Archive for October, 2014

Book Review – Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child’s “Thunderhead”

Recently I finished reading Thunderhead, a thriller written by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.

Thunderhead is an independent book and not part of their main storyline involving FBI Special Agent Pendergast.  However, two of the characters in this book can be found in the Pendergast series of books.

First published in 1998, Thunderhead takes readers into the wilderness of the American West, and history (and superstition and mythology) involving American Indians.  When reading this book, you may be surprised to discover how little you know about the ancient history of the Native Americans.

Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child — Thunderhead

Thunderhead begins in New Mexico as anthropologist Nora Kelly visits her childhood home and discovers a dated letter from her father in the family’s mailbox.  The only problem is that Nora’s father vanished years ago when he was exploring the desert and searching for a fabled Native American city of Quivira, a hidden city that is allegedly made of gold.  He disappeared when Nora was a young girl.

To make matters worse, when Nora is inside of her family’s abandoned home, she’s viciously attacked by two unknown creatures.  They’re scared away when Nora’s neighbor, Teresa, makes an appearance, but she spots them again when she tries to drive away from the house.  Before Teresa saved her, Nora heard one of the creatures mention that it wanted the letter.

After her frightening encounter at her family’s old home, Nora returns to her apartment in Santa Fe and analyzes her father’s old letter.  The letter provides detailed notes about what seems like the lost Anasazi city of Quivira.  The only problem is that her father was exploring southern Utah’s canyon country, a region with literally hundreds of winding canyons.  She’s going to need more detailed information about her father’s path before she can hope to form an expedition to retrace his route. Read more…

Ebola – The 2014 Dallas, Texas, Outbreak And Spreading Of The Virus

Earlier today it was announced that Amber Joy Vinson became the next American to contract the deadly Ebola virus here in the United States.

You see, Vinson was one of many nurses who cared for Thomas Eric Duncan a couple of weeks ago.  Duncan, as we know, was a carrier of the Ebola virus when he flew from his home in Liberia and ultimately arrived in Dallas, Texas.  He was highly contagious and seriously ill from the virus when he was finally admitted into the hospital.  Although Duncan was administered experimental drugs to try to combat the Ebola virus, he ultimately died from the disease.  His death was announced on October 7, 2014.

A larger part of the news story involving Vinson is that *after* she was part of the team caring for Duncan, and after he died from Ebola, she chose to FLY to Cleveland, Ohio to allegedly visit with family members for a few days.  She flew back to Dallas on October 13th and reported Ebola-like symptoms the following day on October 14th.  Vinson was then isolated in the hospital.  Today, October 15th, it was announced that she does have Ebola.

Amber Vinson flew on Frontier Airlines flight #1143 on Monday, October 14, 2014.  Right now the CDC is scrambling to contact the other 132 people that were on board that flight.  One could only imagine A) How many people had close contact with Amber during her travels, and B) If any of those passengers had connecting flights, potentially spreading the deadly disease around the country that much faster.

Amber was not the only nurse who had cared for Duncan and later been diagnosed with Ebola.  On October 10, 2014, nurse Nina Pham had suspicious Ebola-like symptoms and was placed in isolation.  The following day she was diagnosed with Ebola.

TIMELINE OF EBOLA EVENTS

September 15, 2014 – LIBERIA – Thomas Eric Duncan helped Marthalene Williams take a taxi to a hospital.  She was highly contagious and deathly ill from Ebola.  Marthalene was turned away at the hospital and Duncan helped carry her back into her home.  She died from Ebola shortly later.

September 19, 2014 – LIBERIA – Duncan went to the airport in Monrovia and lied to airport officials about not having been in contact with Ebola.  He was allowed into the airport and to board his flight.  He flew from Liberia to Belgium to Washington Dulles Airport and then his destination of Dallas, Texas.  Duncan stayed at an apartment in Dallas with his fiancée and her five children. Read more…

Book Review – Seth Grahame-Smith’s “Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter”

Today I finished reading Seth Grahame-Smith‘s alternate portrayal of President Abraham Lincoln in Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter.

What if the history of America included a secret society of vampires?

And what if one of America’s most prolific vampires was none other than Abraham Lincoln?

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter is a biography of President Lincoln and how he became one of history’s greatest vampire hunters.  The story is told as a retelling of Lincoln’s secret journal, a series of writings that go into detail about how he first came into contact with vampires, how he learned how to fight (and kill) them, and how his obsession with killing vampires helped push him to lead the country through the American Civil War.

Seth Grahame-Smith — Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter begins with a store owner and part-time writer receiving a mysterious package from Henry Sturges, one of his regular customers.  It turns out that the package contains several volumes of a secret journal written by Abraham Lincoln, the man who became the 16th President of the United States and led the country through the American Civil War.

And the journal is all about Abraham’s obsession and passion for hunting down and killing vampires.

Abraham’s knowledge of vampires begins at a young age when his father, Thomas Lincoln, tells his son that vampires are real, not the subject of myths and fantasies.  Thomas tells his 6-year-old son about how his father (Abraham’s grandfather, also named Abraham Lincoln) was really killed by vampires back in 1786.

Not long after learning the true reason for his grandfather’s death, young Abraham overhears that his father is in debt to a man named Jack Barts.  It was really Jack Barts who took his revenge against his father’s debt by killing wife, Abraham’s mother, Nancy Lincoln.  After her death Abraham Lincoln swore to kill as many vampires as possible.  Three years later he would get his revenge against Jack Barts by luring him to his father’s home and then killing him by stabbing him in the chest with a wooden stake.

Abraham then continues to build his muscles and improve his skill of accurately throwing a sharpened axe.  The axe would later become Abraham’s primary weapon when fighting and killing vampires.  He would become good enough to throw an axe with deadly precision against moving targets. Read more…

Movie Review – Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955)

In December of 1944, the audiences wondered if The Mummy’s Curse was going to be the final Mummy film made by Universal Studios.

By that point the Mummy film franchise had dwindled into a collection of mediocre films, and the whole “horror” element was mostly missing.  The Mummy himself had transformed into a humanoid monster more resembling a deranged killer rather than a mysterious and cunning creature dating back thousands of years.

In 1955, the Mummy would finally return to the cinemas in Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy.  This time around, instead of being a horror film, this Mummy movie is a comedy that spoofs the entire Mummy franchise.

Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955) – movie poster

Directed by Charles Lamont, Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy stars the comedy duo of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello as Pete Patterson and Freddie Franklin, a pair of Americans stranded in Cairo, Egypt.  Supporting them in the film are Marie Windsor as Madame Rontru, Michael Ansara as Charlie, and Peggy King as a singer in a nightclub.

Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955) – (c) Universal Pictures

Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy begins with two American explorers, Pete Patterson (Bud Abbott) and Freddie Franklin (Lou Costello), out of money and stuck in Cairo, Egypt.  While at the Cafe Bagdad, they, and several other people, happen to overhear Dr. Gustav Zoomer (Kurt Katch) mention that he has discovered the mummy Klaris, the guardian of the tomb of Princess Ara.  Patterson focuses on the fact that Zoomer needs a couple of men to help escort the mummy back to America.  That could be he and Franklin’s ticket out of Egypt and back home. Read more…

Movie Review – The Mummy’s Curse (1944)

Just when you thought that it was finished . . . along comes another sequel to the Mummy series of movies.

As we remember in The Mummy’s Ghost, Yousef Bey was sent to Mapleton, Massachusetts to recover the mummified body of ancient Egyptian Princess Ananka as well as the mummy Kharis.  Yousef was tasked with recovering those two mummies and returning them to Egypt so that they could rest in piece.  Of course, things didn’t go as planned, and choas ensued.  The movie ended with Kharis taking the reincarnated version of Princess Ananka into a swamp so that they would both drown and finally be together for eternity.

Released in late 1944, The Mummy’s Curse advances the storyline another twenty-five or so years (presumably in the year 1995), and it changes locations from Mapleton, Massachusetts, to the swamps of Louisiana.  An. irrigation project accidentally unearths the mummies Kharis and Ananka.  Two representatives from a museum arrive to try to excavate the site and recover the mummies.  The story takes a turn when the mummified body of Ananka walks again and turns into a human being, a beautiful young lady with no memory of her past.  As Kharis tries to catch Ananka, there’s also treachery involving the museum representatives, and death lurking around every corner.

The Mummy’s Curse (1944) – movie poster

Directed by Leslie Goodwins, The Mummy’s Curse stars Lon Chaney, Jr. as the mummy Kharis.  Chaney was the only actor to return from the previous film.  Other actors and actresses in this Mummy film include Virginia Christine as Princess Ananka, Kay Harding as Betty Walsh, Dennis Moore as Dr. James Halsey, Peter Coe as Dr. Ilzor Zandaab, and Martin Kosleck as Ragheb.

The Mummy’s Curse (1944) – (c) Universal Studios

The Mummy’s Curse begins in Louisiana twenty-five years after the events in The Mummy’s Ghost.  The locals remember hearing stories about the mummy and how he carried a woman into the swamps, but those stories are turning out more like legends and local folklore.  Perhaps there’s more to the stories as many of the construction workers are convinced that the local swamps are actually cursed with an evil presence.  One of the workers disappeared the previous night, and the rest of the workers are concerned for their own safety. Read more…

Movie Review – The Mummy’s Ghost (1944)

In The Mummy’s Tomb we learned that the mummy Kharis was still alive and (mostly) well despite being burned with fire at the end of The Mummy’s Hand.

Thirty years after the events in The Mummy’s Hand, Kharis was set to America along with Mehemet Bey to get revenge against the members of the Banning Expedition along with their descendants.  Although Stephen Banning and Babe Hanson were killed by Kharis, Banning’s son, Dr. John Banning, managed to kill Mehemet and defeat Kharis with the help of a mob of people.  The Mummy’s Tomb ended with Kharis being killed in a fire and John Banning marrying his fiancée, Isobel Evans.

Of course, that’s not the end of the story involving Kharis.  This is where the next film, The Mummy’s Ghost, comes into play.

After the failure of Mehemet Bey, the ageing High Priest of Arkam sends another follower to America to simply retrieve Kharis (allegedly still alive and well despite being set on fire *again*) and the mummified body of Princess Ananka, and to return them to Egypt so that they can rest in piece.  Of course, things don’t go as planned and the town of Mapleton, Massachusetts has to face the killer mummy one more time.

The Mummy’s Ghost (1944) – movie poster

Directed by Reginald Le Borg, The Mummy’s Ghost features the return of Lon Chaney, Jr. as Kharis, Frank Reicher as Professor Norman, and George Zucco as the ageing Andoheb.  Newcomers this time around include John Carradine as Yousef Bey, Robert Lowery as Tom Hervey, and Ramsay Ames as Amina Mansori / Ananka.

The Mummy’s Ghost (1944) – (c) Universal Pictures

The Mummy’s Ghost begins in Egypt as Yousef Bey (John Carradine) is summoned to a secret meeting with the High Priest of Arkam, Andoheb (George Zucco).  It looked like Andoheb died in the previous film after handing over the duties to Mehemet Bey, but apparently there must be a glitch somewhere in the space-time continuum.  Anyway, Andoheb proceeds to tell Yousef Bey about the history of Kharis and Princess Ananka, and the purpose of the tana leaves.  He also informs Yousef that although the world believes that Kharis was destroyed, the mummy is still, in fact, alive.  Kharis’s sole purpose is to guard the tomb of Princess Ananka.

Yousef Bey’s mission is to return Kharis to Egypt along with the mummified body of Princess Ananka.  Andoheb then hands over the official duties of being a high priest as Yousef swears to carry out his mission. Read more…

Book Review – Stephen King’s “‘Salem’s Lot”

Today I finished reading ‘Salem’s Lot, one of Stephen King‘s earlier novels.

Set in the fictitious town of Jerusalem’s Lot, Maine, the story involves an ancient vampire attacking the residents and slowly building an army of the undead.  It’s up to a small team of people to defy the odds and put an end to the attacks before the whole town is eventually killed.

Stephen King — ‘Salem’s Lot

‘Salem’s Lot begins with Ben Mears, a writer who grew up in the town of Jerusalem’s Lot (often shortened to just ‘Salem’s Lot), a small town in Maine.  He’s returning to town to continue working on his next book, a story involving the Marsten House, a house with a very negative reputation (for both the locals as well as Ben Mears).

After arriving in town, Ben quickly begins a relationship with Susan Norton, a young lady who is a fan of his writings.  Ben also befriends Matt Burke, an older high school teacher who knows anything and everything about the town.

Ben’s arrival in ‘Salem’s Lot coincides with a mysterious Austrian named Kurt Barlow purchasing and moving into the abandoned Marsten House.  One of the odd things is that nobody in town ever sees Kurt Barlow, they only see his associate and business partner, Richard Straker.  It’s Richard Straker who handles the affairs of the house as well as sets up and runs Barlow and Straker — Fine Furnishings, a high-end furniture store planned for the tourists.

It’s not long until a young boy named Ralphie Glick suddenly disappears.  He was walking through the woods with his older brother, Danny, when Danny was attacked by an unknown entity and fell unconscious.  When he later woke and returned home, Ralphie was still missing.  Later we learn that Ralphie Glick was sacrificed in a ritualistic manner to appease a higher being.  Not only after that Danny Glick falls ill and dies while in the hospital.  Danny becomes the first person in ‘Salem’s Lot to become a vampire. Read more…

Movie Review – The Mummy’s Tomb (1942)

In 1940, the horror film The Mummy’s Hand introduced the audience to a new storyline involving a killer mummy from ancient Egypt.

While not as successful or critically acclaimed as the original movie, 1932’s The Mummy, The Mummy’s Hand did offer a somewhat new plot along with a new cast of characters.  And unlike the original film, The Mummy’s Hand made it easier for the writers to continue the story in a sequel.

The Mummy’s Tomb continues the story that was established in The Mummy’s Hand.  As we suspected, the fire really didn’t kill Kharis.  It also turns out that Babe Jenson’s bullet didn’t kill Andoheb either.  Set thirty years later and in New England, Andoheb sends his follow with Kharis on a mission to kill everybody associated with the Banning Expedition along with their descendants.

The Mummy’s Tomb (1942) – movie poster

Directed by Harold Young, The Mummy’s Tomb returns Dick Foran as Stephen Banning, Wallace Ford as Babe Hanson (renamed from Jenson in the previous film) and George Zucco as Andoheb.  In this film we’re introduced to John Hubbard as Dr. John Banning, Elyse Knox as Isobel Evans, Turhan Bey as the villain Mehemet Bey, and Lon Chaney, Jr. as the mummy Kharis.

The Mummy’s Tomb takes place thirty years after the events in the first film, putting this movie around the year 1970.

The Mummy’s Tomb (1942) – (c) Universal Studios

The film begins with an aged Stephen Banning (Dick Foran) recanting the tale of his expedition and that of Kharis the mummy to his family and friends.  Banning is back in his hometown of Mapleton, Massachusetts.  The guests at his home include his son, Dr. John Banning (John Hubbard), and his fiancée, Isobel Evans (Elyse Knox).  It takes about eight or nine minutes for Banning to tell his tale.  During that time we see flashback clips from the previous movie.  As far as Banning knows, both the mummy and Andoheb were killed. Read more…

September 2014 Exercise Results

Now that we’re into October, one of my favorite months of the year, it’s time to take a look and see my exercise results for September.

Sadly, September of 2014 was one of my worst exercising periods in over a year.  I only exercised for FOUR days during the entire month.  However, I do have a note from my doctor allowing me a break from exercising.

During the first two weeks I had a nasty sinus infection.  After that my wife and I were in central Florida for a week.  I didn’t keep track of any numbers, but each day in Florida I easily walked 6-8 miles.  After we returned from Florida, so did my sinus infection.  I spent the last days of September back on antibiotics and trying to get over this issue.

Anyway, as of right now I’m still taking the last few days’ worth of pills.  This means that my exercising for the month of October will be a little bit lower than the other months.  Plus, my wife and I will be out of town again for a week.

September of 2014 exercise results:

Exercise bike totals (cardio):

– 4 sessions; 45 minutes each

– 180 minutes (3 hours)

– 40.5 miles

– 2,026 calories

– furthest distance during a 45-minute bike ride – 10.4 miles

Total Bodyworks 5000 totals (strength):

– 1 session; ~ 90 minutes each

Total number of sit-ups:

– 250

Again, September of 2014 was terrible for my exercising program.  October will be better, but it probably won’t be until November when I’ll have another great month with my exercise program.