If this does not bring tears to your eyes...

Thank You Levon

Levon Helm (1940 -- 2012):



RIP

I'll Have Some Cyanide - Shaken not Stirred?

From The Daily mail:

Thanks to a major new marketing deal, the character (James Bond), played by Daniel Craig, will be seen reaching for a [freaking] Heineken in upcoming film Skyfall.

Excuse me; I will now be in the bathroom slitting my wrists.

Book Signing

Exciting news! I will be in my backyard this weekend where I will be signing any Kindle reader I find with  my new book Death at the Downs on it. You can 't miss me. I'll be right next to my daughter's lemonade stand ($0.25 US. What a steal!). Anyway, if I'm not around when you get there, just wait a bit. I'll be right back after I finish mowing the lawn and cleaning out the gutters. So just sit back and enjoy a glass of store bought lemonade while you wait! If you can't make it to Louisville, or you don't want me defacing your Kindle, you can always go to Amazon and buy it there.

Shameless! Shameless! Shameless! BAD Derek BAD, BAD BAD. Anybody got a wet newspaper?

Captain America Movie Review

(Full disclosure: I was, and to some extent still am, a big fan of Marvel comics) (Also a small spoiler alert)

I went to see Captain America: The First Avenger last night with great expectations. So given the fact that I wet my pants during the movie I can honestly say that this is the best movie in the Super Hero genre I've seen. After watching Thor, another good one, I was a little fearful that the folks over at Marvel Studio might hit the sophomore slump with Cap. Boy was I wrong. They knocked it out of the park.

Let's start with the sets. The producers were able to capture the period, while still giving the over-the-top gadgets (Hydras wonderful toys and uniforms, not to mention the submarine the flying wing and the high speed train all of which could have come directly from Jack Kirby's pen) without taking away from the story. Sure you expect to see this stuff, but the way they were blended into the film while still keeping the 1940's feel was quite remarkable.

Book Review: the Devil’s in the Cows by Sippican Cottage

Oh, Mr. Sippican, a thousand curses upon you and yours’! Due to the untimely arrival of your book via the USPS, damn their eyes, I have given up eating, sleeping and (if I were still married) sex. (Wait, if I remembered correctly that last one was not dependent upon my marital status so you are off the hook there). But oh, what about the children, yes Mr. Writer/Furniture man! My children, who’ve not bathed since the arrival of this accursed manuscript. And unless there is a morsel or two within their reach, low in the fridge, they are no doubt hungry as well (although I did notice the dog food bowl was empty so you might be off the hook there too).

Ok, to the book. Well done sir. I have had the advantage of following the Author’s blog for a number of years so I expected the book to be good. That being said, good, doesn’t cover it.

Each story is preceded by a picture from the Library of Congress which the author uses to inspire a story. Each story, 37 in all, is less than 1,000 words long (flash fiction is the fancy word for it). What amazes me is how much story Sippican packs into each story. Not one word is wasted, and each packs a punch. Sippican has taken an obscure genre and given it mainstream status. Get this book and you won’t be sorry (although your personal hygiene may suffer in the short term).

The Devil’s in the Cows

Book Signing

Exciting news! I will be in my backyard this weekend where I will be signing any Kindle reader I find with  my new book Death at the Downs on it. You can 't miss me. I'll be right next to my daughter's lemonade stand ($0.25 US. What a steal!). Anyway, if I'm not around when you get there, just wait a bit. I'll be right back after I finish mowing the lawn and cleaning out the gutters. So just sit back and enjoy a glass of store bought lemonade while you wait! If you can't make it to Louisville, or you don't want me defacing your Kindle, you can always go to Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0058JHSAI) and buy it there.

Shameless! Shameless! Shameless! BAD Derek BAD, BAD BAD. Anybody got a wet newspaper?