Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead" (Source: Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920). While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Memorial Day
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead" (Source: Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920). While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all.
The Most Reprinted Authors and Stories in Mystery Anthologies
Over at his excellent Mystery*File blog, Steve Lewis has a list of the most reprinted authors and stories in mystery anthologies. I never expected to see my name on a list like that, but there it is. I barely made the cut, but I'm there. When I look at the other names on the list, I'm amazed to find myself in such a company. I never would have dreamed it.
San Francisco, Happy Birthday to Your Golden Gate!
An iconic bridge -- and its people / Hundreds paint, repair, take tolls to keep landmark in golden shape: "It is used by more than 100,000 commuters a day, visited by as many as a million tourists a month, and crossed by 40 million drivers a year. Its bold beauty is staggering, its mystique legendary.
But the Golden Gate Bridge, which opened to pedestrians 70 years ago today -- at 6 a.m. on May 27, 1937 -- is more than an international icon in burnished red. To the 200 people who work on the bridge, taking tolls, painting cables, replacing steel and providing security, it is a paycheck first. An honor second."
But the Golden Gate Bridge, which opened to pedestrians 70 years ago today -- at 6 a.m. on May 27, 1937 -- is more than an international icon in burnished red. To the 200 people who work on the bridge, taking tolls, painting cables, replacing steel and providing security, it is a paycheck first. An honor second."
It's in the Bag
Frequent blog commenters Todd Mason and Art Scott recommended this movie starring Fred Allen and a plethora of others, including Binnie Barnes, Robert Benchley, Jack Benny, Don Ameche, Rudy Vallee, William Bendix, John Carradine, Sidney Toler, Minerva Pious, and Jerry Colonna. I immediately recognized the plot as that of The 12 Chairs, a Russian tale that Mel Brooks filmed in the '70s, except that in Allen's movie there are only five chairs. Not that the plot matters, but it's essentially this: Allen has inherited his uncle's fortune. Turns out that the uncle was murdered, and the identity of his killer, along with $300,000, is hidden in one of five chairs that Allen has sold to an antiques dealer, who's passed them along to others. Allen needs to recover the chairs to prove that he's not a killer and to get his hands on the money.The plot is just a device to give Allen an excuse to get into a lot of situations ranging from the absurd to the more absurd. The logic of movies is pretty much tossed out the window, and the fourth wall not so much shattered as ignored. (Characters address the audience and even ask for directions.) One thing I particularly liked was the villainous lawyer John Carradine's hair, which appears to be especially coiffed to accommodate his top hat. Yes, he wears a top hat. And a cape. Plays the organ, too.
It would be futile to try to explain why this movie's funny. If you've ever heard Allen's radio show, you might have some idea, but not a very good one. You have to see this to believe it. Check it out.
A Couple of Birthdays to Celebrate
The Bunburyist: "Two major mystery birthdays to celebrate today: Dashiell Hammett would have turned 113 (he died in 1961), and gentlemanly Oklahoman Tony Hillerman turns 82."
Gator Update
The probably want more gator nuggets.
United Press International - NewsTrack - Quirks - Alligator on the lam in Philadelphia pond: "PHILADELPHIA, May 26 (UPI) -- An alligator spotted in a Philadelphia park pond remained at large after eluding a reptile hunter who found no trace of the creature.
The popular Haddonfield's Hopkins Pond and surrounding park were reopened Friday even though a Boston gator tracker and two Pennsylvania Department of Fish and Wildlife officials found no trace of the 3-foot-plus reptile a county ranger swears he saw in the water May 11."
United Press International - NewsTrack - Quirks - Alligator on the lam in Philadelphia pond: "PHILADELPHIA, May 26 (UPI) -- An alligator spotted in a Philadelphia park pond remained at large after eluding a reptile hunter who found no trace of the creature.
The popular Haddonfield's Hopkins Pond and surrounding park were reopened Friday even though a Boston gator tracker and two Pennsylvania Department of Fish and Wildlife officials found no trace of the 3-foot-plus reptile a county ranger swears he saw in the water May 11."
DVD Update: 20 Million Miles to Earth
Thanks to Rick Klaw for the tip.20 Million Miles to Earth gets 50th Anniversary Edition in July - DVD: "Sony Pictures Home Entertainment marks the half-century milestone of one of the earliest films by stop-motion animation genius Ray Harryhausen with the July 31 debut of 20 Million Miles to Earth: 50th Anniversary Edition. The two-disc DVD will be available for a suggested retail price of $24.95.
The film, which depicts the destruction of Rome by a reptile from the planet Venus, was directed by Nathan Juran (The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, First Men ‘in’ the Moon) and stars William Hopper (The Bad Seed) and Joan Taylor (Earth Vs. the Flying Saucers). In addition to the pristine, digitally-restored black & white original, the classic film will now be available in a newly colorized version supervised by Harryhausen himself.
In a recent interview, Harryhausen said “I am thrilled that this film is finally being seen in color. I had wanted to do the film in color in the 1950s, but our budget was not large enough to accommodate that luxury. Now, thanks to the marvelous advances made in the colorization process by San Diego’s Legend Films and others, audiences will be able to see 20 Million Miles to Earth as I originally intended.”"
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Wall-Climbing Gator Update: Nuggets Edition
Breaking News - Wall-Climbing Gator To Be Made Into ‘Nuggets’ - from TBO.com Breaking News
WESLEY CHAPEL - An alligator that got itself caught between two houses in the Meadow Pointe community Thursday evening had been trapped, killed and ready to be made into “alligator nuggets” by this morning, a local trapper said.
Mickey Fagan of M and D Gator Products of Dade City said he caught the gator - which tried to climb the side of a house in the Morningside neighborhood at about 7:30 p.m.
A series of photos can be found here.
Another John Wayne Tribute
Duke / Assessing John Wayne's true grit on his centennial: "When we talk about John Wayne -- whose 100th birthday is Saturday -- we are talking about a lot of things. We're talking about an actor. We're talking about movies. We're talking about an era. We're also talking about an idea -- specifically an American idea about itself that was appealing to so many people that Wayne remains unquestionably the most enduringly popular screen actor in the history of the medium.
That may surprise today's moviegoers. Was Wayne really more popular than Chaplin? Or Humphrey Bogart? Or Bette Davis? Or Marilyn Monroe? Think of the great male stars of his generation and other names come to mind more readily: Clark Gable, Cary Grant, James Stewart. And yet it's Wayne who racked up the numbers: Between 1949 and 1974, Wayne made the top 10 list of box office stars 25 times. He topped that list four times.
The significance of that can't be overstated. Think of what America was like in 1949. Then think of what it was like in 1974. Think of the changes in music, styles and social mores. Think also of the changes in movies, from 'On the Town' to 'Chinatown.' And then think how, across that span, Wayne remained one of the top 10 people that other people wanted to see. That's longevity of epic proportions."
That may surprise today's moviegoers. Was Wayne really more popular than Chaplin? Or Humphrey Bogart? Or Bette Davis? Or Marilyn Monroe? Think of the great male stars of his generation and other names come to mind more readily: Clark Gable, Cary Grant, James Stewart. And yet it's Wayne who racked up the numbers: Between 1949 and 1974, Wayne made the top 10 list of box office stars 25 times. He topped that list four times.
The significance of that can't be overstated. Think of what America was like in 1949. Then think of what it was like in 1974. Think of the changes in music, styles and social mores. Think also of the changes in movies, from 'On the Town' to 'Chinatown.' And then think how, across that span, Wayne remained one of the top 10 people that other people wanted to see. That's longevity of epic proportions."
Gator Update: Reggie Edition
keyetv.com - Reggie The Alligator Resting Comfortably At Zoo: "(CBS) LOS ANGELES Reggie the alligator was resting comfortably Friday in his new digs at the Los Angeles Zoo, officials said.
The 7-foot gator is expected to undergo a physical examination next week to make sure it is healthy, and to definitively determine the beast's gender, according to the zoo's reptile expert, Ian Recchio.
Zoo officials are also expected to decide in the coming weeks whether Reggie will be sent elsewhere or remain in Los Angeles with the zoo's six other American alligators and two Chinese gators.
'This whole situation is still so fresh and we're still trying to catch our breath,' Recchio said. 'We're just concerned about getting him comfortable right now and just dealing with the media attention.'"
The 7-foot gator is expected to undergo a physical examination next week to make sure it is healthy, and to definitively determine the beast's gender, according to the zoo's reptile expert, Ian Recchio.
Zoo officials are also expected to decide in the coming weeks whether Reggie will be sent elsewhere or remain in Los Angeles with the zoo's six other American alligators and two Chinese gators.
'This whole situation is still so fresh and we're still trying to catch our breath,' Recchio said. 'We're just concerned about getting him comfortable right now and just dealing with the media attention.'"
Laura Gets the Title Almost Right
And she really ought to read Blood Marks.Criminal Brief: The Mystery Short Story Web Log Project: "For Laura Lippman, a current best-selling novelist who’s also been known to write as many as six short-stories in a single year, the many original-anthology volumes being done by such publishers as Akashic are a great place to discover not only “terrific new voices” but also to find out “new things about writers that you thought you knew.” As a for-instance of the latter, she cites author Bill Crider: “He’s been on the scene for a long time; and … I think people would say, ‘Oh, Bill Crider, he’s this nice man from Texas, and he writes these very – nice books’; but if you read Bill’s story – I think it’s ‘Crank,’ in Damn Near Dead [Busted Flush Press, 2006] – you’d be surprised!”"
This Would Be Funny . . .
. . . if it weren't so sad, Part II of a series.
Reuters AlertNet - UN meeting wiped after U.S. reads wrong statement: "UNITED NATIONS, May 25 (Reuters) - U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad had to reconvene the U.N. Security Council and rerun a meeting on Friday after reading the wrong statement on Sudan, effectively wiping an entire council session out of history.
At the first session, Khalilzad, current president of the council, read out a hard-hitting statement denouncing aerial bombardment in the troubled Darfur region in a clear critique of the Sudanese government.
When the session ended, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin was the first to point out that the statement was not the one that the council's 15 members had agreed, participants said.
After about 10 minutes, officials managed to corral diplomats wandering off for the weekend back into the council chamber. Khalilzad opened a new meeting under the same serial number at which he read out a more anodyne statement that just urged all parties in Darfur, rebels included, to end violence."
Reuters AlertNet - UN meeting wiped after U.S. reads wrong statement: "UNITED NATIONS, May 25 (Reuters) - U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad had to reconvene the U.N. Security Council and rerun a meeting on Friday after reading the wrong statement on Sudan, effectively wiping an entire council session out of history.
At the first session, Khalilzad, current president of the council, read out a hard-hitting statement denouncing aerial bombardment in the troubled Darfur region in a clear critique of the Sudanese government.
When the session ended, Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin was the first to point out that the statement was not the one that the council's 15 members had agreed, participants said.
After about 10 minutes, officials managed to corral diplomats wandering off for the weekend back into the council chamber. Khalilzad opened a new meeting under the same serial number at which he read out a more anodyne statement that just urged all parties in Darfur, rebels included, to end violence."
12 Cool Pirate Movies
I don't care what this guy says: I love Cutthroat Island.
Buried treasure: 12 pirate flicks to dig up - MOVIE OPINIONS - MSNBC.com: "In the early days of moviemaking through (roughly) the 1950s, pirate movies were reliably common — not as ubiquitous as the western, but the scurvy sea dogs held their own. Even after the genre fell out of favor, directors repeatedly tried to hoist the skull-and-crossbones flag again, but the results were usually leaky vessels and even disastrous shipwrecks like “Cutthroat Island” and “Treasure Planet.”
That’s one reason why few people expected “Pirates of the Caribbean” to be a hit, let alone the record-breaking smash that it is. But one reason that the trilogy has been successful is the way it embraces the best trappings of the genre while jettisoning the worst. The creators of the series clearly know their pirate-movie history, and it’s worth taking the time to check out some of the films that inspired them. So let’s set a course for adventure: Here are 12 pirate films worth their sea salt."
Buried treasure: 12 pirate flicks to dig up - MOVIE OPINIONS - MSNBC.com: "In the early days of moviemaking through (roughly) the 1950s, pirate movies were reliably common — not as ubiquitous as the western, but the scurvy sea dogs held their own. Even after the genre fell out of favor, directors repeatedly tried to hoist the skull-and-crossbones flag again, but the results were usually leaky vessels and even disastrous shipwrecks like “Cutthroat Island” and “Treasure Planet.”
That’s one reason why few people expected “Pirates of the Caribbean” to be a hit, let alone the record-breaking smash that it is. But one reason that the trilogy has been successful is the way it embraces the best trappings of the genre while jettisoning the worst. The creators of the series clearly know their pirate-movie history, and it’s worth taking the time to check out some of the films that inspired them. So let’s set a course for adventure: Here are 12 pirate films worth their sea salt."
Happy Birthday to the Duke! And 100 Reasons to Love John Wayne
Thanks to John "The" Duke for the link.
On his 100th birthday, 100 reasons to love John Wayne | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — John Wayne was born May 26, 1907, in Winterset, Iowa, 100 years ago. Alone among his generation of movie stars, he remains an apparently permanent image of American masculinity.
You can accept his representation of manhood or you can reject it, but you can't ignore it.
Like Elvis Presley, he was a pure product of America, unthinkable in any other culture. Unlike Elvis, he never went crazy, never lost his faith in his essential rightness — in several senses of the word — never really tried to adapt to changing times. Blessedly, he never hid behind irony.
He was John Wayne, and here are 100 reasons to cherish his memory, some of them from his movies, some of them drawn from Wayne in conversation."
On his 100th birthday, 100 reasons to love John Wayne | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — John Wayne was born May 26, 1907, in Winterset, Iowa, 100 years ago. Alone among his generation of movie stars, he remains an apparently permanent image of American masculinity.
You can accept his representation of manhood or you can reject it, but you can't ignore it.
Like Elvis Presley, he was a pure product of America, unthinkable in any other culture. Unlike Elvis, he never went crazy, never lost his faith in his essential rightness — in several senses of the word — never really tried to adapt to changing times. Blessedly, he never hid behind irony.
He was John Wayne, and here are 100 reasons to cherish his memory, some of them from his movies, some of them drawn from Wayne in conversation."
Poetry Corner
A while back I confessed on Crimespace that my earliest publications were poems. I was published in a few "little magazines," and I actually got paid for my work in The Runner and Grit. Now and then the poetic muse still seizes me, and I produce poems full of pith and moment. Also full of symbolism and metaphorical language. But mostly full of pith. To wit:
There was a young laddie from York
Who ate all his meals with a spork.
He then tried a spife
But soon lost his life --
Cut his throat while eating, the dork.
Thank you. Thank you very much, ladies and germs. You're a wonderful audience. I'll be here all week.
There was a young laddie from York
Who ate all his meals with a spork.
He then tried a spife
But soon lost his life --
Cut his throat while eating, the dork.
Thank you. Thank you very much, ladies and germs. You're a wonderful audience. I'll be here all week.
Nobody Wants To Marry Jodie Marsh - Entertainment News, Reviews, Competitions - Entertainmentwise
Thanks to Al "Hard Man" Guthrie for the link. You can also check out Jodie's official website, with a NSFW photo, here.
Nobody Wants To Marry Jodie Marsh - Entertainment News, Reviews, Competitions - Entertainmentwise: "When Jodie Marsh announced details of a new reality TV show, 'Who Will Marry Jodie Marsh?', no doubt she expected the men of the country to quiver in anticipation.
But it turns out that even they're not that desperate.
Today's Mirror reports that at the first auditions for the reality show just TWO people turned up, 'and one of those was horribly drunk'.
Does nobody want to marry the glamour model?"
Nobody Wants To Marry Jodie Marsh - Entertainment News, Reviews, Competitions - Entertainmentwise: "When Jodie Marsh announced details of a new reality TV show, 'Who Will Marry Jodie Marsh?', no doubt she expected the men of the country to quiver in anticipation.
But it turns out that even they're not that desperate.
Today's Mirror reports that at the first auditions for the reality show just TWO people turned up, 'and one of those was horribly drunk'.
Does nobody want to marry the glamour model?"
Friday, May 25, 2007
10 Essential Bug Movies
10 bug films with good buzz, bite and hidden meaning | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "Entomologists notwithstanding, we're all a little undereducated about 'bugs,' which is probably why they have such a chilling effect in movie theaters, from the brain-eating things in Star Trek II to the roaches of Pacific Heights to the bugs that spew from people's mouths (often corpses) in Indiana Jones movies.
Sometimes these bugs (please know that we're using the term as a catch-all) are just props. Other times, they carry allegorical and metaphorical baggage, as Bug — a chilling post-terrorism tale — does.
Here are 10 essential bug movies (some fun, some creepy) and some explanations (some fun, some creepy) about what great unspoken thing they might represent."
Sometimes these bugs (please know that we're using the term as a catch-all) are just props. Other times, they carry allegorical and metaphorical baggage, as Bug — a chilling post-terrorism tale — does.
Here are 10 essential bug movies (some fun, some creepy) and some explanations (some fun, some creepy) about what great unspoken thing they might represent."
Disney, it Ain't
Bemusement park: Where Dickens meets Disney | csmonitor.com: "Welcome to Dickens World, a theme park with a difference. If you thought theme parks were all about thrilling roller coaster rides, wolfing down hotdogs and cotton candy, and shaking hands with overgrown mice and goofy dogs, you're in for a rude awakening. Dickens World recreates the filth, squalor, and even the unpleasant whiffs of Victorian London, the city in which Charles Dickens lived and breathed, and wrote so memorably about in 'A Tale of Two Cities,' 'Great Expectations,' and 'Oliver Twist.' It's less a theme park, and more a 'grime park.'"
"Let Are Kids Walk"
Check out the sign the protester is carrying. Is this a great country or what?
FW students protest TAKS decision | Latest News | WFAA.com: "FORT WORTH — Students who had been planning to walk across the stage at graduation ceremonies this weekend were instead walking a picket line Thursday morning.
The Trimble Tech High School seniors marched in front of Fort Worth Independent School District headquarters to protest Wednesday's decision by trustees to bar students who failed the TAKS test from commencement exercises.
About a dozen young people, carrying signs and chanting, began picketing at 8:30 a.m. Thursday. They represent the 613 Fort Worth seniors who did not pass the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills exam."
FW students protest TAKS decision | Latest News | WFAA.com: "FORT WORTH — Students who had been planning to walk across the stage at graduation ceremonies this weekend were instead walking a picket line Thursday morning.
The Trimble Tech High School seniors marched in front of Fort Worth Independent School District headquarters to protest Wednesday's decision by trustees to bar students who failed the TAKS test from commencement exercises.
About a dozen young people, carrying signs and chanting, began picketing at 8:30 a.m. Thursday. They represent the 613 Fort Worth seniors who did not pass the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills exam."
Emus Never Learn
Emu leads wild goose chase | The Daily Telegraph: "A MYSTERY emu has been shot dead after a cross-border chase by police in Europe.The Australian native bird was first spotted in the German town of Grenzach-Wyhlen near the Swiss border.
Police tried to capture the emu, but it dashed away, prompting an international operation involving both German and Swiss police.
The police gave chase in parol cars for hours but were no match for the agile fugitive, which darted down narrow alleyways and made tight turns.
Vets and staff from local zoos were called in to help, before the German police called upon their Swiss counterparts.
The emu was clocked at speeds up to 50 km/h, with police resorting to roadblocks, while the vets were unsuccessful in their attempts to sedate the bird with tranquiliser darts."
Gator Update: They're Learning New Tricks
Gator Visits Suburb: "WESLEY CHAPEL - A 6- to 7-foot alligator drew a small crowd of incredulous onlookers Thursday evening in the Morningside neighborhood in Meadow Pointe.As the reptile attempted to climb the stucco wall of a house, near several electrical boxes, a woman across the street said, 'Oh my God.'
Pasco County sheriff's Deputy Todd Koenig said his agency was called to a house on Morning Mist Drive about 6:15 p.m.
Rick Skinner, onto whose property the gator crept, said it was the second one he had seen in his yard in five years. Homes on the street were built between at least two ponds.
'The other one was about a 5-footer,' Skinner said. 'It was in the middle of the night. We just left it alone, and it took care of itself.
'I would be of the mind to leave this one alone, too. If they trap it, they'll kill it, and what's the point of that? It's not hurting anybody.'"
Out of the Gutter Returns
Out of the Gutter is back. Issue 2 is ready for preorder, and you can take a look at the cover. The theme for Issue 3 is posted. Check it out.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
A Gumshoe's Tour of L. A.
A gumshoe's tour of Los Angeles | csmonitor.com: "Raymond Chandler buffs take a bus ride through L.A., visiting the dark city of the late author's crime novels."
Star Wars Trivia
BBC NEWS | Entertainment | 30 pieces of trivia about Star Wars: "The original Star Wars film was released on 25 May 1977. Much to the surprise of many involved in the project, including the studio which backed it, it became a runaway success.
To celebrate the movie's 30th anniversary here are 30 facts and figures related to the film which influenced a new generation of film-makers."
To celebrate the movie's 30th anniversary here are 30 facts and figures related to the film which influenced a new generation of film-makers."
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Dave Barry and Me
Thanks to Ted Hertel for the photo. As you can see, I have Dave pretty much spellbound. Or maybe it's the tie.
10 Best-Selling Books of All Time
mental_floss magazine - Where Knowledge Junkies Get Their Fix: "Today, let’s talk about the all-time best-selling books. If you’re a budding author, it looks like books outlining some sort of religious doctrine would be the way to go. Boy wizardry is another area rich with potential."
Once Again Texas Leads the Way
It's perfectly okay, however, to possess six Glocks. When's the last time you heard of someone being killed in a drive-by dildoing?
Police Raid Lingerie Shop: "LUBBOCK, TX -- An obscure law sends one local lingerie store clerk to jail. And now she may forever have to register as a sex offender.
The lingerie store, Somethin’ Sexy was raided by police last week for violating Lubbock`s sexually oriented business ordinance.
'I feel like I`m in 1690 Salem, Massachusetts and we`re looking for a witch to burn' says the store’s owner.
The witch: the owner of Somethin’ Sexy. He`s speaking out about the raid of his shop and the arrest of his employee. Now, if convicted, the clerk will have to register as a sex offender.
'I think it`s ridiculous. She`s not a sex offender, she was selling something that I had instructed them it was ok to sell, I think it`s ridiculous' he says.
Earlier this month, four officers raided the shop, confiscating several toys deemed to be illegal by the Texas penal code. The code states 'a person who possesses six or more obscene devices is presumed to possess them with intent to promote the same.' In other words, intent to sell."
Police Raid Lingerie Shop: "LUBBOCK, TX -- An obscure law sends one local lingerie store clerk to jail. And now she may forever have to register as a sex offender.
The lingerie store, Somethin’ Sexy was raided by police last week for violating Lubbock`s sexually oriented business ordinance.
'I feel like I`m in 1690 Salem, Massachusetts and we`re looking for a witch to burn' says the store’s owner.
The witch: the owner of Somethin’ Sexy. He`s speaking out about the raid of his shop and the arrest of his employee. Now, if convicted, the clerk will have to register as a sex offender.
'I think it`s ridiculous. She`s not a sex offender, she was selling something that I had instructed them it was ok to sell, I think it`s ridiculous' he says.
Earlier this month, four officers raided the shop, confiscating several toys deemed to be illegal by the Texas penal code. The code states 'a person who possesses six or more obscene devices is presumed to possess them with intent to promote the same.' In other words, intent to sell."
This Would Be Funny . . .
. . . if it weren't so sad. Time to read Catch-22 again, I guess.
The Blotter: "Al Hurra television, the U.S. government's $63 million-a-year effort at public diplomacy broadcasting in the Middle East, is run by executives and officials who cannot speak Arabic, according to a senior official who oversees the program.
That might explain why critics say the service has recently been caught broadcasting terrorist messages, including an hour-long tirade on the importance of anti-Jewish violence, among other questionable pieces.
Facing tough questions before a congressional panel last week, Broadcasting Board of Governors member Joaquin Blaya admitted none of the senior news managers at the network spoke Arabic when the terrorist messages made it onto the air courtesy of U.S. taxpayer funds. Nor did Blaya himself or any of the other officials at the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees the network.
'How does it happen that the terrorists take over?' asked Rep. Gary L. Ackerman, D-N.Y., at a hearing last Wednesday of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee he chairs. 'Is there no adult supervision?'
Blaya conceded that the top officials in the network's chain of command could not understand what was being said on al Hurra broadcasts."
The Blotter: "Al Hurra television, the U.S. government's $63 million-a-year effort at public diplomacy broadcasting in the Middle East, is run by executives and officials who cannot speak Arabic, according to a senior official who oversees the program.
That might explain why critics say the service has recently been caught broadcasting terrorist messages, including an hour-long tirade on the importance of anti-Jewish violence, among other questionable pieces.
Facing tough questions before a congressional panel last week, Broadcasting Board of Governors member Joaquin Blaya admitted none of the senior news managers at the network spoke Arabic when the terrorist messages made it onto the air courtesy of U.S. taxpayer funds. Nor did Blaya himself or any of the other officials at the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees the network.
'How does it happen that the terrorists take over?' asked Rep. Gary L. Ackerman, D-N.Y., at a hearing last Wednesday of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee he chairs. 'Is there no adult supervision?'
Blaya conceded that the top officials in the network's chain of command could not understand what was being said on al Hurra broadcasts."
Gator Update
Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the breaking news. There's a great "gator in the toilet tank photo at the link.
Fla. Man Accused Of Keeping Baby Gator In Toilet - Local News Story - WKMG Orlando: "ORANGE PARK, Fla. -- A Clay County man was arrested Monday on a misdemeanor charge after sheriff's deputies acting on a Crimestoppers tip said they found a baby alligator in the toilet tank of his apartment, according to WJXT-TV.
Officials said Michael Dyer, 22, of Orange Park, gave permission to search his apartment on Arora Boulevard. Inside detectives said the also discovered a dog, a rat, a tarantula and an 8-foot python snake.
Hearing the toilet running, Clay County Animal Crime Detective Annie Henderson said she looked inside the tank and found the baby gator.
'When you see the aquarium on the table and he tells you it has been two weeks since he got rid of the gator, and it's fresh clean water, and you keep hearing the toilet running -- it stops, it runs and stops and runs. I'm thinking in my mind, 'Where would be the best place to hid an alligators that has water?' Of course, the toilet tank,' said Henderson."
Fla. Man Accused Of Keeping Baby Gator In Toilet - Local News Story - WKMG Orlando: "ORANGE PARK, Fla. -- A Clay County man was arrested Monday on a misdemeanor charge after sheriff's deputies acting on a Crimestoppers tip said they found a baby alligator in the toilet tank of his apartment, according to WJXT-TV.
Officials said Michael Dyer, 22, of Orange Park, gave permission to search his apartment on Arora Boulevard. Inside detectives said the also discovered a dog, a rat, a tarantula and an 8-foot python snake.
Hearing the toilet running, Clay County Animal Crime Detective Annie Henderson said she looked inside the tank and found the baby gator.
'When you see the aquarium on the table and he tells you it has been two weeks since he got rid of the gator, and it's fresh clean water, and you keep hearing the toilet running -- it stops, it runs and stops and runs. I'm thinking in my mind, 'Where would be the best place to hid an alligators that has water?' Of course, the toilet tank,' said Henderson."
Overlooked Books?
To celebrate the first anniversary of The Rap Sheet, J. Kingston Pierce asked a lot of people this question: What one crime, mystery, or thriller novel do you think has been most unjustly overlooked, criminally forgotten, or underappreciated over the years?
My contribution is in this batch of answers.
My contribution is in this batch of answers.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Barbarella Remake Update
Rodriguez Will Handle BARBARELLA: "Universal Pictures has hired Robert Rodriguez to direct BARBARELLA.
The story centers on female mercenary who roams across the universe in a distant future, undertaking missions that require her physical fearlessness, ingenuity and sensuality. Barbarella made her debut in 1962 in a French graphic magazine written and illustrated by Jean-Claude Forest."
The story centers on female mercenary who roams across the universe in a distant future, undertaking missions that require her physical fearlessness, ingenuity and sensuality. Barbarella made her debut in 1962 in a French graphic magazine written and illustrated by Jean-Claude Forest."
Mansion of Evil -- Joseph Millard
What was the first graphic novel? I don't have a clue. Here's one from 1950. It's a Gold Medal Book, written by Joseph Millard. There's no credit for the art. Maybe he did that, too.
I'm not sure what prompted GM to publish this. Maybe no one was sure who the audience for paperback originals was, and someone had the idea that maybe comic book readers would find the new format appealing. Anyway, what we have here is a full-color comic book with about the same number of pages as a Gold Medal novel.
Maxwell Haimes, a famous artist, happens to see Beth, who's a double for the wife he's recently murdered. Since no one knows the murder's taken place, Haimes believes that if Beth has an "accident," he can cover up the murder. So he kidnaps her and takes her to the Mansion of Evil. After that it's a race against time for Beth's fiance and the cops. Can they save her? Sure.
Along the way we're treated to a portrait of Laura (the dead wife), which of course shows the dead woman's startling resemblance to Beth. (Where do these writers get their ideas?) We see the secret room in the basement where Laura is buried. We get car wrecks and near escapes. It's not V for Vedetta, that's for sure, but it's kind of fun it its dated way. I even like the art.
After looking this one up on abebooks.com, I can't recommend that you check it out. Way too pricey.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Sexiest Women over 35
Another list from Todd Mason. Sadly, even these women are too young for me.
men.msn.com: You've seen the "hottest girls on the planet" type lists before. The problem is that those lists are less about the women, and more about who has the best publicists and plastic surgeons. We're not doing that here. We understand that most women (and men) generally don't come into their own until they're at least in their 30s. And besides, there's a whole lot more that goes into being "sexy" than starving yourself or being drunk on YouTube.
Yes, raw physical beauty is taken into account here, but one must consider the whole package. As we get older, the definition evolves the same way we do. How she carries herself, her attitude, and how she conducts her life are every bit as important as how she looks. A woman with no redeeming social value might be "hot" (*cough* Paris Hilton), but she'll never be truly sexy. (For more on the topic, check out a great article on "The New Definition of Sexy.")
This list isn't perfect. It's populated primarily by actresses and other highly visible women, therefore ignoring a wealth of lesser-known, but equally sexy candidates. So we invite you to make your own suggestions on this message board, where you can also comment on (or ridicule) our choices.
men.msn.com: You've seen the "hottest girls on the planet" type lists before. The problem is that those lists are less about the women, and more about who has the best publicists and plastic surgeons. We're not doing that here. We understand that most women (and men) generally don't come into their own until they're at least in their 30s. And besides, there's a whole lot more that goes into being "sexy" than starving yourself or being drunk on YouTube.
Yes, raw physical beauty is taken into account here, but one must consider the whole package. As we get older, the definition evolves the same way we do. How she carries herself, her attitude, and how she conducts her life are every bit as important as how she looks. A woman with no redeeming social value might be "hot" (*cough* Paris Hilton), but she'll never be truly sexy. (For more on the topic, check out a great article on "The New Definition of Sexy.")
This list isn't perfect. It's populated primarily by actresses and other highly visible women, therefore ignoring a wealth of lesser-known, but equally sexy candidates. So we invite you to make your own suggestions on this message board, where you can also comment on (or ridicule) our choices.
25 Years of Syndie Landmarks
Another from Todd Mason, who's not impressed.
TV Week: "25 Years of Syndie Landmarks A Business Model Built on Trials and Celebrity News, Sci-Fi and `Xena,' and a Ton of Talk Shows"
TV Week: "25 Years of Syndie Landmarks A Business Model Built on Trials and Celebrity News, Sci-Fi and `Xena,' and a Ton of Talk Shows"
Alvin Makes Court TV!
Well, the blog, at any rate. Check out the video, and check out the blog because they give this blog a great plug.
Court TV's Informer: You've Got to Moove It, Moove It!: "Alvin, Texas: You know those pick-your-own strawberry and pumpkin patches? Well in this Court TV RED video, you'll see how a robbery suspect's attempted getaway almost turned a cattle ranch into a make-your-own burger joint.
Watch this amazing pick-up plowing through the pasture vid right now, right here. Ya know, when cows put the hoof to the metal they are surprisingly speedy. Is this how they make lean beef?"
Court TV's Informer: You've Got to Moove It, Moove It!: "Alvin, Texas: You know those pick-your-own strawberry and pumpkin patches? Well in this Court TV RED video, you'll see how a robbery suspect's attempted getaway almost turned a cattle ranch into a make-your-own burger joint.
Watch this amazing pick-up plowing through the pasture vid right now, right here. Ya know, when cows put the hoof to the metal they are surprisingly speedy. Is this how they make lean beef?"
Best Broadcasts of the Past 25 Years?
Thanks to Todd Mason for the link.
TV Week: "Broadcast's Best of Past 25 Years A Salute to 25 Prime-Time Network Shows That Have Had an Impact on the Television Industry During the Past Quarter-Century"
TV Week: "Broadcast's Best of Past 25 Years A Salute to 25 Prime-Time Network Shows That Have Had an Impact on the Television Industry During the Past Quarter-Century"
Want to Make Vicki Hendricks a Best-Seller?
Here's your chance.
Vicki sez: In an attempt to get extra publicity and favor from agents and editors, I'm trying to do a "best seller" day on amazon.com. I'm asking anyone who would like to buy my new novel, Cruel Poetry, from them to please do it on May 25, this coming Friday. I'm told that if even 20 people buy on that day, that it can push the numbers up to make me a “best seller” and get my book recommended more for special offers. Who really knows? Anyway, I'm giving it a try since it's been 5 years since my last book, and I would really like to see if I can get noticed this time, in hopes of being able to sell another book in the future. I also have the reprint of my first novel, Miami Purity, with a foreword by Ken Bruen and an afterword by Megan Abbott, available now at amazon.com. The two books together won’t get you super-saver shipping, because they only total $21, but what a bargain, eh?
Vicki sez: In an attempt to get extra publicity and favor from agents and editors, I'm trying to do a "best seller" day on amazon.com. I'm asking anyone who would like to buy my new novel, Cruel Poetry, from them to please do it on May 25, this coming Friday. I'm told that if even 20 people buy on that day, that it can push the numbers up to make me a “best seller” and get my book recommended more for special offers. Who really knows? Anyway, I'm giving it a try since it's been 5 years since my last book, and I would really like to see if I can get noticed this time, in hopes of being able to sell another book in the future. I also have the reprint of my first novel, Miami Purity, with a foreword by Ken Bruen and an afterword by Megan Abbott, available now at amazon.com. The two books together won’t get you super-saver shipping, because they only total $21, but what a bargain, eh?
Books - Writing and Writers - Christopher Buckley - Stephen King - Norman Mailer - Ann Patchett - Neal Pollack - New York Times
Sadly, I agree with Ann Patchett.
Books - Writing and Writers - Christopher Buckley - Stephen King - Norman Mailer - Ann Patchett - Neal Pollack - New York Times: "FOR all those who believe that “Moby Dick” would be great except for the parts about the whale, the British publisher Orion Books will publish this month a set of pared-down classics, cutting about 40 percent of what it calls “padding” from works like “Anna Karenina,” “David Copperfield” and yes, “Moby Dick.”
It’s a well-trodden path, from Reader’s Digest to CliffsNotes to “Shrink Lit,” and has sparked the inevitable tsk-tsk-ing in literary circles.
But surely, there are some books that could use some trimming. We asked seven authors, all of whom know a thing or two about the judicious use of words, what books they would put on the chopping block."
Books - Writing and Writers - Christopher Buckley - Stephen King - Norman Mailer - Ann Patchett - Neal Pollack - New York Times: "FOR all those who believe that “Moby Dick” would be great except for the parts about the whale, the British publisher Orion Books will publish this month a set of pared-down classics, cutting about 40 percent of what it calls “padding” from works like “Anna Karenina,” “David Copperfield” and yes, “Moby Dick.”
It’s a well-trodden path, from Reader’s Digest to CliffsNotes to “Shrink Lit,” and has sparked the inevitable tsk-tsk-ing in literary circles.
But surely, there are some books that could use some trimming. We asked seven authors, all of whom know a thing or two about the judicious use of words, what books they would put on the chopping block."
Frank Werber, R. I. P.
The Kingston Trio: News: "We are sorry to report that Frank Werber, the Trio's original manager, passed away at his New Mexico Ranch Saturday afternoon, May 19th. His loss is deeply felt by us all. Frank helped make The Kingston Trio what it was and is today, and was our dear friend for over 50 years. Frank, we will miss you greatly, and you will live on in our hearts and souls forever."
Coelacanth Update
Indonesian fisherman nets ancient fish - Yahoo! News
MANADO, Indonesia (Reuters) - An Indonesian fisherman has caught a coelacanth, an ancient fish once thought to have become extinct at the time of the dinosaurs, a fishery expert said on Monday.
ADVERTISEMENT
Yustinus Lahama and his son caught the fish on Saturday in the sea off North Sulawesi province and kept it at their house for an hour, said Grevo Gerung, a professor at the fisheries faculty at the Sam Ratulangi University.
After being told by neighbours it was a rare fish he took it back to the sea and kept it in a quarantine pool for about 17 hours before it died.
"If kept outside their habitat (60 metres or 200 ft below the sea), the fish can only live for two hours. But this fish lived for about 17 hours," Gerung told Reuters.
"We will look into why it had lived that long," he said.
The fish was 131 centimetres (about four feet) long and weighed 51 kg (112 lb), Gerung said.
In 1998, fishermen a caught another coelacanth in a deep-water shark net off northern Sulawesi.
That catch came 60 years after a member of the species was rediscovered on the east coast of South Africa.
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New ePulp: Evil Monkeys Wanted
Here are the rough guidelines for submission to Astonishing Adventures! [wildwoods.blog-city.com]
Submissions Guidelines for Astonishing Adventures Magazine
We at AAM love the old pulps like the Shadow, the Spider, the Operator, Doc Savage, and any of the hundreds of other characters you could name. This was the main reason we started Astonishing in the first place, but we have other reasons in mind also.
We want to see what the thriving pulp community out there has to say and what they have to show us.AAM is looking for new fiction based on original pulp-styled characters. The word count can be anything under 3500, but we are open to review anything with a higher word count. Query us first before sending material.
AAM is also looking for articles, columns, and artwork related to the pulp world - just ask!
The bad news is that we aren't paying one red cent at this time. Sorry kids, we’re a small magazine with big hopes, but little pocketbooks beyond the expenses of the magazine.
The magazine will be a quarterly affair at this point with a web only distribution (in PDF form). The experimental part is that we will not be charging for the magazine.
Insane you say? Mad?
Well, we’re looking to generate income for the writers thanks to advertising eventually.
Please give us a try and we look forward to reading your ASTONISHING ADVENTURES!
PS: Send stories with monkeys! I love monkeys – evil monkeys are the best. Evil monkeys with Human brains are the E-ticket.
JDC
Editor-In-Chief (don't call me chief)
And
Tim Gallagher
Editor
Astonishing Adventures Magazine
AstonishingSubmissions@gmail.com
WWW.AstonishingAdventuresMagazine.com
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Sunday, May 20, 2007
Happy Feet
"All talking, all singing, all dancing." With penguins. How can you go wrong? There's some amazing animation in this one,and the voice work is all good. Robin Williams gets all the best jokes playing two different roles, but that might be because he made them up as he went along.Penguins, it seems, can sing, and they all have to find their "heart song." Mumbles can't find his because he can't sing. He can only dance, which is un-penguin behavior. Eventually he gets blamed for the fish shortage and even gets banished from the penguin colony. He sets out to find the real reason for the food shortage, and does. There's a green message and a happy ending that it would be nice to believe could really happen.
The movie pokes fun at those who believe being different is wrong and at organized religion (this should have caused some trouble, but I don't know if it did; maybe I'm wrong about the fun-poking). It was a little too long, but it's great to look at even in the slow stretches. Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman sing. Brittany Murphy sings, too. Maybe you won't consider that a plus, but I thought she did fine. And anytime you have penguins singing Beach Boys songs, you have a winner. Check it out.
Top 25 Books of the Last 25 Years
Welcome to Waterstones.com Waterstone's is celebrating 25 Years in books and as well having a vote for the best book of the last 25 years, we've also tried to predict who will be the biggest authors of the next 25 years.
The best book of the last 25 years was voted for by the public from a list of 100 nominations chosen by Waterstone's booksellers. The winner, announced on 16 May 2007, was Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
See the complete list here.
The best book of the last 25 years was voted for by the public from a list of 100 nominations chosen by Waterstone's booksellers. The winner, announced on 16 May 2007, was Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
See the complete list here.
From Allan Guthrie's Newsletter
Delighted to be able to kick off the May newsletter with some excellent news. My debut novel, Two-Way Split, has been long-listed for one of the most prestigious crime-writing awards in the UK, the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel Of The Year, the only award of its kind where the general public gets to vote for the winner.
Here’s the long-list:
Dead Place - Stephen Booth
All Fun and Games Until Somebody Loses and Eye - Christopher Brookmyre
Death of a Chancellor - David Dickinson
Never Go Back - Robert Goddard
Little Face - Sophie Hannah
Ash & Bone - John Harvey
The Stranger House - Reginald Hill
The Pure in Heart - Susan Hill
Blood and Honey - Graham Hurley
The Lighthouse - PD James
The Death Ship of Dartmouth - Michael Jecks
Cold Granite - Stuart MacBride
The Train Excursion - Edward Marston
Ratcatcher - James McGee
After the Armistice Ball - Catriona McPherson
Dance With Death - Barbara Nadel
Jacquot and the Angel - Martin O'Brien
End in Tears - Ruth Rendell
Mr Clarinet - Nick Stone
Two-Way Split - Allan Guthrie
Votes can be cast at any Waterstone’s branch in Britain or online by clicking here (fortunately, the voting is much more straightforward than the recent Scottish elections).
So please vote. No pressure, but if Two-Way Split doesn’t make the shortlist, THE PUPPY DIES!
Not a Paris Hilton Post?
Over at The Lipstick Chronicles, they're claiming that this is not a Paris Hilton post. And you thought I was the only one.
Fats is Back
Thanks to Skinny Meyerson for the link.
iWon News - Fats Domino Returns to New Orleans Stage
iWon News - Fats Domino Returns to New Orleans Stage
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Fats Domino took the stage before a sold-out crowd of hundreds in a New Orleans nightclub Saturday, marking the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer's first public performance since Hurricane Katrina.
Dressed in a snappy white jacket, the 79-year-old New Orleans icon was crisp and energetic as he sang and played the piano. The crowd jumped and screamed when he belted out "Blueberry Hill." Domino was accompanied by his longtime friend and musical partner saxophonist Herbert Hardesty. The pair have been playing together since the mid-1940s.
Fans who for years longed to see Domino perform such hits as "Blueberry Hill,""Blue Monday,""Ain't That a Shame" and "Walkin' to New Orleans" finally got their wish.
Domino, whose real name is Antoine, lost his home, his pianos, his gold and platinum records, and much of the city he loves during Katrina. He was rescued by boat from his flooded 9th Ward home after the storm struck on Aug. 29, 2005.
Domino last performed in public on Memorial Day 2005 at a casino on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, said Haydee Ellis, a close friend of Domino.
The Tipitina's Foundation, which put on Saturday night's show, is working with such artists as Elton John, Tom Petty, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, B.B. King and others to record a tribute album of Domino's songs.
Proceeds will benefit the foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to providing the city's public schools with musical instruments and helping artists recover from the hurricane. Roughly 25 percent of the proceeds will go toward the restoration of Domino's home, said Bill Taylor, the foundation's executive director.
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Saturday, May 19, 2007
The Woods -- Harlan Coben
Harlan Coben has pretty much started his own sub-genre in the crime field. If you've read his standalone novels, you know what I'm talking about. Nearly all of them have the same hook: some family member or friend is murdered or disappears. Supposedly. Years later, evidence turns up proving that the murder might not have happened. Or that the person who disappeared is still around.Everyone in the book will have secrets relating to the murder or the disappearance, even the protagonist. Nobody will come out unscathed at the novel's conclusion.
This time the crime occurs in the woods near a summer camp. (No, it's not Camp Crystal lake, and the killer didn't wear a hockey mask.) Four people are presumed dead, though not all the bodies are recovered. Now it's twenty years or so later, and the victim of a current murder turns out to be one of those thought to have died in the woods. So what's going on? Paul Copeland, a New Jersey county prosecutor, wants to know because his sister was supposedly one of the victims, and her body wasn't found.
Did I mention secrets? Even Paul has them, and he's repeatedly warned to stop his investigation into what happened at the camp. Even the killer, now in prison, warns him. But Paul, being like all characters who find themselves being warned off in crime novels, keeps right on digging. There are complications and twists galore, maybe too many, as the book rockets along to its conclusion. Has anybody ever written about Coben as a noir writer? I think this book is noir. But maybe I'm wrong. Check it out and see.
Good News for Texas
And we know it will come to pass because these guys never make a mistake.
Accuweather forecasts hot summer for much of U.S - Yahoo! News: "NEW YORK (Reuters) - Private weather forecaster Accuweather is predicting hotter-than-normal temperatures for much of the United States this summer, the company said in a press release.
Temperatures will be the hottest in the Northeast, the Great Lakes region and the Midwest. Texas is expected to be one of the few exceptions to the expected hotter-than-normal conditions.
Rainfall in the United States is expected to be normal except in the Southwest and the Rockies. The Great Lakes, Texas and Florida will receive more rain that usual, Accuweather said."
Accuweather forecasts hot summer for much of U.S - Yahoo! News: "NEW YORK (Reuters) - Private weather forecaster Accuweather is predicting hotter-than-normal temperatures for much of the United States this summer, the company said in a press release.
Temperatures will be the hottest in the Northeast, the Great Lakes region and the Midwest. Texas is expected to be one of the few exceptions to the expected hotter-than-normal conditions.
Rainfall in the United States is expected to be normal except in the Southwest and the Rockies. The Great Lakes, Texas and Florida will receive more rain that usual, Accuweather said."
Bill Clinton is a Good Name for an Emu
But perhaps things would have gone better if they'd read this book.newsobserver.com | It was a nice day in Carrboro, but not for the emu: "CHAPEL HILL - Bill Clinton, a 6-foot emu on the run nearly a week, died Thursday after Carrboro police captured him outside a nursing home.
The cause of the flightless bird's death was in dispute: The manager of the Orange County Animal Shelter said police Tasered him. But a police spokesman said officers didn't use a Taser stun gun or tranquilizers. He said the bird injured himself as police tried to load him into a truck to take him to the shelter.
'My guess is it did something to its neck,' Capt. J.G. Booker said.
Bill Clinton's flight was the latest and most spectacular of a string of Triangle-area emu escapes that ended in death."
Friday, May 18, 2007
Cheap Thrills -- Ron Goulart
Back in 1972 information about the pulps wasn't easy to find, at least not in the sources I had access to. So it was a real pleasure to learn about the publication of Ron Goulart's Cheap Thrills: An Informal History of the Pulp Magazines. I got a copy for my birthday that year, and I immediately read it straight through. It's been on my reference shelf ever since. Now, thirty-five years later, there's a new edition. Naturally I had to have a copy, although of the thirteen original chapters, only one has been changed. So why get this edition? Because the chapter that's been changed is the last one, the one that had comments from the pulp writers Goulart corresponded with during his research. The new edition doesn't have excerpts from the letters Goulart received. It has photos of the letters themselves, just as they were written. So Chapter 13 is worth the price of the book all by itself, even if you already have a copy.
Seems to me there are more and better color illustrations this time around, too, but I haven't done a comparison. If you care about the pulps and pulp writers at all, you need a copy of this book.
From the Guys at Demolition
Hello my darlings. I know it's beautiful outside, but it's downright
nasty at Demolition Magazine. Our Spring issue is now live with
stories from Pat Lambe, Albert Tucher, J.D. Smith, Alan Girling, Greg
Bardsley, and Terry White.
Recently we've been awarded the Gumshoe Award from Mystery Ink for
Best Crime Fiction Website and one of our stories, "The Law and the
Order" by Paul Guyot was named as a notable story in the StorySouth
Million Writers Award.
We couldn't be prouder and plan on resting on our laurels for a good
long time to come.
nasty at Demolition Magazine. Our Spring issue is now live with
stories from Pat Lambe, Albert Tucher, J.D. Smith, Alan Girling, Greg
Bardsley, and Terry White.
Recently we've been awarded the Gumshoe Award from Mystery Ink for
Best Crime Fiction Website and one of our stories, "The Law and the
Order" by Paul Guyot was named as a notable story in the StorySouth
Million Writers Award.
We couldn't be prouder and plan on resting on our laurels for a good
long time to come.
New Blog on the Block
Declan Burke writes to announce that he's running a new blog devoted to Irish crime fiction. It's Crime Always Pays, and the idea is to plug any and all Irish crime fiction, including, not incidentally, that written by Delcan Burke. Check it out.
Bo Diddley Update
Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link to this encouraging news.
iWon News - Diddley Improves After Suffering Stroke: "OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Four days after suffering a stroke, Bo Diddley walked around the intensive-care unit at Creighton University Medical Center, and doctors were encouraged that the singer-songwriter-guitarist would be able to perform again, his manager said.
The 78-year-old Diddley told his audience that he wasn't feeling well during a show in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on Saturday night. Diddley's manager, Margo Lewis, said she had the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer taken to the hospital by ambulance when he appeared disoriented at the Omaha airport on Sunday.
Though Diddley's speech is impaired, he's made significant progress.
'We're going to get a guitar for him and put it in his lap and let him entertain people here,' Lewis said from the hospital. 'People think that would be good therapy for him.'"
iWon News - Diddley Improves After Suffering Stroke: "OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Four days after suffering a stroke, Bo Diddley walked around the intensive-care unit at Creighton University Medical Center, and doctors were encouraged that the singer-songwriter-guitarist would be able to perform again, his manager said.
The 78-year-old Diddley told his audience that he wasn't feeling well during a show in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on Saturday night. Diddley's manager, Margo Lewis, said she had the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer taken to the hospital by ambulance when he appeared disoriented at the Omaha airport on Sunday.
Though Diddley's speech is impaired, he's made significant progress.
'We're going to get a guitar for him and put it in his lap and let him entertain people here,' Lewis said from the hospital. 'People think that would be good therapy for him.'"
Thursday, May 17, 2007
This Can't be True
Janet Charlton's Hollywood -- Celebrity Gossip & Rumors: "Introducing the new Bond Girls: Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen! One of the producers (who happens to be a female) of Daniel Craig's next James Bond movie is very impressed with Ashley and Mary-Kate and really wants them in the 22nd 007 movie scheduled to start filming in 2008. The Olsens would be the first set of Bond twins. The producer is making the offer as appealing to the girls as possible - there will be no nudity or sex scenes. And the twins will play good girls - not villains."
Stephen King Picks the 25 Best Rock Songs
Not a bad list, and I love it that he includes "Stupid Cupid." And yet Connie Francis is not in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. Those people are nuts. Thanks to "Rockin' Jeff" Meyerson for the link.
Photo 1 | Stevie's Wonders | Photos | EW.com: "So I run into one of my Constant Readers and — everybody's a critic — the guy says, ''Your column's suckin' out lately, Steve. You're losin' your edge.'' My first impulse is to tell him I have a cozy place where he can put my column, but since he looks like a recently retired Hell's Angel, I rethink this option. Instead I ask him what he thinks would make a good piece.
''Best rock songs of all time,'' he says. ''That subject always starts arguments, especially if you don't put 'Stairway' on there.''
I realized he was right. Especially since the idea of putting ''Stairway to Heaven'' on such a list grosses me out. So I decided to take my biker buddy up on his idea. Twenty-four great songs, one for every hour of the day, picked by the Infallible Me."
Photo 1 | Stevie's Wonders | Photos | EW.com: "So I run into one of my Constant Readers and — everybody's a critic — the guy says, ''Your column's suckin' out lately, Steve. You're losin' your edge.'' My first impulse is to tell him I have a cozy place where he can put my column, but since he looks like a recently retired Hell's Angel, I rethink this option. Instead I ask him what he thinks would make a good piece.
''Best rock songs of all time,'' he says. ''That subject always starts arguments, especially if you don't put 'Stairway' on there.''
I realized he was right. Especially since the idea of putting ''Stairway to Heaven'' on such a list grosses me out. So I decided to take my biker buddy up on his idea. Twenty-four great songs, one for every hour of the day, picked by the Infallible Me."
Best Wishes to Bo Diddley for a Speedy Recovery
Bo Diddley hospitalized after stroke - Yahoo! News: "DES MOINES, Iowa - Bo Diddley is in intensive care after suffering a stroke in western Iowa, a publicist said Wednesday.
The 78-year-old singer-songwriter-guitarist and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was listed in guarded condition at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Neb., said Susan Clary, a publicist for the musician's management team.
Diddley, who has a history of hypertension and diabetes, was hospitalized Sunday following a concert in Council Bluffs in which he acted disoriented, she said.
Tests indicated that the stroke affected the left side of his brain, impairing his speech and speech recognition, Clary said.
Clary said she has no other details on Diddley's condition or how long he would be in intensive care.
Diddley, with his black glasses and low-slung guitar, has been an icon in the music industry since he topped the R&B charts with 'Bo Diddley' in 1955. His other hits include 'Who Do You Love,' 'Before You Accuse Me,' 'Mona' and 'I'm a Man.'"
The 78-year-old singer-songwriter-guitarist and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer was listed in guarded condition at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Neb., said Susan Clary, a publicist for the musician's management team.
Diddley, who has a history of hypertension and diabetes, was hospitalized Sunday following a concert in Council Bluffs in which he acted disoriented, she said.
Tests indicated that the stroke affected the left side of his brain, impairing his speech and speech recognition, Clary said.
Clary said she has no other details on Diddley's condition or how long he would be in intensive care.
Diddley, with his black glasses and low-slung guitar, has been an icon in the music industry since he topped the R&B charts with 'Bo Diddley' in 1955. His other hits include 'Who Do You Love,' 'Before You Accuse Me,' 'Mona' and 'I'm a Man.'"
Will the Persecution Never End?
Maybe. Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for letting me know. (I'm pleased to see the bit about the shower. No janes in jail movie is complete without a couple of shower scenes. Paging Sybil Danning! Paging Sybil Danning!)
My Question Today Is . . .
. . . what the hell is going on with David Letterman's hair? For a long time now, it's looked as if he's been styling it with a weed-whacker just before going on stage. Some time back his hair was cut short and looked pretty good. Now it's as if he's out to make it look as bad as possible. Just Dave's way of telling us he hates the show and doesn't give a damn how he looks? I have no idea, but it seems odd to me.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Derringer Award Winners
As voted on by the Short Mystery Fiction Society. Here's the official announcement, and I'm proud to say that I'm a winner for "Cranked."Hi, folks - I'm very pleased to announce the Winners of the 2007 Derringer Awards for Excellence in Short Mystery Fiction.
First, I want to give my deepest thanks to Elysabeth Eldering, who volunteered to be a vote counter and, again, to judges who gave so generously of their time and energy.
The Winners are: FLASH STORY: "Vigilante" by Barry Ergang (Summer 2006, Mysterical-E)
SHORT-SHORT STORY - We have a tie: • "Four For Dinner" by John M. Floyd (Seven by Seven) AND • "Elena Speaks of the City, Under Siege" by Steven Torres (September/October 2006, Crimespree Magazine)
MID-LENGTH STORY - "Cranked" by Bill Crider (Damn Near Dead: An Anthology of Geezer Noir)
LONGER SHORT STORY - "Strictly Business" by Julie Hyzy (These Guns for Hire)
Congratulations to all of the Winners.
Top 160 Books for Boys
The complete list is here.
160 books on must-read list for boys – full of blood, guts and class heroes-Arts & Entertainment-Books-TimesOnline: "A list of the top 160 books for teenage boys will be published today by the Education Secretary in an ambitious attempt to encourage them to read more for pleasure and keep up with girls at secondary school.
To launch the 600,000-pound project, Alan Johnson has promised to give every secondary school in England the chance to chose 20 books from the list free.
The list contains no Dickens and no J. K. Rowling, but Philip Pullman, Anthony Horowitz, Robert Muchamore, Terry Pratchett and Darren Shan all feature in a list that is full of gritty, fighting, spying, fantastical, bloodthirsty and sporty working-class heroes from authors past and present."
160 books on must-read list for boys – full of blood, guts and class heroes-Arts & Entertainment-Books-TimesOnline: "A list of the top 160 books for teenage boys will be published today by the Education Secretary in an ambitious attempt to encourage them to read more for pleasure and keep up with girls at secondary school.
To launch the 600,000-pound project, Alan Johnson has promised to give every secondary school in England the chance to chose 20 books from the list free.
The list contains no Dickens and no J. K. Rowling, but Philip Pullman, Anthony Horowitz, Robert Muchamore, Terry Pratchett and Darren Shan all feature in a list that is full of gritty, fighting, spying, fantastical, bloodthirsty and sporty working-class heroes from authors past and present."
Just What the World Needs
Proof that GWTW still captures people's imaginations, I suppose. Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.
Rhett Butler's People - Books - Margaret Mitchell - New York Times: "It’s taken 12 years, three authors and one rejected manuscript, but tomorrow will be another day when “Rhett Butler’s People,” the second sequel to Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone With the Wind,” is published this fall.
Less a conventional sequel than a retelling from Rhett Butler’s point of view, the new book, to be published by St. Martin’s Press in November, is written by Donald McCaig, a former advertising copywriter turned Virginia sheep farmer who has written well-reviewed novels about the Civil War."
Rhett Butler's People - Books - Margaret Mitchell - New York Times: "It’s taken 12 years, three authors and one rejected manuscript, but tomorrow will be another day when “Rhett Butler’s People,” the second sequel to Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone With the Wind,” is published this fall.
Less a conventional sequel than a retelling from Rhett Butler’s point of view, the new book, to be published by St. Martin’s Press in November, is written by Donald McCaig, a former advertising copywriter turned Virginia sheep farmer who has written well-reviewed novels about the Civil War."
Anna Nicole Smith Update
Jeff Meyerson (who swears that Anna Nicole never asked for his "#") provides the link.
iWon News - Anna Nicole Diary: Sex, Surgery, Sadness: "LOS ANGELES (AP) - 'Don't Read!! Personall,' warns the diary's inside cover. But its author, Anna Nicole Smith, has no hold in death on the remnants of her life.
The public now can discover that she was delighted by rough sex, ecstatic over the prospect of plastic surgery for her breasts, and fearful of a jealous boyfriend. She was careless with spelling, punctuation, and, too often, with her own well-being.
Complaining about her then-lover's carousing, Smith writes that she'll break it off with him if he doesn't stop. Then she amends her stand, according to new diary excerpts released exclusively to The Associated Press.
'We discussed it and he said he wouldn't go out and get drunk no more unless it was with me,' Smith wrote in the diaries, which span about a year from early 1991 to 1992.
On an evening out a few weeks later with the same man (identified only by first name), Smith wrote that she got drunk and 'asked a guy for his #.'
Her boyfriend 'came unglued. threw me out of his house & broke up with me it was awlful he hit me and my mother,' she said."
iWon News - Anna Nicole Diary: Sex, Surgery, Sadness: "LOS ANGELES (AP) - 'Don't Read!! Personall,' warns the diary's inside cover. But its author, Anna Nicole Smith, has no hold in death on the remnants of her life.
The public now can discover that she was delighted by rough sex, ecstatic over the prospect of plastic surgery for her breasts, and fearful of a jealous boyfriend. She was careless with spelling, punctuation, and, too often, with her own well-being.
Complaining about her then-lover's carousing, Smith writes that she'll break it off with him if he doesn't stop. Then she amends her stand, according to new diary excerpts released exclusively to The Associated Press.
'We discussed it and he said he wouldn't go out and get drunk no more unless it was with me,' Smith wrote in the diaries, which span about a year from early 1991 to 1992.
On an evening out a few weeks later with the same man (identified only by first name), Smith wrote that she got drunk and 'asked a guy for his #.'
Her boyfriend 'came unglued. threw me out of his house & broke up with me it was awlful he hit me and my mother,' she said."
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Cat Tales
Judy and I are taking a couple of the cats to visit the vet this morning. This is not an event we look forward to with eager anticipation. More like fear and trembling. Neither cat will cooperate, and one will be downright cantankerous. I just hope they don't shred our clothing. Or our skin.
Monday, May 14, 2007
A KILLING IN COMICS -- Max Allan Collins
Update: Becky Riordan points out in a comment that this review is quoted in toto in usatoday.com's book section today. I'm finally famous.Did Max Allan Collins start the trend in historical mysteries? I don't know, but he's sure a master of the form. A Killing in Comics is his latest, and it's a good example.
The book is set in 1948, and Wonder Guy is the best-selling funny book in the country. Unfortunately for all concerned, the publisher drops dead at his 50th birthday party. He's wearing a Wonder Guy costume that does nothing at all to protect him from the sharp cake knife he falls on.
Jack Starr works for the newspaper syndicate that has the rights to the Wonder Guy comic strip, and when he finds out that the death is a result of murder, he decides to look into it. He's a licensed p.i., after all.
There are plenty of suspects, including writers, artists, a mistress, gangsters, and so on, but what interests Collins as much as the crime is the state of the postwar comic-book business. Fans will recognize just about every character in the book, since the thin disguises don't so much conceal as hint at actual identities.
The novel seemed to me to be very much a Nero Wolfe pastiche. Starr's boss is believes she's overweight and never leaves the building (well, almost never). Starr is a snappy dresser with a photographic memory. The gathering of the suspects in the end, along with detailed seating arrangements, will remind you of Wolfe, for sure. But there's a big Ellery Queen element, too. In fact, this is the first book I've read in years with a Challenge to the Reader. (I'll bet you figure out the crime pretty well.) If you're getting the idea that this is a cozy, you're not too far off the mark. There's more detection than action (and that's not a criticism).
As a bonus, you get Terry Beatty's great B&W illustrations that capture the comics of 1948 about as well as anybody possibly could. Check it out.
Okay, This is Pretty Cool
It's Flickrvision. Kind of hard to explain, but here's the deal. Flickr is a photo-sharing site. Flickrvision is a map of the world, and when people post their photos on Flickr, one of them pops up on the screen and is pin-pointed on the map. Kind of addictive if you like looking at other people's pictures.
Link via Techblog.
Link via Techblog.
In Case You Were Wondering . . .
TheStar.com - News - From jokester to jailbird: "He started out as a gifted improv comic at Toronto's Second City. From there, Tony Rosato took his zany writing and performing style to the small screen, winning fame on SCTV and later on Saturday Night Live.
His off-the-wall characters ranged from fictional TV chef Marcello Sebastiano to Lou Costello, Captain Kangaroo and Yasser Arafat. Industry buzz pegged him as the next John Belushi.
Rosato went on to perform in a variety of TV shows and movies. In 1989 he was nominated for the best-supporting-actor Gemini for his role as police informant Whitey in Night Heat.
Then suddenly, two years ago, Rosato disappeared.
Since then, the actor has been behind bars, with no trial, at the maximum-security Quinte Detention Centre in Napanee, 30 kilometres west of Kingston, on charges of criminally harassing his wife during their marriage. It's alleged that his 'reckless' behaviour led his spouse, Leah, with whom he has a now-2-year-old daughter, to be afraid for her own safety or others'."
His off-the-wall characters ranged from fictional TV chef Marcello Sebastiano to Lou Costello, Captain Kangaroo and Yasser Arafat. Industry buzz pegged him as the next John Belushi.
Rosato went on to perform in a variety of TV shows and movies. In 1989 he was nominated for the best-supporting-actor Gemini for his role as police informant Whitey in Night Heat.
Then suddenly, two years ago, Rosato disappeared.
Since then, the actor has been behind bars, with no trial, at the maximum-security Quinte Detention Centre in Napanee, 30 kilometres west of Kingston, on charges of criminally harassing his wife during their marriage. It's alleged that his 'reckless' behaviour led his spouse, Leah, with whom he has a now-2-year-old daughter, to be afraid for her own safety or others'."
Will the Persecution Never End?
It had better, or Paris Hilton will kick your ass. Maybe she'll also come over and keep those damn kids off my lawn.
No, Thanks. I'm not Hungry.
Wis. festival sells deep-fried testicles: "ELDERON, Wis. - Around here, it may be tough to pass up anything deep-fried.
More than 300 people paid $5 for all-you-can-eat goat, lamb and bull testicles Saturday at the ninth annual Testicle Festival at Mama‘s Place Bar and Grill in Elderon in central Wisconsin.
Festival founder Nancy Fenske said the festival grew out of her late husband Roger‘s birthday party 12 years ago. They decided to have 'a nut fry' at Mama‘s Place after bringing back lamb fries from a trip to Montana.
'What else can you do in a small town?' Fenske said."
Oh, I don't know. Read a book? (Thanks to Jeff [Mr. Gourmet] Meyerson for the link.)
More than 300 people paid $5 for all-you-can-eat goat, lamb and bull testicles Saturday at the ninth annual Testicle Festival at Mama‘s Place Bar and Grill in Elderon in central Wisconsin.
Festival founder Nancy Fenske said the festival grew out of her late husband Roger‘s birthday party 12 years ago. They decided to have 'a nut fry' at Mama‘s Place after bringing back lamb fries from a trip to Montana.
'What else can you do in a small town?' Fenske said."
Oh, I don't know. Read a book? (Thanks to Jeff [Mr. Gourmet] Meyerson for the link.)
Croc Update
They're still after Reggie.
Crocodile Hunters Will Hunt Local Alligator | News | KTLA The CW | Where Los Angeles Lives: "A team of crocodile hunters from the late Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo will soon be on the way to Los Angeles to try to succeed where American gator wranglers failed, and remove Reggie the alligator from his murky Los Angeles park lagoon.
City councilwoman Janice Hahn said logistics are almost complete for a July 10 expedition, when a crew from the Australia Zoo in Queensland will attempt to remove the seven-foot-long creature from Machado Lake.
Quantas Airways has agreed to fly a crew and their gear to Los Angeles in early July, and city Parks and Recreation Department workers are keeping a log to try to establish Reggie's cruising habits in advance of the visit, Hahn told the Long Beach Press-Telegram."
Crocodile Hunters Will Hunt Local Alligator | News | KTLA The CW | Where Los Angeles Lives: "A team of crocodile hunters from the late Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo will soon be on the way to Los Angeles to try to succeed where American gator wranglers failed, and remove Reggie the alligator from his murky Los Angeles park lagoon.
City councilwoman Janice Hahn said logistics are almost complete for a July 10 expedition, when a crew from the Australia Zoo in Queensland will attempt to remove the seven-foot-long creature from Machado Lake.
Quantas Airways has agreed to fly a crew and their gear to Los Angeles in early July, and city Parks and Recreation Department workers are keeping a log to try to establish Reggie's cruising habits in advance of the visit, Hahn told the Long Beach Press-Telegram."
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Harry Potter Update: the Eighth Book
NEWS ROWLING TO PEN EIGHTH POTTER BOOK Music, movie & Entertainment News: "British author JK ROWLING's seventh HARRY POTTER book may not be the last we read of the teenage wizard - she is planning another installment in the fantasy franchise.
The seventh novel, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, hits bookstores on 21 July (07), and while Rowling has always insisted it would be the last chapter of the phenomenally successful series - she is now considering an eighth book.
Rowling says, 'I might do an eighth book for charity, a kind of encyclopedia of the world so I could use all the extra material that's not in the books.'"
The seventh novel, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, hits bookstores on 21 July (07), and while Rowling has always insisted it would be the last chapter of the phenomenally successful series - she is now considering an eighth book.
Rowling says, 'I might do an eighth book for charity, a kind of encyclopedia of the world so I could use all the extra material that's not in the books.'"
Zombie Update
Joe Lansdale has weighed in with an update to his list of zombie movies. Click here for the original post and the update.
Albino Gator Update
Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.
iWon News - Rare Albino Gator on Display in Tenn.: "KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - This white alligator has it made in the shade. A rare albino alligator on loan to the Knoxville Zoo spent one recent afternoon basking under a heat lamp beside a warm pool with one claw lazily dipped in the water. If outside, her skin would burn in the sun.
'Is she real?' is the most common question from visitors, says Phil Colclough, assistant curator of herpetology at the zoo.
'Nobody believes she's real. They stare until she takes a breath or moves her eyes or jumps in the pool.'"
iWon News - Rare Albino Gator on Display in Tenn.: "KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - This white alligator has it made in the shade. A rare albino alligator on loan to the Knoxville Zoo spent one recent afternoon basking under a heat lamp beside a warm pool with one claw lazily dipped in the water. If outside, her skin would burn in the sun.
'Is she real?' is the most common question from visitors, says Phil Colclough, assistant curator of herpetology at the zoo.
'Nobody believes she's real. They stare until she takes a breath or moves her eyes or jumps in the pool.'"
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