Monday, November 28, 2011
Seepy Benton Needs This
Signals - Gifts That Inform, Enlighten & Entertain: I
Irrational Numbers Wall ClockIn math, irrational numbers are those that can't be represented by simple fractions. Two examples are pi and the square root of 2. Designed by a mathematician, for mathematicians (and others in the know, like engineers and scientists), this clock tells time in irrational numbers logically placed on a 360-degree circle. For example, pi (3.14159…) is just a few degrees past where the 3 would be on a regular clock face. Black with white markings and hands, metal clock runs on 1 AA battery. 12" diameter.Hat tip to Art Scott. |
Ken Russell, R. I. P.
Ken Russell, Controversial Director, Dies at 84 - NYTimes.com: Ken Russell, the English filmmaker and writer whose outsize personality matched the confrontational brashness of his movies, died on Sunday, news agencies reported. He was 84.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . . .
Car ding leads to early morning shootout in Wichita | Wichita Eagle: Car ding leads to early morning shootout in Wichita
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . . .
Man: Anger issues led to window smashing | Mobile - CapeCodOnline.com: HYANNIS - A 29-year-old man who told police he has “anger issues,” will be arraigned Monday in Barnstable District Courts on charge he randomly smashed car windows in a parking lot outside the Toys R Us store.
Buy My Book!
Amazon.com: When Old Men Die (Truman Smith Mysteries) eBook: Bill Crider: Kindle Store: Truman "Tru" Smith is a PI who'd rather be reading Faulkner or fishing on his beloved Galveston Island than solving mysteries, so when his friend Dino asks for help, Tru at first demurs. With some not-very-subtle arm twisting, Dino finally persuades Tru to investigate the disappearance of Old Harry, a homeless vagrant whom Dino and his family have "adopted." Tru makes some half-hearted efforts to find the old geezer--who Tru figures probably disappeared because he felt like it--but only succeeds in getting shot at, doused in the Gulf, and bopped on the head. Of course, these events not only make Tru cross, they also rouse his suspicions about why somebody is so determined to keep him from finding out the real reasons for Old Harry's disappearance. It's not long before Tru discovers that some very nasty business is going on--business that isn't in the best interests of Tru's island.
Croc Update
gulfnews : Receding waters reveal crocodiles, poisonous snakes: Image Credit: 
- Image Credit: AP
- Residents carry a crocodile on their shoulders after they caught and killed the reptile at a flooded residential area in Bangbuatong district of Nonthaburi province, north of Bangkok, Thailand. Murky floodwaters are receding from Bangkok's inundated outskirts to reveal some scary swamp dwellers who moved in while flooded residents were moving out, including crocodiles and some of the world's most poisonous snakes.
Hat tip to Jerry House.
Now Available as an e-Book!
BEAT to a PULP: A Rip through Time
Ebook By BEAT to a PULPRating: Not yet rated.
Published: Nov. 27, 2011
Category: Fiction » Literature » Science Fiction - Adventure
Words: 38393 (approximate)
Language: English
Ebook Short Description
Dr. Berlin has created a powerful time-travel device with the ability to predict the future and retrodict the past. He swipes his own creation from The Company and disappears into history. The Company's time-cop Simon Rip and the sexy, brilliant Dr. Serena Ludwig join together to track Berlin and return the device. Their pursuit will take them back to the ice age and forward to the end of time.
Gift Suggestion
King Kong (Dramatized) Audio Book | Violet Crown Radio Players
Includes the classic song, "Don't Shoot that Monkey Down." I've seen and heard this performed at a convention, and you can't go wrong.
A Website of Possible Interest
Paperback Price Guide and Valuation Guide: Value of Old Paperback Books: Searching for vintage paperback values? You have come to the right place! IGuide™ is proud to host the online version of Graham Holroyd's Paperback Prices. The price guide is maintained by Graham Holroyd, whose Paperback Price Guide book has been the authority on vintage paperback values since it came out in 2003. The database contains tens of thousands of web pages of information on individual paperback books. Each page contains a description of the book and estimated values, as well as a section for "Real Market Data", actual prices contributed by our Board of Advisors.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Buy My Book!
Amazon.com: Dead Man's Revenge (Rancho Diablo) eBook: Colby Jackson: Kindle Store: Western action explodes as Sam Blaylock fights to save Rancho Diablo. Has a dead man returned to take revenge against Sam, or is there something more human at work? Even the law doesn't seem to be on Sam's side as he takes on enemies that strike in the night.DEADMAN'S REVENGE is the third volume in the exciting Rancho Diablo series.
Black Dog Books Is Having a Sale!
UNBEATABLE HOLIDAY SAVINGS
On Small Business Saturday save big on the following titles for the holiday season from Black Dog Books!
WESTERN ACTION—
Trail of the Snake by Norvell Page. With an introduction by Bill Crider.
The complete collected Westerns stories by the author of The Spider.
“Another outstanding collection from Black Dog Books.”—Dispatches From the Last Outlaw.
Published at $10.00........... Now $7.00
http://www.blackdogbooks.net/index.php?Itemid=13&option=com_zoo&view=item&category_id=7&item_id=115
Unmasked edited by Tom Roberts. With an introduction by Francis M. Nevins.
The forgotten origins of Hollywood’s most famous Western heroes: Hopalong Cassidy, The Cisco Kid, Zorro and The Lone Ranger.
“[A] fascinating glimpse into these characters’ early development stage.”—Western Clippings
Published at $19.95........... Now $16.95
http://www.blackdogbooks.net/index.php?Itemid=13&option=com_zoo&view=item&category_id=7&item_id=101
Dead Man’s Brand by Norbert Davis. With an introduction by Bill Pronzini.
The collected Western stories by a writer best known from his crime fiction.
“This is by far the best collection of Western stories published this past year!”—Dispatches from the Last Outlaw.
Published at $22.95........... Now $17.95
http://www.blackdogbooks.net/index.php?Itemid=13&option=com_zoo&view=item&category_id=7&item_id=93
Lust of the Lawless by Robert Leslie Bellem, with an introduction by James Reasoner.
The complete Western works by this author who would later script The Lone Ranger, Death Valley Days and The Iron Horse for television.
“Moves forward at tremendous pace, . . . are filled with action and terrific characters.”—Western Fiction Review.
Published at $10.00........... Now $7.00
http://www.blackdogbooks.net/index.php?Itemid=13&option=com_zoo&view=item&category_id=7&item_id=64
ADVENTURE
Secret Operative K-13 by Joel Townsley Rogers
The fate of thousands rests in the hands of one man—deep behind enemy lines of WWI.
Published at $10.00........... Now $7.00
http://www.blackdogbooks.net/index.php?Itemid=13&option=com_zoo&view=item&category_id=7&item_id=92
Banished by William Murray Graydon
Fate pays an evil hand when an innocent man is sentenced to the dreaded labor camps of Siberia. From Argosy.
Published at $10.00........... Now $7.00
http://www.blackdogbooks.net/index.php?Itemid=13&option=com_zoo&view=item&category_id=7&item_id=73
The Black Death by Marion Polk Angellotti.
The historical adventures of Sir John Hawkwood and the White Company. From Adventure.
Volume 1 in the Adventure Library series.
Published at $24.95........... Now $19.95
http://www.blackdogbooks.net/index.php?Itemid=13&option=com_zoo&view=item&category_id=7&item_id=49
SCIENCE FICTION
The Space Annihilator edited by Gene Christie
A collection of 16 early Science Fiction tales 1896-1910 from The Argosy.
Published at $15.95........... Now $12.00
http://www.blackdogbooks.net/index.php?Itemid=13&option=com_zoo&view=item&category_id=7&item_id=6
DETECTIVE/MYSTERY
Horse Money by Richard Wormser, with an introduction by Robert J. Randisi
The Cases of Chief Van Eyck, Race Track Detective.
Published at $10.00........... Now $7.00
http://www.blackdogbooks.net/index.php?Itemid=13&option=com_zoo&view=item&category_id=7&item_id=109
Bodyguard by Roger Torrey, with an introduction by Ron Goulart
The first major collection of this hard-boiled writer.
“A strikingly handsome volume.”— Mysteryfile
“A stunning collection.”—Amazon
Published at $19.95........... Now $14.95
http://www.blackdogbooks.net/index.php?Itemid=13&option=com_zoo&view=item&category_id=7&item_id=22
City of Corpses by Norvell Page, with an introduction by Robert Weinberg
This highly recommended collection brings together the complete weird mysteries of Ken Carter.
“I recommend City of Corpses most highly.”—Davy Crockett’s Almanack
Published at $19.95........... Now $14.95
http://www.blackdogbooks.net/index.php?Itemid=13&option=com_zoo&view=item&category_id=7&item_id=15
Twice Murdered by Laurence Donovan, with an introduction by Tom Roberts
“If you’re a pulp fan, I highly recommend it.”—Rough Edges
Published at $22.95........... Now $17.95
http://www.blackdogbooks.net/index.php?Itemid=13&option=com_zoo&view=item&category_id=7&item_id=38
Killer’s Caress by Cary Moran
The moles on a voluptuous siren’s shapely thigh lead Johnny Harding, dapper, wise-cracking columnist of the Daily Telegraph into a web of crime.
Published at $14.95........... Now $10.00
http://www.blackdogbooks.net/index.php?Itemid=13&option=com_zoo&view=item&category_id=7&item_id=55
Dead Men Tell Tales by Arthur B. Reeve
Craig Kennedy lives again in these previously uncollected tales of scientific deduction.
Published at $14.95........... Now $10.00
http://www.blackdogbooks.net/index.php?Itemid=13&option=com_zoo&view=item&category_id=7&item_id=30
NON-FICTION
Pulp Vault no.14 edited by Doug Ellis.
The grandest of all pulp journals returns with a new issue at over 250 pages.
Published at $24.95........... Now $19.95
http://www.blackdogbooks.net/index.php?Itemid=14&option=com_zoo&view=item&category_id=8&item_id=99
Windy City Pulp Stories no.10
An in-depth study of the classic magazine, Adventure.
Published at $12.95........... Now $9.95
http://www.blackdogbooks.net/index.php?Itemid=14&option=com_zoo&view=item&category_id=8&item_id=72
Fundamentals of Fiction Writing by Arthur Sullivant Hoffman
“An excellent book that has a lot to offer in the way of practical advice.” —James Reasoner
“An excellent book.”—Bookman
Published at $10.00........... Now $7.00
http://www.blackdogbooks.net/index.php?Itemid=14&option=com_zoo&view=item&category_id=8&item_id=65
We appreciate your patronage.
Tom Roberts, Publisher
Visit www.blackdogbooks.net for more information.
Black Dog Books, 1115 Pine Meadows Ct. Normal, IL 61761-5432
Reseller discount options available.
You Can't Go Wrong with This One
Amazon.com: Christmas Campfire Companion (9781935600084): Chila Woychik: Books: Fourteen of America's top western writers publishing today have contributed delightful Christmas stories to this collection, fourteen saddle-hardened writers who reached down to give a glimpse of their sensitive side. Each story is a gift, and each a take on Christmas . . . a western Christmas.
Publicity Stunt?
The Local: Saturday morning shoppers in the southern city of Toulouse were sent flying when a wild boar charged through busy streets.
The Decline of Western Civilization Continues Apace
UPDATE: Man Dies on Black Friday; Shoppers Unfazed: nearby continued to shop.
Witnesses tell WSAZ.com some shoppers walked around and even over the man's body.
Witnesses tell WSAZ.com some shoppers walked around and even over the man's body.
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
The traditional western is alive and well in the hands of folks like Wayne Dundee. Action, character, and setting all done the way you like it. Check it out.
First there is Veronica Fairburn, the beautiful woman who has her own business in Socorro and insists on sticking with Kendrick when he sets out to return there with his prisoner … Then there's the gang of tough ranch hands dead set on relieving him of the prisoner in order to dish out their own brand of personal revenge … Add in the Mexican desperado stalking the woman, and the band of renegade Apaches raiding throughout the region—and Kendrick has his work cut out for him.
Complicating matters even more are the feelings developing between Kendrick and Veronica.
But the greatest challenge of all may come from the daring passage they must attempt over the Jornada del Muerto—the Journey of the Dead, awaiting them in the merciless White Sands desert.
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Houston News - Hair Balls: Every now and then, Hair Balls reports the oddest, funniest, and most puzzling names we come across in Harris County official records -- usually but not always the crime reports.
As always, a couple of disclaimers are in order. Not all, indeed not necessarily any, of these people were convicted of a crime. Additionally, the crimes they are accused of -- those that have been accused, that is -- are in some cases as minor as driving on a suspended license or possession of small amounts of pot.
As always, a couple of disclaimers are in order. Not all, indeed not necessarily any, of these people were convicted of a crime. Additionally, the crimes they are accused of -- those that have been accused, that is -- are in some cases as minor as driving on a suspended license or possession of small amounts of pot.
And Keep off His Sidewalk!
Video at the link.
"I started skating when I was 65, but the first ride I took I fell and screwed up my wrist, but I kept at it," said Kahn.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Tom Wicker, R. I. P.
Jerry's House of Everything: R.I.P. TOM WICKER: Former New York Times columnist Tom Wicker died today from an apparent heart attack. He was 85. Wicker was a respected political reporter and columnist who wrote some 20 books, including the Edgar-winning A Time To Die about the 1971 Attica prison riot.
Buy My Book!
Amazon.com: Goodnight MooM eBook: Jack MacLane, Neil Jackson: Kindle Store: LITTLE HARRY WASN’T LIKE OTHER CHILDRENHarry never cared for reading or writing. He never showed any interest in baseball or TV. Harry lived for other things — like the pleasing sound of living creatures screaming in agony. And the soothing feel of warm blood running through his fingers. But when his grisly experiments progressed beyond stray pets and farm animals to classmates, Harry’s dad decided to lock the boy away for good in the family basement. After all, the neighbors might begin to talk…
In the solitude of the dank, musty cellar, Harry waited and grew… and grew… and GREW! And while he waited, he was counseled by his one and only friend — the bright silvery orb in the inight sky that he called “Moom.” Harry spoke to Moom. And Moom spoke to Harry. Moom told Harry what he should do when he finally broke out of his subterranean prison …
Moom told Harry to kill…
and Kill…
and KILL…
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
Amazon.com: Hominid (9781935797166): John C. Boland: Books: Boland--two-time Shamus nominee and International Thriller Writers finalist--imagines a species-wide conflict in a fast-paced science thriller. Archaeologist David Isaac joins a team excavating a crypt on a remote island where a colonial-era family lies buried. By local lore, the family were "devils." The expedition's leader hopes to revive his career by proving they were murdered by neighbors in a burst of religious hysteria. But these cadavers harbor an older and deadlier secret. And nobody is prepared for what is about to emerge. Evolution is deadly.
Headstone --Ken Bruen
When last we visited with Jack Taylor, he'd just finished dealing with the Devil (though I suppose Jack will never be really finished with that). That novel must have struck a chord with the marketing department, since this one is billed as "A Jack Taylor Novel of Terror." I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean, since this one follows right along with the previous ones. Terrible things happen, of course, as they do in every book about Taylor. Each time I read one, I think that there's nothing more that can be taken away from Taylor. And each time I read a new one, I find that there's always something. In this book, there's a lot.
There's really no need for a summary of the plot. I'll just say that it involves priests, cops, a group called Headstone that goes in for torture and murder, some old friend and an old antagonist, along with many of the usual cast. Mix in plenty of violence, drugs, and Jameson; Bruen's poetic way of telling a tale; Taylor's ruminations on literature, the state of Ireland and humanity; and a breakneck pace. The result is irresistible to me, and apparently to lots of others. Not for reading on a day when you're feeling a bit down, however. You might not get back up.
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . . .
Shootings, pepper-spray attack mar Wal-Mart Black Friday sales - latimes.com: In Porter Ranch, a woman pepper sprayed customers at a Wal-Mart in what authorities say was a deliberate attempt to get more "door buster" merchandise. In San Leandro, a Wal-Mart shopper walking to his car was shot and wounded in a suspected robbery early Friday.
PaperBack
William Irish (Cornell Woolrich), Nightmare aka I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes, Reader's Choice Library, 1950
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . . .
NC mall shooting myrtle beach walmart In Kinston, NC, police were forced to use pepper spray in a Walmart when a melee broke out in the store.
And Keep Off Her Lawn!
- CNN.com: A Pakistani woman is being held on suspicion of killing her husband, cutting him up and trying to cook the pieces, Karachi police said Friday.
Crime Fiction's Sexiest Authors of 2011 - Part 2
Jen's Book Thoughts: Crime Fiction's Sexiest Authors of 2011 - Part 2: CRIME FICTION'S SEXIEST AUTHORS OF 2011 - PART 2
Family Alligator WBAGNFARB
Alligator Seized After Domestic Incident - Courant.com: Police responded to a domestic dispute on Ferry Street Tuesday night, arrested a woman and seized the family alligator.
PW's Film Critics List Their Top 50 Films
PW's Film Critics List Their Top 50 Films | Screen Cover Story | Screen | Philadelphia Weekly: While “Best of” lists can be useful, fun keepsakes, “Best of Film” lists are usually boring and repetitive. There are hundreds of places where you can read about the brilliance of Citizen Kane. And while we agree that the movie is indeed brilliant and one of cinema’s finest, we won’t be regurgitating the same ol’ list of critics’ picks here. Compiled below is a highly subjective list of films that we, the film critics at PW, feel are best. These films are personal favorites that we think are important, great motion pictures.
She Should Dump the Guy
Teen misses ‘Twilight’ movie, gets DUI charge instead - Aurora Beacon News: Olivia Ornelas, 18, 200 block of Williams Street, Aurora, was charged with drunken driving and unlawful consumption of alcohol by a minor after the car she was driving was found in a ditch at 12:04 a.m. Saturday near Route 71 and East High Point, the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office said. According to police, Ornelas was driving with no front right tire. She told deputies she was extremely upset with her boyfriend because she did not get to see the new “Twilight” movie as they were supposed to do, according to a police report.
Forgotten Books: D'Shai -- Joel Rosenberg
Canadian writers? Well, I'll just cheat a little. Joel Rosenberg was, after all, born in Canada (Winnipeg, to be precise), so he should count, even if he grew up in the U. S., right?I read a lot of Rosenberg's books, and I enjoyed them all. D'Shai is the first of two fantasy/mystery novels set in the world of D'Shai, a remarkably detailed place with a lot of Asian flavor, filled with magic. Some people there can raise kazuh, a power which enables them perform spectacularly well in one of the 52 vocations. Kami Khuzud, born into a family of acrobats, can't raise kazuh, which makes him a typical fantasy hero, the one who doesn't quite live up to expectations but who feels destined for better things. Add to that the fact that he's in love with a woman above his station, and you have a pretty familiar setup.
But Rosenberg's book is anything but typical. There's an emotionally involving murder, and Kami sets out to solve it. In doing so, he raises kazuh and discovers that he has a vocation heretofore unknown. He's a Truth Seeker, or to put it another way, a Great Detective.
I really liked this book and its sequel, The Hour of the Octopus. If you want to read a mystery that's really different, you can do a lot worse than these two.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Buy My Book!
Amazon.com: A Werewolf Named Wayne eBook: Bill Crider: Kindle Store: Al's new next-door neighbors have just arrived in a smoke-belching DeSoto convertible. They may travel in style, but there's more to them than meets their strangely eerie eyes. Things are going to get hairy as Al gets to know these new additions to the neighborhood. He's ready to face any challenges they bring--secret construction projects and cravings for canned dog food included. But first Al may have to answer a tough question: is it harder being friends with a werewolf, or a girl?Hermie, Al, and Carl from Bill Crider's first young adult novel A VAMPIRE NAMED FRED, are back in action for another adventure in A WEREWOLF NAMED WAYNE - published for the first time ever.
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee
Landlord arrest bulldozer eviction arrest: Angry landlord crushed mobile home while tenants fled for their lives - OrlandoSentinel.com: Landlord John Miller will miss Thanksgiving at home this year after what may be Central Florida's first case of eviction rage ending in attempted-murder charges.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Stark House Does it Again
Here's something to be thankful for: another great triple-decker, another great intro by David Laurence Wilson. Get your orders in early. I have all three of the books included here, but Winter Girl restores Whittington's original version of the one I have, a Curt Colman novel from Corinth titled The Taste of Desire (which is the title on the original cover for the book still showing up on the Stark House site as I write this).
This Will Not Surprise Readers of This Blog
Darby drug bust yields heroin, pit bull ... and an alligator: Darby Borough police were expecting to find narcotics this morning when they busted a suspected heroin operation inside a Main Street house. What they didn't expect was the alligator. But that's what they found, because this is Delaware County – where routine crime stories go to get weird.
Hat tip to Jeff Segal.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Thanksgiving or Thanksgiving Day, celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, has officially been an annual tradition in the United States since 1863, when during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday, November 26.[1] As a federal and popular holiday in the U.S., Thanksgiving is one of the "big six" major holidays of the year (along with Christmas, New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day). Together with Christmas and the New Year, Thanksgiving is a part of the broader holiday season.
Forgotten Music
Well, sometimes we forget to be thankful for the music.
Here's one of them.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
George H. Coxe - Back in Print from Mysterious Press
George H. Coxe - Mysterious Press: George Harmon Coxe (1901-1984) was an early star of hard boiled crime fiction, best known for characters he created in the seminal pulp magazine Black Mask. Born in upstate New York, he attended Purdue and Cornell Universities before moving to the West Coast to work in newspapers. In 1922 he began publishing short stories in pulp magazines across various genres, including romance and sports. He would find his greatest success, however, writing crime fiction.
Buy My Book!
Amazon.com: A Vampire Named Fred eBook: Bill Crider: Kindle Store: When someone finally moves into the old, dark, musty house next door, two boys make an unusual friend."I always thought that vampires had to have names like Dracula or Vlad or Lestat, but that was before Fred moved into the house next door. In fact, I had a lot of wrong ideas about vampires, but Fred set me straight about most of them."
In a funny, lively story the boys set out to help Fred lead a "normal" life.
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
Some really good stuff here. I read most of these in their original appearances and enjoyed them all. "Tut," first in the book, is a kick even knowing now what's coming. Check it out.Amazon.com: 13 Shots of Noir eBook: Paul D. Brazill: Kindle Store: English writer Paul D Brazill's 13 Shots Of Noir is a collection of short stories in the vein of Roald Dahl, The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.The first story, "The Tut", was nominated for a 2010 Spinetingler Award, while the story "Anger Management" was chosen as one of the Predators and Editors top twenty crime stories.
Crime, horror and dark fiction are contained within the pages of 13 Shots Of Noir.
Chicago Lightning only 99 Cents!
Or if you're an Amazon Prime member, it's FREE!
On the Road Again
Judy and I are off to Austin, where we'll be spending a couple of days. We'll have Thanksgiving dinner at our son's house, and we'll be joined by our daughter and her husband. There should be regular posting of scheduled items to the blog, and maybe I'll even update now and then. I probably won't be answering e-mail or making comments on the blog until I get back home, however. I also won't be going to any Black Friday sales. I like to leave that to other people.
Shelagh Delaney, R. I. P.
Playbill.com: Playwright Shelagh Delaney, who had an international hit with A Taste of Honey, a play she wrote when she was still a teenager, died Nov 20. The cause was cancer. She was 71.
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