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Saturday, February 28, 2009
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Dallasites turn in 147 guns in exchange for grocery cards |
News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News
| Latest News: "The city of Dallas' gun buyback program yielded 147 guns in exchange for $50 grocery store gift cards Saturday, the city announced.
Although many of the guns turned in were generations-old rifles and shotguns, a few of the guns more typically used in crimes – handguns – were collected."
News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News
| Latest News: "The city of Dallas' gun buyback program yielded 147 guns in exchange for $50 grocery store gift cards Saturday, the city announced.
Although many of the guns turned in were generations-old rifles and shotguns, a few of the guns more typically used in crimes – handguns – were collected."
Yeti Update
Sir David Attenborough: Yetis real | The Sun |Showbiz|TV: "SIR David Attenborough said last night he believes there is "very convincing" evidence Yetis exist.
The wildlife expert, 82, said he was "baffled" by the ape-like ‘Abominable Snowman’ — said to roam the Himalayas.
He said: "Very convincing footprints have been found at 19,000ft. No one does that for a joke."
The wildlife expert, 82, said he was "baffled" by the ape-like ‘Abominable Snowman’ — said to roam the Himalayas.
He said: "Very convincing footprints have been found at 19,000ft. No one does that for a joke."
Tool Time
Ice Age Tool Cache Found in Colorado Yard: Discovery News: "Landscapers were digging a hole for a fish pond in the front yard of a Boulder home last May when they heard a 'chink' that didn't sound right.
Just some lost tools. Some 13,000-year-old lost tools.
They had stumbled onto a cache of more than 83 ancient tools buried by the Clovis people -- ice age hunter-gatherers who remain a puzzle to anthropologists. The home's owner, Patrick Mahaffy, thought they were only a century or two old before contacting researchers at the University of Colorado-Boulder."
Just some lost tools. Some 13,000-year-old lost tools.
They had stumbled onto a cache of more than 83 ancient tools buried by the Clovis people -- ice age hunter-gatherers who remain a puzzle to anthropologists. The home's owner, Patrick Mahaffy, thought they were only a century or two old before contacting researchers at the University of Colorado-Boulder."
Signing at Murder by the Book
This afternoon at 4:30 I'll be signing copies of Murder in Four Parts at Murder by the Book in Houston. Drop by if you're in town and have a few minutes to spare. And if you're not in town but would like a signed copy, MBTB does mail order.
Mind Boggling?
13 Unsolved scientific puzzles - Times Online: "Author Michael Books has investigated some of the most puzzling anomalies of modern science, those intractrable problems that refuse to conform to the theories. Here he counts down the 13 strangest."
The 50 Worst Movies of All Time
The 50 Worst Movies of All Time on Maxim.com : Hot Girls, Photos, Hot Videos, Sports, Movies and Music
I've seen an embarrassing number of these. And liked them.
I've seen an embarrassing number of these. And liked them.
Stalking the Vampire -- Michael Resnick
About 20 years ago, I read Resnick's Stalking the Unicorn. He's just now gotten around to doing a sequel. In the first book, John Justin Mallory, a low-rent p. i., gets a case that takes him to an alternate Manhattan. It's New Year's Eve, and he has 24 hours to find a unicorn. In the new book, it's only two years later (time must pass more slowly there), and it's Halloween. This time, Mallory has one night to find a vampire who's killed the nephew of his partner, Winnifred Carruthers. He's accompanied by a vampire named Bats McGuire and a dragon named Nathan. Nathan prefers to be called Scaly Jim Chandler, the name he uses on the private-eye novels he writes.The chase is complicated by the fact that on this particular evening, all the supernatural inhabitants of the island are out and partying. Zombies, vampires, goblins, you name it. Corpses abound. Lots of weirdness is going on, so much that the case itself doesn't really seem to matter as Resnick engages in lots of riffs, rants, and comic patter. A Robert B. Parker novel doesn't have nearly as much repartee as this one does. So be prepared. You'll either laugh a lot and have a good time (as I certainly did), or not. If you're in the mood for weirdness and laughs, this would be a good one to pick up. Pyr has just reprinted Stalking the Unicorn if you want to check that one out first.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Has Twitter Jumped the Shark?
Twitter Jumped the Shark This Week - The Daily Beast: "It’s time to Twitter the f%$k up.
It’s just madness. First email. Then instant message. Then MySpace. Then Facebook. Then LinkedIn. Then Twitter. It’s not enough anymore to “Just do it.” Now we have to tell everyone we are doing it, when we are doing it, where we are doing it and why we are doing it."
It’s just madness. First email. Then instant message. Then MySpace. Then Facebook. Then LinkedIn. Then Twitter. It’s not enough anymore to “Just do it.” Now we have to tell everyone we are doing it, when we are doing it, where we are doing it and why we are doing it."
And Here Comes the Remake
Gore Verbinski to Direct Clue - ComingSoon.net: "Universal Pictures has attached Gore Verbinski ('Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise) to develop Clue, a live-action murder mystery based on the Hasbro board game that he would direct, reports Variety.
Verbinski will produce through his Universal-based Blind Wink company, along with Hasbro's Brian Goldner and Bennett Schneir, who also have an overall deal at the studio."
Verbinski will produce through his Universal-based Blind Wink company, along with Hasbro's Brian Goldner and Bennett Schneir, who also have an overall deal at the studio."
A Free Story
You like the Texas Rangers? You like historical mysteries? Chris Roberson has an entertaining freebie for you.
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Meteor that blazed across Texas sky going up for auction | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Latest News: "Two pieces of a meteor that blazed across the Texas sky earlier this month are going from the asteroid belt to the auction block.
Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries announced Thursday it is putting two pieces of the meteorite up for auction, including an 8-ounce specimen that could fetch up to $5,000."
Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries announced Thursday it is putting two pieces of the meteorite up for auction, including an 8-ounce specimen that could fetch up to $5,000."
Stop This Man!
'Radioactive' sex offender on the run - Telegraph: "A judge has issued a warrant for the arrest of Thomas Leopold, a college principal, amid warnings from doctors that he is contaminated with a 'dangerous' level of radiation."
Didn't Peter Rabe write this novel around 1955? My memory is dim with age, but it sure sounds familiar.
Update: In a comment below, Sarah Weinman lets us know that Hard Case Crime will be reprinting Stop This Man! in August.
Archaeology Update
Ancient Shipwreck's Stone Cargo Linked to Apollo Temple
The Temple of Apollo at Claros, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) from Kızılburun, was at the top of her list during the July 2007 election holiday. She drove up to the deserted site and knew she was on to something when she looked at the fallen-down marble columns scattered on the marshy land. "I was struck pretty much right away," she recalls. The columns were Doric, the same as the marble on the ship, and looked like the right size. She waded around in the spring water that floods the site, checking chunks of columns with a tape measure. "I thought, wow, this is definitely a candidate."
The Temple of Apollo at Claros, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) from Kızılburun, was at the top of her list during the July 2007 election holiday. She drove up to the deserted site and knew she was on to something when she looked at the fallen-down marble columns scattered on the marshy land. "I was struck pretty much right away," she recalls. The columns were Doric, the same as the marble on the ship, and looked like the right size. She waded around in the spring water that floods the site, checking chunks of columns with a tape measure. "I thought, wow, this is definitely a candidate."
Eternal Sunshine. . . .
BBC NEWS | Health | Heart pill to banish bad memories: "Scientists believe a common heart medicine may be able to banish fearful memories from the mind.
The Dutch investigators believe beta-blocker drugs could help people suffering from the emotional after-effects of traumatic experiences.
They believe the drug alters how memories are recalled after carrying out the study of 60 people, Nature Neuroscience reports."
The Dutch investigators believe beta-blocker drugs could help people suffering from the emotional after-effects of traumatic experiences.
They believe the drug alters how memories are recalled after carrying out the study of 60 people, Nature Neuroscience reports."
Forgotten Books: PINK VODKA BLUES -- Neal Barrett, Jr.
Neal Barrett wrote some of the funniest, wildest, and most idiosyncratic crime novels of the '90s, of which Pink Vodka Blues was the first. It's a hilarious take on a classic situation. Russell Murray is the editor of a literary magazine in Chicago. He drinks way too much. And he's in big trouble when he wakes up in a hotel room with a beautiful woman just before two men come into the room and kill her. They try to kill Murray, too, but he gets away. Things never slow down after that.Wanted for murder, Murray winds up in a detox center in Wisconsin. He escapes along with a beautiful redhead named Sherry Lou Wynn. One of his many problems is that he has no memory of where he's been or what he's done. He and Sherry Lou try to stay alive while being pursued around the country by homicidal goons, including the murderous Wacker twins and a blue-haired, tennis-shoe wearing granny with an Uzi. Bones Pinelli wants his briefcase back, by golly, and he doesn't care who dies as long as he gets it.
You've probably guessed that there's a surprise in the briefcase, but I'm not telling. If you've never read this book, you're in for a real treat. And while you're at it, you should check out Dead Dog Blues, Skinny Annie Blues, and Bad Eye Blues. They're all standalones, not series books, and they're guaranteed to be unlike anything else you've read. What are you waiting for?
Thursday, February 26, 2009
I Predict Any Breatkthrough Will Be Too Late to Help Me
Is Aging an Accident of Evolution? -A Galaxy Insight: "Prevailing theory of aging challenged by Stanford University Medical School researchers. Their discovery contradicts the prevailing theory that aging is a buildup of tissue damage similar to rust. The Stanford findings suggest specific genetic instructions drive the process. If they are right, science might one day find ways of switching the signals off and halting or even reversing aging.
“We were really surprised,” said Stuart Kim, who is the senior author of the research."
“We were really surprised,” said Stuart Kim, who is the senior author of the research."
Cursive Update
BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | The slow death of handwriting: "Christmas cards, shopping lists and what else? The occasions in which we write by hand are fewer and fewer, says Neil Hallows. So is the ancient art form of handwriting dying out?
A century from now, our handwriting may only be legible to experts.
For some, that is already the case. But writer Kitty Burns Florey says the art of handwriting is declining so fast that ordinary, joined-up script may become as hard to read as a medieval manuscript.
'When your great-great-grandchildren find that letter of yours in the attic, they'll have to take it to a specialist, an old guy at the library who would decipher the strange symbols for them,' says Ms Florey, author of the newly-published Script and Scribble: The Rise and Fall of Handwriting."
This book has been mentioned before, as has the death of cursive writing. But, hey, we have to keep current.
A century from now, our handwriting may only be legible to experts.
For some, that is already the case. But writer Kitty Burns Florey says the art of handwriting is declining so fast that ordinary, joined-up script may become as hard to read as a medieval manuscript.
'When your great-great-grandchildren find that letter of yours in the attic, they'll have to take it to a specialist, an old guy at the library who would decipher the strange symbols for them,' says Ms Florey, author of the newly-published Script and Scribble: The Rise and Fall of Handwriting."
This book has been mentioned before, as has the death of cursive writing. But, hey, we have to keep current.
Croc Update -- And You Thought Riding the School Bus was Bad
Kids 'crossing croc-infested waters' to get to school in Northern Territory | National News | News.com.au: "CLAIMS children from a remote Aboriginal community must walk through a crocodile-infested billabong to get to school will be investigated the Northern Territory Government.
A caller from Palumpa, about 375km southwest of Darwin, said on ABC radio that students brave the dangerous waterway every day of the wet season."
A caller from Palumpa, about 375km southwest of Darwin, said on ABC radio that students brave the dangerous waterway every day of the wet season."
Froggie Update
In case you were wondering, and I'm sure you were, the frog that showed up in our hanging basket last June is still there. He's survived Hurricane Ike, two falls (the wire holding the basket broke twice), and a cold winter, but there he is in spite of the fact I have no idea what he can be eating. I guess he likes it in there.
The Times They are a-Changin'
BROADWAY CARS CAN TAKE A WALK - New York Post: "The Great White Way will turn into a great walkway.
In a stunning Midtown makeover, Mayor Bloomberg is expected to announce today that traffic lanes along Broadway from 42nd to 47th streets and from 32nd to 35th streets will be torn up starting Memorial Day and transformed into pedestrian plazas, an experiment that will last through the end of the year.
To accommodate downtown traffic through Times Square, Seventh Avenue will be widened from three to four lanes at 45th Street, said one source briefed on the plan last night."
In a stunning Midtown makeover, Mayor Bloomberg is expected to announce today that traffic lanes along Broadway from 42nd to 47th streets and from 32nd to 35th streets will be torn up starting Memorial Day and transformed into pedestrian plazas, an experiment that will last through the end of the year.
To accommodate downtown traffic through Times Square, Seventh Avenue will be widened from three to four lanes at 45th Street, said one source briefed on the plan last night."
Uh-Oh Yet Again
'NeverEnding Story' gets new beginning: "'The NeverEnding Story' might keep going.
Warner Bros. and a pair of top-tier production banners are in the early stages of a reboot of the 1980s children's fantasy classic.
The Kennedy/Marshall Co. ('The Curious Case of Benjamin Button') and Leonard DiCaprio's shingle Appian Way are in discussions with Warners about reviving the 25-year-old franchise with a modern spin. The studio recently acquired rights to the property, clearing the way for a potential remake."
Warner Bros. and a pair of top-tier production banners are in the early stages of a reboot of the 1980s children's fantasy classic.
The Kennedy/Marshall Co. ('The Curious Case of Benjamin Button') and Leonard DiCaprio's shingle Appian Way are in discussions with Warners about reviving the 25-year-old franchise with a modern spin. The studio recently acquired rights to the property, clearing the way for a potential remake."
Uh-Oh Again
Remake of the Day #1: ‘Arthur’ RopeofSilicon.com Movie News, Trailers, Reviews and More: "Variety is reporting Peter Baynham is set to write a remake of the 1981 Dudley Moore comedy Arthur with expectations UK funnyman Russell Brand will take over the title role."
Uh-Oh
Remake of the Day #2: ‘Total Recall’ RopeofSilicon.com Movie News, Trailers, Reviews and More: "It’s pretty crazy to think Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Total Recall hit theaters 19 years ago, but not as crazy as hearing Columbia Pictures and producer Neal H. Moritz are ready to remake the picture into what is being classified as a contemporary version."
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Agatha Awards Nominees
Malice Domestic Convention - Arlington, VA: "2008 Agatha Nominees
2008 Agatha Nominees
Best Novel:
Six Geese A-Slaying by Donna Andrews (Minotaur Books)
A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen (Penguin Group)
The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny (Minotaur Books)
Buckingham Palace Gardens by Anne Perry (Random House)
I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer-Fleming (Minotaur Books)
Best First Novel:
Through a Glass, Deadly by Sarah Atwell (Berkley Trade)
The Diva Runs Out of Thyme by Krista Davis (Penguin Group)
Pushing Up Daisies by Rosemary Harris (Minotaur Books)
Death of a Cozy Writer by G.M. Malliet (Midnight Ink)
Paper, Scissors, Death by Joanna Campbell Slan (Midnight Ink)
Best Non-fiction:
African American Mystery Writers: A Historical & Thematic Study by Frankie Y. Bailey (McFarland & Co.)
How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries by Kathy Lynn Emerson (Perseverance Press)
Anthony Boucher, A Bibliography by Jeff Marks (McFarland & Co.)
Edgar Allan Poe: An Illustrated Companion to His Tell-Tale Stories by Dr. Harry Lee Poe (Metro Books)
The Suspicions of Mr. Whitcher by Kate Summerscale (Walker & Co.)
Best Short Story:
"The Night Things Changed" by Dana Cameron, Wolfsbane & Mistletoe (Penguin Group)
"Killing Time" by Jane Cleland, Alfred Hitchock Mystery Magazine - November 2008
"Dangerous Crossing" by Carla Coupe, Chesapeake Crimes 3 (Wildside Press)
"Skull & Cross Examination" by Toni Kelner, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine - February 2008
"A Nice Old Guy" by Nancy Pickard, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine - August 2008
Best Children's/Young Adult:
Into the Dark by Peter Abrahams (Harper Collins)
A Thief in the Theater (A Kit Mystery) by Sarah Masters Buckey (American Girl Publishers)
The Crossroads by Chris Grabenstein (Random House Children's Books)
The Great Circus Train Robbery by Nancy Means Wright (Hilliard & Harris)
Tributes to Philip Jose Farmer
They're starting to appear.
Here's one from Chris Roberson.
And one from Ed Gorman.
Both heartfelt and well worth a look.
Here's one from Chris Roberson.
And one from Ed Gorman.
Both heartfelt and well worth a look.
Thanks for all the Fish
Prehistoric fish pioneered sex - Reuters News - Zimbio: "LONDON, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Sex has been a fact of life for at least 380 million years, longer than previously thought.
Sex has been a fact of life for at least 380 million years.Internal fertilisation was widespread among prehistoric fish living on ancient tropical coral reefs in the Devonian period, research published in the journal Nature on Wednesday showed."
Sex has been a fact of life for at least 380 million years.Internal fertilisation was widespread among prehistoric fish living on ancient tropical coral reefs in the Devonian period, research published in the journal Nature on Wednesday showed."
Philip Jose Farmer, R. I. P.
I just received this news from Todd Mason. Farmer was a giant in the SF field, one of my favorites for more than 50 years. Here's what Todd had to say:
Philip Jose Farmer, a writer who was shaking up fantastic fiction right out of the gate with his novella “The Lovers” (STARTLING STORIES, 1952, and the single biggest marker that STARTLING was ready to challenge all the other sf magazines as a source of first-rate fiction, and briefly led to STARTLING apparently being the best-selling magazine in the sf field), has died at age 91, family members report.
“The Lovers” was a borderline horror sf story, involving the affair between a human man and a humanoid alien woman, where things, it can be said, don’t quite work out the way he expected. A lot closer to William Burroughs than Edgar Rice, a comparison that Farmer would explore in later work (such as his WB’s version of Tarzan story, “The Jungle Rot Kid on the Nod.”). Farmer would go on to write further major work dealing with sexual themes, playful notions of the interface between fiction and reality (notably TO YOUR SCATTERED BODIES GO), and some relatively straightforward, if sometimes pornographic, horror fiction. He also wrote fiction as if by the characters in Kurt Vonnegut’s books, “Kilgore Trout”’s VENUS ON THE HALF SHELL and more, mostly for THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION in the 1970s.
A restless innovator, by no means always achieving what he set out to do, but I think he mostly had fun doing it. He’d been suffering from a long illness.
At the Mountains of Madness
Alp-sized peaks found entombed in Antarctic ice: "OSLO (Reuters) – Jagged mountains the size of the Alps have been found entombed in Antarctica's ice, giving new clues about the vast ice sheet that will raise world sea levels if even a fraction of it melts, scientists said on Tuesday.
Using radar and gravity sensors, the experts made the first detailed maps of the Gamburtsev subglacial mountains, originally detected by Russian scientists 50 years ago at the heart of the East Antarctic ice sheet.
'The surprising thing was that not only is this mountain range the size of the Alps, but it looks quite similar to the (European) Alps, with high peaks and valleys,' said Fausto Ferraccioli, a geophysicist at the British Antarctic Survey who took part in the research."
Using radar and gravity sensors, the experts made the first detailed maps of the Gamburtsev subglacial mountains, originally detected by Russian scientists 50 years ago at the heart of the East Antarctic ice sheet.
'The surprising thing was that not only is this mountain range the size of the Alps, but it looks quite similar to the (European) Alps, with high peaks and valleys,' said Fausto Ferraccioli, a geophysicist at the British Antarctic Survey who took part in the research."
The Architect of Murder -- Rafe McGregor
Rafe McGregor maintains an excellent blog, well worth your time. He's also the author of a fine new novel, The Architect of Murder, published by Robert Hale. The story involves a number of real and fictional characters, including Cecil John Rhodes, whose last will and testament kick off the events of the book. One of the witnesses to Rhodes's will, Eric Lowenstein, is murdered. Scotland Yard's Superintendent Melville, head of the Special Branch, recruits Major Alec Marshall VC, just back from the fighting in South Africa to help investigate. As it happens, Marshall's sister has also recently died under mysterious circumstances. If you're a mystery reader, you already know that the two events will turn out to be connected.
The setting is London, 1902, and it's evoked quite well. If you know a little bit about the history of the time and the events in South Africa, you'll probably enjoy the book even more. There's some dandy police procedure (McGregor is a Sherlockian), and plenty of interesting characters to carry the story along. Not to mention action. Even a swordfight! I got a kick out of some of the things I thought of as little in-jokes (Melville is referred to once or twice as "Mr. M." and there's also a "Mr. Q.") The plot has plenty of twists, and I suspect that hardly anyone will figure out all of them. I know I didn't.
The Architect of Murder looks like a hit to me. The ending plainly sets the stage for a sequel, and I think we'll see one for sure.
We're Losing Our Precious Freedoms One by One
WSU fraternity forced to give up pet gator | KTVB.COM | Regional News | Boise, Idaho News, Weather, Sports & Traffic: "PULLMAN, Wash. -A group of WSU fraternity brothers had to give up their pet alligator after Pullman Police told them it was against the law to keep a gator as a pet.
The Delta Upsilon brothers didn't know that until they'd already spent hundreds buying it off the internet and taking care of it."
Video at the link.
The Delta Upsilon brothers didn't know that until they'd already spent hundreds buying it off the internet and taking care of it."
Video at the link.
Will F. Jenkins Day
Gordon Van Gelder posted this on the fictionmags list, and I thought it was a nice tribute. The Virginia legislature has declared June 27, 2009, Will F. Jenkins Day. Jenkins (aka Murray Leinster) was a huge presence in the SF digests and anthologies I read in the 1950s, and I've enjoyed his work ever since.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
San Antonio man successful in quest to shut down Dallas-based 'wife-beaters' Web site 2:47 PM CT | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Breaking News for Dallas-Fort Worth | Dallas Morning News: "Wife-beaters.com, a Dallas-based business that sold wife-beater T-shirts, has been shut down after a San Antonio man complained to the company hosting the site.
[. . . .]
The Web site sold white tank tops, commonly referred to as “wife-beaters,” and gave a discount to anyone who could prove they were convicted of wife beating."
[. . . .]
The Web site sold white tank tops, commonly referred to as “wife-beaters,” and gave a discount to anyone who could prove they were convicted of wife beating."
The Other Hilton: Citizen Cop
Hilton vs. homeless man - MSN TV News: "'I am placing you under citizen's arrest,' a spike-heeled Nicky Hilton announced to the 50 year-old homeless man who allegedly pushed the heiress to the ground at 5 a.m. Saturday morning outside a West Hollywood IHOP."
Hat tip to Vince Keenan.
Hat tip to Vince Keenan.
Croc Update (Magnet Edition)
Get lost! State hopes to thwart crocodiles' homing instinct with magnets : State News : TCPalm: "Magnets taped to the heads of captured crocodiles could keep them from returning to South Florida neighborhoods where they're not wanted, state wildlife officials said Monday.
State biologists are studying the temporary use of magnets to disrupt the internal navigation of federally and state-protected American crocodiles, which have been spotted most often in neighborhoods of Miami-Dade and Monroe counties."
State biologists are studying the temporary use of magnets to disrupt the internal navigation of federally and state-protected American crocodiles, which have been spotted most often in neighborhoods of Miami-Dade and Monroe counties."
1987 Was the Good Old Days?
Cusack set for 'Hot Tub' comedy - UPI.com: "LOS ANGELES, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- U.S. actor John Cusack is set to star in and produce the big-screen comedy, 'Hot Tub Time Machine,' The Hollywood Reporter said.
Comedian Rob Corddry is co-starring in the movie, which is to be directed by Steve Pink in Vancouver, British Columbia, starting in April.
The movie is about a group of longtime friends who miss the good old days and end up being transported back to 1987 by a hot tub that turns out to be a time machine, the entertainment industry trade newspaper said."
Comedian Rob Corddry is co-starring in the movie, which is to be directed by Steve Pink in Vancouver, British Columbia, starting in April.
The movie is about a group of longtime friends who miss the good old days and end up being transported back to 1987 by a hot tub that turns out to be a time machine, the entertainment industry trade newspaper said."
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
The Facts: "FREEPORT — A sign bolted to pilings near a boat ramp off the Brazos River warning passing boaters about eating what they catch is new, but the advisory itself has been in place for a dozen years, officials say.
The delay in putting up the signs is because money never was allocated for them, said Kirk Wiles, manager of the seafood and aquatic life group for the Texas Department of State Health Services, which issued the warning."
The delay in putting up the signs is because money never was allocated for them, said Kirk Wiles, manager of the seafood and aquatic life group for the Texas Department of State Health Services, which issued the warning."
Hat tip to Banjo Jones.
Top Ten Female Martial Artists in Asian Film
Asia Pacific Arts: APA Top Ten: Female martial artists in Asian film: "Compared with Hollywood, Asian cinema has seen far more bona-fide female action stars that can inspire empowerment as much as awe. And though Prachya Pinkaew's recent film Chocolate is only young star Jeeja Yanin's first big-screen role, we're ready to enshrine her in that legacy. There's no better validation for her performance in Chocolate than to say that she's worthy of comparison to some of Asian cinema's finest."
Hat tip to Jeff Segal.
Hat tip to Jeff Segal.
Changes at the Mystery Scene Blog
Oline Cogdill has become the regular blogger at the Mystery Scene blog. She'll be posting there at least twice weekly. You can check it out here.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Roger Ebert Liked the Oscar Show
Roger Ebert's Journal: Archives: "It was the best Oscar show I've ever seen, and I've seen plenty."
Wasn't This a Charles Bronson Movie?
Greece's most wanted pull off second chopper jail break - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): "Two of Greece's most wanted men have staged a daring helicopter escape from Athens' highest-security prison - for the second time in three years.
Armed robber and kidnapper Vassilis Paleokostas and his Albanian offsider Alket Rizaj were days away from standing trial for their escape in 2006.
They fled the prison after a helicopter landed on the jail's roof and threw them a rope ladder."
Armed robber and kidnapper Vassilis Paleokostas and his Albanian offsider Alket Rizaj were days away from standing trial for their escape in 2006.
They fled the prison after a helicopter landed on the jail's roof and threw them a rope ladder."
True Names of Places
City of Boatmen, France?: Map Reveals the Secrets Behind Place Names - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International: "If you've got a date in New York, she'll be waiting in New Wild Boar City, according to a new etymological map of the world.
It is difficult to find anyone these days who is not familiar with Middle Earth, J.R.R. Tolkien's fantastical world of orcs, hobbits and dwarves. A whole generation of film-goers is familiar with such place names like 'Dead Marshes' and 'Mount Doom.'
But this peculiar nomenclature isn't unique to Middle Earth. In fact, such names are everywhere. In France, for example, youl'll find the City of Boatmen. The Caucasus plays host to the Land of the Fire Keepers. And who hasn't dreamed of vacationing in the Land of Calves? But to get to these places, you'll need a new map, which should be hitting bookstores in the Great Land of the Tattooed -- Great Britain -- by the end of the month."
It is difficult to find anyone these days who is not familiar with Middle Earth, J.R.R. Tolkien's fantastical world of orcs, hobbits and dwarves. A whole generation of film-goers is familiar with such place names like 'Dead Marshes' and 'Mount Doom.'
But this peculiar nomenclature isn't unique to Middle Earth. In fact, such names are everywhere. In France, for example, youl'll find the City of Boatmen. The Caucasus plays host to the Land of the Fire Keepers. And who hasn't dreamed of vacationing in the Land of Calves? But to get to these places, you'll need a new map, which should be hitting bookstores in the Great Land of the Tattooed -- Great Britain -- by the end of the month."
Portrait of the Artist
New Da Vinci Portrait Reveals Artist in Middle Age: Discovery News: "Leonardo da Vinci had long blond hair and piercing blue eyes, according to a portrait that has come to light in southern Italy.
Showing the Renaissance master in a three-quarter profile and wearing a hat, the slightly damaged oil painting on wood was discovered by a medieval historian in the private collection of an aristocratic family from Acerenza, a hill town near Potenza in Basilicata."
Showing the Renaissance master in a three-quarter profile and wearing a hat, the slightly damaged oil painting on wood was discovered by a medieval historian in the private collection of an aristocratic family from Acerenza, a hill town near Potenza in Basilicata."
Further Proof (as if you needed it). . .
. . . that Robert Wagner's had a lot more interesting life than I have.
Being with Liz Taylor was like sticking an eggbeater in your brain ... Robert Wagner on his Hollywood conquests | Mail Online: "One night, I met the great actress Joan Crawford at a cocktail party and was surprised when she suggested I follow her back to her house. When we got there, she invited me for a swim, telling me there were some trunks down by the pool and I could help myself. I did so and got in the pool.
After a few minutes, Joan, who was 25 years older than me, came out of the house with nothing on, dived gracefully off the board, swam the length of the pool underwater and came up right between my legs.
'Hi there!' she said in her most vivacious voice. It was a lovely, creative invitation and I responded accordingly."
Being with Liz Taylor was like sticking an eggbeater in your brain ... Robert Wagner on his Hollywood conquests | Mail Online: "One night, I met the great actress Joan Crawford at a cocktail party and was surprised when she suggested I follow her back to her house. When we got there, she invited me for a swim, telling me there were some trunks down by the pool and I could help myself. I did so and got in the pool.
After a few minutes, Joan, who was 25 years older than me, came out of the house with nothing on, dived gracefully off the board, swam the length of the pool underwater and came up right between my legs.
'Hi there!' she said in her most vivacious voice. It was a lovely, creative invitation and I responded accordingly."
Will the Persecution Never End?
The Razzies: Mike Myers and Paris Hilton 'win' big | TV, movie and music news | Film | EW.com: "On the eve of the Oscars, the decidedly less coveted Golden Raspberry Awards were handed out Saturday night to some of the least acclaimed films of the year. Mike Myers' The Love Guru was the night's big winner, taking home Worst Picture, Worst Actor (for Myers himself), and Worst Screenplay. Paris Hilton also earned Razzies in several categories, including Worst Actress (for The Hottie & The Nottie), Worst Supporting Actress (for Repo! The Genetic Opera), and Worst Couple (with either Christine Lakin or Joel David Moore in The Hottie & The Nottie)."
Sunday, February 22, 2009
A Chili Cookoff
Chili Cookoff Humor-And The Award Winning Chili Winner Is | Baby Boomer Advisor Club|Baby Boomer Health and News: "For those of you who have lived in the South, you know how true this is. There are many chili cook offs around October/Halloween. The notes are from an unsuspecting and inexperienced chili taster named ED, who was visiting…from of all places, New York City."
Suggested by Art Scott and Bruce Taylor. I would be Judge #3, almost certainly.
Suggested by Art Scott and Bruce Taylor. I would be Judge #3, almost certainly.
"Wild West Monday" Update
THE TAINTED ARCHIVE: WE NEED YOUR HELP: "The second WILD WEST MONDAY is now just one week away.
So come on Folks, gather around and let's all kick arse together for the western genre.
Next Monday as many of us as possible will visit either a bookshop or library and enquire about western fiction. That's all there is to it."
So come on Folks, gather around and let's all kick arse together for the western genre.
Next Monday as many of us as possible will visit either a bookshop or library and enquire about western fiction. That's all there is to it."
Jack Webb, R. I. P.
The mystery writer, of course, not the actor.His dates January13,1916 - February12, 2008. He also wrote as John Farr. This link will take you to my review of one of his novels from 1001 Midnights.
Texas No Longer Leads the Way
Texas Has Had Its Day in the Political Sun - washingtonpost.com: "But now, barely a month into the Obama administration, even the proudest Texans must admit: The days of Lone Star Power are over. You may greet this news with tears or with relief, but there's no denying it. Now that George W. Bush has hightailed it back to Dallas, there is no Texan of any real significance left on the national stage. Kay Bailey Hutchison is still hanging on, and Texas has that governor, Rick whatsisname, the guy with the haircut, but the most visible Texan in Washington right now is probably the Libertarian Ron Paul. I don't think I need to say much more than that."
Hat tip to Richard Wheeler.
Keep off His Lawn!
Man nearing 100 drives 90-mile commute - UPI.com: "NORTHBROOK, Ill., Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Max Fabian, 99, says he still drives 90 miles per day back and forth from his job at a Chicago-area wire company because he just needs to keep busy.
A plant watchman and 'jack-of-all-trades' at A-Z Industries Inc., of Northbrook, Ill., Fabian commutes to the job in his Buick LeSabre every day from his home in Niles, Ill., despite getting ready to celebrate his 100th birthday next month, The Chicago Tribune reported Saturday.
A bachelor, Fabian says he 'just needs to keep busy' at his age and is mainly motivated because of his loyalty to A-Z Industries' owners, the Anixter family."
A plant watchman and 'jack-of-all-trades' at A-Z Industries Inc., of Northbrook, Ill., Fabian commutes to the job in his Buick LeSabre every day from his home in Niles, Ill., despite getting ready to celebrate his 100th birthday next month, The Chicago Tribune reported Saturday.
A bachelor, Fabian says he 'just needs to keep busy' at his age and is mainly motivated because of his loyalty to A-Z Industries' owners, the Anixter family."
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