Bob Mankoff is the current Cartoon Editor of The New Yorker. He’s also a gifted cartoonist as his classic “How About Never” plainly shows. What I liked about Mankoff’s book were the discussions of what makes a cartoon funny. Mankoff knows every cartoon (literally!) The New Yorker has ever published. He talks about how humor has changed over the decades and provides insightful examples. If you’re interested in how humor works, how American humor has evolved, and predictions about the future of cartoons, How About Never explores all of these topics with grace and wit. It doesn’t get better than this. GRADE: A

Welcome back! Thanks to Patrick, the blog lives again! Things are still not quite back to Normal, but I’ll be tweaking the blog to restore it to it’s former fun state. Please be patient.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier reunites Captain America with Nick Fury and the Black Widow of SHIELD. Samuel L. Jackson is his usual gruff self. Scarlet Johansson is bodacious as usual. Anthony Mackie plays an effective role as The Falcon (the first Marvel African-American superhero) in some eye-popping flying scenes. There are several surprises in this movie so I don’t want to spoil them with too much information. If you love action, Captain America: The Winter Soldier has plenty. Excellent cast, intelligent script, and I can’t wait for the sequel. GRADE: A

I’m a big fan of Robert E. Howard’s Conan stories. After Lancer published the Conan stories in paperback with those great Frazetta covers, there was a huge demand for more Conan stories. Many writers turned their talents to producing Conan stories: L. Sprague de Camp, Lin Carter, Andy Offutt, and plenty of others. One of my favorite writers of Conan pastiches is Karl Edward Wagner. Wagner’s Conan is clever as well as powerful. In Conan: The Road of Kings Conan is about to be hanged. He escapes that fate, but finds himself involved in a civil war. When a sorcerer shows up to tip the balance of power to the rebels, Conan argues against using dark sorcery to win the kingdom. Conan’s advice is ignored and an even more malignant force than the dictator is unleashed. If you’re a fan of sword & sorcery novels, you’l find a lot to like in Conan: The Road to Kings.

If you’re a Rod Stewart fan, this new Rhino collection will be a must-buy because of these 58 previously unreleased live recordings. The bulk of Rod Stewart’s hits are here along with various surprises. These live performances span over twenty years of tours. I prefer the old Rod Stewart songs: “Maggie May” and “Reason to Believe.” What is your favorite Rod Stewart song?

TRACK LIST:
Disc 1:
1. Three Time Loser (Live – Leicester, England, 12/4/76) 4:05
2. You Wear It Well (Live – Leicester, England, 12/4/76 4:41
3. Big Bayou (Live – Leicester, England, 12/4/76) 3:58
4. Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright) (Live – Leicester, England, 12/4/76) 4:05
5. The Wild Side Of Live (Live – Leicester, England, 12/4/76) 4:57
6. Sweet Little Rock ‘N Roller (Live – Leicester, England, 12/4/76) 8:46
7. I Don’t Want To Talk About It (Live – Newcastle, England, 12/17/76) 5:07
8. The Killing Of George (Part I And II) [Live – Leicester, England, 12/5/76] 6:17
9. Maggie May (Live – Newcastle, England, 12/17/76) 8:38
10. Angel (Live – Leicester, England, 12/5/76) 7:15
11. Get Back (Live – Leicester, England, 12/5/76) 4:43
12. (I Know) I’m Losing You [Live – Leicester, England, 12/5/76] 5:21
13. This Old Heart Of Mine (Live – Leicester, England, 12/5/76) 6:08

Disc 2:
1. Sailing (Live – Leicester, England, 12/5/76) 4:54
2. Stay With Me (Live – Leicester, England, 12/5/76) 8:03
3. Born Loose (Live – Forum, Los Angeles, CA, 6/21/79) 5:29
4. (If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don’t Wanna Be Right [Live – Forum, Los Angeles, CA, 6/21/79] 5:11
5. I Just Want To Make Love To You (Live – Forum, Los Angeles, CA, 6/21/79) 4:33
6. Blondes (Have More Fun) [Live – Forum, Los Angeles, CA, 6/21/79] 5:35
7. Medley: (I Know) I’m Losing You / It’s All Over Now / Standin’ In The Shadows Of Love / Layla [Live – Forum, Los Angeles, CA, 6/21/79] 10:08
8. Medley: Twistin’ The Night Away / Every Picture Tells A Story (Live – Forum, Los Angeles, CA, 6/21/79) 4:50
9. She Won’t Dance With Me (Live – Wembley, London, England, 12/6/80) 4:30
10. Passion (Live – Wembley, London, England, 12/6/80) 6:22
11. Gi’ Me Wings (Live – Wembley, London, England, 12/6/80) 5:47
12. Hot Legs (With Tina Turner) [Live – Forum, Los Angeles, CA, 12/19/81] 5:13

Disc 3:
1. Tonight I’m Yours (Don’t Hurt Me) [Live – San Diego, CA, 11/5/84] 4:14
2. You’re In My Heart (The Final Acclaim) [Live – San Diego, CA, 11/5/84] 4:30
3. (Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay (Live – San Diego, CA, 11/5/84) 2:53
4. Hungry Heart (Live – San Diego, CA, 11/5/84) 2:30
5. Bad For You (Live – San Diego, CA, 11/5/84) 6:50
6. Some Guys Have All The Luck (Live – San Diego, CA, 11/5/84) 6:03
7. Rocke Me Baby (Live – San Diego, CA, 11/5/84) 4:19
8. Infatuation (Live – Meadowlands, East Rutherford, NJ, 8/11/89) 5:21
9. I Ain’t Superstitious (Live – Meadowlands, East Rutherford, NJ, 8/11/89) 3:10
10. Every Picture Tells A Story (Live – Meadowlands, East Rutherford, NJ, 8/11/89) 4:23
11. Lost In You (Live – Meadowlands, East Rutherford, NJ, 8/11/89) 8:28
12. Forever Young (Live – Meadowlands, East Rutherford, NJ, 8/11/89) 7:11
13. Da Ya ThinkI’m Sexy (Live – Meadowlands, East Rutherford, NJ, 8/11/89) 4:12
14. Crazy About Her (Live – Meadowlands, East Rutherford, NJ, 8/11/89) 2:45
15. Try A Little Tenderness (Live – Meadowlands, East Rutherford, NJ, 8/11/89) 5:38
16. You’re In My Heart (The Final Acclaim) (Reprise) (Live – Meadowlands, East Rutherford, NJ, 8/11/89) 1:02

Disc 4:
1. Downtown Train (Live – Wembley, London, England, 5/5/91) 4:43
2. This Old Heart Of Mine (Live – Wembley, London, England, 5/5/91) 4:21
3. Stay With Me (Live – Wembley, London, England, 5/5/91) 4:12
4. Sweet Soul Music (Live – Wembley, London, England, 5/5/91) 3:12
5. Mandolin (Live – Wembley, London, England, 5/5/91) 4:54
6. Highgate Shuffle (Live – Wembley, London, England, 5/5/91) 3:43
7. Baby Jane (Live – Wembley, London, England, 5/5/91) 5:11
8. Baby Please Don’t Go (Live – Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, 10/21/93) 3:14
9. Cut Across Shorty (Live – Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, 10/20/93) 3:34
10. (Find A) Reason To Believe (Live – Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, 10/20/93) 3:37
11. Handbags & Gladrags (Live – Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, 10/20/93) 4:08
12. Having A Party (Live – Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, 10/20/93) 4:44
13. People Get Ready (Live – Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, 10/21/93) 8:15
14. Have I Told You Lately (Live – Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, 10/20/93) 4:37
15. Medley: Twistin’ The Night Away / Chain Gang (Live – Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, 10/20/93) 6:27
16. Cigarettes And Alcohol (Live – London, England, 5/19/98) 4:03
17. Rocks (Live – London, England, 5/19/98) 4:45

Would you like to drop your blood pressure 5 points easily? Just drink a 4 to 6 ounce glass of V8 juice each day. The blend of vegetables will cause your systolic number (the top number, which is also the higher of the two BP numbers and measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats, i.e. when the heart muscle contracts)to go down. Your diastolic number (the bottom number, which is also the lower of the two numbers, measures the pressure in the arteries between heartbeats, i.e., when the heart muscle is resting between beats and refilling with blood) could also go down a few points. V8 comes in several flavors and sizes. I prefer the V8 Spicy Hot Juice (Low Sodium). If you buy the regular V8 with more sodium, the effect will be less.

This 2 DVD collection features four film noir classics from the Columbia vault: The Killer That Stalked New York, Two of a Kind, Bad for Each Other, and The Glass Wall. The “Bad Girls” are Evelyn Keyes, Lizabeth Scott, and Gloria Grahame. Each of these films was restored and re-mastered. Special features include the original theatrical trailer for each of the movies and Terry Moore discussing Two of a Kind. This box set provides 313 minutes of noir at a reasonable price. If you’re a fan of noir, you’ll want this set. GRADE: B+

George Packer’s The Unwinding won the 2013 National Book Award for non-fiction. He deserves it. Packer uses a format similar to the one John Dos Passos used in his U.S.A. trilogy by alternating stories to trace the decline of the U.S. economy and culture from 1978 to 2012. Tammy Thomas, auto parts worker, finds her middle-class job destroyed as General Motors and Delphi head into bankruptcy. Jeff Connaughton, a Washington lawyer, sees the political process become more dysfunctional. Dean Price, an entrepreneur in a tobacco state, finds his businesses ruined by the real estate and banking crisis. Peter Thiel, a billionaire, sees the U.S. sinking fast. I usually finish reading a book in a day or two. The Unwinding took me a week to read. I had to take “breaks” to stem the depression this book causes. Our country is in deep decline and The Unwinding shows how it happened. GRADE: A

Wes Anderson’s quirky romp, The Grand Budapest Hotel, has more cameos than March Madness has upsets. The main storyline features Ralph Fiennes as an amorous concierge of the Grand Budapest Hotel. One of the wealthy guests of the hotel dies and leaves the concierge a valuable painting. But the greedy son and daughters frame the concierge and send him to prison. The concierge has an ally in a Lobby Boy named Zero (played wonderfully by Tony Revolori) who assists in some wacky shenanigans. The concierge manages to escape from prison, but he’s hunted by an assassin played by William Dafoe. If you’re in the mood for an unusual movie with plenty of surprises, you might give The Grand Budapest Hotel a try. GRADE: B+

Divergent is based on Veronica Roth’s YA novel of the same name. Divergent is set in a dystopian future Chicago after a ruinous war. Chicago is a walled city where a caste system of “factions” keeps the peace. Sixteen-year-old Beatrice “Tris” Prior, played convincingly by Shailene Woodley (George Clooney’s daughter in The Descendants), chooses to join the warrior Dauntless faction. But Tris learns that she is “divergent” which means she’s really casteless and in terrible danger. Divergents are executed when discovered. Tris’ mentor, Four (Theo James), trains Tris to be a cunning warrior. But Jeanine (Kate Winslet), head of the scientific faction, plots to alter the government. If this sounds a bit like The Hunger Games, you’re right. As our local movie reviewer wrote: “Divergent is halfway between Twilight and The Hunger Games.” Fair enough. But Divergent held my attention and interest for 2 hours and 19 minutes. I’ll go see the sequel. GRADE: B

I read this Winston Science Fiction juvenile novel back in the 1950s. Danger: Dinosaurs! was published in 1953 and when I reread it, I was struck by Ed McBain/Evan Hunter’s progressive characterizations. One of the major characters is an African-American who plays a key role in the plot. I read most of the Winston SF series and I can’t recall another African-American character in any of them. Danger: Dinosaurs! also introduces a notion unique in time-travel stories: that events in the past can forgotten when the time-travelers return to the future. This story of a group who encounters problems during their visit over a 100 million years ago was thrilling when I was a kid. Even in this early novel, the strengths of Ed McBain/Evan Hunter’s story-telling were obvious. Ed McBain turned to writing crime fiction, but this science fiction novel has plenty of suspense and action.