Saturday, July 07, 2012

Archaeology Update

Ancient Mosaic Depicting Fiery Bible Story Discovered - Yahoo! News: A glittering mosaic of colored stones once decorated an ancient synagogue floor with scenes of the Biblical hero Samson getting revenge on the Philistines.

Free Today and Tomorrow for Kindle

ILLEGALAmazon.com: ILLEGAL eBook: Paul Levine: Kindle Store: A down-and-out L.A. lawyer with nothing to lose...
A beautiful Mexican woman who disappears crossing the border...
And the powerful and corrupt rancher who would destroy them both.

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

POLICE REPORTS: Two men accused of walking while intoxicated

Song of the Day

The Casinos - Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye - YouTube:

A New Edition of ‘A Farewell to Arms’ Contains Over 40 Alternate Endings

A New Edition of ‘A Farewell to Arms’ Contains Over 40 Alternate Endings

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Today's Vintage Ad

10 of the Best Books Set in the Midwest

10 of the Best Books Set in the Midwest

77511 Not Included

The 7 Most Exclusive Zip Codes in America

PaperBack


Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Girl from Farris's, Charter, 1979




10 of the Strangest Apocalypses in Literature

10 of the Strangest Apocalypses in Literature

Ford brochure, 1955

Ford brochure, 1955

The 50 Best American History Blogs

The 50 Best American History Blogs

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

And can anyone vouch for Mark Finn's whereabouts when this happened?

Man Chased by Person in Gorilla Costume Hit by Car

Archaeology Update

'Britain's Atlantis' found at bottom of North sea - a huge undersea kingdom swamped by a tsunami 5,500 years ago

Would It Be Okay If She Just Walks Like an Egyptian?

Hospital Worker, Francine Siddaway, Claims She Was Fired For Wearing Egyptian Makeup

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Celebrating The Strand Book Store

AbeBooks: Celebrating The Strand Book Store: The Strand can be found at 828 Broadway, at the corner of East 12th Street, in the East Village of Manhattan. After decades in the business of bookselling, The Strand remains an iconic bastion of bookselling in downtown New York City. If you have never visited, then you must go.

Jubal

Jubal Trailer - YouTube:

Friday, July 06, 2012

We're Back!


About an hour ago we pulled into the driveway after our flight from San Francisco and a long drive from the airport. The cat was thrilled to see us. Apparently he and the cat-sitter didn't get along.

We had a great time in San Francisco, and I did manage to sneak a few photos onto the blog. Judging by all the e-mails that I accumulated in my absence, I need to get a life. I'll be a while catching up.

One of the things we did on the trip was drive to Sonoma to attend a meeting of the Baker Street Irregulars, which was held at the Monticello Vineyard and hosted by the genial Bruce Taylor (The Artist Formerly Known as "Mr. B0uchercon"). I'd forgotten that the BSI meetings included a quiz over a Holmes story we'd all read, and I performed shamefully. Daughter Angela did very well, but it was frequent commeter Art Scott who carried the day with a score of 19 correct answers on the 20 questions.

The photo is of Bruce Taylor, me, Art, and Don Yates in the deerstalker.

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Texas health care system ranks worst in nation | The Raw Story: Out of all 50 U.S. states, Texas has the worst health care system, the highest percentage of uninsured citizens and the most prostate cancer deaths, according to a federal report on health care quality released this week.


The 2011 State Snapshots report ranked states on a 100-point system based upon measurements of 155 different key indicators of health care quality, and Texas scored the lowest with just 31.61 points.

Pimpage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Mention Books of Interest

A Mouth Full Of Blood (Fightcard)Amazon.com: A Mouth Full Of Blood (Fightcard) eBook: Jack Tunney, Eric Beetner, Paul Bishop, Mel Odom: Kindle Store: A year after the pulse-pounding action of Split Decision, Jimmy Wyler is back in Chicago trying to put his life back together. Working a job washing dishes in a late night diner, Jimmy vows to never get into a boxing ring again.


But then, someone needs him. Leo, a teenaged boy who fights hard against the city every day, could use a man like Jimmy. To help save him from his alcoholic father, and to save his only sister from a pimp bent on turning her out.

Criminal Genius of the Day

Cops Follow Potato Chip Trail To Collar Man For Burglary Of Subway Restaurant

Song of the Day

Tanya Tucker: Texas (When I Die) - YouTube:

New Story at Fires on the Plain

“Up Top The Draw” by Court Merrigan | Fires on the Plain

Get a Rope

Pa. man jailed in assault, wooden alligator theft - SFGate

Today's Vintage Ad

The 6 Weirdest Things That Statistically Lower Crime

The 6 Weirdest Things That Statistically Lower Crime

A Collection of Brilliant and Inspiring Letters From Famous Authors to Their Young Fans

A Collection of Brilliant and Inspiring Letters From Famous Authors to Their Young Fans

PaperBack


Murray Leinster, Operation: Outer Space, Signet, 1957




Throwing Down the Gauntlet: History’s 7 Most Famous Duels

Throwing Down the Gauntlet: History’s 7 Most Famous Duels

Colour photographs of fashion and cars, 1950s, by John Rawlings

Colour photographs of fashion and cars, 1950s, by John Rawlings

5 Great Joys in Life That Healthy People Never Experience

5 Great Joys in Life That Healthy People Never Experience

Forgotten Books: Jack of Shadows -- Roger Zelazny

Roger Zelazny has a secure spot in my SF Hall of Fame, and I've read all his novels, several of them more than once. I happened to spot this 1971 issue of F&SF not long ago, and I bought it just because the the first half of the serial version of Jack of Shadows was in it.

I don't know enough science to explain the planet where Jack lives. It doesn't rotate, so half is always in light (where science and technology are common) and half is always in darkness (where magic holds sway). There's a shadowy border area, and that's where Jack thrives. He has no powers in complete light or darkness, but he draws it from shadow. He's one of the few who can travel between the worlds. As the book opens, he's on the light side, where he's about to steal something. He's a thief, after all. He's caught and executed, but darksiders have serial immortality, and so does Jack. He's tossed into the Dung Pits of Glyve, where he regenerates and gradually makes his way back to the darkside, where he plots his revenge, along with a rescue.

Jack's name (so said Zelazny at one time) is a bow toward Jack Vance, and the "travel through marvels" half of the book (the first half) is Vance-like in some ways. I was reminded a bit of the stories in The Dying Earth, and Jack isn't entirely unlike Cudgel the Clever. The second half is different and darker, and I've heard more than one person express dislike for the book because of it. I liked it, though, and I have nothing against the open ending. I probably thought when I read the book back in the early '70s that Zelazny would write a sequel. I might even have hoped he would. But he never did.

That's okay, though. There's still this one, and it was fun to visit it again.

The Loves of Carmen

The Loves of Carmen (1948) Trailer - YouTube:

Thursday, July 05, 2012

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . . .

Florida man attacks pregnant woman with sword: Mark Miller confronted a small group of women. He poked one, Brandi Bodiford, who is pregnant, with the four-foot blade, and she got it away from him. At some point during the fight, Miller smeared a peanut butter sandwich across the chest of another woman. He was arrested.

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . . .

Woman Arrested In Bible Thumping Of Baptist Pastor

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Texas A&M Students Block Westboro Baptist Protesters With Human Wall

Norman Felton, R. I. P.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Co-Creator Norman Felton Dies | Contactmusic: British TV producer Norman Felton, the man behind classic shows The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and DR. Kildare, has died aged 99.

Felton passed away of natural causes in Santa Barbara, California on 25 June (12), but news of his death only emerged after it was confirmed by trade paper Variety.

Felton found success in the 1960s when he worked with James Bond creator Ian Fleming to develop spy thriller The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and he scooped a Golden Globe for the series in 1965. He was also nominated for an Emmy Award the following year (66).


Hat tip to Toby O'Brien.

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Texas Town Converts Abandoned Walmart into Award-Winning Public Library

Song of the Day

The Dubs - Could this be Magic - YouTube:

Right to Know? Or No Rights?

Passenger could be asked to give drink samples to TSA | News - Home: Passenger could be asked to give drink samples to TSA

The TSA would not say what they are testing for or why they are doing it, but travelers say they have a right to know

Alligators in Texas

Mary Ann's View: Alligators in Texas

No Comment Department

News from The Associated Press: LONDON (AP) -- False alarm: British police said Thursday that reports of suspicious activity on a bus, which set off a massive emergency response and forced the closure of a section of a major highway in central England, were unfounded.

The "culprit"? An electronic cigarette.

Today's Vintage Ad

5 Basic Rights You Won't Believe We Still Have to Fight For

5 Basic Rights You Won't Believe We Still Have to Fight For

Top 10 Vampire Hunters - Vampire Killers & Slayers

Top 10 Vampire Hunters - Vampire Killers & Slayers

PaperBack


A. Merritt, The Ship of Ishtar, Avon, 1956.





9 Graphic Novels That Revolutionized the Comic Industry

9 Graphic Novels That Revolutionized the Comic Industry

Marx Toys, 1975

Marx Toys, 1975

Feeling Old Yet?

Every Item Inside the Time Capsule Nickelodeon Buried in 1992

Treasure Island

Treasure Island (1950) Trailer - YouTube:

Wednesday, July 04, 2012

Ben Davidson, R. I. P.

Ben Davidson dies at 72; former lineman helped shape Raiders' image - NFL - Sporting News: ALAMEDA, Calif.—Ben Davidson, the hulking defensive end who starred for the Oakland Raiders in the 1960s before becoming a famous television pitch man, has died. He was 72.

Davidson died Monday night. He was being treated for prostate cancer. Former Raiders coach John Madden first reported Davidson's death Tuesday on KCBS radio in San Francisco.


Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

4th of July: Patriotic alligators sing 'God Bless the USA'

4th of July: Patriotic alligators sing 'God Bless the USA' - l

'34 Ford 5 Window Coupe

'46 Ford Woody

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . . .

Police: Cook Gunned Down Over Long Wait Times

14 Finer Points of the U.S. Flag Code

14 Finer Points of the U.S. Flag Code - Mental Floss

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . . .

Police Arrest Naked Man Seen Running Around OKC Apartments

Song of the Day

James Cagney : You're a Grand Old Flag (from "Yankee Doodle Dandy," 1942) - Complete Lyrics - YouTube:

Today's Vintage Ad

"Birth Certificate" Update

500-year-old 'birth certificate of America' discovered - Telegraph: 500-year-old 'birth certificate of America' discovered
A version of a 500-year-old world map that was the first to mention the name "America" has been discovered in a German university library.

MAD Magazine Covers, 1952-1955

MAD Magazine Covers, 1952-1955

PaperBack


Chad Oliver, Unearthly Neighbors, Ballantine, 1960




16 Famous People Who Have Done Really Amazing Things In Real Life

16 Famous People Who Have Done Really Amazing Things In Real Life

Spoilers Galore

6 Terrible Decisions That Gave Us Great Movie Moments

The 5 Least Courageous Things Ever Done in a Crisis

The 5 Least Courageous Things Ever Done in a Crisis

Happy 4th of July!

July 4th — History.com Articles, Video, Pictures and Facts: Variously known as the Fourth of July and Independence Day, July 4th has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution (1775-83). In June 1776, representatives of the 13 colonies then fighting in the revolutionary struggle weighed a resolution that would declare their independence from Great Britain. On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later its delegates adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 until the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with typical festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues.

1776

1776 (1972) trailer - YouTube:

Tuesday, July 03, 2012

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

Pies and Prejudice (A Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery)Amazon.com: Pies and Prejudice (A Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery) (9780425251409): Ellery Adams: Books: When the going gets tough, Ella Mae LaFaye bakes pies. So when she catches her husband cheating in New York, she heads back home to Havenwood, Georgia, where she can drown her sorrows in fresh fruit filling and flakey crust. But her pies aren't just delicious. They're having magical effects on the people who eat them--and the public is hungry for more.


Discovering her hidden talent for enchantment, Ella Mae makes her own wish come true by opening the Charmed Pie Shoppe. But with her old nemesis Loralyn Gaynor making trouble, and her old crush Hugh Dylan making nice, she has more than pie on her plate. and when Loralyn's fiance is found dead--killed with Ella Mae's rolling pin--it'll take all her sweet magic to clear her name.

Once AgainTexas Leads the Way

SWAT Team Raids Home of Freshman GOP Congressman's Sister | The Weekly Standard

AbeBooks’ Top 10 Most Expensive Sales in June 2012

AbeBooks’ Top 10 Most Expensive Sales in June 2012: Last month AbeBooks sold a limited edition copy of Oscar Wilde’s famous comedic stage play An Ideal Husband for $20,120. The book was published in 1899 by London firm Leonard Smithers, who also published works by Sir Richard Francis Burton, Aubrey Beardsley, Max Beerbohm and other authors associated with the Decadent Movement. In fact after the trials of Wilde in 1895, Smithers was one of the few publishers prepared to handle ‘decadent’ literature. The year following the publication of An Ideal Husband, Smithers went bankrupt, and he eventually died in 1907 from the effects of drink and drug use. His body was found on his 46th birthday, surrounded by empty bottles of ‘Dr J. Collis Browne's Chlorodyne’ - a mixture that contained laudanum, cannabis, and chloroform.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . . .

Man arrested for smashing hamburger into woman's face | Crime | Spring Hill-Brooksville News

Song of the Day

Eddie Cochran - C'mon Everybody 45 rpm 1958 - YouTube:

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . . .

Woman bites off boyfriend's finger tip during violent confrontation, deputies say

Letters of Note: The novel is a wonder

Letters of Note: The novel is a wonder

Cat Ladies Beware

Study Links Cat Litter Box to Increased Suicide Risk - Yahoo!

Hat tip to Michael Bracken.

10 Once-Great Directors Who’ve Lost Their Touch

10 Once-Great Directors Who’ve Lost Their Touch

Today's Vintage Ad

Andy Griffith, R. I. P.

Andy Griffith Dies -- Dead at 86 | TMZ.com: Andy Griffith, an icon of TV, has died ... this according to Andy's close friend, former UNC President Bill Friday.

Griffith, who became famous for "The Andy Griffith Show," passed away at his home in Manteo, North Carolina this morning.

Friday broke the news to WITN News in North Carolina.

In addition to starring in his show and the subsequent "Mayberry R.F.D.," Griffith was a Grammy award-winning southern gospel singer. Of course, Griffith also starred in the long-running series, "Matlock" and often made guest appearances in other shows, including "Dawson's Creek."


Hat tip to Doc Quatermass

20 TV Show Intros (Awesome Enough to Watch Over and Over)

20 TV Show Intros (Awesome Enough to Watch Over and Over)

19 Patents Invented by Ingenious Celebrities (Plus One by Paula Abdul)

19 Patents Invented by Ingenious Celebrities (Plus One by Paula Abdul)

PaperBack


Shepherd Mead, The Big Ball of Wax, Ballantine, 1956




15 Unforgettable Summertime Coming-of-Age Movies

15 Unforgettable Summertime Coming-of-Age Movies

Or Maybe You Did

19 People You Never Knew Were On SNL

The Unexpected Movies of Famous Filmmakers

The Unexpected Movies of Famous Filmmakers

The Moon is Blue

THE MOON IS BLUE (1953) trailer William Holden Otto Preminger - YouTube:

Monday, July 02, 2012

Such a Deal!

Zero Cost Kindle Books | Updated Daily | OneHundredFreeBooks

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . . .

Sword, Sandwich Used in Attack on Women, Deputies Say | TheLedger.com

Uh-Oh

A&E orders 'Psycho' TV series from 'Lost' showrunner | Inside TV | EW.com

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . . .

Giant Wildfire Started During Bachelor Party | The Smoking Gun: JULY 2---The largest wildfire burning in Arizona was started during a bachelor party when one shotgun-toting celebrant fired a shell that promises to shoot “100 feet of fire, setting everything in its path ablaze,” The Smoking Gun has learned.

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . . .

Man stabbed for not being a barber, police say | Fox News

69 Politicians As They Were In High School

69 Politicians As They Were In High School

Song of the Day

EDDIE COCHRAN- "SUMMERTIME BLUES" ( W / LYRICS) - YouTube:

Today's Vintage Ad

What Are the Most Beautiful Movies Ever Made?

What Are the Most Beautiful Movies Ever Made?

Or Maybe Not

Baby Crocodiles Hatching From Eggs Are Terrifying

PaperBack


John Wyndham, Trouble with Lichen, Ballantine, 1960




10 Fake Books in Movies

10 Fake Books in Movies That We Wish We Could Read

The Ten Most Convincing Screen Tests Of All Time

The Ten Most Convincing Screen Tests Of All Time

In #5, Phil Hartman does Chick Hazard, Private Investigator. Brilliant.

6 Insane Conspiracy Theories (That Actually Happened)

6 Insane Conspiracy Theories (That Actually Happened)

Overlooked Movies -- Jackie Chan's The Myth

Okay, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "How could he call this one overlooked? It has Jackie Chan, it has a big budget, and it received a lot of hype." I know all that, but how many of you saw it? That's what I thought. You overlooked it. So I'll tell you about it.

The plot as represented in the poster over there on your left, has to do with reincarnation, the discovery of anti-gravity, and immortality. Yes, it's pretty goofy. Chan plays a contemporary archaeologist named . . . Jack Chan. Not much of a stretch, I guess, especially since Jack Chan happens to have all the martial arts skills that you'd expect a guy with that name to have. He appears to be the reincarnation of a general from the Qin dynasty, and he dreams of having the general's adventures. His friend is interested in anti-gravity and believes the secret is, well, why go on? The plot doesn't matter. What matters is that Jack gets into a lot of fights, many of them sword fights this time, so instead of picking up things lying around to fight with, Jack just uses the sword. He's very good, in case you were wondering.

The best set piece in the movie takes place on a conveyor belt in a rat glue factory. There's some great comic action. Later on, in the anti-gravity underground tomb, there's lots of wire-work and CGI, something new in Jackie Chan movies, I suppose. In the section set in the past, the general has a terrific battle against hundreds of troops, another good set piece.

If you're a Jackie Chan fan, you'll probably get a kick out of this one, and of course you should sit through the credits. For more than one reason. Check it out.

Jackie Chan's The Myth

Jackie Chan 'THE MYTH' (English Trailer) - YouTube:

Sunday, July 01, 2012

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Researchers hack US Army's flying drone while in flight | GMA News Online: Acting on a $1,000 dare from the US government, a group of Texas researchers managed to seize control of a flying drone, science and news sites reported this week.

Song of the Day

I ALMOST LOST MY MIND - IVORY JOE HUNTER.wmv - YouTube:

Today's Vintage Ad

41 Regrettably Tacky Photos Of Famous People

41 Regrettably Tacky Photos Of Famous People

Children's mugshots from the 1870s

Children's mugshots from the 1870s

Evan Lewis Take Note

Smallest State Park in Texas, Acton, Texas: Acton, Texas
.006 acres. It's the tiny fenced zone around the grave of Elizabeth P. Crockett, Davy's second wife. Elizabeth was granted land in Texas for the bravery shown by Davy Crockett at the Alamo. But she waited 17 years to claim it, and by then all of the good spots in Texas were taken. So she ended up having to give a surveyor half of her savings to find a tract worth claiming. Her grave was declared a state park in 1911, and the Texas Legislature paid $2,000 to erect a tall pillar with her statue on top, looking west, waiting for Davy to come home.

PaperBack


Frederik Pohl, Turn Left at Thursday, Ballantine, 1961




10 Wonderful Fake Books by TV Characters

10 Wonderful Fake Books by TV Characters

Dibs on Nic Cage

Nicholas Cage And 16 Other Celebrities' Big Plaster Creepy Heads: The Haunted Studios makes and sells geniune life casts of celebrities' faces, taken from a plaster cast and then filled. You can buy these on eBay for around $45, but for free you can imagine celebrities as dead and hairless.

10 of the All-Time Scariest Movie Trailers

10 of the All-Time Scariest Movie Trailers

Affair In Trinidad

"Affair In Trinidad" trailer (1952) - YouTube: