At it's #NewYearsEve we're going to end the year by playing the Agatha Christie game!

I'll show you the book cover artwork by Tom Adams, and you guess the Fontana edition Agatha Christie novel it's from.

Here's your first one...

A little bit trickier for question 2...

A lot trickier for number 3, but the clues are there if you know your Christie...

And here's your last Agatha Christie cover for this round - quite a famous one.

I'll post the answers in a bit, so get your guesses in now please!

Here are the answers to round 1 of the Agatha Christie game. I hope you got a few right, as round 2 will exercise your little grey cells a little bit more...

Are you writing a sci-fi or fantasy novel? Are you struggling to choose a title for it?

Well good news! I've just analysed the titles of 1,500 DAW sci-fi and fantasy novels, and I think I've found the secret!

Come with me...

Today in pulp I look at the scandalous history of lady jeans!

Well there's a turn-up...

The denim jean and its predecessor the dungaree have a long history, and were traditionally seen as work wear for men.

But WWII changed all that...

As women headed for the factories and shipyards they found that a sturdy denim bib-n-brace, paired with a stout headscarf, was the way to go!

Coarse heavy 'jeens' were fine for riveting work, but 1940s women didn't take a shine to them as leisure wear. For one thing they were voluminous and shapeless.

Jeans were also seen as clothing for children. No adult wanted to be seen wearing kid's dungarees in public.

Or did they?

@curaffairs The author doesn't know enough about search to have written that article and the reason he's having those problems is AI algos like Rank Brain and Google's attempts to use natural language processing nothing to do with SEOs.

1/x

YMYL is not evaluated at the site level, but the query level.

Again this is on Google, not SEOs because they want to surface better sites.

And those devaluations are part of Core Updates which SEOs like me recover sites from.

2/

Featured Snippets are not optimized for - you can use certain HTML to be pulled in one but there is no definite use case where Featured Snippets are shown or that your site's will show for it. Also doesn't always come from the #1 result.

& that's Google not the SEO.

3/

Also there are many times when an SEO doesn't want their site in the Featured Snippet cuz it doesn't result in a click to the website. But we have no control over what Google pulls as Feature Snippets except to put in a meta tag to exclude us from them

4/

And Neil Patel is not an SEO. Most senior level SEOs see him as nothing more than a scammer because reportedly he's ripped them off by stealing their content and articles and passing them off as his.

5/

In light of Sean Connery's passing, I thought it would be appropriate to pay tribute to his star-making turn in Dr. No. It truly is a brilliant multifaceted performance that commands the screen and sucks in the viewer. /1

There is of course his debut scene where Connery is incredibly magnetic. Look at the little smiles he gives, the walk, the magic ability of talking while dangling a cigarette and still not looking silly. Everything about the scene draws in the viewer. /2

But then Connery shows dimension in his next scene with M. A lesser actor would have kept up the confidence level, but here Connery plays it more humbly. It's not that he is a different person, but it is clear this is a different situation and thus Bond acts differently. /3

The death of Mr. Jones is also masterclass for Connery. When he finds out Mr. Jones is a henchman, he just gives a little smirk as if he almost prefers this. Then he casually gives a one liner about Mr. Jones' corpse. Thus, the viewer knows Bond has done all this before /4

There is of course the famous "you had your six" scene. What is striking about it is Connery's face and whole demeanor. It's utterly cold and unflinching. Again, we see that killing in cold blood is nothing new to Bond but he also doesn't revel in it./5

Which book took you the longest time to actually finish reading?

For me: Underworld. 17 years from buying it to actually getting around to reading it, and maybe 19 months on and off to make myself read it until the end.

Still, ticked it off the list ✔

Second place goes to The Charterhouse of Parma, which Stendhal wrote in 52 days. According to the Oxfam Books receipt I used as a bookmark I bought it on 11 April 2009. Finished it last month.

Coming Up For Air was torture. It's nature's punishment for autodidacts.

I'm just gonna say it: life on CB radio was much more glamorous than life on social media. We had owls and satin gowns, pot plants and martini rosso.

Just. Fact.

So hip it Hertz...

All CB conversations were like this.

All. Of. Them.

The more I think about the Bruce Springsteen Jeep ad, the more disgusted I get. It's allegedly a call for unity, but it is drenched in a very particular culture's iconography: a Christian church (that superimposes the cross on the US flag), farms, rural living, "the middle" ...

... it's all so white. This is the "America" of nationalist fairy tales: rural land, settled by self-reliant white farmers & good Christians. It's all trucks & dust & manual labor & squinting at the horizon while wiping sweat from your brow. This is the kind of "unity" ...

... designed to comfort (or at least not threaten) white people. It says, "let's unify by joining together to reaffirm America's mythical self-conception, despite the real-world violence & repression it has always entailed."

If I'm, I dunno, a latino housekeeper in Vegas or black Uber driver in Sacramento, what's in the commercial for me? What does this kind of "unity" promise me? What can I find in "the (mythical) middle"? Nothing. It's not for me.

If America ever does come together in some kind of social solidarity again (which looks pretty doubtful), it's not going to be around the myths & iconography of 20th century hegemonic white culture in the US. It's going to be around something NEW -- new stories, new icons.

62nd anniversary of The Day The Music Died.

Some shots from that final show at the Surf Ballroom. That's Waylon Jennings playing bass for both Buddy Holly and Richie Valens. He didn't ride on the plane because he lost a coin flip.

correction - it was Buddy Holly's guitarist Tommy Allsup who lost the plane ride coin flip to Richie Valens; Waylon Jennings reluctantly gave up his seat on the plane to JR "The Big Bopper" Richardson because Richardson had the flu.

In their last conversation, Buddy Holly kidded Jennings for 'chickening out' of the plane ride, and joked "I hope your damn bus freezes up again."

Jennings, joking back, told Holly "I hope your ol' plane crashes." That joke haunted Jennings for decades.

The Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake survives, though, and is still a gem; and still hosts an annual February commemorative Winter Dance Party.

When Charles #Dickens unexpectedly died in 1870, readers felt doubly cheated, not only losing the author, but also the ending of "The Mystery of Edwin Drood." But with spiritualism at its height, avid fans decided to take matters into their own hands and consult...his ghost! 👻

In Battleborough, Vermont, in 1872, tramp printer Thomas Power James had a trance in a boarding house seánce. "Charles Dickens" wrote a polite note to James, requesting a 15 Nov. meeting.

Ghost Dickens asked James to write the ending of "Edwin Drood" through "spirit-pen" 👻🖋️

T.P. James kindly did so, with a medium's aid. The result was a completed "Part Second" (1873), which features a "Medium's Preface"!

👻Ghost Dickens claims that injured Edwin Drood is rescued by Durdles, allies with Datchery to expose an insane Jasper, and later marries Rosa 👻

None other than #Sherlock creator Arthur Conan Doyle attended a seánce at which American violinist Florizel von Reuter (who died 1985!) interrogated Ghost Dickens about the lost finale of "Edwin Drood," and was told,

👻"Edwin is alive and Cris[parkle] is hiding him" 👻

In "Twenty Years' Experience as a Ghost Hunter" (1916) Elliott O'Donnell complained that despite the lapse of years, Ghost Dickens 👻 had proliferated rather than subsided, with "foolish and conceited" people naïvely assuming the great late author would wish to contact them!

The amazing thing about the era of filmmaking that ended with "Wonder Woman 1984" is that a script that dumb and joyless could get past dozens of people without anyone pumping the brakes before a firehose of funding was sprayed over the project.

The most entertaining thing about WW84 is the press tour where the filmmakers pretend to be creative geniuses who learned *so much* from the failings of the vastly superior original film, especially its climactic showdown.

"The studio forced us to wrap the first movie up with a loud, cartoony CGI smackdown!" they cried... then delivered a sequel that ends with an even more cartoony and pointless CGI smackdown, followed by half an hour of Wonder Woman explaining why cheating and selfishness are bad.

How do you come off a surprisingly popular, breezy, entertaining movie that began the turnaround for a flagging zillion-dollar franchise and decide the sequel should be a first-grade morality lesson with the logic of a Care Bears cartoon that's longer than a Tolkien film?

Presumably it's because everyone involved decided they had something Very Important to say about the hellish 80s Decade of Greed that would be Highly Relevant for modern audiences, even though many people involved in the production are too young to remember the 80s.

I have other work to do at the moment so I have not finished this but here's a peak at my break down of #AmberHeardIsAnAbuser's claims against #JohnnyDepp #JusticeForJohhnyDepp and the evidence that proves they are FALSE.

Example B: The Painting Incident.

Buckle up this is a long and bumpy ride...

Hang in there...

Wait for it....

Have you forgotten the cause of "The Painting Incident" ???

A #Thread on the "Actor" #Rajinikanth. This thread is for people asking has he done any meaningful roles other than action, cannot act in Dramas, or especially to those who think he did not put any hard work in his early years..

This is quite a long thread.... #Thalaivar ⏭️

To answer Questions like whether Rajinikanth is an overrated actor? Why the hype? Has he ever done a range of different roles? use this thread as a primer to learn more about the man you know but the path you don’t! #Rajinikanth #Thalaivar ⏭️

#Rajinikanth did not to shoot to fame overnight. He had to toil for it. He was already acting in stage during his school days. In the early years he starred mostly in negative roles but made sure he created a space for him that is still lying with empty chairs #Thalaivar ⏭️

#Rajinikanth has taken formal acting courses at the Madras Film institute, where he was identified by K.Balachander based on his acting ability. KB sir was sure this dark, quirky man is going to hit the ball out of the park & he did foresee the future #Thalaivar ⏭️

#Rajinikanth used to play a lot of character oriented roles in the mid 70’s & 80’s. He was pushed to the commercial front as he was banking in more money but that never diminished his acting skills.The most recent examples of his acting prowess are Kabali & Kaala #Thalaivar ⏭️

Music news thread. 👇🍿

I need one of these networks to make @AuthorBJackson’s “The Ties That Bind” into a movie.

The book takes us through college @HowardU in the 60’s, the Vietnam War, the Black Panther movement — with mystic undertones, classism and a twist at the end ...[Thread ⬇️]

that makes you believe in LOVE. Funny thing about this book is I found it at the airport, abt 10 years ago now, and I’ve read it at least 10 times. It’s exceptional, and it’s needs to be a movie. So, casted it. @ava or @LenaWaithe — y’all should make this happen lol ⬇️

Randolph: @_Brandon_Bell
Jenna: @KekePalmer
Ellie: @iamtikasumpter
Leigh: @DomiNqueP
Ross: @TyLepley
Noah: @MehcadBrooks
Angela: @BiancaLawson
Grandmother Fuller: @msdebbieallen
Gramma Mattie: @PhyliciaRashad
@strongblacklead — that’s a CAST. Lol, more abt the book ⬇️

Randolph Fuller (@_Brandon_Bell ) comes from a family of prominent lawyers on the paternal side and from the Gullah people on the maternal side. Jenna Haywood (@KekePalmer) is considered too dark by the Fullers and did not have any “prestige” behind her name ⬇️

These differences between the two did not matter they loved each other, but to Grandmother Julia Fuller (@msdebbieallen) it was a disgrace. Jenna and Randolph were in love and planned to be together for the rest of their lives. However, an obsessed Angela (@BiancaLawson) ⬇️

Happy Monday readers, it's Dark Phoenix week! Over the next ten issues, we'll explore what is perhaps Claremont's most celebrated story that depicts the ascension of Jean Grey to the role of Dark Phoenix.

It's UXM #129-130, in which we are introduced to multiple X-mainstays!

I warned late last week that these threads will include heavy topics, because I find it difficult to adequately discuss the D.P.S. without acknowledging its commentary on agency, sexual violence, & how privilege corrupts.

Please stay safe & mute me until Sunday if you need to!

Our first issue starts off where we left off on the shores of Muir Island following the team's defeat of Proteus!

It's incredible to think that just last issue, the team met their most dangerous opponent yet, but Proteus was only but a primer for what the team will face next.

Our team officially drops from 7 to 6, with Banshee, after many issues depowered following an injury, officially leaving the team to remain with Moira on Muir Island.

Scott's attempts to make up his membership losses are rebuffed not once- but 3 times by Jamie, Alex, & Lorna!

It's almost like Claremont was clearing the decks to make room for some new members on the team...