Shades of Plotto, Revisited

Two weeks shy of a year ago, doc_mystery posted an entry about Pulp Plot Formulas, outlines and techniques used by prolific purveyors of popular potboilers to crank out volume after volume of their thrilling adventures.

The plagiarism case filed by the authors of Holy Blood, Holy Grail against the author of The DaVinci Code was recently settled in favor of the latter, in part because he cheerfully revealed, point by point, the formula he used to write the novel -- and his three previous novels.

The Dan Brown Code

That said, I still have to say that I think DVC is simply a shameless ripoff of HBHG...

Shades of Plotto, Revisited

Two weeks shy of a year ago, doc_mystery posted an entry about Pulp Plot Formulas, outlines and techniques used by prolific purveyors of popular potboilers to crank out volume after volume of their thrilling adventures.

The plagiarism case filed by the authors of Holy Blood, Holy Grail against the author of The DaVinci Code was recently settled in favor of the latter, in part because he cheerfully revealed, point by point, the formula he used to write the novel -- and his three previous novels.

The Dan Brown Code

That said, I still have to say that I think DVC is simply a shameless ripoff of HBHG...

WikiBirthday Meme

You know the drill. Look up your birthday on Wikipedia, list three or more interesting events, two or more births, and one death.

Events

1883 - The first vaudeville theater opens in Boston, Massachusetts.

1939 - The word "Dord" is discovered in the Webster's New International Dictionary, Second Edition, prompting an investigation.

1953 - James D. Watson and Francis Crick announce to friends that they have determined the chemical structure of DNA; formal announcement April 25 following publication in April Nature (pub. April 2).

1983 - The final episode of M*A*S*H is broadcast in the USA, becoming the most watched television episode in history, with 106-125 million viewers in the U.S. (estimate varies by source).

(I've ommitted the slaughters, disasters, political missteps, and atrocities that took place on my birthday, not because I consider them less important, but because I'm trying to be less negative.)


Births

1901 - Linus Pauling, American chemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and Peace (d. 1994)

1907 - Milton Caniff, American cartoonist (Terry and the Pirates, Steve Canyon)

1923 - Charles Durning, American actor

1930 - Gavin MacLeod, American actor (Carl Kolchak! How cool is that?)

1970 - Lemony Snicket, American writer



Deaths

1977 - Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson, American actor (b. 1905)

1978 - Eric Frank Russell, English author (b. 1905)

1985 - David Byron, British singer (Uriah Heep) (b. 1947)

WikiBirthday Meme

You know the drill. Look up your birthday on Wikipedia, list three or more interesting events, two or more births, and one death.

Events

1883 - The first vaudeville theater opens in Boston, Massachusetts.

1939 - The word "Dord" is discovered in the Webster's New International Dictionary, Second Edition, prompting an investigation.

1953 - James D. Watson and Francis Crick announce to friends that they have determined the chemical structure of DNA; formal announcement April 25 following publication in April Nature (pub. April 2).

1983 - The final episode of M*A*S*H is broadcast in the USA, becoming the most watched television episode in history, with 106-125 million viewers in the U.S. (estimate varies by source).

(I've ommitted the slaughters, disasters, political missteps, and atrocities that took place on my birthday, not because I consider them less important, but because I'm trying to be less negative.)


Births

1901 - Linus Pauling, American chemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and Peace (d. 1994)

1907 - Milton Caniff, American cartoonist (Terry and the Pirates, Steve Canyon)

1923 - Charles Durning, American actor

1930 - Gavin MacLeod, American actor (Carl Kolchak! How cool is that?)

1970 - Lemony Snicket, American writer



Deaths

1977 - Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson, American actor (b. 1905)

1978 - Eric Frank Russell, English author (b. 1905)

1985 - David Byron, British singer (Uriah Heep) (b. 1947)

Is it just me...

...or is it unusually rainy, unusually late in the year for Northern California?

Oh, wait, I have climate links.

Answer: YES.

The rain seems shifted to later in the year -- normally, Jan-Feb are teh wettest months, but this year, it's been March and April.

I looked at the 2005 and 2006 entries and thought, "Oh, well, I guess we got more rain last April" -- then realized that it was only April 9th.

Is it just me...

...or is it unusually rainy, unusually late in the year for Northern California?

Oh, wait, I have climate links.

Answer: YES.

The rain seems shifted to later in the year -- normally, Jan-Feb are teh wettest months, but this year, it's been March and April.

I looked at the 2005 and 2006 entries and thought, "Oh, well, I guess we got more rain last April" -- then realized that it was only April 9th.