A sad day for monsters everywhere

I just saw the news that Forrest J. Ackerman died the other day.  Most of the world is no doubt unfamiliar with this man.  For monster movie fans, he was the king.  He produced ‘Famous Monsters of Filmland’ magazine, had a massive collection of monster artifacts, and coined the term ‘sci-fi.’  He was also a very kind and giving person, allowing thousands of fans to come into his home and see his collection.

He held a Famous Monsters convention in NYC many years ago.  I was lucky to attend.  It was a great event, unlike the Star Trek convention I went to shortly after (the first one).  After the Famous Monsters event, I was an even bigger fan.  After the Star Trek convention, I couldn’t even stand to watch the show for several years.

I didn’t know him personally, but will miss knowing that ‘Forry’ was still around.

What a chili day

Not only is it getting cold outside, but it’s also getting a little chili. A little while ago, I happened to see that the one of the founders of Skyline Chili, James Lambrinides, died. If you’ve never been to Cincinnati, chances are you’ve never even heard of Skyline. I don’t know how many locations they have, but my guess is that there’s 50 or more within 30 miles of Cincinnati. Their cheese coneys are one of my all time favorite foods. Probably good I don’t live near there anymore, as it sure isn’t the healthiest thing in the world.

I looked at their website, and they are now franchising! So far, you have to be within 200 miles of their main office in Fairfield Ohio. I just hope it will soon go national. I don’t know that I want to own one, but I’d love to have a Skyline here in Saratoga Springs, or even Albany, NY.

The other chili news of the day was an email I got stating that there is going to be a Chili Challenge for Alzheimers and the National Kidney Foundation on November 13. Here are the details:

The Alzheimer’s Association of Northeastern NY and the National Kidney Foundation of Northern NY are hosting a Chili Challenge at Michael’s Banquet House on Route 9 in Latham. This joint fundraiser is a great mixer with over twenty restaurants competing for bragging rights. Presented by WNGA. Tickets are $15 in advance at Hannaford or Boscov’s, or $20 at the door. The Chili Challenge is Thursday, November 13th from 5 to 8 PM.