Saturday, August 04, 2012
Keep Off His Grass!
KMGH Denver: An 87-year-old man has been arrested and formally charged with growing and distributing a large amount of marijuana from his Denver home.
120 Years Ago, Someone Took An Axe . . . .
But was it Miss Lizzie? Years later she's an amateur sleuth in this great book.
Miss Lizzie: Walter Satterthwait: Amazon.com: Kindle Store: A girl’s stepmother is murdered, and only Lizzie Borden can find the killer During the summer of 1921, a strange spinster rents the seaside cottage next door to Amanda Burton and her family. The new neighbor dresses in black, does card tricks, and reminisces about a long-ago trip to Paris. Her name is Lizzie Borden, and two decades earlier she was acquitted of one of the most notorious crimes in American history. Although her stepmother warns her to stay away, Amanda has no patience for her father’s doughy wife, and befriends their infamous neighbor. When tragedy strikes the seaside town, Miss Lizzie is the only one who can help.
Cast Your Ballot
The Dead Man series now has three music videos. You can see them at the link and vote for your favorite on the Dead Man Facebook page if you're so inclined.
Friday, August 03, 2012
Archaeology Update
Newser.com: Archaeologists say they have found traces of 2,500-year-old chocolate on a plate in the Yucatan peninsula, the first time they have found ancient chocolate residue on a plate rather than a cup, suggesting it may have been used as a condiment or sauce with solid food.
France in the year 2000
France in the year 2000 | The Public Domain Review: France in the Year 2000 (XXI century) – a series of futuristic pictures by Jean-Marc Cote and other artists issued in France in 1899, 1900, 1901 and 1910. Originally in the form of paper cards enclosed in cigarette/cigar boxes and, later, as postcards, the images depicted the world as it was imagined to be like in the year 2000.
Hat tip to Art Scott.
Hat tip to Art Scott.
The Decline of Western Civilization Continues Apace
For More Pianos, Last Note Is Thud in the Dump: “We bust them up with a sledgehammer,” said Jeffrey Harrington, the owner of Harrington Moving & Storage in Maplewood, N.J.
Your IRS at Work
Treasury audit says IRS missed more than $5 billion in ID theft-related tax fraud last year - The Washington Post: In one example, investigators found a single address in Lansing, Mich., that was used to file 2,137 separate tax returns. The IRS issued more than $3.3 million in refunds to that address. Three addresses in Florida, the epicenter of the identity theft crisis, filed more than 500 returns totaling more than $1 million in refunds for each address.
All Righty, Then
Lights, Camera, Worship: New Bible Translation Reads Like a Screenplay: Released by publisher Thomas Nelson, The Voice has adapted the Bible into a screenplay format, adding to the standard dialogues with emotional descriptors, scene movement and props added in — all the trimmings of a blockbuster script — to help readers better envision the action of the world’s most-read book.
Forgotten Books: Champs and Bums -- Bucklin Moon, Editor
Recently there's been a little bit of a revival of interest in boxing fiction, so this little collection should find some readers even now. Like last week's "Forgotten Book," this one has no intros, no nothing -- other than the stories, of course.Check out the ToC. Names that are very familiar to me are probably forgotten authors now. Saroyan used to be a staple in high school textbooks. Any bets that he's represented now? How about that John Huston? This might be the only anthology I own that has a story by him. The Hemingway story used to appear in a lot of anthologies, but even Hemingway is slipping away from us now, I think.
You could do a lot worse for your money than this anthology, and copies on the 'Net aren't all that expensive. If you like the Sweet Science, check it out.
Thursday, August 02, 2012
Free Short Story for Kindle (5 Days Only)
SOLOMON & LORD SINK OR SWIM (Solomon vs. Lord): Paul Levine: Amazon.com: Kindle Store: "Remarkably fresh and original with characters you can't help loving and sparkling dialogue that echoes the Hepburn-Tracy screwball comedies. Hilarious, touching, and entertaining." -Chicago Tribune (review of "Solomon vs. Lord")
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in which I Call Attention to Books of Interest
Louisiana Inklings: A Literary Sampler: Charles Gramlich: Amazon.com: Kindle Store: Louisiana Inklings celebrates the literary and cultural diversity to be found in Louisiana and showcases the talents of some of the state’s finest “small name” writers. Here you’ll find poetry, short fiction, transcendent memoir, imaginative essays, and stand-alone chapters from novels in progress. Written with verve and talent; spiced with that good old Louisiana flavor.
Featuring works by: Eve Brouwer, Alvin G. Burstein, Linda Schenck, D’Wanna Hanes, Mike Malloy, James de Boisblanc, Sandra Loucks, Sarah D. Spence, Laurie Walsdorf, Cheryl Schleuss, David Grouchy, Sara Dickey, Isabella MacDonald Smith, Alfred Olinde, and Charles Allen Gramlich.
Featuring works by: Eve Brouwer, Alvin G. Burstein, Linda Schenck, D’Wanna Hanes, Mike Malloy, James de Boisblanc, Sandra Loucks, Sarah D. Spence, Laurie Walsdorf, Cheryl Schleuss, David Grouchy, Sara Dickey, Isabella MacDonald Smith, Alfred Olinde, and Charles Allen Gramlich.
AbeBooks' Top 10 Most Expensive Sales in July 2012
AbeBooks' Top 10 Most Expensive Sales in July 2012: Last month’s top sale on AbeBooks was for a rare first edition of Mexico’s first national atlas. Bound in three-quarter leather, the 1858 atlas contains 31 lithographed maps with hand coloring. It is a handsome atlas, with the middle of each double-page spread occupied by a map of a specific state or territory, surrounded by statistical and historical information about the region, including Native American tribes and the American/Mexican borderlands.
Wednesday, August 01, 2012
Vertigo Update
Yahoo! Movies: Orson Welles' Citizen Kane no longer enjoys the moniker of greatest film of all time, a plaudit it has held for 50 years.
The movie has occupied top billing in the British Film Institute published magazine Sight & Sound's once-a-decade international critics’ film poll since 1962. But that crown, according to Sight & Sound's 2012 survey of 846 movie experts who participate, has now passed to Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo.
Hat tip to Art Scott, who emphatically does not agree with the poll.
Hat tip to Art Scott, who emphatically does not agree with the poll.
Your Country Is Proud of You. Now Pay Up.
The Weekly Standard: ATR notes that the real twist of the knife is that most other Olympians won't pay any taxes on their medals because America is one of only a handful of countries which taxes "worldwide" prize income earned overseas.
R. G. Armstrong, R. I. P.
NYTimes.com: R. G. Armstrong Jr., a rough-hewed character actor known for playing sheriffs, outlaws and other macho roles, died on Friday at his home in Studio City, Calif. He was 95.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Fore-edge Paintings: Beauty on the Edge
AbeBooks: A fore-edge painting is decoration painted on the edges of a book’s pages for beautification. The fore-edge of a book is the fourth edge - not the spine, the top, or the bottom edge, but the outside edge that a reader would use to thumb through the pages. Originally, this edge was only used for identification, to more easily spot a book when the edges faced outward.
Gore Vidal, R. I. P.
NYTimes.com: Gore Vidal, the elegant, acerbic all-around man of letters who presided with a certain relish over what he declared to be the end of American civilization, died on Tuesday at his home in the Hollywood Hills section of Los Angeles, where he moved in 2003, after years of living in Ravello, Italy. He was 86.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Perfectly Understandable . . .
. . . but you might not want to click the link because there's a photo.
Shortage of male thongs sparks panic in Cork
Shortage of male thongs sparks panic in Cork
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in which I Call Attention to Books of Interest
Rio Matanza (Bodie Kendrick - Bounty Hunter): Wayne D Dundee: Amazon.com: Kindle Store: Bodie Kendrick had a reputation for being one of the most relentless bounty hunters throughout Arizona and New Mexico. Doc Turpin, out of Texas, shared similar renown.
When the two of them partnered up to bring in the Harrup-Klegg Gang, it was the end of the trail for the bloodthirsty outlaws who had robbed the New Gleanus bank and then needlessly, mercilessly slaughtered innocents as they shot up the town riding away.
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Distractions Lead to Frequent Police Crashes in Texas | NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth: An NBC 5 investigation has found many Texas police departments don't follow their own advice when it comes to warnings about distracted driving. Crashes involving distractions inside police vehicles now frequently happen across the state.
The list of distractions for continues to grow. In many cities, they're often found operating two-way radios, smartphones, dashboard-mounted computers and on-board cameras while they drive.
A search of state accident reports reveals at least 70 crashes in just 24 months where some kind of distraction inside an emergency vehicle contributed to the wreck -- an average of almost three crashes per month. Those are just the crashes that involved enough property damage or injury that they had to be reported to the state.
The list of distractions for continues to grow. In many cities, they're often found operating two-way radios, smartphones, dashboard-mounted computers and on-board cameras while they drive.
A search of state accident reports reveals at least 70 crashes in just 24 months where some kind of distraction inside an emergency vehicle contributed to the wreck -- an average of almost three crashes per month. Those are just the crashes that involved enough property damage or injury that they had to be reported to the state.
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .
Knoxville News Sentinel: Upset at the woman's "attempting to communicate with friends through her Facebook account," Turpin jerked her laptop computer from her grasp, smashed the machine into a wall, and then hit her in the face with his fist, according to reports.
Maeve Binchy, R. I. P.
Maeve Binchy death: Tributes pour in for beloved Irish writer who has died aged 72 | Mail Online: Irish writer Maeve Binchy has died following a short illness, aged 72.
The best-selling author was famous for her warm stories about life and love in Ireland and sold more than 40 million books worldwide which were translated in to 30 languages.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
The best-selling author was famous for her warm stories about life and love in Ireland and sold more than 40 million books worldwide which were translated in to 30 languages.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
AbeBooks: The History of Music Genres
AbeBooks: The History of Music Genres: There's something incredibly powerful about the effect of music on our psyche. Put on your favorite album and you're bound to feel better. Regardless of genre - as everyone has their own distinct taste when it comes to music - when the perfect song is heard, it gets deep into your bones and sticks with you. Like a good book, a song can take you back to a moment in your life, remind you of a place or your favorite person.
Norman Alden, R. I. P.
Character Actor Norman Alden Dies at 87 - The Hollywood Reporter: Norman Alden, a character actor who piled up a prodigious number of credits during his five decades in film and television, died July 27 of natural causes at an assisted living facility in Los Angeles, his family reported. He was 87.
Overlooked Movies -- Frankie & Johnny
This film was directed by Garry Marshall. That might tell some of you all you need to know about it. Slick, schmaltzy, and funny. Michelle Pfeiffer is cast against type as a decidedly unglamorous waitress who's had some bad men in her past. Al Pacino is just out of jail (though he's a wonderful, romantic guy) who takes a job in the diner where Pfeiffer works. She's not interested in dating him, but he's persistent. You get no points if you figure out how this is going to end.
Great supporting cast here. Nathan Lane is cast against type as the amusing gay neighbor (I'm joking, Deb). Hector Elizondo is good, as always, and Kate Nelligan is very funny as another waitress in the diner. If you're looking for some lightweight fun, this is just the ticket.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Chris Marker, R. I. P.
Marker, famed French director of 'La Jetee,' dies - News - Boston.com: Chris Marker, the influential French filmmaker whose career spanned six decades, has died, France’s Culture Ministry confirmed Monday. He was 91.
President Francois Hollande led tributes to the director, whose large body of work includes the 1962 classic ‘‘La Jetee’’ — an award-winning post-apocalyptic movie that’s often ranked among the best time-travel films ever made.
Hat tip to Jeff Segal.
President Francois Hollande led tributes to the director, whose large body of work includes the 1962 classic ‘‘La Jetee’’ — an award-winning post-apocalyptic movie that’s often ranked among the best time-travel films ever made.
Hat tip to Jeff Segal.
Tony Martin, R. I. P.
The Washington Post: Tony Martin, the romantic singer who appeared in movie musicals from the 1930s to the 1950s and sustained a career in records, television and nightclubs from the Depression era into the 21st century, has died. He was 98.
Martin died of natural causes Friday evening at his West Los Angeles home, his friend and accountant Beverly Scott said Monday.
A peer of Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, Martin sang full voice in a warm baritone that carried special appeal for his female audience. Among his hit recordings were “I Get Ideas,” ‘’To Each His Own,” ‘’Begin the Beguine” and “There’s No Tomorrow.”
Martin died of natural causes Friday evening at his West Los Angeles home, his friend and accountant Beverly Scott said Monday.
A peer of Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra, Martin sang full voice in a warm baritone that carried special appeal for his female audience. Among his hit recordings were “I Get Ideas,” ‘’To Each His Own,” ‘’Begin the Beguine” and “There’s No Tomorrow.”
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .
Spokane City Police Department: Woman Pepper Sprays Elderly Lady at Home Depot
Irvin Faust, Author and Guidance Counselor, Dies at 88 - NYTimes.com
NYTimes.com: Irvin Faust, who as a high school guidance counselor found time to write novels and short stories that critics likened to the magic realist fiction of South America, died on Tuesday in Manhattan. He was 88.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
The Story of a Theater that Became a Library
When we were in Austin for the Armadillocon, Judy and I went out to dinner with some friends. We drove past a building that I recognized immediately. It was (or had been) the theater where Judy and I went to The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly at a special midnight showing when it opened in Austin. It was where we saw 2001. Now it's a public library, with the old theater sign still out in front. Here's the story: Mid Tex Mod: Rebirth of Austin's Americana: The Story of a Mid-'60s Roadside Theater and '90s Community-based Municipal Sustainability
Sunday, July 29, 2012
I Think It's my Bedtime
The Country's Sleepiest (And Most Well-Rested) Cities: Turns out, the real city that never sleeps is Charleston, WV -- and the most well rested city is Green Bay/Appleton, WI.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
He Should've Stuck to Lawn Care
FOX16.com Little Rock, AR: A 63-year-old man was arrested on drug and forgery charges after a probation officer making visit to the man's home saw gear for making counterfeit money.
Hat tip to John Duke.
Hat tip to John Duke.
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