Mon 5 Jan 2009
Sat 3 Jan 2009
Another delay (post)…..belated R.I.P. for Donald E. Westlake
Posted by Andrew Earles under Uncategorized[3] Comments
Wet those appetites for my take on 2008!! Or don’t. For now…
On the 1st, Donald E. Westlake passed. Check it out.
If you’ve yet to read any of his books written under the Richard Stark pseudonym, grab one and go. There is no “starting point” though The Hunter was made into Point Blank….not to insult your intelligence.
Most of his books published within the mid-60’s to 1980 range are entertaining on some level, at least the handful I’ve read. The Stark books are hilariously hammer-headed crime fiction, while those written under his real name are usually comic capers, a la The Hot Rock. He pioneered the “classy but bumbling lady-magnet burglar” character long before Lawrence Block attempted the same agenda.
Elsewhere…..
Buckle-up for a series of TV commercials, etc, that will showcase Burger King’s most absurd creation yet (even more so than “The King”)…
“The Angry Whopper.”
That it was test-marketed in Australia should come as no surprise. Like P.J. O’Rourke said, “Breaking furniture is a national sport.”
What? Are they capitalizing on the discontent of the general public re: the economy? Are people really going to react to this? I suspect the Steakhouse Burger commercials (aggressive in tone) scored high in focus group studies. That’s my only theory. Its availability stateside is sketchy, though there was a prominent display and it was offered as a menu item at the location across the street from my mom’s condo complex (East Memphis).
The counter-girl:
“It’s good.”
Me:
“What’s that orange condiment? The orange sauce, what is that?”
Counter-girl:
“That’s the ‘Angry Sauce’…it’s real good.”
Me:
“Did it make you angry?”
“Nah…”
Lastly, I may have included this link in a previous post. I don’t remember. I don’t care. Anyway, this is me (a few years back).
Thu 1 Jan 2009
Sorry to keep everyone (all six of you) waiting for my…
Posted by Andrew Earles under Uncategorized1 Comment
…summary of 2008. It’s coming. 2009? I don’t feel different, but this will be a different year. This…..this…..this….will be THE YEAR!!!
To tide you over, I’ve posted some fun links…
I used to erase my parent’s VHS copies of Ordinary People, The Cotton Club, The Goodbye Girl, etc, so that tape space could be made for this:
Wow, I miss those movies.
Oh, and no thanks to EVERYONE that DID NOT give THIS to me for X-mas. Look at this fucking thing.