BEAT TO A PULP #40!

BEAT TO A PULP #40!

INSATIABLE BY HILARY DAVIDSON

Hilary Davidson has the spotlight this week at BEAT to a PULP with Insatiable. With Hilary’s new book to be released in 2010, I had a few questions about her writing career that she very graciously took the time to answer.

BTAP: Your debut novel, The Damage Done, is coming out next year. You must be very excited. Can you tell us a little bit about it?

HD: Excited may be an understatement. The Damage Done will be published by Forge in October 2010, and I'm already counting the days. The book is about a woman who has an extremely dysfunctional, and destructive, relationship with her sister. At the outset, the main character, Lily, comes home to New York because the police have told her that her sister, Claudia, has been killed. But as soon as Lily sees the body at the morgue, she realizes it's not her sister's. The dead woman had stolen Claudia's identity, and Claudia -- a heroin addict with a violent history -- has vanished. To the police, Claudia shifts from victim to suspect. Lily becomes obsessed with searching for her, even though she's afraid of what she's going to find. As she goes after Claudia, Lily's own life starts to fall apart.

FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW CLICK HERE

THE CAT'S MEOW ~ AND FRIENDS!

THANKS TO LOL CATS

CRIMINAL: THE SINNERS PART 1 ~ PREVIEW!

CRIMINAL: THE SINNERS PART 1 ~ PREVIEW!

THE BRILLIANT CRIMINAL SERIES WRITTED BY ED BRUBAKER AND ILLUSTRATED BY SEAN PHILLIPS IS ABOUT TO RETURN WITH A WHOLE NEW STORYLINE.

IN ANTICIPATION OF THE NEW ARC (AVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 30,2009), BRUBAKER AND PHILLIPS DID AN INTERVIEW WITH COMIC BOOK RESOURCES . . .

With their “Incognito” miniseries from Icon Comics, Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips are giving readers their take on what a modern day crime story would look like if it was melded with classic elements of the pulp magazines from the ‘30s and ‘40s. “Incognito” is almost concluded, but fans who enjoy Brubaker and Phillips' spin on crime don’t need to worry. The duo’s award-winning crime series “Criminal,” also from Marvel's Icon imprint, returns soon with a new five-part storyline called “The Sinners.” CBR News spoke with Brubaker about the story, which he said is a good jumping-on point for readers who just discovered his and Phillips’ work through “Incognito.”

TO READ THE FULL INTERVIEW CLICK HERE

TO SEE A PREVIEW OF THE NEXT ISSUE CLICK HERE

SPACEMAN YEARBOOK 1965!

SPACEMAN YEARBOOK 1965!

ULTRA SWANK TURNED UP THIS COOL RETRO MAGAZINE COVER AS DESCRIBED BELOW:

Spacemen Magazine was a relatively short-lived publication. It was published from July 1961 to July 1965 and was a spin off from the more successful "Famous Monsters of Filmland." Both were edited by the late Forrest J. Ackerman and Published by James Warren.

The cover art for the 1965 Yearbook was by well-known comic book artists Russ Jones and Wally Wood. This particular cover was unique because the magazine's covers were usually a color photograph (still) from a film, or an artist's rendering of some more sensationalistic aspect of science fiction.

This cover, with its urbane space bachelor gives a rather obvious nod to Hugh Hefner. The magazine featured mostly photographs from, and articles about the Hollywood "Space-Age" films and television programs which usually took a rather fanciful view of outer space and the future (e.g. robots, alien invaders, space travel, etc.).

ICEBOX RADIO PODCAST!

ICEBOX RADIO PODCAST!

The evenings are getting cooler, Minnesota's State Fair is underway, the unmistakable signs of Fall are in the air. Time, then, to wrap up another Summer Season at the Icebox Radio Podcast.

This week, simply the best radio play ever written; 'The Hitchhiker' written by Lucille Fletcher (Sorry, Wrong Number) and starring Orson Welles. Thanks for listening this summer.

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

DANGEROUS DAMES: CLASSIC PULP ART BOOK COVERS 2010 WALL CALENDAR!

DANGEROUS DAMES: CLASSIC PULP ART BOOK COVERS 2010 WALL CALENDAR!

NOW AVAILABLE!

Depression-era pulp art covers promised a world of villains, vixens, and victors. The ladies were spicy, and some of the spiciest are featured in this colorful 2010 calendar of covers from the golden age of pulps.

Silver Lining Books
ISBN-13: 9781435116559

DARING MYSTERY COMICS #1 ~ 70TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL!

DARING MYSTERY COMICS #1 ~ 70TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL!

WRITTEN BY EDGAR AWARD WINNING MYSTERY WRITER DAVID LISS
PENCILED BY JASON ARMSTRONG
COVER BY CLINT LANGLEY
VARIANT COVER BY MARCOS MARTIN

Marvel continues its historic anniversary celebration - as the Phantom Reporter leaps from the pages of THE TWELVE into his own solo adventure! By day, cub reporter...by night, relentless scourge of the underworld!

But what could drive All-American collegiate champ Dick Jones to become a masked vigilante? Why does this high-society dilettante fight for the underprivileged? And what is the blood-soaked mystery that will take gun-toting terror from the swankiest Park Ave penthouse to the shadowed mean streets on the hunt for justice?

Find out as Edgar Award-winning historical thriller novelist David Liss (A Conspiracy of Paper,) makes his comics writing debut and teams with artist Jason Armstrong (Lobster Johnson: The Iron Prometheus) to tell the never-before-revealed origin of the Phantom Reporter!

Plus: A classic reprint from DARING MYSTERY COMICS #3!

LUTHER SET FOR BBC!

LUTHER SET FOR BBC!

Idris Elba is to star in Neil Cross's first thrilling six-part series Luther, it was announced today, made by BBC Drama Production for BBC One.

Elba notably played Russell "Stringer" Bell in the ground-breaking American series The Wire.

As John Luther, he plays a near-genius murder detective whose brilliant mind can't always save him from the dangerous violence of his passions.

Elba says: "I'm really excited about playing Luther. He's a challenging and exciting character because he's so complex. While he's capable of great kindness and loyalty, sometimes he steps over the edge of madness – simmering with anger and rage."

Luther is a new kind of crime thriller for British TV. In each exciting and fast-moving story, the murderer's identity is known from the start – focussing the drama on the psychic duel between hunter and quarry, who sometimes have more in common than either would like to think.

Creator and writer Neil Cross is an acclaimed suspense novelist and was lead writer for the last two series of BBC One's Spooks.

"I'm delighted that BBC One is bringing Luther to life," he says. "It's an intense psychological thriller which examines not only human depravity but the complex nature of love and how it's often this – our finest attribute – that leads us into darkness."

VEGA$ ON DVD!

VEGA$ ON DVD!

THE FIRST SEASON OF VEGA$ STARRING ROBERT URICH AS PRIVATE EYE DAN TANNA IS SET FOR DVD REALEASE OCTOBER 20TH! I LOVED THIS TRADITIONAL SEVENTIES PRIVATE EYE SHOW ALMOST AS MUCH AS I LOVED URICH’S LATER PERFORMANCE AS THE EPONYMOS SPENSER.

HERE’S THE RUN DOWN ON THE SERIES FROM PROJECT 80:

In the action/drama TV series Vegas, private eye Dan Tanna (Robert Urich) lives in a warehouse apartment behind the Desert Inn in Las Vegas, Nevada and drives a classic Thunderbird.

Other Vegas series characters include: Tanna's boss, the owner of the Desert Inn, Phillip Roth (Tony Curtis); Tanna's sexy secretary Bea Travis; and Bobby "Binzer" Borso Dan's assistant; Lt. Dave Nelson is Dan's contact in the Vegas Police Department.

Many of Las Vegas' stars appeared on the show including: Dean Martin, Kim Basinger, Melanie Griffith, Kim Cattrall, Abe Vigoda, Sid Caesar, Muhammad Ali, Barbi Benton, Wayne Newton, Tanya Roberts and Lorne Greene.

ABC aired 68 one hour episodes of the TV show Vegas on Wednesday nights from 1978 to 1981.

Cast of Vegas TV Show

Robert Urich - Dan Tanna

Phyllis Davis - Beatrice Travis

Bart Braverman - Bobby "Binzer" Borso

Tony Curtis - Philip Roth

Naomi Stevens - Sgt. Bella Archer

Judy Landers - Angie Turner

Greg Morris - Lt. David Nelson

Will Sampson - Harlon Two-Leaf

Trivia for the TV Show Vegas

The name of Vegas' main character Dan Tanna was taken from a favorite restaurant of series creator Aaron Spelling's in Santa Monica named Dan Tana's.

The Vegas character Dan Tanna first appeared in an episode of Charlie's Angels aptly titled Angels In Vegas.

MILES DAVIS KIND OF BLUE TRIBUTE!

MILES DAVIS KIND OF BLUE TRIBUTE!

SPAZIO JAZZ CLUB
SEPTEMBER 12TH, 2009
8:00 PM / 10:00 PM14755 Ventura Blvd.Sherman Oaks, 91403(818) 728-8400
$5 COVER & TWO DRINK MINIMUM.

MUSICIANS:

JOSH WELCHEZ (TR)
MATT ZEBLEY (AS)
WALTER SMITH III (TS)
GARY FUKUSHIMA (P)
TIM PLEASANT (D)
RYAN MCGILLICUDDY (B)
SHAUNTE PALMER (TROMBONE)

IN ADDITION TO ITS AWARD-WINNING CUISINE AND EXCITING ENVIRONMENT, SPAZIO PRESENTS HIGH-QUALITY LIVE JAZZ SIX NIGHTS A WEEK.

FORGOTTEN BOOKS ~ ASSIGNMENT: MARA TIRANA BY EDWARD S. AARONS!

FORGOTTEN BOOKS ~ ASSIGNMENT: MARA TIRANA BY EDWARD S. AARONS!

Published in 1960, Assignment: Mara Tirana was the twelfth book to feature detective/spy/tough guy Sam Durell – AKA: The Cajun – in author Edward S. Aarons now mostly forgotten Assignment series.

Many mystery sources site Aaron’s espionage series to be under appreciated, perhaps because of its focus more on espionage than sex. This doesn’t mean there isn’t a certain level of titillation in the Assignment series, women are always instantly falling for Durell’s square jaw line. However, whereas Nick Carter could hardly keep his pants on long enough to save the world, Durell is a more mature, slower hand – more Secret Agent Man than James Bond. Durell even worked for an actual spy agency, the CIA, even if K section didn’t exist within that orgainzation.

Durell’s adventures were written over a span of 28 years from 1955 to 1983, with each more or less being set in the same time frame as which it was written. This does make many of the plots somewhat dated if a reader isn’t willing to take the step back in time needed to enjoy the stories.

Aarons himself wrote all of the novels in the series until his death in 1975 (his last book being Assignment: Unicorn). With the series still enjoying popularity, it is accepted that Aarons’ brother Will(iam) and his nephew, Will(iam) Jr., took over the writing of the books. It is quite possible, however, these titles were ghost written by house authors.

Assignment: Mara Tirana is a typical series entry, made notable by the usual stunning McGinnis cover:

She stood between Sam Durell and his grim search for a US space pilot, downed behind the Iron Curtain; standing beside Lissa, the girl who had breathed life into his pain-racked body, Adam stared at the tragic, twisted remains of the once-shiny space vehicle which had taken him to the stars; its streaked, heat-rusted metal, cracked and cratered, made Adam shiver with the memory of his rendezvous with death and his horror of the perils which lay ahead; he was isolated in a tiny mountain village, surrounded by Communist police and he could trust only Lissa, the woman who had sacrificed her body to a savage lover in order to save Adam's life: this was the man they'd sent Durell to find.

The Assignment series had a number of reoccurring themes, including throwing together a diverse group of people who have to rely on each other to survive; exotic locales given limited scope in the action pieces; a beautiful woman who improbably falls in love with Durell after first hating him; Durell displaying patriotic and personal sentimentality despite his hardass reputation.

For espionage fans nostalgic for the paperback originals of the sixties and seventies, it’s worth making the effort to pick up a title or two in the Assignment series.

THE ZEPPELIN PULPS!

THE ZEPPELIN PULPS!

The final issue of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips's first Incognito miniseries came out yesterday. Oversized and dense with awesomeness, it was a perfect capper to this first story in the Incognito world. Honestly, if you're a fan of pulp heroes, or Wold-Newton-style metafiction, or just terrific action stories, you owe it to yourself to pick up the trade when it comes out in a few months. As much as I like Brubaker and Phillips's Criminal, I love me some Incognito.

But as if the comic itself weren't worth the price of admission (and it is), each issue contains nifty little essays by the internet's own Jess Nevins about various pulp archetypes, and in this final issue, Jess finally busts loose and breaks the bank.

Jess has posted an expanded version of the essay online, detailing the short and glorious history of the zeppelin pulps, and it is definitely worth checking out. (I'll give you a hint, though. You maybe shouldn't believe everything that you read online...)

ZEPPLIN PULPS!

The following is an expanded version of my essay in Incognito #6, the last issue in the wonderful pulp-supers-noir comic by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. Incognito #6 is in stores today (make sure to buy three copies each!) and a shorter version of the following appears there. For space reasons I had to cut some things out, but Ed’s graciously given me permission to repost the original here.

(BTW, this may be the single thing I’m most proud of having written, if only because doing research on the zeppelin pulps and the background to Complete Zeppelin Stories was such a challenge. I’d read Complete Zeppelin Stories, of course, but the context to it, and the information on the other pulps was extremely hard to find. This was a challenge from start to finish, and I’m glad I met it).

Posterity is cruel to popular culture. Successful series, in any medium, find themselves quickly forgotten. Sexton Blake was the second-most imitated character in the world in the 1930s, after Sherlock Holmes, and today Blake is virtually unknown. The radio serial “Fibber McGee and Molly” was famous internationally in the 1930s and 1940s and is now almost forgotten. This was true of the pulps, as well. One of the best examples of the forgotten pulps is the genre of zeppelin pulps and Complete Zeppelin Stories, the most famous zeppelin pulp of them all.

TO READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE CLICK HERE

A TIP OF THE FEDORA TO CHRIS ROBERSON'S INTERMINABLE RAMBLE BLOG

PRIME SUSPECT ~ NBC!

PRIME SUSPECT ~ NBC!

Variety is reporting that NBC is developing a new project based on the ITV series Prime Suspect, which starred Helen Mirran as DCI Jane Tennison, a tough homicide investigator who found herself juggling her difficult job and equally harrowing personal life. He show was created and written by author Lynda La Plante.

The original series produced 7 multi-part episodes (made-for-television movies) over a 15-year period, winning 3 Emmys for best mini-series and 2 Emmys for Mirran as Best Actress. The show and made waves at the time for featuring a woman as head of a murder squad.

I’m not sure if this remake is a great idea. The original is brilliant and is readily available on DVD. When another great British crime show, Cracker, was remade for American TV, the result was disastrous.

FOR MORE CLICK HERE

BLACKSHIRT ~ GRAPHIC NOVEL!

BLACKSHIRT ~ GRAPHIC NOVEL!

Richard Jerrill used to be a soldier, a member of Britain's Special Air Service, the Elite Corps that took on the jobs no one else would, and few knew about. Now he's left the SAS for New York City, where he writes best selling techno thrillers loosely based on his experiences in the service.

But you can't take the adrenaline out of the junkie. At night, he prowls the city, dressed in black, committing petty heists and pitting himself against high-tech alarm systems, just because he can. His secret life, however, is not secret for long.

A mysterious woman named Vox knows all about him. She offers him a deal in exchange for not revealing his nocturnal activities to the police - or his identity to his former enemies. He has to be her modern-day Robin Hood!

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

FIVE FISTS OF SCIENCE ~ GRAPHIC NOVEL!

FIVE FISTS OF SCIENCE ~ GRAPHIC NOVEL!

TRUE STORY: IN 1899, MARK TWAIN AND NIKOLA TESLA DECIDED TO END WAR FOREVER. WITH TWAIN'S CONNECTIONS AND TESLA'S INVENTIONS, THEY WENT INTO BUSINESS, SELLING WORLD PEACE. SO WHAT HAPPENED? ONLY NOW CAN THE TALE BE TOLD - IN WHICH TWAIN AND TESLA COLLIDED WITH EDISON AND MORGAN, AN EVIL SCIENCE CABAL MERGING THE BLACK ARTS AND THE INDUSTRIAL AGE. TURN OF THE CENTURY NEW YORK CITY SETS THE STAGE FOR A TITANIC BATTLE OVER THE VERY FATE OF THE MANKIND.

STORY MATT FRACTION
ART & COVER STEVEN SANDERS
112 PAGES
$12.99

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

THE PHILOSOPHY OF AMBIGUITY!

THE PHILOSOPHY OF AMBIGUITY!

YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THESE BEFORE BUT STILL FUN…ENJOY!

FOR THOSE WHO LOVE THE PHILOSOPHY OF AMBIGUITY, AS WELL AS THE IDIOSYNCRASIES OF ENGLISH:

1. DON'T SWEAT THE PETTY THINGS AND DON'T PET THE SWEATY THINGS.

2. ONE TEQUILA, TWO TEQUILA, THREE TEQUILA, FLOOR.

3. ATHEISM IS A NON-PROPHET ORGANIZATION.

4. IF MAN EVOLVED FROM MONKEYS AND APES, WHY DO WE STILL HAVE MONKEYS AND APES?

5. THE MAIN REASON THAT SANTA IS SO JOLLY IS BECAUSE HE KNOWS WHERE ALL THE BAD GIRLS LIVE.

6. I WENT TO A BOOKSTORE AND ASKED THE SALESWOMAN, "WHERE'S THE SELF- HELP SECTION?" SHE SAID IF SHE TOLD ME, IT WOULD DEFEAT THE PURPOSE.

7. WHAT IF THERE WERE NO HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS?

8. IF A DEAF CHILD SIGNS SWEAR WORDS, DOES HIS MOTHER WASH HIS HANDS WITH SOAP?

9. IF SOMEONE WITH MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES THREATENS TO KILL HIMSELF, IS IT CONSIDERED A HOSTAGE SITUATION?

10. IS THERE ANOTHER WORD FOR SYNONYM?

11. WHERE DO FOREST RANGERS GO TO "GET AWAY FROM IT ALL?"

12. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU SEE AN ENDANGERED ANIMAL EATING AN ENDANGERED PLANT?

13. IF A PARSLEY FARMER IS SUED, CAN THEY GARNISH HIS WAGES?

14. WOULD A FLY WITHOUT WINGS BE CALLED A WALK?

15. WHY DO THEY LOCK PETROL STATION BATHROOMS? ARE THEY AFRAID SOMEONE WILL CLEAN THEM?

16. IF A TURTLE DOESN'T HAVE A SHELL, IS HE HOMELESS OR NAKED?

17. CAN VEGETARIANS EAT ANIMAL CRACKERS?

18. IF THE POLICE ARREST A MIME, DO THEY TELL HIM HE HAS THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT?

19. WHY DO THEY PUT BRAILLE ON THE DRIVE-THROUGH BANK MACHINES?

20. HOW DO THEY GET DEER TO CROSS THE ROAD ONLY AT THOSE YELLOW ROAD SIGNS?

21. WHAT WAS THE BEST THING BEFORE SLICED BREAD?

22. ONE NICE THING ABOUT EGOTISTS: THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE.

23. DOES THE LITTLE MERMAID WEAR AN ALGEBRA?

24. DO INFANTS ENJOY INFANCY AS MUCH AS ADULTS ENJOY ADULTERY?

25. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A CIVIL WAR?

26. IF ONE SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMER DROWNS, DO THE REST DROWN TOO?

27. IF YOU ATE BOTH PASTA AND ANTIPASTO, WOULD YOU STILL BE HUNGRY?

28. IF YOU TRY TO FAIL, AND SUCCEED, WHICH HAVE YOU DONE?

29. WHOSE CRUEL IDEA WAS IT FOR THE WORD 'LISP' TO HAVE 'S' IN IT?

30. WHY ARE HEMORRHOIDS CALLED "HEMORRHOIDS" INSTEAD OF "ASSTEROIDS"?

31. WHY IS IT CALLED TOURIST SEASON IF WE CAN'T SHOOT AT THEM?

32. WHY IS THERE AN EXPIRATION DATE ON SOUR CREAM?

33. IF YOU SPIN AN ORIENTAL PERSON IN A CIRCLE THREE TIMES, DO THEY BECOME DISORIENTED?

34. CAN AN ATHEIST GET INSURANCE AGAINST ACTS OF GOD

CHRIS CONNOR ~ R.I.P.

CHRIS CONNOR ~ R.I.P.

It has been reported that jazz singer Chris Connor passed away last Saturday at the age of 81. Connor was one of the last living singers from the big-band era and the last of the original so-called “vo-cool school” of vocalists that included Anita O’Day, Mel Torme and June Christy – singers noted for their generally vibrato-less tones, understated phrasing and 'now-it’s-languid, now-it’s-loud' use of dynamics. However you classify her though, Connor was a joy to listen to and she ended up with a remarkably long run of good recordings that stretch across five decades of jazz history.

FOR MORE CLICK HERE

THE CAT'S MEOW ~ DOUBLE PLAY!

THANKS TO LOL CATS

MAGNIFICENT SEVEN MARATHON!

MAGNIFICENT SEVEN MARATHON!

On Thursday, September 3, Turner Classic Movies (North America) will present all four of the Magnificent Seven films back-to-back starting with the original 1960 classic, which remains one of my favorite films of all time.

It took six years for the first sequel, Return of the Seven, with Yul Brynner still in the leading role. Brynner was replaced by George Kennedy in the 1969 sequel Guns of the Magnificent Seven and Lee Van Cleef took over the lead in the fourth and final entry, The Magnificent Seven Ride! which was released in 1972.

All of the sequels are fairly anemic if compared to the original, but each is quite entertaining nonetheless. A primary asset for all the sequels: Elmer Bernstein's superb main theme was retained for each film.

The action begins at 8:00 and runs through the wee small hours of Friday.

DICK FRANCIS – A FAMILY BUSINESS!

DICK FRANCIS – A FAMILY BUSINESS!

THE GUARDIAN RAN A PROFILE OVER THE WEEKEND ON AUTHOR DICK FRANCIS AND HIS SO FELIX WITH WHOM HE NOW CO-WRITES HIS RACING THRILLERS. THEIR LATEST THRILLER, EVEN MONEY, WAS PUBLISHED LAST WEEK BY PUTNAM.

It was back in 1951 that Dick Francis – then a leading jockey, now a veteran thriller writer – and his wife, Mary, first laid eyes on the Redcliffe hotel in Paignton, Devon. They fell in love with it, booked a holiday right away and vowed to return each year with their family.

It's a tradition that has continued for six decades. Mary, sadly, died in 2000 – but this month saw Dick there as usual, surrounded by no fewer than 33 members of his extended family. As well as Dick and his sons, Merrick and Felix, there are five grandchildren, siblings and siblings-in-law, nieces and nephews and cousins – and even a great-grandson, Jak, aged one. For Dick, now 88, it's become a welcome opportunity to catch up with his clan. But the annual get-together is also a way of saying thank you for all the family have done over the years for Dick Francis Incorporated.

Because the truth about Dick's 44 novels is that they've been an extraordinary example of family teamwork. Dick was always the writer, of course – but for the twists and turns of the plots, for the authenticity of his characters, and for the insights into the worlds his protagonists inhabited, he invariably turned to his family for help.

For many years, Mary was his right-hand helper. "She was a terrific reader and a great researcher – she did all kinds of research for me and she was great at it," says Dick. His sons helped him too – especially Felix, whose work as a physics teacher was to assist in moulding the character of Jonathan Derry, the mild-mannered hero of Twice Shy (1981). "Dad came to watch me teaching as research for that novel," says Felix, 56. "There can be nothing more nerve-racking!"

Felix is sitting next to his dad today at the Redcliffe. The two reminisce on the family involvement in Dick's writing down the years: Merrick, says Felix, was the inspiration for Freddie Croft in the novel Driving Force (1991). Like Merrick, Croft ran a racing transport company. Matthew, Felix's son, provided much of the material for 10lb Penalty (1997), which features a 17-year-old would-be jockey (Matthew, who's now 30, was 18 at the time). And many others among the Francis family have been happy to weigh in with a bit of research here or a plot idea there – it's almost been like a big family hobby that pulls them all together.

TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE CLICK HERE

TOP TEN SIGNS YOU HAVE A BAD HEALTH CARE PLAN!

TOP TEN SIGNS YOU HAVE A BAD HEALTH CARE PLAN!

(10) Your annual breast exam is done at Hooters.

(9) Directions to your doctor’s office include “Take a left when you enter the trailer park.”

(8) The tongue depressors taste faintly of Fudgesicles.

(7) The only proctologist in the plan is “Gus” from Roto-Rooter.

(6) The only item listed under Preventative Care Coverage is “an apple a day.”

(5) Your primary care physician is wearing the pants you gave to Goodwill last month.

(4) “The patient is responsible for 200% of out-of-network charges,” is not a typographical error.

(3) The only expense covered 100% is “embalming.”

(2) Your Prozac comes in different colors with little M’s on them.

AND THE NUMBER ONE SIGN

(1) You ask for Viagra, and they give you a Popsicle stick and duct tape.

THE CAT'S MEOW!

THANKS TO LOL CATS

JONNY BLU @ IRIDIUM JAZZ CLUB NYC!

JONNY BLU @ IRIDIUM JAZZ CLUB NYC!

JOIN JONNY FOR THE LAUNCH OF HIS NEW ALBUM "TABOO" AT IRIDIUM JAZZ CLUB IN NEW YORK!

IT'S GONNA BE AN AMAZING NIGHT!

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2009, 11:30PM
IRIDIUM JAZZ CLUB
1650 BROADWAY (AT 51ST STREET)
NEW YORK, NY 10019
BOX OFFICE/TICKETS: (212)582-2121
$20 COVER
EMAIL: BARSINGR@GMAIL.COM

MY LIFE: ACCORDING TO THE BOOKS I’VE READ THIS YEAR!

MY LIFE: ACCORDING TO THE BOOKS I’VE READ THIS YEAR!

I’M NOT MUCH FOR MEMES , BUT THIS OONE GOING AROUND AT THE MOMENT IS KIND OF COOL. I PICKED IT UP FROM EURO CRIME:

USING ONLY BOOKS YOU HAVE READ THIS YEAR (2009), CLEVERLY ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS. TRY NOT TO REPEAT A BOOK TITLE.

DESCRIBE YOURSELF: THE MESSENGER

HOW DO YOU FEEL: CHASING THE DEVIL’S TAIL

DESCRIBE WHERE YOU CURRENTLY LIVE: ON BEALE STREET

IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD YOU GO: ENCHANTMENT PLACE

YOUR FAVOURITE FORM OF TRANSPORT: STARSHIP TROOPERS

YOUR BEST FRIEND IS: BRUNO: CHIEF OF POLICE

YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS ARE: HEART & SOUL

WHAT’S THE WEATHER LIKE: A KILLING FROST

FAVOURITE TIME OF DAY: NIGHT AND DAY

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A: DEAL BREAKER

WHAT IS LIFE TO YOU: WAY OF SHADOWS

YOUR FEAR: THE MONSTER OF FLORENCE

WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE TO GIVE: THE REST FALLS AWAY

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: IF I WERE YOU

HOW I WOULD LIKE TO DIE: BEAT THE REAPER

MY SOUL'S PRESENT CONDITION: PITCH PERFECT

I WON'T PASS THIS ON BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE GETTING TAGGED, BUT ANYONE WHO WANTS TO JUMP IN FEEL FREE.

BUTTON MAN!

BUTTON MAN!

HERE ARE TWO COOL GRAPHIC NOVELS AVAILABLE FROM AMAZON.UK – KIND OF GET CARTER MEETS THE LIMEY AS DIRECTED BY GUY RITCHIE . . .

BUTTON MAN: KILLER KILLER

Harry Exton was a 'Button Man' - a player in the lethal Killing Game. Exton quit, but no one walks away from the Game and lives. Now the hunter has become the hunted...

BUTTON MAN: KILLING GAME

Harry Exton is Button Man, a gun for hire in a deadly game played by anonymous ""Voices"". But Harry isn't taking anymore and after giving a full confession he flees to the United States, only to become involved in an even deadlier game! Can Harry track down his ""Voice"" and will he survive one more throw of the dice? A true 2000 AD classic with stunning artwork by Arthur Ranson. Button Man has been optioned for a film.

Written by the award-winning creator of Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog, Button Man: The Killing Game is a gritty contemporary thriller, in the style of Leon, Day of The Jackal and The Most Dangerous Game. Presented as a high quality European-style hardback book, this edition has been completely re-scanned from original artwork, to offer quality not seen in any previous printing.

A SEA OF TROUBLES ~ DONNA LEON!

A SEA OF TROUBLES ~ DONNA LEON!

A NEW DONNA LEON NOVEL IS ALWAYS A WELCOME ADDITION TO MY TEETERING TO BE READ PILE . . .

Commissario Brunetti finds himself adrift in his tenth investigation – available for the first time in the United States – Dona Leon has amased devoted fans around the world for her atmospheric and intelligent Commissario Brunetti series.

A Sea of Troubles offers a rare glimpse into the scrupulous Commissario's personal life. When Brunetti investigates the murder of two local fishermen on the island of Pellestrina, the small community closes ranks, forcing him to accept Signorina Elettra's offer to visit her relatives there to search for clues.

Though loyal to his beloved wife, Paola, he must admit that less-than-platonic emotions underlie his concern for his boss's beautiful secretary. Suspenseful, provocative, and deeply unsettling, A Sea of Troublesis an explosive and irresistible addition to Leon's marvelous series.

DONNA'S COMMENTS ABOUT THE BOOK:

"When I speak to readers and when I hear them talking, one of the characters they seem to like the most is Signorina Elettra--who I can never call Elettra, I would never think of calling her Elettra, I have to call her Signorina Elettra, Patta’s secretary, but also Brunetti’s secretary. A SEA OF TROUBLES, the tenth book, deals with her personal life. She falls in love with a young man, who is somehow involved in a police investigation. And under her own decision, she goes out to Pellestrina one of the long islands that blocks the laguna from the Adriatic. She goes out to a fishing village there to ask questions about a murder which has taken place and while she’s there she meets this young Italian, falls in love with him and Brunetti eventually discovers that there is a connection between the young man and the murder. And Signorina Elettra has to choose between love and duty. She’s Italian so, of course, she chooses love. And the book tells of the consequences of that decision."

THIS IS A TRADE PAPERBACK REPRINT OF LEON’S 2002 NOVEL OF THE SAME NAME.

MICKEY SPILLANE ~ MEN'S ROOM SCRIBBLER!

SUKEBAN BLUES!

SUKEBAN BLUES!

WHEREVER THIS IS PLAYING, I'M THERE!

THE VIPER OF SHANGHAI ~ VINTAGE FRENCH PULP ~ ESPIONAGE!

RETRO ~ NANCY SINATRA!

RETRO ~ NANCY SINATRA!

The August 1969 issue of The National Police Gazette had Nancy Sinatra rocking the cover with the retro bod and granny panties. Notice her missing navel — in 1969 exposed navels were still considered risqué, which is why they had only just begun to appear in movies, weren’t shown on respectable magazine covers, and were entirely banned from television.

A TIP OF THE FEDORA TO INTERNATIONAL PULP FOR THIS FIND

BRIAN SETZER ~ SONGS FROM LONLEY AVENUE!

BRIAN SETZER ~ SONGS FROM LONLEY AVENUE!

Brian Setzer Orchestra Meets Film Noir On Songs From Lonely Avenue Rockabilly guitar-slinger, big band impresario, and all-around cool cat Brian Setzer takes a walk on the dark side with his film noir-inspired new album "Songs From Lonely Avenue," out October 13th on Surfdog Records.

With a propulsive rhythm, an ominous minor key, wickedly good instrumental solos and the familiar character of the Devil up to his old tricks, opening track “Trouble Train” sets the mood for the whole album (with echoes of that other great song about Lucifer, Charlie Daniels’ “Devil Went Down to Georgia”).

Throughout the rest of the album, thugs prowl the street, young couples dance the night away in New York, hearts are broken, and lives are taken, all over pitch-perfect melodies and arrangements.

Comprising ten vocal tracks and three instrumentals, ‘Songs from Lonely Avenue’ marks the first time Setzer has written every track on an album. With all the scope of a Raymond Chandler novel or an Orson Welles film, it’s his most ambitious project to date.

And as he did on 2007’s ‘Wolfgang’s Big Night Out,’ Setzer recruited 87-year-old Frank Comstock, one of the most important and inventive arrangers of instrumental music of the last century, to score the horn arrangements. Comstock wrote music for many of the era’s top artists, including Doris Day, Sonny Dunham, Benny Carter and Judy Garland (not to mention the “Rocky & Bullwinkle” theme!).

Furthermore, the “New King Of Jingle Bell Rock” (Billboard) Brian Setzer and his 18-piece big band will kick off their seventh Christmas Extravaganza 27-date tour on November 20th in Detroit. This fall, Surfdog Records will re-release Setzer’s hugely successful collection of yuletide music: ‘Christmas Rocks’ as well as the ‘Ultimate Christmas’ CD and DVD combination- songs that have become part of the holiday tradition for millions over the last several years.

From launching the rockabilly revolution with the Stray Cats to pioneering the swing revival with the Brian Setzer Orchestra, this Long Island-born innovator has earned his unique place in modern music by walking the line between conceptual discipline and balls-out rockin’.

Setzer won three Grammy Awards (two for Best Pop Instrumental Performance for “Sleepwalk” from The Dirty Boogie in 1998 and “Caravan” from VaVoom in 2000, plus one for Best Pop Performance with “Jump, Jive an' Wail,” also from The Dirty Boogie) by targeting that place where wild energy and visionary imagination intersect.

JULIE LONDON ~ SWING ME AN OLD SONG (1959)

JULIE LONDON ~ SWING ME AN OLD SONG (1959)

JUST BECAUSE IT’S JULIE LONDON (MY ONE AND ONLY TORCH SINGER) WITH A COOL ALBUM COVER, I’M PLUGGING THIS GREAT DOWNLOAD FROM KELLY’S LOUNGE SOUNDZ . . .

ALBUM REVIEW:

Everyone seems to have forgotten that rock 'n' roll wasn't doing so hot with white audiences at the tail end of the 1950s until the Beatles hit the scene and had everyone going electric again. Instead of rockabilly, folk music and dixieland jazz were huge in 1959, and young audiences were getting into old-time songs their parents and grandparents knew.

"Swing Me An Old Song" was Julie London's dixieland-spiced folk revival effort. If it doesn't actually play to her strengths to be cast as a sexed-up version of Burl Ives, it takes some kind of real talent to be able to coo such hoary chestnuts as "Camptown Races" and "Row, Row, Row, Your Boat" without embarrassing yourself too much.

Thankfully, the song selection on most of the album is better than these two egregious examples of stale singalongs that should never have made it outside summer camp. Tracks like "Cuddle Up A Little Closer" and "Darktown Strutters Ball" fit London like a satin glove, as does her downbeat take on "Bill Bai...ley, Won't You Please Come Home" (though she would cut an even better version of this on her 1966 release "For The Night People").

During the same year as "Swing Me An Old Song", London also cut the cool jazz album "Julie...At Home" (which may just be her single finest work) and "Your Number Please...," a swank orchestral set of standards. People often mention Julie London's limited vocal range, but it's surprising how far her talent could stretch. ~ Nick Dedina

01) Comin' Thru The Rye
02) Cuddle Up A Little Closer
03) After The Ball
04) Be My Little Bumble Bee
05) Camptown Races
06) Old Folks At Home
07) Darktown Strutters' Ball
08) How Come You Do Me Like You Do
09) Row Row Row
10) By The Beautiful Sea
11) Bill Bailey Won't You Please Come Home
12) Three O'Clock In The Morning

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

ELVIS CRUISE!

ELVIS CRUISE!

Sixthman LLC and Elvis Presley Enterprises are thrilled to be a part of the third annual Elvis Cruise. Join us on the Carnival Inspiration Thursday, November 12, through Monday, November 16, 2009, as we sail through the Caribbean from Tampa, FL to Cozumel.

This event is bigger and better, with Elvis-themed entertainment, parties and activities, including music and presentations by those who knew and performed with Elvis himself! Hosted by Jerry Schilling, scheduled performers include The TCB Band, The Imperials, The Sweet Inspirations, Joe Guercio, D.J. Fontana, Terry Mike Jeffrey & Band, Andy Childs, Ronnie McDowell, The Dempseys and others, still to be announced.

No Elvis Cruise would be complete without Elvis Tribute Artists, so lets hear it for our Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest Winners: Gino Monopoli, Victor Trevino, Ted Torres, Dwight Icenhower, Jay Zanier, Simon Patrick, Bryant Scott, Mark Anthony, Joseph Hall, Kevin Mills, and George Thomas.

From the Grand Atrium, gift shops and dining rooms, to the bars, Lido Deck and main stage, you will find the King of Rock 'n' Roll around every corner!

If that wasn’t enough Elvis to get you movin’ and groovin’, we have something new this year. We are bringing Elvis movie costars Celeste Yarnall from Live a Little, Love a Little, Cynthia Pepper from Kissin’ Cousins, and Chris Noel from Girl Happy along for the ride!

Are you ready to get all shook up, Elvis fans? We have a great time in store for you!

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

COCKTAIL NATION #89 ~ WAITIKI 7:THE NEXT GENERATION!

COCKTAIL NATION #89 ~ WAITIKI 7:THE NEXT GENERATION!

Thanks to Tiki Shark, Koop Kooper and the Cocktail Nation are in Dubai to DJ at the highest altitude bar in Dubai ~ 300 meteres above the ground, 63 floors above the city. Koop has been staying at the Burj Al Arab, which is a 1,000-foot-tall feat of modern design, perched on the edge of the Persian Gulf.
Tonight on the show, Koop will talk with Randy Wong from Waitiki 7 about their new album, Adventures in Paradise. He’ll also cover a soon to be released new Sinatra album, plus he’ll tell us about Mai Tai Day in Oakland. And for those who like to nerd out on Mad Men, a book you just have to get your hands on.

PLAYLIST:

Brian Setzer ~ Lonely Avenue
Tikiyaki Orchesta ~ Sunset
Waitiki7 ~ Left Arm Of Budda
Si Zenter ~ I've Found a New Baby
Frank Sinatra ~ Prisoner of Love
Xavier Cugat ~ Cuba Libre
Ruby Braff ~ Easy Now
Sally Street ~ Teach Me Tonight
Clouseaux ~ Magic
Dianna Krall ~ The Night We Called It A Day
Lucas Vigor ~ The Straight Dope
Abbe Lane Be Mine Tonight ~ Take It Easy
Alvino Rey ~ How High The Moon
Mark Copeland ~ I Love Paris
Billy May ~ Love Is The Thing

TO DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE