You'd Better Watch Out . . .

You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch

Boris Karloff performed the voice-over work and Thurl(Tony the Tiger)Ravenscroft sings the signature song from "How The Grinch Stole Christmas."

Beaker performs Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 & The Blue Danube Waltz conducted by Gonzo

Eartha Kitt, dies at 81

Eartha Kitt died Thursday of colon cancer after recently being treated at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York. Go here, here or here for more information.

A Christmas Story- The Trailer

This is the original theatrical trailer for the 1983 holiday classic, a film I saw with my friend, John Clark. It's as funny and touching today as it was a quarter of a century ago.

Majel Barrett Roddenberry Memorial. 1932-2008

Born Majel Lee Hudec on Feb. 23, 1932, in Cleveland, Ohio, Roddenberry died of complications from leukemia early Thursday morning at her home in Bel-Air. She was 76

Happy Holidays!

Best Wishes of the season, Happy Holidays, and may we all enjoy a safe and prosperous New Year in 2009!

James Sallis Speaks

I first became aware of James Sallis in March of 1999. Jim was introduced to the Glendale Community College audience by Harlan Ellison at a talk Ellison was giving in Arizona.

I read and enjoyed Sallis's series of mysteries about Lew Griffin, a New Orleans private detective. In the Fall of 2004, I attended a short story class Sallis was conducting at Phoenix Community College and I've attended his classes each semester since that time. I credit Jim with any improvement I've made in my writing ability and hold him blameless for any mediocre writing on my part.

Below is an interview Barbara Peters of Poisoned Pen Press and Bookstore, in Scottsdale, Arizona conducted with James Sallis. Each part is approximately 10 minutes in length.

You Got Brian Wilson In My Weird Al! No, You Got Weird Al In My Brian Wilson!

I hold a great fondness for both Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and for Mr. Alfred Yankovic so I invite you to give a listen to "Pancreas."

Pancreas - "Weird Al" Yankovic
Style parody of Brian Wilson
Album - Straight Outta Lynwood



Lyrics
Oooh oooh oooh ee-oooh oooh oooh
Ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh ahh-oooh oooh
Oooooh

I'm always thinkin' 'bout it
I don't know what I'd do without it
I love, I really love
My pancreas

My spleen just doesn't matter
Don't really care about my bladder
But I don't leave home without
My pancreas

My pancreas is always
There for me
Ahh-oooh

Secreting those enzymes (bap bap bap)
Secreting those hormones too
Metabolizing carbohydrates
Just for me

Ba-ba ba ba-ba ba ba ba-ba ba ba
My pancreas
Ba-ba ba ba-ba ba ba ba-ba ba
My pancreas
Ba-ba ba ba-ba ba ba ba-ba ba ba
My pancreas
Ba-ba ba ba-ba ba ba ba-ba ba
My pancreas

Ba-ba ba ba-ba ba ba ba-ba ba ba
My pancreas
Ba-ba ba ba-ba ba ba ba-ba ba
My pancreas
Ooooooh

My pancreas attracts every other
Pancreas in the universe
With a force proportional
To the product of their masses
And inversely proportional
To the distance between them

Woo woo woo woo

Don'tcha you know you gotta
Flow, flow, flow, pancreatic juice
Flow, flow, into the deuodenum

Won'tcha
Flow, flow, flow, pancreatic juice
Flow, flow, into the deuodenum

Insulin, glucagon
(Won'tcha flow, flow, flow, pancreatic juice)
Comin' from the islets of Langerhans...
(Flow flow, into the deuodenum)

Insulin, glucagon
(Won'tcha flow flow flow, pancreatic juice)
Comin' from the islets of Langerhans...
(Flow flow, into the deuodenum)

Lipase, amylase, and tripsin
(Insulin, glucagon)
(Won'tcha flow, flow flow, pancreatic juice)
They gonna help with our digestion
(Comin' from the islets of Langerhans...)
(Flow flow, into the deuodenium)

Lipase, amylase, and tripsin
(Insulin, glucagon)
(Won'tcha flow flow flow, pancreatic juice)
They gonna help with our digestion
(Comin' from the islets of Langerhans...)
(Flow flow, into the deuodenum)

Can't you see I love my pancreas
{Lipase, amylase, and tripsin}
(Insulin, glucagon)
(Won'tcha flow flow flow, pancreatic juice)
Golly-gee I love my pancreas
{They gonna help with our digestion}
(Comin' from the islets of Langerhans...)
(Flow flow, into the deuodenum)

Can't you see I love my pancreas
{Lipase, amylase, and tripsin}
(Insulin, glucagon)
(Won'tcha flow flow flow, pancreatic juice)
Golly-gee I love my pancreas
{They gonna help with our digestion}
(Comin' from the islets of Langerhans...)
(Flow flow, into the deuodenum)

Can't you see I love my pancreas
{Lipase, amylase, and tripsin}
(Insulin, glucagon)
(Won'tcha flow flow flow, pancreatic juice)
Golly-gee I love my pancreas
{They gonna help with our digestion}
(Comin' from the islets of Langerhans...)
(Flow flow, into the deuodenum)

Can't you see I love my pancreas