Day 513: Is It A Bird? Is It A Plane? Or Just Some Guy Who’ll Kick Your Ass?

originally published May 27, 2013 There has been a lot of speculation and opinion-flinging in respect to the modern-age superhero. The movie Kick-Ass tells the story of a high school kid who slips on a superhero onesie and wanders the streets, trying to put an end to criminal activity and stick up for the little guy. The […]

Day 498: When Bakeries Go Bad…

originally published May 12, 2013 In a world ever dominated by franchises, chains and faceless corporations, I try to support local businesses whenever possible. It’s always a little victory for our world when a small business clangs that sweet bell of success, and earns a place adding personality and variety to a community. That victory […]

Day 494: The Moxley Murder – A Cold Case Reheated

originally published May 8, 2013 Every so often I like to dig into a juicy murder story. Maybe it’s my ghoulish dark side, or perhaps the powerful influence of Murder, She Wrote’s Jessica Fletcher on my young brain, but a slowly unraveling murder mystery is a thing of beauty. Of course, when the story is […]

Day 489: William ‘Boss’ Tweed – The Etheral King Of New York Scummery

originally published May 3, 2013 It would present a genuine challenge to any amateur historian to unearth a more succinct tale of greed and corruption than that of William “Boss” Tweed and his cronies at Tammany Hall. Not often does someone opt to steal so much from so many, and to do it so damn […]

Day 446: Blood-Bananas

originally published March 21, 2013 Summing up the extensive history of the United Fruit Company (now known as Chiquita, the banana people) in a thousand words without glossing over a handful of jaw-dropping incidents won’t be easy. Nor do I anticipate an easy slide into my routine of bacon-inspired smartassery and Star Wars references. I […]

Day 442: Gilles de Rais – War Hero, Aristocrat, Serial Killer

originally published March 17, 2013 If I were to be struck by a plummeting satellite piece today, my obituary would lack a lot of highlights. Sure, I had kids, undertook a ridiculously large writing project, and there was that time I managed to stuff 27 pens in my mouth at once, but it ain’t much. […]

Day 417: Vegas & The Casha Nostra

originally published February 20, 2013 Thirteen years ago, during my second trip as an adult to that star-spew oasis in the armpit of the desert known as Las Vegas, I got stuck on a monorail. On this particular August night, a wicked storm was wreaking havoc along the famous Strip, with flash floods sending confused […]

Day 378: I Have A Headache THIS BIG And It Has Murder Written All Over It!

originally published January 12, 2013 The year was 1982. Ozzy Osbourne was getting arrested for peeing on the Alamo, Tootsie was making us all fall in love with the idea of cross-dressing, and Bo and Luke Duke were written out of The Dukes of Hazzard and replaced by their cousins, Coy and Vance. It was […]

Day 368: Drawing The Lucky ‘666’

originally published January 2, 2013 In 1980, Nick Perry had a decent, though rather mundane job. Every night, he’d claim his tiny little corner of local fame on WTAE-TV in Pittsburgh, announcing the nightly broadcast of winning Pennsylvania Lottery numbers. On the one hand, he was potentially creating wealthy Americans every time he stepped onto […]

Day 346: Go Home And Get Your Shinebox – The Real Lufthansa Heist

originally published December 11, 2012 If you can look at the photo above and remember the specific scene it’s pulled from, then you are going to love today’s article. If not, don’t worry – it’s still a fascinating story. One with spoilers, but seriously, if you haven’t seen Martin Scorcese’s gangster epic Goodfellas by now, […]