Deputies find crack in suspect's underpants
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Lee Dorman, R. I. P.
Rolling Stone: Lee Dorman, bassist for Iron Butterfly, died on Friday at the age of 70, the Associated Press reports. According to a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department, Dorman was found dead in a vehicle on Friday morning and may have been on his way to a doctor's appointment.
Jimmy McCracklin, R. I. P.
SFGate: Jimmy McCracklin, one of the most prolific blues singers and songwriters of all time, with a recording career that spanned 1945 to 2010, died Thursday at Creekside Healthcare Center in San Pablo after a long convalescence.
Larry L. King, R. I. P.
NYTimes.com: Larry L. King, a journalist, essayist and playwright with a swaggering prose style and a rollicking personal one, who left Texas as a young man but never abandoned it in his work — turning out profiles of politicians, articles on the flaws and foibles of American culture, searching autobiographical essays and, most famously, the book for the Broadway musical “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” — died on Thursday in Washington. He was 83.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
8 Incredible Sunken Treasures Discovered
8 Incredible Sunken Treasures Discovered: Scattered across the ocean floor, there are more than 300 million shipwrecks, containing billions of dollars worth of cargo. These are some of the best treasures that have been found.
Friday, December 21, 2012
A Kickstarter Project of Interest
There's an Alamo connection. Check it out.
PHIL COLLINS AND THE WILD FRONTIER by Ben Powell — Kickstarter
Hat tip to Tina Karelson.
PHIL COLLINS AND THE WILD FRONTIER by Ben Powell — Kickstarter
Hat tip to Tina Karelson.
Seduction of the Innocent -- Max Allan Collins
This book is set in the year 1954. I was around then. I was 12, and I was reading EC Comics. Lots of others, too, but some of the stories I saw in EC Comics have stuck with me to this very day. I can remember the panels as plainly as if I'd seen them last week. They were potent stuff, for sure. I read the newspapers in those days, too, mostly the sports pages (not much has changed with me in the last 60 years), but I was vaguely aware of the activities of Dr. Fredrick Wertham, who wrote a book with the same title as this one, and of the congressional hearings on comic books, in which America learned that comic books (especially EC Comics) were to blame for juvenile delinquency and many other assorted ills.
I was even more aware of the results of this hearing a bit later, when the "Approved by the Comics Code" seal started to appear on the comics (we never called them comics, by the way; they were "funny books" even when they weren't funny). Not long after that, I lost interest in comics. The guts had gone out of them. I moved on to the SF digests and never looked back. I was vaguely aware of the Marvel revolution in the '60s, but it was too late for me by then. My interest was finally revived the the Underground Comix in the late '60s and early '70s, but I never read comics again the way I once had.
One comic I did keep reading was Mad. Gaines quickly turned it from a comic book into a black-and-white "magazine" so he didn't have to deal with the Comics Code stuff, and somehow, although my mother tossed all my funny books, the old issues of Mad survived. I don't have issue #1, but I do have a nice little run starting with #2. I bought the paperback collections, too, and I still have the first three or four of those.
Which is all by way of introduction to this thoroughly entertaining novel by Max Allan Collins, in which Dr. Werner Fredrick appears before a congressional committee made up of the same people who questioned Wertham. So does Bob Price, whose testimony is remarkably similar to the words spoken by William Gaines when he testified before the committee in '54.
Not long afterward, Fredrick is murdered (this didn't happen to Wertham). Jack Starr gets involved because he and Maggie Starr (his stepmother) deal with comic strips through their syndication company. There are plenty of suspects, including Price. There's a comic book artist, a comics reader, a publisher, and some other social critics. All have their reasons to want Fredrick out of the way. You can play the guessing game about which real people the characters are based on, or you can go to the "Tip of the Fedora" at the end of the book, where Collins spells it out. I think many of you won't need to do that. And if you don't think this book is relevant now, you haven't been following the news lately.
Besides the dandy storytelling here, there's the Glen Orbik cover, which replicates one of the more famous EC covers, plus a lot of illustrations by Terry Beatty in the good old EC style. Lots of bang for your buck here. The book comes out in February. Be on the lookout; you don't want to miss it.
Detail and Myth: Willy Pogany's Art
AbeBooks: Detail and Myth: Willy Pogany's Art: Willy Pogany was a prolific Hungarian illustrator best-known for his pen and ink drawings and contributions to myths and fables. He belonged to booming era of illustrators which produced the likes of Edmund Dulac, Maurice and Edward Detmold and N.C. Wyeth, and followed closely on the heels of big-name pioneers like Arthur Rackham.
Forgotten Books: Worlds of Weird -- Leo Margulies, Editor
Four years ago at this same time of the year, James Reasoner talked about Worlds of Weird in his "Forgotten Books" post. He paid particular attention Seabury Quinn's "Roads." I said to myself, "Self, you have that book in an earlier edition. You should get it out and read that story." So I did. Sure, it took me four years, but I never claimed to work fast. In the introduction to "Roads," Sam Moskowitz says that it "may well prove to be the greatest adult Christmas story written by an American." He also mentions that Arkham House printed "Roads" in book form with a cover and interior illustrations by Virgil Finlay for $2.00. He goes on to say that "this collectors' and gift edition has been kept in print ever since." That statement is out of date, but you can still buy copies of the Arkham House edition. They're more than $2.00, however (unless you're Scott Cupp; see the update below). A copy of Worlds of Weird is cheaper.
As for the story itself, well, it's indeed a good one. It's a Christmas story with slashing and hacking and religion and magic, and it's great fun, indeed.
James also mentions Robert E. Howard's "The Valley of the Worm," another of the included stories, and calls it "one of REH's best yarns," a sentiment with which I agree completely. I can still remember reading the story for the first time. Great stuff.
James also lists the entire contents of the book, so if you're curious you can click the link above and see what else is there. I read "The Sapphire Goddess" by Nictzin Dyalhis the other day, and it's really in the purple high pulp style. I was reminded of A. Merritt and some of Henry Kuttner. Not for everybody, but if you're in the right mood, give it a shot.
Update: Scott Cupp over at MISSIONS UNKNOWN has a review of the Arkham House edition. Naturally Scott got his copy for a buck. Word of advice based on personal experience: Never go booking with Scott Cupp if you're of an envious nature.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Once Again Texas Leads the Way
Christmas Grinch Arrested in Aledo: The woman arrested for stealing Christmas decorations in Parker County has a long criminal record and once served prison time for solicitation to commit murder.
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .
Flamingo lawn ornament attack in Hobe Sound: He said his 41-year-old girlfriend tried to hit him with a flamingo lawn ornament, and that he wanted her to vacate the trailer "so he can feel safe and at peace."
The 41-year-old girlfriend, meanwhile, said she'd argued with her 23-year-old boyfriend for several days. She said he pushed, shoved and spat on her.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
The 41-year-old girlfriend, meanwhile, said she'd argued with her 23-year-old boyfriend for several days. She said he pushed, shoved and spat on her.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Free for Kindle for a Limited Time
Santa's Christmas Eve Blues: Douglas Lindsay: Amazon.com: Kindle Store: In this wonderful bitesize slice of yuletide magic, the very future of Christmas is in doubt. It's Christmas Eve, but just at the moment when he should be putting on his red suit and checking his beard for snowy whiteness, Santa is sitting in his underwear, drinking hot chocolate and singing the blues. Fortunately, anyone who thinks that Christmas can no longer be left in the hands of little people in green outfits, is about to be proved wrong. With fabulous characters and madcap rhymes, SANTA'S CHRISTMAS EVE BLUES is set to become a seasonal favourite with young and old for generations to come.
SANTA'S CHRISTMAS EVE BLUES is a 5000-word short story.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Attention to Books of Interest
The Killing Floor (Dead Man #15): David Tully, Lee Goldberg, William Rabkin: Amazon.com: Kindle Store: Matt journeys to a tiny Adirondack town where the entire population is infected with evil, a horrific phenomenon possibly related to a hydro-fracking operation that's stirring up community outrage...and resurrecting a blood-thirsty terror deadlier than anything he's ever faced. He soon finds himself pitted against his nemesis Mr. Dark in an epic battle that stretches back to the lost colony Roanoke... and could change the fate of mankind.
Archaeology Update
guardian.co.uk: King Richard III's medieval inn recreated by archaeologists
Blue Boar inn rises again in model and digital form, recreated from detailed drawings found in Leicester family's archives
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Nielsen Twitter TV Rating: Twitter Data Will Now Be Part of TV Ratings
Crisis threatens historic Harry's Bar
Crisis threatens historic Harry's Bar in Venice - FRANCE 24: One of Ernest Hemingway's favourite watering holes, the legendary Harry's Bar in Venice, is being forced to slash costs due to rising debts and a sharp drop in visitors.
Once Again Texas Leads the Way
God Save the Eight-Track | Collectors Weekly: Located in the Deep Ellum neighborhood of Dallas, Texas, Burnett’s original Eight Track Museum opened in 2011, offering visitors a peek at an often overlooked medium plus an archive of every audio recording format created since the earliest wax cylinders of the late 1800s.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Jessie 'Jet Set' Hudson, R. I. P.
TMZ.com: "Workaholics" star Jessie "Jet Set" Hudson -- who played the character Jet Set on the show -- died suddenly in L.A. last week after suffering what appeared to be a heart attack.
Uh-Oh
'Kojak' remake in the works with Vin Diesel as the NYPD detective made famous by Terry Savalas
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Why 2012 was the best year ever
Why 2012 was the best year ever: It may not feel like it, but 2012 has been the greatest year in the history of the world. That sounds like an extravagant claim, but it is borne out by evidence. Never has there been less hunger, less disease or more prosperity. The West remains in the economic doldrums, but most developing countries are charging ahead, and people are being lifted out of poverty at the fastest rate ever recorded. The death toll inflicted by war and natural disasters is also mercifully low. We are living in a golden age.
Overlooked Movies: Will Penny
The story's a small one. Will Penny is an aging cowboy who's hired to ride a fence line on a big ranch during the winter. He's supposed to stay in a small cabin, but when he gets there, he finds it occupied by a woman named Catherine (Joan Hackett) and her son. They'd hired a guide to take them west, but he's left them on their own. Their only chance to survive the winter is to stay in the cabin. Penny gives them a week. Either they move in that time, or he puts them out.
At some point during the week, Penny runs into the Quints, a family out for revenge against him. He gets shot up. Badly wounded, he manages to get back to the cabin, where he's forced to spend a lot of time recuperating. Before long, there's a whole lot of bonding going on.
Check out the cast for this one: Slim Pickens, William Schallert, G. D. Spradlin, Donald Pleasence, Ben Johnson, Bruce Dern, Lee Majors, Anthony Zerbe. Can Penny settle down and have a family? Will the Quints return to complete their revenge? Rent the movie and see.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Cold Case Update
Scientists solve 3,000-year-old pharaonic whodunit: An assassin slit the throat of Egypt's last great pharaoh at the climax of a bitter succession battle, scientists said in a report on a 3,000-year-old royal murder.
Free for Kindle for a Limited Time
The Red Scarf: Gil Brewer: Amazon.com: Kindle Store: From one of the masters of noir comes perhaps his most compelling novel. Roy Nichols is trying to make a go of running a motel with his wife, but forces are conspiring against them. The highway that was supposed to run past their motel may never get built, and their business is drying up. When Roy stumbles upon a briefcase loaded with cash, his problems seem to have miraculously disappeared. But in Gil Brewer's world, good fortune is never free and greed inevitably leads to destruction.
The World's Friendliest & Least Friendly Cities
The World's Friendliest & Least Friendly Cities
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Warning: Annoying slideshow.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Warning: Annoying slideshow.
Jack Hanlon, R. I. P.
'Our Gang' Actor Dies At 96: Jack Hanlon, who had roles in the 1926 silent classic "The General" and in two 1927 "Our Gang" comedies, died Thursday in Las Vegas, family members said Sunday. He was 96.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Sen. Daniel Inouye, R. I. P.
Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye dies at age 88: Inouye’s office said the senator died of “respiratory complications” Monday evening. His last word, according to a statement released by his staff, was “Aloha.” The long-time senator had been hospitalized since early December because of respiratory problems.
I Thought It Was Put Forth in Amazing Stories around 1956
Do we live in a massive computer simulation? Scientists seek answer: The question of whether we actually live in a simulated world was put forth by a philosophy professor at the University of Oxford in 2003, although he later said there was likely no way to know either way.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Such a Deal!
Get a FREE voucher from Amazon to purchase THE DEAD MAN V1 (which includes the first three titles in this new, men's action adventure series) for just $1! But hurry, this offer ends in 2 days. http://local.amazon.com/san-
Or try here.
Or try here.
If You Can Play it for Her, You Can Play it for Me
The Independent: A piano used in the classic Bogart and Bergman film Casablanca sold for just over $600,000 yesterday, falling far short of predictions that it could fetch $1 million or more.
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