Quick review of: The Show That Never Ends: The Rise and Fall of Prog Rock

The Show That Never Ends: The Rise and Fall of Prog Rock 
by David Weigel 

B.M.B. Johnson's review 

Oct 05, 2017  ·  edit

really liked it

The Show that never ends, the name based on a the lyrics of a ELP song (that is, Emerson, Lake and Palmer for those not in the know), was good for introducing Progressive Rock bands to an ear whom had never once heard of them. However, I found that the author was a tad too King Crimson-centric for my tastes. Also, he tended to skip around too much, sometimes to the point of confusion.

Something's coming....!

Something's coming...    

The next Melody Jackson Book in Season One.  

Book III:

Melody Jackson v. the Message from Space.  

How, exactly, does one battle a message from space?  

There's only one way to find out.

5-star Review of Woman in White by @M_P_Matthews Melinda Mathews

 

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My rating:

1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars[ 5 of 5 stars ]

Melody Jackson v. the Woman in White (It happened on Lafayette Street Book 1) 
by B.M.B. Johnson (Goodreads Author) 

Melinda Matthews's review 

Mar 13, 2017

it was amazing

Outside my usual genres. I love mysteries and young adult fiction but don't usually go anywhere near ghost stories. That being said, curiosity won out and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this story. The dialogue was ridiculously funny at times and the characters strong. Glad I tried it. Reminded me of how painful it was to be a 12-year-old! Very unique story and good groundwork for the series.

"The Woman in White" is currently available for ONLY 99 cents at the following sites:

SmashWords Amazon iTunes Barnes and Nobel

Quick Review of Isaac Asimov's "Foundation"

Foundation (Foundation #1) 
by Isaac Asimov 

Aug 14, 2017  ·  edit

it was amazing

Asimov proves his genius in both scientific inventiveness and political intrigue. There are so many twists and turns in this little book that one would need to chop down a forest to get enough sticks to shake at them.

The far-reachingness of psychohistory in concept will be one of his legacies in literature, and yet one can't help but think that maybe this is the truth behind prophecy itself.

5-star Review of Hound from Hell by @M_P_Matthews Melinda Mathews

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Melody Jackson v. the Hound from Hell It happened on Lafayette Street Season One 
by B.M.B. Johnson (Goodreads Author) 

Melinda Matthews's review 

Mar 13, 2017

it was amazing

Another fun and funny episode in the Lafayette Street escapades. This one starts with Melody experiencing a warning dream. The family interaction in this series is simply hysterical. It took me a while in the first book to catch onto Melody's character (at first I thought she was a bit snarky and rude) but now that I have her deciphered, I practically laugh out loud at her unique quirkiness. I LOVE her parents and the way they engage and accept her. This creative little 12-year-old is irritated by 'hand quotes,' certain sounds and corny jokes, and she is prone to go off into her imagination writing her present as if she is seeing scenes being narrated in the movie of her life. Yes, she is a little OCD!

This book is well written and can stand alone but really builds on the first. Some questions are left to play into the next book but it's a rather pleasant sort of cliffhanger. Let me just say that overall I'm 'gobsmacked...' because I think Melody would like my using that word.

This is the 2nd book of Season One of "It Happened on Lafayette Street" series.
the eBook:  "The Hound from Hell" is currently $1.99, and is currently available at the following sites:

SmashWords Amazon iTunes Barnes and Nobel Kobo

5 Stars: P.S. Winn's review of Melody Jackson v. the Woman in White (@pswinnauthor)

Melody Jackson v. the Woman in White 
by B.M.B. Johnson (Goodreads Author) 

P.S. Winn's review

Apr 04, 2015

it was amazing

I think this is a great book for young adults and adults. Readers meet Melody Jackson, a girl of twelve with a highly over active imagination that sometimes is also spot on. When Melody sees a mysterious woman in white the adventure begins. Melody's parents, Lonnie and Bernie, join in the adventure as do a couple of paranormal investigators as the mystery unfolds. The author did a great job in a story that will satisfy a lot of readers.

"The Woman in White" is currently available at the following sites:

SmashWords Amazon iTunes Barnes and Nobel

Stop milking this tweet thread: Funny Twitter discussion with Bernie Jackson, Melody and an absent William Shatner

Melody, Stop baiting Mr. Shatner

— Bernie Jackson (@awholelottabern) August 1, 2017

I am all for scorpions being otherwise subdued by robots (or for that matter by anyone other than me) for absolutely any reason on Earth.

— Bernie Jackson (@awholelottabern) August 2, 2017

I'm not sure why you're so concerned about scorpion milking machines anyway. Troll milking machines, now there we have something.

— Bernie Jackson (@awholelottabern) August 7, 2017

Don't get mad at me @WilliamShatner started this.

— Bernie Jackson (@awholelottabern) August 7, 2017

Melody Jackson: Quote of the Day

“I'm going to let that slide because you seemed to have been in the middle of being eaten by a monster.” He was clutching his midsection as if from pain, the squashed remnants of a soft brown cookie squeezing between his fingers as though dough from a pasta machine.”

― BMB Johnson, Melody Jackson v. the Hound from Hell

This is the 2nd book of Season One of "It Happened on Lafayette Street" series.
the eBook:  "The Hound from Hell" is currently $1.99, and is currently available at the following sites:

SmashWords Amazon iTunes Barnes and Nobel Kobo

Melody Jackson: Daliy Quote

“Melody began to mumble incomprehensibly under her breath as she worked frantically on securing her most important papers into bankers boxes.
        Her father stomped into her room, eating a banana.
        Melody looked up at him with a sweaty and nauseated look on her face. “What are you tramping around so heavily about?” she asked him.
        Bernie finished the last of the banana, and then held the peel in his hand as though it were a washcloth he had just found on the floor of a gym locker room.
        Melody pointed to her trashcan with her eyes.
        “I make an insane amount of noise when I approach you, because you once yelled at me claiming that I was 'sneaking up on you',” Bernie replied, using finger quotes on the last phrase. “That kind of treatment stays with a guy.”
        Melody shook her head. Her father knew how much she hated finger quotes. Why he insisted on using them was beyond her. “I was five at the time”, she said.
        “Ah,” Bernie said, with a knowing grin on his face. “The angry period.”

― B.M.B. Johnson, Melody Jackson v. the Hound from Hell It happened on Lafayette Street Season One

Review of Melody Jackson v. the Woman in White by Patricia Walker

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My rating:

1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars[ 5 of 5 stars ]

Melody Jackson v. the Woman in White (It happened on Lafayette Street Book 1) 
by B.M.B. Johnson (Goodreads Author) 

Patricia Walker's review

it was amazing

This is a great introduction to the world of Melody Jackson, her family and her curious mind that seems to uncover mystery no matter what she decides to champion at any given time. In this episode Melody shows her philanthropic side by wanting to tear down an old house across the street to make way for a park to benefit local residents. Needless to say not all goes well with this plan and we begin a race against time to solve the clues before two mysterious men in a white van who have begun stalking Melody and her family.

The story is well written with characters that meld together extremely well. There are many amusing moments between Melody and her parents that show the authors complete grasp of family angst in a household that contains a pre-teen.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes to read!


Melody Jackson v. the Woman in White (It happened on Lafayette Street Book 1)  is available from these lovely sites:

SmashWords 

Amazon 

iTunes 

Barnes and Nobel

Review of "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin"

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin 
by Benjamin Franklin, Lewis Leary (Introduction) 

really liked it

What? 4-stars only? Are you mad? This book is legendary.

Yeah, I did it. What of it?! Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of the guy, but I've got to fault him for a few things. Sure, I get it. He was a self-made man, a genius, an inventor of practical things, full of folksy sayings. However, for one thing, his writing style leaves much to be desired: his home-spun antiquated phrasings can leave a person tongue-tied, even if said person is just reading it in her head.

Also, the man wasn't quite as progressive a thinker as I always thought him. Indians are savages, and his view of women (which granted was possibly more far-thinking at his time), was far from feminism-approved, in that he thought that women should be educated, but only to the point that they could take over their husbands business should he die, and only until such time that the son became of age to take over said business.

I almost slapped you for that one, Franklin!

Quick Review of Hell House by Richard Matheson

Hell House 
by Richard Matheson 

B.M.B. Johnson's review

really liked it

One of those "TOP 20 thingies" websites told me that this was one of the scariest books of all times. It wasn't that scary at all. Where's the sadistic clowns?? Not that that's what scares me. *ahem*. Still, a well-written and interesting book.

Recent Hilarious Twitter discussion about the Upcoming Third Melody Jackson book by Melody and her father

...wet your pants? Sure. No problem.

— Melody Jackson (@mjathols) July 20, 2017

I don’t think mom knows about Twitter. Frankly, I didn’t think you did, either.

— Melody Jackson (@mjathols) July 20, 2017

Yes, and I left out the part about you wetting your pants there, too.

— Melody Jackson (@mjathols) July 20, 2017

If you say it often enough, does it become true? Also, do you have a point here someplace?

— Melody Jackson (@mjathols) July 20, 2017

I’m working on it. Some of us have lives, you know. Shouldn’t you be making a sandwich or putting cheese on a cracker or something?

— Melody Jackson (@mjathols) July 20, 2017

I believe there’s a couple of pregnant ladies in Albuquerque who enjoyed the first two books, if that’s what you mean?

— Melody Jackson (@mjathols) July 20, 2017

Don’t make me block you. And you’re no longer allowed to use emojis. It’s just too weird.

— Melody Jackson (@mjathols) July 20, 2017

I did not. I just opened my mind to less restrictive points of view. And you’re getting ahead of yourself.

— Melody Jackson (@mjathols) July 20, 2017

I guess. At least more so than “Melody Jackson v. the General Premise of the Book”

— Melody Jackson (@mjathols) July 20, 2017

Sure thing...now why don’t you go back to writing your Atari game reviews and stop tweeting me about this. IT’S IN THE WORKS!!

— Melody Jackson (@mjathols) July 20, 2017

Bernie's Blotter: the new Atari Console...

Bernie Jackson

Lafayette Street Books

Finally, a console for the rest of us. For those of us who started their gaming careers playing the Atari 2600 (or VCS – although, I don’t know of anyone who ever called it that), I most say that I’m super stoked about this machine.

Sure, we still don’t know much about it, the images look great. Although, where’s the cartridge slot??

Here’s what Atari had to say so far…

First look at the Ataribox design.

Thanks again for signing up to learn more about the Ataribox project!

We’ve been blown away by the feedback since the teaser release, and today, we’re excited to share an exclusive first look at the Ataribox design with you.  

"Our objective is to create a new product that stays true to our heritage while appealing to both old and new fans of Atari. 
Inspired by classic Atari design elements (such as the iconic use of wood, ribbed lines, and raised back); we are creating a smooth design, with ribs that flow seamlessly all around the body of the product, a front panel that can be either wood or glass, a front facing logo, indicator lights that glow through the material, and an array of new ports (HDMI, 4xUSB, SD). We intend to release two editions: a wood edition, and a black/red edition."

"As you can guess, those ports suggest modern internal specs. It also means that while we will be delivering classic gaming content, we will also be delivering current gaming content."

"We know you are hungry for more details; on specs, games, features, pricing, timing etc. We’re not teasing you intentionally; we want to get this right, so we’ve opted to share things step by step as we bring Ataribox to life, and to listen closely to Atari community feedback as we do so. There are a lot of milestones, challenges and decision points in front of us in the months ahead. We’ll be giving you lots more information and status updates as we progress, and we are thrilled to have you along for the ride!

Hope you like where we are taking this, we’ll be in touch soon.

The Ataribox Project team.

PS: Please let us know what you think via our social channels; and also please like, follow, subscribe, and share as much as possible!"

Copyright © 2017 Atari, Inc.,, All rights reserved.

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