Saturday, December 31, 2011

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

And why those officers were going through the X-ray machine, I'll never know.

Mywesttexas.com: Top Stories: One man was being held in FBI custody Saturday afternoon after security at Midland International Airport found explosives in his carry-on bag and the terminal was shut down for an hour.

The suspect is active military and the explosives were found in his carry-on bag by Transportation Security Administration officers while going through the X-ray machine, Midland police said. The incident happened at 9:26 a.m. Saturday.

Song of the Day

Worst? Sounds Like Best to Me

Denny's Worst Menu Items: Steak And Potatoes Sandwich, Fried Cheese Melt, Bacon Sundae & More

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Today's Vintage Ad

I For One Welcome Our New Simian Overlords

Apes 'gamble like humans by calculating odds' - Telegraph: Given the choice of a safe bet of a small piece of banana or a larger chunk of fruit hidden beneath one of a selection of shuffled cups, the apes chose to gamble more than 50 per cent of the time.

The team, led by Daniel Haun of the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics found that they were also able to identify when the odds were stacked against them and when it was wiser to go with the safe bet.

What's Up, Doc?

The Local: A Swedish woman's recent toiling in her garden turned up a rather unexpected harvest when she pulled a carrot out of the ground 'wearing' the wedding ring she had lost back in 1995.

PaperBack


Lionel White, The Money Trap, Monarch, 1964




The 30 Best Movie Posters of 2011

The 30 Best Movie Posters of 2011

That Would Be the Previous Apocalypse, not the One Coming Up in 2012

10 Real Survival Guides for One Very Fake Apocalypse

2011's top mysteries of space

2011's top mysteries of space

Today's Western Movie Poster

20 Brilliant Novellas You Should Read

20 Brilliant Novellas You Should Read

The Year's Best Humor Writing 2011

The Year's Best Humor Writing 2011

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

I read this last week. Great pulp action in the air and on the land.

Black Dog Books - Wings of War: The Lone Eagle clove a path of victories across the killing fields during the Great War. But on the ground he was America's first great secret spy fighting against the German High Command!

Now collected into book form are the first two novel-length adventures of the great ace.

The Apartment

Friday, December 30, 2011

Pablo D'Stair's Contest Is Up and Running

The $225 Crime/Noir Flash Fiction Contest is now up and running.

Both collections are available absolutely free for download or viewing via Smashwords. Instructions on how to vote and what to vote on are included at the start and end of each collection.

Collection “A” can be found here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/118428

Collection “B” can be found here: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/118430

Again, the main site, where a listing of the authors of the Challenger Collection etc. can be found is here:

Please do give both collections a read and vote your heart—only one who stands to lose in this contest is me, and it’s just a bit of cash—written responses, reviews, thoughts, etc. of whatever color (positive, negative, ambivalent are extremely welcomed and will be shared among the authors.

Happy Birthday, MTM!

Happy 75th birthday, Mary Tyler Moore

Kaye Stevens, R. I. P.

iWon News: Singer and actress Kaye Stevens, who performed with the Rat Pack and was a frequent guest on Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show," has died at a central Florida hospital. She was 79.

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Words that annoy us all, you know

CNN.com: If you're thinking of setting up an amazing man cave or showing off a ginormous baby bump next year, think again.

A northern Michigan school on Friday released its 37th annual list of words and phrases that it believes should be "banished" from the English language, and it suggests that some classic -- and perhaps hackneyed -- should get the ax.

Song of the Day

52 Examples Why Florida Is Still The Craziest State

52 Examples Why Florida Is Still The Craziest State

Crime in Canada

You Rams Know Who You Are

Today's Vintage Ad

7 Creepiest Abandoned Brothels on Earth

7 Creepiest Abandoned Brothels on Earth

Link via Neatorama.

Book Update

As The Age Of The Physical Book Retreats, The Cult Of The Physical Book Advances: Key Quote: "As the age of the physical book retreats, the cult of the physical book will advance. E books are much like canned food in the 1950s, new, convenient – and excitingly so. But as with food, taste and desire changes. There will be a point when how literature is produced and distributed and consumed becomes much more important to a great many people than simple convenience. In one sense, the point is already here: small bookstores are surviving where their big box rivals now fall like dinosaurs. What they have to offer the marketplace will only become more obvious as that market seems to shift further in the direction of digitization."

I For One Welcome Our New Slimy Overlords

'Intelligent' slime able to navigate its way out of maze

PaperBack


Rae Loomis, Luisita, Ace, 1954




Twelve Days of Christmas Reading

Twelve Unusual Christmas Reads

The 6 Weirdest Cities People Actually Live In

The 6 Weirdest Cities People Actually Live In

Top science journal retractions of 2011

Top science journal retractions of 2011

10 Famous Authors’ Famous Addictions

10 Famous Authors’ Famous Addictions

Today's Western Movie Poster

Robert Silverberg on The Worm Ouroborus

It's his Reflections column in the latest issue of Asimov's, and like all his essays, it's well worth your time.

No Prize for Guessing Who's #1

The Forbes Fictional 15: You’re not imagining it: The rich do keep getting richer. Even the fictionally rich.

The members of our 2011 list of wealthiest fictional characters have an average net worth of $9.7 billion, up 20% from last year. In aggregate, the Fictional 15 are worth $131.6 billion --more than the gross domestic product of New Zealand. To qualify for the Fictional 15, characters must be known, both within their fictional universe and by their audience, for being rich.

The 6 Weirdest Things That Are Ruining Your Memory

The 6 Weirdest Things That Are Ruining Your Memory

Cheetah Update

Chimp-gate: 7 Developments in the Cheetah Death Conspiracy

Forgotten Books: First Flight -- Edited by Damon Knight

"In a sense, the whole history of modern s.f. is contained in these ten first stories," says Damon Knight in his introduction. And who am I to argue with Damon Knight? All I know is that we should all be so lucky as to write a story anywhere nearly as good as these at any time in our careers.

It won't surprise you to learn that of the ten, eight first appeared in Campbell's Astounding. (The Anderson appeared in Space Science Fiction, and the Aldiss in Nebula Science Fiction.) This is another one of those books that anybody who's interested in the history of the genre should own, and cheap copies abound on the 'Net for those of you who'd like to own one (if you don't already).

Tobor the Great

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Paris Hilton Update

Paris Hilton -- UNBANNED From Las Vegas Hotel

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

A mere $4.74 (not an eBook). If you want the eBook, you can get it free before coming back to the site to contribute. And you don't even have to contribute if you don't want to after reading. Of course the author won't get paid anything if you choose that route. It's an interesting experiment. Check it out.

Another Sky Press -- Tobacco-Stained Mountain Goat / Andrez Bergen: Cut to Melbourne, Australia–the most glamorous city in the world. It also happens to be the only one left standing, but nevermind that, we’re there now and I’d like you to meet your narrator, a certain Floyd Maquina, a likable chap with one hell of a story to share. See, the powers that be are knuckling down on the Deviant menace that plagues the city, and our boy Floyd’s unknowingly got himself in the thick of it. Cue guns, intrigue, kidnappings, conspiracy and all sorts of general mayhem that make for cracking good headlines.

Does Floyd stop the bad guys? Does he get the girl? Does he make Humphrey Bogart proud? Grab some popcorn and read on.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Police: Tampa Man Burns House So Mother, Wife Won’t Move In

And Keep Off His Lawn!

99-year-old divorces wife after he discovered 1940s affair

Song of the Day

Lawsuit of the Day

Man killed by train in Chicago can be sued for bystander's injuries

YA Novel Free to Amazon Prime Members

Amazon.com: The Girl Who Wanted to Be Sherlock Holmes eBook: Bill Crider: Kindle Store: Shirley Holmes believes she's a descendant of another Holmes. Sherlock. You say he's a fictional character? Don't try to tell that to Shirley. When there's a murder at her high school, Shirley's determined to find the killer, along with Ralph, her willing "Watson." THE GIRL WHO WANTED TO BE SHERLOCK HOLMES is fast and fun for all ages.

Today's Vintage Ad

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . . .

Police Say Christmas Gaming Drove Woman to Attack Children with Butcher Knife

Hello, Mega Matahari!

Yet Another List of Funny (Accused) Criminal Names: Hello, Mega Matahari!

Uh-Oh

World Time Changing? Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) May Eliminate "Leap Seconds" In 2012: But what scientists at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in Paris, France (BIPM) have been considering eliminating next month could fundamentally change the way we tell time, and most people don't even know it exists. They plan on deciding whether or not to eliminate "leap seconds" from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

Original TV Commercials for Classic Albums

Original TV Commercials for Classic Albums

PaperBack


Nolan Miller, Why Am I So Beat, Ace, 1954




Get Your Application In Early

Want to trap gators?: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program is now accepting applications for contracted nuisance-alligator trappers in Hillsborough County.

Or Could It?

It Couldn't Happen Here...

Ever Wondered What Happens to Recycled Christmas Lights?

The Chinese Town That Turns Your Old Christmas Tree Lights Into Slippers

Link via Neatorama.

The 6 Stupidest Things Ever Done With Historic Treasures

The 6 Stupidest Things Ever Done With Historic Treasures

Today's Western Movie Poster

Deception Between the Covers: Literary Infidelity

AbeBooks: Deception Between the Covers: Literary Infidelity: Crimes of passion, adultery, extra-marital activities, cuckoldry - call it what you will but there's no denying that illicit affairs and infidelity is a prevalent theme in literature. The way that authors portray marital unfaithfulness extends from the predictable unhappily married couples to love triangles and the murderous plotting of injured spouses.

Some of the most famous stories ever written are centered on the theme of unhappy people struggling to find love at whatever cost. An excellent example of this popular storyline is Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy which is considered by some to be the greatest novel ever written. The story focuses on Anna, the married aristocrat and socialite, and her affair with Count Vronsky. Anna eventually moves away with Vronsky but becomes increasingly paranoid about his imagined infidelity and eventually she takes her life. Madame Bovary, The Great Gatsby, Lady Chatterley's Lover all involve characters who participate in illicit affairs and extra-marital activities.

And the Winners Are . . .

Snooki, Michele Bachmann Make Worst Scientific Claims Of 2011: In its annual list of what it considers the year's worst abuses against science, the Sense About Science (SAS) campaign named reality TV star Nicole Polizzi, Republican presidential candidate Michelle Bachmann and American singer-songwriter Suzi Quatro as top offenders, with their dubious views on why the sea is salty, the risks of cervical cancer vaccines and the colon.

And Keep Off His Lawn!

ABC News: At age 96, Joe Johnson is still first in line when the bloodmobile arrives at his South Carolina retirement home. He's always eager to save lives and keep up the habit he started during his Army career.

Link via Neatorama.

Criminal Nickname of the Day

'Bumcrack bandit' woman suspect in two latest shootings on Gold Coast

Cheetah Update

The Associated Press: Evidence casts doubt on claimed 'Cheetah' death

Forgotten Music -- Robert Mitchum, Singer

Robert Mitchum is, of course well remembered as an actor in such great noir films as Out of the Past, but he had other talents, too. Some might say that singing wasn't one of them, but not me. Not only did he write (along with Joe Gall's creator, James Atlee Phillips) the screenplay, he also wrote and sang the title song for the movie Thunder Road. He even did a calypso album. Check 'em out.

49th Parallel

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

I'm Sure You'll All Agree with the Choices

The Hollywood Reporter: Landmark films from John Cassavetes, Howard Hawks, Billy Wilder and George Pal join Bambi and Forrest Gump as the latest cinematic treasures to enter the National Film Registry, the Library of Congress announced Wednesday.

Sam Rivers, R. I. P.

NY Daily News: Sam Rivers, a legendary jazz saxophonist who threw raucous jam sessions in his west Village loft, died of pneumonia in Orlando on Monday. He was 88.

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Song of the Day

Happy 90th Birthday to Johnny Otis!

The 20 classic films children should see

The 20 classic films children should see

Today's Vintage Ad

AbeBooks’ Most Expensive Sales in 2011

AbeBooks: AbeBooks’ Most Expensive Sales in 2011: It was a bumper year for rare bookselling. The combined total of AbeBooks’ top 10 most expensive sales during 2011 is $220,330. The November sale of Karl Marx’s Das Kapital for $51,739 was the year’s most significant transaction on AbeBooks and one that sparked many wry smiles.

Shadows of Sherlock

Shadows of Sherlock: Analogs of the Detective in SF

Link via SF Signal.

Don't Go Near the Water

Pictures of the day: 28 December 2011 - Telegraph: This is the ferocious 'Ball Cutter' fish which has killed two men by biting off their testicles. A British angler has told how he snared a predator known to feast on the testicles of men. Jeremy Wade, 53, spent weeks fishing in remote Papua New Guinea after locals told him how a mysterious beast was castrating young men in the area's waters. He finally caught the perpetrator: the Pacu fish, known locally as The Ball Cutter. Jeremy wrestled the 40lb monster on the floor of his boat and opened its snapping jaws with his bare hands to discover a set of human-like teeth.

Photo at the link.

Croc Update (Extra Legs Edition)

What's On Xiamen: A crocodile in Nanshun Crocodile Park, Jimei District has been born with six legs, reports Xiamen Daily.

Photo at the link.

PaperBack


Clifford D. Simak, Time is the Simplest Thing, Crest, 1962



Searching for Bigfoot in Texas


Searching for Bigfoot in Texas

Croc Update (And Keep Off His Lawn! Edition)

Cranky croc steals Aussie zoo worker's lawn mower

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Protect Your Books Through Proper Shelving Techniques

Protect Your Books (and Your Marriage) Through Proper Shelving Techniques

The 25 Most Powerful Songs of the Past 25 Years

The 25 Most Powerful Songs of the Past 25 Years

Today's Western Movie Poster

Top 100 most dangerous places to live in the USA

Top 100 most dangerous places to live in the USA

Something to Look Forward To

Tracey Gold To Star In Syfy's 'Arachnoquake': "Growing Pains" star Tracey Gold will star in Syfy's "Arachnoquake." In the new original TV movie, Gold will battle some enormous anthropods alongside Bug Hall, Edward Furlong and Ethan Phillips.

In "Arachnoquake," a string of earthquakes unleash giant -- and ancient -- albino spiders. The spiders then go on a murderous rampage through New Orleans.

Free e-Book!

The Education of a Pulp Writer: FREE for five days!!: FREE for five days!!
FREE for five days!! ADVENTURES OF CASH LARAMIE AND GIDEON MILES, VOL. II.

The NOIR WESTERN collection that has garnered twenty-three Amazon 5-stars is now FREE for a limited time.

Cheetah, R. I. P.

The Raw Story: Cheetah, a chimpanzee said to have performed in the “Tarzan” films of the 1930s, has died at the age of 80, according to the Florida sanctuary where he lived.

Hat tip to Jeff Segal.

Johnny Allegro

JOHNNY ALLEGRO 1949 TRAILER GEORGE RAFT - YouTube:

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Sean Bonniwell, R. I. P.

Rock Edition: Sean Bonniwell, frontman for cult garage psych band The Music Machine, has passed away at age 71.

Song of the Day

Top 10 Sci-Fi Movies Of 2011

Top 10 Sci-Fi Movies Of 2011

Link via SF Signal.

Today's Vintage Ad

Great Theaters of Houston's Past

Downtown's movie palaces just a memory

Pedro Armendariz Jr., R. I. P.

iWon News: Mexican character actor Pedro Armendariz Jr. died Monday at the age of 71. There was no immediate confirmation of the cause of death.

Armendariz was best known for playing sly, sometimes cynical characters he endowed with wit and charisma. Armendariz played Gov. Riley in the 2005 movie "The Legend of Zoro," and had roles in 1989's "Old Gringo" and "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" in 2003.

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Thanks, but I'll Pass on the Sweats

Study: Sugary snacks may help ailing stomach after heavy meal: The next time you’re in pain after a huge holiday meal, eating a few sweats may actually cure your ailing stomach.

Roll Out the Barrel

Things You Probably Didn't Know About Niagara Falls

PaperBack


Damon Runyon, The Best of Damon Runyon, edited by E. C. Bentley, Pocket Books Armed Services Edition




Most Searched for Terms in 2011

Facebook and YouTube in Hitwise's top 10 most searched-for terms 2011

2011: The year in extreme weather

2011: The year in extreme weather | HLNtv.com: 12 disasters in 2011 each caused more than $1 billion in damage

Rare events include EF5 tornadoes hitting Missouri and Alabama and Hurricane Irene threatening New York City

Dr. Shakespeare?

What’s up, Doc, or should I ask Shakespeare?: A retired gastroenterologist in Somerset, Dr. Kenneth Heaton, has concluded that if doctors knew their Shakespeare better, they would order fewer unnecessary (and expensive) tests for symptoms of psychological origin: for no one ever described or understood those symptoms better than Shakespeare.

Today's Western Movie Poster

I Report, You Decide

Does this finger, long guarded by Himalayan monks, prove Yetis DO exist?

8 Crazy "As Seen On TV" Products

8 Crazy "As Seen On TV" Products

I'm Sure You'll All Agree

50 Movies That Are Better Than The Book

Overlooked Movies -- I Married a Monster from Outer Space

"They're not human, but they want human women!"

Okay, so that line doesn't appear on any of the posters for this movie, but it pretty well sums things up. The question is, however, why do they want human women? I'm not telling, but I'll let you in on a couple of things, one of which is that what we have here is another of those '50s movies in which the aliens are taking over the bodies of the locals. After Gloria Talbot marries Tom Tryon, she notices that he's not quite the same guy he was before they married. She eventually finds out that his appearance has been duplicated by one of the aliens who doesn't look at all like him.

Sound familiar? It was a common theme in '50s SF movies, including the better-known Invasion of the Body Snatchers. This movie is almost as good as that one, and if you haven't seen it, it's well worth a look. Tom Tryon starred, and he went on to have a successful career as a writer than as an actor, with novels like Harvest Home and The Other that sold a ton back when they were published. Now I suppose they qualify as forgotten books.

I Married a Monster from Outer Space

Monday, December 26, 2011

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Several Fights Reported At Mall Of America : Witnesses said the fights started after there were reports that rappers Lil’ Wayne and Drake were visiting the Mall.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Man accused of trying to kill wife over excessive Facebook use

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Lady Stabs Her Mother With A Bread Knife After Watching A History Channel Special About The 2012 End Of The World Mayan Prophecy

"Tis the Season

Man stabbed to death during post-Christmas rush in London

A Visit from Seepy Benton

Judy and I just had a nice visit with Seepy Benton and his lovely wife, Susan. Not to mention Chole the Underdog. Seepy entertained us with a few songs, accompanying himself on the classical guitar. A good way to spend an hour or so on the day after Christmas.

Song of the Day

Today's Vintage Ad

7 Physical Mutations That Helped Famous Careers | Cracked.com

7 Physical Mutations That Helped Famous Careers

The 6 Most Secretly Racist Classic Children's Books | Cracked.com

The 6 Most Secretly Racist Classic Children's Books

PaperBack


L. T. Woodward, M. D. (Robert Silverberg), The Deceivers, Beacon, 1962




Ten tech items you won't be needing anymore

Ten tech items you won't be needing anymore

No Comment Department

Man shot as people pass around loaded gun: A Rock Island man was shot in his lower right leg and ankle when a loaded 12-gauge shotgun, which several people were passing around inside a house and posing with for pictures, discharged and struck him, Moline police said.

11 Odd & Occasionally Ugly Snow Globes Of Texas

11 Odd & Occasionally Ugly Snow Globes Of Texas

Today's Western Movie Poster

Jumbo Shrimp!

Giant shrimp raises big concern as it invades the Gulf

Not That There's Anything Wrong with That

Mail Online: A Nevada brothel owner is to open a Sci-Fi themed hooker house for men who want to bed women from out of this world.

Dennis Hof's newest Southern Nevada business venture, The Area 51 Alien Cathouse, will see him reopen a rundown brothel with a new science fiction theme promising potential customers 'girls from another planet'.

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Jimmy Hoffa Update

Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa 'was buried in cement at General Motors' HQ'

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Woman accused of punching Walmart greeter: Patterson said Simmons is accused of punching and knocking down Suozzi at 11:23 a.m. after the employee asked Simmons to see receipts for items the customer was carrying in store bags. After hitting Suozzi, Simmons ran out of the store, but employees and customers quickly surrounded her until police arrived.

The Way We Were

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Free eBook. Five Days Only.

Fast and funny. And you can't beat free!

Amazon.com: Dead Space (Charlie Willis) eBook: Lee Goldberg: Kindle Store

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . . .

Ohio man arrested after bad karaoke performance

Hat tip to Art Sott.

Santa Claus Plays "Jingle Bells" with the Colt 1911

Link via Neatorama.

16 Other People Born On Christmas Day

16 Other People Born On Christmas Day

Song of the Day

A Texas Christmas Story

Texan Will Rest Christmas Card For First Time In 61 Years

Blasted Heath Publishing Is Having a Sale

Just search for "Blasted Heath" on Amazon. Or if that's too hard, click here.

Today's Vintage Ad

I Suspect Carl Barks Was Involved

5 Amazing Things Invented by Donald Duck (Seriously)

PaperBack


Charles Addams, Homebodies, Pocket Books, 1965




10 Significant Events Falling on December 25

10 Significant Events Falling on December 25: Most of us know December 25 by one name – Christmas. We all know the story of Christmas, but most of us don’t know when the first Christmas was celebrated. Today, the world as we know it grids to a halt on Christmas day, shops and restaurants all close down. It is a day of peace and tranquility, yet a time of great joy, for many. However, it was not always like that. I have created a list of a few significant events, some joyful and sprit raising, others sad and astonishing, that happened on the day we have come to know solely as “Christmas”. This list is in Chronological order, all dates are AD.

Today's Western Movie Poster

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Miami Police: Man fatally stabbed after asking neighbor to turn down music

10 Un-Merry Christmas Movies You Should Watch

10 Un-Merry Christmas Movies You Should Watch

10 Christmas Movie Landmarks You Can Actually Visit

10 Christmas Movie Landmarks You Can Actually Visit

A Very Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday Season to All!


Love Story

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Free e-Books!

Paul Bishop has a couple of books going for free right now. Both great stuff, and if you have a Kindle, this is a no-brainer. Grab 'em. One is Penalty Shot, and the other is Croaker: Kill Me Again.

Robert Easton, R. I. P.

latimes.com: Robert Easton, a character actor whose command of a vast array of foreign and American regional accents led to a flourishing second career as a dialect coach to Hollywood stars such as Charlton Heston and Anne Hathaway, has died. He was 81.

Hat tip to Doc Quatermass.

Song of the Day

Today's Vintage Ad

Christmas 2011 Marathons and Specials

Christmas 2011 Marathons and Specials

PaperBack


Herbert L. Moore, Hayseed, Vega, 1962




50 Reasons Texas Is the Best State in America

50 Reasons Texas Is the Best State in America

Starting the New Year Off Right

Updated Blood and Thunder Portends Good Start to 2012 for Robert E. Howard Fans

Today's Western Movie Poster

The 10 Best Memoirs of 2011

The 10 Best Memoirs of 2011

The 10 Best Online Retailers

The 10 Best Online Retailers (Not Named Amazon.com)

The 10 Worst Online Retailers

The 10 Worst Online Retailers

And Keep Off Her Lawn!

Santa Cruz woman thwarts mugger, hands him bag of dog poop

Yentl

Friday, December 23, 2011

And Keep Off Her Lawn!

NBC-2.com WBBH News: A 90-year-old woman, attacked by an alligator, is finally home with her family.

Margaret Webb almost lost her life, but the woman friends describe as "a fighter" is proving the alligator and the road to recovery were no match for her. Her return home is a Christmas gift, come early.

Don Sharp, R. I. P.

NYTimes.com: Don Sharp, a veteran film director who had never watched a horror movie until Hammer Films — the English studio described, usually admiringly, as dripping cinematic blood — enlisted him in the mid-1960s to help revivify its presentation of Gothic terror, died on Sunday. He was 89.

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Paging Jeff Meyerson

NY Daily News: An illegal wolf-dog was found Tuesday roaming the wilds of Brooklyn.

Song of the Day

No Comment Department

NJ man who overdosed at party to get $4M : Simon sued the pharmacy for not taking proper precautions to avoid theft of drugs. He also sued the party's host and his parents, along with several guests.

Or Maybe Not

You Forgot Already: A 2011 Quiz

Makes Sense to Me

Man buys beer, robs bank, returns to bar

Today's Vintage Ad

About a Zillion Lists I'm Not On

Best mystery/crime fiction lists collected

A Travel Guide to Prehistoric Places in North America

Geology NewsA Travel Guide to Prehistoric Places in North America

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

WAFF.com: Black Eye Friday: Shoppers throw punches over new Air Jordans

7 Ridiculous Origins of Everyday Words

7 Ridiculous Origins of Everyday Words
Donald E. Westlake, The Smashers (The Mercenaries), Dell, 1962     

                             

Cola Enforcement Agency

Cola Enforcement Agency

I'm Sure You'll All Agree

Who Played It Better: 10 Literary Roles Filled by Multiple Actors

Amazon Deal of the Day!

Amazon.com: The Kindle Daily Deal: Kindle Daily Deal: "The Dead Man" Books 1-5

Today only, the first five books in Lee Goldberg and William Rabkin's "Dead Man" series--original short novels that blend the horror of Stephen King with the action of classic adventure novels--are just $0.99 each (67% off yesterday's price).
Yesterday's Price: $2.99
Today's Discount: $2.00

Kindle Daily Deal Price: $0.99 (67% off)

Today's Western Movie Poster

And It's Not a Fruitcake!

'Oldest' Christmas cake celebrates 100th year: What might be the oldest Christmas cake in the U.S. just marked its 100th anniversary, the Star Tribune in Minneapolis tells us.

The petrified, two-layer, 7-inch cake, baked just before Christmas 1911, was discovered in a closet in 1992 before an estate sale. Pierre Girard, of Golden Valley, Minn., thinks it's spice, because of a "faint fragrance," the newspaper writes.

19 Outstanding Words You Should Be Working Into Conversation

19 Outstanding Words You Should Be Working Into Conversation

Five Christmas Movies With Inadvertently Terrible Messages

Five Christmas Movies With Inadvertently Terrible Messages

The War on Christmas Rages in Portugal

X-rated Christmas email wishing staff 'good sex' gets police chief suspended

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Forgotten Books: My Best Science Fiction Story -- Edited by Leo Margulies & Oscar J. Friend

Is anyone but old guys like me interested in the history of certain genres these days? I've seen blog posts from whippersnappers who don't have any interest at all in reading the older books in their area of interest.  I can understand, however, since I have little interest in reading the newer ones.

But for somebody who does care about the history of SF, this would seem to be an essential book. It's fun because of the stories, of course, but each writer provides a short introduction to explain why a particular story was picked for the collection. (My favorite line in these is the final one in Henry Kuttner's intro: "Anyway, my wife wrote it.")

You have to wonder, considering the date of the collection (1949) if the writers would have chosen different stories later on in their careers. Too bad they're not around to ask. Cheap copies abound around the Internet, so why not pick one up an give it a try. See if you agree with the authors' choices.

In Which We Serve

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Ranked: Every Saturday Night Live Cast Member Ever, From Worst to Best

Ranked: Every Saturday Night Live Cast Member Ever, From Worst to Best

Hat tip to Todd Mason.

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


Free to Amazon Prime members for a limited time!


Amazon.com: The Dead Walked Book 1: Outbreak eBook: Vincent Stark: Kindle Store: Some said it was viral.
Others claimed it was an act of God.


Either way the result was the same and the dead walked.


September was her favourite time of the year, and late September, when the autumn was just preparing to hand over to winter, when there was still a residue of the late summer warmth in the air, as well as the crisp promise of the iciness to come, had always been, as far as Missy was concerned, the finest chunk of that particular month.


Not for her was the spectacle of high summer, nor the morose beauty of mid winter. Of course they both had their fineries but these paled next to the season when the leaves glittered with reflected sunlight. It was the autumn, with September being the highlight of that season, which she loved – a time when nature put on its finest display as the lush summer growth was magically transformed.


The sky itself seemed to glow at this time of year.


September was a time of promise.


A time of rebirth.


Not this September, though.


This September, Missy would remember as, the time the dead walked.