Happy Birthday, Stephanie

On this day in 1989 my first daughter, Stephanie, entered the world. A wonderful day, and the wonders never cease. Love you, kid.

Events

Friday: Mother-in-law turned 95. Today: Kid sister's birthday. Today: My 23rd wedding anniversary.

Wolf Creek: Bloody Trail

This is the first in a series of ebooks from the Western Fictioneers and if I understand its rather sinuous structure properly, each viewpoint character will be written by a different author. Also, this first edition is written by six scribes, each taking two consecutive chapters. Wolf Creek is a small town struggling to survive in post-Civil War Kansas. There are the understandable resentments among the residents who fought on opposite sides during the Recent Unpleasantness, but mostly folks get along. When a gang of former Confederate raiders invade the town to rob the bank, leaving dead people and animals in their wake, the townies assemble a posse to track them down. Some simmering resentments come to the fore during the manhunt, but by the time it's over the survivors see things in a brighter light. Because this is the first installment in a series there is a lot of exposition and backstory offered. I think it was a good two-and-a-half chapters before there was any action, but when it came it was well handled. I trust future books won't feel the need to recross the expositionary ground because even though the backgrounds of many of the charatcers are interesting, swallowing it in large doses may turn some readers off. My advice is to stick with it because there are a ton of talented people working on the books and I expect the ensuing ones to be humdingers. I know I'll be reading them. One nitpick: The Lamatt pistol, which had a shotgun barrel beneath a revolver barrel, was a 16-gauge, not 18-gauge.

No Moon Tonight

Let the dancing begin. "Reverend" Sun Myung Moon is dead. The Moonie leader is famous for arranging mass marriages among his adherents to people who often were total strangers to each other. Also for love bombing newbies and having his zombielike followers sell peanut brittle and jewelry door-to-door. The world is better off without people like him.

That Day Again

As every schoolboy worth his salt knows, today (June 25) is the anniversary of Custer's Last Stand, which occurred in 1876. Surrounded in mystery, controversy, and emotion, this is perhaps the most discussed and written-about battle in American history. Certainly the most famous in the Plains Wars of the 19th century. I also have my semi-annual dental checkup today.

Kit of the Day, Evan Lewis Style

Over on his blog, Evan Lewis has been touting the life and times of Jean Lafitte. In his honor I present today's kit, a pirate ship based on the movie THE BUCCANEER. Produced by Aurora, this seems like a simple and sturdy model (note the heavy rigging) and one a modeler of modest skills could build. I'm guessing it was an old kit with a new box to take advantage of the movie, yet none of the actors from that film are part of the box art. The opening bid was $24.99 and postage will be $7.95. Not too bad for an old Aurora kit. I'm sure Evan will want this so hold your bids and let him have it. BTW, fans, I think I've set this blog up so anyone can comment. No doubt this will issue in a whole new era of annoying spam, but I'm willing to take the gamble.

Happy Birthday Tony Dow

Gee, Wally is 67.

Kit of the Day

I have to admit I liked The Beverly Hillbillies, more now then when it first ran. The interplay between Jethro and Granny was always good for a laugh, and Donna Douglas made for some nice eye candy. Uncle Jed was the hub that held all the spokes in place. And how about that great theme song? I was saddened to learn that the singer and banjo player on "The Ballad of Jed Clampett," Earl Scruggs, just passed away.

But what better a subject for a model kit than the old Grapes of Wrath-style truck the Clampetts drove through their ritzy neighborhood? I believe in one show the 1921 truck was tricked out as a mean-ass hot rod, so this kit allows you to build either version. I imagine when you're done with one there will be enough spare parts for half of another vee-hickle.

The kit was issued in 1968 by MPC, a company that also made toy soldiers--the famous ring hand figures, among others. I have built MPC kits and they were often cheap and poorly engineered. That didn't diminish the value of this item on the collector market, however, because one of these kits recently sold for $249 + $13.60 shipping.

Kit of the Day

Yes, nothing says speed like a cement mixer, and what better way to show that than to create a combination cement mixer/hot rod?

Actually, I kind of like it.

Kit of the Day

Comic artist Rube Goldberg created a lot of crazy contraptions on paper that would make the simplest jobs long and complicated via a string of interconnecting gadgets, animals, and tools. These gimmicks seemed like a natural for a model kit, someone must have reasoned, and a series of kits were issued that copied the Goldberg genius. If properly built they would perform the task at hand. In the one I'm showing it's a way to scrub grandpa's back. I've never had one of these kits, or even seen one, but it looks like it would be fun to build one.

It's That Day Again

Beware the Ides of March

Remember the Alamo

March 6, 1836. After 13 days of siege the Alamo was overrun by the forces of General Santa Anna, general and dictator of Mexico. The heroic stand made by the Alamo's defenders has been the subject of books, movies, TV shows, comic books, and several Marx playsets. It has spawned wonder and controversy. The Alamo today--the little that's left of it--is a major tourist attraction. Some of the most famous men of their day died at the Alamo, notably Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie. Today is indeed a good day to remember the Alamo.

Kit of the Day

Bond, James Bond, fighting it out with Odd Job in a scene from GOLDFINGER. Note how the precise sculpting captures the dynamic action and breathtaking excitement.

Like fudge it does. I can't imagine why the company allowed this cheap-looking, stilted kit to reach the market, but it did. Fortunately, better kits from the Bond movies, including a very nice Odd Job pose, are available.
Airfix is a British firm that produced toy soldiers as well as model kits, and most of their output is very good. My guess is they either rushed this one out or couldn't find anyone skilled enough at figure sculpting to produce a convincing diorama.

Kit of the Day

Here's a kit you can enjoy. Place it in the bath tub, run water to the appropriate level, pour some 30 weight oil on the water, and you can reenact the big oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Toss in a few parakeets and the fun is endless.
Actually, it looks like a pretty neat kit. It's on eBay right now for a mere 99 cents. Plus $20.50 for shipping.

Happy Birthday, Linda

Yep, another birthday card to buy, this time for my wife. I suppose she'll want a gift, too. The obligations are endless.

The girl in the photo is Linda Stirling. It's the only picture in my computer of anyone named Linda.

Happy Birthday, Mom

My mother is 89 today.

The picture is not contemporary.

Happy Birthday, Honest Abe

Yep, on this day in 1809 The Great Emancipator was born. In Kentucky. A lot of people think he was born in Illinois because Illinois calls itself The Land of Lincoln. True, he did live and work there and ran for office there, but it wasn't his birthplace. I had the satisfaction of correcting my history teacher in college on that point.

Kit of the Day

Did you know that Fred Flintstone had a sports car? I didn't. But if you're a fan of the show and want to build a model of it, there's a kit available. What I find intriguing is the scale, 1/20th. How did they figure that? Measure the one they found in a cave?

Since no one cares about this feature that's all I'll say about it.

Happy Birthday, Molly

My puppy is one today.

Kit of the Day

Planes, ships, cars, armor, figures, monsters, animals, trains and artillery have all been subjects of plastic model kits, but not musical instruments. But for all the budding Gene Krupas out there who can't afford the real thing, there's this scale model of a drum set. I suppose a drummer who wanted it on the shelf in his office might be tempted to own this kit, but I don't think it had a large consumer pool. I don't know anything about the maker, obviously a Japanese company, but I hope they weren't banking on this item for their success.