Happy Birthday, Robert A. Heinlein!

Heinlein was born 100 years ago today. I discovered his books when I was in the 6th grade. There was a copy of Rocketship Galileo in my school library. I read it, and I was hooked. Later on, I read every Heinlein novel I could find. He was unquestionably one of the greats in my book.

The Writer's Almanac from American Public Media

It's the 100th birthday of one of the writers who helped invent modern science fiction: Robert Heinlein (books by this author), born in Butler, Missouri (1907). He wrote more than 50 novels and collections of short stories over a span of four decades.

He said of his childhood, "Once I found out about reading I was all in favor of it." He especially loved dime novels and the work of Edgar Rice Burroughs, H.G. Wells, and Jules Verne. But he didn't plan to become a writer. What he wanted was to be an officer in the Navy. But after serving for five years, he got discharged because he'd caught tuberculosis. The disease left him weak enough that he had a hard time working a job.

He wasn't sure what to do to make ends meet, and then he saw an ad in a pulp fiction magazine offering $50 for the best story by an unpublished author. So he sat down and in four days he had written a story called "Life-Line," about a machine that can predict a person's death. He decided it was too good for an amateur contest, so he sent it to Astounding Science Fiction magazine, and they accepted it. It came out in 1939, and Heinlein would publish 28 more stories in then next three years.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Happy Birthday, Ringo Starr!

Ringo Starr is 67 today. He's even older than I am! (But not much.)

Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the reminder.

Texans are Ingenious

Texans flee floods | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Latest News: "POTTSBORO, Texas – As the water at Lake Texoma rose this week, Rick Park went out and bought $5,000 worth of Styrofoam and fastened it to the undercarriage of his mobile home, which sits just a few feet from the lake.

Now, after water laid waste to nearby neighbors' homes, Mr. Park's 50,000-pound double-wide is the only one left floating. Amid a sea of mobile homes under 6 feet of water at the Lighthouse Resort and Marina, Mr. Park's home is reachable only by boat."

Croc Update: Urinal Edition

The Calgary Sun - Urine heaven, tourists

BEIJING -- They're flush with pride in Chongqing, where a recently opened porcelain palace features an Egyptian facade, soothing music and more than 1,000 toilets.

*********
Some urinals are uniquely shaped, including ones inside open crocodile mouths and several topped by the bust of a woman resembling the Virgin Mary.

Songs of Innocence -- Richard Aleas

Richard Aleas' first novel, Little Girl Lost, was published by Five Star in hardcover and then became one of the first books released by Hard Case Crime. I was one of the earliest readers of the book and knew it was a good one before it was even published. Little did I realize that Aleas, who's really Charles Ardai, would go on to beat me out for the Edgar for best short story only a few short years later. But I digress. I'm here to talk about Songs of Innocence, the second book to feature John Blake, the p.i. whose experiences in Little Girl Lost were so shattering that he gave up investigating and went back to school. Maybe he thought he'd be safe there. Boy, was he wrong.

A student named Dorrie Burke commits suicide. She was Blake's close friend, and she was working her way though school giving full body massages. Neither Blake nor Burke's mother believes she killed herself, but when the mother tries to hire Blake to investigate the death, he sends her to an agency, not telling her that he's already looking into things on his own.

That's enough about the plot. This book is very well written, as you'd expect from an Edgar winner, and the prose will carry you right along. I'd suggest you not read it when you're in a dark mood, though, because however dark you think your mood is, this book is darker. How dark is it? If you want to know the answer to that one, you'll have to read read the book. After you read the last sentence you might want to go back and read the first one again, that is, if you've forgotten what the first one was.

Do I recommend that you read Songs of Innocence? Absolutely. Great stuff. Check it out.

If Only Cap'n Bob Were Australian

CBS News (AP): A major condom brand said Friday it expected thousands of applicants for a new unpaid job on offer _ condom tester.

Durex said 200 adult Australians _ men and women _ are wanted to test a range of its condoms.

While the successful applicants will not be paid, each will receive a pack of Durex sex products, a chance to win 1,000 Australian dollars ($857 U.S.), plus professional prestige, the company said in a statement.

'Who wouldn't want to have a chance with an actual authorized professional?' Durex marketing manager Sam White asked.

'Durex is expecting thousands of applicants,' the statement said.

Hopefuls must explain in their applications why they would make 'expert' condom testers."

Set theTiVo

How many times have you had to pick who was going to pay for gas and/or the late night stop at McDonald’s after the party with ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS? No doubt way too many times to count. Let it be known, no matter how many times you watched your friend stumble to the counter making sure the fries are super sized because your paper beat their rock, you would never have been able to beat Jamie Langridge, the newly crowned 2007 Bud Light Rock, Paper, Scissors Champion!!

The second annual tournament, to be aired on ESPN2 on July 7, 2007 at 9 p.m. EST, was held in Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino on Saturday, May 12 and Sunday, May 13. This years Bud Light sponsored Rock, Paper, Scissors Competition went down and it was one for the record books!! There was Bud Light flowing, girls everywhere…hot, Rock, Paper, Scissor Girls to be exact and yes there was the Rock, the Paper and the Scissors.

The Ants Are Out of Control in Gurdon, AR

Thanks to John "Arkie" Duke for this link.

July 4, 2007: "Fire ants have apparently become a problem at Gurdon Lake – so much so that one resident has asked the Gurdon City Council to reimburse her for a cheeseburger that was devoured by ants during a recent fishing trip.

Sharon Lasker addressed the council during its meeting on Monday, June 25. She said the ant problem has become so bad recently that there are no places to fish without being bitten by the insects.

'There’s no place to fish anymore,' she said. 'These ants are getting to be ridiculous.'

Lasker asked if there were any funds for the purchase of ant poison to put out at the lake. She said the ants have taken over the picnic and park areas as well.

Lasker said that during a recent fishing trip, she put her cheeseburger in a chair long enough to bait a hook, and when she picked up back up, it was covered with ants.

'All I want to know is if the city is going to reimburse me for my number two cheeseburger,' she said."

The Back Alley Webzine Goes Live in One Week

From Richard Helms:

After almost two months of preparation, The Back Alley webzine is ready to go live! The Back Alley is a new quarterly online publication dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the hardboiled and noir literary genres.

For our initial issue, scheduled to go live on Friday, July 14, 2007, we have a sterling lineup of authors. Some are old favorites among short story aficionados, and others may be new to you.

In the first issue we will present a story by Edgar Award Winner G. Miki Hayden, entitled The Right Thing To Do.

We’ll also have a story by Derringer Award Winner Stephen D. Rogers (Services Rendered).

Shamus and Anthony Awards nominee Jack Bludis provided Available Light, a private eye tale about a divorce peeper with a real problem.

John Lau, a Los Angeles screenwriter who penned a television movie featuring Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer, will provide a gritty street noir entitled Restless 2Nite.

Finally, we’ll present Paper Walls/Glass Houses, the very first story published under Eric Shane’s byline. Shane is the pseudonym for a three-time Shamus Award nominee.

Our classic hardboiled story will be The False Burton Combs, generally acknowledged as the very first hardboiled private eye tale, first published in 1921 in Black Mask. Written by Carroll John Daly, this story is chock full of period vernacular and knuckles-and-know-how action.

We plan, in future issues, to include critical/biographic/historical analysis as a regular feature, and we strongly encourage submissions.

Please drop by the site on Friday, July 14, 2007, when The Back Alley webzine debuts, at www.backalleywebzine.com !

We’ll keep a candle in the window for you!

Richard Helms,Editor
Barbadoes Hall Communications
a thrilling little publisher
The Back Alley Webzine

Who Was General Tso . . .

. . . and why are we eating his chicken?

Washingto Post: "Each evening, thousands of Americans drift into Chinese restaurants or, if they are too lazy to go out, pick up the phone and order one of the most popular dishes on the menu: General Tso's Chicken, a sugary-spicy melange of dark-meat tidbits, deep-fried then fired up with ginger, garlic, sesame oil, scallions and hot chili peppers.

Not one in 10,000 knows who General Tso (most commonly pronounced 'sow') was, nor what terrible times he lived through, nor the dark massacres that distinguished his baleful, belligerent career. Setting their chopsticks aside, patting their stomachs, the satisfied diners spare scarcely a thought for General Tso, except to imagine that he must have been a great connoisseur of hot stir-fried chicken.
General Tso was a man ahead of his dish.

Who was he?"

Out of the Depths

starbulletin.com | News | /2007/07/05/: "It's a squid, it's an octopus, it's ... a mystery from the deep.

What appears to be a half-squid, half-octopus specimen found off Keahole Point on the Big Island remains unidentified today and could possibly be a new species, said local biologists.

The specimen was found caught in a filter in one of Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority's deep-sea water pipelines last week. The pipeline, which runs 3,000 feet deep, sucks up cold, deep-sea water for the tenants of the natural energy lab.

'When we first saw it, I was really delighted because it was new and alive,' said Jan War, operations manager at NELHA. 'I've never seen anything like that.'"

Ghost Rider

This is a pretty goofy movie, but then it's based on a comic book, so what would you expect? Nicolas Cage plays the Ghost Rider, whose job it is to collect souls for the Devil, played by Peter Fonda. (I thought it was a neat touch having the old Easy Rider playing Scratch in this motorcycle movie.) Cage gets his job by making a deal with the devil, and, as you fantasy fans know, there's always a loophole. You just have to find it.

In about half the movie, Cage is doing his not-too-bad Elvis Presley imitation, delivering the lines the way he must imagine The King would have done them. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Sam Elliott, as a graveyard guardian, plays it straight, and very effectively. Eva Mendes plays Cage's love interest, and has a few scenes that seem to have come from some other movie entirely.

James Reasoner, as I've mentioned, always gets to this stuff ahead of me. James says that Cage's scenes with Elliott near the end are pretty effective. I'm not sure which specific ones he's talking about, but the one when "Ghost Riders in the Sky" came on the soundtrack sure worked for me.

The ending reminded me a lot of one of my favorite Robert Bloch stores, "That Hellbound Train." Here, it's just setting up the sequel.

Mindless and kind of fun. Check it out.

Darn

I missed post #4000 a while back, and so there was no announcement of that momentous occasion. For what it's worth, this is post #4004.

Gator Bait

Another Jeff Meyerson contribution.

iWon News - Bologna Entices Gator From N.C. Pond: "MAIDEN, N.C. (AP) - When two eyes peeked out of the water, a trio of young fishing buddies knew they weren't looking at a fish. 'We threw a stick at it to see what it was,' 11-year-old Jim Vang said. 'It stuck its head out of the water a little more, and that's when we saw that it was an alligator.'

Using a piece of bologna tied to a string, rescue workers caught the 2 1/2-foot-long alligator Wednesday after Vang and his friends asked adults to call police."

Bill Pinkney, R. I. P.

Another one of the greats is gone. Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.

iWon News - Last of the Original Drifters Dies at 81: "DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Bill Pinkney, the last survivor of the original members of the musical group The Drifters, died Wednesday. He was 81.

Pinkney was found dead at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort, Daytona Beach Police spokesman Jimmie Flynt said. The death was not considered suspicious, he said.

Pinkney was scheduled to perform for Fourth of July festivities there.

Pinkney's manager, Maxine Porter, declined to discuss his cause of death, but said Pinkney had had health problems.

The Drifters, whose hits include 'Under the Boardwalk,''Up on the Roof,' and 'Save the Last Dance For Me,' still performed Wednesday night. An announcement about Pinkney's death was made after the show, said the group's publicist, Donnie Lowery."

Merle Haggard Says a Few Words

And the Winner Is. . .

Sports - American Captures Hot-Dog-Eating Crown - AOL Sports: "NEW YORK (July 4) - In a gut-busting showdown that combined drama, daring and indigestion, Joey Chestnut emerged Wednesday as the world's hot-dog-eating champion, knocking off six-time winner Takeru Kobayashi in a rousing yet repulsive triumph."

Gross photos at the link, which was thoughtfully provided by Jeff Meyerson.

In Case You Were Thinking of Changing Jobs. . .

. . . here's one that Cap'n Bob might enjoy. Safe for work video and photos at link.

ReviewJournal.com - Living - MIST OPPORTUNITY: JUST A DAY AT THE BEACH: "Breast misting is a delicate art. You don't want to go straight for them. You need to pretend you're equally intrigued by other exposed areas of the body.

'I try and go everywhere,' said Travis Emmons during my training. 'No concentration.'

As the 'mood director' at Tao Beach, which opened on May 5 at The Venetian, it's Emmons' responsibility to stroll the deck in search of sun-worshippers who are insufficiently moistened. On a searing June afternoon, about 20 of them were attractive women who won't be sporting tan lines until August."

Boots Randolph, R. I. P.

One of the greats from the soundtrack of my life.

Sax Player Boots Randolph Dead at 80 -- OrlandoSentinel.com: "He recorded more than 40 albums and spent 15 years touring with the Festival of Music, teaming with fellow instrumentalists Chet Atkins and Floyd Cramer.

As a session musician, he played on Elvis Presley's 'Return to Sender,' Roy Orbison's 'Oh, Pretty Woman,' Brenda Lee's 'Rockin' Round the Christmas Tree' and 'I'm Sorry,' REO Speedwagon's 'Little Queenie,' Al Hirt's 'Java' and other songs including ones by Buddy Holly and Johnny Cash.

He had his biggest solo hit with 'Yakety Sax,' which he wrote.

''Yakety Sax' will be my trademark,' Randolph said in a 1990 interview with The Associated Press. 'I'll hang my hat on it. It's kept me alive. Every sax player in the world has tried to play it. Some are good, some are awful.' "

New Spinetingler Now On-Line

It's the summer issue. Stories, profiles, interviews, and other good stuff. Click here.

Have a Grand & Glorious 4th, Everybody!

Rehabilitated!

Paris Hilton, that is. You can see for yourself right here.

Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.

The Lady from Buenos Aires -- John Lantigua

It's interesting to me that John Lantigua, who was nominated for an Edgar for his first novel, is now being published by Arte Publico Press, out of the University of Houston. Another example of a small press doing a good job.

In this p.i. novel, Willie Cuesta gets involved with the Argentine community in Miami. He's hired to find the daughter of a woman who was "disappeared" twenty years ago in Argentina's "dirty war." In the course of his search, he runs into a diplomat, a realtor who isn't what he seems, a former CIA agent, a nightclub owner, a suspicious husband, and any number of ladies from Buenos Aires. It seems that nearly all of them have pasts they'd rather not have revealed. Murders ensue. Willie has a couple of very close calls himself.

Some readers will remember the events the book refers to, but you don't have to remember them to realize how terrible they were and how they affected those involved. Lantigua does a good job of showing all that. Willie Cuesta is appropriately persistent and resilient, and he comes up with the answers just before it's too late for all concerned. Check it out.

Lew Shiner's Fiction On-Line for Free

Lew Shiner is a fine SF writer, and some of you may know that he co-authored some p.i. fiction with Joe Lansdale. Lew has decided to put a lot of his work on-line under a Creative Commons license. Here's some of what he's doing:

I'll also be adding new short fiction, music reviews, and articles from time to time, though I won't guarantee that I won't also publish short pieces elsewhere. I'm launching the site with three previously unpublished stories ("Straws," "Fear Itself," and "Golfing Vietnam") plus a major story from 2004 ("Perfidia") that's had only limited circulation, and as a special bonus, my previously unpublished "vampire lawyer" screenplay, THE NEXT.

Check it out here.

If You're So Smart. . .

. . . why can't you answer all these questions?

Paris Hilton's Garbage

It sold on eBay.

But not to me.

Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.

July Issue of ThugLit Now On-Line

More hardboiled tales to read. Click here.

Volk's Game -- Brent Ghelfi

Volk is short for Volkovoy, and it means wolf. Alexei Volkovoy is a wolf, all right, wounded both physically and spiritually by his experiences as a sniper in Chechnya. Now he's working the black market in Moscow, selling drugs, supplying sex partners for parties, making porn films, and so on. At the same time he's working undercover for the Russian military and making side deals with the Russian mafia. Volk is a busy guy, and he's the "hero" of the novel. I think we're supposed to admire him because when he sends out sex partners, he orders that none of them be under fourteen, and he has the same rules for his porn operation. He knows, however, that nobody pays much attention to the rule.

His psycho sidekick is Valya, a beautiful woman, small but even more deadly than Volk, who watches his back and works with him in his various criminal enterprises, the latest of which is to steal a long-lost Da Vinci painting from the Hermitage museum. The caper doesn't go off without a hitch, to put it mildly, and before long there are so many double, triple, and quadruple crosses that it's hard to keep up. There's also violence. A lot of it. I can't remember a recent book in which so much blood, bones, and brains are splattered on walls. And lately I've run across the term torture porn here and there. Volk's Game will test your limits on torture, believe me, since about 50% of the violence is torture, much of it administered either by Volk or to him.

To me, the setting was the best thing about the book. Moscow and its environs are a lot like China Mieville's unLondon, a broken place but fascinating just the same.

If you can take the extreme violence, you'll find a fast-moving plot, some good writing (warning: it's present tense; I know some of you don't like that), and an interesting setting. You won't find any characters you like, or at least I didn't. There's probably going to be a lot of talk about this book. If you want to get in on the deal, check it out.

Gator Update: Arkansas Edition

Thanks to John Duke for the link. Only in Arkansas would you have an alligator farm and petting zoo. Great video at the link, too.

Alligator Farm Celebrates 105th Birthday - FOX16.com: "It's an attraction that's been entertaining Hot Springs visitors for 105 years and Sunday the Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo celebrated its birthday. But that's not all they're happy about. It's been a good season for tourism thanks in part to slightly lower gas prices.

'It's kind of a family atmosphere. We get people that came here when they were kids. Their granddads brought them here and now they're bringing their kids or grandkids,' explains alligator handler Stacy McBay.

And one of the big attractions? Two hundred alligators of all shapes, sizes and ages. Two are 60 years old. They usually seem pretty relaxed, but around feeding time things get a lot scarier."

Pssssst! Wanna Buy a Town in Texas?

MySA.com: Metro | State: "ALBERT — This town, which claims a population of four, is for sale.

It comes with a modern icehouse stocked with beer, a rickety dance hall, ancient live oaks and a hefty price tag of $2.5 million.

'It is for a guy who has it all, but can't brag to his friends that he owns a town, so he needs to own a town,' said the owner, Bobby Cave.

'My ideal buyer would be someone who falls in love with it and not just wants to make money out of it.'

Cave's love affair with Albert began three years ago, when he sold his share in an Austin insurance firm to help pay more than $200,000 for the historic Gillespie County town 16 miles southeast of Fredericksburg.

Founded in 1877, Albert had about 50 residents during the town's heyday of the 1920s, with a post office, general store and a school that, legend has it, Lyndon B. Johnson attended briefly."

On the Road Again

Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.

iWon News - Kerouac Fans Stage Marathon Reading: "BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - Admirers of author Jack Kerouac celebrated the 50th anniversary of 'On the Road' with a marathon reading of the novel. Fans and some close friends of the late author took turns reading his most famous novel aloud at Naropa University in Boulder on Saturday.

About 150 people listened to the cover-to-cover reading, which took 12 hours and kicked off the university's inaugural Kerouac Festival."

Thomas Buckley, R. I. P.

Thomas Buckley -- devoted to study of Bigfoot: "If there is one thing clear from the writings of Thomas Arthur Buckley, it is that the legendary beast known as Bigfoot was misnamed.

The hairy ape-man, also known as Sasquatch, did not really have inordinately large feet for his size, according to Mr. Buckley, an expert on ambulation. What he had, Mr. Buckley wrote, was an enormous posterior.

Mr. Buckley, of all people, would know. He not only studied Sasquatch footprints, but claimed he once looked the foul-smelling forest dweller right in the eye after luring it out of its hiding place with what he said was 'friendship and fish.'"

The Follower -- Jason Starr

Loyal readers will recall that I thought Jason Starr's Lights Out was terrific. His new one, The Follower, not due in the stores until August, is even better.

And it's different, even more ambitious. This time we have a psycho stalker getting close to a young woman named Katie, and Starr give us a rich portrait of life among some young singles in New York, grown-ups in age but certainly not mature. They're groping and trying to figure out what they're doing. The cops are different, but no better, and when people start dying, they're not much help at all.

This book is more of a novel of suspense than Lights Out, and while it's painted on a bigger canvas than Starr's earlier novels, Starr pulls it off perfectly. Could be his break-out book, that is, if he hasn't broken out already. The character of Katie is particularly well done, and the ending is a real bone-chiller. Pick it up as soon as you can, and you'll see what I mean.

Happy Birthday, James M. Cain!

James M. Cain: "American journalist, screenwriter, and novelist - identified with Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler and others as a central member of hard-boiled school of crime fiction. However, Cain's own opinion was 'I belong to no school, hard-boiled or otherwise'. Three of Cain's novels-THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE (1934), DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1936), and MILDRED PIERCE (1941)-were also made into classics of the American screen. His books continued to appear after World War II, but none gained the success of his earlier work.

'I make no conscious effort to be tough, or hard-boiled, or grim, or any of the things I am usually called. I merely try to write as the character would write, and I never forget that the average man, from the fields, the streets, the bars, the offices and even the gutters of his country, has acquired a vividness of speech that goes beyond anything I could invent, and that if I stick to this heritage, this logos of the American countryside, I shall attain a maximum of effectiveness with very little effort.' (Cain in preface to Double Indemnity)"

Summer Issue of Helix Now On-Line

The summer issue of the excellent on-line magazine Helix is now available. Check it out. Fans of hardboiled fiction might find this essay of special interest.

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

MySA.com: Metro | State: "AUSTIN — Marriage and family counselor Tim Louis believes a new law rewarding couples for taking prenuptial classes — and penalizing those who don't — has gotten an unfair rap from critics.

The law, House Bill 2685 by Rep. Warren Chisum, a conservative Republican from the Panhandle, prompted derisive comments from opponents who called it the worst sort of government intrusion.

It calls for couples who take an eight-hour 'successful marriage' course approved by the state to get a free marriage license, with those who don't paying a doubled fee of $60.

The bill might be the most obvious example of government 'nanny state' efforts to affect behavior, which traditionally have been associated with liberal Democrats. Other such laws, passed by the majority-Republican Legislature and signed by Republican Gov. Rick Perry, take aim at such 'deadly sins' as gluttony and sloth."

Buchanan Rides Alone

This was adapted from a Gold Medal novel by "Jonas Ward" (William Ard, I think) called The Name's Buchanan. That's what the movie should have been called, since Randolph repeats the line several times. It's a weird movie, and Scott looks either amused or bemused (I couldn't decide which) all the way through. He gets into some action in the first few scenes, but after that he sort of wanders through the movie being acted upon instead of taking action: he falls into and out of the hands of a crooked lawman, sits stoically when he's about to be hanged, stands stoically when he's about to be shot in the back. Not like the Randolph Scott I know.

I was bemused, myself, at some of the worst plotting I've seen in a western in a long time. I'd expected better from a Scott/Boetticher collaboration. Here's what I mean. Let's say you're Scott and you have the drop on three killers. You and your pards tie them up and leave. Would you have (A) left one of the killers tied separately from the other two so that he could scoot over to them, (B) tied the knots so poorly that the killers could get loose in under 30 seconds, (C) left all their guns in the room with them, (D) left their horses right outside? I know I wouldn't have, but that's exactly what happens.

Aside from that, the movie's supposedly set in California, yet Scott rides past saguaro cactus all the time. Even I know better than that, and I don't know anything.

This was and okay little movie, but that's about it. Maybe it's supposed to be funny. Whatever it is, it's not one of the high points of the Scott/Boetticher canon.

Top 30 Cult TV Shows

According to TV Guide.

Once Again Texas Leads the Way

Couples to wed at 99 Cents Only Store | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Latest News: "At the 99 Cents Only Store in Lewisville, less than a dollar will get you dishware, a beach ball or toothpaste.

If you're Annie Bosworth and John Vanek, it'll also buy you a wedding.

Sound too good to be true? The Oklahoma City couple thought so too at first. But on Saturday, they're getting hitched right next to the displays for Hawaiian Punch Plus, Cheetos and Jane Fonda's Workout videos.

'We both love dollar stores, so we just thought it was awesome,' said Ms. Bosworth, who learned about the discount nuptials online."

We're from the Government, and We're Here to Help You

CANOE -- CNEWS - World: Border fence accidentally built on Mexican soil: "COLUMBUS, N.M. (AP) - The 2 1/2-kilometre barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border was designed to keep cars from illegally crossing into the United States. There's just one problem: It was accidentally built on Mexican soil.

Now embarrassed border officials say the mistake could cost the U.S. government more than $3 million to fix."

Stranger than Fiction

So there's this guy named Harold Crick (Will Ferrell). He works for the IRS and doesn't care for his job, though he has no life outside it. He starts hearing a voiceover that narrates his life. Eventually he realizes that the story the voice is telling will end with his death. He doesn't want to die, mainly because he's met free spirited Maggie Gyllenhaal, who's falling in love with him. You wouldn't want to die, either. So what to do? Consult an English teacher (Dustin Hoffman), that's what.

I'm not sure if this movie is a fantasy, magic realism, or what, but I liked it quite a bit. It raises some interesting questions about the relationship of life to art, and it makes you wonder a little bit about an author's responsibility to her characters. And about a character's responsibility, too. Should he be willing to die to make the ending poetic and "right"? Should the author be willing to accept an "okay" ending that's a bit happier than the one that seems fitting? And what about the reader? This is the kind of movie that'll make you think about these things. It's also funny, always a plus in my book.

Will Ferrell gives a restrained performance (I never thought I'd write that sentence), and the rest of the cast (including Emma Thompson as the author) is fine. Dustin Hoffman gets in a few good self-referential lines (think Rainman), and I couldn't help feeling that 30 years ago, he'd have been playing the Will Ferrell role. He'd have been very good in it. Check it out.

Gator Update (Who Says TV Isn't Educational? Edition)

Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.

iWon News - Woman Wrangles Gator Into Guinea Pig Pen: "RESTON, Va. (AP) - She had seen it on TV plenty of times, so for Erin Kemp, wrangling a stray alligator that wandered into her yard was no big deal.

She spotted the 2 1/2-foot-long gator Monday night in her suburban Washington neighborhood while taking out the garbage. Kemp told a 9-year-old neighbor to get away. She then grabbed a pen she uses to corral her kids' guinea pigs and attempted to capture the animal.

'I wasn't really scared,' she said. 'It was kind of exciting.'

Besides, 'you see it on Animal Planet,' said Kemp, who watched the late Steve Irwin wrangle such beasts on the 'Crocodile Hunter.'"

Croc Update (Increasing Zoo Attendance Edition)

Some great photos here.

Once Again, New York Leads the Way

wcbstv.com - Only In New York City: Pizzeria Offers Lap Dances: "(CBS) NEW YORK In a city that seems to have everything, it's amazing what we'll still be surprised to find. Take for example what CBS 2 HD recently uncovered going on in the back of a pizzeria.

Let's just say it's hotter than the pizza served up front.

On the outside, Cordatos looks like your ordinary pizzeria, but inside customers are offered something way too hot and spicy to be found on the menu.

Lap dances. Yes, you read that correctly."

Will the Persecution Never End?

Of course not.

Out of the Gutter #2

The latest issue of Out of the Gutter arrived not long ago, and I've just gotten around to reading it. If you can't figure out the target audience for the magazine, then you just haven't thought about the title, read the blurbs, or looked at the cover. These guys aren't trying to fool anybody. The question is, do the stories inside deliver on the promise? The answer is that they sure do.

Well, at least the ones I've read do. I haven't had time for the whole issue. I've read all the flash stories, and it's hard to single out one. I'll just mention that Christa Faust's "Hit Me" should whet your appetite for her forthcoming Hard Case Crime novel.

Of the longer stories, I've read Steve Alten's "Lost in Time," which is very good; John Rickards "Vengeance is Mine," lots of fun and sure to make you say "Huh?"; Michael Bracken's "Professionals," which reveals that Bracken is himself a real pro when it comes to crime shorts; and of course the one I was destined to read first, "Fat Larry's Night with the Alligators" by Ken Goldman. Lots of blood and gore, and lots of alligators. What's not to like? Check out this issue when you're in the mood for some fine degenerate literature.

Once Again Texas (Doesn't) Lead the Way

Texas town roiled by NBC sting - Yahoo! News: "MURPHY, Texas - A sting in which police teamed up with 'Dateline NBC' to catch online pedophiles was supposed to send a flinty-eyed, Texas-style warning about this Dallas suburb: Don't mess with Murphy.

Instead, it has turned into a fiasco.

One of the 25 men caught in the sting — a prosecutor from a neighboring county — committed suicide when police came to arrest him. The Murphy city manager who approved the operation lost his job in the ensuing furor.

And the district attorney is refusing to prosecute any of the men, saying many of the cases were tainted by the involvement of amateurs.

'Certainly these people should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, but the fact that this was all done for television cameras raises some questions,' said Mayor Bret Baldwin."

Gator Update: Must-Have DVD Edition

DavisDVD : News : DVD: Twelve years ago the Kendal family decided their pet baby alligator was too much of a nuisance and flushed him down the toilet. Now, beneath those manholes, a man-eater is waiting... a ravaging animal-turned-monster bent on destroying everything in its wake. The cult classic Alligator returns with a new special edition from Lionsgate Home Entertainment on September 18th. Featuring a newly remastered anamorphic widescreen transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 track, extras include an audio commentary with director Lewis Teague and cast, and a new on-camera interview with screenwriter John Sayles. Retail is $14.98.

Manly Wade Wellman

Todd Mason reminds me that I haven't mentioned this fine site with some great stuff about Wellman. I was lucky enough to meet Wellman at the World Fantasy Con in Ft. Worth many years ago, and he signed my copy of Who Fears the Devil, a favorite of mine since I was a teenager.

A Horse is a Horse, of Course . . .

. . . of course. Unless it's a Zorse. Great photo at link.

The Sun Online - News: Why of course... it's a Zorse: "SOMETHING’S not quite white about this animal. It has two bizarre patches of stripes on its head and flank thanks to a strange parentage.

Dad was a zebra stallion, mum was a horse . . . so their odd-looking offspring is known as a zorse.

The animal, called Eclyse, can be seen at a safari park in Schloss Holte-Stukenbrock, Germany. Trust us, it’s not an April Foal."

West Texas War -- Gary Lovisi

It's next to impossible to find a U.S. publisher doing hardback westerns these days, but over in England, Robert Hale, Ltd., is still publishing its Black Horse line. And that's where Gary Lovisi's West Texas War first appeared. Luckily for us, Ramble House has reprinted it here in the U.S.

I've known Gary Lovisi since he started publishing Paperback Parade, one of the premier zines for paperback collectors and certainly the longest-running. He also publishes Hardboiled, novels by luminaries like Richard A. Lupoff, and other things. And he writes. I first became acquainted with his crime fiction, but he's now doing western stories for a number of anthologies. Some of those stories are reprinted here as a bonus feature. So how can you go wrong?

You can't, really. West Texas War is a hard-charging, powder-burning western that will satisfy traditional western fans, but it has some great twists of its own. I won't reveal them, but let's just say that you have your warring ranchers, your Texas Rangers, and a love story to boot. Check it out, and when you do, don't pass up reading shorts like "Old Aunt Sin" and "After the Great War." And the others, too. Check 'em out.

And if you don't believe me, take a look at James Reasoner's blog. He's always ahead of me on this stuff.

Gator Uupdate (Philly Edition with Bonus P. H. Reference)

Are there more gators in the Pennypack? | Inquirer | 06/28/2007: "On Sunday, animal-control officers captured a three-foot alligator at the park, a surprising find that came three days after they pinched a five-footer less than a mile downstream, in Bryn Athyn. The creatures most likely survived on fish, frogs and snakes.

The larger animal was taken to the Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown, where officials learned yesterday that it was female. The smaller one went to the Lake Tobias Wildlife Park in Halifax, Pa.

Officials believe both gators were dumped by an owner tired of caring for them. And they can't help but wonder: If you find a mommy and a baby, does that mean Big Daddy may be out there?

The gators have sent local news media into something of a . . . well, feeding frenzy. For a time, they got more press than Paris Hilton."

You Know You Want To Know . . .

. . . what the unbloggable said on the Larry King show. Clips are here.

And there is no prize for guessing that Jeff Meyerson sent this link.

It Will NEVER End

See what I mean?

In Case You Were Wondering . . .

. . . what P.H. ate in the graybar hotel, here's the answer.

As you have no doubt surmised, thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.

(Trained) Croc Update

Crocs trained to hunt poachers - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): "Indian authorities are releasing dozens of crocodiles bred in captivity to scare away poachers and protect their endangered counterparts.

They say illegal fishing in mangrove forests and habitat destruction in the states of Orissa and West Bengal, in eastern India, has led to a steep fall in crocodile numbers, from several thousand a century ago to less than 100 in the early 1970s.

But senior wildlife official and crocodile breeding expert Rathin Banerjee says the same reptiles are breeding rapidly in captivity. Orissa's Bhitarkanika sanctuary has more than 1,400 crocodiles.

'The swelling number of released crocodiles in the wild is working as a deterrent and keeping people away from the mangrove, as villagers are more cautious before venturing into the forests,' Mr Banerjee said."

I like the Dilbert Guy

He gets it.

Will the Persecution Never End?

No. It's just beginning.

Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.

July Issue of Crime & Suspense now On-Line

A couple of good interviews plus the usual entertaining fiction and more. Check it out here.

The Revenge of Kali-Ra -- K. K. Beck

Okay, you hardboiled fans can stop reading now. If you haven't already. This one's likely not for you.

As for me, well, the book's dedicated "to the memory of Sax Rohmer, the Baroness Orczy, H. Rider Haggard, E. Phillips Oppenheim, and many others," so I couldn't resist. Two of those writers, Haggard and Rohmer, were a big part of my reading when I was a much younger guy. I didn't get into the Fu Manchu novels so much as the Gold Medal originals about Sumuru, and judging from this book, I suspect that maybe K. K. Beck read one or two of those, herself.

But I digress. I was going to talk about the actual book. It's about an actress who comes across a pulp novel in the style of the writers mentioned above and decides to make a movie starring herself as the Queen of Doom, Kali-Ra. The actress believes that everyone's forgotten the novels, but soon a college professor, the author's last living relative, the author's wife, and a number of others, including gangsters and assorted nutjobs, have all gathered at the actress's house. Good-humored fun ensues, as in all good country-house mysteries. Murder figures in, but not the murder you're expecting. This is a mystery novel, all right, but it's not a standard one by any means. Check it out sometime when need a few laughs.

We're from the Government, and We're Here to Help You

CIA releases papers that set off scandal - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON - The CIA released hundreds of pages of internal reports Tuesday on assassination plots, secret drug testing and spying on Americans that triggered a scandal in the mid-1970s.

The documents detail assassination plots against foreign leaders such as Fidel Castro, the testing of mind-altering drugs like LSD on unwitting citizens, wiretapping of U.S. journalists, spying on civil rights and anti-Vietnam war protesters, opening of mail between the United States and the Soviet Union and China and break-ins at the homes of ex-CIA employees and others."

Paris Hilton: Artist

The picture is here, along with a hand-written note.

Thanks to the ever-vigilant Jeff Meyerson for the link.

Gator Update: Water Hazard Edition

Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.

One-eyed gator pulls golfer into pond - CNN.com: "ENICE, Florida (AP) -- A man who lost his ball in a golf course pond nearly lost a limb when a nearly 11-foot alligator latched on to his arm and pulled him in the water, authorities said.

Bruce Burger, 50, was trying to retrieve his ball Monday from a pond on the sixth hole at the Lake Venice Golf Club.

The alligator latched on to Burger's right forearm and pulled him in the pond, said Gary Morse, a spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Burger used his left arm to beat the reptile until it freed him.

'I saw him reach down to get his ball and he yelled' for help, said Janet Pallo, who was playing the fifth hole and ran over to drive the man to the clubhouse."

Aggies Get Their Way (as Always)

As reported in the Houston Chronicle.

Has This Whole Paris Hilton Thing Gotten Out of Hand?

Possibly.

Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the tip.

Here We Are Again

In a waiting room in MD Anderson, that is. Judy's recuperating from her bilateral bone marrow biopsy while we wait for some other little procedure that will be done this morning. Judy's a little groggy from the sedation, but she's recovering quickly. Now we'll see how the pain in her back affects her. Tomorrow we come back for a biopsy of the lymph nodes in her neck, and then we're done until the visit with the doctor on July 11. We'll both be glad when this testing is over.

The Boondock Saints

After tangling with a couple of guys from the Russian syndicate, two Boston Irish brothers (Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus) decide they're going to cleanse the world, or at least Boston, of evil-doers the same way Charles Bronson did. They get off to a great start, and even the genius FBI agent on the case (Wilem Dafoe) can't quite figure out what's going on (though he can really work a crime scene). The bodies pile up before things start to go wrong for the brothers (hooking up with a guy called "Funny Man" is a mistake, if you ask me). Things improve for them at the end, and there's a over-the-top courtroom scene that pretty much defines the movie.

In fact, the phrase over the top pretty much defines this movie. Willem Dafoe is about as flamboyantly gay as you can get, and his "direction" of one of the big shoot-outs is either going to make you sit there laughing or with your jaw dragging the floor. And that's one of the less flamboyant scenes.

In fact (again), I laughed quite a bit, and my jaw hit the floor just about as often during scenes I just couldn't believe I was seeing. From what I've heard, this movie barely made it into theaters but has become something of a cult favorite on DVD. I'll say this for it: they didn't buy it off the rack. It's different from anything you're likely to see this week. More than enough violence, gore, and torture for anyone. Plus (I'm not making this up) Ron Jeremy. Now you know what you're in for. Check it out if it sounds appealing. But not if you like cats. Trust me.

The 100 Worst Cover Songs According to retroCRUSH

retroCRUSH: the world's finest pop culture and Leo Sayer website: "We've already done our 100 Greatest Cover Songs list, so you knew it was only a matter of time before we paid respects to the flip side of the coin. Some of these covers were sincere attempts to make good songs, others are so inexplicably awful that you don't know what the hell they were thinking. Others are clearly meant to be jokes, but it doesn't make them sound any better, even so. We had polled retroCRUSH readers for nearly 2 months and got lots of great responses, and we give deep thanks to all of those who threw ideas our way."

Peru Update: Penguin Edition

wcbstv.com - Paleontologists: Giant Penguins Roamed Peru: "CBS/AP) WASHINGTON Giant penguins roamed what is now Peru more than 40 million years ago, much earlier than scientists thought the flightless birds had spread to warmer climes.

Best known for their formal attire and presence in Antarctica, penguins today live in many islands in the Southern Hemisphere, some even near the equator.

But scientists thought they hadn't reached warm areas until about 10 million years ago

Now, researchers report in this week's online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that they have found remains of two types of penguin in Peru that date to 40 million years ago."

EW's 25 Greatest Action Films Ever!

Thanks to Todd Mason for the link.

The 25 Greatest Action Films Ever! | Countdown! | Movies | Entertainment Weekly | 1: "Trends come and go, but Hollywood's always been good at blowing stuff up. With ''Die Hard 4'' about to strike, we rank the movies that delivered the biggest bang for the buck, from No. 25 to No. 1"

Summer Issue of Mysterical-e now On-Line

There's a nice cover on this issue, and there are stories from authors like Gerald So, Ed Lynskey, Molly MacCrae, and (as we like to say) many others. Jim Doherty's "I Like 'em Tough" column's there, along with reviews and other stuff. Check it out.

The 20 Worst Lyrics Ever

Didn't I just run a list like this? Anyway, we know for sure that Jeff Meyerson spends way too much time at Spinner.com.

The 20 Worst Lyrics Ever: No. 20 - Spinner.com - Free MP3s, Interviews, Music News, Live Performances, Songs and Videos: "Where have all the poets gone? To pop music, of course. However, judging from our list, some of these esteemed wordsmiths could use a new thesaurus. We'll take your complaints at the end."

Peru Update: Cameron Diaz Edition

Actress Diaz apologises for Mao bag: "US actress Cameron Diaz has apologised for wearing a bag with a political slogan that evoked painful memories in Peru.

The voice of Princess Fiona in the animated Shrek films visited the Incan city of Machu Picchu in Peru's Andes wearing an olive green bag emblazoned with a red star and the words 'Serve the People', perhaps Chinese Communist leader Mao Zedong's most famous political slogan, printed in Chinese.

The bags are marketed as fashion accessories in some cities around the world, but in Peru the slogan evokes memories of the Maoist Shining Path insurgency that fought the government in the 1980s and early 1990s in a bloody conflict that left nearly 70,000 people dead.

'I sincerely apologise to anyone I may have inadvertently offended,' Diaz said in a statement. 'The bag was a purchase I made as a tourist in China and I did not realise the potentially hurtful nature of the slogan printed on it.'

One prominent Peruvian human rights activist said Diaz should have been a little more aware of local sensitivities when picking her accessories. "

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.

Powered by ScribeFire.

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.