In Case You Were Wondering . . .

. . . about the Unbloggable, here's the Round-Up, thanks to John Duke, who provided the link.

AFI 100 Best Movies

I had nothing to say about the list this year, but Ivan Shreve does, over at his blog. He even lists his own Top 100, and I like his list a lot. You know it's good because it has Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein on it.

A Guide to Concert Etiquette: A Series of Short Videos

Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.

Guide to Concert Etiquette: Rule 10 - Spinner.com - Free MP3s, Interviews, Music News, Live Performances, Songs and Videos: "At every show there's that dude who brings the whole experience down. We've studied him, and with help from our friends the Comas, we've assembled a guide to concert etiquette. Avoid these ten show no-nos, lest you become That Dude."

Gator Update: Philly Edition

United Press International - NewsTrack - Quirks - Friendly sunbathing alligator found in Pa.: "PHILADELPHIA, June 24 (UPI) -- Authorities in Norristown, Pa., are at a loss to explain where a 4 1/2-foot alligator came from before it was discovered last week sunbathing on a rock.

While the reptile eventually was captured and now resides in the Elmwood Park Zoo, officials were left to speculate where the potentially deadly animal may have come from, The Philadelphia Inquirer said Saturday.

'Obviously a pet gone wrong,' animal control officer Shawn Tarman said of the gator."

What Will Paris Do?

Now that the persecution has ended, I mean. You can check out some of the speculation here.

Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.

Worst Movie Trilogies?

NEWS TRAVOLTA MOVIES WIN 'WORST TRILOGY' Music, movie & Entertainment News: "JOHN TRAVOLTA trilogy LOOK WHO'S TALKING has been voted with worst movie series of all time. The trilogy, which also stars Kirstie Alley, beat the I Know What You Did Last Summer and American Pie series' in a poll by online retailer Amazon.

Spokesman Rakhi Parekh says, 'There was some stiff competition but in the end it seems three films about talking babies were just too much for film buffs to take.' The top five:

1. Look Who's Talking
2. I Know What You Did Last Summer
3. American Pie
4. Crocodile Dundee
5. Star Wars"

Parental Guidance Suggested

Mingle² - Online Dating

I discovered how to rate the blog by visiting the NC-17 rated blog perpetrated by the seemingly PG Brent McKee. Appearances can be so deceptive.

Croc Update: Vacation Destination Edition

The Jakarta Post - The Journal of Indonesia Today: "Residents in Balikpapan and other parts of East Kalimantan may be familiar with the Borneo Crocodile Recreational Park on Jl. Mulawarman in the city, managed by CV Surya Raya Crocodile Farm.

The place offers visitors a variety of crocodile leather products, such as briefcases, purses, wallets, belts and bags, as well as some exotic fare -- crocodile satay at Rp 3,000 (approximately 33 U.S. cents) a stick.

Crocodile meat is seen by many as nutritious and is believed to heal a number of diseases, such as asthma and allergies, as well as relieving hypertension and reducing sugar levels in diabetics.

The park is open to the public daily, from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, visitors can sample crocodile satay only on Sundays and other major holidays, such as Idul Fitri, Idul Adha, Christmas and New Year's Day."

CNN: Where you get the Real News

Thanks to George Kelley for the tip.

CNN's Larry King to interview Paris Hilton on Wednesday after jail release - International Herald Tribune: "LOS ANGELES: Paris Hilton plans to appear on CNN's 'Larry King Live' on Wednesday night, a day after she's scheduled to be released from jail, a spokeswoman for King said.

'We do have Paris on Wednesday,' said the show's spokeswoman, Bridget Leininger. 'She'll do the whole hour.'

Hilton spokesman Elliott Mintz didn't immediately return a call seeking comment."

Hank Medress, R. I. P.

National / International News | Chattanooga Times Free Press: "NEW YORK (AP) -- Hank Medress, whose vocals with the doo wop group the Tokens helped propel their irrepressible single 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' to the top of the charts and who produced hits with other groups, has died of lung cancer. He was 68.

Medress died Monday at his Manhattan home, relatives said.

He was a teenager at Brooklyn's Lincoln High School when he launched his vocal quartet in 1955 with Neil Sedaka, performing as the Linc-Tones. When Sedaka departed for a successful solo career, lead singer Jay Siegel joined brothers Mitch and Phil Margo and Medress to become the Tokens.

It wasn't until 1961 that the group scored its singular smash, its hypnotic 'Wimowehs' derived from a traditional Zulu melody. The Weavers had made the song a folk staple in the '50s, but the Tokens brought their version to No. 1 on the pop charts."

Peru Update: Cameron Diaz Edition

Cameron Diaz's bag emblazoned with Maoist slogan raises eyebrows in Peru - International Herald Tribune: "AGUAS CALIENTES, Peru: Actress Cameron Diaz appears to have committed a major fashion crime in Peru.

The voice of Princess Fiona in the animated 'Shrek' films may have inadvertently offended Peruvians who suffered decades of violence from a Maoist guerrilla insurgency by touring here Friday with a bag emblazoned with one of Mao Zedong's favorite political slogans.

While exploring the Inca city of Machu Picchu high in Peru's Andes, Diaz wore over her shoulder an olive green messenger bag emblazoned with a red star and the words 'Serve the People' printed in Chinese on the flap, perhaps Chinese Communist leader Mao's most famous political slogan.

While the bags are marketed as trendy fashion accessories in some world capitals, the phrase has particular resonance in Peru, where the Maoist Shining Path insurgency brought Peru to edge of chaos in the 1980s and early 1990s with a campaign of massacres, assassinations and bombings."

Photo of Aguas Calientes taken by yours truly.

Free at Last!

Thanks to John Duke for the link.

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Release date set for Paris Hilton: "Celebrity heiress Paris Hilton is to leave jail on Tuesday after almost three-and-a-half weeks behind bars, authorities in California have said.

The reality TV star was sentenced on 3 June to 45 days in jail for violating probation on a driving ban.

But crowded jail conditions and time off for good behaviour will mean that she is released after 24 days.

The 26-year-old was briefly freed on medical grounds earlier this month, but was sent back to jail by a court.

Before she was led screaming from court, she was told she would have to serve her full sentence."

Un Lun Dun -- China Mieville

I picked this book for reading in waiting rooms because (A) it was written for kids in grades 5-9 and (B) I'd very much enjoyed Mieville's first book, an adult novel called King Rat.

Un Lun Dun is set, for the most part, in an alternate London, a place where all the "moil" of the real London goes, the moil being everything that's broken, discarded, or obsolete. Things there are in a turmoil, and the people are looking for "the Shwazzy" to appear and save them. The Shwazzy appears, but things don't go exactly as planned. There's a quest, lots of action, and lots of weirdness before it's all wrapped up.

Mieville's great at coming up with one damn thing after another, and he's also great at coming up with one fantastic image after another. What's he's not so great with is characters. There's not a one in this book that comes alive. I didn't really care if any of them lived or died. Also, there's not a lot of wit and humor. In a book this long, you need that. Or I do.

And speaking of long, the book is nearly 430 pages of small print. I wonder how many kids in grades 5-9 will actually plow through it. I know there were times I was tempted to put it aside, but the situation demanded that I finish it. The ending holds out the promise of many sequels. I found I didn't much care. Probably I'm just old and cynical, but I really wanted to like this book. I didn't, or at least not enough to recommend that you check it out. I liked Mieville's illustrations, though.

Ramble House

It's been too long since I've mentioned Ramble House here, as I was reminded when I saw John Breen's Four Star review of this novel in EQMM today. If you're not familiar with Ramble House and its offerings, go here. But not before you read about Richard Lupoff's Marblehead below.

Marblehead: "Ramble House is proud to present a new major novel by well-known editor and SF/mystery writer, Richard A. Lupoff. He wrote it in 1976 in the style of such historical novelists as John Dos Passos, James T. Farrell and Theodore Dreiser and it concerns the actions of horror novelist Howard P. Lovecraft and his literary friends in the momentous year 1927. Lupoff's 1980 novel, LOVECRAFT'S BOOK, covers the same topic but very little of the 1976 manuscript -- lost until a few years ago -- is contained in the 1980 novel. Read the story of the two publications in the introduction. MARBLEHEAD is a huge novel, 478 pages, and both the trade paperback and hardcover editions have a cover and mapback by Ramble House's Gavin L. O'Keefe."

Will the Persecution Never End?

No.

Will the Persecution Never End?

Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for this timely update.

Now the swine at NBC are saying they won't pay P. H. her $1 million.

Dylan Update

Hat tip to Banjo Jones for this news.

DYLAN 07: "3-CD DYLAN To Feature 51 Tracks Spanning Five Decades Extensive Liner Notes And Never-Before-Seen Photos Highlight Deluxe Edition

18-Song 'Best Of' Collection To Be Released Concurrently

A career-spanning, three-CD retrospective of Bob Dylan's music - DYLAN - will be released worldwide on October 1 by Columbia Records. This definitive Bob Dylan collection chronicles the artist's four decades of groundbreaking studio recordings, as well as his unparalleled influence on popular music and culture.

According to Sony BMG Commercial Music Group President John Ingrassia, 'Each new generation eventually discovers what millions of people the world over have known for decades: That Bob Dylan is a singular artist whose songs and recordings represent the very best that music has to offer. This DYLAN set will provide a comprehensive introduction to an important body of work that continues to impact our culture and attract multitudes of new fans each year.'"

Croc(s) Update

By Executive Order, Crocs Aren't Chic - washingtonpost.com

Crocs -- Cayman style, $29.99 -- as he was heading out from the White House to ride his bike. He wore the clunky resin clogs -- which have ventilation holes and a heel strap -- with a pair of black shorts, a white camp shirt, a baseball cap with the image of an unidentified Scottish terrier and black bike socks imprinted with the presidential seal. He had the backstraps of his Crocs flipped forward so they rested on the top of the shoes -- turning them into slides. This subtle gesture -- coupled with the subdued color -- actually made the exceedingly unattractive shoes look tolerable.


President Bush takes a fashion misstep pairing socks with Crocs before a bike ride in Washington.
President Bush takes a fashion misstep pairing socks with Crocs before a bike ride in Washington. 

Could they have been in a goodie bag at the May fundraiser for the Virginia Republican Party, which, according to the Associated Press, Crocs Chairman Rick Sharp hosted and Bush attended?

According to the folks at Crocs, which is based outside Boulder, Colo., Bush acquired the shoes independently. "We didn't seed the presidential marketplace," says spokeswoman Tia Mattson.

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They're Baaaaaaack

Photo at link.

'London.uk: "One of the largest UFOs ever seen has been observed by the crew and passengers of an airliner over the Channel Islands.

An official air-miss report on the incident several weeks ago appears in Pilot magazine.

Aurigny Airlines captain Ray Bowyer, 50, flying close to Alderney first spotted the object, described as 'a cigar-shaped brilliant white light'."

When Gators are Outlawed . . .

. . . only rogue cops will have gators.

West Life Newspaper - News: "In the Rocky River charges, department records indicate they were called to the home at 9:06 p.m. June 6. Officials said they were aware it was Nyerges’ residence, because they had been called to the home several months prior to that because of a complaint about the alligator. No injuries had been reported, but someone had complained about him having a dangerous animal, the officials said.

“We had told him to get rid of the alligator after we learned of it,” Wright said."

So I'm Sitting Here . . .

. . . in MD Anderson. Judy's had a cardiac scan, and now she's having a PET scan. Very high-tech stuff, and I'm not so sure I like the idea of being injected with radioactive material, even if it's just a small amount.

There's a computer table here in the waiting room with two computers. Competition for them is hot, but I've got one at the moment, so I thought I'd take advantage of it to help myself cope with the boredom. We've been here since 10:30. Four hours exactly. And more hours to go.

Luckily I have a peanut butter sandwich in my all-purpose bag, so I won't starve to death. Judy hasn't been allowed to eat anything since dinner last night. She's probably really hungry about now, unless the testing has distracted her.

You know what the great thing about blogging this is? I can transfer my boredom to you. I think I'll stop now.

Will the Persecution Never End?

No, but I don't think Paris will care.

Paris Can Write!

Thanks to John Duke for this news.

Well, it Worked for Two Years

Thanks to John Stickney for the link.

Lion disguise didn't fool U.S. Marshals - cleveland.com: "Solon -- U.S. Marshals bagged a lion Wednesday and hauled him to jail.

OK, it wasn't a real lion, but a man wearing a furry costume with a long tail: James Wagner, 39, of Canonsburg, Pa.

Wagner has been running from the law for more than two years, marshals say. He was wanted on charges of raping and impregnating a girl in Pennsylvania.

Marshals in Pennsylvania received a tip that Wagner was working at a cell phone store on Ohio 91 in Solon. They heard that his job there was to stand outside the store wearing a lion suit to lure people inside.

About 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, marshals drove to the store in a car. Sure enough, a lion enthusiastically waved them over.

The marshals jumped out of their car and struggled with the lion, until one marshal grabbed the tail."

Only in Texas

Thanks to Scott Cupp for the link.



United Press International - NewsTrack - Top News - Man dies of gas burns after Taser stun

SAN ANGELO, Texas, June 20 (UPI) -- A gasoline-soaked San Angelo, Texas, man who caught fire after being shocked with a police Taser has died of his burns in a hospital.

The Texas Rangers have been sent in to investigate how Johnny Lopez, 47, caught fire in the police confrontation at his home Monday, the San Angelo Standard Times reported Wednesday.

Police were called to the home twice Monday because Lopez was threatening to kill himself, one of Lopez's daughters, Erlinda Faz-Lopez, told the newspaper.

On the second call, an officer was splashed with gasoline and that's when the electrically charged Taser was used to stun Lopez, the police report said.

It's not clear if the charge ignited the flames, as Lopez's sons who witnessed the incident said there was a lighter nearby they saw their father ignite after being shocked.

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There's Good News Tonight!

Our visit to MD Anderson Cancer Center was quite an experience. There are enough stories there, I'm sure, to fill a few hundred books.

But let me cut to the chase. When we saw the lead doctor on Judy's "team," he said that based on the results of the previous tests, "If it's what I hope and expect, it's very low grade, and highly treatable." I heaved a sigh of relief that you may have heard, even if you're in New England and California. I just hope that I'm not building myself up for a letdown, but I don't think so. He wouldn't say that just to kid me along. Right?

The bad news is that Judy will still have to undergo a series of pretty grueling tests, including a bone marrow biopsy and another biopsy of the lymph nodes in her neck. But we're both confident that she can get through the tests all right and that when we see the doctor again (currently on the schedule for July 11) that he will have the same good news for us.

I want to thank every one of you again for your support and concern. It's hard for me to express how much it's mean to us, but it's meant a lot. Trust me. And keep right on thinking those good thoughts for us. We need 'em.

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

MySA.com: Metro | State: "LAREDO — In response to the Department of Homeland Security's plans to construct hundreds of miles of fencing along the border with Mexico, the McAllen Chamber of Commerce started a campaign of their own: build a wall around Washington, D.C.

Steve Ahlenius, president and CEO of the chamber, inaugurated the tongue-in-cheek campaign through a news release Tuesday.

'It's frustrating to no end that Washington, which has no idea of what's happening here and along the border with Mexico, is proposing to build a wall,' Ahlenius said by phone. 'My response is: Why don't we just build around Washington, D.C.? It can protect us from some bad characters, some bad legislation and bad ideas.'

Additional materials related to the campaign will be forthcoming, he said."

Here We Go

In a couple of hours, Judy and I will leave for MD Anderson Cancer Center for our first appointment. I think that today will be mostly a time for filling out paperwork. Probably Judy will be poked, prodded, bled, and generally harassed. I'm trying to be optimistic and to hope for the best possible outcome, but I'm also realistic. I think. It's going to be a long day, and I don't know when the regimen of tests will begin, so I don't know what posting will be like around here.

As I've said more than once, I've appreciated all the support you've shown. We need it, and we'll continue to need it. Thanks, and keep the good thoughts coming.

Will the Persecution Never End?

No. (Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the tip.)

Hook 'em, Horns!

FBI seeks armed and dangerous 'Ponytail Bandit' | The Blotter: "A woman who donned a Longhorns baseball cap while robbing a bank in Austin is now wanted for robbing banks in California and Washington State.

Her name is not yet known, but the FBI has a few surveillance shots of her holding up banks around the country and has nicknamed her the “Ponytail Bandit.”

She became a suspect on May 7, when she was caught on tape at Wachovia Bank in the 8000 block of Mesa Drive in Austin, stuffing money into her white purse. It was Austin’s fifth bank robbery of the year. The same woman is suspected of robbing a bank on May 23 in Roseville, Calif., and another bank in Lynnwood, Wash., on May 30."

Gator Update: Rio Vista Edition

Thanks to Cormac Brown for the tip.

4-foot-long gator captured in Delta: "RIO VISTA -- First the wandering whales, now a vagabond alligator. Authorities this morning captured a feisty four-foot alligator found next to a rural highway in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

No one knows how the gray and white reptile got there, but officials are glad motorist Dennis Bradley of Elk Grove -- the first to see the gator -- quickly called for help.

Bradley, who was on his way to work in Antioch, told authorities he had stopped to stretch his legs when he spotted the gator, whom he called Maria after his granddaughter (although state Fish and Game officials aren't sure of the reptile's gender).

'He appeared very healthy,' said Kyle Orr, spokesman for the Department of Fish and Game, hours after the gator was fetched from alongside Highway 160 three miles south of Highway 12. His resting spot was south of Rio Vista about 1.5 miles south of Three Mile Slough Bridge."

The Big Sleep -- Raymond Chandler

I've been having a little trouble focusing these days. Can't concentrate, can't write, can't read. So I decided to go back to one of my early favorites, The Big Sleep. I've read it any number of times, but not for several years, and I'm glad to say that once again the voice caught me, carried me along, and helped me through a few hours.

The first time I read the book was well over 40 years ago. I was a young guy who didn't have a clue about p.i. fiction or writers, and then I picked up this book. It blew me away, as did Hammett and Ross Macdonald right around the same time. I knew then that I'd started a reading habit that would last a long time. Little did I realize how long.

Some people these days profess not to like Chandler, and it's true that many of his attitudes are dated. I don't blame him for that. He was a man of his time, and maybe he would have changed if he'd hung around. As for me, I liked Chandler then, and I like him now. The man could write. That's enough for me right now.

Sherlock Holmes Fans, Take Note

A blog devoted to the Great Detective. And even a podcast. Check 'em out.

Persecution Round-Up

This link thoughtfully provided by John Duke.

Say It Ain't So!

Director on board for movie | NEWS.com.au Entertainment: "FILM director Ridley Scott is preparing the most unlikely movie of his career: a feature-length version of the venerable board game Monopoly.

The 69-year-old British film-maker, whose hits include Gladiator and Black Hawk Down, has been offered the pick of young actors to help turn the property game into a comedy thriller.

William Morris, the oldest theatrical agency in Hollywood, has promised Hasbro, which owns Parker Brothers, the manufacturer of Monopoly in the US, that the cream of its stable of 2000 actors will help create a blockbuster movie.

Scarlett Johansson and Kirsten Dunst are being considered for roles. Hasbro, which claims that Monopoly has been played by 750 million people since the 1930s, wants the film to feature 'sexy young people' in an attempt to attract teenagers to board games."

Gator Update: Buffalo Edition

8-foot alligator removed from basement in Buffalo: "BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - An alligator raised in the basement of a house in Buffalo is headed to a new home in a more gator-friendly place -- Florida.

A former Buffalo couple who operate a reptile sanctuary in Tampa removed the eight-foot-long gator from the Buffalo home yesterday. The person who owned the 170-pound reptile had contacted the state Department of Environmental Conservation and said he couldn't care for the gator any longer.

A DEC officer checked out the gator and contacted Laura and John Paner, who run the Croc Encounters Reptile Sanctuary.

It's illegal to keep an alligator in New York state, but officials say the man who raised the gator won't face any charges because he turned himself in."

Gator Update: Toledo Edition

toledoblade.com -- See you later, Toledo alligator: Animal-removal specialist collects reptile from Point Place home: "Tracey Davis of Point Place willingly admits that she asked her husband to do yard work on Father's Day.

So when she spotted what appeared to be a small alligator look-alike staring at her in the garage yesterday, she assumed it was his try at scaring her for revenge.

But then she bent down to pick it up - and it moved.

'I flew out of the garage screaming,' Mrs. Davis recalled. 'It was really an alligator!'"

Larry King Live

CNN.com - Larry King Live: "Here comes the judge. Television's most outspoken judge, Judge Judy, takes on Paris Hilton's jail sentence and much more. She joins Larry for the hour. Monday at 9 p.m. ET."

Thanks to George Kelley for the tip.

Earl Kemp's Latest e-Zine

It's up, and it has this fine article by Ed Gorman on his days as an SF fan.

Back to the Drive-In

New Porter drive-in puts silver screen under stars | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "PORTER — Just before dusk, the cars and trucks start rolling onto the gravel lot, seeking a perfect spot under the clear evening sky.

Children wiggle in the back seats with their heads bobbing out the windows. Their eyes widen with excitement when they see the two jumbo screens at the new drive-in theater, which opened Friday night in east Montgomery County."

Top 10 Science Fiction Novelists of the '00s -- So Far

I've read books by only four of these writers. While I may read books by some of the other, I probably won't. I liked at least three of the four to read other books by them (one of those is the "bonus" writer, whose work I first read long ago). But for the most part I don't connect with contemporary hard science fiction. Probably I'm too dumb to get the "big" concepts or to understand some of the science. I guess I'll stick to Murray Leinster.

blog.pmarca.com: Top 10 science fiction novelists of the '00s -- so far: "We are blessed so far this decade with an amazing crop of new science fiction novelists.

Writing in a variety of styles, this crew is arguably more insightful, more interesting, higher intensity, and bolder than many (but not all!) of their predecessors -- and in my view revitalizing the genre at a time when more new technologies that will radically reshape all our lives are incubating and percolating than ever before.

So, taking nothing away from authors like David Brin who have long been established and continue to produce top-notch work, here are my nominations for the top 10 new science fiction novelists of -- more or less -- the decade, plus one bonus."

TV's Top 5 "Super-Dads"

I Am A Child Of Television: "The Super-Dad is perfect – the all seeing, all knowing, all wise. If the kids come to him with a problem he most likely sits there for a minute, hands held together in some manner, and, week after week, dispenses some bit of banal wisdom that somehow fits the situation exactly. Before TV the perfect example of Super-Dad was Judge Hardy in the Andy Hardy movie series."

Dracula Update

Controversy over Dracula's castle - Yahoo! News: "BUCHAREST, Romania - Romania's government on Thursday defended its decision to return 'Dracula's Castle' to members of the former royal family, denying allegations that the decision was illegal.

The castle, famous for its links to a 15th-century medieval ruler who inspired Bram Stoker's 'Dracula,' was confiscated in 1948 by the former communist regime.

'When it comes to property confiscated by the communists, I as a prime minister don't have any problems with returning it,' said Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu."

Music's Most Embarrassing Dads

Happy Father's Day, and thanks to Jeff Meyerson for this link.

Spreading Joy Wherever She Goes

Paris Hilton, that is.

Thanks to Walter Satterthwait for the tip.

Croc Update

Very cool photos at link.

Disguise that took the intrepid zoologist into the crocodiles' lair | the Daily Mail: "When Dr Brady Barr decided to dress up as a crocodile, the disguise needed to be good.

Otherwise he was in grave danger of being eaten by the real thing.

The zoologist adopted his bizarre outfit in the hope of getting closer to a colony of Nile crocodiles, which can grow up to 20ft.

His disguise was a prosthetic head attached to the front of a protective metal cage covered with canvas and a generous plastering of hippo dung to mask his human scent."

Im in ur skulz

Osprey Media. - The Kingston Whig-Standard - Ontario, CA

In a questionnaire at the end of the test, 91 per cent of the Kingston students taking the test for the first time reported that they read websites, e-mails and chat messages more than novels, magazines and newspapers outside of school. The questionnaire also asked what types of writing students do, and 92 per cent spend more time writing e-mails and chat messages than any other type of writing.

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New Cozy Times Newsletter Now On-Line

You can see it here. Check out the offer for signed Elaine Viets bookplates while you're there.

O. J. Update

Goldmans get rights to Simpson book - Yahoo! News: "MIAMI - A federal bankruptcy judge Friday awarded Ron Goldman's family the rights to O.J. Simpson's canceled book, 'If I Did It,' which the Goldmans want to rename 'Confessions of a Double Murderer.'

Goldman was slain along with Simpson's ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson in 1994. The Goldmans want the book's proceeds included as part of a nearly $33.5 million civil jury award they have been trying to collect for almost a decade.

The ruling 'ensures that Mr. Simpson will never see another dime from this book,' said Paul Battista, an attorney for the Goldman family."

New Issue of Thrilling Detective Now On-Line

The latest Thrilling Detective is now up and ready for reading. Stories by Fleur Bradley, Patricia Abbott, Michael Bracken, Stephen D. Rogers, and Barry Ergang. Other good stuff, too. Check it out.

To Hell in a Handbasket

The unkindest cut is Dickens minus 40% - Opinion - theage.com.au: "My new-found evangelism for literature has been energised by the news that Britain's Orion Publishing Group has reissued some classic novels with as much as 40 per cent of the original text removed. This is an act of cultural vandalism.

The first six of these compact editions — Vanity Fair, David Copperfield, The Mill on the Floss, Anna Karenina, Moby Dick and Wives and Daughters — will be available in Australian bookstores in July.

They are intended for trouble-free consumption by people with far better things to do than read the whole books."

It Helps me to Write about This. . .

. . . but you don't have to read it.

There are a couple of things we're dealing with now.

The certainty and the uncertainty.

The certainty is that Judy has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

That's the good news.

The uncertainty is worse.

What will the tests at M. D. Anderson tell us? What stage is the cancer in? What will the treatment be? How long will it last? What's the prognosis? What can we expect?

So we're riding a roller coaster between the peaks of hope and terror. thanks again to all of you for caring.

Croc Update (George Bush Edition)

Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the tip. Photo at link.

George W. Bush caught wearing Crocs - Styledash: "Love him or hate him, there's one thing we can all agree on when it comes to President Bush: he is not a fashionable man. So, now that the commander-in-chief has been caught wearing Crocs, can we officially declare these sandals as the ugliest pieces of footwear on the planet?"

Gator Update (Music-Lovers Edition)

Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.



Features: Musical note sends gator into bellowing ecstasy

On the way to playing tuba for an audience of alligators, William Mickelsen felt cocky enough to talk about his musical chops.

His well-trained jaw muscles, his lips and his tongue felt up to the task. His majestic lungs felt strong and elastic. He and his tuba were ready for whatever reptilian drama lay ahead. The night before, he and his fellow artists in the Florida Orchestra had played at Ruth Eckerd Hall behind composer Marvin Hamlisch, the Oscar winner for The Way We Were. Everything had gone swimmingly.

At Gatorland, the old tourist attraction near Kissimmee, Mickelsen was going to play a deep B flat for a battle-scarred, amorous male alligator named Toxic.

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From Pulitzer to Paris

Thanks to Todd Mason for the link.

From Pulitzer to Paris
Thrity five years to the day after taking the iconic photograph of a naked Vietnamese girl running from a napalm attack, AP photographer Nick Ut snaps a crying Paris Hilton. We talk with Ut about the coincidence.

	Listen
	The photograph that earned Ut the Pulitzer prize
	Paris Hilton in police car crying

Will the Persecution Never End?

Maybe, thanks to Marvel Comics and Stan Lee.

New Issue of Mouthful of Bullets Now On-Line

Looks like a solid issue for this e-zine's first anniversary. Lots of familiar names among the contributors. Click here.

A Young Couple with Vision

Ya gotta love it. I wish them well.

The Austin Chronicle: Screens: No Strangers to Drama: Austin couple rescues Vernon Plaza Theatre: "In Albert Brooks' zany Eighties zeitgeist film Lost in America, thirtysomethings David and Linda Howard, as portrayed by the neurotic Brooks and the fey Julie Hagerty, leave their jobs, sell all of their possessions, and set out in a Winnebago in search of their dreams. Maybe author Mark Finn and his wife Cathy Day will someday show it in the old movie house they recently bought after leaving their successful jobs in Austin.

Finn, author of the acclaimed Robert E. Howard biography Blood & Thunder, walked away from his day job as a manager at BookPeople, the largest independent bookstore in Texas. After 12 years, Day gave up her career as an elementary special-education teacher. They agreed that it was time. 'We've always wanted to do something like this, and the opportunity presented itself,' Finn says."

Another Jane Goes to Jail

Thanks to Walter Satterthwait for the link.

BBC NEWS | UK | England | Merseyside | Woman jailed for testicle attack: "A woman who ripped off her ex-boyfriend's testicle with her bare hands has been sent to prison.

Amanda Monti, 24, flew into a rage when Geoffrey Jones, 37, rejected her advances at the end of a house party, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

She pulled off his left testicle and tried to swallow it, before spitting it out. A friend handed it back to Mr Jones saying: 'That's yours.'"

They're Baaaaaaack

Video at link.

kutv.com - UFO Sighting In Salt Lake City?: "Is it a rocket? Is it a blimp? Is it a UFO?

A strange object seen in the skies above in Salt Lake City has residents scratching their heads.

What appears to be a huge air balloon was seen floating above the valley Wednesday morning.

The silver, rocket-shaped craft was sighted about 8 a.m. and floated about for several minutes before disappearing.

Salt Lake Air Traffic Control said they didn’t pick up the object on radar and had no knowledge of the craft. "

Help Catch this Bastard

I ran across this info on an abebooks forum, and I'd like to spread the word.

Early in the pre-dawn hours of Saturday, June 9, a thief robbed an Austin, TX Half Price Books at 2222 of over forty rare and collectible books. Unlike many of the other Half Price locations, these books are the centerpiece of the store, complete with their own room and many locked cases.

The unscrupulous individual absconded with some of the finest items in the store's inventory. Unique titles such as

Leonard Feather's The New Encyclopedia of Jazz signed or inscribed by over twenty-seven jazz musicians, some multiple times including legends Charlie Byrd, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and Nina Simone

The Bretano's edition of R. C. Sherriff's famed World War I play Journey's End signed by Sheriff, producer (and poet) Maurice Browne, and legendary director James Whale (who directed this version and would later direct the 1930 film version)

Author Eugene C. Barker's personal copy of The Life of Stephen F. Austin complete with his penciled notes on changes made to the published text.

Or rare titles such as the

1875 first French edition of Karl Marx's Das Capital

signed first edition of Larry McMurtry's The Last Picture Show

first edition of Under the Volcano by Malcom Lowry

first edition of Hammet's Maltese Falcon

the first US edition of Edwin Abbot's cult novel Flatland.

Among the missing:

signed books by Edward Gorey, Stephen King, Hunter S. Thompson, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Richard Nixon

and

first editions by Jack Kerouac, John Steinbeck, J. D. Salinger, Cormac McCarthy, Dr. Seuss, and Maurice Sendak.

Anyone with information is asked to contact me directly either via email at rklaw@halfpricebooks.com or at the store (512-451-4463).

Rick Klaw
Half Price Books Austin

Back in PrintL 1001 Midnights

Mystery*File: "Although I’ve yet to hold a copy in my hands myself, Bill Pronzini and Marcia Muller have theirs, and so it’s safe to say that it’s ready for purchase. Ordering information at the bottom of this page.

Originally published in hardcover by Arbor House in 1986, 1001 Midnights by Bill Pronzini and Marcia Muller, one of the finest reference texts ever published in the field of mystery fiction, quickly went out of print, but it has been in high demand in the used book market ever since."

Update

Believe me, I've been deeply touched by all the comments and e-mails. It's a big help to know that so many people care about me and Judy. We have our first appointment at M. D. Anderson on June 20, one week from today. We'll meet with the doctor and schedule a series of tests, some of them not so pleasant. After that's all done (it will take 8 or 10 days), Judy will start her treatments. Keep those good thoughts coming our way.

20 Best Gibberish Lyrics

Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.

20 Best Gibberish Lyrics: No. 20 - Spinner.com - Free MP3s, Interviews, Music News, Live Performances, Songs and Videos: "Frank Sinatra once called rock 'n' roll's lyrics 'imbecilic.' To prove him wrong, we've compiled 20 examples of rock at its most poetic -- which is when it doesn't concern itself with actual words."

Will the Persecution Never End?

Naaaaaaah.

Mr. Wizard, R. I. P.

I remember watching his show in black & white or our first TV set when I was a kid.

Charleston Daily Mail: "Don Herbert, who explained the wonderful world of science to young baby boomers on television in the 1950s and '60s as 'Mr Wizard' and did the same for a later generation of youngsters on the Nickelodeon cable TV channel in the 1980s, died today. He was 89.

Herbert died at his home in Bell Canyon after a long battle with multiple myeloma, said Tom Nikosey, Herbert's son-in-law.

A 1940 graduate of LaCrosse State Teachers College who served as an Army Air Forces pilot during World War II, Herbert worked as an actor and model before launching his weekly science show on NBC in 1951. Broadcast live from Chicago the first three years and then from New York, 'Watch Mr. Wizard' ran for 14 years.

The show won a Peabody Award, three Thomas Alva Edison Awards, four Ohio State University awards and two Emmy nominations."

Die Hard in 30 Seconds

With bunnies.

Megan and Vicki

Megan Abbott and Vicki Hendricks are signing at Murder by the Book in Houston this evening at 6:30. Judy and I were planning to be there, but now our plans have changed. If you're in the Houston area, though, this should be a great event. You should be there in my place. Or your own place.

Starting Over

I've truly appreciated the comments from everyone, even though I haven't tried to answer them. I get a little teary just to think you care about me and Judy enough to say so.

I don't handle stress well. I slept maybe three hours last night. Maybe I'll do better when some of this sinks in on me a little more. Right now I'm still in shock, but I'm determined that Judy is going to get well. I guess I'm some kind of control freak, and it drives me nuts that I can't do something to make things right. Instantly. I feel as if that's my job.

To keep from going nuts, I'll be posting here, maybe rambling self-pitying stuff like this, but I hope more cheerful things, too.

Thanks to you all.

No Surrender!

I got some good advice today from Steve Stilwell, who said, "don't let this illness control everything in your life. And it will try to do so." Steve's been there, and he knows.

So, by God, I'm not going to close down the blog. The comments down below have warmed my heart, believe me, and I'm going to keep on truckin' and smiling and pretending everything is just fine. You guys are great. Maybe there won't be quite as many posts here, maybe they won't all be chipper, but I'm gonna be here.

And now for an update on Judy. We're trying to process a lot of information, but here's what I think right now. Her lymphoma is of the non-Hodgkins variety. It's also "indolent." That means it grows slowly (good news) but is incurable (definitely not good news). It can be kicked into remission, though, and we'll settle for that until the cure is found. We have a long road ahead of us, and it might take a while to get into M. D. Anderson, but we're going to come out on the other side smiling. I hope you'll all be here with us when that happens.

Some Fairly Bad News

I hate to put this kind of news on such a formerly light-hearted blog, but I think I'd better get it out of the way. Judy's been going through some medical testing, and we thought things were going to turn out fine.

We were wrong.

Today we were told that she has lymphoma. That's not good news. So far, that's all we know. We don't know if it's Hodgkins or non-Hodgkins. Or anything else. She's being referred to M. D. Anderson, which is a fine cancer facility, and she'll get the best of care, I'm cure. I don't know what this means to our future, but for now I'm pretty much going to shut down the blog. If there's any good news, or bad news, I'll post it here eventually.

It's been fun, but I think the fun's over for a while. Prayers and good thoughts will be much appreciated. You guys behave yourselves.

Make-up Hints for Janes in Jail

Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for this link.

Back when I was chair of the English Deparment at Alvin Community College and teaching in the prisons, we held classes at one unit with a number of gay inmates. Their ingenuity was astounding. As one of the instructors said, "It's a wonder what a guy can do with a little bit of color." If only they'd spent as much time on their English assignments. . . .

How Cops Keep Cool

CoolCop - Body Armor Air Conditioning: "On a hot day there's nothing more uncomfortable than having to wear a T-shirt soaked with sweat. Add a bullet proof vest over it and no amount of air conditioning coming from your car vent is going to keep you cool & dry. CoolCop™ gives you relief!

CoolCop™ attaches to your vehicle's A/C and directs cool, dry air behind your vest where you need it most. You stay comfortable, dry, energized, and ready to face the heat on the street."

Bigfoot Bust

The should have used one of these photos on the cover of my book.

Harry Potter Update

How to lose money selling blockbuster novels.

Persecution Update

Paris has got religion.

Persecution Update

Paris on drugs, not liking prison food.

World's Biggest Beatles?

Mike McGruff has the pictures on his flickr account. Click here. I think the faces are more like the originals than the article implied.

And for more on the Beatles, click here.

Bigfoot Not Confined to Blacklin County, Texas

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan - India’s ‘bigfoot’ sightings prompt official probe: "TURA: Authorities in India are to investigate claims by terrified villagers that “bigfoot”-type hairy giants are roaming the jungles of the remote northeast, a local official said.

The creatures have apparently been spoken of, and occasionally spotted, for years, but a rise in the number of sightings over the past month has prompted authorities to look into the matter further. The bizarre sightings have reportedly been made in the Garo hills area of Meghalaya state, close to the borders with Bangladesh and Bhutan. Villagers have dubbed the mysterious creatures “Mande Burung” - or Jungle Man. “A team of wildlife officials and other experts will conduct a study to find out if there is any truth in the locals’ claims about these hairy giants,” said Samphat Kumar, a district magistrate in the West Garo Hills district. One local farmer, 40-year-old Wallen Sangma, claimed he had seen an entire family of the creatures - possibly a lowland relative of the Himalayan Yeti, or perhaps a distant cousin of the North American bigfoot known as Sasquatch, or Australia’s Yowie."

Obit

See full obit at link, for which thanks to John Stickney.

Ron Porambo, 67, Journalist Turned Robber - November 7, 2006 - The New York Sun: "Ron Porambo, who died October 22 at 67, made a fateful and most unusual career choice when, in the early 1970s, soon after publishing an impassioned book about the 1967 Newark, N.J., riots, he turned to a life of crime as a stickup artist."

Robert E. Howard Days Update

Brownwood Bulletin

CROSS PLAINS — Conan — or “the Barbarian,” as portrayed in cinema by Arnold Schwarzenegger — is the character most Americans associate with author Robert E. Howard, the Cross Plains resident whose works have put this community on the literary map.

But attention was also given many of his other literary works during this weekend’s Robert E. Howard Days that concluded Saturday night.

The annual event, co-sponsored by Cross Plains Project Pride and the Robert E. Howard United Press Association, opened Thursday and attracted Howard fans and scholars from throughout the United States. By early Saturday afternoon, almost 200 people had registered at the Robert E. Howard Museum on Highway 36, the home where Howard lived and wrote most of his manuscripts.

Hundreds more arrived in Cross Plains to attend seminars at the high school and enjoy a variety of activities for all ages downtown as part of the community’s Barbarian Festival. Arts and crafts, car shows, games and live music were part of the events Saturday.

Though most prominently known for creating the genre now known as “Sword and Sorcery,” Howard’s body of work also includes historical adventure, suspense, epic poetry, gothic horror, sea stories and Western burlesques in the vein of Mark Twain.

Over the past 75 years, Howard’s original work — including more than 800 stories, poems and novels — has gained a vast international audience. These works have been the inspiration for major motion picture franchises, TV series, comic book and graphic novel adaptations, games, toys and merchandising.

One of the seminars held Saturday focused on Howard’s personal interest in boxing, and the stories he wrote about the sport. It was moderated by Chris Gruber, editor of the book “Robert E. Howard: Boxing Stories” published by the University Nebraska Press. Gruber was joined by other Howard researchers to discuss famous boxers like Jack Dempsey and Charles “Kid” McCoy, whose personal characteristics influenced Howard’s numerous boxing stories.

Gregory Manchess of Beaverton, Ore., was the featured guest this year. He led a Friday seminar on his work in illustrating “The Conquering Sword of Conan” and was featured at Friday night’s banquet. Manchess paintings have appeared in magazines like Time, Newsweek, The Smithsonian and National Geographic. He has illustrated film posters, billboards, children’s books as well as the covers of two Major League Baseball World Series programs.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Persecution Update

Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for this link.

We're from the Army Corps of Engineers. . .

. . . and we're here to help you.

Engineer report: Some flaws remain in outfall canal pumps | News for New Orleans, Louisiana | Local News | News for New Orleans, Louisiana | wwltv.com: "An Army Corps of Engineers report found mechanical and contracting problems with drainage pumps installed by the corps before the start of the 2006 hurricane season, prompting a Louisiana senator to call for a Justice Department investigation.

Although the pumps have been extensively overhauled, critical flaws remain a year later, according to the report, which was released Friday.

The review by three corps engineers from outside the New Orleand district office backed up findings of a May 2006 memo by a corps mechanical engineer working on the $32 million pump project. The memo warned the pumps were faulty and would not work during a hurricane."

Will the Persecution Never End?

Thanks to Jeff "Mr. District Attorney" Meyerson for the link.

Everything you always wanted to know (or didn't want to know) about Paris Hilton's servitude.

Gator Update: the Big Kill

Photo at the link.

The Palestine Herald, Palestine, Texas - Local men bag 13-foot alligator: "Every good hunter dreams of that one big kill, the one unforgettable story that he can tell over and over again and can be passed on for generations to come.

Palestine native David James got his catch, and his story, over Memorial Day weekend when he, with the help of his dad Dr. Barry James and brothers Jeff and Scott James killed and hauled in the biggest alligator they had ever seen."

Will the Persecution Never End?

Possibly. This guy gets it.

Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.

Update from Hard Case Crime

Friends, The heat of summer is almost upon us, and I'm pleased to say that the heat is on here at Hard Case Crime as well. If you visit our Web site -- www.hardcasecrime.com -- you'll see we've added another title by John Lange to our site: ZERO COOL, whose cover features model and stage actress Meredith Napolitano enjoying some suitably criminous beach reading while an ominous shadow bears down on her. You can also read a sample chapter from ZERO COOL on our site. And while you're there, you can check out a page of photos we've put up from Book Expo America, the big publishing industry trade show that just took place in New York. Meredith was there, signing prints of her cover, along with fellow thespians Victoria Lee and James Huffman, all of them wearing vintage film noir outfits from the 1940s and 50s, supplied by the same collector who dressed the cast of "Miller's Crossing" and many another Hollywood production. If you don't mind heat of a slightly raunchier sort, you might want to pick up a copy of the July issue of Playboy -- they've devoted half of their 'Books' page to Hard Case Crime and have some very nice things to say. And if you're in the mood for some beach reading of your own, you can find George Axelrod's BLACKMAILER now in bookstores near you; and in just a few weeks you'll be able to get your hands on Richard Aleas' SONGS OF INNOCENCE, which I'm pleased to say is already starting to receive some rave reviews. One last book to mention: Mickey Spillane's DEAD STREET. This one won't be published till November, but we have 10 advance copies that we're going to be giving away toward the end of this month. It's the first chance anyone's going to have to read the Mick's final crime novel. To enter our drawing, just e-mail your name and the address to which you'd like the book mailed if you're chosen to drawing@hardcasecrime.com (only one entry per person, please). The winners will be selected at random at noon, New York time, on Saturday, June 23. Good luck! (While we're at it, congratulations are in order for David T. of Texas, Opal S. of Missouri, Alan R. of Rhode Island; Brian F. of California, Hoyt M. of Texas, Julie C. of Michigan, Gerry T. of Illinois, Shirley J. of Pennsylvania, Martha G. of Calfornia, and JoyceLynn K. of New York. They're the winners in last month's drawing for free copies of BLACKMAILER.) Finally, if you're going to be in New York City on Wednesday, June 20th, I'd like to invite you to join Richard Aleas and the brilliant Megan Abbott for a reading and signing event at the Partners And Crime bookstore at 44 Greenwich Avenue (*not* Greenwich Street!) at 7PM. If you'd like a signed copy of SONGS OF INNOCENCE or of Megan's truly outstanding non-Hard Case novel QUEENPIN, this is your chance...

These Damn Punks Better Stay off My Lawn!

"Old People Suck" Sign Upsets Seniors In Orlando - News Story - WFTV Orlando: "ORLANDO, Fla. -- Three words on a cardboard sign outside a luxury downtown high rise have senior citizens outraged. One senior was so upset she took a picture outside The Vue at Lake Eola, on the corner of Rosalind and Robinson streets.

Some senior citizens were across the street in a small rally when they noticed the construction workers laughing at them. Then they looked by the fence and saw a sign they consider very offensive. The words were scrawled in bold white paint on cardboard.

Sandra Taylor, 64, stood across the street and could feel the sign shouting at her.

'The next thing we knew, we looked over and he had made a sign, holding it, said 'Old People Suck,'' Taylor said.

The construction worker was standing inside the site of one of Orlando's newest, most luxurious high rises in development, The Vue at Lake Eola. Taylor said not only did the worker hold up the sign, but she and other senior citizens were ridiculed."

Free Paris Hilton

Let freedom ring!

Thanks to Jeff "Attica Attica!" Meyerson for the link.

Gator Update (Reggie Edition)

Press-Telegram - Yes, Reggie's a male - and no, he's not hungry yet: "He's 7& 1/2 feet long and weighs 111 pounds.

He's in possession of all his toes - five on each front foot and four each on his back feet.

And, yes, he's a boy.

Reggie the alligator - Los Angeles' most famous captive next to Paris Hilton - was forced to endure the indignities of his first medical exam Thursday morning at the Los Angeles Zoo where he remains under quarantine.

And unlike Paris, he's cooperating.

Reggie has proved to be a good sport through it all."

OMG, What Has Happened to this Country?

There is no justice.

Podcast

Yesterday I was interviewed by Tracee Evans of KTRH radio in Houston. Tracee's a reporter who reads. A lot. And she has a great blog about Houston writers. You can find it at the link below, and you might even want to listen to the podcast if you can stand the sound of my voice. Just look for the cover of Damn Near Dead.

NewsRadio 740 - KTRH: "You are never too old to enjoy a great yarn! That may well be the motto of an new genre of crime stories. Local author Bill Crider is featured in this very funny tome with the great title, Damn Near Dead: Old, Bold, Uncontrolled: An Anthology of Geezer Noir. Crider will be making a personal appearance this coming Monday Evening at 6 at the Houston Library's Robinson-Westchase branch at 3223 Wilcrest. Crider, who has published more than 50 novels, will be reading from his 14th Sheriff Dan Rhodes' mystery, Murder Among the OWLS and promises in our interview to sign any book his fans bring him..... Click on the speaker, we double dare ya...."

Men of Tomorrow -- Gerard Jones

Men of Tomorrow is the story of how comic books came to be. But it's more than that. It's a social history, too, and there's a ton of information about the backgrounds of the creators of the first comics. It also presents the age old story of how the creators are exploited by the money-men.

Two of the men Jones writes about the most are Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster, the creators of Superman. The fact that they realized so little money from their character is one of the real shames of the comics industry, but there's plenty more to spread around.

The Golden Age of Comics was pretty much over when I started reading them around 1947, 60 years ago. But I loved them and read all that I could get my hands on. One of the great birthday gifts I ever received was from my aunt. It was a 35mm film can filled with dimes, and on the outside of the can my aunt had taped a note: "Strictly for Funny Books." That was more than 55 years ago, but the memory is clear as a bell. I kept the film can and note for many years.

Reading this book brought back that memory and a lot of others, and naturally I enjoyed it tremendously. But I do have one complaint. Jones is a good writer in a lot of ways, but there are too many clunkers along the way. For example, this one: "The lead character was a crime fighter in a mask, fedora, and a three-piece suit called the Sprirt." Which of course leads me to ask, "But what were the mask and the fedora called?" Probably just an old English teacher's quibble, and it doesn't change the fact that Men of Tomorrow is a fascinating history. Check it out.

OMG, Will the Persecution Never End?

Damned activist judges.

So It's Come to This

Terrorism-trained deputies investigate dognapping - By Jennifer Squires - Sentinel staff writer - June 7, 2007: "BOULDER CREEK: Sheriff's deputies are investigating the theft of a golden retriever in the Santa Cruz Mountains as a possible terrorist incident after finding animal rights group propaganda where the dog was last seen."

Vicki Hendricks is Put to the Test

You can read about it here.

Allan Guthrie is put to a slightly different test here.

And if you want to find out what J. Kingston Pierce of the estimable Rap Sheet has been reading, click here.

News from the Future

It's about the unbloggable (though I did have a lapse on that count earlier today). You can blame Jeff Meyerson if you want to. He sent this link.

World's Biggest Beatles?

Hoffman: I saw them standing there ... | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "By KEN HOFFMAN
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle

I am proud that my city, in Texas, USA, is going to have an enormous sculpture of the Beatles sitting on its main highway. This is way cool.

Sculptor David Adickes will 'christen' his latest work (it's not an unveiling because the statues are too big to veil) Thursday night at his studio. His daughter Mary will smash a bottle of champagne across John Lennon's leg.

The 36-foot-tall sculpture of the Beatles will sit on his SculpturWorx Studio's front lawn on Summer Street near Interstate 10 and Taylor for three months, then move to property he owns on the south side of the freeway near the Shepherd exit.

Drivers will be able to see the Beatles for miles."

For You Hardboiled Fans. . .

. . . a good article on dogfighting. And remember: If you use this as the plot of your next novel, I get 10%.

SI.com - NFL - Special Report: The House on Moonlight Road - Tuesday May 29, 2007 12:10PM: "The House on Moonlight Road

Though Michael Vick insists he knew nothing of alleged dogfighting on a Virginia property he owned, the case has cast a shadow over the star quarterback, alarmed the NFL and called attention to pro athletes' involvement in the grisly pastime."

Janes in Jail: Day 3 (Extremely Urgent Update!)

Paris Hilton -- Free Woman - TMZ.com: "TMZ has learned that Paris Hilton has not only had her sentence cut short, she is already out of jail!

Unimpeachable sources tell TMZ the deal was sealed yesterday, and that Hilton made her exit early early this morning.

She was originally sentenced to 45 days in jail, but that was reduced to 23. She served a total of three days -- the normal stay for a violation of this kind.

The L.A. County Sheriff's Department will hold a news conference in an hour to discuss what went down. "

Update update: Reporters hammered away about Paris' medical condition during a press conference in front of the jail, where she was released early this morning, but Whitmore said that due to confidentiality laws, he could not discuss even the slightest health-related details.

Paris will be under house confinement in her West Hollywood home for 40 days, where she has a 3000-4000 ft. radius of freedom. Her jail cell was 96 square feet. After the 40 days are up, Whitmore says she will have "fulfilled her debt to society."

Whitmore made it clear that Paris was not released early -- she was reassigned. She is technically still in custody.