Armadillocon in the rear-view mirror: 2024 edition

Armadillocon took place in Austin over the weekend. This is, for those unaware, an annual science fiction and fantasy convention that's been running for 46 years. This isn't a big cosplay-and-celebrity event like DragonCon or ComiCon you see on TV. It's a more intimate affair focused on authors and artists. It's a blast. I attended it for the first time way back in 1990 and hope to attend many more in the future.

My recap of the weekend, along with a goodly number of photos, may be found on my Substack. As traffic here to my blog has gradually declined over the years, I'm shifting more of my writing over to the Substack platform, which combines the blog concept with social media and a built-in newsletter, with the potential of reaching more readers. And as a writer, reaching more readers is the name of the game. I don't plan on wholly abandoning this space, but the main activity will happen over at the new digs.

Now Playing: The Kinks Live in London 1973-1977
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Friday Night Videos

Sergio Mendes died today. The man was a musical force, doing an amazing amount of work to popularize Bossa Nova, one of my favorite genres of music. Everyone's focused on his work with Brasil '66, specifically "Mas Que Nada," which is a fantastic song, but I want to showcase his talent with one of his later releases, "Funky Bahia," which he recorded with will.i.am and Siedah Garrett almost 15 years ago. Just watching him in the video, Sergio is so full of life and energy. I think it's safe to say he was having a ball.

Previously on Friday Night Videos... The Surfrajettes.

Now Playing: Pink Floyd Ummagumma
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A Moment of Tiki episode 71: Black Velvet, if you please

Black velvet art is one of the staple items of decor found in home and commercial tiki bars alike. In this episode of A MOMENT OF TIKI I look at two of the most influential artists who excelled at this form and captured striking, dramatic images from the South Pacific on black velvet: Edgar Leeteg and Ralph Burke Tyree. Read the full post on my Substack.

Now Playing: Gene Rains Lotus Land
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