Gibberish: LoneStarCon 3 wins 2013 Worldcon bid for San Antonio: The World Science Fiction Convention will return to Texas for the first time since 1997 after voting results announced Aug. 20 at Renovation, the 2011 Worldcon, awarded the right to host the international conference to the Texas in 2013 bid.
LoneStarCon 3-–the 71st World Science Fiction Convention-–will be held Aug. 29-Sept. 2, 2013, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas. The Mariott Rivercenter and Mariott Riverwalk will serve as the host hotels.
The guests of honor list for LoneStarCon 3 includes Ellen Datlow, James Gunn, Norman Spinrad, Darrel K. Sweet and Willie Siros, with Paul Cornell serving as toastmaster and featuring special guests Leslie Fish and Joe R. Lansdale.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .
New Port Richey-Port Richey-Hudson News: They say 52-year-old Dale McDaniel has chased neighbors down with a chainsaw and even assaulted a disabled man confined to a wheelchair by slapping him in the face with a fish.
Here's the Plot for . . . Never Mind, I Think Philip K. Dick's Already Written It
Data-Crunching Program Guides Santa Cruz Police Before a Crime - NYTimes.com: But the presence of the police officers in the garage that Friday afternoon in July was anything but ordinary: They were directed to the parking structure by a computer program that had predicted that car burglaries were especially likely there that day.
The program is part of an unusual experiment by the Santa Cruz Police Department in predictive policing — deploying officers in places where crimes are likely to occur in the future.
The program is part of an unusual experiment by the Santa Cruz Police Department in predictive policing — deploying officers in places where crimes are likely to occur in the future.
Here's the Plot for Your Next YA Novel
WSB Atlanta: A 12-year-old girl who attended a summer program at the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office that teaches youth how crime fighting works wasted no time putting the things she learned to good use.
Jessica Maple learned well enough to teach the pros.
Just as she attended a forensics class, someone burglarized the home of Jessica's late, great-grandmother in Fitzgerald, Ga.
Jessica investigated, and found where the burglars broke in. The police had missed it.
Jessica investigated, and found where the burglars broke in. The police had missed it.
She recounted the reaction she received from authorities for Channel 2’s Jeff Dore.
“Like, oh my gosh, how'd she find that?” Jessica said.
“Like, oh my gosh, how'd she find that?” Jessica said.
But that wasn’t all. Jessica and her mom went to a local pawn shop and found her great-grandmother's property.
“We called the police station and the guy, the investigator, he was like, ‘Oh my gosh, how'd you find all the stuff here? I was coming here.’ And I was like, ‘I did your job again,’” said Jessica.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Jimmy Sangster, R. I. P.
News: Hammer Legend JIMMY SANGSTER Passes Away At 83: Jimmy Sangster, the man who wrote the screenplays for Curse Of Frankenstein, and Dracula, for Hammer Studios, has passed away at age 83.
Hat tip to Jeff Segal.
No Comment Department
TVGuide.com: TV Guide Magazine has confirmed that NBCUniversal will change the name of Sleuth, its crime and mystery cable channel, later this spring. The new name? Cloo TV.
Hat tip to Doc Quatermass.
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
Amazon.com: The Skintight Shroud (A Joe Hannibal Mystery) eBook: Wayne Dundee: Kindle Store: Rockford, Illinois has quite a thriving adult-film industry. Oh, the more ambitious productions—the full-length sound features that play what's left of the adult-theater circuit and vie for the various awards the X-rated community has created for itself—are still done primarily on the coasts. But the less pretentious fare, your basic quickies made directly for home rental and mail-order sales and the silent, 10- to 15-minute shorts that play in the peep booths—loops, they're called in the industry—are being churned out all across the country. Let's face it, even the Kama Sutra has a limited number of positions. So the name of the game becomes new faces and new bodies.
Two of those new faces and new bodies constitute my latest case. Jason Hobbs was stabbed to death, his body found in a ditch alongside a back road in rural Boone County. The second victim, Valerie Pine, was strangled and her nude corpse discovered by her roommate in their southside apartment.
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .
WLS 890AM: A fight over "arm rest supremacy" aboard an American Airlines flight from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport resulted two men being interviewed by the FBI.
In Case You Were Wondering, . . .
National Weather Service Watch Warning Advisory Summary: THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND COLLEGE STATION HAVE REACHED 100 DEGREES EVERY DAY IN AUGUST. IT WAS ONLY A YEAR AGO (AUGUST 2010) THAT THE FOUR PRIMARY CLIMATE SITES RECORDED THEIR WARMEST AVERAGE MONTHLY
TEMPERATURE. THE RECORD WILL BE SHORT LIVED.
TEMPERATURE. THE RECORD WILL BE SHORT LIVED.
AUGUST 2011 WILL CRUSH...SMASH...OBLITERATE...DESTROY AND ANNIHILATE THE PREVIOUS WARMEST AVERAGE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE BY AT LEAST 2.0 DEGREES AND IN A FEW LOCATIONS BY 3.0 DEGREES.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON...HOUSTON HOBBY AND COLLEGE STATION ARE CURRENTLY ENDURING THEIR WARMEST YEAR TO DATE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN WEATHER HISTORY. THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON HOBBY ARE ALSO REPORTING THEIR DRIEST YEAR TO DATE RAINFALL. COLLEGE STATION AND GALVESTON ARE REPORTING THEIR SECOND DRIEST YEAR TO DATE RAINFALL.
THE CITY OF HOUSTON...HOUSTON HOBBY AND COLLEGE STATION ARE CURRENTLY ENDURING THEIR WARMEST YEAR TO DATE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE IN WEATHER HISTORY. THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HOUSTON HOBBY ARE ALSO REPORTING THEIR DRIEST YEAR TO DATE RAINFALL. COLLEGE STATION AND GALVESTON ARE REPORTING THEIR SECOND DRIEST YEAR TO DATE RAINFALL.
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
Amazon.com: Little Elvises (The Junior Bender Series) eBook: Timothy Hallinan: Kindle Store: 2011 Edgar and Macavity nominee Hallinan brings back Junior Bender, the burglar-hero of CRASHED in a hilarious Los Angeles thriller about old-time rock-and-roll, missing persons, the world's oldest gangster, and a terrifying if somewhat hapless hit man named Fronts. Fans of Robert B. Parker, Donald E. Westlake, and Lawrence Block will love Junior Bender, whom Brett Battles called “smart and funny, with a penchant for finding himself in situations he'd much rather avoid. Do not miss any of these books.”
Will the Persecution Never End?
America's Most and Least Trusted Celebrities - Entertainment & Stars: It also listed celebrities on the opposite side of the spectrum with celebrity heiress Paris Hilton on top of the people who damage a brand they supported.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Here's the Plot for Your Next Jewelry Heist Thriller
NBC Los Angeles: A diamond seller from Israel had over $2 million worth of diamonds taken from him in a smash-and-grab heist in North Hollywood.
At 10:10 p.m., Thursday, the victim was visiting a friend in North Hollywood. The jeweler left the friend's house in his car and was stopped at a red light near the corner of Belaire and Burbank Boulevard.
He was then hit from behind by another vehicle while a second car boxed him in. That's when five to six masked suspects jumped out of the vehicle, smashed the back window and made off with a backpack with over $2 million worth of diamonds inside.
At 10:10 p.m., Thursday, the victim was visiting a friend in North Hollywood. The jeweler left the friend's house in his car and was stopped at a red light near the corner of Belaire and Burbank Boulevard.
He was then hit from behind by another vehicle while a second car boxed him in. That's when five to six masked suspects jumped out of the vehicle, smashed the back window and made off with a backpack with over $2 million worth of diamonds inside.
Mammoth Update
Russian Reindeer Herder Discovers Baby Mammoth in Arctic | NBC New York: Perfectly preserved woolly mammoth is 40,000 years old
I Knew Yesterday that I Was Going to Post this Today
Everyday 'clairvoyance:' How your brain makes near-future predictions: Every day we make thousands of tiny predictions -- when the bus will arrive, who is knocking on the door, whether the dropped glass will break. Now, in one of the first studies of its kind, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis are beginning to unravel the process by which the brain makes these everyday prognostications.
Shamus Nominees
Best Hardcover P.I. Novel:
• No Mercy, by Lori Armstrong (Touchstone)
• The First Rule, by Robert Crais (Putnam)
• Voyeur, by Daniel Judson (Minotaur)
• If the Dead Rise Not, by Philip Kerr (Putnam)
• Naked Moon, by Domenic Stansberry (Minotaur)
Best First P.I. Novel:
• In Search of Mercy, by Michael Ayoob (Minotaur)
• One Man’s Paradise, by Douglas Corleone (Minotaur)
• Rogue Island, by Bruce DeSilva (Forge)
• Random Violence, by Jassy MacKenzie (Soho)
• City of Dragons, by Kelli Stanley (Minotaur)
Best Paperback Original P.I. Novel:
• Hostage Zero, by John Gilstrap (Kensington)
• Nightshade, by Tom Henighan (Dundurn Press)
• Mister X, by John Lutz (Pinnacle)
• The Panic Zone, by Rick Mofina (Mira)
• Asia Hand, by Christopher G. Moore (Grove/Atlantic)
• The Little Death, by P.J. Parrish (Pocket Star)
Best P.I. Short Story:
• “The God of Right and Wrong,” by Steven Gore (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, January/February 2010)
• “The Lamb Was Sure to Go,” by Gar Anthony Haywood (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, November 2010)
• “The Girl in the Golden Gown,” by Robert S. Levinson (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, March/April 2010)
• “Phelan’s First Case.” by Lisa Sandlin (Lone Star Noir, edited by Bobby Byrd and Johnny Byrd; Akashic Books)
• “A Long Time Dead,” by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins (The Strand Magazine, June-Sept. 2010)
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Justin Bieber has street named after him by 11-year-old 'belieber mayor' | Metro.co.uk: The only way is 'Justin Bieber Way' after 11-year-old 'mayor' Caroline Gonzalez renamed and dedicated her Texan high street to the teen heartthrob.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Forgotten Books: Eddie and the Cruisers -- P. F. Kluge
A friend of mine has been recommending this book to me for years. He's also a fan of the movie based on it. I never saw the movie, and the book was too pricey on the used-book sites to interest me. But when he mentioned the book again recently, he said that the prices had come down. I took a look and discovered that the book had been reprinted a few years ago, so I guess it's not really forgotten. Even at that, however, I expect more people know the movie than have ever read the book. Which is interesting, because I read a summary of the movie, and it might as well have been made from an original script. It sounds very little like the novel from which it's derived, though apparently some of the dialogue is much the same.There are probably a lot of ways to read the novel, depending on what you bring to it. I, for one, was surprised to find myself reading a riff on The Maltese Falcon. But maybe any book with a McGuffin that's the stuff of dreams would seem that way to me.
The first-person narrator is Frank Ridgeway, who for one year at the tail end of the '50s was a member of a band called Eddie and the Parkway Cruisers. His nickname was Wordman because he did a good bit of the songwriting, a big help to Eddie, who wanted to stop doing covers and do original songs. The band has a few minor hits and an album before Eddie dies in a car crash.
Twenty years later, Wordman is a high school teacher with a failed marriage when the album is re-released and becomes a big hit. A man calling himself a rock journalist interviews Wordman, who decides to take the summer off and see what happened to the Cruisers, and incidentally to find out for himself if Eddie really did make some tapes during a secret retreat with some of the kings of rock 'n' roll. Before long he's involved in deception, harassment, and maybe even murder. Lots of people want those tapes, if they exist. Who's behind things? The band's ex-manager, one of the band members, the supposed journalist, or Eddie himself, still alive, after all?
And what does the Wordman want? Like any good detective, he tells us that he wants to know what happened. "Money wasn't the point, or fame, or music. The truth was all." His quest isn't just for the truth, though. He's after something even more elusive: the past. He wants what he had when he was young, the feeling of being really alive with the future all ahead of him. Talk about the stuff of dreams! Fitzgerald had something to say about that, I believe.
There's a lot of good stuff in Eddie and the Cruisers about the power of music in the '50s, about ambition, about boats against the current. Check it out.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
Television Can Blow Me eBook: James Donaghy: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store: Television Can Blow Me is the collected best reviews from the Aerial Telly website. First appearing on the Internet in 2003, Aerial Telly is the voice of the dispossessed TV fan - a savage wildling, a beast who just keeps coming, taking on reality TV goons, flatlining sitcoms, phoney documentaries and desperate celebrities, napalming the TV village even as its inhabitants surrender, shart their drawers and beg for a mercy that never comes.
Announcing Noir Week on Tor.com
Announcing Noir Week on Tor.com | Tor.com: Welcome to Noir Week at Tor.com! Join us as we escape from the sweltering dog days of summer into the cool, shadowy underworld of back alleys, jazz joints, hardboiled hooligans and tough-talking femme fatales; a world filled with violence, glamour, and intrigue, where the color scheme is black and white and the rules are anything but....
This week, we’re making the most of our “And related subjects” tagline and branching out into new territory: in addition to our regular content, we’ve got posts on some of our favorite classic noir movies, writers, iconic characters and actors. Less a genre than a style, noir continues to be an iconic and influential force in fiction, film, and fashion and we’re taking a detour all the way down to its shady, whiskey-soaked roots — so grab your fedora, slip your pearl-handled pistol into your purse, and brush off your best Bogart impression: it’s going to be a wild ride.
This week, we’re making the most of our “And related subjects” tagline and branching out into new territory: in addition to our regular content, we’ve got posts on some of our favorite classic noir movies, writers, iconic characters and actors. Less a genre than a style, noir continues to be an iconic and influential force in fiction, film, and fashion and we’re taking a detour all the way down to its shady, whiskey-soaked roots — so grab your fedora, slip your pearl-handled pistol into your purse, and brush off your best Bogart impression: it’s going to be a wild ride.
Uh-Oh
Scientists reverse evolution with snouted chicken - Telegraph: Scientists have rewound 65 million years of evolutionary history by tweaking chicken DNA to create embryos that grow alligator-like snouts rather than beaks.
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
NBC Dallas-Fort Worth: Instead of a ski mask, the man wore tighty-whitey underwear on his head to hide his face. He also wore a matching black-and-white dress with a flower print and white boots.
Hat tip to Art Scott.
And You Thought You'd Had Some Bad Rejections
Hunter S. Thompson's rejection letter to a prospective writer
Shocker: Bad language involved.
Hat tip to Todd Mason.
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .
NBC Bay Area: Deputies arrested a San Carlos woman who allegedly stabbed a bearded dragon lizard during an argument with the pet's owner early Saturday morning, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office.
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Inside Radio / M Street Publications: Artificial intelligence has moved from science fiction to reality during the past several years, and now a Texas radio station is reportedly ready to put it to work. San Antonio Community Radio will use a computer-generated personality on its urban KROV-branded HD2 channel. Developed by Guile 3D Studio, the $200 program is called Denise.
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
I read this one some years ago. Great stuff!
Amazon.com: Robbers - Special Edition eBook: Christopher Cook: Kindle Store: Two drifters on the prowl in a stolen Caddy ragtop. A woman on the run from a killing she couldn’t help. And a tough but aging Texas Ranger with a nose for chasing down fugitives. Put them all on the road in a chase across Texas… then watch the mayhem unfold in a twisting tale full of surprises at every turn.
This is the award-winning novel a reader can’t—and won’t—put down.
Note: This Kindle Edition has a special Author's Preface.
This is the award-winning novel a reader can’t—and won’t—put down.
Note: This Kindle Edition has a special Author's Preface.
Shamus Banquet at Bouchercon
Fri., Sept. 16, 2011, 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM at a St. Louis institution. Tickets are $60, buses will leave from the Convention Hotel to the venue. Email Christine Matthews at RRandisi@aol.com for more information, or to order tickets.
Getting Off -- Lawrence Block writing as Jill Emerson
The other day when I wrote about Lawrence Block's Afterthoughts, I mentioned that I'd been reading his books since 1965. Although I was buying everything with his name on it, I didn't know at the time that he was writing other books under a lot of other names, including Jill Emerson. Now Jill has returned to the writing game with Getting Off, the first hardcover from Hard Case Crime. The subtitle is "A Novel of Sex and Violence." That's absolutely accurate, since there's a lot of both, and they're a far cry from the "mid-century erotica" that Block was writing years ago as Sheldon Lord, Andrew Shaw, and, I suppose, Jill Emerson.Katherine "Kit" Tolliver is the focus of the book, and she's a serial killer who has sex with men and then does away with them. She's very good at this and has killed who knows how many men. A lot. It appears that her childhood relationship with her father led her to this and that she's killing him, in a sense, when she kills the others. Or maybe that's too facile. At any rate, she has an unusual childhood.
It occurs to Kit that there are five men who've escaped her, and she decides that it's time to get rid of them, too. To do that she has to hunt them down, and it's not easy, considering that it's been a while and that some of them might not even have given her their real names. No matter. She turns out to be a very good detective, and her final relationship with each of the men is not always what she, or the reader, might expect. Oh, the end is the same, but each event is revealing in a different way. And as she tracks the men down to dispatch them, Kit even finds something that might even be love.
As I mentioned above, this book is about exactly what the subtitle says, and the sex is plentiful and explicit. The main character is a serial killer who makes Lou Ford look like a pussycat. That being said, the book is both savage and funny, engrossing and scary. You may have read some chapters of this book, as I had, in anthologies. Now you get the whole story, and it's a heck of a ride. Check it out.
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Mail Online: Houston police said that it received a call at 8:30am from a roadworker reporting that a Lexus had been driven straight into a freshly laid section of road.
Check it Out!
Ed Gorman's blog: Last night I ran a review of my new novel (Oct) Bad Moon Rising. If you don't regularly review my books, have a blog and will review the book I have eighteen galleys I can send. ejgorman99@aol.com is my e address. Please put GALLEYS in the subject line (don't want to get spammed) and include your snail mail address. Thanks, Ed
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
Amazon.com: My Dog Needs Surgery eBook: Steve Hockensmith: Kindle Store: "Does your dog need surgery? Yes? Oh, wow -- sorry to hear that. Because this book isn't really for you...unless you're looking for a way to escape from your (and your dog's) sorrows for a few hours.
You see, Steve Hockensmith put together this collection of mystery short stories and humorous essays because HIS dog needs surgery. Her name's Amy, and she has luxating patella. That's trick knees to you and me. Poor little thing. She's on the cover of the book, by the way. Just look into those eyes. Do you want that little cutie to develop arthritis? (That's what can happen if the knee thing isn't fixed.) You want her limping the rest of her life? Of course not! Because you're a big, pet-loving softie, just like Steve.
So what do you get for your 99 cents, aside from the satisfaction that comes from knowing you've done a deserving dog a solid? Well, how about seven mystery short stories AND seven essays about the writing life AND an introduction AND a copyright page! (O.K., the copyright page probably isn't much of a selling point. But this one's really pretty entertaining, as copyright pages go.)"
Reality TV Worth Watching?
Croc fan's dream hits small screen (From Witney Gazette): "A crocodile-loving dad is starring on TV as a series charts his bid to open the UK’s first crocodile zoo."
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Tweet Gets Restaurant Customer Kicked Out: "One of the restaurant's managers, who wasn't working that night, read the 'twerp' comment on Twitter. He called the bar and asked to speak to the customer. Over the phone, he asked her to leave."
PaperBack
Lawrence Block, Mona, Editorial Diana, S. A., 1967
I bought this much-read Spanish-language edition just for fun long ago. It's a 5th printing, so Block's popular with Spanish-speakers, too.
Book Covers With Holes
Some nice covers, including one of Westlake's Richard Stark novels.
Gator Update (Flat Tire Edition)
wfaa.com: "She said at first she thought her tire was blown out, but when she got a closer look, she realized it was a gator tail."
Photos at the link.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Not That There's Anything Wrong with That
FOUND ON CRAIGSLIST: "Zoologist Seeks Roommate To Share Hoboken Apt With Alligator": "This Craigslist ad seeking a roommate for a three-bedroom apartment in Hoboken seems like a total deal -- a huge bedroom with a king-size bed and flatscreen TV in exchange for $250/month and some weekly chores.
But there's a mighty large catch here: the third roommate is an ALLIGATOR. Yes, an alligator who has her own bedroom in Hoboken."
But there's a mighty large catch here: the third roommate is an ALLIGATOR. Yes, an alligator who has her own bedroom in Hoboken."
Police Are Searching for a Time Traveler from the 1950s
Man wearing suit, fedora robs bank in Scottsdale | azfamily.com Phoenix: "Scottsdale police are searching for a suspect who robbed a Compass Bank on Friday.
At approximately 5 p.m., a man wearing a dark suit, dark fedora hat and sunglasses entered the bank at Doubletree Ranch Road and 73rd Place and handed a note to a teller."
At approximately 5 p.m., a man wearing a dark suit, dark fedora hat and sunglasses entered the bank at Doubletree Ranch Road and 73rd Place and handed a note to a teller."
Hell & Gone -- Duane Swierczynski
This is the second book in the Charlie Hardie trilogy. There's a Prologue, and then the action picks up pretty much where the Fun & Games left off. Charlie, as you'll recall was about to be spirited away in an ambulance, destination unknown. Now we learn the destination: an underground prison, where Charlie is told that he's the new warden. Never mind the fact that he can't walk without a cane and that one of his arms is nearly useless. He's supposed to take over. That's about all I can say without telling more than you should know when you start reading the book, except that as in the previous tale, it's just one damned thing after another.
If you read my review of Fun & Games and committed it to memory, as I'm sure many of you did, you'll recall that I said that Swierczynski writes books with "outrageous premises that in his hands become (almost) believable." This one is no exception, and it appears that the final book in the trilogy, Point & Shoot will more of the same.
If you like books with kittens and settings like knitting-supply stores, this series isn't for you. But if you're looking for wildly entertaining comic-book action in novel form, you can't go wrong.
Up and At 'Em!
To live longer, exercise daily and tame the telly: studies - FRANCE 24: "People who exercise just a little bit each day may boost their lifespan while TV addicts could be taking years off their life, two studies published on Tuesday suggest."
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .
The Salt Lake Tribune: "A Salt Lake County girl ended her 14th birthday in protective custody after her father allegedly punched her because she tried to stop him from fighting during her birthday party Sunday in Big Cottonwood Canyon."
No Comment Department
Roaches Love Dancing To Lady Gaga - ABC News: "But when they started playing Lady Gaga—well, the roaches responded immediately, and never stopped their flapping."
Forgotten TV: The Young Rebels
For some reason or other I thought about this TV series a few days ago and thought I'd see if there was anything about it on the 'Net. Of course there was. Everything's on the 'Net. I saw two or three episodes of this one back in 1970, but it didn't last long. If you were around in those days (this lets the whippersnappers out), you can tell from the title and the date that the show was an attempt to appeal to the youthful protesters of that era by presenting what might be presumed to be youthful protesters in Revolutionary times. I don't remember much about the show except that I thought it was okay. If you'd like to read more about it, check out this long article. It'll tell you more than you ever wanted to know.
Monday, August 15, 2011
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
Amazon.com: PULP INK eBook: Eric Beetnre, Chris F. Holm, Matthew C. Funk, Richard Godwin, Reed Farrel Coleman, Allan Guthrie, Hilary Davidson, Gary Phillips, Nigel Bird, Chris Rhatigan: Kindle Store: "PULP INK is the bizarre, chaotic side of crime fiction. From an ass-kicking surfer on acid to an idiot savant hitboy, these tales are dark, funny, action-packed and told with all the gleeful insanity of a Tarantino flick.
You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll roll into the fetal position and beg for mercy.
So sit back. Pour yourself a cup of joe, crack a beer, tie off – whatever you need to get comfortable – and get ready for a dose after dose of pulp action."
Just Another Day at the Niceville Wal-Mart
'Short pink shorts, panties and bras' lead to drug arrest: "NICEVILLE — A man who refused to give his ex-girlfriend back her clothing from his car was arrested after lawmen became involved."
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
Amazon.com: The Chaos We Know eBook: Keith Rawson: Kindle Store: "The Chaos We Know is the debut story collection from Keith Rawson featuring a mix of previously published stories and brand new stories for this collection.
'These aren't stories (The Chaos We Know), these are slivers of a blasted world which Rawson gleefully embeds in your mind, and which won’t be dislodged by bourbon, ritual scarification, or even the police procedural -- thank God. And thank God, too, for Rawson, who has the kind of talent to leave you mutilated and breathless.' -- Benjamin Whitmer, author of Pike"
Listen Up, Maggots!
Mean People Earn More, Study Finds - WSJ.com: "It may not pay to be nice in the workplace.
A new study finds that agreeable workers earn significantly lower incomes than less agreeable ones. The gap is especially wide for men.
The researchers examined 'agreeableness' using self-reported survey data and found that men who measured below average on agreeableness earned about 18% more—or $9,772 more annually in their sample—than nicer guys. Ruder women, meanwhile, earned about 5% or $1,828 more than their agreeable counterparts.
'Nice guys are getting the shaft,' says study co-author Beth A. Livingston, an assistant professor of human resource studies at Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations."
A new study finds that agreeable workers earn significantly lower incomes than less agreeable ones. The gap is especially wide for men.
The researchers examined 'agreeableness' using self-reported survey data and found that men who measured below average on agreeableness earned about 18% more—or $9,772 more annually in their sample—than nicer guys. Ruder women, meanwhile, earned about 5% or $1,828 more than their agreeable counterparts.
'Nice guys are getting the shaft,' says study co-author Beth A. Livingston, an assistant professor of human resource studies at Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations."
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .
wtsp.com: "A 19-year-old Palm Bay woman faces charges after police said she beat a man with a wooden nut cracker, then slapped and bit him following an argument over messages left on her cell phone."
Planking is so Yesterday
'Horsemaning' Dominates as Next Level of 'Planking' (PHOTOS): "'Horsemaning,' or fake beheading, involves posing two people so that they appear to be a single body with a detached head -- and is a revival of a photography fad popular in the 1920s."
Here's the Plot for Your Next Art-Theft Thriller
Rembrandt Drawing Stolen From Ritz-Carlton | NBC Los Angeles: "A pen-and-ink drawing by the Dutch master artist Rembrandt has been stolen from the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Marina Del Rey in what sheriff's deputies today called a well-planned theft.
The drawing was stolen while a curator was distracted late Saturday night, according to sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore."
The drawing was stolen while a curator was distracted late Saturday night, according to sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore."
Soon I Will Be Invincible -- Austin Grossman
I'm not sure how to describe this book other than to say it's a novel about superheroes and supervillains whose resemblance to those you might have seen in comic books is purely intentional. It's narrated in alternating chapters by Doctor Impossible, a supervillain, and Fatale, a new member of the superhero team The New Champions.The novel opens with Dr. Impossible in prison, having failed for the 12th time to achieve world domination. He escapes to try again, knowing down deep in his heart that he'll fail. But he has to try because he suffers from malign hypercognition disorder. Or because he's the new Sysiphus. I report, you decide.
Meanwhile CoreFire, the world's foremost superhero is missing and presumed dead, so the New Champions are formed to try to recapture Dr. Impossible, whom they suspect is responsible.
Villians, for some reason, are more fun to read about than heroes, and Dr. Impossible is a lot of fun. The chapters from Fatale's point of view are less successful, at least for me, but they're still okay. There are a number of twists, some of which you'll see coming, I'm sure, but I got a lot of laughs from Soon I Will Be Invincible. I don't know what comics fans think of it, but I'm sure they got more of the in-jokes than I did. You should check it out and see what you think.
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .
CBS San Francisco: "A police officer shot a male suspect in Oakland Friday night after he allegedly attacked officers when they attempted to detain him for urinating in public, police said."
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .
abc13.com: "Houston police say a man was fatally shot and two others were wounded after an argument about a dog bite."
No Comment Department
Police: Man Claims To Be Vampire, Attacks Woman: "Capt. Jeff Heyes with the Galveston Police Department said during the alleged attack, '(Bensley) made hissing sounds and growled.'"
Butch Cassidy Update
TBO.com: "Did Butch Cassidy, the notorious Old West outlaw who most historians believe perished in a 1908 shootout in Bolivia, actually survive that battle and live to old age, peacefully and anonymously, in Washington state? And did he pen an autobiography detailing his exploits while cleverly casting the book as biography under another name?
A rare books collector says he has obtained a manuscript with new evidence that may give credence to that theory. The 200-page manuscript, 'Bandit Invincible: The Story of Butch Cassidy,' which dates to 1934, is twice as long as a previously known but unpublished novella of the same title by William T. Phillips, a machinist who died in Spokane in 1937."
A rare books collector says he has obtained a manuscript with new evidence that may give credence to that theory. The 200-page manuscript, 'Bandit Invincible: The Story of Butch Cassidy,' which dates to 1934, is twice as long as a previously known but unpublished novella of the same title by William T. Phillips, a machinist who died in Spokane in 1937."
But What about Lawn Care?
‘Sugar Babies’: Internet ‘dating’ for money | The Raw Story: "It is one of dozens of Internet sites that centers around the age-old idea of a 'Sugar Daddy' -- an older man who pays to maintain the lifestyle for a younger, beautiful companion.
On SA, the idea is simple: a man who is 'rich and successful... single or married' sets up an online profile that reveals the amount in his bank accounts and the monthly allowance he can provide to a willing woman.
Amounts range from at least $1,000 to more than $20,000."
On SA, the idea is simple: a man who is 'rich and successful... single or married' sets up an online profile that reveals the amount in his bank accounts and the monthly allowance he can provide to a willing woman.
Amounts range from at least $1,000 to more than $20,000."
Wiener Wars!
Legal beef: Sara Lee, Kraft escalate wiener war: "The nation's two largest hot dog makers are taking their legal beefs Monday to federal court in Chicago, where a judge will determine whether Oscar Mayer or Ball Park franks broke false-advertising laws in their efforts to become top dog.
Legal arguments in the long-ranging wiener war between Chicago companies pit Sara Lee Corp, which makes Ball Park franks, against Kraft Foods Inc., which makes Oscar Mayer. The case could clarify how far companies nationwide can go when boasting that their product is better than a competitor's."
Legal arguments in the long-ranging wiener war between Chicago companies pit Sara Lee Corp, which makes Ball Park franks, against Kraft Foods Inc., which makes Oscar Mayer. The case could clarify how far companies nationwide can go when boasting that their product is better than a competitor's."
Hat tip to Art Scott.
Patriot Update
Local Man Arrested for Merchandise Tampering at Area Walmart | Country California: "I was just trying to help this town out… I’m a by-God patriot!”"
Read the whole story and see if you don't agree that he's right.
Library Love
The Boston Globe: "Not only has the library become one of the Hub’s hottest wedding sites, but in rebranding itself as a “destination’’ venue - for all sorts of private events - it’s also pulling in some badly needed cash."
The Only Thing We Have to Fear . . . .
PressDemocrat.com: "An initial report of a possible kidnapping attempt Saturday turned out to be a misunderstanding after Sonoma County Sheriff’s deputies determined that the suspicious activity was actually workers delivering phone books.
Deputies began a search Saturday morning after a report that two women joggers in Geyserville had become fearful after a white van passed by them with its side door open."
Deputies began a search Saturday morning after a report that two women joggers in Geyserville had become fearful after a white van passed by them with its side door open."
I Can Quit Anytime I Want To
Our addiction to technology trumps caffeine, chocolate and alcohol - latimes.com: "More than half of Americans would rather give up chocolate, alcohol and caffeine for a week before parting temporarily with their phones, according to a recent survey by technology firm TeleNav.
One-third would give up sex, 22% would give up their toothbrushes (versus 40% of iPhone users, who evidently love their phone more than clean teeth) and 21% would rather go shoeless before separating from a mobile phone. Sixty-six percent sleep with their smartphones by their side.
Our addiction is so severe that people described going 24 hours without Internet akin to quitting an alcohol or cigarette habit, according to a report from British company Intersperience.
About 40% of those surveyed reported feeling lonely without the Internet, and 53% felt upset at being deprived. One person described unplugging to 'having my hand chopped off.'"
One-third would give up sex, 22% would give up their toothbrushes (versus 40% of iPhone users, who evidently love their phone more than clean teeth) and 21% would rather go shoeless before separating from a mobile phone. Sixty-six percent sleep with their smartphones by their side.
Our addiction is so severe that people described going 24 hours without Internet akin to quitting an alcohol or cigarette habit, according to a report from British company Intersperience.
About 40% of those surveyed reported feeling lonely without the Internet, and 53% felt upset at being deprived. One person described unplugging to 'having my hand chopped off.'"
Sunday, August 14, 2011
It Should Have Kept off Her Lawn!
Ohioan, 94, wakes up to blimp that landed in yard: "A 94-year-old Ohio woman who woke up to discover that a breakaway blimp from a nearby airport had landed in her backyard said she heard a bang during stormy weather but didn't realize what happened until police knocked on her door about seven hours later."
Hat tip to Art Scott.
Stones -- Gerald So
Stones is a collection of three short stories about pilot-for-hire CJ Stone. The stories are fast and fun. They're set in the '30s, and Stone flies a Lockheed Vega named Little Red. Stone's an entertaining character with a sense of humor and an eye on making a buck one way or another. These stories are high adventure with a grin, and I can see Bogart playing Stone in a B&W movie in my mind.
Gator Update (Hatching Festival Edition)
Hatching Festival August 20-31. Come on down! - Gatorama: "Late August means Alligator Hatching at Gatorama and you're invited! You can witness thousands of young, chirping alligators emerge from their shells. From the moment they are born, these 7 to 9-inch 'gators do everything their parents and bigger brothers and sisters do, just on a much smaller scale.
Mark your calendars: August 20th to August 31st, 2011. Don't miss this opportunity of a lifetime. Beat the rush of visitors and arrive early"
Mark your calendars: August 20th to August 31st, 2011. Don't miss this opportunity of a lifetime. Beat the rush of visitors and arrive early"
Where Children Sleep
TODAY.com: "'Where Children Sleep': A moving look at what kids have — and lack"
And Keep Off His Lawn, Too!
Former wrestler, 63, slams robber in Boynton Beach - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com: "Fred Kemp and his wife had just finished dinner Thursday night. As they walked out of the restaurant, a man came out of the darkness, demanding money.
But this robber picked the wrong guy. Turns out 63-year-old Fred Kemp, is a former wrestler."
But this robber picked the wrong guy. Turns out 63-year-old Fred Kemp, is a former wrestler."
And Keep Off His Lawn!
Chatham man, 85, fends off robber: ‘You’ve got to make a stand’ - Chicago Sun-Times: "While Alexander was watering his front lawn at 82nd and Wabash Thursday, a would-be robber pointed a gun at the 85-year-old and told him to “give it up.” Alexander knocked away the pistol and punched the man in the face, hobbling the bad guy, who ran away — but not before the pistol went off and a bullet hit Alexander in the leg."
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