Saturday, December 02, 2017
Friday, December 01, 2017
The Aero-Nuts of 1785
The Aero-Nuts of 1785: From our “Dustbin of History” files, here’s the harrowing tale of a little-known milestone in aviation history.
Forgotten Books: Prime Sucker -- Harry Whittington
That's the opening paragraph, and right away you know things aren't going to end well. You also know that when it comes to writing a novel about sexual obsession, Harry Whittington knew what he was doing.
Hank, the sucker, is George's boss. Amy is George's wife. Hank's own wife, Ethel, is cold and a little twisted. Amy's twisted in a different way: "I want whatever you want, her eyes had said, and he knew in his sickness that they also said, I want what any man wants. Any man." George has used Amy for the old badger game before, but this time something happens. Amy really does fall for Hank.
Will Hank be able to break away from Ethel and find happiness with Amy? This was the '50s. That should answer the question. Whittington puts Hank his characters through the wringer and there's raw emotion on every page. This isn't one of Whittington's noir classics, but it's worth your time.
Another rerun.
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Jim Nabors, R, I. P.
The New York Times: Jim Nabors, a comic actor who found fame in the role of the amiable bumpkin Gomer Pyle in two hit television shows of the 1960s while pursuing a second career as a popular singer with a booming baritone voice, died on Thursday at his home in Honolulu. He was 87.
Hat tips to John Duke and Jeff Meyerson,
Hat tips to John Duke and Jeff Meyerson,
WWI food propaganda forever changed the way Americans eat
How WWI food propaganda forever changed the way Americans eat � For Our Consideration: Meatless Mondays. Local is best. Eat less wheat. These sound like food fads plucked from 2017’s buzziest blog headlines but are in fact from 100 years ago. Each was a campaign from the U.S. Food Administration during World War I, and the food propaganda it represented was as important to the war effort as Uncle Sam’s “I want YOU for the U.S. Army.”
Some nice vintage ads with the essay, too.
Some nice vintage ads with the essay, too.
The Author of ‘Frankenstein’ Also Wrote a Post-Apocalyptic Plague Novel
The Author of ‘Frankenstein’ Also Wrote a Post-Apocalyptic Plague Novel: ‘The Last Man’ was derided in its time for being too grim, but today it would fit in with a growing genre of dystopian fiction
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
A New Story by the Master of Hardboiled Detective Fiction
A New Story by the Master of Hardboiled Detective Fiction: “The Glass That Laughed” by Dashiell Hammett
Hat tip to John Duke.
Hat tip to John Duke.
An (Almost) Comprehensive History of Rat Kings
Mental Floss: A ball of furry fury, a rat king occurs when the tails of rodents become twisted, wrapped, and warped into a knot so impossible that not even the world's most loyal Boy Scout could untangle it. Rat kings have been reported since the mid-16th century (almost entirely within Germany), and everything about them—from their name, to their cause, to their very existence—remains suspended in mystery.
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Overlooked Movies -- Passengers
On a starship with everyone in suspended animation for 120 years, Pratt is awakened early because of a glitch. He learns that he still has 88 years to go, with only a robot bartender (Sheen) for company. In that situation, I'd probably do just what Pratt does. He wakes another passenger (Lawrence). The critics found this creepy and stalkery. Maybe it is, but facing 88 years of loneliness, I'd probably do the same. Of course he doesn't tell Lawrence the truth, which causes trouble later, but there's a lot more serious trouble to come. Saying what that is would spoil things, so I'll keep mum.
Pratt and Lawrence are charmers, and Sheen just about steals the movie. The movie looks great, and there's action and romance aplenty. No need to go out of your way to see it, but there's no need to overlook it, either.
Monday, November 27, 2017
Judy Crider, November 5, 1943 - November 27, 2014
Worst day of my life. There were so many good days before this one, so many great days, that I try not to dwell on this one. It's still a source of awe and wonder to me that someone as beautiful, smart, and kind as Judy would fall for a goober like me, but I guess everybody deserves one fantastic stroke of luck in his life, and Judy was mine. The blog will remain dark the rest of the day in loving memory.
Sunday, November 26, 2017
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