic was closed that day as well.

The photos posted here were taken by my wife yesterday near the end of treatment number six.

So, after finishing 60% of the scheduled treatments, how do I rate acupuncture?

Although I am not "cured", there is certainly improvement in my condition since the beginning of the acupuncture. I am - for the most part - not experiencing the pain as I was before. The discomfort I feel can best be described as a numbness in my right calf and foot. The worst part of my day is immediately upon awakening. I suppose this is due to my movements during sleep.

The best part of my day is during the actual acupuncture treatment, which,  without question, is the best 30 minutes of my day. I've been asked if the needles hurt. On the contrary; there are 40 acupuncture needles used during each session, and of those 40, I can only feel about 10 of those being inserted. Of those 10, only about 3 or 4 cause any discomfort whatsoever and that discomfort lasts less than a second.

Of course, this is all anecdotal - it's my opinion. I believe the acupuncture has given me some relief from the sciatica.

 

Our Lady of Fatima Center for Health and Wellness

About fifteen years ago, I first experienced the pain of sciatica. The pain was so excruciating that I was certain that I would become permanently disabled.

The physician who was treating me told me that a number of the discs in my spine were arthritic and one (at least) was touching the sciatic nerve. In so many words, he told me there was nothing he could do for me other than refer me to "Pain Management". There, I suppose I would receive the pain medication I'd need.

It was very difficult getting the appointment; it took several weeks. By the time my scheduled appointment arrived, the pain had thankfully gone away. Even though I was no longer in pain from the sciatica, I kept the appointment. The doctor in that department told me not to worry.....the pain would return.

I'm happy to say that for fifteen years, the doctor in Pain Management has been wrong. The pain did not return until just a few days ago.

I knew it would be of no use seeing a doctor here in Philippines - the doctors in the U.S. couldn't help, so I was sure the doctors here couldn't either.

My wife suggested massage, but I felt that the condition was beyond the expertise of the average massage therapist. I was looking for something else. It then occurred to me to try acupuncture. A quick search online brought up two acupuncture clinics located near me; the Mei Zen Wellness Institute & Clinic in Brgy. Daro and Our Lady of Fatima Center for Health and Wellness on the San Jose extension.

I had my wife call Mei Zen first, because it was closer and the hours were given as opening at 9:00 AM.... the sooner the better, I thought. The lady told my wife that her clinic was in her home and they were closed during the pandemic.

The call to Our Lady of Fatima Center was more productive.

The woman that owns the clinic has been doing acupuncture for fifty years. She told me she was now 66. I would need to have a thirty minute treatment each day for ten days - excluding Sundays. The cost would be 300 pesos (about $6) a session. I would also need to purchase the 40 needles needed for the treatments at 1000 pesos (about $20). From what I've gathered from the web, these 10 treatments would cost me the same as just one session in the U.S..

I had my second treatment this afternoon. I can see that it will take ten treatments, but I've already seen some improvement. Today, being Saturday, my next visit will be Monday. I should be finished by December 1.

 

A POTUS Who Quotes Poetry

 

In the opinion of poet Tess Taylor, when Joe Biden becomes President of the United States, "we are going to have a president who quotes poetry".

Being of Irish descent, perhaps he will regale us from time to time with a limerick.

One particular limerick, written by W.S. Gilbert, comes to mind. I think it would suit Biden's personality quite well.

There was an old man of St. Bees,
Who was stung in the arm by a wasp,
When asked, "Does it hurt?"
He replied, "No, it doesn't,
I'm so glad it wasn't a hornet."

May We use MeWe? Mais Oui.

 

I mentioned in a post from last Monday that I was looking into an alternative to Facebook regarding social media. I looked into Parler.com but thought it was a bit sparse looking.

Since that time, I've looked itnto mewe.com and found it to be more to my liking.

As I write this post, I regret to say that I've few contacts on MeWe. It's nice that I can post links to my other blog (banned from Facebook) onto MeWe, but with few contacts, it won't send much traffic to the blog.

Be that as it may, I'll continue to make use of MeWe, in hope that I can one day drop Facebook completely.

Anyone interested in finding me on MeWe can go here.

Merton of the Movies

In addition to binge watching Netflix, I've been watching quite a few pre-code Hollywood films that are available for viewing on the Internet - if you're willing to put forth a wee bit of effort.

My favorite star at the moment is Joan Blondell. I hadn't realized until recently, that Blondell had appeared in so many films with James Cagney.

One film, which does not include Cagney, is a wonderful comedy from 1932, Make Me a Star. The film also stars Stuart Erwin. Erwin is an actor whom I've enjoyed watching in a number of films, although I honestly never knew his name until a few days ago.

Blondell and Erwin are wonderful in this film. I enjoyed the movie so much, that I immediately began a web search on what I could learn about it.

The movie is based on a 1922 comic novel by Harry Leon Wilson, Merton of the Movies. The description of the novel on wikipedia follows below:

"Small-town bumpkin Merton Gill fantasizes about joining the glamorous world of silent films, and takes a correspondence school course in acting. He travels to Hollywood, where he is disillusioned by the foibles of his screen idols. He is befriended by comedienne and stuntwoman Flips Montague, who helps him land a bit part, which he bungles so badly with his comically inept acting that the studio is inspired to use him for comedy. Gill becomes a comedy star, delivering lines that he thinks are serious straight drama."

After watching the Blondell/Erwin film, I downloaded the novel as a mobi from Project Gutenberg. I'm currently reading the novel. I can recommend it as well.

One thing I can't recommend, however, is the 1947 film, Merton of the Movies starring Red Skelton and Virginia O'Brien. Skelton does passably well in his part, but I did not like O'Brien at all. She doesn't hold a candle to Joan Blondell. Sadly, the plot deviates from the original.

Again, find the novel on Project Gutenberg - locate the Blondell/Erwin film online, but pass on the Red Skelton version.

Backlash Against Fox News

 

Breitbart.com is reporting a backlash against Fox News Channel from it's Conservative base, due in part to what many see as "Chris Wallace’s dreadful and dreadfully biased and dishonest role as moderator in the first presidential debate between President Trump and Joe Biden", and after "Fox News maliciously and erroneously called Arizona for Joe Biden on Tuesday night — a state that is still too close to call".

I watched the first debate and I'd call Chris Wallace's role as mostly incompetent rather than biased and dishonest.

As for the Network's Arizona call, that is an editorial decision which may or may not have been premature, but I don't see maliciousness. At any rate, I don't see that Fox's calling Arizona for Biden had any impact on the election. All Network calls are projections and do not officially determine the final result.

I am able to get some programing from Fox News on my cable here in Philippines, but it's very limited. I've never been a Sean Hannity fan and I never watch his program. There was a time when I couldn't stand Tucker Carlson, but I'm more tolerant of him now. The only program I consistently watch is The Five. It's my favorite morning show in Philippines.

I'm sure that there are some die-hard Trump followers who are upset with Fox News. I'm not one of them. Sure, I'm sorry to see Biden in the White House, but I'm not blaming Fox News.

Facebook or Parler?

I wasn't aware of the social media site parler.com until I read about the platform on Matt Archbold's Facebook page. He's using his FB page to tell folks about his new account on Parler. I gather Matt believes there will be more freedom of speech and less censorship on Parler.com.

I like the idea of less censorship. I've had problems with Facebook banning my sorryalltheclevernamesaretaken blog.

I went to Parler.com this morning to set up an account. There were a few glitches in the process, but I put that down to an increase of new accounts. At first glance, I'm not overly impressed with what I found. Compared to Facebook, Parler seems a bit sparse. I'm not at all certain that I could convince many of my friends to sign up.

In fairness, it might be better to compare Parler to Twitter rather than Facebook. However, I for one have never seen the need for a Twitter account. Parler's claim to fame is their site is an alternative solution for people concerned about free speech on social media. Sadly, though, I have come upon one article that Parler isn't the bastion of free speech that it claims to be.

We'll see how this shakes out. As I said, I have an account on Parler.com but it remains to be seen just how much I'll use it.

Isn't Biology "Science" Too?

When being lectured on climate change or the covid 19 pandemic, we are often told to listen to the scientists......follow the science.

I don't have a problem with that advice. During this pandemic, I've avoided crowds, I observe social distancing, I never go out without a face mask and will carry a face shield when going to those places that might require them. I don't object when my body temperature is checked before I enter a business.

As for climate change, I acknowledge that the planet's average temperature is rising, due in large part to human activity. I don't dispute the science, but I do question some of the solutions put forward by some activists. The idea that people on this planet will suddenly stop using fossil fuels for transportation or the production of electricity isn't a practical solution. 

The folks living in the so-called first world are too dependent on the automobile to ever expect them to give up the car. If automobiles operating with an internal combustion engine were to disappear, replacing them with electric vehicles would cause the current electrical grid to fall apart. Producing electricity with solar and wind without the use of fossil fuels would exacerbate the situation.

I have no problem listening to the science, but isn't biology a science too?

Far too many folks, who believe themselves to be following the science, seem to ignore the science involving DNA. These people seem to forget "science" when science tells us that the human fetus is, well, a human. A human fetus can only grow to become a fully functioning human. A human fetus cannot magically transform into a dog, or cat, or dolphin or some alien life form. Killing a fetus in the womb is killing a human being. That is an undeniable scientific fact.

The DNA of the fetus also proves that the fetus is a separate and distinct individual and not a body part of the mother. Prematurely removing a fetus from a mother's body, by way of abortion, is not the same as removing an appendix. 

While we're on the subject of DNA, examining the DNA shows that human beings come in only one of two genders. An individual's DNA and chromosomal makeup reveals whether the person in question is male or female. No matter how you may feel about whether or not you're in the "right body", your DNA reveals your gender.

So, when you lecture me about following the sciences, just be sure you follow the biological science as well.

President Biden?

As I write this, both Fox News and CNN show Biden to be ahead of President Trump in electoral votes - both projecting Biden to be closer to the magic 270, although the two networks disagree on the totals so far. Fox is giving Biden 264 with CNN giving Biden 253.

The election isn't over at this point, and either candidate can, in theory win. However, to my way of looking at the numbers, Biden has the much easier path to victory.

So, what can we expect from a Biden presidency? Probably not much.

It looks as though the Republicans have maintained control of the Senate, and Biden will have difficulty getting anything passed - much less something radically Leftist. Even if Biden wins the Electoral College, he will not have won 25 States, which shows that future control of the U.S. Senate by Democrats is unlikely.

The U.S. will remain divided in spite of Biden's claim that under his Presidency there will be no "blue States, no red States, just the United States". Biden has no original ideas, and he stole this line from Obama. It didn't come true under Obama, and it won't under Biden either.

I don't expect Biden, should he become POTUS, to survive the first term. If he wins, Kamala Harris will become the first female POTUS.

During the first year of a Biden/Harris presidency, the radical Democrats in the House will attempt to push their agenda onto the American public. This will probably lead to the Republicans flipping the House in 2022.

This election settles nothing.

Trying to Make Sense of Google Adsense

 

I've mentioned several times - on this blog, as well as on another of my blogs- that although sorryalltheclevernamesaretaken has been around since 2006, someone at Facebook has decided that blog doesn't adhere to Facebook's community standards. I've been given no credible reason why I should not be allowed to post links to that blog on my Facebook page.

As I said, that blog has been around since 2006 and has been displaying Google Adsense ads for quite a long time. It's important to me have the blog links on Facebook, as a way to attract readers to the blog, readers who might have an interest in some product advertised there.

The solution seemed obvious to me. I would begin a new blog which Facebook hasn't "banned". There is by no means anything out of the way posted on this new blog. It's quite tame, as a matter of fact.

As I've already  Google Adsense ads displyed on two blogs, it seemed logical to me to have ads on this new blog as well.

Unfortunately, Google Adsense has yet to approve this new blog. The content on this new blog is just as varied as the content on my other two blogs. I don't quite see the logic of their refusal.

Below is a video explaining the best practices one can use to get a site approved. To the best of my knowledge, I've followed their suggestions but yet this blog is still unapproved.

Rest In Peace, Mr. Bond

 

I noted in February, that I had discovered the first four James Bond films at ok.ru. In addition to watching the four films, I also went to fadedpage.com to download copies of Ian Fleming's Bond novels. It had been my intention to read all 15 in the series, but so far, I've only read the first five.

It stands as a testament to Sean Connery that even when I read the Bond novels, I see him as James Bond.

Like millions of others, I've been a fan of Sean Connery for most of my life. I can remember the first time I saw a James Bond film. It was in 1965. Goldfinger had just recently been released, and I was almost 13. My oldest cousin, who was 18 at the time, took his younger brother, myself and my younger brother to a triple feature of the three Bond films being shown at a local drive-in theater in Atlanta.

The three films were shown in the order they were released - Dr. No, From Russia With Love and Goldfinger. This was my first time seeing a Bond film, and I was especially looking forward to seeing Goldfinger......it was the latest one at the time, so it had to be the best.

1965 was a long, long time ago and things have certainly changed. In those days, kids weren't allowed to stay up all hours of the night and by the time Goldfinger started, it was way past my normal bedtime. As near as I can recall from those fifty-five years ago, I fell asleep in the back of my cousin's car before the final movie started.

It would be years before I was finally able to watch Goldfinger.

(Note - this post was simultaneously published on one of my other blogs. It is being posted here in order that I may link to it on Facebook.)

Typhoon Rolly and Climate Change

 

Naturally, with the coming of this Super Typhoon to Philippines, I've been pondering the effect climate change is having on tropical storms. For years I've read and heard that with the increased temperatures, the number and intensity of the storms will also increase. Recently, however, I heard a conservative pundit state that this idea had been "debunked".

Contradicting that conservative pundit we have this article:

How Climate Change May Be Impacting Storms Over Earth's Tropical Oceans:

"There’s no easy answer, says Joao Teixeira, co-director of the Center for Climate Sciences at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, and science team leader for the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on NASA’s Aqua satellite. 'Within the scientific community it’s a relatively well-accepted fact that as global temperatures increase, extreme precipitation will very likely increase as well,' he says. 'Beyond that, we’re still learning.'
While there’s not yet a full consensus on the matter, in recent years a body of evidence linking extreme weather with climate change has begun to emerge. Evidence from satellites, aircraft, ground measurements and climate model projections are increasingly drawing connections. Quantifying those interconnections is a big challenge".

My take from the article is that, while it may not yet be settled, it's logical to assume that climate change is having some effect.

Assuming, for the sake of argument that storms are intensifying due to climate change, I see no solution in sight. There is very little chance that carbon emissions will decrease to acceptable levels. Fossil fuels are here to stay. The internal combustion engine will not vanish over night.

No one wants to voluntarily lower their standard of living - "it's ok for the other guy, but not for me" seems to be the general attitude.

I live as "carbon neutral" as I can get - I do very little driving and the little I do is to places near my house. I can't say that for the majority of people I know in the U.S.. Long commutes to and from work is common.

Our electricity on this island comes from a geothermal plant which emits little carbon dioxide, very low amounts of sulfur dioxide, and no nitrogen oxides. The same cannot be said for most people on the planet.

We try to use as many locally produced foodstuffs as we can. That cuts down on fuel costs, somewhat, but there are some items which we consider "must have" which come from other locations. That's certainly true for many people in the world. Just as it's too hot in Philippines to have locally produced cow's milk, it's too cold in the U.S. to grow bananas, coffee, tea and a million other items Americans want on their grocery store shelves.

As I said, no one wants to voluntarily lower their standard of living. It would take a planet wide, totalitarian government determined to alter lifestyles. In spite of what some of my more conservative friends may believe, I don't see that happening.

Three Versions of the Same Movie......

In 1933, Warner Brothers released the film The Mayor of Hell starring James Cagney.

The "Hell" referred to is a reform school run by a "brutal, heartless warden and his thuggish guards". Cagney takes over as deputy commissioner and reforms the reform school. Of course, things don't run smoothly, but Cagney succeeds in the end.

Evidently, Warner Brothers thought this was a winning formula for a movie and remade the film in 1938 as Crime School with Humphrey Bogart and the Dead End Kids. The plot isn't exactly the same - there are minor differences. Still, Bogart takes over and reforms the reform school. Interesting to note, one actor played in both films - George Offerman Jr.

In 1939, Warner Brothers wanted to make the movie once again - Hell's Kitchen.

The Dead End Kids return in this version with Crane Wilbur getting credit for writing the 2nd and 3rd versions. Versions 2 and 3 also have same producer and director.

Hell's Kitchen more closely follows the plot of the first film. However, the lead actor taking over to reform the school (Stanley Fields) is not romantically involved with the leading lady, as Cagney and Bogart were in their film versions. In Hell's Kitchen the romantic lead is taken over by a young Ronald Reagan who plays the nephew of Fields' character. 

 

 

Oh, How the Mighty Have Fallen

I thought things were rough in 2016 when I first posted (on another blog) how circumstances had forced James Bond to find employment driving a pedicab on the side.

Now, it looks as if the economic downturn, brought on by the pandemic has caused more difficulties for Mr. Bond.

 

Early Bogart

Last night, I watched two films featuring Humphrey Bogart from early in his career - from 1937  San Quentin  and  Swing Your Lady from 1938.

Starring with Bogart in San Quentin was Pat O'Brien and Ann Sheridan. This film is your run of the mill Bogart film from the late 30's - with Bogart as a tough guy who has trouble with the law. No surprises.

Of the two, I preferred Swing Your Lady although I'm sure to be the only person who thinks that way. 

According to wikipedia, Bogart considered his performance in the film the worst of his career and Swing Your Lady was listed in the 1978 book The Fifty Worst Films of All Time. 

It's not the sort of film you'd expect to see Bogart in. In some ways, the film brings to mind the Harold Lloyd film,  The Milky Way. Not exactly a screwball comedy.....but close. 

 

The film features Frank McHugh, Penny Singleton (with black hair), Allen Jenkins and Ronald Reagan in one of his earliest films.

 

Walking Along The Diversion Road

A couple of years ago, I drove to the end of the Diversion Road, and with the help of a mobile app, I was able to mark the location as "saved" when I'm signed into Google Maps. That was some time ago and I don't recall my motive for doing that at the time, but it has come in handy today.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I like to take my morning walk to a location marked on the map ...... partly in order to measure the distance and partly to be able to have a screen shot of the route taken on my walk. Making a few minor alterations, I was able to document my walk today to where the Diversion Road dead ends. According to Google Maps, the distance, there and back is 4.2 km (2.6 miles). This is the same distance given by Google Maps to and from my house to the Camanjac Barangay hall. Looking at the maps, it's hard for me to believe Google Maps hasn't made a slight error one way or the other.

Just before the Magatas Barangay hall, there is a detour for the Diversion Road. Although the road continues on for two kilometers, after that point, there is no proper exit for the traffic going toward Dumaguete.

One notable difference in the two sections of the Diversion Road, is that in the section where there is less automobile and truck traffic, there are considerably more stray dogs lying in the middle of the road. Obviously, there is less chance of being hit by a car in the less traveled section.

 

Fifteen Million

 

There was a time when I would regularly make note, on one of my other blogs ,the number of views the photographs I'd uploaded to Google Maps had received. With the creation of this blog, I last noted those numbers when the views reached Twelve Million.

Over the past few months, I've neglected mentioning, on either blog, the number of views received. However, I'm remedying that neglect today by making note of the current number of views my photos have received on Google Maps - at this date, slightly more than 15 Million views.

Unfortunately, these 15 million views only bring me bragging rights. I receive nothing from Google for uploading the photos- other than "points" as a local guide, which again, gives me nothing.

The ZT Gas Station

While on my daily walk this morning, I walked past a new gas station that, although not open for business, appears to be just about ready.

I took photos, of course, and was able to add the gas station to Google Maps. The three photos are also included here.

 

Walking to the Roadside Resto

It's become a habit of late, that when taking my morning walk, I'll choose a destination that is marked on Google Maps. Doing this, I can look at the map and get the distance from my house to the chosen location (and back).

Another reason I've started walking to a spot located on Google Maps is that I'm able to get a screen shot of the route.

This morning, I decided to walk to and from the Roadside Resto In Sibulan , a total distance of 5.2 km (3.2 miles). That's quite a walk for an old man.

 

You Call This a Road?

One topic which I seem to write about most on this blog is my daily, morning walk. Lately, my destination has been to the Tubtubon Barangay hall and back.

According to Google Maps, there are two different routes from my house to the Barangay hall; one shown in blue dots and the second, longer route shown as a gray line. When walking to the Tubtubon Barangay hall, I've always taken the "blue dot route". The distance there and back walking that route is 3.2 km (1.99 miles).

Until recently, I wasn't even aware of the 2nd route. As it turns out, that route goes by the Suplared Gamefarm, although I had no idea where it comes out onto the Camanjac/Magatas road.

This morning, I decided to walk to the barangay hall by way of the "blue dot route" and take the gray colored route on the way home. This would make the total distance 3.7 km (2.3 miles).

The road going to Suplared Gamefarm from Dionesio Calbat Road starts out as a paved road, though not as wide as Dionesio Calbat. The pavement doesn't continue long. A few meters before Suplared Gamefarm the road becomes gravel. It doesn't stay gravel very long. It eventually becomes a dirt road.

Actually, as these photos show, calling it a road may be a bit of an over statement.

As I said, walking to the Tubtubon Barangay hall and back by my normal route is 3.2 km (1.99 miles). If I want to go farther than 2 miles, the walk to the Camanjac Barangay hall and back is 4.2 km (2.6 miles).

The route I took this morning splits the difference, but I wouldn't want to walk that way on a morning, like today, which followed a rainy night.