Relatives have ‘proof’ Alcatraz escapees are still alive
Saturday, October 10, 2015
This Butcher Shop is Britain's Oldest Family-Owned Business
Neatorama: They're not precisely sure when their business was founded. But RJ Balson and Son has on file a business license granted in 1515. And for that entire 500-year period, this butcher shop in Bridport, Dorset, UK, has been owned and operated by the same family.
The Arizona Trash Castle With a Heartbreaking Secret
The Arizona Trash Castle With a Heartbreaking Secret: Today, a metal crocodile that Mary Lou has called "the lizard of Oz" stands guard over the trap door.
Friday, October 09, 2015
Say Yes to the Death -- Susan McBride
Andrea (Andy) Kendricks is the Debutante Dropout, and this is the 6th book in the series about her. The setting is Dallas, Texas, which is fun for me because even though I'm not a Dallas resident, I recognized a lot of the places mentioned in the course of the story, which begins at a high society wedding attended by Andy and her mother, Cissy.Andy has a clothing malfunction and meets the wedding planner, who happens to be Olivia La Belle, known as La Belle from Hell back in Andy's school days, and she doesn't seem to have changed a bit. One of the bridesmaids has dropped out at the last minute, and Olivia needs a replacement. Andy needs a dress. Olivia bullies her into wearing the bridesmaid's dress and taking part in the wedding. Not too long afterward, Olivia is murdered.
The primary suspect in the killing is sweet old Millicent Draper, longtime friend of Andy and her mother. She wouldn't kill anyone, would she? Andy doesn't think so, and she's soon amateur sleuthing all over the place with a bit of help from her fiance, Brian Malone, who's also Millie's lawyer; her mother; and her best friend, reporter Janet Graham.
Zippy first-person narration, a plot complicated by some sexual revelations, and a lot of humor. It all adds up to an entertaining cozy and a nice change of pace from some of the bleaker material I read. Check it out.
Where Reference Fits in the Modern Library
Where Reference Fits in the Modern Library: For years, we’ve been hearing that traditional library reference service is dead. In reality, reference just disappeared, like Jimmy Hoffa. But unlike in the case of Hoffa, no one in the library field seems intent on figuring out what happened to reference. In fact, many librarians are intent on carrying on as though little has changed.
FFB: The Crackpot -- John E. Stockman
When it comes to offbeat and forgotten books, Ramble House has you covered. The Crackpot is from Richard Lupoff's Surinam Turtle imprint, and it's a collection of short stories the likes of which you've never read before. I guarantee it. Art Scott recommended the collection to me, and he had a hand in its assembly.John E. Stockman was a collector of comic books, Edgar Rice Burroughs books, and pulp magazines. He also published a fanzine that included his short stories. You can read more about him in the Foreword by Lupoff and the Introduction by Dwight R. Decker. Then you can read the stories, all of which are told in Stockman's unique voice. You don't have to be a crazed collector to enjoy the stories, but it might help if you are, or if you know one. I, of course, am not one, but I do know a few.
Some of you who are more familiar with fanzines than others (you have to be of a certain age) might appreciate "The Crank," which is about "the madman of the ditto machine," Victor Vackie, a series character. The ending is one that will surely make you smile. Well, it made me smile. Also, the notes on the story explain the ditto machine and the mimeo machine for the whippersnappers.
"Old Man Teeverberg" is "A short sketch relating the retirement years of an old coot," so it naturally appealed to me. Stockman didn't seem to think much of it, but it's highly appealing to an old coot. Like me.
"Junior's Ordeal" is about a cunning plan that can't possibly go wrong, except that it does. I liked the twist ending, too.
I'm sure this book isn't for everyone, but some of you might want to give it a try for its picture of a bygone era, its spot-on commentary on crazy collectors, and its humor. It's great fun if you're in the mood.
Thursday, October 08, 2015
Vintage Hollywood Photographs
Vintage Hollywood Photographs: Photographs have been an important part of the Hollywood publicity machine since its earliest days. With legions of beautiful stars and starlets, the movie studios easily mastered the simple publicity image and many of these photographs are now treasured by collectors of cinematic ephemera.
After the Honeymoon
After our honeymoon in Colorado, Judy and I spent a week or so with her parents and then went up to Denton, Texas, to look for an apartment. I was going to be in grad school starting the second six weeks of the summer session, and Judy was going to look for a job.
As usual, we knew nothing much about finding a place to live. We looked at the ads in the local newspaper, the Denton Record-Chronicle, known to many wits as the Wretched-Chronicle, and found an ad for an apartment that looked great to me, mainly because the rent was $50 a month. Judy expressed a bit of apprehension, but I said, "How bad could it be?" Well, we found out.
The woman who owned the apartment, which was actually a closed-off section of an old house, was Mrs. Luker. She took us to the place and let us in. The first thing Judy noticed was the large hole in the bedroom floor. It was pretty hard to miss. I asked about it, and Mrs. Luker said that it really wasn't too bad. She hadn't had any complaints about animals getting into the house. I thought that sounded good. Especially for $50 a month. Judy looked at me as if I'd lost my mind. She said there was no way we were going to live in that place. I hadn't been married long, but I'd already learned who was running the show, as I've mentioned previously. So I told Mrs. Luker we'd have to look elsewhere.
As it happened, Mrs. Luker also had an apartment house that she said had fairly nice accommodations. It was only two blocks from the campus, but it was $80 a month, and we'd have to pay the electricity. Judy said that was fine and that we'd be happy to take a look. I've mentioned the address before, 308 Normal Street. (The old name of the current University of North Texas was North Texas Normal College, so the name had nothing to do with normality.)
This place was much more to Judy's liking, so I bit the bullet and said it was fine with me, too. We had a second floor apartment, and it had the biggest closet of any place we ever lived. Judy loved it. We had room for all our clothes, and also all the boxes we'd used to pack the things we moved in with.
There was one catch. The apartment had just been vacated and hadn't been cleaned. Mrs. Luker said that if we'd clean it, she'd give is the first month's rent. As you can guess, I jumped at that opportunity. Judy didn't mind, either. The place was a mess, and we earned our money. Those of you who knew Judy will believe me when I say that when we moved out, the place didn't need cleaning.
The picture is of Judy standing outside our front door on the balcony. We lived there for just over one year and were very happy in most ways. Judy got a job, and she wasn't thrilled with that. If I get around to it, I'll tell that story one of these days.
As usual, we knew nothing much about finding a place to live. We looked at the ads in the local newspaper, the Denton Record-Chronicle, known to many wits as the Wretched-Chronicle, and found an ad for an apartment that looked great to me, mainly because the rent was $50 a month. Judy expressed a bit of apprehension, but I said, "How bad could it be?" Well, we found out.
The woman who owned the apartment, which was actually a closed-off section of an old house, was Mrs. Luker. She took us to the place and let us in. The first thing Judy noticed was the large hole in the bedroom floor. It was pretty hard to miss. I asked about it, and Mrs. Luker said that it really wasn't too bad. She hadn't had any complaints about animals getting into the house. I thought that sounded good. Especially for $50 a month. Judy looked at me as if I'd lost my mind. She said there was no way we were going to live in that place. I hadn't been married long, but I'd already learned who was running the show, as I've mentioned previously. So I told Mrs. Luker we'd have to look elsewhere.
As it happened, Mrs. Luker also had an apartment house that she said had fairly nice accommodations. It was only two blocks from the campus, but it was $80 a month, and we'd have to pay the electricity. Judy said that was fine and that we'd be happy to take a look. I've mentioned the address before, 308 Normal Street. (The old name of the current University of North Texas was North Texas Normal College, so the name had nothing to do with normality.)
This place was much more to Judy's liking, so I bit the bullet and said it was fine with me, too. We had a second floor apartment, and it had the biggest closet of any place we ever lived. Judy loved it. We had room for all our clothes, and also all the boxes we'd used to pack the things we moved in with.
There was one catch. The apartment had just been vacated and hadn't been cleaned. Mrs. Luker said that if we'd clean it, she'd give is the first month's rent. As you can guess, I jumped at that opportunity. Judy didn't mind, either. The place was a mess, and we earned our money. Those of you who knew Judy will believe me when I say that when we moved out, the place didn't need cleaning.
The picture is of Judy standing outside our front door on the balcony. We lived there for just over one year and were very happy in most ways. Judy got a job, and she wasn't thrilled with that. If I get around to it, I'll tell that story one of these days.
Bouchercon Bound
Frank Albanese, R. I. P.
SILive.com: STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Frank Albanese, 84, of Bay Terrace, who began his working life as a longshoreman and was a successful boxer before becoming an actor, playing roles on the stage, in movies and on television, died Monday in Addeo House Hospice, Egbertville.
This Is Exactly Why We Have 911
Man, 53, Calls 911 To Complain That His Girlfriend Will Not Have Sex With Him
Vulgar language at the link.
Vulgar language at the link.
Wednesday, October 07, 2015
Take that, thrill-seeking tourists!
Terror at 3,500 feet as glass walkway in China cracks: A newly opened glass walkway, suspended 3,500 feet above a canyon in central China, cracked Monday to the terror of thrill-seeking tourists.
Kevin Corcoran, R. I. P.
LA Times: Kevin Corcoran, the former child actor known to generations of Disney fans as "Moochie" from "The Mickey Mouse Club," as well as for his roles in such hits as "Old Yeller" and "Pollyanna," died Tuesday at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank. He was 66.
Hat tip to Art Scott.
Hat tip to Art Scott.
Billy Joe Royal, R. I. P.
Billy Joe Royal, Country and Pop Singer, Dead at 73: Billy Joe Royal, who scored the 1965 Top Ten single "Down in the Boondocks" and also made frequent appearances on the country chart in the Eighties, died suddenly Tuesday morning at his Marietta, North Carolina home, according to the Tennessean. He was 73 years old.
“A Roadmap to Literary Mysteries” (by Bob Van Laerhoven)
“A Roadmap to Literary Mysteries” (by Bob Van Laerhoven) | SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN: Bob Van Laerhoven’s story “Checkmate in Chimbote” appeared in EQMM’s June 2014 issue and was read for our podcast series by his translator, Josh Pachter, earlier this year. The Belgian journalist made his fiction debut in 1977 as a short-story writer, and in 1985 as a literary novelist. More than thirty novels followed, some of them crossovers between literary fiction and the suspense novel.
Tuesday, October 06, 2015
And Somewhere the Fourth Horseman Just Saddled Up
Twilight author Stephenie Meyer announces new gender swap version: In honor of the 10th anniversary of her best-selling vampire romance, Twilight author Stephenie Meyer has written a 442-page reimagining of the novel that made her a publishing sensation. This time around, she’s switched the genders of her protagonists. Yes, it’s true. In the new tale titled Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined, Bella Swan is now a boy named Beau (short for Beaufort) and the brooding Edward Cullen is�now Edythe.
My Bouchercon Panels -- Y'all Come
Friday at 2:30pm (Sheraton Oak Forest AB) The "Masters" that influenced the "Masters" in Crime & Mystery -- Mark Coggins, moderator; Bill Crider, Megan Abbott, Karin Slaughter, Lawrence Block
Sunday at 8:30 A.M. (Marriott State EF) Choose Your Voice -- First, Third, or Ominpotent in Mystery Fiction -- Debra H. Goldstein, moderator; Bill Crider, Julieanne Holmes (J. A. Hennrikus), M. L. Rowland, Patricia Coleman (P. R. Morris)
Overlooked Movies: The Mexican
A lot of people don't like The Mexican, but I thought it was okay. Maybe people went to it thinking it would be a standard Hollywood romantic comedy. After all, it stars Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt. And look at that poster. Love and laughter all the way, right?Wrong. This is an odd, quirky movie, and not everything is as it seems.
Pitt and Roberts play Jerry and Samantha, a couple constantly at odds with one another, and now something has come up that's really going to split them up. Jerry is sort of responsible for a criminal (Gene Hackman) being in prison, so to keep Hackman from having him killed, Jerry has to run an occasional errand for him. This time (the last little job, supposedly) Jerry has to go to Mexico, pick up a rare and valuable gun called The Mexican. (There are a number of flashback scenes that purport to show the origins of The Mexican, but they all tell different and contradictory stories.) Jerry's supposed to bring the gun back to the U.S. for Hackman. A simple job, right? Wrong again.
Jerry's promised Sam he'll take her to Las Vegas, and when he tells her he has to get the gun, she blows up, throws him out of their apartment, and throws his clothes after him. He explains that getting The Mexican is a matter of life and death. Literally. She doesn't care. He promised her Las Vegas, and she's going with him or without him.
After that, things get complicated. Jerry's not the only one after The Mexican, and getting it, which seemed simple, turns out not to be simple at all, thanks to the others who want it and to plain old bad luck, of which Jerry has a copious amount. For those expecting comedy, there is some. There's also a lot of violence and killing. And meanwhile Sam's been kidnapped by Leroy (James Gandolfini), a hitman who's one of the more complicated characters in the movie and well worth watching. The whole cast is excellent, but Gandolfini steals a lot of scenes.
The Mexican is definitely not a standard romcom. It's offbeat and different. I'd recommend it, but you need to know what you're in for.
Monday, October 05, 2015
Who Says TV Is Out of Ideas?
'Grey's Anatomy' producers developing grown-up Nancy Drew TV series: The pitch: “A contemporary take on the character from the iconic book series. Now in her 30s, Nancy is a detective for the NYPD where she investigates and solves crimes using her uncanny observational skills, all while navigating the complexities of life in a modern world.
In That Case, Sir, You Are Free to Go
The Smoking Gun: A man caught placing his iPhone under the skirt of a Publix shopper told police that he was actually “taking pictures of cakes” for his wife, and not engaging in some felonious supermarket voyeurism.
The Crumbling Village of Temples Lost to the Myanmar Jungle
The Crumbling Village of Temples Lost to the Myanmar Jungle: It’s a scene straight out of the Jungle Book, only accessible from the outside world by a narrow canal that weaves its way through a parting in the wild and tangled overgrowth, west of Myanmar’s Inle Lake…
Photo of Jesse James and assassin Robert Ford
Lost photo of Jesse James, assassin Robert Ford is found, authenticated Lois Gibson, forensic artist and analyst for the Houston Police Department, claims Wednesday she'd identified an image of one of America's most notorious outlaws, Jesse James.
Update: Here's a link to someone who doesn't believe a word of it.
Update: Here's a link to someone who doesn't believe a word of it.
Henning Mankell, R. I. P.
The New York Times: Henning Mankell, the Swedish novelist and playwright best known for police procedurals that were translated into a score of languages and sold by the millions throughout the world, died Monday morning in Goteborg, Sweden. He was 67.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Sunday, October 04, 2015
Paging Neil Diamond
Houston Chronicle: SOMERSET, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky woman is under arrest after her boyfriend's body was discovered in a freezer inside the couple's living room.
Buffalo Trail -- Jeff Guinn
Buffalo Trail is the second book in a trilogy about a young man named Cash McClendon. In Glorious, the first book of the trilogy, McClendon leaves St. Louis after some misadventures there and travels to Arizona, where his life really falls apart. The back story is covered adequately in Buffalo Trail, so you don't have to have read the first book to know what's going on. Now McClendon finds himself in Dodge City. He's beginning to realize that the mess of his life is his own fault, and he wants to make things right. He plans to return to Arizona, but first he needs money. That's why he falls in with a buffalo hunter named Bat Masterson.Masterson and McClendon don't have a lot of luck as buffalo hunters because the buffalo are about gone. Mostly they collect and sell the bones that successful hunters in the past left lying around. A man named Billy Dixon (like Masterson and just about everyone else in the novel, a real historical person) has a plan, however. He's going to Texas, to a place called Adobe Walls, and set up a hunting camp because he knows the buffalo will soon show up there. Masterson wants to go along, and so does McClendon.
Meanwhile, in a parallel story, Quanah Parker is trying to stir the Comanches to action to take back their land from the settlers. They need a great, bold victory, and Quanah finds a way to unite the Cheyenne, Kiowa, and Comanche for an attack.
If you're a Texan, you know what happens: the second battle of Adobe Walls. (This battle also plays a part in other books I've read recently, Empire of the Summer Moon and Paradise Sky.) The last part of the novel is taken up with the battle, and it's all action, all the time. It's also historically accurate, as is the rest of the novel, as Guinn, a former reporter, has gone to great pains to make sure that everything in the story squares with the historical record.
Call Buffalo Trail a historical novel or a western, it's a dandy reading adventure, and it will have you looking forward to the concluding book in the trilogy to find out what happens to Cash McClendon and how he'll be changed by his experience at Adobe Walls.
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