Saturday, March 08, 2014

2013 Ellery Queen's Readers Choice Awards

2013 Ellery Queen's Readers Choice Awards

A Friendly Reminder

Adventures In Writing: Rancho Diablo

Italo Calvino on Distraction, Procrastination, and Newspapers as the Proto-Time-Waster

Italo Calvino on Distraction, Procrastination, and Newspapers as the Proto-Time-Waster 

17 Ridiculously Sexist Vintage Ads

17 Ridiculously Sexist Vintage Ads

Song of the Day

The Kingston Trio - Raspberries, Strawberries - YouTube:

How To Disappear

This Infographic Shows You How to Delete Yourself from the Internet

Today's Vintage Ad


Archaeology Update

6 Things Movies Don't Show You About Being an Archeologist

I Miss the Old Days

17 Examples of Totally Rad 1980s Box Art

PaperBack



Henri Troyat, The Mountain, Popular Library, 1953

21 Street Gangs Featured in The Warriors

21 Street Gangs Featured in The Warriors

Sex! Drugs! Racism! 8 Controversial Candies

Sex! Drugs! Racism! 8 Controversial Candies

The Origins of Paper Airplanes

The Origins of Paper Airplanes

I Miss the Old Days

Retrospace: Album Covers #42: Vinyl Vixens

In these more enlightened times, some album covers might not be SFW.

10 Famous Actors Who Have a Less-Famous Twin

10 Famous Actors Who Have a Less-Famous Twin

Sheila MacRae, R. I. P.

Fox News: Sheila MacRae , a veteran stage, film and TV performer best known for playing Alice Kramden in the 1960s re-creation of "The Honeymooners", has died. She was 92. 

The actress died Thursday at the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, N.J., MacRae's granddaughter, Allison Mullavey, told The Associated Press on Friday. 

A singer, dancer and actress, she was married to "Oklahoma" star Gordon MacRae for 26 years and they appeared together in 1964 on "The Ed Sullivan Show" when the Beatles were featured.  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Dragonwyck

1946 DRAGONWYCK TRAILER GENE TIERNEY - YouTube:

Friday, March 07, 2014

Free Book!

Kevin's Corner: Smashwords Promotion

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Florida mom arrested for fighting middle school girl in parking lot  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

One of the Greats

Galaxy Science Fiction, September 1951: A Retro-Review

Tom Waits Map | A map of places from Tom Waits songs

Tom Waits Map | A map of places from Tom Waits songs

Hat tip to Gerard Saylor.

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

An Asian-fusion food truck banned for 'offensive' name

21 Famous Actors Who Quietly Voiced Cartoon Characters

21 Famous Actors Who Quietly Voiced Cartoon Characters 

Song of the Day

Peter, Paul and Mary- Whiskey In The Jar - YouTube:

Pip Pip and Cheerio, Old Bean

The Monocle Returns as a Fashion Accessory

Today's Vintage Ad


10 English Hauntings To Make Your Skin Crawl

10 English Hauntings To Make Your Skin Crawl 

PaperBack



Roger Vadim's Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Ballantine, 1962

Croc Photo of the Day!

Don’t get snappy with me ... I’m hopping mad

Classic Gunfights

Wild Bill’s Last Fight:  Wild Bill Hickok vs Phil Coe

Classics Illustrated ~ 1941-1960

The Golden Age: Classics Illustrated ~ 1941-1960

Scientific Evidence That You Are (and Aren’t) the Center of the Universe

Scientific Evidence That You Are (and Aren’t) the Center of the Universe

15 Things That Scientists Just Can't Explain

15 Things That Scientists Just Can't Explain

AbeBooks: Most Expensive Sales in February 2014

AbeBooks: Most Expensive Sales in February 2014: Last month’s most expensive sales on AbeBooks span five centuries of natural history, physics and philosophy, and fiction. There are also two significant contributions from 20th century artists and the ultimate book for North American tree-spotters.

Vintage Treasures: The Trouble With Tycho by Clifford D. Simak / Bring Back Yesterday by A. Bertram Chandler

Vintage Treasures: The Trouble With Tycho by Clifford D. Simak / Bring Back Yesterday by A. Bertram Chandler

Vintage and New: Revisiting The Night Land with James Stoddard

Revisiting The Night Land with James Stoddard

Another Forgotten Book

Unearthing Solomon’s Vineyard

FFB: Omnibus of Science Fiction -- Groff Conklin, Editor

Here's a bit of nostalgia for you.  Imagine that you're a kid in the mid-1950s and that you've fallen in love with SF.  And that you see the ad to the left on the back cover of a magazine you've just bought.  That's what happened to me, and the ad is why I joined the Science Fiction Book Club.  I bought the three books at the top of the circle, and I still have them.

 My favorite of the three was Groff Conklin's Omnibus of Science Fiction.  A look at the table of contents below should give you a clue as to why.  First of all, it was a huge book, over 550 pages.  And secondly, the stories are all great.  Okay, maybe not now, maybe not to you, but they were to me way back then.  And the price was right, a mere 33-1/3 cents per book.  Plus postage, of course, but postage back in those days wasn't like postage is now.  It was cheap.  You could mail a letter for 3 cents of a postcard for a penny.

I've never forgotten some of the stories.  "Spectator Sport" was my first encounter (and certainly not my last) with John D. MacDonald.  I still think this is one of the best VR stories ever written.  Maybe the first one, too.  A definite classic in my book.  I thought then and think now that Arthur C. Clarke's "History Lesson" was a great commentary on our society.  Ray Bradbury's "Kaliedoscope" really touched me then, and still does.  (I'm a sentimental guy.)  Fredric Brown's "The Weapon" is also a great commentary.  I'm sure it had a lot to do with some of my current thinking on similar topics, and I know it did back then.  "The Rag Thing" by David Grinnell (Donald A. Wollheim) I found creepy and scary, and H. P. Lovecraft's "The Colour Out of Space" was even creepier.  Richard Matheson's "Shipshape Home," too, even with the punny title.  

Inexpensive copies of this book abound on the Internet.  If you like the good old stuff, here it is, in plenty.  A wonderful book, at least to me, and one that almost certainly contributed a lot to whatever my reading tastes are even now.

Table of Contents
vii · Introduction · Groff Conklin · in
· Part I: Wonders of Earth and of Man
3 · John Thomas’s Cube · John Leimert · ss Atlantic Monthly Aug ’45
10 · Hyperpilosity · L. Sprague de Camp · ss Astounding Apr ’38
18 · The Thing in the Woods · Fletcher Pratt & B. F. Ruby · ss Amazing Feb ’35
29 · And Be Merry... · Katherine MacLean · ss Astounding Feb ’50
45 · The Bees from Borneo · Will H. Gray · ss Amazing Feb ’31
55 · The Rag Thing · David Grinnell · ss F&SF Oct ’51
58 · The Conqueror · Mark Clifton · ss Astounding Aug ’52
· Part II: Inventions, Dangerous and Otherwise
65 · Never Underestimate... · Theodore Sturgeon · ss If Mar ’52
78 · The Doorbell · David H. Keller · ss Wonder Stories Jun ’34
88 · A Subway Named Mobius · A. J. Deutsch · ss Astounding Dec ’50
100 · Backfire · Ross Rocklynne · nv Astounding Jan ’43
117 · The Box · James Blish · ss Thrilling Wonder Stories Apr ’49
132 · Zeritsky’s Law · Ann Griffith · ss Galaxy Nov ’51
137 · The Fourth Dynasty · R. R. Winterbotham · ss Astounding Dec ’36
· Part III: From Outer Space
146 · The Colour Out of Space · H. P. Lovecraft · nv Amazing Sep ’27
167 · The Head Hunters · Ralph Williams · ss Astounding Oct ’51
178 · The Star Dummy · Anthony Boucher · ss Fantastic Fll ’52
189 · Catch That Martian · Damon Knight · ss Galaxy Mar ’52
199 · Shipshape Home · Richard Matheson · ss Galaxy Jul ’52
214 · Homo Sol [Tan Porus] · Isaac Asimov · ss Astounding Sep ’40
· Part IV: Far Traveling
230 · Alexander the Bait · William Tenn · ss Astounding May ’46
241 · Kaleidoscope · Ray Bradbury · ss Thrilling Wonder Stories Oct ’49
249 · “Nothing Happens on the Moon” · Paul Ernst · ss Astounding Feb ’39
263 · Trigger Tide · Wyman Guin · ss Astounding Oct ’50
273 · Plague · Murray Leinster · nv Astounding Feb ’44
302 · Winner Lose All · Jack Vance · ss Galaxy Dec ’51
313 · Test Piece · Eric Frank Russell · ss Other Worlds Mar ’51
327 · Environment · Chester S. Geier · ss Astounding May ’44
· Part V: Adventures in Dimension
341 · High Threshold [Dr. McEvoy] · Alan E. Nourse · ss Astounding Mar ’51
350 · Spectator Sport · John D. MacDonald · ss Thrilling Wonder Stories Feb ’50
355 · Recruiting Station · A. E. van Vogt · na Astounding Mar ’42
420 · A Stone and a Spear · Raymond F. Jones · nv Galaxy Dec ’50
436 · What You Need · Lewis Padgett · ss Astounding Oct ’45
449 · The Choice · W. Hilton-Young · vi Punch Mar 19 ’52
· Part VI: Worlds of Tomorrow
450 · The War Against the Moon · André Maurois · ss The Forum Jul ’27; F&SF Sum ’50
464 · Pleasant Dreams · Ralph Robin · ss Galaxy Oct ’51
472 · Manners of the Age · H. B. Fyfe · ss Galaxy Mar ’52
484 · The Weapon · Fredric Brown · ss Astounding Apr ’51
486 · The Scarlet Plague · Jack London · nv The London Magazine Jun ’12
524 · Heritage · Robert Abernathy · nv Astounding Jun ’42
545 · History Lesson · Arthur C. Clarke · ss Startling Stories May ’49
551 · Instinct · Lester del Rey · ss Astounding Jan ’52
562 · Counter Charm · Peter Phillips · vi Slant Spr ’51

Toc Source: Index to Science Fiction Anthologies and Collections, Combined Edition

Criss Cross

1949 CRISS CROSS TRAILER BURT LANCASTER FILM NOIR - YouTube:

Thursday, March 06, 2014

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Update: Woman accused of incest with brother rearrested after choking husband

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Texas school puts date rape drug detectors in drink coasters for spring break 

Bram Stoker – 2013 Award Nominees

Coveting Bram Stoker – 2013 Award Nominees Announced

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

Amazon.com: Starless Midnight eBook: Wayne D. Dundee: Kindle Store: Chance Smith was an ex cop who had traded the world of crime and other people's trouble for a quiet life of semi-retirement in a remote corner of Nebraska's panhandle … or so he thought. Then came the stormy night when he was driving home on a lonely stretch of narrow highway and the nearly-naked, startlingly beautiful woman he would come to know as Esmerelda Barkley sprang from out of the ditch to flag him down. She told a tale of domestic strife that sounded more embarrassing than threatening. Smith gave her a lift to shelter and thought that was the end of it, once again shedding himself of other people's trouble. 

The tragic and sensational double murder that took place later that night, however, made it impossible for him to stay out of it. But the good news about the bad news—maybe—was that part of staying involved also meant additional time spent with the mesmerizing widow, Esmerelda …

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Diner Attacked After Refusing Seattle Man's Demand For A Bite Of His Burrito 

March 6, 1836: Remember the Alamo!

March 6, 1836: What Do You Remember About the Alamo? 

18 Things Highly Creative People Do Differently

18 Things Highly Creative People Do Differently

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Man Attacked Sister After She Complained About Him "Not Putting The Toilet Seat Down"

Song of the Day

Marshall Crenshaw Someday, Someway (HQ) - YouTube:

Why We Have Grass Lawns

Why We Have Grass Lawns

Today's Vintage Ad


Gator Update (Otter Dining Edition)

An Otter Attacked An Alligator, And Then Ate It   

Hat tip to George Kelley.

It's Cats! With Jetpacks!

Fur flies over 16th century 'rocket cats' warfare manual: Researcher baffled by document written by artillery master Franz Helm featuring pictures of jetpacks strapped to cats and doves

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Southwest passenger screams for booze, throws gang signs 'for Jesus,' forces PDX landing

PaperBack



Ernest Haycox, Alder Gulch, Bantam, 1961

16 Extraordinarily Successful People Who Failed Miserably Before They Made It

16 Extraordinarily Successful People Who Failed Miserably Before They Made It

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Texas lake welcomes back paddlefish gone for years: UNCERTAIN, Texas (AP) — Deep beneath the surface of Texas' only naturally formed lake there used to swim a massive, open-mouthed dinosaur-era fish with a long snout and prized caviar. Now, decades after the paddlefish was almost completely wiped out, it's coming back to Caddo Lake.

10 Rejection Letters Sent to Famous People

10 Rejection Letters Sent to Famous People

37 Writers Share The Books That Saved Their Lives

37 Writers Share The Books That Saved Their Lives

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

palmbeachpost.com: West Boca Raton man threw toaster at wife after she refused to have sex

When I Was 13, I was Still Working on How to Tie My Shoes

Jamie Edwards, 13, is youngest person to achieve nuclear fusion: Don't worry, Sir, it's only a nuclear reactor: Boy of 13's record-breaking experiment in school science lab

Geoff Edwards, R. I. P.

ABC News: Geoff Edwards, the hip-looking 1970s and '80s host of TV game shows including "Jackpot!" and two incarnations of "Treasure Hunt," died Wednesday, his agent said. He was 83.

Sean Potts, R. I. P.

NYTimes.com: Sean Potts, who learned to play the tin whistle from his grandfather in the 1930s and for a time made an international career out of it as a founding member of the traditional Irish band the Chieftains, died on Feb. 11 in Dublin. He was 83.  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

The Adventures of Frank Merriwell

▶ 1936 ADVENTURES OF FRANK MERRIWELL SERIAL TRAILER DON BRIGGS - YouTube:

Wednesday, March 05, 2014

Take the Very First SAT

Take the Very First SAT 

7 Twisted Writers and the Disturbing Ways They Died

7 Twisted Writers and the Disturbing Ways They Died   

Hat tip to Toby O'Brien.

Hap & Leonard Coming to TV

'Cold in July' Duo Nick Damici, Jim Mickle Developing Private Eye Series for Sundance Channel (Exclusive) - TheWrap: The collaborators are teaming with author Joe Lansdale once again, this time for the small screen 

Fresh off the success of their Sundance thriller “Cold in July,” director Jim Mickle and writer/actor Nick Damici are on the verge of teaming with author Joe Lansdale once again, this time for the small screen.

“Solving for Sherlock Holmes”

“Solving for Sherlock Holmes” (by Dana Cameron) | SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN

Suzi Quatro, the original Riot grrrl

‘Your Mamma Won’t Like Me’: Suzi Quatro, the original Riot grrrl: In her native America, pioneering female rocker Suzi Quatro is best remembered for her role as “Leather Tuscadero” on Happy Days, but in the rest of the world, Quatro was known—at least for a short time—as a chart-topping bubblegum/glam-rock superstar who sold 50 million records.  

Link via Neatorama.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

There seem to be a lot of melees today.  And to the surprise of absolutely no one, once again Texas leads the way.

TX police blockade parking lot at child’s birthday party, tase couple for not leaving 

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Wal-Mart customer, angry with self-checkout machine, loses tooth in fight 

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Cops: Woman Beat Her Mom With Vibrator 

Song of the Day

My Tennessee Mountain Home - Dolly Parton - YouTube:

17 Ridiculously Sexist Vintage Ads

17 Ridiculously Sexist Vintage Ads

Today's Vintage Ad


To Visit #18 Is Seepy Benton's Dream

20 Weird, Wonderful, And Strangely Specific Museums You Have To Visit

PaperBack



Jules Verne, The Purchase of the North Pole, Ace, 1959

A Review of Interest (To Me, Anyway)

Kevin's Corner: Review: "Outrage at Blanco" (Ellie Taine) by Bill Crider

Croc Update (Taking It Easy Edition)

Mail Online: The laziest croc in the world: Five-metre maneater waits for teenager to catch a fish... then steals it off the end of the line  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Meth-Smokin' Half-Siblings Make Out in Walmart Loss Prevention Office

Archaeology Update

Tomb of pharaoh`s stable master discovered in Egypt

Who Wouldn't?

If You Dare Torii Hunter To Kiss An Alligator, He'll Do It (PHOTO)

Stephen King: 40 Years of Fear

Carrie by Stephen KingAbeBooks: Stephen King: The Master of Horror: At the risk of stating the obvious, few authors past or present have achieved the level of success experienced by Stephen King. But then again, few authors are as prolific as Stephen King. With over 350 million copies of more than 70 titles sold worldwide, many adapted to film, television, and even broadway musicals and comic books, King’s impact on popular culture is irrefutable.

Column South

1953 COLUMN SOUTH TRAILER AUDIE MURPHY - YouTube:

Tuesday, March 04, 2014

Hand Me Down My Walking Cane

Video: Watch kids react to rotary phones   

Hat tip to Art Scott.

Stonehenge Update

The Independent: The pillars that form Stonehenge may have been chosen because they were like sacred “prehistoric glockenspiels”, according to researchers.

Travis McGee Update

James Mangold To Direct Travis McGee Movie 'Deep Blue Good-By': Script by Dennis Lehane.  Not starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Link via Vince Keenan.

More True Now than Ever

Source.

Free for Kindle For a Limited Time

Amazon.com: Ratfish (Schlock Zone Drive-In) eBook: Buck Hanno, Donald J. Bingle, Mel Odom, J.E. Mooney, Evili: Kindle Store: Ratfish is a classic tale of sex, violence, and mutated animal parts in a blender.

I'm Betting You Do

5 Wacky Movie Terms You Might Not Know 

What Does the Term "Successful Writer" Mean to You

What Does the Term "Successful Writer" Mean to You

I Miss the Old Days

Alfa Romeo BAT 7 

Song of the Day

"Lola"- The Kinks - YouTube:

Top 10 Most Historically Famous Shootouts

Top 10 Most Historically Famous Shootouts

Here's the Plot for Your Next Noir Thriller

Woman Offered Sex, $1000 For Fiancés Murder

Max Allan Collins Reflects on His Amazing Career

You Say It’s Your Birthday: Friends/Family/Fans of Max Allan Collins

It's National Grammar Day!

National Grammar Day: Brought to you by Grammar Girl and the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar

Today's Vintage Ad


9 Rules for Writers

9 Rules for Writers

A Solitary World: A Breathtaking Homage to H.G. Wells

A Solitary World: A Breathtaking Homage to H.G. Wells from a New Genre of Cinematic Poetry

PaperBack



Erle Stanley Gardner, The Case of the Cautious Coquette, Pocket Books, 1954

Now Available for Pre-Order!

 My name isn't on the cover, but I do have a story in the collection.  So naturally you won't want to miss it.

AUDIBLE TO RELEASE ORIGINAL COLLECTION OF “SOOKIE STACKHOUSE” STORIES, DEAD BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
Edited by Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner, original-to-audio anthology includes new stories by New York Times best-selling authors Rachel Caine, MaryJanice Davidson, Jonathan Maberry and Seanan McGuire
Dead but Not Forgotten: Stories from the World of Sookie Stackhouse | [Charlaine Harris (editor), Toni L. P. Kelner (editor)]NEWARK, N.J. – March 4, 2014 – Audible, Inc., the world’s largest seller and producer of downloadable audiobooks and other spoken-word content, today announced the forthcoming release of Dead But Not Forgotten: Stories from the World of Sookie Stackhouse. An audio-original anthology edited by Sookie creator Charlaine Harris along with Toni L. P. Kelner, the collection includes 15 new stories featuring Eric, Pam, Quinn and other characters familiar to fans of Harris’s best-selling novels and True Blood, the HBO series they inspired. Audible will release Dead but Not Forgotten on May 13, 2014; the audiobook is available for pre-order now at www.audible.com/DBNF.

“I’d seen the Sookie Stackhouse novels adapted by others for True Blood, but that was an entirely different medium,” said Harris. “It felt a little like leaping without a net when I embarked on Dead But Not Forgotten, even with getting to hand-pick the contributors and my co-editor Toni L. P. Kelner.  But the results have been astonishing, a rich variety of characters and approaches that I can’t wait to share with my readers and listeners.”

Along with Caine, Davidson, Maberry and McGuire, participating writers in Dead but Not Forgotten include Dana Cameron, Bill Crider, Leigh Evans, Christopher Golden, Nancy Holder, Miranda James, Leigh Perry, Jeffrey J. Mariotte, Suzanne McLeod, Nicole Peeler, and Jeanne C. Stein. Dead but Not Forgotten is narrated by Johanna Parker, the longtime voice of the Sookie Stackhouse audiobooks, with introductions read by Charlaine Harris. 

“Like all Sookie fans, we can’t get enough of the rich world Charlaine has created,” said Audible’s executive producer for the project, Steve Feldberg. “If Dead but Not Forgotten proves anything it’s that while Sookie’s story may have ended, there are still so many corners to explore and a wealth of memorable characters with their own tales to tell.”

Charlaine Harris first introduced Sookie Stackhouse with the publication in 2001 of the Anthony Award-winning Dead Until Dark. By the time the 13th and final novel, Dead Ever After, was published in 2013, the series had become a mainstay of national best-seller lists, and inspired the hit HBO series True Blood. The Sookie Stackhouse novels have sold more than 29 million copies and have been published in 35 languages.

Dead but Not Forgotten is produced by Audible Studios, the production arm of Audible.com. Audible invented and commercialized the first digital audio player in 1997, and has since been at the forefront of the explosively growing audiobook download segment. In 2013, Audible members downloaded an average of more than 17 books over the course of a year.

Michael Shea, R. I. P.

 Michael Shea, July 3, 1946 – February 16, 2014

I Found a Penny Last Week

The Raw Story: An amateur treasure hunter with a hand-held metal detector has turned Canadian history on its head after finding a 16th-century shilling buried in clay on the shores of Vancouver Island. 

he 435-year-old coin discovered in western-most Canada has rekindled a theory that a British explorer made a secret voyage here two centuries before it was discovered by Spanish sailors.

The Six Motives of Creativity

The Six Motives of Creativity: Mary Gaitskill on Why Writers Write

Top 10 Inventions Commonly Credited to the Wrong People

Top 10 Inventions Commonly Credited to the Wrong People

Justin Kaplan, R. I. P.

NYTimes.com: Justin Kaplan, a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer renowned for his lives of Mark Twain, Walt Whitman and Lincoln Steffens, and who was later known as the editor of Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations — a job akin to running the admissions committee of the most selective college in the world — died on Sunday in Cambridge, Mass. He was 88.  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Bill Adler, R. I. P.

NYTimes.com: Bill Adler, who pursued his goal of being the P. T. Barnum of books by conceptualizing, writing, editing, compiling and hustling hundreds of them — prompting one magazine to anoint him “the most fevered mind” in publishing” — died last Friday in Manhattan. He was 84. . . .  One of his more famous tricks — a word he preferred to gimmicks — was the 1983 mystery novel “Who Killed the Robins Family?” by Bill Adler and Thomas Chastain. On the cover was an offer of a $10,000 reward for solving a series of fictional murders.

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Classic Gunfights

Behind the Eight Ball: Morgan Earp vs Frank Stilwell, Pete Spence & Others

Another Forgotten Movie

One Arthurian Film to Rule Them All: John Boorman’s Excalibur

Overlooked Movies: Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman

I could write about the bad SF movies of the '50s every week here because I saw most of them.  Including this one.  What's my excuse?  Well, I was a teenager, and it's about a very attractive 50 ft. woman wrapped in bed sheets. Need I say more?  Okay, I will say more.  This is the kind of thing that was often shown on the weekends at the Mexia Theatre, and everybody went to the movies on Saturday night. 

How bad is Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman?  Just watch the trailer below and you'll have a pretty good idea.  You'll also have seen most of the movie.  Sadly the great scene in the poster to the left doesn't appear in the movie.  If it did, the movie would be a lot better.  As it is, the special effects are terrible, the acting isn't much better, and the story is goofy.  There are continuity errors to match anything in an Ed Wood movie. 

But what does any of that matter?  It's about a 50 ft. woman!  Wrapped in bed sheets!  This time it's not an atomic accident that creates her.  I'm not sure what does.  She meets a giant in a flying saucer, he steals her diamond ring, and she gets really big.  This is bad news for her philandering husband, and you guys should take note of what happens to him and his blonde hottie.  There's definitely a moral to the story, as there often was in this kind of movie back then.

Some of you might be wondering if I knew this movie was bad when I saw it.  Sure I did.  But did I care?  Nope.  It was fun to be a kid and go to the movies, no matter how bad they were, and there was always something to like in even the worst of them.  Did I mention the 50 ft. woman wrapped in bed sheets?  

Did we laugh at how bad some of the movies were?  Yep, we did that, too, and after the movie we'd go to the Dairy Queen or the Dairy King or maybe drive out to the lake and dance to music on the jukebox.  I miss the old days.

Attack of the 50-Foot Woman

1958 ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN TRAILER ALLISON HAYES - YouTube:

Monday, March 03, 2014

CELEBRATE 20 YEARS OF BERKLEY PRIME CRIME


CELEBRATE 20 YEARS OF BERKLEY PRIME CRIME

NEW YORK, NY – March 1, 2014 – Twenty years ago, in March 1994, Berkley Books introduced Berkley Prime Crime, a mass market mystery imprint that included five launch authors. This year, Berkley celebrates the 20th anniversary of Prime Crime with special author events and promotional giveaways.

In its first year, Berkley Prime Crime (BPC) published approximately forty titles, all mass market. In 2013, the imprint published 150 titles, including mass market originals, trade paperbacks, and hardcovers. Every year, BPC launches approximately 25-30 new series, including several house-owned franchises that editors have developed from idea to execution. In the past year, BPC debuted sixteen titles on the New York Times Bestsellers List (printed and extended lists combined), which comes out to more than one per month!

“When we launched Berkley Prime Crime in March 1994 I believed that the audience for the traditional or ‘cozy’ mystery was still largely underserved and untapped. Twenty years later I can say without reservation that this has proven to be correct and that Berkley Prime Crime has succeeded beyond my wildest expectations,” said Natalee Rosenstein, Vice President and Senior Executive Editor of Berkley. 

This spring Berkley Prime Crime is hosting two events at mystery bookstores that have supported Berkley Prime Crime over the years. On March 13, Julie Hyzy, Miranda James, and Rebecca Hale will be at Murder by the Book in Houston, Texas. On March 25 the Poisoned Pen in Phoenix will host Margaret Coel, Carolyn Hart, Earlene Fowler, and Avery Aames.

Throughout the remainder of 2014, more events and promotional giveaways are planned, in addition to Berkley Prime Crime’s annual presence at mystery conventions BoucherCon and Malice Domestic. You can find out more about Berkley Prime Crime titles and authors at The Crime Scene, our cozy mystery Facebook page at www.facebook.com/thecrimescenebooks.

Croc Update (Escalator Advertising Edition)

The National Geographic 3D crocodile escalator advert in Brazil that's TOO realistic   

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

And Don't Call Them Shirley

"Airplane!" Stars Reunite For Wisconsin Tourism Ad  

Video at the link.

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Texas man shoots 9-year-old in the head during illegal backyard target practice

Harmless? Right. Have These People Learned Nothing from '50s SF Movies?

AFP: 30,000-year-old virus from permafrost is reborn: French scientists said Monday they had revived a giant but harmless virus that had been locked in the Siberian permafrost for more than 30,000 years.

Aimee Thurlo, R. I. P.

David Thurlo announced the death of his wife, Aimee, on Facebook today.  Their collaborative mystery novels were bestsellers, and I enjoyed several of them.  I corresponded with her by e-mail briefly, and we shared spots on our blogs once.  She'll be greatly missed by the mystery-writing community and a legion of fans.

MegaPython Wins

I've been out of the house today, so this is a bit late getting posted.  You've probably seen it everywhere else on the Internet, though.  Snake eats crocodile in Queensland lake

10 Notable Last Survivors Of Historic Events

10 Notable Last Survivors Of Historic Events 

28 Bad Movies We Can't Help But Love

28 Bad Movies We Can't Help But Love

Song of the Day

The Silkie You'Ve Got To Hide Your Love Away - YouTube:

Continental Op and "Nameless" Inexplicably Excluded

10 Compelling Unnamed Protagonists in Literature 

Today's Vintage Ad


Robert E. Howard and the Many Faces of Conan

ROBERT E. HOWARD and the Many Faces of CONAN

8 Surprising Historical Facts That Will Change Your Concept Of Time Forever

8 Surprising Historical Facts That Will Change Your Concept Of Time Forever

PaperBack



Maxwell Grant (Dennis Lynds), The Shadow Destination: Moon, Belmont 1967

All Of The Most Important Nicolas Cage Facts

Worthwhile video of the day: All Of The Most Important Nicolas Cage Facts

Arthur C. Clarke's 2001-Inspired Ballantine Book Covers

Arthur C. Clarke's 2001-Inspired Ballantine Book Covers

New Poem at the 5-2

The 5-2 | Crime Poetry Weekly, Annual Ebooks - Gerald So, Editor: Charles Rammelkamp THE ADJUNCT PROFESSOR'S LAMENT

Yet Another List I'm Not On

10 Famous Geniuses With Truly Weird Secret Habits

I Miss the Old Days

32 Badass Vintage Photographs Of Women And Motorcycles

Gator Update (Musical Edition)

Tuba Players Make Alligators Randy With One Very Special Note  

Hat tip to Seepy Benton.
Warning: Autoplay video.

Theodora Goes Wild

theogowi - YouTube:

Sunday, March 02, 2014

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

Amazon.com: Rise of the Luchadore (Fight Card) eBook: Jack Tunney, Jason Ridler, Paul Bishop: Kindle Store: San Diego 2014 … Carlos may be the deadliest vale tudo street fighter in Brazil, but he’s no match for the drug lord on his tail. Haunted by the death of his best friend and on the run from a Mexican hit squad, Carlos is forced into hiding with a traveling carnival crawling its way from San Diego to LA. Within this world of freaks and con-men, Carlos has no choice but to become the one thing he hates – a masked luchador wrestler. 

However, once he has donned the mask, Carlos finds there is much more to being a luchador than fake wrestling moves and cheesy showmanship. There is a mystique and a responsibility carried by those who become true luchadors. But will being a fake hero, no matter how inspired or mystical, save him from the drug lord’s henchmen…Can it erase his tortured past…Or will he be forced to once again become the killing machine he has always been?

It's Texas Independence Day!

The Birthplace of Texas - Washington-On-The-Brazos: All Texans (natural born, and those that got here as soon as they could) are invited to a Texas-sized 178th birthday celebration on the very spot “where Texas became Texas” on March 2, 1836 when 59 delegates bravely met to make a formal declaration of independence from Mexico.

Is That a Cucumber in Your Sock, or Are You Just Glad to Be Robbing Us?

Man sentenced to 3 years for holding up bookies with cucumber hidden in sock  

Hat tip to Art Scott.

The Great Medieval Water Myth

The Great Medieval Water Myth

Song of the Day

Wings of A Dove - Ferlin Husky - YouTube:

I Miss the Old Days

The Space Age Never Looked Brighter Than It Did in the Mid-1960s: At the 1964-1965 New York World's Fair, everything was Space Age. From the designs and architecture to the machines and rides, it seemed to everybody that the future was in outer space. Here are some incredible pictures that capture the way we imagined tomorrow — in space.

Alain Resnais, R. I. P.

theguardian.com: Alain Resnais, the acclaimed French film director whose 60-year career included such classics as Hiroshima Mon Amour and Last Year in Marienbad, has died aged 91.

Today's Vintage Ad


First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Off the Beat with Will Greenlee: A woman accused of cutting up paper with a Swiss Army Knife at a Dunkin' Donuts, building a fire in an ashtray and smacking her knife into a wall got locked up, according to a recently released arrest affidavit.  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

The 28 Most Beautiful Abandoned Churches Around The World

The 28 Most Beautiful Abandoned Churches Around The World

PaperBack



Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Gal Young Un, Bantam, 1954