STOCKING STUFFERS ~! IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE ZOMBIES!

STOCKING STUFFERS ~! IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE ZOMBIES!

MICHAEL P. SPRADLIN

Fresh brains roasting on an open fire . . .

Outside the temperature's dropping. The snow is falling, blanketing the world in white. Sleigh bells are jingling. Soon it will be that most wondrous time of the year!

That time of flesh-devouring zombie horror!

Yes, Christmas is on its way—and all the little boys and ghouls are dreaming of stockings filled with candied eyes and bleeding body parts. You'd better watch out! Santa Claws is coming to town—and he knows who's been naughty, who's been naughtier . . . and who'll taste best with a nice glass of Chianti!

In celebration of this merry macabre season, we present a peerless compendium of more than two dozen of the most soul-stirring, brain-boiling carols composed specifically for the decomposing. Holiday favorites such as “I Saw Mommy Chewing Santa Claus,” “Deck the Halls with Parts of Wally,” and “We Three Spleens” are guaranteed to lift the spirits of the lumbering, shuffling undead and their temporarily still breathing meals-to-be. So put down your gore-splattered baseball bats and raise your voices in song! And sing loudly—to drown out all the screaming.

PER FANTASY BOOK CRITIC . . .

With Christmas right around the corner I thought I'd showcase a funny little book that I ran across this holiday season. It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies, is a humor/parody Christmas book meant to bring a little cheer and a few laughs to that zombie fan.

Michael P. Spradlin is the author of many children's books, but most famously known for his Youngest Templar novels.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies, showcases 15 zombie themed Christmas carols in a 96 page book. Each carol is complete with a zombie related illustration done by Jeff Weigel.

While not a book that I feel I could fully review and give pros and cons of. I believe that this is just the perfect gift for those zombie fans out there. And really wanted to share it with everyone.

There are many crazy and funny lyrics throughout this book. One of my favorite lyrics is from the song "The Zombie Christmas Song" which is set to the tune of The Christmas Song: Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire:

Fresh brains roasting on an open fire,
Zombies chewing off your nose

Other songs that I enjoyed were the Undead Christmas, A Jolly Zombie Christmas and Deck the Halls with Parts of Wally.

I should note that there is a song titled I saw Mommy Chewing Santa Claus. So while it is meant for children I wouldn't go around showing this to children that are too young.

This is just a fun book that with when taken with the right sense of humor will be something that many people can enjoy. It will be something that I pull out almost every holiday season. One of the memories that I share is having a stack of Christmas books that I pulled out every year as a child and I will happily be adding this book to that pile.

THE CAT'S MEOW ~ DOUBLE PLAY!

COCKTAIL NATION #105 ~ CHRISTMAS SPECIAL!

COCKTAIL NATION #105 ~ CHRISTMAS SPECIAL!

And a Merry Christmas from the gang at the Cocktail Nation!

Koop has a wonderful Christmas special in store for us this week as he takes a look at two new Christmas albums ~ one from Tiki Joes Ocean, and one from the Martini Kings.

Koop will also chat to Andy Nazzal from Tiki Joes, plus he has some beatnik poetry about the politically correct world Santa has to occupy.

There will be a Christmas edition of the regular Ask Koop segment, and Koop will tell us what is happening New Years Eve in his look at the world of swank!

PLAYLIST:

Martini Kings ~ The Christmas Song
Billy May ~ Rudolph Reindeer Mambo
Tiki Joes Ocean ~ Deck The Halls
Dean Martin ~ Winter Wonderland
Cocktail Preachers ~ SleighRide
Kay Starr ~ The Man with the Bag
Lena Horne ~ Santa Claus Is Coming
Mambo Zombies ~ Silver Bells
Tiki Joes Ocean ~ Christmas Time is Here
Martin Denny ~ Exotic Night
Nat King Cole ~ Buon Natale
Michael Buble ~ Let it Snow
Al Caiola ~ Holiday on Skis
Martini Kings ~ White Christmas
Ray Anthony ~ We Wish You a Very Merry Christmas
Tiki Joes Ocean ~ We Three Kings

TO LISTEN OR DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

BLACK JACK JUSTICE 32 ~ STORMY WEATHER!

BLACK JACK JUSTICE 32 ~ STORMY WEATHER!

NEW FROM DECODER RING THEATRE . . .

It has been remarked more than once that there's always a calm just before the storm. Certified meteorological phenomenon or old wives saw, it was still true as often as it wasn't. And if that storm was destined to wash away Marilou Arden, it looked like it just might take a certain pair of gumshoes with her.

TO LISTEN OR DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

THE BACHELOR PAD!

THE BACHELOR PAD!

2009 CHRISTMAS SHOW #4

PLAYLIST:

Esquivel—Mini Skirt (Theme Music)
Dean Martin—A Marshmallow World
Andy Williams—Let It Snow! !
Martini Kings—Santa Claus Is Coming
Kay Martin —The Night Before Xmas Binge
Ray Anthony—Christmas Kisses
Jack Jones—Mistletoe and Holly
Renzo Cesana—I Bought You Violets
Stacey Kent—Violets For Your Furs
Johnny Desmond—Sleigh Ride
Tex Beneke—A Rootn' Tootn' Santa Claus
Squirrel Nut Zippers—Winter Weather
Dukes of Dixieland—Frosty the Snowman
Jimmy Boyd—Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Perry Como—A Home Christmas
The Mills Brothers—I Believe in Santa Claus
Sinatra & Crosby—The Christmas Song
Don Ho—Christmas Is...
Bob Atcher—Christmas Island
Carmen McRae—Baby, It's Cold Outside
Esquivel—Sun Valley Ski Run
Ray Conniff—Medley: Let It Snow!
Lenny Dee—Jingle Bell Rock
Bing Crosby—Here Comes Santa Claus
Ella Fitzgerald—White Christmas
Lionel Hampton—Merry Christmas, Baby
Lou Rawls—Christmas Is
The Blue Hawaiians—Enchanted Xmas
Gene Autry—Rudolph,
Fred Waring—Night Before Christmas
Julie London—Warm December
Johnny Mathis—Home For Christmas
Les Brown—The Nutcracker Suite
Frankie Lane—All I Want For Christmas
Elvis Presley—Santa Claus Is Back In Town

TO LISTEN OR DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

SATAN'S PLAYMATES!

SATAN'S PLAYMATES!

THE ADVENTURES OF MOLLOY AND MCNAMARA

Mike Molloy and Tommy McNamara were the "Twin Terrors of the Western Front".

They flew as if they had been born in Spads, they drank like thirsty whales, and they'd fought by each other's side through every mile of air along the lines and in every bar from the Front to Paris. If there were no more pressing targets, they pounded each other to a pulp, for any reason at all, and were strangely happy.

Leading the 24th Pursuit Squadron across WWI Europe's blood red skies, Molloy and McNamara were the bane of the German Air Force. Their names and reputations were known wherever fighting men met with blazing guns or flying fists. Written by William Hartley, the twenty tales of Molloy and McNamara appeared in Dare-Devil Aces between 1936 and 1942. Age of Aces has collected the first eleven of them for this volume.

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

PULP TALES PRESENTS #14!

PULP TALES PRESENTS #14!

THE CRIMSON BLIGHT AND OTHER STORIES
ARTHUR J. BURKS

CONTENTS:

THE CRIMSON BLIGHT
AZTEC GOLD
DANCE OF THE DROWNED
DEATH'S FLEET WINGS
WHILE CHAPEI BURNED
WINGS OF FLAMES
THOSE FUNNY MARINES
BANDITS IN ERMINE

PRESENTED IN FACSIMILE FORMAT
7X10 SOFTCOVER $15

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

ZORRO #18!

ZORRO #18!

Arriving in comic shops December 23rd!

Writer and cover artist Matt Wagner and artist Francesco Francavilla continue their acclaimed story of Zorro!

In this issue, a unique look at the legend of El Zorro told by the workers around him that have seen his attack on their masters first-hand!

32 pages, Full Color, $3.50

BAMBOO LOUNGE!

JAZZ REVIEW – JONNY BLU @ VIBRATO!

JAZZ REVIEW – JONNY BLU @ VIBRATO!

Johnny Blu stepped on stage at Vibrato Tuesday night and immediately grasped the friendly audience by their collective swing bone and didn’t let them go for the full length of his sixty minute set. Drawing mostly from his recently released, Latin flavored CD, Taboo, Jonny looked both at ease and if he was enjoying the spotlight of L.A.’s top jazz club.

I’ve caught a half dozen Jonny Blu performances in various venues over the past two years and enjoyed them all. Tuesday night, however, had an extra spark – Jonny and his band were no longer simmering on the edge of a stardom breakthrough, they were boiling along it.

There were a number of reasons behind this performance leap. First it was clear the musical charts had been cleaned up. As a result, the seven piece band was tighter than ever. Lead by pianist Bob Malone and anchored by sax and woodwind player (and jingle-beller extraordinaire) Doug Webb, this was no longer a collection of friend sitting in, but a together group all in a mutual groove.

This all leads to reason number two – trust. Jonny, Malone, and Webb have all hung together long enough to have a common understanding of both Jonny’s rearranged standards and his unique originals. With this trust and familiarity, Johnny’s full personality comes through as he concentrates on what he does best – reaching the audience with his voice.

The most affecting moment of the evening was when Jonny introduced a new song, I’ll Always Have You, written for his grandmother Rose, who recently passed away. Not only do the lyrics and music have a strong pop flavored jazz vibe, but the emotion Jonny sang with was pure and touching. This one is a hit.

I’ve no doubt 2010 holds great things for Jonny Blu, and I want to be there when they happen.

CAPTAIN COLD!

CAPTAIN COLD!

THANKS TO PIMPERNEL’S BLOG FOR POINTING THE WAY TO THIS VERY COOL CHRISTMAS GREETING COURTESY OF ARTIST FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA.

TO CHECK OUT THE ADVENTURES OF FRANCESCO’S PULP HERO THE BLACK BEETLE ON HIS PULP SUNDAY BLOG CLICK HERE

Y/A CORNER ~ SPLIT BY STEFAN PETRUCHA!

Y/A CORNER ~ SPLIT BY STEFAN PETRUCHA!

MARCH 2010

Wade Jackson has always felt split, his love for playing and writing music competing with his ambition to do well in school. But when his mother dies, this need for order competes with his desire to leave it all behind. What follows is a split in his consciousness that takes him to two very different worlds.

Told in alternating chapters that together form one cohesive story, Split follows both Wades as they pursue what they think is the correct path. One Wade continues working hard in school, pulling all-nighters to write a computer code he believes will save the world. The other Wade pursues the dream of being a dive-bar singer, pulling all-nighters to party, gamble, and live on the edge. But when these two worlds begin to collide, each Wade will need to find a balance between control and abandon, order and chaos, life missed and life lost, in order to save himself.

AN EVENING AT THE BUDDIES LOUNGE #82!

AN EVENING AT THE BUDDIES LOUNGE #82!

HOLIDAY JUBILEE 2009 #4

Join the BIG W this evening as he explores, with eggnog in hand, the Space-Age Pop Holiday Hi-Fi musical sounds of the 1950’s and the 1960’s in LIVING STEREO!

PLAYLIST:

• I Believe - Frank Sinatra
• Frosty The Snowman - Esquivel
• Mistletoe and Holly - Jack Jones
• Sleigh Ride - Tex Beneke
• Happened In Sun Valley - Randy Van Horne
• Jingle Bells - Ames Brothers
• Let It Snow - Lawrence & Gorme
• My Love To Keep Me Warm - Les Brown
• Winter Weather - Jo Stafford
• Baby, It's Cold Outside - Dean Martin
• The Christmas Song Cha Cha - Hugo Winterhalter
• Kay Thompson's Jingle Bells - Andy Williams
• The Man With The Bag - Kay Starr
• Winter Wonderland - Ray Charles Singers
• Look a Lot Like Christmas - Perry Como
• Space Age Santa Claus - Hal Bradley
• Coming to Town - Bing Crosby
• Rudolph Cha Cha - Hernando Hopkins
• Rudolph's Nose - Johnny Horton
• Shake Hands With Santa Claus - Louis Prima
• Here We Come A-Caroling - Ray Conniff

TO LISTEN OR DOWNLOAD CLICK HERE

SINATRA : ENCORE!

SINATRA : ENCORE!

THIS CD IS CURRENTLY BEING SOLD EXCLUSIVELY AT WYNN/ENCORE RESORTS:

TRACKLIST:

01 THE GOOD LIFE

02 I’VE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN

03 COME BLOW YOUR HORN

04 NIGHT AND DAY

05 LUCK BE A LADY

06 THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT

07 CHANGE PARTNERS

08 IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS OF THE MORNING

09 THE LOOK OF LOVE

10 THAT’S LIFE

11 HERE’S TO THE BAND

12 THEME FROM NEW YORK, NEW YORK

THE BOOKMAN ~ LAVIE TIDHAR!

THE BOOKMAN ~ LAVIE TIDHAR!

JANUARY 2010

A masked terrorist has brought London to its knees - there are bombs inside books, and nobody knows which ones. On the day of the launch of the first expedition to Mars, by giant cannon, he outdoes himself with an audacious attack. For young poet Orphan, trapped in the screaming audience, it seems his destiny is entwined with that of the shadowy terrorist, but how? Like a steam-powered take on V for Vendetta, rich with satire and slashed through with automatons, giant lizards, pirates, airships and wild adventure, The Bookman is the first of a series.

PER THE AUTHOR:

One of the great joys of writing my steampunk novel, The Bookman, was that I got to do it while living in London – where many of the historical buildings still exist, many still in their original function.

Everyone has their own secret London. Mine includes Davenports’, the magic shop in the bowels of Charing Cross Station; Simpson’s on the Strand, the restaurant Sherlock Holmes used to dine in; the Red Lion Pub in Soho, where Karl Marx used to drink and above which he worked on Das Kapital; the ancient, hidden Nell Gwynne pub behind the Adelphi Theatre, and others. The Egyptian Hall, sadly, is no longer there. Built in 1812, it was a mock-Egyptian structure in Piccadilly that, over the Victorian era, played host to any number of strange exhibitions – including automatons, freak-shows and magic. The Mechanical Turk, that legendary chess-playing machine, exhibited at the Egyptian Hall. Some of the first moving pictures were shown there. And the British family of magicians, the Maskelynes, have taken it over, when it was known as England’s Home of Mystery.

What better place, then, to feature in my very own steampunk story? Indeed, how could I possibly resist?

FOR MORE CLICK HERE

STOCKING STUFFERS ~ VAMPIRE HAIKU!

STOCKING STUFFERS ~ VAMPIRE HAIKU!

RYAN MECUM

You hold in your hands a recently discovered poetry journal - the poetry journal of a vampire. William Butten was en route to a new land on the Mayflower when he was turned into a vampire by a fellow passenger, a beautiful woman named Katherine. These pages contain his heartbreaking story - the story of a vampire who has lived through (and perhaps caused) some of America’s defining events. As he travels the country and as centuries pass, he searches for his lost love and records his adventures and misadventures using the form of poetry known as haiku.

As Butten documents bloody wars, a certain tea party in Boston, living the high life during the Great Depression, two Woodstock festivals, the corruption of Emily Dickinson, and hanging out with Davy Crockett, he keeps to the classic 5-7-5 syllable structure of haiku. The resulting poems are hilarious, repulsive, oddly romantic, and bizarre.

Read along, and you just may find a new appreciation for - and insight into - various events in American history. And blood.

STOCKING STUFFERS ~ ZOMBIE HAIKU: GOOD POETRY FOR YOUR...BRAINS!

STOCKING STUFFERS ~ ZOMBIE HAIKU: GOOD POETRY FOR YOUR...BRAINS!

RYAN MECUM

What you are looking at is a document from the early days of the zombie plague. Little is known about the author before his infection--only that he was a poet. This facsimile of his actual journal recounts the events of humanity's darkest hours through the intimate poetry of haiku.

Inside you'll find increasingly disjointed and terrifying three-line poems (all in the classic 5-7-5 syllable structure), and follow the undead poet on a journey through deserted streets and barricaded doors. Experience every eye-popping, gut-wrenching, flesh-eating moment of the eventual downfall of the human race from the point of view of a zombie, and gain insight to help you survive--if you can.

THE CAT'S MEOW!

ROYAL CROWN REVUE NEW YEAR’S EVE EXTRAVAGANZA!

ROYAL CROWN REVUE NEW YEAR’S EVE EXTRAVAGANZA!

Hey! Our favorite swing band, Royal Crown Revue is hosting an incredible New Year's Eve event at the historic Fox Theater in Pomona.

Hosted by Drake Bell (star of TV's "Drake and Josh") - this all ages
extravaganza will feature six hours of live music and five bands. In addition to RCR, you'll be able to dance the night away with Deke Dickerson and the Ecco-fonics, Vicky Tafoya and the Big Beat, the Faraway Boys and the Embalmers.

The evening's festivities will also include a dance contest, red carpet walk, premiere rod classic and kustom car parking, a full bar and food service. For complete information CLICK HERE

Built as an art deco movie palace during Hollywood's golden age of the cinema, the Fox Theater has just undergone a 10 million dollar renovation, restoring its full glory and turning it into a state of the art concert venue as well. To see photos of this incredible spot CLICK HERE

Tickets are only $30 in advance or $50 for couples - an astounding value for New Years Eve.

YOU CAN ORDER IN EITHER OF THE FOLLOWING TWO WAYS:

TO VISIT THE FOX THEATER WEBSITE CLICK HERE

OR TO SAVE SERVICE CHARGES, ORDER DIRECTLY FROM THE BAND BY SENDING AN EMAIL TO: rcr@rcrshows.com

Don't feel like driving on New Year's Eve? Don't worry, we are also offering an exclusive rate at a nearby hotel for those who are attending this New Year's Eve bash.

Do not miss the opportunity to celebrate this most special evening with a most special band! Pick up your tickets today!

FORGOTTEN BOOKS: JOHN THE BALLADEER BY MANLEY WADE WELLMAN!

FORGOTTEN BOOKS: JOHN THE BALLADEER BY MANLEY WADE WELLMAN!

Manly Wade Wellman was one of the most successful fantasy and SF writers of the '30s and '40s. His SF was generally of a juvenile nature, popular at the time but of limited interest today. His fantasy, however, was thoroughly adult. While Lovecraft and Howard were writing, Manly was in the second rank of Weird Tales authors; after they died, he became one of the magazine's mainstays.

Despite the high quality of his earlier fantasies, Manly didn't really hit his stride in the field until in 1949 appeared The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction—a digest magazine which would publish fantasy of the highest literary quality. For F&SF Manly created John the Balladeer, drawing on his existing knowledge of folk music and folklore and his growing love of the North Carolina mountains. – David Drake

The stories of John the Balladeer are some of the best American fantasies ever written. This collection of short stories is filled with the delights of the namesake guitar slinging ghostbuster. A backwoods wandering minstrel, who is always happy to follow where trouble leads him, helping where he can while asking for little in return.

The time of the stories is never explicitly given, but can be taken as the middle of the twentieth century since John, is a veteran of the Korean War. Resembling a young Johnny Cash, he has an implied mystic link of some sort to John the Baptist, and much of his personal philosophy can be traced to a primitive, Gospel-based, Christianity

Despite being one of the great sci-fi/fantasy/horror pulp writers, the creator of Silver John, Manly Wade Wellman, is far from as well known as he deserves. His stories are unique, drawing upon the rich vein of southern Appalachia folklore mixed with Cherokee myths and Scots-Irish ballads.

The stories are full of the customs and lore of the region and many of the folk songs John sings are authentic. Wellman did introduce some original songs and legends, but his creations blend seamlessly with the traditional material.

On a different note, Wellman also contributed to the writing of the comic book The Spirit while the franchise's creator, Will Eisner, was serving in the US military during World War II.

Wellman’s best known character, John, wanders the mountains with his guitar strung with silver strings, thwarting all manner of supernatural threats with his wits, common sense and knowledge of the old ballads. Along the way he encounters hoodoo men, witch-women, ghosts, raven-mockers, familars and all kinds of other horrors living in the backwoods.

In John The Balladeer, all of the Silver John short stories are collected together. However, there are also five novels featuring the character – The Old Gods Waken, After Dark, The Lost and Lurking, The Hanging Stones, and Voice of the Mountain.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Wellman's fiction is that it does draw upon uniquely American themes. John is very down-to-earth, a hero of the common people. Definitely worth checking out, especially if you’re appreciate Lovecraft, Shaver, Blackwood, and the like.

BAEN BOOKS OFFERS A FREE e-VERSION OF JOHN THE BALLADEER. TO ACCESS IT CLICK HERE

ALEX RIDER DREAM GADGET CONTEST!

ALEX RIDER DREAM GADGET CONTEST!

FELLOW C.O.B.R.A.S. AGENT SEBATIAN ARMSTRONG TIPS US TO THIS COOL ALEX RIDER CONTEST . . .

THE MAKE MAGAZINE BLOG IS RUNNING THE ALEX RIDER DREAM GADGET CONTEST. THE IDEA IS FOR KIDS AGES 8-18 TO DESIGN THEIR OWN SPY-TYPE GADGET IN THE FORM OF A A DRAWING OR DIAGRAM.

THE WINNER GETS A SIGNED COLLECTION OF HARDCOVER ALEX RIDER
NOVELS, AN IPOD NANO, A BACKPACK FULL OF GADGETS FROM THE MAKER SHED,
AND THE WINNER WILL HAVE THEIR GADGET BUILT IN OUR MAKE LAB!

THE CONTEST ENDS DECEMBER 22.

TO CHECK OUT THE DETAILS CLICK HERE

CHEAP THRILLS!

CHEAP THRILLS!

FELLOW C.O.B.R.A.S. AGENT CHRIS MILLS IS DOING A LITTLE MOONLIGHTING WITH HIS NEW BLOG CHEAP THRILLS COVERING CLASSIC SERIALS ON DVD . . .

TO CHECK IT OUT CLICK HERE

NOIR SONGS!

NOIR SONGS!

PETER ROZOVSKY’S DETECTIVES BEYOND BORDERS BLOG IS COVERING SOME FAIRLY ESOTERIC NOIR MUSIC. IT’S KINDA COOL AND WORTH CHECKING OUT . . .

Last year I nominated "Ocultei," recorded by the Brazilian singer Elizeth Cardoso, for a place among the great noir songs ever. There's something about the last verse, which runs tremulously thus (tentatively translated from the Portuguese by your humble blogkeeper):

"And my most ardent desire
May God pardon me the sin!
Is that another woman by your side
Kill you in the hour of a kiss."

If you think that looks good on your screen, you should hear Elizeth sing it, her voice melting from dreamy resignation to trembling passion, jealousy and anger.

This week, I finally paid attention to my second-favorite song on the album, "Só Voce, Mais Nada," which I think means "Only You; Nothing Else."

TO READ THE FULL POST CLICK HERE

RIDLEY SCOTT'S ROBIN HOOD!

RIDLEY SCOTT'S ROBIN HOOD!

I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING SCOTT AND CROWE WORKING TOGETHER AGAIN. HOPEFULLY, THEY'LL HAVE ANOTHER GLADIATOR ON THEIR HANDS (OR HEADS AS THE CASE MAY BE) . . .

THE CAT'S MEOW!

THE MINERVA CLUB!

THE MINERVA CLUB!

I’VE JUST ORDERED UP A COPY OF VICTOR CANNING’S SHORT STORY COLLECTION THE MINERVA CLUB, THE DEPARTMENT OF PATTERNS, AND OTHERS FROM CRIPPEN & LANDRU . . .

Victor Canning (1911-1986) created three unique series chronicling the mysteries of some of the most original characters in detective fiction. This collection begins with the misadventures of the Minerva Club, an exclusive club comprised of England's criminals. Whether trying to break into a prison to retrieve a stash of diamonds stowed during a previous incarceration, resolve a faux kidnaping gone wrong, or figure out a way to heist all of the materials needed for a wedding, the Minerva Club always manages to achieve their goal...often in the most surprising of ways.

Also included are the enigmatic cases of the Department of Patterns, a French police agency who look for clues and connections between seemingly irrelevant events. Under the guidance of the jovial and hard nosed Papa Grand, new recruits are taught to see patterns in even the most obscure of places. Finally, follow the journeys of Dr. Kang who finds mystery in his travels around the world. Never one to hide from trouble, Dr. Kang proves his talent for attracting death is surpassed only by his talent for avoiding it.

The Minerva Club collects 24 stories, selected and edited by John Higgins and is the 27th offering in the Lost Classics series - new collections by great writers of traditional mysteries.

TO CHECK OUT LISTINGS FOR OTHER GREAT SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS FROM CRIPPEN AND LANDRU CLICK HERE

POLICE HARASSMENT!

POLICE HARASSMENT!

WHILE I FIGURE THE BELOW EXCHANGE IS APOCHRAPHYL, I HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN ASKED A FORM OF THE CITIZEN’S QUESTION BELOW. I WISH I’D BEEN QUICK ENOUGH TO RESPOND IN KIND . . .

Recently, medium-sized California Police Department ran an e-mail forum (a question and answer exchange) with the topic being, "Community Policing."

One of the civilian e-mail participants posed the following question, "I would like to know how it is possible for police officers to continually harass people and get away with it?"

A sergeant with obviously a sense of humor replied:

"First of all, let me tell you this...it's not easy. In Chula Vista, we average one cop for every 600 people. Only about 60% of those cops are on general duty (or what you might refer to as "patrol") where we do most of our harassing. The rest are in non-harassing departments that do not allow them contact with the day to day innocents. At any given moment, only one-fifth of the 60% patrollers are on duty and available for harassing people while the rest are off duty. So roughly, one cop is responsible for harassing about 5,000 residents. When you toss in the commercial business, and tourist locations that attract people from other areas, sometimes you have a situation where a single cop is responsible for harassing 10,000 or more people a day.

Now, your average ten-hour shift runs 36,000 seconds long. This gives a cop one second to harass a person, and then only three-fourths of a second to eat a donut AND then find a new person to harass. This is not an easy task. To be honest, most cops are not up to this challenge day in and day out. It is just too tiring. What we do is utilize some tools to help us narrow down those people which we can realistically harass.

The tools available to us are as follows:

PHONE: People will call us up and point out things that cause us to focus on a person for special harassment. "My neighbor is beating his wife" is a code phrase used often. This means we'll come out and give somebody some special harassment.

Another popular one: "There's a guy breaking into a house." The harassment team is then put into action.

CARS: We have special cops assigned to harass people who drive. They like to harass the drivers of fast cars, cars with no insurance or no driver's licenses and the like. It's lots of fun when you pick them out of traffic for nothing more obvious than running a red light. Sometimes you get to really heap the harassment on when you find they have drugs in the car, they are drunk, or have an outstanding warrant on file.

RUNNERS: Some people take off running just at the sight of a police officer. Nothing is quite as satisfying as running after them like a beagle on the scent of a bunny. When you catch them you can harass them for hours.

STATUTES: When we don't have PHONES or CARS and have nothing better to do, there are actually books that give us ideas for reasons to harass folks. They are called "Statutes"; Criminal Codes, Motor Vehicle Codes, etc...They all spell out all sorts of things for which you can really mess with people. After you read the statute, you can just drive around for awhile until you find someone violating one of these listed offenses and harass them. Just last week I saw a guy trying to steal a car. Well, there's this book we have that says that's not allowed. That meant I got permission to harass this guy. It's a really cool system that we've set up, and it works pretty well. We seem to have a never-ending supply of folks to harass. And we get away with it. Why? Because for the good citizens who pay the tab, we try to keep the streets safe for them, and they pay us to "harass" some people.

Next time you are in my town, give me the old "single finger wave." That's another one of those codes. It means, "You can't harass me." It's one of our favorites.

WOW, I AM JUST PERFECT!

WOW, I AM JUST PERFECT!

SOMETIMES WHEN WALKING BY HER MIRROR, PEGGY WOULD BE STARTLED BY HER OWN BEAUTY AND FAB-U-LOUS-NESS.

AND SHE WOULD JUST FREEZE, SMILE AND TAKE IT ALL IN.

LATER IN LIFE SHE BECAME ADDICTED TO PLASTIC SURGERY;

CONSTANTLY TRYING TO GET BACK TO WHAT SHE SAW IN THE MIRROR IN 1963.

THANKS FOR THE CUCKLE TO THE GLAMOROUS LIFE ASSOCIATION

THE GREEN HORNET CHRONICLES!

THE GREEN HORNET CHRONICLES!

In spring 2010, Moonstone will present The Green Hornet Chronicles ~ the first anthology featuring all-new, original, crime fiction tales of the man who hunts the biggest of all game, public enemies that even the FBI can’t reach!

It’s the mid 1960’s, the political climate is shakey, there’s civil unrest, freedom and equality issues erupt everywhere from film to music to out in the streets.

On police records, the Green Hornet is actually a wanted criminal, a master manipulator, a crime boss who has his fingers in every pie. In reality, The Green Hornet is actually Britt Reid, owner-publisher of the Daily Sentinel. His goal is to destroy crime from within by posing as a criminal himself.

EDITED BY JOE GENTILE AND WIN SCOTT ECKERT

COVER ART: GLENN ORBIK, RUBEN PROCOPIO

STORIES BY: HARLAN ELLISON, GREG COX, ROBERT GREENBERGER, RON FORTIER, JAMES VAN HISE, WILL MURRAY, PLUS MANY MORE!

A story fragment by Harlan Ellison, as he teams the Green Hornet up with The Phantom!

Two noted writers who are known for their work on the Green Hornet- Ron Fortier and James Van Hise, have new stories in this volume!

An introduction by TV’s Green Hornet, Van Williams!

An afterword by the man who designed and built the Black Beauty, Dean Jeffries!

The Ltd Ed HC edition includes bonus material: Harlan Ellison’s “liner notes” on his Green Hornet-Phantom team up story, and also the only-played-once origin of the Green Hornet radio episode is turned into a thrilling prose story by Anthony Tollin!

The LTD ED slipcase HC is signed and numbered by artist Ruben Procopio.

FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

CHUCK ~ COMING BACK SOON!

CHUCK ~ COMING BACK SOON!

C.O.B.R.A.S. AGENT TANNER, OVER AT THE DOUBLE O BLOG, PROVIDED US WITH THE NEW POSTER FOR THE FUN SPY SERIES CHUCH, WHICH WILL BE RETURNING TO NETWORK TELEVISION VERY SOON.

FROM THE PROMOS I'VE SEEN, IT APPEARS CHUCK WILL DISCOVER SOME NEW FOUND MARTIAL ARTS TALENTS THIS SEASON.

THE CAT'S MEOW ~ TRIPLE PLAY!

EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY!

THE CAT'S MEOW ~ TRIPLE PLAY!

JONNY BLU @ VIBRATO!

JONNY BLU @ VIBRATO!

JONNY ALWAYS PUTS ON A GREAT SHOW AND HE'S BACK AT OUR FAVORITE JAZZ CLUB (NOT JUST IN L.A., BUT ANYWHERE), HERB ALPERT'S VIBRATO BAR & GRILL.

WE'LL BE THERE TUESDAY NIGHT, WILL YOU?

DON'T MISS OUT!

THE CAT'S MEOW!

BEAT TO A PULP #54!

BEAT TO A PULP #54!

SHUT UP AND KILL ME BY ROBERT J. RANDISI

REAL TREAT THIS WEEK FOR BEAT TO A PULP FANS – THE RETURN OF PUGILISTIC PRIVATE EYE NICK DELVECCHIO IN A STORY FROM MY FRIEND ROBERT J. RANDISI

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robert J. Randisi has been called by Booklist "...the last of the pulp writers." He has published in the western, mystery, horror, science fiction and men's adventure genres. All told, he is the author of over 540 books, 50+ short stories, 1 screenplay and the editor of 30 anthologies. He has also edited a Writer's Digest book, WRITING THE PRIVATE EYE NOVEL, and for 7 years was the mystery reviewer for the Orlando Sentinel. In 1982 he founded the Private Eye Writers of America, and created the Shamus Award. In 1985 he co-founded Mystery Scene Magazine and the short-lived American Mystery Award; a couple of years later he was co-founder of the American Crime Writer's League. In 1993 he was awarded a Life Achievement Award at the Southwest Mystery Convention. He has had a book published every month since January of 1982.

His Rat Pack novel, EVERYBODY KILLS SOMEBODY SOMETIME, featuring Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and other members of the infamous Pack, was published in October 2006 and received a starred review from Booklist. It has also been optioned for an independent film, for which he has written the screenplay. His most recent novel was YOU'RE NOBODY TIL SOMEBODY KILLS YOU (SMP 2009).

Randisi was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., and from 1973 through 1981 he was a civilian employee of the New York City Police Department, working out of the 67th Precinct in Brooklyn. After 41 years in N.Y, he now resides in Clarksville, Mo., an Artisan community of 500 people located right on the Mississippi. He lives and works with writer Marthayn Pelegrimas in a small house on three acres, with a deck that overlooks the Mississippi.

TO READ SHUT UP AND KILL ME CLICK HERE