I’m in Rehab after a successful total knee replacement operation. The procedure went well. And best of all, no ileus (the shutting down of my gastric system that I had to endure after my left knee surgery last year). I escaped the dreaded NG2 tube shoved down my nose by chewing gum. I did some research and found that chewing gum can prevent the ileus by tricking the gastric system into jump-starting. It seems to have worked for me. However, the pain level was higher this time around. Old age no doubt. Thanks to all of you for your kind wishes. I hope to be back to normal in a few days as the Happy Drugs wear off.

Ed Noon, Mike Avallone’s wacky private eye, showed up in this stunner in 1953. Yes, this is a beat-up copy of The Tall Dolores put it provides the promo material that must have snagged plenty of readers back in the Fifties. For decades, these early Avallone titles were hard to come by. But all of that has changed. Avallone’s son has launched a project to bring all of Mike Avallone’s work (and there’s a ton of it!) to the ebook world. Each month, four Avallone titles will be made available as ebooks on AMAZON. This first book in the Ed Noon series is available as a FREE download. Don’t hesitate! You’ll enjoy the wacky and wild Ed Noon series. You can find out more about the Ed Noon ebook project here.

Almost 40 years ago, I heard Heart sing “Magic Man” and I was floored. Over the decades, I’ve enjoyed Heart’s recordings. Ann and Nancy Wilson certainly qualify as survivors (like Cher) who continue to release new CDs and tour. Heart appeared at one of our local casinos a few months ago. Strange Euphoria collects demos and live versions of Heart’s music. If you’re a casual fan, you might prefer one of the GREATEST HITS CDs available. But, if you really love Heart, this box set is filled with rare goodies that will delight your ears.
Track Listings
Disc: 1
1. Through Eyes And Glass (by Ann Wilson & The Daybreaks)
2. Magic Man (demo)
3. How Deep It Goes (demo)
4. Crazy On You (demo)
5. Dreamboat Annie (Fantasy Child) + Dreamboat Annie Reprise (edit)
6. Love Alive
7. Sylvan Song
8. Dream Of The Archer
9. White Lightning And Wine (live at the Aquarius)
10. Barracuda (live from BBC Radio Concert)
11. Little Queen
12. Kick It Out
13. Here Song (demo)
14. Heartless (demo)
15. Dog & Butterfly (acoustic demo)
16. Straight On
17. Nada One
Disc: 2
1. Bebe le Strange
2. Silver Wheels II
3. Even It Up
4. Sweet Darlin’
5. City’s Burning
6. Angels
7. Love Mistake
8. Lucky Day (demo)
9. Never (live, with John Paul Jones)
10. These Dreams
11. Nobody Home
12. Alone
13. Wait For An Answer
14. Unconditional Love (demo)
15. High Romance (demo)
16. Under The Sky (demo)
17. Desire Walks On (“Beach demo” version)
Disc: 3
1. Kiss (by The Lovemongers)
2. Sand (live) (by The Lovemongers)
3. Everything (live) (by Nancy Wilson)
4. She Still Believes (live)
5. Any Woman’s Blues (demo) (with the Seattle Blues Revue Horns)
6. Strange Euphoria
7. Boppy’s Back (demo)
8. Friend Meets Friend (live) (by The Lovemongers)
9. Love Or Madness (live)
10. Skin To Skin
11. Fallen Ones
12. Enough
13. Lost Angel (live)
14. Little Problems, Little Lies (by Ann Wilson)
15. Queen City
16. Hey You
17. Avalon (Reprise)
Disc: 4
1. Going to California
2. Battle Of Evermore
3. What Is And What Should Never Be
4. Immigrant Song
5. Misty Mountain Hop

Land of Promise is another Big Fat Book: 594 pages. Michael Lind traces economics in the U.S. from the beginning of the nation to our current economic meltdown. All the principle players–Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, the Roosevelts, LBJ, Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Clinton, the Bushs, Obama–strut on Lind’s stage. It’s an almost impossible task to describe the complete economic history of the U.S. in a relatively compact 600-page book, but Lind’s survey is the most readable and lucid that I’ve read. This is economic history at its best. GRADE: A

Time for a new right knee. As you might remember, last year at this time I had my left knee replaced with a new titanium knee. Everything went well, except that the anesthesia shut down my gastric system for a couple of days (a condition called an “ileus”). I’m hoping to avoid that this time around, but if it happens I’ll have that blasted NG2 tube down my nose again. I know the drill. By the time you read this, they should be wheeling me out of the Operating Room to Recovery. Diane is monitoring the situation. Diane’s sister, Carol, is watching over Helen (who is recovering from her diverticulitis attack) so the Kelley manse will resemble a MASH unit this summer. As soon as the Happy Drugs wear off in a day or two, I’ll do a blog update on my condition. I’ll be in Rehab next week and then do a couple of months of physical therapy. My goal is to be able to walk into my Fall Semester classes (beginning the day after Labor Day) without a cane.

Braun made my drip coffee maker that lasted 25 years (I’m using a new Braun coffee maker now–it’s great!). Braun also made my old electric shaver, the 1005 B, that lasted 30 years. That old Braun shaver still works. The reason I had to buy a new Braun was that they don’t make the replacement parts–foils and cutters–any more. Braun offers more elaborate electric shavers like the Seven Series. Of course, they cost a lot more money. But for the basic functions I use an electric shaver for, a quick shave or trim, the Braun 320s is perfect. And, it only costs around $60. The Braun 320s replacement parts are readily accessible in most department stores and, of course, online. If you or a loved one are in the market for a reliable, affordable electric shaver, I recommend the Braun 320s. GRADE: A

Todd Mason reviewed this book a little over a month ago here. As Todd mentioned, all the stories in this collection are worth reading. My favorites are “AT Yuma Crossing” by Brian Garfield, “Take a Left at Bertram” by Chad Oliver, “A Bad Cow Market,” by Elmer Kelton, and “The Bandit,” by Loren D. Estleman. I was able to obtain The Best of the West through library loan, but it’s also available for affordable prices on the Internet. GRADE: B+
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
At Yuma Crossing · Brian Garfield · ss *
Take a Left at Bertram · Chad Oliver · ss *
The Second Kit Carson · Gary Paulsen · ss *
Night of the Cougar · Ardath Mayhar · ss *
Jasper Lemon’s Ba Cab Ya Larry · Lee Schultz · pm *
Stoned on Yellow · LoLo Westrich · ss *
Making Money in Western Banking · Jeff Banks · ss *
Cutliffe Starkvogel and the Bears Who Liked TV · John Keefauver · ss *
A Bad Cow Market · Elmer Kelton · ss *
Peaches · Lenore Carroll · ss *
Judas and Jesus · Thomas Sullivan · ss *
Sallie C. · Neal Barrett, Jr. · ss *
The Nighthawk Rides · William F. Nolan · teleplay *
The Bandit · Loren D. Estleman · ss *

Carl Richards writes about money for the New York Times. The Behavior Gap distills much of his financial wisdom in a slim, easy-to-read volume. It took me less than an hour to read The Behavior Gap. Richards recommends some common sense investment strategies (buy low, sell high even though most investors do the opposite). He shows how excessive planning and budgeting can be counter-productive. What I liked most about Richards’ approach to money management is his focus on “happiness.” Richards cites the too little known research that shows that after people make about $75,000, more money doesn’t mean more happiness. Happiness then comes from doing what you like to do and spending time with family and friends. Those activities don’t need to cost you a lot of money. If you’re looking for a common sense approach to money management, I’d recommend The Behavior Gap. GRADE: B+

Philip Jose Farmer wrote some of the best patiches in adventure fiction. Farmer wrote convincing adventures of Doc Caliban (Doc Savage), Lord Grandrith (Tarzan), and Sherlock Holmes (The Adventure of the Peerless Peer). Gods of Opar collects three novels: Hadon of Ancient Opar, Flight to Opar, and The Song of Kwasin. Hadon of Ancient Opar was first published in paperback by DAW Books in 1974. Hadon of Ancient Opar and its sequel, Flight to Opar (1976), explore the ancient prehistory of the lost city of Opar, created by Edgar Rice Burroughs for his Tarzan series. Farmer’s Opar books have been out-of-print so this new Subterranean edition is welcome. In addition, the unpublished third novel in the trilogy, The Song of Kwasin is included in this wonderful volume. This is a must-buy for Philip Jose Farmer fans!

Sade: Bring Me Home, Live 2011 is a bit of a mixed bag. If you’re hoping to hear “Smooth Operator” or “The Sweetest Taboo” you’re out of luck. Sade sings mostly songs from her latest CD, Soldier of Love. The music is good, but not great. If you’re a casual Sade fan you might prefer one of the GREATEST HITS compilations. A DVD and Blu-ray of this concert is also available, but I didn’t buy it. GRADE: B
TRACK LIST:
1. Soldier Of Love (Live 2011) 6:17
2. Skin (Live 2011) 3:57
3. Kiss Of Life (Live 2011) 5:03
4. Love Is Found (Live 2011) 4:04
5. In Another Time (Live 2011) 4:34
6. Jezebel (Live 2011) 6:57
7. All About Our Love (Live 2011) 2:38
8. Paradise / Nothing Can Come Between Us (Live 2011) 6:22
9. Morning Bird (Live 2011) 4:39
10. The Moon and The Sky (Live 2011) 4:28
11. No Ordinary Love (Live 2011) 5:50
12. By Your Side (Live 2011) 4:53
13. Cherish The Day (Live 2011)