Saturday, November 17, 2012

Song of the Day

Gabriel & The Angels.....That's Life (that's tough) - YouTube:

Wanna Win a Book?

Wearing Three Hats ~ LIVIA J. WASHBURN - Petticoats & Pistols at Petticoats & Pistols: I would love to hear thoughts about this holiday anthology and one reader who comments will be randomly selected to win a trade paperback of SIX-GUNS AND SLAY BELLS: A CREEPY COWBOY CHRISTMAS. Good luck!

Today's Vintage Ad


Anna Nicole Smith Update

Anna Nicole Smith’s daughter to model

Star Wars figures, dominoes enter Toy Hall of Fame

Star Wars figures, dominoes enter Toy Hall of Fame

Hat tip to Jeff Segal.

Marilyn Monroe with the Marines in Korea

Marilyn Monroe with the Marines in Korea

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Frances & Richard Lockridge, Case of the Murdered Redhead, Avon, 1958

Time Stands Still: The Psychology of Casinos

Time Stands Still: The Psychology of Casinos 

The Top 25 Innovations of the Last 25 Years

The Top 25 Innovations of the Last 25 Years 

Phoenix Leads the Way

Phoenix alligator may be 1st in the world to get prosthetic tail 

Gator Fans, Take Note

The Cap'n's Blog: Kit of the Day, Bill Crider Edition

Ooooooooklahoma!

Oklahoma Ten Commandments monument installed with spelling mistakes

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Female principal 'beat up former co-worker in school parking lot after Homecoming football game' 

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

9 Legendary Monsters of North America: Part Three

9 Legendary Monsters of North America: Part Three 

Clipped Wings

Clipped Wings (1953) trailer - YouTube:

Friday, November 16, 2012

Gallery of over 1000 beautiful vintage movie posters on the auction block

Gallery of over 1000 beautiful vintage movie posters on the auction block 

Song of the Day

Leftover Cuties - "Smile Big" - YouTube:

Martin Fay, R. I. P.

NYTimes.com: Martin Fay, a classically trained violinist who helped revive traditional Irish music as a founding member of the Chieftains, died on Wednesday in Dublin. He was 76.

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Today's Vintage Ad


Paging Seepy Benton

Your Unconscious Brain Can Do Math, Process Language

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Allen O'Quinn, Strangers in my Bed, Gold Medal, 1959

10 Literary Parodies That Work

10 Literary Parodies That Work

Or Maybe You Will

43 People You Won't Believe Actually Exist

The secret behind James Bond's priceless Aston Martin DB 5 stunts: 3D printed models were used for Skyfall's most dangerous scenes | Mail Online

The secret behind James Bond's priceless Aston Martin DB 5 stunts: 3D printed models were used for Skyfall's most dangerous scenes 

9 of the Biggest Trades in Baseball History—And How They Worked Out

9 of the Biggest Trades in Baseball History—And How They Worked Out 

5 Awesome Movie Robots with Inexcusable Design Flaws

5 Awesome Movie Robots with Inexcusable Design Flaws 

Forgotten Books: The Comeback -- Dan J. Marlowe

The other day I mentioned Charles Kelly's excellent biography of Dan J. Marlowe.  It reminded me of the time in Marlowe's life when he was struggling to regain his memory and his writing skills.  It was during this time that he wrote several books for the Fastback Sports line.  Well, maybe calling them books is stretching the point, since they're about 25 short pages long.  Their purpose was to encourage reluctant readers.  I ran across some of these years ago, and naturally I picked them up.

The Comeback has an evocative title if you're familiar with Marlowe's situation.  The protagonist is Lefty Halliday, an ageing pitcher with arm problems.  Because of a lucky accident, the problems seem eased, maybe even gone.  But are they?  

The story's told in Marlowe's vigorous style, and the similarity the pitcher's story to his is obvious.  Marlowe's able to write again, but can he sustain it?  Can he go the full nine innings?  

I enjoy having little curiosities like this in my accumulation, and if I run across any other books in this series by Marlowe, I'll pick them up.  Richard Laymon also wrote some.  They're cheap enough on the 'net if you're interested.

Bowery to Bagdad

Bowery to Bagdad (1955) trailer - YouTube:

Thursday, November 15, 2012

PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Attention to Books of Interest

Wind River: Ransom Valley: James Reasoner, L. J. Washburn, Livia J. Washburn: Amazon.com: Kindle Store: The Wyoming Territory town of Wind River has gotten so peaceful that some people think it's downright civilized. But they don't know that a gang of vicious outlaws is planning a military-style raid on the settlement that will clean out the bank and the other businesses. Anyone who gets in their way will be cut down in a hail of bullets. 

Wind River: Ransom ValleyThrough a twist of fate, a beautiful young woman finds herself taken prisoner by the outlaws, and it's up to Marshal Cole Tyler and Texas cowboy Lon Rogers to pursue the desperadoes and rescue Brenda Durand . . . if they don't wind up on the receiving end of some outlaw lead first! 

RANSOM VALLEY is a brand-new 42,000 word novel from award-winning authors James Reasoner and L.J. Washburn. It's the first new entry in more than a decade in the bestselling Wind River series and is filled with the same blend of action, humor, drama, and compelling characters as the first six novels. If you haven't paid a visit to Wind River yet, now's the time!

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

T-Mobile customer stabbed while disputing bill

Want a Free Review Copy?

The Hold Up (Rancho Diablo)Bloggers and reviewers:  Want a free review copy of the latest Rancho Diablo book?  All you have to do is get in touch with Mel Odom (mel@melodom.net) and find out how to get one.

So It's Not When You Start Wearing Your Trousers Rolled?

When Does 'Old Age' Start? When You Stop Shopping

Wedding Cake Killer -- Livia Washburn

The latest in the "Fresh-Baked Mystery" series is, as usual, another fine one by Livia Washburn.  Phyllis Newsome, retired teacher and boarding house operator, is getting ready for the wedding of one of her boarders, Eve Turner.  Eve is  retired English teacher, and she's getting married to Roy Porter, whom we've met before in this series.

The wedding goes off without a hitch, and things look fine for the happy couple.  Fine, that is, until Roy is murdered and Eve is accused of killing him.  Phyllis, who's getting quite a reputation as a crime-solver (she's thought of as the Miss Marple of Weatherford, Texas) is going to have to find the real killer, because it's pretty obvious to the police that Eve is the guilty one.  Revelations about Eve's past, things unknown even to her best friends, don't help at all.  And then there are the revelations about Roy's past.  Talk about secrets -- there are plenty of them.  And then there's the DA who has it in for Phyllis.

None of that stops Phyllis, however, even though she winds up getting arrested herself (I'm not giving away any secrets; we learn this at the very beginning). 

Crime-solving, humor, good writing, and twenty-one recipes.  Something for everybody.  Check it out.

Joy to the World

Octomom's Kids Are Releasing A Christmas Song As "The Roctuplets"

Free for Kindle for a Limited Time

ToxiCity (Georgia Davis Prequel)ToxiCity (Georgia Davis Prequel): Libby Fischer Hellmann: Amazon.com: Kindle Store: Ten years before EASY INNOCENCE, PI Georgia Davis was a police officer on the force in a Chicago suburb. And while homicides are rare on the North Shore, three bodies turn up in quick succession—all of them dumped in waste disposal dumpsters or landfills. The investigations into the murders test the mettle and professionalism of a combined police task force. Along the way, they also test the strength of Georgia’s relationship with one of the detectives working the case. While Georgia, her detective boyfriend Matt, and his sometime partner John Stone pit their skills against those of an inventive killer, the daughter of a real estate mogul-- who just happens to have her eye on Matt -- complicates matters. A dark police procedural and thriller, TOXICITY is a prequel to the Georgia Davis PI series (EASY INNOCENCE and DOUBLEBACK).

Song of the Day

Connie Francis - Everybody's Somebody's Fool - YouTube:

Comic Strip of the Day

Link.

Today's Vintage Ad


Books do furnish a mind - Roger Ebert's Journal

Books do furnish a mind - Roger Ebert's Journal

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Allen O'Quinn, Swamp Brat, Gold Medal, 1953

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Goat knocks Utah paperboy down, chases him up tree

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

NBC 6 South Florida: A man was arrested for cutting almost all of his girlfriend's nose off after she refused to have sex with him, Fort Lauderdale Police said.

National Book Awards

National Book Foundation: 2012 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD WINNERS

In Praise of Sir Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney is like no other

Yet Another List I'm Not On

Top 10 Most Read Books In The World

How Do You Choose a Bank?

Some people want free checking or a free ATM card.  And then there's me.  I want gators in the atrium like the ones at Alvin's First National Bank.  

POE'S DEADLY DAUGHTERS: Death by Crocodile

POE'S DEADLY DAUGHTERS: Death by Crocodile

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Texas is tops in Thanksgiving cooking fires thanks to fried turkey trend 

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

The Decline of Western Civilization Continues Apace

Honey Boo Boo Comic Book Intends ‘Not to Educate Society’

Croc Update (Spotty Edition)

Why does the crocodile have spots?

Bowery Battalion

BOWERY BATTALION 1951 TRAILER THE BOWERY BOYS - YouTube:

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Attention to Books of Interest

The Hold Up (Rancho Diablo)The Hold Up (Rancho Diablo): Colby Jackson, Mel Odom: Amazon.com: Kindle Store: When Randy Post, a young cowboy riding for the Rancho Diablo brand, gets accused of murdering a saloon girl, Sam Blaylock saddles up to get to the bottom of the matter before they fit him for a hangman's noose. Sam doesn't know that the murder has set off a chain of events that will end up with him swapping lead with a murderous gang of robbers eyeing one of the banks in Shooter's Cross. 

In the past, Marshal Everett Tolliver and Sam Blaylock haven't seen exactly eye-to-eye on things involving the ranch hands. Tolliver intends to hold the peace in town no matter what the cost. But he's going to need help if he's going to find out who murdered Jessie Holden in cold blood. 

Even after they've set there differences aside for the time being, Sam and Tolliver still have to put their lives at risk to hold the line in Shooter's Cross in a gundown on Main Street that will become a legend.

Song of the Day

Leapy Lee-Little Arrows (original version) - YouTube:

“Where Does It Happen?” (by Terrie Farley Moran)

“Where Does It Happen?” (by Terrie Farley Moran) | SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN

Today's Vintage Ad


Starting with a Bang | Every James Bond Opening Scene

Starting with a Bang | Every James Bond Opening Scene — Ranked

Famous Writers on Their Favorite Bookstores

Famous Writers on Their Favorite Bookstores

PaperBack



Charlie Wells, The Last Kill, Signet, 1955

The Petraeus Affair -- Retro Movie Casting

If I were directing The Petraeus Affair back around 1959, I'd make it as a military farce.  Here's who I'd pick as my stars:

General David Petraeus:  Cary Grant

Holly Petraeus:  Kim Hunter

Paula Broadwell: Esther Williams (not a runner, but a swimmer's just as good, and we could have bathing suits)

General John Allen: Tony Curtis

Jill Kelley: Janet Leigh (looks great in a black wig)

Shirtless FBI Agent: Clint Walker (I think his Cheyenne contract called for him to remove his shirt at least once per episode)

Other suggestions?

So You Thought There Was No Way Gators Could Be Involved?

Jill Kelley, alligator chef 

Dream Houses Built for Books and the Nerds Who Love Them

Dream Houses Built for Books and the Nerds Who Love Them

No Comment Department

‘GIF’ named word of the year by Oxford American Dictionary 

9 Rules of Writing from Helen Dunmore

What Will Survive of Us Is Love: 9 Rules of Writing from Helen Dunmore 

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Deputies: Woman stabbed motel manager with landscaping light stake 

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Which American president appears in the most films?

Presidents in movies: Which American president appears in the most films?

Let's Go Navy

LET'S GO NAVY TRAILER 1951 THE BOWERY BOYS - YouTube:

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

 Woman beat boyfriend with bong, police say

And Keep Off Her Lawn!

Granny, get your gun! Meet the fierce huntress who still loves shooting turkeys and deer at AGE 97

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Kevin O’Donnell, Jr., R. I. P.

In Memoriam: Kevin O’Donnell, Jr., 1950-2012.: As the author of ten published novels and over seventy published short stories and articles, Kevin O’Donnell, Jr. won literary awards and had a devoted following of readers.

Link via Boing Boing.

About Time

Norman 'Chubby' Chaney of 'Little Rascals' and 'Our Gang' gets a headstone, 76 years later

Hat tip to Doc Quatermass

One by One Our Precious Rights Are Being Stripped Away

Judge Rules Against New Year's Eve Possum Drop

Gunshots in Another Room: The Forgotten Life of Dan J. Marlowe -- Charles Kelly

Dan J. Marlowe is in the top rank of Gold Medal novelists in my book, right up there with Jim Thompson, Charles Wiliams, John D. MacDonald, Harry Whittington, and Elliott Chaze. I was able to help Marlowe out a bit long years ago when he was looking for copies of his out-of-print novels, and I had a couple of short letters from him.  I knew a little about his life, but I'm always interested in learning more about my favorite writers.  So naturally I was glad when I discovered that Charles Kelly, a novelist and former reporter, had put his investigative skills to work and written a biography.

It turns out that Marlowe was quite a character, even more interesting than I'd thought.  I knew a bit about his amnesia, but now I know the whole story, or as much of it as we're ever likely to learn.  I knew about his association with writer and former bank robber Al Nussbaum, but Kelly gives much more information.  In fact, there's a great deal of material here on Nussbaum, and even some stuff about Nussbaum's associates.  If Marlowe was quite a character, you can double that for Nussbaum.  Or triple it.  There's a good bit here about Marlowe's collaborations, particularly with William Odell.  All of this was entirely new to me.

Marlowe was a hard-nosed professional, a working writer in every sense of the term.  I would've thought that his "Operation" series would have made him rich.  It didn't, and that's a real shame.  I never knew why the series ended, either, but not I have a much better idea.  

If you have any interest in Marlowe or in writers' lives, you should enjoy this book.  It's well-written, and it's a fascinating story.   Highly recommended.

Here's some more good news.  Next year Stark House will reissue two of Marlowe's best novels, The Name of the Game is Death and One Endless Hour in one volume with an intro by Kelley.  This one's a must-have.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Arizona woman runs down husband with car for not voting: police 

Hat tip to Toby O'Brien.

And Keep Off Her Lawn!

56-year-old Russian woman kills wolf with axe

New Fightcard Novel Now Available

Irish Dukes (Fight Card)Irish Dukes (Fight Card): Jack Tunney, Paul Bishop, Mel Odom, Mike Faricy: Amazon.com: Kindle Store: Dublin, Ireland 1951 

After winning his latest bout in Berlin, US Army boxing champ Sergeant Kevin Crowley is on military leave in Ireland. Raised in St. Vincent's Asylum For Boys in Chicago, he has finally returned to the place of his birth, where he is sure he will find the family he never knew and lay claim to his dream of a royal fortune. 

What Crowley actually finds is the fight of his life... A near destitute grandmother, crippling debt left by a father he never knew, a feisty redhead with hatred in her heart, a villainous landlord and his gang who'll stop at nothing to settle a score going back a generation... 

Kevin Crowlwy has never backed down in the ring or out... The treasures and truth awaiting him in Dublin are not what he first imagined. But with his past, his family, and his future at stake, Crowley will put up his dukes and fight like never before...

Song of the Day

Christie: Yellow River - YouTube:

James Bond: Ranking 23 Movies

James Bond: Ranking 23 Movies 

Includes this outrageous blasphemy:  Unfortunately, whenever Denise Richards appears as nuclear physicist Dr. Christmas Jones — she recites her lines as if she learned them phonetically — the movie pretty much melts down.

The Many Covers of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’

The Many Covers of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’

Today's Vintage Ad


First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Princeton Borough restaurant worker tried to stab co-worker with a fork, police say 

I Can't Even Remember Why I Came into this Room

Think You Have a Good Memory?: Ellison "can remember the birth year and death year of any famous person in history."

PaperBack



Isaac Asimov, Casebook of the Black Widowers, Crest, 1981

Literary Bond Superior to Movie Version

Literary Bond Superior to Movie Version: Compare Ian Fleming’s fictional creation in his novels to what we see on the screen and the differences start piling up. It's the books, not the films, that should be the standard Bond, writes Allen Barra.

‘Horror fan’ David Lynch, aged 11, meets Vincent Price

Cinephilia & Beyond: ‘Horror fan’ David Lynch, aged 11, meets Vincent Price.

25 College Classes Based on TV Shows

25 College Classes Based on TV Shows

Q&A with Libby Fischer Hellmann

Where are we going? – Q&A with Libby Fischer Hellmann

8 Ordinary Photos Hiding Mind-Blowing Details

8 Ordinary Photos Hiding Mind-Blowing Details

The Disturbing Origins of 10 Famous Fairy Tales

The Disturbing Origins of 10 Famous Fairy Tales

Uh-Oh

Express.co.uk: ICONIC space villain Darth Vader is to be brought back from the dead for a new trilogy of Star Wars films.

Overlooked Movies: The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters

Once upon a time, I thought the Bowery Boys were the very soul of sophisticated humor.  No one would think that now, not even a five-year-old, but you have to remember that this was long, long ago.  Even I was past it by the time this movie came out, but I went anyway.  It may have been the last Bowery Boys movie I saw, though the series ran for years afterward.  It ran for years before, too, and I'll be featuring the trailers for a while.  Why?  Why not?

The boys don't really meed any monsters here.  They just want to use the vacant lot next door to the Gravesend house for baseball.  Meanwhile, the Gravesends, a couple of whom want to transplant a human brain into either a gorilla or a robot, are looking for a prospective donor.  The donor brain will have to be very small.  Tiny.  If you've seen any of these movies, you'd think that any of the Bowery Boys would meet the requirement, but of them all, Satch is of course the best choice.  Hilarity ensues.

If you've never seen one of this series, you should give one a shot just to see what you've been missing.

The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters

The Bowery Boys Meet the Monsters (1954) trailer - YouTube:

Monday, November 12, 2012

Paging Terry-Thomas

Tower of London changes locks after intruder steals two sets of keys

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Man Shot After Stepping On Another Man’s Foot On D-Dot Bus 

Short, Sharp Interview: Heath Lowrance

Short, Sharp Interview: Heath Lowrance

Get Your Copy Now! (Also Available in Trade Paperback Format)

Wolf Creek; Kiowa VengeanceWolf Creek; Kiowa Vengeance: Western Fictioneers, Ford Fargo, Jackson Lowry, Bill Crider, Troy D. Smith, Kerry Newcomb, Robert J. Randisi, Frank Roderus: Amazon.com: Kindle Store: Welcome to Wolf Creek. 

 Here you will find many of your favorite authors, working together as Ford Fargo to weave a complex and textured series of Old West adventures like no one has ever seen. Each author writes from the perspective of his or her own unique character, blended together into a single novel. In our latest adventure, Wolf Creek is threatened by marauding Kiowa warriors who seek to avenge the deaths of their comrades at the hands of buffalo hunters. While the town fortifies itself, and a cavalry detachment looks for the raiders, the stage from Wichita is attacked –leaving a handful of Wolf Creek citizens alone and on foot in hostile territory… About the author: Beneath the mask, Ford Fargo is not one but a posse of America's leading western authors who have pooled their talents to create a series of rip-snortin', old fashioned sagebrush sagas. Saddle up. Read ‘em Cowboy! These are the legends of Wolf Creek. Appearing as Ford Fargo in this installment: Bill Crider Jackson Lowry Kerry Newcomb Troy D. Smith Frank Roderus Robert J. Randisi

Archaeology Update

A golden discovery: Bulgarian archaelogists discover astonishing artifacts linked to Alexander the Great in vast network of tombs 

Song of the Day

When You're Smiling by Leftover Cuties - YouTube:

In Case You Were Wondering

Alligator, crocodile jaws more sensitive than human fingertips

Cursive Update

Why Kids Should Learn Cursive (and Math Facts, and Word Roots) 

Today's Vintage Ad


James Bond: Every attempted crocodile jump in "Live and Let Die"

James Bond: Every attempted crocodile jump in "Live and Let Die" 

PaperBack



Lionel White, The Snatchers, Avon, 1961

Read a Great Story

Read Ken Liu's amazing story that swept the Hugo, Nebula and World Fantasy Awards

Isaac Newton: 17th-Century London’s Dirty Harry

Isaac Newton: 17th-Century London’s Dirty Harry

I'll Just Have a Dr Pepper

Bar serves cocktail with real human toe 

Smiths Lyrics as Penguin Classic Book Covers

Smiths Lyrics as Penguin Classic Book Covers

The Invasion Is Proceeding Smoothly

9th Alligator Found on Long Island in 6 Weeks

Valerie Eliot, R. I. P.

Mail Online: Valerie Eliot, the widow of T.S. Eliot and zealous guardian of the poet's literary legacy for almost half a century, has died. She was 86.

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Mail Online: Woman 'knocked out 10-year-old sister after whipping her with extension cord... in fight over CHEETOS'

6 Iconic Movie Scenes That Happened by Accident

6 Iconic Movie Scenes That Happened by Accident

The Chronicles Of Riddick

The Chronicles Of Riddick Trailer - YouTube:

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Elvis Update

Elvis Presley Concert Footage Offers A New Look At The King

New Story at BEAT to a PULP

BEAT to a PULP :: Pulp of the Week: Loose Ends Garnett Elliott

Song of the Day

New Christy Minstrels - Green Green - YouTube:

The top 10 Captain Picard moments from “Star Trek”

The top 10 Captain Picard moments from “Star Trek”

Which Bond Said It?

Which Bond Said It? Online Quiz

Today's Vintage Ad


God Bless You, Mr. Vonnegut

God Bless You, Mr. Vonnegut - Neatorama: Did you know today would have been Kurt Vonnegut’s 90th birthday? In memory of one of the greatest writers of the last century, here is a look back at the author’s incredible life.

Fluorescent Fish WBAGNFARB

Pink Angel Delight: Genetically-engineered angelfish that glow in the dark go on display in Taiwan

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Carlsbad woman arrested after officer sees her using nunchucks while driving

PaperBack



Lionel White, The Snatchers, Gold Medal, 1953

How to Disappear from the Web Forever

How to Commit Internet Suicide and Disappear from the Web Forever

15 Classic Spoof Ads By "Mad" Magazine

15 Classic Spoof Ads By "Mad" Magazine

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Heaven's above! Retired priest, 80, bites 81-year-old fellow clergyman's ear off in unholy punch up

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Why do auctioneers talk like that?

Why do auctioneers talk like that?

Question of the Day

Why do paper cuts hurt so much, and what do they have to do with lobsters?

Veterans Day - November 11

Veterans Day - November 11 - Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs: National Veterans Day Ceremony The Veterans Day National Ceremony is held each year on November 11th at Arlington National Cemetery . The ceremony commences precisely at 11:00 a.m. with a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns and continues inside the Memorial Amphitheater with a parade of colors by veterans' organizations and remarks from dignitaries. The ceremony is intended to honor and thank all who served in the United States Armed Forces.

Pitch Black

Pitch Black (2000) - Trailer - YouTube: