Tuesday, December 31, 2013

I Miss the Old Days

Sorry, But The Coolest New Years Eve Party Ever Happened In 1977

Happy New Year!


Happy New Year!


First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Man stabbed after giving girlfriend knife for Christmas 

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Or Maybe You Did

12 Things You Probably Didn't Know About New Year's Eve In Times Square

I'm Not Bidding

Professed owner says he'll put a curse on any buyer of mystery British portrait in Hampton  

Hat tip to Patrick Golden.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Florida man arrested for assaulting wife with turkey neck

I Don't Even Want to Think about It

The Millions : How Many Novelists are at Work in America?

Yet Another List I'm Not On

Top 10 Millionaires Who Went Missing

Song of the Day

▶ It's Just Another New Year's Eve - Lea Salonga - YouTube:

10 Literary Portraits of a Young Artist

10 Literary Portraits of a Young Artist

Today's Vintage Ad


The Weirdest New Year's Eve Traditions From Around The World

The Weirdest New Year's Eve Traditions From Around The World

Western Comics Focus- Six-Gun Gorilla: Long Days of Vengeance

Western Fictioneers: Western Comics Focus- Six-Gun Gorilla: Long Days of Vengeance

PaperBack



Francis Iles, Before the Fact, Pocket Books, 1947

Hell Hath No Fury, etc.

floridatoday.com: A 48-year-old woman who police say was scorned by her fiance’s request for her to leave his house by New Year’s, remains jailed on charges she deliberately set off a Christmas Day fire in front of her children that gutted the man’s home.

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

The 28 Most Memorable Movie Posters Of 2013

The 28 Most Memorable Movie Posters Of 2013

Hint: Texas

Who Is the Only Person to Be Elected Governor of 2 Different US States? 

Blood Bride Of The Cocodile

Blood Bride Of The Cocodile 

So He was Just Doing His Job

PD: Suspect in deadly stabbing claimed to work for Satan

A Literary Review of 2013

AbeBooks: A Literary Review of 2013: Well, it’s another year done and again J.K. Rowling is at the center of one of the top book stories of the year. Rowling made headlines in July when The Sunday Times of London revealed her as the writer behind the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, author of the crime novel The Cuckoo’s Calling. The book sold only 1,500 copies between its release in April and when Rowling was outed in July – afterwards, it soared to the top of the bestseller lists and signed first editions are currently selling for over $5,000.

15 Cartoons From The ‘80s You Probably Forgot Existed

15 Cartoons From The ‘80s You Probably Forgot Existed

Overlooked Movies: Flash Gordon (1980)

I like just about everything about this movie, and, yes, even the performance of Sam J. Jones is included in that statement.  Max von Sydow, as Ming the Merciless, is great, but let's not overlook Brian Blessed as Voltan and Melody Anderson as Dale Arden.  What?  You don't think she's great?  Well, you're just wrong, that's all.  Timothy Dalton, Topol, and Ornella Muti hold their own.  We don't get to see Peter Wyngarde's face, but his Klytus is still memorable.  If Dr. Zarkov happens to remind you of Seepy Benton, it's probably just a coincidence.

What else do I like?  The color is superb.  The soundtrack by Queen is classic.  Watch the trailer at the link below and see what I mean.  

Sure, it's campy.  Sure, the special effects are cheesy.  That's all intentional, and it works just fine for me.  And don't try to tell me the writers hadn't seen this digest cover.  I won't believe you.  

I watched this one again on Christmas day.  I'm glad I own the DVD and can watch it anytime at all.

Flash Gordon

▶ Flash Gordon - Official Trailer Movie (1980) HD - YouTube:

Monday, December 30, 2013

This Is Great

If Hallmark Wrote Kafka Fan Fiction

America is in love with its libraries

America is in love with its libraries: Pew report

Don't Bogart that Puffer, Flipper

Puff, puff, pass: Young dolphins deliberately chew puffer fish to get high with each other

The Decline of Western Civilization Continues Apace

Dating dinner duper getting own reality show

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Woman Busted For Attacking Live-In Boyfriend When He Refused To "Cuddle" In Bed 

Song of the Day

▶ Bing Crosby - Let's start the new year right - YouTube:

What's In a Name?

A person's surname can influence their career, experts claim

Today's Vintage Ad


Yet Another List I'm Not On

10 People Who Were The Youngest Of Their Kind

PaperBack



Eric Ambler, Background to Danger, Pocket Books, 1945

10 Unsolved Mysteries From London

10 Unsolved Mysteries From London 

100 things we didn't know last year

100 things we didn't know last year

Here's a Plot Device for Your Next CSI Thriller

Researchers cull images reflected in people’s eyes with new forensics technique 

New Poem at The 5-2

The 5-2 | Crime Poetry Weekly, Annual Ebooks - Gerald So, Editor: Steve Peacock 1990, OR A CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE POEM

I For One Welcome Our New Skynet Master

Brainlike Computers, Learning From Experience

Get a Rope!

W. Pa. man charged with stealing cuffs in escape

Unexpected Uncle

▶ 1941 UNEXPECTED UNCLE TRAILER ANNE SHIRLEY - YouTube:

Sunday, December 29, 2013

"Felony Stupid"

"Felony Stupid" 

Here's the Plot for Your Next Espiionage Thriller

 Mail Online: The spying Scotsman who hunted the Nazis of New York: The amazing story of Britain's clandestine war on Hitler's agents... and his big-money backers in the US.  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Or Maybe You Do

20 Surprising Facts You Might Not Know About 'Home Alone'

Song of the Day

▶ Dan Fogelberg - Same Auld Lang Syne Lyrics - YouTube:

Waiting for the End

Top 10 Times the World Almost Ended

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Texas judge claims he dragged girlfriend by hair, strangled her to ‘save her life’ 

Today's Vintage Ad


Top 10 Medieval News Stories of 2013

Top 10 Medieval News Stories of 2013

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Francis Breeding, Murdered: One by One, Popular Library, 1944

So Go Watch Some Schwartzenegger Movies, You Pinkos!

Sentimental films can influence political attitudes and make you more liberal, scientists say 

Thin Mints Inexplicably Not Included

10 Tiny Things That Caused Huge Riots 

How to Make Your Book a Bestseller

How to Make Your Book a Bestseller 

Wow

On Ice: 100 year-old negatives discovered in Antarctic: Conservators restoring an Antarctic exploration hut recently made a remarkable discovery: a small box of 22 exposed but unprocessed photographic negatives, frozen in a solid block of ice for nearly one hundred years. These negatives were meticulously processed and restored by a Wellington photography conservator.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Friday, December 20, 2013: The holidays got the best of one couple. Sheriff’s deputies were called to a house just south of Paradise after a husband and wife got into a fierce argument over wrapping Christmas presents.

Midnight Mary

▶ 1933 MIDNIGHT MARY TRAILER LORETTA YOUNG PRE-CODE - YouTube:

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Will the Persecution Never End?

Paris Hilton uses her skip trip as a chance to strike various poses 

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Shot in the Buttocks: Man Says Daughter's Boyfriend Fired BB Gun at Him 

Go Ahead, Guys. I'm Not Judging.

11 'Girly' Things Men Wish They Could Do Without Judgment 

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

2 arrested after "Ten Commandments" argument turns violent 

Who Said It?

Television Is Chewing Gum for the Eyes

Song of the Day

▶ Regina Spektor - My Dear Acquaintance (A Happy New Year) - YouTube:

The Ones We Saw in Cuzco Were Much Larger than the Ones Here

How the hummingbird ended up in the Andes 
Link.

The Greatest Magazine Ever Published

Life magazine, 1945: Why it was the greatest magazine ever published.

No Wonder My Brain Feels so Boosted

Brain function 'boosted for days after reading a novel': Reading a gripping novel causes biological changes in the brain which last for days as the mind is transported into the body of the protagonist.

I Found a Penny Last Week

Man who found $1M lottery ticket while raking leaves among 5 in New York State who claim big prizes

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Man stabbed after argument over jukebox music

Today's Vintage Ad


The Bronx Leads the Way

Bronx man has identity stolen — by his own father

Comic Strip of the Day

Link

Top 10 Weird Crime Stories of 2013

Top 10 Weird Crime Stories of 2013

Black Bart Update

The Flawed Gentleman Bandit

PaperBack



William L. Chester, Kioga of the Unknown Land, DAW, 1978

Thus Making It Easier to Find Your Breakfast Bacon When the 'Fridge Light Burns Out

Scientists create glow-in-the-dark PIGS after injecting them with jellyfish DNA

Alvin, Texas, Not Included

Top 10 Dangerous Cities

The Art of John Held, Jr.

The Golden Age: JOHN HELD JR ~ 1889-1958

The Largest Cemetery

Wadi Al-Salaam: The Largest Cemetery in The World

I Know You've Been Wondering

Did people in the Middle Ages throw excrement out windows?

Mighty Joe Young

▶ 1953 MIGHTY JOE YOUNG RE-ISSUE TRAILER - YouTube:

Friday, December 27, 2013

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Police: No beer on Christmas leads to ceramic squirrel stabbing

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Woman threatened to kill Walmart worker over price of skateboard, police say

Time to Write that Pastiche (since there's such a scarcity)

Sherlock Holmes Is in the Public Domain, American Judge Rules 

Sounds Like a Reasonable Excuse to Me

Unreturned library books can mean jail time: Enck was released on a $200 bond, requested time-served — and returned the book. He said he couldn't do it earlier because he checked it out before beginning a three-year prison term for robbery.  

Hat tip to Steve Stilwell.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Ohio woman stabs sister during Christmas fight over apple fritters

Arthur C. Clarke Predicted The Future Of Computers In 1974

Science Fiction Writer Predicted The Future Of Computers In 1974

Paul Blair, R., I. P.

NY Daily News: Paul Blair, who was acclaimed as one of the greatest defensive center fielders in baseball history and was one of the heroes for the Yankees in their 1977 World Series triumph over the Dodgers, died Thursday after suffering a heart attack while bowling in Pikesville, Md., his family said. He was 69. 

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Free for Kindle for a Limited Time

Amazon.com: The Rules eBook: Mark Troy: Kindle Store Personal Protection specialist Ava Rome follows three rules: A professional never calls attention to herself or her principal; a professional never leaves her principal; and, the most important rule, a professional never gets involved with her principal. To break the rules is to die.

Paul, her principal, comes from a powerful family with many enemies. Murder and kidnapping are just means of business in Paul's family. Ava believes he is not like the rest of them. Good looking, intelligent, he has everything women want. And many women want him, which makes Ava's job harder. Does she want him too? She recognizes that the greatest threat comes not from the outside, but from her own growing desire. In order to save them both, Ava must leave Paul, against his wishes and in violation of one of her rules. 

Ava was wrong. A greater threat lurks outside Paul's secure compound. Two threats, in fact. One human and the other a hurricane. Ava focuses on the hurricane. She and Paul make preparations to ride out the storm. It arrives and so does the intruder. Now Ava is in a fight for her life as nature's fury assaults the house from the outside and a serial rapist stalks her on the inside.

Cartoon of the Day



Link.

The Raven

The Raven: Lou Reed’s Adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe, Illustrated by Italian Artist Lorenzo Mattotti

Song of the Day

▶ Orioles - What Are You Doing New Year's Eve (original version) - YouTube:

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

HPD: Woman urinates on car at north Houston hotel on Christmas Day 

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

New Hampshire Crime: A 22-year-old Londonderry woman was arraigned Thursday on a second-degree assault charge, after she allegedly stabbed her father in the chest Christmas Eve during an argument over the location of the Big Dipper. 

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

I Miss the Old Days

Top 5 Fashion Offenses of The 1970s

Today's Vintage Ad


20 Fun Facts About The Exorcist On Its 40th Birthday

20 Fun Facts About The Exorcist On Its 40th Birthday

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

seattlepi.com: A Shoreline teen is behind bars following allegations he tried to shoot his father with a crossbow. King County prosecutors contend Tristan P. Olson tried to feather his father after the older man refused to let him drive the family car.

PaperBack



James R. Langham, A Pocketful of Clues, Chartered, 1946

Oh, to be in San Fran now that Claude is there!

Meet Santa Claude at the California Academy of Sciences!: Santa Claude, the one-and-only 'Alligator Santa' will be making special holiday appearances on December 24 and 31, 2013 as well as on January 1, 2014 starting at 10am at the California Academy of Sciences. Don't miss your chance to meet the lovable albino alligator character and take a professional holiday photo with family and friends.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

600 People Involved in Movie Theater Brawl, 5 Arrested 

3 Interesting Articles from Ernest Hemingway’s Newspaper Career

3 Interesting Articles from Ernest Hemingway’s Newspaper Career

A Forgotten Collection

Vintage Treasures: Nightmares by Robert Bloch

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

FOX Carolina 21: Deputies: Woman stabs fiance after argument over wedding color scheme

Another Forgotten Book

Vintage Treasures: Shattered Glass by Elaine Bergstrom

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Man pulls knife on father for not getting iPhone for Christmas

Paris Hilton Update

Paris Hilton -- I'm One of the Top 5 DJ's in the World ... Seriously.

A Forgotten Magazine

Galaxy Science Fiction, July 1951: A Retro-Review

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Two ex-Houston Oilers were gay and accepted by teammates, according to report 

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

FFB: A Night in the Lonesome October -- Roger Zelazny

I love Roger Zelazny's early books, but for a time there he was writing things that didn't engage me nearly as much.  I kept on reading them, mind you (well, except for the Amber series) because I kept hoping that he'd return to form.  And then, with his final book, he did.  I should have written about this one for Halloween, but it slipped down in the stack and I didn't get to it until now.  

To begin with, let me say that this is the best book you'll ever read that's narrated by Jack the Ripper's dog.  If that idea puts you off and makes you doubt that this is your kind of book, I'd say you're wrong.  

The dog's name is Snuff, and the story he tells has to do with the Great Game that is played during the month leading up to Halloween in those years when there's a full moon on that date.  That's when the Great Old Ones of Lovecraftian lore make their attempt to enter a gateway into our world.  There are two groups of players, the Openers and the Closers.  Jack has played before, but it appears that none of the others in this game have.  So far, the Closers have always won, but it's often a tight race.  The players this time consist of Jack the Ripper, the Universal monsters (I know they didn't originate with Universal, but their characters in this book come from the movies, not the original sources), a Mad Monk, a witch, a Druid, a clergyman, and a couple of others.  Sherlock Holmes and Watson are also important characters, and all the players have familiars, of which Snuff is one.  The familiars are excellent characters, too, especially Graymalk, the cat, whose relationship with Snuff is one of the book's highlights.

The Game has rules, but sometimes they get violated, and it's fairly complicated.  I'm a little surprised nobody's developed it as an actual game to be played by gaming fans.  I'm sure it could be done.

A Night in the Lonesome October is stylish, poetic, at times hilarious, suspenseful, and just a whole lot of fun.  And did I mention the Gahan Wilson illustrations?  No?  Well, there's one for each night of the month, with maybe a couple of extras. Great stuff.  If you're looking for a treat, don't wait until next year to read this one.




Sitting Pretty

▶ 1948 SITTING PRETTY TRAILER CLIFTON WEBB - YouTube:

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Piranha Christmas! Soon to Be a Sy Fy Movie of the Week?

Piranhas fish bite, injure more than 70 bathers in Argentina over Christmas vacation  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Christmas night fight between sisters over apple fritters ends in stabbing 

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Mother of 3 attacked over bad parking 

Jeffrey Pollack, R. I. P.

TheWrap: Jeffrey Ian Pollack, a producer of Will Smith’s 1990s sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and director of 1997 Jamie Foxx comedy “Booty Call,” was found dead Monday morning in Hermosa Beach, Calif. He was 54.

10 Wild Facts About Reindeer

10 Wild Facts About Reindeer

Song of the Day

▶ Bobby Darin - Ave Maria // Christmas Essentials - YouTube:

Who invented crosswords?

The Economist explains: Who invented crosswords?

Today's Vintage Ad


First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

2 arrested, deputy injured after Christmas Day football game turns into brawl 

Top 8 Misspellings From 2013

Top 8 Misspellings From 2013

PaperBack



Richard S. Prather, Dead Man's Walk, Pocket Books, 1964

How to Write: A Year in Advice

How to Write: A Year in Advice from Franzen, King, Hosseini, and More 

Link via SF Signal.

"Great" Might be a Misnomer

Great Lost Manuscripts of Science Fiction and Fantasy

Yet Another List I'm Not On

12 Famous Novelists Who Became Hollywood Screenwriters

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Deputies: Elderly couple's argument over husband's use of dating website puts her in hospital, him in jail 

Happy Boxing Day!

Boxing Day - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Boxing Day is traditionally the day following Christmas Day, when servants and tradesmen would receive gifts, known as a "Christmas box", from their bosses[1] or employers. Today, Boxing Day is the bank holiday that generally takes place on 26 December. It is observed in the United Kingdom, Canada, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago and some other Commonwealth nations.

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Local man says tire shop ruined classic Corvette

Overlooked Music

"A Horse With No Name" -What Does That Mean? 

Free and Easy

▶ 1941 FREE AND EASY TRAILER ROBERT CUMMINGS - YouTube:

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Ongoing dispute over doormat lands neighbor in jail

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

WAVE: Fight breaks out near Santa's booth at Mall St. Matthews

Christmas Comic Book Covers

The Golden Age: COMIC BOOK COVERS

5 Amazing Pieces of Good News Nobody Is Reporting

5 Amazing Pieces of Good News Nobody Is Reporting

The Original Reviews of 10 Classic Christmas Movies

The Original Reviews of 10 Classic Christmas Movies 

Song of the Day

▶ The Virgin Mary By The Chad Mitchell Trio - YouTube:

That's the Spirit!

Now I Know – A Festivus for the Peruvians: On December 25th — yes, Christmas Day — residents in the area dress up in traditional costumes and take to the street, dancing. Afterward, they gather in a field and beat each other up.

Christmas with Ed Emshwiller and Mel Hunter

The Golden Age: ED EMSHWILLER & MEL HUNTER

Today's Vintage Ad



The Worst Fantasy Films of All Time

The Worst Fantasy Films of All Time

PaperBack



Astounding Science Fiction, January, 1955

The 17 Most Excellent Presidential Christmastime Photos

The 17 Most Excellent Presidential Christmastime Photos

Gator Update (Death Match Edition)

You messed with the wrong reptile! Python loses death match with Florida alligator and ends up in its JAWS  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Paris Hilton Christmas Update

Paris Hilton distracts herself from Lohan row by Christmas shopping with sister Nicky... before getting a festive spray tan  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

35 Celebrities As Classic Paintings

35 Celebrities As Classic Paintings

The 12 Weirdest Stories of Christmas

The 12 Weirdest Stories of Christmas 

Christmas During the Civil War

Western Fictioneers: Christmas During the Civil War

Merry Christmas to All!


Christmas with the Dead

▶ Movie Trailer 3 Christmas with the Dead - YouTube:

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Sister jailed for flinging peanut butter in argument over dog 

NORMAN ROCKWELL, The Saturday Evening Post Covers

The Golden Age: NORMAN ROCKWELL, The Saturday Evening Post Covers

T. S. Eliot’s “The Cultivation of Christmas Trees”

T. S. Eliot’s “The Cultivation of Christmas Trees”: A Rare 1954 Gem, Illustrated by Enrico Arno 

Most Annoying Word

Most Annoying Word: 'Whatever': Hands down, no word grates on Americans more than "whatever," a public opinion survey says.

Song of the Day

▶ The Kingston Trio: "The White Snows Of Winter" - YouTube:

The Christmas truce

The Christmas truce 

The 24 Most Valuable Christmas Lessons From Calvin And Hobbes

The 24 Most Valuable Christmas Lessons From Calvin And Hobbes

Today's Vintage Ad


My Bet? Some of You Have Even Seen Some of Them

7 Hilariously Terrible Disney Movies You Probably Didn't Know Existed

PaperBack



John W. Campbell, The Mightiest Machine, Ace, 1975

Top 15 Best Selling Toys in History

Top 15 Best Selling Toys in History

Triumph of the English Major

Triumph of the English Major 

Neil Gaiman Reads Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol”

Neil Gaiman Reads Charles Dickens’s Original Performance Script for “A Christmas Carol”

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Amarillo police: Footprints in snow lead police to burglar 

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Intoxicated man arrested for shooting at front door  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Pancho Claus: A Tex-Mex Santa from the South Pole

Maybe Seepy Benton Can Help

21 Signs You Suck At Math

10 Great Discoveries of “Lost” Movies and TV Shows

10 Great Discoveries of “Lost” Movies and TV Shows

Overlooked Movies: Francis (The Talking Mule)

Before there was Mr. Ed, there was Francis.  Some you know me as a "hip" and "with it" kind of guy, very sophisticated and debonair.  Others of you have read my comments on movies like The Mouse that Roared and Carry On Nurse (not to mention The Good Humor Man) and realize that I'm actually a slapstick-loving hayseed.  And if you're not convinced of that already, well, this post should do the trick.  Because, you see, I loved the series of movies about Francis, the talking mule.  There were quite a few of them, and I saw most of them in the theater, laughing all the way.

The setup in the first on in the series is simple. It's a service comedy. Donald O'Connor is a soldier lost in the jungles of Burma.  He happens to run into a mule that talks.  More importantly, the mule knows the way back to the base, so O'Connor is saved.  Naturally the mule won't talk to anyone but O'Connor, but that's okay at first. Then O'Connor is assigned to intelligence work and starts coming up with great intel.  Which all comes from Francis.  O'Connor, who cannot tell a lie, thought to be nutty.  Hilarity ensues.  Or it does if you're like me, which you probably aren't.

At the end of every one of these movies, things are made all right when Francis finally speaks up to a group of people.  Nobody remembers that by the time of the next movie, though, so it all begins again.  Francis is voiced by Chill Wills, and he has all the best lines in the movies.  Donald O'Connor doesn't sing and dance, more's the pity, but I never saw him in a movie in which he didn't do a fine job, as he does here.  Sometime when you're feeling the need of a little craziness, take a look at Francis.