Saturday, November 22, 2014
Black Holes point to a cosmic clue
Black Holes point to a cosmic clue: Scientists detect an eerie alignment of black holes, suggesting an underlying Dark Matter filament to the universe
Gustave Eiffel's Secret Apartment
Atlas Obscura: When the Eiffel Tower opened in 1889 to universal wonder and acclaim, designer Gustave Eiffel soaked up the praise, but as if that wasn't enough, it was soon revealed that he had built himself a small apartment near the top of the world wonder garnering him the envy of the Parisian elite in addition to his new fame.
My Mother
Friday, November 21, 2014
"weird, upsetting, unmissable'
Telegraph: An Israeli detective novel examines Germany in 1939 through a savagely funny plot device: Hitler as a Private Eye
Hat tip to Fred Zackel.
Hat tip to Fred Zackel.
FFB: Shoot -- Douglas Fairbain
Here's another book I picked up in a thrift shop the other day just because I couldn't resist it. I read it almost exactly 40 years ago, when the first paperback edition came out, and I've never forgotten it. It's short (always a plus!), fast, and dark. It opens with a sentence that Stephen King admires (see On Writing): "This is what happened." The narrator, Rex Jeanrette, and his hunting buddies, all of them combat veterans of various wars (WWII, Korea) are deer hunting when they spot another group of hunters across a river. Suddenly one of the other hunters brings up his rifle and shoots one of Jeanrette's group, wounding him, and one of that group fires back, killing a man. That's what happened. But what it leads to, well, that's the rest of the book.
Jeanrette is a sociopath who'd be right at home in one of Jim Thompson's novels. The other men all seem to have something missing in their lives, something they haven't experienced since being in combat. Jeanrette recruits a couple of others who are much the same, Vietnam vets who are just drifting because since combat they have nothing much to focus on.
Shoot shows macho taken to the extreme. And it's right up to date. It could've been written last week with some simple changes, or so it seems to me. It's noir of a very dark hue, too, though the subject isn't one of the traditional ones noir deals with. Check it out and see what you think.
50 Great Dark Books for the Dark Days of Winter
Flavorwire: 50 Great Dark Books for the Dark Days of Winter
Thursday, November 20, 2014
And Keep Off Her Lawn!
People.com: "Thursday is when I was cooking him," Stoldt reportedly told police. "Friday is when I was dumping him."
Another Little Update
And this time it's relatively good news. All the biopsy results have come in, and it appears that Judy's non-Hodgkin lymphoma has "transferred" to Hodgkin lymphoma. That doesn't mean that the non-Hodgkin stuff is gone, but it does mean that what she has is treatable. Chemo will begin as soon as they can get it ordered and up to the room (hours, probably). What's interesting is that the doctor says that although they've been treating Judy for sarcoma for over a year now, she may never have had sarcoma. It may have been Hodgkin lymphoma all along. You might think that at M. D. Anderson, one of the foremost cancer hospitals in the U. S. of A. they'd know about stuff like that, but they don't know everything, unfortunately. At any rate, we're a bit more hopeful today. Thanks again for all the support.
Mike Nichols, R. I. P.
Mike Nichols, Director of 'The Graduate,' Dies at 83: Director Mike Nichols, who made such films as The Graduate, which earned him a best director Oscar, and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, has died at the age of 83.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
This Woman Was Doing Bike Stunts We Still See Today. In 1965. In Heels.
And she's introduced by Joan Crawford!
This Woman Was Doing Bike Stunts We Still See Today. In 1965. In Heels.
This Woman Was Doing Bike Stunts We Still See Today. In 1965. In Heels.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Just a Little Update
I was hoping that by now I'd have some better news to post here or any news at all, for that matter. Judy's been in the hospital since last Thursday, though, and so far the doctors still don't seem to have a clue as to what's causing all her problems (and there are a good many of them) or what to do about them. She had two biopsies on Monday, but so far no results. They've taken enough of her blood to keep Dracula happy for a month, so they must be running all kinds of tests on that. She had a sonogram and a chest X-ray today. They haven't shared those results with us yet. The not knowing is the worst part for me, along with having to see Judy in such bad shape. We're hoping for some answers tomorrow, but who knows if we'll get them. Keep thinking those good thoughts for us.
Jimmy Ruffin, R. I. P.
Rolling Stone: Singer Jimmy Ruffin, who had hits with "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted" and "Hold On (To My Love)," died Monday in a Las Vegas hospital, according to The Associated Press. He was 78. No details were immediately available about the cause of death.
“The Beautiful Unfaithfuls” (by Olive-Ann Tynan)
“The Beautiful Unfaithfuls” (by Olive-Ann Tynan) | SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN: Olive-Ann Tynan debuted in EQMM’s Department of First Stories in 2013 with the story “A Case of Harassment.” Her second story, “Accessory to Murder,” appears in our upcoming February issue. Both stories are set in the author’s native Ireland, though she has not lived there for many years. She and her Italian husband live outside Rome and have two grown-up children. There she has worked as an editor for an English-language fortnightly paper and an Italian-language golf magazine. She is also a translator from Italian to English and she shares with us her thoughts on that art.—Janet Hutchings
Ernest Kinoy, R. I. P.
NYTimes.com: Ernest Kinoy, who wrote Broadway musicals, Hollywood screenplays and Emmy Award-winning episodes of “The Defenders” and “Roots,” died on Monday in Townshend, Vt. He was 89.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Ken Takakura, R. I. P.
NYTimes.com: Ken Takakura, who became a star playing outlaws and stoic heroes in scores of Japanese films, died on Nov. 10 in Tokyo. He was 83.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Charles Champlin, R. I. P.
NYTimes.com: Charles Champlin, an arts critic and memoirist best known for his writing about movies for The Los Angeles Times, died on Sunday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 88.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Once Again Texas Leads the Way
School Teacher Wears The Same Outfit For Yearbook Pictures for 40 Years
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
This is most likely a repeat, as I seem to remember this guy. But it's worth a second look. What a great idea this was!
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
This is most likely a repeat, as I seem to remember this guy. But it's worth a second look. What a great idea this was!
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Attention to Books of Interest
Noir Riot: Presented by NoirCon and Out of the Gutter (Volume 1): Jeff Wong and Lou Boxer, Cullen Gallagher, Ken Bruen, Bill Crider, Richard Godwin, Paul Krueger, BV Lawson, Suzanne Lummis, James Campbell, Joseph Goodrich: 9780692296608: Amazon.com: Books NoirCon and Out of the Gutter bring you 23 thrilling, unrestrained stories and poems of 21st century desperation and destitution. These tales are sure to shake you out of your complacency, warp your mind and remind you that you, too, are doomed. No one is safe from the Noir Riot! Authors include Ken Bruen, James Campbell, Bill Crider, Thomas A. Crowell, Richard Godwin and many more! Sometimes funny, sometimes terrifying, Noir Riot is the companion to, and official publication of, Noir Con, the premier East Coast crime fiction conference.
Carl Schlesinger, R. I. P.
NYTimes.com: Carl Schlesinger, a former typesetter at The New York Times who helped make an award-winning film about one particularly memorable night on the job — July 1, 1978 — the last time the newspaper was made using hot-metal type, died on Nov. 9 in Paramus, N.J. He was 88.
Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year 2014
Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year 2014 - Neatorama: In 2013, the Oxford English Dictionary crowned “selfie” as the Word of the Year. The year before, it was “gif.” Now the folks behind the dictionary have announced the 2014 Word of the Year, and it’s “vape.” Vape is a verb meaning to use an electronic cigarette, although it can also be used as a noun for the e-cog itself. The word is an abbreviation of vapor, and was coined in 1983 in reference to using a hypothetical inhaler as a cigarette substitute. With the introduction of e-digs, the word took off significantly in 2009.
Overlooked Movies: A Perfect World
This was originally published on 11/22/11. Didn't have time to do a new one this week.A Perfect World was directed by Clint Eastwood, who plays a supporting role. The star is Kevin Costner, and if you don't think he can act, watch this movie. The setting is Texas in the 1960s, and Costner plays Butch Haynes, a killer who escapes from prison. He kidnaps a young boy who goes along with him. Eastwood is the Texas Ranger who's in their trail, along with a criminologist played by Laura Dern.
The main focus of the movie is the relationship that develops between Costner and the boy. Haynes may be a killer, but Costner shows that he's a complex one. His own background gives him a special feeling for kids, and he's quite engaging as he and the boy elude their pursuers.
You know how this one's going to end, maybe, but the road trip is well worth your time.
And so is the soundtrack. I can think of maybe four movies I've seen, after which I went immediately to a store about bought the soundtrack CD. This is one of them.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Arthur Rankin Jr., R. I. P.
Animation Legend Arthur Rankin Jr. Dies at 89: Arthur Rankin Jr., the animator, producer and director behind the whimsical holiday stop-motion TV specials Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman, has died. He was 89.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
I Want to Believe!
Two Dogman Reports in 30 Days: In less than a month, there have been two reports of Dogman sightings, one in its traditional Michigan stomping grounds and one in East Texas. Is Dogman becoming more active? Is it moving to a warmer climate? Does it have a new publicist? Who or what exactly is Dogman?
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