Saturday, March 03, 2012

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Inking for Jesus: Dozens of church members take Lenten tattoo challenge

Currently Free for Kindle

Amazon.com: Witness to Death eBook: Dave White: Kindle Store: **Rated one of the 12 Best Crime Novels of the Year by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal**

John Brighton is an ordinary young schoolteacher still hung up on his ex, Michelle. Suspecting her new boyfriend is cheating on her, John decides to follow Frank's Lexus and find out the truth once and for all. Turns out John's in for a major surprise. Frank isn't heading for some sack time with another girl. Instead he drags John into the middle of a shootout on the banks of the Hudson River, and before John knows what's happening, he's knee-deep in bodies.

Livermore Leads the Way

CBS San Francisco: A 700-pound Livermore man’s plea for help to lose weight has become a viral sensation on YouTube in less than 24 hours.

Top 10 silent films to watch after The Artist

Top 10 silent films to watch after The Artist

Song of the Day

25 Inspiring Biographies for Aspiring Writers

25 Inspiring Biographies for Aspiring Writers

The 10 Biggest Book Burnings in Literary History

The 10 Biggest Book Burnings in Literary History

Today's Vintage Ad

Get Your Copy Now!


Amazon.com: Gabby Darbins and the Slide-Rock Bolter (Rancho Diablo) eBook: Colby Jackson, Mel Odom, Bill Crider, James Reasoner: 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!

Here's the Plot for Your Next Simian Thriller

Mystery of the mechanical gorilla in the mist that suddenly appeared in the Cambridgeshire Fens

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Here's the Plot for Your Next College Thriller

College student body president quits job because she's 'burnt out'... and then 'robs bank armed with a knife'

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

PaperBack


Henry Kuttner, Dr. Cyclops, Popular Library, 1967

As you can see on the covers, the volume also contains two other pulp novellas.



Shortlist for Oddest Book Title of the Year Revealed

Shortlist for Oddest Book Title of the Year Revealed

Free this Weekend on Amazon

Livia J. Washburn: Free this Weekend on Amazon: Free this Weekend on Amazon
HALLAM COLLECTION includes:

"Hallam", is the first appearance of Lucas Hallam, a cowboy who has outlived the days of the old west to become a gun-toting private eye and stuntman in the early days of motion pictures in California. Originally published in The Eye's Have It, 1984.

I'm Everywhere!

Medicine Show Audio Book | Bill Crider | Download Medicine Show: Ray Storey plays the role of Kit Carson in Col. A. J. Mahaffey's Authentic Medicine Show, wearing a fringed outfit and doing trick shooting to help the colonel push his Miracle Oil and Indian Vitality Pills. Storey's using his job with the show to travel around the country to look for the men who killed his parents, and of course there's a showdown in the end. Also accompanying the show are an alcoholic doctor and the colonel's daughter, who plays the Indian Maiden known as Banuj Ta-Ta.

Today's Western Movie Poster

5 Amazing Performances From Actors Who Weren't Acting | Cracked.com

5 Amazing Performances From Actors Who Weren't Acting

The 10 Worst Love Scenes in Cinematic History

The 10 Worst Love Scenes in Cinematic History

Livia & James Reasoner Share Their Writing Secrets

Petticoats & Pistols � Livia & James Reasoner Share Their Writing Secrets

The 15 Best Novels Forecasting Our Future

The 15 Best Novels Forecasting Our Future

And Stay off Her Damn Lawn!

Zombie gran: 95-year-old Chinese woman terrifies neighbours by climbing out of her coffin six days after she 'died'

AbeBooks' Most Expensive Sales in February 2012

AbeBooks: AbeBooks' Most Expensive Sales in February 2012

Gambling Lady

Friday, March 02, 2012

Yet People Say Romance is Dead

Alleged Robber Calls Victim For A Date

Hat tip to Jeff Segal.

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

You can't miss with this combination.

Amazon.com: Bullets for a Ballot eBook: Nik Morton: Kindle Store: Cash Laramie Returns! Gun Smoke Rises And Blood Spills.

In the town of Bear Pines, Mrs. Tolliver has announced she is running for the mayoral office. She’s the first woman to run as a candidate which divides the residents and sets the town into a tailspin. U.S. Marshal Cash Laramie is sent in to maintain peace and order and to protect Tolliver and her family from powerful allies of the incumbent, Mayor Nolan. In a bid to force her to quit the race, things turn ugly ... and deadly. Surrounded by killers who will stop at nothing to make sure Mrs. Tolliver is not elected, Cash wires Cheyenne for assistance, but will help arrive in time?

Get Your Copy Now!


Amazon.com: Gabby Darbins and the Slide-Rock Bolter (Rancho Diablo) eBook: Colby Jackson, Mel Odom, Bill Crider, James Reasoner: 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!

Coming Soon!

It's Texas Independence Day!

Texas Independence Day - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Texas Independence Day is the celebration of the adoption of the Texas Declaration of Independence on March 2, 1836. With this document, settlers in Mexican Texas officially broke from Mexico, creating the Republic of Texas.[1] Texas Independence Day is an official holiday in the state of Texas.[2]

I Don't Remember College Being Like This

CBS New York: A college student from New York is suing Stonehill College in Massachusetts, a Catholic Liberal Arts College, saying her roommate’s sex life drove her into a suicidal depression and that the school did nothing to address her concerns.

The Decline of Western Civilization Continues Apace

Kodak Kills Off Its Color Reversal Films: Kodak announced today that it has decided to discontinue its color reversal (AKA slide) films due to a steady decrease in sales and usage. The films discontinued are Ektachrome E100G/E100VS and Elite Chrome Extra Color 100. The company estimates that based on current sales pace, you’ll still be able to purchase the discontinued films for about six to nine months.

Link via Boing Boing.

Free Book for Your Kindle! Today Only


Amazon.com: Gallows Pole eBook: J.D. Rhoades: Kindle Store: Someone is killing entire families, forcing fathers to hang their wives and children before taking their own lives. How does the killer do it? And what is the meaning of the small iron horse the killer leaves at every murder scene? FBI agent Melissa Saxon and her handpicked team are racing against time to solve the mystery before more families die.

Former anti-terrorist operative Colonel Mark Bishop and the survivors of his command think they know. One of their own, a stone killer who calls himself the Hangman, has come out to play, and he's trying to draw out not only Bishop, but his former comrades—the elite team known as Iron Horse.

Only the Horsemen can stop one of their own. But the team is disbanded, the survivors scattered. Bishop himself is tormented by guilt for the things he had to do to keep one of his men from suffering an agonizing death. Their adversary is not only a skilled assassin, but a master at creating fear. Behind the scenes, shadowy and powerful figures pursue their own plans for Bishop and the Hangman.

Mark Bishop, Melissa Saxon, and the last of the Iron Horsemen will have to use all their courage and every resource, including an array of high-tech weapons, to stop the Hangman. What they have to do will put everything they ever believed in to the ultimate test and push Bishop to the edge of sanity.

Free e-Book! Limited Time!


Amazon.com: Lucy Cruz and the Chupacabra Killings eBook: Steven Torres: Kindle Store: Photojournalist Lucy Cruz, young, beautiful, talented, and poor, spends her nights sitting outside a farm waiting for El Chupacabra - Puerto Rico's legendary livestock killing beast. The group that hired her want only one clear photo of the animal, but what her camera captures is not one animal killing another - it's murder. When she hands police her photos, she's thrown into a fight for her life against a killer who's only getting started.

When the man she loves is nearly murdered, Lucy races to piece together the clues before the killer's aim improves...

Song of the Day

They're Everywhere!

Alligator found in grocery store parking lot

Today's Vintage Ad

FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE: A Day at the Zoo

pattinase: FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE: A Day at the Zoo

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

I've ordered my copy.

Amazon.com: Blood & Tacos #1 eBook: Matthew Funk, Johnny Shaw, Gary Phillips, Christopher Blair, Cameron Ashley: Kindle Store: There was a time when paperback racks were full of men’s adventure series. Next to the Louis L’Amours, one could find the adventures of The Executioner, the Destroyer, the Death Merchant, and many more action heroes that were hell-bent on bringing America back from the brink. That time was the 1970s & ’80s. A bygone era filled with wide-eyed innocence and mustaches.

Those stories are back! The new quarterly magazine Blood & Tacos is bringing back the action, the fun, and the adventure. Also, the mustaches.

In each issue of Blood & Tacos, some of today’s hottest crime writers will choose an era and create a new pulp hero and deliver a brand-new adventure. Each issue will include 5-6 stories featuring action-packed mayhem written in the style of that bygone era. The stories might not always be politically correct, but whether satire or homage, they will deliver on every page. Fast and fun, action and adventure, Blood & Tacos.

If the stories weren’t enough, Blood & Tacos will also feature fine pulpy art, reviews of some of the fine (and not so fine) novels from the same period, and maybe even a recipe or two.

So enjoy this serving of Blood & Tacos. And remember, if it’s too cheesy, it’s a quesadilla.

And Keep Off Her Lawn!

Grandmother, 55, to Audition for Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders

New at Fires on the Plain

Edward A. Grainger’s “Bullets For a Ballot,” as written by Nik Morton

PaperBack


Herbert D. Kastle, One Thing on my Mind, Popular Library, 1957




Uh-Oh

Blastr: The British sci-fi classic The Day of the Triffids is headed to the big screen once again ... and this time Sam Raimi is behind the project.

Literary Collaborations: Two Heads are Better Than One

Literary Collaborations: Two Heads are Better Than One: They say too many cooks spoil the broth? Writing books is supposed to be a solitary task and yet literary collaborations between authors are surprisingly frequent. We’re not talking about a celebrity making the most of their 15 minutes with a ghostwriter - this selection showcases legitimate writers pooling their talent.

Before you mention that Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett wrote together, and Stephen King and Peter Straub too, let’s venture back to 19th century Europe and the work of the Brothers Grimm. Jacob and Wilhelm set the standard for literary collaborations with Grimm’s Fairy Tales. This collection of stories, harvested from folklore, is one of the most influential works in Western culture and offers lasting proof that collaborations can be successful.

Today's Western Movie Poster

Top 10 Films Where the Villains Win

Top 10 Films Where the Villains Win

17 successful adaptations of “unadaptable” books

How did they ever make a movie of…? : 17 successful adaptations of “unadaptable” books

Yet Another List I'm Not On (Whew!)

The 10 Greatest Cases of Fraud in University Research

And Keep Off Its Lawn!

Still sucking – the world’s oldest vacuum cleaner

Forgotten Books: I'll Cry when I Kill You -- Peter Israel

Besides having written several crime novels, Peter Israel was an editor at G. P. Putnam. Though he wasn't a fan of SF, he became the editor of Philip K. Dick (for one novel), Frank Herbert, and Robert A. Heinlein. He's done an excellent blog post about that, and I highly recommend it. His association with SF writers seems to be what led him to write I'll Cry When I Kill You.

Philip Revere works as an investigator for high-powered New York attorney Charles Camelot. One of Camelot's clients is a famous SF writer named Raul Bashard, who believes someone wants to kill him. He's determined to go to a convention in honor of his 80th birthday, however, and Revere is to be in charge of security. Sure enough, someone does kill Bashard at the con. It's up to Revere to find out who did it.

Complications include Bashard's beautiful 18-year-old granddaughter, whom he's legally adopted as his daughter. Sounds weird right? Well, it is, and there are some hints at darker things. The daughter also has a yen for Revere, who, as we're told more than once, is "old enough to be her father." (Yes, the yen is satisfied.)

I'd read other Israel novels in the past, but I'd missed this one. Someone mentioned that Bashard seemed to have been based on Robert A. Heinlein, so that made me curious. If that's true, it's a far from flattering picture. Heinlein and other SF novelists are name-checked in the course of the novel, but only one other fictional one is prominent. I don't know if he's based on an actual writer. Could be, I suppose. As a mystery, the novel works pretty well, and the solution is more complicated than it first appears.

SF fans don't come off too well: "'It's every guy who never made the team, every girl who never had a date in high school.'"

The book was published in 1988, sort of at the beginning of the personal computer era (PCs play a fairly important role) and just before the cell phone era. Revere mentions his dislike of his beeper several times. If he's still around, he must really dislike cell phones.

Pony Post

Thursday, March 01, 2012

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

News & Star | News: A man told a court how his estranged partner stabbed him in the buttock with a kitchen knife when he refused to help her prepare the food for their granddaughter’s christening party.

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Dispatchers in East Texas answer 911 calls while on the toilet

Texas Is on the LIst Twice (out of 7)

America's Best BBQ Cities

Beautiful Pre-Code Movie Posters Unconvered in a Pennsylvania Attic

Beautiful Pre-Code Movie Posters Unconvered in a Pennsylvania Attic

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

This is another good one from Zeltserman, a fast-paced one-sitting read. Check it out.

Amazon.com: The Hunted (The Hunted Series) eBook: Dave Zeltserman: Kindle Store: Will you be able to figure out the mind-blowing secret of THE HUNTED?

From the author of the groundbreaking ‘man out of prison’ noir trilogy (Small Crimes, Pariah, Killer) comes an exciting new novella series mixing hardboiled crime with government conspiracy. In this first explosive novella, THE HUNTED, Dan Willis is unemployed and desperate when he is recruited by The Factory. Trained to hunt down and kill insurgents hellbent on destroying the country, Willis methodically and efficiently performs his job. But there's a dark secret behind The Factory, and when Willis discovers it no one is safe.

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

-CNN.com Blogs: Texas is getting its own navy.

World Book Day

World Book Day: the world's most valuable books - Telegraph: To mark World Book Day on March 1, we look at some of the world's most valuable titles. In a list of the most expensive books sold at auction, The Economist put John James Audubon's The Birds of America (1827-1838) at number one. It sold for $10.3m in 2010.

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

MAN SHOOTS DAUGHTER: He claims that he shot her because she had not taken her medication and was acting odd.

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

The strong of heart will want to read the entire article.

Houston News: ​A text-message sent to an undercover led to the arrest of two meth suspects at the gates of the Trinity, Texas, suburb called Hawg Heaven on Monday.

Trinity County Constable Woody Wallace told KTRE that when he and Trinity police arrived on the scene, Brittany Williams, 22, and Shaun Calhoun, 28, were smoking meth out of a repurposed lightbulb and/or shooting the drug with syringes.

Hat tip to Mel Odom.

Latest Getting Away With Murder Now On-line

GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER #64 MARCH 2012

10 Best Songs About Prison

10 Best Songs About Prison

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Your Stay In The Liberty County Jail Includes Nightly Porn Movies

Song of the Day

F W Media Launches E-Book-Only Imprint to Publish Out-of-Print Pulp Novels

F W Media Launches E-Book-Only Imprint to Publish Out-of-Print Pulp Novels | Digital Book World: March 1, 2012– F+W Media announced today the acquisition of more than 250 out-of-print novels, spanning 1940-1970, to be reissued as e-books under the imprint, Prologue Books. These hard-boiled crime novels, written by legends like Peter Rabe and William Campbell Gault, served as inspiration for contemporary crime fiction. Before, these old paperbacks could only be found at book fairs and used book stores, but now, they will be available to anyone with an e-reader.

“I envision Prologue Books not simply an e-book publisher for out-of-print titles, but as a living record of the crime, science fiction, and fantasy genres,” said Ben LeRoy, publisher of Tyrus Books who is spearheading the project. “There’s a great opportunity to shine the spotlight on authors who may have been significantly influential on the current state of publishing, but who have never really received their due for one reason or another. With the help of luminaries in the genres—authors, readers, reviewers—we are excited to find and share those stories.”

“I love and collect vintage paperbacks, so you’d think the concept of e-books would have no appeal for someone like me,” said pulp novelist, Christa Faust. “But the way I see it, having reading copies of these classic titles available in digital format is not only a great way to attract new readers, it also helps to preserve existing paper editions that are too fragile to be thumbed through. It’s old-school pulp for a new generation. A brilliant idea that’s long overdue.”

Ranking Elizabeth Taylor’s Film Roles from Best to Worst

Ranking Elizabeth Taylor’s Film Roles from Best to Worst

2010 Short Mystery Fiction Society Finalists

Mystery Fanfare: 2010 Short Mystery Fiction Society Finalists

Today's Vintage Ad

Free! Free! Free! (Three Days Only)

The price is right!

Amazon.com: Top Suspense: 13 Classic Stories by 12 Masters of the Genre (Top Suspense Anthologies) eBook: Harry Shannon, Vicki Hendricks, Paul Levine, Libby Hellmann, Joel Goldman, Max Allan Collins, Bill Crider, Ed Gorman, Lee Goldberg, Dave Zeltserman: Kindle Store: Hold on tight for a literary thrill-ride into the wickedly clever, frightening, and exhilarating world of Top Suspense, a sizzling collaboration of twelve master storytellers at the peak of their powers in thirteen unforgettable tales. This pulse-pounding anthology – packed full of cold-blooded killers, erotic tension, shady private eyes, craven drug dealers, vicious betrayals, crafty thieves, and shocking twists – is only a taste of the thrills you will find in the breathtakingly original ebooks by these authors at www.topsuspensegroup.com.

So sit back, bite down on a piece of strong leather, and prepare to get hit by some gale-force suspense and writing so sharp it will draw blood.

Look also for our latest anthology, Favorite Kills.

And also free for three days: Die, Lover, Die!, the Top Suspense Group round-robin thriller.

What Science Fiction Books Does A Futurist Read?

What Science Fiction Books Does A Futurist Read?

PaperBack


Jimmy Shannon, The Devil's Passkey, Signet, 1953




Spoilers Galore

Fantastic Novels with Disappointing Endings

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Houston News: ​"Intoxicated male selling chickens door-to-door" is not the most common after-midnight call for police to field, even in a wild-and-woolly town like Lufkin, but according to KTRE, police there had just such a case over the weekend.

Snapshots of New York City Street Scenes, 1936-1951

Snapshots of New York City Street Scenes, 1936-1951

Today's Western Movie Poster

I know, I Know . . .

The 20 Best Novels About Being a Teacher

6 Insane Sequels That Almost Ruined Classic Movies

6 Insane Sequels That Almost Ruined Classic Movies

10 Bands Known Only for a TV Show Theme Song

10 Bands Known Only for a TV Show Theme Song

Top 25 Noir Films

Top 25 Noir Films

Here's the Plot for Your Next Noir Heist Novel

Man accused of killing guard in armored truck: 'My life is over' | www.wpxi.com: A man police said killed his partner and stole $2.3 million from an armored vehicle on Tuesday remains on the run.

Investigators said an arrest warrant has been issued for Kenneth Konias Jr., 22, of Dravosburg. Konias is wanted in connection with the shooting death of Michael Haines, 31, of East McKeesport, and with stealing $2.3 million from the Garda Cash Logistics vehicle.

Say It Ain't So!

As Ronnie I’s Closes, Sounds of Doo-Wop Fade Away - NYTimes.com: The end is near for Ronnie I’s Clifton Music after 40 years on Main Avenue — yet another victim of the Internet, the economy, and changing tastes in music and shopping.

But this time it is not just a store that is dying, four years after its founder did, but perhaps a whole genre of music as well. For the aging fans of the group harmony of the Harptones and the Heartbeats, the Orioles and the Ravens, the Five Keys and the Five Satins, the passing of Clifton Music is a reminder that rock ’n’ roll may never die, but one hyperbolic sect, the fading kingdom of doo-wop, just might.

Tomb of Torture

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Dino Update

The Associated Press: Dinosaurs had fleas too _ giant ones, fossils show

Hat tip to Jeff Segal.

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

If you like hardboiled fiction, you can't go wrong here.

Amazon.com: Sand's War (9781605435978): Ennis Willie, Max Allan Collins: Books: Bounding out of a violent past comes SAND . . . So begins the second volume of hardboiled novellas about the toughest guy around, Sand. Just Sand. Written in 1963 by the enigmatic Ennis Willie, HAVEN FOR THE DAMNED and THE SCARLET GODDESS thrust Sand on an innocent and cruel world and God help the world. Max Allan Collins, who knows his way around a violent novel or two, introduces SAND'S WAR and gives you ample warning about why you should fear Sand, but it's doubtful you'll heed him. Sand is just too tempting and by the time you have two toes dipped into the raging torrent of Sand's life you'll be sucked in for a ride you just might never recover from -- until the next Sand thriller from Ennis Willie and Ramble House. "Some of the toughest, smoothest hardboiled novels...Miniature masterpieces with an ambience all their own. Part Spillane, part spaghetti-western -- all Ennis Willie."

Just a Thoughtful Guy

Man Accused Of Stealing Items From Cemetery, Giving Them Out As Gifts

The 26 Happiest Animals In The World

The 26 Happiest Animals In The World

Hat tip to Cullen Gallagher.

No Comment Department

Embalmer Allegedly Stole Gold Crowns From The Dead CBS Denver: Police say they first learned of the case when they got a tip from a pawn shop in Longmont. They say Kline went to EZ Pawn several times to get cash for gold fillings and that the manager called police after the transactions began to feel “creepy.”

5 Odd Facts About Davy Jones

RIP, Davy Jones: 5 Odd Facts About Him

Davy Jones, R. I. P.

Rolling Stone: Davy Jones of the Monkees has died of an apparent heart attack at age 66. The singer – who had been on a solo tour this month - complained of chest pains last evening and was admitted to a hospital this morning in Stuart Florida.

Jones was born in Manchester, England and started acting as a child, though he got his big break in 1965 when he joined The Monkees. The group had a hugely successful television series, and a slew of hit songs in the late 1960s. At their peak in 1967 they sold more records than the Beatles.

Yes, Flying Lawnmower WBAGNFARB

"Awesome Flying Lawnmower" is just what it sounds like

Video at the link.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

10 Big Businesses That Let Employees Nap on the Job

10 Big Businesses That Let Employees Nap on the Job

Song of the Day

New Story at BEAT to a PULP

BEAT to a PULP :: Pulp of the Week

Or Maybe You Do

8 American Subcultures You Know Nothing About

No Comment Department

CBS Charlotte: A North Carolina man is dead after police say he accidentally drank from a jar of gasoline and then smoked a cigarette.

Today's Vintage Ad

Top 10 Films Based on Real-Life Crimes

Top 10 Films Based on Real-Life Crimes

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .

Woman says man punched her when she told him to put out blunt

PaperBack


Richard Sale, Murder at Midnight, Popular Library, 1950




14 Movie Cameos by the Authors of the Original Books

14 Movie Cameos by the Authors of the Original Books

10 Great Magical Books for Adults

10 Great Magical Books for Adults

Today's Western Movie Poster

Men in Black (and White): Artists Who Made Monochromatic Dressing Their Calling Card

Men in Black (and White): Artists Who Made Monochromatic Dressing Their Calling Card

The Strangest Packaged Foods of All Time

The Strangest Packaged Foods of All Time Slideshow

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Top 10 Skull Hoaxes

Top 10 Skull Hoaxes

Happy Leap Day!

February 29 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: February 29, known as a leap day in the Gregorian calendar, is a date that occurs in most years that are evenly divisible by 4, such as 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016. Years that are evenly divisible by 100 do not contain a leap day, with the exception of years that are evenly divisible by 400, which do contain a leap day; thus 1900 did not contain a leap day while 2000 did. Years containing a leap day are called leap years. February 29 is the 60th day of the Gregorian calendar in such a year, with 306 days remaining until the end of that year.

Or Maybe You Have

10 Weirdest Science Fiction Novels That You've Never Read

Las Vegas Story

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Art Scott Take Note

MSN.com: All of this brings us to Texas, where they go in big for this sort of thing. At Tears of Joy Hot Sauce Shop in Austin, hot sauce is the name of the game, but even people there have the good sense not to mess with the Naga Viper. No, the hottest product Tears stocks is much worse: Blair's 16 Million Reserve, a chemical-grade capsaicin extract.

Hat tip to Jeff Segal.

Ennis Willie Interview

It's here: Ed Gorman's blog

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Rockwall Doctor Charged In Biggest U.S. Healthcare Fraud Ever

Mongo Update

Man arrested, accused of punching police horse

20 More Beautiful Bookstores from Around the World

20 More Beautiful Bookstores from Around the World

Song of the Day

Today's Vintage Ad

The world's best street food

The world's best street food

PaperBack


Richard Sale, Home is the Hangman, Popular Library, 1949





Yes, this WBAGNFARB

Chickens Wearing Sweaters

Ummmmmmm! Fast Food on a Stick

Food on a Stick at the Wisconsin State Fair

Sexism In 30 Vintage Ads

Sexism In 30 Vintage Ads

Time and Chance Happeneth to Them All

'80s Teen Queens - Then and Now

Today's Western Movie Poster

Archaeology Update

5 Ridiculous Archeological Frauds (That Fooled the World)

Probably a Chupacabra Relative

msnbc.com: Residents in northern Namibia, on the southwest coast of Africa, have reported being terrorized by a bizarre dog-pig hybrid creature. The animal is said to be mostly white and unlike anything the villagers have ever seen, with a doglike head and the broad, round, nearly hairless back and shoulders of a giant pig. The beast was spotted chasing and attacking dogs, goats and other domestic animals in this arid region not far from the Kalahari desert.

Gator Kill

CentreDaily.com: Police in Mifflin County said a Burnham man fatally stabbed his pet alligator because he was afraid officers responding to his home would discover the animal.

Mifflin County Regional Police charged Kurtis Perschau with cruelty to animals Friday after they said he stabbed the alligator with a large knife tied to a broom handle.

Uh-Oh

Boomstick Comics: Here is an interesting bit of news. Lucy Liu, who we all know is a beautiful female, will be taking on the role of Watson in a new Sherlock Holmes pilot for CBS. This is a modern day telling of the classic Sir Arthur Connan Doyle novel and her character name will be Joan Watson.

Jonny Lee Miller will play Holmes, a former consultant to Scotland Yard whose addiction problems led him to a rehab center in New York City. Just out of rehab, Holmes now lives in Brooklyn with “sober companion” Joan Watson (Liu), a former surgeon who lost her license after a patient died, while consulting for the NYPD. The pilot will be written by Michael Cuesta and written by Robert Doherty.

The 90 Best Albums of the 1990s

The 90 Best Albums of the 1990s

Overlooked Movies -- Morgan the Pirate

I've been a sucker for pirate movies ever since I was a kid, and if you're tired of bloated efforts like the Pirates of the Caribbean series, you might try something like this one. It's about an hour and a half long, it's in glorious Technicolor, and it swashbuckles along at a ripping pace.

Steve Reeves makes a great Henry Morgan, who probably wasn't really built like Reeves, but who cares? Historical accuracy? Who cares about that, either, though some of the movie is indeed based on historical events. What you want is swordfights (and there's one really good one along with several others), sea battles (these look great, as I recall, and in the days before CGI this film has some swell-looking ships), humor (some of which probably still works), good-looking stars (Reeves and his female co-stars surely qualify), and a rousing story. It's all here. Or maybe my memory's playing me false. I loved it when I saw it on the big screen. I've seen it on TV once in the years since, and I still got a kick out of it. Give me this one instead of Johnny Depp any day.

Morgan the Pirate

Monday, February 27, 2012

Rejected Star Wars Toys!

Rejected Star Wars Toys: George Lucas is denying you an inflatable Emperor's Throne!

Hat tip to Art Scott.

Edna Milton, R. I. P.

Jayme Blaschke, who's writing a book avout the Chicken Ranch, has a nice tribute at the link.

Gibberish: Miss Edna (1928-2012): The Fayette County Record is reporting tonight that Edna Milton, better known to many as "Miss Edna," the former madam of the Chicken Ranch brothel in La Grange, has died.

Jan Berenstain, R. I. P.

Flavorwire: Sad news for the many generations who grew up reading Berenstain Bears books: Jan Berenstain, who co-authored and illustrated the books with her husband, Stan, has died. The Associated Press reports that the 88-year-old Berenstain passed away Friday after suffering a stroke on Thursday. Her career spanned half a century and produced over 300 books that have been translated into 23 languages and sold over 260 million copies. Inspired by the Berenstains’ own family, the stories have tackled everything from messy rooms and slumber parties to, in 2010, computer trouble. After Stan’s death in 2005, Jan continued to work on the books with her son, Mike, an illustrator, who plans to carry on the series now that both of his parents are gone.

Marion Mathie, R. I. P.

Telegraph: Marion Mathie, the actress who has died aged 86, was best known as Mrs Hilda Rumpole, aka “She Who Must Be Obeyed”, Leo McKern’s overbearing wife in John Mortimer’s popular courtroom series Rumpole of the Bailey.

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

Amazon.com: Battling Boxing Stories: Thrilling Tales of Pugilistic Puissance (9781434444264): BATTLING BOXING STORIES presents 15 of the most intense and hard-hitting stories about the puglisitic arts collected in one place and written by some of the best of today's new crop of exciting writers. The stories in this book highlight all types of boxers and all aspects of the sport, from amateur bouts and illegal street fights, to heavyweight championship events. These are wonderful stories with unforgettable characters who are full of passion and emotion, action and rage--heartfelt tales about real people fighting for their lives, their honor, and sometimes their very souls. Each story captures that rare magic--the combination of violence and magesty that takes place in the boxing ring. Your ears will still be ringing with the sting of these battles long after you finish this book! The authors featured include: Wayne D. Dundee, Stan Trybulski, Ron Fortier, Robert S. P. Lee, G. D. McFetridge, Arlette Lees, Terence Butler, Marc Spitzer, C. J. Henderson, Gary Lovisi, Garnett Elliott, Penelope Stanhope, Michael A. Black, Lonni Lees, and William Boyle.

Grift No. 1 is coming soon!

Grift No. 1 is coming soon! | Grift Magazine

Or Maybe You Have

19 Pepsi Flavors You've Probably Never Heard Of

Song of the Day

The 13 Best NBA Dunk Contest Dunks Of All Time

The 13 Best NBA Dunk Contest Dunks Of All Time

6 Ways The Creator of 'Sharktopus' Invented Modern Cinema

6 Ways The Creator of 'Sharktopus' Invented Modern Cinema

The Sleepiest States

The Sleepiest States

Little Libraries

Little Libraries have people thinking (and reading) outside the box

Today's Vintage Ad

PaperBack


Wilson Tucker, To Keep or Kill, Lion, 1950

Also included is the somewhat unPC card that Tucker would hand out to women at conventions long years ago.



Or Maybe You Do

John Williams: five things you probably don't know about the great film composer

Hat tip to Brent McKee, who reminds us that the list leaves out the fact that Williams appeared in two episodes of JOHNNY STACCATO as an actor.

52 films unfairly rated lower than 6 stars on the IMDb

52 films unfairly rated lower than 6 stars on the IMDb

The Best Swordfights in Film History

Sword Fighting Movies: List of the Best Swordfights in Film History

Today's Western Movie Poster

The 6 Worst Attempts at Damage Control in Political Scandals

The 6 Worst Attempts at Damage Control in Political Scandals

Faster-than-light neutrino Update

Faster-than-light neutrino result reportedly a mistake caused by loose cable

And They're Not Talking about Cher's Latest Farewell Tour

10 of the Most Unlikely Comebacks in Music

Pictures of Rock Stars With Their Parents - LIFE

Pictures of Rock Stars With Their Parents

12 Colleges Bringing Comic Books into the Classroom

12 Colleges Bringing Comic Books into the Classroom

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Everything is Connected

Everything is Connected - A Writer's Life

Some great stuff here. Read the whole thing. Of course the fact that a photo of the cover of my Dead Man book is featured has nothing to do with my recommendation.

Song of the Day

Ten Teen-Focused Suspense and Horror Films Which Are Better Than We Have Any Reason to Expect

Sweet Freedom: Ten Teen-Focused Suspense and Horror Films Which Are Better Than We Have Any Reason to Expect

Adam Sandler Update

The Raw Story: US actor Adam Sandler set a record for cinematic stinker nominations, as organizers of the Razzie awards unveiled their 32nd annual movie short lists of shame.

The Golden Raspberry Award Foundation nominees for worst films and performances, announced a day ahead of the Oscars, included no fewer than 11 for Sandler, more than double the previous record by Eddie Murphy in 2005.

Today's Vintage Ad

Sullivan Walker, R. I. P.

NY Daily News: Walker, who came to New York in the late 1960s to pursue his career, is remembered for several high-profile roles. According his daughter Keela, Walker won third place in a talent contest held in Port of Spain and the prize was a trip to New York City.

His career here began with a role in “A Season in the Congo” at Harlem School of The Arts. After that, he never looked back moving optimistically forward — and taking up-and-coming actors with him along the way.

On television’s “The Cosby Show,” he played Dr. James Harmon, a friend of Bill Cosby’s Cliff Huxtable character.

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Free! Today Only!

Amazon.com: Raining Willie & Cranked: Two Texas Tales eBook: Bill Crider: Kindle Store: A collection of nearly 8000 words of Texas storytelling containing two rowdy Texas tales about meth labs, explosions, runaways, good old boys, and a good-time girl. The second story, "Cranked," was nominated for an Edgar® award by the Mystery Writers of America.

Famous Musicians’ Totally Square High School Yearbook Photos

Famous Musicians’ Totally Square High School Yearbook Photos

PaperBack



Orrie Hitt, Ellie's Shack, Beacon, 1958

In the comments James Reasoner mentioned a second book with this cover. It's an Intimate digest, and I've added it just for fun.




5 Actors Who Do The Exact Same Thing In Every Movie

5 Actors Who Do The Exact Same Thing In Every Movie

Red Holloway, R. I. P.

Jazz Articles: Saxophonist Red Holloway Dead at 84 - By Jeff Tamarkin — Jazz Articles: Red Holloway, the tenor saxophonist who recorded a number of albums as a leader beginning in the early 1960s and who worked with Sonny Stitt, “Brother” Jack McDuff and Clark Terry, among many more, died today, Feb. 25, following a stroke and kidney failure, according to an email received by JazzTimes from an associate. Holloway was 84.

Born James Holloway on May 31, 1

Yet Another List I'm Not On (Which in this Case Is OK)

The 11 Most Disgraced Teachers on Facebook

From 1903: The Earliest Known Film Footage of a Football Game

From 1903: The Earliest Known Film Footage of a Football Game

Today's Western Movie Poster

An Idea Whose Time Has Come?

Playboy teams up with Virgin Galactic to plan a gentlemen's club in space

Great Photos

Skateboarding, New York, 1960s

Gator Update (Surgery Edition)

Sci - 3 News: The world's oldest alligator held in captivity is recovering at his home in Belgrade Zoo after undergoing surgery this week.

Spy Chasers