Memorial Day at the Cemeteries

No Memorial Day parade in Dallastown yesterday — a casualty of the COVID pandemic, no doubt — so I went down to Baltimore to visit the cemeteries of my grandparents and great-grandparents and leave flags. I hadn’t been down that way since March, when I lined up the old photograph of the trolley at LoudonContinue reading “Memorial Day at the Cemeteries”

Wrapping Up the Catalog Copy

I don’t know about anyone else, but my sleep patterns have turned to utter chaos these last three weeks. One night I might have bifurcated sleep (sleep, significant break, sleep), the next restless near-insomnia, and the next ten solid hours of sleeping like the dead. That, at least, has been my pattern over these lastContinue reading “Wrapping Up the Catalog Copy”

On the Year That Was, 2017

With 2017 drawing to a close and 2018 about to begin, I decided to take a look back at 2016 and spotlight the best (or most significant) blog post of each month. John Hurt, a Reminisence – Sir John Hurt died, aged 77, of pancreatic cancer. I can’t say that what I wrote was profound,Continue reading “On the Year That Was, 2017”

Things I’ve Been Reading: James Bond: Service

Tragically, Ian Fleming only wrote 8 James Bond short stories. (Nine, if you count the short piece about making scrambled eggs. I do not.) I say “tragically,” as I consider “The Living Daylights” to be Fleming’s finest James Bond work. (The Timothy Dalton film The Living Daylights generally does justice to Fleming’s short story inContinue reading “Things I’ve Been Reading: James Bond: Service”

James Bond: Vargr

James Bond: Vargr Published by Dynamite Entertainment Written by Warren Ellis Art by Jason Masters I saw my first James Bond movie before I was ten. I have no idea, at the span of decades, which film it was, but it was almost certainly a presentation of the ABC Sunday Night Movie, back when thatContinue reading “James Bond: Vargr”

On Recent Search Phrases

Stat time once more! Here’s a random factoid. In the past two weeks, which is what the server report I pulled this morning covers, twice as many people accessed The World According to Allyn with Windows 3.1 machines as by Amiga machines. I’m just amazed there are people out there, doing the Internet-thing, with WindowsContinue reading “On Recent Search Phrases”

On a Fandom Meme–James Bond

I posted yesterday about a “fandom meme” going around–post a fandom in the comments, and I’ll answer ten questions about the fandom. We start with PsiQueue, who wanted to know about my feelings on the James Bond universe. Here goes. 🙂 The first character I first fell in love withNaturally, James Bond. 😉Specifically, it wasContinue reading “On a Fandom Meme–James Bond”

More on the New James Bond

I’ve found the reaction to the announcement of Daniel Craig as the next James Bond somewhat astonishing for its negativity. “Worst Bond ever!” “Can EON pick someone worse?” “Surely [Actor X] would have been a better choice!” Anyone who thinks that Craig is a poor choice for Bond, consider this– We could have had AdamContinue reading “More on the New James Bond”

On the New James Bond

Daniel Craig. :bond: Months of speculation as to the future of the James Bond franchise comes to an end with today’s announcement of Layer Cake star Daniel Craig as the newest actor licenced to kill. It’s an interesting choice. Craig has a cold, cruel look about him that would serve him well as Bond. HeContinue reading “On the New James Bond”