Four-Letter Word?

Talking veggies stir controversy at NBC - Yahoo! News: "Marks said the network is 'committed to the positive messages and universal values' of the show and expects 'VeggieTales' to continue airing.

But Bozell [ L. Brent Bozell, president of the Parents Television Council] isn't satisfied.

'If NBC is so concerned about that four-letter-word God, then they shouldn't have taken `VeggieTales',' he said. 'This just documents the disconnect between Hollywood and the real world.'"

Lord Vishnu's Love Handles -- Will Clarke

Let's say you have a little paranormal ability. And that you owe a few million bucks to the IRS. And that the CIA, which has a special section of people with paranorman abilities, wants to recruit you. You don't want to be in the CIA, but they can make that little IRS problem disappear. Would you sign up? The narrator of Lord Vishnu's Love Handles does, and then things start to get really weird.

I've heard that Will Clarke couldn't find a publisher for this novel, so he published it himself. Then it was picked up by Simon & Schuster, got rave reviews, and became a big success. Clarke's in Harry Hunsicker's writing group, so that should tell you something. (I don't know what, but something.) Anyway, this is the oddest spy novel you'll read this year, so check it out.

Headline of the Day

SCHWARZENEGGER GIVES UP HUMMERS:

"ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER has ditched his beloved $950,000 (GBP500,000) fleet of Hummer cars in a bid to save the environment. The TERMINATOR movie star-turned-California governor is devoted to the sport utility vehicles for their 'precision'. He was the first person to own one of cars in 1992 after persuading manufacturers to make them for non-army purposes. But Hummers emit three times more carbon dioxide than a regular car - and after the State of California announced it was suing carmakers Toyota, Nissan, Ford, Honda, Chrysler and General Motors over greenhouse gas emissions, ex movie star Schwarzenegger felt it was prudent to make the change. Eco-aware campaigner AL GORE confirms, 'Arnie has given up his Hummers.' "

Obviously False Story with Made-Up Quotes

Paris Hilton admits she is stupid | the Daily Mail: "Paris Hilton admits she is stupid

Hotel heiress Paris Hilton has admitted something the rest of the world already knew - she's not that bright. The 25-year-old star of The Simple Life made her confession to cops quizzing her about a burglary at the home of Girls Gone Wild creator Joe Francis. She was hailed as a crime-fighter when she told Francis, who has made a fortune selling raunchy videos of topless college girls partying, she had overheard on the party scene that a Hollywood hanger-on called Darnell Riley had boasted of breaking into his house.

But when she was quizzed by Los Angeles police it emerged she wasn't a reliable witness as she could not remember what happened. 'Like I really, I don't remember,' she said on police tapes obtained by the television show Dateline. 'I'm not, like, that smart. I forget stuff all the time.'"

This Is Just . . . Wrong

Begorrah! Leprechaun theme park for Jackson? - Gossip: The Scoop - MSNBC.com: "Looks like Michael Jackson has taken a liking to the wee folk of Ireland.

The “Thriller” singer, who left the U.S. for the Mideast following his acquittal on sex charges, has been spending time on the Emerald Isle recently, and is looking into buying an estate there — possibly a castle — according to reports.

What’s more, he’s supposedly interested in opening up a leprechaun-inspired theme park."

Latest Issue of Crime Spree

The new issue of Crimespree arrived yesterday. As usual, it's full of great stuff: photos, reviews, comments, and even some fiction. And one other thing: a full page ad for Murdaland, which says that the first issue is now available. You can click the link for a look at the contents and a shot of the cover. It's going to be $12 an issue, so I'd say it's certainly not a direct competitor with or EQMMAHMM and that it doesn't want to be. Looks very interesting. But back to Crimespree. That's Greg Rucka on the cover, and you'll want to read the article about him and his work in both comics and novels. You'll want to read the whole issue, in fact, so check it out.

Smiling Bob May Not Be Smiling Today

Owner of ‘Smiling Bob‘ company indicted: "CINCINNATI - The maker of dietary supplements that claim to improve everything from sexuality to memory defrauded thousands of customers and banks of at least $100 million, federal authorities say.

Warshak, who has 107 counts against him, denies the accusations and will continue to operate the company, his attorney said Thursday.

The company, based in suburban Forest Park, also used false advertising, the indictment charges. In one example, Wednesday‘s indictment cited ads placed in Penthouse and other male-oriented magazines that claimed Enzyte was developed after years of study by two doctors, one at Harvard and the other at Stanford.

Customers with complaints were told to write to a director of customer care who did not exist, the indictment alleges.

The Food and Drug Administration , Internal Revenue Service , postal inspectors and other agencies participated in the investigation."

For Those Who Hate Waiting in Line

For some reason Scott Cupp thought we needed to know about this.

CNN.com - Wanna cut in line? Eat a live cockroach - Sep 21, 2006: "GURNEE, Illinois (AP) -- Why wait in line when you can just eat a cockroach?

That's the question Six Flags Great America is asking thrill seekers during a Halloween-themed FrightFest. The amusement park is daring customers to eat a live Madagascar hissing cockroach in exchange for unlimited line-jumping privileges.

The promotion, which has Lake County Health Department officials shaking their heads, starts October 7.

Anyone who chows down the entire 2- to 3-inch horned cockroach gets a pass for four people to cut to the front of ride lines through October 29.

Park officials insist it's safe to eat the crunchy critters, but health officials are cautioning participants."

Don Walser, R. I. P.

Don Walser was born in 1934 in the small Texas Panhandle town of Brownfield and grew up in nearby Lamesa. His mother died when he was 11, and his father worked nights as a cotton mill superintendent. To fill the solitude of the daylight hours, he listened to the music of West Texas plains on the radio and watched the early cowboy crooners at the movie theater. He began to sing as a young boy, learning the songs, style, and yodeling skills of his musical models.

He joined the National Guard at 15 (claiming he was 17), married his wife Pat at 17, and raised a family of four children. Instead of leaving West Texas to pursue his musical career on the road or in Nashville, he stayed home to devote himself to his family, playing clubs, VFW halls, and honkytonks at night and on the weekends. After 45 years with the National Guard as a mechanic, a superintendent, and an auditor, he retired.

My son worked on a couple of recording sessions with Walser, who was a true Texas classic. Check out some of the soundbites on the website that I linked to above.

Happy Birthday, Stephen King!

I wasn't into Stephen King's work at first. When Carrie was a big hit, I wasn't much interested. What grabbed me was 'Salem's Lot, which I still think is one of the best-ever vampire novels. After that, I was a confirmed Stephen King fan. I was lucky enough to attend the World Fantasy Convention in Ft. Worth in 1979, and King was there (which explains my signed copy of the first hardcover edition of Night Shift). That was when I discovered that King wasn't just some weird guy who wrote horror novels. He was, instead, some weird guy who'd read everything I'd read, and then some. I continued reading his books as they appeared up until around the time if It, which just about did me in. Too long, too rambling, too lacking in discipline? All of those? I don't know, but it marked the end of my having to read everything King wrote. I've read only a few things since (his book on writing, for one thing, and I liked that one a lot), but I remember those earlier books with great affection. And I read his column in Entertainment Weekly whenever it appears.

Weird Al and the Story of My Live

F-89c Scorpion Update

For those of you who've been wondering about that F-89c Scorpoion that might, or might not, have been found in the Great Lakes, here's the update you've been waiting for, with images.

Thanks to Bill Halvorson for the link.

Is This the Ultimate Paris Hilton Page?

I report, you click, read, and decide.

Why Paris Hilton Is Famous (Or Understanding Value In A Post-Madonna World) ? chartreuse (BETA)

Happy Birthday, Gogi Grant!

Back home again, just in time to wish Gogi Grant a happy 82nd birthday. "The Wayward Wind" was and is a favorite of mine. My first college roommate had an autographed photo of Gogi Grant that I coveted. That was about the only good thing about the guy.

Euless, Texas

So here Judy and I are in Euless, Texas, taking advantage of the free high-speed Internet service in the La Quinta Inn, where outside our window is a lovely view of the Euless Home Depot.

Last night I was on a panel at the Euless Public Library with Harry Hunsicker, Mike Cochran (the moderator), Carlton Stowers, and Diane Fanning. We had a fine time, and while Harry and I provided most of the lighter moments, Diane and Carlton spoke eloquently and movingly about their experiences in writing true crime. It was good to see Crimespot guy Graham Powell in the audience, not to metion superagent Jim Donovan and writer Margaret Mosely.

Now it's time for us to get back on the road. It's a long way to Alvin.

See? Paris is NOT a Slut.

The Sun Online - News: Coogan can't get into the Hilton: "SEX addict Steve Coogan was snubbed by Paris Hilton when he begged her to let him into her Hollywood home.

The Alan Partridge star paid a late-night visit to the hotel heiress’s pad after drinking in a club with her and Rod Stewart’s daughter Kimberly.

He banged on the door for an HOUR and demanded to be let in by 25-year-old Paris, who had left the nightspot before him.

But Paris, who dismissively calls the funnyman “Courtney’s Creep” after his brief fling with her pal Courtney Love, refused to open up.

A source close to her said: “She wouldn’t touch him if he was the last man on Earth.”"

Euless, Texas

In a couple of hours Judy and I will leaving for love Euless, Texas (Motto: We Have Less Eu), where I'll be on a program tonight at the public library. That means light blogging today and probably none tomorrow. Talk (like Pirates!) amongst yourselves.

District B13

In the near future things are so bad in Paris that the city has simply walled off the worst of the districts and pretty much left the criminals to themselves. The worst of the worst, I guess, is District B13. But there's one good guy living there, and he's played by David Belle, one of the creators of Parkour.

What's Parkour? Well, it involves a lot of running, jumping, and falling. You just take off, and you don't let anything in your way stop you. Just watch the opening scene in District B13, and you'll see what I mean. Or you can click here for an amateur example.

The plot of the movie isn't really important, but it involves a nuclear bomb that's about to go off, countdown and all. Only one man (okay, two men) can stop it. There's a pretty funny Scarface parody in there somewhere, too. Don't bother thinking about any of it. That's not the point. The point is that David Belle can jump through a transom. What more can you ask for?

International Talk Like a Pirate Day

As I'm sure you're all aware, Tuesday, September 19, is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Some of you, however, may be ill-prepared to venture forth and speak without embarrassment. Luckily for you, there's a film that might help. For all I know you might even get college credit for watching it. Check it out.

(Link via Dave Barry's blog.)

Will the Persecution Never End? (A Continuing Series)

Willie Nelson hit with drug charges?|?Entertainment?|?Entertainment News?|?Reuters.com: "NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - Country singer-songwriter Willie Nelson and several fellow musicians were charged with misdemeanor drug possession by Louisiana police after a search of their tour bus on Monday turned up marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms.

State police spokesman Willie Williams said the bus was stopped early on Monday morning about 7 miles east of Lafayette, Louisiana, for a routine commercial inspection, and a state trooper smelled marijuana inside the bus.

State Police seized about 1-1/2 pounds (0.7 kg) of marijuana and two-tenths of a pound (91 grams) of mushrooms from the bus, Williams said."