Saturday, November 03, 2012

Sh%t Southern Women Say

This video is hilarious, at least if you're from the South, and Texas is definitely part of the South.  By the way, I'm not embedding it because it's Not Safe for Work.

Link via Neatorama.

Radio Interview

A while back, James Reasoner, Mel Odom, and I did a radio interview with Elaine Raco Chase.  We had a lot of fun with it, and our old pal Paul Bishop even called in.  If you missed it the first time, or if you just want to hear it again (as who wouldn't?), it's being replayed tonight at 8:00 P. M. Eastern, 7:00 P. M. Central, on Triangle Variety Radio.  Check it out.

Uh-Oh

John Cusack developing Rush Limbaugh film 

Song of the Day

Garnet Mimms ft. The Enchanters - Cry Baby - YouTube:

Today's Vintage Ad


The 5 Craziest Presidential Campaign Ads of All Time

The 5 Craziest Presidential Campaign Ads of All Time

There's at Least One Here that Looks Like I Need to Read It

10 New Must-Reads for November

PaperBack



R. L. Brent, Invitation to a Strangling (The Liquidator #4), Award Books, 1975

Get Our Your Checkbooks

AFP: A luxury Irish hotel made famous in the classic John Wayne movie "The Quiet Man" went on sale on Wednesday for half the price paid for it five years ago.

Six Novels Whose Endings are Rarely Filmed When They’re Adapted

Six Novels Whose Endings are Rarely Filmed When They’re Adapted

Hat tip to Jeff Segal.

As Well It Should

Croctastic! NT News devotes front page to FIVE crocodile stories on one day

Flip-Flopper (Not a Political Post)

Changing His Mind

Archaeology Update

Egyptian princess tomb discovered near Cairo: Egypt’s antiquities minister announced on Friday the discovery of a princess’s tomb dating from the fifth dynasty (around 2500 BC) in the Abu Sir region south of Cairo.

Well, Duh!

Daylight-Saving Time Is Past Its Prime 

The Eagle Has Landed

The Eagle Has Landed - Trailer. - YouTube:

Friday, November 02, 2012

A Visual History of New York City's Destruction in Fiction

A Visual History of New York City's Destruction in Fiction 

Yet Another List I'm Not On

Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2012: The Crime Fiction List

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

New Yorker Sean Bailey accused of pulling gun in gas line

Song of the Day

BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND - WE'VE GOT TONIGHT - YouTube:

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

How the World’s First Taco Cannon Was Developed

Hat tip to Art Scott.

This is the Most Amazing Story I've Read in a Long Time

DVICE: What happens if you give a thousand Motorola Zoom tablet PCs to Ethiopian kids who have never even seen a printed word? Within five months, they'll start teaching themselves English while circumventing the security on your OS to customize settings and activate disabled hardware.

Today's Vintage Ad


The 8 Creepiest Places on Earth (Part 4)

The 8 Creepiest Places on Earth (Part 4)

PaperBack



Philip Chase (William Friedman), Betrayal in Eden, Dell, 1976

Get Our Your Checkbooks

Bram Stoker's restored 'Dracula' desk up for auction

Texas Doesn't Lead the Way

The United States, In Order Of Their Contribution To American Music

A Soundtrack EP

You can listen or download here: Passion Slaying of the Secret Mistress | Modern Silent Cinema

Texas Women -- Fashionable in Any Situation

Woman sprints away from crash in heels

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

The Companion Book Club: Literature from the Swinging Sixties

Force 10 from Navarone by Alistair MacLeanLiterature from the Swinging Sixties: Book club editions often receive short shrift from booksellers and collectors. Written off as mass market reprints, they are very low on the literary pecking order. But consider the Companion Book Club for a moment… if only for the feast of beautiful cover art that is displayed on this page.

Forgotten Books: Angel -- Gil Brewer

Remember when paperback books were short?  This one clocks in at 96 pages, though since the text begins on page 5, that makes it even shorter.  You have to take into account, however, that at this time (1960) the folks at Avon books was apparently experimenting to see just how small they could make the type before readers marched on their offices with torches and pitchforks.

Just by looking at the cover and the author's name, you've probably already figured out that Angel is anything but.  She's the wife of Nick Gavin's best friend, Fred, and Fred has just been shot to death.  The cops find Nick in the front yard with the murder weapon in his hand.  He's not arrested, so he starts to try to figure out what's going on.  He's only in town because Fred wrote him and asked him to come, and he knows something's up.

The night after Fred's death, Nick visits Angel, who's definitely not grieving.  Before long, well, you know what happens.  You'll also figure out what's going on long before Nick does because he clearly hasn't read enough Gil Brewer books.  It doesn't really matter that you're ahead of him, however.  The book is a blazing fast read, and Brewer manages to throw in several little twists before the end.  It's worth having for the cover alone, though not at the prices I've seen on the 'Net.  Check it out if you already have a copy in your library.

The Guns of Navarone

The Guns of Navarone (1961) - Original Trailer - YouTube:

Thursday, November 01, 2012

10 Legendary TV Halloween Parties

10 Legendary TV Halloween Parties

Hat tip to Toby O'Brien.

50 TV characters in Halloween costumes

50 TV characters in Halloween costumes 

Hat tip to Toby O'Brien.

Just Ask Seepy Benton's Students

For math-phobic, numbers pose threat of pain, study says

Wild hogs causing accidents on SH-130

Wild hogs causing accidents on SH-130 

Uh-Oh

Fox Buys Greek God Drama From Peter Berg, Taylor Sheridan: The project, from Universal TV and Berg and Sarah Aubrey’s studio-based Film 44, is described as “Bourne by way of 300.”

A Review of Interest (to Me, Anyway)

Book World: ‘Books to Die For,’ reviewed by Michael Dirda 

Song of the Day

The Ran-Dells-Martian Hop (Doo wop) - YouTube:

Pictures of 50 greatest guitar riffs of all time

Pictures of 50 greatest guitar riffs of all time 

Today's Vintage Ad


It's Time to Vote for Your Favorites

Locus Online: 2012 All-Centuries Poll Ballot: Locus Online is hosting, during the month of November 2012, a poll for the best novels and short fiction of the 20th and 21st centuries, the first such poll Locus has conducted since those hosted by the Magazine in 1975, 1987, and 1998 (with an online supplemental poll in 1999). The scope for this poll is the 20th century, 1901 to 2000, and the first decade of the 21st century, 2001 to 2010.

Tarzan turns 100

Tarzan turns 100 

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

CNSNews.com: An Air Force Academy tradition of throwing cadet first sergeants into the season's first snowfall ended in a brawl that left 27 cadets in need of medical treatment for everything from concussions, bitemarks, and cuts, according to an internal academy email obtained by the Air Force Times.

PaperBack



Albert Barker, The Dragon in Spring (Hawk MacRae #3), Curtis Books, 1973

Top 10 Criminal Partnerships

Top 10 Criminal Partnerships

The Highest of Low Standards

How 'MST3K' Picked Movies to Mock

The 5 Stupidest Lies Advertisers Expect You to Believe

The 5 Stupidest Lies Advertisers Expect You to Believe

Latest Getting Away With Murder Now On-line

GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER #72 NOVEMBER 2012

Ice Station Zebra

Ice Station Zebra - YouTube:

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Isaac Asimov: The Three Laws of Robotics

Isaac Asimov: The Three Laws of Robotics - YouTube: Link via Neatorama 

Flavorwire’s 50 Essential Horror Films, Final Countdown

Flavorwire’s 50 Essential Horror Films, Final Countdown

Archaeology Update

Europe's oldest prehistoric town unearthed in Bulgaria

10 Great Spider Scenes in Movies

10 Great Spider Scenes in Movies

11 Best "New Yorker" Halloween Covers

11 Best "New Yorker" Halloween Covers

Free for Kindle for a Limited Time

Witch Got Your Tongue (A Tongue-Tied Witch Novel): Livia J. Washburn: Amazon.com: Kindle Store: Aren McAllister is a beautiful but shy and withdrawn young woman who has battled a stuttering problem her entire life. But then, seemingly by accident, she discovers that she wields an incredible power: she is actually a witch and can cast potent spells . . . but only by singing them. 

 This discovery throws Aren into a dangerous power struggle between different factions in the society of witches who live among humans unknown by them. And for the first time she encounters a romance that may change her life as much or more than the powers she never knew she had. 

 WITCH GOT YOUR TONGUE is the first novel in the Tongue Tied Witch series, a brand-new urban fantasy thrill ride from award-winning, best-selling novelist Livia J. Washburn, author of the best selling Fresh Baked Mystery series and the Literary Tour Mysteries. Trade Paperback: 152 pages, 45,000 words.

Song of the Day

John Zacherle- (Dinner With Drac, Pt. 1) - YouTube:

The Curse of the Werewolf - Neatorama

The Curse of the Werewolf

Today's Vintage Ad


Top 10 Funny Halloween Movies

Top 10 Funny Halloween Movies

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . . .

Police: Gene Hackman slaps homeless man in NM 

I For One Welcome Our New Metal Masters

The robot that learns to beat you at ping-pong 

Six Seriously Spooky Cemetery Stories

Six Seriously Spooky Cemetery Stories 

PaperBack



Mike Barry (Barry N. Malzberg), Detroit Massacre (The Lone Wolf #11), Berkley, 1975

I Miss the Old Days

Marilyn Monroe reading James Joyce's 'Ulysses' 

The 10 Greatest ‘MAD’ Magazine Covers

The 10 Greatest ‘MAD’ Magazine Covers

The Magical Illustration of Arthur Rackham

Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving, with illustrations by Arthur RackhamAbeBooks: The Magical Illustration of Arthur Rackham: Arthur Rackham was an illustrator in the late 19th and early 20th century. He was born in London in 1867. He began studying at the Lambeth School of Art at the age of 18, and soon found his passion and calling. The first of Rackham's illustrations to be published in a book were in 1893, in The Dolly Dialogues. Rackham never looked back. From that first publication, illustration was his career until the day he died at age 72, of cancer.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

chicagotribune.com: Lisle man accused of death, rape threats over volleyball game substitution

Audio Interview with Mel Odom and Paul Bishop

PULPED! The New Pulp Podcast

The 17 Best Halloween Movies Ever

Seventeen: The 17 Best Halloween Movies Ever

Happy Halloween!

Halloween - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Halloween or Hallowe'en (a contraction of "All Hallows' Evening")[5][6] is a yearly celebration observed worldwide on October 31, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows. According to many scholars, All Hallows' Evening was originally influenced by western European harvest festivals and festivals of the dead with possible pagan roots, particularly the Celtic Samhain.[6][7][8] Others maintain that it originated independently of Samhain and has Christian roots.[9]

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (Official Trailer) - YouTube:

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

5 Reasons Why Disney's Purchase Of Lucasfilm Is Mostly Good News For The Force

5 Reasons Why Disney's Purchase Of Lucasfilm Is Mostly Good News For The Force

Looking for Something a Little Different?

Gabby Darbins and the Slide-Rock Bolter (Rancho Diablo)Gabby Darbins and the Slide-Rock Bolter (Rancho Diablo): Colby Jackson,Mel Odom,Bill Crider,James Reasoner: Amazon.com: Kindle Store: Gabby Darbins heads for Pike's Peak country to find gold. He finds more than he bargained for, including gunfights, conniving women, and the terrifying slide-rock bolter!

Today's Vintage Ad


Song of the Day

Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard Pancho and Lefty - YouTube:

10 Terrifying New Reads for Halloween 2012

10 Terrifying New Reads for Halloween 2012

6 Real Murderers Who Put Horror Movie Villains to Shame

6 Real Murderers Who Put Horror Movie Villains to Shame

PaperBack



Mike Barry (Barry N. Malzberg), The Killing Run, Berkley, 1975

Extremely Silly Photos of Extremely Serious Writers

Extremely Silly Photos of Extremely Serious Writers

New England's vampire panic

New England's vampire panic: In 19th-century Rhode Island, says Abigail Tucker, farmers began digging up graves in search of vampires

The Etymology of "Hangover"

The Etymology of "Hangover"

Big Hollywood Stars in Their Early Horror Roles

Big Hollywood Stars in Their Early Horror Roles

The Rare Books of HG Wells

The Invisible Man by H.G. WellsThe Visible Man: The Rare Books of HG Wells: It’s hard to know where to begin with H.G. Wells (1866-1946). His remarkable career included writing The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Invisible Man, Kipps, The History of Mr Polly, and at least another 45 novels. He also penned more than 60 non-fiction books during a prolific career in literature.

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Mail Online: A North Texas congregation is reeling after an attacker rammed a car into a church wall, chased the pastor, and beat him to death with an electric guitar.

4 Famous Landmarks That Look Nothing Like You Think

4 Famous Landmarks That Look Nothing Like You Think 

Overlooked Movies: Flesh and Bone

Here's another one that nobody seems to like except me.  Maybe that's because nobody expected a movie with Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan to be a double dark noir tale, which is what this is. 

Quaid is Arlis, a guy who stocks vending machines.  But he has a past, one that he shares with his father, played by James Caan, a man who's never known what a conscience was.  It's not much of a spoiler to tell you that Ryan, a woman Arlis gives a ride to and then becomes attached to, shares in that past.  It's a bloody and violent past, for sure.  And then there's Gwyneth Paltrow in one of her first big roles as Caan's considerably younger female companion.  She's getting lessons in larceny and seems to take to them well.  

You know going in that this one can't possibly end well for everybody, or maybe for anybody.  There will be blood.  I found it suspenseful and well acted by all concerned.  Maybe not a classic, but certainly not a dud.  Check it out.

Flesh And Bone Trailer

Flesh And Bone Trailer (1993) - YouTube:

Monday, October 29, 2012

NYC is under water

Many scary photos and some video.  And it's only going to get worse.  This  is a massive mess.  NYC is under water

John D. MacDonald Makes the List. Twice.

‘The Perfect Storm” and More Great Hurricane Reads 

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

I've been to #1 several times.  I've even been a speaker there twice.

The 10 Most Beautiful Libraries in the United States 

Will the Persecution Never End?

Paris Hilton Recycled Her "Slutty Alice In Wonderland" Costume Idea

Alligator Steals a Little Girl's Fish

Video at the link: Alligator Steals a Little Girl's Fish

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Man throws spider at police officer

10 Novels That Are Scarier Than Most Horror Movies

10 Novels That Are Scarier Than Most Horror Movies

A Kickstarter Project of Interest

The 2013 John Picacio Calendar by John Picacio

Song of the Day

Sandy/Larry Hall - YouTube:

Horror Movies - Then Vs. Now

Retrospace: Vintage Scares #27:Horror Movies - Then Vs. Now

Today's Vintage Ad


I Miss the Old Days

David Gahr’s Dramatic Black-and-White Photos of ’60s and ’70s Musicians

10 Legendary Monsters of North America: Part One

10 Legendary Monsters of North America: Part One 

The 13 Worst Reviews of Classic Books

The 13 Worst Reviews of Classic Books

PaperBack



Mike Barry (Barry N. Malzberg), Havana Hit (The Lone Wolf #5), Berkley, 1974

Famous Last Words: 15 Authors’ Epitaphs

Famous Last Words: 15 Authors’ Epitaphs

How a Cat Boosts Your Creativity

How a Cat Boosts Your Creativity 

Hmmmmmmmm

Young blood can reverse some effects of ageing, study finds: It is rumoured that the late Kim Jong-il would inject himself with blood from healthy young virgins in a bid to slow the ageing process. Remarkably, the North Korean dictator might have been onto something. Experiments on mice have shown that it is possible to rejuvenate the brains of old animals by injecting them with blood from the young.

100 Ideas That Changed Photography

100 Ideas That Changed Photography 

Or Maybe You Did

Horror Films You Didn’t Realize Were Based on True Stories

17 Famous Actors in Tiny Background Parts

17 Famous Actors in Tiny Background Parts 

Uh-Oh

Penguin and Random House agree to publishing merger

Where Eagles Dare

Where Eagles Dare Theatrical Trailer - YouTube:

Sunday, October 28, 2012

New Story at BEAT to a PULP

BEAT to a PULP :: Pulp of the Week: Back to the Boke Joseph D'Agnese

Oops

Handgun found inside hollowed-out book donated to Valpo library

Song of the Day

Paul Simon - Graceland - YouTube:

Today's Vintage Ad


Easter Island Update

guardian.co.uk: Easter Island statues 'walked' into position, say experts Experiment reveals how giant stone statues may have been put into resting places without wheels or animals

I Miss the Old Days

19 Vintage British Invasion Print Ads

PaperBack



Mike Barry (Barry N. Malzberg), Night Raider (The Lone Wolf #1), Berkley, 1973

Bring me the head of Paul McCartney

Bring me the head of Paul McCartney

From Y’all To Youse, 8 English Ways to Make “You” Plural

From Y’all To Youse, 8 English Ways to Make “You” Plural

5 Creepy Coincidences You Won't Believe Actually Happened

5 Creepy Coincidences You Won't Believe Actually Happened

The 50 Best/Worst Childhood Fads

The 50 Best/Worst Childhood Fads

Link via Neatorama.

The Great Escape

The Great Escape (1963) Original Trailer - YouTube: