Not That There's Anything Wrong with That

Thanks to the mysterious JTD for the link.

StarStyle.com: Ever wondered what it might actually feel like to be Paris Hilton dancing on her own leather ottoman or gazing lovingly at herself in her own mirror? Well, neither have we, but if you're curious about where the lodging heiress sleeps, lounges, and keeps her clothes, a new auction of Paris' furniture might be of interest.

StarStyle has begun auctioning off a set of furniture on its website that it says was actually used by Paris in her Hollywood home. Amongst the items up for bid over the next eleven days are various side tables, an oriental rug, wicker lounge chairs, McGuire Tambour copper lamps, and the highly functional "elephant stand," all starting at a relatively budget $300 or less.

Happy Birthday, Robert Culp!

Hoby Gilman, Texas Ranger; Kelly Robinson; Bill Maxwell. Or just Robert Culp, 76 years old today.

Happy Birthday, Fess Parker!

82 today. Sure he played other roles, but he'll always be Davy Crockett to me.

Bob Dylan on XM

I had to take a cat to the vet this morning, so I missed Dylan's show. However, here's the "divorce" playlist from another week I failed to post

D-I-V-O-R-C-E - Tammy Wynette
The Grand Tour - George Jones
Alimony - The Clowns
She Got The Goldmine, I Got The Shaft - Jerry Reed
Alimony Blues - T-Bone Walker
Married By The Bible, Divorced By The Law - Hank Snow
Divorce Me C.O.D. - Merle Travis
Mexican Divorce - The Drifters
Mr. And Mrs. Used To Be - Loretta Lynn
You Can't Divorce My Heart - Lefty Frizzell
Love Doesn't Live Here Anymore - June Christy with Pete Rugolo
Alimony - Tommy Tucker
Will Your Lawyer Talk to God - Kitty Wells
(Pay Me)Alimony - Maddox Brothers and Sister Rose
Alimony Blues - Eddie"Mr. Cleanhead" Vinson and his Orchestra
Divorce Decree - Doris Duke

Available Only in Japan

Only in Japan -- Hello Hilton - TMZ.com: "Only in Japan -- Hello Hilton
Posted Aug 7th 2006 3:28PM by TMZ Staff

Just when you thought Paris Hilton mania couldn't get any bigger, Sanrio, the folks behind Hello Kitty, have taken it to another level. They have created a signature Hello Kitty figure with a Paris Hilton look. Sorry folks, it's only available in Japan."

Lights Out (for) Lidge

Last year Brad Lidge was the best closer in the league. This year he's one of the worst. Last year they called him "Lights-Out Lidge." This year they're calling him "Blown-Save Brad." I feel sorry for the guy. How do you go from the penthouse to the outhouse like that? I know not what cause others will choose, but I think it was the monster homer that Pujols hit off him in the play-offs last fall. Lidge says it didn't affect him, and maybe he even believes it. I think it did. Even if it didn't, it affected the other hitters in the league, who saw that Lidge wasn't invincible. Not only that, he was vulnerable. He's never been the same since. And for that matter, neither have the Astros.

I, for One, Can Hardly Wait

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Morgan Creek has begun the detective work on a kooky cold case. The production company has hired Jeff Sank and brothers Jason and Justin Heimberg to write a third installment of the hit franchise "Ace Ventura."

The two previous "Ventura" comedies -- 1994's "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" and the following year's "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls" -- grossed more than $180 million domestically and helped establish Jim Carrey as one of the highest-paid comedy actors in Hollywood.

The latest pet project is expected to center on the eccentric detective's son, who steps into his father's shoes to take over the family business.

No Wonder Trace Adkins Writes Country Songs

Accident-Prone Trace Adkins Lost a Finger, Broke Both Arms, & Was Shot by Ex-Wife - Starpulse News Blog: "Country music tough guy Trace Adkins had to have his finger reattached when he sliced it off with a knife back in the days when he was working on an off-shore oil rig. The singer was trying to open a bucket when the accident happened. He says, 'They semi-successfully re-attached it.'

The accident-prone singer also broke both his arms, a leg and a handful of ribs and cut his nose off in a car crash. But the worst pain he ever felt came after his ex-wife shot him in a heated argument in 1994."

GoodisCon Update

What do Humphrey Bogart, Jane Mansfield and Anne Bancroft have in common? DAVID GOODIS

I am a big David Goodis fan. I know that you are also a David Goodis fan.

I am writing to you hoping that you would like to share in a tribute be planned in memory of David Goodis to be held on January 5th, 6th and 7th of 2007 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

January will mark the 40th anniversary of his death. I feel that he has long gone unrecognized and unappreciated for his great contribution to the movie industry and noir/hard-boiled/existential writing. His artistic style lives on in any number of modern film makers (Quentin Tarantino and Steven Soderbergh) and writers (Duane Swierczynski, Ken Bruen, Andrew Vachss, Jason Starr, Jim Nisbet and George Pelecanos).

It is my hope that the conference will attract fans of Goodis (writers, movie makers, movie aficionados, academicians and readers), will inspire people to learn more about one of the most fascinating Philadelphians and will renew a long overdue interest in David Goodis.

The conference (“GoodisCon”) will be conducted over a three day period in Goodis’ hometown.

The conference will be divided into three parts: the man, the myth and the legacy. The man portion will examine David Goodis’ life in Philadelphia and in Hollywood. It is our intention to interview and/or have friends, family and biographers discuss their thoughts and memories of David Goodis. The myth portion of the conference will examine the many stories that abound about him. There will be discussions led by various academicians specializing in David Goodis and his works. The legacy portion of the conference will be dedicated to the ongoing influence of David Goodis today in the form of books, movies and theatre.

Our goal is to create a setting where people can come together, learn about a fascinating man and engage in lively conversation about this enigmatic man and his desire to portray the plight of the down trodden.

It would be an honor and a pleasure to have you attend this important event with us.

Please visit our website.

Thank you very much for your time and cooperation.

Yours,

Louis M. Boxer, M.D.
Lboxer1@comcast.net

Snowball Express -- Check it Out

About Snowball Express: "Those who protect us deserve our thanks, our support and our help. Those in the Armed Forces who have laid down their lives in service to our way of life deserve our gratitude and our commitment to helping the family members they left behind.

The Snowball Express will provide a holiday experience for every child who has lost a parent while serving in our military forces during the Afghanistan and Iraq conflict. We will be bringing the children and surviving parent or guardian from throughout the nation to Orange County on December 7th, 8th and 9th, 2006 for a holiday party and a trip to Disneyland. "

Maybe I Can Work Out a Tie-In

Mammoths may roam again after 27,000 years - Britain - Times Online: "BODIES of extinct Ice Age mammals, such as woolly mammoths, that have been frozen in permafrost for thousands of years may contain viable sperm that could be used to bring them back from the dead, scientists said yesterday.

Research has indicated that mammalian sperm can survive being frozen for much longer than was previously thought, suggesting that it could potentially be recovered from species that have died out. "

Snakes in a Quiz

I missed one.

Snakes in a quiz - MOVIE QUIZZES - MSNBC.com: "But are you ready for a journey into the twin realms of ophidiophobia (fear of snakes) and airplaneophobia (fear of... well, you can probably guess)? To prime you mentally for Snakes on a Plane, we've prepared a trivia quiz on snakes in popular culture. Don't be afraid -- it won't bite."

Happy Birthday, Bill Pinkney!

Bill Pinkney is the last surviving member of the original Drifters (founded in 1953), one of the great groups of my adolescence. Both Clyde McPhatter and Ben E. King sang lead with the group at different times, but it's Pinkney's bass voice that most people remember from the classic "White Christmas," the best rockin' Christmas song ever recorded. (McPhatter also sings lead on that one.)

Happy Birthday, Pat Priest!

Who could forget Marilyn Munster? Pat also starred opposite Elvis Presley in Easy Come, Easy Go. She played the "bad girl" part. Today she's 70 years old.

Happy Birthday, Susan Saint James

There's a wonderful tribute at The Rap Sheet. Check it out.

Snakes on a Plane, the Song

Thanks to Duane Swierczynski for the link.

Mystery*File Again

Mystery*File has some new stuff and highlights some old stuff. Check it out.

MYSTERY*FILE ON-LINE: "Aug 13. MacKINLAY KANTOR. You may or may not have known it, but MacKinlay Kantor, winner of a Pulitzer Prize for Andersonville in 1956, began his career writing for the pulp detective magazines. In this article reprinted from The Armchair Detective, Spring 1997, John Apostolou gives us an inside look into Kantor’s overall career as a mystery fiction writer. A newly revised bibliography follows, along with the usual assortment of cover images.

Aug 13. GIL BREWER. Gil Brewer’s estate has begun a website which, while it appears to be in its early stages – a link to “Gallery,” is currently non-operational, for example – may contain information found there and nowhere else.
Here on M*F you can find our own earlier tribute to Brewer, consisting of a profile in two parts. In part one, Bill Pronzini takes a long look at this noir author’s life, which ended tragically far too soon. Be prepared for a large dose of reality when you read this, if you haven’t already. Part two is a comprehensive checklist of Brewer’s novels by Lynn Munroe, complete with many cover images.
Also highly recommended is a Gil Brewer website maintained by George Tuttle. The bonus provided here is that the detailed bibliography put together by George also includes Brewer’s short fiction – as does the estate website, in a slightly different format."

Paris Hilton Gets Bitten

ABC News: Paris Hilton Bitten by Pet Kinkajou: "LOS ANGELES Aug 11, 2006 (AP)— Paris Hilton got no love this week from her pet kinkajou Baby Luv in fact, the racoon-like animal bit her. The heiress was not badly hurt but did visit a hospital emergency room to receive a tetanus shot, her publicist, Elliot Mintz, told The Associated Press on Friday.

Hilton was frolicking with her exotic pet early Tuesday morning 'the way some people play with their cats and dogs' when the animal became excited, Mintz said."

From Armadillocon: Bill Crider

From Armadillocon: Joe R. Lansdale