Saturday, March 22, 2014
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee
92-Year-Old Man Dies After Nursing Home Fist Fight: . . .it all started when another resident cut in line at dinner.
Friday, March 21, 2014
Once Again Texas Leads the Way
Bank Robbery Suspect Grabs Loot, Gets Away on Kiddie Bike: They're calling him the BMX Bandit.
Photos at the link.
Photos at the link.
Real Sherlock Holmes revealed
Real Sherlock Holmes revealed: Victorian investigator Jerome Caminada was master of disguise: The real Sherlock Holmes revealed: Historian finds Victorian investigator
Jerome Caminada who was a master of disguise and even had a foe like Moriarty
Jerome Caminada captivated Manchester in 19th century with detective skills
Became known for eccentric disguises, logical reasoning and crime figures
Now, investigator has been revealed as possible inspiration behind Holmes
Jerome Caminada who was a master of disguise and even had a foe like Moriarty
Jerome Caminada captivated Manchester in 19th century with detective skills
Became known for eccentric disguises, logical reasoning and crime figures
Now, investigator has been revealed as possible inspiration behind Holmes
The Tale of Beatrix Potter
AbeBooks: The Tale of Beatrix Potter: As you all know, Beatrix Potter (1866-1943), was an English children’s book author and illustrator, primarily. She was also a farmer, a conservationist, and a natural explorer fascinated by science and the wonders of the natural world around her, be they flora or fauna.
FFB: The Best from Fantasy and Science Fiction, Third Series -- Anthony Boucher & J. Francis McComas, Editors
So now we come to the third book I got in my first order from the Science Fiction Book Club. Is it any wonder that I was hooked after three such great books? Well, I was hooked before, but you know what I mean. The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction was probably my overall favorite of all the SF digests I was reading in the '50s, but I loved them all. In this anthology, my favorite story was "Vandy, Vandy," the first of Manly Wade Wellman's Silver John Stories that I read, but certainly not the last. I love the whole series, and one of the highlights of the first convention I ever attended was getting Wellman to sign my Ballantine collection of those stories. I was also impressed by Bester's "Star Light, Star Bright," Ward Moore's "Lot," and Boucher's "Snulbug." And probably others at the time, but those are the ones I remember. I was never as fond of the "Tales from Gavagan's Bar" as I was of other stories by De Camp and Pratt, but I probably got a kick out of this one. And you'll notice that there's a story by William Lindsay Gresham of Nightmare Alley fame. I was in love with short stories in the middle '50s, and the three collections I got from the SF Book Club were truly wonderful stuff. Here's the ToC:
· Introduction · Anthony Boucher & J. Francis McComas · in
· Attitudes [Father John Carmody] · Philip José Farmer · nv F&SF Oct ’53
· Maybe Just a Little One · Reginald Bretnor · ss Harper’s Aug ’47; F&SF Feb ’53
· Solar Systems... · E. D. B. · pm F&SF Feb ’53
· The Star Gypsies · William Lindsay Gresham · ss F&SF Jul ’53
· The Naming of Names · Herman W. Mudgett · pm F&SF Oct ’53
· The Untimely Toper [Gavagan’s Bar] · L. Sprague de Camp & Fletcher Pratt · ss F&SF Jul ’53
· Some Facts About Robots I · Leonard Wolf · pm F&SF Nov ’53
· Vandy, Vandy [John] · Manly Wade Wellman · ss F&SF Mar ’53
· Experiment · Kay Rogers · vi F&SF Feb ’53
· Lot [David Jimmon] · Ward Moore · nv F&SF May ’53
· Manuscript Found in a Vacuum · P. M. Hubbard · ss Punch Dec ’52; F&SF Aug ’53
· The Escapist · E. D. B. · pm F&SF Feb ’53
· The Maladjusted Classroom [C.P. Ransom] · H. Nearing, Jr. · ss F&SF Jun ’53
· Child by Chronos · Charles L. Harness · ss F&SF Jun ’53
· The Antiquary · Winona McClintic · pm F&SF Jul ’53
· New Ritual · Idris Seabright · ss F&SF Jan ’53
· Devlin · W. B. Ready · ss F&SF Apr ’53
· Two Voices · Winona McClintic · pm F&SF Jun ’53
· Captive Audience · Ann Warren Griffith · ss F&SF Aug ’53
· Snulbug · Anthony Boucher · ss Unknown Dec ’41; F&SF May ’53
· Shepherd’s Boy · Richard Middleton · vi The Ghost Ship, Unwin, 1912; F&SF Mar ’53
· The Unquiet Grave · Winona McClintic · pm F&SF Aug ’53
· Star Light, Star Bright · Alfred Bester · ss F&SF Jul ’53
· His Master’s Voice · Winona McClintic · pm F&SF Jun ’53
Link to source for ToC.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
And Keep Off Her Lawn!
Dame Vera Lynn, 97, to release new album: Dame Vera announced the release of the record, Vera Lynn: National Treasure - The Ultimate Collection, today, March 20, her 97th birthday. The collection will include recently discovered tracks which are yet to be released, as well as some of her most memorable and morale-boosting songs as the Forces' Sweetheart.
HBO Is Not Enough
Game of Thrones aiming to become multiple movie franchise: Multiple movies set in the Game of Thrones universe could be coming to the big screen, creator George RR Martin has revealed.
Lucius Shepard, R. I. P.
Lucius Shepard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Lucius Shepard (born August 21, 1947 in Lynchburg, Virginia; died March 20, 2014[1]) was an American writer. Classified as a science fiction and fantasy writer, he often leaned into other genres, such as magical realism. His work is infused with a political and historical sensibility and an awareness of literary antecedents.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
12 Evil Carnival Movies That Beat "American Horror Story"
12 Evil Carnival Movies That Beat "American Horror Story"
And while it's not a movie, let us not forget this.
And while it's not a movie, let us not forget this.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee
www.wftv.com: Woman allegedly set car on fire after man refused to buy her a McFlurry
Yet Another List I'm Not On
AbeBooks: The Best Authors of Crime Fiction: Crime fiction, detective fiction, suspense, mystery, and thriller - these are all genres that mix and mingle and overlap considerably. But no matter what you call it, readers can't seem to get enough of crime, criminals, and the dedicated professionals - private eyes, cops, FBI profilers, lawyers, medical examiners, psychologists, and forensic anthropologists - who tirelessly pursue justice.
Overlooked Movies: Halls of Montezuma
When I saw this movie at the age of 9 or 10, I thought that it was the best movie ever made, that Richard Widmark was the greatest actor in the world, and that the "Marines' Hymn" was the greatest song. In fact, I loved war movies in general, The Sands of Iwo Jima being another great favorite of mine at that time. The advantage of that one is John Wayne (who, I admit, I liked at least as much as Widmark and maybe more, but not while watching Halls of Montezuma) and the advantage of this one is Technicolor. It looks terrific. Widmark plays a lieutenant who's been fighting for way too long. Only seven men are left in his platton, and Widmark's taking it hard. He's having severe headaches and has to take heavy meds for them. The battalion is going ashore on a Pacific island (a long way from the halls of Montezuma and the shores of Tripoli) with orders to take prisoners to get information. While there's plenty of action, the main focus is on the characters, and a partial cast list will tell you that there are some good ones in the movie. Besides Widmark, there are Karl Malden, Walter (Jack) Palance, Jack Webb, Neville Brand, Robert Wagner, Martin Milner, Skip Homeier, and Richard Boone. Every one of them does a great job, too.
This is one of those movies when anyone can die at any time, even the ones you like a lot. I loved this kind of thing as a kid. Not so much now, but then a lot of my attitudes have changed (see the first sentence above). I still think this is a dandy war movie, though. The final scene (which is shown in the trailer, by the way) still gives me a chill. If you want to see big-time Hollywood movie-making from the old days, check this one out.
Monday, March 17, 2014
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .
. . . and of course Texas leads the way.
Argument over movie ending turns deadly in theater parking lot
Argument over movie ending turns deadly in theater parking lot
Here's the Plot for Your Next Old Folks' Home Thriller
EXCLUSIVE: Ex-mobster Harold Konigsberg, 88, shows up at Fla. old folks' home, where he breaks rules and bullies neighbors: The legendary hitman was released from prison two years ago, where he was serving 20 to life for strangling Teamsters official Anthony (Three Fingers) Castellito with a Venetian blind cord.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
The Chase -- Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg
Are you looking for a book that's all action, all the time? This is that book. Are you looking for a book that has a laugh on every page? This is that book, too. Not to mention explosions, car chases, and six or seven capers, cons, and heists, large and small. Plus romance, twists, and fights to the death. This book has it all. If some studio's not working on the movie version right now instead of the 19th remake of Beau Geste, Hollywood really is hopeless.Kate O'Hare and Nick Fox go all out in another globe-spanning thriller that this time involves art thefts. Several of them. Carter Grove, former White House chief of staff, has one the greatest collections of stolen art in the world. He's now the head of Black Rhino and its mercenary army. Want to take over a country? Grove is the man to see. He's also the man O'Hare and Fox have to steal from, and he's an implacable enemy. Can O'Hare and Fox survive? Sure, but how they do it and what happens afterward is where all the fun is.
Well, not all the fun. Even the character names are fun. Fox prefers to use the names of TV characters for his many aliases, but you might see some others you recognize if you watch for them.
If the long, gloomy winter has you down, read The Chase. It's all sunshine, and it'll chase those winter blues away.
Scott Asheton, R. I. P.
theguardian.com: Scott Asheton, founding member and drummer for proto-punk band Iggy and the Stooges, has died aged 64.
Bob Thomas, R. I. P.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Bob Thomas, the longtime Associated Press writer and dean of Hollywood reporters who covered a record 66 Oscar ceremonies, reported on the biggest stars, from Clark Gable to Tom Cruise, and filed AP's bulletin that Robert F. Kennedy had been shot, died Friday. He was 92.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Mitch Leigh, R. I. P.
MAN OF LA MANCHA Composer, Mitch Leigh, Dies at 86: The New York Times reports that Mitch Leigh passed away today at age 86. Leigh was born in 1928 in Brooklyn, NY. He came from a humble background with little theatre experience. However, while in his early 30s, Leigh received his big break when he was asked to compose the score for Man of La Mancha.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Peter Callander, R. I. P.
NYTimes.com: Peter Callander, a British songwriter who provided lyrics for hits of the 1960s and ’70s like “The Night Chicago Died” and “Billy, Don’t Be a Hero,” died on Feb. 25 in Haresfield, Middlesex, England. He was 74.
Archaeology Update
Archaeologists find 3,000-year-old graves in Cusco, Peru: Excavators working in the city of Cusco have discovered a burial site containing five individuals from the Marcavalle culture, a pre-Inca society.
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