Saturday, November 09, 2013

Whatever Happened to Freedom of Speech?

Mirror OnlineCharlie Sheen could face jail

The Two And A half Men star branded the judge an "anus brain" and his ex wife a "Adderall snorting husk". . . .

Maybe These Aren't Real

40 Signs That TV Executives Are Dumb

6 Mind-Blowing Easter Eggs Hidden in Famous Movies

6 Mind-Blowing Easter Eggs Hidden in Famous Movies 

Jetman

Jetpackin' Around Mount Fuji 

Video at the link.

Wasn't this a Brendan Fraser Movie?

New homeowner opens shelter sealed since 1961

Hat tip to Doc Quatermass.

Song of the Day

▶ BUBBLE PUPPY - HOT SMOKE & SASAFRASS - YouTube:

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

White guy wins after leading voters to believe he’s black 

Gator Update

Eat ya later, alligator! Smaller reptile falls prey to bigger rival who rips it apart in powerful jaws   

Great photos at the link.   Judy and I live quite close to Brazos Bend State Park, where they were taken, and we've visited a number of times.  And seen some great gators, too.

Today's Vintage Ad


I Miss the Old Days

9 Passions that are Due for a Comeback 

PaperBack



Peter Cheney, The Dark Street, White Circle

Spock's Brain in Real Life?

BBC News: A US company that has developed an "electronic backpack" that fits onto a cockroach allowing its movements to be controlled by a mobile phone app has defended itself against cruelty claims. 

Hat tip to Richard Prosch.

Dino Update

New dinosaur that predates T. rex found in Utah 

The envy-inducing adventures and abilities of 80s movie kids

The envy-inducing adventures and abilities of 80s movie kids 

Say It Ain't So!

Popular Snacks: 8 Surprising Trans-Fatty Foods Affected By The Ban — Farewell Guilty Pleasures!

Twitter Owes Me Money!

Time has a handy tool for calculating how much Twitter owes you.  You can find it at the link below.  What I want to know is, which of you isn't paying attention?

38,971tweets
÷1,812days on Twitter
21.5tweets per day
x2,342followers
50,353potential eyeballs per day
x25%those paying attention
12,588est. eyeballs per day
x12.45¢/ daily eyeball
$1,567 for @macavityabc


Read more: Interactive: This Is How Much Money Twitter Owes You | TIME.com http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/11/07/interactive-this-is-how-much-money-twitter-owes-you/#ixzz2k6dsymi8

A Good (but seriously flawed) List

45 Great American Indie Bookstores to Support This Holiday Season 

Croc Update

How 'Thor' Is Basically 'Crocodile Dundee' In Disguise

This Explains Why I Always Get Such Good Seats in Restaurants

Paris restaurant 'keeps ugly diners hidden': A former hostess at a chic Parisian restaurant has backed up the worst stereotypes about fine dining in the French capital with claims that her bosses had a policy of seating “beautiful people” in view of passersby, while keeping less attractive diners hidden.  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Dan Lurie, R. I. P.

NYTimes.com: Dan Lurie, whose chiseled physique and feats of strength earned him the title of America’s most muscular man and made him a cover model for fitness magazines and a walking promoter for both the sport and the business of bodybuilding, died on Wednesday in Roslyn, N.Y. He was 90.  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

King of the Congo

▶ 1952 KING OF THE CONGO SERIAL TRAILER BUSTER CRABBE - YouTube:

Friday, November 08, 2013

Episode #2 of Victor Gischler's INK MAGE now Available!

Victor Gischler's Blogpocalypse: Episode #2 of INK MAGE now Available!

PSA

The proper way to hunt a gator

Song of the Day

▶ FEBUEDER - Alligator (Official Video) - YouTube:

Here's the Plot for Your Next Art Heist Thriller

The Biggest Unsolved Art Heist—and the Detective Who Came Close to Cracking It

Today's Vintage Ad


Writing Advice From George R.R. Martin, Karen Lord, and Other Sci-Fi/Fantasy Authors

Writing Advice From George R.R. Martin, Karen Lord, and Other Sci-Fi/Fantasy Authors

Uh-Oh or OK?

Breaking: Which Marvel Series Will Be On Netflix?: In step number twenty-seven of Disney’s thirty-four step plan to be associated with every form of entertainment ever, Marvel has announced they will develop at least four original series for Netflix, with an initial focus on Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage, followed by a The Defenders miniseries.

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Helen MacInnes, North from Rome, Fontana, 1961

New Members of the Toy Hall of Fame (and the losers, too)

He's The One! Rubber Duckie Joins The Toy Hall Of Fame 

You Might Want to Get in on This

Black Labyrinth Book II: Joe R. Lansdale by Chris Morey — Kickstarter New Joe R. Lansdale horror novella offered in signed limited edition hardcovers illustrated by surrealist artist Santiago Caruso.

50 Essential Graphic Novels

The Contract with God Trilogy by Will EisnerAbeBooks: 50 Essential Graphic Novels: While the term 'graphic novel' only entered common usage as recently as the late 1970's, novel-lenth works in either pictures-only forms or pictures in combination with text have existed since the 19th century. Baby boomers who haven't picked up a comic book since childhood will most likely associate the term with the Classics Illustrated series, which does not quite fit the modern definition.

A Forgotten Magazine

Galaxy Science Fiction, June 1951: A Retro-Review

Another Forgotten Book

Vintage Treasures: The Best of Fredric Brown

Tobias Jones on the crime novels of Ross Macdonald

Tobias Jones on the crime novels of Ross Macdonald | Books | The Guardian: A passion for mercy Hailed as one of the 'holy trinity of American crime writers', Ross Macdonald surpassed his predecessors Chandler and Hammett, writing detective novels informed by sorrows and by Freud, argues Tobias Jones

FFB: The Drowning Pool -- Ross Macdonald


A long, long time ago, I can still remember . . . .  Well, actually I can't remember the first time I read Ross Macdonald.  I can just remember how impressed I was by the book I'd picked up and  how it made me want to read everything else by the author.  And eventually I did read everything else, or just about everything.  I was so entranced by his writing and that of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler that I figured I might even be able to talk someone into letting me write a doctoral dissertation on their books.  And I did.  I owe those three guys a lot.

The Drowning Pool (1950) is the second novel to feature private-eye Lew Archer. I have several copies of it, but when I saw one for a buck the other day, I couldn't resist picking it up. And then I figured it might be fun to read it again. It was.

Ross Macdonald was still feeling his way with this one, so the style isn't what it would be come, but The Drowning Pool has the themes that would occupy him for the rest of his career: dysfunctional families, the sins of the fathers setting their children's teeth on edge, the changing face of California (Ross Mac saw the same sorts of things happening there that John D. Mac saw happening in Florida), the conflict of the generations, and the widening gap between the rich and poor.

Lew Archer's client is a woman who's received a blackmail letter. She doesn't want to tell Archer anything about herself or her family, but he takes the job. Working pretty much in the dark, he begins to turn up plenty of secrets that everybody would like to keep covered, secrets that lead to murder. Typically, even when Archer is supposed to be off the case, he keeps on digging. He can never let go until he finds all the answers.

Macdonald isn't as popular now as his progenitors, Hammett and Chandler. Some readers complain that the plots develop too slowly, and The Drowning Pool doesn't have a murder until more than 60 pages have gone by. Macdonald is more interested in setting up the characters than in presenting a murder on the first page. Other readers might find the book a bit dated. It's not, certainly, in its environmental concerns, though the treatment of homosexuality is a bit off-putting to modern eyes. Still, the narrative works just fine for me, pulling me a long as easily as it did the first time I read the book, nearly 50 years ago. There's even some snappy patter that Spenser would envy.

While this book isn't Macdonald's best, it's still quite good. Macdonald could plot, and he could write. It's no wonder that Macdonald remains one of my favorite p. i. writers.

This post originally appeared on 12/24/10, minus the first paragraph, which has been added for this appearance.

The Informer

▶ The Informer - Trailer - YouTube:

Thursday, November 07, 2013

First Clip from Stephen King and John Mellencamp's Ghostly Musical

First Clip from Stephen King and John Mellencamp's Ghostly Musical  

Set in the tiny town of Lake Belle Reve, Mississippi, the Ghost Brothers' story centers on two sets of brothers: the ghosts of Jack and Andy, dead in an apparent murder/suicide, and their nephews, the living Frank and Drake, who seem to be headed toward the same downward spiral as their uncles. Joe, younger brother of Jack and Andy, father of Frank and Drake, has decided it's time to reveal his own terrible secret at the site of the tragedy, before it's too late.

Now Available in Paperback!

Manhunter's Mountain: Wayne D. Dundee: 9780983377580: Amazon.com: Books

You're Doing It Wrong

Man shot during 'stop the violence' basketball tournament Saturday in Childersburg

The stuff that dreams are made of.

Maltese Falcon from 1941 film to be auctioned in New York City 

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Texas school tosses 6th grader’s breakfast in trash after he can’t pay 30 cents

Pimpage: An Occasional Feature in Which I call Attention to Books of Interest

Amazon.com: Trails of the Wild: Seven Tales of the Old West eBook: Wayne D. Dundee, Patti Abbott, Evan Lewis, Matthew Pizzolato, James Reasoner, Kieran Shea, Chuck Tyrell: Kindle Store It's been a long day on the trail. The sun is setting, the campfire is burning, and the storytellers are sitting around waiting to entertain you. TRAILS OF THE WILD features six short stories of the Old West and a brand-new Cash Laramie novella by Wayne D. Dundee. 

Tension builds as a Texas Ranger is pinned down by an outlaw's rifle fire and a deadly diamondback crawling over his legs. 

Laughs abound when a man fights to maintain his own identity in the shadow of his famous, deceased grandfather Davy Crockett. 

Fear strikes while shape-shifting coyotes prowl outside the shack of a sole line rider in secluded ranch territory. 

All this and more raise the stakes and turn conventions upside-down. BEAT to a PULP's TRAILS OF THE WILD offers the boldest and most thrilling Western tales from the sharpest wordsmiths of our time.

This Story Has It All: Texas, Publishing, and Werewolf Sex

Nebraska author sues Texas publisher over books involving werewolf sex

Secrets of a Game Show Writer

Secrets of a Game Show Writer 

Song of the Day

▶ Johnny Cash - There You Go (1956) - YouTube:

Gator Update (Sweet Dreams Edition)

These Alligator Photos Are Straight From Your Nightmares  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee. . .

. . . and not it's the Xanax fight!

Florida man chokes wife after Xanax fight 

Gator Update (Silent Witness Edition)

"Silent but eloquent": The Lively Morgue

Hat tip to Beth Foxwell.

27 Reasons Why You Should Always Proofread

27 Reasons Why You Should Always Proofread

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee. . .

Arkansas cop tasers woman who refuses to show him her breasts: lawsuit

Today's Vintage Ad


How The World Will End, According To 1939

How The World Will End, According To 1939 

That Breakfast Smell All Day Long

Bacon deodorant newest pork-powered product from Seattle store

PaperBack



Alan Hunter, Gently Go Man, Pan, 1963

Phillip or Frank? Be Careful How You Answer.

What's Columbo's first name? Now I Know – Finding Columbo

Scatter: the Story Of Elvis Presley's Pet Chimpanzee

Scatter: the Story Of Elvis Presley's Pet Chimpanzee 

The 10 Best Time-Travel Movies

The 10 Best Time-Travel Movies 

Soon to Star in Its Own SyFy Movie of the Week (Enlarged, of Course)

Angler stunned after hooking rare unidentified fish in South China Sea near Malaysia 

AbeBooks: Most Expensive Sales in October 2013

AbeBooks: Most Expensive Sales in October 2013: Last month's list of expensive sales ranges from poetry and handwritten letters to murder and artifacts, but leading the top 10 at just over $13,000 is a collection of volumes of The London Magazine, or Gentleman's Monthly Intelligencer, dating back to its inaugural issue in 1732. Another magazine, The Strand, comes in at number four with the sale of 12 issues from July 1891 to June 1892. The significance? The Sherlock Holmes stories made their first appearance in these issues.

The Tingler

1959 THE TINGLER TRAILER VINCENT PRICE WM. CASTLE - YouTube:

Wednesday, November 06, 2013

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee. . .

Athens teen dislikes getting out of bed: The woman did splash water on him, at which time the boy punched a window and threw household items, including a large vase and a wall mirror, which shattered, police said.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee. . .

Florida Chick-fil-A customer opens fire after car cuts in line at drive-thru 

6 Forgotten Places, Rediscovered

6 Forgotten Places, Rediscovered 

Frank Roderus Interview

Writing Since Age Five

Looking for a Few Reviews

Crossroad Press, the e-book publishers of the early books in the Sheriff Rhodes series would like to do a promotion for Too Late to Die.  The problem is that there are too few reviews, and the publication Crossroad wants to use won't take the book.  So if you've ever read it and would consider leaving a short review on Amazon or Barnes & Noble, it would help.  I'll probably post this a couple of times to be sure that everybody sees it.  The sheriff and I appreciate your support.

Update: As an incentive, Crossroad will give a copy of the e-book free to the first 20 people who ask for one and will leave a review.  Also, if you've read the book and will leave a review, Crossroad will give you a book of your choice from their catalog.  Such a deal!  Just e-mail me, and I'll send you the info on how to get your book.

15 Common Grammatical Errors That Drive You Completely Insane

15 Common Grammatical Errors That Drive You Completely Insane

Song of the Day

▶ Hank Snow - Hello Love (with lyrics) - YouTube:

Favorite Alistair MacLean Novels

Where Readers Dare

14 Published Novels Written During NaNoWriMo

14 Published Novels Written During NaNoWriMo

10 Lovable Things About Brick-And-Mortar Bookstores

10 Lovable Things About Brick-And-Mortar Bookstores

Today's Vintage Ad


First It Was the Thin Mints Melee. . .

Police: Woman used canoe paddle to beat on ex-boyfriend’s Jeep 

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee. . .

Greenpoint - DNAinfo.com New York: A man caught stealing an apple from a Greenpoint produce market on Friday bit and choked a store employee who told him he needed to pay for the fruit, police and witnesses said.

24 Quotes That Will Inspire You To Write More

24 Quotes That Will Inspire You To Write More

Mind Me Platypus Duck, Bill, Mind Me Platypus Duck

Fossil of largest platypus ever is discovered in Australia

Pull Up a Chair

PULL UP A CHAIR | SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN

PaperBack



Andrew Garve, The Narrow Search, Fontana, 1959

So Who Had the Ax?

Robyn Irvine Scares Off Home Burglar With Ax In California

Never Clench Your Bottocks in New Mexico

‘You Could Never Anticipate This Happening in the United States of America’

Hwaet? Say It Ain't So!

Listen! Beowulf opening line misinterpreted for 200 years 

I Miss the Old Days

Yes, 1993 is now the old days.

“After a couple of years no one will even remember”: 16 pop-culture windows into the world of 1993 

Uh-Oh

'Roots' Miniseries Remake Lands At History Channel

My Darling Clementine

1946 MY DARLING CLEMENTINE TRAILER HENRY FONDA - YouTube:

Tuesday, November 05, 2013

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Houston man arrested for theft at police party  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Chris Chase, R. I. P.

NYTimes.com: Chris Chase, an actress, journalist, memoirist and co-author of autobiographical books about Rosalind Russell, Josephine Baker and Betty Ford, died on Thursday at her home in Manhattan. . . .  In the 1950s and ’60s Ms. Chase appeared on the New York stage, on television and in film under the name Irene Kane. Her most notable role was in Stanley Kubrick’s 1955 noir thriller, “Killer’s Kiss,” as a dance-hall partner-for-hire who becomes a brutal man’s obsession. 

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee. . .

Spousal Tasing Prompted By Gridiron Bet 

Half-Price Sale!

ALL FIVE JACK MACLANE NOVELS - one low price. Use the coupon code JMAC at the Crossroad Press store when ordering all five Jack MacLane novels by Bill Crider and you'll get them all for half price - only $7.47 for the collection!

Half-Price Sale!

The Dead Man Vol 2: The Dead Woman, Blood Mesa, Kill Them All: Lee Goldberg, William Rabkin, James Reasoner, Harry Shannon, David McAfee: 9781612182759: Amazon.com: Books

Alvin, Texas, Not Included

The earliest known photos of 12 major US cities

Free for Kindle for a Limited Time

Amazon.com: Who Knows Where It Goes (A Story From the Dark Side) eBook: Lawrence Block: Kindle Store: “Who Knows Where It Goes” is an uncollected short story that appeared in Ellery Queen in January 2010. It was inspired, of course, by the cratering of the world economy two years earlier. It’s a story of hard times, and how a resourceful man can adapt to them. It’s a story, too, about how such a man might explore his own capabilities, and find out if what he once did is something he still can do. The title is from a song by the remarkable Junior Burke.

Remember, Remember, The Fifth of November

The Fifth of November - English Folk Verse

Fountain Pens on a rebound

Fountain Pens on a rebound – an addict speculates why

Song of the Day

▶ Lloy Price - Stagger Lee - YouTube:

10 Terrifying Monster Attacks

10 Terrifying Monster Attacks

Angry Chickens WBAGNFARB

Florida Neighborhood Terrorized By A Dozen Angry Chickens

Shut Up and Take My Money

'Lake Placid Vs. Anaconda' Is Happening 

Today's Vintage Ad


Happy Birthday, Judy Crider!

She's still the one!

PaperBack



Simon Myles (Ken Follett), The Big Hit, Everest 1975

Read Any?

50 Incredibly Tough Books for Extreme Readers

I Miss the Old Days

Great photos.

Michael Galinsky's Malls Across America book sheds light on shoppers that defined 1980s  

9 Films Punched up by Famous Screenwriters

9 Films Punched up by Famous Screenwriters

Q&A with Sarah Weinman on domestic suspense

pulpetti: Q&A with Sarah Weinman on domestic suspense

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee. . .

News - Home: A 42-year-old man beat a 27-year-old woman with a clothes iron after she gave him a ride, an arrest warrant affidavit stated.

30 Forgotten Horror Films That Are Worth Revisiting

30 Forgotten Horror Films That Are Worth Revisiting

Overlooked Movies -- The Power

The Power was intended to be a cut above the usual SF B-movie.  It has a B+ cast and a pretty good script, too.  And good production values.  It's based on a novel by Frank M. Robinson, which I read at about the time the movie came out in 1968.  I don't remember if I read the book first or saw the movie first, but I liked both of them.  

Scientists at a research facility are being killed off by someone who seems to have the ability to do so using only the power of his mind.  George Hamilton is trying to track him down.  Meanwhile all traces of Hamilton's existence are being erased.  Hamilton is a bit out of his depth here, but so what?  Suzanne Pleshette makes up for it, and the plot moves along pretty well.  

The ending of the movie is about what you'd expect from Hollywood.  Most of the rest of the movie follows the book pretty well, but the book's ending was much darker.  It's all kind of ridiculous, but still fun.  Check it out.

The Power

▶ The Power (1968) Theatrical Trailer - YouTube:

Monday, November 04, 2013

Preach It, Brother!

Daylight Saving Time Is America's Greatest Shame 

Sounds Like a Natural for Vince Keenan



Give me a drink, get a copy of The Rules.

Interview: Terry Pratchett

Interview: Terry Pratchett, Author Of 'The Carpet People' 

A Review of Interest (To Me, Anyway)

Book Review: Among the Anthropophagi! by Bill Crider - Amazing Stories

I Miss the Old Days

15 Reasons Baseball Rocked In 1980s

Song of the Day

▶ Just Dropped In - Kenny Rogers & The First Edition - YouTube:

Hey, Stuff Happens

FOX8.com: A Georgia man will face criminal charges for accidentally setting fire to his wife by flicking his lighter near his pickup truck’s gas tank while refueling.

When I Was Ten, I Found Some Lint in My Pocket

Ten-year-old Canadian discovers a 600 million-year-old supernova

Today's Vintage Ad


Comic Strip of the Day

Link

PaperBack



Nicolas Blake (Cecil Day-Lewis), Minute for Murder, Fontana 1960

10 Movie Remakes That Are Better Than The Original

10 Movie Remakes That Are Better Than The Original 

WINNERS: 2013 World Fantasy Award

WINNERS: 2013 World Fantasy Award 

New Poem at The 5-2

The 5-2 | Crime Poetry Weekly, Annual Ebooks - Gerald So, Editor: Toby Speed MORNING REPORT

I'm Sure You'll Get Them All Right

That's Not What She Said? 7 Quotes You May Be Getting Wrong 

Egyptology Update

Egyptologist finds evidence that ‘King Tut’ spontaneously combusted 

Top 10 Unusual Prisons

Top 10 Unusual Prisons 

Wild Ones On Wheels

▶ 1962 WILD ONES ON WHEELS TRAILER - YouTube:

Sunday, November 03, 2013

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee. . .

Victim: Egg salad sandwich, cat and dog caused monkey attack  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson, who failed to mention that Monkey Attack WBAGNFARB.

Here's the Plot for Your Next Art World Thriller

German police recover 1,500 modernist masterpieces 'looted by Nazis'

Looking for a Flight to Florida?

Foot-long alligator found at Chicago's O'Hare airport

Oops!

Three men arrested after accidental shooting during ‘Bigfoot hunt’

Googly Eyes!

On book covers! -- Googly Eye Books

Brooklyn Leads the Way

Brooklyn’s single women are pickiest in the nation

Larry Verne, R. I. P.

VVN Music: Passings: Larry Verne (1936 - 2013): It is amazing that an artist ["Please Mr. Custer"] who hit the top of the charts in the United States could fade so much from the scene that his passing can go unnoticed for almost a month. 

While there is no confirmation from the family, it has been reported that Larry Verne died on October 8 in Sylmar, CA at the age of 77 (other reports put him at 79). He had been suffering from Alzheimer's Disease and had suffered three strokes but the cause of death is reported as heart failure.

Countdown sale underway for ARCHIE SOLVES THE CASE

Small Crimes: Countdown sale underway for ARCHIE SOLVES THE CASE

Walt Bellamy, R. I. P.

Walt Bellamy Dead: Basketball Hall Of Famer Dies At 74: Walt Bellamy, the Hall of Fame center who averaged 20.1 points and 13.7 rebounds in 14 seasons in the NBA, died Saturday. He was 74.  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Or Maybe You Didn't

6 Ridiculous Science Myths You Learned in Kindergarten 

Song of the Day

▶ Paul Simon - Loves Me Like a Rock lyrics - YouTube:

10 Groundbreaking Firsts In Astronomy

10 Groundbreaking Firsts In Astronomy

Today's Vintage Ad


And Keep off His Lawn!

Man, 80, fights bear, falls off cliff – and survives

10 Cool Buildings Shaped Like Their Company's Product

10 Cool Buildings Shaped Like Their Company's Product 

PaperBack



Alistair MacLean, The Secret Ways, Fontana, 1961

Paging Edgar Allen Poe

How Long Could You Survive In A Coffin If You Were Buried Alive? 

In Case You Were Wondering

What’s the Deal with Those Last 4 Digits on ZIP Codes? 

You Guys Know You Want It

J&D's Bacon Shaving Cream

Paris Hilton Update

Paris Hilton wears a low-cut leopard print dress in Moscow as her star on the Walk Of Fame is unveiled  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Great Photos

Machu Picchu: Diverse Perspectives 

First Yank into Tokyo

▶ 1945 FIRST YANK INTO TOKYO ATOMIC BOMB - YouTube: