Will the real Paris Hilton please stand up? - Movie interviews- msnbc.com: "LOS ANGELES - Because of her checkered past, most folks don’t expect much from Paris Hilton. She, however, made it clear that she has high expectations of herself, while promoting “The Hottie and the Nottie,” a romantic comedy hitting theaters on Friday that she executive produced and stars in."
Thanks to the ever-alert John Duke for the link.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Famous Writer Quits Day Job
Duane Swierczynski resigns as City Paper editor | Philadelphia Daily News | 02/04/2008: "City Paper editor Duane Swierczynski gave notice today that Feb. 15 he'll be leaving the weekly that he's run since October 2004. Swierczynski told us moments ago that he's leaving to focus more on the mystery novels that he now writes only on nights and weekends. His latest, 'The Blonde,' is out from St. Martin's Minotaur."
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
The Associated Press: Man Says Exorcism Led to Wife's Death: "ODESSA, Texas (AP) — A man accused of killing his wife says he was trying to exorcise a demon from her when the devil entered his body and caused her to die, according to a police probable cause statement.
Jan David Clark, 60, was arrested Friday after authorities went to his home and found Susan Kay Clark's body wrapped in a bed sheet with a cross and sword on top of it."
Jan David Clark, 60, was arrested Friday after authorities went to his home and found Susan Kay Clark's body wrapped in a bed sheet with a cross and sword on top of it."
Soon We'll Have No Rights Left at All
New Rule: No Farting In School :: Legal Juice: "As reported in The Knox County Times, Camden-Rockport Middle School in New Jersey has banned farting, apparently due to a bunch of superfarting eighth-graders."
Croc Update (Cane Toad Edition)
Cane toads threaten rare crocodile population - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): "North Australian environmentalists say time is running out to save a rare miniature crocodile from extinction.
Ten dead freshwater crocodiles have been discovered in a remote billabong on Auvergne Station near the Northern Territory and Western Australia border.
Post-mortem results showed they died from eating cane toads."
Ten dead freshwater crocodiles have been discovered in a remote billabong on Auvergne Station near the Northern Territory and Western Australia border.
Post-mortem results showed they died from eating cane toads."
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Will the Persecution Never End?
50 CENT - 50 CENT MAKES PARIS HILTON CRY: "Rap superstar 50 CENT kicked PARIS HILTON offstage and reduced her to tears during a pre-Super Bowl concert on Thursday (31Jan08). Hilton hosted the bash for 944 magazine in Scottsdale, Arizona and was stunned when the headliner turned on her."
Worst Movie Dialogue Ever?
Photo 1 | 15 Nominees for Worst Movie Dialogue Ever | Photos | EW.com: "Some of the most regrettable lines in Hollywood history come from the mouths of babes (Drew Barrymore), Oscar nominees (Tom Cruise), and superheroes (Halle Berry). Here are 15 of the all-time silliest."
A Trip to Bountiful?
The reason for the sparse posting today is that Judy and I took her mother home for a quick visit and to pick up a few things from her house. I don't think the idea that she'd probably never see the place again sunk in, and Judy and I certainly didn't mention it. A few of her friends saw the car in the driveway and stopped in. We took her to the new church to see the pews that hadn't been put in when she came here for Christmas. We came back here. Life goes on.
Frenzy -- James O. Causey
James O. Causey is one of those writers about whom I know nothing at all. I have three or four books by him, and that's it. This one is the real thing, right there in Jim Thompson territory.The narrator is a self-described two-bit grifter, a small-timer who screws up every time he gets close to the big time. After his most recent beating, he goes back to his hometown and sees the opportunity to make his big score at last. He's willing to do whatever it takes to get to the top. He'll lie to anyone, use anyone, cheat anyone. Old friends? Screw 'em. Family members? Screw 'em. When you think he's gone about as low as possible, he sinks lower. And finally . . . well, that's what you'll have to find out for yourself. The ending packs quite a noir punch.
Frenzy has a lot of sex and even more violence, along with one of the most despicable characters you'll ever run across. I'm surprised this one hasn't been reprinted, but reading copies turn up cheap now and then. Check it out if you like the down and dirty.
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Hollywood Elsewhere on The Friends of Eddie Coyle
• Hollywood Elsewhere •: "Six years and three months ago, I begged Paramount Home Video to please think about issuing a DVD of Peter Yates' The Friends of Eddie Coyle. Beloved by serious crime fans, one of greatest hard-boiled noirs of the '70s, a classic of its kind and still absent from the shelves and the Netflix rent list in early '08."
Anna Nicole Smith Update
E! News - Daniel Smith's Pictorial Postmortem? - Anna Nicole Smith: "If only these pictures could speak for themselves.
Howard K. Stern took several photographs of Daniel Smith's lifeless body, thinking he could make a profit on the morbid shots, a former companion of Anna Nicole Smith's testified Wednesday during the ongoing inquest into her 20-year-old son's 2006 death."
Howard K. Stern took several photographs of Daniel Smith's lifeless body, thinking he could make a profit on the morbid shots, a former companion of Anna Nicole Smith's testified Wednesday during the ongoing inquest into her 20-year-old son's 2006 death."
Friday, February 01, 2008
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Popular dancing video game making its way to area P.E. classes: "Midway elementary schools have a new secret weapon to get kids moving — video games.
“Dance Dance Revolution,” the hit video game from Japanese arcades to American living rooms, is now the hot new activity in South Bosque Elementary School’s physical education classes.
“It’s good for cardiovascular, rhythm, coordination, timing,” said South Bosque PE teacher Brenda Schaefer. “It really is a well-rounded blend of things.”"
“Dance Dance Revolution,” the hit video game from Japanese arcades to American living rooms, is now the hot new activity in South Bosque Elementary School’s physical education classes.
“It’s good for cardiovascular, rhythm, coordination, timing,” said South Bosque PE teacher Brenda Schaefer. “It really is a well-rounded blend of things.”"
This Year's List
You'll have to excuse me. I'm going to put on my shawl and sit in front of the fire.
Beloit College Public Affairs: "Most of the students entering College this fall, members of the Class of 2011, were born in 1989. For them, Alvin Ailey, Andrei Sakharov, Huey Newton, Emperor Hirohito, Ted Bundy, Abbie Hoffman, and Don the Beachcomber have always been dead."
Beloit College Public Affairs: "Most of the students entering College this fall, members of the Class of 2011, were born in 1989. For them, Alvin Ailey, Andrei Sakharov, Huey Newton, Emperor Hirohito, Ted Bundy, Abbie Hoffman, and Don the Beachcomber have always been dead."
Which Predictions Did Golden Age Science Fiction Get Right & Wrong?
SF Signal: MIND MELD: Which Predictions Did Golden Age Science Fiction Get Right & Wrong?: "Although science fiction fans know better, the general populace likes to think of sf as being written with the express purpose of predicting the future. So we posed the following question to a bunch of people in the since fiction community:
Science fiction is often accused of being The Great Predictor. Which predictions did Golden Age science fiction get right? Which ones were way off the mark?"
Science fiction is often accused of being The Great Predictor. Which predictions did Golden Age science fiction get right? Which ones were way off the mark?"
Gator Update (Sawed-Off Edition)
Man convicted of having sawed-off shotgun in stuffed alligator -- amNY.com: "ALBANY, N.Y. - A 50-year-old man faces up to 15 years in prison for having a sawed-off shotgun inside his stuffed alligator, according to prosecutors."
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Cheeseburger in a Can Update
If you click here, you can get the whole experience in pictures, from the purchase to the eating. You have to scroll through a number of posts, but it's all there.
Croc Update (Missing Link Edition)
Brazil finds fossil of missing link to crocodile | Science | Reuters: "RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Brazilian paleontologists said on Thursday they had found the fossil of a new species of prehistoric predator that represented a 'missing link' to modern-day crocodiles.
The well-preserved fossil of Montealtosuchus arrudacamposi, a medium-sized lizard-like predator measuring about 5 1/2 feet (1.7 meters) from head to tail, dates back about 80 million years to the Late Cretaceous period.
'This is scientifically important because the specimen literally is the link between more primitive crocodiles that lived in the era of the dinosaurs 80-85 million years ago and modern species,' said paleontologist Ismar de Souza Carvalho of Rio de Janeiro Federal University."
The well-preserved fossil of Montealtosuchus arrudacamposi, a medium-sized lizard-like predator measuring about 5 1/2 feet (1.7 meters) from head to tail, dates back about 80 million years to the Late Cretaceous period.
'This is scientifically important because the specimen literally is the link between more primitive crocodiles that lived in the era of the dinosaurs 80-85 million years ago and modern species,' said paleontologist Ismar de Souza Carvalho of Rio de Janeiro Federal University."
UFO Update Update (Yes, Another One from Stepheville)
Secret technology might account for UFO sightings : Big Country : Abilene Reporter-News: "WASHINGTON -- Put the alien theories on hold; at least that's what some experts would suggest.
Instead of beings from outer space visiting Big Country skies, the Air Force could be secretly working out the kinks in the next U-2 spy plane or B-2 stealth bomber.
U.S. military pilots could have been at the helm of unidentified flying objects decked out with secret technology, accounting for reports from Erath, Brown and Comanche counties in the past month.
After all, the military possesses experimental technologies the public might not know about until decades after development."
Instead of beings from outer space visiting Big Country skies, the Air Force could be secretly working out the kinks in the next U-2 spy plane or B-2 stealth bomber.
U.S. military pilots could have been at the helm of unidentified flying objects decked out with secret technology, accounting for reports from Erath, Brown and Comanche counties in the past month.
After all, the military possesses experimental technologies the public might not know about until decades after development."
Couldn't they Arrest the Baggage Handlers?
For dwarf tossing?
Thanks to Steve Stilwell for the link.
Dwarves zipped in suitcases steal from Swedes - Telegraph: "Criminal gangs are using dwarves in a ruse to steal from the luggage holds of long-distance coaches, by hiding them inside suitcases, according to police.
The bizarre crime is on the rise in Sweden and officers say thieves have got away with thousands of pounds in cash, jewellery and other valuables in recent months.
Gangs are said to sneak the dwarves into the luggage hold, hidden inside baggage.
Then, once the journey has begun, the stowaways are free to rifle through the bags of other passengers without fear of being apprehended."
Thanks to Steve Stilwell for the link.
Dwarves zipped in suitcases steal from Swedes - Telegraph: "Criminal gangs are using dwarves in a ruse to steal from the luggage holds of long-distance coaches, by hiding them inside suitcases, according to police.
The bizarre crime is on the rise in Sweden and officers say thieves have got away with thousands of pounds in cash, jewellery and other valuables in recent months.
Gangs are said to sneak the dwarves into the luggage hold, hidden inside baggage.
Then, once the journey has begun, the stowaways are free to rifle through the bags of other passengers without fear of being apprehended."
Spinetingler Awards
Congratulations to all and especially to the winners.
And the new issue of Spinetingler is up, too.
Then there's At Central Booking, a new networking site. Sandra Ruttan's been busy.
Check it all out.
And the new issue of Spinetingler is up, too.
Then there's At Central Booking, a new networking site. Sandra Ruttan's been busy.
Check it all out.
We're UN Troops . . .
. . . and we're here to deface your prehistoric art.
UN vandals spray graffiti on Sahara’s prehistoric art - Times Online: "Spectacular prehistoric depictions of animal and human figures created up to 6,000 years ago on Western Saharan rocks have been vandalised by United Nations peacekeepers, The Times has learnt.
Archaeological sites boasting ancient paintings and engravings of giraffes, buffalo and elephants have been defaced within the past two years by personnel attached to the UN mission, known by its French acronym, Minurso."
UN vandals spray graffiti on Sahara’s prehistoric art - Times Online: "Spectacular prehistoric depictions of animal and human figures created up to 6,000 years ago on Western Saharan rocks have been vandalised by United Nations peacekeepers, The Times has learnt.
Archaeological sites boasting ancient paintings and engravings of giraffes, buffalo and elephants have been defaced within the past two years by personnel attached to the UN mission, known by its French acronym, Minurso."
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
James Reasoner Update
This is from Rusty Burke and was posted on the REHUPA list. I'm reprinting it with Rusty's permission.
I just talked to Jim, he seemed in pretty good spirits, all things considered -- he was bein' Jim. Says they don't have any real immediate needs -- Red Cross gave them some assistance, insurance gave them some (and house, truck, etc. were insured, though of course the books and pulps and such are probably irreplaceable). They're staying with his in-laws for now. But in spite of my bringing up the offer several times, he says they don't need any immediate help, they are well taken care of.
He did say that once they get settled and he has the space, he would certainly appreciate donations such as Larry is talking about, books about the West, copies of his own work, etc.
He lost the book he was working on, which was about half done. He emailed his editor when he was at the library and says he was told "I would drive nails through my hands before I'd take that book away from you." Now there's a good editor! Has five books lined up and is going to get working as soon as he can pick up a new laptop.
As to the origin of the fire: as most of you know, it's been dry in Texas, and there are burn bans all over the state. He says the wind was blowing like hell yesterday, and the fire department thinks that some electrical wires blew together and arced, sending sparks into the dry grass, the wind whipped it up and sent it racing right at his house. He was at home alone -- the girls were off at their schools student teaching and Livia was running errands -- and he smelled smoke. He went outside and saw the field on fire, racing toward the house. He grabbed the hose, turned back around and saw how fast the fire was coming, said the hell with it, threw down the hose and ran into the house and grabbed the dog and ran like hell. Said the whole time from when he saw the flames to when he was running for his life was about a minute and a half. That fire must have been damned hot to take the house and studio as quickly and totally as it did. He also lost that beautiful new F-150 I was admiring when I saw him at the REH Birthday Bash just a little over a week ago.
I should let Jim tell his story himself once he gets up and running again -- he promises that once he has the laptop he'll find a wireless joint and get back online and bring us up to date. But like I say, he seemed to be in pretty good spirits. So keep sending good thoughts their way, but we don't need to organize any immediate relief efforts.
If you have or can get copies of his books or the anthologies with his contributions, or books about Texas and the West, I know that when the time comes that he can start putting a library together again he will appreciate it.
I just talked to Jim, he seemed in pretty good spirits, all things considered -- he was bein' Jim. Says they don't have any real immediate needs -- Red Cross gave them some assistance, insurance gave them some (and house, truck, etc. were insured, though of course the books and pulps and such are probably irreplaceable). They're staying with his in-laws for now. But in spite of my bringing up the offer several times, he says they don't need any immediate help, they are well taken care of.
He did say that once they get settled and he has the space, he would certainly appreciate donations such as Larry is talking about, books about the West, copies of his own work, etc.
He lost the book he was working on, which was about half done. He emailed his editor when he was at the library and says he was told "I would drive nails through my hands before I'd take that book away from you." Now there's a good editor! Has five books lined up and is going to get working as soon as he can pick up a new laptop.
As to the origin of the fire: as most of you know, it's been dry in Texas, and there are burn bans all over the state. He says the wind was blowing like hell yesterday, and the fire department thinks that some electrical wires blew together and arced, sending sparks into the dry grass, the wind whipped it up and sent it racing right at his house. He was at home alone -- the girls were off at their schools student teaching and Livia was running errands -- and he smelled smoke. He went outside and saw the field on fire, racing toward the house. He grabbed the hose, turned back around and saw how fast the fire was coming, said the hell with it, threw down the hose and ran into the house and grabbed the dog and ran like hell. Said the whole time from when he saw the flames to when he was running for his life was about a minute and a half. That fire must have been damned hot to take the house and studio as quickly and totally as it did. He also lost that beautiful new F-150 I was admiring when I saw him at the REH Birthday Bash just a little over a week ago.
I should let Jim tell his story himself once he gets up and running again -- he promises that once he has the laptop he'll find a wireless joint and get back online and bring us up to date. But like I say, he seemed to be in pretty good spirits. So keep sending good thoughts their way, but we don't need to organize any immediate relief efforts.
If you have or can get copies of his books or the anthologies with his contributions, or books about Texas and the West, I know that when the time comes that he can start putting a library together again he will appreciate it.
Script Doctor
Dr. Mark R. Brinker not ready to quit his day job | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "Houston doctor Mark R. Brinker has scored his first Hollywood credit: as a co-screenwriter of Untraceable, the moody cyber-thriller starring Diane Lane that opened last week. Better still, he and writing partner Robert Fyvolent have already signed for their next project: They're adapting Fatal Frame, a popular video game, into a horror flick for DreamWorks Pictures.
But that doesn't mean Brinker is ready to quit his day job.
Based in Houston since 1993, the 47-year-old Brinker is a top-notch orthopedic surgeon, specializing in trauma, acute injury and reconstructive repair. He holds active staff appointments at Texas Orthopedic Hospital and Hermann Hospital."
But that doesn't mean Brinker is ready to quit his day job.
Based in Houston since 1993, the 47-year-old Brinker is a top-notch orthopedic surgeon, specializing in trauma, acute injury and reconstructive repair. He holds active staff appointments at Texas Orthopedic Hospital and Hermann Hospital."
Judy Update
I'm still reeling from the news about James and Livia Reasoner's house and studio being lost, but I do have some good news. Judy and I went to M. D. Anderson today to find out about the battery of tests she had on Monday. The results were excellent. She's completely free of the lymphoma. The doctor says that 50% of patients who receive "standard of care" treatment go five or more years before symptoms return. He hopes, as we do, that the clinical trial Judy was on will have even better results.
Thanks to all of you for your support during this tough time. All the good thoughts, prayers, and positive energy were more help than I can say. Don't forget us, but turn some of that stuff Jame and Livia's way.
Thanks to all of you for your support during this tough time. All the good thoughts, prayers, and positive energy were more help than I can say. Don't forget us, but turn some of that stuff Jame and Livia's way.
There Just Aren't any Words
After reading this, I can't imagine what James and Livia must be feeling and going through. I'm stunned and sick about it. I know you'll all want to remember them in your thoughts and prayers.
Smoked Rat Update
Customs officers seize hundreds of headless rats destined for London restaurants | the Daily Mail: "Customs officers have seized hundreds of headless rats which were being smuggled to London So African diners could crunch into their bones and flesh.
Hundreds of rat corpses - which had been smoked to improve their flavour - were found at Tilbury Docks, in London.
The grisly discovery was made by customs officials as they made a routine inspection of a shipment of synthetic hair at the docks."
Hundreds of rat corpses - which had been smoked to improve their flavour - were found at Tilbury Docks, in London.
The grisly discovery was made by customs officials as they made a routine inspection of a shipment of synthetic hair at the docks."
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Crime Update
Thanks to John Duke for the link.
The Associated Press: Archivist Accused of Stealing
Artifacts: "NEW YORK (AP) — A state archivist was charged with stealing hundreds of artifacts — documents representing 'the heritage of all Americans,' according to the history buff who found some of them on eBay — to pay his household bills.
Daniel Lorello, 54, is accused of taking the rare items from the New York State Library, including Davy Crockett Almanacs, Currier and Ives lithographs and the 1865 railroad timetable for Abraham Lincoln's funeral train. Authorities believe he hawked them for tens of thousands of dollars, using much of that to pay off his daughter's credit card debt."
The Associated Press: Archivist Accused of Stealing
Artifacts: "NEW YORK (AP) — A state archivist was charged with stealing hundreds of artifacts — documents representing 'the heritage of all Americans,' according to the history buff who found some of them on eBay — to pay his household bills.
Daniel Lorello, 54, is accused of taking the rare items from the New York State Library, including Davy Crockett Almanacs, Currier and Ives lithographs and the 1865 railroad timetable for Abraham Lincoln's funeral train. Authorities believe he hawked them for tens of thousands of dollars, using much of that to pay off his daughter's credit card debt."
Croc Headline of the Day
Man dies in crocodile orgy | The Courier-Mail: "AMOROUS crocodiles are causing so much havoc to a Papua New Guinean coastal community that authorities have ordered a cull.
Police on the northern PNG island of Manus asked licensed firearm holders to form a hunting party after mating crocodiles killed one man last week.
Earlier in the month a youth from nearby Kali Island was diving with friends when he was attacked by crocodiles."
Police on the northern PNG island of Manus asked licensed firearm holders to form a hunting party after mating crocodiles killed one man last week.
Earlier in the month a youth from nearby Kali Island was diving with friends when he was attacked by crocodiles."
Bond. James Bond.
James Bond: the spy who changed me - Telegraph: "The films are flawed, the books somewhat crude, so why, in his creator's centenary year, are we still in love with James Bond? The writer Anthony Horowitz, whose Rider novels were inspired by 007, says he's a Byronic hero of our time - with a touch of Harry Potter."
Liar's Diary -- Patry Francis
Today, January 29, is the day a lot of bloggers are helping out Patry Francis, who's not able to tour for her book because of her fight with cancer. I'm glad to do what I can for her, and here's a link to the Amazon page if you'd like to buy her book. The paperback is available now. It would be particularly nice if you'd buy from January 29-February 1.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Seeker -- Jack McDevitt
Not so long ago, I mentioned Jack McDevitt's Ancient Shores. George Kelley wrote to say that Seeker was even better, and to prove it, he sent me a copy of the novel. since I had a long day in waiting rooms yesterday, I thought I'd give it a try.Not that I ever doubted it, but George was right. This is the kind of book I'd have loved when I was 15, which is to say it's got all the stuff I like: deep space, the far future, mystery, exploration, lost planets, and readable prose. And I like it that even many thousands of years in the future, people still read books and remember Byron's line about the Assyrians.
Alex Benedict and Chase Kolrath deal in antiquities. When they come across a cup that appears to have been on a ship presumed lost thousands of years previously, a ship that carried colonists from Old Earth to a new home, they're naturally curious. Their investigation leads to them to some dangerous characters and some wonderful discoveries. This is prime stuff, and I enjoyed it.
Dino Update: Save the Tracks!
The first time I saw this exhibit, I was just a tot. It was a big deal for me at the time. I hope they can to something to preserve it.
Dinosaur tracks could be relocated - Top Stories: "UT's Texas Memorial Museum is pressuring University officials to help salvage the remains of a set of prehistoric dinosaur tracks, one of the last of its kind in the world.
Because of improper preservation during the initial excavation in 1938, the 30-ton slab of fossilized sauropod and theropod dinosaur footprints has been deteriorating for more than two decades in the small trackway house outside of the museum."
Dinosaur tracks could be relocated - Top Stories: "UT's Texas Memorial Museum is pressuring University officials to help salvage the remains of a set of prehistoric dinosaur tracks, one of the last of its kind in the world.
Because of improper preservation during the initial excavation in 1938, the 30-ton slab of fossilized sauropod and theropod dinosaur footprints has been deteriorating for more than two decades in the small trackway house outside of the museum."
Fred Savage is 31? Good Grief.
Usmagazine.com | Actor Fred Savage and Wife Expecting Second Child: "Fred Savage and his wife Jennifer Stone have another little one on the way!
'We are expecting baby number 2!” the actor, 31, told Usmagazine.com at the 60th annual Directors Guild of America Awards in L.A. Saturday."
'We are expecting baby number 2!” the actor, 31, told Usmagazine.com at the 60th annual Directors Guild of America Awards in L.A. Saturday."
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
WFAA TV: Denton County prosecutors decided Friday to wash their hands of a case against a Lewisville middle school student accused of trying to get high by sniffing his teacher's hand sanitizer.
Three days after filing delinquency charges against the youth, prosecutors did a turnaround and decided that the common cleaning gel is not an abusive inhalant under the Texas Health and Safety Code.
"It's not a crime. Hand sanitizer does not fall within that statute," said Jamie Beck, first assistant district attorney in Denton County. "The police agency brought it up mistakenly thinking it was."
Three days after filing delinquency charges against the youth, prosecutors did a turnaround and decided that the common cleaning gel is not an abusive inhalant under the Texas Health and Safety Code.
"It's not a crime. Hand sanitizer does not fall within that statute," said Jamie Beck, first assistant district attorney in Denton County. "The police agency brought it up mistakenly thinking it was."
Free Music Update Update
Daily Mail: Music fans around the world faced confusion today as it was announced they would be able to download unlimited, free songs without breaking the law.
A revamped online file-sharing service had vowed to offer a catalogue of 30million free songs that are compatible with iPods, but record labels have denied they had granted permission to share the songs.
Free Music Update
From today, feel free to download another 25 million songs - legally - Times Online: "After a decade fighting to stop illegal file-sharing, the music industry will give fans today what they have always wanted: an unlimited supply of free and legal songs.
With CD sales in free fall and legal downloads yet to fill the gap, the music industry has reluctantly embraced the file-sharing technology that threatened to destroy it. Qtrax, a digital service announced today, promises a catalogue of more than 25 million songs that users can download to keep, free and with no limit on the number of tracks."
With CD sales in free fall and legal downloads yet to fill the gap, the music industry has reluctantly embraced the file-sharing technology that threatened to destroy it. Qtrax, a digital service announced today, promises a catalogue of more than 25 million songs that users can download to keep, free and with no limit on the number of tracks."
Another Day at MDA
Judy and I will be at MD Anderson all day today. She's going to get the full array of tests: bone marrow biopsy, CT-scan, PET scan. Our son is visiting from Austin, and he'll stay here at the house with his grandmother while we're gone. We hope this is going to be the last of the testing for a while, and of course we're hoping that the results are all positive. Judy's feeling like a lab rat about now, and she thinks that once you get into the hands of the medical establishment, they never let you go. But at least maybe they'll give her a short break.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Duck and Cover
The Associated Press: Defunct Spy Satellite Falling From Orbit: "WASHINGTON (AP) — A large U.S. spy satellite has lost power and propulsion and could hit the Earth in late February or March, government officials said Saturday.
The satellite, which no longer can be controlled, could contain hazardous materials, and it is unknown where on the planet it might come down, they said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is classified as secret.
'Appropriate government agencies are monitoring the situation,' said Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the National Security Council. 'Numerous satellites over the years have come out of orbit and fallen harmlessly. We are looking at potential options to mitigate any possible damage this satellite may cause.'"
The satellite, which no longer can be controlled, could contain hazardous materials, and it is unknown where on the planet it might come down, they said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the information is classified as secret.
'Appropriate government agencies are monitoring the situation,' said Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the National Security Council. 'Numerous satellites over the years have come out of orbit and fallen harmlessly. We are looking at potential options to mitigate any possible damage this satellite may cause.'"
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Laramie
Thanks to John Hall I got to see this Durango Kid movie starring (of course) Charles Starrett. There aren't any posters on the web, so no picture this time. The plot's pretty simple (no surprise). Somebody's selling guns to the Indians and stirring up trouble so there'll be more opportunity to sell more guns. Starrett's trying to prevent trouble, the the chief is killed during a visit to a fort near Laramie. That means war.
There are a lot of interesting things about his movie. The singer is Elton Britt, and he sings probably his biggest hit, "Chime Bells." Britt could flat-out yodel. He sings "Molly Darling" with no yodeling, and it's good, too. I'm listening to him on Rhapsody now, just for fun. Smiley Burnette is the comedy relief, and he sings, too. Not as well as Britt, though.
The most entertaining bit for movie fans is the climactic scene when the bad guys, disguised as Indians, take off after a stage. Suddenly the scene turns out to be Monument Valley, and the small band of bad guys has been transformed into dozens. Sure enough, the filmmakers have taken the scenes from Stagecoach and intercut them with some filmed for the movie. Which explains why Starrett appears wearing a flap-front shirt just before the scene begins. I suppose none of the matinee crowd noticed this back in 1948, but a movie buff today couldn't miss it.
There are a lot of interesting things about his movie. The singer is Elton Britt, and he sings probably his biggest hit, "Chime Bells." Britt could flat-out yodel. He sings "Molly Darling" with no yodeling, and it's good, too. I'm listening to him on Rhapsody now, just for fun. Smiley Burnette is the comedy relief, and he sings, too. Not as well as Britt, though.
The most entertaining bit for movie fans is the climactic scene when the bad guys, disguised as Indians, take off after a stage. Suddenly the scene turns out to be Monument Valley, and the small band of bad guys has been transformed into dozens. Sure enough, the filmmakers have taken the scenes from Stagecoach and intercut them with some filmed for the movie. Which explains why Starrett appears wearing a flap-front shirt just before the scene begins. I suppose none of the matinee crowd noticed this back in 1948, but a movie buff today couldn't miss it.
The Biography We've Been Waiting For
Tarzan fans set to go ape crazy for memoirs of Cheeta the chimp | the Daily Mail: "It's the latest and probably the last tell-all star autobiography from Hollywood's golden age.
But this memoir is a different species entirely from the normal rags-to-riches tale of a big-screen leading man or woman - it's the life of Cheeta the chimpanzee.
Tarzan's famous co-star, who embarked on his screen career in the 1930s alongside Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan, is the subject of Me Cheeta, to be published by Fourth Estate in October."
But this memoir is a different species entirely from the normal rags-to-riches tale of a big-screen leading man or woman - it's the life of Cheeta the chimpanzee.
Tarzan's famous co-star, who embarked on his screen career in the 1930s alongside Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan, is the subject of Me Cheeta, to be published by Fourth Estate in October."
We're from the Government, and We're Here to Protect You
Aren't we lucky to have a government that goes to such lengths to protect us from this kind of terrible thing?
ABC Faces Indecency Fine For 2003 'NYPD Blue' Episode - washingtonpost.com: "The Federal Communications Commission yesterday proposed a $1.43 million indecency fine against ABC television stations for a 2003 episode of 'NYPD Blue,' the second-largest proposed indecency fine against a television broadcaster ever.
The agency proposed a $27,500 fine against 52 ABC-owned and affiliate stations in the Central and Mountain time zones, which broadcast the episode before 10 p.m., when the FCC's authority to police the airwaves for indecency expires each day.
The episode in question, aired Feb. 25, 2003, contained a scene featuring a woman and a young boy. In the scene, the woman disrobes in a bathroom. She is shown in full dorsal nudity, and the side of one breast is shown."
ABC Faces Indecency Fine For 2003 'NYPD Blue' Episode - washingtonpost.com: "The Federal Communications Commission yesterday proposed a $1.43 million indecency fine against ABC television stations for a 2003 episode of 'NYPD Blue,' the second-largest proposed indecency fine against a television broadcaster ever.
The agency proposed a $27,500 fine against 52 ABC-owned and affiliate stations in the Central and Mountain time zones, which broadcast the episode before 10 p.m., when the FCC's authority to police the airwaves for indecency expires each day.
The episode in question, aired Feb. 25, 2003, contained a scene featuring a woman and a young boy. In the scene, the woman disrobes in a bathroom. She is shown in full dorsal nudity, and the side of one breast is shown."
Happy Birthday, Philip Jose Farmer
Farmer turns 90 today, and is a writer whose work I've been reading for around 50 years now. He wrote some of the most innovative SF of the '50s, and he's continued to delight and surprise for many years. Hat tip to Chris Roberson for the reminder.
Friday, January 25, 2008
We're from the Government, and We're Here to Help You
McClatchy Washington Bureau | 01/24/2008 | Immigration officials detaining, deporting American citizens: "FLORENCE, Ariz. — Thomas Warziniack was born in Minnesota and grew up in Georgia, but immigration authorities pronounced him an illegal immigrant from Russia.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has held Warziniack for weeks in an Arizona detention facility with the aim of deporting him to a country he's never seen. His jailers shrugged off Warziniack's claims that he was an American citizen, even though they could have retrieved his Minnesota birth certificate in minutes and even though a Colorado court had concluded that he was a U.S. citizen a year before it shipped him to Arizona."
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has held Warziniack for weeks in an Arizona detention facility with the aim of deporting him to a country he's never seen. His jailers shrugged off Warziniack's claims that he was an American citizen, even though they could have retrieved his Minnesota birth certificate in minutes and even though a Colorado court had concluded that he was a U.S. citizen a year before it shipped him to Arizona."
From Ed Pettit
Readers,
Come on by this Monday Jan 28 to see my newly redesigned Bibliothecary site, featuring a new blog, Ed and Edgar. There will be a contest and prizes for the first readers. And if you have a blog and could spread the word, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Prosit,
Ed
Gator Update (Belly-Rubbing Edition)
Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.
Alligator antics liven up chamber luncheon: "Inquiring minds at the West Chester Chamber Alliance luncheon Jan. 8 needed to know.
If you rub an alligator's belly, will it fall asleep?
Apparently not.
As Thane Maynard, executive director of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, flipped Cruncher, a two-foot alligator onto his back for a demonstration, the reptile shot an arc of urine into the air, hitting one of the guests."
Alligator antics liven up chamber luncheon: "Inquiring minds at the West Chester Chamber Alliance luncheon Jan. 8 needed to know.
If you rub an alligator's belly, will it fall asleep?
Apparently not.
As Thane Maynard, executive director of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens, flipped Cruncher, a two-foot alligator onto his back for a demonstration, the reptile shot an arc of urine into the air, hitting one of the guests."
Joe Lansdale or John Edwards?
I post the photo, you decide. Joe claims this is him reading "The Night They Missed the Horror Show" at the 1987 World Fantasy Convention.
How the Dead Live -- Derek Raymond
I've been hearing about Derek Raymond for years, and now that Serpent's Tail is reissuing his novels, I've had a chance to read one of his books for myself. In his intro to this one, Will Self refers to the "legendarily emetic I Was Dora Suarez." Kind of makes me want to read that one, too. But I digress. What I decided after reading How the Dead Live is that Raymond's books are for those who enjoy Ken Bruen's work but think that it's entirely too perky, cheerful, and upbeat. Raymond, in other words, is seriously dark and depressing.
In this novel, the cop narrator leaves a nightmarish London to investigate a mysterious disappearance in a small town that turns out to be equally nightmarish. Most of the story takes place at night, and sometimes the night is dark and stormy. There's a country house at the center of things, and it's in such a state of decay that it makes Dracula's castle seem like a five-star hotel. The book's not really about the mystery plot, though. It's about how the dead live.
There are times when I feel alone in the face of our society, its hatred and madness, its despair and violence. To go on drawing my pay . . . to go on acting on my own, just to go on at all, I have to be very careful. I feel the edge of the precipice with every step I take and have to be most particular how I tread; the path isn't solid, and under it is the mist and that vile slide towards a bottomless death. I am a minor figure for whom no god waits. The state that pays me laughs at me; my own people at work find me absurd.
See what I mean? Cheerful stuff, indeed. That's not to say the book's not funny. It's savagely funny at times. Check it out.
A Couple of Movie Reviews by Rick Klaw
The Austin Chronicle: Screens: Review - 'It Came From Beneath the Sea' and 'Earth vs. the Flying Saucers': "In 1955, producer Charles H. Schneer and special-effects guru Ray Harryhausen began their long-running collaboration, creating 12 fantastic films in 26 years that profoundly influenced future filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Peter Jackson, and Terry Gilliam. The duo's first two films, 1955's giant-octopus tale It Came From Beneath the Sea and 1956's Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (self-explanatory), transformed movie storytelling by using revolutionary stop-motion techniques to produce realistic-looking monsters, aliens, and even spaceships."
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Who's Missing from this Slideshow?
This link goes to a slideshow of former cheerleaders. They left out at least one famous one.
Hint #1: She was a classmate of mine (along with 20,000 or so others) when she was a college cheerleader.
Hint #2: She's a U. S. senator.
Hint #1: She was a classmate of mine (along with 20,000 or so others) when she was a college cheerleader.
Hint #2: She's a U. S. senator.
Slim Whitman Update
Slim Whitman talks about reports of his death - Nashville, Tennessee - Wednesday, 01/23/08 - Tennessean.com: "Slim Whitman would like to clear something up: He’s alive and doing pretty well despite reports of his death on Monday.
The country singer, who experienced his first surge in popularity in the ’50s, has no idea how it got started. But e-mails began circulating and next thing you know, a disc jockey was announcing it on the air, a tearful friend performing on stage was announcing it to his audience and online sources reported it in news updates, including Tennessean.com on Monday.
“All of a sudden on Sunday, Jan. 20, I died,” said Whitman, who turned 84 on Sunday. “I knew it was a lie. I kept looking at it. I thought, this could sort of get out of hand here. I thought, oh well, if it gets out of hand, I’ll go on a TV show and show them that I’m not dead.”"
The country singer, who experienced his first surge in popularity in the ’50s, has no idea how it got started. But e-mails began circulating and next thing you know, a disc jockey was announcing it on the air, a tearful friend performing on stage was announcing it to his audience and online sources reported it in news updates, including Tennessean.com on Monday.
“All of a sudden on Sunday, Jan. 20, I died,” said Whitman, who turned 84 on Sunday. “I knew it was a lie. I kept looking at it. I thought, this could sort of get out of hand here. I thought, oh well, if it gets out of hand, I’ll go on a TV show and show them that I’m not dead.”"
Dino Update
BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Bird-like dinosaur forces rethink: "A rooster-sized dinosaur with a long, slender snout and wing-like limbs is forcing a rethink on bird evolution.
The 90 million-year-old reptile belongs to the same sickle-clawed group of dinosaurs as Velociraptor and feathered dinosaurs from China.
Buitreraptor gonzalezorum, from the Neuquen Basin in central Argentina may provide tantalising evidence that powered flight evolved twice."
The 90 million-year-old reptile belongs to the same sickle-clawed group of dinosaurs as Velociraptor and feathered dinosaurs from China.
Buitreraptor gonzalezorum, from the Neuquen Basin in central Argentina may provide tantalising evidence that powered flight evolved twice."
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Photo at link.
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders pimp Roto-Rooter's high-tech powder room | Crave : The gadget blog: "What do Roto-Rooter, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and the ultimate high-tech bathroom for women have in common? We have no idea, but they all came together at an event in New York City for the launch of Roto-Rooter's Pimped Out Powder Room Sweepstakes, which is a follow up to last year's Pimped Out John Sweepstakes."
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders pimp Roto-Rooter's high-tech powder room | Crave : The gadget blog: "What do Roto-Rooter, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and the ultimate high-tech bathroom for women have in common? We have no idea, but they all came together at an event in New York City for the launch of Roto-Rooter's Pimped Out Powder Room Sweepstakes, which is a follow up to last year's Pimped Out John Sweepstakes."
Gold Medal Corner -- Steve Brackeen
Back when Steve Lewis's Mystery*File was a print item, I did several columns called "Gold Medal Corner." One of them was on John Farris, aka Steve Brackeen, and a discussion on The Big Adios inspired me to reprint it here.
John Farris graduated from high school in 1955 and in 1959 he published Harrison High, which went on to sell a million or so copies and was made into a movie produced by and starring Dick Clark. Yes, Dick Clark, America’s Oldest Teenager. The title of the movie was Because They're Young, and about the only good thing about it is the title song, an instrumental by Duane Eddy. James Darren does a vocal of the song, too. That’s not quite so good.
Harrison High wasn’t a Gold Medal novel, but it was a huge influence on me. I read it in 1959 in a Dell paperback edition, and I was consumed with unseemly envy. I wanted to be John Farris. I mean, here was a guy not much older than I was, and he was already a wildly successful writer. But I didn’t know the half of it. Here’s the some more of the story: Farris sold his first novel the summer he graduated from high school, and it was published the next year. It’s a mystery called The Corpse Next Door, and it was a paperback original from Graphic Books. It’s not bad at all. Just don’t look at the cover when you read it, because the cover gives away the killer.
So what? you say. What does this have to do with Gold Medal. Well, I’m coming to that. After The Corpse Next Door, Farris took a pen name and started writing for Gold Medal Books. He was Steve Brackeen, and his three GM titles are Baby Moll (Crest, 1958), Danger in my Blood (Crest, 1959), and Delfina (Gold Medal, 1962). Some of you have noticed already that two of these books are not, technically speaking, Gold Medals. They’re Crests, and Fawcett usually reserved its Crest imprint for reprints. But not always. I don’t know how they decided such things, but both Brackeen novels are originals. So is the GM title, of course.
Farris must have been all of nineteen or twenty when he wrote Baby Moll. I don’t think anybody would have known that by reading the book. There’s a maturity here way beyond Farris’ years. The kid could write: “The Neptune Court occupied two blocks of beach land on a narrow peninsula known as Fontaine Beach. It was a mushrooming resort center. Ornate motels and hotels done in bold lines sprawled along the strip of highway in a growing chain. Every day bulldozers scraped at the raw land while sun-reddened men with fat stacks of blueprints watched and planned. The street crumbled away under the impact of the ready-mix trucks.” Remind you of any other Gold Medal writers you know? I think John D. MacDonald and Mickey Spillane were two big influences on “Steve Brackeen.”
All three of the Brackeen books I’ve read are set in Florida. The plot of Baby Moll is the old “the minute I get out, they keep pulling me back in” story. Pete Mallory has a good business and is engaged to a nice young woman. But he has a past. He worked for a gangster named Macy Barr, and Barr wants him back for one more job, which involves finding out who’s killing all Barr’s top men. The way Mallory sees it, he doesn’t have any choice, so he goes. And naturally gets involved with several beautiful women, mostly scantily clad, and plenty of sharply written violence. You’re going to know who the killer is long before Mallory does, but the book’s moving so fast that it doesn’t matter.
Danger in my Blood is about Denver Bryant, former government agent who pays a visit to an old friend and finds him murdered. There was violence in BABY MOLL, but it’s stepped up a notch in this one. Another fast-moving, sharply written book with good first-person narration.
Delfina is a little different. For one thing it has one of those “photo covers.” What’s unusual about it is that the model is identified. It’s Senta Berger, “Viennese motion picture star.” Some of you old guys might remember her from such classics as Major Dundee and The Ambushers. Senta never caught on in the U.S., but according to the IMDb, she’s still making movies (and getting top billing) in Germany. But I, as usual, digress. It’s the book we’re supposed to be talking about, not the cover. Anyway, Clay McKinnon (not a first-person narrator like we have in the first two books) is a private eye who gets involved with the beautiful Delfina, which leads him to involvement with Latin American dictator who wants to go home again and a beautiful, if crazy, blonde whose preferred weapon is, well, here’s the back cover blurb: “Clay McKinnon thought he’d been to every kind of hell, but one still awaited him – She was blonde, and she liked to wield a whip . . . .” You got your private eyes, your blondes, and your bullwhips. What more could you ask for? This is great stuff, and Farris is still only around twenty-five years old. I think I envy him even more now than I did when I started writing this.
Various non-Gold Medal Bonuses: If you grew up during the 1950s and if you haven’t read Harrison High, you’re in for a nostalgic treat. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Farris (or someone using his name) wrote five or six sequels to this one. I’m accumulating these slowly. My wife, Judy, read them all when they came out, along with Farris’s big mainstream novel King Windom, which looks like an Elmer Gantry riff to me. There’s a Steve Brackeen hardcover that I haven’t read, The Guardians, but I have it and plan to read it. My personal favorite of Farris's books so far is Sharp Practice, one of the best homicidal killer books ever. Or at least that’s the way I remember it. Check out the Gold Medals, but be alert for the other books. You can hardly go wrong with any of them.
John Farris graduated from high school in 1955 and in 1959 he published Harrison High, which went on to sell a million or so copies and was made into a movie produced by and starring Dick Clark. Yes, Dick Clark, America’s Oldest Teenager. The title of the movie was Because They're Young, and about the only good thing about it is the title song, an instrumental by Duane Eddy. James Darren does a vocal of the song, too. That’s not quite so good.
Harrison High wasn’t a Gold Medal novel, but it was a huge influence on me. I read it in 1959 in a Dell paperback edition, and I was consumed with unseemly envy. I wanted to be John Farris. I mean, here was a guy not much older than I was, and he was already a wildly successful writer. But I didn’t know the half of it. Here’s the some more of the story: Farris sold his first novel the summer he graduated from high school, and it was published the next year. It’s a mystery called The Corpse Next Door, and it was a paperback original from Graphic Books. It’s not bad at all. Just don’t look at the cover when you read it, because the cover gives away the killer.
So what? you say. What does this have to do with Gold Medal. Well, I’m coming to that. After The Corpse Next Door, Farris took a pen name and started writing for Gold Medal Books. He was Steve Brackeen, and his three GM titles are Baby Moll (Crest, 1958), Danger in my Blood (Crest, 1959), and Delfina (Gold Medal, 1962). Some of you have noticed already that two of these books are not, technically speaking, Gold Medals. They’re Crests, and Fawcett usually reserved its Crest imprint for reprints. But not always. I don’t know how they decided such things, but both Brackeen novels are originals. So is the GM title, of course.
Farris must have been all of nineteen or twenty when he wrote Baby Moll. I don’t think anybody would have known that by reading the book. There’s a maturity here way beyond Farris’ years. The kid could write: “The Neptune Court occupied two blocks of beach land on a narrow peninsula known as Fontaine Beach. It was a mushrooming resort center. Ornate motels and hotels done in bold lines sprawled along the strip of highway in a growing chain. Every day bulldozers scraped at the raw land while sun-reddened men with fat stacks of blueprints watched and planned. The street crumbled away under the impact of the ready-mix trucks.” Remind you of any other Gold Medal writers you know? I think John D. MacDonald and Mickey Spillane were two big influences on “Steve Brackeen.”
All three of the Brackeen books I’ve read are set in Florida. The plot of Baby Moll is the old “the minute I get out, they keep pulling me back in” story. Pete Mallory has a good business and is engaged to a nice young woman. But he has a past. He worked for a gangster named Macy Barr, and Barr wants him back for one more job, which involves finding out who’s killing all Barr’s top men. The way Mallory sees it, he doesn’t have any choice, so he goes. And naturally gets involved with several beautiful women, mostly scantily clad, and plenty of sharply written violence. You’re going to know who the killer is long before Mallory does, but the book’s moving so fast that it doesn’t matter.
Danger in my Blood is about Denver Bryant, former government agent who pays a visit to an old friend and finds him murdered. There was violence in BABY MOLL, but it’s stepped up a notch in this one. Another fast-moving, sharply written book with good first-person narration.
Delfina is a little different. For one thing it has one of those “photo covers.” What’s unusual about it is that the model is identified. It’s Senta Berger, “Viennese motion picture star.” Some of you old guys might remember her from such classics as Major Dundee and The Ambushers. Senta never caught on in the U.S., but according to the IMDb, she’s still making movies (and getting top billing) in Germany. But I, as usual, digress. It’s the book we’re supposed to be talking about, not the cover. Anyway, Clay McKinnon (not a first-person narrator like we have in the first two books) is a private eye who gets involved with the beautiful Delfina, which leads him to involvement with Latin American dictator who wants to go home again and a beautiful, if crazy, blonde whose preferred weapon is, well, here’s the back cover blurb: “Clay McKinnon thought he’d been to every kind of hell, but one still awaited him – She was blonde, and she liked to wield a whip . . . .” You got your private eyes, your blondes, and your bullwhips. What more could you ask for? This is great stuff, and Farris is still only around twenty-five years old. I think I envy him even more now than I did when I started writing this.
Various non-Gold Medal Bonuses: If you grew up during the 1950s and if you haven’t read Harrison High, you’re in for a nostalgic treat. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Farris (or someone using his name) wrote five or six sequels to this one. I’m accumulating these slowly. My wife, Judy, read them all when they came out, along with Farris’s big mainstream novel King Windom, which looks like an Elmer Gantry riff to me. There’s a Steve Brackeen hardcover that I haven’t read, The Guardians, but I have it and plan to read it. My personal favorite of Farris's books so far is Sharp Practice, one of the best homicidal killer books ever. Or at least that’s the way I remember it. Check out the Gold Medals, but be alert for the other books. You can hardly go wrong with any of them.
Another Reason I Miss the '70s
Celebrity Bowling - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "Celebrity Bowling was an American syndicated sports series hosted by Jed Allan that ran from 1971 to 1978. The series was produced in Los Angeles at the studios of KTTV."
There's some video here.
There's some video here.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
The Atlantic Archives Are Now Free
Editors' Note: "Beginning today, TheAtlantic.com is dropping its subscriber registration requirement and making the site free to all visitors.
Now, in addition to such offerings as blogs, author dispatches, slideshows, interviews, and videos, readers can also browse issues going back to 1995, along with hundreds of articles dating as far back as 1857, the year The Atlantic was founded."
Hat tip to Boing Boing.
Now, in addition to such offerings as blogs, author dispatches, slideshows, interviews, and videos, readers can also browse issues going back to 1995, along with hundreds of articles dating as far back as 1857, the year The Atlantic was founded."
Hat tip to Boing Boing.
UFO Update Update (Yes, Another One from Stepheville)
Stephenville folks with signs are ready to welcome their new alien overlords.
Meanwhile, the Air Force changes its story:
Meanwhile, the Air Force changes its story:
The mystery of the Stephenville UFOs might have been solved.
Today the Air Force Reserve said on the night of January 8, ten F-16 fighter jets were conducting training flights in the area. Many of the suspected UFO sightings took place on that night.
Originally, the 301st Fighter Wing at the Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base said none of its jets were in the area that night.
In a statement today, a Wing spokesman says they made a mistake and that jets were flying in the Stephenville area that evening.Gator Update Update (Doggin' It Edition)
Hunter nabs gator that killed dog -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com: "DELRAY BEACH - Alligator hunter has caught one of two gators believed responsible for killing a dog and attacking two others in a retention pond beside a dog-walking trail behind a Home Depot on Jan. 13."
My Favorite Brunette
The set-up is classic noir: the tough guy convicted of murder is in his cell at San Quentin, awaiting his execution. The reporters crowd around the cell, and as the tough guy begins to tell his tale, we fade into the flashback. The difference is that this time the tough guy is Bob Hope.Hope plays Ronnie Jackson, a baby photographer who shares an office suite with Sam McCloud, private-eye. Hope wants to be a p.i., too. "All it took was brains, courage, and a gun. And I had the gun."
McCloud leaves town, and Hope is in his office when Dorothy Lamour walks in. Thinking he's McCloud, she asks him to find her missing husband. Hope goes along, playing his usual tough-talking sniveling coward as the plot rollicks along with characters like Peter Lorre and Lon Chaney, Jr., having a swell time parodying their usual roles. There are a couple of nice cameos, too.
The one-liners and in-jokes come thick and fast, but the sad thing (to me) is that it's hard to imagine anybody under 60 getting even half of them. I mean, does anyone but me remember who James C. Petrillo was? Last year when I subjected my daughter to one of Hope's radio shows, I asked her if she thought it was funny. She said it was sad. When I asked why, she said, "It's sad that anybody ever thought that was funny." So once again my geezerdom is confirmed. Stay off my damn lawn!
But I digress. Being an Old Guy, I got a kick out of seeing this again, and it was well worth the buck I spent at Wal-Mart on the DVD, which was of surprisingly good quality for something so cheap. Check it out.
Croc Update Update
Great photo at the link.
Northern Territory News: "A CROCODILE that savaged a man's arm and was then shot is still alive and well.
The female saltie bit Darwin Crocodile Farm worker Jason Green on the right arm while he was collecting eggs with workmate Zac Fitzgerald at Marrakai Station on Monday.
Mr Fitzgerald was able to free his workmate by shooting the croc with a pistol but the bullet also hit Mr Green in the arm.
Darwin Crocodile Farm owner Mick Burns returned to the scene of the attack yesterday and said the female saltie was still there.
'She was there, alive and well and looking straight at us,' he said."
Northern Territory News: "A CROCODILE that savaged a man's arm and was then shot is still alive and well.
The female saltie bit Darwin Crocodile Farm worker Jason Green on the right arm while he was collecting eggs with workmate Zac Fitzgerald at Marrakai Station on Monday.
Mr Fitzgerald was able to free his workmate by shooting the croc with a pistol but the bullet also hit Mr Green in the arm.
Darwin Crocodile Farm owner Mick Burns returned to the scene of the attack yesterday and said the female saltie was still there.
'She was there, alive and well and looking straight at us,' he said."
Paris Does Dallas
Thanks to John Duke for the link. Great video of the event here, but there's a short commercial first.
Paris Hilton premieres in Dallas | GuideLive.com |
Arts/Entertainment News and Events | Dallas-Fort Worth | The Dallas Morning News | Arts & Entertainment: "'We love you Paris!' screamed the tween girls into the cold, dark air outside the Regent Highland Park Village movie theater. Little did they know that it would be nearly another hour before the object of their affection would make their girliest of dreams come true.
That was the scene from the freezing red-carpet premiere of The Hottie & the Nottie, a film Paris Hilton swooped into town Tuesday to promote. Approximately 200 people waited outside the theater with the hopes of getting a glimpse of their idol."
Paris Hilton premieres in Dallas | GuideLive.com |
Arts/Entertainment News and Events | Dallas-Fort Worth | The Dallas Morning News | Arts & Entertainment: "'We love you Paris!' screamed the tween girls into the cold, dark air outside the Regent Highland Park Village movie theater. Little did they know that it would be nearly another hour before the object of their affection would make their girliest of dreams come true.
That was the scene from the freezing red-carpet premiere of The Hottie & the Nottie, a film Paris Hilton swooped into town Tuesday to promote. Approximately 200 people waited outside the theater with the hopes of getting a glimpse of their idol."
Croc Update (Gun Safety Edition)
Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.
Man shoots co-worker while rescuing him from crocodile - CNN.com: "(CNN) -- A man who rescued a co-worker from the jaws of a crocodile in northern Australia also accidentally shot him in the process, police said.
The two men were collecting crocodile eggs by a river bank in Australia's Northern Territory Tuesday when a crocodile grabbed Jason Grant by the lower right arm, a spokeswoman for the area police told CNN.
The second man, Zac Fitzgerald, shot the crocodile, causing it to let go of Grant's arm. But a second shot that Fitzgerald fired struck Grant in the upper right arm, said Northern Territory police spokeswoman Katie Fowden."
Man shoots co-worker while rescuing him from crocodile - CNN.com: "(CNN) -- A man who rescued a co-worker from the jaws of a crocodile in northern Australia also accidentally shot him in the process, police said.
The two men were collecting crocodile eggs by a river bank in Australia's Northern Territory Tuesday when a crocodile grabbed Jason Grant by the lower right arm, a spokeswoman for the area police told CNN.
The second man, Zac Fitzgerald, shot the crocodile, causing it to let go of Grant's arm. But a second shot that Fitzgerald fired struck Grant in the upper right arm, said Northern Territory police spokeswoman Katie Fowden."
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Heath Ledger, R. I. P.
A shame. The kid had a great career ahead of him, not that he'd done badly up till now.
Actor Heath Ledger Is Found Dead - City Room - Metro - New York Times Blog: "The actor Heath Ledger was found dead this afternoon in an apartment building at 421 Broome Street in SoHo, according to the New York City police. Mr. Ledger was 28.
At 3:31 p.m., a masseuse arrived at Apartment 5A in the building for an appointment with Mr. Ledger, the police said. The masseuse was let in to the home by a housekeeper, who then knocked on the door of Mr. Ledger’s bedroom. When no one answered, the housekeeper and the masseuse opened the bedroom and found Mr. Ledger unconscious. They shook him, but he did not respond. They immediately called the authorities. The police said they did not suspect foul play and said they found pills near body."
Actor Heath Ledger Is Found Dead - City Room - Metro - New York Times Blog: "The actor Heath Ledger was found dead this afternoon in an apartment building at 421 Broome Street in SoHo, according to the New York City police. Mr. Ledger was 28.
At 3:31 p.m., a masseuse arrived at Apartment 5A in the building for an appointment with Mr. Ledger, the police said. The masseuse was let in to the home by a housekeeper, who then knocked on the door of Mr. Ledger’s bedroom. When no one answered, the housekeeper and the masseuse opened the bedroom and found Mr. Ledger unconscious. They shook him, but he did not respond. They immediately called the authorities. The police said they did not suspect foul play and said they found pills near body."
Ratatouille
This was one of the best-reviewed movies of 2007, right? I thought it was okay. Loved the animation, but the story about the rat becoming a great chef wasn't all that great. The pleas for rat tolerance were a little heavy-handed, too, but I've resolved to be kinder to rats in the future. While there were some funny moments, there weren't any laugh-out-loud bits, or at least not for me. A pleasant little movie, I thought, even if I can't figure out why everybody else liked it so much. I did like Anton Ego, the critic, voiced by Peter O'Toole, and his commentary at the end.
The Oscar Nominations
I just looked over the list. For the first time ever, I haven't seen any of the nominated movies or performances. There have been years when I'd seen only a few, but this is the first time I've been shut out completely. Of course having been to the theater only once in the past seven or eight months might have something to do with it. I never watch the presentations, anyway, and this year there might not even be an event. It's a funny world.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Sin Pit -- Paul S. Meskil
Barney Black is a cop in East St. Louis, obviously at one time a very shady place. We get a nice tour of the underbelly in this one, and in the course of investigating a murder, Barney meets one of those women who exist just for guys like him. He knows when he sees her that she's big trouble, and their encounter confirms it. And the reader knows that Barney has about as much chance of resisting her as a starving man has of resisting a good meal.Barney thinks of himself as an honest cop, and he is. Sure, he doesn't mind roughing up a prisoner or even shooting one, but down deep he's okay. That is, until he meets Grace. After that, he's done for.
Both hardboiled and noir (by my definitions, which, as we know, are the only ones that count on this blog), Sin Pit doesn't get under your skin the way a Jim Thompson book does, but has plenty of its own appeal. The sex is probably what sold this one originally, not so much what happens as the whole sado-masochistic bent of it. This is another of those 126-page Lion books that gets the job done.
WKRP -- Where Are They Now?
I always read the "Where Are They Now" features on YesButNoButYes, and since WKRP was a favorite show of mine, I found this one irresistible. I was sorry to hear about Jan Smithers, though.
UFO Update (Yes, Another One from Stepheville)
Stephenville sighting shows more people OK reporting UFOs | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "Would you laugh if I said I had seen a UFO?
A pilot, county constable and business owners were listed as the witnesses for the recent UFO sighting in Stephenville. These credible, upstanding people reported seeing a large silent object with bright lights flying low and fast. The size has been estimated as a mile long and half-a-mile wide.
When you report something like that, people are going to talk.
However, Ken Cherry, Texas state director of the Mutual Unidentified Flying Object Network, said the reports coming out of Stephenville indicate people are becoming more comfortable admitting they've seen a UFO.
'In terms of the number of witnesses, this is an unusual event,' Cherry said."
A pilot, county constable and business owners were listed as the witnesses for the recent UFO sighting in Stephenville. These credible, upstanding people reported seeing a large silent object with bright lights flying low and fast. The size has been estimated as a mile long and half-a-mile wide.
When you report something like that, people are going to talk.
However, Ken Cherry, Texas state director of the Mutual Unidentified Flying Object Network, said the reports coming out of Stephenville indicate people are becoming more comfortable admitting they've seen a UFO.
'In terms of the number of witnesses, this is an unusual event,' Cherry said."
Croc Update
The night of the hunter | Weekend | Guardian Unlimited: "It began as a fun day out quad-biking in the Australian outback. But it ended in disaster - with one young man killed by a crocodile and his two friends perched all night in a tree while the predator circled below."
Hot -- Frederick Lorenz
Frederick Lorenz is another one of those forgotten paperbackers who deserves to be remembered. (I believe he also wrote as "Larry Heller.") This slim Lion Book (126 pages) is a typical blue-collar thriller from 1956. Steve Ewell's brother, Vince, has broken out of prison and is hiding out. Steve wants to help him, but his plan is for Vince to give up, return the money he stole, and serve out his time. Vince doesn't think that way. Complicating matters are Vince's wife, Bonnie, now the mistress of a local club owner; Doris, a woman who helped Vince before and still has a crush on him; the partner who helped Vince rob a bank but wasn't caught; the local cops; and of course the very hot weather. Put them all together and let them simmer. There's a bit of a mystery element in that we don't know who the partner was, and the identity is kept a secret until the end of the book, though you won't have much trouble guessing it.Hot is a well-told story intended to entertain for a couple of hours and then passed along to someone else. It's well written, there's sex, there's violence, and you get your quarter's worth.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
The Perfect Crime?
Perfect crime? 39 years later, thieving bank teller still on run | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "On Friday, July 11, 1969, the young vault teller at Society National Bank's Public Square headquarters left work at quitting time with a paper bag, a smile and a wave.
On Monday, Conrad failed to show for work, for the first time in seven model-employee months on the job, and no one from the bank could reach him at home.
By then, Conrad, and the $215,000 he'd purportedly stuffed in that bag, had vanished like a puff of smoke from one of his Marlboro cigarettes.
Almost 39 years later, federal agents are still looking."
On Monday, Conrad failed to show for work, for the first time in seven model-employee months on the job, and no one from the bank could reach him at home.
By then, Conrad, and the $215,000 he'd purportedly stuffed in that bag, had vanished like a puff of smoke from one of his Marlboro cigarettes.
Almost 39 years later, federal agents are still looking."
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
TPMmuckraker | Talking Points Memo | All Muck is Local: The Runaway Jury vs. The Do-Nothing D.A.: "They say everything is bigger in Texas. And sure enough, if you've ever seen a bigger legal mess than the case of Texas Supreme Court Justice David Medina, we'd love to hear about it."
Robert E. Howard Birthday Celebration
James Reasoner has a post about the activities on Cross Plains, and since James mentions our visit to Howard's grave, I couldn't resist reprinting this photo that you might have seen before if you're a regular on the blog. This was taken in May 1980, and James and I haven't changed a bit. The kids are Angela and Allen, who have changed.
Janis Joplin Update
iWon News - New Marker for Janis Joplin's Texas Home: "PORT ARTHUR, Texas (AP) - Janis Joplin's laugh still rings in the memory of a childhood friend.
At a gathering to dedicate a historic marker in front of one of the singer's childhood homes, Monteel Copple recalled her friend's laugh as they tried to keep their skirts in place while hanging upside down on the school's monkey bars.
'I can remember her giggle,' Copple told those gathered Saturday for the dedication of the Texas State Historical Marker.
Saturday would have been Joplin's 65th birthday. She died of a drug overdose on Oct. 4, 1970."
Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.
At a gathering to dedicate a historic marker in front of one of the singer's childhood homes, Monteel Copple recalled her friend's laugh as they tried to keep their skirts in place while hanging upside down on the school's monkey bars.
'I can remember her giggle,' Copple told those gathered Saturday for the dedication of the Texas State Historical Marker.
Saturday would have been Joplin's 65th birthday. She died of a drug overdose on Oct. 4, 1970."
Thanks to Jeff Meyerson for the link.
Ben Schutz, R. I. P.
I'm posting too damned many of these things. Just read on Ed Gorman's blog that the fine p.i. writer Benjamin Schutz has died.
UFO Update
Hundreds meet with UFO experts about Stephenville sighting | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "DUBLIN — James Huse came to state nothing but the facts. The theories would have to come later, he said.
So in pursuit of the truth, Huse traveled the few miles down the road from his home in Stephenville to the Rotary Club meeting hall in downtown Dublin on Saturday to tell this story:
On Jan. 8, shortly after dark, he was walking two house guests to their car near Stephenville's main square when he beheld a red glowing light moving slowly across the sky. He pointed up at the sky and said: 'UFO.'
'I know what an airplane looks like,' the 53-year-old retired electronics technician said. 'I know what a helicopter looks like. This wasn't an airplane or a helicopter.
'This looked different than anything I had ever seen,' he added."
So in pursuit of the truth, Huse traveled the few miles down the road from his home in Stephenville to the Rotary Club meeting hall in downtown Dublin on Saturday to tell this story:
On Jan. 8, shortly after dark, he was walking two house guests to their car near Stephenville's main square when he beheld a red glowing light moving slowly across the sky. He pointed up at the sky and said: 'UFO.'
'I know what an airplane looks like,' the 53-year-old retired electronics technician said. 'I know what a helicopter looks like. This wasn't an airplane or a helicopter.
'This looked different than anything I had ever seen,' he added."
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Texas Is Biggest Carbon Polluter - TIME: "(AUSTIN, Texas) — Everything's big in Texas — big pickup trucks, big SUVs and the state's big carbon footprint, too.
Texans' fondness for large, manly vehicles has helped make the Lone Star State the biggest carbon polluter in the nation."
Texans' fondness for large, manly vehicles has helped make the Lone Star State the biggest carbon polluter in the nation."
Suzanne Pleshette, R. I. P.
The Associated Press: Suzanne Pleshette Dies in Los Angeles: "LOS ANGELES (AP) — Suzanne Pleshette, the husky-voiced star best known for her role as Bob Newhart's sardonic wife on television's long-running 'The Bob Newhart Show,' has died at age 70.Pleshette, whose career included roles in such films as Hitchcock's 'The Birds' and in Broadway plays including 'The Miracle Worker,' died of respiratory failure Saturday evening at her Los Angeles home, said her attorney Robert Finkelstein, also a family friend."
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
The Bookaholics Guide to Book Blogs -- Rebecca Gilleson & Catheryn Kilgarriff
I started not to plug this book for the most petty of reasons: It doesn't mention this blog. But then I thought I'd be big about it. After all, it does mention some of my favorite blogs, including Bookgasm, Pulpetti, Mystery*File, The Baker Street Blog, Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind, Crime Fiction Dossier, Crimespot, The Groovy Age of Horror, The Good Girls Kill for Money Club, Murderati, The Thrilling Detective Blog, Bookslut, and probably a few others I'm forgetting. It's a British publication, so it's heavy on the blogs from that side of the pond. Check it out if you can find time between reading this blog and the others.
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