For only $12/year you can subscribe to GoComics. And if you do, you will find Calvin & Hobbes. This installment is one of the more famous Sunday strips by Watterson.
Author: DOuG pRATt
TV present vs TV future
The Superbowl should be over by now, but I don’t know because I’m not watching it (I probably would be if the Patriots hadn’t been eliminated). Instead, we’ve watched the first five parts of the 13-part Netflix series House of Cards, based on the BBC series of the same name from way back in 1990.
The Superbowl may be the biggest thing on television right now, but it’s just the latest in a long-standing annual event. Netflix is attempting to create the future of television by using on-demand streaming media to take direct aim at cable, and HBO in particular. Putting entire seasons of Doctor Who, Breaking Bad, and Mad Men online for subscribers at no additional cost has been extremely successful for Netflix, so it makes sense for the service to produce its own series, and an excellent one it is.
Netflix is using House of Cards as an enticement to new subscribers, who are welcome to watch all thirteen parts for free. The expectation is, of course, that once they’re online they’ll see what else is available and stay on for $8/month. Reed Hastings has screwed up at least once as CEO of Netflix, but this new direction looks like a winner.
Sister Acts
Kathy Lennon of the Lennon Sisters says this on Facebook about the passing of Patty Andrews, of the Andrews Sisters.
Kathy Lennon — (1/30/13)
Just heard from a friend that Patty Andrews died…94 years old. The Andrew Sisters were the 1st singing sister act that we tried to copy. We loved their rendition of songs, their high spirit, their fabulous harmony. We were honored to meet them on THE MIKE DOUGLAS SHOW… we could not believe they knew who we were, and we sang a bit of BOOGIE WOOGIE BUGLE BOY with them. We tribute them at every Lennon Sisters Concert, with our version of BOOGIE WOOGIE…The Lennon Sisters send their families love, prayers and admiration for these beautifully talented women…
As posted here last month, the Lennon Sisters performed with Bing Crosby, so here are the Andrews Sisters backing up Bing.
Guns and nuts
I needed to take a break from blogging, but there are some interesting things going on in the background via e-mail that will probably appear here.
Before disappearing again so I can start working on the taxes, I’d like to say that after listening to this week’s self-servicing blathering by Wayne LaPierre of the National Rifle Association, he has a point about mental health and guns. Because any private citizen who wants to own an assault rifle with a 30- or 100-round ammo clip is nuts.
Sir George
Denro has taken me to task for failing to note the birthday of Sir George Martin, who turned 87 years old yesterday. Some Beatles fans love to speculate on what would have happened without Brian Epstein, or George Martin. I’m just glad everything turned out the way it did. From 1980, when he was 54, here is the life of George Martin.
Stan the Man
Love him as I do, or despise him as some others do, Stanley Martin Lieber turns 90 years old today.
