D. B. Cooper Update

Arkansas man to sell cash from '71 hijacking as case rekindles: "LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- In 1980, 8-year-old Brian Ingram found the sole link to the only unsolved airline hijacking in U.S. history buried in the sandy banks of the Columbia River.

Now 36, Ingram hopes to auction the weathered bundle of $20 bills as the FBI launches a new effort to find the unknown hijacker who parachuted into the night after taking over the 1971 Northwest Orient Airlines flight."

This Can't be Good

Scientists can read your mind... sort of | NEWS.com.au: "THOUGHTS are successfully being read for the first time by scientists using nothing but a modified MRI scanner and a special computer program.

Researchers from the Carnegie Mellon University in the US city of Pittsburgh have managed to find out if a person was thinking about one of ten physical objects, the UK’s Daily Mail newspaper reported.

The readings, which the newspaper said were 97 per cent accurate, were formed by measuring how the brain “lit up” when a person was thinking about one of ten drawings of buildings and tools."

Been Looking for a new Gig?

Bloomberg.com: Exclusive: "Jan. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Farid Mesbaah, male belly dancer, hopped on a car in Cairo's Shobra district and strutted his stuff.

He clanged metal castanets, magically converted his hips into pistons and twirled his head around like a centrifuge. The crowd at tables lining a dirt alley clapped rhythmically. Young men in jeans jumped up to wiggle along."

This Guy is Texas Tough

Worker cuts off own arm to free himself from machinery | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Latest News: "MANOR, Texas - A worker at a concrete company who got caught in machinery amputated his own arm to free himself Wednesday.

The 52-year-old man went to warm up some equipment at Alamo Concrete at about 4:30 a.m. when he got his sleeve caught. Austin/Travis County Emergency Medical Services spokesman Warren Hassinger said the man cut off his arm at the elbow to free himself."

Makes Sense to Me

Attorney installs shark tank in office - Yahoo! News: "BOZEMAN, Mont. - It started out as a joke — a lawyer putting a shark tank in his office. 'I said, 'What would it take to put a shark in a lawyer's office?'', and it kind of took off from there, said attorney Christopher Gillette.

On Monday, a crane hoisted a 1,000-gallon aquarium up to a second-story window in Gillette's new office."

George MacDonald Fraser, R. I. P.

George MacDonald Fraser has died. What a loss to fiction. When the first Harry Flashman novel was published in paperback, I picked it up off the paperback rack at the T. G. & Y. Store in Brownwood, Texas, attracted by the dandy cover. I read a couple of paragraphs and bought the book. Ever since that time, I've been a Flashman fan, reading each novel as it appeared in the U. S., either in hardback or paperback, whichever came to hand. I also thoroughly enjoyed The Pyrates, and I also liked Mr. American. When I read on The Rap Sheet about Fraser's passing, my first selfish thought was, "Now we'll never get the story of how Flashy fought on both sides during the Civil War." But now I'm just glad that he wrote the books he did and that I was attracted to that cover.

Evan Tanner and The Owl Take Note

Snorting a Brain Chemical Could Replace Sleep: "In what sounds like a dream for millions of tired coffee drinkers, Darpa-funded scientists might have found a drug that will eliminate sleepiness."

Archaeological Update

Can Ice Age art survive Man’s attempt to save it? - Times Online: "The survival of the most important cave paintings in the world is in doubt because of a severe fungal infection that spread after an air-circulation system was installed to protect them, archaeologists say.

The 17,000-year-old paintings known as “the Sistine Chapel of pre-history” - the Lascaux cave in the Dordogne region of southwest France - are being damaged by black spots that are spreading at an alarming rate. Fragments of the cave walls have broken off and some colour tones are fading. Now Unesco is sending a delegation of specialists to the cave to determine whether it should be placed on its World Heritage in Danger list."

New Issue of Mouth Full of Bullets Now On-Line

I'm pleased to announce that the Winter 2007 Issue of Mouth Full of Bullets Mystery Magazine is now available. Here's the URL: http://www.mouthfullofbullets.com

BJ Bourg
http://www.bjbourg.com

Bottom 10 Moments in Sports (and a Top Ten, Too)

In the Bottom 10, the ones involving kids are really sad.

Positive Coaching :: PCA Blog: "The “Mitchell Report” on steroid use in baseball “tops” PCA's list of the “Bottom 10 Moments in Sports, 2007.” PCA releases this list of the worst behavior in sports from pee-wees to the pros to stimulate discussion among parents, coaches, players and educators. We also list the 'Top 10 Moments in Sports, 2007' and provide Discussing Sports Incidents with Children, to help youth and high school athletes process all the life lessons contained in the Bottom 10 and Top 10 Moments."

In Case You Missed It

In Case You Missed It - 2007 50 Things We Know Now (That We Didn't Know This Time Last Year): "You tend to miss a few things going on in the world when the news focus is on which goofball might have parented Anna Nicole's baby.

To help you catch up on developments both great and small that you might have overlooked, we spent the year casting our net into the stream to catch some tasty info nuggets. We've pushed them into a giant news pill for you to swallow in one gulp."

10 Most-Anticipated Movies of 2008

10 Most-Anticipated Movies of 2008 on Yahoo! Movies

But only a couple are anticipated by me, so that's it. I'm officially an Old Fart. And keep off my lawn.

Happy Birthday, J. D. Salinger

Salinger turns eighty-nine today. Not everybody loves Salinger's work, but I'll never forget the first time I read The Catcher in the Rye. You might think that a kid growing up in smalltown Texas 50 years ago couldn't relate to Holden Caulfield. You'd be wrong. The book knocked me out. I laughed, I cried, I wished I could write like that. I don't know what Salinger's been up to since he went into seclusion, but maybe he's written another book as wonderful as the Catcher. It's something to hope for.

What the World Needs Now is Love, Sweet . . .

. . . oh, to hell with it. What the world needs now is a Taser shotgun.

A Taser shotgun for long-range electrifying | CNET News.com: "Taser International will move into production on a projectile that can disable someone up to 98 feet away with a quick blast of electricity.

The company has successfully completed tests with the Office of Naval Research on the Extended Range Electro-Muscular Projectile (XREP). Unlike current Taser guns, this projectile is fired out of a shotgun. When it strikes a target, the projectile transmits a jolt of electricity, and a second round can then be fired.

In current Taser guns, the projectile has the same function, but it is connected to the gun and a power pack with a wire, limiting the range to 25 feet. XREPs are wireless."

Sara Jane Moore Update

Some of you weren't even born when Sara Jane Moore took a shot at an American president, but I remember it well.

Woman who tried to kill Ford freed - Yahoo! News: "SAN FRANCISCO - Sara Jane Moore, who took a shot at President Ford in a bizarre assassination attempt just 17 days after a disciple of Charles Manson tried to kill Ford, was paroled Monday after 32 years behind bars. Moore, 77, was released from the federal prison in Dublin, east of San Francisco, where she had been serving a life sentence, the Bureau of Prisons said."

Local Crime Update

Santa Fe, Texas, is about six miles from Alvin. Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for pointing out this criminal activity in my locality.

iWon News - Man Allegedly Steals Neighbor's Panties: "SANTA FE, Texas (AP) - Police arrested a neighbor after a woman reported some of her undergarments had been stolen from her house. Charles Michael Clark, 30, has been charged with burglary and is free on $20,000 bond. Sgt. Eric Bruss said the woman had been out of town when she returned home and found a barefoot man in the living room. Bruss said the man fled.

Clark was arrested Sunday outside his home, a couple of blocks away, police said.

The woman, whose name hasn't been released, reported a bra and some panties were missing.

Clark told KTRK television that he had been doing drugs and was, quote: 'stoned and stupid.'

Clark also apologized during the television interview.

'I took her bra, but I didn't know nothing about her panties,' Clark said."

D. B. Cooper Update

FBI has 'reignited' Cooper hijacking case - UPI.com: "PORTLAND, Ore., Dec. 31 (UPI) -- The FBI is resurrecting the mysterious case of D.B. Cooper, who 36 years ago hijacked a plane and parachuted near Portland with $200,000 in stolen loot.

The bureau said in a news release Monday it is releasing new information to the public, including sketches, saying 'You can help.'

'Would we still like to get our man? Absolutely,' the release said. 'And we have reignited the case — thanks to a Seattle case agent named Larry Carr and new technologies like DNA testing.'"

We Interrupt this Blog for an Important News Bulletin

SFGate: Daily Dish : Federline Charms Hilton: "Britney Spears' ex-husband Kevin Federline has been photographed chatting intimately to socialite Paris Hilton.

Federline was pictured whispering into the star's ear at a Las Vegas club over the weekend, before giving her a kiss on the cheek.

The couple then shared a joke before partying together for the remainder of the evening."

2007 -- What a Year

It started off just fine, with an Edgar nomination for a story called "Cranked." It doesn't get much better than that. "Cranked" went on to be nominated for an Anthony and a Derringer, winning the latter. One out of three ain't bad. Oddly enough, however, the story wasn't picked for a single "best of the year" anthology. Maybe it wasn't as good as people thought.

Things went pretty much downhill after that. In June Judy was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and the rest of the year has been devoted to getting that taken care of. She's now in complete remission and has only one more chemo treatment to go. We're looking forward to reaching the end of that road.

However, on Christmas night, we discovered that Judy's 95-year-old mom has multiple brain tumors. She's in the Clear Lake Regional Medical Center now, and we're waiting to find out what the doctors conclude about our options. Judy has an appointment at MD Anderson on Wednesday, and she can't miss that. I have to be with her. Then her final chemo treatment is a week from today, January 7. She's going to feel terrible after the treatment, which will take the full day. We don't know what we'll do about her mother during that time, since we don't even know where her mother will be. Seems as if 2008 isn't going to get off to a promising start for us.

As you can see, we're not out celebrating tonight. I'm doing this blog entry about a half hour after returning from the hospital, and pretty quickly we'll hit the hay so we can be up and at 'em tomorrow.

My wish for all you blog readers is that 2008 will be a wonderful year, with good health and happiness for all. And if you're out there having fun tonight, drink a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.

Dave Barry's Year in Review

Dave Barry's year in review - 12/28/2007 - MiamiHerald.com: "• Toward the end of the year, entire days went by when it was possible to not think about Paris Hilton."

Always worth reading, though I must respectfully disagree with the above assertion.

Craby Joe's, R. I. P.

Franklin Avenue: "Craby Joe's has served as a watering hole to John Fante, Charles Bukowski, and many other great souls who drew from this well of characters and atmosphere from the wrong side of the tracks. Its now-dead neon sign blinked gaily in the opening credits for 'Barfly,' and its pickled eggs were the day's only protein for too many.

Gentrification has come to Skid Row, and now Craby Joe's, the final holdout among the dozens of bars that once lined Main Street, is being shoved into history's dustbin. Its neighbor the Cecil Hotel, already on the skids when Raymond Chandler described it in early short stories, is now a self-described boutique hotel, a destination for the discerning European traveler."

"Tumbleweeds" R. I. P.

'Tumbleweeds' Comic to End This Month After 42 Years: "NEW YORK Tom K. Ryan will end his 'Tumbleweeds' comic Dec. 30 after 42 years.

The 'cowboy comedy strip,' which also includes Native-American characters, is distributed by King Features Syndicate."

Gator Update: New York in 2108

mediabistro.com: UnBeige: "The tropical temperatures have brought a huge alligator problem to Central Park, although New Yorkers have recently taken to taming alligators from birth and keeping them as pets. The city's first 'alligator run' has just opened in Washington Square Park, which is now lush with palm trees."

Stark House March Book

I've heard of these, but I've never run across copies. After reading Ken Bruen's intro, I'm more eager than ever to read the novels themselves. Stark House continues to go great work.

This is Another of Those Links . . .

. . . that you really don't want to click.

John Scoleri's I AM LEGEND Page

In his comment to my post on I Am Legend, John Scoleri mentions that he must be the guy I talked to at a WFC years ago, and indeed he must. He has a great page with all the cover scans. Check it out.

The World's Most Beautiful Libraries

Wow.

This Top Ten Is a Little Different

I've never seen any of these, of course, and I never will, but it was fun to read about them.

The Top 10 Films of 2007 That You Never Heard Of � PopMatters | Blogs | Short Ends and Leader: "As part of this Decalogue, we have three clear comedies, one documentary, three horror films, a pair of avant-garde grindhousers, and a spaghetti western homage. They add up to one amazing set of movies, a collection of creativity the likes of which many of you have never seen."

Attention Bikers

The latest in smart accessories. Thanks to Jeff (Mr. Good Taste) Meyerson for the link.

Croc Update (Snopes Edition)

With extremely gory photos. Beware.

Long, Long Ago . . .

. . . in a land not so far away, on December 29th, Judy Stutts and I had a blind date arranged by our friends Fred Williams and Loibeth Black. And here Judy and I are all those years later, still together. In fact, I don't believe that either of us dated anyone else after that night, when the two couples went to Mart, Texas, and saw a movie called All the Fine Young Cannibals. I'm still in touch with Fred. We e-mail almost every day. Judy and Loibeth are still best friends, and they talked for an hour or so on the phone just yesterday. Judy and I have had some interesting years, certainly none more interesting than 2007, and 2008 looks to prove just as interesting. Wish us luck.

Netscape, R. I. P.

A Sad Milestone: AOL To Discontinue Netscape Browser Development: "Please observe a moment of silence for the Netscape browser. Netscape Navigator, the browser that launched the commercial Internet in October 1994, will die on February 1, 2008. AOL, which acquired Netscape in November 1998 for $4.2 billion, will announce today that they will discontinue development of the browser, currently on version 9."

Cinematic Titanic's First Release

Some MST3K alums are behind this venture. You can read about the release (The Oozing Brain) and see a trailer if you're so inclined.

Cinematic Titanic: "We’re really proud to announce that the first Cinematic Titanic DVD is available for sale! It’s been a fun and busy three months and We really hope you like it. Buy it now!"

CNN's Best and Worst Movies of 2007

Here's the article and list. I've seen one of the best and one of the worst. Given the way things are going, I doubt I'll see any of the rest of them anytime soon. I don't think I'll suffer from the loss.

New Issue of Thrilling Detective Now On-Line

Always a thrill. Click here.

I Am Legend -- Richard Matheson

A guy I met at a World Fantasy Convention years ago told me that he bought every copy of this book that he ran across. I'm pretty much the same way, which explains why I have this SF Book Club edition.

I first read the book when it was published by Gold Medal, long, long ago. Hard to believe I was so young. Hard to believe, too, how much this novel impressed me. I've read it several times since then, and I continue to enjoy it.

You probably know the basic story, even if you haven't read it. As the result of a plague, Robert Neville is the last human on Earth, and he's surrounded by vampires. Every day he goes out to kill them. Every night they surround his house and taunt him.

I have no idea if the science in the book makes any sense. I didn't care 50 years ago, and I don't care now. What matters is that I still find the story powerful. I still get weepy during the episode with the dog.

I haven't seen the new movie version, and it'll be a while before I do, if, in fact, I ever do. But for me it was a pleasure to read the book again and to be caught up in the story.

Archaeological Update

Ancient pyramid found in central Mexico City - International Herald Tribune: "MEXICO CITY: Archeologists have discovered the ruins of an 800-year-old Aztec pyramid in the heart of the Mexican capital that could show the ancient city is at least a century older than previously thought.

Mexican archeologists found the ruins, which are about 36 feet (11 metres) high, in the central Tlatelolco area, once a major religious and political centre for the Aztec elite."

America's Most Literate Cities

Biggest surprise: Alvin, Texas, not listed!

Not a surprise: Minneapolis #1. After all, Stilwell lives there.

Will the Persecution Never End?

Paris losing out on Hilton fortune - Celebrities- msnbc.com: "NEW YORK - Hotel heiress Paris Hilton’s potential inheritance dramatically diminished after her grandfather Barron Hilton announced plans on Wednesday to donate 97 percent of his $2.3 billion fortune to charity."

So What about Writers?

Drugs to build up that mental muscle - Los Angeles Times: "Despite the potential side effects, academics, classical musicians, corporate executives, students and even professional poker players have embraced the drugs to clarify their minds, improve their concentration or control their emotions."

Croc Update (Starring John Schneider and Cloris Leachman)

DVD Talk Review: Lake Placid 2: "Back in 1999, a fun little creature feature comedy called Lake Placid was released on the big screen. It's ever since been one of my favorite guilty pleasures. The movie had it all: giant crocodiles, funny cartoonish secondary characters, a nice little romance, and Betty White spewing out obscenities right and left. I don't think the movie made many waves upon its initial release, but it's subsequently become a minor cult classic.

Apparently, it has enough of a cult following that someone decided it would be a good idea to resurrect Lake Placid as a franchise, and lo and behold we now have the ingeniously titled Lake Placid 2 courtesy of Sony Pictures and the Sci-Fi Channel."

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

At 60% of Total, Texas is Bucking Execution Trend - New York Times: "This year’s death penalty bombshells — a de facto national moratorium, a state abolition and the smallest number of executions in more than a decade — have masked what may be the most significant and lasting development. For the first time in the modern history of the death penalty, more than 60 percent of all American executions took place in Texas."

No Good Way to Say This

Judy's mother has a urinary tract infection, all right, but that's the good news. She also has a brain tumor, which overwhelmingly like to be malignant. She's 95, so I doubt that the doctors will recommend aggressive treatment. We got very little sleep last night, and I'm not sure how much more of this kind of news we can handle. Sorry to burden you with it, but your good thoughts and prayers will be much appreciated, as usual. Don't know how much blogging I'll get done. I'm not much in the mood, and we'll be at the hospital a lot for a while, I'm sure. Not to mention Judy's own appointments. Thanks for sticking by us.

Ho, Ho, Ho!

Or, Christmas in the ER. Judy's 95-year-old mother is spending Christmas with us. She's very stoic and won't tell people when she's not well, but today it became evident that she wasn't. She was disoriented and tired, and we finally took her temperature around 6:00 p.m. It was over 100, so after some argument we bundled her off the the Alvin urgent care center. I'm just back from there to pick up a few things, and then I'll head for Clear Lake, where she's being admitted to the hospital. She has "a raging bladder infection," which might (and we certainly hope so) account for the disorientation. We have no idea how long she'll be in the hospital. Judy has an appointment at MD Anderson on Thursday.

Have I mentioned that I'm spending way too much time in medical facilities? At any rate, if I disappear for a while, you'll know why.

The Big Book of Pulps

I got The Big Book of Pulps for Christmas. Glancing through the ToC, I failed to see the name of Robert Leslie Bellem. Maybe I just missed it. Anyway, here's the kind of thing that's missing. This is from "Dump the Jackpot," which appeared in Speed Detective in the September 1943 issue. It was reprinted in Dan Turner, Hollywood Detective, edited by John Wooley:

A thunderous bellow flashed from Dave Donaldson's service .38, full the the prop man's elly-bay. Welch gasped like a leaky flue, hugged his punctured tripes, and slowly doubled over, fell flat on his smeller. A bullet can give a man a terrific case of indigestion.

The Holiday Spirit is Rampant in Brooklyn

NAKED KNIFE FIGHT: "December 24, 2007 -- A naked Brooklyn man waving a knife chased a terrifed young teenager and two women into an elevator yesterday, slashing at them as the doors closed on his arm, police and witnesses said.

'I'm going to kill you,' the man screamed after the three interrupted a fight he was having with an also-naked woman at 3 p.m. in a hallway at the Bushwick Houses, said resident Shawanda Sanders."

Christmas Morning

It's Christmas morning, and all through the house, not a creature is stirring except for me an a couple of the cats. So, feeling nostalgic about Christmases past, I started to look through an album of old family photos and ran across this one. It's probably not from but it was certainly wintertime. That's me on the right, but I didn't make the snowman. My parents did. I helped, though. I remember that snowman well, and I thought the pipe was an excellent touch. The snowman's pretty small, but I was highly impressed by it. I still am. I don't think I've ever seen a better one in all the years since.

As you can see, there aren't any other houses around. For the first five years or so of my life, we lived a mile or so outside of town. We had chickens, and I loved to look for their eggs. We had a milk cow, and although it's been a long time, I think I could still walk right outside and milk a cow if I had to. I doubt that I'll ever help build another snowman, though.

Joy to the World . . .

My traditional holiday greeting to all the readers of the blog. (Except I believe I skipped last year.) May your days be merry and bright, and may 2008 be filled with only good things.

There's a new slide show to the right. Take a look.

Caiman Update

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

Trinidad News, Trinidad Newspaper, Trinidad Sports, Trinidad politics, Trinidad and Tobago, Tobago News, Trinidad classifieds, Trinidad TV, Sports, Business: "JOY MOORE received a shock yesterday morning when she opened her toilet bowl only to see a black lizard-like creature, struggling to climb out.

She immediately slammed back down the lid of the bowl and was hysterical for the rest of the day, she said.

Much to her chagrin, she found out later that it was 'most likely' a baby caiman, a South American relative of the alligator, that might have made its way into the sewer system during yesterday's heavy rains and floods and ended up in her toilet bowl."

World's Oldest Living Thing

It's not me.

Archaeological Update

Ancient villas, baths restored in Rome - Yahoo! News: "ROME - The restored ruins of two opulent Roman villas and private thermal baths will open to the public Saturday, along with a 3-D reconstruction that offers a virtual tour of the luxurious residences discovered in downtown Rome.

The 19,375-square-foot complex, dating from the second to fourth centuries, features well-preserved mosaic and marble floors, bathtubs and collapsed walls that archaeologists believe belonged to a domus — the richly decorated residences of Rome's wealthy and noble families."

Eureka -- William Diehl

So tell me this: Why is it that whenever someone writes a southern California crime novel the reviews says things like "Comparisons will be made to Dashiell Hammett and James Ellroy's noir thrillers" and "Eureka will make you believe Raymond Chandler still lives"? Especially when the book has nothing at all in common with Hammett or Chandler. And, as we all know, there are some (me, for one) who would argue that Hammett didn't write "noir thrillers."

But who cares? What we actually have here is a sprawling novel that spans five decades, starting back in 1900 and ending in 1946. Maybe it has a little in common with Ross Macdonald because one of its themes is the effect of the past on the present. An L. A. cop, Zeke Bannon, and his partner discover that a woman found dead in her bathtub, victim of an apparent accident, has been receiving payments of $500 a month for twenty years or so. Then they find out that the "accident" was murder. This leads them to the town of San Pietro, once known as Eureka, and to Brodie Culhane, the chief of police, who has ambitions to become governor. Culhane's past has already been sketched out earlier in the book, and though he seems quite the hero to the reader, Bannon thinks he might be dirty. Bannon's investigation leads to mayhem, chicanery, and a couple of good twists. Even when the case is wrapped up, it's not wrapped up. The answers to everything finally come in an epilogue that takes place after Bannon returns from service in WWII.

I don't usually read this kind of novel. I picked it up in a hospital waiting room, and thought I'd give it a whirl. I'm not sorry I did. The historical details are interesting and, as far as I can tell, accurate. The good guys are really good, and the bad guys are really bad. The book is too long, but it moves so fast that I didn't mind. I did kind of mind the romance subplot with Bannon and a beautiful, wealthy woman. It's so unlikely that even I couldn't quite swallow it. There were some problems with the narration that really bothered me. I don't like it when a first person narrative is interrupted by italicized third-person comments. And I wondered what happened to the dog. Still, if you like epic-sized crime novels, this one shouldn't disappoint you.

I'm Not the Only One Who Needs a Proofreader

Or maybe it's not a mistake.

Paul defends asking for special projects - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON - Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul on Sunday defended his efforts in Congress to bring home money to his Texas district, despite his long-held aversion to big government and congressional votes to reign in federal spending."

It's Calder Willingham's Birthday

Calder Willingham (1922-1995) is one of those writers most people have forgotten, but I remember him well. That's because in 1963 I read a book of his called Eternal Fire. I was highly impressed, and I still have that old paperback on my shelves. At the time I didn't know about his movie work, including the screenplay for Paths of Glory (which had some punching up by Jim Thompson, as I recall) and One-Eyed Jacks (which I suspect had some additions by Marlon Brando). He also collaborated with Buck Henry on the screenplay for The Graduate.

You Don't Really Want to Click This Link

‘Wild Lindsay demanded sex’ | The Sun |HomePage|Showbiz|Bizarre: "LINDSAY LOHAN’S ex-boyfriend has revealed how the actress was an insatiable nymphomaniac addicted to marathon sex sessions."

Reader's Almanac Has Returned

If you missed Bill Peschel's Reader's Almanac, you'll be glad to know that it's been back in business at the old location for a few days now. Check it out.

Hairspray

It's hard not to like a movie as full of good will as this one, which presents 1962 as it never was but as it should have been: clean, colorful, and pretty much harmless, with lots of singing and dancing. It had me right from the first scene when Tracey (Nikki Blonsky) jumps out of bed with a smile on her face and a song in her heart.

Luckily for the audience, Tracey shares the song with us, and the whole opening sequence is bouncy with infectious happiness. In fact, the whole movie is bouncy and happy, and it carried me right along with it. I loved the colors, the songs, the dancing, and the actors, even John Travolta in his fat suit.

I liked the earlier version of the movie, too, the one with Ricki Lake, who turns up in a cameo. So does John Waters in another brief bit I liked. The plot in this one is pretty much the same, about the dance party TV program, the racism, and the beauty contest, but the energy and enthusiasm of the cast are what carry the show. If you need cheering up, this is one you can watch and get results.

Croc Update (Crossing Over Edition)

Psychic John Edward seeks message from Steve Irwin | The Courier-Mail: "TERRI Irwin says she is 'open' to receiving a message from the spirit of her late husband, Croc Hunter Steve, when an American psychic medium visits Australia Zoo next month.

Mrs Irwin, 43, told The Sunday Mail yesterday she sensed Steve was still with her and had 'great faith' that his spirit was still around.

International medium John Edward, who rose to international stardom with his television show Crossing Over, will appear in the Sunshine Coast zoo's Crocoseum on January 5 as part of a summer entertainment program."

Political Post -- Please Skip

This is, I suppose, highly political, but maybe you can enjoy it no matter what your politics are. Who knew George W. Bush could rock out like this?

Astonishing Adventures! Magazine Now On-Line

Issue #2 is now available for download. Sure to be a pulpy delight if the first issue was anything to go by.

If At First You Don't Succeed. . . .

MTV Movies Blog � CONFIRMED: Peter Berg Will Direct ‘Dune,’ Talking With Tom Cruise About ‘Edwin A. Salt’: "Ladies and gentlemen, the next huge sci-fi franchise has a director. During an interview with “The Kingdom” director Peter Berg, he confirmed the rumor that “Dune” is coming and that he’s the one that will helm it. Calling the plans for him to direct “a done deal,” Berg told me that “if it weren’t for the writer’s strike, we’d be in it right now.”"

How Much of an SF Geek are You?

	I received 72 credits on The Sci Fi Sounds Quiz How much of a Sci-Fi geek are you?
Guess the Sci-Fi Movie Sounds hereCanon powershot

Graham Powell Appreciation Day

Gerald So reminds me that it's that time of year: time to thank Graham Powell for Crimespot, where updated links to all your favorite blogs can be found. Graham's also running a charity drive, and you can contribute if you'd like to help.

Not a Juicer #1

Harry Potter Update

Rowling has considered another 'Potter': "'Harry and Hermione are at the Ministry of Magic, and Harry ends up leading the Auror department. Ron helps his brother George at the joke shop and does very well. Ginny becomes a professional Quidditch player and then sportswriter for the Daily Prophet.'"

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Texas slaps 'pole tax' on strip clubs - International Herald Tribune: "DALLAS: Texas, where strip clubs have given rise to Anna Nicole Smith and many other less-generously endowed performers, is about to make it more expensive to watch a little bump and grind.

In what some have dubbed the 'pole tax,' the Lone Star State will require its 150 or so strip clubs to collect a $5-per-customer levy, with most of the proceeds going to help rape victims. The tax goes into effect on New Year's Day."

Archaeological Update

Record-breaking haul from Gaul discovered at farm in Brittany - Independent Online Edition > Europe: "The largest treasure trove of pre-Roman, Gaulish money ever to be found has been discovered in central Brittany.

The 545 coins – each worth thousands of euros to collectors but priceless to historians and archaeologists – could overturn much of the received wisdom about the complexity, and wealth, of pre-Roman Celtic society in France. Why was such enormous wealth, a king's ransom at the time, buried in the grounds of a large Gaulish farm 40 miles south of Saint-Brieuc in the first century BC? Why was the hoard never recovered?"

10 Most Bizarre Scientific Papers

Some are more bizarre than others. I think my favorite is "Safe and Painless Manipulation of Penile Zipper Entrapment." You can see all of them here.

Hat tip the the Mike McGruff blog.

From Dave Zeltserman

Hardluck Stories: After a five year run Hardluck Stories will be shutting down, but we're going to go out with a bang with one final issue. The theme is 30s Pulp Noir, editors are Ed Gorman and Dave Zeltserman, and illustrations will be by the incomparable Jean-Pierre Jacquet. Maximum story length is 4000 words, deadline: May 1st, 2008.

Our Tax Dollars at Work

IRS paid one contractor $188,000 to provide 11 months worth of clerical work: "The Internal Revenue Service paid a contractor $188,000 to provide one person to do clerical work over 11 months.

The contract was included as one example of financial waste in a government report Thursday on the tax agency's involvement in a new program ordered by President Bush in 2004 to develop more secure ID cards for federal workers.

The Treasury Department's inspector general for tax administration said the IRS also needlessly spent almost $2 million on a computer security system that the tax agency doesn't plan using at this time."

Hellboy 2

I liked Hellboy quite a bit, and I'm sure I'll like this one, too. That is, I'll like it if I can make it out. Maybe I need glasses that light things up.

Will the Persecution Never End?

Thanks to John Duke for the update on the continuing abuse of our so-called "justice" system.

cbs2.com - Report: Gibson Got Celebrity Treatment, Not Paris: "A New Report Shows That Mel Gibson Got Preferential Treatment In His Arrest, Paris Hilton Did Not
LOS ANGELES (CBS) ― During the 2006 drunken driving arrest of actor Mel Gibson, three Los Angeles Sheriff's Department employees violated policy, according to the sixth annual Office of Independent Review of the department.

The same review found that there were no policy violations in the jailing of socialite Paris Hilton earlier this year.

The OIR is an independent oversight group entrusted with ensuring that internal investigations by the sheriff's department are 'thorough, fair and effective in addressing allegations of misconduct and other critical events,' according to an OIR statement."

Monster House

I watched this last night, and I kept thinking, "Didn't I read the book?" But I guess not. Just one of those creative coincidences, maybe.

The house of the title is a living entity that eats kids, cops, and dogs. Naturally nobody believes it, though DJ, the kid who lives across the street tries to tell them. Mr. Nebbercracker, who lives in the house, seems almost as evil as the house itself. And Halloween is coming.

You can probably take things from here, if your imagination is wild enough. I liked the animation, most of the jokes, and the house itself. The story could have used some work, I thought. Maybe if it had been more like that book I read. . . .

Number 5000

This is my 5000th post. You'd think I'd get a life. But noooooooooo.

Croc Update Update

Crocodile vet's arm back where it belongs | The Australian: "EIGHT months ago, Taiwanese veterinarian Chang Po-yu's severed forearm was in the jaws of a sick crocodile he had been trying to treat .

Yesterday, Mr Chang continued his rehabilitation towards regaining the use of his hand.

The zoo worker had his forearm reattached by surgeons after his colleagues recovered the severed limb from the mouth of the 200kg Nile crocodile.

The crocodile, named Chu Chu, severed Mr Chang's forearm at the Shaoshan Zoo in the southern city of Kaohsiung when the veterinarian tried to retrieve a tranquilliser dart from the reptile's hide."

Croc Update

I've seen albino crocs and gators before, but never a black one. There's a not very good photo at the link.

Endangered black crocodile confiscated from circus: "An extremely rare black crocodile has been seized by regional police officers from a circus in Barcelona and taken to an animal welfare centre.

The animal was found last Monday at the Gran Circo Universal, which has set up on the esplanade of the Barcelona Forum complex.

The paperwork for twelve Mississippi and six Cayman alligators also owned by the circus was found to be in order."

Want to Win a Fabulous Prize?

The Mom's Merry Madness Contest: "Ugly Christmas sweaters have become a holiday tradition. Whether you‘re throwing a themed party or just making an ironic statement, we at Hellish Holidays and True Mom Confessions want to see what you‘ve got! Submit a video or photo and you just might win a fabulous prize. Best video wins a PureDigital video camera and best photo wins a Stila makeup collection."

New Blog on the Block

Looks like one some of you might want to check out. I'm sure I'll be looking in.

Vintage Hardboiled Reads: "Welcome! This blog will be showcasing vintage paperback novels from the hardboiled, noir and western era. Many published by Gold Medal, Signet, Avon, Ace , Dell etc... Hope visitors get some satisfaction from viewing and any comments are welcome. Enjoy!"

CrimeSpot's Christmas Charity Drive

CrimeSpot.net - Spotted: "Some of you may have noticed a new widget at the top of the 'Recent Posts' column on the front page. Since this is the holiday season and all, I thought I would try to get a CrimeSpot.net charity drive running, with donations going to the United Way.

My target is $1,000 dollars. Since the site statistics say I get about 500 unique visitors a month, that's only two dollars a person. (If you can't see the widget, the donation page is here.)

Now, CrimeSpot is and always will be free, and there's no obligation to donate anything. If you prefer just to read the posts, I promise not to try guilting you into donating. You heartless monster.

I've already kicked in a starter donation (and left an inspirational comment). I'll also contribute $5 for each of the first ten people who mention this on their website and provide a link to the donation page. The address is:

http://www.firstgiving.com/CrimeSpot

Thank you for your support."

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Texan deals peyote legally | People | Reuters: "RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas (Reuters) - Mauro Morales has chickens in his yard, deer antlers hanging from the fence and a shed full of peyote behind his house.

A slight, balding man in his 60s, Morales is one of just three 'peyoteros' in the country licensed by the government to sell the small green cactus that contains the hallucinogen mescaline."

Bigfoot Update

Hunters of Sasquatch undaunted by failure -- baltimoresun.com: "Over the past year, the part-time resident of San Juan Capistrano, Calif., (Hersom's primary home is in Henderson, Nev.) has pumped tens of thousands of dollars into the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization, an Orange County-based group of Sasquatch-hunters.

Hersom pays the salary of Matt Moneymaker, the BFRO's director. He has outfitted the group with 10 thermal imaging cameras, as well as video recorders and night-vision devices. Total cost: more than $100,000.

In the process, Hersom hopes to change the popular conception of Bigfoot believers from wooly-eyed weirdos to heroic hominoid hunters."

A Tuna Christmas

Last Sunday afternoon, Judy and I drove down to Galveston to see A Tuna Christmas for the second time. We hadn't seen it in eight or ten years, and we could can always use a good laugh. Believe me, we got plenty of laughs.

Tuna, Texas, is one of our favorite towns, and even though it doesn't exist, it's so much like the towns where we grew up that we feel right at home. In fact, the characters in the play might well be related to us. We had a great time. Joe Sears and Jaston Williams play all 24 characters, and they're hilarious as every one of them. The plot, such as it is, involves the annual Christmas decorating contest, traditionally won by Vera Carp, whose hold on the trophy is now threatened by entries by Didi Snavely and a couple of fast-food workers named Inida Goodwin and Helen Bed. Things are complicated by the predations of the Christmas Phantom, who's been on the loose for years. And then there are the Smut Snatchers, who want to censor the local production of A Christmas Carol.

If you didn't grow up in a small town in Texas, maybe all this wouldn't seem quite so funny. All I can say is that I laughed for two hours, and I'm still smiling three days later. You can check out some video clips here.

Spiderman 3. . .

. . . in 30 seconds. And, of course, with bunnies.

New Issue of Mysterical-E is Up and Ready

Stories, reviews, columns, interviews, all kinds of good stuff right here.

Book Signing this Evening

Clyde Wilson will be at Murder by the Book at 6:30 this evening. If you're in the neighborhood, do drop in.

Gator Update (Medical Edition)

Renovo, Shire Developing Anti-Scar Drug: "The resilience of alligator embryos could hold the clue to reducing scars in people after surgery.

A British company, Renovo Group PLC, is developing an experimental injectable drug designed to prevent or reduce scarring. The drug, Juvista, originated in experiments conducted by Renovo's founder a quarter century ago in animal embryos. Renovo and its partner, Shire PLC, believe Juvista has blockbuster potential if patient trials are successful and it receives regulatory approval."

Chris Farley Died Ten Years Ago Today

Hard to believe it's been that long. I still think of John Belushi's death as recent.

THAT WAS AWESOME!: "December 16, 2007 -- Chris Farley came into this world on Feb. 15, 1964, weighing 12 pounds, 11 ounces. By age 33, he was gone, 296 pounds and dead of a drug overdose on Dec. 18, 1997."

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

iPod dance party lends something new to Capitol: actual fun: Finally. Somebody found a good use for the Texas Capitol: Turn it into a disco joint.

On Sunday afternoon, right at 2:10, about 50 people in their 20s and 30s gathered in the Capitol Rotunda and danced with their iPods on their heads. The dancers could hear the music, but you couldn't. About the only noise coming out of them was this one chick who sounded kinda like she was having sex with her clothes on.

Bopping about, they looked like they were having a lot more fun than what goes on when the Legislature is trying to do stuff like throw out House Speaker Tom Craddick.

"You can tell we're in Austin," a bystander observed.

"

Mr. Blandings Builds his Dream House

When you're sitting (or, in Judy's case, lying in bed) in a chemo room for ten or so hours, and you have nothing to watch except a little hospital TV set, it's nice that the hospital gets Turner Classic Movies.

Yesterday, Judy and I watched Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, a movie I've heard of for most of my life but which I'd never actually seen. Cary Grant is Mr. Blandings, who decided to build a house in Connecticut and escape his crowded apartment in NYC. Everything that can possibly go wrong, does. Hilarity ensues. If you've ever built a house (as I have), you'll get a lot of rueful laughs.

And what a cast. You can't beat Grant and Loy at this kind of low-key comedy. Loy is elegant and witty. Grant is elegant and sometimes frantic. Melvyn Douglas is fine, too, and it was fun to see Lex Barker in a minor speaking role before he went on to become Tarzan.

Judy and I smiled all the way through this one. It was just what we needed in the middle of a very long day.

To Speak for the Dead -- Paul Levine

To Speak for the Dead was Paul Levine's first novel and the first in the Jake Lassiter series. I don't know how many there have been since this one was published back in 1990, but I can say several with confidence. I enjoyed Levine's novels about the legal team of Solomon and Lord (see here and here), so I figured I'd like the Lassiter books, too.

And I do. I'd guessed from the title of one of the Solomon and Lord books (The Deep Blue Alibi) that Levine might be an admirer of John D. MacDonald. I mean doesn't that sound like the title of a Travis McGee novel to you? Well, almost. Anyway, Lassiter is a little like McGee might have been if he'd had a law degree. "I know you, Jake," Charlie Riggs says. "I know your code. It isn't written anywhere except all over your face. You're one of the last decent men. You're a guy who looks for broken wings to mend." Sounds a bit like the aforementioned McGee to me, and Charlie Riggs reminds me a lot of Meyer. Too bad the girl who falls for Lassiter doesn't know about what happens to . . . but I shall say no more on that topic.

The deal is that a man has died after surgery, and his doctor is accused of malpractice. The doctor is Lassiter's client, and Lassiter discovers that the good surgeon has been involved in hanky-panky with the doctor's wife. Heavy-duty hanky-panky, at that. And when Lassiter wins the civil case, the wife accuses the doctor of murder. After that, things get even more complicated.

Levine has an easy-going style, he creates colorful characters, he does the Florida scene very well, and he's funny. I'm sure I'll be reading more books in this series.

From Michael Smith at the Ace Image Library

Hi,

It's the end of the semester (and academic year) - yeah - and I can get to fun stuff. In other words, writing HTML code and scanning ACE cover images. In addition, I want to thank all of the ACE IMAGE LIBRARY users who have sent new (or improved) images, artist and publication data, as well as questions and comments. There are a few questions that have been asked of me this year I have yet to respond to, but that's another part of the update process (for me).

http://people.uncw.edu/smithms/ACE.html

The ACE IMAGE LIBRARY has had a substantial update in the POTPOURRI section. I have been using ADOBE GoLive coding software and have found a few problems that only I would have stumbled over. To make this section work much more elegantly, I have installed a new lead page for the POTPOURRI section that now provides you with links to separate pages for each of the Letter-Number series (both ACE Double and Singles). In addition, this year I have come across a series of collections of some of these odd and different volumes and have been putting them on the pages (but still not done, more to come).

http://people.uncw.edu/smithms/Ace_pot.html

I have also updated the WESTERN Doubles and Singles pages with more images and information. Please note I am still missing a couple of the ACE Doubles in this group and would appreciate any assistance from the AIL users.

http://people.uncw.edu/smithms/western_singles.html

The genres of MYSTERY and SCIENCE FICTION (both ACE Doubles and Singles) have had additional images installed, especially in the five-digit numerical series. Please note that a lot of the ACE publication lately (last 10 years or so) has been in Fantasy and I am still placing them with the Science Fiction pages (in part because some of them are cross-listed).

http://people.uncw.edu/smithms/5N-singles.html

I have been compiling more artist information as well as new images of the original paintings, drawings, illustrations, or preliminary drawings. I have been aided by many people who have allowed me to place these these on the ACE IMAGE LIBRARY site and I thank them again for their permission.

So, have fun. Remember, all errors are mine and any corrections are always appreciated.

Best regards for an enjoyable and interesting New Year.

Sincerely,

Michael

Meanwhile, in Sumatra, er, Indonesia. . .

Giant Rat Discovered in Indonesia Jungle: "JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Researchers in a remote jungle in Indonesia have discovered a giant rat and a tiny possum that are apparently new to science, underscoring the stunning biodiversity of the Southeast Asian nation, scientists said Monday."

Geeks are the New Chic

Why are geeks the new chic? - TODAY: Relationships - TODAYshow.com: "“Same time, next month, geologist and NASA researcher Michael Rampino will be here to speak about mass extinctions and the history of life,” he intones.

“Oooh, cool!” squeal four women — all in cat-eye glasses and vintage dresses — seated in front of me. In fact, the only bad news seems to be that the “Geek Chic” T-shirts are going fast."

Live Free or Die Hard

Okay, so it's a cartoon. You have to admit that it's an entertaining cartoon. Pretty much nonstop action, more explosions than you can count, lots of narrow escapes, bullets flying, and John McClane takes almost as much punishment as he got in all the previous Die Hard movies combined. In the course of hunting down the villain, McClane is the cause of billions of dollars in damages to the country's infrastructure, maybe as much as the villain would have been if he'd been left alone.

The plot? Well, it's pretty simple. A rogue computer nerd is going to shut down the country. All the services: water, traffic control, electricity, finances, everything. And, of course, he's going to make a ton of money.

Bruce Willis is one of the best in action movies, and he has this role down pat. Justin Long is good as the computer nerd, and Timothy Olyphant is okay as the villain. He's supposed to be a sort of villainous computer nerd, so you wouldn't expect, say, Hans Gruber. Check it out.

It's Philip K. Dick's Birthday

In the middle '50s I read a P. K. Dick short story that's really nothing at all like the ones he's most famous for. But that one stuck with me for 50 years or so before I found the magazine it was in and was able to read it again.

The Writer's Almanac from American Public Media: "It's the birthday of Philip K. Dick, born in Chicago (1928), who began to suffer from visions and hallucinations in the 1950s. He once thought he saw a face in the sky, which he described as 'a vast visage of evil with empty slots for eyes, metal and cruel, and worst of all, it was God.' He wasn't sure if his visions were authentic or if they were symptoms of mental illness, and he was fascinated that he could no longer tell what was real and what wasn't. He started writing a series of increasingly strange novels about the nature of reality that have since become science fiction classics, including The Man in the High Castle (1962), Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (1968), and A Scanner Darkly (1977).

Philip K. Dick said, 'Insanity is sometimes an appropriate response to reality.'"

Why Not Pictures of Rita Hayworth?

Two Union County Jail inmates pull off elaborate escape - Breaking News From New Jersey - NJ.com: "In their cells, the men constructed dummies and left them in their beds covered with blankets, Romankow said. They covered holes they had dug in the walls with magazine photos of bikini clad women, he said."

Nice Photo of Mickey Spillane

Tom Sutpen has it.

Neil deGrasse Tyson's Top Ten Favorite Facts About the Universe

Nine more facts at the link.

Neil deGrasse Tyson's Top Ten Favorite Facts About the Universe - washingtonpost.com: "5. There are more molecules of water in a cup of water than cups of water in all the world's oceans. This means that some molecules in every cup of water you drink passed through the kidneys of Genghis Khan, Napoleon, Abe Lincoln or any other historical person of your choosing. Same goes for air: There are more molecules of air in a single breath of air than there are breaths of air in Earth's entire atmosphere. Therefore, some molecules of air you inhale passed through the lungs of Billy the Kid, Joan of Arc, Beethoven, Socrates or any other historical person of your choosing."

Croc Paperback Cover of the Day

This is, unfortunately, Not Safe for Work. And yes, Cap'n Bob, there are crocs in the picture. Somewhere.

Beyond the Groovy Age of Horror: TELENOVELA VIETATA - Supplemento N. 8 - Il Cacciatore Di Coccodrilli (The Crocodile Hunter): "TELENOVELA VIETATA - Supplemento N. 8 - Il Cacciatore Di Coccodrilli (The Crocodile Hunter)"

Gator Update (Duck Hunting Edition)

TOMPKINS: Warmups signal gators' return | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "There's a reason many coastal Texas waterfowlers leave their Labs and other retrievers at home during the September teal-only hunting season. Alligators are active in sweltering September. To a gator, a Labrador swimming across a pond to retrieve a duck is just another potential meal.

There is not a single documented case of a Texas alligator fatally attacking a human. Dogs are a different story."