Saturday, January 17, 2015

Uh-Oh

Fox confirms 'X-Files' reboot talks (and would love more 'Prison Break' too)

Uh-Oh

24 Might Come Back… Without Jack Bauer

Only 99 Cents for a Limited Time!

Shooter's Cross (Rancho Diablo Book 1) - Kindle edition by Colby Jackson, Bill Crider, James Reasoner, Mel Odom. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.: CURSED LAND 

Army Scout Sam Blaylock rode into the small Texas town of Shooter's Cross looking for deserters, not trouble. 

While up in the mountains, he discovered a wilderness plagued by nature and haunted by superstition, but one that he thought he could tame with his experience and strong back. 

He didn't know he was going to have to kill to keep the home he planned for his family, but he didn't let that stop him. Sam had been looking for a home for his family for years. That search had been interrupted by the Civil War. 

Now Sam is putting down roots, and not even the Devil himself can stand in the way.

I Want to Believe!

Were aliens watching Apollo 12 astronauts on the moon?

Song of the Day

Bo Diddley - I Am A Man - YouTube:

I Grow Old, I Grow Old

25 Things Turning 25 in 2015 

Today's Vintage Ad


The Weird Week in Review

The Weird Week in Review

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Sloan M. Britain, The Needle, Beacon, 1959

I Discovered a Fire Ant Mound in Mine

Mastodon Bones Discovered In Michigan Man's Yard

Ours Was GYpsy 6-2323

Why Did Old Phone Numbers Start With Letters?

I For One Welcome Our New Desktop Overlords

Scientists say that computers can judge character better than humans

Aztec Empire Update

Aztec empire stretched farther than believed, according to sacrifices to goddess at Tenochtitlan 

Friday, January 16, 2015

Doogie Howser Unavailable for Comment

Juvenile posed as doctor at St. Mary's hospital for month 

Aside from His Recording Career, That Is

11 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Paul Revere

Song of the Day

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Tuesday's Gone - YouTube:

I Want to Believe!

Rare microfilms of alien sightings available online at Project Blue Book for free

Gator Update (Last Meal Edition)

Daily Mail Online: Ringleader of 1993 home invasion that left banker dead is executed in Florida after last meal of fried alligator tail  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Today's Vintage Ad


Leading the Way (Update)

Is a library still a library if it has no physical books?

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Daniel O'Keefe, editor, The Book of Famous Irish Ghost Stories, Irish Pocket Books, 1956

I'm Sure You'll All Agree

The 30 Greatest Westerns In Cinema History 

Best and Worst States for Education

Education: Best and Worst States for Education in the USA in 2015

The Case of the Vanishing Private Eyes

The Case of the Vanishing Private Eyes: How 19th-century America's biggest, most dogged detective agency went on to get unceremoniously acquired 100 years later by a Swedish conglomerate

Vintage Treasures: The Second Ghost Book, edited by Lady Cynthia Asquith

Vintage Treasures: The Second Ghost Book, edited by Lady Cynthia Asquith

A Blast From the Past: John Christopher’s The Tripods Trilogy

A Blast From the Past: John Christopher’s The Tripods Trilogy

Vintage Treasures: Horrors Unseen, edited by Sam Moskowitz

Vintage Treasures: Horrors Unseen, edited by Sam Moskowitz

FFB: A Century of Fantasy: 1980-1989 The Greatest Stories of the Decade -- Robert Silverberg, Editor

I picked this up at Half-Price Books for two bucks because who could resist?  It appears to be part of a series, but I don't have any of the other books.  Before I say more, here's the Table of Contents, taken from the ISFDb:

1 • Introduction (A Century of Fantasy 1980-1989) • (1996) • essay by Robert Silverberg
4 • The George Business • (1980) • shortstory by Roger Zelazny
13 • Lindsay and the Red City Blues • (1980) • shortstory by Joe Haldeman
29 • A Pattern of Silver Strings • [Cerin Songweaver] • (1981) • novelette by Charles de Lint
51 • The Quickening • (1981) • novelette by Michael Bishop
80 • Remembering Melody • (1981) • shortstory by George R. R. Martin
98 • The Unicorn Masque • (1981) • novelette by Ellen Kushner
122 • Instant With Loud Voices • (1982) • shortstory by Alan Dean Foster
133 • Not Our Brother • (1982) • novelette by Robert Silverberg
154 • Beyond the Dead Reef • [Quintana Roo] • (1983) • shortstory by James Tiptree, Jr.
172 • Wong's Lost and Found Emporium • (1996) • shortstory by William F. Wu [as by William Wu ]
186 • Laugh Track • (1984) • shortstory by Harlan Ellison
207 • Dead Run • (1985) • shortstory by Greg Bear
233 • The Boy Who Plaited Manes • (1986) • shortstory by Nancy Springer
247 • Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonight • (1987) • novelette by Ursula K. Le Guin
276 • The Dowry of the Rag Picker's Daughter • (1988) • novelette by Andre Norton
294 • The Edge of the World • (1989) • shortstory by Michael Swanwick
310 • Lost Boys • (1989) • shortstory by Orson Scott Card
329 • The Wishing Game • (1989) • shortstory by Larry Niven

So are these really the best of the decade?  I'm not going to argue with Robert Silverberg, and many of these received nominations for major awards (Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy Award).  Some of them won.  I'd read some of them before, but those were all worth a second look.  "Dead Run" was an episode of the "new" Twilight Zone in the '80s, so maybe some of you saw it there. 

There are several types of fantasy represented in the book.  Some stories begin in a recognizable world, though the setting might be strange and unfamiliar, and the fantastic element comes in only at or near the end.  Some of them are science fantasy, or at least that's what I'd call them.  A couple of them are horror stories by my definition.  And some of them are just out-and-out fantasies.  Those are the ones I preferred.  

One thing I didn't like was that the original appearances of the stories weren't noted anywhere.  I like to know where a story was published, but you don't learn that in this book.  Maybe I'm the only one who cares about that kind of thing.

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Kim Fowley. R. I. P.

Flavorwire: Billboard is reporting that Kim Fowley, the legendary record industry impresario and producer who helped put together the Runaways, has died at age 75 after a long battle with bladder cancer.

Paris Hilton Update

Paris Hilton joined by sister Nicky on move-in day in New York City: Welcome to the neighborhood! Paris Hilton is joined by sister Nicky on move-in day at her new $3.9m loft in New York City  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Let Joy Be Unconfined!

Ian Ziering, Tara Reid returning for 'Sharknado 3'  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

James Tiptree Jr.: Author, Feminist, Pioneer

NPR: Author, Feminist, Pioneer: The Unlikely Queen Of Sci-Fi  

Link via SF Signal.

Song of the Day

Dobie gray- drift away - YouTube:

Or She's Just a Party Animal

Kurt Busch testifies ex-girlfriend is trained assassin: Once, he said, they were in El Paso, Texas, where Driscoll had left that night in camouflage and boots. She returned later to the hotel at which he was staying wearing a trench coat. Under it she was wearing an evening gown splattered with blood and other matter, Busch testified.

Today's Vintage Ad


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Mary Renault, Kind Are Her Answers, Dell, 1959

War of the Worlds and the Blockbuster Legacy of George Pal

War of the Worlds and the Blockbuster Legacy of George Pal

Here Are The 2015 Oscar Nominees

Here Are The 2015 Oscar Nominees 

New Poem at the Five-Two

The Five-Two: Lisa Olsson RULES OF ETIQUETTE

Here's the Plot for Your Next Prison Break Comedy

Search for inmate escapee leads to alleged smuggling operation run by exotic dancers: "Prison is supposed to be tough," Nocco said. "He was allowing it to be basically a party out there." Nocco described a work detail that was more play than work, including conjugal visits and beer drinking in the woods.

What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

iHorror: Horror fans are about to give a huge thank you to Roy Rose! Last summer, he became the owner of the Gulf Oil/BBQ joint in the original 1974 Texas Chainsaw Massacre. He is turning the property into a horror themed restaurant; music venue, stores and you guessed it…overnight cabins.

I Want to Believe!

Has artwork by Crazy Horse been sitting in Harvard’s Houghton Library, unnoticed for 70 years?

Yet Another Reason to Dislike DST

Mirror Online: The bug caused smartphone alarm clocks in Queensland to reset to daylight saving time, meaning their morning commute came around a little earlier than expected.  

Hat tip to Art Scott.

Louie Leads the Way!

Your Houston News: News: Congressman Louie Gohmert was recognized as the “Deep East Texas Legislator of the Year 2015.” The award is given biannually to a legislator that has shown outstanding efforts on behalf of the people of Deep East Texas.

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Gator Update (Free Jaxon! Edition)

Alligator found at San Fernando Valley home had lived there 37 years  

Hat tip to Fred Zackel.

I Want to Believe!

Fox News: Reston, Va.-based Parabon Nanolabs, with funding from the Department of Defense, has debuted a breakthrough type of analysis called DNA phenotyping which the company says can predict a person's physical appearance from the tiniest DNA samples, like a speck of blood or strand of hair.

Not Nessie

Scientists Discovered Fossil Remains Of New Prehistoric Reptile In Scotland 

Song of the Day

MARTY ROBBINS - THE STORY OF MY LIFE 1957 - YouTube:

Uh-Oh

Fox Buys Rights to Remake ‘Escape From New York’

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Mirror Online: A man furious when a bus stopped a few metres away from his stop tried to blow himself and the driver up with an antique hand grenade.

Today's Vintage Ad


Robert Kinoshita. R. I. P.

Boing Boing: TV and film art director Robert Kinoshita, best known for creating the "Lost in Space" robot that yelled "Danger, Will Robinson!" on the sixties TV show, has died. In the video below shot on his 95th birthday, he says he hopes to live to 100. He did.

“A Day in the Life of the Creative Writer” (by David Dean)

“A Day in the Life of the Creative Writer” (by David Dean) | SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN

10 Great Books That Were Not Appreciated During Their Time

10 Great Books That Were Not Appreciated During Their Time

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James Jones, The Pistol, Signet, 1961

Cartoon of the Day

Link

Who Said It? (I was Surprised at the Answer)

The Golden Rule: Whoever Has the Gold Makes the Rule

33 Of The Creepiest Lines In Literature

33 Of The Creepiest Lines In Literature  

Warning: Many spoilers included.

50 Of The Most Majestic Libraries In The World

50 Of The Most Majestic Libraries In The World  

Link via Boing Boing.

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Brothers caught at downtown bar after escaping custody

The Omnibus Volumes of C.J. Cherryh, Part II

The Omnibus Volumes of C.J. Cherryh, Part II

Croc Update (Galloping Edition)

Great Galloping Crocodiles! 

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Uh-Oh

David Fincher, Ben Affleck, Gillian Flynn Reuniting for 'Strangers on a Train' Remake 

Everything's a Trilogy

Idris Elba Developing Thriller ‘Poe Must Die’ as Trilogy  

I read the book in 1978 and have only vague memories of it.  I know I liked it, and I'm sure I have a copy around here somewhere.  Time to read it again.

10 Worst Typos and Errors of the Year for 2014

10 Worst Typos and Errors of the Year for 2014

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Houston retailer offers furniture buyers a $7,000 oil price bet

Ouch!

Mirror Online: However, Feng is then reported to have sneaked back into her husband's hospital room and cut off his penis for a second time, this time throwing it out of a window.

Song of the Day

Jimmy Reed - Big Boss Man - YouTube:

Includes an Alligator

15 Excellent Examples of Animal Camouflage   

Link via mental_floss.

Today's Vintage Ad


This Would Not Work for Me

Here's how to decide whether to keep a book or get rid of it 

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Rex Stout, Prisoner's Base, Bantam, 1963

Uh-Oh

'Alphaville' Remake in the Works

Nicolas Cage’s Left Behind: So Bad It’s Good

Nicolas Cage’s Left Behind: So Bad It’s Good 

I Like Short Books, but I've Read Only 3 of These

The 10 Best Books Shorter Than 150 Pages

The Public Life of Sherlock Holmes – Hard Boiled Holmes

Hard Boiled Holmes: But I believe that I make a more compelling argument than you thought possible at first glance. The roots of the American hard boiled school can be seen in Sherlock Holmes and the Victorian Era. Yes, really.

I Don't Want to Believe!

This Is What Would Actually Happen If You Fell Into Quicksand

Overlooked Movies: The Owl and the Pussycat

In talking about What's Up, Doc?last week's entry in this series, I mentioned somewhere or other that while I wasn't a Streisand fan, there was another movie that I liked her in.  That would be The Owl and the Pussycat

Streisand plays a character not unlike the one she plays in What's Up, Doc?, and this time George Segal is excellent as the uptight guy who needs to become a bit livelier, not unlike Ryan O'Neal.  Segal is Felix, an aspiring writer who has nothing but rejection slips to show for his attempts to get published.  Streisand is Doris, an ill-educated aspiring actress (no more successful than Felix), TV addict, and part-time hooker.  They live in the same apartment building, and when Felix complains about the noise from her apartment, she comes to his place and lets him have it.  She's loud, foul-mouthed, and obnoxious, and they get into a shouting match that results in Felix being evicted, too.  Naturally they had to team up and share an apartment.  Naturally, even though Streisand remains (mostly) loud, foul-mouthed, and obnoxious and Felix remains Felix, they're going to fall for each other.  It just takes a while.

Buck Henry wrote the script (it's based on a play), and I laughed all the way through.  In its own way, this movie is as funny to me as What's Up, Doc?  I'm probably in a minority here, as I often am.  That's okay.  To me, this remains a very funny movie.

The Owl And The Pussycat

Owl And The Pussycat Trailer - YouTube:

Monday, January 12, 2015

First It Was the Thin Mints Melee

Elderly Louisiana man tries to set mistress on fire for telling his wife about their affair

Get a Rope

Easter ruined? Creme Egg recipe redo has chocolate lovers hopping mad: Kraft Foods-- which now owns chocolate maker Cadbury -- has stunned consumers by no longer using Cadbury’s Dairy Milk in the recipe for its Creme Eggs. And, there's more: the company also is reducing a package from six eggs to five, without reducing the price. U.S. giant Kraft Foods bought Cadbury in 2010 and its global snacks business under the name of Mondelez International.  

Hat tip to Art Scott.

I'm Not Surprised

Souls of the Damned Found in McDonald's Ice Cream Sundae

20 Badass Quotes from Cinema’s Tough Guys

20 Badass Quotes from Cinema’s Tough Guys 

Song of the Day

TOMMY ROE- " JAM UP, JELLY TIGHT " (W/LYRICS) - YouTube:

Forgotten Hits: 50 Year Flashback - January 12th, 1965

Forgotten Hits: 50 Year Flashback - January 12th, 1965

Today's Vintage Ad


The Coolest Time Capsules Yet to Be Opened

The Coolest Time Capsules Yet to Be Opened

Bryan Woolley, R. I. P.

Dallas Morning News: Bryan Woolley, the Texas-roving journalist and respected novelist, died Friday night in Dallas. He was 77.

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R. Vernon Beste, The Moonbeams, Lancer, 1966

Here's the Plot for Your Next Bank Robbery Comedy

Former MIT professor ‘robs bank,’ films ‘heist’: “It’s not a crime; it’s artwork… He’s an intellectual,” Sherrard gushed.

Judith Merril on John D. MacDonald

The Trap of Solid Gold: Judith Merril on JDM: [Merril] was politically active all of her adult life, first as a Zionist, then a Marxist, finally as a Trotskyist. And she loved the works of John D MacDonald.

I Miss the Old Days

LIFE With Rock Stars . . . and Their Parents   

Slideshow warning.

All The Winners At The 2015 Golden Globes

All The Winners At The 2015 Golden Globes

Here's the Plot for Your Next Poop-Related Crime Novel

700-year-old poop solves Italian murder mystery

Sunday, January 11, 2015

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

Blood Feud (Fight Card) - Kindle edition by Jack Tunney, Tim Tresslar, Paul Bishop, David Foster. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.: Dubai, 2015…David Garrett never could walk away from a fight. Even when a covert mission to nab a terrorist went wrong, leaving fellow CIA agents dead and Garrett holding the bag, he had to be forced to stand down. Angry and disillusioned, he returned to his native Chicago where he engaged in off-the-books bouts for money, settled scores and made new enemies. Still, the unfinished business eats at him. Then Melissa, his former lover and fellow CIA agent, surfaces. She tells him one of the men responsible for the debacle in Iraq has surfaced. Like Garrett, the man is a fighter and on the card for an exhibition bout in Dubai. Would Garrett come back for one last mission? Garrett never could walk away from a fight. Even one that could kill him…

The Art of Making People Go Away

Collectors Weekly: You probably don’t think much about “Do Not Disturb” signs at hotels, unless the maid rudely barges in as you sleep. Then you think, “Hey, didn’t you see the door hanger? What happened to that?” But when you look through Edoardo Flores’ collection of just over 8,700 Do Not Disturb signs from 190 countries around the world—which he documents on Flickr—you’ll find they can be quite beautiful and revelatory. So-called “DND signs” tell you�a lot about the character and mores of the places you find them.

Song of the Day

Impressions - Amen (Curtis Mayfield , Sam Gooden , Fred Cash) - YouTube:

A Tenuous Connection but Some Entertaining Movies

An Orson Welles-Worthy Science Fiction Film Marathon

Today's Vintage Ad


Or Maybe You Have

15 Dinosaurs You've Probably Never Heard Of

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Mildred Savage, Parrish, Cardinal, 1960

Movie Milestones

Movie Milestones: A lot of "firsts."

10 Weird Things That Start Happening When You Only Read Mystery Novels

10 Weird Things That Start Happening When You Only Read Mystery Novels

Terry Becker, R. I. P.

The Hollywood Reporter: Terry Becker, who starred on TV’s Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea and played a condemned man in a memorable episode of The Twilight Zone, has died. He was 93.  

Hat tip to Toby O'Brien.

Taylor Negron, R. I. P.

Deadline: Sources are confirming that comedian Taylor Negron has died after a long battle with cancer. He was 57. Chuck Negron, Taylor’s cousin, of the ’70s band Three Dog Night, released an online video with the sad news today saying, “I want to inform you that my cousin Taylor Negron just passed away. His mother, his brother Alex and my brother Rene and his wife Julie were all there with him. May he rest in peace.”  

Hat tip to Toby O'Brien.

American Remakes of Foreign Classics: The Worst – Flavorwire

American Remakes of Foreign Classics: The Worst

Robert Stone, R. I. P.

NYTimes.com: Robert Stone, the naturalist author whose satirical epics explored the underside of American life, died on Saturday at his winter home in Key West, Fla. He was 77.  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Anita Ekberg, R. I. P.

NY Daily News: MILAN - Anita Ekberg, the Swedish-born actress and sex-symbol of the 1950s and '60s who was immortalized bathing in the Trevi fountain in "La Dolce Vita," has died. She was 83.  

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

41 Facts About New York City That Will Blow Your Mind

41 Facts About New York City That Will Blow Your Mind