News of the Week: Supermoon, Sam Spade, and Did Sinatra Really Sing at a High School?

When the Moon Hits Your Eye, Like a Big Pizza Pie

We had a Supermoon late Tuesday/early Wednesday. It’s also called a Blood Harvest Moon. And just to make things more interesting it was also a partial eclipse (but it wasn’t a total eclipse of the heart).

USA Today has some great photos from all around the world, and here are more from the BBC.

The Return of the Maltese Falcon

Max Allan Collins – a talented, prolific writer who has written some great novels including Road to Perdition and the Nathan Heller series and some Mike Hammer novels started but never finished by his friend Mickey Spillane – has been tapped to write The Return of the Maltese Falcon, a sequel to the classic novel by Dashiell Hammett, which enters the public domain in January 2026. It will be published by Hard Case Crime.

A Frank Sinatra Mystery Solved

Writer Chris Dalla Riva had heard the family story for years: Frank Sinatra sang at his grandmother’s high school in the 1940s! But was it true? It was something that she and other family members had said for years, but there wasn’t any actual evidence, and maybe memories can be faulty. Would he have really sung at a high school after becoming a professional singer? But it nagged at him and he wanted an answer, so he decided to do an investigation, and the results are fascinating.

So, did Sinatra sing at his grandmother’s school? Well, you’re going to have to read it all to find the answer to that. It’s an engaging read. It’s like a celebrity profile mixed with a true-life mystery story and pop culture history, and it’s one of the best things I’ve read all year.

Farmer Jack Realized That Big Yellow Quilts Were Expensive

That’s not a news report on the state of the economy, it’s a pangram, a sentence that contains every letter in the alphabet. The one you probably know is “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog,” which many people use when learning to type. Here are 26 more, and hey, here are still more. Amaze your friends!

Headline of the Week

“Scientists Just Discovered That Drinking Coffee Seems to Counteract the Terrible Health Effects of Sitting All Day”

(Oh, I hope the same is true of tea.)

RIP Tito Jackson, Nelson DeMille, J.D. Souther, David Handelman, Chad McQueen, Tommy Cash, Peter Renaday, and Michaela Mabinty DePrince

With his brothers Michael, Jermaine, Jackie, and Marlon, Tito Jackson was a member of The Jackson 5, known for such hits as “ABC,” “I Want You Back,” “Dancing Machine,” “The Love You Save,” and “I’ll Be There.” He died Sunday at the age of 70.

Nelson DeMille was the best-selling author of such action-suspense novels as The General’s Daughter, Up Country, Word of Honor, and The Cuban Affair. He died Tuesday at the age of 81.

J.D. Souther co-wrote some of the biggest songs for the Eagles, including “Heartache Tonight,” “New Kid in Town,” and “The Best of My Love.” He also co-wrote songs for James Taylor (including their duet “Her Town Too”), Linda Ronstadt, and Bonnie Raitt, produced many albums for others, released several solo albums, and was even an actor. He died Tuesday at the age of 78.

Uploaded to YouTube by James Taylor

David Handelman was a writer for Aaron Sorkin’s shows, including The West Wing, Sports Night, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and The Newsroom. He also wrote for One Tree Hill and Nashville, was a contributor to publications like Rolling Stone and the New York Times, and was a producer/writer for CNN’s Smerconish. He died last month at the age of 63.

Chad McQueen appeared in such movies as the first two Karate Kid films and Fever Pitch. He was the son of Steve McQueen. He died last week at the age of 63.

Tommy Cash was a country singer and the brother of Johnny Cash. He died last week at the age of 84.

Peter Renaday was a voice actor who worked on an amazing number of animated shows, video games, and theme park attractions. He died last week at the age of 89.

Michaela Mabinty DePrince was an acclaimed ballet dancer. She died last week at the age of 29.

This Week in History

President McKinley Dies (September 14, 1901)

He was shot on September 6 while making a public appearance in Buffalo, New York and died of gangrene two weeks later.

My Mother the Car Premieres (September 14, 1965)

This sitcom was about a mother who dies and comes back as a car and communicates with her son through the radio. YES, THIS WAS THE ACTUAL PREMISE. It lasted one season and is generally regarded as one of the worst shows of all-time.

This Week in Saturday Evening Post History: Packard Cars (September 16, 1950)

No idea if this car was a mother or a father.

Monday Is Great American Pot Pie Day

Pot pie is one of those things I’ve never made myself. In fact, now that I think of it, I haven’t even bought a pot pie at the supermarket in a long time either. Now where can I find some recipes if I wanted to make my own?

Right here on this site, actually! Like these Individual Chicken Pot Pies from America’s Test Kitchen or this Healthy Chicken Pot Pie (from the Trim & Terrific Diabetic Cooking cookbook).

Away from this site, Good Dinner Mom has a recipe for a Beef Pot Pie, Aida Mollenkamp has a Vegetarian Pot Pie, and Food Network has this Turkey Pot Pie.

Next Week’s Holidays and Events

Fall Begins (September 22)

Pot pies just feel like an autumn meal, don’t they? For me, this day is right up there with Christmas. It officially starts at 8:44 a.m. ET. (I’ve seen some sources say it’s 8:43 a.m., but let’s not argue about a minute.)

Hobbit Day (September 22)

No, this isn’t the birthday of writer J.R.R. Tolkien. It’s actually the birthday of Frodo and Bilbo Baggins.