A Writer's Life: Scribe Award Winners Announced: "The 2009 Scribe Awards were handed out a ceremony and panel at Comic Con in San Diego on Friday. Participants included James Rollins, Max Allan Collins, Tod Goldberg, Matt Forbeck and Keith R.A. DeCandido, who was honored as this year's Grandmaster for excellence in the field. The winning books are marked with asterisks."
All winners and nominees at the link.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Who's the Better Poet?
I supposed that's the kind of judgment we have to leave up to the people who compile literature texts, which is a good thing. Because for me, it's hard to choose between Donald Rumsfeld and Sarah Palin Take a look and see which one you'd pick.
Here's a poem from Palin:
Here's a poem from Palin:
"Small Mayors"
You know,
Small mayors,
Mayors of small towns—
Quote, unquote—
They're on the front lines.
And here's one from Rumsfeld:
"The Unknown"
As we know,
There are known knowns.
There are things we know we know.
We also know
There are known unknowns.
That is to say
We know there are some things
We do not know.
But there are also unknown unknowns,
The ones we don't know
We don't know.
You can find more of Palin's work here and more of Rumsfeld's here if you need a better sample before making your selection.
At Least They Weren't Cat Burglars
Alligators Found in NJ Home: "Police came to a home in Monmouth County, N.J., to investigate a break-in. What they found were four alligators, officials said. And according to the SPCA chief, one is unaccounted for."
Perhaps Now the Persecution Will End
Paris Hilton: I'm Not Stupid and I'm Not a Slut - Yahoo! News: "Paris Hilton insists she's not stupid—or slutty—like you may think.
She claims the 'Paris Hilton' we all see in front of the cameras is just a character she's invented.
'In a way it's good, but I also don't want people thinking of me as this blond heiress…airhead,' she says in Paris, Not France, a new documentary about her life, premiering Tuesday on MTV. 'But that is kind of my brand. I make a lot of money by doing that.'"
She claims the 'Paris Hilton' we all see in front of the cameras is just a character she's invented.
'In a way it's good, but I also don't want people thinking of me as this blond heiress…airhead,' she says in Paris, Not France, a new documentary about her life, premiering Tuesday on MTV. 'But that is kind of my brand. I make a lot of money by doing that.'"
Here's the Plot of Your Next Novel
Who knows you on social networks? :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Technology: "Two-thirds of the world's Internet population visit social networking sites at least once a month, according to Nielsen Co. research.
'The potential for horror is enormous. If a criminal can easily find out where you are, what stores you frequent, what your daily habits are, who your friends are, and even what your personal food, entertainment, and beverage preferences are, you can be targeted with a level of ease never before possible,' said David Gewirtz, editor of Zatz Publishing, a producer of special interest online magazines.
'I worry that there is a deep and dangerous dark side to social networks. I worry about the potential victims,' he said."
'The potential for horror is enormous. If a criminal can easily find out where you are, what stores you frequent, what your daily habits are, who your friends are, and even what your personal food, entertainment, and beverage preferences are, you can be targeted with a level of ease never before possible,' said David Gewirtz, editor of Zatz Publishing, a producer of special interest online magazines.
'I worry that there is a deep and dangerous dark side to social networks. I worry about the potential victims,' he said."
Friday, July 24, 2009
He Didn't Even Need a Radioactive Spider
BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Man climbs building with vacuum gloves: "Advertisement
A man has climbed up a BBC building using a pair of vacuum gloves he built himself, in a stunt for a new BBC One science show.
Inventor Jem Stansfield, the presenter of Bang Goes The Theory, used an everyday vacuum cleaner to construct the kit.
He scaled the 40m (120ft) high BBC White City building in west London, watched by hundreds of people."
Video at the link.
Link via Neatorama.
A man has climbed up a BBC building using a pair of vacuum gloves he built himself, in a stunt for a new BBC One science show.
Inventor Jem Stansfield, the presenter of Bang Goes The Theory, used an everyday vacuum cleaner to construct the kit.
He scaled the 40m (120ft) high BBC White City building in west London, watched by hundreds of people."
Video at the link.
Link via Neatorama.
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
CRIME Blog | The Dallas Morning News: "According to Dallas police, a Fair Park supervisor says a man has been going to the band shell and filling a trash bag with toilet paper and then reselling it."
First Oscar Mayer Dies, and Now This
Group claims the Wienermobile broke law in Hawaii - Yahoo! News: "Not everyone would love to be an Oscar Mayer Wienermobile these days. The Outdoor Circle, an environmental group dedicated to protecting Hawaii's scenery, claims the beloved hot dog-shaped vehicle is in violation of the Hawaii's ban on vehicular advertising.
The group says it hopes the Wienermobile's recent visit to Hawaii will be its last."
The group says it hopes the Wienermobile's recent visit to Hawaii will be its last."
Big Changes at Eastern Standard Crime
Eastern Standard Crime: "I have a new plan for this site, which will now incorporate my sister site Crooked Web Zine. Starting on August 5 (or maybe later that month since this is kind of short notice), Eastern Standard Crime will become a bi-weekly .PDF publication.
And guess what? I'm looking for...
CRIME FICTION SUBMISSIONS
I'm looking for award-winning, unique, pulse-pounding, face-grabbing, ubercool crime fiction. Similar to Crooked, I want something with a kick or a crunch. I'm not looking for anything dark, poetic or disgusting. The guidelines are as follows..."
And guess what? I'm looking for...
CRIME FICTION SUBMISSIONS
I'm looking for award-winning, unique, pulse-pounding, face-grabbing, ubercool crime fiction. Similar to Crooked, I want something with a kick or a crunch. I'm not looking for anything dark, poetic or disgusting. The guidelines are as follows..."
Mommy's Boys
A third of men under 40 still live at Hotel Mum | Mail Online: "They like to think of themselves as the brave, strong and independent sex. But men are actually more reluctant than women to leave the safety of mummy's side.
A study has found one in three men aged between 20 and 40 is still living with their parents. This compares with one in five women of the same age.
It also emerged that one in four men who have flown the nest has kept a fully-furnished bedroom at their parents' home, just in case."
A study has found one in three men aged between 20 and 40 is still living with their parents. This compares with one in five women of the same age.
It also emerged that one in four men who have flown the nest has kept a fully-furnished bedroom at their parents' home, just in case."
Paw Paw Update
UPDATE: State Police catch drunk Comstock Park man in their own parking lot | wzzm13.com | Grand Rapids, MI: "Michigan State Police are always on the lookout for drunk drivers. Early this morning, one driver made it very easy for them.
Troopers from the Paw Paw Post in Van Buren County found a car parked on the lawn of the post at about 2:15am Thursday morning. In the car, they found Todd Olin, 40, of Comstock Park, heavily intoxicated and sick.
Police say Olin could not remember where he was coming from, but said he was heading home and thought he was close."
Troopers from the Paw Paw Post in Van Buren County found a car parked on the lawn of the post at about 2:15am Thursday morning. In the car, they found Todd Olin, 40, of Comstock Park, heavily intoxicated and sick.
Police say Olin could not remember where he was coming from, but said he was heading home and thought he was close."
Forgotten Books: CHARLIE OPERA -- Charlie Stella
How could a book from 2003 be forgotten, especially one this good? Don't ask me. I can't figure out why Charlie Stella's not a big name on the bestseller list. This is the second book of his I've read. I liked Eddie's World a lot (click here for the review), but Charlie Opera is even better.Charlie's last name is really Pellecchia, but he's fond of opera. He's retired from his window-washing business, and he and his wife are in Las Vegas on a trip that Charlie hopes will help them work out their problems. Instead, and in short order, his wife leaves him and he's mugged. Things only get worse from there, as he's pursued by Mafia hitmen, Asian gang hitmen, and the cops. That's not all. Charlie's falling for a woman, the woman's roomie is being chased down by her abusive ex-husband, the feds are working on a big drug bust, the Las Vegas cops are trying to keep the lid on all the violence, and more. A lot more.
There's so much going on in the book, in fact, that I was reminded of that guy on the old Ed Sullivan show, the one who spun all those plates and balanced them on poles. Stella's dealing with a lot of plates here, but he keeps them all spinning until he's ready to take them down, which he does, depositing them all in a neat stack at the end. It's an amazing trick, and it's fun to see it all worked out.
Stella writes about crime, criminals, cops, feds, ordinary guys, and opera with authority and never hits a false note. And it's funny, too. If you've missed his books, you're missing a good time.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Brenda Joyce, R. I. P.
Actress Brenda Joyce | Joyce Died Pneumonia | Jane Tarzan Movies | Friend David Ragan - Oneindia Entertainment: "Actress Brenda Joyce, who became famous for her role of ‘Jane’ in Tarzan movies, died of pneumonia on July 4 at a hospital in Santa Monica. She was 92."Hat tip to Toby O'Brien.
I'm Above Average!
Adults forget three things a day, research finds - Telegraph: "The average adult forgets three key facts, chores or events every day, a study has found."
Soon on Facebook: What's your Drug Lord Nickname
Scary Drug Lords Sport Silly Nicknames - Baltimore News Story - WBAL Baltimore: "That's right, the American fashion doll. Because the U.S.-born Valdez has blond, blue-eyed good looks.
In Mexico's cutthroat drug underworld, 'Barbie' shares the stage with such fearsome characters as 'Bunny Commander' and 'Smurf,' ''Taliban' and 'Monkey.'
Mexican drug traffickers' nicknames run from flashy and threatening to surreal and downright goofy. Some reflect a thug's rank in his cartel, others simply a school yard taunt that stuck. Still others denote a reputation, such as the cartel leader known as 'El Mas Loco' -- 'the Craziest One.'"
In Mexico's cutthroat drug underworld, 'Barbie' shares the stage with such fearsome characters as 'Bunny Commander' and 'Smurf,' ''Taliban' and 'Monkey.'
Mexican drug traffickers' nicknames run from flashy and threatening to surreal and downright goofy. Some reflect a thug's rank in his cartel, others simply a school yard taunt that stuck. Still others denote a reputation, such as the cartel leader known as 'El Mas Loco' -- 'the Craziest One.'"
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