Akemi, Sharky and I landed in Montreal a little after 4:00 p.m.  Given the back and forth I would be doing between mom's place and the hospital, I elected to rent a car for this trip.  I assume nav systems would be standard in all rentals but not, I had to spring for the Chrysler…

Our Columbo rewatch continues with... "Swan Song" This episode aired March 3, 1974. The prized black guitar featured in this episode was a one-of-a-kind custom build for Johnny Cash that was created without the knowledge of Martin Company President C.F. Martin III as he had always resisted requests to make a black version. Eventually, the…

#35. “Funeral Arrangements” (Spectacular Spider-Man 186-188) A terminally-ill Adrian Toomes, aka The Vulture, seeks redemption and revenge in the time he has left. Writer: J.M. DeMatteis Penciler: Sal Buscema Colorist: Bob Sharen Letterers: Rick Parker, Joe Rosen This story is as much a reflection on life and legacy as it is a meditation on how…

Well, the plan was for Akemi, Sharky and I to fly in to Montreal on Friday and spend the next two weeks with mom while my sister headed off for a well-earned two weeks in Cuba.  Unfortunately, fate - and varied ailments - have conspired against us. Last time I was in town, a little…

This episode aired February 10, 1974. The computer room set was a re-use from The Andromeda Strain (1971). Robert J. Walker, who played Neil Cahill, is perhaps best known for portrayal of Charlie Evans in the Star Trek episode "Charlie X". Jessica Walter, who portrayed the enigmatic Margaret Nicholson, would later play the matriarch Lucille…

Pug on the bus interview... Gimme some! Go for Pho! Out and About - De Mello Coffee... Out and About with Sharky - A Return to Tiny Market! He loves his scallops.  Takes after dad!

I've been making great progress on the Crime Writers' Association Dagger Awards longlist.  I've worked my way through four categories - Whodunit, Twisted, Crime Fiction in Translation, and the Golden Dagger - and am finishing cup a fifth category... Once done, I'll start on the First Novel longlist... And then, time permitting, try to get…

Our Columbo rewatch continues with... "Publish or Perish" This episode aired January 18, 1974. Columbo joins Eileen and Neal for lunch at the famed Chasen's Restaurant. The restaurant, that closed in 1995, was, ironically, well known for its chili. The $6 chili would be equivalent to about $40 today. This is the second of three…

#32. "Cold Snap" (The Fury of Firestorm #21, 1983) A dying Killer Frost goes on a destructive rampage, wreaking havoc in her insatiable quest for heat energy, setting up a final confrontation with her nemesis, Firestorm. Writer: Gerry Conway Artist/Storyteller: Rafael Kayanan Artist/Embellisher: Rodin Rodriguez Colorist: Carl Gafford Letterer: John Costanza This single issue tale…

I'm a Hard Watch.  I enjoy roughly 1 in every 5 shows I watch (Of the 750+ international crime shows I've watched to date, I've been able to recommend about 150).  I also a Hard Read.  Almost 50 stores into this 100 Supervillain Stories comic book marathon I'm doing, I can honestly say I really…

This episode aired December 16, 1973. Subliminal advertising was an invention of James Vicary, a market researcher, who claimed to have inserted subliminal frames of Coca-Cola and popcorn during a screening of a movie which resulted in an 18% increase in Coca-Cola sales and a 58% increase in popcorn sales. Under scrutiny however, Vicary admitted…

Big fish! Taking his breakfast in bed... Enjoying some peanut butter... Sharky's gives mom her birthday presents... Gooood morning! Our happy boy... \Sharky's memoirs: Chapter 9!

#29. "Doctor Octopus: Negative Exposure" A Daily Bugle photographer, jealous of Peter Parker's photographs, may hinder Spider-Man as he faces off with Doctor Octopus. Writer: Brian K. Vaughan Penciler: Staz Johnson Inker: Danny Miki Colors: Avalon Studios Letterer: Virtual Calligraphy’s Rus Wooton The focus is on an embittered Daily Bugle photographer and his quest to…