Saturday, October 19, 2013
Friday, October 18, 2013
Writing 101
Bill Pronzini writes about the tragic life and death of mystery novelist Gil Brewer. I got this link via Joe Lansdale.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Obamacare stumbled from gate
Program racked with problems but everything is Okey dokey with the President. Nick Gillespie from The Daily Beast.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Saturday, August 17, 2013
Thursday, August 15, 2013
NFL: Da'Rick Rogers
Buffalo Bills rookie from Calhoun working to stick on 53-man roster. From Inside the Bills.
Georgia Bulldogs
Swann poised for big season. Veteran cornerback will be leaned on by younger teammates.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Friday, July 26, 2013
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Friday, July 5, 2013
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Monday, July 1, 2013
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Friday, June 28, 2013
Baseball: Mariners pitchers
Seattle's Big 3 progressing in the minors. Walker, Hultzen and Paxton nearing big league call.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Monday, June 24, 2013
Richard Matheson, RIP
He thrilled generations. Chris Alexander from Fangoria writes about the passing of the fantasy giant.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
WW II
German bomber finally reaches England. Meanwhile, the Japanese plan to hit the beaches of California.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Monday, June 10, 2013
Iraq in our rearview
The story of Iraq's miracle baby illustrates the insanity that is modern Iraq. A very good story from CNN.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Dope
The myths of legalized pot. Washington Post piece cuts through the haze of government bullshit.
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Omnipotent government
Occasionally you read something that makes you think that not everyone else is a dumb ass. This is one of those times. From the Atlantic.
Friday, June 7, 2013
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
No Fly Zone means war
Is the U.S. readying to join fight in Syria? Obama has wisely steered clear of this mess. Let's hope he continues to do so. From The Atlantic.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Books: Paul Theroux
Paul Theroux talks about the 'Last Train to Zona Verde.' His recent NPR interview was fascinating.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Friday, May 17, 2013
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
WW II: The Battle of Chicago
Chicago gun laws stop museums from displaying historic firearms. The Law of Unintended and Incredibly Stupid Consequences.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Monday, May 6, 2013
Tee Vee: LA Confidential
Is Ellroy's classic heading to the TV screen? Hey, if they can make Hannibal Lecter TV-worthy???
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Eats and drinks
Will Russians drink themselves into irrelevancy? Alcohol contributes to decline in lifespans, reproduction. From the Wall Street Journal.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
NFL: UFAs
Georgia's Geathers could help Chargers. Don Banks of SI.com lists his favorite street free agents after the draft.
Tee Vee: Olyphant feels Justified
Here's an excellent interview from The Guardian about the best show on television.
Movies: Stephen King book optioned
Filmmaker antes up for new crime novel "Joyland." Book due out on Hard Case Crime label.
Dalton's Boggs sent down
Cards bring up rookie while Mitchell Boggs goes back to work at Louisville. The former DHS standout struggle badly in closer role after a terrific year as a setup man.
NFL: Packers realign
Reinforce left side of line but will the right hold up? Trio will compete for right tackle job.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Saturday, April 27, 2013
NFL Draft: Bulldogs Williams, Jenkins picked
Here's the story from the Athens Banner-Herald. John Jenkins is overweight and don't practice hard. He moves well for his size, but needs to get down to 330 or so and get after it. Shawn Williams plays hard and does get after it consistently. He needs to get better in coverage. A big hit in exchange for a long pass completion is not an even trade. Williams I like. Jenkins not so much.
George Jones, RIP
George Jones was a drunken asshole for many years. But he became a better man and of course was a monumental country singer. His "He Stopped Loving Her Today" is the greatest country song of them all. Here are some of his most popular songs. Courtesy of CMT.
Friday, April 26, 2013
WW II: Hitler's taste tester
Fuhrer had up to 16 females who sampled his fare for poison. From Time Magazine.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
NFL Draft: Espy's Round 1 recap
Some thoughts on the first round.
Atlanta picked for need. They had a big hole at cornerback and took Desmond Trufant of Washington to fill it. He's a worthy first-rounder but they had to give up draft picks to move up for him. Made sense for them.
The Vikings took three first rounders and could have used a fourth. They got theWR (Patterson from Tenn.), cornerback (Rhodes from FSU) and defensive tackle (Shariff Floyd of Florida) they needed. They did not get a MLB, which Mel Kiper will talk about endlessly for the next month. Good aggressive work. Floyd was a steal at 23. Rhores a reach at 25. Patterson was expensive in the trade up, but a potentially high payoff.
The lineman in me was thrilled to see six "brutes" selected in the first 11 picks. None was a big surprise.Howie Long's boy Kyle, a guard at Oregon, went a little high to the Bears at 20 and Justin Pugh, a guard-tackle from Syracuse I like a lot, was a typical Giants selection.
The Bills reached big time for EJ Manuel. This team has too many holes to roll the dice on an inconsistent player. At least they traded down.
The Super Bowl opponent 49ers and Ravens both took safeties. San Fran moved up for Eric Reid of LSU, who was the focus of a lot of split opinion.
Thrilled to see Jarvis Jones go to a great organization like Pittsburgh. He'll be following in big footsteps, replacing James Harrison at OLB.
His Georgia teammate Alec Ogletree slid to the 30th pick and to my Rams. He should be an immediate starter. Hopefully he won't become drinking buddies with fellow "bad boy" Janoris Jenkins. The Rams are getting better and if these two play to their potential, the Rams could be very good on defense.
Al Davis may be dead but the didn't keep the Raiders for reaching for a very, very fast cornerback. Oakland traded down from the third pick (where the could have had Dee Milliner) and added picks, then grabbed Hayden.
Scratching me head over Bengals taking Tyler Eifert since they have a good tight end. It will be interesting to see how they use him.
Rams were active.They traded down and still got Alec Ogletree after earlier trading up to get Tayvon Austin, the burner wide receiver out of West Virginia.
Speaking of WVU, it was painful to watch Geno Smith go undrafted. Seems like there is aways one of these guys who drops much more than he expected. Smith was so distraught hardly any mention was made of the invisible man, Matt Barkley. Both should go in round two or three. Look for the Eagles to eyeball Smith.
Dallas reached big time for Travis Fredrick. They need a center but could have got Fredrick later. Also, they have other big needs they could have addressed.
My favorite players for Day 2.
Eddie Lacy-RB. Alabama
Tyrann Mathieu-CB, Planet Pot
Jonathan Banks-CB, Mississippi St.
Tank Carradine-DE, FSU
Arthur Brown-LB Kansas
Khasseem Greene-LB Rutgers
Robert Woods-WR USC
David Amerson-CB NC State
Ryan Swope-WR Texas A&M
Johnathan Hankins-DT Ohio State
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
NFL Draft: Georgia Buldogs
Here's some stuff on the Dawgs top prospects:
1. Jarvis Jones could slide down into mid first round because of shitty workout. But if one team with OLB needs sees his game film it's hard to believe they want take him. Barkevious Mingo from LSU is getting the raves right now, but he never came close to performing at the level Jones played at for two straight years. Round 1.
2. Alec Ogletree has tremendous talent, but is prone to miss tackles and has had several problems away from the field. Ogletree could be great and or he could blow it like former UGA linebacker Odell Thurman. He can play in a 3-4 or a 4-3 and will knock the hell out of a runner. Mike Mayock has him going to the Rams at 22. He could go higher.
3. AT 550 pounds or whatever he is weighing today John Jenkins is looked at as a run stopper in a 3-4 defense. John Jenkins can play. but often doesn't. Players as heavy as Jenkins (340 pounds)always worry me because they tend to be out of shape and used to dominating against inferior college competition. A 3-4 team WILL take Jenkins to plus up the middle. Round 3.
4. Shawn Williams may be underrated in this draft. He is a classic Georgia safer, a big hitter prone to getting beat deep. He is a team leader and a good competitor. He also runs well. Williams could surprise on draft weekend and in the NFL. Round 3.
5. Baccari Rambo is a playmaker at safety and can help a lot of NFL teams. He looks like a solid nickel or dime back who could develop into a starter. He is also a good punt returner. Round 3.
6. Sanders Commings is a big, strong cornerback who can make plays. Could move to safety. Round 4.
7. Cornelius Washington has flashed brilliance at Georgia but he has also "dogged it" when he got the chance and never developed into the stud he should have been. Someone will gamble on his athletic ability and big school pedigree. Round 4.
8. Tavarres King never became the great receiver Georgia envisioned but he was a productive No 1 who played well against top competition. He can get deep. Round 5.
9. Abry Jones missed most of 2012 with an injury and someone may get a steal if they take him n Day 3. He can rush the passer. Round 6.
10. Kwame Geathers is another decent prospect to be drafted by a 3-4 team. He can play, but did not consistently excel. He will get drafted. Round 6.
10-12. Georgia has several players who might get picked in the seventh round or who are candidates to be hotly pursued in free agency. I like Christian Robinson-LB,Richard Samuel-FB and Branden Smith-CB. Round 7 or free agency.
NFL Draft: Players I like
Here are some down-the-list players who could make an impact in the league.
Tyler Bray-QB Tennessee. I thought he was an asshol ein college but he has a lot of ability. With him it will be the mental part of the game that must come together.
Mike James-RB Miami. Bigger than most backs this year. Good speed. Plays hard.
Ryan Swope-WR Texas A&M. Fits the Welker-Amendola mold nicely and not just because he's a honky. Excellent speed and moves well when the Qb is on the run.
Phillip Lutzenkirchen-TE Auburn. Not a speedster but he will block and he's good at the endzone. Could be a solid No. 2 TE, maybe start in the right situation.
Ricky Wagner-T Wisconsin. Started at LT for two years. He may be better on the right side. Co0mes out of a good offense to learn in and showed dependability and ability.
Alvin Bailey-G Arkansas. Must get more consistent but Bailey has superior skills. Lots of pass blocking experience. Needs work but has good tools.
Dalton Freeman-C Clemson. Another "sleeper" with physical skills and a background in a versatile offense.
Brent Russell-DT Georgia Southern. Best DL in the Southern Conference. At worst he should be a solid DT rotation guy. Great production.
Mike Catapano-DE Princeton. He will make an imprerssion if taken by a 3-4 team which develops him carefully. Good physical attributes and a productive college career.
Herman Lathers-MLB Tennessee. Injuries crippled his college career, but Lathers showed ability when he was healthy. He'll be a steal for someone.
Jelani Jenkins-LB Florida. A lot of talent but he's coming out too early. Jenkins will play in the NFL and I wouldn't be surprised if he went as early as the seconbd round.
David Amerson-CB NC State. He picked off a dozen passes as a sophomore and looked great. Not so good last year but still productive. The ability is definitely there. Good size and he can run.
Baccari Rambo-S Georgia. A playmaker who can run and hit. He's a good punt returner. LIke a lot of UGA safeties, he needs to work on his tackling. He will help an NFL team.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
NFL Draft: My Early 1st Round
No trades in this one.
1. KC - Luke Joeckel-T (Texas A&M)
2. Jax - Dee Milliner-CB (Alabama)
3. Oak - Shariff Floyd-DT (Florida)
4. Phil- Eric Fisher-T (Michigan St.)
5. Det. - E. Ansah-DE (BYU)
6. Cle - Chance Warmack-G (Alabama)
7. Ari - Dion Jordan-DE (Oregon)
8. Buf - Gino Smith-QB (West Virginia)
9. NYJ - Jarvis Jones-OLB (Georgia)
10. Tenn. - Star Lotuleili (Utah St.)
11. SD - Lane Johnson-T (Oklahoma)
12. Miami - Sheldon Richardson-DE (Missouri)
13 Tampa Bay - Sylvester Williams-DT (N. Carolina)
14. Carolina - Tavon Austin-WR (W. Virginia)
15 NO - Barkevious Mingo-OLB (LSU)
16 SL - Jonathan Cooper-G (North Carolina)
17 PB - Alec Ogletree-LB (Georgia)
18 Dallas - Kenny Vaccaro-S (Texas)
NY Giants - Desmond Trufant-CB (Washington)
20. Chi - Kyle Long-G (Oregon)
21. Cinc. - DJ Fluker-T (Alabama)
22. SL - Justin Hunter-WR (Tennessee)
23. Minn - Cordarrelle Patterson-WR (Tennessee)
24 Indy - Kyle Long-G (Oregon)
25. Minn - M. Te'o-MLB (Notre Dame)
26. GB - Eddie Lacey-RB (Alabama)
27. Hou. - Menelik Watson-T (FSU)
28. Den. - Tank Carradine (FSU)
29 NEP - Bjorn Werner-DE (FSU)
30. Atl. - DJ Hayden-CB (Houston)
31. SF - X. Rhodes-CB (FSU)
32. Balt. - Kevin Minter-ILB (LSU)
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
NFL Draft: Top prospects
Chris Burke of SI loves Kentucy's Larry Warford. He's also high on Tank Carradine. It's an interesting list.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Movies: Christmas With the Dead
Joe Lansdale has fun during "Christmas With the Dead." Here's the trailer.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Frank Bank, RIP
I loved "Leave It to Beaver" as a kidand Frank Bank as Lumpy Rutherford was a big reason why. His dad was played by the great character actor Richard Deacon was a perfect fit for that role too. Still enjoy a little "Beaver" late at night.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Friday, April 12, 2013
Jonathan Winters, RIP
This scene from It's a Mad, Mad, Mad WOrld almost killed me when I was a kid. I laughed so hard my grandmother threatened to call the doctor.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
High speed hell hole 3
System could cost Cali more than $250 million a year according to Reason Foundation.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Bare, Cowboy Jack and Rogers in Country HOF
Good for Bare and Rogers, but I am thrilled that Cowboy Jack Clement is getting his due. He is an enormous talent. I'm still looking for his cover of Townes Van Zandt's "For the Sake of the Song" on the Austin City Limits tribute to Townes. Clement also produced Waylon's best album, "Dreaming My Dreams."
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Forget you Argentina
Lady Thatcher remembered as a drunk. I am reminded of the story of Lincoln being told that Gen. Grant had a drinking problem. Lincoln replied "Find out what he drinks and send a barrel to all my generals." Or some such.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Monsters at the movies
Evil Dead scores at the box-office. But will business hold up after the opening?
Zombies on the brain
The greater truth about zombies. A little thinking on the subject from The Wall Street Post.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Sunday, March 31, 2013
The Walking Dead - 'Andrea' speaks
Holden says character's death was a late decision. I thought she would end up running the Governor's little town after he got killed. Instead, she got the final bite and the Gov. made off to ?????.
NFL -- the best defensive tackles
Geno Atkins is on top of the pile. He can play the run and rush the passer.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
NFL Draft- Top Dawg?
Will Ogletree be picked before Jarvis Jones? Bucky Brooks thinks it could happen. I don't think so.
NFL Draft notes
Possibilities in round one. From Sports Illustrated. Rams and Vikings both have two picks and plenty of holes to fill. How good can Joeckel be? The quarterback situation is a mess.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Thursday, March 28, 2013
NFL: Why the Raiders will continue to suck
Columnist blames Palmer and McFadden. But how much of it is them and how much of their failure is tied to the overall crappy personnel?
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Lookouts baseball
This man looks like a stud. Cuban escapee will start 2013 season at Chattanooga. Local fans ether get up there and see him; he won't be there long.
Tunes
The late, great Son Seals rips into 'On My Knees.' Hard to believe he's been gone almost 10 years.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Monday, March 25, 2013
Rick Hautala, RIP
Hautala remembered by his many friends and admirers. His book 'Glimpses' to be offered by Kindle for free.
Tunes: The Blasters
The Alan Thicke Show was a hilarious misfire, but this performance by The Blasters made me a fan of the band. Their records are terrific. And here is their second bopping tune. Rock and Roll Will Stand Hey kids, dig that fancy piano work!
Mitchell Boggs
Dalton's Mitchell Boggs takes on closer role for Cardinals. I covered Mitchell his senior year at DHS; he was a heck of a quarterback and I think he could have had a good football career at the right college. But I suspect he made the right choice. From the Post-Dispatch.
The human heart
Implant can warn of heart attack through link to smartphone. Story from ExtremeTech.
Fake 'hero' busted
Real soldiers tracked him down. We got fooled in Dalton by an asshole like this. Reporters need to verify these guys, not just accept their claims.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Saturday, March 23, 2013
The great Groucho
How a phone call saved 'You Bet Your Life' which I watched late at night (on school nights) religiously through my teen years long after I should have been getting some sleep.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013
File it under: Holy Shit!
San Francisco truly is America's silliest city as this story points out in many ways. From The Examiner.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Braves: Yunel Escobar
Former Brave settles into Tampa lineup. Escobar struggled to be consistent but still has the stuff to be an upper echelon shortstop. He was a lot of fun with the Braves, but drove Bobby Cox crazy.
Braves: Players carded
Topps issues new cards. Still got a box full of Johnny LeMasters and Dick Poles stashed somewhere.
A little Irish tunery
Ronan Tynan sings 'Amazing Grace' at the Reagan funeral and Guy Clark does 'Dublin Blues' and the Pogues add 'Body of an American before we close it out with the best Irish tune of all 'Danny Boy' by Trio Canig.
Roadkill a hit with drivers, diners
Roadside recipes for controversy More states put roadkill on the legislative menu.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Get back on the bus
Ken Kesey's family wants to get the legendary vehicle back on the road. Maybe they'll get Tom Wolfe back aboard.
Eats and drinks: Irish whiskey
Here are five fine Irish contributions to the world. And God bless John Jameson. Here is more about that fine drink.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
The world at war
Pandemonium at Panmunjom. North Korea cranks up the insanity over embargo and military manuevers. Or is their leadership just crazy as batshit?
Braves: Bourn settles into Cleveland
Former Brave Michael Bourn expected to ignite Indians' offense. From The Plain Dealer. Good story.
Lansdale book to be filmed (hopefully)
'Cold in July' script written by the makers of "Mulberry Street" and "Stake Land." Filming could start in fall of this year. From the fine folks at Fangoria.
NFL: My look at free agency
I can't recall a free agency period that started as fast as this year. A lot of good players have been signed and released in the last 48 hours. I won't try to look at every nook and cranny, but here are some highlights.
A. They don't have much money to spend but Falcons were thrilled when veteran tight end Tony Gonzalez said he would come back for another season at a reasonable price. They also were smart to re-sign safety William Moore and look ready to re-up corner Brent Grimes, though Tampa Bay is in pursuit of him as well.
B. Armed with a pile of cash, the Dolphins have been loading up. So far the Fins have paid top dollar and added linebackers Dannell Ellerbee (from Georgia) and Phillip Wheeler (from Georgia Tech) and former Steeler wide receiver Mike Wallace. Miami also retained a quality free safer, Chris Clemons. The Dolphins still have $20 under the cap and are looking at Jets tight end Dustin Keller. But Miami has also suffered some serious losses including leading rusher Reggie Bush, tight end Anthony Fasano, linebackers Karlos Dansby and Kevin Burnett. Pro Bowl tackle Jake Long is likely going the free agent route as is starting corner Sean Smith so the Dolphins still need more help on the OL and at corner. Tight end too if they can't sign Keller.
C. St. Louis swiped tight end Jared Cook from Tennessee and he will help make up for the loss of Danny Amendola who the Rams middle-of-the-field specialist. However Tennessee made some noise of its own by signing stud guard Andy Levitre from the hapless Bills, a solid veteran safety in George Wilson (also a former Bill), a very solid blocking tight in Delanie Walker and Jets leading rusher Shonn Greene. I have to question committing $10 million to a back to fill in for Chris Johnson, but Walker, WIlson and Levitre were excellent pickups.
D. Supposedly Tom Brady isn't too happy that the Patriots let Wes Welker get away to the Broncos, but picking up a younger, cheaper (per year) Danny Amendola from the Rams was a pretty good comeback. He can do some of the same things Welker did, tough he isn't as explosive and does tend to get hurt. The Rams will miss him. A healthy Welker should be a great threat working the middle of the field between Decker and Thomas in Denver. Denver also added a good guard when they snatched Louis Vasquez away from the stupid Chargers. Peyton Manning should have even more time to find his three hoss receivers.
E. Reggie Bush should form an effective tandem with power back Michael Leshoure. I guess the Lions have given up on Javid Best returning.
F. Seattle added pass rushing end Cliff Avril with a two-year, $15 million dollar deal. Avril has averaged about 10 sacks and 35 tackles per year for the last three seasons. Pete Carroll loved pass rushers and Avril has delivered for Detroit in that regard.
I'll have some more on free agency later this week.
Redneck Rummage Sale
Lots of crap for sale this Saturday at the Rome Braves ballfield. See you there!
Saudis get medieval
Seven beheaded for theft despite useless protests of the United Nations. And these are our "friends" in the Middle East.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Braves: Martin Prado
Former Atlanta standout Martin Prado quietly doing his job for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Damn. I hated to see Martin get traded. The Braves may come to regret this one but I understand why they did the deal. Martin is a fine player who will contribute on and off the field. Gonna' miss him.
Braves: Tommy Hanson
Former Atlanta pitcher fitting in with his new team I hated to see the Braves trade Hanson. I know there are concerns about his velocity declining and his durability, but I still think he has the makings of a very strong starting pitcher. I was in the hospital and in coma when they traded him; boy was I pissed when I woke up and got the word.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Bloomberg buffonery
Judge takes a bite out of Bloomberg's ban. It may not hold up, but it's good to see a judge call bullshit bullshit.
Calling all (Philip) Dickheads
Man in the High Castle eyed for a film adaptation. From the NY Times.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Comic books: A milestone for a webslinger
Spidey turns 50. The ol' boy still gets around pretty well. From The Atlantic.
NFL: Jarvis Jones
Bulldog stud linebacker gets the OK from doctor. Jones may have been the best player in college last season and should be a TOP 5 draft pick. I think the value of my autographed football just went up, not that I would let it go.
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Friday, March 8, 2013
Civil War
Monitor sailors laid to rest. Famous ironclad dueled the CSS Virginia to a draw but lost fight with an Atlantic storm.
Comic books
Comic books can inspire kids to read, says Huffington Post columnist. Just wait'll her kid discovers "Deathlok the Demolisher."
The Walking Dead: Detente?
Can Rick and the Governor come to an agreement and prevent a bloody showdown? Hell I hope not. I want to see Darrell get the other eye. From TV Guide.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Monday, March 4, 2013
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Saturday, March 2, 2013
WW II and Korea vets honored
France honors Illinois man via Fox News and Arkansas seaman returns to wartime vessel. Also via Fox News.
Horror on the screen
Top 10 horror films you've never seen. Actually I've seen 9 of the 10 (missed the Japanese "House") and recommend them all. I'll offer a similar list of my own tonight or tomorrow.
Joe Lansdale's new comic
Crawling Sky 1 gets off to a good start, for Antarctic Press. Joe and Keith Lansdale worked with artist Brian Denham on this black and white western.
"Jack" wounded, but not slain, by skinny script
We saw "Jack the Giant Slayer" tonight and I am a fool for the medieval stuff. The movie works well enough, but never really takes off. The story hurtles from one action bit to another and they are entertainingly done, but the story is too thin.
The romantic lead looks like a sissy and the princess is mostly dull. Ian McShane is wasted as the king. Stanley Tucci fares better but his role is too limited. Ewan McGregor is OK. Ewen Bremner is the movie's standout as Tucci's henchmen, but again his role is cut far too short.
The giants are cool -- beautifully designed and menacing.
Kids will like it well enough and it's not too scary for young ones.
Here's a piece on the movie's opening weekend. And here's the IMDB link.
Econ 101
Factory work not the same as its once was but some jobs are back in the U.S. From the L.A. Times.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Falcons wield the axe
Robinson, Turner and Abraham cut. You can make a case for dumping all three players.
I don't expect any of the three back for less money though Turner makes sense on a cheaper, short-term deal. Supposedly the Falcons are looking at Steven Jackson of the Rams and he would make sense too on a shorter deal.
The Falcons want to stay good for years to come, not just load up for a 1-2 year period of excellence so they have to make these hard decisions.
However, finding a pass rusher to replace Abraham is going to be tough; they'll probably have to gamble on getting one in the draft. Re-signing Brent Grimes and William Moore is important, more so with Robinson gone.
The Falcons lost three legitimate players who have to be replaced with these cuts and it's not going to be easy.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Old Dawgs
Ellerbee wants to stay in Baltimore. Ravens have to replace Lewis in the middle so the situation makes sense. The former Bulldog played particularly well this year in the Ravens championship season.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Duck Dynasty
Uncle Sy too much for Morrissey? Singer cancels talk show chat because of 'serial killers.'
Monday, February 25, 2013
Tunes: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
There is a Time. It ain't the Dillards and Andy Griffith, but it is a very good version.
Dan Toler, RIP
Allman Brothers Band veteran played on some of the group's best music. From Rolling Stone.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Outdoors: For my hiker pals
Fond of hiking in the Fontana Dam area. By Gary Petty, via the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
Da'Rick Rogers comes clean
Sure he did. Jay Greeson of the Times-Free Press looks at the draft chances of three former Tennessee Vols, including pothead Rogers, whiner Tyler Bray and we-hardly-knew-you Cordarrelle Patterson.
The price of gas
Tax policy affects what you pay at the pump. Oil firms cut inventory to avoid bigger tax bill.
Rasslin'
Stone Cold Steve Austin shoots on CM Punk. Austin offers tips on personal grooming. Pretty darn funny. Vary darn profane.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Women in horror
Tammi Sutton's career in B-movie horror includes a nice plug for Dalton's own Jeff Burr. From Fangoria.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Max Allen Collins' Comic Book Book
Seduction of the Innocent mixes comic book history and detective fiction.
Worst column in a long, long time
An a-hole at the Huffington Post rips "Duck Dynasty" because there are a lot of poor people in Louisiana and the show's crew is non-union. Read this. (Good God man, it's a comedy!)
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Eye on Ogletree
Peter King of Sports Illustrated says Georgia linebacker will be even more closely scrutinized following drunk driving arrest.
State Gov. Oversteps Its Role
The state as venture capitalist. From the Courier Journal in Dublin. Those GOP boys in Atlanta love to spend that cash.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Two good road tunes by Cord Lund
Canadian singer Lund on Mein Deutsches Motorrad and Bible on the Dash with an assist from Hayes Carll. Heard these tunes on the road between Birmingham and Dalton with Alison. Love that Outlaw Country on satellite radio.
Best reads of 2012 (a little late)
For whatever reason I have no interest in reading when I am in the hospital and since I spent about half of 2012 at St. Joseph's or UAB my reading was curtailed quite a bit. Still, I knocked out 30 or more titles. Here are the better ones:
Kearny's March by Winston Groom. A wide-ranging look at the politics, personalities and military strategy that led to the United States' four-pronged war against Mexico. Groom does a terrific job of sorting out the various storylines without shorting any of them. Fascinating history. Excellent writing. My favorite read in 2012.
Fears Unlimited by Tim Lebbon. Four fine novellas by the British writer. Very sharp. If you've never read his work, this is an excellent introduction.
1781: The Decisive Year of the American Revolution by Robert Tonsetic. A quality look at the decisive year of the American Revolution with much of the action taking place in the South. Tonsetic writes well and offers some interesting views.
Moon of the Wolf by Leslie Whitten. I loved the old David Janssen-TV movie based on this story and Joe Lansdale's rave assessment of Whiten led me to read the book. Thanks Joe. Whitten's briskly-told werewolf tale still pack an impact.
Gun Work by David Schow appeared as part of the Hard Case Crime series. You have to love a south-of-the-border crime story with lots of tough guys shooting at each other, a sexy, nefarious babe and a wrestling ring full of pissed off Luchadores. Fun stuff.
Nocturnas by Shawn Ryan. Nasty vampires who are not looking for love. What a relief! It's a little too comic booky at times but Nocturnas moves with considerable energy and some terrific action scenes. This would make a fun movie.
The Best Western Stories of Loren Estleman. I love Estleman's Page Murdock series and this slim collection of some of his other western stories also work very well. Lean and mean without being vicious, Estleman creates flavorful stories that stick with you.
Grouch Marx, King of the Jungle by Ron Goulart. Goulart has churned out a lot of slim books built on even slimmer premises, not that they aren't fun. He's best known for his sci-fi, but the Groucho Marx series is aimed at lovers of detective fiction (as well as the great comedian himself.) In this one Groucho and his pal Denby mix it up with an Edgar Rice Burroughs-like character.
Like I said, it was a thinner year than usual for me, but that's going to change this year. Looking forward to turning a lot of pages this year.
Biker gangs busted
Two new books on the infiltration of California biker clubs A review from the LA Times.
Braves: Whatever happened to ...
Here are some updates on former Braves. Jair Jurrjens and Yunel Escobar and Mark DeRosa and Michael Bourn
Sunday, February 17, 2013
One more great tune for y'all
James McMurtry sings Levelland. Great song. Fine video. Yup, that's Larry's boy.
A great dope song
A Man Named Truth by the Monsters of Folk. Saw this eccentric band on Austin City Limits and they blew the place away.
Bulldogs: Ogletree arrested
This kid could be a quality NFL player and is a likely first round pick, but he makes me very uneasy. On the field he misses tackles and looks out of place too often. Off the field, crap like this keeps happening. If I was an NFL team, I'd be very wary. Remember Odell Thurman?
Braves: Uptons get serious
Brothers, Heyward could spark rise of the Braves in NL East. Story by Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com
Jack Benny goes hillbilly
Classic Benny skit with an appearance by the late, great Robert Easton (with gun, on the left). Benny's "wife" a hoot.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Thursday, February 14, 2013
A Charles Russell favorite.A great train song
The Sandman, the Brakeman and Me by the Monsters of Folk. Smoothest tune you will hear today.
Da Braves
Starter Tim Hudson wants to keep pitching in Atlanta. He is in the last year of his contract but management may move slowly to resign him because of his age and the cost. A two-year deal makes good sense if he pitches well this year.
NFL's top player under 25
From Elliott Harrison at NFL.com Falcons' Julio Jones beaten out by Dez Bryant. Three former Bulldogs (Geno Atkins, AJ Green and Reshad Jones) make the squad.
Falcons Assess Roster for 2013
Atlanta may look to get younger and cheaper at running back. Could be the end of the road for Michael Turner.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Sharks
If they ever team with the robots we are doomed. From the Chicago Tribune and Reuters Shark attacks surge.
Food: Trade Joe's Secret
Huffington Post article explains how Trader Joe's deal with the big boys works and why it can save you money.
NFL Draft: Tide Leads SEC Draft Class
Nate Bouda's top 50 NFL draft prospects has only one QB and no RBs in the top 20. Eighteen of the top 50 played in the SEC, including six from Alabama. For my money, Eddie Lacey is again underrated.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Wrestling: Sammartino
Bruno talks about going into WWE Hall of Fame in interview at Wrestling Inc. Apparently Triple H lobbied him hard to reconsider his refusal to be associated with the organization. A WWE Hall of Fame without Bruno was always a joke. He was the ultimate champ for the WWE for that era, much as Flair was for the NWA.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
NFL Draft
Falcons take a tight end. Chiefs take a QB at No. 1. Georgia's Jarvis Jones to the Jets. The Sporting News offers a mock draft.
Battling a hangover
A list of food and drink that will help you feel better faster after a long night out. Good stuff, but the author apparently has never sopped up a drunk with a sack of Krystals.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Books: The Bear Truth
Relax. Polar bears doing fine. New book looks at what's really going on with those beautiful critters.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Your Atlanta Braves
Baseball Banter compares the Braves outfield of 2013 with the Jones-Jones-Sheffield super trio of 2002-2003. Damn, I forgot how good Sheff was in 2003.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Coscarelli interview
Horror genre favorite talks about new and old films in interview at Fearnet.com
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
His kingdom for a parking lot?
The criminal king has been pounded by history, the arts. But Richard III has his defenders.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Readers Digest: Don't eat this
Apparently salt is of the devil. Dollar Savvy article targets overpriced, salty and sweet foods. You know, the good stuff.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Tabletop Baseball
This essay by Chad Finn is a fine look back at the classic baseball board game Strat-O-Matic. The piece is funny and touching. I never played Strat, but spent many, many hours managing my APBA tabletop team. Damn that Joe Morgan was good! I stumbled on Finn's column and it brought back a lot of great memories.
Around Dalton
History buffs are gathering at the Northwest Georgia Trade Center again this weekend for the annual Civil War show. I went up this morning with my Uncle Gene and we both parted with a few bucks. He got a great deal on a biography of George Washington while I walked out with three "GI Joe-like" action figures. The sweet thing is they were German soldiers from World War II They were very well detailed and included lots sharp extras like canteens, weapons and other combat gear.
Attendance seemed lighter than usual to me for a Saturday, but there was lots of varied items for sale. Plenty of WW II stuff, post cards, period clothing, prints, etc.
The show cranks back up on Sunday and its very much worth attending.
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After that we headed to the new antique store near the Cracker Barrel. Gene scored several more very good deals on some old books. There's a lot of cool stuff in that place. I've bought some cool items there before at reasonable prices. Definitely check the store out.
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Toys in the Attic, the cool toy store down town, has closed its doors after six years. My daughter is seven and has been gong to "Toys" since she was 2. She cried when I told her it was closing. I should have. I've bought as much stuff for me there as for her.
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A few doors away The Little Dipper also has turned off the lights for good. The Dipper offered excellent soups and sandwiches as well as good, friendly service.
The loss of "Toy" and the "Dipper" really diminishes downtown for my family, though we can still enjoy and patronize The Yellow Bird, The Book Nook, The Fantasy Factory, Tijuanas, The Oakwood and The Sweet Spot.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Econ 101: Canada's bubble
Could the Great White North housing market go bust and what would it mean?
More on Upton
The Arizona Republic looks at the Upton trade to Atlanta. A good package of views and information.
Poor Julio Borbon
This was written last year but it's still funny baseball stuff. Ironically, I actually like Borbon.
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