Bill Crider's Pop Culture Magazine

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2012-01-29T18:24:00.001-06:00

Five Bestselling Authors. Ten Free Kindle Fires. 75 Free Kindle Thrillers.

Dick Tufeld, R. I. P.

2012-01-29T13:41:00.001-06:00

NYTimes.com: Dick Tufeld, who possessed one of Hollywood’s most often-heard disembodied voices, especially from the 1950s through the 1970s, announcing or narrating television shows like “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea” and commercials for products like Mr. Bubble bubble bath and Gallo wine, but who was best known for his electronic intonations as the robot in the loopy science-fiction series “Lost in Space,” died on Sunday at his home in the Studio City section of Los Angeles. He was 85.

Hat tip to George Kelley.

Song of the Day

2012-01-29T11:00:00.000-06:00

Today's Vintage Ad

2012-01-29T10:00:00.000-06:00

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

2012-01-29T09:36:00.000-06:00

Inmate attacks jailers with pepper spray

10 Moving Movies About the Creative Process

2012-01-29T09:13:00.000-06:00

10 Moving Movies About the Creative Process

PaperBack

2012-01-29T09:00:00.000-06:00

Jack Allan, Good Time Girl, Newsstand Library, 1961

Soon to Be a SyFy Movie!

2012-01-29T08:45:00.000-06:00

The Capitol architect wanted to reanimate George Washington's dead body: George Washington may have been America's first president, but was he nearly America's first zombie-in-chief? If William Thornton, physician and designer of the US Capitol, had had his way, Washington's body would have been subjected a scientific experiment designed to bring the deceased former president back to life.

In Case You Were Wondering, . . .

2012-01-29T08:30:00.000-06:00

What are the 15 most expensive sci-fi, fantasy and horror books?

And Keep Off His Lawn!

2012-01-29T08:15:00.000-06:00

Gordon King, 88, takes on armed robbers using his walking stick

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Today's Western Movie Poster

2012-01-29T08:00:00.000-06:00

Ansel Adams’ Street Photography of 1940s Los Angeles

2012-01-29T07:36:00.001-06:00

Ansel Adams’ Street Photography of 1940s Los Angeles

Opposites Attract: Odd Couples on Film

2012-01-29T07:30:00.000-06:00

Opposites Attract: Odd Couples on Film

The 6 Stupidest Things We Use to Judge People We Don't Know

2012-01-29T07:15:00.000-06:00

The 6 Stupidest Things We Use to Judge People We Don't Know

Treasure of Pancho Villa

2012-01-29T06:00:00.000-06:00

Paris Hilton Update

2012-01-28T17:44:00.000-06:00

Paris Hilton to collaborate with Snoop Dogg on new album

PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention

2012-01-28T11:48:00.001-06:00

Airship27: SHERLOCK HOLMES - The Baron's Revenge was written by writer Gary Lovisi and is a sequel to an actual story by Arthur Conan Doyle; "The Case of the Illustrious Client." It is a gripping suspense thriller with a madman out to destroy both the Great Detective and his loyal ally, Dr.Watson. It features a cover by Rob Davis and digital painter Shane Evans, with nine black and white interior illustrations by Rob. [. . . .] You can pick up a copy by clicking on our airship logo to the left of this column. Our Airship 27 Hangar store is selling digital PDF copies you can download on most e-readers for only $3, or you can go to (www.IndyPlanet.com) to purchase a hard copy for only $13.99 (plus shipping & handling).

Commercial of the Day

2012-01-28T11:00:00.001-06:00

Late Starters

2012-01-28T10:15:00.000-06:00

5 Famous People Who Succeeded Long After They Should've Quit

Today's Vintage Ad

2012-01-28T10:00:00.000-06:00

DB Cooper Update

2012-01-28T09:50:00.000-06:00

Local Musician Says He Knew DB Cooper

R. J. Ellory Signs a Book for Joe Lansdale at Murder by the Book

2012-01-28T09:36:00.001-06:00

World Book Night

2012-01-28T09:13:00.000-06:00

Welcome to World Book Night: During World Book Night, 50,000 people, named as “book givers,” will each be giving away 20 books from a select list with a goal to have 1,000,000 people across the United States alone celebrating reading en masse. There will be adult books and young adult titles given away. People can sign up athttp://www.us.worldbooknight.org/about-world-book-night/register-as-a-2012-giver by February 1st to apply to be a “book giver.” You can see the complete list of titles that includes books from authors like Jodi Picoult, Michael Connelly, Stephen King, Barbara Kingsolver and Junot Diaz, among others at: http://www.us.worldbooknight.org/wbn2012-the-books.

PaperBack

2012-01-28T09:00:00.000-06:00

Dan Brennan, Doomed Sinner, Newsstand Library, 1961

And Your Point Is . . . ?

2012-01-28T08:45:00.001-06:00

These 24 Books Have Actually Been Published

Get a Rope!

2012-01-28T08:30:00.000-06:00

Hastings woman reports someone stole her chips, ate her cookies and drank her Pepsi

The Most Dangerous Novels of All Time

2012-01-28T08:15:00.000-06:00

The Most Dangerous Novels of All Time

Today's Western Movie Poster

2012-01-28T08:00:00.001-06:00

15 Famous Thinkers Who Couldn't Spell

2012-01-28T07:45:00.000-06:00

15 Famous Thinkers Who Couldn't Spell

Dick Kniss, R. I. P.

2012-01-28T07:23:00.001-06:00

NYTimes.com: Dick Kniss, a self-taught musician who for more than 40 years played stand-up bass behind Peter, Paul and Mary, becoming a veritable fourth member of the folk-singing trio, died on Wednesday in Kingston, N.Y. He was 74.

14 albums that surprisingly went platinum

2012-01-28T07:15:00.000-06:00

14 albums that surprisingly went platinum

The Far Horizons

2012-01-28T06:00:00.001-06:00

Here's the plot of your next realistically Kafka-esque expose

2012-01-27T13:09:00.001-06:00

Mail Online: A man held in solitary confinement for two years and forced to pull his own tooth because he was denied dental care has been awarded $22million for violation of his constitutional rights.

Stephen Slevin, 58, from New Mexico, was given the payout after accusing Dona Ana County jail of essentially forgetting about him after he was arrested for driving while intoxicated, not giving him the healthcare he needed and treating him inhumanely.

Hat tip to Todd Mason.

PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention

2012-01-27T12:05:00.000-06:00

Amazon.com: Crime Factory Issue 9 eBook: Jimmy Callaway, Cameron Ashley, Liam Jose, Andrew Nette: Kindle Store: Your noir journal.

Featuring exclusive content from Tom Piccirilli (The Shadow Season; The Cold Spot); Scott Phillips (The Ice Harvest; Cottonwood); Johnny Shaw (Dove Season); Daniel B. O’Shea (Old School); Ray Banks (Dead Money; Beast of Burden); Benjamin Whitmer (Pike; Satan Is Real); Paul D. Brazill (Drunk on the Moon; Brit Grit); exclusive fiction from Kenneth Loosli; Chris Benton and Chris Deal; features by Matthew C. Funk; Peter “Nerd of Noir” Dragovich; Andrew Nette and Noel King.

Commercial of the Day

2012-01-27T11:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday, Angela Antoinette Crider Neary!

2012-01-27T10:15:00.000-06:00

Today's Vintage Ad

2012-01-27T10:00:00.000-06:00

Things Have Changed Since I Was a Kid

2012-01-27T09:50:00.000-06:00

Boys pull out knife, gun in argument in 7th-grade class

Soon to Be a SyFy Movie!

2012-01-27T09:36:00.000-06:00

Superbugs spied off the Antarctic coast

10 Real Life Werewolves

2012-01-27T09:13:00.000-06:00

10 Real Life Werewolves

PaperBack

2012-01-27T09:00:00.001-06:00

Whitman Chambers, Manhandled, Monarch, 1960

Ghost towns

2012-01-27T08:45:00.000-06:00

Ghost towns: in pictures

No Comment Department

2012-01-27T08:30:00.000-06:00

AZ inmate arrested for refusing to leave lockup

The Origin of the Beatles Haircut

2012-01-27T08:15:00.000-06:00

The Origin of the Beatles Haircut

Today's Western Movie Poster

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-06:00

Texas Makes the List

2012-01-27T07:45:00.000-06:00

Top Ten Most Romantic B&Bs

The 20 Biggest Differences Between British and American English

2012-01-27T07:30:00.000-06:00

The 20 Biggest Differences Between British and American English

8 Actors Who Have Never Been Nominated For An Oscar

2012-01-27T07:15:00.000-06:00

8 Actors Who Have Never Been Nominated For An Oscar

Robert Hegyes, R. I. P.

2012-01-27T07:13:00.000-06:00

NJ.com: Robert Hegyes, the Jersey-born actor who played Jewish Puerto Rican wheeler-dealer Juan Luis Pedro Phillipo de Huevos Epstein on the 1970s classic "Welcome Back Kotter," died from an apparent heart attack after suffering chest pains at his Metuchen home this morning. He was 60.

10 Actors Who Hated Their Own Films

2012-01-27T07:00:00.000-06:00

10 Actors Who Hated Their Own Films

Forgotten Books: Destinies -- Edited by Jim Baen

2012-01-27T06:30:00.000-06:00

The question is, is it a book or a magazine? Pick it up, and it looks like a book. It feels like a book. But it's a "paperback magazine." The back cover, as you can see, tells us that it's "the very first paperback science fiction magazine."

How is it different from an anthology? Well, it has articles, but then so do anthologies. It has illustrations, but so could an anthology. I'd say that the distinguishing feature would be the columns. There's a science column by Jerry Pournelle, and there's a book review column by Spider Robinson. There's also the first part of a five-part article by Poul Anderson.

I think there were eleven issues (or volumes if you still think it's a book) of Destinies. Later on, Baen had his own publishing house and brought out New Destinies. I suspect that there are those among you who have collected all the issues (or volumes). I have most of them, but not all. They used to be fairly easy to find, and I suspect they still are.

The King's Thief

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000-06:00

Wow

2012-01-26T16:44:00.000-06:00

Pres. John Tyler's Grandchildren Are Still Alive: Try to do the math on this: John Tyler, born in 1790, became the 10th president of the United States, taking office in 1841 after the death of William Henry Harrison. And two of his grandchildren are still alive!

Of course, not much from Tyler's time is still around. In the year of his birth, President George Washington gave the first State of the Union address and Thomas Jefferson served as his secretary of state.

Here's the Plot for Your Next Neo-Noir Novel

2012-01-26T12:58:00.000-06:00

bnd.com: A convict with a conscience helped the feds unravel a murder-for-hire plot that involved a carjacking and electrocution by cat, according to federal court records.

It also included the suspect's ex-stripper wife being used as bait.

There's Good News Today!

2012-01-26T12:54:00.000-06:00

ABBA to release first new song in 18 years

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

2012-01-26T12:18:00.000-06:00

Cloaking device works in the lab: Reporting in the New Journal of Physics, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin cloaked an 18-centimetre tube from light in the microwave part of the energy spectrum.

PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention

2012-01-26T11:28:00.002-06:00

I've read and reviewed several books in the Sam Acquillo series. Highly recommended.

Amazon.com: The Last Refuge: Chris Knopf: Books: Sam Acquillo’s at the end of the line. A middle-aged corporate dropout living in his dead parents’ ramshackle cottage in the Hamptons, Sam has abandoned his friends, family and a big-time career to sit on his porch, drink vodka and stare at the Little Peconic Bay. But when the old lady next door ends up floating dead in her bathtub it seems like Sam is the only one who wonders why. Burned-out, busted up and cynical, the ex-engineer, ex-professional boxer, ex-loving father and husband finds himself uncovering secrets no one could have imagined, least of all Sam himself. Meanwhile, a procession of quirky characters intrudes on Sam’s misanthropic ways. A beautiful banker, pot-smoking lawyer, bug-eyed fisherman and gay billionaire join a full complement of cops, thugs and local luminaries in this tale of money and murder.

The Fault in Our Stars -- John Green

2012-01-26T11:28:00.000-06:00

As regular visitors here know, I really like the novels of John Green (see here, here, and here). However, I wasn't sure I'd read The Fault in Our Stars. Why? Well, because it's about kids with cancer. I wasn't sure I was ready for a humorous novel on that topic. Why? Again, as regular visitors know, my wife, Judy, has been dealing with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma for almost five years now, so I know more about at least one form of cancer than I want to know. The good news is that a couple of weeks ago, after Judy completed her fifth (or is it sixth?) clinical trial, we were told that she's in remission. Nobody knows how long this will last, but it was a great way to start the year. After getting that good news, I figured maybe I was ready to read The Fault in Our Stars, after all.

I'm glad I did. It's funny, it's life-affirming, and it's a pleasure to read, even if the subject matter might seem to indicate otherwise. The main characters are Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus (Gus) Waters. Hazel is 16. She has thyroid cancer and has to haul an oxygen bottle along wherever she goes. She still alive thanks only to a miracle drug that's not going to work forever. Gus has osteosarcoma and has had part of one leg amputated. The two of them meet in a cancer support group and fall in love. Talk about your doomed romances!

That aside, I hope there really are kids like this in the world, kids who are clear-eyed realists, kids who can quote Wallace Stevens or William Carlos Williams at the drop of a hat, kids who are familiar with Kierkegaard, kids who see the metaphorical significance in the ordinary events of daily life. I'm not saying these kids don't exist, mind you. I'm just saying I seldom encounter them. I sure like reading about them, though.

Anyway, Hazel and Gus are huge fans of a book written by a reclusive author who lives in Amsterdam. The book has what we literary scholars call an "open ending." They want to know the rest of the story, so they go to Amsterdam (sort of a "Make a Wish" deal) to meet the author, who [HUGE SPOILER] turns out to be a total asshole (unlike any actual authors you might have met) [END OF HUGE SPOILER].

There's a lot more, but that's enough plot summary. Sad and terrible things happen in this book, but it's not sad or terrible. Sure, it might make even a manly man such as myself a little verklempt from time to time, but it's about living, not dying, and I recommend it highly.

P. S. I posted here about Green's signing all 150,000 copies of the first printing of this book, so I have a signed copy. Well, there's something that might be a signature. I can make out the "J."

Song of the Day

2012-01-26T11:00:00.000-06:00

Well, Duh

2012-01-26T10:15:00.000-06:00

Mail Online: A teenage girl who has eaten almost nothing else apart from chicken nuggets for 15 years has been warned by doctors that the junk food is killing her.

Today's Vintage Ad

2012-01-26T10:00:00.000-06:00

Hat tip to Art Scott.

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

2012-01-26T09:50:00.000-06:00

mikemcguff.com blog: Mix 102.9 KDMX in Dallas has just landed a big asset for its mid-day lineup. That's right, new Dallas resident Khloe Kardashian Odom. She's in the Metroplex because her husband, Lamar Odom, is a recently traded Dallas Mavericks player now.

Another List I'm Not On

2012-01-26T09:36:00.000-06:00

15 Famous Authors’ Beautiful Estates

Keep off His Lawn! Really. Keep Off It.

2012-01-26T09:32:00.000-06:00

msnbc.com: A 65-year-old man who was knocked off his bicycle by three teenagers on a Pennsylvania trail shot two of them, killing one, police said according to reports.

Omnibus Editions: Three (or More) Titles in One Volume

2012-01-26T09:13:00.000-06:00

AbeBooks: Omnibus Editions: Three (or More) Titles in One Volume: Sometimes your desire for the work of a particular writer, or genre, is so strong that only an omnibus edition will suffice. What better than a single volume that contains three novels or perhaps four?

Omnibus editions are common in the mystery and science fiction fields, and Gollancz is probably the publishing king of omnibuses, but this selection of meaty books covers the entire spectrum of reading from golf to sailing to John Steinbeck and Kingsley Amis.

PaperBack

2012-01-26T09:00:00.000-06:00

Robert O. Saber (Milton K. Ozaki), A Dame Called Murder, Graphic, 1955

The 10 Best Put-Downs in Literary History

2012-01-26T08:30:00.000-06:00

The 10 Best Put-Downs in Literary History

This Explains a Lot

2012-01-26T08:15:00.001-06:00

Hat tip to Seepy Benton.

Today's Western Movie Poster

2012-01-26T08:00:00.000-06:00

Nicolas Cage's Most Underappreciated Roles

2012-01-26T07:45:00.000-06:00

Nicolas Cage's Most Underappreciated Roles

Archaeology Update

2012-01-26T07:30:00.000-06:00

BBC News: A mass grave in Dorset containing 54 decapitated skeletons was a burial ground for violent Viking mercenaries, according to a Cambridge archaeologist.

5 Creepy Forms of Mind Control You're Exposed to Daily

2012-01-26T07:15:00.000-06:00

5 Creepy Forms of Mind Control You're Exposed to Daily

Cool News

2012-01-26T06:56:00.000-06:00

BREAKING NEWS! Queen of Spy Writers Helen MacInnes Returns to Print in 2012, Courtesy of Titan Books!

8 Bad Ass Libraries

2012-01-26T06:53:00.000-06:00

8 Bad Ass Libraries

Forgotten Music -- The Sons of the Pioneers

2012-01-26T06:30:00.002-06:00

I'm not saying that the Sons of the Pioneers are really forgotten. Heck, there's still a group by that name. But I'm talking about the originals, the ones I listened to as a kid in the late '40s. Even then, Roy Rogers was no longer a member. At any rate, they recorded many great western numbers, and I loved them all. I even had some old 78 rpm records by the group.

Here's a nice tribute video with "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" playing, and here's their fine version of "Ghost Riders in the Sky." The great original of "Cool Water" is hard to beat. And my personal favorite, from the late '40s, the Sons and Roy singing "Blue Shadows on the Trail."

Finally, for those of you who'd like to know more about the history of the group, go to Wikipedia: The Sons of the Pioneers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: The Sons of the Pioneers are one of America's earliest Western singing groups[1] whose classic recordings set a new standard for performers of Western music.[2] Known for the high quality of their vocal performances, musicianship, and songwriting,[3] they produced finely-crafted and innovative recordings that have inspired many Western music performers and remained popular through the years. Since 1933, through many changes in membership, the Sons of the Pioneers have remained one of the longest-surviving country music vocal groups in history.[4]

None But the Lonely Heart

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000-06:00

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

2012-01-25T17:33:00.000-06:00

kvue.com Austin: A Central Texas pastor is being accused of throwing a neighbor's cat off of a bridge.

Rick Bartlett, pastor of the Bastrop Christian Church, is facing animal cruelty charges. Bastrop Police Chief Michael Black said Bartlett admitted that he caught the cat, named Moody, in a trap on Sunday, Jan. 15. Bartlett told them that he was having a problem with feral cats in his garden.

Gator Update (Larry the Cable Guy Edition)

2012-01-25T16:02:00.000-06:00

jacksonville.com: Larry the Cable Guy took some time to “Git-r-done” with an alligator recently at Ponte Vedra Beach’s Guana Preserve, and his work helping catch, study and release the creature will air at 9 p.m. Wednesday on “Extreme American Critters” on cable’s The History Channel.

Nicol Williamson, R. I. P.

2012-01-25T13:01:00.000-06:00

Boston.com: Nicol Williamson, the British actor best known for his role as the wizard Merlin in the 1981 film "Excalibur," has died of esophageal cancer, his son said Wednesday. He was 75.

25 Pieces of Awesome Literary Street Art

2012-01-25T11:06:00.000-06:00

Bookish Brands: 25 Pieces of Awesome Literary Street Art

Song of the Day

2012-01-25T11:00:00.001-06:00

And Stay off Her Damn Lawn!

2012-01-25T10:33:00.001-06:00

Police: Rockville Centre Woman Held Teen At Gunpoint After 'Ring And Run' Prank

Today's Vintage Ad

2012-01-25T10:00:00.000-06:00

Hat tip to Art Scott.

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

2012-01-25T09:43:00.000-06:00

Serial Killer Targeting Pit Bulls In Houston

And Stay off Her Damn Lawn!

2012-01-25T09:39:00.000-06:00

News: "I was not going to let him go," said Karen Granville, who lives on Redwood Street. "I just held my gun in my right hand until the police arrested him."

Something to Look Forward To

2012-01-25T09:36:00.000-06:00

Sci-Fi Talk Official Blog: Swamp Volcano Stars Rachel Hunter (The Benchwarmers) and Brad Dourif (Lord of the Rings). In Swamp Volcano, premiering Saturday, January 28 at 9PM (ET/PT), oil rig drillers in the Gulf of Mexico hit an underground lava flow, causing a massive volcano to form in Miami.

Who Has the Craziest Criminals?

2012-01-25T09:13:00.000-06:00

Hint: Texas doesn't lead the way.

Houston Texas vs. Florida

PaperBack

2012-01-25T09:00:00.001-06:00

Gene Paul, Little Killer, Lion, 1952

The First One Sounds Educational

2012-01-25T08:45:00.000-06:00

5 Crazy Ways People Amused Themselves Before Television

Actor James Farentino, R. I. P.

2012-01-25T08:39:00.000-06:00

CBS News: Actor James Farentino, named Golden Globes' most promising newcomer in 1967, died Tuesday in a Los Angeles hospital, according to a family spokesman. He was 73.

Or Maybe Not

2012-01-25T08:30:00.000-06:00

54 Uses For Binder Clips That Will Change Your Life

Columbo Update

2012-01-25T08:15:00.000-06:00

Natalie Haynes's guide to TV detectives: #1

ShortList's 50 Coolest Albums Of All Time

2012-01-25T07:45:00.001-06:00

ShortList's 50 Coolest Albums Of All Time

I'm particularly glad to see JOHN, THE WOLF-KING OF L. A. on this list. It's one of my favorite albums, and I thought nobody else even knew about it.

This is . . . UnTexan.

2012-01-25T07:30:00.001-06:00

CBS Dallas / Fort Worth: An academically struggling South Texas school district has decided to cancel student sports and use the money for improving education.

6 Scientific Discoveries That Laugh in the Face of Physics

2012-01-25T07:15:00.000-06:00

6 Scientific Discoveries That Laugh in the Face of Physics

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

2012-01-25T06:50:00.000-06:00

FOX 26: "Well, they asked me, ‘Besides in the office, do you have it anywhere else’?" she said. "Well, they asked me so I told them."

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

White Feather

2012-01-25T06:00:00.001-06:00

The 10 Worst Movies Of The Year

2012-01-24T16:37:00.000-06:00

The 10 Worst Movies Of The Year

Criminal Genius of the Day

2012-01-24T16:03:00.000-06:00

Police: Willowbrook man called 911, asked to fight a cop

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

The 27 Best Movies To Not Be Nominated For Best Picture

2012-01-24T15:05:00.001-06:00

The 27 Best Movies To Not Be Nominated For Best Picture