Saturday, August 03, 2013

Amen, Brother

Hell is self-promotion

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

Amazon.com: Nests eBook: Barry Napier: Kindle Store: The monsters came out of nowhere. Even before we starting dropping nuclear warheads on them, we didn’t know where they came from. We just knew that they were huge. Most of the population perished as a result of the monsters, the bombs, or the fallout. 

Those that survived roamed the landscape for supplies or other people. Some of them discovered that the monsters left behind nests that sit upon the landscape like sunken storm clouds. And something inside is alive.

An Idea Whose Time Has Come?

How Google Glass may change the NFL 

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

The Providence Journal: A man was hospitalized after he was struck with a machete early Saturday during a fight over an alleged insult to a girlfriend, the police said.

If This Is Wrong, I Don't Want to be Right

Man Jailed after Woman Sees Him 'Dancing' with Stop Sign 

Hat tip to John Duke.

Song of the Day

Oklahoma Hills - Hank Thompson & His Brazos Valley Boys - YouTube:

Top 10 Inventors Who Made Modern Life Possible

Top 10 Inventors Who Made Modern Life Possible

Today's Vintage Ad


The Best Resignation Letter Ever Written

How to Quit Your Job Like Sherwood Anderson: The Best Resignation Letter Ever Written

PaperBack



Jack Williamson, Dragon's Island, Popular Library, 1953

Medical Update

Man's medical condition causes orgasms when he hears James Bond theme

Hat tip to Art Scott.

Do NOT Try This at Home (Or Anywhere, for That Matter)

How to Walk Across Hot Coals

The 22 books everyone should read according to F Scott Fitzgerald

The 22 books everyone should read according to F Scott Fitzgerald

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

10 really bizarre and odd deaths of notable people

10 really bizarre and odd deaths of notable people

Baboon Burglars and Kleptomaniac Monkeys WBAGNFARB

Baboon burglars: How gang of kleptomaniac monkeys terrorises an estate in South Africa so residents are scared to leave the house

New York Led the Way

New York had a rooftop farm in 1904: “The farm on the roof,” Weddie Stokes wrote years later, “included about 500 chicken, many ducks, about six goats and a small bear.” Every day, a bellhop delivered free fresh eggs to all the tenants, and any surplus was sold cheaply to the public in the basement arcade.

Prehistoric Women

prehistoric women trailer.mp4 - YouTube:

Friday, August 02, 2013

New Flash Fiction by Patti Abbott at Shotgun Honey

Floes the Ice by Patti Abbott | Shotgun Honey

PWA Banquet at Bouchercon

 
The Private Eye Writers of America Shamus Awards Banquet will be Friday night, Sept. 20th, starting at 6:30 PM, in Albany, NY the same weekend as Bouchercon. The event is open to the public. You need not be a PWA member to attend. Come rub elbows with your favorite writers. For questions and ticket information email RRandisi@aol.com.
 

New Story by Charles Gramlich

A WHISPER IN ASHES by Charles Gramlich

There's One Born Every Minute

Clients drop $180 for bird poop facials at NYC spa

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Michael Ansara, R. I. P.

Deadline.com: Veteran actor Michael Ansara, known for his role as Kang the Klingon commander on the Star Trek series, has died. Ansara passed away in his Calabasas, CA home on July 31. He was 91 years old.

Hat tip to Randy Johnson.

10 Great Filmmakers’ Top 10 Favorite Movies

10 Great Filmmakers’ Top 10 Favorite Movies

Song of the Day

Jackie Wilson - (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher (Best Quality) - YouTube:

Or Maybe You Do

A Few Facts You May Not Know About William Shatner

Today's Vintage Ad


Archaeology Update

Ancient 'Halls of the Dead': Archaeologists have unearthed two ancient buildings in England thought to be 6,000 years old—that's 1,000 years older than Stonehenge.

Soon to be a SyFy Movie of the Week

SPIEGEL ONLINE: A 10-year-old German boy was playing in his grandmother's attic when he made a startling discovery: a sarcophagus holding a mummy that had lain undiscovered for decades.

Hat tip to Fred Zackel.

10 Mad And Murderous Victorians

10 Mad And Murderous Victorians

PaperBack



George Harmon Cox, Four Frightened Women, Dell, 1950

5 Abandoned Wonders of China

5 Abandoned Wonders of China

Wolverine – A Film By Woody Allen

I found this very funny.

Friday YouTube: Wolverine – A Film By Woody Allen

I Expected Texas to Lead the Way

17 Best U.S. Cities for Hippies

Gone too Soon: Books of Brief, Remarkable Lives

Lovesick Blues: The Life of Hank Williams by Paul HemphillGone too Soon: Books of Brief, Remarkable Lives on AbeBooks: What do the names Jimi Hendrix, Sylvia Plath, and Terry Fox have in common? Two notable commonalities for which they are all remembered – bright, burning passion, and the fact that they died too young.

The Science Fiction Mystery

More Than Whodunit: the Science Fiction Mystery

Bonus Forgotten Book

Vintage Treasures: The Best of Henry Kuttner

Forgotten Books: Past Masters and Other Bookish Natterings-- Bud Webster

Okay, Past Masters isn't a forgotten book.  It is, in fact, a brand new book, but it's a brand new book about forgotten SF books and writers.  It's a collection of Bud Webster's "Past Masters" columns that have appeared over the years in various online publications, and if you're interested in the history of SF, it's essential reading.  For an old guy like me, it's a wonderful trip back to the days when my reading consisted of one SF novel and story after another, as fast as I could consume them.  It's hard for me to accept that so many of the writers I grew up reading and admiring are now just footnotes to many people, but maybe this book will help remedy that situation.

Among the writers Webster discusses are Eric Frank Russell, Clifford Simak, Murray Leinster, and Henry Kuttner.  That's just for starters.  Where else are you going to find reviews of The Gods Hate Kansas or Big Planet Zero?  There are a good many more writers discussed, along with a few more generalized pieces of interest.  Webster also includes a bibliography for each author he writes about.  You just can't go wrong with a book like this.

Women of the Prehistoric Planet

Women of the Prehistoric Planet (1966) trailer - YouTube:

Thursday, August 01, 2013

Of Course They Are!

Are aliens to blame? Missouri farmer Lyn Mitchell finds third cow with mutilated genitals and missing organs

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Plan Your Next Vacation Now

Bahamas Mayan temple water slide: 35mph chute lets swimmers whizz down building into shark infested waters 

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Maurice Sendak, Teacher

Maurice Sendak, Teacher: Lessons on Art, Storytelling, and Life from the Beloved Illustrator's 1971 Course at Yale

Song of the Day

Tom Petty - Free Fallin' - YouTube:

Real Life Tough Guys

Real Life Tough Guys 

Warning:  Annoying slideshow.

What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Doctor Sam Parnia Believes Resurrection Is A Medical Possibility 

Today's Vintage Ad


You're Never Alone with a Good Book

You're Never Alone with a Good Book

PaperBack



Francis Bonnamy, Dead Reckoning, Death House, 1945

A Review of Interest (To Me, Anyway)

FROM DUNDEE'S DESK: WESTERN ACTION/DRAMA AT ITS FINEST - 2 BY CRIDER

10 First African American Players in Major League Baseball

10 First African American Players in Major League Baseball

Copulating Crocodiles WBAGNFARB

Wagner birthday "Ring" booed: The well-heeled and mostly staid Bayreuth audience, frazzled by the summer heat, was in an uproar after experiencing a staging that retained "the master's" text and music but threw in simulated fellatio, group sex, a Kalashnikov instead of a sword to kill a mythological dragon, and copulating crocodiles.

10 Unsolved Cases Involving Murdered Couples

10 Unsolved Cases Involving Murdered Couples

In Case You Were Wondering . . .

The Bug Chef Shares How to Eat Grasshoppers, Ants, and Spiders in Style 

Beach Ball

Beach Ball trailer - YouTube:

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

But Think of How Convenient and Safe Flying Is

Government report: TSA employee misconduct up 26% in 3 years 

John Graves, R. I. P.

Beloved Texas writer John Graves, author of Brazos Trilogy, dies at 92 

Or Maybe Not

5 Iconic Scenes from History Everyone Pictures Incorrectly

Yes, I know that some of these aren't even scenes.  But, hey, it's Cracked.

Song of the Day

Johnny Cash- I Still Miss Someone - YouTube:

10 Easy Ways To Boost Your Cognitive Performance

10 Easy Ways To Boost Your Cognitive Performance

Today's Vintage Ad


10 of the Best Free Classic Mysteries for Your Kindle

Book Dirt: 10 of the Best Free Classic Mysteries for Your Kindle

30 Telltale Signs You're From Houston

30 Telltale Signs You're From Houston

PaperBack



Elliot Paul, I'll Hate Myself in the Morning, Bonded Mystery, no date

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

ABC News: Home Covered in Beer Cans Morphs Into Landmark

The art center estimates Milkovisch had 50,000 cans that piled up by drinking a six-pack daily over the span of 20 years. For 17 months, working from bottom to top, Milkovisch coated the home with cans of Budweiser, Texas Pride, Shiner — really, whatever brand was on sale. He created long, decorative garlands from beer can tops and hung them along the eaves at the front and sides of his home.

Photo at the link.

10 Beauty And Body Care Products That Have Been Around Forever

10 Beauty And Body Care Products That Have Been Around Forever

I Miss the Old Days

Warning! These 1950s Movie Gimmicks Will Shock You

Cartoon of the Day

Link.

10 Criminals Caught Thanks To Their Own Stupidity

10 Criminals Caught Thanks To Their Own Stupidity

Quicksand!

How to Escape from Quicksand

Alvin, Texas, Not Included

35 Gorgeous Photographs From Deep In The Heart Of Texas

Crack in the World Trailer

Crack in the World Trailer - YouTube:

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Four members of the same family arrested after 'following 70-year-old driver and boxing his car in on intersection in road rage attack'

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Eileen Brennan, R. I. P.

The Rap Sheet: Au Revoir, Eileen

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

Amazon.com: Crucible of Fire (Dead Man #19) eBook: Mel Odom, Lee Goldberg, William Rabkin: Kindle Store: Matt Cahill was an ordinary man leading a simple life until a shocking accident changed everything. Now he can see a nightmarish netherworld that exists within our own. Now he's on a dangerous quest for the answers to who he is and what he has become...and engaged in an epic battle to save us, and his soul, from the clutches of pure evil. 

Matt Cahill is part of a team of smokejumpers who are dropped into the heart of a raging forest fire that is fueled by a flamethrower wielding madman under the sway of Mr. Dark. Almost every living thing in this hellacious inferno, including Matt's fellow firefighters, are falling prey to Mr. Dark's evil touch and bowing to his furious command: Kill the Dead Man!

A Roundup of Sharknado Tribute Art

A Roundup of Sharknado Tribute Art 

Song of the Day

THE WONDERS THAT THING YOU DO LYRIC - YouTube:

I Miss the Old Days

15 Magical Pictures Of Central Park In The Early 1900s

Today's Vintage Ad

Hat tip to Art Scott.

Think you know gators? Think again.

HLNtv.com: Think you know gators? Think again. One of the stars of Animal Planet's 'Gator Boys' talks the risks and rewards of being a hero for gators.

4 Cases of Mistaken Address That Are Too Crazy For Reality

4 Cases of Mistaken Address That Are Too Crazy For Reality

PaperBack



Philip Ketchum, Good Night for Murder, Dagger House, 1946

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee. . . .

Riot erupts after surfing competition in California

There Is A Church Decorated With The Bones Of 40,000 People

There Is A Church Decorated With The Bones Of 40,000 People

Interview with Me

Check out this interview, and I guarantee you'll learn something about me that you didn't know.

Sarah Weinman Interview

“Ya Wanna Do It Here Or Down The Station, Punk?” Sarah Weinman

Bonus Forgotten TV

Famous Directors’ Forgotten TV Projects

Overlooked Movies -- That Thing You Do

That Thing You Do is a pleasant little movie about the kind of thing that really could happen in the music business back in the '50s and early '60s.  It was written and directed by Tom Hanks, which I suppose justifies the size of his photo on the poster. He does have a small role in the movie, though.

The movie is the story of a band called the Oneders (a running joke is that nobody can pronounce it, so they're sometimes referred to as the "oh-need-ers").  They're signed by a small regional label (their name is changed to the Wonders) and tour county fairs and such as their recording of the title song rises on the charts.  Soon they're getting screaming girls in the crowd and the chance to make an album.

The owner of the label (Hanks) tells them that their contract requires them to record songs owned by the label, not their own music, and the lead singer quits the band.  That's the end of the band, and pretty much the end of the story, though there's one of those epilogues that tells what happens to each member of the band.

It seems like a slight plot, but there are some complications (romance!), and it's all handled very well.  The cast, most of whom are still not big stars (except for Charlize Theron), is very good, and as I said at the beginning, it's all very pleasant and worth a look.

That Thing You Do

That Thing You Do trailer 2 (1996).avi - YouTube:

Monday, July 29, 2013

Being A Writer: Expectations Vs. Reality

Being A Writer: Expectations Vs. Reality

The Great Escape, Arkansas Style

Surveillance Video Shows Garland County Detention Center Escape 

Hat tip to John Duke.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

BB gun-packing man chokes girlfriend in jealous rage over dog

Bigfoot Update

Hikers capture footage of mysterious 'Bigfoot' figure in the Canadian wilderness

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Waffle House Patron Opens Fire on Would-Be Robber 

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

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

Amazon.com: Fight Card: CAN'T MISS CONTENDER eBook: Jack Tunney, Kevin Michaels, Paul Bishop, Mel Odom: Kindle Store: St. Louis, Missouri, 1958 

Billy Flood was the kind of boxer who had ‘can’t miss’ written all over him. He had the tools and talent to make him a middleweight champion. But a few wrong turns changed everything. Now, after a hard three year stretch inside the Missouri State Penitentiary, Billy is determined to get back in the ring and punch his way to the top. But, while other fighters his age have risen through the ranks, Billy is back where he started – fighting palookas, catchers, and tomato cans. 

With his past on his heels and his future filled with obstacles, Billy finds himself backed into a corner by false friends and an unscrupulous promoter. He may get his shot at becoming a contender, but will it cost him his future? Can’t Miss Contender is another hard punching Fight Card tale ...

Or Maybe You Will

You Won't Believe These Images Are Just Renders

Fine Dining Update

A vintage menu from Alcatraz,1946

Hat tip to Art Scott.

Song of the Day

Joan Jett - Bad Reputation - YouTube:

15 of the most unnecessary sequels ever made

15 of the most unnecessary sequels ever made

Yes, of course it's a slideshow.

Cursive Update

POE'S DEADLY DAUGHTERS: In Defense of Cursive Writing

Today's Vintage Ad


The 9 Most Hilarious Ways Criminals Were Caught

The 9 Most Hilarious Ways Criminals Were Caught

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Thousands of Bees Attack Texas Couple, Kill Their Two Horses

Gator Update

The Sun |News: DARING Ashley Lawrence earns her living the hard way — wrestling deadly 700lb ALLIGATORS. 

The brave 25-year-old is part of a team who rescue the creatures from Florida’s Everglades and safely relocate them.

Great photos at the link.

PaperBack



Robert Dietrich (E. Howard Hunt), The House on Q Street, Dell, 1959

Ponciano Ponce, R. I. P.

latimes.com: Ponciano "Poncie" Ponce, 80, a Hawaiian-born actor who had a burst of fame in the early 1960s while appearing in the tropical TV detective drama "Hawaiian Eye," died July 19 at his Los Angeles home, his family announced.

Hat tip to Toby O'Brien.

Ten Amazing Cheeses and their Literary Counterparts

Ten Amazing Cheeses and their Literary Counterparts

Cursive Update

Has technology ruined handwriting? 

TV Show Actors in the Movie Remakes (But as Other Characters)

INNER TOOB: SUPER SIX LIST - TV SHOW ACTORS IN THE MOVIE REMAKES (BUT AS OTHER CHARACTERS)

New Poem at The 5-2

The 5-2 | Crime Poetry Weekly - Gerald So, Editor: Steve Hood LONG DISTANCE

Poets in Partnership

Poets in Partnership: Rare 1961 BBC Interview with Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes on Literature and Love

Journey To The Seventh Planet

"Journey To The Seventh Planet" Trailer - YouTube:

Sunday, July 28, 2013

The Thief in the Blue Tuxedo

Italian thief dons blue tuxedo for armed heists

Free for Kindle for a Limited Time

Amazon.com: Night Spoor eBook: Wayne D. Dundee: Kindle Store: Simon Oakhaven and his granddaughter, Jennifer, have traveled far and long to find and stop Simon's lost love, Lenore. They are willing to do whatever it takes to complete this task, before it's too late. 

Lenore works the night as a waitress or a dancer, sometimes even a prostitute – all guises she has assumed in the past to satisfy her craving for life-sustaining blood. Her victims are primarily men, although she has been known to feed on women as well. 

Pitcairn also works the night; an amoral man who kills for money. Can he be persuaded to take on the hunt for the beautiful and deadly Lenore? Will any of them survive the lethal cat and mouse that ensues, or will the evils of the night claim them all?

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Man, Clad Only In Boxers, Allegedly Goes On Rampage Inside Pricey Beverly Hills Eatery

Col. George "Bud" Day, R. I. P.

CBS News: Retired Col. George "Bud" Day, a Medal of Honor recipient who spent 5.5 years as a POW in Vietnam and was Arizona Sen. John McCain's cellmate, has died at the age of 88, his widow said Sunday.

Here's the Plot for Your Next Big Jewelry Heist Thriller

Jewelry heist in Cannes: Staggering $53 million worth of jewels, diamonds stolen from Carlton Intercontinental Hotel in broad daylight

Mick Farren, R. I. P.

Mick Farren of the Deviants (1943 - 2013): Mick Farren, founder of early punk band the Deviants and prolific writer, collapsed on stage during the band's set at the Atomic Sunshine Festival in London and has died. He was 69.

Comic Strip of the Day

Making It: The Complete Screenwriting Seminar

The Big Deal and Top Suspense

Top Suspense Group: The Big Deal and Top Suspense

Song of the Day

Suzi Quatro - Devil Gate Drive - "The Original B&W Clip" - YouTube:

Today's Vintage Ad


Yet Another List I'm Not On

26 Acclaimed Writers Who Also Wrote Children's Books

PaperBack



Richard Jessup, Night Boat to Paris, Dell, 1956

'Animal House' still makes the grade at 35

'Animal House' still makes the grade at 35

'Animal House': Where Are They Now?

'Animal House': Where Are They Now? 

5 Great Moments From the World's Craziest Filmmaker

5 Great Moments From the World's Craziest Filmmaker

Leighton Gage, R. I. P.

The Rap Sheet: Gage Passes Away: This comes as a shock: Leighton Gage, the author of half a dozen crime novels (including this year’s Perfect Hatred) starring Mario Silva, a middle-aged chief inspector with Brazil’s Federal Police, has apparently died. He was in his early 70s and had yet another Silva tale, The Ways of Evil Men, scheduled for publication by Soho Crime in January of next year.

20 Actors Who Turned Down Big Roles

20 Actors Who Turned Down Big Roles

Second Chance

1953 SECOND CHANCE 2-D TRAILER ROBERT MITCHUM - YouTube: