Not Quite the Last Seduction

Thanks to Walter Satterthwait for the link.

Woman accused in plot like movie - Crime & Punishment - MSNBC.com: "ANCHORAGE, Alaska - In the 1994 movie “The Last Seduction,” a femme fatale coaxes her lover into killing her husband for money.

Prosecutors say a beautiful stripper obsessed with the film followed the script to its murderous end. Mechele Linehan, 34, is on trial on charges she masterminded the decade-old slaying of her fianc�in hopes of collecting $1 million in insurance.

Life and art were so similar, prosecutors say, that they even sought, unsuccessfully, to have the movie shown to the jury."

Write What You Know

Mexican Cops Arrest Cannibalism Suspect: "MEXICO CITY (AP) - An aspiring horror novelist was arrested after police discovered his girlfriend's torso in his closet, a leg in the refrigerator and bones in a cereal box, a city prosecutors' spokesman said Thursday.

Jose Luis Calva told police he had boiled some of his girlfriend's flesh but that he hadn't eaten it, the spokesman said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk about the case.

Calva told police he was a writer and poet—officers found the draft of a novel titled 'Cannibalistic Instincts,' he said.

Investigators were trying to determine if chunks of fried meat found in a pan in the apartment were human, the spokesman said."

Want to Purchase a Book by Joe Lansdale?

Kasey Lansdale is selling books by her father. You can probably even get a signed copy. Got a title in mind? You can get in touch with Kasey by clicking on the "contact" link on her website.

Nobel Prize

The Local - Doris Lessing wins Nobel: "British author Doris Lessing has won the Nobel Prize in Literature, the Swedish Academy has announced. The academy described Lessing as 'that epicist of the female experience, who with scepticism, fire and visionary power has subjected a divided civilisation to scrutiny.'

Few had tipped Lessing for the 10 million kronor prize. At 87, she is the oldest person to win the prize, and only the eleventh woman since it was first awarded in 1901."

Right Brain or Left Brain?

Take the test at the link. I'm right brain. No surprise.

The Right Brain vs Left Brain | The Daily Telegraph: "12:00am The Right Brain vs Left Brain test ... do you see the dancer turning clockwise or anti-clockwise?"

Gator Update (Romance Edition)

You'll have to read the whole article to get the romantic "life sentence" angle.

Pa. ‘Alligator Man’ gets ‘Life Sentence’ - Herald-Mail News for Hagerstown, Washington County Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia: "Stephens, 21, of 418 E. King St., was sentenced by Walker just before lunch to one to seven years in state prison and three years of probation on three counts of felony retail theft. Right after lunch, Walker hitched Stephens and Newman.

“Mr. Stephens, you’re the alligator man, aren’t you?” Walker asked as the sentencing hearing started. “What were you going to do when it grew up?”

“Eat it,” Stephens replied, explaining that he planned to grow the 15-inch reptile before turning it into a meal.

Assistant Public Defender Ian Brink broke in to say that his client told him that he let the alligator go before leaving The Pet Store, 1710 Lincoln Way East, in April. A store security video showed a man slipping the gator into his pants, but the animal was never seen again, according to court records.

“That gator done come back and bit you, because you’re going to jail,” Walker said."

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Man goes for world record leg hair - National & World News - Tampa Bay's 10 - tampabays10.com: "Tyler, Texas- Wes Pemberton thinks he may have a world record. He’s submitted a hair on his leg as the world’s longest leg hair.

A hair on his calf measures about five inches. The world record is 4.88 inches. Pemberton says he works on taking care of the hair, to the point of even washing it with conditioner.

He had several police officers in Tyler verify the length of the hair for his world record submission. “Once that done,” he says, “I’m going to pluck it and hang it next to the certificate.”"

Gator Update (Killer Apprehended Edition)

I hope he has a good lawyer.

Killer Alligator Caught: "The alligator that attacked an elderly woman has been caught.

It all happened Tuesday, when a trapper caught a gator matching the description of the one that attacked 83-year-old Gwen Williams. The Department of Natural Resources ran tests and confirmed it was the same alligator.

Williams was found Saturday by some people on the golf course near the Ramshorn Court area in the Landings. Williams was from Canada but was here house-sitting for relatives at a home about 500 feet from the lagoon."

The Poe Wars

They're heating up.

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

TxDOT knows where you went and wants the why | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "AUSTIN — Did you drive on Interstate 35 in early September? Where were you going, and why? How many people were in the car with you? And by the way, how many people live in your house?

The Texas Department of Transportation wants to know, and a company it hired may have videotaped your license plate, then sent you a survey to find out.

The survey is being done in the name of sound transportation planning. Officials say the method has been used before in Texas and elsewhere. But it has some feeling uncomfortable, and others crying, 'Big Brother.'"

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

I spent many happy years in Brownwood.

Brownwood Bulletin: "An exhibit of “trench art” — decorative and practical objects created from military shell cases, bullets, grenades and projectiles — is coming to Brownwood.

Steve Blake, director of the Firearms Museum of Texas, said the exhibit will be housed in Gallery Two of the museum, located within the Brown County Museum of History downtown.

“This is part of our effort to show that the museum is not just about guns,” Blake said this week. “This will help broaden the museum’s appeal.”

The term “trench art” describes a wide range of objects created by combat soldiers, support troops and even civilian that share a unique feature, Blake said.

All use parts utilized by deadly weapons to create items of beauty. Shells, bullets and other items were crafted into things like lamps, ash trays and candlesticks featuring remarkable detail."

War of the Worlds Cover Gallery

318 covers shown here. That's a lot of covers.

Link via Neatorama.

Crazy Female Celebrity Hairstyles

These are all crazy, all right. Great photos at link.

9 Crazy Female Celebrity Hairstyles: "Over the years, countless women have had hairstyles inspired by their favorite celebrities. Demi Moore, for instance, sparked an epidemic of short-cropped hair among women when “Ghost” made a killing at the box-office. Jennifer Aniston’s hairstyles, meanwhile, have been declared as the most wanted by women all over the world."

Unlikely Movie Scientists

Will Denise Richards never get the credit she deserves for her Oscar-worthy turn as a nuclear scientist in The World is Not Enough? Obviously not, if this list is any indication.

Link via Dark Forces Book Group.

Gator Update (Suspicious Fire Edition)

Someone in Georgia needs a lesson in how to use the apostrophe. There's amusing video at the link, but no sign of the gator.

WTAP - News: "A Parkersburg house fire last night proved to be a total loss, but one item in the house managed to survive and gave rescue crews quite a scare after the flames were put out.

Officials said they discovered an alligator up in the attic of the house. Several fire fighters found the alligator in the attic, but before they could capture it, it jumped out of the third story window.

Witnesses say it landed on the second floor roof and took one last leap onto the grass below. When crews finally tried to get the animal under control it fled underneath the porch.

Ultimately, one fire fighter successfully wrangled the gator and duct taped it's jaws shut.

Crews say years of watching nature shows on TV has paid off. They say took tips from the pro's on how to do it and successfully and safely got the gator into custody."

Gator Update: Case Closed

Thanks to Ivan Shreve for the link.

Autopsy: woman died from alligator attack | SavannahNow.com: "An 83-year-old Canadian woman was attacked by an alligator and died as a result of those injuries, according to Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police.

That's based on an autopsy performed Tuesday, according to a statement released by police Tuesday afternoon. The statement said the victim died as a result of a blood loss from the attack.

The victim has been identified as Gwen Williams. She was housesitting for her daughter and son-in-law at a home in the Landings located about 500 feet from the lagoon where she was found.

Police and Department of Natural Resources officials are searching for the alligator, which is believed to be about 7 feet long. That length is based on the victim's wounds, according to Jim Simmons, Senior Biologist, DNR Game Management Wildlife Division."

WPA Interview with H. P. Lovecraft

Real or a clever fake? I don't know.

Gatorland Moves Forward

Gatorland Breaks Ground On $4M Complex - Orlando News Story - WKMG Orlando: "ORLANDO, Fla. -- Nearly one year after a fire raged through Central Florida's oldest theme park, officials at the Orlando attraction broke ground on a $4 million complex. Gatorland officials on Monday started building the complex, which will replace its famous alligator mouth and house a gift shop and the admissions area, Local 6 News reported.

A three-alarm fire blazed through the attraction Nov. 6, destroying the park's 7,000-square-foot gift shop, entrance and some administrative offices and killing two 8-foot pythons and a 5-foot crocodile.

'I'm sure we can get that mouth reconstructed. Granted, it won't be exactly the same, but we will have the mouth back,' park official Heather Goodwin said after the blaze."

Worst Lyricists?

Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the tip.

Update: The entire list can be found here. Thanks to anonymous in the comments.

Sting tops list of worst lyricists | Entertainment | Reuters: "LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Maybe Sting should start writing more instrumentals. The school teacher-turned-rock star topped Blender's list of the worst lyricists, thanks to lines that betray 'mountainous pomposity (and) cloying spirituality,' the music magazine said.

The survey, contained in the November issue that hits newsstands next week, placed Rush drummer Neil Peart at No. 2, Creed frontman Scott Stapp at No. 3, Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher at No. 4, and soft-rocker Dan Fogelberg at No. 5.

Blender assailed Sting for such alleged sins as name-dropping Russian novelist Vladimir Nabokov in the Police tune 'Don't Stand So Close to Me,' quoting a Volvo bumper sticker ('If You Love Someone Set Them Free'), and co-opting the works of Chaucer, St. Augustine and Shakespeare."

World's Worst Poem ?

New contender for world's worst poem | News | Guardian Unlimited Books: "William McGonagall is under the direst threat today in his apparently unassailable position as author of the world's worst poem.

The 19th century Scots bard's notorious lament for The Tay Bridge Disaster: "And the cry rang out all o'er the town, Good Heavens! the Tay Bridge is blown down" has been challenged in favour of a single appalling last line by a more exotic British versifier, Theophile Jules-Henri Marzials: 'Drop / Dead. / Plop, flop. / Plop'."

Death Proof

I can't believe I actually watched this. It is, of course, half of the Grindhouse feature, except with some added scenes. Kurt Russell plays a psycho who kills women with his car in what's supposed to be a tribute to '70s exploitation movies, none of which could have been as boring as this one, though they did have worse music.

The plot is this: four hot chicks sit around and talk for 45 minutes in the build-up to a big car-wreck scene. If you're into hair, bare feet, and women in shorts, you might think this is fun. After the the wreck, we're introduced to, you guessed it, four more hot chicks who sit around and talk for 45 minutes in the build-up to a big car-wreck scene, which doesn't turn out like the first one and which includes a lot of chasing. And which is entirely pointless, since the woman driver should have stopped the car, and, if they psycho stopped his car or came after them, she could have shot him. That would have cut 15 minutes off the movie and eliminated the chase, so of course it couldn't happen.

You might be tempted to rent this. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Gator Update (Death Probe Edition)

Alligator-involved death probe continues | SavannahNow.com: "However, an alligator remains a suspect in the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police investigation into the death of an 85-year-old woman whose body - which is missing the left arm, right hand and right foot - was found Saturday in a lagoon in the Landings.

Police are unsure if the woman, said to have been housesitting a home on Skidaway Island, died from natural causes and then was mauled or if her death was caused by an encounter with an alligator.

The woman's body had been in the water since Friday evening, police said."

This Should End Well

I had no idea that this site existed. If you don't like your neighbors, you can let the world know with Google maps. There's only one bad neighbor in Alvin (so far), and it's not me.

Link via TechBlog.

Return to Mayberry

Thanks to John Duke for the link.

'Thelma Lou' finds a happy new life in 'Mayberry': "MOUNT AIRY, N.C. -- On the drive home from the Los Angeles airport, there was a particular billboard along La Cienega Boulevard that always gave Betty Lynn a chuckle. 'This Ain't Mayberry!' it declared.

As if she needed a reminder of that fact, the West Hollywood home where Lynn had lived since 1950 was broken into twice last year. 'That made it for me,' the 81-year-old actress says. 'I just was too frightened to stay. So I thought, I've got to find some place I feel safe.'

When she reflected on what safe meant to her -- and what 'home' meant, for that matter -- one place stood out. And life imitated art. The woman who played Thelma Lou on 'The Andy Griffith Show' moved more than 2,100 miles to Mount Airy -- Griffith's hometown and one of the inspirations for the fictional Mayberry.

Lynn knows this ain't Mayberry, either. It never existed, really. But she figures this picturesque town in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains is about as close to Mayberry as she is going to get. In this life, anyway.

'There's no place like it, unless it's heaven,' she says over a lunch of hot coffee and a hamburger with onions at a local country club."

I Hate to Admit It, . . .

. . . but this sign made me laugh. They swear it isn't photoshopped, and I, for one, believe them.

The Owl -- Robert Forward

I don't know much about Robert Forward except that he wrote for a lot of TV shows, including She-Ra. That might explain a lot about The Owl. The premise is this as stated on the cover: "Alexander L'Hiboux Never Sleeps." Sounds a bit like the the idea Lawrence Block used in his series about Evan Tanner, but the execution is entirely different.

While Block's books are breezy and funny, The Owl is deadly serious. It's also very much in the style of pulp novels about The Spider and The Shadow. Al (or Owl) "wanders the streets stalking his prey, handgs out in all-night diners, and never stays in one place long enough to cast a shadow."

What the Owl does is get revenge for the people who pay for it. Two years of their salary, whatever that might be, is what he requires. Then he'll kill whoever you say needs killing if he decides to take the job. "In such cases the law is powerless. The Owl is not." Not that Al doesn't do a lot of killing of whoever needs it for free. He kills people all the time. It's best not to irritate him. After all, he suffers from insomnolence.

L'Hiboux might be schizophrenic. He narrates the story in first person, but he drops into third person all the time when he's talking about his alter ego. Of course athletes do that, too, so maybe he's not nutty at all.

The book is graphically violent from page one or two, and The Owl absorbs more punishment than any two or three or four people in other novels of this sort. Mike Hammer is a wimp compared to The Owl.

The climax of the book is really a long one, maybe not a record, but close. Over 100 pages are devoted to The Owl's assault on a cargo ship and his taking of the revenge. I was getting a little tired long before the end.

A TV movie was made from The Owl in 1991, and it must have been pretty terrible if the reviews on the IMDb are any indication of its true quality. Judging by the summary, the plot of the movie is nothing like the plot of the novel.

I suppose the novel was intended as the first in a series, but no other was published. In the U. S., at least. It seems that maybe The Owl 2 was published in England. And, God help me, I think I might order it. Somebody stop me!

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

HPD: Stinky feet led to man's fatal stabbing | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "A man allegedly stabbed his roommate to death Saturday night during a drunken argument over smelly feet, Houston police said.

The two men shared a 10-foot-square bedroom at the Magnolia Cove Apartment Homes in the 100 block of Goodson, said Sgt. M. Sosa of the homicide squad.

They subleased the bedroom from a married couple, who also lived in the apartment, Sosa said.

On Saturday night, the woman was sitting outside with her newborn baby while the two roommates drank together inside, he said. The woman's husband was not home at the time.

At some point, an argument broke out over one of the men's 'stinky feet,' Sosa said. It wasn't clear which one of the men's feet allegedly emitted the offensive odor, but the bedroom they shared 'does smell,' he said."

Blood Diamond

Leonardo di Caprio is Danny Archer, a scummy guy and former mercenary who's currently in the diamond-smuggling business. He doesn't care where the diamonds come from. He just wants to make money. When he hears that a fisherman named Solomon has found a 100-carat pink diamond, he wants in.

The problem is that Sierra Leone is in the midst of a horrible civil war during the time the movie is set. The diamonds smuggled out are being used to finance the war, which is presented in gut- and heart-wrenching realism. Violent deaths and mutilations are as common as air. If you've bought a diamond lately, you're likely to feel a little bit guilty, especially if you didn't know about "conflict" (or "blood") diamonds.

The message doesn't overwhelm the story, though. Danny wants the diamond, Solomon wants his family back, and Maddy, the journalist played by Jennifer Connelly in a thankless role, wants a story. They all get what they want in one way or another.

My main quibble with this movie is that it went on for fifteen minutes after it ended. I suppose the final quarter hour was tacked on to make you feel a little better. Didn't work for me. It was redundant, and it felt it. I'd still recommend the movie, though.

Something for the Old Guys

You know you're old when . . . . Click here.

My Envy Knows No Bounds

Thanks to Kent Morgan for the link.

winnipegsun.com - Winnipeg News - Donation makes fantastic story: "Even the size of a Winnipeg man's science fiction collection pushes the boundaries of reality.

Now Chester Cuthbert wants his collection to enrich young people's minds as it has done with his imagination for decades. He's donating his entire treasure trove of science fiction -- an estimated 60,000 books and magazines compiled since the 1920s -- to the University of Alberta.

'They've provided me with instruction and entertainment,' said Cuthbert, who turns 95 in a couple of weeks.

'It's important to stimulate the imagination. Reading fantastic literature has been a joy to me, and I hope that other people enjoy it too.'

The senior's astonishing accumulation includes periodicals, some of his own published fiction and piles of letters to and from other sci-fi buffs. And virtually all of it had been in boxes stacked in his Mulvey Avenue house.

'You name it, my dad has it,' Raymond Cuthbert, the aficionado's son, said of the collection that started when his father read a story by Edgar Rice Burroughs as a youth."

Assignment: School for Spies -- Edward S. Aarons

I picked this up off the dupe shelf the other day and couldn't remember if I'd read it or not. So I opened it up and started it. After the first couple of paragraphs, I recalled the main plot twist, but I kept on anyway. Aarons was a real pro. There's nothing in this book to make someone claim him as a favorite writer, but it's solid stuff all the way.

I'm always amazed at Aarons' ability to describe a scene as if he'd visited the very spot, and there's plenty of that kind of work in this book. For example, here's Sam Durrell's trip on a cog railway: "There was a long, narrow valley; a rushing, frothy stream; autumnal flowers in the meadow; an area of boulder-strewn fields in deep shadow from the rugged aretes on either hand. The few farms here were linked by a single road that twisted to follow the cog railway line as much as possible. Finally a gorge opened into a cuplike valley to and from which there was only this one entrance and exit, marked in pines and rubbly slopes."

The plot is a familiar one: Sam Durell, the protagonist in all the "Assignment" books, is tossed out of the CIA because he insists on investigating why his long-time sweetheart, Diedre, has married someone else, and a very suspicious someone at that. Durell soon finds himself working against the CIA and everybody else in Europe. But you can bet he's going to keep on until he gets the answers he's looking for.

By this time, Gold Medal had started giving the series pretty bland covers, which seems especially odd since Aarons gives the readers plenty of scenes that would have been great cover material, one of which would have no doubt been used in earlier years: A woman stripped, tied to a post and whipped; a luscious redhead bound, gagged, and tied spread-eagle on a bed; a mad dash through the crowded shower room of a women's barracks.

The book doesn't offer any surprises, but it's a solidly professional job. If that kind of thing interests you, check it out.

Croc Update (Tears Edition)

ScienceDaily: No Faking It, Crocodile Tears Are Real

Science Daily — When someone feigns sadness they “cry crocodile tears,” a phrase that comes from an old myth that the animals cry while eating.

An alligator weeps while eating at the Florida's St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park in spring 2006. University of Florida zoologist Kent Vliet shot the photo while observing alligators and caimans at the park in an attempt to determine the truth of the myth that crocodiles cry while eating. Five of the seven animals, close relatives of the crocodile, teared up during meals. Like the one pictured here, some of their tears even bubbled and frothed.

Now, a University of Florida researcher has concluded that crocodiles really do bawl while banqueting – but for physiological reasons rather than rascally reptilian remorse.

UF zoologist Kent Vliet observed and videotaped four captive caimans and three alligators, both close relatives of the crocodile, while eating on a spit of dry land at Florida’s St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park.

He found that five of the seven animals teared up as they tore into their food, with some of their eyes even frothing and bubbling.

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The Policeman is your Friend

The moral is that you should mail a check if you owe a fine. Photos at link. A really goofy sentence beginning third paragraph.

Man Threatens Suit After Being Wrongly Jailed For 37 Days - News Story - WFTV Orlando: "ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. -- A man spent 37 days in the Orange County jail for a crime he didn't commit. Now, an attorney for the innocent man wants Orange County to pay for the mistake. He's threatening to sue unless the county offers up a substantial amount of money.

Marvin Lopez went to the court house to pay some traffic tickets and he was arrested on outstanding warrants for DUI and reckless driving. It turned out the guy wanted on those warrants goes by the alias Marvin B. Lopez. The two share the same name, but don't look anything alike.

Despite not looking at all alike, Lopez spent 37 days at the Orange County jail for a crime he didn't commit. Lopez's lawyer, Larry Hanks, told Eyewitness News jail employees refused to check his client's fingerprints against Marvin B. Lopez, the man wanted for DUI and reckless driving."

Gator Update (Rattlesnake Edition)

Rattlesnakes are legal, but gators aren't? What a goofy law.

SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Metro -- Plumber faces trial in reptile, gun case: "An El Cajon plumber who had a garage full of guns and deadly snakes, and an alligator in his living room, must stand trial on a variety of weapons and animal charges, a judge ruled yesterday.

Christopher Shawn Hendry Jr. had 27 poisonous snakes in his garage, including two cobras and four rattlesnakes, which police happened upon while investigating what at first seemed like a routine domestic violence case, officers testified.

Possession of the alligator and all but two of the snakes violated state fish and game laws, Deputy District Attorney Jessica Schuster said.

Two of the rattlesnakes were legal because under El Cajon city ordinances, residents can own up to two native rattlesnakes, Schuster said."

Ban the Bra!

I particularly like the first sentence in the last paragraph. Thanks to Scott Cupp for the link.

The Associated Press: Woman Told to Ditch Bra to Enter Court: "COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (AP) — Security guards refused to allow a woman into a federal courthouse until she removed a bra that triggered a metal detector.

Lori Plato said she and her husband, Owen Plato, were stunned when U.S. Marshals Service employees asked her to remove her bra after the underwire supports set off the alarm.

'I asked if I could go into the bathroom because they didn't have a privacy screen and no women security officers were available,' Plato said Wednesday.

'They said, 'No.' 'I wasn't carrying a shank in my bra. If it's so dangerous, why did they give it back and let me put it on?'

Patrick McDonald, the U.S. Marshal in Boise, said appropriate security protocols were followed in the Sept. 20 matter, and guards suggested she simply remove the bra in her car outside, or find a restaurant bathroom.

'She's inflating it,' McDonald said. 'All of a sudden she just took it off. It wasn't anything we wanted to happen and it wasn't anything we asked for her to do. She did it so fast.'"

My Name is Earl

If you watched the show last night, you saw that Earl's brother, Randy, has been hired as a prison guard. If you found it hard to believe that anyone would hire Randy to be a prison guard, I suggest you go over to The Brazosport News and watch this.

Monster Update

Legendary lake 'monster' is captured on camera - Times Online: "China’s Loch Ness monster has been sighted. Or so Chinese state-run television says. Not just one, but more than a dozen huge creatures can be seen churning across Lake Kanasi in remote western China, leaving a foamy wake more like an enormous motorboat than a big fish.

A rare video filmed by a tourist at the lake in the Heavenly Mountains of the wild Xinjiang region, has reignited debate over the existence of an underwater creature that can compete with the Loch Ness monster in both mass and mystery.

The grainy film shows about 15 objects moving at high speed just beneath the surface of the lake and whipping the smooth blue water into a bubbling white frenzy. Chinese Central Television broadcast the video on its news channel, describing the footage shot by a passing tourist on July 5 as the clearest ever seen of a legendary beast that has been rumoured for centuries to live in the depths of Lake Kanasi."

The Return of Black Mask

If you have the latest issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, you've no doubt noticed the little blurb on the last page announcing the return of Black Mask. I checked with Janet Hutchings, the editor, and she tells me that the Black Mask section will feature one reprint from the original magazine, to be paired with a new story. The January reprint will be Hammett's "Bodies Piled Up," and the new story will be Chuck Hogan's "Two Thousand Volts." Keith Allan Deutsch will have an introduction that explains the relationship between Black Mask and EQMM.

The new stories will tend to be edgier than the usual EQMM fare. Sounds like a good idea to me.

Leave it to Beaver Turns 50

Leave it to Jerry 'Beaver' Mathers, Tony Dow - USATODAY.com: "SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Fifty years after they first appeared on TV as Wally and Theodore 'the Beaver' Cleaver on Oct. 4. 1957, Leave It to Beaver stars Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers are still going at it like real brothers.

Discussing the plot of their 1980s reunion series, Still the Beaver, Mathers, 59, recalls that 'Wally was doing very well in his architectural business.'

'No, no,' corrects Dow, 62. 'Wally was an attorney. Since I hate attorneys, they made me an attorney.'

The two friends laugh, making it clear that they also share another brotherly quality: deep affection.

'Fifty is a milestone, like a wedding anniversary,' boasts Mathers, seated next to Dow in the posh TV Land offices where they have come to talk up this weekend's 24-hour 50th anniversary marathon (TV Land, Saturday at 8 p.m. ET/PT)."

Update: Hey Guys,

The GMA interview is posted to the Genesis Creations Entertainment website.

Celebrity Video

Thx,
Bonnie Vent
Genesis Creations Entertainment
www.genesiscreations.biz

Daisy Finds a Bone

Photo of Daisy and the Bone at Link.

Daisy the dog finds the meal of her dreams... a mammoth bone | the Daily Mail: "When Daisy the dachshund bounds along the shoreline, she often picks up a stick or a dead fish to gnaw on.

But going walkies the other day, she briefly found herself in doggie heaven ... when she was confronted by a bone as big as herself. However, this was no meaty treat - just a prehistoric prize.

For Daisy had discovered a fossilised mammoth bone up to two million years old."

I'll Bet They Didn't Get on his Lawn When They Fled

WBNS-10TV, Central Ohio's News Leader - Man, 73, Thwarts Home Robbery With 'Karate Skills': "'I didn't let them in the house,' Garner said. 'What was I supposed to do? Were they supposed to get into my house? No, brother, no.'

Garner said he fought back using martial arts, but not before he took some lumps of his own.

'They were surprised because I knew karate, you know?' Garner said. 'I got beat up terrible. My arm and beat up in the belly.'

After a short struggle, the two men fled from the home, Bell reported.

'I'm 73 years old, I know karate, I know judo, I know everything,' Garner said. 'Nobody comes into my house without my permission.'"

No Comment Department

'Howl' too hot to hear / 50 years after poem ruled not obscene, radio fears to air it: "Fifty years ago today, a San Francisco Municipal Court judge ruled that Allen Ginsberg's Beat-era poem 'Howl' was not obscene. Yet today, a New York public broadcasting station decided not to air the poem, fearing that the Federal Communications Commission will find it indecent and crush the network with crippling fines.

Free-speech advocates see tremendous irony in how Ginsberg's epic poem - which lambastes the consumerism and conformism of the 1950s and heralds a budding American counterculture - is, half a century later, chilled by a federal government crackdown on the broadcasting of provocative language."

Happy Birthday, Chubby Checker!

Chubby Checker is 66 today. And still twisting!

Today's Trivia

Neatorama � Blog Archive � Presidential Grandson: "John Tyler {wiki} was the tenth president of the United States, serving in office from 1841 to 1845. In 1853, at age 63, he fathered a son named Lyon Tyler. At age 75, Lyon Tyler fathered Harrison Tyler {wiki}, who was born in 1928. Therefore, the grandson of a US president born in 1790 is still alive today. Bob Peck contributed this fact to a presidential trivia contest at mental_floss and won a book about US presidents. See, sometimes it pays to know trivia!"

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

XXX haunted house for adults only | TOP STORIES | Breaking Houston News, Weather, Sports, Traffic, Video from KHOU.com | 11 News: "The Haunt XXX is billed as being an adult-themed haunted house, where women in nothing more than body paint will replace the goblins."

Here's the website.

Gator Update (Protecting Our Borders Edition)

From a town hall teleconference.

Jayme Lynn Blaschke's Gibberish: "What sounds like a middle-aged woman is ranting about the border, and although she never actually says 'wetbacks' you just know it's a struggle for her not to. She's angry at congress, see. Angry that they haven't already built a wall along the border to keep 'them' out. Not only does she want an gargantuan Great Wall of Texas built along the border with Mexico, she want the government to stock the Rio Grande with alligators so that 'we won't be responsible for what happens to them.' "

Gator Wrestling

Photo at link.

Gator wrestlers make jaws drop - City of Richmond - inRich.com: "Kachunga and the Alligator Show's reptiles are so ferocious that it takes a beefy, safari gear-clad handler to maneuver them.

Handler Dave Castillo kneels over the alligator to show the audience its sharp choppers, long snout and tough tail. Castillo's moves are careful and deliberate.

Just steps away, emcee Bert Lucas carries a weapon in a holster on his side, just in case the gator gets loose and grabs Castillo. 'I would have to shoot Dave. Twice,' Lucas warned."

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Private concert? Neiman Marcus unveils Christmas catalog | Latest News | WFAA.com: "DALLAS — Dallas luxury retailer Neiman Marcus has unveiled this year's Christmas catalog full of over-the-top gifts—including a $1.4 million submarine.

Also available are a $73,000 diamond-encrusted cell phone and a robot that can carry on a conversation for $75,000. For those looking to impress their friends, there's also a private concert with the Kirov Orchestra for about $1.6 million."

Anna Nicole Smith Update

Anna Nicole Smith Book Prompts $60M Suit: " ATLANTA (AP) - Anna Nicole Smith's lawyer and companion, Howard K. Stern, filed a $60 million libel lawsuit Tuesday against Rita Cosby and her publisher over a book she wrote that claims Stern and Smith's ex-boyfriend, Larry Birkhead, had a sexual encounter.

The suit, filed in federal court in New York, seeks $10 million in compensatory damages and $50 million in punitive damages from Cosby, the former MSNBC host who wrote 'Blonde Ambition: The Untold Story Behind Anna Nicole Smith's Death'—and Hachette Book Group USA Inc.

The book, which hit stores in September, claims that besides the alleged sexual encounter, Birkhead and Stern both worked together after Smith's death to manipulate the media and maximize profits."

Gator Update (Wisconsin Edition)

Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the tip.

Surprised duck hunter shoots 11-kilogram alligator in Wisconsin river: "FARMINGTON, Wis. - Ed Long thought he was shooting at a snapping turtle, but got a surprise when he pulled his trophy from the Milwaukee River: a metre-long alligator.

Long had been in the river Saturday hunting for ducks. 'At first, I thought it was a turtle tail,' he said. 'The it turned and came back at me. I seen the eyes come out of the water, but my brain didn't click. This is Wisconsin. There's not supposed to be gators in Wisconsin.'"

The 10 Manliest Firearms

How many of these do you own?

Stark House Update

Hello Mystery Booksellers & Readers:

Well, my break-time is over, and it's back to work. When SCB Distributors took over distribution of Stark House Press, everything was pushed back to their Fall list. But Fall is here, and the first new title is the too-long-delayed A TRIO OF GOLD MEDALS, three classic thrillers from the Golden Age of Paperback Publishing.

This 3-in-1 volume features The Vengeance Man by Dan J. Marlowe, Park Avenue Tramp by Fletcher Flora and The Prettiest Girl I Ever Killed by Charles Runyon (isbn: 1-933586-14-1, price: $15.95, pub date: Oct 2007); all orginally published in the late 50's and early 60's by Gold Medal Books.

Charles Kelly contributes two informative introductions to the Marlowe and Fletcher novels, and Ed Gorman conducts a new interview with Runyon for his part of the book. Author bibliographies are included.

This book was originally scheduled for early Spring at $23.95, but now that we are using offset printing, the price has come down considerably.

If you are interested in ordering this book, please place your order with your SCB Distributors rep or call them at 1-800-729-6423. And if you have any problem ordering, please let me know and I will sort everything out for you.

Thanks, as always, for your continued support of Stark House Press, and I hope you agree that this is one book that is worth the wait.

Next up: Russell James--UNDERGROUND / COLLECTED STORIES, modern noir that has never been published in the U.S. before. But more on that later....

Cheers,

Greg Shepard

Stark House Press

Thuglit #20 Now On-Line

With a fine Bat Boy cover, too. Click here.

Novels by Phone

Rick Klaw has the info at Dark Forces. And they even have their own awards.

Fall Issue of Helix SF Now On-Line

And it contains a story by this blog's pal Jayme Lynn Blaschke, among others. Helix is a fine magazine. Click here for the issue.

Top 50 Dystopian Movies

Click here for the list and commentary.

Death and the Single Girl -- Elliott Lewis

Elliott Lewis wrote seven or eight books in his series about Jim Bennett, who's sort of a private-eye. I read a couple of them 25 years ago or so and wasn't impressed, but the other day I thought maybe I'd try again, mainly because somewhere or other I got the idea the Lewis is the same Elliott Lewis who had one of the great careers in radio as an actor, director, and producer. He was Remley on The Phil Harris Show, Archie Goodwin on Nero Wolfe, and he did a zillion other things. He went on to do pretty well in TV, too. But his novels (at least the ones I've read) just don't work.

In Death and the Single Girl, Bennett gets a call from his ex-wife, who asks for his help. She goes to dinner with a guy whose car explodes in the parking lot, and later another guy she's been seeing is murdered. However, after her first call to Bennett, she tells him she doesn't need his help. She says she wants him to leave her alone. He doesn't, of course.

Here's the bad news: If the ex had just told him the truth at first, the whole book would have been a lot shorter. Here's the worse news: There is no way, not in a million years, that the reader would ever be able to figure out who the killer is. You can guess it pretty easily, but no clues point to the killer, and when the connections are made at the end, they're just, well, ridiculous.

The writing's okay, but I can't recommend the book or the series. Listen to an episode of Nero Wolfe or The Phil Harris Show instead.

Texas-Style Blues: 75 Essential Albums.

Texas-style blues: Here are 75 essential albums | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "Just the words 'Texas blues albums' create debate (sometimes heated) over styles, substyles, what constitutes a Texan and so forth. Collins, when asked about the subject, told Guitar magazine, 'Texas blues is mostly a big-band sound with horns and electrics. We didn't have no harp players and slide players.'

We were a little more welcoming than Collins, using the following criteria: We sought albums, not singles, but compilations were welcome; the artist had to be from Texas, have resided in Texas for an extended period or made a landmark recording in Texas."

Miss Money Penny, R. I. P.

Rick Klaw has the details.

When Was the Term "Hard-Boiled" First Applied to Fiction?

The Straight Dope is on the case.

And They'd Better Stay off His Damn Lawn

Teens attack older man, end up running for safety: "The man at the back of the Metro bus was older, wore glasses and apparently drew the attention of a group of alleged gang members who reportedly began harassing him.

But when one of them tried to take the man's glasses, he pulled a knife and fought back, Seattle police said.

'He began swinging at his attackers in self-defense,' spokeswoman Renee Witt said.

When the melee was over, four of the teens had cuts, including some with superficial cuts to their buttocks, and one had a dislocated shoulder. The man was not hurt."

More Nostalgia

Today I bounded out of bed at 5:30 A.M., got dressed, and hit the highway for the old hometown. It was homecoming weekend at the high school, and the Class of '57 was having a 50th anniversary get-together. I'm not quite as aged as the members of that class, but I knew most if not all of them back in the Olden Days, and I hadn't seen most of them since they graduated. I figured it would be fun to get a look at them.

When I arrived, I was met by Fred Williams. He was one of my best friends during high school, college, and a couple of years of grad school. We've kept in touch (we e-mail just about every day) and visited over the years, so I knew what he looked like, not that he's changed much. We chatted for a while, looked over the old building (which now houses the school museum), and then went down to where the Class of '57 was gathered.

I have to say, it was great to see them again. Sure, it was hard to recognize some of them, though some of them looked so much the same, I could name them easily. What always strikes me about things like this is that it's as if no time has passed. We all share so many of the same memories of a crucial time in our lives that we can pick up as if we'd just seen each other yesterday.

Faye Lynn Eubanks was there. She's the sister of the late Ray Eubanks, without whom I'd never have gone to school. Faye Lynn and Ray walked by my house every day, and my mother dragged me out and gave me over to them. Ray's the one who forced me to go with him and his sister to the school. He did it every day for probably the entire first grade. He's been dead for a long time (massive heart attack), but Faye Lynn remembered all about those days. In fact, she'd been telling people about them before I ever showed up.

Suzanne Hayter was there. Suzanne was the band drum major, and a lovely girl back in 1956. She's a lovely woman now, and she looks about 15 years younger than I do, even though she's older. I'd love to know her secret.

Robert Isham. Quickest wit around fifty years ago. Now a wealthy man, or so rumor has it. I hope it's true.

Warner Dean Hancock, who claims to have introduced me to Judy. I owe him big if that's the case.

And a lot of others. I stayed for about three hours and had a wonderful time. I wish I could have spent more time with them, hearing about their lives. Everything about them is interesting to me. That probably makes me pretty weird. But I don't care.

Point Break LIVE!

Point Break LIVE! Tickets, Discount Tickets and more - Point Break LIVE! Information - Point Break LIVE! Pictures and Video - New York: "Point Break LIVE!, the absurdist stage adaptation of the 1992 Keanu Reeves/Patrick Swayze extreme-sports blockbuster, tells the story of former college football star Johnny Utah (Reeves in the film), as he pursues the surfing, bankrobbing, skydiving, bare-hand-fighting, adrenaline junkie cum Zen Master, Bodhi Sattva. The Brechtian blockbuster, which garnered a 'Seattle P-I Best of Seattle 2004' award during its run in the Northwest, features armed robbery, big-wave surfing, car chases, explosions, and no less than two extended skydiving sequences. Best of all, you could be the next Johnny Utah... the starring role of Keanu will be selected at random from the audience each night, and will read their entire script off of cue-cards. This method manages to capture the rawness of a Keanu Reeves performance, even from those who generally think themselves incapable of acting."

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Girl, 12, Accused Of Packing Heat At School - News Story - KMGH Denver: "HOUSTON -- A Houston-area middle school student was arrested Friday after allegedly bringing a handgun to school and pointing it at teachers and a maintenance worker, authorities said.

The unidentified 12-year-old female student at Dean Middle School in Harris County, Texas, threatened to kill a teacher and students, and was sent to the office at about 8:30 a.m. for starting a fight, police said, according to KPRC-TV."

Bigfoot Update

2 Chattanooga Men Say They May Have Landed "Bigfoot" Say Hulking Furry Figure Is On Video Shot In Remote New Mexico posted September 28, 2007 Two Chattanoogans say they may have bagged the mythical "Bigfoot".

Lindsay Lemmon and Austin McGee said after returning from a trip out west, they found that video shot out the window along I-40 in New Mexico has a glimpse of what appears to be a hulking furry figure walking.

Mr. Lemmon, a local contractor who specializes in historic homes, said, "I'm still skeptical, but it does look like a figure to me. If it was a prank, then it was awfully hot and it was out in the middle of nowhere."

Mr. McGee, who shot the footage, is much more positive.

He said, "I believe it whole-heartedly. Every time I look at it on the VCR I see a figure with real long arms hanging below the knees. He is walking and swinging those arms." He said a close examination of the figure reveals "a tan round face."

Mr. Lemmon, who went to Las Vegas for filming of a Discovery Channel show on drag racing, has contacted his CPA and is in the process of getting all rights to the video.

Mr. Austin said he contacted two groups that specialize in Bigfoot lore - one from Atlanta and another from Texas. He said, "They were ready to come to my house right then. They were freaking out. They were trying all sorts of ways to get to see it."

Kasey Lansdale

Did I link to Kasey Lansdale's new website in my previous post about her? Probably, but I'm too lazy to check. The site is here.

Fantastic Fest Award Winners

Rick Klaw has a rundown here.

American Skin -- Ken Bruen

I've known I was going to read this ever since I read the first chapter somewhere. EQMM? Can't recall. Anyway, it's enough to hook anybody, pure adrenaline, death, and carnage. The book doesn't let up much after that, either, with its interconnecting storylines and flashbacks handled so smoothly that you hardly notice the transitions.

Stephen Blake is involved in an bank robbery that goes wrong. His best friend dies, but he winds up with tons of money that his girlfriend knows how to launder. She works on that from Ireland, while he comes to the U.S. Blake, I should mention, is the sort of Good Guy, and he's up against as twisted a bunch of loonies as you'll ever encounter, including Dade, a killer who's obsessed with Tammy Wynette; Sherry, a woman who loves sex and killing people, not necessarily in that order; Stapleton, an Irish killer who's tougher than stones; and several others. All their stores come together eventually, and there are a couple of things you can be sure of in with a Bruen book: it's going to be darker than dark and that it's not going to end well for anybody involved. So be warned. This isn't a cozy by any stretch of the imagination.

This is the longest Bruen novel I've read, and it's the first one that seems clearly set up for a sequel. I don't know if there'll be one, but I'm sure I'll read it if there is.

His Majesty's Dragon -- Naomi Novik

The series of books beginning with His Majesty's Dragon has been getting great reviews, and when Naomi Novik won the Campbell Award at the recent WorldCon, I knew it was time for me to see what all the fuss was about.

Here's the deal. It's the Napoleonic Wars, but this time with dragons. Dragons, it seems, hatch from the shell able to speak English (and French, too), and they choose their partners at once. Will Laurence captures a dragon's egg from a French frigate, little suspecting that he will no longer be captain of his own ship but a member of the Aerial Corps, fighting sky battles from the back of the dragon Temeraire.

For whatever reason, corps members are practically outcasts from society, and Laurence isn't looking forward to becoming a member. He has no choice, however, and soon he's trying to adjust to the informality and strange ways of the group. He's noble, fair, and right-minded in the extreme, however, and he makes his way without too much difficulty. Soon he and Temeraire have bonded in a way that makes any thought of a return to his old life impossible.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit, and I've already obtained the next two in the series to read at a later date. If you like fantasy, dragons, or alternate universes, check it out.

Note: Some of you might not be aware that Novik is the wife of Charles Ardai (sometimes known as Richard Aleas), of Hard Case Crime, so I just thought I'd mention it.

Friday TV Bulletin!

Paris Hilton will be David Letterman's guest tonight. I know you'll all want to tune in. In case you missed it, you can catch it here.

Déjà Vu

A domestic terrorist blows up a ferry boat filled with 500 passengers. Denzel Washington plays Doug Carlin, the ATF agent assigned to investigate, and before long strange things begin to happen. For one thing, a woman's body washes ashore and is found before the explosion, though she's got traces of the explosive on her. Carlin is added to a team of scientists and FBI agents who have a big view screen that they tell him is filled with images from various satellites arranged into streaming video. All the images are a bit over four days old, and they can't be reversed or paused (they can be recorded, though). Carlin is bothered by the fact that there's also audio, and before long he learns the truth of what's going on.

That's about all that can be revealed without telling you more than you need to know if you plan to see the movie. Let me just add that things blow up real good, there's romance, there's gunplay, and there are car chases that threaten to kill more people than the explosion. Jerry Bruckheimer is the producer, and Tony Scott is the director, so you'd expect those things, but it's got a lot of quiet moments, and the cast is uniformly good. Check it out.

Gator Update (YMCA Edition)

Video at link.

Alligator Found Swimming In YMCA Pool - Local News Story - WKMG Orlando: "A swimmer discovered an alligator at the bottom of a Central Florida YMCA pool on Friday morning.

The gator, which was about 4 feet long, was found swimming in the pool, which is located on the campus of Brevard Community College on Clearlake Road in Cocoa.

A YMCA worker joked that the alligator was targeting her because she was wearing an Auburn Tigers sweatshirt."

What Would YOU Do if You had a Time Machine?

Mike Ripley's Latest Column Posted at Shots Magazine

Click here.

Oh, to be in Anchorage . . .

. . . now that Bouchercon's here. This is the first Bouchercon that I've missed in a while. In fact, since around 1980, I haven't missed one held on U.S. soil. I'll bet everybody's having a good time without me, though.

Houston's 20 Best Songs

They're here, with nice annotations.

The Ultimate Solution -- Eric Norden

I don't know much about Eric Norden except that he conducted a lot of the Playboy interviews 30-35 years ago. And he wrote at least one novel, The Ultimate Solution, published in 1974, the year of the novel's setting.

The book is an alternate history police procedural, narrated by an NYC cop named Bill. In his world, Germany won WW11, and all the Jews in the world have been exterminated. Except that one has suddenly appeared in NYC. Bill and a member of the Gestapo are assigned to find him. You think cops in regular police procedurals wander through a dark and terrible world? You should read about Bill's.

To Bill, there's nothing unusual in what he sees. He just tells us about it without comment or surprise. The reader, however, is likely to be surprised. Not to mention horrified and disgusted. What we might consider depraved is just more of the usual to Bill. Even 30 years after its publication, this novel has the ability to shock. Just one example: crucifixion as entertainment in cheap nightclubs.

I read The Ultimate Solution when it was first published, and I've remembered it ever since. Last night I pulled it off th shelf and read it again just to see if it was as powerful as I remembered. It is. Only 140 pages, but it packs a heck of a punch.

I'd suggest that you check it out, but I looked on the 'Net and saw only a couple of copies for sale, the cheaper of the two being $100. It's good, but it's not that good.

Must-See TV

Reality TV Magazine: The Search For The Next Elvira Cast Announced: "The Fox Reality Channel recently announced the participants for The Search for the Next Elvira. Elvira, the Queen of Halloween, has selected 13 participants who will compete to become her surrogate handmaiden. “Hundreds auditioned to become a handmaiden for little old me,” said Elvira. “But only 13 had true T&A (talent and ability) and the others were told to Rest in Peace.”

“The Search for the Next Elvira” premieres on the Fox Reality Channel on Saturday, October 13 at Midnight. Queen 'B' Productions and Panacea Entertainment are producing The Search for the Next Elvira series exclusively for Fox Reality Channel in association with Natural 9 Entertainment."

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

A mere 60 miles from Alvin.

PRINCETON, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG) and South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company (STPNOC) will file a Combined Construction and Operating License Application (COLA) today with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to build and operate two new nuclear units at the South Texas Project (STP) nuclear power station site. The total rated capacity of the new units, STP 3 and 4, will equal or exceed 2,700 megawatts (MWs) – enough to power more than two million homes. NRG expects to bring the units on line in 2014 and 2015 in order to provide reliable and affordable power to fuel Texas’ continued growth and economic prosperity.

“It is a new day for energy in America. Advanced technology nuclear power plants like STP 3 and 4, generating a vast amount of electricity cleanly, safely and reliably, will make an enormous contribution toward the greater energy security of the United States,” said David Crane, NRG’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “But equally, this announcement heralds a new day for the environment. Advanced nuclear technology is the only currently viable large-scale alternative to traditional coal-fueled generation to produce none of the traditional air emissions—and most importantly in this age of climate change—no carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases.”

From Bryon Quertermous

Some people think Fall and they think pumpkins and leaves and ghosts.
Here at DEMOLITION when we think Fall, we think about bodies falling
from great heights, innocent people taking the fall for crooks, and
the slow spirialing fall from success of people in the wrong place at
the wrong time. Maybe we're just a sick bunch.

If you're like us, you'll enjoy the latest issue of DEMOLITION now
live. We've got stories from pros like Patti Abbott, Mike Maclean,
Stephen D. Rogers, and Scott Wolven, along with Chris Holm, Brian
Ross, Steven Messner, Tony Black, and the legendary Fred Zackel.

Check it out before we carve you up like a rotten pumpkin.
--
Bryon Quertermous
http://bryonquertermous.blogspot.com
http://www.bryonquertermous

Gator Update (Long Island Edition)

The Associated Press: Alligator Found Walking Along LI Roadway: "WADING RIVER, N.Y. (AP) — A 3 1/2-foot alligator has been captured walking along a Long Island roadway. Chief Roy Gross of the Suffolk County SPCA said the reptile was found by two people who were walking alongside a grassy area of Route 25A in Wading River on Sunday afternoon.

A crew from the SPCA picked up the alligator, who had some front teeth missing, but Gross said it was still capable of inflicting serious injury to humans and death to small animals and pets."

Kill Clock -- Allan Guthrie

Allan Guthrie's new book isn't really a novel. It's more of a novella in book form, part of a series called "Most Wanted," crime novels for adult reluctant readers. It's hard to imagine even a reluctant reader who wouldn't enjoy this story.

It's about Pearce, the hard man from Hard Man (among others), and this time he gets involved in a bad situation when an old girlfriend shows up and asks for his help. Since she ditched him years earlier after he gave her an expensive engagement ring, and since he believes she's running some kind of scam on him, Pearce isn't eager to offer his assistance. Besides, she has her two foul-mouthed offspring in tow. But a couple of things convince Pearce that she's on the level, and he agrees to do what he can.

If Pearce is involved, you can be sure that things are going to get violent and maybe even take a turn for the worse. So I'll leave it to you to discover just how things work out this time. To whet your appetite, I'll say that Hildy, Pearce's three-legged dog, is back; that Pearce hasn't mellowed a bit; and that you're probably going to be surprised a time or two.

It's quite a bit of fun, and you should be able to read the whole book in a half hour or so. Guthrie does a really admirable job with the limited vocabulary required for a book like this one. Check it out.

Story by JJ Solari

Here's a link to a cool new story by JJ Solari. If you'll overlook the fact that the code for quotation marks translated as question marks, you'll have quite an experience. It's not, as we like to say, for the faint of heart.

This Should End the Persecution

Paris Hilton Plans Trip to Rwanda - Paris Hilton : People.com: "It's not the typical sort of hot spot she's used to, but Paris Hilton says that she's planning to hit the road to Rwanda.

Apparently making good on her post-jail promise to help others, the socialite, 26, tells E! Online about her African ambitions, 'I'll be going in November, after I get back from filming my movie. There's so much need in that area, and I feel like if I go, it will bring more attention to what people can do to help.' "

Big Brother is Watching You (and Me and Everybody Else)

I'm not sure I want to know what DHS has on me. On the other hand, it might be fun to find out. You can download the proper forms at the link if you're interested in seeing your own file.

UnSecureFlight.com :: Read Your Own DHS Travel Dossier: "The Department of Homeland Security already knows everything about your travel. Now, for the first time, The Identity Project makes it easy for you to request the unclassified parts of the dossier that the DHS has complied on you.

Warning: You can only request records on behalf of yourself or others with their written explicit permission. There are severe penalties for making requests for records on someone else without their knowledge.

Are you prepared to find out for yourself the outrageous amount of personal information Homeland Security has been vacuuming-up on you? "

Link via Boing Boing.

A Musical Tribute to Bettie Page?

Hotcha! Rick Klaw provides a photo and a link.

Croc Update (DVD Edition)

Eaten Alive: 2-Disc Special Edition (Restored and Remastered) DVD news, stills, photos,t railers, reviews, interviews and information on Monsters and Critics - DVD: "The Starlight, a decrepit hotel run by Judd (Neville Brand), receives few customers. Perhaps it’s the remote location in the Texas bayous. Perhaps it’s the owner's violent mood swings. Or perhaps it’s the man-eating crocodile in the backyard. But one dark steamy night finds the Starlight visited by a runaway prostitute (Roberta Collins, Death Race 2000), a young couple (Marilyn Burns and William Finley) and their child (Kyle Richards, Halloween), a dying father and his daughter (Mel Ferrer and Crystin Sinclaire), and sex-obsessed Buck (Robert Englund, A Nightmare on Elm Street), all of whom will experience an unforgettable night of terror at the hands of Judd and his pet croc."

The Goat Justice League

Wasn't that the name of a Marvel Comic?

kutv.com - Seattle To Allow Pygmy Goats As Pets: "(AP) SEATTLE

They have hoofs instead of paws and aren't known for fetching sticks or chasing mice, but pygmy goats are now legally pets in Seattle.

The City Council voted unanimously to reclassify the goats _ also known dwarf or miniature goats _ as small animals rather than farm animals after testimony touting the virtues of the dog-sized critters as companions, weed eaters and milk producers. '

One small step for man, one giant step for goatkind,' council member Richard Conlin, who sponsored the measure, said after Monday's vote.

The little goats -- up to 2 feet tall and weighing 50 to 100 pounds -- must have pet licenses, just like cats, dogs and potbelly pigs. However, these pets must be dehorned and males must be neutered to reduce musky odors.

They're not allowed outside the owner's yard -- but other people can borrow them for grazing.

The measure was suggested to Conlin by Jennie Grant, president of the Goat Justice League, which she says has 100 members."

Fifty-Seven Heaven -- Lonnie Cruse

Like Ed Gorman, I don't mind admitting that I read cozies from time to time. What the heck, I can't resist a book that starts off with a woman in a felt poodle skirt and a body in the trunk of a '57 Chevy. Before you get the wrong idea about the book, I'd better say that the setting is the present. The '57 Chevy has been lovingly restored by Jack Bloodworth, and he and his wife, Kitty, are at an antique car show. When Jack opens the truck to show it off, they find the body of Kitty's acid-tongued cousin, Will Ann, stuffed inside. She's been strangled with a pair of jumper cables.

There are plenty of suspects, since nobody seems to have cared much for Will Ann. Kitty's problem is that all the suspects are her family members either by blood or marriage, and while all of them have rock-solid alibis, she suspects that one of them must be the killer. And then somebody tries to kill her, coming all too close to succeeding.

Kitty's a fine amateur detective, and she'd probably have solved the case sooner if amnesia resulting from the attempt on her life hadn't slowed her down. But she gets to the end of things eventually, and as the book closes, she and Jack have signed up for a Citizens Police Academy. You can bet there's more murder in their future.

Kitty and Jack are an attractive pair, and Lonnie Cruse gets all the details of small-town life and marriage right. Laughs, tears, old cars, and murder. What more could you want?

As an aside, I see in the the book's biographical sketch that Lonnie and her husband own a '57 Chevy. My envy knows no bounds.

Kasey Lansdale Update

As some of you know, Kasey Lansdale (daughter of the infamous Joe R. Lansdale) is a singer. She recently performed with the Bob Wills Texas Playboy Band, and I thought this was a nice shot of her and the group, some of whom played with old Bob himself.

Kasey Lansdale Gets Around

Here she is with Thomas Jane, from The Punisher.