Mike Ripley's Latest Column Posted at Shots Magazine

Shots eZine, Mike Ripley's Column April 2007: "I never realised until the other day that my all-time favourite (and campest) Viking film, The Long Ships, was co-scripted by thriller-writer and former Chairman of the Crime Writers Association, Berkely Mather."

Anybody who likes The Long Ships is all right by me. Check out this post to see why. (You'll notice that I long ago discovered that Mather wrote the script and that I, too, appreciate his novels.)

I'd Blog about This, . . .

. . . but I've sworn off. Still, it's nice to see a certain body being put to such a good use.

Thanks to John Duke for the link.

We're Home!

Exactly 11 hours after leaving the hotel, we walked into our house. What a relief. I never thought we'd make it. Of course many of the people who were delayed were in worse shape than we were, including the woman who missed the van to Galveston by about 45 minutes. I have a lot more pictures, and maybe I'll get around to posting a few. Eventually.

And the Crider, Never Flitting. . .

Still is sitting, STILL is sitting,
On the dirty airport floor.

Okay, not the floor, but "sitting" is accurate. So far the delay has been an hour and a half, but the posted ETD is clearly a lie, since the plane that's taking us out hasn't arrived yet. I figure another hour, at the best. I'm not a patient guy, even at the best of times, and this isn't the best of times. But I'll get by. I hope.

Sitting in JFK Airport

JetBlue has free wifi, and our flight is delayed. I guess this is good news/bad news. I knew when I saw the weather this morning that a delay was likely, but when I checked with JetBlue, the flight was on time. Now that I'm here, it's delayed. Figures. Here's a cheerful shot of me in my tux to brighten the day.

Judy and Stephen King

We' re packing up, but here's another Edgar story. At the nominee reception last night there were only a few tables, so Judy and I grabbed one. I left to go talk to some people, and when I came back, Stephen King was in my chair, chatting up Judy. She didn't even try to save my seat.

The weather's lousy this morning, so I'm just hoping that JetBlue won't have us sitting on the runway for hours. I have to do a signing tomorrow in Gonzales, Texas, a long way from Alvin. Not much if any posting until Sunday, I expect.

Bobby "Boris" Pickett R. I. P.

Thanks to Scott Cupp for the link.

mlive.com: NewsFlash - 'Monster Mash' singer Pickett dies at 69: "NEW YORK (AP) — He does the 'Monster Mash' no more. Bobby 'Boris' Pickett, whose dead-on Boris Karloff impression propelled the Halloween anthem to the top of the charts in 1962, making him one of pop music's most enduring one-hit wonders, has died of leukemia. He was 69.

Pickett, dubbed 'The Guy Lombardo of Halloween,' died Wednesday night at the West Los Angeles Veterans Hospital, said his longtime manager, Stuart Hersh. His daughter, Nancy, and his sister, Lynda, were at Pickett's bedside.

'Monster Mash' hit the Billboard chart three times: when it debuted in 1962, reaching No. 1 the week before Halloween; again in August 1970, and for a third time in May 1973. The resurrections were appropriate for a song where Pickett gravely intoned the forever-stuck-in-your-head chorus: 'He did the monster mash. ... It was a graveyard smash.'"

Edgar Winners

And the winners are:

It gives us great pleasure to announce the winners of the 2007 Edgar® Awards (for books, short stories, TV episodes, etc.) published or produced in 2006.

BEST NOVEL

The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR

The Faithful Spy by Alex Berenson (Random House)

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

Snakeskin Shamisen by Naomi Hirahara (Bantam Dell Publishing – Delta Books)

BEST FACT CRIME

Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson
(HarperCollins – William Morrow)

BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL

The Science of Sherlock Holmes: From Baskerville Hall to the Valley of Fear
by E.J. Wagner (John Wiley & Sons)

BEST SHORT STORY

"The Home Front" – Death Do Us Part by Charles Ardai
(Hachette Book Group – Little, Brown and Company)

BEST JUVENILE

Room One: A Mystery or Two by Andrew Clements (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)

BEST YOUNG ADULT

Buried by Robin Merrow MacCready (Penguin YR – Dutton Children's Books)

BEST PLAY

Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure by Steven Dietz (Arizona Theatre Company)

BEST TELEVISION EPISODE TELEPLAY

Life on Mars – Episode 1, Teleplay by Matthew Graham (BBC America)

BEST TELEVISION FEATURE/MINI-SERIES TELEPLAY

The Wire, Season 4, Teleplays by Ed Burns, Kia Corthron, Dennis Lehane, David Mills, Eric Overmyer, George Pelecanos, Richard Price, David Simon & William F. Zorzi (Home Box Office)

BEST MOTION PICTURE SCREENPLAY

The Departed, Screenplay by William Monahan (Warner Bros. Pictures)

My Fifteen Minutes are Over

In brief, Charles Ardai won the Edgar for best short story, but it was an honor just to be nominated.

Thanks to all for your support!

Today's Walk

We toddled off to the Empire State Building this morning. We'd been up to the deck before, so we didn't to that, but we wanted to drop by and go inside the building. On the way back we saw the Pierpont Morgan Library, but only from the outside. We also went back to the Chrysler Building just for fun.

This afternoon I'll go to the EQMM/AHMM party and then the MWA reception for the Edgar nominees. And finally the banquet. I think my Internet subscription expires before the banquet's over, so I won't be letting you know whether I won or lost for best short story. I truly don't expect to win, but since I was told that there were over 500 stories in the category, it really is an honor just to be nominated. Not that anybody's going to remember beyond the weekend, anyway.

Tomorrow we'll be heading home. It's about time. The cats are probably missing us.

Grand Central & the Chrysler Building

Judy at the Empire State Building

Today's Tour

We mostly rested today. However, since the hotel is joined to Grand Central Station, we decided we'd like to explore it a little more than we had time to do with Jeff and Jackie. We didn't know until later that many trains were delayed today because of an accident, so we were surprised to find that the terminal wasn't very crowded.

This suited our purposes perfectly because we wanted to test out the acoustics near the Oyster Bar restaurant. Walter Satterthwait had told me that because of the construction of the ceiling spanning the hallway in front of the restaurant that it was possible to stand on one side of the hall, speak in a quiet to normal voice, and be heard perfectly by a person standing on the other side. We tried it out, and, sure enough, Walter wasn't kidding. Judy was amazed. (The photo is of Judy in the main terminal, not near the Oyster Bar.)

It took me two days (I'm quick on the uptake) to realize that the Chrysler Building was across the street from our hotel. Since that's one of my favorite buildings, we went across to have a look. The entrances are great, and so is the lobby. So are the elevator doors and lobby ceiling. That's the only part of the building that's open to the public, but I really enjoyed seeing it.

Late this afternoon I went to the MWA reception. The hotel is on 42nd Street, and the reception was on 59th. I asked the concierge how to get there. "You can walk it easily," she said. "Ten minutes." So I took off, in a light drizzle. I had an umbrella and felt like a native. But I need to find that concierge and say, "Liar, liar, pants on fire." I'm a good walker, but no way could I cover 17 blocks in 10 minutes. Of course the traffic lights may have had something to do with that. And the crowds. I did get there, though, and I got back, too, so all's well that ends well.

The Apollo

Judy at the Chrysler Building

Discovering New Mysteries

At the International Mystery Writers' Festival: Kentucky resident Gary Sandy may be most well-known for his role as Andy Travis, the handsome WKRP in Cincinnati Program Director, but his true love for the theatre is no longer a mystery!

Following Sandy's years on the CBS sitcom, he made numerous TV guest appearances in Murder She Wrote, F.B.I. the Untold Story, L.A. Law, and Diagnosis Murder. But, his true passion has come from his more than 70 theatrical productions, including Milo Tindle in Sleuth, Mortimer in the Broadway revival of Arsenic and Old Lace, the Pirate King in the Broadway production of The Pirates of Penzance and Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire.

The International Mystery Writers' Festival is pleased to have Kentucky's Gary Sandy joining the cast for Ed McBain's Final Curtain to play in the main theatre, Cannon Hall at RiverPark Center, during the week of the festival.

Long Day

We've been sightseeing again. Today we went on the harbor cruise and took in the UN. Among many other things. What with yesterday and today, we've seen most of Manhattan. Now there are only four more boroughs to go.

Jackie and Judy at the Library

On-Line at Last

Okay, after a mere 20 minutes or so with the T-mobile help line, I've managed to get the wireless network beamed to my computer. Nothing is ever easy when it comes to me and computers. Probably everybody in the U.S. could come to the Grand Hyatt and get on the network instantly. Not me. But all seems to be working fine now. Life is good.

The Naked City

We just got back from our whirlwind walking tour of a small portion of NYC. Are there 8 million stories in the naked city? I think there must be even more. There must have been 8 million people on the streets today, at least.

We saw, among other things, Grand Central Station, the Flatiron Building (where we paid a surprise visit to Ruth Cavin, my editor at St. Martin's), Washington Square, a bit of Greenwich Village, Ground Zero, St. Paul's Church, and Chinatown.

Without Jeff and Jackie Meyerson as our indefatigable guides, we'd never have seen 1/10 of that, much less survived the subway at rush hour. Thanks, Jeff and Jackie!

The Internet

Now they tell me that I can get an "Internet kit" at the front desk that will allow me to have wireless access. I have my doubts, but I'll check into that tomorro evening. Right now I'm pounding away on this keyboard that might or might not produce a letter or space. I figure it works about 75% of the time or so.

The weather looks great today, and we're meeting the Meyersons soon.

So Here We Are

We're in the Grand Hyatt right next to Grand Central Station, paying an ungodly sum for a night's stay. And guess what. The only Internet access is through the TV set with a keyboard that's almost as sensitive as an anvil. And it costs extra. In a La Quinta you get free wireless. Here in the Big Apple you're sort of back in the dark ages. Sad, when you think about it.

The good news is that we're very happy with our flight on JetBlue. Very comfortable seat, lots more legroom than on any flight we've taken lately, and even satellite TV at every seat.

This Internet deal really sucks, though.

Gator Update

Alligator found basking in Huntington Village - Newsday.com: "All spring's harbingers were on display on Saturday afternoon -- gorgeous blue skies, budding flowers, birds fluttering through the trees, an alligator sunbathing by a Huntington Village pond.

Wait a minute.

'Generally speaking,' said Roy Gross, chief of the Suffolk County SPCA, 'alligators are not found in ponds in Long Island.'

Yet there it was -- 30-inches long, toothy and leathery green with yellow stripes -- sitting on the side of Pauldings Pond, a small pool of golden reeds at the intersection of Southdown Road and Tanyard Lane.

To be exact, it was an American alligator, 3 years old, gender unknown, native to the South and illegal in New York State, Gross said."

Traveling

As I get older, I like traveling less and less. My father, by the time he'd reached this age, had a firm rule: he never went anywhere that would require an overnight stay. I'm getting more like him every day. In fact, I'm perfectly happy right here in this little room where I'm sitting in front of my computer, surrounded by books. Why should I go anywhere?

Nevertheless, Judy and I are leaving today for New York City, where we'll be until next Friday. We'll see what we can see, and I'll probably have time to do a few little reports about our trip for the blog. Tomorrow, Jackie and Jeff Meyerson (a frequent commenter here) will be showing us around town a little, for which we're grateful. On our own, we're totally lost. We're such yokels that we can barely find our way around a hotel, much less a place like NYC.

After we get home next Friday, I have to go to Gonzales, Texas, for a book signing the very next day. It's about a three-hour drive, so I'll be able to come back home that evening. That's good. Anyway, if any of you happen to be in Gonzales next Saturday, stop by and say "hey."

The following Wednesday we have to drive up to Judy's hometown and take Judy's mother to the doctor in Waco. I'll have to stay overnight, but I can manage that.

Then on May 6 we're going to Galveston for a show by Bernadette Peters at the Grand Opera House. After that, maybe things will settle down a bit. I sure hope so.

Baseball Card of the Day

Hmmmmmm

Thanks to John Duke for the tip.

KATV Channel 7 - Bentonville Man Files Suit Over Library Book: "Bentonville (AP) - A Bentonville man is seeking $20,000 from the city after his two teenage sons found a book on lesbian sex on a library bookshelf.

Earl Adams says his sons were 'greatly disturbed' after finding the book, titled 'The Whole Lesbian Sex Book.'

Adams says the book caused, 'many sleepless nights in our house.' "

It Was Twice Twenty Years Ago Today

It Was 40 Years Ago Today|PARADE Magazine: "This week marks the 40th anniversary of the Beatles’ completion of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, a tour de force that elevated the rock album to art form and taught generations of bands to play.

The 13 tracks on Sgt. Pepper’s were conceived in a magical span of 700 hours over five months. The Beatles began recording on Dec. 6, 1966, and finished the album on April 21, 1967, when they created the final track, an avant-garde seconds-long pastiche of sounds—including a high-pitched tone inaudible to humans put there solely to annoy your dog—that was later dubbed “Inner Groove” for its bizarre placement within the concentric circles of the LP."

Clea's Moon -- Edward Wright

It's L.A. in the late 1940s. At one time John Ray Horn starred in B westerns. That was before he went to prison for assault. Now he collects debts for Joseph Mad Crow, formerly his faithful Indian sidekick. An old friend calls John Ray about a problem he'd like some help with, but he dies in an apparent suicide before John Ray can really get a handle on things. Naturally John Ray suspects murder (and of course he's right). This leads him to discover, among other things, a box of pornographic photos of young girls, one of whom just happens to be the daughter of Horn's ex-wife. There are real estate scandals, buried secrets, and great post-war period details. David Thompson at Murder by the Book recommended this one to me, and I'm glad he did. I've already bought the sequel. Check it out.

April 21 -- San Jacinto Day

The final battle of the Texas Revolution took place on this day in 1836. Read all about the battle here. Read about the monument and museum here.

Happy Birthday "The Murders in the Rue Morgue"!

The Writer's Almanac from American Public Media: "Today is the anniversary of the birth of detective fiction. It was on this day in 1841 that Edgar Allan Poe (books by this author) published his short story 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue.' It's the story of the brilliant amateur detective Auguste Dupin and how he solves the crime of two murders that turn out to have been committed by an orangutan. It was the first story to feature a detective solving a crime, and it would spark the entire genre of detective fiction, one of the most popular fiction genres in the history of English literature."

Spare Me

Variety.com - Schulman pumps up Mandalay: "A highlight of the Mandalay Pictures’ slate at Universal is the remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds,” scheduled to be in production by early fall.

“We think we have a very contemporary take,” Schulman said. “In the original, the birds just showed up, and it was kind of like, why are the birds here? This time, there’s a reason why they’re here and (people) have had something to do with it. There’s an environmental slant to what could create nature fighting back.”"

What is Bill Crider Reading?

Marshal Zeringue does a lot of blogs for The Campaign for the American Reader. One of them is Writers Read, and today both of those blogs feature a famous writer that you all know and love. You should check them out. And while you're at it you might click on some of the other CftAR blogs, like the Page 69 Test, the Page 99 Test, and My Book, the Movie, and Lit Lists. They're all well worth checking out.

Croc Update

Crocodile removed from endangered species list - Nightly News with Brian Williams - MSNBC.com: "HOMESTEAD, Fla. - For wildlife officials, today is an important milestone and a sign of success. After three decades, the American crocodile goes off the federal endangered species list. It happened because science, government and industry agreed to protect a prehistoric animal that was about to go away.

The ancient predator had become a victim of development, habitat loss and hunting.

'We're doing something good, and they are responding,' Joe Wasilewski, a wildlife biologist, says."

I Hope Rick Riordan Is Checking into This for The Lightning Thief

As for me, I'm designing the Sheriff Dan Rhodes theme park. (Thanks to Brent McKee for the link.)

Harry Potter - the theme park - Entertainment - smh.com.au: "Universal Studios, which runs a string of theme parks, is rumoured to be planning one on a Harry Potter theme.

Harry Potter World will be in the US theme-park capital, Orlando, Florida, according to a report by Bang! Showbiz. It will feature rides based on events in the blockbuster children's' series by British author JK Rowling.

Neither the official Harry Potter website, hosted by Warner Bros, or the rumour section of JK Rowling's personal website so far contain any reference to the plan.

The final book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is due in July, and the film's lead characters are already signed up for the movie version."

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Thanks to Jeff "Not an Ass" Meyerson for the link.

iWon News - Donkey Becomes Witness in Dallas Dispute: "The first witness in a lawsuit Wednesday between two neighbors was a real ass. Buddy the donkey walked to the bench and stared at the jury, the picture of a gentle, well-mannered creature and not the loud, aggressive animal he had been accused of being.

The donkey was at the center of a dispute between oilman John Cantrell and attorney Gregory Shamoun that began after Cantrell complained about a storage shed Shamoun was building in his backyard in Dallas."

Bad Thoughts -- Dave Zeltserman

This is a genre-bending book, the likes of which might have found a home with a different publisher at one time. Now we can just be grateful that Five Star is willing to take a chance on something that's a bit different from what you'll usually find on the shelves.

Billy Shannon is a cop with an unusual background. When he was a kid, he returned home to find his mother being murdered. His part in what happened after that is left vague until later in the novel, so I won't reveal it here. However, I'll go ahead and say that she's found killed in an odd and distinctive way and that twenty years later similar murders have occurred. Shannon becomes a prime suspect. Even his partner thinks he's guilty.

And it's at this point that the genre gets bent. After that, it's a wild ride. I was reminded a little of Blood Dreams, a novel by the late Jack MacLane, published by Zebra just after the era of the knives-in-fresh-fruit covers. Joe Lansdale's Act of Love had one of those covers, come to think of it. Zeltserman's book would rest comfortably on the shelf beside them. If you're looking for a hardboiled anybody-can-die-at-any-time book that's a change of pace from the usual, look no further. Just check this one out when it appears in July.

Chris Columbus to Direct The Lightning Thief

Looks like Rick Riordan is about to get extremely rich. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. (Hat tip to Lee Goldberg for the link.)

IGN: Columbus Catches Lightning: "Harry Potter veteran Chris Columbus is looking to direct and produce The Lightning Thief for Fox 2000. The pic is based on the fantasy book series by Rick Riordan, specifically the first entry, Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, 'Thief centers on a young boy who discovers that he is the descendant of a Greek god and sets out -- with the help of a satyr and a daughter of Athena -- on a dangerous adventure to settle an ongoing battle between the gods. Along the way, he faces a host of mythological enemies determined to stop him. He also must come to terms with a father he has never known and an oracle that has warned him of betrayal by a friend.'

Variety adds that Columbus' shingle 1492 Pictures is producing along with Maverick, while THR says that no screenwriter has been tapped yet to adapt the book."

This Should Mean a New Edition

Thanks to Vince Keenan for the link.

Wood to produce 'Black Wings': "Elijah Wood is making his first foray into producing, teaming with Anthony Moody and Rob Malkani's Indalo Prods. to bring to the big screen an adaptation of Elliott Chaze's legendary noir novel 'Black Wings Has My Angel.'

The script is being penned by Barry Gifford ('Wild at Heart,' 'Lost Highway') and writer-producer-director Christopher Peditto.

Chaze was a newspaperman and columnist in Mississippi who wrote books on the side. 'Angel,' published in 1953, is considered one of the shining lights of the Fawcett Gold Medal paperback line and a pulp classic. "

Ar-r-r-r-r-r, Me Hearties!

the futon critic - the web's best primetime television resource

PIRATE MASTER, the next epic adventure reality series from Emmy Award-winning producer Mark Burnett, will premiere Thursday, May 31 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.

PIRATE MASTER will send 16 modern-day pirates on a high seas adventure where they will live as buccaneers and travel around the Caribbean island of Dominica in search of hidden treasure that will total $1 million. Over the course of 33 days, these pirates will live aboard a massive 179 foot, square-rigged barque which carries 12,500 square feet of sail.

Each week, the pirates will embark on extraordinary expeditions where they will decipher clues along the way in search of missing treasure. Gold coins -- real money which the pirates may take with them beyond the show -- will be awarded after each expedition, but only to some. The gold will play a key role as pirates strike deals with each other or plead for long-term security. In addition to claiming the lion's share of the week's riches, one pirate will become the captain of the ship and will assign roles and chores to the remaining crew members, setting the tone for either law and order or betrayal and sabotage, which could lead to mutiny by the crew.

Each episode will conclude on the ship at Pirate's Court, a lively gathering of public speaking and judgment where one individual will be eliminated and "cut adrift." In the end, one will be the first to find the largest booty, worth $500,000, and claim the title of "Pirate Master."

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Kitty Carlisle, R. I. P.

TV Week: Kitty Carlisle Hart Dies at 96

By Tom Gilbert

Kitty Carlisle Hart, actress and panelist on the long-running CBS game show "To Tell the Truth," died at her home in New York Tuesday from heart failure. She was 96.
Story continues below...

Ms. Hart, known professionally as Kitty Carlisle, was the widow of legendary Broadway theater playwright and director Moss Hart, to whom she was married from 1946 until his death in 1961.

She made her Broadway debut in "Rio Rita" in 1932, and her first motion picture was "Murder at the Vanities" in 1934. The following year she appeared with the Marx Bros. in "A Night at the Opera," in which she sang. After her movie career failed to ignite, she returned to the New York stage.

After a regular spot on the failed Goodson-Todman game show "What's Going On?" in 1954, Ms. Hart hit her stride as a regular panelist on the company's "To Tell the Truth," which launched on CBS in 1956 and ran until 1968. It was during that time that she became known as a television personality and a household name.

Thanks to Todd Mason for the link.

Review of the New Tolkien Novel

The Lost Tolkien Novel | TIME: "There are two kinds of Tolkien fans. There are the day trippers, the weekend warriors, who've read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and seen the movies and let it go at that. Then there are the hardcore — the Uruk-hai of Tolkien readers — who have delved further, into The Silmarillion and beyond, who seriously grok the deep history and elaborate geography and endless mystical genealogies of Middle Earth. Now there's a 'new' work of Tolkien fiction called The Children of H�rin, cobbled together by Christopher Tolkien, son of J.R.R., out of manuscripts left behind by his dad. As it happens, it's got something for both of the Tolkien tribes."

Why So Many Novels Never Get Filmed

I have many that have never even been optioned. For a bonus, at the end of the article there's a list of the five best and five worst screen adaptations. Thanks to Gerard Saylor for the link.

Why so many novels never make it to the big screen - Independent Online Edition > Features: "The cinemas are full of turkeys yet that brilliant novel you read three years ago has never been made into a film. Danuta Kean descends into development hell and finds out why so many authors get trapped there."

Indiana Jones Update

Moviehole.net - Indiana Jones star nixed from fourth film: "One of the series’ most popular characters, Indy’s hefty subordinate Sallah, played by John Rhys-Davies, will not be back for 'Indiana Jones 4' (or 'Indiana Jones and the City of Gods'; as some online casting agencies have it listed)."

Life Is Tough when you Have a Big, er, Chest

Parents still fuming about prom dress protocol: "Three days after about 25 girls from a Marrero high school were turned away from their senior prom because adult chaperones said their dresses violated the Jefferson Parish public school system's policy, district officials are trying to soothe the uproar and said Monday there's a chance the system might review its rules governing attire.

In an episode that has garnered national media attention, most of the girls were turned away because of an excessive display of cleavage, though the policy also bans clothing that is 'tight-fitting' or 'see-through.'

School system spokesman Jeff Nowakowski said L.W. Higgins High School Principal Germain Gilson is inviting upset parents to meet with her individually to discuss the incident, which occurred Friday night at the Magnolia Plantation dance hall at Elmwood Park.

With nine more proms scheduled in the coming weeks, the school system might consider revising its vaguely worded dress code policy, which officials have used in defending the school system's actions, Nowakowski said. The policy states that 'a student will not wear clothing that exposes the student's back, chest or midriff.'

'I'm sure the system would consider looking at better-defining that area,' he said, referring to the 'chest' part of the policy."

Ali Karim Meets Dean Koontz

Sort of. And he checks out the LongPen. Read all about it right here.

Barbarella Remake Update

Barbarella Kate Beckinsale - Showbiz News - Life Style Extra: "LIFE STYLE EXTRA (UK) - Kate Beckinsale is set to star in a remake of 'Barbarella'.

Movie bosses think the British actress is a perfect choice to play the cult 60s heroine - a role made famous by Jane Fonda in the original 1968 erotic space adventure.

A source told Britain's Daily Express newspaper: 'Jane Fonda made the 'Barbarella' role very much her own all those years ago and she is bound to be a tough act to follow.

'But the feeling is that Kate has just the right combination of beauty, humour and acting talent for the part.'"

Rolling Stone’s Top 25 Songs With a Secret

Rolling Stone Rock and Roll Daily � Blog Archive � Rolling Stone’s Top 25 Songs With a Secret: "Still, after much careful consideration, we’ve come up with our official list of rock’s top 25 Songs With a Secret. These are tracks the meanings of which have inspired lots of debate. Let the debate continue!"

I think they have the name of the Cyndi Lauper song spelled wrong, though the title they have is a good one.

Will the Persecution Never End?

Evidently not.

In Texas We See Signs that Say "Serving the Public Since 1982"

The End of a 1,400-Year-Old Business: "The world's oldest continuously operating family business ended its impressive run last year. Japanese temple builder Kongo Gumi, in operation under the founders' descendants since 578, succumbed to excess debt and an unfavorable business climate in 2006.

How do you make a family business last for 14 centuries? Kongo Gumi's case suggests that it's a good idea to operate in a stable industry. Few industries could be less flighty than Buddhist temple construction. The belief system has survived for thousands of years and has many millions of adherents. With this firm foundation, Kongo had survived some tumultuous times, notably the 19th century Meiji restoration when it lost government subsidies and began building commercial buildings for the first time."

Pulppusher

New e-zine now on-line. A great line up, so be sure to check it out.

Pulppusher.com: "THE PUSHER GIVES IT to you with Both Barrels in issue one . . . Ken Bruen undergoes some Cross-examination. Allan Guthrie's Hard Man goes to the mat. And some criminally good writing from Ray Banks, Cathi Unsworth and Thug Lit regular, JD Smith. What's that, you want more? Forget about it, hey, with a line up like this, we're all gonna be doing time . . . with The Pusher."

The Watchman -- Robert Crais

I've enjoyed the novels in Robert Crais's Elvis Cole series, beginning with The Monkey's Raincoat, which I bought in paperback when it first appeared. (That turned out to be a better investment than I'd have guessed.) A fixture throughout the series has been Joe Pike, the guy Cole can turn to when the going gets rough. Pike has been an enigmatic figure, but now Crais has devoted a book to him, and that gives Crais a chance to let us know a lot more about Pike's history. He's still enigmatic, but a little more human.

Because he promised a favor, Pike finds himself trying to prevent the murder of a young woman who witnessed a traffic accident. Or that's what he thinks he's doing. Things get complicated in ways that I'd better not mention. Pike has to kill a lot of people, and in a nice turnabout he calls in Elvis Cole for back-up support and other kinds of help. As usual they make a good team, and they start to find out a lot of things that other people would like to keep hidden.

One of the villains of the piece is too easy to spot, and the plot is so convoluted that I'm still not sure I have it all figured out, but the pacing is admirable, and it's always fun to see Pike and Cole in action. Getting Pike's backstory is the bonus. Check it out.

Another Day, Another Remake

IESB.net - Independent Entertainment News - Kasden To Pen Clash of the Titans Remake!: "'Screenwriting hero Lawrence Kasdan has been tapped to pen 'Clash of the Titans' for Warner Bros. Pictures. Basil Iwanyk is producing via Thunder Road.

A remake of the 1981 cult classic, the story revolves around Zeus' son, Perseus, and his journey to save Princess Andromeda during which he must complete various tasks set out by Zeus, including capturing Pegasus and slaying Medusa. The original marked the final film on which Ray Harryhausen did special effects."

Monkeying with the Keyboard

Classic monkey business - Opinion: views on the news on Stuff.co.nz

WORLD OF SCIENCE - BOB BROCKIE
They say that given a hundred typewriters and enough time, a hundred monkeys will write Shakespeare's complete works.

To test this idea, a team at the University of Plymouth, England, got a (PndStlg)2000 grant from the British Arts Council, shut six Sulawesi crested macaque monkeys with a computer keyboard in an enclosure at a Devon zoo for a month, and filmed what happened.

The alpha male bashed hell out of the computer with a stone and the other monkeys did little else but urinate and defecate on the keyboard. Nevertheless, the monkeys did produce the equivalent of five pages of type with a predilection for the letter S. One researcher said that proved the monkeys were not hitting the keyboard at random, so were part of the way towards literacy. Defending the expenditure, a lecturer said the filmed experiment made very stimulating and fascinating viewing and was cheaper to produce than reality TV, but there was no sign of Shakespeare.

These typing monkeys were the brainchild of French mathematician Emile Borel back in 1909. He introduced us to dactylographic monkeys in his book Statistical Mechanics and Irreversibility. Borel thought the monkeys would help readers envisage the unfeasible improbability of certain physical events, such as the random movement of all the air molecules to one end of a room. You can safely bet that the monkeys are unlikely to write Hamlet. You can similarly bet that air molecules will remain evenly spread through a room and not all move to one end by chance.

In 2003 a more realistic experiment was started called The Monkey Shakespeare Simulator. The programme simulates a vast number of monkeys typing at random to see how long it will take them to produce a Shakespeare play.

To date, the cyber monkeys have not done very well. It has taken them the equivalent of 2,737,850 million billion billion billion years to produce a phrase from Henry IV, Part 2: RUMOUR. Open your ears . .

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Anna Nicole Smith Update

Thanks to Jeff "I'm Still Not Bidding Meyerson" for the link.

Entertainment News- Buyers for Anna Nicole Diaries Scared Away - AOL News: "DALLAS (April 15) - Two diaries written by Anna Nicole Smith in the early 1990s failed to sell at an auction this weekend, but are now available for a minimum bid of $25,000 each, the auction house said Sunday. "

This Is Just . . . Wrong

Daily Express: The World's Greatest Newspaper :: News / Showbiz :: Sienna looks perfect for �55m Barbarella role: "BARBARELLA producers think Sienna is perfect for the �55million update of the 1968 fantasy classic, which turned Jane Fonda into a sex symbol and film icon.

“Sienna is at the top of our wish list and discussions are under way,” revealed a source close to the film’s makers. “Not only is she gorgeous but she is a modern, sassy girl with just the right image. Like the young Jane Fonda she combines sex appeal and acting ability.”

Angelina Jolie has also been considered for the role but her high asking price – nearly �10million – is said to make her casting unlikely."

Jackie Robinson Got This Guy's Job

As Jackie Robinson made history, Texan became a footnote | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "In venues great and small Sunday, Major League Baseball will celebrate a seminal event in the history of the sport and a significant milestone in 20th-century America — the day 60 years ago that Jackie Robinson became the first black player in modern-day big league baseball.

Jackie Robinson Day's central event will take place in Los Angeles, where Robinson's widow will be on hand to see each member of the Dodgers wear Robinson's No. 42 as they take the field against the San Diego Padres.

Houston will host a smaller event — a youth baseball clinic at Memorial Park's Andy Anderson Field, sponsored by Major League Baseball's alumni association.

One of the senior members among the former players on hand will be Ed Stevens, 82, who keeps a copy of the box score from Robinson's first game on the office wall of his southwest Houston home, alongside a picture of himself with Robinson and some of their Brooklyn Dodgers teammates that year.

Stevens spent 29 years as a scout, so he enjoys working with young talent. He has another reason, though, to remember the events of April 15, 1947.

It was the day Jackie Robinson took his job."

The Hoff! Marjoe!! Robots!!! Lightsabers!!!! Caroline Munro!!!!!

Link via Neatorama.

Arm-Biting Croc Update

Taipei Times - archives

The crocodile that bit off a vet's forearm at Kaohsiung's Shoushan Zoo on Wednesday had another surprise for authorities on Friday.

As well as not being tranquilized when the vet tried to treat it and surviving being shot after reports said it had been killed, it now turns out that the reptile belongs to a different species of crocodile than was originally believed.

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Harry Potter Update

Last Harry Potter book breaks record - New Zealand's source for entertainment news, gossip & music, movie & book reviews on Stuff.co.nz: "LOS ANGELES: He is not expected to ride his flying broomstick into bookstores for 100 more days, but already boy wizard Harry Potter is whipping up some magic at bookstore chain Barnes & Noble.

Barnes & Noble said advance orders for author JK Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows have topped 500,000 copies, breaking the bookseller chain's record for the most advance requests in its history."

Archie Comics Update

Macon.com | 04/12/2007 | New art, serialized plot startle fans of Archie Comics

You don't tug on Superman's cape, you don't spit into the wind -- and apparently you don't mess with Archie Andrews and the gang.

In December, Archie Comics announced that a new "dynamic art style" was coming for its classic characters.

Fans were not pleased, managing editor Victor Gorelick says. "Most of the readers were `How can you give them this new look?'" Gorelick said. "'I've read Archie all my life and now you're changing him.'"

But the largely negative reaction stemmed from a misunderstanding, Gorelick said in a phone interview from Archie Comics' offices in Mamaroneck, N.Y.

"People thought we were going to change the entire line, which wasn't so," he said. The change, coming in May's "Betty & Veronica Double Digest" No. 151, applies only to a four-part story running in that title.

While Gorelick doesn't rule out the new look eventually showing up elsewhere, there is no plan for sweeping changes in the classic Archie look set by artist Dan DeCarlo more than 40 years ago.

The story in "Betty & Veronica Double Digest" finds Veronica smitten with a new guy in town. "He's kind of a tough guy, rides a motorcycle, a bit of a rebel," Gorelick said.

The serialized story -- a change from Archie's usual short reads -- and the accompanying new art style are meant to attract a slightly older readership, Gorelick said.

See original post here.

The Adventures of Don Juan

Errol Flynn was a notorious Don Juan, so it must have seemed only natural to cast him in that role. I’m glad someone decided to do it because this movie’s right up there with The Adventures of Robin Hood. Not quite as good, but certainly close enough, filmed in glorious Technicolor, with great costumes and a fine cast, including Alan Hale as the sidekick, Viveca Linfors as the queen of Spain, Robert Douglas as a villainous duke, Jerry Austin as the King’s dwarf, and Raymond Burr (one of his early roles) as a minor villain.

Flynn plays the lead with a panache unmatched in swashbucklers of the era (I’m a fan of both Stewart Granger and Burt Lancaster’s work as well), and though he was already looking somewhat too old for the part at 38, if any man was born to play Don Juan, it must have been Flynn. It’s not hard to imagine that Flynn used some of Juan’s lines for his own conquests. Flynn can deliver those lines and make them believable, and he can be quite witty when the occasion calls for it. He might not have been a great dramatic actor, but in this kind of role he excelled.

There’s a lot of humor throughout the film, but for my money the opening scene is the best. The bit with the grouse is hilarious. And the action scenes are clear and easy to follow. None of that MTV quick-cutting that (for me) ruins so many current action thrillers. The fencing is athletic and exciting, especially the climactic duel on a wonderful staircase. There’s a leap that only one man in Hollywood could have done, or so the commentary track tells us. They called in Jock Mahoney, and he pulled it off.

I have a powerful personal connection to The Adventures of Don Juan. When I was seven or eight years old, I visited my aunt in San Antonio, Texas. She took me to the drive-in to see this movie. Even at that age, I was under the spell of the movies, and San Antonio holds some wonderful memories for me. On other trips, my aunt took me to the Aztec Theater and to the Josephine (where we saw Kon Tiki). But I digress. When we went to see The Adventures of Don Juan, I had a fever, a fact I concealed from my aunt. She found out, however, and we left right after the opening scene, which was burned into my memory. I’ve never forgotten it, and I was thrilled when I finally got to see the rest of the movie years later. I was thrilled again by this newly remastered version on DVD. Check it out.

Update. Harry Whittington scholar David Laurence Wilson has provided the following information:

Yes, that absolutely was Jock Mahoney doubling for Flynn.
Mahoney didn't spend much time at the trade, moving on to
acting, but he was well respected by the pros.  At the
time the studio was having trouble finding someone to
make the jump.  Production was held up for three days.
Flynn's regular doubles, Don Turner and Saul Gorss,
weren't up to the jump and Mahoney, who had set records
as a long jumper, was suggested.  He was working at
Columbia, where he'd been doubling and playing parts
on the Durango Kid series.  He was allowed over to Warner
Brothers during his lunch hour.

It was a great stunt, a featured stunt, but the hardest
part, according to stuntman Paul Baxley, was to be the
man on the bottom.  Baxley saw the stunt close up ..
he was doubling the villain, Robert Douglas.

"I'd watch these guys come in and try it and I'd wince,"
Baxley recalled. "I wasn't going to let them dive on me.
They might have killed me.

"It wasn't dangerous but it was really a very spectacular
physical feat," Baxley said.  "Most guys would try to do
a jump like that upright.  Jock realized that he had to go
head first, in a dive to keep his feet up.  When he hit me
I didn't even feel it.  He was like a bird, he was that
good.  The funny part is that I made more money on it
than he did.  He said he'd do it for $350.  I said, 'I
don't care what he gets, I want $50O.  Get somebody
else if you don't want me!"

Barry Nelson, R. I. P.

San Jose Mercury News - Actor Barry Nelson, first on-screen James Bond, dies at 89

LOS ANGELES- Barry Nelson, an MGM contract player during the 1940s who later had a prolific theater career and was the first actor to play James Bond on screen, has died. He was 89.

Nelson died on April 7 while traveling in Bucks County, Pa., his wife, Nansi Nelson, said Friday. The cause of death was not immediately known, she said.

After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1941, Nelson was spotted by a talent scout and signed to MGM. He appeared in a number of films for the studio in 1942, including "Shadow of the Thin Man," "Johnny Eager" and "Dr. Kildare's Victory." He also landed the leading role in "A Yank on the Burma Road," playing a cab driver who decides to lead a convoy of trucks for the Chinese government.

Nelson entered the Army during World War II and went on the road with other actors performing the wartime play "Winged Victory," which was later made into a movie starring Red Buttons, George Reeves and Nelson.

After the war, Nelson starred in a string of movies, including "Undercover Maisie," "Time to Kill" and "Tenth Avenue Angel."

He is the answer to the trivia question: Who was the first actor to play James Bond? Before Sean Connery was tapped to play the British agent on the big screen in 1962's "Dr. No," Nelson played Bond in a one-hour TV adaptation of "Casino Royale" in 1954.

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My Generation. And Stay off my Damn Lawn!

No Thanks

I'm not hungry.

Gator Caption Competition

See it here.

Hard Man -- Allan Guthrie

Because Duane Swierczynski has declared this Allan Guthrie Week, I thought I might as well go ahead and say a few words about Hard Man. I was going to wait until closer to the street date, but what the heck. You can pre-order it now, which might be a smart move. I predict that a lot of people will be talking about the book even before it's published.

I'd call it blue-collar noir. The Baxter family is looking for a bit of help, as the men (father and two sons) don't feel they can protect the only woman, May, from her brutal husband. So they try to hire Pearce (readers of earlier Guthrie novels will have met him before) as a bodyguard. Pearce isn't interested, so they try to persuade him by devious means involving his cute little dog.

Yes, there's a cute dog. But Guthrie doesn't play the cute card like anybody else might. Trust me on this.

It won't surprise you to learn that things don't go well for Pearce, or for anybody else. Especially one guy, who's subjected to . . . , well, I'm not even going to tell you except to say that the word macabre applies. You might want to put the book down and stop reading, but you won't be able to. Or I wasn't.

And did I mention that the book is funny? You may hate yourself for laughing, or you might look back in horror at what you laughed at, but I suspect you'll still find it funny. Or maybe it's just me.

This is one of those books that makes you wonder what the writer will come up with next. Check it out.

But Will There Be a Role for Cameron Diaz?

Original Charlie's Angels To Reteam For New Film? - Starpulse News Blog: "The original Charlie's Angels are considering reprising their beloved TV characters for an ambitious new movie. Cancer survivor Farrah Fawcett, Jaclyn Smith and Kate Jackson have been approached to revisit the crime-busting characters they played on TV in the 1970s.

Smith reveals, 'There's been talk of all of us coming back and doing a movie together... If the script was right and we had it all worked out it'd be fun. It's sometimes hard to revisit the past but, if you do it in the proper way, it's OK.'"

Not Quite the Last Picture Show

But close. Photo at link.

SHARE YOUR STORY: San Antonio's Last Drive-In Shut Down for Good? | WOAI.COM: San Antonio News: "A drive-in movie theater, one of the last in the state, could now be shut down for good, News 4 WOAI learned Monday.

The Mission Drive-In was supposed to reopen for Spring Break, but vandalism forced owners to keep it closed. The theater has been open for nearly 50 years, and it is the last outdoor theater in San Antonio.

The drive-in closes every winter, and neighbors told News 4 WOAI vandalism there is not uncommon. But, this winter, it got worse, and the owners said it may be too expensive to repair."

Kurt Vonnegut, R. I. P.

Some people will remember that Vonnegut was, among other things, a Gold Medal author. Not as much read now as he was 40 years ago, but his works still resonate with me. There's a nice tribute in Salon.

Kurt Vonnegut: 1922 ~ 2007
Author's dark humor captivated generations | Chicago Tribune: "Kurt Vonnegut, whose dark comic talent and urgent moral vision in novels like 'Slaughterhouse-Five,' 'Cat's Cradle' and 'God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater' caught the temper of his times and the imagination of a generation, died Wednesday night in New York City. He was 84.

His death was reported by Morgan Entrekin, a longtime family friend, who said Vonnegut suffered brain injuries as a result of a fall several weeks ago.

Vonnegut wrote plays, essays and short fiction. But it was his novels that became classics of the American counterculture, making him a literary idol, particularly to students in the 1960s and '70s.

Like Mark Twain, Vonnegut used humor to tackle the basic questions of human existence: Why are we in this world? Is there a presiding figure to make sense of all this, a god who in the end, despite making people suffer, wishes them well?"

Texas Has a Doo-Wop Group

They're the Moonlites. Check out their site and listen to a couple of their acappella tunes. Great stuff.

So I'm Blogging This. I Can't Help Myself

Blame Jeff Meyerson, who sent me the link.

Paris Hilton, Richie give enemas on Simple Life | Entertainment | Reuters: "TV celebutantes Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie won't answer questions about their checkered driving records, or Richie's recent dizzy spells, or the origins of their highly publicized feud.

But they are more than happy to talk about a certain rectal ministration they performed on participants at a 'wellness camp' overseen by fitness guru Susan Powter for an upcoming episode of their reality show, 'The Simple Life.'

'We gave the campers enemas,' Richie told Reuters on Monday in a brief interview given by the pampered pair to promote their show, which returns for a fifth edition May 28 on the cable network E! Entertainment Television."

Happy Birthday, Johnny Sheffield!

Scott Cupp reminds me that Johnny Sheffield, Bomba the Jungle Boy (also Boy in some of the Tarzan movies), celebrates his birthday today. Here's a link to last year's post, with photo.

Oh. My. God.

You gotta watch the video!

The Herald Sun: THE contemplative poems of William Wordsworth have drawn lovers of literature to England's peaceful Lake District for two centuries. Even without a hip hop beat.

But in an effort to make the region's most famous poet more relevant to a younger audience, local tourism officials have released a rap version of Wordsworth's 200-year-old classic of Romantic verse: I wandered lonely as a cloud.

The reworking manages to "stay true to the original sentiment with some slight variation of the lyrics", Cumbria Tourism insisted.

Accompanying the hip-hop theme on its website is a video featuring "MC Nuts" - a giant dancing red squirrel.

Have a look at the new video, or read the original poem.

Happy (Belated) Birthday, Cheeta!

Nice pic of chimp in birthday hat at link.

Zee News - Tarzan’s chimp ‘Cheeta’ celebrates his 75th birthday: "London, April 11: Cheeta, the celebrity chimp noted for appearing in numerous movies and television shows, celebrated his 75th birthday on April 9, and had the day named after him.

Cheeta, who was born in 1932, shot to fame after appearing in many Hollywood Tarzan movies of 1930’s and 40’s in which he portrayed a fictional chimp of the same name.

The chimp’s first appearance as Cheeta was in the 1936 Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan movie ‘Tarzan Escapes’.

With the normal lifespan of chimps being 50 years, Cheeta, at 75, is the oldest chimpanzee in the world, reports The Sun.

Cheeta celebrated his special day in Palm Springs, California, where he has lived for 16 years after retiring from the movie business. "

Gator Update

There's probably a moral here. Or maybe not.

Alligator bites off vet's forearm in Taiwan zoo - Asia-Pacific: "Taipei - An alligator in a Taiwan zoo bit off a veterinarian's forearm Wednesday when the vet was trying to treat the sick animal.

The incident occurred at the Shoushan Zoo in Kaohsiung, south Taiwan, when zoo vet Chang Po-yu was giving the alligator three anaesthesia shots, so that he could treat the alligator's illness."

Anna Nicole Smith Update

Thanks to Vince Keenan for the link.

Variety.com - Ford to star in 'Anna Nicole' film: "Dancer-singer Willa Ford has signed to star as Anna Nicole Smith in an indie biopic that will begin shooting next week.

The previously announced film, 'Anna Nicole,' is produced by Jack Nasser and Joseph Nasser with Elie Samaha exec producing. Keoni Waxman directs.

Movie will cover Smith's life from age 17 until her death in February at 39, including her success as a Playboy centerfold, Guess model and actress, her marriage to billionaire oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall II, the death of her son and her own death five months after giving birth to a baby girl, Dannielynn. The dispute that erupted over who was the baby's father was settled Tuesday when a judge in the Bahamas ruled, based on DNA tests, in favor of California photographer and former Smith boyfriend Larry Birkhead."

Thanks, but No Thanks

Eaten alive | Health and wellbeing | Life and Health: "Exfoliation is a key part of any skin beautifying treatment. But forget salt scrubs, rubs and foot files. Why not try something far more efficient: the toothless mouths of hundreds of tiny, voraciously feeding fish?"

Click the link, provided by Todd Mason, for a photo.

Anna Nicole Smith Update

Breaking News: Anna Nicole Smith Paternity Battle: Ruling Will Not Be Made Public - The Post Chronicle

Update: Gag Order Lifted Birkhead Is the Daddy!

Anna Nicole Smith Paternity Case - A Bahamian court is expected to rule today in the paternity case of Anna Nicole Smith's infant daughter. Under Bahamian legal rules however, the results cannot be made public by either of the parties involved in the paternity and custody battle.

They can however, be revealed. The judge in the case will have to lift the gag order in order to do so.

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Catch It While You Can

TV Week: "NBC has pulled 'Andy Barker, P.I.' after four episodes, replacing the Thursday night series with 'Scrubs' starting this week. The program averaged a 2.1 rating among adults 18 to 49, according to Nielsen. The most recent episode was down to a 1.7.

Two more episodes of the series will be run off this Saturday. "

Thanks to Todd Mason for the link.

Porky's is 25: a Celebration of The Teen Sex Comedies of the '80s

Virgin Territory | Porky's | The Way We Were | Movies | Entertainment Weekly | 1: "On the 25th anniversary of ''Porky's,'' EW's Chris Nashawaty recalls his own age of innocence — and the explosion of teen sex comedies that helped him survive it. Forget school. All you really needed was a private tutor."

Say It Ain't So!

Thanks to Scott Cupp for the link.

Arts & Entertainment | Garage-rock anthem "Louie Louie" turns 50 | Seattle Times Newspaper: "Turning 50. It's a daunting prospect for anyone (and I should know). But for a pop song? Most fade away long before they reach that mark. One exception: the legendary 'Louie Louie' — that eternally youthful 1960s garage-rock anthem first recorded exactly 50 years ago this month. Far from shuffling off to a quiet retirement, evidence indicates that 'Louie Louie' may actually prove to be immortal."

Update: By special request you can click here to hear 1000 guitarists attempt to play "Louie Louie." Frequent commenter Cap'n Bob is wearing sunglasses and a red shirt. Check it out.

Macavity Is a Mystery Cat

Mystery cat takes regular bus to the shops | the Daily Mail: "Bus drivers have nicknamed a white cat Macavity after it has started using the No 331 several mornings a week.

The feline, which has a purple collar, gets onto the busy Walsall to Wolverhampton bus at the same stop most mornings - he then jumps off at the next stop 400m down the road, near a fish and chip shop."

Today's Baseball Card

Gator Update, Milwaukee Style

Police: Alligator Stolen From Milwaukee Barbershop - News Story - WISN Milwaukee: "MILWAUKEE -- Thieves broke into a Milwaukee barbershop, but it wasn't money they were after, according to Milwaukee police.

Police said the burglars took an alligator from the 13th street Barbershop on 12th and Burleigh streets early Monday morning."

Line of Fire -- Donald Hamilton

After reading Murderers' Row I moved on to Line of Fire, which is just as good as I remembered. If not better. It seems to me that there's a direct line from this book to Stephen Hunter's Point of Impact. Even the titles have a certain similarity and fit the stories the same way. Both feature an assassination that's not what it appears to be. Both are full of talk about different kinds of guns and bullets and what they can do, and both have a lot about shooting at a distance.

But I digress. I want to talk about Hamilton's book, which is so well done that even though I'd read it before and knew where it was going, it held me right from the first page. (One great thing about those old paperbacks was that you could read them in a couple of hours.) The story's just packed with stuff: a damaged hero (think Jake Barnes), a crooked politician, a thug with ambition, sex, violence, a couple of neat twists, and just plain good writing. If you haven't read anything by Hamilton except the Matt Helm books, you really should read this one. You won't regret it.

Robert Heinlein at One Hundred

Robert Heinlein at One Hundred @ Blogcritics.org: "The centennial of Robert Heinlein’s birth is coming up in July, and tempers are still worked up over this pulp fiction writer who turned into a consciousness-raising guru during the 1960s. Only a few weeks ago, a writer in the New York Times Book Review attacked Heinlein’s Starship Troopers as “an endorsement of fascism.” Heinlein’s defenders rushed in with letters to the editor to counter these charges, and a mini-controversy was soon brewing over a book for youngsters first published in 1959, by an author who died in 1988."

Jogging in Alvin. . .

. . . you never know what you'll find.

Murderers' Row -- Donald Hamilton

Donald Hamilton's recent death prompted me to re-read a couple of his books. First up was this Matt Helm novel, grabbed at random from a stack of reading copies. In this one, Helm's about to go on a much-needed vacation when Mac sends him out on an assignment. Helm is to beat up a woman (one of Mac's agents), and make it look good to the opposition. Typically, he's being sent because the woman's partner is too squeamish to do the job. Helm, of course, isn't. But there's a problem, and to tell what it is would spoil some of the fun. So I won't tell. Let's just say that Helm's is forced to do a little more than he expected. In fact, because of further complications, Helm has to become a bit of a rogue agent, and there's some question about his psychological stability. Even Helm has his doubts, though of course the reader probably doesn't.

This is a Cold War story, but the time period and the McGuffin don't really matter. The real subject it Helm's toughness and professionalism. Helm scorns amateurs, women who wear pants, sentimentalists (not that Helm is entirely free of sentiment, however), and incompetence. Maybe not the best of the series, but a good one that packs a heck of a lot of story into its 144 pages. Check it out.

Donald Hamilton Update

Be sure to check out Steve Lewis's always excellent Mystery*File for this post, and don't miss the link at the bottom for even more.

Anna Nicole Smith Update

ANNA NICOLE IS ... UM ... WAS DEEP - What Would Tyler Durden Do: "Two diaries kept by Anna Nicole Smith in the early 1990s were made available to the Associated Press yesterday, just a few samples among several pieces of personal items belonging to Smith that will be auctioned off later this month in Dallas. All of which sounds boring and is only noteworthy because of the awesome samples, . . ."

Samples in ANS's own handwriting at the link.

Honored Again

I'm honored that "Cranked" has been nominated for a Derringer Award by the Short Mystery Fiction Society. First the Edgar nom, and now this. It really is an honor just to be nominated. Thanks to Duane Swierczynski and David Thompson for including the story in Damn Near Dead and to Dave White and Byron Quatermous, whose blog project was the impetus for the first story about one of the characters.

Easter in Texas, 2007

My brother, who lives in our hometown, sent this photo, taken yesterday afternoon, of his backyard. This is the first time it's snowed in that part of Texas in April in my lifetime.