Thursday, February 05, 2015

Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is?

Clocks Are Too Precise (and People Don't Know What to Do About It)

Song of the Day

Crazy Elephant - "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'" ( Stereo ) - YouTube:

The Digest Enthusiast


Some of you are going to want this, I know.  Just look at the ToC below, and you'll see why I say that.  If you have any interest at all in digest-size magazines, you'll have to have it.  There's a website set up with a nice gallery of digest covers, and there will soon be a forum there for discussion of digests.  Check it out.

The Digest Enthusiast Book One

Interviews:
Phyllis Galde, Editor and Publisher of Fate magazine
Gordon Van Gelder, Editor and Publisher of Fantasy & Science Fiction
Matthew Turcotte, Archie Digest Library collector

Articles:
Digest 911: Protective Sleeves by D. Blake Werts
Galaxy Science Fiction: The H.L. Gold Years by Larry Johnson
In Defense of Digests by Rob Imes
The Big Story by Charlie Jacobs
Myron Fass, Foto-rama & His Other Digests by Tom Brinkmann

Reviews:
Fate #725 by Rudolph Schmidt
Coronet June 1950 by David Burnette
Fate Trading Cards by Rudolph Schmidt
Paperback Parade #85 by Rudolph Schmidt

Fiction:
A Darker Night by Joe Wehrle, Jr.
The Presidential Collection by Lesann Berry
A Foul Breath of Fresh Air by Richard Krauss

Artwork:
Joe Wehrle, Jr. (cover)
Michael Neno
Bob Vojtko (gag cartoons)

Print Edition: $5.99 from CreateSpace or Amazon.com

Kindle Edition: $1.99 from Amazon.com

Today's Vintage Ad


Why Do Cats Love Boxes So Much?

Why Do Cats Love Boxes So Much?

PaperBack



Homer Hatten, Westport Landing, Gold Medal, 1951

I Remember It Well

What The World Was Like The Last Time Harper Lee Published A Book

Or Maybe You Do

10 Prolific Writers Whose Names You Don't Actually Know 

Mary Healy, R. I. P.

NYTimes.com: Mary Healy, an actress and singer who with Peter Lind Hayes formed a husband-and-wife comedy team on television variety shows and sitcoms in the 1950s and ’60s and portrayed their suburban life on radio broadcasts from New Rochelle, N.Y., died on Tuesday in Calabasas, Calif. She was 96.  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

10 Most Valuable Collectables of Their Kind

10 Most Valuable Collectables of Their Kind

I Want to Believe!

Bigfoot in Yellowstone National Park? 

The Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series: Figures of Earth by James Branch Cabell

he Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series: Figures of Earth by James Branch Cabell

Wednesday, February 04, 2015

The Title Alone Is Worth an Emmy

‘Cheerleader Death Squad’ Gets CW Pilot Order 

Confederate submarine's hull again revealed

After 150 years, Confederate submarine's hull again revealed: Has the mystery of Confederate submarine that sank Union ship then vanished finally been solved after 15 years of research?

Song of the Day

Kenny Rogers & The First Edition - Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) - YouTube:

10 Reasons Babe Ruth Is Still Awesome

10 Reasons Babe Ruth Is Still Awesome 

Today's Vintage Ad


“A Brash Idea Becomes a Publishing Company” (by Lee Goldberg)

“A Brash Idea Becomes a Publishing Company” (by Lee Goldberg) | SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN

Gator Update (Super Bowl Dinner Edition)

News-JournalOnline.com: A DeBary man chose the wrong menu item for a Super Bowl meal when he decided to kill five small alligators for a gator tail dinner, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials said Monday.  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

PaperBack



Jordan Park (C. M. Kornbluth), Half, Lion Books, 1953

30 Most Creative Large Scale Street Art Murals

30 Most Creative Large Scale Street Art Murals  

Link via Neatorama.

Loki Unavailable for Comment

Iceland to build first temple to Norse gods since Viking age 

Will the Persecution Never End?

Diving into the worst-rated movies on IMDb

What Price Immortality? In Yana, the Touch of Undying by Michael Shea

What Price Immortality? In Yana, the Touch of Undying by Michael Shea

Tuesday, February 03, 2015

Soon We'll Have No Personal Freedoms Left at All

Woman with kangaroo asked to leave McDonald's  

Hat tip to Gerard Saylor.

Harper Lee Update

Harper Lee Will Publish ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ Sequel in July

Song of the Day

Buddy Holly - Not Fade Away (1957) - YouTube:

Or Maybe Not

Michelangelo bronzes discovered

Today's Vintage Ad


"Ow" Isn't the Word I Use

Shouting 'ow' helps people cope with pain by interfering with brain messages

PaperBack



Thomas Burnett Swann, The Weirwoods, Ace, 1968

Night of the Lepus

Dozens of Dog-Sized Jackrabbits Swarm Development in North Dakota  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

JDM on Starting the Travis McGee Series

JDM on Starting the Travis McGee Series

A Review of Interest (To Me, Anyway)

Books Are For Squares: Reprint I Read: "Outrage at Blanco" by Bill Crider

The Day the Music Died

Forgotten Hits: 56 Years Ago Today

Happy Birthday, Robert McGinnis!

 The greatest paperback cover artist of them all.

Overlooked Movies: My Little Chickadee

A rerun from 2011.

Mae West and W. C. Fields are fading from the American consciousness, I think. For most people under 50, or maybe under 60, these two stars are, I suspect either unknown or forgotten. If I'm right, that's too bad.

Both the actors were past their prime when My Little Chickadee was made, but to me it's still a very funny movie. West plays Flower Belle, a woman who's run out of town and can't return until she's respectable, i. e., married. She meets Cuthbert J. Twillie (Fields) on the train, and he proves more than willing to marry her to help her attain her goal. For West it's to be a marriage in name only, so a lot of the movie's humor comes from Fields' attempts to consummate the relationship. No one but Fields would woo a woman by admiring her hand and saying, "What symmetrical digits."

West slinks and flirts, Fields flounders, and the double entendres come thick and fast. There's even a Masked Bandit! I saw this movie more than 50 years ago, and I laughed for weeks about it. I still get a goofy grin when I think about certain scenes and lines of dialogue. You can watch the trailer in the post above, and if you think that's funny, then you'd like the movie. If not, time to rent The Hangover again.

"My Little Chickadee"

"My Little Chickadee" Trailer 1940 - YouTube:

Monday, February 02, 2015

New Poem at the Five-Two

The Five-Two: Mike Wilson: RAMSEY

The Fifth Marx Brother

The Fifth Marx Brother

Song of the Day

"The Thrill Is Gone" BB King - YouTube:

Forgotten Hits: 50 Year Flashback - February 2nd, 1965

Forgotten Hits: 50 Year Flashback - February 2nd, 1965

Today's Vintage Ad


10 Recent Discoveries That Explain Prehistoric Questions

10 Recent Discoveries That Explain Prehistoric Questions 

PaperBack



Carl Randall,  Life, Loves and Meat Loaf, Brandon, 1967

Kelly Link Interview

Kelly Link: By the Book 

Paper Books Will Never Die

Paper Books Will Never Die

Vintage Treasures: Vulcan’s Hammer by Philip K. Dick/ The Skynappers by John Brunner

Vintage Treasures: Vulcan’s Hammer by Philip K. Dick/ The Skynappers by John Brunner

Happy Groundhog Day!

Where Did Groundhog Day Come From?

​9 Roman Gods Who Weren't Just Rip Offs Of Greek Gods

​9 Roman Gods Who Weren't Just Rip Offs Of Greek Gods

Sunday, February 01, 2015

"Tried" Sounds Ominous

Ocala man tried to circumcise his nephew with kitchen knife

Comic Strip of the Day

Link

Why Do We Call Weights "Bells"?

Dumbbells, Barbells, Kettlebells—Why Do We Call Weights "Bells"? 

Song of the Day

Manhattan Spiritual By Reg Owen Orchestra - YouTube:

Ten Products With Unfortunate Names

Ten Products With Unfortunate Names And What Those Names Actually Mean

Today's Vintage Ad


All That Remains: A Haunting Gallery of Extinct Animals in Paris

All That Remains: A Haunting Gallery of Extinct Animals in Paris 

PaperBack



Van Wyck Mason, Sulu Sea Murders, Century Mystery, 1945

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Texas boy suspended after bringing 'ring of power' to school   

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Fall River man faces firearms charges after he allegedly shoots up cars parked in cleared parking spaces 

Zardoz is #6

50 Best Sci-Fi Movies of the 1970s

Dino Update

Telegraph: A new dinosaur which had an extraordinarily long neck has been discovered in China and named the ‘Dragon of Qijiang.’

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Geraldine McEwan, R. I. P.

NY Daily News: The family of longtime actress Geraldine McEwan says she has died following treatment for a stroke. She was 82. 

McEwan was known for many roles including playing the famous Agatha Christie detective Miss Marple in 12 TV episodes.  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

A Precious Freedom Preserved

Judge: Men cannot be forced to squat to pee  

Hat tip to Art Scott.

Hammett Prize Nominees

Kevin's Corner:  Hammett Prize Nominees

Please Celebrate Responsibly

The 10 Greatest Gorilla Suits: Today is National Gorilla Suit Day, a holiday invented by Mad’s Maddest Artist, the incomparable Don Martin, in his 1963 book, Mad’s Don Martin Bounces Back! In honor of this auspicious day, let’s take a look at some of the great gorilla suits and their wearers.

6 Barnyard Animals and How They Came to Be

6 Barnyard Animals and How They Came to Be 

PyaPal? Really?

PyaPal

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Song of the Day

Wynonie Harris-Don't Roll Those Bloodshot Eyes At Me - YouTube:

The Weird Week in Review

The Weird Week in Review 

Today's Vintage Ad


21 Rhetorical Devices Explained

21 Rhetorical Devices Explained

PaperBack



Eric Frank Russell, Wasp, Panther, 1963

The Murder Mystery Legend Behind Austin’s Iconic Moonlight Towers

Austin’s moonlight towers.: The Murder Mystery Legend Behind Austin’s Iconic Moonlight Towers

How Playing a Musical Instrument Benefits Your Brain More than Any Other Activity

How Playing Music Benefits Your Brain More than Any Other Activity: “Playing music is the brain’s equivalent of a full-body workout.”

10 Tragedies That Robbed Us Of Historical Treasures

10 Tragedies That Robbed Us Of Historical Treasures

Pelican Books: A Flock of Non-Fiction

Pelican Books: A Flock of Non-Fiction on AbeBooks

Friday, January 30, 2015

I Want to Believe!

Idaho professor tells Badger Club he believes Sasquatch may live 

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

'Boarzilla'

Texas men capture 800-lb. 'Boarzilla'   

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Criminal Genius of the Day

Shoplifting Suspect Caught Thanks to His Own 911 Call

The Cruelest Oscar Award Presentation of All-Time

The Cruelest Oscar Award Presentation of All-Time

Song of the Day

Lonnie Donegan - Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor - YouTube:

Latest Getting Away with Murder Now Online

GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER #99 FEBRUARY 2015

11 Celebrity #TBT Photos You May Have Missed This Week

11 Celebrity #TBT Photos You May Have Missed This Week

Today's Vintage Ad


Doc or crock: 6 recent “documentaries” that have been accused of being fake

Doc or crock: 6 recent “documentaries” that have been accused of being fake 

PaperBack



Dashiell Hammett, The Maltese Falcon, Panther, 1957

The 50 Best First Sentences in Fiction

The 50 Best First Sentences in Fiction  

Link via SF Signal.

The Best Super Bowl Ads Ever

The Best Super Bowl Ads Ever, According to USA Today's "Ad Meter"

Well, That's Settled

Crocodile Predicts Seahawks Super Bowl Victory

Galaxy Science Fiction, June 1952: A Retro-Review

Galaxy Science Fiction, June 1952: A Retro-Review

FFB: The Star Treasure -- Keith Laumer

Ban Tarleton, a lieutenant on a starship, has never questioned authority or much of anything else.  When his best friend is murdered, he starts to question everything.  And comes up with the wrong answer, which leads to his making a trip to Earth in a ship not equipped for the journey.  He survives but he's a wanted man. 

Tarleton avoids capture for a while but is hunted down, caught, and court-martialed.  Sentenced to a prison planet, he doesn't really fight back.  He thinks the sentence might be justified.  He works in the mines, looking for a substance that is crucially important, although he's not told what it is or what it's for.  He's expelled from the mines onto the desert where he's not expected to survive.  

He does survive (of course) and finds himself living among a native race that no one has suspected is there.  In all these experiences, Tarleton is coming closer to his destiny.  He's one of those SF heroes who's really much more than he seems, but even he doesn't realize it until it's time to wrap up the story.

This is one of those one-damn-thing-after-another story that seemed as if Laumer were making it up as he went along.  It's fun but slight.  If you're looking for some fast-moving but not memorable entertainment, this might do the trick.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Rod McKuen, R. I. P.

LA Times: Rod McKuen, a prolific songwriter and poet whose compositions include the Academy Award-nominated song “Jean” for the 1969 film “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie,” has died. He was 81.

Suzette Haden Elgin, R. I. P.

SF Site News: Author and linguist Suzette Haden Elgin (b.Patricia Anne Wilkins, 1936) died on January 27. Elgin began publishing in 1969 with the story “For the Sake of Grace” and followed it a year later with the novel The Communipaths. She may be best known for the Native Tongue trilogy. In 1978, she founded the Science Fiction Poetry Association, and their Elgin Award is named in her honor.

Helen Eustis, R. I. P.

The Bunburyist: RIP, Helen Eustis (1916–2015).

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Elementary Teachers Under Fire After Forcing 'Poop Inspections' On Students

10 Everyday Items Brought To Us By the 1893 Chicago World's Fair

10 Everyday Items Brought To Us By the 1893 Chicago World's Fair 

Song of the Day

Muddy Waters - Hoochie Coochie Man ( Chess 1954) - YouTube:

10 Legendary Actors Who Appeared in Awful Horror Films

10 Legendary Actors Who Appeared in Awful Horror Films

Today's Vintage Ad