¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Angie Dickinson!

AKA Angeline Brown.

Born September 30, 1931.

She is an American actress most famous for her roles in such movies as Rio Bravo and Dressed to Kill as well as her title role in the 1970s TV series Police Woman, the first successful hour-long TV drama to have a woman as its star. She also posed for the above poster, which was never as popular as the Farrah Fawcett poster of the 1970s yet memorable enough for those of us men of a certain age.

Movie Quote of the Week

We don't want other worlds; we want mirrors.
--Ulrich Tukur, Solaris (2002)

TV Quote of the Week

It's a new world.
--Lake Bell, Surface, "Episode 15"

Spanish Fantasy Terms

1. apocalipsis --apocalypse.
2. ángel caído -- fallen angel.
3. Babieca -- El Cid's horse.
4. basilisco -- basilisk.
5. bruja -- witch.
6. brujo -- warlock.
7. caballo alado -- winged horse.
8. cacería salvaje -- wild hunt.
9. cambiante -- shape-shifter.
10. chupacabras -- literally, "goat sucker"; Mexican being that preys on goats.
11. cocatriz -- cockatrice.
12. crisol -- crucible.
13. cuento de hada -- fairy tale.
14. damisela venenosa -- poison damsel.
15. descenso al inframundo -- descent into the underworld.
16. Dios Astado -- Horned God.
17. diosa -- goddess.
18. Diosa Madre -- Mother Goddess.
19. doncella cisne -- swan maiden.
20. dragón -- dragon.
21. dragones -- dragons.
22. duende -- sprite; goblin.
23. elementales -- elementals.
24. elfo -- elf.
25. enano -- dwarf.
26. esfinge -- sphinx.
27. fantasma -- ghost; phantom.
28. fauno -- faun.
29. gárgola -- gargoyle.
30. genio -- genie; jinn; genius.
31. genio malvado -- evil genius.
32. gigante -- giant.
33. gnomo -- gnome.
34. Gran Madre -- Great Mother; Magna Mater.
35. grimorio -- grimoire; book of black magic.
36. gul -- ghoul.
37. gules -- ghouls.
38. hada -- fairy.
39. hada buena -- good fairy.
40. hada madrina -- fairy godmother.
41. hado -- fate.
42. hombre lobo -- werewolf.
43. hombre salvaje -- wild man.
44. inframundo -- underworld.
45. Jimena -- El Cid's wife.
46. judío errante -- Wandering Jew.
47. la otra vida -- the hereafter.
48. la reina del aire y las tinieblas -- the queen of air and darkness.
49. leyenda -- legend.
50. leyenda urbana -- urban legend.
51. Llorona -- literally, "crying woman"; female spirit that mourns for dead child.
52. matadragones -- dragonslayer.
53. mito urbano -- Mexican Spanish term for "urban legend".
54. mitos -- myths.
55. momia -- mummy.
56. monstruo -- monster.
57. monstruo del lago Ness -- Loch Ness Monster.
58. monstruo marino -- sea monster.
59. monstruoso -- monstruous.
60. necrófago -- necrophage.
61. niño cambiado -- changeling.
62. ogro -- ogre.
63. pesadilla -- nightmare.
64. salamandra -- salamander.
65. selva oscura -- dark wood; dark jungle.
66. señor oscuro -- dark lord.
67. ser de los bosques -- being of the forests.
68. sibila -- sibyl.
69. silvano -- mythical woodland spirit.
70. sirena -- siren; mermaid.
71. sobrenatural -- supernatural.
72. súcubo -- succubus.
73. toro alado -- winged bull.
74. trol -- troll.
75. troles -- trolls.
76. unicornio -- unicorn.
77. uróboros -- ouroboros.
78. vampiro -- vampire.
79. vestido al cielo -- skyclad.
80. zombi -- zombie.
81. íncubo -- incubus.

Spanish Historical Terms

1. apóstata -- apostate.
2. bárbaro -- barbarian.
3. bucanero -- buccaneer.
4. caballero andante -- knight errant; wandering knight.
5. castillo -- castle.
6. choque cultural -- culture shock; culture clash.
7. ciudadela -- citadel.
8. combate cultural -- culture struggle; Kulturkampf.
9. contracultura -- counterculture.
10. crisol de razas -- melting pot.
11. espacio vital -- living space; Lebensraum.
12. hereje -- heretic.
13. ignorante -- ignorant; ignoramus; term used by Californios in the 19th century to refer to a member of the Know-Nothing Party.
14. imperio -- empire.
15. imperio global -- global empire.
16. infiel -- unbeliever; infidel.
17. leyenda negra -- literally, black legend; the claim that Spain and the Spaniards were depicted as uniquely bloodthirsty, cruel, greedy and licentious, in excess of reality.
18. leyenda rosa -- literally, pink legend or white legend; the claim which promoted an ideal view of Spaniards.
19. mestizaje -- miscegenation.
20. pagano -- pagan.
21. peregrino -- pilgrim.
22. pionero -- pioneer; explorer.
23. pirata -- pirate.
24. raza superior -- master race.
25. siglo -- century.
26. siglo de las luces -- Age of Enlightenment (18th century).
27. siglo de oro -- golden age.
28. siglo de plata -- silver age.
29. siglo dorado -- golden age.

Spanish Literary Terms

1. biblioteca -- library.
2. bibliotecaria -- female librarian.
3. bibliotecario -- male librarian.
4. bloqueo de escritor -- writer's block.
5. cervantesco -- Cervantine; of Cervantes.
6. canon occidental -- western canon.
7. cervantino -- Cervantine.
8. cervantista -- scholar of Cervantes; specialist in Cervantes.
9. chiste -- joke.
10. chistoso -- funny.
11. cruce -- crossover.
12. cuentista -- storyteller; writer.
13. cuento -- short story.
14. dantesco -- Dantesque.
15. dickensiano -- Dickensian.
16. ensayista -- writer of essays; essayist.
17. ensayo -- essay.
18. escriba -- scribe; copyist; transcriber; scrivener.
19. escrito por -- written by.
20. escritor -- writer.
21. escritor de editorial -- editorial writer.
22. escritora -- female writer.
23. escritura -- writing.
24. homérico -- Homeric.
25. idioma -- language.
26. inspirado -- inspired.
27. lector -- reader.
28. lectora -- female reader.
29. lengua -- language.
30. letrado -- learned.
31. librería -- bookshop; bookstore.
32. libro -- book.
33. libro de bolsillo -- paperback.
34. libro de cocina -- cookbook.
35. libro de consulta -- reference book.
36. literario -- literary.
37. literatura -- literature.
38. literatura barata -- pulp fiction.
39. novela -- novel.
40. novela corta -- short novel; novella; novelette.
41. novela de terror -- horror novel; horror book; scary novel.
42. novela gráfica -- graphic novel; comic book novel.
43. novela histórica -- historical novel.
44. novela rosa -- romantic novel.
45. novelista -- novelist; writer of novels.
46. novelucha -- penny dreadful.
47. nunca más -- nevermore.
48. realismo mágico -- magic realism.
49. relato -- story; short story; tale; account.

Spanish Movie Terms

1. autógrafo -- autograph.
2. autor -- auteur; filmmaker; writer-director.
3. cartel -- poster.
4. celebridad -- celebrity.
5. cine -- cinema; movie theatre.
6. cine hablado -- talkies.
7. cine mudo -- silent movies.
8. cine negro -- film noir.
9. cinefilia -- love of the cinema.
10. cinéfilo -- film buff; movie buff; cinephile; film fan.
11. Código de Producción de Películas -- Motion Picture Production Code.
12. código Hays -- Hays Code; nickname for the Motion Picture Production Code in the 1930s.
13. director de cine -- film director; movie director.
14. doble -- double; body double; stunt double; stuntman.
15. doble de cuerpo -- body double.
16. doble de riesgo -- stunt double.
17. el mundo de cine -- the movie world.
18. farándula -- show business; entertainment world.
19. final de suspenso -- cliffhanger.
20. guión -- script; screenplay.
21. guionista -- screenwriter.
22. la época pre-code -- the Pre-Code era; the era between the introduction of "talkies" and the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code; the late 1920s and early 1930s.
23. pantalla -- screen; silver screen.
24. película -- film; movie.
25. película basura -- bad movie.
26. película independiente -- independent film.
27. película muda -- silent movie; silent picture.
28. película taquillera -- blockbuster; box office hit.

Spanish Science Fiction Terms

1. agujero de gusano -- wormhole.
2. androide -- android; robot made in the form of a human.
3. animación suspendida -- suspended animation.
4. antiguos astronautas -- ancient astronauts.
5. ciberespacio -- cyberspace.
6. ciborg -- cyborg.
7. ciencia ficción -- science fiction.
8. científico -- scientist.
9. científico loco -- mad scientist.
10. clonación -- cloning.
11. cohete -- rocket.
12. computadora -- computer.
13. extraterrestre -- alien; extraterrestrial.
14. ginoide -- gynoid; fembot; android made in the form of a human female.
15. hiperespacio -- hyperspace.
16. historia alternativa -- alternative history.
17. hombrecillos verdes -- little green men.
18. marciano -- Martian.
19. monstruo de ojos de insecto -- bug-eyed monster.
20. mutante -- mutant.
21. píldora roja y píldora azul -- red pill and blue pill.
22. pirata espacial -- space pirate.
23. plativolo -- flying saucer; UFO.
24. regeneración -- regeneration.
25. replicante -- replicant.
26. robot -- robot.
27. tiempo curvo -- time warp.
28. universo espejo -- mirror universe.
29. universo paralelo -- parallel universe.
30. venusiano -- Venusian.
31. visión de rayos X -- X-ray vision.

R.I.P. Frederik Pohl

American science fiction author Frederik Pohl, best known for such novels as Gateway and All the Lives He Led, closed his last chapter on September 2 at age 93.

He will be missed.

R.I.P. Julie Harris

American actress Julie Harris, best known for her roles in the 1955 film East of Eden and in the 1963 horror film The Haunting as well as her Tony-winning performance as the original Sally Bowles in the 1951 Broadway production of I Am a Camera, took her last bow on August 24 at age 87.

She will be missed.

R.I.P. Elmore Leonard

American author Elmore Leonard, best known for such novels as Hombre and Get Shorty, covered his typewriter for the last time on August 20 at age 87.

He will be missed.

R.I.P. Eydie Gormé

American singer Eydie Gormé, most famous for her recordings of "Blame It on the Bossa Nova" and "Amor" as well as for the many times she performed with her husband and singing partner Steve Lawrence, finished her last performance on August 10 at age 84.

She will be missed.

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Cheryl Tiegs!

AKA Cheryl Rae Tiegs.

Born September 25, 1947.

She is an American model, author and designer who is considered to be the world's first supermodel as well as the first model to branch off into the business world and become successful in retail. She did three covers for Time Magazine and appeared three times in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue issues. She also posed for a 1978 poster which was as iconic for my generation as the classic Farrah Fawcett swimsuit poster. Of course, I remember her best for the above photo but then that's just me.

Pop Song of the Week: "Mickey"

This week I wish an early "¡Feliz Cumpleaños!" to Toni Basil, who turns 70 tomorrow. This tune I am posting is her most famous song but it is not her only attempt at music video. Nor is it the high point of a career that involved working with Annette Funicello, Peter Fonda, Teri Garr and even David Byrne. Ms. Basil even managed to be one of the few women to appear in both Pajama Party and Easy Rider. Not bad for a woman whom some poor souls would dismiss as an one-hit wonder.

Movie Song of the Week: "Kids"

Paul Lynde and Maureen Stapleton sum up the generation gap in this number from 1963's Bye Bye Birdie.

Movie Quote of the Week

Running through the woods, Barbara Kent will remind some viewers of Hedy Lamarr in Ecstasy, made a decade after this. But don't be concerned. Barbara is wearing a flesh-colored bathing suit. This is still a family picture.
--Jay Jackson, 4 Clowns (1970)

TV Quote of the Week

Your propinquity could make a man forget himself.
--Adam West, Batman, "Batman Displays His Knowledge"

Buscando Trabajo de Nuevo: Parte XXVIII

As I have said before, I don't think God will look too kindly upon the type of employers who are using this time to take advantage of people.

That said, I thought I had a chance at a permanent position this week but my mother's online research led me to suspect that the employer in question was not too creditable. Just more proof that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn't.

¡Feliz Cumpleaños, Jeff MacNelly!

AKA Jeffrey Kenneth MacNelly.

Born September 17, 1947. Died June 8, 2000.

He was an American cartoonist who was a three-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning. One of the few conservative editorial cartoonists to be nationally syndicated in the USA, he was also regularly featured in The National Review. He was also famous for creating the comic strip Shoe.

He has been missed.

Above and below are a few of my favorite MacNelly cartoons: