Saturday, September 12, 2015
The Best Movies from Books
AbeBooks: The Best Movies from Books: I adore movies. It's funny; if I spend two hours watching television, I sometimes feel guilty, as though I’ve wasted my time. But watching a movie rarely leaves me feeling as though I’ve just lost two hours to the brainless abyss (I will be polite and not mention the exceptions that come to mind). So I will almost always choose a movie over a television show. And even better than a movie, of course, is a book, and when comparing the two, the limitations of modern technology (particularly when compared to our own boundless imaginations), mean that books almost always win, for me.
Friday, September 11, 2015
Dickie Moore, R. I. P.
NY Daily News: The surviving members of the iconic "Little Rascals" cast dwindled to a handful this week after former child star Dick Moore died at age 89 — just three days after another member of the iconic "Gang" had passed away.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Article Does Not Explain Congress, However
BBC News: Seventy years ago, a farmer beheaded a chicken in Colorado, and it refused to die. Mike, as the bird became known, survived for 18 months and became famous.
Brooklyn Leads the Way
Mental Floss: New York City is getting its first museum devoted entirely to the food world. The Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD), opening on October 28 in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood, will be stationed in a small space and house one exhibition at a time.
FFB: A Strange Kind of Love -- Sheldon Lord (Lawrence Block)
Lawrence Block wrote this book in 1959, when he was just starting out. My copy is the second printing from 1967. I read it mainly because it's about a writer, and I can't resist a book about a writer.The writer's name is Dan Larkin, and he begins his career much like Block did, writing for all kinds of publications under many different names. Larkin sells everything he writes, and then he goes to Hollywood where he's making the Big Bucks until his drinking and an unfortunate love affair end his career there. He winds up back in New York, a broke drunk who needs new start. He takes a cheap room in a house owned by a beautiful young woman, and it won't surprise you to learn that sex ensues almost at once.
Sex ensues a lot in this book, of course. It's a Midwood book, after all. There's straight sex, lesbian sex, whipping sex, even more violent sex. It's a little surprising how much Block could get away with back in 1959. This book has as much sex for its length as the recent The Girl with the Deep Blue Eyes. In many books like this in the old days, all that sex had to be punished in the end. I can say no more.
That is, I can say no more about the plot, which doesn't matter much, anyway. What really sells this book is the stuff about writing, which I found quite interesting. I think it must be based at least in part on Block's own experience. And then there's the stuff about New York. Even 55 years ago, Block was waxing lyrical about the city, and his love of it comes through here is several passages.
While this book is apprentice work, it's surprisingly well done. Block had written several other books by this time, and he's starting to find his voice here. An interesting and entertaining book.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
First It was the Thin Mints Melee . . .
. . . and now it's Doritos Battery! SEPTEMBER 10--A Florida man is jailed on a felony charge after allegedly battering his live-in girlfriend during a 4 AM argument “about eating Doritos,” police report.
Cop Job -- Chris Knopf
Chris Knopf has devoted his recent books to a couple of other series sleuths, but former corporate troubleshooter and current cabinetmaker Sam Acquillo returns for Cop Job, along with his friend Jackie Swaitkowski, who has her own series. Alfie Aldergreen is a wheelchair-bound paranoid schizophrenic, a well-known character in the Hamptons, and when he's fished out of the local harbor, duct-taped to the chair, it's obviously a case of murder. Swaitkowski has been an advocate for Alfie, and Sam was also acquainted with him, and the police chief asks them to look into things, since Alfie was also a police informant and is the third of that group to be recently murdered. And since it appears that there might be some connection between the murders and the department.
Acquillo is a prickly guy, to put it mildly, which he never does. When someone attacks his daughter in New York City, he gets more than mildly upset. Experienced readers will know from the start that there's some connection to the murders, but it takes a while for things to get sorted out because the whole affair is a lot more complicated that it seemed to be at first. Knopf ties it all together at the end, however, in a smoothly written story that's a nice mixture violence, action, character. There's a touch of humor, too. Check it out.
Archaeology Update
Homo naledi discovery: Newfound hominid species deliberately disposed of its dead.: trio of cavers squeezed through a tiny chute in the Rising Star cave system in South Africa two years ago, emerged into a chamber, and spied a skull that appeared to be very, very old. Based on that discovery, paleoanthropologist Lee Berger and a team of scientists on Thursday introduced the world to Homo naledi, a strange new hominid species.
Dennis Greene, R. I. P.
The New York Times: Dennis Greene, a founding member of Sha Na Na, a band that became famous in the 1970s for its simultaneously nostalgic and comedic approach to the rock ’n’ roll of the 1950s, died on Saturday at a hospital near his home in Dayton, Ohio. He was 66.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Wednesday, September 09, 2015
Merv Adelson, R. I. P.
NY Daily News: Merv Adelson, well-known producer of hit shows like "Knots Landing," "The Waltons" and "Dallas has died. He was 85.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Darkness the Color of Snow -- Thomas Cobb
Dark is the word for this one, all right, and if you're feeling depressed, don't bother to pick it up. Find something else until you're ready for a trip into the heart of darkness.Rookie cop Ronny Forbert makes a traffic stop involving some of his old friends, the driver being someone Forbert has a bad history with. Things go south, Forbert and the driver get into a tussle, and the driver is thrown into the middle of the road, where he's hit and killed by a hit-and-runner.
Forbert's not at fault. The police chief, Gordy Hawkins, supports him, and so do the other three people in the car, although they admit that they were drunk and stoned. So no problem, right? Wrong. Some people are outraged by what happened (the driver's parents, for instance), while others (local politicians) want to twist things to their advantage. Things go downhill, especially for Forbert, about as far downhill as it's possible for things to go. Hawkins is a good, honorable man, but there's little he can to to stop what happens.
The small town in this book is a far cry from the small towns I write about. It's a harrowing portrait, and not an encouraging one. There's a bit of hope in people like Hawkins, but that doesn't bring much light to the darkness.
Brad Anderson, R. I. P.
The New York Times: Brad Anderson, the cartoonist who created “Marmaduke,” the widely syndicated comic about a mischievous but lovable Great Dane, died on Aug. 30 in The Woodlands, Tex. He was 91.
“Desirable Trash” (by Philip Lowery)
“Desirable Trash” (by Philip Lowery) | SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN: Next week, when EQMM’s November issue goes on sale, Philip Lowery will make his debut as a published fiction writer. A civil engineer by day, he has long been a devoted fan of crime fiction, as is evident from this post. The talented new author was born and raised in the U.K., but moved to the U.S. more than twenty years ago, and is now an American citizen living outside of Philadelphia with his wife and daughter. His surprising first story, entitled “Ninth Caller,” is something you won’t want to miss. —Janet Hutchings
Eight Short Science-Fiction Stories - The New Yorker
Eight Short Science-Fiction Stories - The New Yorker
You can read all eight in a minute or two.
Link via SF Signal.
You can read all eight in a minute or two.
Link via SF Signal.
Tuesday, September 08, 2015
Best Touchdown Dance of the 21st Century So Far
Official Site of the Canadian Football League: McMahon Jackrabbit TOUCHDOWN!
Hat tip to Bill Pronzini.
Hat tip to Bill Pronzini.
Joaquin Andujar, R. I. P.
Ultimate Astros: Joaquin Andujar, who broke into the big leagues with the Astros, and later won Game 7 of the 1982 World Series for the St. Louis Cardinals, has died. He was 62.
Overlooked Movies -- Bandidas
Let's start with the cast. We have Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz as beautiful but inept odd-couple bank robbers who ride through the Wild West with perfect hair and makeup. I love it. Then we have Dwight Yoakum chewing up all available scenery as the cruel land baron who tries to kill their fathers and succeeds with one. Sam Shepard is the bank robber who knows the ropes and agrees to teach them the trade. Steve Zahn is the intrepid detective who's hunting them down but who changes sides when he realized what's what. Not to mention a great dog and horse.
Besides the good cast there's the color. Not the washed out "everything should be brown or brownish" color of all the supposedly color movies these days but genuine color that goes for the whole palette. Everything looks great.
The plot offers nothing new, and things go just the way you'd expect them to, but so what? Add all this up and you get what I'd call some wonderful light entertainment, but you know how easy to please I am. You can watch the trailer posted below, and if that doesn't do anything for you, you can always watch Winter Light or Leaving Las Vegas again.
Monday, September 07, 2015
Spots, R. I. P.
Spots, rare white alligator at New Orleans aquarium, dies at 28
Judy and I saw Spots not long after he came to the aquarium. He was a lot smaller then.
Judy and I saw Spots not long after he came to the aquarium. He was a lot smaller then.
Martin Milner, R. I. P.
Variety: Martin Milner, who starred on TV on “Adam-12” with Kent McCord and, earlier, on “Route 66” with George Maharis, died Sunday night, Diana Downing, a representative for his fan page, confirmed. He was 83.
Synopsis for a New Novel
I'm working on a synopsis for a new novel. It's going to be about a plucky band of heroes who try to save Texas after the takeover by the U.S. in Operation Green Helmet, for which Operation Jade Helm was just a cover op.
Governor Greg Abbott is spirited away from the capitol building just before it's swarmed by U.S. troops bent on his capture. A plucky band of Austin Tea Party stalwarts (there are five of them) takes him to an undisclosed location (actually a bunker deep inside Longhorn Caverns, near Burnet), where they've been preparing for this for years. The cavern is equipped pretty much like the lair of a Bond villain, with all the latest in computer equipment. Abbott has been training in secret with hackers from Dell computers for just such an emergency, and he's ready to save the state with the help of a plucky band of heroes from the outside.
This particular band of plucky heroes will be led by Rand Paul and composed of his comical sidekicks, including Ted Cruz ("Dammit, Ted, stop frying bacon on the muzzle of that AK! We're fighting for our lives here!"), Ben Carson ("The bullet is lodged near his brain, Ben. Can you save him with only your pocketknife?" "I could do that surgery with a toothpick, Rand."), Mike Huckabee ("Dammit, Mike, stop praising the lord and pass the ammunition! We're fighting for our lives here!"), and a mysterious man known only as Big Don ("Dammit, Big Don, stop insulting us and start shooting! We're in a fight for our lives here!").
Our plucky heroes are fighting almost alone because President Obummer has stationed U.S. troops at three-foot intervals around the entire border of Texas to prevent anyone from entering the state and saving it from Operation Green Helmet. One side-effect of this is that it's cut down on immigration from the south, which is causing a great inner conflict with the plucky heroes. Since this requires 5,331,040 troops, another side effect is the re-institution of the draft, thus causing the U.S. to be attacked all over the world and also causing domestic unrest.
Taking advantage of this situation, a plucky band of heroes in Washington is plotting to take over the government by luring President Obummer out of the White House and installing Jeb Bush as president. They believe they can get away with this because of the well-understood principle that "possession is nine points of the law" and that an obscure phrase in a rough draft of the Constitution refers to "the right of succession through families." This plucky band is led by Dick ("The Dick") Cheney, who's assisted by his comical sidekicks John Boehner ("Dammit, John, get out of that tanning both and pick up a rifle! We're in a fight for our lives here!"), John McCain ("Dammit, John, quit bitching about being saddled with Sarah Palin when you ran for president and pick up a rifle! We're in a fight for our lives here!"), and Donald (The Rummy) Rumsfeld. ("Dammit, Donald, stop blathering about the known unknowns and the known knowns and pick up a rifle! We're in a fight for our lives here!").
That's all I have so far, but I think it's going to be a huge bestseller, with the potential for many sequels, a series of blockbuster movies, and maybe a couple of TV spin-offs.
UPDATE: Meanwhile, a plucky group of counter-counter-insurgents has been formed in an undisclosed location in Arkansas. It's led by Hitlery Clinton ("Bubba, why do they call me that?" "I think it's the moustache, babe."), whose wacky sidekicks include Bubba ("Dammit, Bubba, put down that woman and pick up the AK! We're in a fight for our lives here!" "You put down the tweezers first." "You better listen to me, Bubba!" "You're not the boss of me!" Etc.), Joe ("Bumblin') Biden ("A moustache's not so bad. At least you don't need a hair transplant."), and George ("The Greek") Stephanopoulos ("Speaking of hair, how does mine look? I go on the air in ten seconds." "Dammit, Greek, quit looking for the mic and pick up the AK! We're in a fight for our lives here!"
Governor Greg Abbott is spirited away from the capitol building just before it's swarmed by U.S. troops bent on his capture. A plucky band of Austin Tea Party stalwarts (there are five of them) takes him to an undisclosed location (actually a bunker deep inside Longhorn Caverns, near Burnet), where they've been preparing for this for years. The cavern is equipped pretty much like the lair of a Bond villain, with all the latest in computer equipment. Abbott has been training in secret with hackers from Dell computers for just such an emergency, and he's ready to save the state with the help of a plucky band of heroes from the outside.
This particular band of plucky heroes will be led by Rand Paul and composed of his comical sidekicks, including Ted Cruz ("Dammit, Ted, stop frying bacon on the muzzle of that AK! We're fighting for our lives here!"), Ben Carson ("The bullet is lodged near his brain, Ben. Can you save him with only your pocketknife?" "I could do that surgery with a toothpick, Rand."), Mike Huckabee ("Dammit, Mike, stop praising the lord and pass the ammunition! We're fighting for our lives here!"), and a mysterious man known only as Big Don ("Dammit, Big Don, stop insulting us and start shooting! We're in a fight for our lives here!").
Our plucky heroes are fighting almost alone because President Obummer has stationed U.S. troops at three-foot intervals around the entire border of Texas to prevent anyone from entering the state and saving it from Operation Green Helmet. One side-effect of this is that it's cut down on immigration from the south, which is causing a great inner conflict with the plucky heroes. Since this requires 5,331,040 troops, another side effect is the re-institution of the draft, thus causing the U.S. to be attacked all over the world and also causing domestic unrest.
Taking advantage of this situation, a plucky band of heroes in Washington is plotting to take over the government by luring President Obummer out of the White House and installing Jeb Bush as president. They believe they can get away with this because of the well-understood principle that "possession is nine points of the law" and that an obscure phrase in a rough draft of the Constitution refers to "the right of succession through families." This plucky band is led by Dick ("The Dick") Cheney, who's assisted by his comical sidekicks John Boehner ("Dammit, John, get out of that tanning both and pick up a rifle! We're in a fight for our lives here!"), John McCain ("Dammit, John, quit bitching about being saddled with Sarah Palin when you ran for president and pick up a rifle! We're in a fight for our lives here!"), and Donald (The Rummy) Rumsfeld. ("Dammit, Donald, stop blathering about the known unknowns and the known knowns and pick up a rifle! We're in a fight for our lives here!").
That's all I have so far, but I think it's going to be a huge bestseller, with the potential for many sequels, a series of blockbuster movies, and maybe a couple of TV spin-offs.
UPDATE: Meanwhile, a plucky group of counter-counter-insurgents has been formed in an undisclosed location in Arkansas. It's led by Hitlery Clinton ("Bubba, why do they call me that?" "I think it's the moustache, babe."), whose wacky sidekicks include Bubba ("Dammit, Bubba, put down that woman and pick up the AK! We're in a fight for our lives here!" "You put down the tweezers first." "You better listen to me, Bubba!" "You're not the boss of me!" Etc.), Joe ("Bumblin') Biden ("A moustache's not so bad. At least you don't need a hair transplant."), and George ("The Greek") Stephanopoulos ("Speaking of hair, how does mine look? I go on the air in ten seconds." "Dammit, Greek, quit looking for the mic and pick up the AK! We're in a fight for our lives here!"
Forgotten Hits: 50 Year Flashback - September 7, 1965
Forgotten Hits: 50 Year Flashback - September 7, 1965: KIMN in Denver, Colorado, was showing a big comeback for The Kingsmen's record, too ... once again we find "Louie Louie" at the top of this week's chart.
First It was the Thin Mints Melee
Man waives hearing in bucket of cash at car dealership case: After showering himself with $39,000 in cash, Semelsberger allegedly stuffed some money into the dress of a female worker, gave other money away then pulled a gun and threatened to blow up the dealership.
Judy Carne, R. I. P.
Northampton Herald & Post: Northampton comedy actress and 'sock it to me' girl Judy Carne has died aged 76.
The Laugh-In star, born Joyce Audrey Botterill in 1939, died on Thursday, September 3, at Northampton General Hospital after a battle with pneumonia.
The History of Labor Day
Sunday, September 06, 2015
Alan Steel, R. I. P.
Dead Famous: Sergio Ciani, best known as Alan Steel, born on September 7, 1935 and died September 5, 2015 in his sleep, he was an Italian bodybuilder and actor.
Born in Rome, Ciani started his career as a stuntman, then he became the body double of Steve Reeves in Hercules Unchained and in The Giant of Marathon, in which he also played a minor role.
Jean Darling, R.I.P.
News From ME: One of the last surviving performers in Our Gang (aka The Little Rascals) and one of the last surviving actors from silent movies has died. Jean Darling had just turned 93 when she passed a few days ago in Dublin, Ireland, where she'd been living since 1974.
Stephen King Awarded National Medal Of Arts
Stephen King Awarded National Medal Of Arts: The White House has announced that author Stephen King will be one of ten recipients of this year’s National Medal of Arts. President Obama will present the award to this year’s recipients during a ceremony in the East Room on September 10th.
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