Gator Update

Pet Alligator Attacks Drunk Russian Owner - NEWS - MOSNEWS.COM: "Pet Alligator Attacks Drunk Russian Owner

A pet alligator nearly bit his Russian owner’s hand off, when the man tried to give him a special treat of a sausage for a holiday dinner, the Zhizn daily said.

The alligator called Musya has lived in the office of a Moscow company for eight years, and no incidents ever occurred.

However at a corporate party dedicated to Fatherland Defenders’ Day, celebrated on February, 23, the company’s director decided to give Musya his share of the celebration.

“I thought — Musya should have a holiday, too,” says Anton Skvortsov, 35.

“I gathered some food from the dinner, and went to feed my handsome.”"

Happy Birthday, Raymond Chandler!

Raymond Chandler was born on this date in 1888. He went on to write some of my favorite mystery novels, one of which (The Big Sleep) was later made into one of my favorite movies with Humphrey Bogart. His influence on the mystery field was powerful and is still being felt today.

For more on Chandler, see this excellent tribute at The Rap Sheet.

Will the Persecution Never End?

iWon News - Family Vows to Battle Anna Nicole Smith: "DALLAS (AP) - A month after the death of E. Pierce Marshall, who feuded for years with Anna Nicole Smith over his father's oil fortune, his family says they are more committed than ever in their legal battle against the former Playboy playmate.

'Nothing has changed from the family's standpoint as to how this case should end up and we will handle it as Pierce did, in his honor,' the family told The Dallas Morning News in a written statement."

Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link!

Double Jeopardy

Surely you wouldn't expect me to ignore an important breaking news story that features both Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan.

HILTON DENIES LOHAN BLACKBERRY HACKING: "PARIS HILTON has hit out at reports she hacked into LINDSAY LOHAN's BlackBerry and sent offensive messages to her friends from it. The blonde socialite, who suffered a similar ignominy in 2004 when private text messages on her mobile phone were leaked onto the internet, insists the accusations are 'silly'."

The Crimedog Talks to an Old Friend

Anthony Neil Smith catches us up on Bob Skinner and talks a little about Bob's fine novels. Check it out right here.

Two More Stories

I read a couple more stories from Damn Near Dead last night. Reed Farrel Coleman's "Requiem for Moe" is subtitled "A Moe Prager and Jack Taylor Variation." It imagines the end of Moe's life and a visit from a certain Irish guy. Fans of Moe, Jack, Bruen, Taylor, and Coleman will get a kick out of this one. That includes everybody, right? Megan Abbott's "Policy" is a historical like her fine first novel, Die a Little. Like the novel, it's tough, tender, and terrific. The more I read in this anthology, the better I like it.

To Protect and Service. Er, Serve. British Style

The Sun Online - News: 'Mistress attacked cop': "A POLICEWOMAN was pushed through a plate glass door after a three-in-a-bed romp, a court heard yesterday.

Louise Flanagan, 22, was said to have been attacked by Kim Tempest, 27, after the pair stripped to their underwear with playboy doctor Matthew Hunter, 33."

Mickey Spillane Interview on NPR's Fresh Air Today

NPR : Fresh Air from WHYY for Thursday, July 20, 2006: "Mickey Spillane

July 21: The hardboiled crime writer died this week at age 88. We'll listen back to a 1989 interview."

Thanks to Todd Mason for the link and info.

Happy Birthday, Ernest Hemingway

When I discovered Hemingway's work back in my high school days, I was amazed at how much I enjoyed it. I read as many of the short stories as I could find. Later on I read the novels. The Sun Also Rises is probably my favorite. By the time I reached grad school, Hemingway was falling out of fashion. Too macho for the times, or something like that. Having left BTA (big-time academia) long ago, I don't know if his rep has recovered. I hope it has. When he was good, he was about as good as they come.

Final ConMisterio Update

I had a great time in Austin, as I hope everyone did. On the first day of the convention, we had an unexpected visitor: Kinky Friedman. Well, he didn't actually visit the convention, but he was right there with us. He was attending some kind of early morning gathering with the other candidates for governor, so I took a few seconds of video. I don't know if the Kinkster will win the election, but he's sure won the press.

Happy Birthday, Diana Rigg!

Mrs. Peel is 68 today.

You, the Jury

MICKEY SPILLANE, by Steve Holland: "He's been slated for his use of sex and violence, condemned for his right-wing politics... What is it about this guy that critics so loath and Joe Q. Citizen loves? You, the jury, preside over the case of the most vilified author ever to sell 200 million copies of his books around God's green earth. With Judge Steve Holland presiding, would the clerk of the court please read out the charges..."

Ed Gorman Reviews a Movie

Ed Gorman Rambles: 20 July 2006. Mary Astor in ACT OF VIOLENCE.: " I usually eat lunch around twelve thirty, catch the news and then go back upstairs to my office to write again.

Yesterday I happened to be channel surfing when I saw the billboard for a Turner movie called ACT OF VIOLENCE. I’d never seen it but as soon as I saw Robert Ryan (my favorite noir actor) l knew I’d watch the whole thing."

The Little Professor: Reviews a Couple of Year's Best SF Collections

The Little Professor: Year's Best SF 11 and Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Third Annual Collection: "Year's Best SF 11 and Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Third Annual Collection

I don't normally read these two 'year's best' SF anthologies back-to-back, so this year's installments certainly highlighted how editorial preferences define 'the best' that has been known and thought in the genre world of 2005. Gardner Dozois' The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Third Annual Collection reprints thirty stories; David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer's Year's Best SF 11 reprints thirty-one stories. "

To Protect and Service. Er, Serve.

iWon News: "WELLINGTON (Reuters) - A woman police officer moonlighting as a prostitute has got off with a caution, New Zealand police said Thursday.

The unidentified officer, stationed in the country's biggest city Auckland, was discovered last year to have been a prostitute for a short time.

'The officer concerned has been counseled. Under police procedures this amounts to a censure,' Deputy Police Commissioner Lyn Provost said in a statement.

The police officer, who was understood to be having financial difficulties, had not sought permission to have a second job. Such applications are considered on a case-by-case basis."

Damn Near Dead, Again

Copies of this fine anthology are available from David Thompson at Murder by the Book in Houston. He has copies signed by Duane Swierczynski, Jeff Abbott, Megan Abbott, Reed Farrel Coleman, Sean Doolittle, Victor Gischler, and me.

I've been reading it, and the stories by Duane, Sean, Jeff, Victor, and Ken Bruen are worth the admission price. I'll be reading Reed's and Megan's stories today or this evening, along with some of the others, and I'm really looking forward to them. Check it out for yourself.

Man on the Moon

This was a great day back in 1969. Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon. I remember it well. I watched all the TV coverage I could because I was so excited by the very thought of the entire mission. It's hard to believe our space program has fallen on such hard times that I'll probably never see the like of this again. I wonder if even my kids will. Makes me a little melancholy to think about it.

A Heart-Warming Tale

Python that swallowed electric blanket saved in sugery: "It took surgery to save a 12-foot Burmese python in Ketchum, Idaho, after it swallowed an entire queen-size electric blanket -- complete with electrical cord and control box.

The blanket must have gotten tangled up in the snake's rabbit dinner, owner Karl Beznoska said. He said he kept the blanket in the 60-pound reptile's cage for warmth."

Thanks to Scott Cupp for the tip.

Yeah, Yeah. But We're all Much Safer Now

Report: DHS workers wasted thousands - U.S. Security - MSNBC.com: "WASHINGTON - The Homeland Security Department wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars last year on iPods, dog booties, beer-making equipment and designer jackets, congressional investigators have concluded.

More than 100 laptop computers and a dozen boats also bought by Homeland Security employees are missing, the investigators found."

I'm Not in the Least Surprised

Holy gator! Pet is no crock: SouthFlorida.com: "SALEM, Wis. -- Michael Wilk was tossing back a few beers with friends when he saw God on the side of his 4-foot-long pet alligator.

Without even squinting, Wilk noticed white markings pop out against a backdrop of black scales to form the letters G-O-D.

'When I first saw it, my jaw dropped,' said Wilk, 25. 'It's just sort of like a phenomenon on it.'"

Bob Dylan on XM

Bob Dylan Theme Time Radio
July 19, 2006
Theme: Cars

Rocket 88, Jackie Brenston
Hudson Marquez discussed “Cadillac Ranch”
Cadillac Ranch, Bruce Springsteen
Bob tells about a great mondegreen – the first time he heard Bruce sing, “tearing up the road like a dinosaur,” he thought it was “tearing up the road like Dinah Shore.”
Dinah Shore’s Chevy commercial
Every Woman I Know, Billy “The Kid” Emmerson
Me and My Chauffeur Blues, Memphis Minnie
My Automobile, Parliament
Christian Automobile, Dixie Hummingbirds
Car on a Hill, Joni Mitchell
Peter Epstein Pontiac commercial
Pontiac Blues, Sonny Boy Williams
Big Green Car, Jimmy Caroll
Get out of the Car, Richard Berry
Mercury Blues, David Lindley
Mercury commercial
Too Many Drivers, Smiley Lewis
1963 Corvette Stingray commercial
Little Red Corvette, Prince
No Money Down, Chuck Berry

Two Dicks for Danger

If you watched this video, you know that Fender Tucker is a fine guitar player. You can read about his music and his bands here, and you can listen to some music, too. But Fender's real claim to fame is Ramble House, a publishing venture dedicated mainly (at first) to reprinting every novel ever written by Harry Stephen Keeler. Inevitably, thanks to his dedication to preserving only the finest literature, Fender branched out. Now he's reprinting the complete works of Ed Wood, Jr. Each volume from Ramble House contains two classic novels. You might need to click on the pictures to enlarge them and see Fender's current offerings. Fender has given each volume a title, of which my favorite is the one that heads this post. Check 'em out.

We'll Always Have Paris [Hilton]

We'll always have Paris - Style - Times Online: "We meet again on a balcony at the Sanderson hotel, surrounded by fashion shrubbery, with [Paris] Hilton, 25, in a floor-length ball gown and outsize white-rimmed sunglasses. My first question is, what happened? “I know, right?” she giggles. “Things got, huge.” And you let them? “Yes, I did.” But why? “Because there’s nobody in the world like me,” she says, smiling lazily. “I think every decade has an iconic blonde — like Marilyn Monroe or Princess Diana — and right now, I’m that icon.”

For better or worse, she is right. Last year, the author Naomi Wolf was quoted as saying Hilton is “an empty signifier you can project anything onto” — but she was wrong. To fans and haters alike, Hilton signifies the base desires of the age: money, sex and low body fat."

This article is actually worth a look. Thanks to Todd Mason for the link.

Happy Birthday, Dion!

Dion Dimucci, first with the Belmonts and later on his own, was part of the soundtrack of my life. "I Wonder Why" is one of the great white doo-wop numbers, and Dion's "Runaround Sue" is of course a classic. I can still listen with pleasure to him, to him with the Belmonts, or just the Belmonts without him. Wonderful stuff. Dion's latest CD is Bronx in Blue, and on it he accompanies himself on guitar. That's about the only instrument in the mix, if you don't count his voice. You might not think of Dion as a blues singer (or a guitarist, for that matter), but he pulls it off with aplomb. He's 67 today, but he's still going strong.

Old. Bold. Uncontrolled.

New promotion for a fine anthology.

Ed Gorman's Tribute to Spillane and More at Mystery*File

MYSTERY*FILE ON-LINE: "July 17. GORMANIA. The Mick Is Dead.

July 17. MICKEY SPILLANE (1918-2006). One of the giants of mystery and detective fiction has left us. If you were reading private eye stories in the 1950s, as I was, you probably remember exactly when and where it was when you had your first dose of Mike Hammer and mystery fiction changed forever. (The eighth grade cloakroom of McKinley School. I was twelve, and the memory is as clear to me as though it were yesterday.) I’m not sure how long the first link I found will stay online, but here on M*F, the early works of Mickey Spillane were covered briefly in the checklist of Dutton’s line of Guilt Edged mysteries. The rest of the covers can be found here."

Geezer Taunting

This is why Duane Swierczynski is going to hell.

Not That There's Anything Wrong with That

Ancient strippers still spreading their butterfly wings at prestigious university - MSN-Mainichi Daily News:

"From the land of panty vending machines and a thriving business in soiled knickers comes the news that a museum run by Japan's most prestigious private university has a collection of female stripper's undies dating back more than half a century, according to Shukan Asahi."

"A Gathering-of-Sorts"? That's a New Name for It

Bandera Bulletin: "Deputies terminated after scandalous acts
By Jessica Hawley - Lifestyles Editor

After behaving in a manner deemed intolerable by the Bandera County Sheriff's Office, a deputy has been terminated and may face criminal charges.

Deputy Amy Price was relieved of her duties June 27, following a complaint filed against her by Bandera County resident Brett Day. On June 25, Day arrived at his Lakehills home to find his wife, sheriff's dispatcher Kimberly Day, hosting a gathering-of-sorts with sheriff's deputy David Moore, Price, another sheriff's dispatcher and her husband, and Texas Ranger Lance Coleman.

According to Chief Deputy Don Berger, Day found his wife in a 'compromising position' with another individual present. After taking photographs, a disturbance reportedly broke out between Brett and Kimberly Day, Moore and Price. Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a 9-1-1 call issued by Day at approximately 2:30 a.m.

'He said that he was being attacked and chased through the brush,' Berger said, . . ."

Criminal Genius of the Day

Local & State News - Tampa Bay's 10 - tampabays10.com: "Largo, Florida - Kim Starks was arrested on Saturday for grand theft, forgery and fraudulent driver's license when she tried to withdraw over $5,000 from her mother's savings account, six months after her mom's death.

Police say Starks entered the Wachovia Bank at Largo Mall and filled out a withdrawal slip for $5,577.88, signed a name and approached the teller.

The teller noticed something wrong with the ID and called police. The woman identified herself, however the name was not the same as on the ID given to the teller.

Investigators say the ID had a taped-on photo of Starks over that of her dead mother's picture, and a pen was used to change the DOB."

Mickey Spillane, R. I. P.

Mike Hammer creator Mickey Spillane dies - Yahoo! News: "CHARLESTON, S.C. - Mickey Spillane, the macho mystery writer who wowed millions of readers with the shoot-'em-up sex and violence of gumshoe Mike Hammer, died Monday. He was 88.

Spillane's death was confirmed by Brad Stephens of Goldfinch Funeral Home in his hometown of Murrells Inlet. Details about his death were not immediately available."

Back in March, I wished Mickey Spillane a happy birthday. I loved his books (I know not everyone does), and they were a huge influence on my even if it doesn't show in my own writing. He was a Guest of Honor at the Milwaukee Bouchercon in 1981, which is where the photo at the link was taken, and meeting him was one of the highlights of my life. I'm truly sorry he's gone. As far as I'm concerned, the world was a better place when he was in it.

Gator Update

Fla. authorities begin gator-feeding sting - Yahoo! News: "IN THE EVERGLADES, Fla. - Crusty's days are numbered. The well-known 8-foot alligator has become so accustomed to people feeding him that his demise is certain. Because state wildlife managers worry all his snacks will make him aggressive, they will have to remove him from a canal along Florida's Alligator Alley in the Everglades and euthanize him.

To keep from having to kill even more alligators, officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission launched a three-day undercover sting operation in Broward County on Friday aimed at catching gator feeders in the act."

Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link!

ConMisterio Update

Jesse Sublett plays and sings.

ConMisterio Update

Dennis McMillan, flamenco guitarist.

ConMisterio Update

Fender Tucker plays the blues.

ConMisterio Update

Fender Tucker, Jesse Sublett, Dennis McMillan jamming.

ConMisterio Update

Steven Torres.

ConMisterio Update

Lono Waiwaiole.

ConMisterio Update

David & McKenna from Houston's Murder by the Book.

ConMisterio Update

Dean James.

ConMisterio Update

Scott Cupp

ConMisterio Update

Margaret Maron.

ConMisterio Update

Harry Hunsicker.

ConMisterio Update

Chris Aldrich and Maddy van Hertbruggen.

ConMisterio Update

The shy Megan Abbott.

ConMisterio Update

Reed Farrel Coleman.

Quote of the Day

On my Google homepage: "After being Turned Down by numerous Publishers, he had decided to write for Posterity."
- George Ade

ConMIsterio Update

Duane Swiercyznski

ConMisterio Update

Graham Powell and Stephen Torres.

What Are You Missing at ConMisterio?

This is what you're missing at ConMisterio (Victor Gischler, Neil Smith, Sean Doolittle):

Red Buttons, R. I. P.

Red Buttons Has Died at 87 - Los Angeles Times: "Red Buttons Has Died at 87
By Dennis McLellan, Times Staff Writer
2:37 PM PDT, July 13, 2006

Red Buttons, the impish former burlesque comic who became an early TV sensation and an Academy Award-winning character actor during a career that spanned more than seven decades, has died. He was 87.

Buttons died today at his Century City home after a long battle with vascular disease, publicist Warren Cowan said."

Red Buttons was a big favorite of mine when my family first got a TV set. "Strange things are happening."

ConMisterio

In a couple of hours Judy and I will be leaving for ConMisterio. There's a great line-up of guests, and the convention should be a lot of fun. Damn Near Dead will be making its debut, and that's worth the trip all by itself. If you won't be there, you can get the book here.

My usual travel anxieties are kicking in, but I'm sure I'll do just fine. At any rate, blogging is likely to be sporadic until I return next Monday. I hope to have some stuff from the convention here, maybe even some surprises. It all depends on how things work out. At any rate, try to remain faithful to the blog while I'm gone, and stay out of trouble.

Dumb Crooks of the Day

WSBTV.com - News - Thieves Try To Cash Stolen Checks That Belong To Bank Employee: "Three people accused of stealing checks in Worth County went to the wrong bank to cash them.

Joyce Powell is a clerk at the Sylvester Banking Company and was at work when a co-worker in the drive-through window told her someone was trying to cash one of her personal checks.

Investigators say the three suspects had just broken into four homes in rural Worth County.

The bank employee stalled the suspects, telling the one presenting the check that he must show some sort of identification. Meanwhile, Powell checked with authorities and learned someone had broken into her house.

The suspects became suspicious and left. But 27-year-old Calvin Barfield had left his driver's license and Social Security card at the bank. It didn't take authorities long to track him to a motel in Albany."

The Blonde -- Duane Swierczynski

Back on April Fool's Day of 2005, I recommended that you read Duane Swierczynski's first novel, Secret Dead Men. In October of that same year, I exhorted you to read The Wheelman. And now it's time for me to tell you about The Blonde. I feel kind of sorry for you, since you're going to have to wait until November to read it, whereas I got this cool review copy, nyah, nyah, nyah.

This is a terrific book. It's not at all like either of the the others I mentioned, and yet it is. You might even recognize a character or two. But you won't recognize the plot, which is absolutely nonstop action from first page to last. If the movies don't jump on this one, then the guys in Hollywood are crazier than I think they are.

The book begins at 9:13 P.M. and ends the next morning at 7:58 (except for a couple of short but necessary codas). It begins in the airport in Philadelphia when a woman tells a guy named Jack that she's poisoned his drink. After that come your nanobots, your decapitations, your Sybians (I'm sure Duane heard about this on Howard Stern's show rather than having been around one himself), your secret agents, your Mad Doctors, your doomsday scenario, your Executioner-style War on the Mafia. And then, as I said of Secret Dead Men, it gets really wild.

All you have do to love this book is accept one truly outrageous premise, which I was happy to do. After that, batten down the hatches and hang on for the ride. In November, that is. When you can finally get your hands on a copy.

Like to Watch?

Have we got the job for you!

From the Arizona Republic: "Besides providing security, NBA bodyguards have taken on additional roles in the wake of Kobe Bryant's sexual assault case.

According to a GQ story on NBA groupies, some players are asking friends or bodyguards to stand in and watch any bedroom activities that might take place on the road.

That way, should an accusation surface, a witness can help sort out the truth. For the players, writer Lisa DePaulo points out, this 'isn't just kinky, it's smart business.'"

Star Wars movie in ascii

Scott Cupp sent me this link. Blame him.

The Ace Image Library

ACE Doubles (and Singles) Image Library - Main Page - ACE Books - science fiction (SF), mystery, western, potpouri - paperback publishing history, cover art and artist history: "The ACE SF Double had a 21 year life span and went through several numbering systems. In addition, the numbering system included single titles (either short novella length stories or longer, often abridged, stories that had originally been published in hardback) as well as the dos-a-dos (back-to-back) volumes.

The following set of links will take you to the image libraries I have compiled at this time. Please note that these are continually under construction. Any corrections or supplemental information should be send to my e-ddress in the link above."

I just got a note saying that this site has been updated. If you're not familiar with it, you should be. Great paperback cover images abound.

Bob Dylan on XM

Bob Dylan Theme Time Radio on XM
July 12, 2006
Theme: Flowers
The New San Antonio Rose, Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys
Grazing in the Grass, Friends of Distinction
A Good Year for the Roses, George Jones
Bob reads Robert Frost’s “A Rose is a Rose”
Bonnie Bunch of Roses, Paul Clayton
Laying on a Bed of Roses, The Muffs
Bob gives a list of state flowers
The Grapevine, Lucky Millinder
Tulip or Turnip, Duke Elllington & his Orchestra
Bob discusses “tulip mania”
Tiptoe through the Tulips, Tiny Tim
Wildwood Flower, the Carter Family
When the Roses Bloom Again, Laura Cantrell
Bob mentions golfing with Ricky Jay. (Bob golfs?) Ricky Jay tells about a woman who lived on the scent of flowers.
Only a Rose, Geraint Watkins
I Threw away the Rose, Merle Haggard
Don’t Let the Green Grass Fool Ya, Wilson Pickett
The Sharpest Thorn, Elvis Costello & Allen Toussaint

Three Matt Helm Novels Reviewed

BULLETS, BROADS, BLACKMAIL & BOMBS >> To Helm and Back ? Bookgasm: Nice review and commnetary on several Matt Helm novels. Check it out.

The Harry Potter Series: Who'll Die Next

Laying odds in the Harry Potter dead pool - BOOKS - MSNBC.com: "Warning: This story will speculate on who dies in the final Harry Potter book. If you don't want to be exposed to such opinions, don't read it."

Dorothy Uhnak, R. I. P.

Dorothy Uhnak, 76, Novelist Inspired by Police Experience, Is Dead - New York Times: "Critics often cited the authenticity of scenes and characters in reviewing her crime novels “Law and Order,” “Victims,” the “Christie Opara” series — and her first book, the semi-autobiographical “Policewoman: A Young Woman’s Initiation Into the Realities of Justice.” She preceded Joseph Wambaugh as an ex-cop writing about the netherworld of crime and was a precursor of other women who have written about tough crime-fighting protagonists, including Marcia Muller, Sue Grafton and Patricia Cornwell. Her work was translated into 15 languages and was particularly popular in France."

You'll have to register with the NYT (if you haven't already) to read the whole article, but check it out.

Never Give Up!

Defeated Da Vinci Code case historians plan appeal - Yahoo! News: "LONDON (Reuters) - Two historians who lost a plagiarism case against the British publishers of Dan Brown's bestseller 'The Da Vinci Code' plan to appeal against the verdict, court officials said on Monday.

The officials said the appeal could take place later this year, but no specific date has been set. The Bookseller reported the appeal was due to be heard in early 2007."

Let's see, now. What's the release date for the DVD of the movie?

Princess Leia's Metal Bikini Still Rules

From Wired: As movie costumes go, it was both small and fleeting, occupying only two minutes of screen time in Return of the Jedi, which many call the weakest of the original Star Wars films.

But nearly a quarter-century later, Princess Leia's slave-girl costume occupies a unique position in pop culture and shows no signs of slipping.

Fans in knock-off outfits can be seen here.

A belly-dancing routine inspired by the costume can be seen here.

There's even a website devoted to "Leia's Metal Bikini."

Cluelass

Kate Derie e-mailed the rara-avis list to say that the forthcoming titles in the mystery field are now up on her website. The July lists are now available at
http://www.cluelass.com/Shelf/
or
http://www.cluelass.com/Shelf/FullShelf.html
or
http://www.cluelass.com/Shelf/ShortShelf.html

Check 'em out.

Mystery*File Update

MYSTERY*FILE ON-LINE: "DAN J. MARLOWE. In this article, Josef Hoffman describes the relationship between Dan J. Marlowe, Al Nussbaum and Earl Drake. What’s the connection? You will have to read to find out. A bibliography follows, then an installment of Bill Crider’s Gold Medal Corner, featuring none other than Dan J. Marlowe."

More essential stuff. Check it out!

The Hoff

Lee Goldberg linked to "Secret Agent Man." Vince Keenan linked to "Hooked on a Feeling." So this must be The Day of the Hoff.

The Liquidator Series -- R. L. Brent

Vince Keenan kindly read a Liquidator novel so I wouldn't have to. I noticed in the picture that the book was published by Ace/Charter. The Liquidator novels I own were published by Award Books. Maybe when Award went out of business, Ace took over some titles. Or maybe the Liquidator novels were so good that Ace reprinted them. As I mentioned to Vince in my comment, the idea of a lone vigilante trying to wipe out the Mafia is so startlingly original that Ace probably couldn't resist. At any rate, here's one of the Award Books covers.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Wizard!

Am I the only one old enough to remember B&W TV and the science experiments of Mr. Wizard? Don Herbert is 89 years old today.

Spin -- Robert Charles Wilson

Spin is one of those "big" SF novels. One evening three friends in their early teens are out looking at the stars, and the stars disappear. Earth has suddenly become "protected" by a semi-permeable barrier. Who put it there? And why? The book follows the lives of these friends, especially Tyler Dupree, the narrator, for many years as some of the barrier's mysteries are unraveled. In other words, it's got really big scientific concepts but keeps everything pretty much on a human level, and it's told in a style that's straighforward and clear. I like that in a book. At 450 pages it's a little long for my tastes, but it held my interest to the end. It's obviously set up for a sequel, and I might even read that one.

No Comment Department

TheStar.com - Website sells sex toys but only to believers: "Website sells sex toys but only to believers
Mother of 2 runs it from her home Hot item: pleather vibrating panties
Jul. 8, 2006. 01:00 AM
MEGAN H. CHAN
NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE

NEW YORK — Condoms. Lube. Vibrating panties. All are part of Joy Wilson's mission to better serve the Christian community."

I'm Sure You'll all Want to Read this Article

'I get insecure sometimes' She's a socialite, model, TV star, actor, author, entrepreneur ... now, as Paris Hilton gets ready to add pop star to the list, she talks frankly to Simon Hattenstone about Nicole Richie, that home video and why she plans on being celibate for a year Saturday July 8, 2006 The Guardian 'Hilton appears to have the ditziness of Monroe and the business acumen of Madonna' ... Paris Hilton. Photograph: Dave Hogan/Getty

Meet Felix the Cat

When Felix showed up in the neighborhood, he was in pretty bad shape. I couldn't decide if he'd been thrown from a moving car or just run over by one. Most of the fur on top of his head was missing, one eye was swollen shut, and there was a severe cut on the inside of one of his back legs. He wouldn't let anybody get near him, and I wasn't sure he'd survive. I put food out for him in the garage anyway, and he sneaked in at night and ate. After a while he started showing up in the daytime, and I was able to coax him into the house for short periods of time. Eventually he started to trust me, so I was able to get him into a carrier and take him to visit the vet, who neutered him (that'll teach him to trust me!), worked on his eye, and gave him some shots. The eye was the real problem, but after a couple more trips to the vet, Felix can now open the eye and see pretty well from it. As you can tell, the fur's grown back on his head. The scar on his leg is so bad that probably nothing will grow there again, but that's okay. As you can also tell, Felix has made himself at home with us. He's gained a lot of weight, and he's looking good. Our other two cats aren't pleased, but it looks like Felix is here to stay.

Commenters to this Blog would Never Lie about This

Life and Health | Fashion and style | Flower power, love-ins - and lies: "Martin Wainwright
Friday July 7, 2006
The Guardian

History records that it was the Swinging Sixties. A decade that included the summer of love, the Beatles, hippies and outrageous drug-taking.

And if it ever seemed odd that everyone who was around at the time seemed to be indulging in all of the above, a survey today reveals why.

Fibs. Lots of them.

Parents who have been trying to impress their children have resorted to exaggeration and outright lies over what they did during the flower power decade. Claims of liberated teenage years at love-ins and being at live Beatles gigs have led to the coining of a new phrase - generational gazumping - to describe 50-somethings desperately trying to appear cool."

Wild Thing -- Mike Harrison

Was there ever a more apt title than this one? If so, I can't think of it. Mike Harrison's Wild Thing is the second novel about Calgary p.i. Eddie Dancer, and it's nothing if not wild. It has a newly discovered manuscript by Franz Anton Mesmer (written in old Italian), a serial killer whose method involves crushing his victims' heads, a best-selling writer on tour, paparazzi, underground tunnels, Newgate Prison records, and a strong woo-woo factor (reincarnation). While Dancer is based in Calgary, the novel's setting is England, so there's a bit of the fish-out-of-water appeal, too. And all of this in a novel not much longer than an old Gold Medal original. This, of course, is just the way I like it: stripped-down prose, a fast-moving story, and a likeable first-person narrator. Check it out.

Ed Gorman Returns to Mystery*File

Ed Gorman Rambles: 7 July 2006: "A year or so before he was diagnosed with cancer, Evan Hunter seemed intrigued by my idea of doing a massive collection of some of his earliest tales. Intrigued enough, anyway, to have somebody make copies of sixty-some stories and send them to me.

The stories covered virtually every pulp genre – crime, western, adventure, science fiction, horror – done under seven or eight pen-names. "

Check out the whole essay/review at the link.

Get Well Soon, Roger Ebert!

I like reading Roger Ebert's movie reviews even when I don't agree with them. Ebert was a well-known science fiction fan in the 1950s (Ed Gorman was acquainted with him then), and his letters appeared in letter columns in magazines like Amazing Stories and others. That's another reason I like him. I wish him a very speedy recovery.

Film critic Roger Ebert improving - Pulitzer Prize-winning movie critic Roger Ebert was improvin...: "CHICAGO, July 5 (UPI) -- Pulitzer Prize-winning movie critic Roger Ebert was improving Wednesday after being hospitalized in Chicago last weekend for emergency surgery, his wife said.

Ebert, 64, was in serious condition following an operation to repair a burst blood vessel stemming from cancer surgery last month, the Chicago Sun-Times said.

Doctors removed a cancerous growth from his salivary gland on June 16.

'I'm happy to report that Roger is in stable condition and is improving each day,' Chaz Ebert said. 'He has an excellent medical team ... and they're optimistic about his recovery.'"

Mystery*File Update

This just in from Steve Lewis: I've recently posted a belated birthday salute by J. Kingston Pierce to James M. Cain, author of novels such classic novels as The Postman Always Rings Twice, Double Indemnity and many others. (Cain was born on July 1st.)

As part of this tribute is a complete bibliography of Cain's novels and story collections, plus reviews of four of his books by Max Allan Collins and Bill Pronzini, nor should I forget to mention the usual abundance of cover images.

I Can Remember when this Format Wasn't Such a Novelty

Vintage Hits the Decks for 'Pirates' - 7/6/2006 - Publishers Weekly: "When Gideon Defoe's cheeky, well-received pirate novels, The Pirates! In an Adventure With Scientists and The Pirates! In an Adventure With Ahab, were ready for to be published in paperback, the publicity team at Vintage thought the books deserved a special rollout. Published by Pantheon in hardcover in October 2004, the books, which Vintage editor-in-chief Marty Asher describes as 'Monty Python meets Moby Dick,' are being packaged together as a novelty '2-in-1' paperback. (With each title claiming as its front cover one side of the book, described further by Vintage as a 'flippable' paperback, the text is legible by turning the book over.) They're also being accommpanied by a large pirate-themed release party in New York and a well-publicized writing contest. Why all the hoop-la?"

Be There or Be Square!

The Austin Chronicle: Books: Solving ConMisterio: "Solving ConMisterio
A preview
BY JESSE SUBLETT

With SXSW, ACL, and the last KKK microdemonstration, Austin needs another convention like a hole in the head, right? Well, ConMisterio is a convention for people who just can't seem to write or read enough about holes in heads – bullet holes, that is, along with an endless variety of other means of sudden exit from the planet.

Loosely modeled after the fabulously successful Bouchercon (going on its 37th year), ConMisterio convenes for its second annual gathering July 14-16 at the DoubleTree. It will feature the usual author discussion panels, author readings, a banquet, a dealer room, and creative loafing opportunities. (Full disclosure: I'll be one of the authors attending the convention and promoting work, but I'd be writing this even if I weren't.)"

Competitive Eating Update #5

New York Daily News - Home - Few extra bites: "Few extra bites

His 53 dogs long gone, champ has a real meal

BY NICOLE BODE
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Takeru Kobayashi, 28, after winning the Nathan's Fourth of July hot dog eating contest.
After all that, he was still hungry.

A day after downing a record-breaking 53 and 3/4 hot dogs and buns, Takeru Kobayashi polished off a 22-oz. steak, salad and slice of cheesecake.

'This is the best steak I have ever eaten,' Kobayashi, 28, told the Daily News through a translator as he tore into the slab of medium-rare New York strip steak yesterday afternoon. 'It's better than Kobe beef.'

In no time flat, the Japanese chowhound was gnawing at the bone.

'He polished it,' said an awestruck Tom Hart, general manager of Smith & Wollensky at E. 49th St. and Third Ave. 'It was amazing.'"

Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the tip.

Even Bush's Feces & Urine Are Classified Top Secret

Even Bush's Feces & Urine Are Classified Top Secret: "The White House flew in a special portable toilet to Vienna for Bush's personal use during his visit. The Bush White House is so concerned about Bush's security, the veil of secrecy extends over the president's bodily excretions. The special port-a-john captured Bush's feces and urine and flew the waste material back to the United States in the event some enterprising foreign intelligence agency conducted a sewage pipe operation designed to trap and examine Bush's waste material."

Happy Birthday to the Duke of Earl!

Or, as you may know him, Gene Chandler. If you just can't wait to hear the song again, click here. You'll be sent to Chandler's website, and the song will be playing. One of the greats. Turn up the volume.

Today in Rock & Roll History

In the comments a couple of guys mention having seen the Beatles in concert. So here's today's R&R trivia in their honor (thanks to The Writers Almanac):

It was on this day in 1957 that two teenagers named John Lennon and Paul McCartney first met at a church dance in Liverpool, England.

The biggest event in John Lennon's neighborhood every summer was a party and dance held by St. Peter's parish church. There was a carnival and a parade with decorated floats, and that event was held on this day in 1957. John Lennon, with a little maneuvering, had gotten The Quarrymen a place in the parade, playing their music from atop one of the floats, and they also had an invitation to play at the dance afterwards.

The float The Quarrymen played on brought up the rear of the parade, and they attracted a large group of teenagers. One of the teenagers was a kid from a different high school named Paul McCartney. He had hoped to pick up girls at the church dance, and so he had ridden his bicycle over from his neighborhood.

In the audience, Paul McCartney was impressed by John's singing, and by the way John seemed to be challenging everyone in the room to a fight. After the performance, Paul went over to meet this guy. Paul and John were introduced, but they didn't hit it off until Paul mentioned that he played guitar, and he knew how to tune one. None of the other boys had learned how to do that yet. They'd all been forced to ask local musicians to tune their guitars for them.

John was even more impressed that Paul knew the lyrics of recent rock and roll songs. John could never remember lyrics, which was why he often made up new ones while he was singing. Paul volunteered to write out the lyrics for the song "Be Bop a Lula" for John, and the two became fast friends. By 1959, they were calling themselves The Beatles.

I'm Not Sure this is Good News

ROME (AFP) - Veteran sex symbol Sofia Loren, first featured on magazine covers half a century ago, will appear for next year's Pirelli calendar dressed up only in diamond earrings.

The voluptuous Italian screen legend, who will celebrate her 72nd birthday on September 20, joins a galaxy of international female stars posing in the nude for the 2007 cult calendar, the Italian magazine Gente (People) reported Wednesday.

Others include Spain's Penelope Cruz, Britain's Naomi Watts, US star Hilary Swank and France's Lou Doillon, the daughter of singer-actress Jane Birkin.

The calendar portraits of Loren taken by Dutch photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Winoodh Matadin are "very beautiful and will add to the myth of La Loren," said Loren's close friend Silvia Damiani, one of the privileged few to have already caught a glimpse of the latest Loren revelations.

Today in Rock & Roll History

1954 - Elvis Presley's first commercial recording session took place in Memphis, TN. He recorded "That's All Right (Mama)" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky."

Under the Table at Taco Bell

Bribery Grande

"Oakland clerk allegedly met clients at Taco Bell, and traded keys to public housing for dinero."

And the only question is, will Anthony Neil Smith move to Oakland to work the case?

Louiefest

Over 1000 guitars playing "Louie Louie." And the only question is, will Cap'n Bob be there again this year?

Bob Dylan on XM

Bob Dylan Theme Time Radio on XM
Playlist for July 5, 2006
Theme: Summer
Summertime, Billy Stewart
Summertime Blues, Eddie Cochran
Heatwave, Martha and the Vandellas
Heatwave, Sol K. Bright
Sunny, Bobby Hebb
Juneteenth Jamboree, Fatso Bentley
So Nice, Astrud Gilberto and Walter
Youth of 1000 Summers, Van Morrison Hot Weather Blues, Mr. Sad Head Summer in the City, Lovin’ Spoonful
Too Hot, Prince Buster
In the Summertime, Mungo Jerry
Ice Cream Man, John Brim (Bob’s favorite flavor is Neopolitan)
Fourth of July, Dave Alvin
Hot Fun in the Summertime, Sly & the Family Stone

Tales from the Galactic Midway #1: Sideshow -- Mike Resnick

I don't know how many books there are in this series, but I've had four of them on my shelves for years. (It's hard for me to resist a series with carnival setting.) The other night I decided it was time to read one of them, and I'm glad I did. Here's the deal. Thaddeus Flint owns a carnival that's not making enough money. There's another carnival with the best freak show that anybody's ever seen, and it's drawing huge crowds. Flint decided he wants to take over. When he does, he gets a surprise. The freaks aren't human. They're aliens, and now Flint is stuck with caring for them. One problem is that Flint treats everybody like crap, including Tojo, the hunchbacked dwarf who narrates the tale. Flint's a cold-hearted maninpulator and conman, and it turns out that he's expert even when it comes to manipulating aliens. It might not surprise you to learn that his association with the aliens makes him a little more human by the end of the novel. But not much more.

This is an interesting story, even though it's obviously a set-up for the sequels. A cursory glance at the three I have gives me the idea that each one is devoted mostly to a different carnival employee: the animal tamer, the trick shot, and so on. I also see that they're told in third person. Tojo is no longer the narrator. Eventually I'll probably read at least a couple of these. (I like the covers, too.)

Great Fireworks Package Art

Check it out here.

Competitive Eating Update #4

NEW YORK -- A 160-pound wonder from Japan set a new record by devouring a sickening 53¾ frankfurters in 12 minutes to win the annual Independence Day hot dog eating competition on Coney Island.

The feat earned Takeru Kobayashi, 27, his sixth straight title in the event, held at the original Nathan's Famous hot dog stand on Brooklyn's seashore.

He broke his own record of 53½ hot dogs, set at the same competition two years ago.

Competitive Eating Update #3

Jeff Meyerson sent me this link to AOL Sports. The Feud is on!

A Glorious 4th to All

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it." -- Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826), to Archibald Stuart, 1791

The flags are out at the Crider hacienda.

What Next?

First it was ice cream made with eels' blood. Now we have this. I think the last line is probably an understatement.

ANGIER - Scott Wilson won't eat his newest flavor of ice cream.

He warns customers at his ice cream shop away from it. And he's not even sure whether he'll make another batch when he runs out.

It's called Cold Sweat.

Along with milk, sugar and the other usual ingredients, the ice cream is made with three kinds of peppers and two kinds of hot sauce. It's so spicy that just touching it makes your fingers feel hot.

The ice cream has turned into a hot sales gimmick at Sunni Sky's, the roadside ice cream shop Wilson and his wife have run for the past three years along N.C. 55.

It's not a top seller, though.

I See It, but I Don't Believe It

Link via Neatorama

Happy Birthday, Dave Barry!

Dave Barry can still make me laugh out loud, which is reason enough to wish him a very happy day.

I'm in EQMM (sort of)

In a comment below, Todd Mason reminds me that Ed Gorman has started a new column, "Blog Bytes, in the current issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. I'm pleased and proud that he chose to mention this blog in the inaugural column, along with Sarah Weinman's blog, CrimeSpot, and Mystery*File.

Alligator Update

A man in South Carolina jumped on the back of a 10-foot alligator to save his girlfriend's pet dog as it was being dragged into a lake, according to a Local 6 News report.

Brent Carey said he was at a park in Charleston with his girlfriend and her dog, Chance, when an alligator jumped out of the water and started to drag Chance into the lake.Carey jumped on the alligator, grabbed it near the back legs and began to fight to free the dog.

More of the story and some pics at the link.

Shotgunner

Want to see a guy who can shoot? Check it out.

Busted Flush Update

The other day I had a blog entry on David Thompson's publishing venture. Today the Houston Chronicle catches up with me.

It's not "Busted Flesh Press," says David Thompson, neophyte book publisher. Given his subject matter — murder and mayhem — some people hear it that way, but his new venture, he explains, is "Busted Flush Press."

Mystery fans will recognize the name as an homage to one of Thompson's favorite authors, John D. MacDonald, whose sleuth Travis McGee lives on the Busted Flush, a houseboat he won in a poker game. And an homage seems appropriate: Busted Flush Press is all about respect, existing chiefly to revive crime novels that have slipped out of print.

The fledgling imprint's first trade title is just out — A Fifth of Bruen, a 352-page collection of the early fiction of Ireland's Ken Bruen, who emerged as a cult favorite in this country after The Guards earned an Edgar nomination for best novel of 2003.