November 4, 2026 · 4:36 am

Booya! Holy shit! Great Krypton! And stuff like that

It’s difficult to explain the utter nausea and dread that slid over me the morning after the 2016 election. I wasn’t sold by all the talk of a blue wave, I feared it could go the other way, but the stomach-churning unease when I discovered the Toddler had indeed been elected was nightmarish. TYG and I seriously discussed leaving the country, as a few people I know have done since. It wasn’t just the Toddler. It was seeing Republicans embrace him and how quickly they slid to an even more extreme position.

2020, by contrast, was a relief. Biden, sane, sober, sensible old dude, won the race. I knew the threat hadn’t gone away, but Biden and Harris beat it back. However we didn’t get the prophesied Blue Wave then either, making it rough going for Biden’s term.

Last night, though … shit. First black woman governor. The odiously corrupt Ken Paxton went down. Greg Abbott lost his grip on Texas (apparently all their statewide offices went to Dems). Suzanne Collins bit the dust. North Carolina replaced Thom Tillis (who wasn’t running) with former Dem governor Roy Cooper. Darlene Graham lost in South Carolina. Vivek Ramaswamy’s odious pro-pedophile ads didn’t save him in Ohio. We have a majority in the House and we flipped the Senate — and a year ago, plenty of smart politics nerds were saying that was an unattainable dream.

None of the scenarios where the Toddler declared martial law, seized all the voting machines, sent storm troopers to the polling places etc. happened. My occasional worries that techbros would somehow subvert the tech didn’t happen either.

The Toddler will undoubtedly respond with rage and irrational behavior, but let’s face it, if he’d retained control of Congress he’d push the envelope then too. The Toddler’s gonna toddle, no matter what.

There will be lots of analysis about what it means, what Dems should do when they’re seated in January. I may have some thoughts down the road. For the moment, I’m just going to groove on last night. It’s not the beginning of the end for Republican extremism, but it may turn out to be the end of the beginning. And it feels good.

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November 3, 2026 · 5:15 am

Holy Moley, it’s the big green Indian! More from my reunion

My high school was Choctawhatchee Senior High School (in contrast to the junior high schools equivalent to middle schools). As you can imagine, the name lead to the school using a lot of Native American imagery. The fight song, for instance:

Screenshot

No, I have no idea why he’s green. And yes, the cultural appropriation aspect is more obvious to me now than it was back in the 1970s.

Anyway, all of that is a lead in to the first event of my 50th high school reunion last month, a tour of the school. A couple of years ago, I’d heard news reports Choctaw was falling apart. Despite tougher security than in our day—

It’s looking really nice inside.

Even the parking lot looks cooler.

Then came the pep rally

And here I am in the middle of the Class of ’76

If I look less than peppy, well, pep rallies were never my favorite thing to do. I went for the people, which was worth it.

I ran into quite a few friends but I’m uncomfortable about posting their photos online, especially as they wouldn’t mean anything to y’all. So I won’t.

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November 2, 2026 · 5:15 am

“Everyone knows the president is a rapist so why report on it?”

“The president has been accused of raping two women, one when she was as young as 13, and sexually assaulting three more. They are among 11 women who provided evidence or testimony that Trump “abused, assaulted, and even raped numerous women alongside, and in coordination with, the most infamous sex trafficker in history.” The NYT, however, is paying the charges less attention than Dem’s alleged hardball tactics in Alaska (which even if true, would be legal). From the first link (a piece at The Nation), a theory: “If asked, mainstream media types would no doubt argue that the lack of coverage of these latest rape allegations stems from the fact that previous rape allegations failed to “move the needle.” Trump’s sexual misconduct (both alleged and litigated) is “baked in” to people’s understanding of the man.”

As The Nation goes on to point out, so what? New accusations of rape are news. serious news. They should be reporting on them whether or not they “move the needle.” Plus, numbers matter. As Alec-Nevala Lee once put it, Isaac Asimov’s history of harassing and groping women stands out because he groped so many. Groping was common back then (which is not an excuse) but sheer numbers make Asimov a bigger deal. The more rapes the Toddler is accused of, the more serious the issue becomes.

And the idea that it won’t move the needle — which I suspect is the rationale — is bullshit because media coverage moves the needle. That’s why they wrote dozens of stories about Clinton’s email practices and Biden’s age. By contrast, the Times’ Patrick Healy says they ran a story on one of the allegations last year (it’s down in the comments here) so no point in running another. They can always put in diligent effort to shape perceptions of a candidate if they want to (consider a WaPO editorial shaping perceptions of the anticipated Democratic victory: a historic win would be bad news for Democrats).

And, of course, the DOJ covering up the Epstein case is an ongoing scandal and ongoing scandals remain news. Todd Blanche, a liar who claims you have to show ID to get into any restaurant (so why not for voting) appears to have steered Ghislaine Maxwell away from saying anything potentially awkward in interviewing her.

People Magazine has done much better than the NYT covering the new allegations. Hunter Lazzaro offers a depressing but plausible theory: “People’s journalists have long focused most of their coverage around young, attractive celebrities—people who are frequent targets of the entertainment industry’s grotesque and rampant rape culture. That is their wheelhouse.” It’s in their interests not to treat assault as a terrible problem. Maybe they don’t think it is. As Moira Donegan says, “Complicity, too, is typical, not uncommon, for responding institutions. Impunity for rapists is cast as good sense, or as responsibility; as fairness, or compassion.”

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November 1, 2026 · 5:30 am

Books that make me go “meh”

“Reunion rot” is still making me feel “meh” so why not some recent reading that did the same?

THE BULLET SWALLOWER by Elizabeth Gonzalez James is a magical realist Western jumping between a hardened Mexican outlaw in the 1800s (the title refers to a bullet that should have killed him ending up going down his throat with minimal damage) and his descendant, who plays cowboys in Mexican films and is slowly learning his family’s tangled, bloody history. The magical realist part is an angel of death watching over them to find out if his decision to spare a baby during an earlier tragedy will work out well for subsequent generations. This one’s not a bad book and well-written but very much not my kind of thing (literary and Western is the wrong mix for me).

(I fully realize Jack Kirby’s Omac isn’t swallowing bullets in the scene above, but work with me).

WHERE THE GRASS IS GREEN AND THE GIRLS ARE PRETTY by Lauren Weisberg (of Devil Wears Prada fame) has an anchorwoman mired in scandal when it appears her husband bribed Princeton to get their daughter into the Ivy League; in reality Mom did it herself, but grabbed his checkbook as the most convenient. Weisberg published this right after a similar real-life scandal but even if I’d read this when the topic was fresh, I can’t say I’d care for it. The arguments how this is totally different from the legal ways to bribe colleges (endow a chair say) are pretty flimsy and even though this proved a career-wrecking scandal in real life, it’s impossible to take seriously (a comedy about how shallow this is? That I might have accepted). I threw in the towel after 100 pages.

BATMAN ’66 MEETS THE LEGION OF SUPERHEROES by Lee and Mike Allred (cover by Laura Allred) has the Legion travel back in time in hopes of recruiting the greatest teenage superhero of all — Robin the Boy Wonder — into their team only to wind up with Egghead running lose in the future and Universo hypnotizing Gotham City (I suspect the scene where the two bald villains notice how similar they look is a riff on a Silver Age meeting between Rama-Tut and Doctor Doom). This had some fun moments but they didn’t mesh as well as the other off-the-wall Batman’ 66 crossovers did.

SAY NOTHING: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe is something of a bait-and-switch (like One Fine Day and The CIA Book Club). While the book’s hook is the IRA murdering informant Jean McConville in 1972 (Keefe concludes that while the IRA was riddled with informers, she was probably innocent), the bulk of the book is a history of the Troubles, the IRA and prominent figures such as activist/hit-woman Dolours Price, occasionally and randomly jumping back to the McConville family. While the IRA history is certainly interesting, the book still feels off, like why is Keefe paying attention to this murder out of so many?

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October 31, 2026 · 5:15 am

Obligatory Halloween photos

The con crud I got from my reunion trip left me too wiped to get any movie reviews written, but bey, it’s October 31st …

First, from our local Walgreens.

From a store we sometimes stop at when we’re taking the dogs to PT.

A house in our neighborhood.

And a little black cat Trixie and I spotted just off the local walking paths a few weeks baack.

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October 30, 2026 · 4:48 pm

“Hi, I’m Plague of the Four Horsemen, can we hang out?”

As y’all already know, last Thursday I flew into Fort Walton Beach for Choctawhatchee High School’s Class of ’76 reunion. As I often do I dithered about when to fly and was I picking the best flight and so I wound up paying more and traveling at less convenient times. I left from Raleigh-Durham Airport at 6:30, got there well ahead of time (as the airlines always recommended) and it was indeed surprisingly busy.

One of my must-have requirements is a big enough time when I change flights (I always have to) that I can make it. I had an hour in Nashville and fortunately the flight was on time as the arrival and departure were gates were literally at the very end of two different terminals. Made it, then to Fort Walton Beach.

As usual I stayed with my best friend Cindy, her sister Debbie and my sister Tracy (they’re housemates). And Cindy’s dog Raven, a very friendly, licky black lab. Here Raven checks me out on the airbed.

My brother Craig showed up too, as it was his 45th reunion. No photos of him though.

The events included a school tour, a round of Goofy Golf, dinner at the Yacht Club, an afternoon on the Okaloosa Island Boardwalk and Sunday brunch at a local restaurant. In between I hung out with Cindy and my siblings and occasionally stared out at the back yard.

It’s even better seen with the naked eye.

Sunday, after all was wrapped up, I got the bad news that my flight out had been delayed … and eventually delayed so much it would land in Charlotte after my flight to Raleigh left. Siiiigh. Tracy and Craig went with me to the airport. The American Airlines desk booked me into a hotel for the night with a $12 food credit. It turned out to be a “minitel” as you can see from this shot of the room.

It was a good enough room under the circumstances, even if the desk clerk’s reference to a “bug problem” elsewhere had me expecting the worst (apparently no bedbugs in my room at least). Unfortunately by the time I got in I had very little time to sleep before I had to get up and get back to the Charlotte Airport (CLT — some people read a lot into that particular airport code). And the timing of the minitel’s shuttle meant I had to spend money on a Lyft.

Once I got to the airport everything was smooth and I finally got home. Unfortunately I had the reunion equivalent of “con crud” — reunion rot, I’m calling it. Much like past viral incidents, it starts in my throat which is vulnerable because of asthma, and because my breath control when I speak is terrible and puts a strain on my voice. And I spoke a lot last weekend. It’s been so long since I had an incident, I’ve gotten slack about improving that; that’s going to have to change. Fortunately as it’s not my first rodeo I drove to the Urgent Care (a five minute walk, not that I wanted to walk) and got meds. I’m on the mend but still keeping largely silent; talking because I’m all better is how I undercut being all better. Oh, and the hacking has largely robbed me of sleep.

So my plans to bounce back with four days of work became a cropper. I did somehow get two stories in for The Local Reporter (not up online yet) and two Atomic Junk Shop posts: a look at the advertising for Jonah Hex’s debut and Gary Friedrich’s gratuitously sexist run writing Captain America.

His black power scenes aren’t too hot either (art by John Romita).

But now all that’s done, I can focus almost entirely on proofing and indexing Watching Jekyll and Hyde! At last!

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October 30, 2026 · 5:15 am

Three views of me from the reunion

As I mentioned earlier, I spent last Thursday — Sunday at my 50th high school reunion. Details to come in this afternoon’s week in review post, photos to come in several posts. But for today, here are three photos of me. First the Early Years, captured in this ID badge —

The photographers provided the bowtie and jacket. Next, me playing Goofy Golf, a Ft. Walton Beach institution.

Makes me look a little too hobbit-esque, I think. Now finally, a more flattering photo from Saturday night’s dinner.

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October 29, 2026 · 5:15 am

Laura Loomer, Vivek Ramaswamy, the Cornell 7 and Nancy Mace

Amy Acton is running against Vivek Ramaswamy for governor of Ohio. Years ago her stepfather was indicted for sexually abusing her, but fled the state first. In an ad for Ramaswamy, Acton’s mother says she’s lying. Even the right-wing National Review, however, says Acton’s telling the truth. Which makes Ramaswamy’s ad singularly contemptible.

That, however, didn’t stop right-wing propagandist Laura Loomer from declaring Acton’s the liar, don’t vote for her! Which would be horrifying if Loomer hadn’t shown repeatedly she has no more interest in the truth than Axis Sally or Tokyo Rose. And as a devoted, fawning Trumper, I can understand her lying to (she hopes) land the governorship for a Toddler ally. Ditto shitbag Dan Bongino who fantasizes Ramaswamy’s ad deals Acton’s campaign a death blow. Or Ramaswamy himself, who stands by his ad. And sneers Acton “is”has no vision other than to complain about what someone else did to her“”

Politics is no excuse for accusing Acton of lying (as you probably know, “all rape victims lie” is a classic Undead Sexist Cliche). In any area, if you’re only principle is winning, you’re a shitty person. Of course, ad-endorsing J.D. Vance has never had any principles to compromise. No More Mr. Nice Blog argues that attacking Acton is a logical extension of Republican smear tactics going back to the last century.

It’s a little more surprising and annoying when people lie about the Cornell 7 case. Politics does not hinge on the outcome of this case. Unlike Brett Kavanaugh or Jeffrey Epstein we have no Republican candidates who could be dragged down by this. There’s no risk to conservatives in keeping their mouth shut or saying the minimum — don’t want to comment before a court verdict, looks pretty horrible, if it’s true the rapists need to pay. Yet I keep seeing people who can’t resist weighing in on the rapists’ side.

Earlier this month, right-wing slime Megyn Kelly recycled a classic Undead Sexist Cliche by claiming Cornell rape victim Jane Doe was so ugly she was glad for the attention. Also this month, Rep. Nancy Mace (a rape survivors herself) dismissed Jane Doe’s claims and said it was a consensual gangbang. Kelly at least has the excuse of having an online “news” show and needing stuff to talk about. Mace just went on X and offered her deep thoughts. She’s an SC legislator, she has no authority or tie to the investigation so why open her mouth?

Partly, I suppose, because right-wing women are committed to aligning with patriarchy. And it’s a staple belief in the patriarchy that opposing rape means hating men. If “they” can accuse people as prominent and respectable as the Toddler and Kavanaugh, rape accusations can strike any man, any time! Which is actually unlikely unless the men are, you know, rapists. The issue isn’t false accusations, it’s a fear of true accusations. And so Kelly and Mace speak up on the wrong side. And hopefully draw more attention from patriarchy supporters.

In related links:

“Hazing rituals weed out those with enough self-esteem and independence to stand up to the hierarchy. They ensure conformity and obedience. It is a filter. Fraternity “brothers” are self-selected. Those who have the strength to oppose public humiliation and that perpetuated on each new cycle of recruits, leave.” — Chris Hedges on fraternities and sexual violence.

Robert Reich: “The man now occupying the White House has contributed to a lower and more dangerous standard for what men can do to women with impunity.” As witness yet more allegations he raped Jeffrey Epstein’s victims.

“If consent as a talking point feels like grim deja vu, that’s because it returns with each cycle of outrage over alleged campus sexual assault.” —Inae Oh on consent education

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October 28, 2026 · 5:15 am

Horror covers for Halloween week

An uncredited cover for a mashup of horror and detective story. Could a man’s wife really be a reincarnation of a malevolent witch? Is it all just coincidence?

This Don Maitz cover isn’t for a horror book but it does look damn eerie, so I’m posting it.

A typically offbeat Richard Powers cover

And a Powers mystery cover — not horror but it’s ominous enough I’ll put it here.

An uncredited but creepy cover.

Here’s a movie tie-in for Bell, Book and Candle, a stage play-based film comedy that helped inspire Bewitched on TV. I don’t know if this is Van Druten’s script for the play or if he novelized the film.

Last but not least, Victor Valla’s cover for this HP Lovecraft collection. I had this one back in the day, before complete collections were easy to find.

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October 27, 2026 · 5:21 am

What if Leonard Cohen were mentor to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?

Just back from travel to Fort Walton Beach for my 50th high school reunion (details and photos to follow eventually ) so only a quick post today. I saw this meme and I love it (though I don’t know who to credit as the source).

Happy Tuesday.

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