San Diego Comic-Con 2024: What projects are coming to a screen or store near you?

On August 5, 2024 By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Books, Comics, Movies, Television

This is the third year I’ve done this, but I like making fun mistakes. It’s that time of the year to discuss one of the biggest geek events on the planet: no, it’s not me wearing my Batman socks and my Iron Man t-shirt, at the same time. However cool and brave that event is, it pales compared to San Diego Comic-Con.

I’ve never been to it, mainly because it’s over 10,000 km away and I can’t afford to go; like ever. But that doesn’t mean I still can’t enjoy it, right? Right?!

San Diego Comic-Con is the opportunity for some of the world’s leading entertainment companies to showcase their upcoming products, whether toys, anime, computer games, manga, books, comics, movies, or TV shows, to the ticket-paying fans, and the rest of the world.

Standing in line for hours to meet an idol, overpriced food, cool tote bags, and cosplaying, what’s more to love?! Information, that’s what; specifically trailers, panels, and media statements.

After going through the list of upcoming projects, like a dog bin-diving, who is searching for a disgusting tissue, I have found some things that interest me. I have said this before about San Diego Comic-Con, but I haven’t read or watched every single scrap of information that was released. Tragic, but true.

So, what projects are coming to a cinema or store near you? Well, it’s a concoction, stranger than Dr Jekyll’s elixir. As always, with nearly every one of my posts, there are some rules. Of course, there are.

1.) I have not read or seen, every article or trailer released from San Diego Comic-Con. I can only discuss the things I know of, but also things I’m interested in. However, I will not be picking up a copy of The Bloody Beetroot #1, thank you very much.

2.) Just because a product is on my list, doesn’t mean I’ll get to see, or purchase it. Quite simply, if something has landed on this list, it has my attention; regardless if I watch or purchase it.

3.) I have included some information and trailers that were released, just before San Diego Comic-Con. This is because I’m the chief shareholder in the company. That sounds very fair.

Before I go on, I realise the world is a crazy place, and not everything that happens is positive. I’m aware of this, which is why this nonsense blog exists. Cool bananas?

Ok, I’m not here to shag spiders, so let’s do this!

Image: Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images

Literature: (Books and Comics)

With the comics selection, the biggest projects that sparked my interest were from DC and Marvel. I’m not saying other companies have nothing of interest to me, but as I have said before, I can only talk about projects that I know of.

Absolute Universe

Yes, Marvel already did this with the Ultimate Universe, so over 20 years later, it’s DC’s turn. I don’t know all the details, but it seems they have reimagined key heroes like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman in a new universe.

Bruce has no money or Batcave, Clark has no family, and Diana is the last of the Amazons. The concept is simple, but the designs for the characters are impressive. There are more Absolute titles coming, like The Flash, Green Lantern, and Martian Manhunter.

I don’t know if I’ll buy any of these titles, but they look interesting, and sometimes that’s half the battle.

Star Wars

I need to remember to write about Star Wars: The High Republic. It’s been another year, and I still haven’t done it, so I’m sorry about that. We’re approaching the halfway point of the third and final phase of the project, but my love for Star Wars remains strong.

Information concerning Star Wars literature include:

Star Wars: The Acolyte: Wayseeker (novel)

Star Wars: The High Republic: Fear of the Jedi (limited series-Marvel)

Star Wars: Battle of Jakku: Insurgency Rising (limited series-Marvel)

Star Wars: The High Republic: Edge of Balance: Premonition (manga-Viz Media)

Here’s a quick update about the project that I discussed about last year’s Comic-Con. Knights Vs Samurai, is finally getting released in September, and I’m looking forward to it.

Movies:

Star Trek: Section 31

Technically, this is a television movie, but let’s not split hairs too much.¹Like any geek, I love Star Trek, and this spin-off from Star Trek: Discovery seems intriguing. Michelle Yeoh’s Philippa Georgiou was a stand-out character in the series, who eventually went on her own growth and development arc. Granted, I’m not entirely sure when the film is set in the timeline, but it’s enough to grab my attention.

It’s going to be on a streaming service, like nearly everything else, so I just hope I’ll be able to see it. Maybe finding a magic lamp will help.

Hellboy: The Crooked Man

Any long-time followers of this vanity project will know my love for Anung un Rama, aka Hellboy. I’ve been slowly going bankrupt for years, reading and collecting Hellboy comics; which led me to read the classic Hellboy: The Crooked Man mini-series, when it came out in 2008.

I knew a fourth Hellboy movie was being produced, but when I understood it was going to be about The Crooked Man, well, I did my infamous Daddy-Dance in front of my wife; and she just rolled her eyes.

After watching the trailer, I danced again, because the film looks immaculate. Leaning into the horror aspect of Hellboy’s world, goes in step with the ghouls and demons that live there. This is a film I am 100% going to see.

Captain America: Brave New World

Captain America: Brace New World is the MCU’s first film for 2025, wait..2025? Really? I remember going to see Iron Man only a few years ago…oh. Damn.

Anyway, I want to see this film, but just like Loki and the TVA in Deadpool & Wolverine, I haven’t seen The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, surprise, surprise. So basically, will people understand the progression of events in the movie, if they haven’t seen the mini-series?

I have no idea, but I’m keen as a bean to see whether Red Hulk will be intelligent or not. I’ll have to visit The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s Wikipedia page before visiting my local cinema, to get myself up to speed. Will this be enough? Again, I have no idea, but I still would like to see it.

Alien: Romulus

I want to see Alien: Romulus because I’m a fan of the Alien movies. The trailer makes it look dark, claustrophobic, and intense, just like any Alien movie should be.

However, after watching an army of face huggers running around a space station in the trailer, I’ve decided I’m going to watch the movie at home. I don’t want to be scared in public, so I’ll save the pants-peeing and pants-shitting for my living room. I still haven’t had the courage to watch Alien: Covenant yet!

Television shows:

The Penguin

Colin Farrell was unrecognisable as Oswald Cobblepot, aka Penguin in 2022’s The Batman; which was an amazing film. He was fantastic as Cobblepot, and if I understand the plot correctly, the show is set after the first film, but before the second, which is in preproduction.

After Carmine Falcone died in The Batman, Cobblepot is attempting to take over Gotham’s underworld and install himself as the new crime lord. That being the case, I think Batman will only be used in conversations, and not actually appear.

Maybe more of Batman’s Rogue’s gallery will turn up in the mini-series, because Sofia and Alberto Falcone are involved, so they could be setting up a live-action version of The Long Halloween. Who knows? Whatever the case, Farrell looks like he’s bringing the heat and it’s a show that my wife and I will watch together. And who said romance is dead?!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: Season 3

Like I said about Star Trek: Section 31, I’ve been enjoying Star Trek: Discovery, but my admiration of the saga, also includes Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. I have to be honest, this show keeps surprising me, and that’s a good thing.

Witnessing these familiar, but also unfamiliar characters has been great, and the cliffhanger for Season 2 was unexpected. Strange New Worlds has helped me to fall in love with Star Trek, all over again. Isn’t that cute and nice?

Superman & Lois: Season 4

Superman & Lois has been a TV show that destroyed my expectations of it. Seriously. These versions of Clark and Lois are wonderful, and I fully believe that Clark and Lois are better together on screen. This show brings out their strengths and highlights that Clark can’t be Superman, without the support of his family; which to me, makes him only stronger.

Add in Season 3’s cliffhanger fight with Doomsday, and I’ve reserved my ticket for the final season. I’m going to miss this show.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 2

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was quite divisive among fans for several reasons. I did watch the first season, so I can understand some of the criticisms, which I’ve discussed before on this magnificent blog.

However, unlike the hundreds, if not thousands of fans that have distanced themselves from the project, I am more than willing to give this show another shot at greatness. Have things improved on the show? I don’t know, but I promise I’m going to watch it. I see that Tom Bombadil is in the show, but I still want Melkor to have a cameo!

Also, this is a special mention about Batman: Caped Crusader. I’m going to write my first preview/review about a television show, and Batman: Caped Crusader gets to be the lucky winner. I’ll talk more about this closer to the time, but I’m optimistic about the show.

Anyway, that’s it for another week. What announcements from San Diego Comic-Con were you interested in? As always, please let me know. Remember to walk your dog, read a banned book, keep watching the Olympics, and I’ll see you next week for the return of the Solar System’s worst tour!

¹Like Vulcans, I embrace technicalities; but not for this section. The double pun is very much intended.

Deadpool & Wolverine: Movie Review

On July 29, 2024 By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Movies

Following last week’s fantastic preview of Deadpool & Wolverine, it’s time to discuss the movie review. I know, I know, my movie previews and reviews are amazing…at being terrible, but feeding UMC1 and UMC2, keeping my dog warm and happy, along with running New Zealand’s 5th least favourite website, means sleep is precious to me. Very preciousssss.

Like Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, I purchased the ticket at the cinema, days before the screening. Because you know, a geek’s got to do, what a geek’s got to do. At the cinema on Wednesday night, I jumped into line for food and drink, and the cinema liberated a small fortune from my bank account for said items.

And just like every other time at our cinema, I walked straight into the theatre and sat down, without anybody checking my ticket. This is the quintessential example of New Zealand culture: Trusting that the people sitting in a theatre have paid, so there’s no need to check their tickets.

Before I continue, they played the trailer for Captain America: Brave New World, which featured an image of the Red Hulk. I heard one person say, “I thought Hulk was green. Why’d they change his colour?!” Sitting in the back row, allowed me to have a wry smile without being seen. And yes, I am ashamed of myself.

Anyway, on with the review!

Let’s go over the rules of the review.

1.) Please be aware there will be spoilers concerning the movie, so proceed with extreme anxiety and caution.

2.) The aim of my reviews are not to rip apart the subject or trash it. If I liked the subject enough to watch or read it, then I’ll give my honest (possibly biased) opinion.

3.) I’m not a professional critic, so I’m not going to dive into deeper concepts and themes, or the art of filmmaking. I’m just a geek; always have been, and always will be.

And away we go!

So, did I like the movie? Yes, yes I did. I enjoyed it for different reasons, though I’ll try to cover them all. Firstly, the dialogue was sharp and more brutal than some fight scenes. The constant 4th wall insults, like the divorce reference and the Canada joke, had me laughing so hard that the woman sitting next to me kept glaring at me. Also, even though Gambit’s accent was comic-accurate, it was still funny to hear.

The movie was hilarious, showing even more than the previous two movies, that Wade Wilson is a lunatic who likes to stab and shoot, with or without the mask, but he’s a lunatic on the side of the angels.

The fight scenes were extremely graphic and violent, but you knew that was coming; it was expected. Still, using Wolverine’s skeleton as a weapon, strangely made a lot of sense in a twisted way. The scene where Deadpool had stabbed a TVA agent in the arse with Wolverine’s claws, is something I can’t unsee, no matter how hard I try.

The first fight between Deadpool and Wolverine in the Void was amazing, but it paled in comparison with the war they fought over in the Honda Odyssey, which was something I never knew I wanted to see. The entire sequence was phenomenal, simple, and entertaining, but horrific all at the same time.

The soundtrack was a surprise, with songs from *NSYNC and AC/DC, being somewhat appropriate choices for Deadpool’s dance routine against the TVA agents, along with the first fight between Deadpool and Wolverine.

Since we’re not talking about cameos, let’s discuss them. Some of the cameos included Deadpool variants, as well as Wolverine variants such as Patch, Age of Apocalypse Wolverine, Old Man Logan, the cover of Uncanny X-Men #251 Wolverine, comic-accurate height Wolverine, and the “Cavillrine,” were all extremely well done. When I saw the Uncanny X-Men cover with Wolverine being crucified on a giant X, I couldn’t help but quietly clap because it was obvious that they had done their homework.

With the other cameos, I suppose this movie was the official final chapter in the 20th Century Fox superheroes franchises, because it felt like it was becoming a tribute movie. I mentioned a few of the cameos last week, but I didn’t see Johnny Storm, Blade, or the appearance of Gambit coming.

Here’s a shout-out to the production crew including the Red Skull’s car and the Fantasticar. I appreciated seeing them again.

So, what about my preview questions?

I don’t have Disney+, so I haven’t seen Loki, only some videos from YouTube. This means my experience with the TVA is limited. Will the TVA be accessible to non-Disney+ viewers? Yes, they were accessible to a non-Disney+ viewer, but I still have a lot of questions about them, mainly who decides what goes in the Sacred Timeline? I’m sure when I get to watch Loki, many questions will be answered. Maybe.
I know Wolverine is alive in the film because it’s set before he died in Logan. But does this mean Logan is a fixed point in continuity? That was a sneaky one because Marvel Studios had explained that the film would be set before James died in Logan. They lied, because the whole point of the movie, was that Earth-10005’s version of Wolverine was dead. So yes, Logan was a fixed point in continuity.
Is Cassandra Nova’s Charles Xavier twin sister in the movie? Yes, she was, and Emma Corrin did a great job playing Cassandra Nova. My only question was why they cast a young actor for the role of Cassandra, when being Xavier’s twin, she would have to be decades older. She would be the same age as Xavier so she would be at least 60 years old; unless time works differently in the Void. I don’t know.
Will this movie somehow activate the X-gene in people in the MCU? If it did, I must have missed it, because I would have said no.
Will Liev Schreiber return? To the best of my knowledge, he didn’t.
Will 21st Century Fox’s X-Men’s continuity merge with Disney’s MCU, creating one continuity, or will it be something else? The ending of the movie surprised me, because I thought there would be some sort of timeline merging, but surprise, surprise, I was wrong. Deadpool remained in his Fox-era universe, and not in the MCU.
Will Wolverine lose his memories of the movie’s events by the end credits? I would say that’s a no, because he was at Wade’s party and holding Dogpool, by the end of the movie.
However the movie ends, will the X-Men be standing in the MCU? I’m going out on a limb and say, “Hell, no!”
How different will the MCU look after Deadpool & Wolverine? As far as I can see and understand, not a lot, if anything has changed in the MCU, because of the movie. Maybe if I understood the TVA better, I could give a better answer.
Will any Avengers turn up? The Hulk was fighting, I think a Wolverine variant wearing the classic 80’s brown and tan costume. There was also footage of Thor leaning over a dying Deadpool in the future.
Will Wolverine break the 4th wall? I believe Hugh Jackman broke the 4th wall in marketing adverts, but not in the movie. I hope I’m right about that!
Will the plot make sense with multiple timelines/worlds being involved? Remembering that Deadpool still had Cable’s time-travelling device from the previous film, and also armed with a TemPad, he could travel to other universes. Throw in the leftovers found in the Void, there were a lot of timelines involved. The plot wasn’t perfect, but it didn’t have to be, since Deadpool was involved.

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman were devastatingly good, but it does raise the question of what happens next, since Deadpool is living on Earth-10005, and not in the MCU; especially with a new Wolverine walking around. For the MCU, I think the next film will be Captain America: Brave New World in February 2025, which I promise to watch.

If you want 2 hours of entertainment, with a superhero movie that embraces the sheer ridiculousness of the genre, then you will love Deadpool & Wolverine. Adding in some graphic violence, insults, middle management villains, and one of the coolest dogs in cinema, this movie won’t win any Academy Awards, but it will win fans over. Maximum effort.

That’s it for another week and another terrible post. Thanks again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. My 200th blog post is coming up soon, so that’s exciting, at least to me. I mean, I thought I would have quit by now.

Remember to walk your dog, read a banned book, watch some of the Olympics, and I’ll see you next week for my annual recap of San Diego Comic-Con. Hell, yeah!

Deadpool & Wolverine: Movie Preview

On July 22, 2024 By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Movies

Some of my amazing dedicated followers may remember, that I had previously promised to watch more superhero movies at the cinema. I could bleat on about the reasons, but it’s a genre I love, and I’ve been lazy about going, so I need to do better!

The last superhero movie I saw at the cinema was Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which I previously previewed and reviewed. Since then, I’ve watched Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 on DVD. Blue Beetle is saved on my watchlist, but I still haven’t seen Thor: Love and Thunder or The Marvels. I’m not sure where to watch them, as I don’t have Disney+.¹

This long-winded introduction finally brings us to Deadpool & Wolverine. In New Zealand, the film opens on Thursday 25th July. I sold some extra comics, so I purchased a ticket for an advanced screening on Wednesday 24th July. Go me!

Deadpool is a great character, and Ryan Reynolds has done an extraordinary job at portraying the Merc with the Mouth. Seriously, amongst the graphic violence of Deadpool and Deadpool 2, Wade Wilson was spitting out burns left, right and centre.

Now combine one violence-loving mutant with an accelerated healing factor, with another in the form of Hugh Jackson’s Wolverine, and I believe there will be a lot of carnage.²

I mean, James has his claws, while Wade has a pair of katana blades, so their healing factors will be put into overdrive.

The marketing for the film, at least to me, has been taken to another level. Reynolds and Jackman have been priceless.

Even though Deadpool was an R-rated film, it brought in $782.8 million, along with Deadpool 2 earning $785.8 million. So how much money will Deadpool & Wolverine earn at the box office, and will the movie be any good? I’ve seen the trailers, so let’s discuss the preview!

Am I looking forward to watching Deadpool & Wolverine?

Yes, yes I am. We haven’t seen Wolverine in a live-action movie since 2017’s Logan, and this will be Deadpool’s first adventure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is because Disney purchased 21st Century Fox in 2019 for $71 billion, a number that still boggles my mind.

Also, this is me following through on my promise to watch and support more superhero movies at the cinema. However, there is one tiny issue. My local cinema has increased their prices again. In January 2024, when I saw Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, an adult ticket was $17.00. It’s now gone up to $18.00.³

What is the movie about?

According to Wikipedia, the premise is this:

Six years after the events of Deadpool 2, Wade Wilson lives a quiet life, having left his time as the mercenary Deadpool behind him, until the Time Variance Authority (TVA)—a bureaucratic organization that exists outside of time and space and monitors the timeline—pulls him into a new mission. With his home universe facing an existential threat, Wilson reluctantly joins an even more reluctant Wolverine on a mission that will change the history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

What can we expect?

The movie’s running time is 127 minutes, so just over two hours, which is the average standard now. Not too short, and not too long; it’s smack in the middle.

As for other expectations, there’s going to be blood, death, stabbing, dismemberment, swearing, guns, claws, knives, swords, timelines, portals, and things I haven’t even thought of.

I know Matthew Macfadyen is playing a TVA agent, along with Emma Corrin, portraying the main antagonist, Cassandra Nova. Whether Nova will be revealed to be Charles Xavier’s twin is anybody’s guess, though it may be.

I know that some actors will be reprising their roles from the previous films, like Leslie Uggams (Blind Al), Karan Soni (Dopinder), Brianna Hildebrand (Negasonic Teenage Warhead), Shioli Kutsuna (Yukio), Stefan Kapičić (Colossus), and Morena Baccarin (Vanessa).

And just like any MCU film, there are going to be cameos. From my understanding, Jennifer Garner (Elektra Natchios), Aaron Stanford (Pyro), Tyler Mane (Sabretooth), and Dafne Keen (Laura / X-23), will be coming back; along with Jon Favreau’s Happy Hogan.

The Deadpool Corps will also be appearing, which will only be chaotic and murderous.

Do I have concerns?

I always have concerns when comic book characters are adapted into television shows or films. As for this one, I do have a few questions.

I don’t have Disney+, so I haven’t seen Loki, only some videos from YouTube. This means my experience with the TVA is limited. Will the TVA be accessible to non-Disney+ viewers?
I know Wolverine is alive in the film because it’s set before he died in Logan. But does this mean Logan is a fixed point in continuity?
Is Cassandra Nova’s Charles Xavier twin sister in the movie?
Will this movie somehow activate the X-gene in people in the MCU?
Will Liev Schreiber return?
Will 21st Century Fox’s X-Men’s continuity merge with Disney’s MCU, creating one continuity, or will it be something else?
Will Wolverine lose his memories of the movie’s events by the end credits?
However the movie ends, will the X-Men be standing in the MCU?
How different will the MCU look after Deadpool & Wolverine?
Will any Avengers turn up?
Will Wolverine break the 4th wall?
Will the plot make sense with multiple timelines/worlds being involved?

I’ve probably got more questions, but I’ll stop there.

I hope the film is successful with the critics, fans and at the box office because the genre could do with a heavyweight win. I’m feeling optimistic about the film, but let’s keep both feet on the ground, shall we? I’m watching it on Wednesday night, so next Monday’s post will be the review.

And that’s it for another week. Thanks once again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Remember to walk your dog, read a banned book, remember that Palestine and Ukraine still exist, and I’ll see you next week for the Deadpool & Wolverine review. Take care of yourselves.

¹My wife said when she gets a part-time or full-time job, she’ll get Disney+ for us. I’m going to hold her to that.

²Just to be clear, I’m not talking about the Spider-Man villain.

³New Zealand’s currency is basically Monopoly money.

We Didn’t Start the Fire: 1952

On July 15, 2024 By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn History, Music, People, Politics

We are deep into winter at the moment, so what better way to bring some light into the world than to revisit events from 72 years ago, inspired by a 35-year-old song? Yes, it’s that time again for Some Geek Told Me to take a look at We Didn’t Start the Fire.

Previous entries on this terrible series have been:

Surprisingly, Beetroot Awareness Aotearoa issued no statement about last month’s post, concerning 1951. Maybe they were too busy being knee-deep in beetroot to notice; though honestly, that sounds like a nightmare to me.

Before we start, 1952 is another special year for me, because that’s when my mother was born. So, without further fanfare, let’s give the non-ticket-paying audience what they want, and dive into We Didn’t Start the Fire’s historic references for 1952.

1952

Eisenhower:

Dwight D. Eisenhower was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, during the Second World War, but that’s not why he’s on the list. In 1952, Eisenhower ran as the Republican nominee in the US Presidential election, against Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson II.

In a landslide victory, Eisenhower won the presidency with 442 electoral votes to 89, becoming the 34th President of the United States of America. Some other recent landslide victories include Ronald Reagan, who won in 1980 with 489 electoral votes, and in 1984 with 525 electoral votes, as well as George H. W. Bush in 1988 with 426 electoral votes.

An official portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower. Credit: Eisenhower Presidential Library

Vaccine:

This particular case highlights the incredible potential of humanity. Polio is a highly contagious infectious disease that can cause paralysis and even death, especially in children worldwide. In the 20th century, polio killed millions of people each year and became one of the most feared diseases.

A polio vaccine had been in development for several years, but it wasn’t until virologist and biomedical scientist, Jonas Salk and a team of researchers, developed the first effective one in 1952. By the end of the decade, the Salk vaccine had reached about 90 countries.

The legacy of Salk’s vaccine is that it has helped to eliminate polio from the majority of the world, saving millions of lives each year. Unlike smallpox, polio is not eradicated yet, but both IPV and OPV vaccines are helping to achieve that goal.

England’s got a new Queen:

Some of the references in We Didn’t Start the Fire need some explanation and context. Others, like our next one, don’t.

England’s got a new Queen, is exactly what you think it’s about. On 6th February 1952, 56-year-old King George VI of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth died, leaving his 25-year-old daughter, Elizabeth as the monarch. Although Elizabeth was coronated in 1953, she became Queen Elizabeth II when her father died.

The obvious equivalent for this was when on 8th September 2022, Queen Elizabeth II died at 96 years old, having reigned for 70 years. Her son, Charles, Prince of Wales, became King Charles III, with his coronation in 2023.

Marciano:

Rocco Francis Marchegiano, otherwise known as Rocky Marciano, was a professional boxer in the heavyweight division. On 23rd September 1952, Marciano fought a title match against World Heavyweight Champion, Jersey Joe Walcott. Marciano knocked Walcott out, to become the new heavyweight champion of the world.

Marciano went on to hold the title from 1952 until 1956 when he retired from boxing at 32 years old. Marciano had 49 fights, with 49 wins, and 43 by knockouts; which included six title defence fights. He remains the only heavyweight champion to finish his career undefeated. Marciano died in a plane crash in 1969.

For modern times, there is a collection of boxers that we could compare to Marciano, but ultimately I won’t. I mean, why would you?

Liberace:

One of the great American TV entertainers was born Władziu Valentino Liberace, though he became known as just Liberace. He was a pianist, singer, actor and showman. In 1952, he was given a 15-minute network television programme, called The Liberace Show. The show displayed his many different abilities, and it quickly grew in popularity, along with Liberace.

The show ran from 1952-1969 and was made famous for the costumes, productions, performances, and Liberace’s flamboyance. The legacy of The Liberace Show was the promotion of musical variety shows, but also the creation an international cultural icon.

Santayana goodbye:

On 26th September 1952, Jorge Agustín Nicolás Ruiz de Santayana y Borrás, died aged 88. George Santayana, as he became known in English, was a famous essayist, novelist, philosopher, and poet. In academic circles, Santayana was a pillar of 20th-century thinking and coined the immortal phrase:

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Santayana was beloved around the world for his work and helped usher in a new understanding of the human condition. For a modern equivalent, I’m going out on a limb, but I would name Carl Sagan, but to each their own.

So for 1952, we covered a US President, the polio vaccine, a British queen, a boxer, a music variety show, and a philosopher. That’s not bad at all, so I’ll be covering 1953 next time if you didn’t guess.

So, that’s it for another week. Thanks again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Please remember to walk your dog, read a banned book, pat a goose, and I’ll see you next week. Look after yourself until I return.

Larry the Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office

On July 8, 2024July 8, 2024 By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Animals, Politics, Social Media

My Mid-Winter break is over, so the staff at Some Geek Told Me have purchased new handcuffs and chained me to my desk, with the intent of releasing me around Christmas time. Aren’t they kind and thoughtful?

Since I’m back in my writer’s chair, what insightful content will I discuss? World Peace? Cure for cancer? New climate change initiatives? New element discovered on the Periodic Table? Even though they would be great, it’s no to all of them.

In today’s rant, I want to talk about a cat named Larry. He’s arguably one of the most photographed cats on the planet. I find it interesting that his name is Larry, because that’s a pretty boss move! But there’s a small detail I need to share about Larry. To explain this, I’ll need to talk about the recent general election in the United Kingdom. These topics might seem unrelated, but trust me, they’re connected!

British politics is similar to New Zealand politics, with the fact there are many different parties in parliament, which can give rise to coalition governments, just like our current one.

Last Thursday, after being in power for 14 years, Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party suffered its worst defeat ever. Out of a possible 650 parliamentary seats, they only won 121 seats; losing 252 Members of Parliament. It was an armageddon level event for the Tories.¹

Their rivals, the Labour Party, achieved a majority of 326 seats in the House of Commons, winning 412 seats, and gaining 214 new seats. Their leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has now become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and one of the perks of being the British Prime Minister is living at the famous address, 10 Downing Street.

Larry the Cat in a Union flag bow-tie in the Cabinet Room at 10 Downing Street on April 28, 2011.
Credit: *James Glossop/WPA Pool/Getty Images*

We can now bring it back to Larry because his residence is also at 10 Downing Street. Larry’s official title is Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office, an inaugural title that was given to him; however other cats have been employed by the British government, going back to the 16th century with Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, as well as the first official mouser in 1929.

Larry is a tabby cat, born a stray around 2007; making him 17 years old. He was adopted in 2011 from an animal rescue centre, by Dowling St staff, for his hunting and mousing skills. Because of this, Larry does not belong to the UK Prime Minister, since he’s a civil servant. To put this in context, when a Prime Minister needs to leave 10 Downing Street, they can’t take Larry with them.

This has led to Larry living with, and outlasting five prime ministers; David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and now Rishi Sunak. His new housemate is, of course, Sir Keir Starmer.

Larry, outside his home at 10 Downing St.
Credit: *Chris J Ratcliffe, Getty Images*

If Larry is a civil servant, what are his responsibilities?

According to The Downing Street website, his responsibilities include:

Greeting guests to the house.
Inspecting security defences.
Testing antique furniture for napping quality.
Contemplating solutions to the mouse occupancy of the house.

The employment of Larry is not paid for through taxpayers’ money, but rather funded voluntarily by members of Downing St staff.

Larry sleeping in the window of 10 Downing Street. Credit: *Simon Walker*

Over the years, Larry has built a reputation as a great mouser, with several confirmed kills; but it hasn’t gone all to plan.

In 2011, the increasing mice population at Downing St, drove Prime Minister David Cameron to throw a fork at one.
Larry had earned the moniker, Lazy Larry, from the media.
In 2012, Larry was spending more time sleeping, than hunting for mice, as well as hanging out with a female cat named Maisie.
Displeased his Larry’s work, an extra Chief Mouser, named Freya was employed in 2012, at 11 Downing St.

Larry is a busy and famous cat, which has created some tension with other animals. Firstly, there was Freya, who moved in next door, and they tolerated each other. In 2014, Freya moved away, forcing Larry to go back to being the sole Chief Mouser.

In 2020, Larry stalked and attacked a pigeon, but for unknown reasons, the bird escaped unharmed.

In 2022, Larry confronted a fox outside 10 Downing and chased it away.

The brutal fight between Larry and Palmerston. Credit: *Steve Beck*

Sir Keir Starmer has brought his family cat, JoJo to 10 Downing St, so the world will have to wait and see what happens with Larry, and his new housemate.

I must mention Larry’s rivalry with Palmerston. As the Chief Mouser for the Foreign Office, Palmerston and Larry were frenemies who had fought each other numerous times. In 2016, Palmerston even entered 10 Downing Street and had to be evicted by staff.

However, one of their best/worst fights was outside 10 Downing St’s door, which was recorded by Steve Beck, a political photographer. The brutal fight resulted in Larry losing his collar, and Palmerston receiving a badly cut ear and several deep scratches.

Larry has become a beloved icon to the British public, having photobombed politicians, paraded in front of the world’s media, and forced police officers to help him inside his home. Larry also has an unofficial social media accounts on Twitter and Mastodon.

Larry is a hard-working cat that faces daily pressure from being Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office. I mean, not every cat could handle the responsibilities. Keep it up Larry, you’re amazing!

That’s it for me. Congratulations to the UK Labour Party, but also Ensemble and New Popular Front, from the French election. I was expecting the former, but the latter was a pleasant shock.

Thank you for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Please don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, watch the Copa América and Euro Football Championships semi-finals, and I’ll see you next week.

¹I know you can’t tell, but I haven’t stopped smiling over this.

It’s time for a Mid-Winter break

On June 24, 2024July 1, 2024 By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Blogs, Social Media

Currently, in the Southern Hemisphere, we have entered into that delightful season that is well known for being full of hope, warmth, and light: winter.

By putting on your detective hats, you would have already figured out what my special announcement, which I hinted at last week, was going to be. Yes, I’m taking a break—a Mid-Winter break, to be precise.

My most recent break was over Christmas when I had a two-week holiday from managing New Zealand’s 5th least popular website. After discussing this with the HR department, we agreed that I would take breaks every six months, at the end of June and the end of December, essentially during the start of winter and the Christmas holiday season.

I plan to catch up on sleep, eat some pizza, get more exercise, and try to make a dent in my to-read piles. It’s cold, dark, and damp here, and I have a few health issues I need to work on, so this is the best time to take a break. I bet The New Zealand Sour Cream and Chives Preservation Society, along with Beetroot Awareness Aotearoa will appreciate it!

Anyway, just to clarify some things:

1.) I’ll be publishing another blog post next Monday, but just like this one, it will be greatly reduced in size and nonsense.

2.) I’ll still be posting daily stuff about stuff on Twitter and Mastodon, so that won’t change.

So that’s it. This project, born out of vanity and hubris, began in December 2020. Despite feeling tired, I find myself working on Some Geek Told Me content almost every day. Because of this, I want to express my gratitude to everyone who reads, follows, and subscribes to my ludicrous content.

Please don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, keep watching the Copa América and Euro Football Championships, and I’ll see you next week.

Tour of the Solar System: The Moons of Saturn

On June 17, 2024October 23, 2025 By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn Science

It’s the moment you have all been waiting for! No, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup has already started. No, the 2024 UEFA Championship just started over the weekend. No, sorry, the 2024 Copa América begins later this week. Alright, I’ll tell you, Some Geek Told Me’s Tour of the Solar System is back, baby!

Settle down, I know it’s exciting, but let’s look back on the past entries on the world’s worst tour.

1.) Meet the Family

2.) The Sun

3.) Planets vs. Dwarf planets

4.) Mercury

5.) Venus

6.) Earth

7.) The Moon

8.) Mars

9.) The Asteroid Belt

10.) Ceres

11.) Jupiter

12.) The Galilean moons

13.) Saturn

14.) Titan

As usual, not everybody is excited about the tour. After reading my post about Titan, The New Zealand Sour Cream and Chives Preservation Society felt the need to comment on it:

“For a blog about Titan, written by a person whose intelligence is in the negatives, he talked more about space probes than Titan. Nobody cares about his pro-Salt and Vinegar agenda, or the differences between rotational and orbital periods. He is an embarrassment, not only to his family and community but also to New Zealand. Utterly shameful and disrespectful.”

Wow, I wonder if the New Zealand Sour Cream and Chives Preservation Society will ever tell us how they really feel. Moving on from those haters, let’s discuss the Moons of Saturn. Yes, we’ve already talked about Titan, but that’s just the beginning of the fun.

This composite image, taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope on 6 June 2018, shows the ringed planet Saturn with six of its 62 known moons. With a diameter of 1,123 kilometres, Dione is the fourth-largest of Saturn’s moons and the largest of the siblings in this family portrait. The smallest satellite in this picture is the irregularly shaped Epimetheus, with a size of 143 x 108 x 98 kilometres. The image is a composite because the moons move during the Saturn exposures, and individual frames must be realigned to make a colour portrait. Credit: NASA, ESA, A. Simon (GSFC) and the OPAL Team, and J. DePasquale (STScI)

Saturn is a glorious overachiever. Not only does it have a beautiful ring system, it has more moons than any other planet in the Solar System. To the best of my understanding, Saturn has at least 146 confirmed moons, and just like Pokémon, each one is different and unique.

I’m not going to talk about all of them, mainly because I need to eat and sleep. However, these are some of the coolest and most noteworthy of them.

Rhea:

Rhea has a diameter of 1,528 km, making it the second-largest moon of Saturn, after Titan. It was discovered by Giovanni Domenico Cassini in 1672, and you might remember Cassini and the Cassini space probe from the Titan blog. Due to its craters, it’s easy to mistake Rhea for our Moon, although it has a low density since it is 75% ice and only 25% rock.

Iapetus:

Iapetus was another moon discovered by Cassini, this time in 1671. Iapetus has a diameter of 1,469 km, making it the third-largest moon of Saturn. This moon is famous for two main reasons: the first is the equatorial ridge, a mountain feature that is 20 km high and runs along the equator for 75% of the way around the moon.

The second feature is its distinctive colours, which make it look like someone spilt green paint across it or it’s being attacked by some killer space fungi. Cool stuff!

These two global images of Iapetus show the extreme brightness dichotomy on the surface of this peculiar Saturnian moon. The left-hand panel shows the moon’s leading hemisphere and the right-hand panel shows the moon’s trailing side.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute

Enceladus:

Enceladus may not look like much at first glance, but you would like to swipe right. It’s the sixth-largest moon of Saturn, with a diameter of 500 km. It was discovered by Friedrich Wilhelm Herschel in 1789; so remember Herschel’s name, because we’re going to talk about him on the next tour stop.

Enceladus is one of the most reflective objects in the Solar System, mainly because the surface is covered in ice. In addition to this, Enceladus also has cryovolcanoes, where instead of erupting lava, they eject things like ice particles, water vapour, and molecular hydrogen at high speeds and altitudes.

Using computer modelling and data from Cassini, scientists believe Enceladus has a gigantic subsurface ocean. This has led them to believe that the moon may harbour microorganisms in the ocean, just like Jupiter’s moons of Ganymede and Europa.

Saturn’s tiny, frozen moon Enceladus is slashed by four straight, parallel fissures or “tiger stripes” from which water erupts. These features are unlike anything else in the solar system. Researchers now have an explanation for them. (NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute image)

Mimas:

Mimas has a diameter of 396.4 km, but there’s something very familiar about it. The moon is the seventh-largest of Saturn, and it was discovered by Herschel in 1789, just a few weeks after discovering Enceladus.

The most amazing thing about Mimas is that it looks like the Death Star from Star Wars. For all we know, Mimas is a planet-killing space station, and Saturn’s rings were made from the corpses of Mimas’ victims. Maybe. Also, scientists believe Mimas has a subsurface ocean as well.

*Shadows cast across Mimas’ defining feature, Herschel Crater, provide an indication of the size of the crater’s towering walls and central peak.* *Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute*

Hyperion:

The eighth-largest moon of Saturn is Hyperion, with a diameter of 121.57 km. Hyperion’s discovery is unique, because William Lassell observed Hyperion in 1848, two days after the team of William Cranch Bond and his son, George Phillips Bond. The interesting thing is that Lassell had already come up with the moon’s name, along with beating the Bonds to publication.

I find Hyperion fascinating for a few reasons. First, its name is pretty awesome. Second, its shape is irregular and does not have hydrostatic equilibrium. The massive 10.2 km deep crater on Hyperion is particularly noteworthy. While many people have described its appearance, I’ll let you use your imagination for that.

*Saturn’s moon, Hyperion, resembles a large sponge traveling through space. Its porous appearance raises questions about its composition. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, JPL, SSI and Cassini Imaging Team)*

Prometheus:

Prometheus is on the list since it’s similar to Hyperion. It has a diameter of 86.2 km, and it was discovered in 1980, from photos taken by the Voyager 1 probe. Prometheus is such a wicked name for a moon, but it has something else going for it.

Although it is the 12th-largest moon of Saturn, Prometheus is an irregularly shaped elongated rock, that has ridges and valleys. To put it bluntly, it looks like a giant space potato. I love it.

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft spied details on the pockmarked surface of Saturn’s moon Prometheus (86 kilometers, or 53 miles across) during a moderately close flyby on Dec. 6, 2015.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute.

There are hundreds of Saturn’s moons to discuss, but I need a lot more beauty sleep. What’s your favourite moon of Saturn? As always, please let me know.

Thanks again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. I can also be found hanging out on Twitter and Mastodon, trying to sound cool. Please don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, watch the UEFA Championship, and I’ll see you next week for a special announcement. It’s not that special though.

An Ode to 34

On June 10, 2024June 17, 2024 By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn People, Politics

Trump.

Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump!

Even here in the South Pacific, there seems to be no escaping from Donald Trump. He’s here, he’s there, he’s in every courtroom, Donald Trump, Donald Trump!

Over the years, I’ve developed two vices that I’m ashamed to admit. I enjoy watching Panda Fail videos; basically, pandas failing at being pandas, but also watching billionaires complain. I can’t get enough of both of them. This awful transition brings us to Donald Trump’s recent trial.

It’s difficult to believe that the star of Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, the founder of Trump University, and the winner of the 2024 Trump International Golf Club Most Improved Player award, was found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to make hush money payments to a porn star, in an effort to make it appear as legitimate business expenses.

I was as shocked as you were. I mean, someone at the centre of over 4,000 legal cases, involving sexual harassment, sexual assault, personal defamation lawsuits, tax disputes, real estate lawsuits, and many more, couldn’t possibly be involved with lawlessness. The whole concept is very sad.

However, a jury of 12 of Trump’s peers, found him guilty of 34 felony counts, with sentencing to happen on 11th July 2024.

Former U.S President Donald Trump listens as defence lawyer Todd Blanche presents closing arguments during Trump’s criminal trial on charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, in Manhattan state court in New York City. 28th May 2024 in this courtroom sketch. Credit: Jane Rosenburg/Reuters.

I’m not here to discuss in detail the trial because I’m not a legal expert. I have enough trouble remembering what I said to my children last night, let alone explaining a court case. No, what I’m here to comment on is the reaction to Trump’s conviction, mainly through entertainment.

As I’m getting older, I’m finding that I prefer to experience satirical news a lot more than I did before, thanks to Trump. So because of this, may I present the best reactions to Trump’s conviction, whether it’s monologues or songs. Oh, I forgot, the last video isn’t a response to his conviction, but it ties it in quite nicely.

I love listening to billionaires complaining that life is unfair, and watching Trump’s reaction to his conviction has been hilarious. Like I said before, I do feel ashamed about this.

What’s been the best reaction or response to Trump’s conviction? As always, please let me know. I’m feeling better again, so I’m ready to be infected with a child’s new illness. Good times.

Thanks again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, watch the T20 World Cricket Cup, and I’ll see you next week because the Tour of the Solar System is painfully marching forward again. Awesome.

We Didn’t Start the Fire: 1951

On June 3, 2024June 10, 2024 By somegeektoldme@gmail.comIn History, Music, People, Politics

When it comes to making terrible ideas, this blog has had some crackers over the last few years. However, the concept of talking about the historical references from a song that came out in 1989; after multiple people have already done it, ranks quite high on that list.

My previous entries in this terrible endeavour include:

We Didn’t Start the Fire: The Beginning

We Didn’t Start the Fire: 1948-1949.

We Didn’t Start the Fire: 1950

Beetroot Awareness Aotearoa seem to have a bee in the bonnet about this, because their press release about my We Didn’t Start the Fire: 1950 blog is downright mean.

“This human skid mark has done another We Didn’t Start the Fire, now there’s four of them! One was too many. We wonder what idiotic new idea, he’ll think of next. Listing how many people have puked on his $5 shoes, maybe? How about listing the number of times the All Blacks have won the World Cup? No, we have it; he will name the colours of the rainbow because nobody has done that before! This moron should be kept away from spoons because he’ll cut himself. What a joke.”

Is it my imagination, or do you think a Springboks supporter may have helped in drafting this release?

Haters are going to hate, I suppose. And with that, let’s check out the We Didn’t Start the Fire’s historic references for 1951.

1951

Rosenbergs:

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were a married couple, who were both born in Manhattan, New York. Being married or born in Manhattan does not automatically qualify you for this list, though. At this time, the Cold War had been established, and the Rosenbergs were part of that drama.

In 1950, Julius and Ethel were arrested and convicted in 1951 for espionage. They were spying for the Soviet Union by providing top-secret information about American technology, especially nuclear secrets. In 1953, both Julius and Ethel were executed by electrocution, at Sing Sing Prison.

The Rosenbergs are also infamous for being the first American civilians executed for espionage. Even though they’re not a 2024 equivalent for the Rosenbergs, I feel Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen would be the closest.

H-bomb:

This is an odd one to discuss because it isn’t about a person, place, or event, but rather an object; a very destructive object. No, I’m not talking about Hellboy’s right hand, but rather the H-bomb.

This weapon has been given various monikers over the last 70 years, such as H-bomb, thermonuclear weapon, fusion weapon, or the most well-known, the hydrogen bomb.

In 1951, during the Cold War, the United States focused on developing the next generation of nuclear weapons. The goal was to combine atomic fission and nuclear fusion to create a more powerful nuclear explosion that could release more energy than a primary nuclear weapon. The first hydrogen bomb test took place in the Marshall Islands in 1952.

As a result, the design of the hydrogen bomb has had a lasting impact, with most of the world’s nuclear warheads being based on its design.

National Nuclear Security Administration/Nevada Site Office Photo Librar. The first hydrogen bomb tested by the United States vaporized the islet of Elugelab in the Marshall Islands in the North Pacific on Nov. 1, 1952.

Sugar Ray:

Born Walker Smith Jr., Sugar Ray Robinson was a professional boxer, who fought across the Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, and Light heavyweight divisions, becoming world champion six times (1 x welterweight and 5 x middleweight).

Robinson is in the song for his fight against Jake LaMotta, for the World Middleweight title in 1951. This was the sixth time the two men had fought, and the fight has been named the “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” over Robinson’s combinations that beat the world champion, LaMotta to a bloody pulp.

In modern times, this is quite awkward. It could go either two ways; the first could be rematches between the same two boxers like Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier, Erik Morales vs. Marco Antonio Barrera, Pongsaklek Wonjongkam vs. Daisuke Naito, or Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez.

As for the second way, it could be because a particular boxer went on to become an icon and legend in their weight division. For that answer, the choice is yours.

Panmunjom:

Do you remember how I mentioned that I’ll be discussing the Korean War again, from last’s month 1950 blog? Well, here we are. Panmunjom is a former village that’s near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), along the North Korean and South Korean border. The Joint Security Area (JSA) is also referred to as Panmunjom, and vice versa.

Panmunjom makes this list because, during the Korean War in 1951, North Korean and Chinese officials first met United Nations forces at Panmunjom for truce talks.

In 2005, I was lucky enough to visit Panmunjom, and I made a badly written blog about it. The legacy of Panmunjom is that it still provides a point of contact and meetings for the leaders of North Korea, South Korea, and others.

North Korean and U.S. militaries attempt to iron out an armistice at Panmunjom in the Korean Demilitarized Zone, October 1951. (National Archives photograph)

Brando:

Brando refers to the Godfather himself, Marlon Brando, the great actor and activist. Brando starred in the 1951 film, A Streetcar Named Desire, as the lead male role, Stanley Kowalski. In certain circles, people say that Brando’s performance of Stanley was the best of his long career, which resulted in him being nominated for Best Actor at the 1952 Oscars.

The problem was that Brando didn’t win the award, instead, it went to Humphrey Bogart’s role as Charlie Allnut in The African Queen. This snub, as it’s been referred to, has been recorded as one of the biggest in the history of the Academy Awards.

A modern equivalent for a person being snubbed for acting at the Oscars can be somewhat subjective. However, in the spirit of the blog, maybe Margot Robbie (Barbie), Glenn Close (The Wife), Jim Carrey (The Truman Show), Amy Adams (Arrival), or Pam Grier (Jackie Brown).

Marlon Brando in *A Streetcar Named Desire* (1951). Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

The King and I:

We’re back with another Rodgers and Hammerstein production, in the form of The King and I. The musical was based on Margaret Landon’s 1944 novel, Anna and the King of Siam, and also inspired the 1956 film.

The King and I first opened on Broadway in 1951, and it was a commercial and critical success, playing 1,246 performances. It also won five Tony Awards in 1952, including Best Musical. From there, the musical has been revived over the years, with the latest in 2015 (Broadway) and 2018 (West End). It remains a beloved story around the world.

Original poster for The King and I. Credit: St. James Theatre

The Catcher in the Rye:

For the first time in We Didn’t Start the Fire, a book has been mentioned. As you would expect, The Catcher in the Rye, was released in 1951, and it was written by J. D. Salinger. If you haven’t heard of the novel, then you may have heard of its protagonist, the teenager Holden Caulfield.

The novel makes the list because of the various themes it contains, like belonging, connection, sex, identity, loss, depression, innocence, and a whole lot of angst; which were unexplored topics for teenagers in early 1950s literature. The character of Holden Caulfield has become a symbol of rebellion and, you guessed it, teenage angst. Like I said before, this book has a whole lot of angst.

The Catcher in the Rye has sold more than 65 million copies, and remains a solid-selling book, even in 2024. This controversial novel has also been banned several times in various places around the world in the 20th century, which is sadly becoming a growing trend in the 21st century.

An unwanted caveat for the novel is that in 1980, a 25-year-old Mark David Chapman, shot and killed John Lennon, outside his apartment in New York. Chapman had developed an obsession with The Catcher in the Rye; among other things, and especially with Holden Caulfield, and tried to emulate his misadventures.

First-edition cover of *The Catcher in the Rye* (1951) by author J. D. Salinger. Credit: Wikipedia.

So for 1951, we covered two spies, the hydrogen bomb, a boxer, a Korean village, an actor, a musical, and a novel. A useless piece of information is that 1951 holds a special connection to me, because it’s the year my father was born.

Next month, I’ll look at 1952, and if I feel motivated enough, 1953 as well, but I don’t like the odds of that. I think it’s 34-1. Did I mention that I suddenly like the number 34?

Anyway, that’s it for another week. If you’re enjoying my We Didn’t Start the Fire project, or maybe you think I’m wasting my time, please let me know.

Thanks again for reading, following, and subscribing to Some Geek Told Me. Don’t forget to walk your dog, read a banned book, watch the T20 World Cricket Cup, and I’ll see you next week, where I’m going to be petty and mean. You’ll love it.

SOME GEEK TOLD ME

Author: somegeektoldme@gmail.com