Booknote: How Not To Get Shot

D.L. Hughley and Doug Moe, How Not To Get Shot: and Other Advice from White People. New York: William Morrow, 2018.  ISBN: 9780062698544.

Genre: nonfiction
Subgenre: humor, race issues, African American, people of color, satire
Format: hardback
Source: Berea branch of the Madison County Public Library

Reading this book was a break from my moratorium on reading anything political/activist/social justice/etc., but I saw it was by D.L. Hughley, so I took a chance on it. Right away I will say you do not want to laugh, because this is a very serious matter, but you laugh anyways because it is funny as he tells it even if it is painful.

The author follows a simple premise: he will distill important information for Black (and other) people (of color). He describes this book as:

". . .a how-to guide for black people, full of advice from white people, translated by me, a black guy" (1). 

The author also makes it clear that he is inclusive. He tells us that this book can help other people of color too:

"And if you're Asian or Latino, let me be the first black man to give you some advice: buy this book now because once we're gone you'll be next" (1). 

True words. I've always wondered about the lack of unity among peoples of color. It is certainly a reason why White people can easily exploit the rest of us. Now, you may be wondering why a book like this is necessary. Well, sadly things like racism continue to persist. As the author explains:

"But here we are in the twenty-first century. We find ourselves at a unique point in history where black people shouldn't have to listen to white people, and yet white people still have lots of advice to give" (9). 

So we are fortunate to have the author distill and translate what White people so desperately want Black and people of color to know in order to have peace and order.

The book is arranged in five parts. Each part has short chapters with advice on important topics such as:

• The Real Way To Not Get Shot by Police
• How to Dress Less Threatening
• What Kind of Music Should You Listen To?
• What Kind of Black People Do White People Like?
• How to Make White Food

In addition, the author adds small tidbits such as "wise words," "tips," and "did you know?" In these and more, Hughley presents stories, anecdotes, bits of humor, and real facts and information. What he does is "trying to have a little comedy with tragedy" (94).

As I mentioned, I often did not want to laugh, but I did anyhow. Hughley takes the very serious issues of racism in the United States, and in ridiculing them, adding some sarcasm and hyperbole, gets you to laugh even as you are outraged. The book may be humor and satire, but it is seriously grounded in real facts and solid information.

This is a book that everyone should read. For White people, this would be a real look in the mirror, but sadly I know most White people will ignore this book. There is the sad part: those who need to read this the most will likely not do so. For the rest of us, Hughley entertains and educates at the same time. Decent folks may get outraged, but they can also get some laughs to ease the pain.

Overall, this is a great book, and I highly recommend it. I wish I did not need to say it, but it is a necessary book. On a side note, I'd say this book could be suitable for our campus Dean's Reading Group, but they always stick to serious, academic tomes. A pity. Hughley's book could go alongside books like White Trash (link to my review) and others that deal with topics like racism and privilege.

5 out of 5 stars.

Plan With Me Book Tag. . .sort of

I saw this blogger tag over at Angel's Guilty Pleasures, so I decided to try it out. However, since I rarely buy books these days, I decided to modify the prompts to account for things like media and Tarot and oracle decks, my latest growing passion.

Prompts are as provided.

1.  Pay Day! – A book you would buy right now. Cost doesn’t matter!  These days I am not buying too many books. There are various reasons for that ranging from I am using my libraries more (my work library and more so my local public library), and I do get ARCs for review now and then from a few places. The one area I may be buying books still is in Tarot and esoterica but even that is limited. So this is tricky. So I'll do a Tarot deck, and my choice at this time would be Ciro Marchetti's Tarot Decoratif. Anyhow, I would buy it right now. . . if I actually had the funds. And I do not even like Marseilles Tarot decks; the Decoratif is a hybrid deck combining Marseilles and Waite Smith Tarot systems, and an artistic masterpiece (in my very humble opinion). Librarian pay day does not stretch that much lol. If you want to see more, here is the promo video when the deck was made (YouTube video). On a positive, U.S. Games Systems recently announced they (finally) got Marchetti's Grand Luxe Tarot deck (also you can see the trailer for that one on YouTube too) on pre-order, so in practical terms, this would be the "buy right now" deck; I can likely afford that. 
2. Pay a bill-- a book you would get rid of right now. This is not as hard. I am currently in the process of aggressively weeding my personal library mainly due to space issues (we live in an apartment), so there will be more than a few books that will go out of the house, likely sold to some second hand store to get a few bucks but mainly to get them out of the house. One that I can think of that is on its way out is Campus Confidential because to be honest last thing I needed to read was a safely tenured professor pretending he is somehow "taking a risk" or "breaking ranks" by "spilling the beans" about higher education. His so-called revelations are things I long knew already, and to be honest, I think more people are aware now than we give them credit for (especially after the college cheating scandal). They may be aware but whether they wish to see the evidence is a separate question. 
3. Doctor Appointment -- a book that makes you feel better when you are down. There are a few of those. My old Mafalda comic collections for example. 
4. Meeting -- a book or series you felt obligated to read; because of the hype. I do not really read based on hype, so for me this is a bad question to ask. In fact, these days I rarely read a series unless I know it is complete. In fiction, I tend to prefer standalone works. Even in graphic novels and comics, I tend to favor trades of series that are completed than ongoing things. Too much cost in time. 
5. Lunch date-- a book or series that you fell in love with; because a friend recommended it to you. As of this post, that would be A Pound of Paper. 
6. Work/School Week-- A book that was hard to get through. Holy shit, to this day, probably Ensayo Sobre La Ceguera (On Blindness) by Jose Saramago. Holy shit again. To this day, I hate that book, and I have no idea how I got through it. In fact, after dragging myself through that I swore I would never, ever read anything that guy wrote ever again. 
7. Gym Day-- a book that gets your heart pumping because it was such an exciting page turner. Kieron Guillen's run of Star Wars: Darth Vader for Marvel Comics. (Link to my review of the first trade volume)
8. Date night-- a book with your favorite romantic couple. (This would be non-applicable at this point in time)
9. Vacation-- a book or series you would want to binge on if you had all the time in the world. This would be more for some old TV shows. Recently, I got to see the first season of Emergency!, so I would love to binge watch the remaining seasons. I would not mind binging on Homicide: Life in the Street, some others. 
10. To do list-- a book you keep meaning to get to, but don't have time for. Ha ha! So many books and so little time. I usually read based on mood, what may catch my eye at the time, or stuff that may look interesting. As a result, though I have a big TBR list, it varies on how much attention I pay to it. 

Reading about the reading life: May 26, 2019 edition

Welcome to another edition of "Reading about the reading life" here at The Itinerant Librarian. This is where I collect stories about reading and the reading life. Basically, these are items related to reading, maybe writing and literacy, that I find interesting and think my four readers might find interesting as well with a little commentary. As with other features I do on this blog, I do it when I have time or feel like it. Comments are always welcome (within reason

Once more, been a while since I have done one of these. I will admit that working on the "Signs the economy is bad" series often takes more time. In addition, for that series, stories are plentiful, so it is easy to take more time in picking out which stories to highlight. For the "Reading about the reading life" series, the stories are not as time sensitive; I tend to pick longer pieces of possible interest or trivia and other not so common things. Those are a bit harder to find. Anyways, thanks to my four readers for staying tuned.

On a final note before we get to the stories, I am moving this feature to appear on Sundays. My main posting day for this blog is on Fridays, so I want to avoid this series crowded up with "Signs the economy is bad," which I also do on Fridays and/or with other reviews. Besides, to be honest, Sunday is a better day for "Reading about the reading life" with a nice cup of your favorite hot beverage or glass with your favorite cold one, or perhaps a spirit or two.

So, without further ado:

• Over in India, the booksellers of a specific town have been there for years selling used textbooks and second hand books to college students and others in small book stalls that line up the street. Now their living may be at risk with the advent of things like e-books and PDF's. Story via The Hindu (India). 
• Via ReMezcla, a profile for 5 Latino-run bookstores in New York. Keep in mind these are independently owned stores. As the author writes, "These businesses not only have books that reflect our communities, they’re also finding ways to speak to our needs."
• This story was a little bit different than the usual fare here. Sure, we see a lot of stories ranking books on this or that. Celebrity cookbooks are no exception. However, this ranking ranks celebrity cookbooks by how many animals they kill in order to prepare the recipes in the books. Via Vox. Yep, find out how many cute and not so cute animals need to be killed so you can prepare some fancy recipe by the likes of Paula Deen, Rachel Ray, Gordon Ramsay, and more. The ranking was done in academic paper, so this is serious stuff. (Here is the link to the actual academic article, which is pay walled. If your library does not have access, you can likely get it via ILL. The link can get you the citation to put in a request).
• On a serious issue, here in the United States at least, "The U.S. is too isolated, too insular. They don’t translate enough and don’t really participate in the big dialogue of literature. That ignorance is restraining" (quoted in this piece out of Vulture). I've often said that I would like to learn at least three to five more languages (I am already fully bilingual, and have a smattering of French I could step up with effort) so I could read some of the world's books in their original languages. I do read in translation when I can, but as the article points out, the U.S. lags hopeless behind when it comes to getting translated works from anywhere. Plus, do not even get me started on fact a significant part of U.S. population speaks and reads in Spanish, and you can't even find a single decent place to buy books in Spanish in the U.S. that is not isolated, a pain to find if it even exists, so on. 
• Meanwhile, in a town called Phoenixville, two guys are doing something totally insane. They are opening a new independent bookstore in the age of Amazon. Story via The Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA). I hope they succeed. A good independent bookstore is always a good thing. 
• In what can only be described as a First World Problem, some essay writer kind of whines when they quoted their own daughter in an essay, without asking, and now the daughter flat out tells her "don't you quote me anymore." Story via LitHub. This could have been avoided if mommy would stop making excuses such as "my impulse is to write about those toddlers, about her mothering, and about the memories that rise up" and instead would mind her own business, or at least ask for effing permission before using someone else's material. I think we can safely label mom's behavior as fuckery. 
• Speaking of fuckery, Book Riot has a piece on the bad behavior of book dealers who go into used book sales, often small charity used book sales, who basically act like rude vultures making the place unpleasant for locals and other more normal buyers. Even here in small Berea, when the public library has their Friends of the Library Book Sale, you see one or two of these mofos taking up space and preventing others from looking over the books or such. Their scanners are now on their cellphones (an app) but they are still just as obnoxious. If I see one too many of them, I just leave. Book sale folks do need to clamp down on this behavior. I am not saying ban them, but certain rules of courtesy and behavior need to be enforced. 
• This article asks what relationship Shakespeare had with books? We know that in his plays he drew from a very broad variety of sources. However, he never actually did things like refer to books in his will (books would have been very valuable at the time, so did he own any?) nor any of his contemporaries describe him having books. Via Lapham's Quarterly. 
• Book and product reviews at times can get mean, contentious, so on. However, there is one area where reviews are often very pleasant and mellow. We are talking about marijuana reviewers, especially now that many places have legalized its recreational and/or medical use. Story via LitHub.
• Some of my readers may know that I read erotica. I am pretty open minded in what I read, so yes, I may read some "strange" or unusual piece now and then. I've never reviewed the more "weird" things I've read here though I am reconsidering that stance. So while I think about it, here is the story of a guy who went on a quest to find Amazon's worst erotica. Story via VICE. By the way, if you want to replicate the quest, often a lot of that worst erotica (and some good ones too) can be had for free (as in really free, not "free with Kindle Unlimited" free bullshit) if you are willing to look.  I know I have a few sitting in my Kindle, so stay tuned, maybe a few new reviews. 
• On an uplifting story, some librarians are working to encourage more reading in children. Very often you may find yourself stuck in some place without a book. It can be worse for children being stuck in a place without a book, like a laundromat. If you've ever been to a laundromat, the dead time while you wait for your laundry can be hard. Plus if you have children in tow, even harder. So these librarians seek to make it easier and get kids to read more by bringing books to the laundromat. Via Mother Jones. Now this is a great idea. You know, if the whole academic librarian gig does not work out, I'd be willing to go read books to children in a laundromat.

This week we have a couple of items in Spanish I found interesting: 

• Libropatas has a nice piece on bookstores in Spain 150 years ago.
• Libropatas also takes a look back at the by now classic Espasa encyclopedia, which at one point it was claimed if it was not in the Espasa, it did not exist. Time has sure flown, and now we have things like the Internet, Google, and if you need an encyclopedia, I suppose Wikipedia would do. I have memories of seeing Espasa volumes here or there when growing up along with other Spanish language encyclopedias put out by companies like Salvat (Wikipedia of all places has a very short entry on that Salvat encyclopedia). I could probably write a blog post/piece on memories of encyclopedias I used to have growing up at home and in my school to do school work. Anyhow, getting back to Espasa, the last time I saw a full set was at a previous workplace, and they were getting ready to weed it out. Much like today libraries weed out old editions of Britannica, old tomes of Espasa often get to go unless you are in a large research library with space and justification to keep a work like an old Espasa set or say a 10th edition of Britannica. Having said that, reading old editions of Espasa, much like Britannica's 10th edition (I am trying to come up with a close comparison point for my English reading friends) is quite a literary experience if you are willing to do the reading. At one point I was. I used to read the encyclopedia I had in my room as a kid back in the day. Not necessarily cover to cover, but reading an entry here or there. Again, something I could write about some other time.

Book Review: Star Wars: Darth Vader, Volumes 3 and 4

Kieron Guillen, et.al., Star Wars: Darth Vader, Volume 3: The Shu-Torun War. New York: Marvel, 2016. ISBN: 978-0-7851-9977-9.

Kieron Guillen, et.al., Star Wars: Darth Vader, Volume 4: End of Games. New York: Marvel, 2016.  ISBN: 978-0-7851-9978-6.


Genre: comics and graphic novels
Subgenre: Star Wars, science fiction, space opera
Format: trade paperbacks
Source: Main branch of the  Madison County (KY)  Public Library


This is going to be a couple of short quick reviews on the last two volumes of this series.

Star Wars: Darth Vader, Volume 3: The Shu-Torun War.

When the Ore Barons of Shu-Torun rebel against the Empire, The Emperor sends Vader out to lead a

military assault to pacify the planet. This may be a chance for Vader to get back in the Emperor's favor. However, Cylo's agents still plague Vader, plus Vader has to navigate some complex cultural issues on the planet. Overall, this was a good continuation of the  series with  a great story and great art.

5 out of 5 stars.

Star Wars: Darth Vader, Volume 4: End of Games.

With Shu-Torun pacified, Darth Vader can focus his attention back to his own agenda. It seems he has regained the Emperor's favor, but he could easily lose it again. Inspector Thanoth is getting too close to certain revelations Vader would rather stay dormant, and Dr. Aphra being captured by the Rebels complicates things even more. Plus Vader will have his reckoning with Cylo and cyborg agents.

This volume packs a lot of action and intrigue. Vader will have to be ruthless and rely on  all his  skill and power in  the Force to succeed. As in other volumes, we get a great story and great art. We also get some very compelling characters; I found Inspector Thanoth interesting. Overall, this is a series I highly recommend.

5 out of 5 stars.

Booknote: Trains

Jennifer B. Bodine, Trains: Photography of A. Aubrey Bodine. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 2018. ISBN: 978-0-7643-5493-9. 

Genre: nonfiction
Subgenre: art and photography
Format: e-book galley
Source: NetGalley

If you enjoy photography, especially good quality black and white photos, and you like trains, you'll probably like this book. Jennifer Bodine does a labor of love bringing this collection of her father's train photos to life.

So, who was the artist/photographer?

"A. Aubrey Bodine (1906- 1970)-- pictorialist, modernist, and documentarian and newspaper man-- was a Baltimore Sunday Sun feature photographer from 1927- 1970" (introduction). 

In her introduction, the book's author expands on the artist's technique, which was extremely skilled. To appreciate it further, consider this was a time way before any photo editing software existed or even computers. The artist was so good and talented he was honored by both the Photographic Society of America and the National Press Photographers Association; he was the first photographer ever to be honored by both of these societies.

The photos in the book are very beautiful and a pleasure to look at. I saw them on an e-book galley, so I hope they look a lot better in print. Once the photos start after the introduction, text in the book is minimal to allow us to just admire the work.

Overall, I really liked this book. Train buffs may want to consider it for their collections. Libraries with strong photography collections may want to acquire it. For libraries in the artist's geographic area, this is likely a must.

4 out of 5 stars.

Booknote: Imagined Agencies

Joseph Bulgatz, Imagined Agencies. Indianapolis, IN: Dog Ear Publishing, 2018.  ISBN: 978-14575-6189-4.


Genre: nonfiction (sort of)
Subgenre: humor (barely), speculative, government
Format: e-book galley
Source: NetGalley

This book was not quite what I expected. It was also a bit slow to read and overall just not that interesting.

From the book's description:

"Imagined Agencies explores the possible future involvement of the government in every aspect of our lives with jarring wit, mocking playfulness, and dead-on discernment." 

That description is a bit generous to put it mildly. An issue with this book is balance. When it gets it right, it does so well. When it overdoes a joke, it runs it into the ground. Also some of the imagined agencies are so minute or petty to be seriously ridiculous, which can be OK except this book is not sure if it wants to be serious or just a spoof like The Onion.

Overall, the book does present some interesting speculations here or there, but it is also very hit or miss. Inconsistency is an issue as well as focus. There were times I nodded and appreciated ideas and times when I just rolled my eyes when something was beaten to the ground, then dug up, and beaten some more. Your mileage may vary. I consider this to be optional reading.

For me, this was just O.K.

2 out of 5 stars.

Signs the economy is bad: May 17, 2019 edition

Welcome to another edition of "Signs the Economy is Bad" here at The Itinerant Librarian. This is the semi-regular (as in when I have time and/or feel like doing it) feature where I scour the Internet in search of the oh so subtle hints that the economy is bad. Sure, pundits may say things are getting better, but what do they know? And to show not all is bad, once in a while we look at how good the uber rich have it.


Here we are with another week. Let's see what's been happening.

Education News

•  A look at how colleges often hold students' futures hostage based on debt garnishes like holding their transcripts if something, often small, is not paid. Via Hechinger Report. 
• In what I can only see as someone with too much time on their hands and not enough to do, someone at Inside Higher Ed asked "what percent of your academic salary would you trade for tenure?" The simple answer for me? None. And to be honest, tenure is not all it is cracked up to be given the adjunctification of faculty and other factors in the bad economy. And in my case, let us not even get started on the fact that though I am "faculty" as librarian I am not really faculty (it's complicated). But hey, if he wants to give up a chunk of his salary for tenure, I am not stopping him.

Rural News

•  Most people think that obesity is big in cities where people are often sedentary. Well, it turns out that now it is rural areas that are leading the way in obesity. Via The Rural Blog. 
• Speaking of rural folks, the farmers are about to take another hit due to the Pendejo In Chief escalating tariffs, yet again, on trade with China. Story via UPI. Oh well. Given that rural areas overwhelmingly voted for him and the Party of Stupid, I am sure they will get tired of all the winning. 
• Meanwhile, a major employer in rural areas exemplifies wage inequalities as their workers make barely enough and stay below the poverty line while their store managers make at least $175,000 a year on average? The employer? Walmart. So, in reality, what else is new? Story via The Rural Blog.

Meanwhile back in the US colony 

 

•  The vulture capitalists are out in force in Puerto Rico, especially after Hurricane Maria devastated the island. Read about what they are doing to the Tres Palmas Marine Reserve. Via Latino Rebels. 
• Meanwhile the island's colonial governor, basically a Pendejo In Chief wannabe, is happily handing out even more pieces of the island to vultures "real estate investors from abroad" left and right in the form of "opportunity zones." Via Latino Rebels. 
• To further illustrate the income inequality, you can read the moving and tragic account of families wanting to visit their loved one's graves on Mothers' Day (or any other day) and unable too because cemeteries devastated by the hurricane have not been repaired, and it does not look like they will anytime soon. But the vultures get all they want. Story via NPR.

The Bad Economy  Around the World

• At one point, the United States led the world in various endeavors. It was a nation respected and one that many other nations looked up to. Those days are long gone, and the Pendejo In Chief and the Party of Stupid are making sure it stays that way. Let's see some more examples of this: 
• UPI reports that next electric vehicle revolution will come from China and NOT the U.S.  
• Speaking of China, to make sure the Chinese keep on getting ahead, the Pendejo In Chief continues his tariff war with China and overall souring any chances at a constructive relationship. I am not saying the Chinese are angels, but US Americans are hell bent on really messing this up. Story via The Washington Post. 
• The Pendejo In Chief and the United States (controlled by the Party of Stupid) are also alienating the Mexicans. It is not just the immigration issue. Turns out the Pendejo In Chief also has Mexico in its sights, and the Mexicans are not taking it lying down. Mexico is preparing new retaliation duties and tariffs to get back at the U.S. Via Telesur. 
• And if all of the above was not bad enough already, "the U.S. remains the world leader in funding of scientific research but risks losing that spot to international competitors, warns a report released Tuesday." Story via Inside Higher Ed.  Well, the Chinese are certainly moving ahead in research and development (see above story), and they are not the only ones.
• At least the United States can console itself with the fact it still has the United Kingdom as its bitch; however, and it does not even have a firm grip on the bitch since the UK just may (may, as in maybe) increase its own military spending to please the United States. Story via Telesur. You know it's bad when the United States top ally bitch tells it maybe or maybe not hun. 
• Meanwhile, in other parts of the world, the rest of the world gets along. For instance, in Nicaragua they are getting benefit from Cuban tourists and setting tourism partnerships. Story via Telesur. You can have trade and good relations with others The U.S. is not the center of the world contrary to what they think. 
• In another sign the economy is bad, young South Koreans are deciding that dating is too expensive or too dangerous. Via CNN. Given the bad economy in the U.S. too, maybe they know something folks over here do not.

Hold My Beer

• In this week's serious fuckery in the bad economy: making children with school lunch debt into marked deadbeats by making them wear wrist bands identifying them as not being able to pay for their lunch. Rhode Island leads the way this week in school lunch shaming. Story via Big Think.

We end this week with:

Great Debates of Our Time

• Is a milkshake STILL a milkshake if you do not put a cherry on top? Steak 'N Shake's CEO is about to find out one way or the other as he moves a plan to ditch cherries in milkshakes in order to save at least $1 million a year if he does it. Story via VICE. Feel free to comment below on this week's debate topic (or any other topic from this post that caught your eye. Within reason of course).

Signs the economy is bad: May 10, 2019 edition

Welcome to another edition of "Signs the Economy is Bad" here at The Itinerant Librarian. This is the semi-regular (as in when I have time and/or feel like doing it) feature where I scour the Internet in search of the oh so subtle hints that the economy is bad. Sure, pundits may say things are getting better, but what do they know? And to show not all is bad, once in a while we look at how good the uber rich have it.


We have a lot of stories this week. Very often I have to keep looking to find a few things. For this post, things practically fell on my lap, so let's get it on.

We start this week with:

Education News

•  Another cheating asshole plead guilty to bribery charges in the now infamous college cheating scandal. This one paid $400K at least. Via USA Today.
• Meanwhile, a former college admissions counselor spills the beans on how elite college admissions "really" works. Some of this is basically obvious, and some of it seems more like a guy getting a pang of conscience late  in life and trying to justify his actions, some of which can be seen as questionable at least, or, you know, it is not illegal but. . . . Via Vox.
• In broader news, the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) reports that in a decade the federal student loan program will be running a deficit. Story via Inside Higher Ed.
• Here is the CBO report document  if you really want to dig in.
• Above the Law has a story and list of the law schools with the most unemployed graduates in 2018. Three of Puerto Rico's law schools are among the top. Now, unlike other schools in the US mainland that may or may not be of questionable quality, Puerto Rico's law schools may have a very important reason they got on this list: "For what it’s worth, we suspect that all three Puerto Rico law schools landed on the list due to the fact that the island was devastated by Hurricane Maria and has since been in 'recovery.' You apply to jobs without electricity." And before any of you gringos whine that the hurricane is long gone, keep in mind your president, The Pendejo In Chief, is still throwing tantrums and denying federal assistance to the US colony for hurricane relief and recovery.

Rural News

•  The Sage of Omaha recently said that rural newspapers are "toast." Naturally, some editors from small local news rags newspapers took exception in the pages of their barely read distinguished publications. Buffet's rationale is "due to the internet sucking away advertising revenue." Story via The Rural Blog. That scenario is not inaccurate. The editors went with the usual pap about how "rural newspapers provide a service to communities unmatched by any other resource" even as major newspapers are abandoning rural areas in droves making them vulnerable to fake news and partisan influence, at least 1/5 of newspapers have closed down nationwide (which makes it worse for rural areas, many of which are basically news deserts), and even newsprint tariffs are hurting the newspapers that are left. By the way, those other stories I presented in previous editions of "Signs the economy is bad" here on this blog. The tariff story is so bad it even got one of our local rags recently when the newspaper in the town over made a big deal that they were significantly reducing pages and content due to high costs, including costs of news print paper. So let us be perfectly honest here: Warren Buffet is not so much a genius; he just sees what the rest of us willing to see reality and pay attention already see, and then has an uncanny ability to make a shit ton of money out of it. Rural newspapers are not just toast: they are BURNT toast. Regular toast you can at least put butter on it and consume. Burnt toast gets tossed out for the most part. 
• In fact, in another story I found for this week, again, here we have a piece on small towns without a local newspaper. Those news deserts just keep getting bigger. Via The Daily Yonder.
• Meanwhile, as if things weren't bad enough for the press in rural regions, turns out the locals don't even want to talk to the press most of the time. They don't trust them. I wonder why. Story via The Rural Blog.
• According to a new poll, farmers are seriously stressed and have to deal with mental health issues. Story via The Rural Blog.
• Part of what stress may come because they are having difficulty finding workers to pick the actual crops because they refuse to pay decent wages for the hard work (not to mention consumers who want cheap fruit no matter what, but that is another story). One example is in Pennsylvania, where the farmers are so desperate they are basically turning to any cheap and (almost) slave labor they can find just to not have to pay a decent wage and so their crops don't rot. Such "creative" ideas to replace the immigrants they so gladly exploit include: ". . .inmate work-release programs, organizations that help the visually impaired find employment, and others that help veterans find work. . .". That story via The Rural Blog. So they are hoping to find a new pool of (barely) slave labor with  prison inmates, the visually impaired (who may already struggle to get employed to these farmers are hoping desperation will get them to pick crops), and veterans (hey,  they are not working send them to the farm. Better than that other farm). But hey, as long as those fruit stay cheap in  the grocery store. . . 
•  In rural health, the signs of the bad economy are there too. The diabetes mortality gap is widening in rural areas. Story via The Daily Yonder. They are basing the story on a new study in an article from the Journal of Rural Health (pay article but you can see abstract and conclusions. If you really want to see the full text, your local library may have access to it or the ability to do an Interlibrary Loan request for you). So you may be asking what is the big deal? The big deal is this: “'Rural America in general, and the rural South in particular, has seen little improvement in its diabetes mortality rate over the past two decades,' according to the report."
• Meanwhile, what started with  good intentions in Kentucky to build one of those "information superhighways" has become a serious boondoggle of lost money, incompetence, inefficiency, and nothing delivered. Via Pro Publica.  
• In the end, rural areas are pretty much fucked, for various reasons, including a good amount of reasons that boil down to them shooting themselves in the foot regularly. So, no matter how often those butt kissing candidates go to Iowa first every four years or so, rural areas like Iowa are just on the way down. Story via UPI. It boils down to this, as the story states: "The facts are clear and unarguable. Most of the nation's smaller urban and rural counties are not growing and will not grow." The news piece looks at various analysis resources including Department of Commerce data (resources linked in the article).

Government News

•  The Pendejo In Chief always provides signs that the economy is bad. No, I do not mean he does so by losing millions of dollars as a business man and then claiming it was a stroke of genius.  Oh no no. We got a couple of good ones this week from his Royal Orangeness: 
• He launched a new assault on the poor. . . again. Story via TruthDig. So what did Cheetolini do this time? "The Trump administration on Monday moved to change the definition of 'poverty' in the United States in a proposal which combines the president’s attempts to portray the U.S. economy as strong with his repeated attacks on the working poor and their access to government services." 
• And he just said he'd be fine if military academy graduates who play football put off their actual military careers (you know, the actual shit they got a coveted appointment to and a US service academy and a free education and that they agreed to serve upon graduation) so they can go play sportsball. By the way, while you may be struggling to pay off college loans because you did not want to or could not get into a service academy, you still pay taxes for those kids who DO go to a service academy only to go slack off and go play sportsball instead of doing the military duty they agreed to by contract when they accepted said free education. Story via USA Today. Feel free to queue up the patriotic sportsball enthusiasts who will be happy with Mar-A-Lago's Caudillo statement (bonus if they are gung ho Party of Stupid military vets who themselves would have never been able to get into a military academy or better yet local militia guys).
• The military industrial complex in the United States keeps marching on. Their latest budget request  (as of this post) is almost a trillion dollars. According to the story from TruthDig, "If passed by Congress, it will, in fact, be one of the largest military budgets in American  history, topping peak levels reached during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. And keep one thing in mind: that $750 billion represents only part of the actual annual cost of our national security state."
• And how is the US military often able to secure such obscene amounts of money? Well, fearmongering is one way. And these days, raising fears about rising Chinese power works really well to get Congress to approve money for defense fast. A former U.S. army colonel looks at a new Department of Defense report on Chinese military power and explains why it is fearmongering more than accuracy. Story via The Canary. If interested, you can see the actual Department of Defense document on the Chinese military in 2019 here (PDF document).
• In regulatory news, apparently the administration of the Pendejo In Chief, in their zeal to deregulate anything and everything no matter how silly or seriously dangerous is now targeting cherries in your frozen pie. I am not making this up. See the story, including link to the actual FDA report, at Food Politics. Not even Ace Rothstein was this anal about regulating fruit in a pastry.

Health and Medical News

This week, in Health and Medical News, let's play: "Did you know?" By the way, this week's edition of Health and Medical News here at the Itinerant Librarian is brought to you by Wilford Brimley. 

• Did you know that over 137 million people in the United States are stressed seriously over medical bills?  Story via Big Think. I am sure that has nothing to do with the shitty for profit exploitative health care and insurance system this  shithole country has that is a shame compared to what most civilized countries have. No siree, no way, no how, right? 
• Did you know that pregnancy deaths are up in the U.S.? It is specially bad for minorities. Story via TruthDig. 
• Did you know that diabetes hospitalizations are going up among young teens in the United States? Story via UPI.
• Did you know that U.S. citizens are actually driving up to Canada in caravans so they can buy insulin at a cheaper price because U.S. Big Pharma and insurance companies keep ripping them off on price preferring profits over the health of people? Story via Boing Boing. Seriously, they can save around 90% on the price by buying their insulin, which  is an essential drug (if you are a diabetic on  insulin you need it or die, it is that simple), up in Canada.
• Did you know that hackers are helping diabetics in need by hacking a  discontinued insulin pump model that can be reprogrammed by the hack to make an artificial pancreas? Story via Boing Boing. This is a fucking  big deal, and it is something that Big Pharma could probably make, but again, since they choose to fleece vulnerable sick people because profit is the only value they know, patients need to do what they can. I know that I often say if the Revolution comes, and I am in charge, that hackers along with scam artists, spammers, phone bank scammer and their ilk are first against the wall, but these heroic hackers will get an immediate pardon and put to work on behalf of citizens' health. 

The Bad Economy Around the World

•  In the Philippines, they are turning to China to help build infrastructure. This is part of the continuing story about the Chinese Belt and Road initiative we have written about here in the blog before (see last week's edition of "Signs the economy is bad"). This week's story via The Atlantic.
• India: economic inequality is an issue as the richest, in a country known worldwide for its poverty, are the beneficiaries of local growing economy. Story via Al Jazeera. On the one hand, "India is home to the third-highest number of billionaires in the world, including Asia’s richest person." But on  the other  hand, India has "some of the poorest people in the world"
• Great Britain: Things are so bad that many parents who have a baby in the hospital can't afford to take it home (or at least take it home right away). Why? They can't afford things as basic as a car seat to be able to carry the baby home. Story via The Canary. 
• The World: According to a new United Nations report, 1 million animals and plants are in imminent risk of extinction due to human activity. Story via NPR. Keep in mind that is 1 million of an estimated 8 million, and a lot of those could be lost within a decade.

In Other News of the Bad Economy

• If you work at a company that says you can have unlimited vacation, beware. It is a scam basically. Read the details over at Inc.
• Pew Research reports that even though adoption of tech among low income Americans is up the digital divide is STILL a problem.  Hat tip to Infodocket.
• In local neighborhood news, want to buy a house? Apparently now a lot of people check Facebook to see if they find groups and pages of local neighborhoods, subdivisions, etc. People tend to speak freely, for good or ill and sometimes way too freely, on said forums. For some home sellers it can be a problem if their neighbors air all the dirty laundry when potential buyers are coming around. Story via WKYT.
• In something to actually help folks out, here is a piece on 6 items you need to be prepared to replace over time. Basically things like your car (it ain't going to last forever no matter how much you love it) and how to plan for when you need to replace. Via Wise Bread.

Sometimes you need to up your game, use a little ingenuity and creativity in the bad economy to make a buck or two. So that's why we look at. . .

Hustlin' in the Bad Economy

•  Food waste is a huge problem. However, three Stanford University graduates figured how to make an opportunity out of it that can make them money and help reduce food waste. Story via Inc.
• If you enjoy adult entertainment, specially cam girls, you can likely find a cam girl that will cater to pretty much any fetish as long as you got the currency to pay for her services. In a field where it can be very competitive, cam girls need to get creative to stand out. Well, one cam girl over in Florida noticed there was a serious need to serve a special clientele that few people even consider when it comes to adult entertainment: the deaf and hard of hearing. So our entrepreneur got herself a good education in ASL, and now she can sign dirty talk and communicate with deaf and hard of hearing people. That is just genius. We tip our pimp hat here at The Itinerant Librarian to this young creative entrepreneur who saw a need and moved to serve it and make a buck or two. Story via Metro (UK). 
• Speaking of the Internet, maybe you cannot make a living as a cam girl. But you still want to make a living working on the Internet. After all, you can do flexible hours, mostly in front of your computer, you got good computer skills, effort can be minimal, and you still get paid without having to take your clothes off. Well, you may to consider becoming a professional internet troll. If your politics are very flexible or lean right wing, the Russian government is willing to pay for your services doing things like posing as pro-Trump Americans on social media, websites, so on. Story via Business Insider.
• Jacob Silverman, in The New Republic, writes a good piece worth a read about the plight of the freelance journalist. Freelance journalists and writers do share common plights and pain with adjunct professors and even adjunct librarians (yes, those do exist, and I am fortunate not to be one of them so far).

This week, we open a new regular feature here in "Signs the economy is bad." There are stories I come across that are honestly the lowest of the low. They are so low in things like overall stupidity, cruelty, viciousness, insensitivity, indifference, negligence, and just plain fuckery that I decided to give them their own feature. I hope not to bring this feature out often, but in this bad economy, you never know. So. . .

Hold My Beer 

(Serious fuckery in the bad economy)

•  Delta Airlines, often known for their overall fuckery as an airline, decided to do some union busting. It did not go well for them. Story via The Washington Post. Additional commentary via P.Z. Myers at Pharyngula.
• In fuckery that you just have to read, read the tale of a school district that sent a kid's lunch bill to a collections agency. By the way, we need to mention the reason the bill came to life is because the school royally fucked up, what they called "a clerical error", and they STILL fucked over the poor parent anyhow. Because heaven forbid they admit their mistake. And there is more. Story via Yes! Magazine.

This week we get to award another award. This week's award goes to Warren Buffet who stated not one but two statements of the obvious:

• One, the statement above that rural newspapers are "toast." 
• Two, a statement that college is not for all, and it may even be a terrible decision for some people. Via Inc.

Thus, this week, we award

The "No Shit, Sherlock" Award for Stating the Obvious

To Warren Buffet, the Sage of Omaha. 

Congratulations.

Booknote: The Wilderness of Ruin

Roseanne Montillo, The Wilderness of Ruin: a Tale of Madness, Fire, and the Hunt for America's Youngest Serial Killer. New York: William Morrow, 2015.  ISBN: 978-0-06-227347-5.

Genre: nonfiction
Subgenre: history, true crime, serial killers
Format: hardcover
Source: Berea branch of the Madison County (KY) Public Library

The book is mainly the story of the youngest serial killer in the United States at the time: Jesse Pomeroy. Jesse, at 12 years old, was already torturing boys younger than him. He was eventually caught and sent to reform school. Upon release, he went killing. He was eventually captured and given life in prison. At the time, he was dubbed America's youngest serial killer, and much of the United States did not know what to make of him. Terms like "psychopath" did not exist yet. Men like Oliver Wendell Holmes and Herman Melville tried to figure Pomeroy out.

Pomeroy's tale happens in late 19th century Boston. In 1872, the Great Boston Fire happened. It was also the time of the Gilded Age. Writers like Melville were in their prime. A lot was going on, and the author tries to capture as much of it as possible. The author does go in depth with other tales, which was an issue for many readers who found the digressions excessive. I will say that in some instances I agree with that assessment. The author's look at Melville's life was quite lengthy and for a moment you might forget that Pomeroy was the main character and not Melville. I found the additional historical material interesting, but readers' patience may vary.

Overall, the book is really a history of Boston in the late part of the 19th century and into the early 20th century. In the end, I really liked it, and I do recommend it.

4 out of 5 stars.

* * * * * 

Additional reading notes:

As today where video games often get blamed for youth violence, dime novels were a reason given for the violence at the time.  Jesse Pomeroy was a big reader of dime novels. Dime novels, which sold by the thousands per issue irked "serious" writers like Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville, both getting outsold by dime novelists. Dime novels were described thus in this book:

"The novels Jesse read, commonly referred to as dime novels, didn't have much to offer in terms of a plot or a narrative thread. Instead they were heavy with sex and bloodshed, abounding with characters who were always a step ahead of the law and who indulged in a lot of sex with prostitutes, who invariably possessed a heart of gold. They fought duels in the heat of high noon, butchered dozens of  Indians, and scalped a few heads for trophies. The savagery had been imposed by society, the novels implied, and had not been sought for the mere fun of it. They fought injustices, whether real or imagined, and did so to save their honor and their family. But always, they got away with their crimes" (44). 

The librarian in me found the segment looking at dime novels, the publishing, and the critics interesting. It was not unlike puritan moralists of today whining about two gay penguins or a video game. Some things never change.

The author looks at debates about insanity and moral deficiency at the time, going over some of the important thinkers and works of the time. From phrenology to brain fever, such theories were applied in attempting to explain Jesse Pomeroy. They mostly fell short. The press at the time did little helpful, adding flames to the sensationalist tale and even manufacturing parts of the story to sell newspapers:

"Before the trial, and also during it, newspapers in Boston and New York-- as well as many across the country-- were not entirely objective in their reporting about Pomeroy's doings. . . The doctors who had talked to Jesse before the trial were not given gag orders by the court, and several of them, eager for publicity, spoke to the papers. As expected, their words were twisted and reshaped with each retelling, further adding to Jesse's infamy" (156).

The book does have extensive notes for each chapter and a long bibliography for those who wish to learn more.

Deck Review: Santa Muerte Tarot

Fabio Listrani, Santa Muerte Tarot. Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn, 2017. ISBN: 978-0738754383. (Made by Lo Scarabeo but distributed in the US by Llewellyn, so link to Llewellyn)

Genre: divination, card decks
Subgenre: Tarot, Santa Muerte
Format: 78 cards deck with  small companion booklet in small box
Source: I bought this new via that one big online retailer we all love to hate

Llewellyn's promo photo for the deck

A big reason I acquired this deck is that creator Fabio Listrani also created the Night Sun Tarot deck (link to Aeclectic), another favorite of mine I hope to review down the road. I pre-ordered the Santa Muerte Tarot when it became available, something I rarely do, but the moment I saw this coming I went ahead and got it. I am glad I did for this deck has become a favorite for me.

The deck comes in small but solid box with a top lid. Inside, you get the 78 cards deck; the deck also has an extra liner/cover card. In addition, you get a small companion book. The book is a paperback bound booklet, which is better quality than the usual little white book (LWB) you often get. The booklet is your typical Lo Scarabeo booklet with  the information in multiple languages: English, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, and Chinese. I will note that it is possible the translations are not consistent. I took a look at the Spanish section, and it seems a bit less in terms of content when compared to the English version. Still, the basic information is there. Overall, the booklet is pretty basic. It contains:

• A short biography of the author. 
• An introduction about Santa Muerte, its cult and tradition. 
• The Major Arcana. Meanings for every card, including "the Advice of the Dead." 
• Minor Arcana. Meanings for every card. These are a bit shorter than the meanings in the Major Arcana. You also get "the Advice of the Dead" for every Minor Arcana card. 
• Ouija. The Oracle of the Dead. A spread to use specifically with the deck. 
• A small piece on drawing a card of the day. 

The book is a simple on, but I still keep it handy when I am using the deck. I particularly like the "Advice of the Dead," which I often use as additional advice or as an affirmation to go with my daily card draws.

The cards have beautiful and colorful art. All cards feature calaveras (skull) and skeleton figures. Also, the borders on the cards are small and minimal, so you can really appreciate the art. I'd say there are some elements you may recognize from Rider Waite Smith (RWS), but much of the art is the deck's own art and system. The colorful art is rich, and it has plenty of symbols and concepts. It definitely lends itself to intuitive reading. If you use meanings more, the book's meanings go well with the cards and maintain the Santa Muerte theme.

You do not have to be a Santa Muerte devotee to use the deck. I feel devotees may get a good use of it as well if they choose this deck. For me, a strength of the deck is that it has a quirky sense of humor at times. It is a deck that can provide serious messages as well, but it also makes me smile and even laugh at times. No, Death does not always have to be serious.

I've used the deck for personal readings and in readings for other people. Client response is often a bit of curiosity and overall positive. This is usually one of the four or five decks I take with me when I do public readings.

The cards measure about 4 3/4 inches by 2 3/4 inches. The cardstock is on the thin side, but it is better quality than your typical Llewellyn deck. Cards have a slight glossy finish. They do feel like durable cards. The box, on the other hand, is solid, but the paint job is a bit weak. I've not had the deck for long, and the box's art is already wearing off. Otherwise, I am very satisfied and happy with this deck. This is a deck I now keep in my regular rotation, and it is one I highly recommend.

5 out of 5 stars.

Below are some card images from the deck. These are photos I have taken personally:

The Hermit-IX. As I consider this my personal card, I always look for it on a deck.

Justice- XI. This is the other card in Tarot that is crucial for me. For me, this is a favorite depiction of Justice.

Ten of Swords. In this deck, the tens in Minor Arcana all have a butterfly or moth, symbol of transformation. A nice detail. 

Media Notes: Roundup for April 2019

Add caption

These are the movies and series on DVD and/or online I watched during April 2019.

Movies and films (links to IMDB.com for basic information unless noted otherwise). Some of these I watched via TubiTv.com or other online source. The DVDs come from the public library (unless noted otherwise). In addition, I will try to add other trivia notes, such as when a film is based on a book adding the information about the book (at least the WorldCat record if available):

• The Unafraid (link to film website. 2018. Documentary. Immigration issues. DACA. Berea College).  Documentary looking at the lives of three undocumented young men and women hoping to get a college education. The documentary features a student that was admitted to Berea College. A very moving and well made documentary that I highly recommend. I got to see it when the college hosted a special showing with the film makers on April 2, 2019. 
• Iron Wolf (2013. Horror. Werewolves. Nazis). Another entry in the Nazi war experiments gone bad. The Nazis, desperate for a miracle weapon, experiment with werewolves, hoping to tame them enough to unleash on the enemy. Film starts in a Nazi lab that is about to fall to Soviet troops. The SS officer orders the lab destroyed but that does not quite happen. Years later in present day, a bunch of punk kids find the abandoned building, and they want to have a concert there. Despite a warning, they unleash the werewolf that was locked away in a sealed chamber (because, you know, who listens to warnings in these horror films anyhow?). This movie could have had potential at least as a horror B-movie, but it is slow, the horror is fairly minimal, and the special effects to be honest are pretty laughable; the acting is pretty poor too. The ending does have a bit on an open finish, and there is a small content bonus in the end credits. Still, not much to get excited about with this film. Not even good enough for one of those horror film programs you may catch late at night on cable. Via TubiTv. 
• Iron Sky (2012. Science Fiction. Action. Comedy. Spoof).  After their defeat in 1945, the Nazis fled to the Moon, and set up a base on the dark side of the moon. They then waited for the right time to return to Earth. It is now 2018. Sarah Palin is President of the United States (well, she is not named but this is pretty obvious), and she is seeking reelection. Starting a war seems like a good idea, and just now the Nazis decide to launch their invasion. The premise sounds ridiculous, but it is an amusing and entertaining movie at times that also makes a comment on our modern times. Part of the humor of course is that more than 50 years have passed, and while the Nazis are good with the old technology and science they have (there is a bit of a steampunk aesthetic, or more appropriate a diesel punk since they use fuel instead of steam, and it is a 1930s-1940s aesthetic. However, they may be good at tech but still seriously incompetent megalomaniacs), the contrast to our modern times where you can put a computer on a cellphone is quite amusing. Overall, not too bad. I enjoyed this, and I think others might too. It is a solid B-movie. The movie has a sequel. I will let you all know if I manage to watch it. Via TubiTv. 
• Murder on the Orient Express (1974. Crime. Mystery). This is the big production of the classic Agatha Christie story. I say big because it had for its time, and even today, a very strong cast of very famous actors. Albert Finney portrayed Detective Hercule Poirot. The story is known: Poirot is returning to England aboard the Orient Express from Turkey. One night the train gets stopped by snow drifts in Yugoslavia, and in the night a murder happens. He is called to solve it, and he needs to solve it before the train is rescued out of the snow, and they have to tell the police in the next town. So there is a bit of a deadline for Poirot. The rest of the cast, most of them suspects now, features Sean Connery, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, and many others.  This is not my favorite version of the story, but I can appreciate the pageantry. It tries to be a bit more melodramatic than other versions. It does have a pretty good music soundtrack by the way. The movie won 3 Oscars, including Albert Finney as Best Actor and Ingrid Bergman as Best Supporting Actress; the other Oscar was for Best Writing, Screenplay Adapted from Other Material. The movie does pay some attention to details. Overall, not my favorite version, but it is still pretty good and worth a look. Via DVD from the Berea branch of the Madison County (KY) Public Library. 
• Event Horizon (1997. Horror. Science Fiction). The brief movie description: "A rescue crew investigates a spaceship that disappeared into a black hole and has now returned...with someone or something new on-board." After being lost in space, the deep space exploration vessel Event Horizon reappears at the edge of Neptune. The rescue ship Lewis and Clark, led by Captain Miller (portrayed by Laurence Fishburne) is sent to investigate, bring along the ship's creator Dr. Weir (portrayed by Sam Neill). Soon they find the ship has been way out there, and it may not let them leave. This movie at the time did not do well in movie theaters, but it is a good, solid scifi horror film. It is one of my favorite films. The overall effects still hold pretty well despite all the advances in movie tech since the 1990s. Also, it is not your usual formulaic horror film with good attention to details. If you have not seen it, it is worth checking out. I certainly recommend it. Via Popcornflix. 
• Sands of Iwo Jima (1949. War. Action. Drama). The classic John Wayne film where he portrays a Marine sergeant training a squad into shape. Events in the movie go from their training to getting experience in Tarawa to the invasion of Iwo Jima, ending in the iconic raising of the flag. Movie has a bit of everything from drama to war action to even a bit of romance and some light humor here or there. Overall, pretty good movie and still worth watching. Via TubiTv, where they had a few John Wayne movies this month. I will probably watch one or two more this month and next month. Via TubiTv.
• Rio Grande (1950. Western. Action.) The third of John Ford's "Cavalry Trilogy" of Western films starting John Wayne looking at the U.S. Cavalry after the Civil War. Here Wayne is Lt. Colonel York, commanding his regiment near the Rio Grande.  As often happens in his movies he has a estranged son, who naturally ends up as a trooper in the regiment. Meanwhile, Trooper York's mom wants to buy his way out of the army, something both men refuse. In the larger picture, the Apaches, allied with other tribes, are raiding, and Lt. Colonel York is finally ordered to go after them, including crossing the river. An audacious plan, but if it fails, it is a court martial for him. Overall, a good movie worth watching. It can be entertaining, and it has some light humor to it. Also, a part that I liked were the musical numbers. I guess you can't have a classic Western without a song or two. Via Popcornflix.

Television and other series (basic show information links via Wikipedia unless noted otherwise). Some of these come in DVD from the public library. Others may be via YouTube, which, as noted before, I keep finding all sorts of other old shows in it, often full episodes:

• Supermarket Sweep (Game show. 1965-2003). I continue watching the 1990s run, with some 2000s, hosted by David Ruprecht, which ran on Lifetime Channel and later on Pax TV, on YouTube this month. See the June roundup post for more comment on this show. Watched 3 episodes
• MXC: Most Extreme Elimination Challenge (2003-2007. Comedy. Game Show. Spoof). The comedic competition show based on Takeshi's Castle. What made MXC funny of course was the dubbing that was added to turn it into MXC.  The basic premise is teams of rivals competing in various challenging events for points. The rivalries are completely made up.  I discovered this back in March, and I continued watching the rest of season four and the final fifth season this month. Via TubiTv.