Mirror Online: Charlie Sheen could face jail
The Two And A half Men star branded the judge an "anus brain" and his ex wife a "Adderall snorting husk". . . .
Saturday, November 09, 2013
Gator Update
Eat ya later, alligator! Smaller reptile falls prey to bigger rival who rips it apart in powerful jaws
Great photos at the link. Judy and I live quite close to Brazos Bend State Park, where they were taken, and we've visited a number of times. And seen some great gators, too.
Great photos at the link. Judy and I live quite close to Brazos Bend State Park, where they were taken, and we've visited a number of times. And seen some great gators, too.
Spock's Brain in Real Life?
BBC News: A US company that has developed an "electronic backpack" that fits onto a cockroach allowing its movements to be controlled by a mobile phone app has defended itself against cruelty claims.
Hat tip to Richard Prosch.
Hat tip to Richard Prosch.
Say It Ain't So!
Popular Snacks: 8 Surprising Trans-Fatty Foods Affected By The Ban — Farewell Guilty Pleasures!
Twitter Owes Me Money!
Time has a handy tool for calculating how much Twitter owes you. You can find it at the link below. What I want to know is, which of you isn't paying attention?
| 38,971 | tweets |
| ÷1,812 | days on Twitter |
| 21.5 | tweets per day |
| x2,342 | followers |
| 50,353 | potential eyeballs per day |
| x25% | those paying attention |
| 12,588 | est. eyeballs per day |
| x12.45 | ¢/ daily eyeball |
| $1,567 for @macavityabc | |
Read more: Interactive: This Is How Much Money Twitter Owes You | TIME.com http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/11/07/interactive-this-is-how-much-money-twitter-owes-you/#ixzz2k6dsymi8
This Explains Why I Always Get Such Good Seats in Restaurants
Paris restaurant 'keeps ugly diners hidden': A former hostess at a chic Parisian restaurant has backed up the worst stereotypes about fine dining in the French capital with claims that her bosses had a policy of seating “beautiful people” in view of passersby, while keeping less attractive diners hidden.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Dan Lurie, R. I. P.
NYTimes.com: Dan Lurie, whose chiseled physique and feats of strength earned him the title of America’s most muscular man and made him a cover model for fitness magazines and a walking promoter for both the sport and the business of bodybuilding, died on Wednesday in Roslyn, N.Y. He was 90.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Friday, November 08, 2013
Uh-Oh or OK?
Breaking: Which Marvel Series Will Be On Netflix?: In step number twenty-seven of Disney’s thirty-four step plan to be associated with every form of entertainment ever, Marvel has announced they will develop at least four original series for Netflix, with an initial focus on Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage, followed by a The Defenders miniseries.
You Might Want to Get in on This
Black Labyrinth Book II: Joe R. Lansdale by Chris Morey — Kickstarter New Joe R. Lansdale horror novella offered in signed limited edition hardcovers illustrated by surrealist artist Santiago Caruso.
50 Essential Graphic Novels
AbeBooks: 50 Essential Graphic Novels: While the term 'graphic novel' only entered common usage as recently as the late 1970's, novel-lenth works in either pictures-only forms or pictures in combination with text have existed since the 19th century. Baby boomers who haven't picked up a comic book since childhood will most likely associate the term with the Classics Illustrated series, which does not quite fit the modern definition.
Tobias Jones on the crime novels of Ross Macdonald
Tobias Jones on the crime novels of Ross Macdonald | Books | The Guardian: A passion for mercy
Hailed as one of the 'holy trinity of American crime writers', Ross Macdonald surpassed his predecessors Chandler and Hammett, writing detective novels informed by sorrows and by Freud, argues Tobias Jones
FFB: The Drowning Pool -- Ross Macdonald
A long, long time ago, I can still remember . . . . Well, actually I can't remember the first time I read Ross Macdonald. I can just remember how impressed I was by the book I'd picked up and how it made me want to read everything else by the author. And eventually I did read everything else, or just about everything. I was so entranced by his writing and that of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler that I figured I might even be able to talk someone into letting me write a doctoral dissertation on their books. And I did. I owe those three guys a lot.
The Drowning Pool (1950) is the second novel to feature private-eye Lew Archer. I have several copies of it, but when I saw one for a buck the other day, I couldn't resist picking it up. And then I figured it might be fun to read it again. It was.
Ross Macdonald was still feeling his way with this one, so the style isn't what it would be come, but The Drowning Pool has the themes that would occupy him for the rest of his career: dysfunctional families, the sins of the fathers setting their children's teeth on edge, the changing face of California (Ross Mac saw the same sorts of things happening there that John D. Mac saw happening in Florida), the conflict of the generations, and the widening gap between the rich and poor.
Lew Archer's client is a woman who's received a blackmail letter. She doesn't want to tell Archer anything about herself or her family, but he takes the job. Working pretty much in the dark, he begins to turn up plenty of secrets that everybody would like to keep covered, secrets that lead to murder. Typically, even when Archer is supposed to be off the case, he keeps on digging. He can never let go until he finds all the answers.
Macdonald isn't as popular now as his progenitors, Hammett and Chandler. Some readers complain that the plots develop too slowly, and The Drowning Pool doesn't have a murder until more than 60 pages have gone by. Macdonald is more interested in setting up the characters than in presenting a murder on the first page. Other readers might find the book a bit dated. It's not, certainly, in its environmental concerns, though the treatment of homosexuality is a bit off-putting to modern eyes. Still, the narrative works just fine for me, pulling me a long as easily as it did the first time I read the book, nearly 50 years ago. There's even some snappy patter that Spenser would envy.
While this book isn't Macdonald's best, it's still quite good. Macdonald could plot, and he could write. It's no wonder that Macdonald remains one of my favorite p. i. writers.
This post originally appeared on 12/24/10, minus the first paragraph, which has been added for this appearance.
Thursday, November 07, 2013
First Clip from Stephen King and John Mellencamp's Ghostly Musical
First Clip from Stephen King and John Mellencamp's Ghostly Musical
Set in the tiny town of Lake Belle Reve, Mississippi, the Ghost Brothers' story centers on two sets of brothers: the ghosts of Jack and Andy, dead in an apparent murder/suicide, and their nephews, the living Frank and Drake, who seem to be headed toward the same downward spiral as their uncles. Joe, younger brother of Jack and Andy, father of Frank and Drake, has decided it's time to reveal his own terrible secret at the site of the tragedy, before it's too late.
Set in the tiny town of Lake Belle Reve, Mississippi, the Ghost Brothers' story centers on two sets of brothers: the ghosts of Jack and Andy, dead in an apparent murder/suicide, and their nephews, the living Frank and Drake, who seem to be headed toward the same downward spiral as their uncles. Joe, younger brother of Jack and Andy, father of Frank and Drake, has decided it's time to reveal his own terrible secret at the site of the tragedy, before it's too late.
Pimpage: An Occasional Feature in Which I call Attention to Books of Interest
Amazon.com: Trails of the Wild: Seven Tales of the Old West eBook: Wayne D. Dundee, Patti Abbott, Evan Lewis, Matthew Pizzolato, James Reasoner, Kieran Shea, Chuck Tyrell: Kindle Store It's been a long day on the trail. The sun is setting, the campfire is burning, and the storytellers are sitting around waiting to entertain you. TRAILS OF THE WILD features six short stories of the Old West and a brand-new Cash Laramie novella by Wayne D. Dundee. Tension builds as a Texas Ranger is pinned down by an outlaw's rifle fire and a deadly diamondback crawling over his legs.
Laughs abound when a man fights to maintain his own identity in the shadow of his famous, deceased grandfather Davy Crockett.
Fear strikes while shape-shifting coyotes prowl outside the shack of a sole line rider in secluded ranch territory.
All this and more raise the stakes and turn conventions upside-down. BEAT to a PULP's TRAILS OF THE WILD offers the boldest and most thrilling Western tales from the sharpest wordsmiths of our time.
Phillip or Frank? Be Careful How You Answer.
What's Columbo's first name? Now I Know – Finding Columbo
AbeBooks: Most Expensive Sales in October 2013
AbeBooks: Most Expensive Sales in October 2013: Last month's list of expensive sales ranges from poetry and handwritten letters to murder and artifacts, but leading the top 10 at just over $13,000 is a collection of volumes of The London Magazine, or Gentleman's Monthly Intelligencer, dating back to its inaugural issue in 1732. Another magazine, The Strand, comes in at number four with the sale of 12 issues from July 1891 to June 1892. The significance? The Sherlock Holmes stories made their first appearance in these issues.
Wednesday, November 06, 2013
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee. . .
Athens teen dislikes getting out of bed: The woman did splash water on him, at which time the boy punched a window and threw household items, including a large vase and a wall mirror, which shattered, police said.
Looking for a Few Reviews
Crossroad Press, the e-book publishers of the early books in the Sheriff Rhodes series would like to do a promotion for Too Late to Die. The problem is that there are too few reviews, and the publication Crossroad wants to use won't take the book. So if you've ever read it and would consider leaving a short review on Amazon or Barnes & Noble, it would help. I'll probably post this a couple of times to be sure that everybody sees it. The sheriff and I appreciate your support.
Update: As an incentive, Crossroad will give a copy of the e-book free to the first 20 people who ask for one and will leave a review. Also, if you've read the book and will leave a review, Crossroad will give you a book of your choice from their catalog. Such a deal! Just e-mail me, and I'll send you the info on how to get your book.
Update: As an incentive, Crossroad will give a copy of the e-book free to the first 20 people who ask for one and will leave a review. Also, if you've read the book and will leave a review, Crossroad will give you a book of your choice from their catalog. Such a deal! Just e-mail me, and I'll send you the info on how to get your book.
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee. . .
Greenpoint - DNAinfo.com New York: A man caught stealing an apple from a Greenpoint produce market on Friday bit and choked a store employee who told him he needed to pay for the fruit, police and witnesses said.
I Miss the Old Days
Yes, 1993 is now the old days.
“After a couple of years no one will even remember”: 16 pop-culture windows into the world of 1993
“After a couple of years no one will even remember”: 16 pop-culture windows into the world of 1993
Tuesday, November 05, 2013
Chris Chase, R. I. P.
NYTimes.com: Chris Chase, an actress, journalist, memoirist and co-author of autobiographical books about Rosalind Russell, Josephine Baker and Betty Ford, died on Thursday at her home in Manhattan.
. . . In the 1950s and ’60s Ms. Chase appeared on the New York stage, on television and in film under the name Irene Kane. Her most notable role was in Stanley Kubrick’s 1955 noir thriller, “Killer’s Kiss,” as a dance-hall partner-for-hire who becomes a brutal man’s obsession.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Free for Kindle for a Limited Time
Amazon.com: Who Knows Where It Goes (A Story From the Dark Side) eBook: Lawrence Block: Kindle Store: “Who Knows Where It Goes” is an uncollected short story that appeared in Ellery Queen in January 2010. It was inspired, of course, by the cratering of the world economy two years earlier. It’s a story of hard times, and how a resourceful man can adapt to them. It’s a story, too, about how such a man might explore his own capabilities, and find out if what he once did is something he still can do.
The title is from a song by the remarkable Junior Burke.
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee. . .
News - Home: A 42-year-old man beat a 27-year-old woman with a clothes iron after she gave him a ride, an arrest warrant affidavit stated.
Overlooked Movies -- The Power
The Power was intended to be a cut above the usual SF B-movie. It has a B+ cast and a pretty good script, too. And good production values. It's based on a novel by Frank M. Robinson, which I read at about the time the movie came out in 1968. I don't remember if I read the book first or saw the movie first, but I liked both of them. Scientists at a research facility are being killed off by someone who seems to have the ability to do so using only the power of his mind. George Hamilton is trying to track him down. Meanwhile all traces of Hamilton's existence are being erased. Hamilton is a bit out of his depth here, but so what? Suzanne Pleshette makes up for it, and the plot moves along pretty well.
The ending of the movie is about what you'd expect from Hollywood. Most of the rest of the movie follows the book pretty well, but the book's ending was much darker. It's all kind of ridiculous, but still fun. Check it out.
Monday, November 04, 2013
Hey, Stuff Happens
FOX8.com: A Georgia man will face criminal charges for accidentally setting fire to his wife by flicking his lighter near his pickup truck’s gas tank while refueling.
New Poem at The 5-2
The 5-2 | Crime Poetry Weekly, Annual Ebooks - Gerald So, Editor: Toby Speed
MORNING REPORT
Sunday, November 03, 2013
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee. . .
Victim: Egg salad sandwich, cat and dog caused monkey attack
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson, who failed to mention that Monkey Attack WBAGNFARB.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson, who failed to mention that Monkey Attack WBAGNFARB.
Larry Verne, R. I. P.
VVN Music: Passings: Larry Verne (1936 - 2013): It is amazing that an artist ["Please Mr. Custer"] who hit the top of the charts in the United States could fade so much from the scene that his passing can go unnoticed for almost a month.
While there is no confirmation from the family, it has been reported that Larry Verne died on October 8 in Sylmar, CA at the age of 77 (other reports put him at 79). He had been suffering from Alzheimer's Disease and had suffered three strokes but the cause of death is reported as heart failure.
While there is no confirmation from the family, it has been reported that Larry Verne died on October 8 in Sylmar, CA at the age of 77 (other reports put him at 79). He had been suffering from Alzheimer's Disease and had suffered three strokes but the cause of death is reported as heart failure.
Walt Bellamy, R. I. P.
Walt Bellamy Dead: Basketball Hall Of Famer Dies At 74: Walt Bellamy, the Hall of Fame center who averaged 20.1 points and 13.7 rebounds in 14 seasons in the NBA, died Saturday. He was 74.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
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