BOXING DAY: AN E-BOOK AND DOCUMENTARIES

While it has nothing realllllly to do with what we now consider boxing, celebrate Boxing Day with these two stupendous ring documentaries and a link to "Felony Fists," a fabulous e-book by my friend and fellow scribe Paul Bishop (written under the pseudonym Jack Tunney).  In fact, the whole Fight Card series (with one coming from me soon), is a fun throwback to the days of dimestore boxing pulps and noir. Check out Bishop's entry and then...

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MERRY CHRISTMAS...

... And happy holidays to everyone! Meet me under the mistletoe...     Twe...

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MEET THE NEW FACE OF JOHNNIE WALKER

Brilliant ... Just brilliant.  Is there a better reason now to drink the spirit. Admitted scotch drinker Christina Hendricks ("Mad Men") is the new face for Johnnie Walker. She revealed that it was her husband Geoffrey Arend who got her interested in the hooch. "I always thought it was sexy when he ordered scotch and I'd take little sips of his drink,' she told Men's Health in October. That interview (and photo spread) prompted...

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WRITERS' ROUNDTABLE: HOLLYWOOD REPORTER (VIDEO)

Every awards season, The Hollywood Reporter gathers the screenwriters of the year’s best films for an informal roundtable. For this year's chat, they assembled Moneyball‘s Steve Zaillan and Aaron Sorkin, The Skin I Live In‘s Pedro Almodovar, J. Edgar‘s Dustin Lance Black, Rampart‘s Oren Moverman and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close‘s Eric Roth to discuss their own, and each others’, scripts, all of which have a shot at multiple awards and nominations. Grab some java and enjoy... Twe...

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HAPPY 96TH FRANK...

Always cool... Your legend lives on... Twe...

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'BOARDWALK EMPIRE RECAP': DID JIMMY AND GILLIAN JUST DO THE NASTY?

"BOARDWALK EMPIRE" RECAPSEASON TWO, EPISODE TEN"UNDER GOD'S POWER SHE FLOURISHES"This week: Written by Howard Korder and directed by Allen Coulter, "Under God's Power She Flourishes" wrapped up only a minor bit of business leftover from last week. Still, the last five-minutes made up for it. While the situation with Jimmy and the fallout from Angela being murdered wasn't emotionally explored to the fullest, a few key events at the end of the episode...

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BOARDWALK EMPIRE RECAP: ANGELA DARMODY, WE'LL MISS YOU!

"BOARDWALK EMPIRE" RECAPSEASON TWO, EPISODE TEN"GEORGIA PEACHES"This week: Written by Dave Flebotte and directed by Jeremy Podeswa, "Georgia Peaches" was a doozy. After last week's transitional episode, this one not only moved the situations along but last us with the series' best cliffhanger.Some key events:• Dumbstruck by Nucky Thompson's new source for alcohol, Jimmy and his partners look to cultivate a new revenue stream in Atlantic City.• With...

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GOBBLE, GOBBLE...

Here's wishing everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving...Tw...

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'BOARDWALK EMPIRE' RECAP: NUCKY GOES TO IRELAND

"BOARDWALK EMPIRE" RECAPSEASON TWO, EPISODE NINE"BATTLE OF THE CENTURY"This week: Written by Steve Kornacki and directed by Brad Anderson, "Battle of the Century" is a slower paced and shorter episode than we've been getting. And it feels like a vacation of sorts. And that's not bad. The action and developments have been so fast and furious, it was good to sit back and let the cadence slow down a bit and watch Anderson's low-key direction. Definitely...

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'BOARDWALK EMPIRE' RECAP: NUCKY TAKES A STEP BACK; JIMMY RISES

"BOARDWALK EMPIRE" RECAPSEASON TWO, EPISODE EIGHT"TWO BOATS AND A LIFEGUARD"THIS WEEK: Written by series creator Terence Winter and directed by 'Empire' and 'The Sopranos' vet Tim Van Patten, "Two Boats and a Lifeguard" explores the theme of the relationship between and father and son.Some key moments:• In the wake of a personal loss, Nucky Thompson seeks advice on his political and municipal trouble from Arnold Rothstein and Johnny Torrio.• Eli...

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THE VAGRANT WRITER (GUEST POST)

This is a guest post by Caleb J Ross (also known as Caleb Ross, to people who hate Js) as part of his "Stranger Will Tour for Strange" blog tour. He will be guest-posting beginning with the release of his novel Stranger Will in March 2011 to the release of his second novel, "I Didn’t Mean to Be Kevin" and novella, "As a Machine and Parts," in November 2011. If you have connections to a lit blog of any type, professional journal or personal site,...

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'BOARDWALK EMPIRE' RECAP: TROUBLE IN BABETTE'S; MARGARET SOUL SEARCHES

BOARDWALK EMPIRE RECAPSEASON TWO, EPISODE SEVEN"PEG OF OLD"THIS WEEK: Directed by Allen Coulter and written by Howard Korder, Steve Kornacki and Bathsheba Doran, "Peg of Old" delved in the concept of family, isolation and secrecy.Some key moments:• Nucky enlists heavyweight champ Jack Dempsey to promote the wireless broadcast of his upcoming Jersey City bout.• Receiving pressure from his mini-syndicate, Jimmy Darmody faces a decision that could shape...

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'BOARDWALK EMPIRE' RECAP: 'BOYTSHIK' GIVES ADVICE TO MANNY HORVITZ

BOARDWALK EMPIRE RECAPSEASON TWO, EPISODE SIX"THE AGE OF REASON"THIS WEEK: Written by Bathsheba Doran and directed by Jeremy Podeswa, "The Age of Reason," explores the notion of forgiveness as well as confession. Some key moments:• After getting ships seized by the Coast Guard a few weeks back, Nucky orchestrates a risky liquor delivery in Philadelphia via bootleggers Waxey Gordon and Arnold Rothstein.• Attorney General Harry Daugherty faces a political...

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LITTLE DEMON GIRL (#fridayflash)

Press play for some mood music Not sure how else to put this but I think Sadie loved being possessed.You might think that's a harsh thing to write but it's true. I remember hearing about her around town when she was around a year old. People called it a freak accident but the story always stuck with me.One night, as a babysitter dry humped her boyfriends downstairs, Sadie crawled out of her crib and suffocated her big sister while she was sleeping.My...

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BOARDWALK EMPIRE RECAP: RICHARD HARROW LOST IN THE WOODS

BOARDWALK EMPIRE RECAPSEASON TWO, EPISODE FIVE"GIMCRACK & BUNKUM"THIS WEEK: Written by Howard Korder and directed by series vet Tim Van Patten, 'Gimcrack and Bunkum' elevated the 'Empire' game. While we've been building on character nuances from the get-go, elements are starting to fall into place and the action is amping up -- in a big way. The result? Chatter for the water cooler.Some key moments:• With his opposition imploding, Nucky's election-fraud...

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VALKA (#fridayflash)

Press play for some mood musicWe all have shitty neighbors from time to time. They may play music too loud, leave their barking dogs outside or merely leave trashcans on the curb for far too long. It's all part of being a member of any given community. And we usually deal.And sure, I have my own bad habits. Frequently, I'd leave my car parked on the street overnight, my newspapers would flood the unkempt lawn and my porch was sort of an eyesore.That...

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'BOARDWALK EMPIRE' RECAP: NUCKY GETS HIS MOJO BACK

BOARDWALK EMPIRE RECAPSEASON TWO, EPISODE FOUR"WHAT DOES THE BEE DO?"It's getting hot in the kitchen... Written by Steve Kornacki and directed by Ed Bianchi, "What Does the Bee Do?" has Nucky's tide turning. Or so we're led to believe... Some key moments:• Nucky's attorney has a legal brainstorm that just may have his election-rigging case squashed;• Facing a local liquor surplus, Jimmy Darmody and Mickey Doyle head to Philadelphia in search of buyers...

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THE VANISHING CLOWN (#fridayflash)

Press play for some mood music We went to see the clowns right around the time I started having the dreams -- the horrid ones where the teeth crumbled out of my mouth.As I remember them, they'd be no stronger than a Corn Flake and would inexplicably loosen and flick right off of my gums until the innards of my mouth were a bloody, brittle mess.Because my dad never made it home from the war, mom tried to overcompensate with every guy that winked in...

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'BOARDWALK EMPIRE' RECAP: NUCKY AND JIMMY CLASH AT BABETTE'S

BOARDWALK EMPIRE RECAPSEASON TWO, EPISODE THREE"A DANGEROUS MAID"The third episode of this season, the conflict continues to come fast and furious with a slick script by Itamar Moses and taut direction provided by Susanna White. “A Dangerous Maid” moved the series along nicely. Some key events:• The Commodore uses his Coast Guard connections to put the squeeze on Atlantic City's liquor shipments.• Nucky reaches out to Washington's new Attorney General,...

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ATHENA (#fridayflash)

Press play for some mood musicThe first thing I noticed on her when I stepped into Tully's Towne Pub were the hips. She was dancing in front of the juke to Van Halen and it was the fucking sexiest thing I ever saw.She clutched a long neck in one hand and took a drag of an unfiltered cigarette with the other. The smoke enveloped her like some kind of Gothic specter."Holy Christ... Those hips are gonna bear my kids," I told Pam behind the bar. She...

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'BOARDWALK EMPIRE' RECAP: MEET OWEN SLEATER

BOARDWALK EMPIRE RECAPSEASON TWO, EPISODE TWO"OURSELVES ALONE"• Concerned about losing his grip on Atlantic City, Nucky deliberates a countermove as he attempts to discover who in his inner circle betrayed him.• As agents scour Nuck's suite at The Ritz for incriminating evidence, Margaret strikes a pose from the past in an attempt to help her man out of trouble.• In New York, Arnold Rothstein turns Jimmy's offer down but Meyer Lansky and Lucky Luciano...

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'BOARDWALK EMPIRE RECAP': THE WALLS CLOSE IN ON NUCKY

"Boardwalk Empire," HBO's Prohibition drama returned Sunday night after a year of critical acclaim and sweeping several awards. It's now 1921 in Atlantic City and although his fortunes have soared in the wake of the enactment of Prohibition, Nucky Thompson is paying a steep price for wielding ultimate power in The Queen of Resorts -- that's where we are in Season Two.And while Nucky and his ward bosses may have solidified their hold on the city,...

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A BURNING QUESTION...

... WILL IT BE THIS??or THIS???Decisions... Decisions...Tw...

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THIRTEEN MEN (#fridayflash)

Press play for some groovy mood musicI tended bar at Tony's Tap Room up on Biltmore Avenue.The gig was good enough and while I wasn't a Rockefeller by any stretch, I didn't need much. At the end of the week, my rent was paid, the cupboard was stocked and if I was lucky, I'd be able to spring for some English Leather for the weekends.That said, I sometimes felt I wasn't paid enough to deal with the occasional bullshit that came with the gig. We had...

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LET'S NEVER FORGET ...

... That glorious skyline...Tw...

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DECISIONS, DECISIONS (#friday flash)

Press play for some mood music Aggie slipped into Nunzio's Tavern at about half past ten. The bar was one of those dark daytime joints where lost souls came to meet, greet and get behind that cork with a blinding vengeance. It all reeked of regret and shame. During this early hour there wasn't much going on except for a morning poker game buried under the neon fizzle of a Lowenbrau sign. Aggie's heels on the linoleum floor seemed to wake the...

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TOM WAITS: BAD AS ME (AUDIO)

Listen to the title track from Tom Waits’ upcoming album "Bad As Me," due in stores on Oct. 25. on limited edition deluxe CD, CD, and LP. Via Tom Waits.com: The disc is Waits’ first studio album of all new music in seven years and refines the music that has come before and signals a new direction. Waits, in possibly the finest voice of his career, worked with a veteran team of gifted musicians and longtime co-writer/producer Kathleen Brennan. From...

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THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM (#fridayflash)

Press play for some mood music Havana, 1953. I told her there was nothing worse than waiting for the hurricane. And this phone call. She ignored me. Cracking her gum, she bopped around the room and looked for her beach towel. "You comin'?" I shook my head and blew her a kiss. She shrugged her shoulders, blew me a kiss and slammed the door. Suddenly the room was quiet. That glorious kind of quiet that almost hums. But man, the air was as heavy...

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THE BIGGER YOUR BUCKLE THE BETTER (#fridayflash)

Please press play for some mood music Root Riley hitched all the way from Socorro, New Mexico. Root was good at beatin' the devil around the stump -- which basically meant that he was lazier than a hound dog on a Sunday afternoon. His father Buck arrived in Socorro in the Forties to con some money out of Conrad Hilton. That part worked. But when ol' Connie found out, Buck wound up on the clink and Root grew up visiting his poppa every other...

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HANK...

Charles Bukowski -- The namesake of this blog -- would have turned 91 today... Enjoy these two audio readings of his poems and pour yourself a stiff one in his honor. Here's to you, Hank... BUKOWSKI READS 'THE SECRET OF MY ENDURANCE' TOM WAITS READS NIRVANA (stupendous, eerie and gorgeous) Tw...

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REX PICKETT, WRITING DOCUMENTARIES and more...

I'm a sucker for writer documentaries and I'll be the first to admit that I can't get enough of them. I'm compelled to watch them because as a wannabe scribe, I know first hand how hard this craft can be. Anyone who says it comes easy, is full of horseshit. Applying our craft, throwing ourselves into a project (both physically and metaphorically), is something that only other scribes can identify with. We don't just sit in front of a computer...

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