Saturday, October 22, 2011
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
Amazon.com: Dead on the Island (Truman Smith Private Eye) eBook: Bill Crider: Kindle Store: Anthony Award winner Crider introduces private investigator Truman (Tru) Smith in this promising start of a series. Having returned to his native Galveston, Tex., to try--unsuccessfully--to find his missing sister, Tru spends his days reading Faulkner and running. His old friend Dino disrupts his solitude when he asks Tru to locate Sharon Matthews, whose mother had worked in one of the string of whorehouses run by Dino's uncles when they controlled Galveston in the days of wide-open morality. At first Tru thinks the girl ran away after she discovered her mother's past. But when he finds Sharon's boyfriend murdered and then is beaten up outside a Houston nightclub, Tru begins to fear for Sharon's safety. The disclosure of a vital secret by Dino leads Tru to dig into his own and Dino's pasts to find the answers for several crucial questions. Crider ( Too Late to Die ) has created another well-drawn protagonist, this time a moody, introspective PI in the finest tradition, who works in a seamy city smoldering with old and dangerous secrets.
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .
WTKR: A man armed with a machete and a can of gasoline was taken into custody after he showed up at a Chesapeake medical center demanding test results.
Gumby Robber Update
Man dressed as Gumby in alleged burglary charged: A man who allegedly tried to rob a San Diego 7-Eleven store while wearing a Gumby suit has been charged with misdemeanor burglary.
Hat tip to Art Scott.
Three Stooges FAQ -- David J. Hogan
This is a massive tome, nearly 400 pages of small print, that covers everything you could possibly want to know about the Three Stooges. Every short is examined, and at the end of the book there's a comprehensive filmography with each short (all 190 of them) rated with from 1 to 4 stars. There are lots of photos throughout, and there are occasional sidebars that give detailed info about various co-starts from the shorts.I'm not a Three Stooges expert, but I loved the shorts when I was a kid, and I've seen some of them several times since. The book brings back a lot of memories. I don't know if there are any errors. It all sounds right to me, and if you're at all interested in the Stooges or film history, you really need this book. I can't imagine one that covers the boys in more detail. Highly recommended.
Happy Birthday, Joan Fontaine!
Joan Fontaine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland (born October 22, 1917), known professionally as Joan Fontaine, is a British American actress. She and her elder sister Olivia de Havilland are two of the last surviving leading ladies from Hollywood of the 1930s.Fontaine is the only actor to have won an Academy Award for a performance in a film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Suspicion.
Update from Lynn Munroe
A few delays on my 2011 catalog on George Ziel, but I still plan to have it online before the end of the year.
In the meantime I've added 2011 updates to the Charles Copeland checklist and the Paul Rader checklist.
Best of all, I've updated our Reed Nightstand checklist to show most of the books we were missing when that list originally appeared.
If you're interested, check out the changes at
Friday, October 21, 2011
No Comment Department
Authorities arrest man for having sex in SC museum: Miller told the newspaper in an email Thursday, "What can I say, I get around."
Barry Feinstein, R. I. P.
Herald-Dispatch Nation/World: AP Coverage: Photographer Barry Feinstein, who captured behind-the-scenes images from rock's golden age and shot iconic album covers for Bob Dylan and George Harrison, died in upstate New York on Thursday. He was 80.
[. . . .]
Feinstein's best known images include the picture of a skinny, side-glancing Dylan on the cover of 1964's "The Times They Are A-Changin'" and of Harrison sitting among garden gnomes on his 1970 solo album, "All Things Must Pass."
[. . . .]
Feinstein's best known images include the picture of a skinny, side-glancing Dylan on the cover of 1964's "The Times They Are A-Changin'" and of Harrison sitting among garden gnomes on his 1970 solo album, "All Things Must Pass."
The Dead Man is Coming
The Dead Man is Coming - A Writer's Life: The big relaunch of THE DEAD MAN series, and the kick-off of Amazon's new 47North imprint, is coming on Oct 24 . . . !
Pass Me That Tinfoil Hat, Please
Air Force UFO Rules Vanish After Huffington Post Inquiry: The military deleted a passage about unidentified flying objects from a 2008 Air Force personnel manual just days after The Huffington Post asked Pentagon officials about the purpose of the UFO section.
American Hoggers
Naturally I watched American Hoggers on A&E. How could I not? It's about a family from Brown County (where I lived for 12 years) who hunt wild hogs for a living. If you've read my book (that's it on the left, and if you haven't read it, why not?), you know that millions of feral pigs are running rampant over the state of Texas and that people are desperate to get rid of them. Some of those desperate people hire the Campbells.The Campbells are Jerry Campbell, the father; his daughter, Krystal "Pistol" Campbell; his son, Robert Hunter Campbell; and Leah Penick, an unofficial family member.
The Campbells hunt on horseback and jeepback. They use dogs. Things don't end well for the hogs, so PETA probably doesn't endorse this show. Blood is spilled. Hogs are hogtied. Hogs die.
The episodes are scripted, sort of. The first one has a bit of a "lost dog" plot, and the second has a "new vs. old" plot. I guess they had to do this because you might get tired of the hunting part, which involves a lot of, well, hunting. There are a lot of scenes of people piling on hogs and hogtying them.
The funniest part of the show is that they feel they need subtitles for Jerry Campbell's dialogue. Judy and I understood every word he said.
The show's okay, but what I think is that they should have filmed my book.
We Demand to Know the Air Date!
EW.com: You know you want to see it. Here’s a shot of the model for Syfy’s latest mad science hybrid creature: Piranhaconda! Half piranha, half anaconda.
Photo at the link.
Forgotten Books: City -- Clifford Simak
When I was a kid just starting out as a read of SF of all kinds, Clifford Simak's City was one of my favorite books. It was composed of previously published short stories, and one of those, "Desertion," knocked me for a loop. It remains one of my very favorite stories and has perhaps my favorite last line of any story ever. If I were to make a list of my favorite SF writers, Simak would be in the top 5.
I've said all this before, of course. City was the subject of my very first "forgotten books column." That was back in 2008, and I'm revisiting it here because I just read Robert Silverberg's intro to it in the Easton Press edition, thanks to a mention at SF Signal. It's a wonderful essay, not just on City but on Simak as well. Here's the link, and I highly recommend it as the one of the best things you'll read today about a forgotten book: Clifford Simak's City. I hope you'll check it out.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Criminal Genius of the Day
kgw.com Portland: A North Portland home was raided Tuesday after fliers throughout the neighborhood advertised drug sales at the address, police said.
Want to Chip in and Help an Independent Filmmaker?
Curse of the Phantom Shadow by Mark Ross — Kickstarter: The year is 1948 and the United States has a new enemy, The Phantom Shadow. This dark figure has diabolical plans for captured scientist, Dr. Hammond, and his War Department weapons of mass destruction. Upon the Phantom Shadow launching a treacherous missile attack on key locations in the United States, the government takes action.
Seepy Can Do this in his Head
Short Sharp Science: Epic pi quest sets 10 trillion digit record: A pair of pi enthusiasts have calculated the largest chunk of the mathematical constant yet, reaching just over 10 trillion digits. Alexander Yee and Shigeru Kondo, respectively a computer scientist in the US and a systems engineer in Japan, fought hard-drive failures and narrowly missed widespread technical disruptions due to the Japan earthquake to break their previous Guinness world record of 5 trillion digits.
Piri Thomas, R. I. P.
NYTimes.com: Piri Thomas, the writer and poet whose 1967 memoir, “Down These Mean Streets,” chronicled his tough childhood in Spanish Harlem and the outlaw years that followed and became a classic portrait of ghetto life, died on Monday at his home in El Cerrito, Calif. He was 83.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Barbara Kent, R. I. P.
NYTimes.com: Barbara Kent, one of the last surviving stars of silent films, who performed alongside Gloria Swanson, Greta Garbo and Harold Lloyd, died last Thursday in Palm Desert, Calif. She was 103.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Halloween Is Coming
Mail Online: Judging by some of these costumes, it is perhaps fortunate that Halloween only comes round once a year.
New Discussion at Top Suspense Group
There are four short essays on the topic. You should read 'em all, but especially mine. And leave a comment, too.
Epistolary Fiction
Stories Told Via Letters, Diaries & Journals on AbeBooks: Epistolary fiction is a popular genre where the narrative is told via a series of documents. You have almost certainly read one of these books. Letters are the most common basis for epistolary novels but diary entries are also popular. The word epistolary comes from Latin where epistola means a letter.
In the days before emails and text messages, letters were an essential part of everyday life and it was only natural for authors to embrace this form of communication.
This genre became very popular in the 18th century. Samuel Richardson wrote two successful epistolary novels – Pamela in 1740 and Clarissa in 1749. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s The Sorrows of Young Werther was another important example in 1774. The History of Emily Montague (1769) by Frances Brooke is another 18th century novel of this type. Epistolary fiction become so widespread that Henry Fielding parodied Pamela with a novel called Shamela in 1741.
In the days before emails and text messages, letters were an essential part of everyday life and it was only natural for authors to embrace this form of communication.
This genre became very popular in the 18th century. Samuel Richardson wrote two successful epistolary novels – Pamela in 1740 and Clarissa in 1749. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s The Sorrows of Young Werther was another important example in 1774. The History of Emily Montague (1769) by Frances Brooke is another 18th century novel of this type. Epistolary fiction become so widespread that Henry Fielding parodied Pamela with a novel called Shamela in 1741.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Norman Corwin, R. I. P.
latimes.com: Norman Corwin, the legendary writer, director and producer of original radio plays for CBS during the golden age of radio in the 1930s and '40s when he was revered as the "poet of the airwaves," has died. He was 101.
Archaeology Update
BBC News: The UK mainland's first fully intact Viking boat burial site has been uncovered in the west Highlands, archaeologists have said.
Croc Update (Hoax Edition)
CNNGo.com: Fake crocodile prompts tourism scare on world's 'most dangerous' beach
What’s in a Name? Mystery Subgenres Explained
What’s in a Name? Mystery Subgenres Explained: The panorama of today’s mystery offerings can be bewildering, given the myriad categories and classifications. Definitions inevitably provoke debate, but researchers often turn to the work of critics and scholars such as Jon L. Breen, Howard Haycraft, H. R. F. Keating, and Julian Symons for help in painting the landscape. What follows below can serve as a starting point in understanding the many variations of the mystery form.
Link via The Bunburyist.
Louisiana Leads the Way
Acadiana's News Leader: House bill 195 basically says those who buy and sell second hand goods cannot use cash to make those transactions, and it flew so far under the radar most businesses don't even know about it.
[. . . .]
Besides non-profit resellers like Goodwill, and garage sales, the language of the bill encompasses stores like the Pioneer Trading Post and flea markets.
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
Amazon.com: Dead Man's Revenge (Rancho Diablo) eBook: Colby Jackson: Kindle Store: Western action explodes as Sam Blaylock fights to save Rancho Diablo. Has a dead man returned to take revenge against Sam, or is there something more human at work? Even the law doesn't seem to be on Sam's side as he takes on enemies that strike in the night.DEADMAN'S REVENGE is the third volume in the exciting Rancho Diablo series.
Those Were the Days, My Friend
I Heart Chaos — Forty four years ago, Abbie Hoffman and Allen Ginsberg tried to exorcise the Pentagon: Forty four years ago this Friday, on October 21, 1967, 70,000 peaceful and very enthusiastic demonstrators gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial on the D.C. Mall to protest the war in Vietnam, among whom were Abbie Hoffman, Allen Ginsberg and The Fugs. In addition to protesting the war, the poets, pranksters and musicians had come to the Pentagon to levitate it. Fug member, wordslinger and alchemist Ed Sanders had prepared a magical incantation that would exorcise (exorgasm) the Pentagon and then lift it high into the air.
Here's the Plot for Your Next Purple Drank Thriller
Houston Chronicle: Federal authorities say they have cracked a ring that banked at least $10 million and used its own renegade pharmacies to purchase 97,000 pints of prescription-strength cough syrup and smuggle them from California to Houston to make a deadly potion wildly popular in the hip-hop�world.
The syrup used in "Purple Drank" goes for $300 to $600 a pint on the streets of Houston, and was enough to provide at least 1.5 million doses, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
The syrup used in "Purple Drank" goes for $300 to $600 a pint on the streets of Houston, and was enough to provide at least 1.5 million doses, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Amarillo Globe-News: Somewhere in the heavens above Amarillo, angry shouts rang out from the back of Southwest Airlines Flight 3683.
“You’re all going to die,” a man dressed in black screamed at passengers Tuesday afternoon. “You’re all going to hell. Allahu Akbar,” translated as God is great in Arabic.
“You’re all going to die,” a man dressed in black screamed at passengers Tuesday afternoon. “You’re all going to hell. Allahu Akbar,” translated as God is great in Arabic.
Is This a Great Country, or What?
LimeLife: Just when you thought KFC couldn't make it any easier to shovel cheese and fried chicken into your mouth, that resourcefu Colonel Sanders has found a way. Oh, and just for an extra kick, he added bacon to it. Introducing the new Cheesy Bacon Bowl from Kentucky Fried Chicken, because apparently bacon fixes everything.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
The Senate Already Has Unlimited Potatoes
News from The Associated Press: Senate votes for unlimited potatoes in schools
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .
San Francisco Examiner: A San Francisco man will be arraigned Tuesday on charges that he attacked his brother with a cordless power drill during an argument over a busted door lock last weekend.
Patti Abbott's Flash Fiction Challenge
pattinase: Flash Fiction Challenge: Reginald Marsh's New York
Two stories can be found at the link, and there are links to all the other stories in the challenge. Check 'em out.
No Comment Department
an SFGate.com blog: Wordsmiths over at the Oxford English Dictionary say “cassette tape” has been removed from the pages of its Concise edition to make room for words such as retweet and cyberbullying, USA Today reported earlier this month. (Note: The word will remain in the unabridged version.)
Hat tip to Art Scott.
So What Have We Learned from This?
Psychology Today: These researchers set up the same scenario again, except this time the students who were approached were female, and the students doing the propositioning were male. How many women do you think said yes? (Keep in mind that this involved average-looking male students approaching good-looking female students.)
None of them did.
Another study asked college men and women how many lifetime sexual partners they would ideally like to have [2]. The average of the men's responses was more than 60, and the average of the women's responses was 2.7.
None of them did.
Another study asked college men and women how many lifetime sexual partners they would ideally like to have [2]. The average of the men's responses was more than 60, and the average of the women's responses was 2.7.
Bohemian Books
AbeBooks: Bohemian Books: The term Bohemian is somewhat vague and often misused. It refers to living an alternative lifestyle that is usually artistic. Writers, musicians, actors and artists have traditionally made up this untraditional group. Numerous Bohemian communities have existed around the world and attracted creative types looking to devote time to their passion rather than the 9-to-5 lifestyle of average Joes.
New York’s Greenwich Village, London’s Soho and Chelsea, and Paris’ Montmartre and Montparnasse are just some of the famous ‘Boho’ districts. There have been periods of time when it was possible to visit Greenwich or Soho and see budding writers scribbling in every cafe. An anthropologist would describe Bohemianism as a subculture.
New York’s Greenwich Village, London’s Soho and Chelsea, and Paris’ Montmartre and Montparnasse are just some of the famous ‘Boho’ districts. There have been periods of time when it was possible to visit Greenwich or Soho and see budding writers scribbling in every cafe. An anthropologist would describe Bohemianism as a subculture.
Overlooked Films -- Home from the Hill
I've never read the William Humphrey novel on which this movie is based, though I don't know why. I love the movie, and it's been a big influence on me. Home from the Hill is a big, glossy melodrama set in East Texas. Robert Mitchum is great as the best-known and most powerful man in his small town, and Eleanor Parker is his beautiful wife who's locked him out of the bedroom for many years because of his unfaithful ways. George Hamilton and George Peppard get their first big roles as half brothers (Hamilton is Mitchum's legit son and Peppard is the wild oat), and they prove that they could really act if given the chance.
Everything about the movie is exaggerated, but it's exaggeration in the service of truth. Anybody who grew up in East Texas in the '50s will recognize the characters and situations. It's slick and soapy, but plenty of fun to watch.
As for its influence on me, the central episode of the movie is a hunt for a wild hog.
The Kingston Trio recorded the title song, and while it's really nice, it's not used in the movie for some reason.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Maybe He Just Wanted to Try on Some New Clothes
CBS Philly: Authorities say Darrell J. Coleman of Wilmington entered the Burlington Coat Factory in the University Plaza Shopping Center at about 11:20 a.m. Friday and was fully clothed. Once in the store, police say he started to remove his clothes.
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
Blurbed and recommended by yours truly.Amazon.com: Devils Nest eBook: Richard Prosch: Kindle Store: Set in 1880s Nebraska, Prosch’s stories in this collection tell of characters out where “settlements were still sparse as wild strawberries.” Prosch’s stories draw fiercely on that solitude. His knight errant on horseback, Coburn, takes trails that sometimes lead to the heart of darkness. Out here, where a villain is free to do whatever he can get away with, a man’s family may go missing and the town where they lived become a mysteriously burned and blackened ruin. --from the Introduction by Ron Scheer
There Will Always Be an England
Mail Online: A man who died from a terminal illness has been mummified like an Egyptian pharaoh for a Channel 4 show.
R.I.P., the movie camera: 1888-2011
Salon.com: Major manufacturers have ceased production of new motion picture film cameras; cinema as we once knew it is dead
I Remember When You Could Buy a Game Ticket for 5 Bucks
Warm up the geezer bus.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Georgia Leads the Way
CBS Atlanta 46: Six Flags Over Georgia hosted a live cockroach eating contest Saturday.
Croc Update (Cage of Death Edition)
ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): Repairs are being made to a cage at a Darwin crocodile park after it broke yesterday afternoon with two people inside.
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Steven Seagal hired to control U.S.-Mexico border – The Marquee Blog - CNN.com Blogs: The "Above the Law" actor was sworn in this week as a deputy with the sheriff's office in Hudspeth County, Texas. The 59-year-old, who's no stranger to law enforcement and is also trained in Aikido, will help control the U.S.-Mexico border, according to the San Antonio Express.
Hat tip to Doc Quatermass
This Will Come As No Surprise to Regular Readers of this Blog
Alligator Discovered During Illinois Drug Bust: Police acting on a search warrant of a suburban Chicago home suspected to house a marijuana-growing operation came across more than they bargained for when they discovered a 5-foot-long alligator in the home this week.
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