Saturday, May 19, 2012

Song of the Day

Mouse & The Traps A PUBLIC EXECUTION - YouTube:

Top 10 Toys In Your Closet That Could Make You Rich

Top 10 Toys In Your Closet That Could Make You Rich

Today's Vintage Ad

The 10 Essential Poets Every Student Should Encounter in School

The 10 Essential Poets Every Student Should Encounter in School

He's Looking for Some Fava Beans

Schizophrenic who beheaded and CANNIBALIZED sleeping bus rider allowed to leave mental hospital...with escort

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Are Amazon reviewers usurping the role of 'professional' critics?

Are Amazon reviewers usurping the role of 'professional' critics?

PaperBack

Peter Tremayne, Bloodright, Dell, 1980

Will the Persecution Never End?

Police called as Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan party at Hollywood home until 7am

Gator Update (You Won't Like Him When He's Angry Edition)

Video: Alligator Nearly Bites Off Scientist’s Arm


10 of the Most Exciting Stunts in Film History

10 of the Most Exciting Stunts in Film History

Modern Minimalist Covers

Flying Leap by Judy BudnitzAbeBooks: The Bare Essentials - Modern Minimalist Covers: It should come as no surprise that we love beautifully designed books at AbeBooks. The books highlighted on this page all share the same cover characteristics: minimal usage of fonts, images and graphics. Minimalism is popular in the design world and has definitely made its mark on countless book covers. Each one of these books is simple in layout but extremely effective in capturing the eye.

10 Toys Popular in 1970 and Still Popular Today

10 Toys Popular in 1970 and Still Popular Today

Archaeology Update

If the Christian Science Monitor uses "humongous" in a headline for a serious article, it must be a real word, right? As for me, I'm worried about the tiny Volkswagen-sized turtles.

Humongous Volkswagen-sized turtle fossils discovered

10 of the Most Memorable Summer Vacations on Film

10 of the Most Memorable Summer Vacations on Film

Heinlein Update

 SF Signal – A Speculative Fiction Blog: Variety is reporting that a film adaptation of Robert A. Heinlein’s short story “All You Zombies” will begin production early next year. Predestination stars Ethan Hawke and is being written and directed by written and will be directed by Michael and Peter Spierig (Daybreakers).

And Keep Off Her Lawn!

73-year-old Japanese woman scales Mount Everest

Navajo Kid

NAVAJO KID 1945 BOB STEELE TRAILER - YouTube: N

Friday, May 18, 2012

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Woman Attacks Man with Seashell, Bites Ear

Hat tip to Jeff Segal.

Surely Not

Was the Facebook Deal Overhyped?

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

The Lone Ranger Chronicles
I loved the Lone Ranger show on radio when I was a kid, and I still have my Lone Ranger Silver Saddle Ring that I got by sending in box tops and a quarter.  So it was a real pleasure to be invited to write a story for this collection.  I've read only two others, the ones by Mel Odom and James Reasoner, and they're both absolutely top-notch.  The collection is worth buying for those two stories alone. Highly recommended!

Amazon.com: The Lone Ranger Chronicles Limited Hardcover Edition (9781936814220): James Reasoner, Johnny D. Boggs, Ruben Procopio: Books: The First Ever Collection of New Lone Ranger Prose Stories! The masked ex-Texas Ranger and his Native American companion Tonto fight injustice in the Wild West! Stories include meetings with The Cisco Kid, Wyatt Earp, and Doc Holliday, as well as the origin of Tonto and the origin of Silver! Authors include Spur Award-winner Johnny D Boggs, James Reasoner, Alex Award-winner Mel Odom, Anthony Award-winner Bill Crider, Matthew Baugh, Tim Lasiuta, Joe Gentile, Paul Kupperberg, Denny O''Neil, Kent Conwell, David McDonald, Thom Brannon, Troy D. Smith, Chick Dixon, and Richard Dean Starr. This limited edition hardcover includes an exclusive bonus: "75 years of the Lone Ranger"

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

And get a rope!

MyFoxHouston: The mother of a 13-year-old Ortiz Middle School student said her daughter was arrested for having half of a prescription ibuprofen tablet.

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

abc13.com: Houston has been named the most frugal city in the country, thanks to coupon-savvy Houstonians.

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Man dies in the middle of a lap dance at a strip club

Hat tip to Michael Bracken.

Song of the Day

Leon Russell -- Back to the Island - YouTube:

New Story at Fires on the Plain

“A Lady’s Pistol” by Chuck Caruso | Fires on the Plain

New Blog of Note

Knees Calhoon's Midnight Ramble is the latest from Fender Tucker, publisher, writer, raconteur, and musician (among other things).  The blog features a new song by Knees Calhoon each day, and all you have to do is click on the title of the song to hear it.  Each one will put a smile on your face and a song in your heart. Or a song on your face and a smile in your heart. Take your pick.  Highly recommended.

Today's Vintage Ad

Seepy Benton Might Disagree

1 1 = 3: Ken Burns on What Makes a Great Story: How stories keep the wolf from the door and why math has no place in storytelling.

PaperBack

Evangeline Walton, Prince of Annwn, Ballantine, 1974

If You See the Mugshots, I Won't Have to Warn You about Keeping off Their Lawn

Allegan puppy mill folks get jail time, are barred from owning animals

Interview with Bruce DeSilva

SONS OF SPADE: Background Check on: Cliff Walk (Liam Mulligan) by Bruce DeSilva

6 Ridiculous Lies You Believe About the Founding of America

6 Ridiculous Lies You Believe About the Founding of America

10 of the Worst Box Office Hits of All-Time

10 of the Worst Box Office Hits of All-Time

The 10 best historical novels

The 10 best historical novels

Top 10 Reasons Why Canada Is The Best Governed Country In The World

Top 10 Reasons Why Canada Is The Best Governed Country In The World

And Keep Off Her Lawn!

World's Oldest Yoga Teacher Still Going Strong At 93

The Fiends!

The Nazis’ Chocolate Bomb

Forgotten Books: The Tough Die Hard aka The Echoing Shore -- Robert Martin

Robert Martin wrote some fine medium-boiled private-eye novels early in his career, and though the later ones weren't as good (at least to me), I read them all. I'd never read this book, however. It's a mystery, but not a p.i. novel. As you can see from the cover blurb, it has one of those women that you find in noir tales, the kind that no man can resist, even a nice guy like Nick, the narrator of this novel.

The woman's name is Ann, and she soon dumps Nick for a very rich man, the kind she's really interested in. She marries the rich guy. Later on, Nick goes to a lake cabin to fish. Who should be staying in another cabin not too far away but Ann and her husband? And who winds up dead the next morning? I don't think I'm spoiling anything by telling you it's hubby.

But Nick didn't kill him, even though he was killed by Nick's fishing knife. Nick's arrested and tossed in jail. The frame is tight, but the tough die hard. See how I worked that in? Clever, right? Anyway, it really has little to do with the book, but it's probably more likely to encourage an impulse buy than The Echoing Shore. It's well written, but not overly suspenseful. I think most of you will know very well who the killer is. Still, I enjoyed it, and I'm glad I got around to reading it after all these years.

There's a fine, touching essay on Martin and his work by Bill Pronzini here. Two other excellent essays, one by Jim Felton and one by Gary Warren Niebuhr, are here. Jeff Pierce of The Rap Sheet weighs in here. All four essays are highly recommended.


Navajo Joe

NAVAJO JOE - TRAILER - YouTube:

Thursday, May 17, 2012

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

Crime Square
Check out the ToC.  A great lineup of authors.

Amazon.com: Crime Square (9781936467303): Robert J. Randisi: Books: They call it the “crossroads of the world,” and from its inception Times Square has been the pulsing heartbeat of a city filled with life. Now, in this eclectic and electrifying collection, twenty acclaimed mystery writers take readers into the past history of Times Square, where danger lurked around every corner, and where characters walked its streets with the easy confidence of a con man. Spanning over one hundred years—from its christening on April 19, 1904 to the contemporary “Disney-ized” version, Crime Square is filled with guys, dolls, booze, and bullets. With contributions by such award-winning authors like Parnell Hall, John Lutz--and a host of others--CRIME SQUARE is the ultimate collection of crime stories, set in the world’s ultimate destination.

Some Maps I'm Not On

Literary Maps of USA and Britain

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Angered By "Messed Up" McDonald's Cheeseburgers, Tennessee Duo Returns To Vandalize Eatery 

31 Amazing Photos Of Donna Summer

31 Amazing Photos Of Donna Summer

Matt Scudder Update

Liam Neeson Takes 'A Walk Among The Tombstones' In Production Deal With Exclusive Media And Cross Creek Pictures 

To Infinity . . . And Beyond!

SpaceX to launch first private space rocket on Saturday | The Raw Story

Donna Summer, R. I. P.

Donna Summer Dead -- Disco Legend Dies After Battle with Cancer | TMZ.com: Donna Summer -- the Queen of Disco -- died this morning after a battle with cancer ... TMZ has learned.

We're told Summer was in Florida at the time of her death. She was 63 years old.

Song of the Day

Sexy ways - Hank Ballard and the Midnighters - HQ - YouTube:

The Mickey Mouse Cartoon Banned in America

The Mickey Mouse Cartoon Banned in America

Today's Vintage Ad

Here's the Plot for Your Next Mysterious Skulls Thriller

Mail Online: Skulls found buried in a Florida back yard have been dated to 1200-1400 AD, authorities said today.

The skulls, of a man and ten-year-old boy, were believed to be from Peru or another region of South America almost 900 years ago.

Doug Dillard, R. I. P.

Doug Dillard Dead: Bluegrass Banjo Great Dies at 75 - The Boot: Banjo player and TV performer Doug Dillard, who gained fame for his appearances on "The Andy Griffith Show" with musical group the Dillards (known on the TV series as the "Darlings") has died following a lengthy illness. A family spokesperson tells The Boot that Dillard was taken to a Nashville emergency room on Wednesday night (May 16) and died shortly thereafter.

Hat tip to Toby O'Brien.

Have we fallen out of love with John Updike?

guardian.co.uk: Three years after John Updike's death, his reputation appears to be on the wane. But who else can match his deftness and grace?

The 6 Ballsiest Casino Cheats of All Time

The 6 Ballsiest Casino Cheats of All Time

PaperBack


James Tiptree, Jr. (Alice Hastings Bradley Sheldon), Ten Thousand Light-Years From Home, Ace, 1973




Notorious Double Agents

Second ‘Underwear Bomber,’ Kim Philby, and Other Notorious Double Agents

The Foodie's List of 100 Things to Eat Before You Die

The Foodie's List of 100 Things to Eat Before You Die

6 Iconic Scenes Ripped Off From Lesser-Known Movies

6 Iconic Scenes Ripped Off From Lesser-Known Movies

The Oldest Cars Still In Production

The Oldest Cars Still In Production

Jean Craighead George, R. I. P.

NYTimes.com: Jean Craighead George, a Newbery Award-winning writer for young people whose books brought the natural world from the Catskill Mountains to the Alaskan tundra to wild, luminous life, died on Tuesday in Mount Kisco, N.Y. She was 92.

Paging Dan Brown

The Daily Beast: Searching for the remains of a teenager missing for three decades, Italian police opened the Vatican-owned tomb of mobster Enrico De Pedis, but the boxes of bones they found interred with his corpse only deepen the mystery, . . .

The Man With Two Brains

The Man With Two Brains (1983) Trailer - YouTube:

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Oops

Minnesota hunter near Junction City mistakes buddy for turkey, shoots him - twice

Hat tip to Doc Quatermass.

Chuck Brown, R. I. P.

ABC News: Chuck Brown, who styled a unique mix of funk, soul and Latin party sounds to create go-go music in the nation's capital, has died after suffering from pneumonia. He was 75.


Brown, widely acclaimed as the "Godfather of go-go" for his pioneering sound, died Wednesday at Johns Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore. Hospital spokesman Gary Stephenson confirmed Brown had died after a hospital stay that began April 18.

Nicolas Cage As The Star Of Everything

Nicolas Cage As The Star Of Everything

Another Contest!

Blk_Orchid_M.jpgReminder
May 31 is the
Submission
Deadline
for
The Black Orchid Novella Award

[Please pass this on to anyone who might be interested.]

Call for novellas! Please submit your novella for the sixth annual Black Orchid Novella Award (BONA). We are looking for original works of fiction in the tradition of the ratiocinative detective, as exemplified by Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe. Your entry must:
  • Emphasize the deductive skills of the sleuth
  • Contain no overt sex or violence
  • Not include characters from the original series
First prize: $1,000 plus publication in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine.

Entries must be 15,000 to 20,000 words in length, and must be postmarked by May 31, 2012. The winner will be announced at The Wolfe Pack’s Annual Black Orchid Banquet in New York City, December 1, 2012.*

Please visit www.nerowolfe.org for official rules and procedures to submit your novella. For questions, contact the Awards Chair, Jane K. Cleland, jane@janecleland.net.

* If no acceptable candidates are received, AHMM and The Wolfe Pack reserve the right to declare no winner in any given year.

Rare Alternate Abbey Road Photo Up For Auction

Rare Alternate Abbey Road Photo Up For Auction

Photo at the link.

Win Big Bucks by Writing Fiction and Poetry

The New Guard - Literary Review: THE NEW GUARD 2012 CONTESTS


Our 2012 contests are open! Entry period is March 1-June 18, 2012 (postmark). Entries are $15.

And Keep Off Her Lawn!

indystar.com: How does a daring woman with a taste for adventure beat turning a couple of hot laps at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when she is 96 years old?


For Muncie resident Edith Pittenger, by going parasailing at age 100.

Free this Week for Kindle

The Grass is Always Greener and other storiesAmazon.com: The Grass is Always Greener and other stories eBook: Sandra Balzo: Kindle Store: The Grass is Always Greener
•Thou shall love thy neighbor . . . or not


Viscery
•Where abduction meets obsession


My Best Friend's Funeral
•Joe Cardigan plants people--he's the funeral planner


The Grass is Always Greener was the first short story ever written by Sandra Balzo (Maggy Thorsen Coffeehouse Mysteries and Running on Empty), yet it was picked up by Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine (March 2003) and won both the Robert L. Fish and Macavity awards for Best Short Story.


Balzo's second story, Viscery, was also published in EQMM (December 2004) and went on to win the Derringer Award and a nomination for the Macavity.


Now those edgy stories by this award-winning author, best known for her regional mysteries, are available for the first time since their original publication, bundled with an original short story, My Best Friend's Funeral.

Mike McGrady, R. I. P.

NYTimes.com: Mike McGrady, a prizewinning reporter for Newsday who to his chagrin was best known as the mastermind of one of the juiciest literary hoaxes in America — the best-selling collaborative novel “Naked Came the Stranger,” whose publication in 1969 made “Peyton Place” look like a church picnic — died on Sunday in Shelton, Wash. He was 78 and lived in Lilliwaup, Wash.

Song of the Day

Ride Captain Ride music video - YouTube:

At Least There Was No Melee . . . .

350-pound man calls police after all-you-can-eat restaurant cuts him off

What 50 Famous Authors Want Us to Know About the Writing Process

What 50 Famous Authors Want Us to Know About the Writing Process

Today's Vintage Ad

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Driver vs. driver: Stun gun, baseball bat used in Florida road-rage battle 

Croc Update (Diet Edition)

Dog, nappy and football found in Aussie croc

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Man arrested for throwing Bible at roomie

Problem Solved

News - Home: The Board of Education decided in an emergency meeting Tuesday to lower the passing grade on the writing portion of Florida's standardized test after preliminary results showed a drastic drop in student passing scores.

Or Maybe Not

1933, not 1939, is the greatest year for classic movies.

PaperBack


Bill Henderson, Editor, Rotten Reviews II, Penguin, 1988




Famous Literary Roommates

Famous Literary Roommates

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

San Benito Teacher Replaced After Bizarre Classroom Rant About Jesus, Mary Magdalene, UFOs & The Apocalypse

Video of rant at the link.

I Missed Two

Who Said It: @JoseCanseco or Gertrude Stein?

39 Books for a John Buchan Collection

The Thirty-Nine Steps by John BuchanAbeBooks: 39 Books for a John Buchan Collection: John Buchan is best known for his iconic novel The Thirty-Nine Steps. Frequently appearing in lists of the top 100 books of the 20th century, it is widely regarded as the starting point for espionage fiction and yet the novel was written to pass the time while Buchan recovered from illness.

Gator Update

Getting to know some swampy neighbors

The First X-Rated Cartoon in Britain

1953 Animated Adaptation of Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart," The First X-Rated Cartoon in Britain

Stroker Ace

Stroker Ace 1983 original film trailer - YouTube:

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Carlos Fuentes, R. I. P.

 NYTimes.com: Carlos Fuentes, Mexico’s elegant public intellectual and grand man of letters, whose panoramic novels captured the complicated essence of his country’s history for readers around the world, died on Tuesday in Mexico City. He was 83.


Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Viruses used to power tiny device

Hat tip to Richard Prosch.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

En garde: 2 battle with pooper scoopers in Seattle park

Free Today for Kindle

Lucy Cruz and the Chupacabra KillingsAmazon.com: Lucy Cruz and the Chupacabra Killings eBook: Steven Torres: Kindle Store: Photojournalist Lucy Cruz, young, beautiful, talented, and poor, spends her nights sitting outside a farm waiting for El Chupacabra - Puerto Rico's legendary livestock killing beast. The group that hired her want only one clear photo of the animal, but what her camera captures is not one animal killing another - it's murder. When she hands police her photos, she's thrown into a fight for her life against a killer who's only getting started.


When the man she loves is nearly murdered, Lucy races to piece together the clues before the killer's aim improves...

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Wrong man was executed in Texas, probe says

Hat tip to Doc Quatermass.

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Mother's Day slaying blamed on cheap gift

30 Years From Now: Some Predictions

30 Years From Now: Some Predictions

Book Depository Live: Amazing Map Shows Book Buying Around The World

Book Depository Live: Amazing Map Shows Book Buying Around The World

Hat tip to George Kelley.

Song of the Day

Desmond Dekker - Israelites 1968 - YouTube:

Free Today for Kindle!

Once A Lawman (Ben Stillman)Amazon.com: Once A Lawman (Ben Stillman) eBook: Peter Brandvold: Kindle Store: Sheriff Ben Stillman thought he'd finished dispensing hard justice in the town of Clantick in the Montana Territory. Then a courtesan and her latest client are found dead with their throats slit, and the citizenry demand immediate action. With a rising body count and no headway in the investigation, the townsfolk are ready to take the law into their own hands...

In his career as a lawman, Stillman is used to the sudden violence of the frontier. But now he'll have to implement his detective skills from his years as a Pinkerton to determine the link between the victims, uncover the motive--and identify the killer...

From the "Too Much Spare Time" Department

The nine circles of hell from Dante's Inferno recreated in Lego by Mihai Mihu

Hat tip to Toby O'Brien.

Today's Vintage Ad

12 Creative Geniuses Who Swore By Solitude

12 Creative Geniuses Who Swore By Solitude

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

TPMMuckraker: There’s a new entrant in the burgeoning concealed-weapon fashion industry. American Tactical Apparel, out of Houston, Texas, makes clothing for “professional door kickers, special responders, and everyday superheroes.”

The Ultimate Collection Of 1970s Pornstache Cigarette Ads

The Ultimate Collection Of 1970s Pornstache Cigarette Ads

PaperBack


Bill Henderson, Editor, Rotten Reviews, Penguin, 1988




Guile and Mischief: Tricksters in Literature

The Classic Tales of Brer Rabbit by Joel Chandler HarrisAbeBooks: Tricksters - so often featured in a wide variety of literature - are intriguing because they can be good or evil, or both. In many tales, the trickster is cast as the hero who uses their wits and guile to out fox the stronger and faster foe. A classic example would be Odysseus, the ancient Greek who used cunning and trickery to fool his enemies and conquer Troy with his wooden horse. Another example comes in Watership Down where Richard Adams describes rabbit folklore centered on El-ahrairah – a clever rabbit devoted to trickery who infuriates his enemies but repeatedly saves his warren.

For All You Lefties Out There

5 Reasons Being Left-Handed Screws You for Life

I Know People Who Do

I do not have a giant gorilla fetish

Incredible Color Photos of Early 20th Century Mongolia

Incredible Color Photos of Early 20th Century Mongolia

No Argument from Me

Piranhaconda Will Quite Possibly Be The Greatest Movie of All Time

Wall Art Update

The Raw Story: A massive block of limestone in France contains what scientists believe are the earliest known engravings of wall art dating back some 37,000 years, according to a study published Monday.

Here's the Plot for Your Next Serial Killer Thriller

Police: Phony officer could be killing Mississippi drivers 

Zodiac Killer Update

Zodiac killer still alive and living in California, new book alleges

Overlooked Movies -- Gator

Nobody would call Gator a great movie, but it's everything a B-movie should be and a favorite of mine. The title alone would do the trick. Burt Reynolds is Gator McKlusky, the same character he played in another good B-movie, White Lightning. This time he's kicking back after being released from prison, trying to keep things simple and stay out of trouble. Fat chance. He's a moonshiner, after all.

The plot has been used many times. Feds are onto Gator and his pappy, and they give him a choice. He either has to help them bring down his old friend Bama (Jerry Reed) or go back to prison. You know what Gator's gonna do, and we're off and running. Reed is great as the villain with a sawed-off, and the Reynolds has a lot of fun as Gator. There's a lot of hardcore violence, but there's also a lot of comedy. That's the way they did it in the '70s.
Reynolds isn't the only one having fun. Jack Weston, Lauren Hutton, Alice Ghostley, Mike Douglas (the talk-show host and singer), and Dub Taylor join in. The drive-ins were nearly all gone by the time this movie came out, but it was perfect drive-in entertainment. Check it out.

Gator

Gator Movie Trailer - YouTube:

Monday, May 14, 2012

BEAT to a PULP: ROUND TWO Is Out!

The Education of a Pulp Writer: BEAT to a PULP: ROUND TWO Is Out!

Criminal Genius of the Day

The Salt Lake Tribune: Orem teen busted after homework left at scene of crime

Mitchell Guist, R. I. P.

‘Swamp People’ star Mitchell Guist dead�after collapsing on boat: reports� - NY Daily News: "Swamp People" star Mitchell Guist died as he lived: plying his trade on the alligator-infested waters of the bayou.


The reality TV show star collapsed on his boat of an apparent seizure while navigating Louisiana’s Belle River and died Monday morning, WBRZ-TV in Baron Rouge reported.

Free for Kindle -- 3 Days Only!

Lawyers, Guns and MoneyAmazon.com: Lawyers, Guns and Money eBook: J.D. Rhoades: Kindle Store: Andy Cole has a problem. Local crime boss Voit Fairgreen has just dropped a bag full of cash on his desk and hired him to defend Voit's brother Danny on a murder charge. Andy's one of the movers and shakers in the small southern town of Blainesville, and Voit figures Andy's the kind of inside guy that can cut a deal to get his baby brother out of the jam.


The problem is that Danny just might be innocent. But someone powerful needs this case buried, and if an innocent man dies for that, so be it.


Andy Cole is a guy who's made a good living by going along to get along. He's been willing to bend every rule, except Rule One--always get paid. But this case will cause him to re-examine his life and push him and his lover, beautiful newspaper editor Elizabeth Sinclair, to risk everything--including their lives-- for the truth.

Unscrewed

Alert reader Dan Read told me that I might fix the problem by removing the Mystery Scene favicon from the blog. I removed the MS link from my blog list, and that seems to have done the trick. I hope all is now well and that you Chrome users aren't being blocked.

Song of the Day

Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell - YouTube:

Free Today for Kindle

Killing Ways: StoriesAmazon.com: Killing Ways: Stories eBook: Steven Torres: Kindle Store: From the award-winning author of the PRECINCT PUERTO RICO series...

Screwed Over by Google

Because I had a link on this blog to Mystery Scene magazine, Google is now putting up a roadblock to the blog for Chrome users and claiming there's malware here. This is, of course, total baloney, but apparently there's nothing I can do about it. If there's anybody who still believes Google isn't evil, this should disabuse them of that notion. If you're reading this, it's because you didn't let Google's warning bother you, but I have a feeling my traffic's going to drop like a rock. I'll keep posting for my own amusement, though. If you're not using Chrome, apparently you don't see the warning. I'd suggest using Firefox.

Today's Vintage Ad

6 Mind-Blowing Animal Infestations Straight Out of the Bible

6 Mind-Blowing Animal Infestations Straight Out of the Bible

The 10 Worst Special Effects Ever In Movies

The 10 Worst Special Effects Ever In Movies

10 Misconceptions People Have About Lie Detector Tests

10 Misconceptions People Have About Lie Detector Tests

6 Pet Products That Prove Rich People Have Gone Insane

6 Pet Products That Prove Rich People Have Gone Insane

PaperBack

Isadore Haiblum, The Tsaddik of the Seven Wonders, Ballantine, 1971

And Keep Off His Lawn!

NYTimes.com: Today, the persistent British again own the [land speed] record — now at 763 m.p.h. — and [Craig] Breedlove, at age 75, is organizing a team for an attempt to recapture it, with a goal of 800 m.p.h.

The 15 Most "WTF" Headlines Of All Time

The 15 Most "WTF" Headlines Of All Time

Take the Test: How Fast Do You Read?

Take the Test: How Fast Do You Read?

Books Brits Lie About Reading

Pride & Prejudice Is Top Book Brits Lie About Reading

As If We Didn't Know

Fat reaches waist just three hours after a big meal

Graduate of the Day

The Washington Post: For years, Gac Filipaj mopped floors, cleaned toilets and took out trash at Columbia University.


A refugee from war-torn Yugoslavia, he eked out a living working for the Ivy League school. But Sunday was payback time: The 52-year-old janitor donned a cap and gown to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in classics.

Blazing the Overland Trail

BLAZING THE OVERLAND TRAIL SERIAL TRAILER - YouTube:

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Song of the Day

Jimmie Rodgers,Mother The Queen Of My Heart,1932 - YouTube:

12 Country Classics: A Wailing Wall of Songs About Mother

12 Country Classics: A Wailing Wall of Songs About Mother

Today's Vintage Ad

"The Last Book Sale"

Archer County News: On August 10th and 11th of this year, Larry McMurtry will sell hundreds of thousands of books by the shelf lot in an auction from his Archer City bookstore, Booked Up, one of the world’s largest antiquarian book stores in the world.


McMurtry wants to stress that Booked Up will be downsizing but not closing its doors. He will continue to operate Booked Up No. 1 which holds approximately 125,000-130,000 books.

Ten Adorable Sandwiches To Say Happy Birthday, Sandwiches!

Ten Adorable Sandwiches To Say Happy Birthday, Sandwiches!

Sandwich celebrates 250th anniversary of the sandwich

Sandwich celebrates 250th anniversary of the sandwich

PaperBack

H. P. Lovecraft, Fungi from Yuggoth & Other Poems, Ballantine, 1971

Obituary of the Day

James O'Donnell Obituary

Top 10 Greatest Golfers of All Time

Top 10 Greatest Golfers of All Time

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

For Mother's Day: Five Very, Very Bad Candidates for Mom of the Year

The 10 Best Sitcom Mothers Of All Time

The 10 Best Sitcom Mothers Of All Time

Donald ‘Duck’ Dun, R. I. P.

Legendary Bassist Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn Passes Away At Age 70: Donald “Duck” Dunn, who played on hundreds of rock and soul classics as the bassist for Booker T. and the MGs, and later as a session player, passed away Sunday morning at the age of 70. Steve Cropper, the MGs guitarist, broke the news on his Facebook page at approximately 12:30AM Eastern time.


“Today I lost my best friend, the World has lost the best guy and bass player to ever live,” Cropper, his lifelong friend, wrote. “Duck Dunn died in his sleep Sunday morning May 13 in Tokyo Japan after finishing 2 shows at the Blue Note Night Club.”


Born in Memphis in November 24, 1941, Dunn started playing bass at the age of 16. “I tried the guitar but it had two strings too many,” he wrote on his website. “It was just too complicated, man! Plus, I grew up with Steve Cropper. There were so many good guitar players another one wasn’t needed. What was needed was a bass.”


Hat tip to jeff Meyerson.

Happy Mother's Day!

The History of Mother's Day


My mother and her mother on Galveston Island, early 1950s. They loved the beach and the waves and the clouds.

Juno

JUNO Trailer - YouTube: