Saturday, July 16, 2016

Song of the Day

Lloyd Price - Stagger Lee - YouTube:

Forgotten Hits: Sweet 16 -- Magic!

Forgotten Hits: SWEET 16 - MAGIC!

Casa Loma – Toronto, Canada


Atlas Obscura: Sir Henry Mill Pellatt, a Canadian soldier and financier, gained immense wealth from founding the Toronto Electric Light Company in 1883, which brought electricity to the streetlights of Canada’s largest city. Business boomed – soon he was the chairman of 21 companies, owned railroads, generated electricity from Niagara Falls, and was knighted for his military service.  

I've visited here, and if you've seen the X-Men movies, you've seen the exterior and some of the interior.

Today's Vintage Ad


I'm Sure You'll All Agree

10 Best Whodunits

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David Frome, Mr. Pinkerton Goes to Scotland Yard, Pocket Books, 1941

And Boy, Are Their Arms Tired!

Monkeys Have Been Using Tools for 700 Years

The Weird Week in Review

The Weird Week in Review 

'The Catcher in the Rye' Turns 65 Today

'The Catcher in the Rye' Turns 65 Today 

The Truth Is Out There

13 Alien Encounters That Will Make You Believe

Friday, July 15, 2016

John D. and Me: Carl Hiaasen

John D. and Me: Carl Hiaasen

Song of the Day

The Corsairs - Smokey Places - YouTube:

13 Out-of-This World Facts About 'Mork & Mindy'

13 Out-of-This World Facts About 'Mork & Mindy' 

Today's Vintage Ad


As Is His Constitutional Right

Florida man fights to keep pet alligator  

Heartwarming video at link.

I'm Sure You'll All Agree

8 best movies of 2016 (so far)

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C. W. Grafton, Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, Pocket Books, 1951

What are students reading this summer

What are students reading this summer

Facsimile Editions

Fer-De-Lance by Rex StoutAbeBooks: Facsimile Editions: Have you ever really wanted a rare book for your collection but the price is too high?  Why not go for a facsimile edition?  A facsimile edition is when a publisher recreates, with perfect detail, a particular publication.  These editions are usually published in limited quantity and can be a fantastic option for collectors who wish to own memorable and beautiful books but cannot stretch to the original edition.

Who Still Reads 1950s Science Fiction?

Who Still Reads 1950s Science Fiction?

Hector Babenco, R. I. P.

The New York Times: Hector Babenco, the Argentine-born Brazilian director whose low-budget 1985 film, “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” became an unlikely hit that challenged conventions of masculinity and stunned the Hollywood establishment, died on Wednesday in São Paulo. He was 70.  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

FFB: The Neddiad -- Daniel Pinkwater

Summertime is rerun time, USA.  Here's one from December 28, 2008.

I'm a big fan of the works of Daniel Pinkwater. His books are supposedly for kids, but that doesn't matter to me. I read 'em anyway, and I'm rarely disappointed. Among my favorites: The Snarkout Boys and the Avacado of Death, The Hoboken Chicken Emergency, Lizard Music, Slaves of Spiegel, and Alan Mendelson, Boy from Mars. These aren't like anyone else's books for kids, or for anybody. 

But I was going to write about The Neddiad. Ned Wentworthstein is the narrator, and the setting is the late 1940s. Ned's father has made a fortune in the shoelace business, and one day he decides more or less on a whim to move the family from Chicago to Los Angeles, mainly so he and Ned can eat in the Brown Derby. 

So the adventure begins. It involves travel on the Super Chief, a visit to the Grand Canyon, meeting movie star Aaron Finn and his son, travelling with the ghost of a bellboy, going to military school, a circus, and more. Along the way, Ned is given a sacred turtle by an Indian shaman named Melvin, who's everywhere. There's an evil minion with the wonderful name of Sandor Eucalyptus and a girl named Iggy. There's even a cameo appearance by the Fat Men from Space. And more, much more. I may not be nine years old anymore, but I laughed a lot. Maybe it's not for everybody, it it sure works for me.

Thursday, July 14, 2016

In That Case, Sir, You Are Free to Go

Cicero man stole money from cars to support pizza habit, police say 

How a Portuguese-to-English Phrasebook Became a Cult Comedy Sensation

How a Portuguese-to-English Phrasebook Became a Cult Comedy Sensation: It is presumed that Carolino wrote the book through the aid of a Portuguese-to-French dictionary and a French-to-English dictionary, using the former for an initial translation of a word or phrase from Portuguese, and the latter to convert it from French into English. The result, of course, is a mishmash of cloudy gibberish.

2016 Emmy nominations: Full list

2016 Emmy nominations: Full list

Song of the Day

Johnny And The Hurricanes - Down Yonder - YouTube:

7 Memory Myths That Will Make You Go "Huh"

7 Memory Myths That Will Make You Go "Huh"

Today's Vintage Ad


A Brief History of Evil Twins in Soap Operas

A Brief History of Evil Twins in Soap Operas

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Vercors, The Murder of the Missing Link (You Shall Know Them), Pocket Books, 1958

I'm Sure You'll All Agree

The 50 best comedies since 2000 

Watch Rare Movie Footage of Early 20th Century Artists

Watch Rare Movie Footage of Early 20th Century Artists

The Strange and Happy Life of The Astounding Science Fiction Anthology

The Strange and Happy Life of The Astounding Science Fiction Anthology

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Titan Comics Launches "Hard Case Crime" Imprint

Titan Comics Launches "Hard Case Crime" Imprint for Noir Enthusiasts

Shakespeare: Actor. Playwright. Social Climber

Shakespeare: Actor. Playwright. Social Climber: Only a few scraps of new material relating to Shakespeare in his lifetime have surfaced over the past century. But now, a researcher has uncovered nearly a dozen previously unknown records that shed clearer light on another much-discussed side of the man: the social climber.

Song of the Day

Washington Square- The Village Stompers- 1963 - YouTube:

Ford Set the Bar High

Ford Set the Bar High: Director John Ford left behind large shoes to fill after filming the first and finest portrayal of America’s legendary Buffalo Soldier troops.

Today's Vintage Ad


12 Fun Facts About 'The Gong Show'

12 Fun Facts About 'The Gong Show' 

New Story at Beat to a Pulp

BTAP Webzine | George R. Johnson | A Well-Ordered Life?  

This story is by the late Randy Johnson, whom some of you will remember for his blog and his comments on other blogs.  

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Frank Bunce, So Young a Body, Pocket Books, 1951

Top 10 Deadliest Gunslingers In The Old West

Top 10 Deadliest Gunslingers In The Old West  

Link via Neatorama.

10 Revealing Scans of Historical Artifacts

10 Revealing Scans of Historical Artifacts

All-American Ghosts

All-American Ghosts: Everyone says they don’t believe in ghosts. If that’s so, then we’d like know why so many people go to see haunted houses like these ones…but we’re afraid to ask.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Free for Kindle Pre-Order

The Witnesses (BookShots) - Kindle edition by James Patterson, Brendan DuBois. Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

I'm Sure You'll All Agree

Bad to the Bone: The Worst Children in Literature: Children can be innocent, inquisitive and the embodiment of hope.  But those characteristics make for boring stories.  Sometimes authors enjoy creating a fictional child that is just plain nasty. Draco Malfoy might be a bigot and a bully, but he’s rarely dull and is a vital ingredient in the Harry Potter novels. Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory would not be such a tasty read without greedy Augustus Gloop, bratty Violet Beauregarde and the spoiled Veruca Salthttp.

Song of the Day

dedicated follower of fashion.............the kinks - YouTube:

Big Trouble In Little China: From Flop To Phenomenon

Big Trouble In Little China: From Flop To Phenomenon 

Today's Vintage Ad


I'm Sure You'll All Agree

The 16 Worst Number Songs To Hit Number One 

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David Duncan, Worse than Murder (The Bramble Bush), Pocket Books, 1953

Or Maybe You Do

16 Things You May Not Know About Ringo Starr 

First It Was the Thin Mint Melee

Riot at Butler County Jail reportedly over mashed potatoes

Paris Hilton Update

Paris Hilton dazzles in blue gown at Greek society wedding  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Overlooked Movies: Talladega Nights:The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

Summertime is rerun time, USA.  This review originally appeared in different form in January of 2007.

Yes, the new year begins in typical fashion. While you were watching Volver (or maybe Pan's Labyrinth) without subtitles and taking notes in Spanish, I was watching Talladega Nights. And, yes, I laughed. Quite a bit, in fact. When it comes to movies, I have no taste and no shame.

I'm not a big Will Farrell fan, and in fact I thought his cameo really brought down The Wedding Crashers. I've never seen Elf.  (Update: Now I have.)  I did like his George Bush impression, though, and I liked parts of Anchorman: the Legend of Ron Burgundy. And I liked Talladega Nights, too, in spite of the fact that none of the movie takes place at night. Maybe somebody just liked the title.

I figure about half this movie must have been improvised, but that's fine. Farrell, John C. Riley, and Sacha Baron Cohen are good at that sort of thing. There are no real characters, just caricatures, with Cohen's flamboyantly gay NASCAR driver leading the way. The story is the typical bio-pic arc, with the rise, the fall, and the return to glory, but it's just there to hang some outrageous gags on. I didn't care. I still thought it was funny. Sometime when you're in a goofy mood, check it out.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby

Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby - Trailer - YouTube:

Monday, July 11, 2016

First It Was the Thin Mint Melee

Crazed Uber Passenger Attacks Driver Following a dispute with her Uber driver, a Florida woman allegedly bit and scratched the victim’s arm before attempting to flatten all of the vehicle’s tires with a 10-inch kitchen knife, police charge.

Free for Kindle for a Limited Time

Adventures of Cash Laramie and Gideon Miles, Vol. II (Cash Laramie & Gideon Miles Series Book 2) - Kindle edition by Edward A. Grainger, Alec . Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

WWI tunnels by US troops are rediscovered in France

Daily Mail Online: Stunning network of intricately carved WWI tunnels are rediscovered by an amateur explorer who has revealed more than 250 designs etched into the quarry walls by US troops

Song of the Day

The Ventures.....Perfidia - YouTube:

The Lost Verses of Sitcom Theme Songs

The Lost Verses of Sitcom Theme Songs, From Fresh Prince to Cheers

Today's Vintage Ad


Eight things you learn working with The Beatles

Eight things you learn working with The Beatles

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Robert B. Sinclair, The 11th Hour, Pocket Books, 1952

First It Was the Thin Mint Melee

Woman arrested after hitting husband with snow globe  

Hat tip to Deb.

Was Philip K. Dick a Madman or a Mystic?

Was Philip K. Dick a Madman or a Mystic?

Great Letter from a Kid Who Wants to be a Star

Letters of Note: Who is this kid?

The Trap of Solid Gold: "Labor Supply"

The Trap of Solid Gold: "Labor Supply": John D MacDonald’s relatively brief interest in writing science fiction began and ended in the earliest years of his career. If we focus on the stories that appeared in the science fiction pulps and digests of the late 1940’s and early 1950’s we can spot his entry point in February of 1948 (“Cosmetics”) followed by nine more stories that year. The following two years saw the publication of 30 science fiction tales before tailing off in 1951 (seven) and 1952 (two). By 1953 he could manage only one story, his last in the digests, before ending the relationship altogether. And although he continued to write science fiction sporadically throughout the balance of his career, he never returned to the magazines that concentrated on this form of fiction.

I Miss the Old Days

Once Upon a Town  

Link via Messy Nessy.

Sunday, July 10, 2016

2016 World Fantasy Awards Finalists

2016 World Fantasy Awards Finalists

2015 Shirley Jackson Awards Winners

2015 Shirley Jackson Awards Winners  

Hat tip to Todd Mason.

Comic Strip of the Day

Lio Comic Strip on GoComics.com

Hat tip to Bill Pronzini.

John D. and Me: Jay Handelman

John D. and Me: Jay Handelman

A List I'm On

We are pleased to announce this year's nominees for the Sidewise Award for Alternate History.  The winners will be announced at MidAmeriCon II, this year's Worldcon, in Kansas City, MO on August 20.  The Sidewise Awards have been presented annually since 1995 to recognize excellence in alternate historical fiction. This year's panel of judges was made up of Stephen Baxter, Karen Hellekson, Matt Mitrovich, Jim Rittenhouse, Kurt Sidaway, and Steven H Silver.

Short Form
  • Eneasz Brodski, “Red Legacy,”  Asimov’s, 2/15
  • Eric Cline, “Elizabethtown,” Galaxy’s Edge 17
  • Bill Crider, “It Doesn't Matter Anymore,” Tales from the Otherverse, Rough Edges Press
  • Rev Dicerto, “Losing Amelia,” Deco Punk: The Spirit of the Age, Pink Narcissus Press
  • Ken Poyner, “The Last of Time,” Daily SF, 11/05/15
  • James Reasoner, “The Hero of Deadwood,” Tales from the Otherverse, Rough Edges Press
Long Form

  • Julie Mayhew, The Big Lie, Hot Key Books
  • Tony Schumacher, The British Lion, William Morrow
  • Harry Turtledove, Joe Steele, Roc 

The Sidewise Awards for Alternate History were conceived in late 1995 to honor the best allohistorical genre publications of the year. The first awards were announced in summer 1996 and honored works from 1995. The award takes its name from Murray Leinster's 1934 short story "Sidewise in Time," in which a strange storm causes portions of Earth to swap places with their analogs from other timelines.

For more information, contact Steven H Silver at shsilver@sfsite.com or go to http://www.uchronia.net/sidewise.

Song of the Day

Jim Reeves - This World is not my home - YouTube:

OED Update

Oxford English Dictionary Adds ‘ROFL’ and ‘Scooby Snacks’

Today's Vintage Ad


The Secret Apartments of New York Libraries

Life Behind the Stacks: The Secret Apartments of New York Libraries

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Jean Leslie, The Man Who Held Five Aces, Pocket Books, 1950

I'm Sure You'll All Agree

All Of Steven Spielberg’s Movies Ranked, From Worst To Best

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Texas inmates bust out of holding cell to help GUARD who suffered a heart attack  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

The only library in the world that operates in two countries at once

The U.S.-Canada Border Runs Through This Tiny Library: Meet the only library in the world that operates in two countries at once.