Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for this timely update.
iWon News - 270 Smuggled Crocodiles Seized in China: "BEIJING (AP) - Chinese police tracking a suspicious vessel on a border river in southwest China got a shock when they found 270 crocodiles, a state news agency reported Monday.
Xinhua News Agency said the seizure was the largest this year in Guangxi region, where 25 illegally captured crocodiles were discovered in the first six months.
Border police noticed the boat trying to land on the Chinese side of the Beilun River, which marks the border with Vietnam, early on Sunday.
Xinhua said four people carried bags off the boat, but jumped into the river and swam away when they saw the police.
It said police found that the bags and other bags on the boat contained 270 crocodiles, which are on China's wildlife protection list. They will be sent to zoos."
Monday, July 23, 2007
Happy Birthday, Raymond Chandler!
The Writer's Almanac from American Public Media: "It's the birthday of crime novelist Raymond Chandler (books by this author), born in Chicago, Illinois (1888). He's known for his novels about the private detective Philip Marlowe such as The Big Sleep (1939) and The Long Goodbye (1954). He started out writing second-rate poetry and essays, but couldn't get much published, so he gave up and took a bookkeeping class, got a job at a bank, and went on to become a wealthy oil company executive.
He lost his job when the stock market crashed in 1929. So at the age of 45 he began writing for pulp fiction magazines, which paid about a penny a word.
Chandler was one of the first detective novelists to become known for the quality of his prose, and he became famous for his metaphors. In one novel he wrote, 'She smelled the way the Taj Mahal looked by moonlight.' In another he wrote, 'She gave me a smile I could feel in my hip pocket.'"
He lost his job when the stock market crashed in 1929. So at the age of 45 he began writing for pulp fiction magazines, which paid about a penny a word.
Chandler was one of the first detective novelists to become known for the quality of his prose, and he became famous for his metaphors. In one novel he wrote, 'She smelled the way the Taj Mahal looked by moonlight.' In another he wrote, 'She gave me a smile I could feel in my hip pocket.'"
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Rally Round the Flag, Boys
Memory's a funny thing. When I get together with people who were my friends in high school and we talk about old times, I often find that they don't remember some things I'm sure must have happened. Sometimes when we both remember the same events, they don't recall them at all the way I do. But here's what I remember about this movie. In the spring of 1959, John Marion Black and I were going to the Baty Studio to have our pictures made for a page in the school yearbook. John drove us in his old Chevy coupe. I wore a white sport coat, and Mrs. Baty said that just wouldn't do. John let me wear his jacket for the picture. It was black, and while we both had on the same jacket on that page, nobody ever knew. I suspect that John has no memory of this.After the pictures were taken, we went to see Rally Round the Flag, Boys. I'd read the book, and I'd promised him that the movie would be funny. I don't know if he found it funny or not. I don't know if I did. I do, however, remember quite clearly two scenes from the movie. Or so I thought. More on that later. When I saw that the movie was being released on DVD, I thought I'd re-read the book (my comments are here) and watch the movie again for the first time in nearly 50 years. As it turned out, the book's a lot better. The movie ditches almost all of Shulman's satire, and almost the entire plot, to concentrate on the episode of Harry Bannerman's infidelity. Since the movie came out in the '50s, however, there's no infidelity. It's all appearances. Too bad, since Joan Collins must have been pretty hard to resist. The cast tries hard. Collins isn't bad at all in a comedy role, but Newman tries too hard, and Woodward has little to do, really. Jack Carson is fine in a couple of scenes, and so is Gale Gordon, but there's not enough of them. The movie really comes alive when Tuesday Weld is on-screen, though, and a couple of her scenes are lifted almost verbatim from the book. They're the only part of the book that's recognizable. Tuesday's great. Dwayne Hickman's fun as a Marlon Brando wannabe (that's Marlon from The Wild One). Tom Gilson's good as Opie, but he apparently died only a few years later, victim of a homicide.
It's Gilson who sings "You Are My Boojim" to Tuesday Weld. All these years, I'd thought it was Dwayne Hickman. See what I mean about memory? As a relic of an almost forgotten era, the movie holds up. Look at the way people dress for the town meeting, the women in their dresses, the men in their suits. I've been to city council meetings in recent years, and the men wear Hawaiian shirts, thongs, and shorts. The women, too. The Technicolor is great, and all in all, this was a fine exercise in nostalgia for me. But if you have a choice between reading the book and seeing the movie, read the book.
No Class Chick Author was a Mouseketeer
Photo and complete bio at the link, thoughtfully provided to the blog by Joe R. Lansdale.
MMC Cast: Jay-Jay Solari: "Sometime in the seventies Jay-Jay, now known as 'J. J.' started writing short stories for magazines. His genre was 'biker fiction', which he wrote regularly for over twenty years for Easyriders. His most famous story was No Class Chick, about a biker seeking to join a club, whose initiation entails escorting a member's girlfriend from coast-to-coast, keeping her in sight at all times. The girl dies of natural causes shortly after the trip begins, but the biker is informed that the rules still apply. Other memorable stories included Bike Telethon, The Recruiter, The Pasadena Run, Bikers at Sea, The Secret Technique, and It's A Miracle."
MMC Cast: Jay-Jay Solari: "Sometime in the seventies Jay-Jay, now known as 'J. J.' started writing short stories for magazines. His genre was 'biker fiction', which he wrote regularly for over twenty years for Easyriders. His most famous story was No Class Chick, about a biker seeking to join a club, whose initiation entails escorting a member's girlfriend from coast-to-coast, keeping her in sight at all times. The girl dies of natural causes shortly after the trip begins, but the biker is informed that the rules still apply. Other memorable stories included Bike Telethon, The Recruiter, The Pasadena Run, Bikers at Sea, The Secret Technique, and It's A Miracle."
Say It Ain't So!
Weekly World News Shutting Down (SFScope)
While it isn't strictly a genre publication, and it does bill itself as "The World's Only Reliable Newspaper," the editor has decided that this announcement does fall within SFScope's purview:
American Media has decided to suspend publication of Weekly World News, both the print publication and the web site. No reason was given at press time, although reliable sources do tell us that management turned down at least one offer to buy the publication.
The weekly supermarket tabloid—known as the home of "Bat Boy" and other less-than-probable stories—has long had staffing connections with the science fiction, fantasy, and horror fields.
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Gator Update (Vacation Planning Edition)
I’ve gone to wrestle an alligator - Times Online
When director Guy Hamilton was shooting Live and Let Die, Bond’s coolest or cheesiest ever outing, depending on your viewpoint, he was so tickled by the now legendary running-over-alligators stunt that he decided to name the film’s baddie after one Mr Kananga – the man who owned the alligator farm where the sequence was shot.
It’s a cracking sequence. Stranded on an island the size of an Ikea flatpack and hemmed in by large, unfriendly reptiles, Roger Moore’s Bond dodges death in the way that only 007 can – by running across the gators’ backs. And believe it or not, if you’re brave enough, or daft enough, you can try it yourself.
Outside of zoos and the tropical lairs of international villains, there are only two countries on the planet where alligators hang out: China and America. Chinese alligators are mostly on the small side, so to grapple with a living, breathing 300lb reptile America is the place. And oddly, perhaps the best spot for gator wrestling in the US is in Colorado, where there’s an alligator farm with waters that are kept warm year round by a geothermal spring.
Pay $100 (£49) to the man at the gate at Colorado Gators, near Alamosa, and he’ll let you into a pen (read: “swamp”) with dozens of the things. Gator-wrestling classes are a nifty little side business to a working fish farm: the alligators were brought in as waste disposal units for dead fish, and because members of the public kept sneaking in to gaze at them, the owners thought they’d make some money out of their toothy tenants.
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Saturday, July 21, 2007
Is this Really Indefensible?
Michael Giltz: Why Harry Potter Won't be a Bestseller - Entertainment on The Huffington Post: "Wanna make some easy money? Tell your friends you don't think Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will debut at #1 on The New York Times Bestseller List. Heck, you don't think it will even make the Top Ten! Then give them ten to one odds.
Huh? The book that will probably set a single day and one week sales record, the book hundreds of thousands will line up for at midnight won't be the Number One book on The New York Times Bestseller list? That's right because Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a children's book and those books don't count.
It happened in 2000. The Harry Potter books -- a once in a lifetime publishing phenomenon -- were dominating the bestseller lists, with three titles ensconced in the Top 15 at the same time. It just wasn't fair, moaned publishers of more 'serious' fiction. It kept more deserving titles off the list, titles that people would never hear about, said bookstore owners. And so in a rash, indefensible decision, the New York Times decided to banish children's books solely to their own separate list."
Huh? The book that will probably set a single day and one week sales record, the book hundreds of thousands will line up for at midnight won't be the Number One book on The New York Times Bestseller list? That's right because Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a children's book and those books don't count.
It happened in 2000. The Harry Potter books -- a once in a lifetime publishing phenomenon -- were dominating the bestseller lists, with three titles ensconced in the Top 15 at the same time. It just wasn't fair, moaned publishers of more 'serious' fiction. It kept more deserving titles off the list, titles that people would never hear about, said bookstore owners. And so in a rash, indefensible decision, the New York Times decided to banish children's books solely to their own separate list."
From Steve Brewer
Hi all:
For the past nine years, I've written a weekly humor column that appears in newspapers around the country. The Home Front, a column about working at home and the all-around absurdity of family life, often draws comparisons to Dave Barry and Erma Bombeck. You can read the current column anytime by going to my website -- www.stevebrewerbooks.com -- and clicking on the link to the Albuquerque Tribune.
The columns get archived by the Trib, and many appeared in my 2003 book "Trophy Husband," but there's been no place where you can read all 450-plus columns for free. Until now. My wife helped me set up a blog -- www.stevebrewer.blogspot.com -- where we've put the first half-dozen columns from The Home Front's long run. The plan is to add a couple more every few days until, eventually, they're all on the blog.
Hope you get a chance to check out The Home Front. Please bookmark the site and come back often.
Thanks!
Steve Brewer, author of "Monkey Man" and 14 other books.
I'll Have the Fruit Plate, Please
CNN.com - Anderson Cooper 360� Blog: "With that in mind, Sanjay Gupta and the rest of our team headed towards the Beijing restaurant dubbed 'the penis emporium.' As you grapple with that, you're due an explanation: the restaurant was said to serve exotic animal parts from animals around the world, and it just so happened that penis is their specialty. I guess everybody's got to be good at something."
Meat and Potato (Chips)
Thanks to John Duke for this important news item.
Montana man says he found fried mouse in potato chips | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "HAVRE, Mont. — Frito-Lay Inc. says it will investigate a Havre man's 'unsubstantiated claim' that he found a deep-fried mouse in a bag of barbecue potato chips.
Jack Hines, a 66-year-old former laborer and contractor, said he was snacking on the chips Tuesday when he pulled out the crispy rodent.
'Good thing I seen it. I got it all the way up to my mouth,' he said. 'I felt the fur, I brought it back down and just looked at it and threw it behind my back.'
Frito-Lay was sending a representative to retrieve the bag and the mouse this weekend. Both will be shipped to company headquarters in Plano, Texas, for an investigation."
Montana man says he found fried mouse in potato chips | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "HAVRE, Mont. — Frito-Lay Inc. says it will investigate a Havre man's 'unsubstantiated claim' that he found a deep-fried mouse in a bag of barbecue potato chips.
Jack Hines, a 66-year-old former laborer and contractor, said he was snacking on the chips Tuesday when he pulled out the crispy rodent.
'Good thing I seen it. I got it all the way up to my mouth,' he said. 'I felt the fur, I brought it back down and just looked at it and threw it behind my back.'
Frito-Lay was sending a representative to retrieve the bag and the mouse this weekend. Both will be shipped to company headquarters in Plano, Texas, for an investigation."
Gator Update: Oscar, R. I. P.
Jacksonville.com: "Oscar, an alligator who has been at Okefenokee Swamp Park since it opened in 1945, has died.
Park workers found Oscar dead of natural causes Thursday in waters surrounding the park's camellia gardens, said Martin Bell, manager of the park.
Oscar was believed to be 13 feet, 7 inches long seven years ago, but after his death, the aged gator was discovered to be shorter, Bell said.
'He was 12-feet, 9 inches long. It appears he had shrunk in size a little bit. He wasn't nearly as heavy as he had once been,' Bell said.
He had previously been estimated to weigh 1,000 pounds.
When the park was being built in 1945, Oscar was a resident and already a mature alligator, Bell said. He was docile and often lay sunning on the grass and walkways just inside the entrance and gift shop.
In the past three years, Oscar had apparently lost his territorial instincts and had found himself a peaceful, secluded place in the park, Bell said.
'He'll be missed, but never forgotten,' Bell said."
Park workers found Oscar dead of natural causes Thursday in waters surrounding the park's camellia gardens, said Martin Bell, manager of the park.
Oscar was believed to be 13 feet, 7 inches long seven years ago, but after his death, the aged gator was discovered to be shorter, Bell said.
'He was 12-feet, 9 inches long. It appears he had shrunk in size a little bit. He wasn't nearly as heavy as he had once been,' Bell said.
He had previously been estimated to weigh 1,000 pounds.
When the park was being built in 1945, Oscar was a resident and already a mature alligator, Bell said. He was docile and often lay sunning on the grass and walkways just inside the entrance and gift shop.
In the past three years, Oscar had apparently lost his territorial instincts and had found himself a peaceful, secluded place in the park, Bell said.
'He'll be missed, but never forgotten,' Bell said."
Bad Luck and Trouble -- Lee Child
Someone's killing the members of Jack Reacher's old army investigating team. Tossing them out of a helicopter. One of the living members manages to get in touch with Reacher, not an easy task, to let him know there's a problem. The team's motto: "You don't mess with the special investigators." Even if they haven't seen each other for ten years.So the four remaining members of the team go into action. Like any Lee Child novel about Jack Reacher, Bad Luck and Trouble is well-written and effective, but some stuff bothers me. I don't consider this a spoiler, but I'll leave some space just in case you don't want to look at it.
* * * * *
Okay, Reacher and his group need to know the title of the 6th song on the 2nd Jimi Hendrix album (Reacher knows the name of the album). They're staying in a classy hotel, the Chateau Marmont, in Los Angeles. So naturally they troop downstairs and go to Tower Records to look at the CD. This takes a few pages. When they find the CD the barcode covers the title. They have to buy the CD, and then we read about Reacher's difficulty in opening it. Why does this bother me? Well, if you were in the Chateau Marmont, and you were a crack investigator, and you had a computer, what would you do? You'd hop on the free wireless access, and you'd have the song title in 30 seconds. Surely someone, Reacher or one of the others, would know this if I do. And yes, the Chateau Marmont does have free wireless access. I checked on the Internet. Took maybe 10 seconds.
And another thing. Reacher makes a fundamental blunder, one of the kind that makes me groan and say, "No, no, don't do that." But he does it anyway. This time it's a 50-page detour to Las Vegas, based or faulty reasoning that just seems dumb to me. There's another, much more obvious option to try first. This kind of thing has bothered me before in the Reacher novels.
* * * * *
Aside from those quibbles, I thought this was more fun than The Hard Way, the previous book in the series. At least there's no 500-word description of Reacher's shoes. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy the books, and I'll keep reading them, I'm sure. I just get a little irritated now and then. Probably it's just me.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Al Guthrie is a Winner
Congratulations to a truly deserving guy. Photo at link. Luckily for all of us the photo is not of Mr. Guthrie "beat[ing] off strong competition."
2007 Winner: "After 9 weeks, with crime readers casting thousands of votes both in-store at Waterstone’s and online, the winner of the 2007 Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year has been announced. Allan Guthrie‘s novel, Two Way Split beat strong competition to scoop this sought after prize which was announced at the Awards Ceremony on the opening night of the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival.
Allan Guthrie today said ‘I am stunned, overwhelmed and very pleased. Thank you to everyone who had faith in the book and everyone who voted.’
He beat off strong competition including Stephen Booth, Christopher Brookmyre, Graham Hurley, Michael Jecks and Stuart MacBride to win �3,000 and a hand made oak beer cask crafted by one of Britain’s last coopers and presented by Simon Theakston, Executive Director of title sponsor Theakstons Old Peculier."
2007 Winner: "After 9 weeks, with crime readers casting thousands of votes both in-store at Waterstone’s and online, the winner of the 2007 Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year has been announced. Allan Guthrie‘s novel, Two Way Split beat strong competition to scoop this sought after prize which was announced at the Awards Ceremony on the opening night of the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival.
Allan Guthrie today said ‘I am stunned, overwhelmed and very pleased. Thank you to everyone who had faith in the book and everyone who voted.’
He beat off strong competition including Stephen Booth, Christopher Brookmyre, Graham Hurley, Michael Jecks and Stuart MacBride to win �3,000 and a hand made oak beer cask crafted by one of Britain’s last coopers and presented by Simon Theakston, Executive Director of title sponsor Theakstons Old Peculier."
Happy Anniversary, Apollo Moonwalk!
I remember it well. A great moment. A sad reminder of what the space program used to be able to accomplish, too, I guess.
Rally Round the Flag, Boys -- Max Shulman
Fifty years ago, I wanted to be Max Shulman. I'd read the Dobie Gillis stories and thought they were hilarious. Then I read Rally Round the Flag, Boys and thought it was also a humor classic. This was the kind of book I wanted to write when I grew up. The other day when I needed some cheering up, I picked up the paperback and read it again. I'm happy to report that it was almost as funny as I remembered.It's about a suburban community that becomes the site of a Nike missile base. Ah, the Nike missile. That kind of dates things right there, doesn't it. You probably know already some of the targets of Shulman's satire: the army, the suburban families with their commuting husbands, their wives who spend their time going to endless civic meetings, the Little League, small-town businessmen, and so on. Throw in some would-be juvenile delinquents and a hillbilly singer, and you've covered all the bases.
Some people might think its satire is dated. They'd be right in some cases. On the other hand, some things never change. You tell me if this is dated: "Grady was a member of the new school of juvenile delinquency, the You-Too-Can-Be-a-Rebel-School. The headmasters were Elvis Presley and the spook of Jimmy Dean, and the entrance requirements were completely democratic. A boy was no longer excluded from the glamorous ranks of delinquency simply because he had the rotten luck not to be born in a slum; all he had to do was look as though he had. If he would wear his hair in a duck-tail cut and his sideburns at nostril level, forsake grammar, dress in black khaki trousers with the cuffs narrowed to fourteen inches, never do his homework, and spit a lot, his origins, no matter how respectable, would not be held against him."
Seems to me that the names and fashions might change, that's all. I feel the same way about Shulman's comments on Little League, sex ed, television, and a couple of other things. I could be wrong, though. I often am, but my conclusion is that I'd still like to be Max Shulman.
The Name's Squirrel, James Squirrel
Thanks to Beth Foxwell for the link. Great photo of spy in question at link.
Iranian Police Smash Squirrel Spy Ring |Sky News|World News: "Police in Iran are reported to have taken 14 squirrels into custody - because they are suspected of spying.
The rodents were found near the Iranian border allegedly equipped with eavesdropping devices.
The reports have come from the official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
When asked about the confiscation of the spy squirrels, the national police chief said: 'I have heard about it, but I do not have precise information.'
The IRNA said that the squirrels were kitted out by foreign intelligence services - but they were captured two weeks ago by police officers."
Iranian Police Smash Squirrel Spy Ring |Sky News|World News: "Police in Iran are reported to have taken 14 squirrels into custody - because they are suspected of spying.
The rodents were found near the Iranian border allegedly equipped with eavesdropping devices.
The reports have come from the official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
When asked about the confiscation of the spy squirrels, the national police chief said: 'I have heard about it, but I do not have precise information.'
The IRNA said that the squirrels were kitted out by foreign intelligence services - but they were captured two weeks ago by police officers."
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Happy Birthday, Chester Himes!
Beth Foxwell has the info and some links. I remember discovering the Avon editions of Himes's novels about Gravedigger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson around 40 years ago. Some of the scenes are still vivid in my mind. Great stuff, indeed.
Great New Idea in Lawn Care
Video at the link. I hope they use plenty of sunscreen.
Showing skin gives new company boost in business: "Showing skin is giving one start-up company a boost in business. Tiger Time Lawn Care has been on the books for only three months but their offer to cut lawns in bikinis is already catching on.
You might say they're loosening the Bible belt in this Mid-South neighborhood.
Ladies are cutting lawns wearing bikinis, showing their bodies and offering more attention to your lawn than it's ever seen."
Showing skin gives new company boost in business: "Showing skin is giving one start-up company a boost in business. Tiger Time Lawn Care has been on the books for only three months but their offer to cut lawns in bikinis is already catching on.
You might say they're loosening the Bible belt in this Mid-South neighborhood.
Ladies are cutting lawns wearing bikinis, showing their bodies and offering more attention to your lawn than it's ever seen."
The Beatles as You've Never Seen them Before
Four pages of the Beatles photoshopped into different eras. Some pretty funny stuff.
Link via Neatorama.
Link via Neatorama.
Gator Update (Ohio Edition)
Photos and video at the link.
Akron teen reels in an alligator from Summit Lake - Cleveland Metro News – The Latest Breaking News, Photos and Stories from The Plain Dealer: "Akron -- Robert Pendleton Jr. reeled in quite the fish story Wednesday afternoon in Summit Lake.
It was more of a fishing story, actually, because what the 14-year-old Akron boy reeled in wasn't a fish, but a 5-foot-long alligator."
Akron teen reels in an alligator from Summit Lake - Cleveland Metro News – The Latest Breaking News, Photos and Stories from The Plain Dealer: "Akron -- Robert Pendleton Jr. reeled in quite the fish story Wednesday afternoon in Summit Lake.
It was more of a fishing story, actually, because what the 14-year-old Akron boy reeled in wasn't a fish, but a 5-foot-long alligator."
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Reviewed in the Paper of Record
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling - Books - Review - New York Times: "So, here it is at last: The final confrontation between Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, the “symbol of hope” for both the Wizard and Muggle worlds, and Lord Voldemort, He Who Must Not Be Named, the nefarious leader of the Death Eaters and would-be ruler of all. Good versus Evil. Love versus Hate. The Seeker versus the Dark Lord."
Belize: Vacation Paradise
Thanks to Walter Satterthwait for the tip. Photos and video at the link.
9NEWS - Article - Carbondale resident returns from trip with unexpected souvenirs: "CARBONDALE - A few days after he returned from Belize, Aaron Dallas could not help but notice several large bumps on his head that seemed to get bigger and more painful as each day passed.
'Each day it got worse and worse. The pain started as a minor inconvenience, then by the end of it, it felt like someone was driving a nail through my head,' Dallas said.
When the pain reached extreme levels, Dallas sought help from the medical field. One doctor told him the bumps were bug bites, another said they were shingles, but as it turned out the bumps were something a lot more creepy.
'I went to a doctor on Thursday. He pulled my hair back and I believe his exact words were, 'Oh my god,' because he could see them moving,' Dallas said. "
9NEWS - Article - Carbondale resident returns from trip with unexpected souvenirs: "CARBONDALE - A few days after he returned from Belize, Aaron Dallas could not help but notice several large bumps on his head that seemed to get bigger and more painful as each day passed.
'Each day it got worse and worse. The pain started as a minor inconvenience, then by the end of it, it felt like someone was driving a nail through my head,' Dallas said.
When the pain reached extreme levels, Dallas sought help from the medical field. One doctor told him the bumps were bug bites, another said they were shingles, but as it turned out the bumps were something a lot more creepy.
'I went to a doctor on Thursday. He pulled my hair back and I believe his exact words were, 'Oh my god,' because he could see them moving,' Dallas said. "
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Almost as Much as My Last Advance from St. Martin's
Houston novelist Justin Cronin sinks his teeth into deal | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "Houston novelist Justin Cronin, best-known for his small-canvas family dramas, has embarked on a big-canvas, big-bucks project. The Rice University English professor has just signed a deal with Ballantine for a post-apocalyptic vampire trilogy. According to New York magazine, the deal for North American rights is worth $3.75 million, a figure Cronin described Tuesday as 'not exactly correct but more or less correct.'
The first book, titled The Passage, is due in the summer of 2009. Ballantine editor Mark Tavani praised its 'intense plotting, exquisite writing, memorable characters and tremendous imagination' and predicted it would appeal to a wide audience, likening the book to Stephen King's The Stand and Michael Crichton's early novels.
Set 100 years in the future, the plot involves a government experiment to lengthen the human life span. The experiment goes awry, unleashing a virus that physically and psychologically transforms people into vampires. But Cronin said the novel is much more than a conventional vampire tale. He prefers the term 'speculative fiction.'"
The first book, titled The Passage, is due in the summer of 2009. Ballantine editor Mark Tavani praised its 'intense plotting, exquisite writing, memorable characters and tremendous imagination' and predicted it would appeal to a wide audience, likening the book to Stephen King's The Stand and Michael Crichton's early novels.
Set 100 years in the future, the plot involves a government experiment to lengthen the human life span. The experiment goes awry, unleashing a virus that physically and psychologically transforms people into vampires. But Cronin said the novel is much more than a conventional vampire tale. He prefers the term 'speculative fiction.'"
I Plead Not Guilty
LEX18 - Lexington, KY - News, Weather, Sports - Police, FBI Search For Missing Woman: "Police and FBI agents were searching an area of Perry County Wednesday for the body of a Lexington woman who has been missing since 2002.
Officials on horses and ATV's were searching an industrial park for the body of Joyce Crider, who disappeared in October 2002. Officials on the scene have not revealed what prompted them to conduct the search.
It is the third time a search has been conducted for Crider, who was 32 at the time of her disappearance. Her brother said she was last known to be headed for the Holiday Inn on Athens-Boonesboro Road. Her car was found in a Fayette County parking lot several weeks after she disappeared.
Crider's former husband, Bill Crider, was questioned shortly after her disappearance, but was never charged with any crime."
Officials on horses and ATV's were searching an industrial park for the body of Joyce Crider, who disappeared in October 2002. Officials on the scene have not revealed what prompted them to conduct the search.
It is the third time a search has been conducted for Crider, who was 32 at the time of her disappearance. Her brother said she was last known to be headed for the Holiday Inn on Athens-Boonesboro Road. Her car was found in a Fayette County parking lot several weeks after she disappeared.
Crider's former husband, Bill Crider, was questioned shortly after her disappearance, but was never charged with any crime."
Scavenger -- David Morrell
After the harrowing events of Creepers, you might think David Morrell would let Frank Balenger and Amanda Evert live happily ever after. Instead, they’re plunged into another breakneck adventure that’s reminiscent of the earlier one except that this time most if it’s outside. A mad computer genuis traps them into a situation that’s part scavenger hunt, part geo-caching, and part video game. The stakes, of course, are high: life or death. The prose is stripped down and the action is truly one damned thing after another. And then another one after that. Now and then Morrell slows things down for a moment for some comments about time capsules and other things, but mostly he’s racing straight ahead with the plot. Like Creepers, it’s a bit over the top (okay, maybe a lot over the top), but it’s entertaining.
If it’s character-driven reading you want, look elsewhere. This is plot-driven from the opening words. Check it out.
Bigfoot Update
Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.We've got the yoopers beat on Bigfoot- mlive.com: "Move over Upper Peninsula. We've got your Bigfoot right here.
Although a group led by the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO) started combing the woods around Marquette on Thursday for signs of Sasquatch, they may be looking at the wrong end of Michigan for the fabled hairy hominoid.
It is Washtenaw County, after all, that has had more reported Bigfoot sightings than any other county in Michigan, according to the BFR0's own database at www.bfro.net.
Washtenaw's tally stands at five to Marquette County's four, but you'd probably have to give the yoopers the edge based on quality. They've had two close-range daylight sightings, one for several minutes with several witnesses, while the Washtenaw County encounters have primarily been at night.
'Although we have a database of thousands of Bigfoot sighting reports, we only publish reports that we have investigated, 'said BFRO curator Kevin Withers by e-mail.
If the BFRO has an investigator in the area they'll interview the witness in person. Otherwise an investigator does extensive phone interviews with the witness. If the report's deemed credible, it goes in the database."
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
The Little Professor Reviews . . .
. . . The Year's Best Science Fiction: Twenty-Fourth Annual Collection, edited by Gardner Dozois, right here.
Erle Stanley Gardner Update
Law-Related Resources at the Harry Ransom Center: "Erle Stanley Gardner (1889-1970): One of America's leading writers of detective fiction. The collection includes material from publication of his first Perry Mason book in 1932 until his death in 1970. The collection contains 4,000 scripts of the Perry Mason radio show and TV scripts with notes written by Gardner. There are photos, news clippings, letters, dictation tapes, and correspondence between the author and his publisher. An exact replica of Gardner's study is located on the 4th floor of the Flawn Academic Center."
I may have blogged about this exhibit at The University of Texas at Austin before. I've seen the study, which is a small one-room building. You can't go inside it, but you can walk around the outside and look in the windows at the stuff inside. It's supposedly just as Gardner left it. While you're looking, Gardner himself gives you a tour that he recorded before his death.
I may have blogged about this exhibit at The University of Texas at Austin before. I've seen the study, which is a small one-room building. You can't go inside it, but you can walk around the outside and look in the windows at the stuff inside. It's supposedly just as Gardner left it. While you're looking, Gardner himself gives you a tour that he recorded before his death.
Top 10 Movie Cars
Link via Neatorama.
Cars.com: Top 10s and More | More Top 10s: "When we came up with our list of Top 10 Movie Cars last summer, we had no idea our readers would be so passionate about their favorite films and the automotive characters in them. With 'Transformers' coming soon, we revisited our list, listening to last year's reader feedback and arguing — once again — over which cars deserved to make the top 10. Some cars were able to hold on to their spots, while others were shuffled around to make room for more worthy contenders. With 'Speed Racer' coming next year, expect another round of arguing."
Cars.com: Top 10s and More | More Top 10s: "When we came up with our list of Top 10 Movie Cars last summer, we had no idea our readers would be so passionate about their favorite films and the automotive characters in them. With 'Transformers' coming soon, we revisited our list, listening to last year's reader feedback and arguing — once again — over which cars deserved to make the top 10. Some cars were able to hold on to their spots, while others were shuffled around to make room for more worthy contenders. With 'Speed Racer' coming next year, expect another round of arguing."
Gator Update (Doorbell Edition)
Great photo of gator trying to a doorbell. Who said gators aren't polite?
Harry Potter Update
Someone's got a copy of the final Harry Potter book and is telling all.
This will be all over the 'net soon, if it's not already. Spoilers, chapter summaries, photos of pages of the book.
I'm not going to look, myself, but feel free to click if you want to know all.
Hoax? I dunno.
Udate: More spoilers here. Or maybe they're the same ones. I'm still not looking.
This will be all over the 'net soon, if it's not already. Spoilers, chapter summaries, photos of pages of the book.
I'm not going to look, myself, but feel free to click if you want to know all.
Hoax? I dunno.
Udate: More spoilers here. Or maybe they're the same ones. I'm still not looking.
Happy Birthday Erle Stanley Gardner!
The Writer's Almanac from American Public Media: "It's the birthday of American mystery writer Erle Stanley Gardner (books by this author), born in Malden, Massachusetts (1889). He wrote over 80 mystery novels featuring the brilliant lawyer, Perry Mason. He was the best-selling American author of all time. He sold over 200 million copies of his books, and at the peak of his success he sold about 26,000 books a day."
Another Stuffed Gopher Museum
Langenburg, Saskatchewan - Gopherville: "This is a wacky miniature wild west town outside of Langenburg, Saskatchewan, near the Manitoba border. The catch is, they've stuffed a bunch of gophers and dressed them up in little outfits (sheriff, etc.).
From what I read, there's a miniature train, the world's largest bike (44 riders, 85 feet long), and a Santa store. Some other research shows it was still open as recently as 2005 (Saskatchewan's centennial)."
From what I read, there's a miniature train, the world's largest bike (44 riders, 85 feet long), and a Santa store. Some other research shows it was still open as recently as 2005 (Saskatchewan's centennial)."
Monday, July 16, 2007
Who's Training our Forces?
The bad guys in Bruce Willis movies?
US forced to import bullets from Israel as troops use 250,000 for every rebel killed - Independent Online Edition > Americas: "US forces have fired so many bullets in Iraq and Afghanistan - an estimated 250,000 for every insurgent killed - that American ammunition-makers cannot keep up with demand. As a result the US is having to import supplies from Israel."
US forced to import bullets from Israel as troops use 250,000 for every rebel killed - Independent Online Edition > Americas: "US forces have fired so many bullets in Iraq and Afghanistan - an estimated 250,000 for every insurgent killed - that American ammunition-makers cannot keep up with demand. As a result the US is having to import supplies from Israel."
Oh. My. God.
Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for this frightening news.
Manilow revisits '70s faves on next album | Entertainment | Reuters: "NEW YORK (Billboard) - Barry Manilow is in a mellow mood on 'The Greatest Songs of the Seventies,' his third volume of decade-driven covers albums.
Due September 18 via Arista, the project will be available as an 18-track single-disc set and as a two-disc set with a 14-song Dual Disc (CD/DVD) and a nine-song bonus audio CD.
For the single-disc package, Manilow focuses on contemplative fare such as Simon & Garfunkel's 'Bridge Over Troubled Water,' Carole King's 'You've Got a Friend' (a duet with Melissa Manchester), the Carpenters' '(They Long To Be) Close To You' and Barbra Streisand's 'The Way We Were.' Rosie O'Donnell is featured on an interpretation of Elton John's 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart.'"
Manilow revisits '70s faves on next album | Entertainment | Reuters: "NEW YORK (Billboard) - Barry Manilow is in a mellow mood on 'The Greatest Songs of the Seventies,' his third volume of decade-driven covers albums.
Due September 18 via Arista, the project will be available as an 18-track single-disc set and as a two-disc set with a 14-song Dual Disc (CD/DVD) and a nine-song bonus audio CD.
For the single-disc package, Manilow focuses on contemplative fare such as Simon & Garfunkel's 'Bridge Over Troubled Water,' Carole King's 'You've Got a Friend' (a duet with Melissa Manchester), the Carpenters' '(They Long To Be) Close To You' and Barbra Streisand's 'The Way We Were.' Rosie O'Donnell is featured on an interpretation of Elton John's 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart.'"
I Blame Al Guthrie
BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | Edinburgh and East | 'Offensive' SN07 car plate banned: "Car licence plates which bear the sequence SN07 were banned from the streets of Edinburgh because they are 'offensive', it has emerged.
The plate had been due to follow on from the SN56 registration in March.
Licensing officials at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) changed the plate to TN07 to avoid it being similar to the word 'snot'.
The change means that cars registered in the capital are the only ones in Scotland not to begin with an S."
The plate had been due to follow on from the SN56 registration in March.
Licensing officials at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) changed the plate to TN07 to avoid it being similar to the word 'snot'.
The change means that cars registered in the capital are the only ones in Scotland not to begin with an S."
Criminals Hall of Fame Wax Museum
Made your vacation plans yet?
Criminals Hall of Fame Wax Museum. Roadside America: "There is more gore than most horror wax museums and better lighting, too, a good indication that this attraction is drawing enough of a crowd to pay its electric bill. Its highlight is saved for the end: a photo-op electric chair that buzzes when you sit in it."
Criminals Hall of Fame Wax Museum. Roadside America: "There is more gore than most horror wax museums and better lighting, too, a good indication that this attraction is drawing enough of a crowd to pay its electric bill. Its highlight is saved for the end: a photo-op electric chair that buzzes when you sit in it."
Sunday, July 15, 2007
How Does the New Harry Potter End?
Well, we don't know, do we. But five writers, including Al Guthrie, from whom I took this link, offer their versions here.
20 Protest Songs that Matter
From Jeff Meyerson. If you keep right on clicking after you reach #1, you can catch the 20 Most Monumental Album Flops. And there are more lists after that, too.
20 Protest Songs That Matter: No. 20 - Spinner.com - Free MP3s, Interviews, Music News, Live Performances, Songs and Videos
20 Protest Songs That Matter: No. 20 - Spinner.com - Free MP3s, Interviews, Music News, Live Performances, Songs and Videos
In 'The Wild One,' angry young rocker Marlon Brando answered an innocent question -- "Hey Johnny, what are you rebelling against?" -- with a curt reply that spoke volumes: "Whaddya got?" Rock never settles for the status quo, teaching generations that questioning authority is a cornerstone of democracy. Here are 20 all-time declarations of independence, each spun at 45 revolutions per minute.
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Harry Potter Cheat Sheet
A book-by-book guide to prepare you for Harry's final bow | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
A lot has happened since readers met Harry Potter almost a decade ago. He's gone from a pre-teen orphan who didn't know he was magical, to the best-known teen wizard in the world.
In fact, so much has happened since Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone was first published in 1997, it's hard to keep up with all the twists in Harry's saga. It wouldn't be surprising if some readers were struggling to remember what happened in Harry's first few years at Hogwarts.
You could comb through several thousand pages of Harry's adventures in anticipation of reading the final installment, which hits stores July 21, but let's face it — that's a big commitment. Instead, read our crib sheet, which hits the high points of what's happened to Harry and his friends.
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Bandidas
The first thing you need to know is that this is a movie about hair: Penelope Cruz's hair, Salma Hayek's hair, but most of all, Dwight Yoakam's hair. Okay, Dwight Yoakam's wig. Anyway, watch the movie, and you'll see what I mean. See the poster over there on the left? How could you not want to watch this movie? Sure, it's not a great movie, or even a serious movie. It doesn't want to be. It just wants to be a lightweight, enjoyable way to spend 90 minutes, and it fills the bill perfectly. Cruz and Hayek are the bandidas of the title, two women who rob banks and fight injustice in old Mexico. They seem to be having a great time. Yoakam and his wig, along with a bunch of henchmen with wigs almost as much fun as Yoakam's, is the baddie, and he's about as baddie as they come. Steve Zahn, without a wig, is a frontier criminologist who goes over to the dark side, and who could blame him? Not me. Again, see the movie for the reasons. Sam Shepard is Mr. Buck, who trains the women to become bank robbers in a pretty much gratuitous sequence that I liked a lot. There's even a Big Caper.
The photography's great, and there are some fine location shots. Some nice stunts, too. (Could it be that Hayek's father is named Don Diego in a tip of the hat to a famous crime fighter of Old California?) I liked the music, too.
This movie had only a limited release to theaters. I guess nobody but me likes this king of thing, except James Reasoner, who was as usual ahead of me on this one. Check it out.
Supergator
I was going to review this movie, but since Jeff Meyerson has already done it in a comment, I thought I'd just move his comment up here. I watched the whole movie, sort of, and it's probably even worse than Jeff says.Guest review by Jeff Meyerson: I tried to watch Supergator but man, what a turkey! The actuing was porno movie level but without the nudity (darn it) and the special effects could have been created on my computer and been more convincing.
Fifteen minutes was all we could take but we checked back in occasionally - it didn't get better.
Sometimes the gator jumped out of the river and bit someone's head off and there was a curtain of too red blood that looked like someone had tossed a gallon of diluted red paint. Other times it would chew on someone's leg and torso until s/he died. But it never ate anyone, just killed them.
It was kind of sad to see an aged Kelly McGillis in this stinker, but at least she got a trip to Hawaii out of it.
Highlight was the opening scene. Soon to be first victim (in an incredibly blantant ripoff of the first death in Jaws takes off her shorts and top to reveal a black one piece swimsuit. They cut to her entering the water, but she is now wearing a patterned bikini!!!
Saturday, July 14, 2007
The World Famous Gopher Hole Museum
Stuffed gophers? That's right. Be sure to scroll down for the photos at this link.
Uh-Oh
Daily Express: HAVING toughened up the character of James Bond for Casino Royale to huge critical acclaim, Daniel Craig has surprisingly revealed that the next Bond outing will mark a return to the comedy that Roger Moore brought to the franchise in the Seventies. Craig, 39, says of his forthcoming second outing as 007: “They [the producers] just want more gags. The next one’s going to be a lot funnier. Octopussy and Pussy Galore style gags. They’re all great names – but that’s the thing, the Bond jokes will be flipped on their heads.”
Giant Gator Update (TV Edition)
Walter Satterthwait has just informed me that the Sci-Fi Channel is running giant gator movies all day, leading up to tonight's showing of Supergator. Here's the schedule. Tune in now.
Squid Update
Hat tip to Scott Cupp, who thinks squid are as interesting as gators.
Squid as long as a bus washes up on beach: HeraldTimesOnline.com: "HOBART, Australia (AP) - A squid as long as a bus and weighing 250 kilograms (550 pounds) has washed up on an Australian beach, officials said Wednesday.
'It is a whopper,' said Genefor Walker-Smith, a zoologist who studies invertebrates at the Tasmanian Museum.
Giant squid live in waters off southern Australia and New Zealand — where a half-ton colossus, believed to be the world's largest, was caught in February. They attract the sperm whales that feed on them.
The dead squid, measuring 1 meter (3 feet) across at its widest point and 8 meters (26 feet) from the tip of its body to the end of its tentacles, was found early Wednesday by a beachcomber at Ocean Beach on the island state of Tasmania's west coast, the museum said."
Squid as long as a bus washes up on beach: HeraldTimesOnline.com: "HOBART, Australia (AP) - A squid as long as a bus and weighing 250 kilograms (550 pounds) has washed up on an Australian beach, officials said Wednesday.
'It is a whopper,' said Genefor Walker-Smith, a zoologist who studies invertebrates at the Tasmanian Museum.
Giant squid live in waters off southern Australia and New Zealand — where a half-ton colossus, believed to be the world's largest, was caught in February. They attract the sperm whales that feed on them.
The dead squid, measuring 1 meter (3 feet) across at its widest point and 8 meters (26 feet) from the tip of its body to the end of its tentacles, was found early Wednesday by a beachcomber at Ocean Beach on the island state of Tasmania's west coast, the museum said."
‘Bigfoot’ Search Under Way
‘Bigfoot’ search under way: "MARQUETTE — The Bigfoot Field Research Organization hosted a media conference Thursday in Chocolay Township as they began a local expedition to search for evidence of the legendary creature often called “Bigfoot” or “Sasquatch.”
About 20 residents came to a scenic turnout on M-28 to find out more about the organization’s project, which will go on until Sunday. Also on hand for the event were representatives from the Detroit News and Fox News as well as local media. The Fox television crew planned to follow BFRO investigator Matthew Moneymaker and his team on their search throughout the week. About 55 or 60 team members came to the U.P. for the project, which involves observation and recording in areas where “Bigfoot” encounters have been reported. "
Another List
Over at Thrilling Days of Yesteryear, Ivan Shreve, Jr., has another list of his 100 favorite movies, along with an interesting explanation of why there's a new list. Check it out.
The Android's Dream -- John Scalzi
I read and enjoyed John Scalzi's Old Man's War, and while I haven't read the sequels, I did pick up The Android's Dream the other day. SF fans will recognize at once that the title is a riff on Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, and while the book doesn't owe much of a debt to Dick's work, Scalzi does play around with that book's title. See, there's this alien race, the Nidu, whose gubernatorial ceremony (the background here is very complicated, so don't ask me to explain it) requires a certain breed of sheep called "Android's Dream." Sheep of that breed have colored wool. The color is electric blue. Not that the color has anything to do with the plot.
Ah, the plot. Did I mention that the gubernatorial ceremony of the Nidu is complicated? That's just a tiny bit of the novel. Here's the best I can do: the ceremony's coming up. The Nidu need a sheep. All the sheep are dying (it's part of a plot). Harry Creek is engaged to find a sheep because the Earth government obligated to supply it. By the time Harry's on the job, the sheep are all dead. But wait! Because of a bizarre genetic experiment, there's a woman who's DNA is about 18% sheep. So Harry has to find her and keep her alive. And then he has to save the Earth.
Pretty succinct, but that leaves out the AI who's created from a brainscan of Harry's best friend, all kinds of government manuevering, plotting, double-crossing, and so on. It leaves out the cruise ship filled with veterans of a certain battle. It leaves out another AI, not to mention the church created by an old SF writer. Everybody knows the church is a fraud, but nobody cares, and its congregants are looking for the Revealed Lamb. And space battles. And so on.
I do have a couple of questions and a little more info for you. The book begins with what can only be called an extended (about 20 pages) fart joke. The joke is based on the fact that, to the Nidu, odors have meaning. But nothing's ever done with that fact in the rest of the book (unless I just missed it, which is certainly a possibility). The last line is certainly a reference to it, and it frames the story nicely. But that's it.
Scalzi's fast-paced story and readable style carry all this off pretty well. The book was too long, I thought, but then I think all books over 300 pages are too long. It reads quickly, so check it out.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Will the Persecution Never End?
This is just . . . wrong, and thanks to Jeff Meyerson for informing us about it.
I Guess this is Good News
M.D. Anderson No. 1 for cancer treatment, report says | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center has regained its No. 1 ranking for cancer treatment in the nation, according to an annual survey released today by U.S. News & World Report.
For the past two years, M.D. Anderson ranked second behind Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York in the magazine's America's Best Hospitals issue.
'We're very excited,' said Thomas Feeley, vice president for medical operations at M.D. Anderson, which has been either No. 1 or No. 2 for cancer care in the 18 years the magazine has ranked hospitals.
Feeley credited the hospital's improved patient survival rate, more physician referrals and better treatment methods, such as radiation therapy that focuses on a tumor without affecting other parts of the body."
For the past two years, M.D. Anderson ranked second behind Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York in the magazine's America's Best Hospitals issue.
'We're very excited,' said Thomas Feeley, vice president for medical operations at M.D. Anderson, which has been either No. 1 or No. 2 for cancer care in the 18 years the magazine has ranked hospitals.
Feeley credited the hospital's improved patient survival rate, more physician referrals and better treatment methods, such as radiation therapy that focuses on a tumor without affecting other parts of the body."
7 Wonders Update
7 Wonders of Houston, that is. Be sure to click on the link in the article for the pictures.
5 Writing Lessons Learned from Donald Westlake
Link via Roberson's Interminable Ramble.
Old Dog, New Tricks - Smarter Freelance Writing � 5 Lessons Learned from Donald Westlake: "Donald Westlake, screenwriter of “The Grifters, author of “The Hot Rock,” “What’s the Worst That Could Happen?” and many other novels, is one of my favorite thriller writers. Pick up any of his books at random, and you can learn something valuable from it, as well as be guaranteed hours of first-rate entertainment.
Under the pseudonym Richard Stark, Westlake also writes about no-nonsense thief Parker. The character has appeared, always with a different name, in a handful of movies, some of them good (”Point Blank”) and some of them not (”Slayground”). There are currently 23 Parker novels, and many of them epitomize what their author does best. They’re fast, lean, gripping and darkly, darkly funny.
Here are five lessons I’ve learned from Westlake/Stark."
Old Dog, New Tricks - Smarter Freelance Writing � 5 Lessons Learned from Donald Westlake: "Donald Westlake, screenwriter of “The Grifters, author of “The Hot Rock,” “What’s the Worst That Could Happen?” and many other novels, is one of my favorite thriller writers. Pick up any of his books at random, and you can learn something valuable from it, as well as be guaranteed hours of first-rate entertainment.
Under the pseudonym Richard Stark, Westlake also writes about no-nonsense thief Parker. The character has appeared, always with a different name, in a handful of movies, some of them good (”Point Blank”) and some of them not (”Slayground”). There are currently 23 Parker novels, and many of them epitomize what their author does best. They’re fast, lean, gripping and darkly, darkly funny.
Here are five lessons I’ve learned from Westlake/Stark."
Set the TiVo!
The Star Online eCentral - Malaysia Entertainment: "We've had boas fighting pythons, komodos fighting cobras ... well, why not an alligator versus a volcano?
You only hope they'll take on each other. But in the upcoming SciFi Channel original telemovie Supergator, the human protagonists will have to handle not just a volcano that's about to erupt, but a giant mutant alligator as well.
Bianca Lawson (Buffy's Kendra, Vampire Slayer) stars as a newspaper reporter who teams up with a volcano expert, an alligator hunter and a scientist to save the people of a small Hawaiian village from being roasted and eaten ... or eaten and roasted.
Supergator premieres on the SciFi Channel this weekend (Saturday, 9:00 p. m. Eastern), according to Sci Fi Wire, and should show up on our friendly neighbourhood HBO or Cinemax before the year is up - if the pattern holds."
You only hope they'll take on each other. But in the upcoming SciFi Channel original telemovie Supergator, the human protagonists will have to handle not just a volcano that's about to erupt, but a giant mutant alligator as well.
Bianca Lawson (Buffy's Kendra, Vampire Slayer) stars as a newspaper reporter who teams up with a volcano expert, an alligator hunter and a scientist to save the people of a small Hawaiian village from being roasted and eaten ... or eaten and roasted.
Supergator premieres on the SciFi Channel this weekend (Saturday, 9:00 p. m. Eastern), according to Sci Fi Wire, and should show up on our friendly neighbourhood HBO or Cinemax before the year is up - if the pattern holds."
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Back Alley Webzine Launches Today
From Richard Helms:
On deck in the first issue are stories by Edgar Award Winner G. Miki Hayden; Derringer Award Winner Stephen D. Rogers; Anthony and Shamus Award Nominee Jack Bludis; Mickey Spillane screenwriter John Lau; and Shamus Award Nominee Eric Shane, appearing for the first time under this pen name. We're also including a classic public domain tale from Carroll John Daly, and the usual editorial ramblings by your faithful scribe. THE BACK ALLEY Webzine goes live on Friday morning, July 13th. You can find it at www.backalleywebzine.com . We'll look forward to seeing you there!
On deck in the first issue are stories by Edgar Award Winner G. Miki Hayden; Derringer Award Winner Stephen D. Rogers; Anthony and Shamus Award Nominee Jack Bludis; Mickey Spillane screenwriter John Lau; and Shamus Award Nominee Eric Shane, appearing for the first time under this pen name. We're also including a classic public domain tale from Carroll John Daly, and the usual editorial ramblings by your faithful scribe. THE BACK ALLEY Webzine goes live on Friday morning, July 13th. You can find it at www.backalleywebzine.com . We'll look forward to seeing you there!
Kerwin Matthews, R. I. P.
I remember seeing The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad at a theater in Dallas, Texas, while visiting there long, long ago.• Hollywood Elsewhere •
The L.A. Times reported yesterday that Kerwin Matthews, the good-looking star of The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad and Jack the Giant Killer (and a supporting actor in The Devil at 4 O'Clock and Man on a String, among many other films), passed away "either Wednesday night or Thursday morning" at age 81.
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Off to Houston
We got up at 4:45 for an MRI appointment at 6:30. That's a little early for us, but maybe the traffic won't be so heavy that this hour. This is just a small inconvenience compared to what's down the road, I'm afraid.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Judy Update
The visit to MD Anderson today didn't go quite as well as we'd hoped.
Judy has two kinds of low-grade lymphoma. We knew that already. There's no trace of it in any lymph nodes other than those in the neck. That's the good news. Unfortunately, the PET scan showed lymphoma in the bone in a few areas. That's likely to be a more aggressive form of lymphoma, which would mean a more aggressive form of chemo would be necessary.
So Judy will have to have another MRI and another bone biopsy (she's not looking forward to either of those). Then, maybe in two more weeks we'll get the plan for the chemo treatments. It's likely to be every 3 weeks for 6 months.
More waiting and wondering, but we're holding up pretty well so far.
Thanks for all the support from you blog readers. It's helped a lot, as I've said before and will probablty say again.
Judy has two kinds of low-grade lymphoma. We knew that already. There's no trace of it in any lymph nodes other than those in the neck. That's the good news. Unfortunately, the PET scan showed lymphoma in the bone in a few areas. That's likely to be a more aggressive form of lymphoma, which would mean a more aggressive form of chemo would be necessary.
So Judy will have to have another MRI and another bone biopsy (she's not looking forward to either of those). Then, maybe in two more weeks we'll get the plan for the chemo treatments. It's likely to be every 3 weeks for 6 months.
More waiting and wondering, but we're holding up pretty well so far.
Thanks for all the support from you blog readers. It's helped a lot, as I've said before and will probablty say again.
Gator Update (Egg Hunting Edition)
Video at link.
Farmers search the wild for gator eggs -- OrlandoSentinel.com
Farmers search the wild for gator eggs -- OrlandoSentinel.com
ON LAKE JESUP - Stealing an entire clutch of eggs from an alligator's nest is a bizarre experience on so many levels it's hard to know where to start.
It's an obscure slice of Florida, in which a band of thieves spends the three hottest weeks of the year harvesting tens of thousands of soon-to-be-born reptiles from dozens of lakes. And it's all done with state approval and oversight.
About 30 gator farmers in Florida depend on wild eggs and pay about $10 for each, a fee that includes $5 for the state and the rest for collection expenses. The farmers do it because their captive gators aren't as fertile and productive as those in the swamp.
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Stay off Their Lawns!
Nonagenarians & Centenarians
This website highlights living people in their 90's (nonagenarians) and 100's (centenarians) who were noted in some field during their lifetimes, i.e., the arts, sports, science, politics, business, etc., and then grew old. While some of the 762 names may be familiar to you – Walter Cronkite or Kirk Douglas, for instance – most probably won't be. Please take a moment to look through the pages and discover some of the lesser known, but equally interesting entries such as Leila Denmark (1898), Kazuo Ohno (1906), and Frances Oldham Kelsey (1914).
This site is not meant to be an in-depth study of old age and it isn't meant to be an exhaustive list. Not everyone of note is here. That would be impossible. The people who are here, though, are bound to provide an interesting array. Enjoy!
Link via Neatorama.
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The Further Decline of Western Civilization
I can see Nero Wolfe tearing out the pages and feeding them into the fire. Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.
Story - New Dictionary Includes 'Ginormous' - AOL News
Story - New Dictionary Includes 'Ginormous' - AOL News
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) - It was a ginormous year for the wordsmiths at Merriam-Webster. Along with embracing the adjective that combines "gigantic" and "enormous," the dictionary publishers also got into Bollywood, sudoku and speed dating.
But their interest in India's motion-picture industry, number puzzles and trendy ways to meet people was all meant for a higher cause: updating the company's collegiate dictionary, which goes on sale this fall with about 100 newly added words.
As always, the yearly list gives meaning to the latest lingo in pop culture, technology and current events.
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Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Doug Marlette, R. I. P.
I've read "Kudzu" for years. This guy was good, and I'll miss him.
Cartoonist Doug Marlette killed in crash - Yahoo! News
Cartoonist Doug Marlette killed in crash - Yahoo! News
RALEIGH, N.C. - Doug Marlette, the North Carolina-born cartoonist who won a Pulitzer Prize and created the popular strip "Kudzu," was killed in a car accident Tuesday morning in Mississippi, authorities said. He was 57.
Marlette, who joined the Tulsa (Okla.) World last year, was the passenger in the car, which struck a tree after skidding on a rain-slicked road, said John Garrison, the coroner in Mississippi's Marshall County.
"Evidently, it hydroplaned, left the highway and struck the tree," Garrison said.
Marlette's editorial cartoons and his strip, "Kudzu," are syndicated worldwide. The "Kudzu" strip deals humorously with rural Southern life, featuring characters such as the Rev. Will B. Dunn.
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Jon Breen
Jon Breen is one of the best reviewers around, not to mention a mystery novelist and critic of note. If you're not reading at least his reviews in EQMM, you're missing a treat. So click here.
Seven Wonders/Peru Update
Tourist influx could destroy Machu Picchu | International News | News | Telegraph
Machu Picchu was one of the few Inca citdels that escaped the destruction of the Spanish Conquistadores, perched some 8000 feet above sea level on a shelf jutting out of the Andes Mountains.
More than 500 years later it seems the new wave of invaders, tourists clad in Timberland boots and North Face jackets and armed only with hard currency, may succeed where the conquistadores failed.
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Experts have warned the choice of the ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu as one of the "new seven world wonders" could lead to such an influx of tourists that the site is destroyed.
The once-lost city high in the Peruvian Andes was already a UNESCO World Heritage site, but its inclusion on Saturday in a new list of the world's wonders, chosen by more than 100 million online voters, could double the number of daily visitors from 2,500 to 5,000, prompting archaeologist Luis Lumbreras to publish an article in La Republica daily on Monday.
"There is a danger that it could be destroyed by abuse," said the former head of the National Cultural Institute.
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Just Cancel my Reservation
Town installs piranha net to protect bathers - News - Travel - smh.com.au
A resort town in Brazil hopes a steel-and-plastic net will stop piranhas from taking a bite out of bathers - and its tourist industry.
Authorities in Palmas in central Brazil say 180 cases of bathers being bitten by piranhas have been reported so far this year at La Prata beach on an artificial lake that is a major tourist draw.
The figure is three times more than in all 2006.
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Monday, July 09, 2007
What's in a Name?
Thanks to Jayme Blaschke for the link.
Woman Sues Porn Star Over Name - Local News Story - KPRC Houston
Woman Sues Porn Star Over Name - Local News Story - KPRC Houston
HOUSTON -- A Houston-area woman filed a lawsuit against a porn star, claiming she stole her name, KPRC Local 2 reported Sunday.
Lara Madden, 25, is an actress in the pornography industry. She is a former Houstonian who has appeared in about a dozen X-rated movies under the stage name "Syvette Wimberly."
That's the problem.
The real Syvette Wimberly was one of Madden's classmates at Kingwood High School. The women knew each other in the ninth grade.
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Gator Update (Education Edition)
This is what school should be like.
Seventh Graders Create Educational Alligator Coloring Book; Download and Print Here - Wakulla County - real estate, homes, news and politics
Seventh Graders Create Educational Alligator Coloring Book; Download and Print Here - Wakulla County - real estate, homes, news and politics
The Sanibel School Seventh Grade Community Problem Solving Team (CmPS) developed an alligator coloring booklet titled “All About Alligators” to educate children on how to be safe around this powerful reptile. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) funded nearly $11,000 for the second printing of the booklet.
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We're from the Government, and We're Here to Help You
Fake bomb eludes airport test -- Page 1 -- Times Union - Albany NY
COLONIE -- Federal inspectors were able to slip a fake bomb through a checkpoint at Albany International Airport during a test of the facility's Transportation Security Administration screeners, according to individuals familiar with the incident.
The unannounced inspection by TSA officials took place early last week. The airport's security measures failed in five of seven tests, most of the problems occurring at the passenger checkpoint, the sources said.
In one test, TSA inspectors hid the components of a fake bomb in carry-on luggage that also contained a bottle of water. Passengers are prohibited from carrying containers holding more than three ounces of liquids, gels or aerosols through airport checkpoints.
The screeners at Albany International confiscated the water bottle but missed the bomb. In all, the inspectors slipped four banned items through the main checkpoint during the test, sources said.
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Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
For those who are wondering, Pearland is about 6 miles from Alvin.
'N-word' laid to rest in Pearland | LOCAL NEWS | KHOU.com | News for Houston, Texas
'N-word' laid to rest in Pearland | LOCAL NEWS | KHOU.com | News for Houston, Texas
A crowd gathered at Houston Memorial Gardens in Pearland Saturday to say goodbye. It was a funeral that some say was a long time coming.
“Lord, we come to you, thanking you for waking us up this morning, so that we could lay to rest this word that carries so much weight,” Dennis Campbell, Jr., of the Honey Brown Hope Foundation said.
The crowd was there to say farewell to the “N-word.”
In its life, the word caused many people a lot of pain. But it its death, there is rejoicing.
“We should not talk about the dead or speak about the dead and let the dead rest in peace,” Rev. Ralph Hawkins said.
The idea for the service came from Tammie Lang Campbell, founder of the Honey Brown Hope Foundation, a non-profit literary organization.
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Who's Going to Be the First Mystery Writer to Try This?
Doesn't J. D. Rhoades have a book coming out, like, tomorrow?
"Clothing optional" book signing planned by nudity author - Boston.com
"Clothing optional" book signing planned by nudity author - Boston.com
WAITSFIELD, Vt. --At The Tempest Book Shop, the paperback books won't be the only things without jackets Thursday.
A "clothing optional" book signing event will be held by nudity author Jim C. Cunningham, with customers invited to leave their clothes at the door.
"The reason for this is to 'put our bodies where our mouths are,' living what we preach," Cunningham said. "The public are invited to express their solidarity with our message by also donning their birthday suits upon entering the book store."
The event is scheduled for 6 p.m., which is after the shop's usual closing time. And there are rules: Everyone who plans to strip must bring a towel, and there's no gawking.
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Gator Update (Vacation Edition)
Thanks to Walter Satterthwait for the link.
Daily Shot » Blog Archive » Alligator Hunt
Daily Shot » Blog Archive » Alligator Hunt
Think for a second of the ballsiest thing you’ve ever done. Now compare it to hunting a ten foot alligator through a Florida swamp at midnight with nothing but a harpoon. How’s your experience measure up? Yeah… we thought so.
Hampton & Hampton Guide Services will take you on the manliest trip of your life: hunting down one of nature’s toothiest killing machines (other than Julia Roberts). Having been featured in dozens of TV shows and magazine articles, and praised by the Florida Game Commission and Safari Club International, make no mistake: these guys know a thing or two about hunting gators.
You’ll be taken at night in an air boat out into the humid swamps of central Florida. As you shine your flashlight over the waters, you’ll see hundreds of reptilian eyes glowing in the dark all around the boat. Then, armed with a few harpoons and some tips from your guide, you’ll try to impale the Floridian equivalent of a dinosaur. And once you do, the fun has only just begun, ’cause the thing about alligators is: they don’t like being stabbed with harpoons.
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Sunday, July 08, 2007
The Decline of Western Civilization Continues Apace
Florida Gator Shows Declining - washingtonpost.com
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Wanted: Thrill-seeking animal lovers with cool heads and quick reflexes. Must have finesse, agility and high tolerance for pain _ and low pay.
Alligator handlers across South Florida said there is simply less money, glamour and interest in the profession today than in its glory days, when crowds flocked to roadside shows.
"I believe gator wrestlers are definitely a dying breed," said James Peacock, wildlife manager at Native Village in Hollywood. "We're fading out. Just like the cowboys and Indians of yesteryear, or the Japanese samurai."
While there are no exact figures, no one disputes that it's the alligator wrestlers, not the gators, that are an endangered species.
Thanks to John Duke for the link.
Have They Checked in the Millenium Falcon?
cbs2.com - Chewbacca Assaults Marilyn At Kodak Theater
(CBS) HOLLYWOOD, Calif. A Chewbacca impersonator sexually assaulted a Marilyn Monroe impersonator in front of the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood in June. The wookie then evaded arrest, police said.
According to an officer with the LAPD, Chewbacca allegedly took the platinum-coiffed actress's hand and placed it on his private parts as the characters performed for tips from tourists.
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We All Know It's Real (and So is the Gill Man)
RIO BRANCO, Brazil (July 8) -- Perhaps it is nothing more than a legend, as skeptics say. Or maybe it is real, as those who claim to have seen it avow. But the mere mention of the mapinguary, the giant slothlike monster of the Amazon, is enough to send shivers down the spines of almost all who dwell in the world’s largest rain forest.Photos at the link kindly provided by Jeff Meyerson.
Gator Update: Monster Truck Edition
United Press International - NewsTrack - Quirks - Gator vs. truck crash called a draw
TAMPA, Fla., July 7 (UPI) -- Two terrified Florida women holed up inside their truck for half an hour after they hit a 10-foot alligator that became stuck under their vehicle.
Jennifer Maldonado and Aimee Baker opened the doors of their vehicle after the collision on U.S. 98 set off their air bag; however, they spotted the silhouette of a thrashing tail from underneath and immediately retreated back inside and called 911, The Tampa Tribune reported Saturday.
"It was grunting and roaring and shaking the whole truck," Maldonado said. "I was hysterical."
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Happy Birthday, Roswell UFO Alien!
My Way News - Thousands Commemorate 1947 UFO 'Crash'
ROSWELL, N.M. (AP) - If you truly believe a UFO and its crew of bug-eyed aliens came crashing down here 60 years ago, rest assured: You're not alone.
At least 35,000 people have descended on Roswell this weekend for the 2007 Amazing Roswell UFO Festival to commemorate a purported flying saucer crash on a nearby ranch in July 1947. Participants have filled hotel rooms and nearly doubled the southeastern New Mexico town's population for a few days.
The festival, which began Thursday, is a mixed bag that includes live concerts (one headlined by a band with a computer-generated 'alien' drummer), costume contests, a Main Street parade and a slew of lectures that ponder everything from body snatchers to "What Does NASA Really Know?"
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Happy Birthday, "What's Opera, Doc?"
TheStar.com - entertainment - 50 glorious years of `kill da wabbit'
At any other time, the film would not have been made. Imagine the pitch: "Let's steal time and funding from our other projects so we can go way over budget making a cartoon with no jokes, and no real gags. The score will be a German opera. Kids won't get it. Most adults won't get it, but I don't care because I think it's funny."
Fortunately, the time was 1956, the director was Chuck Jones, and the place was the Warners Bros. backlot animation studio dubbed "Termite Terrace." The result – released 50 years ago this week – was "What's Opera, Doc?," voted by animators in the 1994 book The 50 Greatest Cartoons: As Selected by 1,000 Animation Professionals to be the greatest cartoon of all time.
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Cripple Creek -- James Sallis
Turner is an ex-cop, an ex-con, and an ex-psychotherapist. Now he's a deputy sheriff in a very small Tennessee town. A big-city thug is stopped for speeding, and his pals break him out of jail. Turner goes after them, bringing some real violence home, in the form of professional hitmen.If that sounds like a standard plot, believe me, it's not. Not the way Sallis tells it. It's just incidents folded in with many other incidents of life and death in the small town. Life as it's lived mingles with memories of times past, people (and possums) come and go, past and present flow together. There's some trickery at the end, when Sallis skips ahead a couple of days, only to return to the time he passed over. The result is a darker ending than you thought was coming. The big confrontation never happens. That is, it does, but it's offstage, and you're never sure exactly what it was.
Everybody seems to think Sallis's Lew Griffin novels are his best work. I'm not so sure that the two novels (so far) about Turner don't top them. Check this one out and see what you think.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
7 Wonders Update
New 7 wonders of the world named - CNN.com
(CNN) -- The new seven wonders of the world were named Saturday following an online vote that generated server-crushing traffic in its final hours.
The Great Wall of China was among the top vote-getters of the "New 7 Wonders of the World" project.
The final tally produced this list of the world's top human-built wonders:
• The Great Wall of China
• Petra in Jordan
• Brazil's statue of Christ the Redeemer
• Peru's Machu Picchu
• Mexico's Chichen Itza pyramid
• The Colosseum in Rome
• India's Taj Mahal
Before the vote ended Friday, organizers said more than 90 million votes had been cast for 21 sites.
Voting at the Web site, www.new7wonders.com, ended at 6 p.m. ET Friday. Traffic was so heavy Friday that the site was crashing at times.
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It Should Happen Everywhere
Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for this update.
iWon News - Are Oldies the New Jack on NYC Radio?
iWon News - Are Oldies the New Jack on NYC Radio?
NEW YORK (AP) - Everything oldies is new again. WCBS-FM, the nation's No. 1 oldies station for more than three decades until a 2005 switch, is ready to shift from its current "Jack" format and re-embrace the classic sounds of its past, according to online reports.
"If this happens, it will be a fantastic move," said "Cousin Brucie" Morrow, one of the veteran DJs jettisoned when the station swapped formats. "There isn't a day that goes by that people don't come up to me and say, 'We miss the station so much.'"
CBS Radio, owner of the station, declined to comment on the much rumored change.
Oldies fans were outraged when WCBS - which began as an oldies station in 1972 - abandoned that music without warning for the jukebox-style "Jack" format June 3, 2005. Frank Sinatra's "Summer Wind" faded out and the Beastie Boys'"Fight for Your Right" announced the drastic changeover.
At the time of the switch, WCBS was eighth in the New York Arbitron ratings. The most recent numbers released, for the January-March period, showed the Jacked-up version of the station sitting in 16th place. The station's revenues had also dropped.
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