One Ton Of Marijuana, Worth More Than $7 Million, Seized On Texas Highway
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Letterman
Is it just me, or is Letterman's monologue the same one every night? It's like he records them all on the same day and just changes suits and ties. The suits look nice, but the jokes are the same ones, every single night of the week. They don't get any better with repetition, in case you were wondering. Even the film clips are the same ones. It makes it easy on the cue-card writer. He can just use the same cards all week. Or maybe for several weeks.
The Chicken Hanger -- Ben Rehder
Ben Rehder is the Edgar-nominated author of the Blanco County mystery series, but in The Chicken Hanger, he's exploring new territory. It's a look at the problem of illegal immigration in Texas, told from the points of view of a number of characters, primarily one of the immigrants, a burned-out Border Patrol officer, and a rancher. Ricky, the immigrant, works in a chicken processing plant. You might never eat chicken again after reading about the job he does. His brother, Tomas, crosses into Texas illegally, and he gets his thumb shot off by the rancher. After that, things get complicated by psittacosis, lawsuits, and plenty of other problems. This book comes from a prestigious university press, but don't let that scare you. It's not one of those literary novels with no plot and characters who eat little sandwiches with no crusts on them. It's full of action and great characters, and there's even a good bit of humor. It's also a fairly even-handed look at the immigration problem. Rehder doesn't duck the facts, and he's careful to show both sides, though Ricky and his brother are certainly sympathetic characters as opposed to some of the others.
If you're looking for a well-written, provocative novel that's a little bit different, you can't go wrong. Highly recommended.
Want to Own a Little Bit of History?
The Washington Post: Historic guitars from Les Paul’s personal collection and recording equipment owned by the pioneering musician will be sold at auction.
Celebrity auctioneer Darren Julien says the sale includes rare guitars, effects pedals, mixing consoles and the grand piano from Paul’s home recording studio. Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills will host the sale over three days, including what would have been Paul’s 97th birthday: June 9.
Celebrity auctioneer Darren Julien says the sale includes rare guitars, effects pedals, mixing consoles and the grand piano from Paul’s home recording studio. Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills will host the sale over three days, including what would have been Paul’s 97th birthday: June 9.
An Interesting Blog
Woodcuttingfool is . . . woodcuts. Sometimes of Hollywood characters. They're all interesting, and they all include commentary. Check it out.
Friday, March 30, 2012
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
Amazon.com: Roachkiller and Other Stories eBook: R. Narvaez: Kindle Store: A pregnant single mother who becomes a numbers runner in 1970s Brooklyn; an ex-con fighting against insurmountable odds not to kill again; a middle-aged tax lawyer who’s discovered the secret to happiness—at any cost: these are just a few of the hard-luck characters you’ll meet in Roachkiller and Other Stories, the debut collection of short stories from exciting noir writer R. Narvaez. Included are 10 hard-boiled tales, many with a dash of dark humor. Get-rich schemes gone violently awry. A slacker detective far out of his depth. A reformed criminal who can’t get past his killer instincts. The action moves from Brooklyn to Puerto Rico, from the ’70s to the near future, from deadly divorces to homicidal hipsters. Narvaez travels down the dimly lit side streets of noir you’ve never seen before.
And Keep Off Her Lawn!
This is legal in Florida, right?
Naples Daily News: A 71-year-old woman stood at her bedroom doorway pointing a .45 caliber handgun and warned the visitors in her home that she would shoot.
Patricia Mapes stood her ground. It didn’t matter that the visitors were Lee County deputies, according to arrest reports.
“I don’t care who you are. I’ll shoot you,” Mapes told deputies last Friday night (March 23) after they entered her home, called out for the woman and identified themselves.
Naples Daily News: A 71-year-old woman stood at her bedroom doorway pointing a .45 caliber handgun and warned the visitors in her home that she would shoot.
Patricia Mapes stood her ground. It didn’t matter that the visitors were Lee County deputies, according to arrest reports.
“I don’t care who you are. I’ll shoot you,” Mapes told deputies last Friday night (March 23) after they entered her home, called out for the woman and identified themselves.
Anybody Can Make a Mistake
Fox News: A Colorado man was sentenced to five years' probation after accidentally shooting a woman whose red mohawk he mistook for a fowl that had been harassing his cats.
First It Was the Thin Mints Melee . . .
The Daily Stamford: A Stamford Academy student was arrested Wednesday and charged with trying to strangle a teacher with his own necktie, police said.
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
And keep off her lawn!
NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth: A 71-year-old Richland Hills grandmother was charged with a hate crime after she attacked a gay neighbor with her cane while yelling offensive slurs, police said.
NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth: A 71-year-old Richland Hills grandmother was charged with a hate crime after she attacked a gay neighbor with her cane while yelling offensive slurs, police said.
Paris Hilton Update
News.com.au: FOR Paris Hilton, a question about what her life might be like after fame was enough to get Channel 7 reporter Edwina Bartholomew banned from tonight's VIP party at The Star's Marquee bar.
But after the star - famous for being famous - was lambasted over the over reaction on this morning's Sunrise, it seems Hilton has extended an email olive branch and welcomed Bartholomew back onto the guest list.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
But after the star - famous for being famous - was lambasted over the over reaction on this morning's Sunrise, it seems Hilton has extended an email olive branch and welcomed Bartholomew back onto the guest list.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Warren Stevens, R. I. P.
NYTimes.com: Warren Stevens, a lanky, square-jawed actor with swept-back hair and a husky voice whose face became familiar through his more than 100 roles on television and in movies over six decades, died on Tuesday at his home in Sherman Oaks, Calif. He was 92.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Harry Crews, R. I. P.
NY Daily News: Author Harry Crews, a hell-raiser and cult favorite whose hard and crazy times inspired his brutal tales of the rural South, died Wednesday in Gainesville, Fla. He was 76 and had suffered from neuropathy, said his ex-wife, Sally Ellis Crews.
“He had been very ill,” she told The Associated Press on Thursday. “In a way it was kind of a blessing. He was in a lot of pain.” Thanks in part to motorcycle accidents and nerve damage in his feet, he had walked with a cane in recent years. But his career remained active. An excerpt from a forthcoming memoir had been published in the Georgia Review and there was talk of reissuing his books, many of them out of print, in digital editions.
He wasn’t widely known, but those who knew him— whether personally or through his books — became devoted. A wild man and truth teller in the tradition of Charles Bukowski and Hunter Thompson, he wrote bloodied stories drawn directly from his own experiences, including boxing and karate. Crews sported a tattoo with a line from an E.E. Cummings poem, “How do you like your blue-eyed boy Mister Death,” on his right bicep under the tattoo of a skull.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
“He had been very ill,” she told The Associated Press on Thursday. “In a way it was kind of a blessing. He was in a lot of pain.” Thanks in part to motorcycle accidents and nerve damage in his feet, he had walked with a cane in recent years. But his career remained active. An excerpt from a forthcoming memoir had been published in the Georgia Review and there was talk of reissuing his books, many of them out of print, in digital editions.
He wasn’t widely known, but those who knew him— whether personally or through his books — became devoted. A wild man and truth teller in the tradition of Charles Bukowski and Hunter Thompson, he wrote bloodied stories drawn directly from his own experiences, including boxing and karate. Crews sported a tattoo with a line from an E.E. Cummings poem, “How do you like your blue-eyed boy Mister Death,” on his right bicep under the tattoo of a skull.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Illegitimacy in Literature
AbeBooks: Illegitimacy in Literature: Today we’re talking about books featuring people born out of wedlock, not bastard titles (which is another matter entirely). For centuries, a child born outside of marriage was a cause for terrible shame. There were all manner of legal issues and the status of ‘bastard’ had huge influence on how a person was perceived by society.
Forgotten Books: Who Done It? -- Alice Laurance & Isaac Asimov, Editors
The authors who contributed stories are John Ball, Robert Bloch, Dorothy Salisbury Davis, Rosemary Gatenby, Michael Gilbert, Elizabeth Gresham, Joe L. Hensley, Edward D. Hoch, R. A. Lafferty, John D. MacDonald, Florence Mayberry, Patricia Moyes, Rachael Cosgrove Payes, Bill Pronzini, Ruth Rendell, Lawrence Treat, and Janwillem van de Wetering. I have to admit that I wasn't familiar with some of the names, and I also have to admit that I was surprised to see R. A. Lafferty listed as a contributor. He doesn't turn up in many crime anthologies.
While the good Dr. Asimov doesn't have a story in the book, h e does contribute an eight-page introduction on the topic of writing style that's worth your time. Cheap copies of the book abound on the Internet.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Our Constitutional Rights Continue to Erode
Fox News: A man who led tour groups on a hunt for Bigfoot met up with the long arm of the law instead, and got fined for doing business on federal lands without a permit.
'Flying Pancake' Aircraft Comes To Dallas Museum
'Flying Pancake' Aircraft Comes To Dallas Museum
Video of the prototype and the test flight of the actual plan can be found here.
Video of the prototype and the test flight of the actual plan can be found here.
Jerry Boogie McCain, R. I. P.
GadsdenTimes.com: Jerry “Boogie” McCain, a Gadsden native who gained international acclaim as a prolific singer/songwriter and blues harmonica player, died Wednesday. He was 81.
McCain had a long music career that spanned the decades from 1953, when he made his first recordings, to his death. His best-known songs include “Ain't No Use for Drug Abuse” and “Burn the Crackhouse Down,” which he wrote about goings-on in his neighborhood.
McCain had a long music career that spanned the decades from 1953, when he made his first recordings, to his death. His best-known songs include “Ain't No Use for Drug Abuse” and “Burn the Crackhouse Down,” which he wrote about goings-on in his neighborhood.
Archaeology Update
Researchers uncover 8,000 years of human history hidden in the Middle East: How do you map the expansion of Earth's earliest civilizations? For years, researchers have tackled this daunting task on a settlement-by-settlement basis, searching for clues in mounds of earth throughout the Middle East.
But now, researchers have turned to satellite imagery to uncover a vast network of over 14,000 long-overlooked Mesopotamian settlements, spanning 8,000 years of ancient civilization. Their findings represent a monumental step forward for the fields of archeology and anthropology, and suggest that an aerial perspective may hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of humanity's first major settlements.
But now, researchers have turned to satellite imagery to uncover a vast network of over 14,000 long-overlooked Mesopotamian settlements, spanning 8,000 years of ancient civilization. Their findings represent a monumental step forward for the fields of archeology and anthropology, and suggest that an aerial perspective may hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of humanity's first major settlements.
Forgotten Music -- Patti Page
Miss Patti Page, the Singin' Rage is still with us, but most people under 50 probably don't remember her. Those over 50 don't likely think about her much. But in the early '50s she was indeed the Singin' Rage, with songs like "Tennesse Waltz," which must have been #1 for months. One of my favorites was "Mr. and Mississippi." I was also quite fond of "Detour." One of her big hits was a novelty song about a doggie in a window. This one's probably not forgotten, and you might curse me for reminding you of it. But you'll never curse me for reminding you of the Singin' Rage.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Earl Scruggs, R. I. P.
Earl Scruggs, bluegrass legend, dies – USATODAY.com: Country Music Hall of Famer Earl Scruggs, a singular talent of collective import, died Wednesday morning at a Nashville hospital. He was 88.
But Scruggs' legacy is in no way limited to or defined by bluegrass, a genre that he and partner Lester Flatt dominated as Flatt and Scruggs in the 1950s and '60s: His adaptability and open-minded approach to musicality and to collaboration made him a bridge between genres and generations.
Hat tip to Seepy Benton.
But Scruggs' legacy is in no way limited to or defined by bluegrass, a genre that he and partner Lester Flatt dominated as Flatt and Scruggs in the 1950s and '60s: His adaptability and open-minded approach to musicality and to collaboration made him a bridge between genres and generations.
Hat tip to Seepy Benton.
Adrienne Rich, R. I. P.
Adrienne Rich Is Dead at 82: The poet Adrienne Rich has died, the LA Times reports. At 82 years old, she was among the most influential feminist writers of her generation, the winner of countless major awards, and a woman both important enough to be selected for the National Medal for the Arts in 1997 and radical enough to refuse it on political grounds. Born in Baltimore in 1929, she published her first collection before graduating from Radcliffe and remained a prolific poet and essayist into the final years of her life. Rich died yesterday in her Santa Cruz, CA home of complications from rheumatoid arthritis.
Short story competition
Blasted Heath Short story competition: We’re delighted to be sponsoring a short crime story competition with Bloody Scotland, Scotland’s first international crime writing festival (Stirling, September 14-16th).
Along with the chance to win a unique killer first prize from Glengoyne Whisky (worth £ 3,000) and a residential writing course with Arvon, you could be included in an anthology of the best entries published right here by the Heath.
We’ll be publishing Worth The Wait in September to coincide with the festival.
Along with the chance to win a unique killer first prize from Glengoyne Whisky (worth £ 3,000) and a residential writing course with Arvon, you could be included in an anthology of the best entries published right here by the Heath.
We’ll be publishing Worth The Wait in September to coincide with the festival.
Available Now!
Amazon.com: Carnival of Death (Dead Man #9) eBook: Bill Crider, Lee Goldberg, William Rabkin: Kindle Store
The Grace of a Shadowy Street
Book Review: Goodis | The Complete Slayers - WSJ.com: The Grace of a Shadowy Street
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Houston News: Just when we threw up our hands in despair over the dearth of worthwhile presidential candidates, a federal prisoner in Texas has made it onto the ballot in West Virginia.
Excellent mugshot at the link.
Excellent mugshot at the link.
Hilton Kramer, R. I. P.
NYTimes.com: Hilton Kramer, whose clear, incisive style and combative temperament made him one of the most influential critics of his era, both at The New York Times, where he was the chief art critic for almost a decade, and at The New Criterion, which he edited from its founding in 1982, died early Tuesday in Harpswell, Me. He was 84.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
The Devil's Bones -- Larry Sweazy
Larry Sweazy's an award-winning western writer, and now he's stepping into the modern era with this crime novel about a Jordan McManus, a deputy marshal in a small Indiana town. His superior has been murdered just as he was about to investigate the discovery of a skeleton in a pond. The skeleton's been revealed by a severe drought, and the suspicion is that it's that of a young boy who disappeared years earlier.But that's not true. The boy is alive, and he becomes a second important character in the story as McManus tries to solve the crime. McManus has plenty of issues of his own, and he has to deal with them as well as the murder. After a second murder, things race to the climax.
The Devil's Bones is a tightly written thriller that gets the job done. I'd been planning to write a Sheriff Rhodes book based on the Texas drought, but I don't think I will. Sweazy's done such a good job with the small town and the characters here that I couldn't add a thing.
Available Now!
Amazon.com: Carnival of Death (Dead Man #9) eBook: Bill Crider, Lee Goldberg, William Rabkin: Kindle Store
Bert Sugar, R. I. P.
NYTimes.com: Bert Sugar, boxing’s human encyclopedia, a prolific writer and editor and a flamboyant and ubiquitous presence in the world of the ring, died on Sunday in Mount Kisco, N.Y. He was 75.
JFK Leads the Way
Exclusive: The Stunning John F. kennedy International Airport Baggage Scandal; 200 Thefts Per Day CBS New York: Law enforcement sources told Kramer that thefts at the airport have increased at a staggering and alarming rate. There are now more that 200 a day — and that’s every day. Baggage handlers, jetway workers and even security people are all in on the ongoing scam to steal you blind.
Overlooked Movies -- It Came From Outer Space
When I was a kid, I loved 3-D. The theater in my hometown wasn't equipped to show movies in that format, but for my 12th birthday, my aunt Ellen took me to Dallas to see It Came from Outer Space. This was a big deal in 1953. A trip to Dallas from my hometown, a distance of 90 miles, was like going to Hong Kong now. It required lots of planning and preparation, and for me Dallas was about as exotic as Hong Kong.Almost as big a thrill as seeing the movie was getting to go to the Majestic Theater. Here's what Wikipedia has to say about that wonderful edifice: The interior lobby and auditorium was of baroque design with decorative detailing consisting of Corinthian columns, egg-and-dart molding, cartouches, and Roman swags and fretwork. The lobby contained a magnificent black-and-white Italian-style Vermont marble floor and twin marble staircases. Other features included an ornate cage elevator serving the two balconies, crystal chandeliers, brass mirrors, ferns and a marble fountain.[2] A concession stand was added to the lobby in the late 1940s.
The auditorium featured a ceiling "sky" of floating clouds and mechanically controlled twinkling stars. Seating was provided on the main floor and in two balconies in woven cane seats. The stage was flanked by massive Corinthian columns, with an orchestra pit in front. Backstage consisted of twelve dressing rooms, a loft to accommodate scenery and a set of wooden lighting controls. A Kilgen theater organ opus 3054 size 2/8 was also installed.[4]
I was, to say the least, impressed. Could the movie live up to the building? Well, it could for me. The stars are Richard Carlson and Barbara Rush. Carlson plays an amateur astronomer who sees a meteor crash in the desert, except it's not a meteor. It's an alien spaceship, as he discovers when he goes to investigate. Nobody believes him, naturally. That's the way it always is in these things. And since the ship is covered by a landslide almost as soon as Carlson finds it, nobody can see it. Nobody else has seen the alien that Carlson sees, either.
You can see where all this is going. It's yet another paranoid thriller from the '50s, and pretty soon weird things begin to happen. People who go out to the desert act strangely. Some of them disappear. Some people even begin to believe Carlson.
I don't want to give too much away, but the movie doesn't work out like you might expect. The aliens are scary, but they aren't what they seem. The movie is one of the better ones of the '50s, though not really in the top rank. I'd love to see it again in 3-D in the Majestic.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Here's the Plot for Your Next Blonde Thriller
Gang Of Blondes: Over the weekend, Sao Paulo police arrested 3 members of an unlikely gang of criminals known as the "Gang of Blondes". The group of criminals is thought to include six "really pretty" blondes who wreaked havoc around the city by robbing and assuming the identity of fellow beautiful blondes, police chief Joaquim Dias Alves told BBC Mundo.
Interview with the Author
The Dead Man: Dead Man #9 - Carnival of Death: Dead Man #9 - Carnival of DeathThe 9th book in the DEAD MAN saga, Bill Crider's CARNIVAL OF DEATH, is out this week. We asked Bill a few questions about his career and his new book.
And Keep Off Her Lawn!
News - Home: An elderly woman used a water jug to try and fight two robbers outside a Walmart in The Woodlands.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
Amazon.com: Fractal Despondency eBook: Trent Zelazny: Kindle Store: Was she an angel from above, or a walking time bomb of doom?His life having crumbled, Blake Gladstone returns to his hometown of Santa Fe, and tries to settle back into the unsatisfying life he’d had before he left for Florida.
When he meets Denise, a pretty young blonde with a bag full of tricks, his sad routine breaks, and the more they get to know each other, the more Blake can’t figure out if he’s on a road to salvation, or a road back to hell.
And Blue Skies from Pain -- Stina Leicht
About a year ago, I said a few words about Stina Leicht's first novel. Good stuff, and now we have the sequel, which is even better. At the end of the first novel, there's an uneasy truce between the fey and the mortals, who have a common enemy, the nephilim. The new book picks up right where the first left off in 1977 Ireland. Liam Kelly, shape-shifter, half mortal, half fey, is to be tested by the Church to see if he's really what he claims to be or if he's really the enemy. Can he trust the inquisitors to be fair? For that matter can he trust anyone in the mortal world, other than his mentor, Father Murray? And what about those ghosts? It's no wonder that Liam wonders if he's going mad.Of Blue Skies and Pain is gloriously gory, violent, full of color and action, and packed to the walls with incident. In other words, there's a lot going on, and the truce is in the balance. By the end, Liam has grown up a little and some things have been resolved, but Leicht has left herself plenty of room to explore the worlds and characters she's created. Bring on the sequels!
Nick Noble, R. I. P.
Oldies Music -- News: Nick Noble, who scored four top 40 national hits from 1955 to 1957, died Saturday (March 24) in his native Chicago. He was 75. Born Nicholas Valkan in 1936, he is best remembered for "The Bible Tells Me So" (#22-1955)on Wing Records and "To You, My Love" (#27-1956), ""A Fallen Star" (#20-1957) and "Moonlight Swim" (#37-1957) on its parent, Mercury Records.
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