Saturday, June 30, 2012

New Excerpt at BEAT to a PULP

BEAT to a PULP :: Pulp of the Week

Kayo Books

John's Grill

Here We Are

Song of the Day

Billy Lee Riley - Red Hot (1957) - YouTube:

The 5 Most Ridiculous Pop Culture Predictions That Came True

The 5 Most Ridiculous Pop Culture Predictions That Came True

Free for Kindle Today

Amazon.com: The Evil Friendship eBook: Vin Packer: Kindle Store

Free for Kindle Today

Amazon.com: The Screwball King Murder eBook: Kin Platt: Kindle Store: Big, brash, good-looking Hondo Kenyon is one of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ best pitchers, a southpaw screwballer with the necessary skills and fastball to keep the opposition from tearing his head off, and the team is counting on the ex-small town Pennsylvania boy for help in their pennant run. On the other hand, Kenyon rates as a screwball in more ways than one. He has a long track record as a scoring jock with the ladies and his antics on or off the field are flamboyant and daffy, executed with lunatic fervor, sometimes funny of bordering on the ludicrous, always certain of coverage by the media.

Today's Vintage Ad

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . . .

Deputies: Man stabbed after peanut butter accusation - WWSB ABC 7 MySuncoast Florida

WINNERS: 2012 Campbell and Sturgeon Awards

WINNERS: 2012 Campbell and Sturgeon Awards - SF Signal – A Speculative Fiction Blog

10 Most Accurate Movies About the Internet

10 Most Accurate Movies About the Internet

Two cheers for Alan Duncan, grammar fascist

Two cheers for Alan Duncan, grammar fascist

Uh-Oh

Your E-Book Is Reading You - WSJ.com

PaperBack


Lord Dunsany, The Charwoman's Shadow, Ballantine, 1973

15 Famous Authors on Why They Write

15 Famous Authors on Why They Write

The 5 Stupidest Excuses Ever Given in a Political Scandal

The 5 Stupidest Excuses Ever Given in a Political Scandal

10 Movies That Make Us Hate Summer

10 Movies That Make Us Hate Summer

Bambi

(Original 1942) Bambi Trailer - YouTube:

Friday, June 29, 2012

Bay Bridge

We're here.

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Crustacean Combat Sends Two Beaumont Women (Ages 70, 23) to Hospital with Gunshot Wounds - Houston News - Hair Balls

Song of the Day

Faye Adams Shake A Hand - YouTube:

San Francisco, Open Your Golden Gate

By the time you read this, Judy and I will be on the way to San Francisco to see Angela and Tom. The blog will continue as (un)usual, with the daily stuff pretty much scheduled to appear in the right order and at the standard times. I think. Maybe there will be some glitches. I've also scheduled some other stuff, and maybe I'll work in a few photos from the trip. The cat isn't happy about our leaving, but the cat-sitter will keep him in food, water, and catnip. I won't have a lot of computer access, so I probably won't respond to many comments or e-mails for a week or so. I hope everybody has a great 4th of July, and I'll be back a few days after that.

Today's Vintage Ad

The Bizarre Reasons Behind 7 Famous Bands’ Breakups

The Bizarre Reasons Behind 7 Famous Bands’ Breakups

Seepy Benton Would Not Agree

The Math Scam

PaperBack


Shirley Jackson, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Popular Library, 1963




They Really Are Everywhere

Croco-Cloud WIN

In Other Works: Lesser-known Titles from Famous Authors

Pirates of Venus by Edgar Rice BurroughsABEBooks: Some authors, such as To Kill a Mockingbird author Harper Lee, are legitimately literary one-hit wonders, in the truest sense of the word, and never publish another book. But even in the case of successful and prolific authors, it's generally true that one or two of their books get most of the attention, while others fade into comparative obscurity. In some cases, that may be for good reason - perhaps a writer blows his whole stake on one excellent book, and spends the rest of his career chasing the dream of another like the first. But oftentimes, word of mouth and bestseller lists help to fan the flames for one title, while others, still deserving of attention, languish.

Today's Western Movie Poster

The Decline of Western Civilization Continues Apace

25 New Rules For Men's Fashion

Here's the Plot for Your Next Hitman Thriller

Man charged with hiring hitman to kill hitman who killed his wife

6 Insanely Valuable Real Treasures (And How to Steal Them)

6 Insanely Valuable Real Treasures (And How to Steal Them)

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Mail Online: A woman in Houston, Texas, was arrested and jailed for 12 hours after she held up a make-shift sign to warn drivers about a speed trap.

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Forgotten Books: The Blue Dahlia -- Raymond Chandler

Some people might argue with the blurb on the back cover of this book. I for one don't think it's Raymond Chandler's masterpiece, but it's a script that was made into a fairly entertaining movie. This Popular Library paperback reprints the hardcover edition and contains all the good stuff, including the brief memoir by John Houseman, who apparently owned the only copy of the script, an editorial note by Matthew J. Bruccoli that notes some interesting things about the screenplay (Chandler was apparently pretty careless about the plotting), an afterword by Bruccoli about Chandler and Hollywood, and a brief appendix. In the middle of the book are some B&W photos, one of Chandler and the others of the lobby cards for the film.

Probably all you Chandler fans have a copy of this one already, but for the curious among you, there are fairly cheap copies available on the Internet.

I Love You Again

I LOVE YOU AGAIN 1940 TRAILER - YouTube:

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Tom Hanks: Remembering Writer and Director Nora Ephron

Tom Hanks: Remembering Writer and Director Nora Ephron 

Henri, Le Chat Noir, Goes to the Vet

Henri 3, Le Vet - YouTube:

Archaeology Update

Oldest known pottery is found in China 

Doris Singleton Isaacs, R. I. P.

Chicago Tribune: Actress and comedienne Doris Singleton Isaacs, who recurred on "I Love Lucy" as Lucy's near-sighted neighbor and sometimes nemesis Carolyn Appleby, died Tuesday. She was 92. Singleton guested in a large number of both comedies and dramas during her 30-plus career in television. After performing as a featured dancer with the American Ballet Theater in her teens, the Brooklyn-born Dorthea Singleton began in showbiz as a vocalist with Art Jarrett's orchestra in the late 1930s. Her distinctive voice led to a career in radio, where she was an actress on "The Whistler" and other shows during WWII, performing at times with the likes of George Burns & Gracie Allens, Bob Hope and Jack Benny.


Hat tip to Doc Quatermass.

Hasn't She Suffered Enough?

N.M. Mom Jailed For Overdue ‘Twilight’ Book, DVDs

Insane? I Report, You Decide

Insane West Virginia Lawsuits Claim Kim Kardashian Made a Sex Tape With a Unicorn, Is an Al Qaeda Operative 

Bill Pronzini: On Collecting Westerns

Bill Pronzini:  On Collecting Westerns

PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention

A Box of PandorasAmazon.com: A Box of Pandoras eBook: Steve Brewer: Kindle Store: A BOX OF PANDORAS is a hilarious new mystery from veteran author Steve Brewer, introducing small-town busybody Loretta Kimball and a wacky cast of characters.

When Loretta learns her favorite actor is coming to New Mexico for a film festival, she couldn't be more excited. Loretta's claim to fame is that she's the long-time president of the International Michael Girard Fan Club, and she never passes up a chance to see Mr. Girard in person.

The festival is in trendy Santa Fe, which is practically a different planet from rural New Mexico towns like Pandora, where Loretta lives, so she expects a certain amount of weirdness when she and her husband, Harley, attend. And she is determined not to let her lifelong nemesis, Mitzi Tyner, ruin the festival for her.

Then murder strikes the film festival, and suspicion is cast upon Mr. Girard. Loretta is thrown into the midst of a media circus while she snoops around, endangering her own life while trying to uncover the killer.

Song of the Day

Billy Riley - FLYING SAUCER ROCK AND ROLL - 1957 ! - YouTube:

Today's Vintage Ad

7 Amazing Teenage Inventors

7 Amazing Teenage Inventors

50 Cool Search Engines for Serious Readers

50 Cool Search Engines for Serious Readers

PaperBack


Frederik Pohl, The Way the Future Was, Ballantine, 1979




6 Insane Things Science Can Predict About You at Infancy

6 Insane Things Science Can Predict About You at Infancy

Hammer Horror Film Posters, 1955-1976

Hammer Horror Film Posters, 1955-1976

I Don't Want to Know

What does the way you count on your fingers say about your brain?

Today's Western Movie Poster

Top 10 World’s Worst Prison Riots

Top 10 World’s Worst Prison Riots

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Armed police surround naked Chinese woman after she strips off and lies in front of ambulance to prevent husband's fatally injured lover being taken to hospital

Will the Persecution Never End?

Paris Hilton -- Knocked Down in Paparazzi Scuffle

The Most Notorious Co-Star Feuds in Movie History

The Most Notorious Co-Star Feuds in Movie History

Don Grady, R. I. P.

TMZ.com: Don Grady -- who played one of the sons on the TV classic, "My Three Sons" -- has died at the age of 68 ... this according to one of his co-stars.

Overlooked Music: Born at the Right Time -- The Kingston Trio

This is a quite recent release, but I figure you've all overlooked it and that it deserved a little publicity. It's the latest CD by the current version of The Kingston Trio, which now includes no members of the original group. The name is still owned by Bob Shane, the last surviving member, and he's still heavily involved with the business of the KT. So it's not surprising that he makes a guest appearance on the CD. The song's called "Every Inch of the Way," and it's one of many good ones. In fact, while I have several favorites, I don't think there's a weak song in the batch. (Okay, I admit that "Turkish Delight from the Dardanelles" is a 56-second throwaway.)

The sound isn't the same as the original group's, but that's fine. This is three different guys, and they're all excellent singers and musicians with their own ideas and their own sound. It's a good one, too.

As for my favorites on the CD, one would be "Blackleg Miner," which would have fit on to any of the original group's albums, where it would've been sung by Dave Guard. I like "Barrett's Privateers" just as much, though I suppose that if it had been on the albums of the early years, they'd have had to blot out the "god damn" with some strums. "La Migra" is a powerful number, just right for the Time to Think album of nearly 50 years ago. Lots of other goodies here, and if you were a fan of the KT in those long-ago days, you should give this one a try.

Advance to the Rear

ADVANCE TO THE REAR (Original Theatrical Trailer) - YouTube:

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Houston Strip Clubs Hit by New 'Pole Tax'

Fearful Vampire Hunters?

Police: 5 suspected of stealing 9.5 tons of garlic

Out of the Gutter Update

NEWEST NEWS

Free Today for Kindle Today & Tomorrow

Felony Fists (Fight Card)Amazon.com: Felony Fists (Fight Card) eBook: Jack Tunney, Mel Odom, Paul Bishop: Kindle Store: Los Angeles 1954

Patrick “Felony” Flynn has been fighting all his life. Learning the “sweet science” from Father Tim the fighting priest at St. Vincent’s, the Chicago orphanage where Pat and his older brother Mickey were raised, Pat has battled his way around the world – first with the Navy and now with the Los Angeles Police Department.


Legendary LAPD chief William Parker is on a rampage to clean up both the department and the city. His elite crew of detectives known as The Hat Squad is his blunt instrument – dedicated, honest, and fearless. Promotion from patrol to detective is Pat’s goal, but he also yearns to be one of the elite.


And his fists are going to give him the chance.

Song of the Day

DREAM A LITTLE DREAM OF ME.- Mama Cass (Letra lyric). - YouTube:

Today's Vintage Ad

The 10 Best TV Shows About TV Shows

The 10 Best TV Shows About TV Shows

Hat tip to Toby O'Brien.

9 Actors Who Do The Exact Same Thing On Every Movie Poster

9 Actors Who Do The Exact Same Thing On Every Movie Poster

Bill Lindsay, R. I. P.

Bill Lindsay, A Tenor On The Corner of Doo Wop Heaven Passes (video) |: Bill Lindsay’s . . . musical roots began as a little boy in Birmingham, Alabama where he won a radio talent show at the age of 6 where he sang. When he moved to the Bronx, NY at the age of 16, he became a music star at Morris High School, a school that turned out singing talent after talent with the likes of Dean Barlow and the Crickets, Lillian Leach and the Mellows, The Limelighters, The Wrens, The Chords and so many others. Bill was trained in classical music while at Morris H.S.

PaperBack


John Flint Roy, A Reader's Guide to Barsoom, Ballantine 1976



17 Animals That Became Extinct In Our Lifetime

17 Animals That Became Extinct In Our Lifetime

“You Are What You Read” (by Jonathan Santlofer)

“You Are What You Read” (by Jonathan Santlofer)

Criminal Genius of the Day

'Go ahead and search me because I ain't got nothing on me'

Time to Sign Up for That Twitter Account

Fox News: If there's something you'd like to say to aliens, now's your chance. The Wow! signal, a mysterious radio transmission detected in 1977 that may or may not have come from extraterrestrials, is finally getting a response from humanity. Anyone can contribute his or her two cents — or 140 characters, to be exact — to the cosmic reply via Twitter.

Today's Western Movie Poster

Nuclear toys

Nuclear toys

Vintage Camping & Hiking Books

The Campfire Girls Go Motoring by Hildegard G. Frey (1916)Vintage Camping & Hiking Books: During the Industrial Revolution, people flocked from the countryside to the cities to seek work and wealth. As urban areas expanded, city folk began to hanker for the countryside their fathers and grandfathers had left behind, and camping as a form of leisure was born.


But it wasn’t as simple as that. At the end of the 19th century, public transport was limited, camping equipment was rudimentary and not everyone was convinced that camping was actually fun.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Orange UK: A US pensioner has been arrested for threatening to shoot a neighbour for breaking wind outside of his home.


Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

12 Dream Desks That Will Make You More Creative

12 Dream Desks That Will Make You More Creative

5 Unforgettable Movie Scenes By Nora Ephron

5 Unforgettable Movie Scenes By Nora Ephron

Nora Ephron on Women, Love, Happiness, Reading, Life, and Death

Nora Ephron on Women, Love, Happiness, Reading, Life, and Death

Abe Lincoln in Illinois

ABE LINCOLN IN ILLINOIS [1940 TRAILER] - YouTube:

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Nora Ephron's 27 Best Quotes On Love, Life, And Death

Nora Ephron's 27 Best Quotes On Love, Life, And Death

A Review of Interest (to Me, Anyway)

Ed Gorman's blog: New Books: Murder of A Beauty Shop Queen by Bill Crider

Nora Ephron, R. I. P.

Screenwriter and director Nora Ephron has died, according to a report from the Washington Post. The news first arrived earlier this evening by way of a eulogy from close friend Liz Smith on wowOwow. “I won’t say, ‘Rest in peace, Nora’ — I will just ask ’What the hell will we do without you?’” the columnist wrote. According to several reports, the 71-year-old Silkwood and When Harry Met Sally… writer had been “gravely ill” for some time. The Washington Post confirmed “[Ephron] died of complications from the blood disorder myelodysplasia, with which she was diagnosed six years ago.”

Yikes

The electricity has been off in a lot of Alvin for an hour and a half or so. We have a generator that takes care of our house, so we're cool and comfy. Lots of folks must be getting worried, though. It's still 98 degrees outside. Worst of all, there's no cable. Not that I'm bothered by that.

Update: Power restored after about two hours. Much rejoicing around town, I'm sure.

A Kickstarter Project of Possible Interest


GO-GO GIRLS OF THE APOCALYPSE II: THE LUXURY WARS - A NOVEL by Victor Gischler — Kickstarter: If this Kickstarter project is successful, the result will be the eBook Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse II: The Luxury Wars. After "the fall" the only enclaves of civilization are a chain of Go-Go clubs called Joey Armageddon's Sassy A-Go-Go. But when the clubs are overrun by violent mobs, civilization takes a giant step backwards. Now, the people with the guns and the food hold up behind walls and fences. But soon the warlords of this new dark age long for luxuries of the past. Sure they can brew up some bathtub gin for their martinis, but just where the heck do you get a jar of olives? Did you ever wake up in the morning and think "I would kill for a cup of coffee"? Well, in this post-apocalyptic world, those words are meant literally, and a person could get rich providing luxury items to those who can afford it. But beware! Risking your neck on luxury scavenger hunts doesn't always turn out well for those involved.

Free for Kindle for Next 5 Days

PULP INKAmazon.com: PULP INK eBook: Eric Beetner, Chris F. Holm, Matthew C. Funk, Richard Godwin, Reed Farrel Coleman, Allan Guthrie, Hilary Davidson, Gary Phillips, Nigel Bird, Chris Rhatigan: Kindle Store: PULP INK is the bizarre, chaotic side of crime fiction. From an ass-kicking surfer on acid to an idiot savant hitboy, these tales are dark, funny, action-packed and told with all the gleeful insanity of a Tarantino flick.


You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll roll into the fetal position and beg for mercy.


So sit back. Pour yourself a cup of joe, crack a beer, tie off – whatever you need to get comfortable – and get ready for a dose after dose of pulp action.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Palo Alto Woman Struck With Milkshake, Loses $2,000: Woman threw her alligator purse filled with cash at a Range Rover filled with teens.

Read All About It!

The Dead Man: The Story Behind "The Midnight Special": Emmy-award winning writer Phoef Sutton's THE DEAD MAN #12: THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL, his wickedly funny and scary addition to the series, is out today... and it's the perfect way to end our "first season" of short novels. It's also Phoef's first published novel since his acclaimed ALWAYS SIX O'CLOCK back in 1999...and a real departure from his previous work.

So we asked him about the book...and his writing career.

PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention

Midnight Special (Dead Man #12)Amazon.com: Midnight Special (Dead Man #12) eBook: Phoef Sutton, Lee Goldberg, William Rabkin: Kindle Store: DINNER AT THE BROOKLYN MORGUE is more than just a seventies zombie flick. It’s also a cursed movie. A trail of violence and murder has followed the film’s re-release across the country and Matt Cahill is determined to find out why...and put an end to the madness. His quest takes him to L.A., where he infiltrates the inner circle of the Tarantino-like director who’s behind the rediscovery of this piece of cinematic horror and is either a tool of Mr. Dark…or the evil entity’s most formidable enemy. The truth comes out in a night of unmitigated terror that will either put an end to Mr. Dark’s reign of evil…or mark a blood-soaked new beginning…

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Man Busted For French Fry Attack On Stepdaughter

Song of the Day

Whiskey In The Jar - The Brothers Four - YouTube:

Free Today for Kindle

Amazon.com: Granny Smith Investigates eBook: G. M. Dobbs: Kindle Store: “It’s Miss Marple on steroids.”


Granny Smith InvestigatesA brutal murder in a small Welsh village and the police are stuck without a clue. With no motive and no real suspect the investigation soon grinds to a halt. Enter Mary Alice Smith, otherwise known as Granny Smith, the rock music loving, pipe smoking, chaos causing amateur sleuth with a difference.


Granny has a talent for mayhem and soon those talents are put to good use as our intrepid pensioner starts the unravel the case, which finds her provoking Chief Inspector Miskin as she comes up against a full scale police investigation, proving that you’re never too old to make a nuisance of yourself and that sixty three is actually the new twenty three.


Murder's never been so much fun.

Today's Vintage Ad

Archaeology Update

Yahoo! News: Archaeologists in Greece's second-largest city have uncovered a 70-meter (230-foot) section of an ancient road built by the Romans that was the city's main travel artery nearly 2,000 years ago.

The Voices Behind 6 Classic Cereal Mascots

The Voices Behind 6 Classic Cereal Mascots

The Decline of Western Civilization Continues Apace

Anthony Davis Trademarks His Brow

Your TSA Strikes Again

Confrontation With TSA Agent Leaves Grandpa's Ashes On Floor

PaperBack



Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn, Ballantine, 1974

10 Greatest Science Fiction and Fantasy Romantic Comedies of All Time

10 Greatest Science Fiction and Fantasy Romantic Comedies of All Time

Science Fiction Films Cleverly Reimagined as Pulp Classics

Science Fiction Films Cleverly Reimagined as Pulp Classics

Or Maybe You Did

6 Facts About "The Goonies" You Didn't Know

Today's Western Movie Poster

Yet Another List I'm Not On

Power Index: 100 Who Rule the Web

I Can't Believe They Didn't Hire Me

An alligator whisperer on the set

8 Ways Listening to Music Can Improve Your Health

8 Ways Listening to Music Can Improve Your Health

Gator Update

Firefighters blocked from getting to house fire by flooding, alligator

Overlooked Movies -- The Thing with Two Heads

I'm not going to kid you. This is a pretty bad movie, but if you're in the right mood, it'll crack you up. You get Rosie Grier a football player who couldn't act playing a condemned man (he's innocent) and you get Ray Milland as the very rich bigot who get his head attached to Grier's body (don't ask). Milland was at one time a respected and very good actor. During the last three decades of his career, however, he was reduced to taking work in mostly not very good, truly low-budget exploitation films like this one. He's still a pro, and he still does a good job, but he's about the only one.

Not that it matters. Nobody watches movies like this for good acting. You watch for the cheesiness of it all, and this is the pure cheddar. Snappy patter (some of it not bad), action (endless chase scenes), cheap special effects, and incredible plotting. It's all here, and you can't look away. Give it a try and see if you don't believe me.

The Thing With Two Heads

The Thing With Two Heads (Trailer) - YouTube:

Monday, June 25, 2012

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Associated Press: Widening sex scandal rocks Texas Air Force base

And Who Are We to Argue with the LoC?

88 Books That Shaped America, According To Library Of Congress

Hat tip to George Kelley.

Welcome To Wolf Creek

Western Fictioneers: WELCOME TO WOLF CREEK: It’s time to let the cat out of the bag.


We stalwart guardians of literary excellence here at Western Fictioneers have been cooking up a secret for readers, for months now. We’ve dropped a hint here and there, but given few real details. Now we are unveiling our project, and there is no more need for our members to keep mum.


Read the whole post at the link and visit the Wolf Creek website here.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Four Charged In Drive-By Water Gun Shooting

Will the Persecution Never End?

Paris Hilton Is A DJ Now: Spoiler alert: she's not very good. Here's a clip from her first set in Brazil, where she was booed as soon as she got on stage.

Archaeology Update

Roman jewellery found in ancient Japan tomb 

Song of the Day

Elvis Presley-Judy - YouTube:

Murder of a Beauty Shop Queen: A Dan Rhodes Mystery

Murder of a Beauty Shop Queen: A Dan Rhodes Mystery (Sheriff - YouTube:
Created by John Weaver

The Perfume for Book Lovers

Steidl: Paper Passion fragrance by Geza Schoen, Gerhard Steidl, and Wallpaper* magazine, with packaging by Karl Lagerfeld and Steidl.

“The smell of a freshly printed book is the best smell in the world.”
Karl Lagerfeld

Today's Vintage Ad

Are You Typical?

Could we forget how to WRITE? The typical adult has not scribbled anything by hand for six weeks

10 Films From 1992 That'll Make You Feel Old

10 Films From 1992 That'll Make You Feel Old

PaperBack

Ernest Bramah, Kai Lung's Golden Hours, Ballantine, 1972

Dozens of Great Covers and Illustrations

Rare & Wonderful 1950s Space Art

15 Powerful Photos Of The Texas Drought

15 Powerful Photos Of The Texas Drought

Classic Movie Stars Spending Time With Their Pets

Classic Movie Stars Spending Time With Their Pets

Today's Western Movie Poster

Hey, It Could Happen

Sheriff says KKK costume a stupid mistake | www.wsbtv.com: Garrison said he and a friend were dressed as characters from a scene in the movie "Blazing Saddles" and that he has never espoused any of the KKK's beliefs.

Texas Has 1/3 of the Top 10

Quick! Name the vainest city in the USA

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Will the Persecution Never End?

Paris Hilton dons garish basque for DJ debut

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Kickstarter Project of Interest

Beat L.A. by FourStory — Kickstarter: Bicycle Cop Dave and Brand & Reese are two distinct, yet connected webcomics that first ran on FourStory.org, a site that initially began as a way to look at issues of housing, transportation and development. More, writers from various backgrounds write on a myriad of interesting and informative topics ranging from the aforementioned issues to sustainability, justice, the economy, arts, media, politics and even ongoing fictional pieces.

No Comment Department

Unplugged JFK Metal Detector Leads to Evacuation and Delays: “The truth is, this is the failure of the most basic level of diligence,” a law-enforcement source told the New York Post. “How can you expect the public to feel confident of the mission of the TSA if they don’t even know if the lights are turned on?”


Two planes had to be called back from the runway while hundreds of passengers were rescreened in Terminal 7 of one of the nation’s busiest airports — all because of an unplugged power cord that went unnoticed by a TSA screener, the Post reported.

Song of the Day

Elvis Presley-Milky White Way - YouTube:

Yet Another List I'm Not On

The Top 10 Academic Celebrities in American History

Today's Vintage Ad

What Is Art? Favorite Famous Definitions, from Antiquity to Today

What Is Art? Favorite Famous Definitions, from Antiquity to Today

How We Die 1900 v. 2010

How We Die 1900 v. 2010

PaperBack

Evangeline Walton, The Island of the Mighty (aka The Virgin and the Swine), Ballantine, 1969

Cosway Bindings

AbeBooks: Cosway Bindings: Ever seen a book with a Cosway binding? Here are a handful of rare and collectible books offered for sale by AbeBooks sellers featuring these stunning bindings. Cosway bindings are traditional leather bindings with miniature paintings inset into the covers. These beautiful bindings are named after Richard Cosway, the acclaimed English miniaturist portrait painter from the Regency era.

Win Some Great OTR Shows

Check out this blog post for details.

Thrilling Days of Yesteryear: “This case has more angles than a six-pointed star…”

5 Scientific Explanations Behind Everyday Nuisances

5 Scientific Explanations Behind Everyday Nuisances

Or Maybe You Have

How to Talk About 10 Important Books You Probably Haven’t Read

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee. . . .

Hayward kettle corn vendor arrested after threatening family over lemonade, police say - Inside Bay Area

Hat tip to Art Scott.

Today's Western Movie Poster

5 Ways Your Nerd Gadgets Are Killing You

5 Ways Your Nerd Gadgets Are Killing You

Texas Doesn't Lead the Way

Fortune Magazine's Best Places To Retire

5 Famous People Who Secretly Had Awesome Second Careers

5 Famous People Who Secretly Had Awesome Second Careers