Grrrrrrrr. . .

It's that time of year again.

Lone Star Sleuths

Kasey Lansdale in performance.

She's Leaving Home

Okay, if you're going to get technical about it, our daughter, Angela, left home 20 years ago when she started college. But she's never lived more than a few hours away, and after college she moved to Houston, a 45-minute drive. Now, however, things have changed. After 39 years of the single life, she's getting married in September. To a guy named Tom, who lives in San Francisco.

So she applied for, and got, a job in San Jose. It's with the same government agency she works for now, but it's a promotion, with a fat raise. We're very happy for her.

But we're sad too. Angela's leaving today for San Francisco, which is a long way from Alvin, Texas. This is especially tough on Judy, who's just been through a long siege of chemotherapy and whose mother is in a local nursing home, knockin' on heaven's door. Angela and Tom came to see her last night, knowing that they'd never see her again, not alive.

Ever since last June, Judy and I have been on an emotional roller-coaster, and the ride's not over. Life. It's what happens when you're making other plans, as a famous philosopher once said.

Mary Ann Update

OK! Magazine - First for Celebrity News - Dawn Wells Sets Record Straight About Arrest: "Former Gilligan's Island star Dawn Wells clears the air about her recent traffic indiscretion, asserting that the marijuana found in her car the night of her arrest was not hers.

'I need to put the kibosh on rumors. It was my birthday and I was coming from a dinner. The marijuana found in the car was not mine,' she tells Entertainment Tonight. 'The marijuana charge was dismissed and the person whom it belonged to went to jail. There was no DUI charge. I want to make it clear that I was charged with a traffic offense.'"

Act of Violence -- Basil Heatter

Did you ever look at your shelves and see an paperback so old and crumbly that you thought you'd better read it before it disintegrated? That's the way I felt about this one. Not long ago, I'd read Steve Lewis' post on Mystery*File about Heatter, and that had caused me to look at my books. I have several of Heatter's Gold Medal novels as well as the one from Pinnacle that Steve mentions. I also have some older ones, including Act of Violence, which, as I said, is about to disintegrate. After reading it, I don't suppose it will be a great loss if that happens.

One of the good things about the book is that it's a fine Hemingway pastiche. Some of the writing in the skiing scenes is fine. One of the bad things is that the book was obviously marketed as a thriller, but it's really not much of one. It's more of a love story with thriller elements, and the story kind of meanders. The book's only only 126 pages long, but Heatter never seems to make up his mind about exactly what he's doing.

There's the main plot, which gets lost now and then, about Tony Kamp, an Austrian who escaped from a concentration camp in WWII and who's now a ski instructor in New England. He's being hunted by mysterious forces because they think he knows something, though he doesn't. There's the love story plot, with a woman lifted right out of The Sun Also Rises. There's the plot dealing with prejudice against strangers in small towns. And there's the plot about the severely wounded vet who's trying to recover some feeling of self-worth. My favorite scene, which really has little to do with anything, is the fight with the giant ape. (I'm not making that up.)

I was hoping to find a lost classic, but I wouldn't recommend that you bother looking for this one. Try Harry and the Bikini Bandits, instead.

Memoir Update

News from The Associated Press: "BOSTON (AP) -- Almost nothing Misha Defonseca wrote about herself or her horrific childhood during the Holocaust was true.

She didn't live with a pack of wolves to escape the Nazis. She didn't trek 1,900 miles across Europe in search of her deported parents, nor kill a German soldier in self-defense. She's not even Jewish.

Defonseca, a Belgian writer now living in Massachusetts, admitted through her lawyers this week that her best-selling book, 'Misha: A Memoire of the Holocaust Years,' was an elaborate fantasy she kept repeating, even as the book was translated into 18 languages and made into a feature film in France."

This May Help You Understand the World -- Lawrence Potter

This book is the perfect thing to have lying by the bed or by a chair if you like to have something to pick up and read for a few minutes at a time. Lawrence Potter offers well-researched answers to questions like "What is the difference between a Sunni and a Shia," "Is George W. Bush Actually Stupid," "What Did Saddam do to the Kurds?" Potter writes clearly and concisely, and he's got a sense of humor. You might even learn something from him.

Mike Smith, R. I. P.

Those of us of a certain age remember the Dave Clark Five all too well.

Lead singer of Dave Clark Five dies | News | guardian.co.uk Music: "Mike Smith, lead singer of the popular 1960s Beat group Dave Clark Five, has died. He was 64. Smith was admitted to a London hospital earlier in the week and passed away on Thursday after contracting pneumonia. The illness is believed to have arisen after the singer suffered a chest infection, stemming from a 2003 spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed."

Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse -- Victor Gischler

Since this book has what's bound to be the best title of 2008, you might be wondering what else it has to offer. It has, for one thing, story. It's about what happens to Mortimer Tate nine years after the apocalypse. Tate missed that event because he was hiding out in cabin and a well-stocked cave, and he hasn't seen anybody since. When he does see three guys, he kills them. Not that it's his fault, you understand. This event precipitates Mortimer's return to the world, such as it is. It's quite a trip, for both Mortimer and the reader.

Go-Go Girls isn't exactly a picaresque novel, since Mortimer's not a picaro. It's more like Candide, the variation in which the person making his way through a corrupt society is a naive optimist. Mortimer wanders through the post-apocalyptic landscape, taking as much punishment as Candide, and he's almost as optimistic. But then Mortimer is a Platinum Card holder in the Joey Armageddon's Sassy A-Go-Go franchise, which helps.

People turn up to help or hinder or torture Mortimer, disappear, and turn up again in the classic fashion, as Mortimer ventures through the strangeness of the brave new world. Along the way he learns some things about himself and the world. There's action, adventure, sex, gore, cannibalism, the Muscle Train, and a blimp. Not to mention go-go girls. Great stuff. What more could you ask for? In case you're wondering, my favorite chapter is XXXIII, which I think should earn Gischler a lifetime supply of Jack Daniel's.

I've reviewed a couple of Gischler's books before, here and here. I've also read and enjoyed Gun Monkeys and Pistol Poets. This new novel, available July 8, goes in a different direction. Gischler's going to be a writer you can't pin down. I think his readers will follow him (it would be a mistake not to), and everybody should be eager to see what he's going to do next. It'll probably be different, and it'll probably be worth waiting for.

The Mankiller of Poojegai -- Walter Satterthwait

"Walter Satterthwait is one of the finest and most versatile of mystery writers." So says the blurb on the back of this new collection of stories, and I couldn't agree more. If there were any justice in the world, Satterthwait would be on the bestseller list instead of any number of lesser writers. Just the brief introductions to the stories in this book are so well done that they're worth the price of admission.

The variety of stories between the covers might amaze you if you didn't pay attention up above when the word versatile was used. Private-eye stories (one of them featuring Joshua Croft), cozy send-ups, Neanderthal detectives, possibly the first story ever written with a "chat room" as a setting, a story inspired by E. C. comics, and more. Open this book anywhere, and you can't go wrong. Prime stuff, every bit of it. It has my wife's favorite story, "The Cassoulet," which is also a favorite of Satterthwait's. Check it out.

David Thompson on Money Shot

From the Houston Chronicle.

Fossil Update

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Sea reptile is biggest on record: "A fossilised 'sea monster' unearthed on an Arctic island is the largest marine reptile known to science, Norwegian scientists have announced.

The 150 million-year-old specimen was found on Spitspergen, in the Arctic island chain of Svalbard, in 2006.

The Jurassic-era leviathan is one of 40 sea reptiles from a fossil 'treasure trove' uncovered on the island.

Nicknamed 'The Monster', the immense creature would have measured 15m (50ft) from nose to tail."

Don't Take a Machete to a Biker Bar

Bingo! Bear's bikers hog tie bandits - National - smh.com.au: "Machete wielding masked bandits picked the wrong club to rob yesterday - 40 biker club members were meeting there.

******************
The robbers immediately fled on seeing the bikies approaching, with one running through a plate glass window, leaping off a five-metre balcony and running through a bowling green, and the other escaping behind the bar."

Charlie Wilson's Commercials

You might have seen Charlie Wilson's War, but have you seen the commercials for the real Charlie Wilson? These ran during one (or more) of his campaigns. Great stuff. My favorite is the third one in the sequence.

Stephen King/John Cougar Update

Stephen King, Mellencamp to make musical - Yahoo! News: "ATLANTA - Creating a Broadway musical can be scary enough. Even more so when it's script is penned by horror master Stephen King.

King, who has written numerous best-selling novels, has written the script for 'Ghost Brothers of Darkland County,' with music by John Mellencamp."

I'm Available

Paris Hilton needs a new best friend -- amNY.com: "Brace yourselves: Paris Hilton is planning a return to reality TV.

The celebutante's new show will be about her search for a new best friend, a Hilton pal told Us Weekly.

No, really.

'Paris is tired of the haters and she's looking for someone new,' the source said. �She�s looking for someone ... who she can trust.' And we all know going the reality TV route is a sure-fire way to do that!"

Page 69

Of All Sad Words gets the Page 69 treatment. You can read it here.

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Texas university giving freshmen iPhones and iPod touches: "Schools and universities are often big fans of Apple products, which usually translates to labs and laptop carts full of Macs. Educational institutions across the country have also started to provide students with personal laptops. Louisiana recently launched a program to distribute MacBooks to elementary school students, and now Abilene Christian University in Texas is getting into the act as well. But rather than handing out MacBooks, the university will be distributing iPhones and iPod touches to all incoming freshmen."

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

wcbstv.com - Conn. Girl Lights Teacher's Hair On Fire: "MILFORD, Conn. (AP) ― Milford officials have expelled a Jonathan Law High School student accused of lighting her science teacher's hair on fire during class.

Police say the girl was arrested after she ignited the ponytail of George Lardas with a lighter."

How the Vikings Dressed

I've always thought they dressed like Kirk Douglas in that movie.

Vikings did not dress the way we thought: "Vivid colors, flowing silk ribbons, and glittering bits of mirrors - the Vikings dressed with considerably more panache than we previously thought. The men were especially vain, and the women dressed provocatively, but with the advent of Christianity, fashions changed, according to Swedish archeologist Annika Larsson."

Gator Update (Drug Dealer Edition)

AFP: Ohio cops find alligators in drug dealer's den: "CHICAGO (AFP) — Officers trying to track down a drug dealer in Ohio stumbled across two alligators guarding his back door instead.

The snipping and snapping gators were far from full-sized -- one was about two feet long and the other was about four feet long -- but were scary enough to make a team of tough federal marshals and Dayton, Ohio police officers call for help.

'Nobody wanted to play catch a gator,' William Taylor, supervisory deputy US Marshal, told AFP."

Encyclopedia of Life

Encyclopedia of Life: "Welcome to the first release of the Encyclopedia of Life portal. This is the very beginning of our exciting journey to document all species of life on Earth.

Comprehensive, collaborative, ever-growing, and personalized, the Encyclopedia of Life is an ecosystem of websites that makes all key information about all life on Earth accessible to anyone, anywhere in the world."

Lone Star Sleuths

Jayme Lynn Blaschke shoots from concealment with his new camera. Jayme got some great photos. Check 'em out.

The Plot for Your New Thriller

Hunt Continues for Nazi Treasure - Examiner.com: "DEUTSCHKATHARINENBERG, Germany (Map, News) - German treasure hunters began digging Tuesday for what they say may be plunder buried by the Nazis in a man-made cavern near the Czech border.

The area's mayor, Hans-Peter Haustein, and a man who believes he found the coordinates for the buried booty in a notebook among his deceased father's belongings, maintain that a scan of the spot has revealed that a large quantity of metal is about 20 meters below the surface.

They believe it to be either gold or silver, based on the scan with a sophisticated metal detector."

Happy Birthday, Fats Domino!

Fats is 80 today.

Lone Star Sleuths

Kasey Lansdale

Lone Star Sleuths -- You Will Learn, Grasshopper

Ben Rehder listens to David Lindsey's words of wisdom.

Lone Star Sleuths

Joe and Kasey Lansdale

History's Top Ten Overlooked Mysteries

That's not mystery novels or writers. Just mysteries.

Zero Cool -- John Lange

A little over a month ago, I reviewed Zero Cool. Today a copy of the new Hard Case Crime edition arrived in the mail. That's the cover over on the left. To see the old cover, you'll need to click the link above.

But I'm not here to talk about the covers. I'm here to tell you that the books aren't exactly the same. Lange has added a couple of pages titled "Video Interview" at both the beginning and end of the novel, and I got a big kick out of them, especially having just read the book in its earlier incarnation.

Peru Update

Archaeologists find 5,500-year-old plaza in Peru - Science- msnbc.com: "LIMA - A circular plaza built 5,500 years ago has been discovered in Peru, and archaeologists involved in the dig said on Monday that carbon dating shows it is one of the oldest structures ever found in the Americas.

A team of Peruvian and German archeologists uncovered the plaza, which was hidden beneath another piece of architecture at the ruins known as Sechin Bajo, in Casma, 229 miles (366 kilometers) north of Lima, the capital."

Jimmy Kimmel's Revenge

If you laughed at Sarah Silverman's video about her and Matt Damon, you might think this is funny.

Joe Lansdale Update

Grindhouse in about One Minute

With bunnies.

In Case You Were Wondering Where the Ark of the Covenant Is

A Lead on the Ark of the Covenant - TIME: "When last we saw the lost Ark of the Covenant in action, it had been dug up by Indiana Jones in Egypt and ark-napped by Nazis, whom the Ark proceeded to incinerate amidst a tempest of terrifying apparitions. But according to Tudor Parfitt, a real life scholar-adventurer, Raiders of the Lost Ark had it wrong, and the Ark is actually nowhere near Egypt. In fact, Parfitt claims he has traced it (or a replacement container for the original Ark), to a dusty bottom shelf in a museum in Harare, Zimbabwe."

Vote Early and Often

Anthony Neil Smith is going to shoot a puppy if he doesn't win.

Welcome to Bleak House Books: "Bleak House Books is launching its very own book club and we want you to be a part of it.

Here are the details:

The Selection Process:
This is an election year and we’re all about following trends so we’re going to allow the public to select the book. We encourage you to learn about the candidates and their platforms and then cast your vote. Information will be available on the Bleak House website, but may also be found on the candidate's respective sites. The poll closes on March 15th."

Stephen Marlowe, R. I. P.

One of the greats, mentioned often on this blog. Here, for example, and here. So his passing is very sad news to me. One of my favorite Bouchercon moments was signing next to Marlowe at the Monterey Bouchercon. I've put up a new slideshow in tribute.

Writer Stephen Marlowe dies - MontereyHerald.com :: "WILLIAMSBURG, Va.—Novelist Stephen Marlowe, best known for a series of books featuring private detective Chester Drum, died Friday at a hospital after a long illness, his family said in a statement. He was 79.

Marlowe began his career as a writer of pulp and science fiction and wrote more than 50 novels. His series featuring Chester Drum began with 'The Second Longest Night' in 1955 and concluded with 'Drumbeat Marianne' in 1968. His more recent work included fictionalized biographies, including 'The Memoirs of Christopher Columbus' in 1987, 'The Lighthouse at the End of the World' in 1995 and 'The Death and Life of Miguel de Cervantes' in 1996.

Marlowe was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and graduated from the College of William and Mary in 1949 with a degree in philosophy before serving two years in the Army. He spent decades of his working life overseas, mostly in France and Spain, and founded a writer-in-residence program at his alma mater in 1974.

Marlowe received France's Prix Gutenberg du Livre in 1988 and the Life Achievement Award of the Private Eye Writers of America in 1997.

He is survived by his wife, Ann, and two daughters."

Peru Update

Mysterious Pyramid Complex Discovered in Peru: "The remnants of at least ten pyramids have been discovered on the coast of Peru, marking what could be a vast ceremonial site of an ancient, little-known culture, archaeologists say.

In January construction crews working in the province of Piura discovered several truncated pyramids and a large adobe platform.

Officials from Peru's National Institute of Culture (INC) were dispatched to inspect the discovery.

Last week they announced that the complex, which is 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) long and 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) wide, belonged to the ancient Vic�s culture and was likely either a religious center or a cemetery for nobility."

Nightly TV Lineups

Todd Mason has a good discussion here.

Lindsay Lohan as MM

Thanks to Todd Mason, who (in a comment below) tipped me to this link. Lohan as Marilyn.

Druid Grave?

Miraculix in Essex? Possible�Druid Grave Enchants Archaeologists - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News: "Druids belong to the realm of myth -- archaeologists have never been able to prove their existence. But now researchers in England have uncovered the grave of a powerful, ancient healer. Was he a druid?"

Red Lightning -- John Varley

I enjoyed Varley's Red Thunder, to which this is a sequel, but people to whom I recommended it didn't seem to find it as much fun as I did. Let that be a warning to you.

Like Red Thunder, Red Lightning harks back to Robert A. Heinlein's SF juveniles of happy memory, but with a lot more sex, drugs, and cussing then RAH could put into his books. Come to think of it, there's more of those things than in Red Thunder, which takes place a generation after the earlier book.

An object strikes the Atlantic Ocean and causes a horrific tsunami that wipes out millions. Ray Garcia-Strickland, son of Manny, the guy who made the first Mars flight in the previous book, is the narrator. He and his family leave Mars and go to Florida to look for Ray's grandmother. Things are terrible, and about half the book is set there. The U. S. is far down the road to totalitarianism, and things become even worse when Mars is invaded (three times) in the second half of the novel. You'll either think it couldn't happen here, or you'll believe it could.

Uncle Jubal is a major player, as he was in the first novel. His brain works in wondrous ways, and his latest invention is . . . I'm not telling. If you read the first book, you'll remember the "Squeezer," another major player in this one, and his new invention almost tops it.

I'm no expert, but I see Heinlein's fingerprints all over this book. For me, that's not a bad thing. But before you rush out and buy it, you might want to re-read that first paragraph up above.

Remember When TV Statons Signed off the Air Every Night?

TV-signoffs.com - J. Alan Wall's Television Station Sign-Off Site: "This site is devoted to the memory of a bygone era in American broadcasting when all TV stations' programming ended at the conclusion of Johnny Carson's Tonight Show or The Late Movie. This site will be featuring authentic recordings of U.S. television stations ending their broadcast day with the playing of the Star Spangled Banner (SSB), America The Beautiful (ATB) or some other patriotic piece before cutting the juice or going to a test pattern. With very few exceptions, all U.S. TV stations now operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, filling their overnight schedules with home shopping fare, all-night network news, movies and daytime talk-show reruns."

Once Again, SMU Leads the Way

SMU in Dallas gets Bush library | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "DALLAS — Southern Methodist University will be home to George W. Bush's presidential library, officials announced Friday after more than a year of exclusive negotiations.

The only surprise was when — not if — the deal would be announced.

It finally happened after SMU's board of trustees on Friday approved the official agreement with the Bush Foundation, which will manage construction and raise money for the project, expected to cost more than $200 million."

Raymond Chandler on the Oscars

The Atlantic has put Raymond Chandler's "Oscar Night in Hollywood" on-line.

Oscar Night in Hollywood: "'Not only is the motion picture an art, but it is the one entirely new art that has been evolved on this planet for hundreds of years. It is the only art at which we of this generation have any possible chance to greatly excel.'"

The Return of Planet Stories

paizo.com - Store / By Company / P / Paizo Publishing, LLC / Planet Stories: "Planet Stories™ presents classic fantasy, science fiction, and science fantasy novels and short story collections to a generation of new readers and lifelong fans. Unforgettable tales from acknowledged masters like Michael Moorcock, Leigh Brackett, C.L. Moore, and Henry Kuttner stand side by side with lesser known but no less worthy yarns from tomorrow's superstars. Introductions from popular modern authors like Joe R. Lansdale, Ben Bova, and Michael Moorcock provide amusing and informative entry points to each book. With new releases every month, Planet Stories promises a master class in the genre aimed at building the greatest fantasy and science fiction library ever assembled."

Hat tip to Rick Klaw at Dark Forces.

The Show Must Go On

Your4State.com - Boonsboro Fire Destroys Nora Roberts' Hotel; The Romance Writer Still to Hold Booksigning: "BOONSBORO, MD - A construction crew was working inside an historic hotel owned by romance writer Nora Roberts when it caught fire in Boonsboro Friday morning, quickly spreading to neighboring buildings, fire investigators tell NBC25.

Roberts' husband, Bruce Wilder, tells NBC25 she is still planning on holding a booksigning tomorrow at Turn the Page bookstore in Boonsboro. They thought about cancelling but then decided it wasn't an option. It is scheduled for 1 - 3 p.m. at 18 North Main Street."

79 Years of Best Picture Winners in Posters

This is just great. Link via Neatorama.

79 Years of Best Picture Winners in Posters � Movie Poster Addict: "This weekend the winners of the 80th Academy Awards will be announced. Which gives me a nice excuse to post a compilation of the posters for all of the best picture winners so far."

8 Comic Books to Read Before You Die

I've read a couple of these.

20 Movies that Make Men Cry

From eHarmony.

Vanity Fair Recreates Hitchcock

Vanity Fair's Hitchcock Classics Photo Spreads � FirstShowing.net: "The latest issue of Vanity Fair includes a set of photo spreads featuring today's Hollywood actors recreating classic Hitchcock scenes in an article titled The 2008 Hollywood Portfolio: Hitchcock Classics."

Ben Chapman, R. I. P.

Thanks to Scott Cupp for the tip.

Ben Chapman as the Creature From the Black Lagoon: "Ben Chapman passed away at 12:15 am Hawaii time on Thursday, February 21 at the VA hospital in Honolulu. His health began to deteriorate February 12 and he was admitted to the hospital on February 20. His life support was turned off Wednesday around noon and his pacemaker was turned off shortly before he died. He died peacefully with his wife, Merrilee, and son, Ben Chapman III, by his side. He was 79 years old at his death."

Get Ready . . .

. . . for the return of Plots with Guns. Today's the day.

Barack Obama is Your New Bicycle

TechBlog: 'Your New Bicycle' is your new bicycle: "Here at TechBlog, we toil tirelessly to bring you news and opinion from the bleeding edge of technology.

But every now and then, we just want to make you giggle.

Barack Obama Is Your New Bicycle will definitely make you giggle.

Refresh early and often."

Gator Uupdate (Animatronic Monster Edition)

Click the link for a great photo.

Fright Catalog's Animatronic Horrors, or Where I Would Have My Wedding Registry - Boing Boing Gadgets: "When you get emails titled 'Mechanized Attack Alligator for the Masses,' you pretty much know you've got a winner. Dug North has spotted this animatronic alligator designed for haunted houses and fright shops, available for just shy of $9,000. It's from FrightCatalog.com, an online Halloween-themed store that obviously goes beyond just the traditional fake blood and skeleton masks."

Stark House April Book

I don't expect everybody to like the books I like. I just give my reactions and recommendations for the heck of it. With that in mind, I can't resist urging you to read this Stark House Double. Peter Rabe was one of my great Gold Medal discoveries back in the long ago, when I was starting out with writers like Charles Williams, Harry Whittington, John D. MacDonald, and others. A Shroud for Jesso has gangsters and spies. Fine stuff. Anatomy of a Killer is (I think) Rabe's only hardcover and very difficult to find. Check 'em out.

Gator Update (Farm Edition)

KSDK NewsChannel 5 - Down On The Farm, Only This Is An Alligator Farm: "It is mile after mile of gorgeous green palm trees and bright, beautiful blooms but if you go far enough the road eventually ends. If you're on the right road it ends at a type of farm you won't find in the bi-state area.


'We've got about 2,000 alligators here on the farm,' explains Jeremy Possman, a man who could have just as easily raised puppies but then that wouldn't be nearly as exciting."

Obsolete Skills

How many do you have?

Will the Persecution Never End?

Those bastards!

Paris banned from Oscars: Entertainment: Celeb News: News24: "Los Angeles - Paris Hilton has reportedly been banned from the Oscars.

The hotel heiress - whose latest movie The Hottie and the Nottie grossed just $9 000 at the US box office in its opening weekend - was devastated after being told she couldn't attend the prestigious event on Sunday night.

A source said: 'She cried hot, salty tears when she was banned from the Oscars. She's desperate to be taken seriously as an actress and hoped she would be able to network with film executives.'"

Pop Stars of the '80s

Not as young as they used to be. Man, I feel ancient today.

Hat tip to Mike McGruff.

Croc Update (DVD Edition)

Nice review, with pics, from someone who liked the film. Check it out.

DVD Review: Black Water - DVD: "The crocodile film seems to be having a bit of a revival on DVD of late as a plethora of the scaly water devils popping up. After Croc and Lake Placid 2, I had exceedingly low hopes (the bad box art didn’t help) but I found the hell scared out of myself by this excellent Australian shocker."

Art Theft Update

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Stolen paintings found in Zurich: "Two paintings stolen in one of the world's largest art thefts have been recovered in an abandoned car, Swiss police have confirmed.

The pictures, by Vincent van Gogh and Claude Monet, were among four paintings worth $160m (�82m) that were stolen from Zurich's Emil Buehrle Collection."

Y'All Come

LONE STAR SLEUTHS DAY
Meet & Greet with Fifteen Texas Mystery Writers
plus Acoustic Noir Songs Performed Live

FEBRUARY 23, Saturday, 2:00 to 5:00 pm

THE PUBLIC IS INVITED to LONE STAR SLEUTHS DAY celebrating the new Texas
crime fiction anthology in the Southwestern Writers Collection Book Series
with UT Press. Fifteen of the contributing mystery writers and the three
editors, Bill Cunningham, Steven L. Davis, and Rollo K. Newsom, will be on
hand to talk with guests and sign books.

SCHEDULED AUTHORS
Susan Wittig Albert, Neal Barrett, Jr., Paula Boyd, Susan Rogers Cooper,
Bill Crider, A.W. Gray, Rolando Hinojosa, Joe R. Lansdale, David Lindsey,
Ben Rehder, Rick Riordan, Jim Sanderson, Jesse Sublett, Doug J. Swanson,
Mary Willis Walker

LIVE MUSIC
Author/musician Jesse Sublett and country singer Kasey Lansdale will
perform acoustic noir songs.

Catered refreshments will be served.
Books by all attending authors will be for sale.

Free and open to the public.

ATTENDEES, PLEASE RSVP
to southwesternwriters@txstate.edu or (512) 245-2313.

THE WITTLIFF COLLECTIONS
Southwestern Writers Collection
Alkek Library Seventh Floor
Texas State University-San Marcos
(512) 245-2313
http://www.thewittliffcollections.txstate.edu/

Read more about Lone Star Sleuths: An Anthology of Texas Crime Fiction
from UT Press
http://www.utexas.edu/utpress/books/cunlop.html

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Possible Cell Phone Ban In S.A. | WOAI.COM: San Antonio News: "When you drive through a school zone, you may soon have to turn off your cell phone.

A proposed cell phone ban goes before San Antonio's City Council Wednesday. Council Member Justin Rodriguez proposed the ban, which would require drivers to hang up their phones when they see a school zone sign.

The goal is to prevent accidents and make the roads safer before and after school."

It's Alive!

You'd think I'd remember this stuff. Anyway, Of All Sad Words hit the streets yesterday. I assume you all bought ten or twelve copies.

Sigh

'80s tunes become the new oldies - Yahoo! News: "NEW YORK - The music blaring from the speakers of a small pub on a recent Friday night seemed like typical oldies fare: Aretha Franklin's 'Respect,' the 1970s tune 'Disco Lady' and the 1950s surf instrumental 'Tequila.' Then, 'Karma Chameleon' — the 1983 hit by Culture Club — came on.

The music was from WCBS-FM, a New York-based station that used to rely on songs from the '60s and '70s, and occasionally, the '50s. Now, like similar stations around the country, WCBS has deemed music from the '80s as the new oldies."

Is FelonSpy for Real?

That's the question Mike McGruff asks on his blog. FelonSpy purports to pinpoint on a map the felons living in your neighborhood. But typing in the same address twice gives different results. So what's up?

Update: It's a hoax.

Happy Birthday, Molly Ringwald!

I love 16 Candles.

Happy 40th (!) Birthday, Molly Ringwald! | PopWatch Blog | EW.com: "Another millstone milestone guaranteed to make Gen-Xers feel old: Today, Molly RIngwald hits the big 4-0."

Mensa Picks 10 Smartest TV Shows

What, no Gilligan's Island?

FOXNews.com - Mensa Picks 10 Smartest TV Shows of All Time - Celebrity Gossip | Entertainment News | Arts And Entertainment: "The head of genius organization Mensa has picked the 10 Smartest TV Shows of All Time —sparking debate in the blogosphere, especially over the inclusion of the 1990s sitcom 'Mad About You.'"

Make-Up Secrets of Movie Horror Pictures

In 1933, that is. A great article with photos, from Modern Mechanix.

Link via Boing Boing.

Fossil Update

My Way News - Scientists Find 'Devil Toad' Fossil: "WASHINGTON (AP) - A frog the size of a bowling ball, with heavy armor and teeth, lived among dinosaurs millions of years ago - intimidating enough that scientists who unearthed its fossils dubbed the beast Beelzebufo, or Devil Toad.

But its size - 10 pounds and 16 inches long - isn't the only curiosity. Researchers discovered the creature's bones in Madagascar. Yet it seems to be a close relative of normal-sized frogs who today live half a world away in South America, challenging assumptions about ancient geography."

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

FDA evaluated wrong Chinese drug factory - Health care- msnbc.com: "WASHINGTON - U.S. health officials evaluated the wrong factory when assessing the safety of a Chinese-made drug ingredient that may be a source of problems with a blood thinner, the Food and Drug Administration said Monday."

Gator Update (Presidential Edition)

I'm a day late with this one. I wrote a short story about this gator for an anthology a few years ago.

Lockport Union-Sun & Journal Online - HISTORY: Animals in the Oval Office: "The kids seemed more interested in the unusual pets, such as John Quincy Adams’ alligator, a gift from the Marquis de Lafayette."

Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie

That's the name of it.

Happy Birthday, Len Deighton

Beth Foxwell, over at The Bunburyist, reminds us that it's Len Deighton's birthday. I remember reading The Ipcress File when it first came out in paperback and really liking it. I read many other books over the years. Judy and I saw the movie version of The Ipcress File when we were living in Denton, Texas, during the first year of our marriage. A long time ago.

Ron Paul Update

Ron Paul is the congressman from my district. He has a lot of fans, though few delegates. Photos at the link.

Top of the Ticket : Los Angeles Times : Nearly-naked hotties for Ron Paul! Really!: "Nearly-naked hotties for Ron Paul! Really!

Frontcover1smYou better hurry because the last batch of Ron Paul pin-up calendars is going quickly. Which pleases Juliet Annerino no end because she sank a sizable chunk of her own change into printing up hundreds of these calendars to help fund the campaign of her favorite politician."

Croc Update (Exclusive Video Clip Edition)

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Black Water DVD Clip: "Black Water hits the DVD shelves this coming Tuesday, February 19, but how would you like a little taste of this DVD before that? We have an exclusive video for you to sink your teeth into! Take a look..."

Croc Update (DVD Edition)

DVD Dribble Feature Story:
"Croc

Will it ever be safe to go back in the water? This time an enormous crocodile terrorizes a beach resort in Thailand. When the locals begin to mysteriously disappear and various body parts are found floating in the nearby swamps, croc hunter Hawkins is ready and willing to track down the man-eating monster and claim his prize. But as the body count keeps rising, he realizes he is facing a more powerful force than anyone ever imagined. Croc stars Michael Madsen, Peter Tuinstra, Sherry Phungprasert, Elizabeth Healey and Scott Hazell.

Black Water

The water plays another frightening role in this horror film done in the style of Open Water and Rogue. When a crocodile capsizes their boat, three tourists are stranded in a swamp in Northern Australia. Stranded in a tree without a guide to lead them to safety and with a hungry croc lurking in the murky water below, Grace, Adam and Lee must keep their wits and face nature if they want to survive. Black Water stars Diana Glenn, Ben Oxenbould and Maeve Dermody. DVD features include filmmakers' commentary with writers/directors Andrew Traucki and David Nerlich and a behind the scenes featurette."

Stuck in the '80s

Top 20 movie nerds.

JFK Update

Old JFK documents may stir controversy | Reuters: "DALLAS (Reuters) - A batch of old documents linked to the slaying of President John F. Kennedy has reportedly been unearthed, including a highly suspect transcript of a conversation between assassin Lee Harvey Oswald and Oswald's killer Jack Ruby, the Dallas Morning News said on Sunday.

The newspaper said the Dallas County district attorney's office, which uncovered the documents, would display its discovery at a news conference on Monday morning."

Whiteout -- Ken Follett

I may have mentioned before that big, baggy bestsellers are one way to pass time in hospital waiting rooms. So I took this one last week when we spent seven or eight hours in an ER waiting room with Judy's mother. The plot is simple. It's about stealing a doomsday virus from a heavily protected lab. But to complicate matters, Follett throws in a snowstorm, a family in an isolated house, romances, cops who do stupid things, and so on.

One of the blurbs is from PW, and it refers to the "agonizingly protracted, nail-biter ending." I'd leave out the "nail-biter" for a more accurate description. It's as if the book is never going to get to where you know it's going. I've had fun with Follett's books before, but I thought this one was very much a by-the-numbers job, with not a surprise to be found. I'm sure it sold a million copies. Or more.

As I read the book, I thought of Alistair MacLean's The Satan Bug (originally published as by Ian Stuart). I read that one more than 40 years ago, and found it full of surprises and suspense. I have no idea if it would hold up, but maybe I'll dig it out and see. I do know that around 1963 or '64 I thought it was wonderful stuff.

Happy Birthday, Doc Savage!

Mark Evanier at News from Me reminds us that today is the 75th anniversary of the first issue of Doc Savage. Evanier didn't like the novels he read, but I read a number of the reprints and found them a lot of fun. I even liked the George Pal movie.

Made in Miami -- Charles Willeford

Made in Miami is the Point Blank reprint of Lust is a Woman, a Beacon Book from the '50s. According to the blurb, this is the first time the novel has been reprinted (not counting the Softcover Library edition, I guess). It's a pretty sleazy story about an art student named Ralph Tone, who takes a summer job in a hotel in Miami, where he meets Maria Dugan, a beautiful young woman who goes a long way downhill in the course of a few pages.

Ralph introduces Maria to a wealthy man named Donald McKay, who turns out to be a pimp and pornographer. With a little guile and money, McKay easily adds Maria to his stable. Ralph decides he has to get revenge, but not before a good bit of sordid sex, none of it graphic but some of it brutal. Obviously this was aimed right at the Beacon Books market. It's just fine as a historical document, and the quirky characters, the downward spiral, and the wry Willeford observations make this one worth reprinting and reading. Check it out.

Who'd Have Thought?

That there would be a William M. Gaines biopic. Certainly not me, at least not back when I was a kid reading EC comics and Mad.

John Landis Is Ready to Direct Ghoulishly Yours, William M. Gaines - SuperheroFlix.com: "John Landis has just signed on to direct Ghoulishly Yours, William M. Gaines, a film about the life of the publisher of EC Comics and Mad magazine. According to Variety, Landis will develop the biopic with the film's screenwriter Joel Eisenberg.

Ghoulishly Yours, William M. Gaines centers on an anti-establishment group of artists and writers, led by a reluctant Gaines and partner Al Feldstein, as they produce their comic books. Gaines became a First Amendment figurehead due to his unapologetic testimony before a Senate subcommittee investigating juvenile delinquency."

Dickipedia

It is what the name implies. To see if your favorite dick is included, click here.

Will the Persecution Never End?

PARIS HILTON - HILTON'S HOTTIE MOVIE VOTED WORST EVER: "Socialite PARIS HILTON's new film THE HOTTIE AND THE NOTTIE has been named the worst movie ever. Users of the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) have voted the 2008 comedy - in which the 26-year-old plays a stunner with a not-so-attractive best friend - the worst of all time, giving it on average a score of 1.2 on a scale of 1-10."

Will the Persecution Never End?

Paris Hilton in cat custody battle - New Zealand's source for entertainment news, gossip & music, movie & book reviews on Stuff.co.nz: "Celebrity socialite Paris Hilton is embroiled in a custody battle over her cat.

The hotel heiress' pet feline Prada has been seized by animal rescue centre the Kris Kelly Foundation after Paris left the animal at the vets two weeks ago.

Kelly - who collected the cat after being contacted by the surgery - is refusing to return Prada, saying: “This is a clear-cut case of abandonment.'"

Okay, Here's the Deal

Steve Hockensmith has a book coming out on February 19. So do I. St. Martin's has a blog for its authors.

The authors who blog during a particular week are the ones who have a book coming out that week.

Guess who was invited to be the guest blogger for St. Martin's this week. (Hint: It wasn't me.)

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

C.H.U.D. Update

Ghostbuster called in after sewage workers stalked by 'zombie' in underground tunnels | the Daily Mail: "It sounds like something out of a Hollywood blockbuster.

But staff at a sewage works have called in a ghostbuster because they are being stalked by a zombie-like figure who roams the underground tunnels.

Workers at Southern Water's treatment plant in Eastbourne, East Sussex, said they have been scared to enter tunnels after being followed about by a 'humanoid figure' as they went about their jobs."

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Students outraged after museum destroys diorama: "Highland High students and faculty are up in arms after hearing that a diorama they helped build was destroyed by Texas museum officials who said it was historically inaccurate.

The 10-foot by 5-foot diorama of the Battle at Palmetto Ranch, the last land battle of the Civil War, was shipped last August to the Texas Military Forces Museum at Camp Mabry in Austin, along with four other dioramas built by Gilbert students."

Peru Update

Miraculous Mud Pond with Alien Healing Powers - Life in the Fast Lane: "People are flocking to wallow in the mud of 3 small remote ponds that locals in Peru believe to possess miraculous healing powers brought by alien space ships. Residents of Chilca — a dusty, desert town on the Pacific coast 40 miles (20 kilometers) southeast of Lima — claim that aliens altered the mud flats in town, infusing them with inexplicable healing powers."

Texas No Longer Leads the Way

Appeals court overturns Texas ban on sex toys - U.S. business- msnbc.com: "FORT WORTH, Texas - A federal appeals court has overturned a Texas statute outlawing sex toy sales, leaving Alabama as the state with the strictest ban on such devices.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Texas law making it illegal to sell or promote obscene devices, punishable by up to two years in jail, violated the Constitution's 14th Amendment on the right to privacy."

One More Valentine's Day Story

Frequent commenter Todd Mason's story wasn't on yesterday's linkfest, but you can read it here.

Update: Make that two more stories. Another one can be found here.

Gator Update (Fugitive Edition)

Alligator Eludes Capture: "TAMPA - Cool weather made it difficult for a state-hired trapper to catch an alligator that killed a dog at Al Lopez Park on Monday.

Julie Harter, the trapper, tried for four hours on Wednesday to nab the alligator, but the reptile was too lethargic to be interested in taking bait. Harter also tried on Monday."

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

We Texans are clever at hiding our learning difficulties. Thanks to Karin Montin for the tip.

Teacher hid illiteracy during 17-year career | World news | The Guardian: "A retired teacher who now spends his time campaigning for improved literacy has revealed that he taught classes for 17 years even though he could not read or write.

Despite his illiteracy, John Corcoran worked as a teacher then as a property developer until the age of 48, when he decided to seek help. He used oral and visual stimuli with his pupils, rather than words, and insists he was a very successful teacher.

'There wasn't the written word in there. I always had two or three teacher's assistants in each class to do board work or read the bulletin,' he said in a television interview."

Croc Update (SuperCroc Edition)

FOXNews.com - Fearsome Carnivorous Dinosaurs Unearthed in Sahara - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News: "'They lived together,' Sereno said. 'That in and of itself is rather spectacular. You’ve got these multi-ton animals eating meat and living together along with a 40-foot crocodile that was also chomping on things.'

The crocodile, called Sarcosuchus and nicknamed 'SuperCroc,' was almost twice as long as modern crocodiles."

Never Take a Knife to a Gun Fight

And stay off this guy's lawn.

80-year-old John Wayne fan puts attacker in hospital | Latest News | WFAA.com: "Investigators say they were definitely going to rob him - possibly even kill him.

But an 80-year-old North Texan wasn't about to let that happen, so he took action.

One of the suspects is in the hospital and both are facing charges."

Once Again, Texas Leads the Way

Houston - News - Mescaline on the Mexican Border: "Texas is the only state in the country where peyote is sold legally. Really."

Keeping the Day Job

John Scalzi stirred up a lot of discussion and maybe even a little controversy with this post of advice to new writers. One thing that seems to have gotten under some skins is his comments about marriage. Some of you know that I was incredibly lucky to persuade Judy Stutts to marry me. She has been so much a part of my writing career that twenty or so years ago, Mary Christian, a Houston writer, said, "I need a Judy!" But she couldn't have mine.

As for the day job, unlike some people, I kept mine for a long, long time. Why? Well, for one thing, I needed the money. Or at least I wanted it. And for another thing, I liked the security of a regular paycheck, a really good retirement program, and excellent insurance. Believe me, the insurance came in mighty handy after Judy was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. When I retired at age 62, the college continued to pay my insurance, and I paid for Judy's part of it. We'd have been up the creek without it.

And believe it or not, I liked the day job. When I was in high school, I decided I wanted to be a teacher. So I became one, and for nearly 40 years I enjoyed being in the classroom. Sure, the older I got, the more I got involved in administrative duties, but I always taught at least two or three classes a semester, and I looked forward to going into the classroom almost every time I did it.

So while the life of a full-time writer is probably filled with glamor and riches beyond the ken or ordinary mortals, I was perfectly happy with my life the way it was. Now that I've retired from college teaching into the life of being a rich and famous full-time writer, I write less than ever. Somebody's gotta do the blog, right?

Flash Fiction for Valentine's Day

Patti Abbott has the links right here.