Yesterday begins with Jack Malik (Himesh Patel), a struggling musical performer, getting hit by a bus just as the world is plunged into darkness during a weird electrical shutdown. Jack wakes up in a hospital with bumps and bruises and missing a couple of teeth. But in a short time, Jack realizes he’s the only person who remembers The Beatles. Everyone else has no idea who The Beatles were. They’ve been erased.

Yesterday is a high concept movie and either you buy into this alternate reality or you’ll not like this movie. Jack’s manager, school teacher Ellie Appleton, is the only person who believes in Jack’s dream of becoming a successful musician. Of course, Ellie is in love with Jack but for a decade Jack has only focused on his seemingly dead-end music career. But now that Jack is the only one who remembers The Beatles and their great songs, he decides to sing “Yesterday,” “Hey, Jude,” and “Eleanor Rigby” online. Suddenly, Ed Sheeran shows up at Jack’s door offering him a gig as Sheeran’s opening act. And, as you can expect, Jack’s songs fire up the crowd and stardom beckons. But as the crowds grow and Jack’s songs rocket up the charts, Jack becomes more unhappy. He’s guilty because he’s “stealing” The Beatles songs. And Jack finally realizes he loves Ellie. At its heart, Yesterday is an old fashioned love story. Danny Boyle juggles all the high concepts and Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral and Love, Actually) provides a clever script. And, of course, if you’re a fan of The Beatles’ music, you’ll enjoy Yesterday. Are you a Beatles fan? Do you have a favorite Beatles song? GRADE: B

Jerry House mentioned that an early draft of Philip Jose Farmer’s epic “Riverworld” novels was published back in the 1980s. I’d heard rumors about this book, but until Jerry jogged my memory, I’d forgotten all about it (making River of Eternity a truly “forgotten” book in this case). I tracked down a copy of River of Eternity and read it in one day.

Philip Jose Farmer is known for his mind-blowing concepts and Big Ideas. How Big are Farmer’s Ideas? How about a River 40 million miles long! How about every person ever born on Earth resurrected and living along this incredible River! Is that Big enough for you?

Admittedly, Philip Jose Farmer’s Ideas are his strength. His weakness is sketchy characterizations. When Farmer introduces Samuel Clemens, I’m not seeing Mark Twain. There are mysteries and puzzles to solve in Farmer’s “Riverworld” series. River of Eternity has a complicated history that Farmer discusses in his “Author’s Introduction.” I’m glad Phantasia Press published River of Eternity back in 1983, but it reads like a rough First Draft of something much more complex and involving. Are you a fan of Philip Jose Farmer’s “Riverworld” series? GRADE: C+
RIVERWORLD SERIES:
To Your Scattered Bodies Go (1971) – Hugo Award winner
The Fabulous Riverboat (1971)
The Dark Design (1977)
Riverworld and Other Stories (1979) (a Farmer anthology with one Riverworld story titled “Riverworld”)
The Magic Labyrinth (1980)
Gods of Riverworld (1983; later published as The Gods of Riverworld)
River of Eternity (1983) – an earlier version of Riverworld
Tales of Riverworld (1992) (includes one story written by Farmer: “Crossing the Dark River”. A second story, “A Hole In Hell”, was written by Farmer under the pseudonym Dane Helstrom)
Quest to Riverworld (1993) (includes two stories written by Farmer: “Up the Bright River” and “Coda”

When I was kid, I spent summers listening to music on my transistor radio. The Sixties transformed America with changes to our society, culture, and music. The 25 All-Time Greatest Summer Songs: The Ultimate Collection features plenty of great Summer songs. Probably the biggest hit on this CD is The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Summer in the City.” I love Billy Stewart’s classic version of “Summertime.” I wish this collection included one of my favorite Summer songs, Robin Ward’s 1963 hit “Wonderful Summer.” A girl kissed me while that song was playing in 1963 so it’s imprinted on my brain. Do you have a favorite Summer Song? GRADE: A
TRACK LIST:
1. Summer In The City – The Lovin’ Spoonful
2. A Summer Song – Chad & Jeremy
3. Summertime, Summertime – The Jamies
4. Vacation – Connie Francis
5. Wipe Out – The Surfaris
6. Summer Means Fun – Bruce And Terry
7. Dancing In The Street – Martha And The Vandellas
8. Sunny Afternoon – The Kinks
9. In The Summertime – Mungo Jerry
10. Happy Summer Days – Ronnie Dove
11. Sealed With A Kiss – Brian Hyland
12. The Theme From A Summer Place – Percy Faith And His Orchestra
13. On The Beach (In The Summertime) – The 5th Dimension
14. Summer Wine – Nancy Sinatra And Lee Hazlewood
15. Summer Sand – Dawn
16. Here Comes The Summer – Jerry Keller
17. School Is Out – Gary U.S. Bonds
18. Palisades Park – Freddy Cannon
19. Lets Go Trippin’ – Dick Dale & His Del-Tones
20. Beach Party – Annette
21. Lost Summer Love – Shelley Fabares
22. Gonna Hustle You – Legendary Masked Surfers
23. Wombling Summer Party – The Wombles
24. Summer – War
25. Summertime – Billy Stewart

And so it begins. Tonight’s Democratic Presidential Debate features Elizabeth Warren who leads the pack in poll numbers and intelligence. Warren has policy positions for all the common issues: immigration, international trade, Iran, climate change, gun control, abortion, etc. Yet, I get that sinking feeling that 2020 America is NOT going to choose a woman to be President. The Zeitgeist is all wrong for that. Can any of these 10 candidates beat Trump. In my opinion…no. I have my doubts about Biden given all the gaffs he’s already committed. Is the country ready for Sleepy Joe? Do you have a favorite Democratic candidate? I’m still skeptical that any of these candidates can beat Trump.

Comic book companies like DC and MARVEL love crossovers. Well, this is one of the strangest crossovers I’ve encountered: Batman meets the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Yes, Shredder shows up with his menacing Foot Clan. Shredder is stealing all the high tech in Gothem City…but why? Batman and the Turtles start off battling each other, but of course they come to their senses and start to work together to solve the mystery. As you should know by now, I’m a fan of these silly DC Animated feature-length movies. Some of them are very dark, but Batman VS. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles provides much lighter fare. If you’re looking for Summer escapism, I recommend the clever Batman VS. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Cowabunga, dude! GRADE: B+

Nolan Gasser is a composer, pianist, and musicologist. He’s also the genius behind the Music Genome Project that powers PANDORA Radio. Nolan developed his algorithm back in the early 2000s so that listeners to PANDORA could listen to music that appealed to their tastes. In Why You Like It, Nolan explains how music taste works. He also shows how he designed and help build a system that would benefit the millions of listeners of PANDORA to find the music they wanted.

Although the story of PANDORA is fascinating, Nolan’s book goes beyond the story of founding an Internet company to an analysis of music itself. I found some of Nolan’s discussions a bit technical for me, but those of you who play an instrument and can read music will be able to make more sense of what Nolan is saying. However, I did appreciate Nolan’s analysis of why people like “Proud Mary” by Credence Clearwater Revival.

Nolan explores Pop, Rap, Rock, R&B, Hip Hop, Jazz, Electronic, and Classical music. I learned a lot by reading Nolan’s analysis of all these musical genres and hope to listen to some of the music in these genres that he recommends. If you love music, you’ll love this book! What kind of music do you enjoy listening to? Do you listen to PANDORA? GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Preface p. ix
Introduction: In the Ear of the Beholder p. 1
1 The Rise and Rebirth of the Savage Beast p. 13
Part 1 A Gift of the Gods p. 43
2 Under the Musical Hood: An Orientation p. 45
3 Melody: The Face of Music p. 49
Interlude A The Evolution of Musical Taste: Music and Anthropology p. 70
Part 2 Bar Bands in Andromeda p. 89
4 Harmony: The Internal Body of Music p. 91
5 Rhythm: The Movement of Music p. 119
Interlude B It’s the Overtones, Stupid: Music, Math, and Physics p. 150
Part 3 Unity and Heterogeneity p. 173
6 Form: The Shape of Music p. 175
7 Sound: The Personality of Music p. 219
Interlude C The Singing Cerebrum: Music and the Brain p. 253
Part 4 Musical Metaphors p. 295
8 The Musical Genotype p. 297
9 The Pop Genotype p. 306
Interlude D At the Cellular Level: Music and Cell Biology p. 329
Part 5 Parlez-Vous Gamelan? p. 355
10 Rock Genotype p. 357
11 The Jazz Genotype p. 377
Interlude E Listening with an Accent: Culture and Musical Taste p. 400
Part 6 Questioning the Omnivore p. 429
12 The Hip Hop Genotype p. 431
13 The Electronica (EDM) Genotype p. 455
Interlude F Staking Your Claim: Intraculture and Musical Taste p. 480
Part 7 Who Are You, Anyway? p. 511
14 The World Music Genotype p. 513
15 The Classical Genotype p. 542
Interlude G Mind Over Music: Psychology and Musical Taste p. 590
Part 8 Your Hit Parade p. 627
16 The What and Why of Musical Taste p. 629
Epilogue: Living with Music p. 633
Acknowledgments p. 647
Glossary p. 649
Notes p. 661
Index p. 695

Mindy Kaling wrote and stars in Late Night, a movie that is being marketed as a comedy–but is actually a drama. Emma Thompson brilliantly plays Katherine Newbury, the only woman hosting a late night U.S. talk show. The character of Katherine Newbury is arrogant, acerbic, and driven for Perfection. Newbury doesn’t bother to learn the names of her writers, she simply assigns them numbers for identification (Mindy Kaling’s character, Molly Patel, is Number 8).

The obvious problem confronting Katherine Newbury is that her show is losing its audience. Ratings are falling. Newbury ignores the Internet and Social Media which alienates her from attracting a younger audience. The Network plans to cancel Katherine Newbury’s show. Although Newbury has no friends or children, she does have a husband played by John Lithgow who suffers from Parkinson’s disease. And that becomes a problem, too.

The movie starts out focused on Molly Patel breaking into an all white male writers room, but shifts to Katherine Newbury’s struggle to hold on to her TV show. Yes, there’s humor. Emma Thompson performs a stand-up session where she initially fails to connect with the audience, but then finds her mojo and leaves them laughing. Very clever acting and writing.

It’s early in the movie season, but I’d nominate Emma Thompson for Best Actress based on this performance. GRADE: B+

It’s been nine years since TOY STORY 3 sent me out of the theater with tears in my eyes. The TOY STORY trilogy represents the best of PIXAR animation, both in quality of technical presentation on the screen and the authentic messages the stories convey. I was leery about TOY STORY 4 because the bar had been set so high. But the wizards at PIXAR produced a wonderful fourth chapter for Woody and Buzz and all the other toys!

Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) attempts to help little Bonnie adjust to Kindergarten where Bonnie creates a new character, Forky, as an art project. Bonnie’s family goes on a road trip with the toys and by an incredible coincidence (SPOILER ALERT) Woody finds his lost love, Bo Peep (voiced by Annie Potts) (END SPOILER ALERT). TOY STORY 4 explores themes about identity, loss, and destiny. My favorite new toy is the Canadian Duke Kaboom (voiced by Keanu Reeves). You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll leave the theater gratified by TOY STORY 4’s heartfelt sincerity. GRADE: A-

The classic Science Fiction story, “In Hiding” by Wilmar H. Shiras, highlights the The Great SF Stories #10. One of Murray Leinster’s best stories, “The Strange Case of John Kingman,” still packs a punch. John D. MacDonald, who would go on to fame and fortune writing the Travis McGee mystery series, shows in “Ring Around the Redhead” and “A Child is Crying” that he had the versatility to write well in any genre. Ray Bradbury’s iconic “Mars is Heaven!” and Judith Merril’s “That Only a Mother” round out the truly classic stories in this anthology.

As a quick glance at the “Table of Contents” shows, the grip of Astounding Science Fiction on SF appears to be slipping in 1948. Other publications like Startling Stories, Thrilling Wonder Stories, and Planet Stories attract quality writers, too. The dominance of Astounding Science Fiction is eroding and change is in the air. GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
INTRODUCTION by Isaac Asimov and Martin H. Greenberg 9
“Don’t Look Now” by Henry Kuttner (STARTLING STORIES, March 1948) 13
“He Walked Around the Horses” by H. Beam Piper (ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION, April 1948) 27
“The Strange Case of John Kingman” by Murray Leinster (ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION, May 1948) 49
“That Only a Mother” by Judith Merril (ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION, June 1948) 66
“The Monster” by A. E. van Vogt (ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION, August 1948) 77
“Dreams Are Sacred” by Peter Phillips (ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION, September 1948) 94
“Mars is Heaven!” by Ray Bradbury (PLANET STORIES, Fall 1948) 117
“Thang” by Martin Gardner (COMMENT, Fall 1948) 135
“Brooklyn Project” by William Tenn (PLANET STORIES, Fall 1948) 138
“Ring Around the Redhead” by John D. MacDonald (STARTLING STORIES, November 1948) 149
“Period Piece” by J. J. Coupling (aka, John R. Pierce) (ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION, November 1948) 169
“Dormant” by A. E. van Vogt (STARTLING STORIES, November 1948) 178
“In Hiding” by Wilmar H. Shiras (ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION, November 1948) 195
“Knock” by Fredric Brown (THRILLING WONDER STORIES, December 1948) 229
“A Child is Crying” by John D. MacDonald (THRILLING WONDER STORIES, December 1948) 240
“Late Night Final” by Eric Frank Russell (ASTOUNDING SCIENCE FICTION, December 1948) 253

You might remember Adam Savage from his 14 seasons on Mythbusters. Savage’s new book is a celebration of the acts of experimenting, building, creation, and discovery. Savage believes our kids aren’t learning how to use tools; they’re too busy with their smartphones and video games. I enjoyed Savage’s story of learning how to “fix” things from his father who encouraged his son to take stuff apart and put it back together again. Savage also worked as a model builder. He ended up in Hollywood and then found himself on TV.

I’m one of those guys who didn’t get the “fix-it” gene. I only have two tools in my house: a screwdriver and a hammer. I don’t want to be tempted to fix anything because the result will only make the problem worse and cost me more to repair. I know several friends who do own lots of tools and know how they work. I call them when something goes wrong. But I admire Adam Savage’s attempt to inspire people to build something, to “Do-It-Yourself,” and to improve your life with creativity. GRADE: B+
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Introduction 1
Chapter 1. Dig through the bottom of the rabbit hole 9
Chapter 2. Lists 37
Chapter 3. Checkboxes 53
Chpater 4. Use more cooling fluid 67
Chapter 5. Deadlines 107
Chapter 6. Drawing 129
Chapter 7. Increase your loose tolerance 147
Chapter 8. Screw > glue 175
Chapter 9. Share 193
Chapter 10. See everything, reach everything 215
Chapter 11. Cardboard 247
Chapter 12. Hammers, blades, and scissors
Chapter 13. Sweep up every day 281
Acknowledgements 291
Sketchbook 292
Index 301