This is the mag's first horror story. A chiller.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Gator Update (They're Everywhere Edition)
Ypsilanti Township man finds dead alligator in his yard - Ann Arbor News - The Latest News, Blogs, Photos & Videos – MLive.com: "When the snow disappeared in the recent thaw, it left behind more than a muddy yard at Russell Sizemore's home. The Ypsilanti Township man found a dead alligator near the side of his house. He's never owned one and has no idea how it got there.
'Isn't that something?' Sizemore said. 'I'm thinking, 'Michigan ... February ... and I got a dead alligator.'"
'Isn't that something?' Sizemore said. 'I'm thinking, 'Michigan ... February ... and I got a dead alligator.'"
Valentine's Day Special
BBC NEWS | UK | Henry VIII love letter exhibited: "It seems even one of history's most notorious womanisers had a romantic side - at least in the beginning.
Concealed in the Vatican for almost five centuries, a love letter from King Henry VIII to his second wife Anne Boleyn is to go on display at the British Library in London.
Probably written in January 1528, it shows a softer side to the infamously bloodthirsty royal as he pursues her."
Concealed in the Vatican for almost five centuries, a love letter from King Henry VIII to his second wife Anne Boleyn is to go on display at the British Library in London.
Probably written in January 1528, it shows a softer side to the infamously bloodthirsty royal as he pursues her."
Top 25 Conservative Movies
The Best Conservative Movies on National Review / Digital
You can't go wrong with a list that has Team America: World Police on it.
Cheeta Update (Scandal Edition)
Cheeta the Chimp: The latest celebrity scandal? | PopWatch Blog | EW.com: "Today, however, the Los Angeles Times published a story that has rocked the celebrity-animal world, suggesting that this particular chimpanzee, who has earned legions of fans around the world and whose 'ape-stract' paintings sell online for $135 a pop, may not be who everyone believes he is. In fact, according to an author whose research the Times cites, he's most likely a roughly 50-year-old chimp who has never been in any movies whatsoever. Cheeta's trainer, Dan Westfall, has refused to comment on the allegation -- and, whatever the truth may be, it should be said that Westfall is a nice man who has selflessly devoted himself to caring for elderly primates."
Rutherford B. Hayes Update
Paraguay's displays, bouquets praise USA's Hayes: "VILLA HAYES, Paraguay – As the U.S. celebrates Presidents Day on Monday, citizens of this small South American country wonder why anyone would overlook Rutherford B. Hayes.
Forget Lincoln or Washington. Hayes — a one-term U.S. president who is undistinguished at home — has a holiday, a province, a town, a museum and a soccer team all named in his honor, thanks to an 1878 arbitration in which he handed Paraguay 60 percent of its land."
Forget Lincoln or Washington. Hayes — a one-term U.S. president who is undistinguished at home — has a holiday, a province, a town, a museum and a soccer team all named in his honor, thanks to an 1878 arbitration in which he handed Paraguay 60 percent of its land."
Friday, February 13, 2009
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
Why Not Bring a Neanderthal to Life? - TierneyLab Blog - NYTimes.com: "Now that the Neanderthal genome has been reconstructed, my colleague Nicholas Wade reports, a leading genome researcher at Harvard says that a Neanderthal could be brought to life with present technology for about $30 million.
So why not do it? Why not give Harvard’s George Church the money he says could be used to resurrect a Neanderthal from DNA?"
So why not do it? Why not give Harvard’s George Church the money he says could be used to resurrect a Neanderthal from DNA?"
Oh. My. God.
Cruise and Stiller to star in 'Hardy Men' - UPI.com: "LOS ANGELES, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- 'Men in Black' screenwriter Ed Solomon has been hired to pen 'Hardy Men,' a comedic adaptation of the classic 'Hardy Boys' kids' novels.
Ben Stiller and Tom Cruise are set to play grown-up versions of fraternal sleuths Frank and Joe Hardy, who have been estranged for years, but reunite to solve a new mystery, The Hollywood Reporter said. The film is to be helmed by Stiller's 'Night at the Museum' director Shawn Levy."
Ben Stiller and Tom Cruise are set to play grown-up versions of fraternal sleuths Frank and Joe Hardy, who have been estranged for years, but reunite to solve a new mystery, The Hollywood Reporter said. The film is to be helmed by Stiller's 'Night at the Museum' director Shawn Levy."
Will the Persecution Never End?
FOXNews.com - Did Paris Text Upset Rihanna? - Celebrity Gossip | Entertainment News | Arts And Entertainment: "Was it Paris Hilton who placed the mysterious text message or cell call to Chris Brown on Saturday night?
Sources say now that Paris met Brown on late Friday night in Hollywood at a party for hip hop producer Timbaland. Paris with sister Nicky Hilton. Brown accompanied girlfriend Rihanna, who performed at the party with the guest of honor."
Sources say now that Paris met Brown on late Friday night in Hollywood at a party for hip hop producer Timbaland. Paris with sister Nicky Hilton. Brown accompanied girlfriend Rihanna, who performed at the party with the guest of honor."
Resurrectionist -- James McGee
A while back I mentioned James McGee's Ratcatcher and said that I'd ordered the second book in the series, Resurrectionist, which continues the adventures of Matthew Hawkwood, the Bow Street Runner.This time out, Hawkwood is dealing with the sack 'em up boys, the grave robbers, but they're not even the worst of it. There's also Colonel Hyde, a escapee from Bedlam, who has some possibly familiar ideas about dead bodies and what can be done with them. This book is as much a horror novel as a crime novel, and it deals with the lowest depths of London life in the early 19th century. The sights and smells McGee describes might put off some readers, and he almost lost me at the description of kidney stone surgery. I had to take a deep breath during that one.
Resurrectionist is full of dark, gothic horrors. It has plenty of action, and Hawkwood's a good man to carry you through to the end. Check it out.
Archaeology Update
Human hair found in prehistoric hyena poop - Discovery.com- msnbc.com: "Hairs that likely belonged to humans living 195,000 to 257,000 years ago in Africa have been identified in fossilized brown hyena dung, according to a new study that describes the first non-bony material in the early human fossil record."
Valentine's Day: a Brief History
Valentine's Day: What it's all about: "That honor goes to the Catholic Church, which, as it did on several occasions, decided to combine some existing pagan rituals with some newer Christian ones. Throw in a saint, a few miscellaneous legends and traditions, and, voila! Valentine’s Day!"
Forgotten Books: SHERLOCK HOLMES'S WAR OF THE WORLDS -- Manly W. Wellman & Wade Wellman
If you've wondered exactly what role did Sherlock Holmes play in the war with the Martians, here's your answer. Professor Challenger's on board, too. How did Holmes and Challenger know an invasion was coming? How did they survive the occupation of London? How did they capture an alien invader? What was the reason for the Martian landings, and what was the fatal flaw in the Martian plan for conquest? All these questions, and a few others are answered in this book.You don't have to be familiar with Wells's novel or the Holmes and Challenger tales (not to mention de Maupassant's Diary of a Madman) to enjoy this book, but the more you know, the more fun you'll have, I think. Originally the several parts of the novel appeared as separate stories in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, so this is a fix-up novel, but it's fixed up very well.
I have no idea what Holmesian scholars made of this book when it appeared, but Holmes is certainly not the guy I thought he was. His relationship with Mrs. Hudson is, well, surprising. Almost as surprising as the fact that Holmes quotes Keats and reads de Maupassant in French. It's all in fun, though. Check it out.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
It's Not Just the Book Market
Failing Economy Shutters 525 Magazines in 2008: "More than 525 US magazines ceased publication in 2008, and 40 have already folded in 2009 as the downturn in the economy continues to heavily impact most forms of print media, according to MediaFinder.com.
The regional magazines category suffered the largest decline in 2008, losing 33 titles. The travel category lost 18 titles.
The next largest category losers were home and automotive, both losing 17 publications each in 2008. In the home category, both Cottage Living and Home were shut down last year."
Link via Magazine Death Pool.
The regional magazines category suffered the largest decline in 2008, losing 33 titles. The travel category lost 18 titles.
The next largest category losers were home and automotive, both losing 17 publications each in 2008. In the home category, both Cottage Living and Home were shut down last year."
Link via Magazine Death Pool.
Stick 'em Up!
Operation toy pistol: Police swoop on Wild West theme party after guest is mistaken for gunman
| Mail Online: "The Wild West party for the Worthingtons' silver wedding anniversary was getting into full swing.
Guests dressed as cowboys were heading from the church where the couple had renewed their vows to a hoedown booked at the pub.
But the local lawmen headed them off at the pass.
Acting on a report that a gunman was on the loose, armed officers in four squad cars swooped while a police helicopter hovered overhead.
A passer-by had dialled 999 after mistaking the revellers for real-life gunslingers."
| Mail Online: "The Wild West party for the Worthingtons' silver wedding anniversary was getting into full swing.
Guests dressed as cowboys were heading from the church where the couple had renewed their vows to a hoedown booked at the pub.
But the local lawmen headed them off at the pass.
Acting on a report that a gunman was on the loose, armed officers in four squad cars swooped while a police helicopter hovered overhead.
A passer-by had dialled 999 after mistaking the revellers for real-life gunslingers."
Hat tip to Gary Dobbs.
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