Soft Sin, Murder and Mystery of the 1940s Falls Flat in the Novel "The Black-Eyed Blonde."

The resurrection of 30s and 40s detective Philip Marlowe in this year's novel is a maze of misery.

It's easy to understand why best selling author Benjamin Black did not have a best seller in his latest book, "The Black-Eyed Blonde." Black futility tries to bring back the heralded detective created by Raymond Chandler when black and white movies ruled the big screen of dark theaters across the globe.

Fictional private dick, Philip Marlowe was brilliantly brought to life by Humphrey Bogart in at least two films; "The Maltese Falcon," (1941) and "The Big Sleep." (1946). Marlowe, the private detective first emerged in Chandler's 1939 novel, "The Big Sleep."

A young woman's enticing beauty, sexual desires and conquests blended into a martini complete with deception, mystery, murder and money are ingredients for a phenomenal story, yet "The Black-Eyed Blonde" is a barrage of boring.

The non use of profanity and the PG way the book was written is fine, but heavy adult material needs some intrigue, a blast of real sin, a taste of heart felt emotions conflicting with harsh realities and decisions embedded in a sound mind.

The story begins when Marlowe is in his office when a foxy well dressed blonde woman comes into his office, Mrs. Cavendish offering big money to locate her lover, Nico Peterson. Peterson was the man she was cheating on her husband with. Cavendish withholds a lot of useful information to Marlowe and a lot of plot twists come about. All the plot twist lead to an uninteresting tale of terrible.

By the time its found out love was an illusion, the big bucks weren't there and Marlowe will live to work another case, so what. "The Black-Eyed Blonde" was less interesting than a tag on the collar of T-shirt, as captivating as toe nail clippings and as much fun to read as an electric companies odometer.

The movie "The Big Sleep" with Bogart (detective Marlowe) and Lauren Bacall defined 'cool.' Marlowe's candor in the "Maltese Falcon" was priceless especially when he's offered $100.00 (serious cash in 1941) for a retaining fee, and his client says, "you will take, say $100.00? Marlowe reaches into the mans wallet, takes $200.00 dollars and replies, " I will take say $200.00. My point is that if your going to resurrect a classic character, make sure the character stays true to there natural form and charm and not completely pulverize the character and transform it from funny and entertaining to drab and dull.

The only reason I gave this horrible read even one star was because of the way Marlowe described the cigarette woman working at the movie theater; 'She was a nice looking girl serving cigarettes and candy dressed in a chambermaids out fit, complete with the short shirt. I got the image of Bogart's cool sounding voice intoning those words. The book also ripped on my home town of Santa Rosa which also helped up its rating for me.

The city of Santa Rosa is not friendly or welcoming to the entertainment industry. At least when it comes to horror movies, just read the credits to the movie "Scream;" And no thanks to the City of Santa Rosa...

Sixties, 70s and 90s Music Acquired From the Library Ease the Ears

The last three CD's I recently checked out enhanced my driving experience immensely with blistering sounds engulfed in melodically structured vocals, instrumentals and great writing.

"Black Rain" by rock 'n' roll icon Ozzy Osbourne didn't disappoint. If not a free check-out, I would have never listened to this metal mastery of marvelous. This is not a mental album, but it's labeled as such. "Black Rain" is a hard rock album geared toward true rock 'n' roll, meant to provoke individual thoughts, enlighten its listeners to the injustice of government and the evils of power and war.

The first three songs on "Black Rain" pelt the ears with raucous rhythms while guitarist Zakk Wylde's leads construct the chaos into gripping music. Osbourne co-wrote all ten songs on the CD with Wylde and producer Kevin Churko.

"Not Going Away," the first song not only stays true to hard rock, but is Osbourne saying he's here to stay, continue touring and making more music. Osbourne is nothing like his character portrayed in his sitcom from 2002-2005. He speaks in clear sentences and his mind is keen. Great actor indeed.

"I Don't Wanna Stop," the second song is even harder sounding then the first, pleasantly so and I love the lyric, ' too many religions, only one God...' Religion is first and foremost a business and business is all about money. Naturally Christians and other denominations get upset, even vicious when other churches cut into their profits. Osbourne has arguably imbibed in every drug known and unknown to human kind, but he is one soulful writer, and his lyrics are intellectually sound.

"Black Rain," the title track is a fantastic anti war song.

...a flag drape over a coffin, another soldier is dead...we've crossed too many borders, military suicide, war, killing sons and daughters, I watch the body count rise, why are the children all marching in the desert to die? (Osbourne, Wylde, Churko)

Those lyrics alone boosted the rating of "Black Rain" above three stars.

The fourth song "Lay Your World On Me," is a love ballad, sagaciously written.

...give me your pain, give me your anger, I can take the weight...lay your world on me...we all fall and lose our faith in who we really are...the choice is for us to make it together. (Osbourne, Wylde, Churko)

"The Almighty Dollar" is the sad harsh reality of our lives.

...Rape, steal and murder...God bless the almighty dollar...you kept us blind and mislead...chained to industrial need... The almighty dollar governs the world into upheaval of greed, injustice and the over all manipulation of the masses. Osbourne is enlighten, and he shares his thoughts extremely well.

"Silver" is the heaviest tune on the disc which only fans of heavy mental and acid rock could appreciate. No matter how you bake the cookie, 2007's "Black Rain" is a must listen for all hard rock 'n' fans; 3 and half stars easy.

1993's "Siamese Dream," the second album by the Smashing Pumpkins is one of the best hard rock albums of all time, even if only three of the 13 songs are top notch. The first three songs on the disc captivate the hard rock ear with pulverizing guitars by Billy Corgan and James Iha punctuated by the heavy drumming of Jimmy Chamberlin. Progressive rock guides metal into a blissful realm of musical mischief.

"Today," the third song may be a little too heavy for a wedding march, but I could see it working. As the father is walking the soon to be bride down the isle of mystery, the lyrics in the song encased in the heavy guitar lead bleed bliss; 'Today is the greatest day I've ever known...I wanted more than life could ever grant me...

"Death Proof" is the sound track to a Quentin Tarantino movie with the same name. Much of the music on this disc is balefully bizarre. 1995's "Chick Habit" by April March harnesses a true 60s hip sound sung wonderfully by March. She hits the high notes with aplomb and delivers the verse 'your gonna need a heap of glue when they all catch up with you and they hack you up two... Fitting words for a Quentin Tarantino flick.

"Jeepster," "Baby it's You" and "Down to Mexico by the Coasters are the most catchy songs on this sound track. British band T. Rex's 1971 "Jeepster" has a theme as old as time itself; love and lust. ...your so sweet, your so fine, I want you all and everything, just be mine... "Jeepster's" beat may get you off your seat and dancing.

"Baby it's You" preformed by Smith in 1969 is another upbeat song about yearning for that special someone. 1956's "Down to Mexico" withstands the ultimate test of time sure to get most heads bobbin as the cool riffs in the tune imbibe the ears with joy.

"It's So Easy" by Willy Deville is a raucous song fitting for the final action scene in "Death Proof." The worst things about these three CD's was having to return them to the library. Lovers of hard rock and ones who enjoy old school music should embrace these albums while fans of modern day mainstream would most likely hate real instruments beget from these CD's. Bottom line, the local library is an awesome source for entertainment and knowledge.

Jonas Favela; His Words Forschurr

It is really frightening to see how many people do not know how to think or question anything. Just because some "Expert" or "Authority" gives them information on the TV or print media ...it has to be true . That just shows how well the worship of Authority has been ingrained in the collective consciousness of the people...The mind control in this country is so pervasive... that it really sometimes scares the hell out of me.

One of the things that I have noticed and it appears to be universal is this idea of "Belief" ...Belief is not synonyms with reality or Truth....Most people can not distinguish this simple fact .

Recently, I was in a debate with someone that appears to be stuck in the "authority" paradigm. When I confronted this individual with some facts that they did not "believe" in they got personal and emotional/insulting. When I pressed this issue by asking pertinent questions...silence.

This interaction just solidified what I have come to learn over the past few years.

It just proves that what has been taken out of our society is a methodology of disseminating information . And if you think about it ...the powers at be do not want a populace able to think critically and disseminate information in an coherent fashion.

What they have created is a culture based on stimulus/emotional response with out thinking....This is not by accident .

One of the ways that "they" have done this is by occulting history ….If a people do not know their own history ...they become incoherent and easily controlled . Couple that with the Prussian Educational system...and constant stimulus by Hollywood, TV, sports etc... You get what we have right now, a completely incoherent, easily manipulated addicted to entrainment society ….
                                                                       
Extremely well articulated Mr. Favela. In my opinion some, too many people want every answer in a neat tidy box. For every question, thought, idea or believe, these blinded souls want one definitive answer for everything while actually having faith in the government and an ancient book. Math is the only subject in the world with only one answer for each of its questions or problems. I.E, no matter what part of the universe one dwells in, two plus two is always four.

We're all addicted to sports and entertainment, including myself, so we all embrace ignorance while countless Middle Eastern Women, children and civilian men who have nothing to do with terror are being blown up daily by U.S. drones.

"The Oakland Athletics Magic Number to Clinch the Playoffs is one Game," was probably on the front page of the Oakland Tribune this morning. Mass media has always shrouded the general public. In the wild west days, U.S. military men routinely mass murdered Native American women and children. The beautiful women were gang raped before they were slaughtered, and the healthy young men were enslaved. The news papers back then reported how brave U.S. soldiers fought and killed savage Native American warriors who were posing a threat to the white man. Threatening our profits indeed.

Everything is a conspiracy. All world leaders are in the pockets of the five, maybe six percent of the major businesses who run the world, such a Big Oil and General Mills. Make no mistakes people, money is the 'Almighty,' with absolutely no compassion, soul and fueled solely on greed and more power...

Government

Liquid lunacy fills the goblet of greed and wets the lips of the unethical

which bleeds across the world. Harbingers of havoc, apprentices of

apathy, creators of chaos, and distributors of destruction. Soul destroyers

and mindless material builders. Thrust into there lies and bred to consume.

                                                                    Izzy Schurr

 

 

Five-Year-Old Bargin Novel Hits Home Run With the Senses

 

 

Twisted Christianity, witchcraft, murder, teenage bullying and a marvelous mixture of mystery harbor in the 5-year-old novel "House of Reckoning," Well worth the 60 cents I spent at my local Love Your Neighbor Thrift Store.

A crescendo of chaos bombards 14-year-old Sarah Crane's life when her father is sent to prison for murder. Without a mother, the girl becomes a foster child of over bearing Christians.

Crane's step brother and sister define unkindness. Blinded in Christian faith, Sarah's foster sister Tiffany, brother Zach and her guardian parents Mitch and Angie Gravey embrace old testament punishment and judgment upon her. The Gravey's do all they can to strip Sarah of her individuality and shroud her amazing talents as an artist.

Sarah's real father accidentally beats someone to death in a drunken stupor. Still amidst his drunkenness, he runs Sarah over in his truck while she's riding her bicycle. She is labeled the town gimp by her step father Mitch because of the injury to her hip which forces her to limp.

The Gravey's with their Christian love, take Sarah in to their home solely for the money people receive for accepting a foster child. They force Sarah to sleep outside in the cold fall of Vermont when she comes home late from school and lock her in the attic for being a tool of Satan, according to Angie.

Sarah finds refuge with her high school pal Nick Dunnigan, another outcast at the local high school. Her art teacher Bettina Philips is the town witch in the eyes of Mrs. Garvey whose ludicrous faith in the Bible destroys any good will or common sense she might have possessed if she ever thought for herself. Philips is the one adult in Sarah's life who keeps her spirits up and her drive for diversity and quest for a positive imagination intact.

The story gets cerebrally intense when Angie and Dan Connor, the father of her daughter Tiffany's boy friend set out to kill Sarah and Nick is a state of unwarranted fury, and the reader learns that Philips house was once 'Shutters Lake Institute,' a place for the criminally insane in the early 1900s.

Despite the highly adult themes and dabbling in the occult, New York Times best selling author John Saul wrote this book without profanity while sagaciously making R rated material into PG format. Reading 2009's "House of Reckoning" was like watching a movie. Each character was rich in description and the story constantly switched my emotions from anger to joy over and over again until a very surprising conclusion lead my imagination into a dimension known as the twilight zone.

The conclusion of this novel is highly unpredictable and sends the reader on a mind adventure into the 5th dimension. In the immortal words of Rod Serling ...a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity, the middle ground between science and superstition which lies in the pit of human fears and the summit of our knowledge, the dimension of imagination in an area we call the twilight zone.



Murder, Rape and War Reign in Polictics, Especially Now

Mass murder of children, physical, mental abuse, rape and the over all act of dehumanizing men, women and children are the norms of baleful U.S. law enforcers and its military these days.

Intriguing how young white unarmed people are not brutally shot and killed by police in the U.S. The latest fatality fiasco happened to the unarmed black 18-year-old, Michael Brown in St. Louis on Aug. 9. The New York Times stated white police officer, Darren Wilson killed Brown because of a 'confrontation.'

To me a confrontation is going on a date with a women and wanting to take her to the landfill to shoot rats, while she'd rather go to a (c) rap concert. A cop shooting an unarmed person six times, twice in the head for allegedly stealing a box of cigarettes from a convince store seems a extremely excessive to me. (http://reason.com/blog/2014/08/15/would-police-have-withheld-claim-that-mi)

In my home town of Santa Rosa, 13-year-old Andy Lopez, armed with a replica pellet AK-47 rifle was shot at eight times, hit by seven of a Sonoma County sheriff's bullets, (http://www.ktvu.com/news/news/crime-law/santa-rosa-sheriffs-deputy-who-killed-andy-lopez-r/ng32f/#sthash.H7k0wL7m.dpuf)

Three of the seven bullets that penetrated Lopez's innocuous body were to his back side. Three shots to the back from a 24-year on duty sheriff at a 13-year-old boy with a toy gun!? (https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2014/03/30/18753306.php)

Sheriff Erick Gelhaus, Lopez's killer is back on duty (http://sfbay.ca/2014/08/15/deputy-who-killed-andy-lopez-returning-to-patrol/) and proves injustice reigns too often. Whether or not Brown and Lopez were killed by Ku Klux Klan level racists with badges, the facts remain, both victims were unarmed, nor killers, and fatally shot too many times.

In the world of U.S. immigration officials, many of them rape young children and use medieval forms of torture while the border crossers are being detained. In March, U.S. Border Patrol Agent, Esteban Manzanares, 32 raped three Honduran women and two 14-year-old girls while on duty.

Manzanares apparently tied up and gagged a 14-year-old girl and left her in his apartment while he returned to work to finish his shift. When he returned from work, Manzanares allegedly raped and assaulted the undocumented 14 year old Honduran girl in his apartment and later committed suicide by gunshot. (http://www.epbusinessjournal.com/2014/03/border-patrol-agent-rapes-three-undocumented-women-and-commits-suicide/) Police said he did have the girl tied up for hours and raped her. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2580628/Border-Patrol-agent-suspected-brutally-raping-three-women-killing-himself.html)

This is just one of many incidents of nefarious power abuses by U.S. border patrol agents that hovers low on the real news radar. In another documented case, more than 80 percent of immigrants held in custody did not receive enough food or water.

"Immigrant Children Raped, Punched, Kicked in Border Patrol Custody: Complaint," a June article written by R. Stickney and Matt Rascon details a lot of disturbing facts about the U.S. border patrol practices. (http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Unaccompanied-Minor-Immigrant-Detainees-Abuse-San-Diego-Border-262753751.html)

Stickney and Rascon's article states most of the heinous crimes against the southern country border crossers were children between the ages of five and 17-years-old. A 13-year-old boy was raped by two U.S. border patrol agents. I'm willing to bet the two demented rapists are still on duty. Power is in the hands of the wrong souls is beyond horrifying. On a regular basis, young children are held captive with only toilet water to drink and frozen sandwich's to eat. Why evil exists, is the billion dollar question.

Now the latest about the U.S. military immoral mass killings of children and our nations quest for vengeance, though we started the fight. The latest beheading of American journalist's James Foley and Steven Sotloff by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, while tragic and evil, it's simply ISIS retaliation for U.S. drone attacks which have killed countless Middle Eastern women and children.

First and foremost, my utmost condolences to the parents, family and friends of Foley and Sotloff. Thank all the powers that be I'll never lose a child, but the death of someone close to anyone in the prime of their life is indeed an emotional whirlwind of tragic chaos. Parents and friends can wish and achieve revenge for Foley and Sotloff all they want, but for the rest of us who didn't know Foley and Sotloff, war is not the answer!

With the above being said, I understand why ISIS is murdering and documenting their vicious be headings of U.S. citizen's, though I don't condone it. Two Evils don't equal harmony.

U.S. drones are killing Middle Eastern women and children by the tens of thousands in my mind, thou our government does a fantastic job of covering up their mass murders, just as they do with the torture and rape of immigrant children.

In one documented incident, 600 innocent Middle Eastern people were blown up by our drones, 176 of them were children. (http://www.juancole.com/2012/12/lets-also-remember-the-176-children-killed-by-us-drones.html) If another country was bombing the U.S. daily, and many of the bombs were pulverizing schools, homes and obliterating women and children by the dozens simply because they wanted cheaper oil, I would be an avid enemy of that country myself.

The U.S. leaders, the one percent with all the power and insane amounts of money are invading the Middle East solely for oil, because it's where billions of dollars await to burst their wallets and never ending greed.

The U.N. states that 400 Middle Eastern innocent citizens were killed by our drones in 2013. (http://article.wn.com/view/2013/10/19/Drones_have_killed_400_civilians_UN/) Of all the research I've done about our country's drone strikes, many articles attests that the true numbers of Iraqi and other Middle Eastern women, children and other of their civilians blown up and killed by our military is completely unknown to us.

Currently more than 6,829 U.S. soldiers have been killed in the war since it began in 2003. (icasualties.org) President Barack Obama and the many U.S. senators are not sending their children to die, so why shouldn't they fill up their wallets and take another conscienceless vacation.

Each and every drone strike by the U.S. which is happening daily creates more and more U.S. enemies and I fully understand it. How powerful is Rome now? Greece?

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/14/opinion/yemen-drone-strikes-reprieve/index.html, web address of the below photo.

Does Devil Worship and Mythical Intrigue Go Hand in Hand in the Game Dungeons & Dragons? "Of Dice and Men" Book Review

Satanic panic and witch hunts have been occurring for 100s if not 1000s of years and in the 1980s, the fantasy adventure game Dungeons & Dragons sprang up new fears and interests in devil worship.

Various people and groups in the 80s linked D & D to teen suicides, murders and claim it lead many into the roots of satanic rituals.

In 1980, Christian minister Norman Spinger told the New York Times D & D books are filled with things that are not fantasy, but real in the demon world and are dangerous to anyone involved, because it leaves them open to satanic spirits. In that same year a British clergyman said letting children play D & D is like handing them over to Satan. Reverend John Hollidge said it's (D &D) a game of life and death. In 1982, the movie "Mazes & Monsters" staring Tom Hanks depicts D & D in a hysterical, inaccurate and nonsensical way "Of Dice and Men" author David M. Ewalt said.

D & D is indeed a game of life and death, but the vast majority of the time, it's all fantasy, a mythical journey where imaginary characters gain new abilities and more powers over time or they are swallowed in the spheres of annihilation.

"Of Dice and Men" illustrated the gripping power of D & D and Advanced D & D, though it never seized my attention. Having played the game or attempting to play twice back in the 80s, I was never quick minded enough to escape the many hazards of the game, so my character perished in the very beginning stages of the game.

Each game is different with countless outcomes and scenarios. Most D & D participants are 21-year-old college students meeting at least once a week with the same group of individuals to play the game. A single game can last weeks, months, years or even decades.

It's estimated that since 1974, the inaugural year of D & D, more than 30 million people have played the game. Ewalt is willing to bet that 29 million of these people had their first tasted of playing D& D in a tavern.

'Your in a tavern' has become the D & D equivalency of 'Once Upon a Time.' Many games include a Pub Crawler. The Pub Crawler is the one character to go to for finding information about the local area foreign travelers find themselves in. The Pub Crawler, who dwells in a tavern is called Norm, because of the 90s TV show "Cheers."

The leader of each game is the Dungeon Master or DM. The DM is responsible for various acts of creation for the many aspects throughout game. Example; The DM sketches details like mapping out where various traps are, where treasure is, and what monsters may be guarding the treasure or lurking about, seeking to destroy each character participating in the game. Players earn points in many ways. Killing a rat may be a 100 points while slaying a dragon might be a 100,000 points. Earn enough points to move up to the next level; with each level more abilities and strengths are gained.

Extreme enthusiast of the game play Advanced D & D, Advanced D & D is for men they say and D & D is for boys.

Funerary customs are rituals to allow the living to celebrate and say good-bye to the dead said Ewalt. Upon co-creator Gary Gygax's death in 2008 an impromptu game of D & D between friends and family emerged at his funeral. It's an annual convention now. In 2012, more than 500 people gathered for four days to play more than 200 organized games of D & D in memory of Gygax.

I checked this book out from the library simple because I enjoyed the title. It's a solid three star read. The details about D & D co-creators Gygax and Dave Arneson and their fall out in the 80s was a bore along with the unnecessary particulars of how much money the two made with D & D during its first six years.

Ewalt has been playing D & D since he was 10-years-old. He's a journalist and writes about games for Forbes magazine.

"I'm no wizard, but once a week I feel like I am. Even though it's make believe, the catharsis is real. My life isn't wanting for magic because I've got D & D," Ewalt said.

"Hercules" Meant for the Big Screen

Varied emotions dwelling in a vortex of an average story with amazing visuals made "Hercules" a difficult movie to review.

First and foremost, if your considering viewing this flick, seeing this movie on the 'big' screen in real d 3-D (digital 3-D) is a must. I still have cuts and scrapes from various debris, arrows and spears pelting my face. The fantastic visuals by senior special effects technician Scott Armstrong, daily special effects technician Bence Arik did along with the literally 100s of other visual and special effects tech heads did was A-plus stuff.

Dwayne Johnson, aka the Rock was an excellent choice to portray the son of the most powerful God, Zeus, his son Hercules. I feel if I were to punch Johnson in the chest with all my might, my wrist and some of my fingers would break if not shatter.

The story line is average at best. Having Hercules and his select few warriors, bandit types fighting battles solely for gold was too "Fist Full of Dollars" for me. The lead character Joe, Clint Eastwood in 1964s "Fist Full of Dollars" was a full mortal man who happened to be a wild west 'bad ass' (parliament language of our times) to thrawart evil sorts for cash. Half God Hercules should want more out of life than money, but that's just my opinion.

Hercules and his loyal warrior pals eventually conclude to themselves life is not just about money when double crossed by Lord Cotys, John Hurt. The predictability in the plot hinders the tension between the quote, unquote heroes and villains in "Hercules," but the special effects carried this movie to a three star rating for me.