Waluconis
King County Library System
Waluconis's Completed Shelf
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PogoPogo, BookThe Complete Syndicated Comic Strips. Volume 4, Under the Bamboozle Bush
by Kelly, WaltBook - 2017
Waluconis's rating:
3 out of 5 stars
Added Apr 02, 2020
Antisocial MediaAntisocial Media, BookHow Facebook Disconnects Us and Undermines Democracy
by Vaidhyanathan, SivaBook - 2018
Waluconis's rating:
3 out of 5 stars
Added Mar 09, 2020
Waluconis's rating:
5 out of 5 stars
Added Feb 25, 2020
Comment:
My favorite super hero comics are magic user comics, and my favorite hero, Doctor Strange. However, I am very picky in this genre. So I was delighted to find a book like this one that touched all the bases and offers a new kind of family saga in the genre. I appreciate Mark Millar's talents and consequently have read a lot has his books. This is definitely Millar at his best.My favorite super hero comics are magic user comics, and my favorite hero, Doctor Strange. However, I am very picky in this genre. So I was delighted to find a book like this one that touched all the bases and offers a new kind of family saga in…
Waluconis's rating:
5 out of 5 stars
Added Feb 25, 2020
Comment:
Just two old deadbeats sitting in a ferry terminal in Spain waiting for the night boat to Tangiers to disembark passengers? No, a fast-paced look at two lives that branches out from their sad-funny "WaitingforGodot"-like dialogue to explore two complicated lives and struggles from drug running to huge self-indulgences. It is also a story of human relationships, but especially a problematized friendship between two men. If you like travels to off-the-beaten path places, you will enjoy this acclaimed lively read.Just two old deadbeats sitting in a ferry terminal in Spain waiting for the night boat to Tangiers to disembark passengers? No, a fast-paced look at two lives that branches out from their sad-funny "WaitingforGodot"-like dialogue to explore two…
KnightfallKnightfall, DVDSeason Two
DVD - 2019
Waluconis's rating:
2 out of 5 stars
Added Feb 25, 2020
Comment:
Hack and Slash & more Hack and Slash. But then it became Hack and Slash and Torture, and fairly superfluous torture at that. By Episode 9 it became Torture and torture and torture. The old bearded Luke Skywalker (M. Hamill) disappears after Episode 5, but you just know he'll come roaring out of the unknown for a final rescue- no, not using a rocket but a giant wooden arrow. Well the sets and costumes are great!Hack and Slash & more Hack and Slash. But then it became Hack and Slash and Torture, and fairly superfluous torture at that. By Episode 9 it became Torture and torture and torture. The old bearded Luke Skywalker (M. Hamill) disappears after…
Waluconis's rating:
3 out of 5 stars
Added Feb 21, 2020
Waluconis's rating:
5 out of 5 stars
Added Feb 20, 2020
Comment:
The 4 stars are for "Steel Helmet". Though Vincent Price calls this his favorite film he was in, the other two do not come close to the high-impact "Steel Helmet"
Forty GunsForty Guns, DVD
DVD - 2005
Waluconis's rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Added Feb 20, 2020
Comment:
Sam Fuller and Barbara Stanwyck over the top high impact. It is not on this disc, but Samuel Fuller's reason for making this picture is amazing.
Waluconis's rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Added Feb 19, 2020
Comment:
Joseph Conrad, whose first language was Polish, suffered his family and culture of origin being crushed under Russian heels. This is his novel about Russia, written in time of a stirring revolution. He might seem to over-generalize when he stamps the Russian soul as cynical. But, this book was far and away Conrad's most popular book in Russia. His characters always are embroiled in psychic intensity involving guilt and identity. Here I felt at times that I was reading a strange section of "Crime and Punishment". Conrad spells out his constant theme - “the notion of the invincible nature of human error, a glimpse into the utmost depths of self-deception.” The first hundred pages embroil the student Rasumov in an intense assassination of an autocratic, Russian leader. They also contain wonderful speculations by Conrad: "Words, as is well known, are the great foes of realty". And: "A man’s real life is that accorded to him in the thoughts of other men by reason of respect or natural love." The novel's final 175 pages are intense and gripping, Rasumov peeling off the layers of self-deception through his meeting with someone he has fallen in love with. however, the middle pages at times could be overwrought and repetitive for modern readers, but they are Conrad's detailed and at times analytical descriptions of his characters living and speaking their passionate existences. My favorite was Sophia Antonovna. When she is present, a veteran red-bloused revolutionary, the novel always rips along at its best. When we first hear from her, she tells us, "It’s been a long time since God has done anything for the people.” It is fitting that she has the last words of the book. The old copy I read, a New Directions "new classics series" has an informative Introduction, by Morton Zabel, but read it as an Afterword because it has too many spoilers.Joseph Conrad, whose first language was Polish, suffered his family and culture of origin being crushed under Russian heels. This is his novel about Russia, written in time of a stirring revolution. He might seem to over-generalize when he stamps…
Waluconis's rating:
5 out of 5 stars
Added Feb 19, 2020
Comment:
This has to be the most mysterious book ever found. Dating from the 15th century, the first third contains beautiful plant illustrations. Following are circular drawings that appear to be astronomical in nature. Then there are these pages of pipe systems with naked ladies bathing in connected tubs. The text has defied any interpreting or coding by groups of world experts. The plant are not identifiable by botanists. It resides in the Yale University library. This book from Yale U Press reproduces it in its exact size, and includes all of the complicated fold-out pages of the original. Its full history, including educated interpretative attempts through time are included in a group of short, very informative essays. The manuscript itself, including enlargements has been posted online by the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library. This book was published in 2016, and since then an interpretation, a cracking of the code, was published in a scholarly review, but has also since been disputed as bogus by Medieval language scholars. In any case, this allows you to pour over a close facsimile of the world's most mysterious book and read about it in detail as you do so. For me, nothing could be more fun.This has to be the most mysterious book ever found. Dating from the 15th century, the first third contains beautiful plant illustrations. Following are circular drawings that appear to be astronomical in nature. Then there are these pages of pipe…
Waluconis's rating:
4.5 out of 5 stars
Added Feb 19, 2020
Waluconis's rating:
5 out of 5 stars
Added Feb 13, 2020
Comment:
Subtle story line that weaves through memory. Growing up in the same time period, i.e. the same age as the protagonist, this also brought back many memories for me. I put it on my list to watch again. Warning - this is the opposite of an action/adventure movie.Subtle story line that weaves through memory. Growing up in the same time period, i.e. the same age as the protagonist, this also brought back many memories for me. I put it on my list to watch again. Warning - this is the opposite of an…
Waluconis's rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Added Feb 13, 2020
Comment:
This concludes a saga winding through over thirty issues of Black Hammer. If you have read them all, it is a satisfying ending to a new kind of super hero story that is also an homage to Golden Age comics. As I read this current book, I tried to imagine what it would be like to be reading this as a first or early read of Black Hammer. I think it would work and could be read by itself, though a lot of the impact would be gone. Hopefully the entire story will be collected in a large deluxe edition or editions. I read the first 20 or so in comic book form, then gave them away. Being retired, I followed the strange team by reading small book collections from the library (Hurray KCLS!). Just the same, I would be tempted to splurge for a deluxe edition. The amazing saga (five stars) would be worth reading again. Being acquainted with comic book history will help your read.This concludes a saga winding through over thirty issues of Black Hammer. If you have read them all, it is a satisfying ending to a new kind of super hero story that is also an homage to Golden Age comics. As I read this current book, I tried to…
Waluconis's rating:
5 out of 5 stars
Added Feb 11, 2020
Comment:
Works of literature can profoundly effect the lives of their authors and people surrounding their authors, which is especially true of classics that become embedded in the culture. Peter Pan has lived for each generation since its inception, even having a psychological syndrome named after him. This book tells of the boys in Barrie's life who inspired Pan and Neverland. The story of how Barrie slowly adopted the children and to a degree wife of Arthur Llewelyn Davies, even while the father was living, is told in details and told by those involved through their letters, diaries, interviews, journals, and published writings. Barrie's own writings were tied directly and very closely to his own feelings and desires. This is a masterpiece of primary research with many first person narratives. Barrie is not painted as a villain. We see him as a peculiar genius whose creation still lives today. But that creation took a toll on his life and the lives of his inspirations. There are many photographs to complete this book that first appeared in 1979 and thankfully has been reprinted a few times.Works of literature can profoundly effect the lives of their authors and people surrounding their authors, which is especially true of classics that become embedded in the culture. Peter Pan has lived for each generation since its inception, even…
Waluconis's rating:
5 out of 5 stars
Added Feb 04, 2020
Comment:
The title is a little corny for modern tastes, but it was supposed to be a little corny even in Scott's time, as a naive Scottish visitor visits sprawling, wild and violent London. This would make a great Monty Python film. If you like old hard cover copies of Scott's novels, this one is more difficult to find. Only recently I found a copy in a bookstore in Vancouver piled literally to the ceiling with old volumes. I'm happy I did. Many of the variety of great characters are based on true people. Maybe the best is the eccentric King James, who grew up a Scotsman and became King of England. Scott has notes on many of the real characters with further true anecdotes. I was enchanted by Lady Hermione's brief stay in the novel, but maybe one of the most interesting, if annoying, people is Sir Mungo Malagrowther. He grew up as the Prince's whipping boy, a boy actually whipped to make the Prince feel bad when he had been disobedient. Sir Mungo was later knighted and developed passive aggressiveness into a teeth-grinding expertise. When Nigel is threatened with having his hand cut off by the Velvet Chamber for threatening violence on the Royal Walk, Mungo commiserated with Nigel by considering the skills lost in applying the punishment:
Sir Mungo: “the executioner, with his cleaver and mallet, and his man, with his pan of hot charcoal, and the irons for cautery [was efficient]. This man Gregory is not fit to jipper a joint with him....”
Nigel's reply: “...if the laws will demand my hand, the executioner may get it off as he best can. If the King leaves it where it is, it may chance to do him better service.”
Dry humor, but Scott includes a note - "Punishment of Stubbs by Mutilation"- describing when Stubbs and his Page both lost a hand by cleaver and mallet. Stubbs swept off his hat with his remaining hand, cried out "God save the Queen", and walked away a free man. London was a violent, often dangerous place at the time. We visit gambling dens and the heart of the criminal sections of London, as well as the palaces, and even a gigantic elaborate clock shop based on a real place with its many "wrecks of useless ingenuity." King James (yes, he's the one who sponsored the famous translation of the Bible) is complex and larger than life. His calling out an antagonist displays James' typical humor. “You are a hardened villain, Delgarno,” said the King; “and were I the lass, by my father’s saul (sic.), I would rather brook the stain of having been your concubine, than run the risk of becoming your wife.” He was learned, so throws in lots of Latin. Have your Google translator handy if your copy does not bother with translating. Scott is also up to trying to match Shakespeare with choice insults, such as "thou sniveling dribblet of damnation." I greatly enjoyed my visit to the streets and structures, language and loves of King James' London, and was sorry to see it end.The title is a little corny for modern tastes, but it was supposed to be a little corny even in Scott's time, as a naive Scottish visitor visits sprawling, wild and violent London. This would make a great Monty Python film. If you like old hard…
Sansho the bailiffSansho the bailiff, DVD
DVD - 2007 | Japanese
Waluconis's rating:
4.5 out of 5 stars
Added Feb 03, 2020
Waluconis's rating:
4.5 out of 5 stars
Added Jan 27, 2020
Ghosts in the Middle AgesGhosts in the Middle Ages, BookThe Living and the Dead in Medieval Society
by Schmitt, Jean-ClaudeBook - 1998
Waluconis's rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Added Jan 21, 2020
Comment:
If you like Medieval studies, or ghosts, this is a cool book. You get the feeling that Schmitt had read nearly every Medieval document, and recounts many of their stories. The early writings told mostly stories of large groups of the dead returning at once, say in a festival in a cemetery, which was then always a churchyard (yes, All Souls Day and still with on Halloween). The Tournament of Demons was another reported event. Individualized haunting began to appear more frequently, usually to right a wrong done in a lifetime. Often they were recorded by monks who at times experienced them and others wrote down oral stories of others. Always they emphasized Christian morals. The phantoms in white sheets did not start appearing until much later in the Medieval period. In fact, early appearances often seemed a little like zombies. The book has a wonderful section with color illustrations from the Medieval period. Schmitt's theme is what the beliefs reveal about Medieval society. He admits belief is a tough thing to describe. "There is nothing less fixed and less assured than this activity of believing: the ethnologist who interviews subjects several times in a row, under different circumstances, quickly becomes aware of this." The book's opening line establishes his position on the dead. "The dead have no existence other than that which the living imagine for them." And as he demonstrates, the living utilize the dead in many ways. "The living therefore made the voice of the dead their own, a voice that, strong with the authority conferred on it by its supernatural origin, reminded them of all the norms of Christianity."If you like Medieval studies, or ghosts, this is a cool book. You get the feeling that Schmitt had read nearly every Medieval document, and recounts many of their stories. The early writings told mostly stories of large groups of the dead…
Waluconis's rating:
3.5 out of 5 stars
Added Jan 21, 2020
Comment:
This is a hilarious satire about today's America. There are series of pages, especially in the first half, that will out loud crack you up. The novel does not sustain this all the way through, but the dialogue is continually witty, even if snarky. American culture from new religions to the continual ploughing for money is on display. The cultural references are continuous, such as twins named after the characters from the film about troubled teens, "David and Lisa". The twins dialogue on education - Lisa: “School’s like a factory where they make these little cell phone accessories called people.”
“It’s more like a tool and die factory,” David says. “They turn us into tools and then we die.” All trends are shams, sort of, As Lipsyte tells us early, maybe announcing his theme, "History hides. That’s its job. It hides behind other history."This is a hilarious satire about today's America. There are series of pages, especially in the first half, that will out loud crack you up. The novel does not sustain this all the way through, but the dialogue is continually witty, even if snarky.…
Waluconis's rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Added Jan 14, 2020
Comment:
This book utilizes the full power of the medium to give you a total chilling experience. Bermejo's art is like sweat mag pulp covers ratcheted up a few notches to take them to a new realm. There are appearances of John Constantine, Swamp Thing, Zatanna, and Deadman. There is a new pre-origin look at Bruce Wayne's problematic relationship with his parents. For all you Harlequin fans, her appearance brought something I thought I would never see, even in a dark DC comic. The dead Joker is the center of the story arc. Supernatural horror is not my favorite genre, but this book heightens the possibilities of that genre. There are a few excerpts of Azzarello's written plotting for the novel. They left me wanting to read all of his written plottingThis book utilizes the full power of the medium to give you a total chilling experience. Bermejo's art is like sweat mag pulp covers ratcheted up a few notches to take them to a new realm. There are appearances of John Constantine, Swamp Thing,…
Waluconis's rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Added Jan 14, 2020
Comment:
It was a recommendation in a Salman Rushdie novel that led me to this book, one of those titles that keeps popping up. It is hilarious and often had me laughing out loud. The snobbishness can be annoying, but it definitely comes with the territory, and always is being satirized when demonstrated. The characters are unforgettable, especially Rory, the all-time ass you want to strangle, and of course Jeeves. The audio book read by Nigel Lambert is remarkable, each of the many separate characters gaining a pitch perfect real voice.It was a recommendation in a Salman Rushdie novel that led me to this book, one of those titles that keeps popping up. It is hilarious and often had me laughing out loud. The snobbishness can be annoying, but it definitely comes with the…
Waluconis's rating:
3.5 out of 5 stars
Added Jan 14, 2020
Comment:
The author has been a financier in the conquering tech wave and only recently has been severely alarmed by the power of companies such as Facebook and Google. He is reasonable and likes and admires many of their accomplishments. McNamee is also detailed in his arguments. These companies can still have your private data and means of persuasion, even if, for instance, you do not use Facebook. The book has some suggestions for remedies, but he admits he is still looking. There is also a very helpful bibliography essay suggesting further reading. He writes clearly, but at times lectures and is repetitive. A better editor may have helped. Just the same, this is a valuable place to start a deeper look at problems with the current molders of society. With the oncoming Internet of Things, they will take another giant step into everyone's consciousness. Your self-driving car will start persuading you to buy things.The author has been a financier in the conquering tech wave and only recently has been severely alarmed by the power of companies such as Facebook and Google. He is reasonable and likes and admires many of their accomplishments. McNamee is also…
PitfallPitfall, DVD
DVD - 2012
Waluconis's rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Added Jan 06, 2020
Comment:
This is a special noir. The noir world chases Dick Powell into the new, shiny clean suburbs. The photography changes as the noir world enters. And who better to represent those 'burbs than Jane Wyman. I half expected her to say, "This never happens on father Knows Best" (even though it was of course after the movie). Elizabeth Scott, usually the femme fatale, becomes the the person caught in the noir web, but in a different way.This is a special noir. The noir world chases Dick Powell into the new, shiny clean suburbs. The photography changes as the noir world enters. And who better to represent those 'burbs than Jane Wyman. I half expected her to say, "This never…
Waluconis's rating:
2.5 out of 5 stars
Added Jan 06, 2020
Comment:
The idea of this ambitious book was very promising for me. It encompasses the universe from the Big Bang to the distant distant future. The artwork is straight forward, simple but appealing. It kept me reading until the end. However, perhaps the theme was just too big to be entirely convincing. Just the same , it enters the world of non-fictive graphic novels, which remain a fascinating field for me.The idea of this ambitious book was very promising for me. It encompasses the universe from the Big Bang to the distant distant future. The artwork is straight forward, simple but appealing. It kept me reading until the end. However, perhaps the…
PogoPogo, BookThe Complete Syndicated Comic Strips. Volume 5, Out of This World at Home
by Kelly, WaltBook - 2018
Waluconis's rating:
5 out of 5 stars
Added Jan 06, 2020
Comment:
"I may be Good...But I ain’t as real as you think." These were the words of Albert Alligator, one of Pogo-s many friends living in the swamp. This is Volume 5 in Fanagraphic Book's project of for the first time reprinting all the Pogo daily and Sunday strips (in color) by Walt Kelly. These are from 1957, and they explore everything imaginable. As a one of the ragged but cute robber mice says, "Mebbe the time to remember a lot of stuff is before it starts." You're sure to pick a favorite critter. Albert was mine, even when tells Churhy Turtle, "Trouble with you is you is too big to swat an’ too small to wrassle.” Churchy replies by launching into some typical Walk Kelly poetry, "Ah, to be in October now what April’s here.” The patter of conversation from these wonderfully-drawn critters is reminiscent of the beats and rhythms of George Herriman's Krazy Kat. At the same time, the animals speak for themselves. An irate bunny tells us, "Well, who’s the only people what can grow rabbits’ feet..Huh? Without rabbits, a rabbit’s foot would be nothin’ but a disembodied handful of unidentified toes.." A flea tells a taper mouse, "Dogs is man’s best friend if that man is a flea." An investigative, analytical mouse makes the claim: "The scientific team of mice have perfected the satellite to carry men into outer space, once an’ for all..." A literary flea exclaims, "I started this life with a will....yearning for wings....a trip thru the wild blue yonder...now it’s ashes...I’m a burned out rocket...I’m gonna write a book....I’ll call it “Look Back from Hunger”...a motorcycle ride through the black jacket of existence." Pogo watches this world go by. and watched the world at the time, as he comments on sputniks and satellites from the 1950's. “Perhaps instead of making’ artificial moons we could make an artificial world an’ then...an’...but..maybe we already got one.” The volume has an index, notes, and quoted nuggets (with none of the above). I don't see how there will ever be another Way Kelly, but these collected editions are a valuable and fantastic tribute to his genius."I may be Good...But I ain’t as real as you think." These were the words of Albert Alligator, one of Pogo-s many friends living in the swamp. This is Volume 5 in Fanagraphic Book's project of for the first time reprinting all the Pogo daily and…
Comment: