Will the Persecution Never End?

Paris Hilton reveals she earns �11m per year, uses Google as her diary and has never seen a phone bill
| Mail Online: "Asked by lawyers about her calls from the producers, [Paris Hilton] testified: 'With my phone I never know, because I lose it all the time. I probably get a new cellphone, like, every two weeks.'

Shown her mobile phone bill, she responded: 'I've never seen a phone bill of mine in my life.'

The lawyer in the Miami case then asked Hilton if she had a diary for business meetings, and she said she uses the internet to see where she has been.

'I just press my name and Google it and see,' she added."

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

iWon News - 53 pounds of packed cocaine found on Texas beach: "SABINE PASS, Texas (AP) - Beachcombers found more than seashells while strolling on a Texas beach: two dozen neatly wrapped packages of cocaine. Jefferson County Sheriff's Lt. Troy Tucker said drug smugglers have been known to use freighters and the cocaine may have been kicked overboard to avoid detection."

Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.

Venetia Phair, R. I. P.

Venetia Phair - Telegraph: "Venetia Phair, who has died aged 90, had the distinction of being the only woman in the world to have named a planet; in 1930, as a girl of 11, she suggested the name Pluto for the enigmatic celestial body that had just been discovered, and which became (albeit only temporarily) the ninth planet in our solar system."

Hat tip to Scott Cupp.

Dino Update

Dinosaurs 'were wiped out by volcanoes in India' - Telegraph: "For the last thirty years scientists have believed a giant meteorite that struck Chicxulub in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula was responsible for the mass extinction of species, including T Rex and its cousins.

But now Professor Gerta Kellera, a geologist at Princeton University, New Jersey, says fossilised traces of plants and animals dug out of low lying hills at El Penon in north east Mexico show this event happened 300,000 years after the dinosaurs disappeared.

Prof Keller believes instead that volcanoes might have killed the dinosaurs."

Stephen King Update

Stephen King's Real Horror Story: How the novelist's addiction to drink and drugs nearly killed him
| Mail Online

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Are Bulldozers Now The Best Neighbor? - Realty Check with Diana Olick - CNBC.com: "So this is what it has come to.

A bank in Texas is bulldozing four brand new homes and twelve nearly finished homes in Victorville city, California, about 85 miles northeast of Los Angeles. Guaranty Bank of Austin acquired the homes in foreclosure and is destroying them, reportedly, to provide a 'safe environment' for the neighbors."

New Blogger on the Block

Terrill Lee Lankford's started a blog.  His first post is about Michael Connelly's new book and the YouTube promo for it.  You can check it out here.

A Little Intelligence -- Robert Silverberg & Randall Garrett

When I was a kid, I loved science fiction.  (I still do, but not in the same way.)  I read all the digest magazines in the middle to late '50s, but, as I've probably said before here, I gravitated to the lower-end ones, the ones that published a lot of adventure stuff.  I ran across the name Robert Randall there, just as I did in Astounding, and even at the time I knew that the name was a combination of the first names of Robert Silverberg and Randall Garrett.  I even knew that they were writing under many other names as well and that they were rumored to have written every story in at least one issue of some magazine or other.  I just didn't know what the other names were.  Now I do, and some of those names, Clyde Mitchell, for example, along with Robert Randall, are in this great short story collection from Crippen & Landru.  The stories appeared in Amazing, Fantastic, Future, and Science Fiction Quarterly, among my youthful favorites not only for their stories but for their covers (maybe you can see why from the cover I've used).  Many of the stories seem pretty bad on rereading now, but the ones by Silverberg and Garrett generally hold up very well.  

The seven stories in A Little Intelligence are all mysteries as well as science fiction.  A couple of them feature a Roman Catholic priest as the detective.  These were aimed at Anthony Boucher at F&SF but didn't make the cut.  They're still well worth your time, as are all the stories in this entertaining collection.  Silverberg's excellent introduction is just as entertaining, not to mention historically important.  Great stuff, and highly recommended.

The Voodoo Man

I Fully Believe This

iWon News - Deposition: Paris Hilton is a promotion machine: "Paris Hilton may seem like the ultimate party girl, but she and her handlers swear she's really a globe-trotting workaholic who relentlessly plugs her projects and products."

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

The Line-Up 2 Is Now On Sale

Poetic Justice Press - Lulu.com: "The Lineup: Poems on Crime 2 (book)

Print: $6.00
Edited by Gerald So with Patrick Shawn Bagley, R. Narvaez, and Anthony Rainone, The Lineup 2 features soulful reflections on crime by Patrick Carrington, Reed Farrel Coleman, Sophie Hannah, John Harvey, Janis Butler Holm, Jennifer L. Knox, Amy MacLennan, Carol Novack, Deshant Paul, Karen Petersen Manuel Ramos, Stephen D. Rogers, and Christopher Watkins.

'Since poets are by definition metaphysical detectives, this collection makes brilliant sense. The poets never flinch nor do they romanticize. Rather they write tersely and deftly of violence large and small, motives confused and clear, endings bloody and mundane. Collectively, they show how poems are bullets of essence that can pierce some very dark shadows.' —Baron Wormser, former Poet Laureate of Maine"

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Texas is only 6000 years old! | Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine: "During the Texas State Board of Education hearings on science standards for Texas schoolchildren, BoE member and staunch creationist Barbara Cargill decided that the age of the Universe was up for vote."

[. . . .]

"Need I say it? Her amendment passed, 11 to 3."

Taser Update

Two other Florida prisons zapped visiting kids with stun guns - St. Petersburg Times: "Two more state prisons have acknowledged incidents in which guards zapped visiting children with handheld stun guns, bringing to three the number of facilities where the unapproved demonstration was used on 'Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.'"

The Spinetingler Awards

Awards - Spinetingler Blog

Congrats to the winners.

Bob Randisi Strikes Again

His name might not be on the cover, but check the copyright page.  Looks like another big seller for Bob.  It hits the street on June 2.

Why Doesn't This Ever Happen to Me?

FOXNews.com - West Virginia Woman Wins Lottery for the Fifth Time - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News: "Brenda Bailey is on a roll.

Since September, the 59-year-old South Charleston woman has won five West Virginia Lottery cash prizes, totaling $167,600.

All of Bailey's winnings came from the Lottery's instant games. Her latest win is her biggest — the $100,000 top prize in the Price is Right game."

I Don't Find this Sad at All

MTV Movies Blog � EXCLUSIVE: Robert Rodriguez’s ‘Barbarella’ Adaptation Is Dead: "Like the tides and Lindsay Lohan’s film career, movie projects come and go. One project we’re particularly sad to see go bye-bye is Robert Rodriguez’s planned adaptation of the schlocky, sexy 1968 sci-fi flick, “Barbarella.”

Yes, MTV News learned exclusively during a conversation with the director to promote the Blu-ray version of “Sin City” that his “Barbarella” is officially dead."

Captain America

Joe Lansdale's Latest. The Model is Kasey. Order Now!

Congrats to Mystery Scene!

� Blog Archive � Poirot Award to Mystery Scene!: "Mystery Scene Magazine Publishers Kate Stine & Brian Skupin received the Poirot Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Mystery at Malice Domestic XX1 in Arlington, VA on May 2, 2009."

A New Web Serial

The Mercury Men

Link via Chris Roberson.

Dom DeLuise, R. I. P.

Report: Dom DeLuise dead at 75 -- Newsday.com: "Actor Dom DeLuise, who starred in such comedy classics 'The Cannonball Run' and 'Blazing Saddles,' died at a Los Angeles hospital Monday night, according to a report on TMZ.com.

DeLuise, 75, may best be known for his role in 'Fatso' where he played a man constantly struggling with his weight until he meets his dream girl."

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

It's Magic

Magic and the Brain: Teller Reveals the Neuroscience of Illusion

Nice video at the link.

Next: Soylent Green

Michiganians mine bodies for cash to make ends meet | detnews.com | The Detroit News: "As Michigan's economy continues to suffer, people are offering themselves up as medical guinea pigs for a quick buck to make ends meet. Some are selling plasma, others their hair for hundreds on the Internet, while others take the more extreme road by wanting to sell their eggs or participate in medical studies in exchange for payment and free medical exams."

Lend Me Your Ear

Art historians claim Van Gogh's ear 'cut off by Gauguin' |
Art and design |
The Guardian: "Vincent van Gogh's fame may owe as much to a legendary act of self-harm, as it does to his self-portraits. But, 119 years after his death, the tortured post-Impressionist's bloody ear is at the centre of a new controversy, after two historians suggested that the painter did not hack off his own lobe but was attacked by his friend, the French artist Paul Gauguin.

According to official versions, the disturbed Dutch painter cut off his ear with a razor after a row with Gauguin in 1888. Bleeding heavily, Van Gogh then walked to a brothel and presented the severed ear to an astonished prostitute called Rachel before going home to sleep in a blood-drenched bed.

But two German art historians, who have spent 10 years reviewing the police investigations, witness accounts and the artists' letters, argue that Gauguin, a fencing ace, most likely sliced off the ear with his sword during a fight, and the two artists agreed to hush up the truth."

Guest Blogger: Barry Eisler

I asked Barry if he could tell us something about his latest book, what inspired it, for example.  And he delivered!  Here's the scoop.

Good to be here, Bill, and thanks for the invitation.

I think the inspiration for Fault Line came partly from my odd career path, which took me from being a covert employee with the CIA; to an international lawyer in DC, Silicon Valley, Tokyo, and Osaka; to a high-tech, venture-financed start-up executive in Silicon Valley.  Any one of those worlds is a potentially interesting milieu in which to base a story; having insider knowledge of all three is just too rich an opportunity to pass up.

But maybe all of that is more about the story’s foundation—necessary, but not sufficient; the body, but not the spark of life.  What really catalyzed the story was my sense of two brothers—one from the covert world, the other from the high-tech—who hated each other and hadn’t even spoken in years.  What would happen if one of them, the lawyer, got in trouble, and called on his big brother, the covert military operator, for help?  The younger brother would hate to make that call, maybe even more than the older brother would hate to receive it.  What would the older brother do at that point?  What if the two of them were forced to work together just to survive some kind of conspiracy?  Would they be able to?  Or would distrust and recriminations and spite overwhelm them?  What if, even as they were struggling in the face of grave danger with all this mutual hostility, their deep-seated animosity and resentment were brought to a boil by the presence of another lawyer, say, a beautiful Iranian-American woman who both brothers desire but can’t really trust?

The more I thought about these characters and the worlds they came from, the more questions I asked about who they were and what was forcing them together, the more excited I got.  I guess that feeling of excitement is the best kind of inspiration a story can ever have.

A lot of people have asked me if Fault Line means I'm done with Rain.  The short answer is no.  But at the end of the sixth and most recent Rain book, Requiem for an Assassin, I felt Rain would be busy for a while and I could leave him alone while I did something else.  I don't want to give away too much about Requiem, but I'll say that Rain gets pretty messed up psychologically in that story, and that at the end, he's got a lot of work to do to put the pieces back together.  While he's working on all that, I'm free to do something else, and in this case "something else" meant the story behind Fault Line, which I first thought of after finishing the manuscript for Rain Fall, the first Rain book (which, BTW, I actually wrote as a standalone!).

Next up is a Fault Line sequel focusing on Ben.  You know those 92 waterboarding interrogation videos the CIA says it destroyed?  What if they weren't destroyed?  What if the truth is so bad that the CIA copped to destroying the tapes rather than risk revelation of what really happened?  Sometimes the best way to conceal the commission of a crime is to "confess" to a lesser offense.  At least that's what they taught me when I was there; now we'll see how it plays out in the Fault Line sequel.

Great Article on Rio Bravo

Big Hollywood � Leo Grin: "Exquisitely crafted, but never ostentatious. Pleasantly mellow, but never lazy. Thematically rich, but never preachy. Respectful of tradition, but never stolid. Deeply compassionate, but never descending into schmaltz. Five decades ago, a group of men now long-dead (and, it must be said, one smokin’-hot woman, still-living) followed an aged veteran director into the Arizona desert to make a humble, heartfelt western based firmly on quintessentially American notions of courage, decency, and good humor. The result of their collaboration, Rio Bravo (1959), remains one of the great visceral pleasures of cinema."

Supergirl

Reed Farrel Coleman Explains It All

All about his collaboration with Ken Bruen on a novel called Tower, that is. Check it out.

Coming Tomorrow: Barry Eisler

Here's some good news.  Barry Eisler's going to do a guest post tomorrow about Fault Line, his latest novel.  And there's some news about what he'll be doing next, too.  Don't miss this one.

The Macavity Nominations

Mystery Fanfare: Macavity Award Nominations: "MACAVITY NOMINATIONS. Mystery Readers International awards the Macavity for works published in 2008. The awards will be presented in October at Bouchercon in Indianapolis."

Complete list is at the link.

Google Catches up with Dean Partridge

Google Goats Green: "Last week Google brought in a herd of goats to mow the grass on its Mountain View, Calif. headquarters rather than using lawnmowers."

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

FOXNews.com - Dr Pepper Artifact May Reveal Soft Drink's Secret Recipe - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News: "DALLAS �—� Poking through antiques stores while traveling through the Texas Panhandle, Bill Waters stumbled across a tattered old ledger book filled with formulas.

He bought it for $200, suspecting he could resell it for five times that. Turns out, his inkling about the book's value was more spot on than he knew. The Tulsa, Okla., man eventually discovered the book came from the Waco, Texas, drugstore where Dr Pepper was invented and includes a recipe titled 'D Peppers Pepsin Bitters.'

'I began feeling like I had a national treasure,' said Waters, 59."

Hat tip to George Kelley, whose  current post may not be SFW.

Got a Light?

China's ultimatum: smoke or be fined | Weird True Freaky | News.com.au: "OFFICIALS in a county in central China have been told to smoke nearly a quarter million packs of locally made cigarettes annually or risk being fined, state media reports.

The Gong'an county government in Hubei province has ordered its staff to puff their way through 230,000 packs of Hubei-produced cigarette brands a year, the Global Times said."

How Many Can You Get?

GEOGRAPHY QUIZ - MontereyHerald.com :

I got all ten, but I guessed two of them.

Dracula in Real Time

Dracula: "Experience Bram Stoker's Dracula in a new way -- in real time. Dracula is an epistolary novel (a novel written as a series of letters or diary entries,) and this blog will publish each diary entry on the day that it was written by the narrator so that the audience may experience the drama as the characters would have."

Link via Neatorama.

Barb Wire

Happy Birthday, Ann B. Davis!

Ann B. Davis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Davis achieved prominence for her role in The Bob Cummings Show for which she twice won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She later played the part of Alice, the housekeeper in The Brady Bunch series."

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Here's the Plot of Your Next Novel

Sunday Express | UK News :: Hunt for drug lord's millions: "AN Indiana Jones-style race is on to unearth tens of millions of dollars buried in secret locations by the notorious drug baron Pablo Escobar."

Happy Birthday, Pete Seeger!

Pete Seeger's 90th birthday will be a selfless celebration - USATODAY.com: "NEW YORK — Three months after Bruce Springsteen persuaded Pete Seeger to sing This Land Is Your Land with him at President Obama's inaugural concert, they'll be back together on stage Sunday — on Seeger's 90th birthday.
A sold-out benefit concert at Madison Square Garden will celebrate Seeger, the folk singer/songwriter who was banished from commercial TV for 17 years.

Seeger says a party for 15,000 isn't his idea of a birthday celebration, even with more than 40 musicians, including Dave Matthews, Eddie Vedder and Arlo Guthrie, whose dad, Woody, taught Seeger how to jump freight trains 60 years ago."

Little Boxes - Pete Seeger

Yikes

Corrections sergeant shocks kids with stun gun during prison visit - St. Petersburg Times: "It was 'Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day' at the Franklin Correctional Institution, and Sgt. Walter Schmidt wanted to give the kids an idea of what their parents do.

So he took out a handheld stun device and zapped them with 50,000 volts of electricity.

The children, whose ages are not available, reportedly yelped in pain, fell to the ground and grabbed red burn marks on their arms. One was taken to a nearby hospital."

Agatha Award Winners

Malice Domestic Convention - Arlington, VA

2008 Agatha Winners

Best Novel:
The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny (Minotaur Books)

Best First Novel:
Death of a Cozy Writer by G.M. Malliet (Midnight Ink)

Best Non-fiction:
How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries by Kathy Lynn Emerson (Perseverance Press)

Best Short Story:
"The Night Things Changed" by Dana Cameron, Wolfsbane & Mistletoe (Penguin Group)

Best Children's/Young Adult:
*The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein (Random House Children's Books)

Side by Side

When the latest EQMM arrived at Casa de Crider today, I instantly recognized the cover.

Red Sonia

New Story at BEAT to a PULP

BEAT to a PULP :: The Hard Sell :: Jay Stringer

Babylon Revisited

Babylon Ruins Reopen in Iraq, to Controversy - NYTimes.com: "BABYLON, Iraq — After decades of dictatorship and disrepair, Iraq is celebrating its renewed sovereignty over the Babylon archaeological site — by fighting over the place, over its past and future and, of course, over its spoils."

The 20 Best Bad Movies of the Past 20 Years

The 20 Best Bad Movies of the Past 20 Years [I Heart Movies] | I Heart Chaos: "Movies, like any other art form are highly subjective-- one man's Titanic is another man's Toxic Avenger. But there are some movies, for one reason or another, are generally accepted as being bad movies. Either because they flopped at the box office or because of budget constraints or public perception or just because they tried and succeeded in being a bad movie."

I'm glad to see Robot Jox on the list, as I got to kid Joe Haldeman about it at Armadillocon last year.

Link via Neatorama.

I00 Best First Lines

Via BigKirk on Twitter:

http://www.infoplease.com/ipea/A0934311.html

Gator Update

TAMPA, Fla. (April 24) - Florida alligators are known to roam in springtime when they search for mates, but a Tampa woman was mystified to find one parked on her doorstep.

Belinda Donaldson got a call Thursday morning from a neighbor who warned her to stay inside because an 11-foot alligator was lounging on her front stoop. She looked out the window and there it was, just outside her door.

Great photos at link! 

Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.

Will the Persecution Never End?

SCARLETT SUFFERS DIRECT BLOW- New York Post: "SCARLETT Johansson's dream of being a director was dashed on her first try.

Johansson -- who's said in the past she'd prefer to direct rather than act -- helmed a segment for the upcoming movie 'New York, I Love You,' a series of intertwined love stories shot by several auteurs, including Brett Ratner and Natalie Portman.

But unfortunately for Johansson, her segment, starring Kevin Bacon and shot in black and white, was deemed 'unwatchable,' sources said."

Hmmmmmm

Splash Page � J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof To Adapt Stephen King’s ‘The Dark Tower’ After ‘Lost’ Is Over: "“Damon Lindelof and I talked to Mr. King,” [J. J.]Abrams told IGN while promoting the upcoming “Star Trek” film. “We got the rights for ['Dark Tower'] as a film. Damon is obviously still on ‘Lost’ and we’ve been working on ‘Star Trek’ together. As soon as ‘Lost’ is done, hopefully we’ll begin tackling that.”"

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Sheriff's Deputies Investigate Bizarre Child Custody Case - News Story - KFOX El Paso: "EL PASO, Texas -- El Paso County sheriff's deputies say charges are expected following a bizarre custody child case that began when a Westway woman claimed her son had been kidnapped and taken to Mexico.

Investigators said they were called to the 1200 block of Lakewood Street. in reference to a child custody dispute over the weekend. Deputies met with a woman who told authorities her 20 month-old-son had been abducted by her sister-in-law and taken to Juarez, presumably to sell the baby for $10,000.

After an investigation by deputies, investigators learned that the accused abductor was actually the biological mother of the child. Further investigation determined the woman and her sister-in-law had previously made a verbal agreement in which they decided that the child would be given to the woman shortly after birth. Instead of pursuing a legal adoption plan through the courts, investigators said, the two instead allegedly planned for the biological mother to assume the other woman's identity in the hospital during birth so the two could later claim false legal motherhood of the child."

At Least Her Mouth Was Clean

Woman Accused in Maine of Bid to Bite Flight Crew - ABC News: "A British woman accused of downing prescription drugs, two or three bottles of wine and liquid soap from a London-bound jetliner's lavatory before scuffling with flight attendants will remain in jail in Maine over the weekend.

Prosecutors say Galina Rusanova punched and kicked attendants on the Chicago-based United Airlines flight. They say she snapped 'like a dog' while trying to bite one."

Conan the Barbarian

50-Year Killing Spree?

Police Say Man, 72, Tied To SoCal Serial Killings - Denver News Story - KMGH Denver: "On Thursday, the Los Angeles Police Department announced it had solved McKeown's case. The suspect, they said, was likely responsible for the murders of as many as 30 women, dating to the mid-1950s, which would make him the most prolific killer in city history."

Another Derringer Update

From Gerald So:  "There was an oversight in the Best Flash category. A new vote will determine this year's winner."

Derringer Update

 Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement goes to Clark Howard.   

I can't think of a better choice.  Fine writer, great guy.

Derringer Awards

The Short Mystery Fiction Society has announced the winners of its annual Derringer Awards.  As a past winner, I'm happy to congratulate this year's recipients: 

"There was an oversight in the Best Flash category. A new vote will determine this year's winner."

BEST SHORT STORY, 1001 to 4000 WORDS:
"The Cost of Doing Business" by Mike Penncavage 
Published in: THUGLIT

BEST LONG STORY, 4001 to 8000 WORDS: 
"The Quick Brown Fox" by Robert S. Levinson 
Published in: ALFRED HITCHCOCK MYSTERY MAGAZINE

BEST NOVELETTE, 8001 to 17500 WORDS:
"Too Wise" by O'Neil De Noux 
Published in: ELLERY QUEEN MYSTERY MAGAZINE

Jack the Ripper Update

Jack the Ripper 'was invented to win tabloid newspaper war'
| Mail Online: "Jack the Ripper was a forgery invented by journalists to link a series of unrelated murders and sell newspapers, according to a new book.

The unsolved murders of five prostitutes in London's East End in 1888 have spawned innumerable theories over the identity of the 'real' Jack the Ripper - with candidates including artist Walter Sickert, Alice In Wonderland author Lewis Carroll and even Queen Victoria's grandson the Duke of Clarence.

But now historian Dr Andrew Cook claims to have blown all these theories out of the water by dismissing the notion of a brutal, murderous spree by one 'serial killer' altogether."

2009 Spur Awards and Finalists

You can find them here.

Thanks to Todd Mason for the link.

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Enjoy a drink at this Texan bar - but watch out for the pool sharks... | Mail Online: "Here's a bar with a difference - but you might want a stiff drink before stepping on the dancefloor.

For nine inches beneath your feet are two species of shark and four species of stingray, all swimming around and no doubt peeking up at the tasty legs standing just above their heads.

The bar, in Austin, Texas, boast a 20,000 gallon tank filled with black tip reef shark and leopard sharks."

I may have blogged this before, but this time there are photos at the link.

I'll Bet Steve Brewer Knows This Guy

Redding man third-fastest tire changer : Latest News : Redding Record Searchlight: "A tire technician at Redding’s Big O Tires on Cypress Avenue has placed third in the 2009 Tire Rodeo in Orlando, Fla.

“It was pretty tough, pretty entertaining,” said 23-year-old Michael Shreffler as he waited for his flight home at the airport today. “It was definitely a challenge.”

Shreffler, a Redding native and 2004 graduate of Central Valley High School, was one of just eight contestants chosen to compete from across the country. He advanced to the national finals after winning the Western division contest by posting a winning time of 4 minutes, 19 seconds.

His time Thursday was 2 minutes, 38 seconds. The quickest tire-changer had a winning time of 2 minutes, 11 seconds, Shreffler said."

I'd Love to Have a Look

WBBM 780 - Chicago's #1 source for local news, traffic and weather - Sears Skydeck to install glass ledge: "A new thrill is planned for the Skydeck at Sears Tower. 103 stories up, ledges are to be built with clear floors so you can look straight down.

Admittedly, it won’t be for everyone, at least those with fear of heights.

Those who’ve ever pressed their noses against the window trying to eyeball the street below now will have four ledges to step onto that extend about 4 and one-third feet beyond the edge of the building."

May Day is "Buy Indie" Day, Too

Don't forget to drop by your neighborhood independent bookseller and buy a book today.  Or two books.  Make a bookseller happy.  And if you live in the boonies, don't forget all the indies that are on-line.

At Least They Wore Their Flip-Flops

Nude couple shock diners with Singapore stroll: "SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A couple treated open air diners to a 15-minute naked parade in Singapore, triggering both embarrassment and applause for a scene almost unheard of in the conservative city-state.

Pub manager Terence Chia told the Straits Times newspaper he saw the couple taking off their clothes on Saturday night at a staircase in a block of flats in Holland Village, known for its popular nightspots.

'Then, clothes in hand, they coolly walked in their flip-flops towards the market,' he said, adding when the couple did a U-turn a sea of spectators was ready and poised with cameras."

Mustache Update

Mustaches of the Nineteenth Century: "Dear Gentle Reader,
Many of the following pages have graphic and clear images of the masculine mustache in all its forms, both sublime and grotesque. My intent is not to shock or titillate, but merely to inform on the subject. The Nineteenth Century gave us many things, but above all it was a hotbed of facial hair experimentation and this is but a poor sampling of those many lost forms."

Link via The Bunburyist.

May Day

May Day — Infoplease.com: "May 1st, often called May Day, just might have more holidays than any other day of the year. It's a celebration of Spring. It's a day of political protests. It's a neopagan festival, a saint's feast day, and a day for organized labor. In many countries, it is a national holiday."

I'm a Guest Blogger

Gary Dobbs invited me to contribute a guest blog to The Tainted Archive, leading up to the next Wild West Monday, so I wrote about one of my favorite western movies. You can read it here.

Forgotten Books: BLUES FOR THE PRINCE -- Bart Spicer

If Bart Spicer's been forgotten, it's a real shame. He was one of the best writers of private-eye fiction in the last century. Blues for the Prince, Spicer's second novel about p.i. Carney Wilde shows you why.

Start with the writing: smooth, literate, and assured. Characters? Real as can be. Plotting? Way above the usual. The Prince (Harold Prince is his name) is a black jazzman, murdered, it seems, by an arranger who worked for him. Open and shut. But (you guessed it) there's a lot more too it than that. When he's arrested, the arranger has documents that seem to prove he wrote all the songs credited to Prince. The fiance of Prince's daughter, a doctor, hires Wilde to look into things. Complications ensue.

This book was published 59 years ago this April. Spicer's take on race is considerably ahead of its time, as you'll discover. It took a while for other mystery writers to catch up with him. And Spicer knows his music. If you like jazz, you should like this book.

Carney Wilde is unlike a lot of fictional private-eyes in that he starts out as a one-man operation and eventually starts making money. By the end of the series, he's got a fairly sizeable agency. His love life advances, too, believe it or not. He even gets married.

Spicer went on to write big standalone novels, but the books in the Carney Wilde series remain my favorites among his works. If you haven't read them, you've missed something.

Today You Die