Saturday, November 21, 2009
I Love the Smell of Old Books in the Morning
BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Sniff test to preserve old books: "The key to preserving the old, degrading paper of treasured, ageing books is contained in the smell of their pages, say scientists.
Researchers report in the journal Analytical Chemistry that a new 'sniff test' can measure degradation of old books and historical documents.
The test picks up and identifies the chemicals that the pages release as they degrade.
This could help libraries and museums preserve a range of precious books."
Researchers report in the journal Analytical Chemistry that a new 'sniff test' can measure degradation of old books and historical documents.
The test picks up and identifies the chemicals that the pages release as they degrade.
This could help libraries and museums preserve a range of precious books."
At Least He Didn't Have a Croc
Customs agents foil suspected reptile smuggler at LAX | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times: "In an apparently cold-blooded attempt at smuggling, a Lomita man was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport this week with more than a dozen wriggling lizards strapped to his chest.
Michael Plank, 40, was detained by U.S. Customs agents after they discovered 15 live lizards stuffed into his money belt, officials with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service said Friday.
Plank was returning from Australia on Tuesday when agents found two geckos, 11 skinks and two monitor lizards in his possession."
Michael Plank, 40, was detained by U.S. Customs agents after they discovered 15 live lizards stuffed into his money belt, officials with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service said Friday.
Plank was returning from Australia on Tuesday when agents found two geckos, 11 skinks and two monitor lizards in his possession."
Croc Update (Texas Leads the Way Edition)
Cranky croc finds new home in Texas - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): "It has taken several planes, a crane and good dose of valium, but a giant Northern Territory crocodile named Errol has made it all the way to Texas Zoo.
At 4.7 metres, 50-year-old Errol is so long that he could not fit into a crate that would meet airline requirements.
He did not take kindly to being moved out of the pen at the Darwin Crocodile Farm where he has spent the past 28 years.
But with the help of some sedatives, Errol was put in a specially built box with his tail wrapped round to make sure he fit within airline cargo limits.
[. . . .]
Dr Britton says Errol should draw lots of visitors because he will be the largest saltwater crocodile in North America."
At 4.7 metres, 50-year-old Errol is so long that he could not fit into a crate that would meet airline requirements.
He did not take kindly to being moved out of the pen at the Darwin Crocodile Farm where he has spent the past 28 years.
But with the help of some sedatives, Errol was put in a specially built box with his tail wrapped round to make sure he fit within airline cargo limits.
[. . . .]
Dr Britton says Errol should draw lots of visitors because he will be the largest saltwater crocodile in North America."
It's Hard Inside for a Ripper
Yorkshire Ripper nearly blinded after Broadmoor killer stabbed his face five times
| Mail Online: "Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe was repeatedly stabbed in the face by another killer in a frenzied attack inside Broadmoor, a court heard yesterday.
Patrick Sureda screamed 'I'll teach you, you b******, for killing all those women' before grabbing 63-year-old around the neck.
The paranoid schizophrenic repeatedly lunged at Sutcliffe's only good eye using a blunt 7-inch table knife as horrified nurses at the top security hospital tried to pull him off."
| Mail Online: "Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe was repeatedly stabbed in the face by another killer in a frenzied attack inside Broadmoor, a court heard yesterday.
Patrick Sureda screamed 'I'll teach you, you b******, for killing all those women' before grabbing 63-year-old around the neck.
The paranoid schizophrenic repeatedly lunged at Sutcliffe's only good eye using a blunt 7-inch table knife as horrified nurses at the top security hospital tried to pull him off."
Another List I'm Not On (Which is Okay)
Moviefone's UnSexiest Men Alive - Inside Movies: "Yesterday Johnny Depp was officially named People's Sexiest Man Alive 2009, which got us thinking -- who are the UNsexiest male celebs in Hollywood?
The following fellas are the least in danger of causing a female stampede -- no matter how much Axe body spray they put on."
The following fellas are the least in danger of causing a female stampede -- no matter how much Axe body spray they put on."
Friday, November 20, 2009
Under the Dome Update
Spielberg, King team on 'Dome' - Entertainment News, Film News, Media - Variety: "It's a potent combination: Steven Stephen.
Steven Spielberg and Stephen King are joining forces to develop a limited series based on King's just-released supernatural thriller 'Under the Dome.' DreamWorks TV has optioned the book and is looking to set it up as an event series, likely for cable."
Steven Spielberg and Stephen King are joining forces to develop a limited series based on King's just-released supernatural thriller 'Under the Dome.' DreamWorks TV has optioned the book and is looking to set it up as an event series, likely for cable."
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Guard charged with paying ex-inmate for sex | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "A federal prison guard has been accused of paying a former inmate and resident of a halfway house $440 after two sexual trysts.
Robert Louis Zeigler, 39, is charged with improper sexual activity with a person in custody, a state jail felony that carries a maximum penalty of two years behind bars if he is convicted.
The Texas City man is accused of cultivating a relationship with an inmate while she was in custody at the Federal Detention Center in downtown Houston."
Robert Louis Zeigler, 39, is charged with improper sexual activity with a person in custody, a state jail felony that carries a maximum penalty of two years behind bars if he is convicted.
The Texas City man is accused of cultivating a relationship with an inmate while she was in custody at the Federal Detention Center in downtown Houston."
And You Should See His Lawnmower
101-Year-Old Man Buys a 426-Horsepower Camaro - Wheels Blog - NYTimes.com: "Eight months older than General Motors, Virgil Coffman clearly is not whom Chevrolet had in mind when it decided to bring back the Camaro.
But a bright yellow, 426-horsepower Camaro SS is exactly what Mr. Coffman, who turns 102 in January, wanted when he went to a Chevy dealership near his home in Decatur, Ill., in September. He ordered a “Transformers” special edition model, which is adorned with black stripes to resemble the character Bumblebee from the blockbuster movie."
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
But a bright yellow, 426-horsepower Camaro SS is exactly what Mr. Coffman, who turns 102 in January, wanted when he went to a Chevy dealership near his home in Decatur, Ill., in September. He ordered a “Transformers” special edition model, which is adorned with black stripes to resemble the character Bumblebee from the blockbuster movie."
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
And Keep Off His Lawn!
Naked Florida Homeowner, 91, Holds Intruder at Gunpoint - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com: "Justice may be blind, but it also might be missing a pair of pants. According to the Associated Press, World War II Veteran Robert E. Thompson held a drunken intruder at gunpoint outside his house in Lake Worth, Florida early on September 19. Alerted by his dog, Thompson retrieved his gun, but he neglected to slip on a pair of trousers. When police arrived, they found the naked homeowner holding the 26-year-old burglar at bay."
Forgotten Books: THE GIRL ON THE BEST SELLER LIST -- Vin Packer
I've made no secret of my fondness for Grace Metalious's Peyton Place, and I've also mentioned Vin Packer's The Girl on the Best Seller List. Packer might be best-known for her lesbian-themed fiction for Gold Medal, but she wrote a number of quality crime novels for the line. Sometimes the novels might be based on actual cases (The Evil Friendship). In this case, it's the author imagining what might happen if someone in a small town wrote a sexy fictionalized tell-all account of life there.
There's a lot to like about The Girl on the Best Seller List, starting with the cover. I've put the back cover with the famous photo of Grace Metalious so you can make the comparison. Jeans? Check. Shirt with big squares? Check. Typewriter? Sure. Overflowing ashtray? Check. And look at the shoes. Now admittedly the woman on the cover of Packer's book is a bit more glamorous, but, hey, it's a paperback original.
People whose secrets were exposed in a best-selling book might not be too happy with the whole thing, right? Why, some of them might even want to kill the author. Everybody has a motive.
Packer was an expert at multiple POV, and she shows it here. Lots of characters, all individualized and distinct, and each chapter begins with an excerpt from Population 12,360 (the best seller) that gives you further insight into the characters. I've read a number of Vin Packer's books, and this one remains a favorite. If you can't find it, try another.
As an aside, Packer is also the author of The Damnation of Adam Blessing, which you might not think would be a good name for a rock band, but it was. I may be one of the few who remember that.
And as another aside, Kurt Vonnegut has a story (not a very good one) based on the same sort of idea in his new collection, Look at the Birdie.
Here's the Plot for Your Next Noir/Horror Mash-Up
BBC News - 'Fat for cosmetics' murder suspects arrested in Peru: "Four people have been arrested in Peru on suspicion of killing dozens of people in order to sell their fat and tissue for cosmetic uses in Europe.
The gang allegedly targeted people on remote roads, luring them with fake job offers before killing them and extracting their fat."
Hat tip to Fred Zackel.
The gang allegedly targeted people on remote roads, luring them with fake job offers before killing them and extracting their fat."
Hat tip to Fred Zackel.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Texas' gay marriage ban may have banned all marriages - Politics AP - MiamiHerald.com: "Texans: Are you really married?
Maybe not.
Barbara Ann Radnofsky, a Houston lawyer and Democratic candidate for attorney general, says that a 22-word clause in a 2005 constitutional amendment designed to ban gay marriages erroneously endangers the legal status of all marriages in the state."
Hat tips to Nancy Golladay and Seepy Benton.
Maybe not.
Barbara Ann Radnofsky, a Houston lawyer and Democratic candidate for attorney general, says that a 22-word clause in a 2005 constitutional amendment designed to ban gay marriages erroneously endangers the legal status of all marriages in the state."
Hat tips to Nancy Golladay and Seepy Benton.
So Long, Mystery News
Mystery News, the most complete, up-to-date, and entertaining guide to the latest mystery books, writers, and events: "Welcome to the web site for Mystery News, the most complete, up-to-date, and entertaining guide to the latest mystery books, writers, and events. Mystery News was published bimonthly by Black Raven Press, a partnership of Lynn Kaczmarek & Chris Aldrich - until November 2009, when we ceased publication. We'll keep this web site up at least until the end of 2009 - check back later to see what we are up to!"Today's mail brought me the final issue of Mystery News. I've enjoyed this publication, its reviews, columns, and commentaries, almost from its inception. Once, long years ago, I was even the cover boy. It's hard to believe that I won't be seeing it anymore. Thanks to all who have been involved over the years. You've steered me to many good books I'd have missed otherwise and showcased writers I might not have considered reading until I saw their interviews. It's been a great run, and I'm sorry it's come to an end.
Croc/Archaeology Update
The Associated Press: 3 new ancient crocodile species fossils found: "A 20-foot-long crocodile with three sets of fangs — like wild boar tusks — roamed parts of northern Africa millions of years ago, researchers reported Thursday.
While this fearsome creature hunted meat, not far away another newly found type of croc with a wide, flat snout like a pancake was fishing for food.
And a smaller, 3-foot-long relative with buckteeth was chomping plants and grubs in the same region.
The three new species, along with new examples of two previously known ancient crocodiles, were detailed Thursday by researchers Paul Sereno of the University of Chicago and Hans Larsson of McGill University in Montreal. They spoke at a news conference organized by the National Geographic Society, which sponsored the research."
While this fearsome creature hunted meat, not far away another newly found type of croc with a wide, flat snout like a pancake was fishing for food.
And a smaller, 3-foot-long relative with buckteeth was chomping plants and grubs in the same region.
The three new species, along with new examples of two previously known ancient crocodiles, were detailed Thursday by researchers Paul Sereno of the University of Chicago and Hans Larsson of McGill University in Montreal. They spoke at a news conference organized by the National Geographic Society, which sponsored the research."
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