Monday, May 16, 2011
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
I've been using these posts to plug books by others, and I figure I deserve a little space, too. So expect more plugs of my own work here, including this one for the third book in the Rancho Diablo series. The first one, by Mel Odom, gets the series off to a rousing start, and James Reasoner's second volume moves things along in great slam-bang style. Naturally you should read their contributions, too, but especially mine since they're outselling me. We can't have that, can we?
Here's the Plot for Your Next Big Crime Novel
Cop ran Pleasant Hill brothel, co-defendant says: "A Concord private investigator at the center of a law enforcement scandal admits he helped run a house of prostitution in Pleasant Hill, but says the former commander of a Contra Costa County anti-drug task force was the architect of the operation and shut down competing brothels, the investigator's attorney said Thursday."
Life Imitates "Art"
khou.com Houston: "The explosion of the feral hog population in Texas has become a major concern for a Fort Bend County neighborhood.Brandi Gibson, a 10-year resident of Cinco Ranch who lives adjacent to George Bush Park and Barker Reservoir, said the hogs have started to venture into the neighborhood more than ever before.
'They’ve torn up the cul-de-sac and they’ve actually gone down both sides of the street,' she said."
Ripper Update
Scotland Yard fights to keep Jack the Ripper files secret - Telegraph: "Scotland Yard is fighting an extraordinary legal battle to withhold 123-year-old secret files which experts believe could finally provide the identity of Jack the Ripper."
Live Long and Prosper?
Space.com: "The six astronauts flying on NASA's final flight of the space shuttle Endeavour are a serious bunch, but they've got a fun streak too. Case in point: The astronauts apparently like the science fiction franchise 'Star Trek' enough to re-enact its most recent movie poster."Hat tip to Stan Burns.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
Crossroad Press is publishing a number of my backlist titles in e-book format, so naturally I'm happy to plug this anthology. It's just $.99 for 10 short stories, all of which are rare, one never before published, from five Crossroad Press authors. The idea is that its sales will boost interest in other Crossroad Press titles, including mine, even though I don't have a story in the book. It's a bargain. Snap it up.
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Houston Chronicle: "At some point, someone put a knife on the victim’s bed. Not knowing it was there, the man jumped onto the bed and landed on the knife, Smith said.
Paramedics took the man to Ben Taub General Hospital, where he died."
Paramedics took the man to Ben Taub General Hospital, where he died."
Bernard Greenhouse, R. I. P.
NJ.com: "Bernard Greenhouse, acclaimed cellist and founding member of the renowned Beaux Arts Trio, has died of natural causes at his home in Massachusetts. He was 95."
Who Knew?
ZOMBIE RESEARCH SOCIETY: "May is the official Zombie Awareness Month of the Zombie Research Society."
Hat to Fred Zackel.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
I read James Reasoner's Under Outlaw Flags when it was published, and it remains a favorite of mine (not to mention a great idea for a movie). I read an advance copy of Julius Katz and Archie, and since I've been a fan of the short stories, I figured the novel would be equally entertaining. It certainly was. You can't go wrong with either of these, both of which are now available as e-books. Highly recommended.
The Only Thing We Have to Fear . . . .
io9: "A briefcase-shaped press kit touting Acura's product placement in the film Thor caused a bomb scare and evacuation at a bus station in downtown Ann Arbor, Mich., after a writer for buff book Automobile tossed it in a dumpster."
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
I can't resist a good pirate tale, and Ed Gorman and Tom Piccirilli have written a dilly here. It's got sword fights, a pirate named Crimson (surely they're having a little fun with us Burt Lancaster fans here, since Crimson's a woman, who, in my opinion, looks like Geena Davis with red hair and not at all like Burt), storms, scurvy dogs, and . . . . well, let's put it this way: This might start off like a typical pirate tale, but it sure doesn't wind up that way. Originally published by Subterranean, it's now available as an e-book. Check it out here.
Sixkill -- Robert B. Parker
As I've mentioned many times, I read the first Spenser novel when it appeared, and I haven't missed one since. Sixkill is #39 in the series, and the final one written by Robert B. Parker.The title is taken from the name of a Cree Indian, bodyguard to a movie and TV star named Jumbo, who may or may not have killed a young woman (think Fatty Arbuckle). Sixkill is fired when Spenser beats him in a short fistfight and shows up at Spenser's office. He's in sad shape, and it's up to Spenser to show him how to become the man he was meant to be. Hawk is conveniently out of town, so Spenser takes Sixkill to the gym and gets to work. I have a feeling you know how this part of the story turns out.
Meanwhile, Spenser continues to work on the case of the young woman's death in spite of threats from some heavy-duty tough guys. I have a feeling you know how that part of the book turns out, too.
All the elements are familiar. Spenser's actions are predictable. So what? It's like the Nero Wolfe series. If Wolfe didn't count the bottle caps or go to the plant room or wear his yellow 'jammies, I'd be disappointed. Parker makes the familiar fun. The prose is dandy, and the dialogue is as much fun as ever.
There's some talk about death in the book, and the remarks become especially evocative now that Parker's gone. Parker and Spenser had a great run. I'm really going to miss them.
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
KHOU.com: Travel + Leisure Magazine has listed Houston as the No. 1 city in the country for hamburgers.
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
KPTV Portland: "A nude statue on display in a yard is causing quite a stir in one Texas neighborhood.
The statue of David was put up by homeowners who recently moved into the neighborhood. No one has asked them to remove it -- yet -- though some families believe the statue is offensive and needs to go.
'It's there. It's right there,' neighbor Alina Hatcher said of the statue's 'assets.' 'You don't have to look for it. You don't have to stare hard. It's right there.'"
The statue of David was put up by homeowners who recently moved into the neighborhood. No one has asked them to remove it -- yet -- though some families believe the statue is offensive and needs to go.
'It's there. It's right there,' neighbor Alina Hatcher said of the statue's 'assets.' 'You don't have to look for it. You don't have to stare hard. It's right there.'"
Hat tip to Art Scott.
The Decline of Western Civilization Continues Apace
Consumers take their lives into the cloud - Ericsson: "35 percent of US Android and iPhone users interact with such non-voice apps as Facebook on their smartphones before even getting out of bed"
It's a Living
Senior citizens arrested for pushing heroin | CharlotteObserver.com & The Charlotte Observer Newspaper: "There is a new trend in drug dealing in Brunswick County where silver-haired women are pushing heroin."
Chron.com: Houston has earned the distinction of being the nation’s leader in a dubious category. The Bayou City leads the United States in dog attacks on Postal Service letter carriers.
Criminal Genius of the Day
The News Tribune: "A Clarkston man who has been indicted by a federal grand jury wrote about robbing a Lewiston bank and ordered bomb-making materials under the name of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh."
Crime of the Week
Man reports mysteriously switched kitchen faucet to Flint police | MLive.com: "A man told police on Monday that someone mysteriously switched the faucet of his kitchen sink, according to a larceny report filed with Flint police.
The man told police he went into his kitchen at 9 p.m. Sunday and noticed a different faucet installed at the home on Colonial Drive near Fleming and West Carpenter Roads."
The man told police he went into his kitchen at 9 p.m. Sunday and noticed a different faucet installed at the home on Colonial Drive near Fleming and West Carpenter Roads."
PSA
Yourhome.ca: "Woohoo! Dig those bare buttocks and boobs. May 14 is, believe it or not, World Naked Gardening Day"
At Seepy Benton's house, every day is World Naked Gardening Day.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
Reuters: "At a Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport security checkpoint, the Tsa confiscates juice box and baby food due to the items allegedly testing positive for trace amounts of explosive materials."
Yet Another Blogger Update
All the scheduled posts have reappeared. Good, but since I've already posted them again, useless.
Cleanup on Aisle 7
British woman beheaded in busy Tenerife supermarket
Hat tip to Art Scott for both the link and the headline.
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
Yet Another Blogger Update
I've now posted my FFB and the other usual stuff. I put the usual times on them, so you might have to scroll down to find them.
Blogger Update
It now appears that contrary to their statements so far, Blogger has lost my scheduled posts for today. I'll see what I can to do recreate them. I'm not thrilled by this.
Indiana Leads the Way
Court: No right to resist illegal cop entry into home: "Overturning a common law dating back to the English Magna Carta of 1215, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Hoosiers have no right to resist unlawful police entry into their homes."
What Happened to the Blog?
I don't know. Blogger never feels it's necessary to explain or even to tell you when things will get back to normal. All I know is that now we're back on-line. The missing posts will supposedly be restored. I had scheduled my "Forgotten Books" post several days ago, along with the other usual features of the blog. They may well have disappeared forever. We'll just have to wait and see.
Some of you might have read that a couple of days ago Google made the big announcement about their new Chromebook. As soon as you turn it on, you're on-line. Nothing's stored on the computer's drive. It's all stored on Google's great servers. The Chromebook seems to be aimed at schools and businesses, many of whom must be thinking "no way" about now. Be without our date for 24 hours? Be unable to get to the term paper that's due tomorrow? Who's going to take the risk?
Forgotten Books: College for Sinners
Here we go again. I'd written and scheduled a post about this book, but Blogger has disappeared it. I'll give you the short version. The book's supposedly by Lawrence Block, so I'd hoped for a crime novel. This isn't one. It barely has a plot. I'd say 5 pages of plot and 185 pages of sex. Very disappointing. It does mention the movie The Sound of Distant Drums, a feature of Block's soft porn, so maybe he did write this.
Looking around the 'Net for something about the book, I ran across this post. It appears that College for Sinners is an almost exact rewrite of a book from about the same time, a softcore novel by Robert Silverberg. Why would Block copy a Silverberg book? I have no idea, but click the link for a comparison of the two.
While this was a big disappointment from the plot point of view, I'm now glad I have it because of the curiosity value.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
Dove Season by Johnny Shaw has a great setting, right out of a Gold Medal novel, the Calexico/Mexicali border country. A dying man named Jack Veeder has one simple request of his son: find a Mexican prostitute named Yolanda. Jimmy and a guy named Bobby Maves discover that finding Yolanda isn't the hard part as they deal with just about all the violence that the Mexicali underworld can throw at them. Before it's all over, Jimmy's found out a lot of things he didn't know about his father, and about himself. This is a fast-moving story with great local color, told in smooth prose. Check it out.
Just Following Orders
News from The Associated Press: "Federal officials insisted Wednesday that screeners at Kansas City International Airport were just doing their jobs when they frisked a baby, an incident that gained worldwide attention after a pastor posted a cellphone picture of the pat-down on Twitter."
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
khou.com Houston: "Four people were arrested at a North Houston car wash where, in addition to washes and waxes, illegal drugs and raccoon meat were sold, Houston police said Wednesday."
Cornell Dupree, R. I. P.
R&B/Jazz Guitarist Cornell Dupree Dies: "Guitarist Cornell Dupree, who played on recordings by Miles Davis, Aretha Franklin and Joe Cocker has died, according to OregonMusicNews.com. He was 69.
[. . . .]
Dupree began his career as a member of King Curtis’ band – the two had grown up together in Texas. He then became part of the Atlantic Records studio band. That’s his guitar playing on Aretha’s “Respect.”"
[. . . .]
Dupree began his career as a member of King Curtis’ band – the two had grown up together in Texas. He then became part of the Atlantic Records studio band. That’s his guitar playing on Aretha’s “Respect.”"
Dolores Fuller, R. I. P.
Elvis songwriter, Ed Wood's muse Dolores Fuller dies at 88 - News - ReviewJournal.com: "Dolores Fuller, whose eclectic and offbeat career touched cult-movie bases from Elvis to Ed Wood, died Monday at her Las Vegas home. She was 88.
Stepdaughter Susan Chamberlin told the Los Angeles Times that Fuller died after a long illness.
Her most famous association was with Elvis Presley movies, for which she co-wrote 13 songs, including 'Rock-a-Hula Baby' for 'Blue Hawaii.'
In 1994, however, the bad-movie cult that had been circling 1950s cross-dressing director Wood culminated in Tim Burton directing an 'Ed Wood' movie bio starring Johnny Depp. Sarah Jessica Parker was cast in a role based on Fuller, who was Wood's muse and leading lady in oddities such as 'Glen or Glenda.'"
Stepdaughter Susan Chamberlin told the Los Angeles Times that Fuller died after a long illness.
Her most famous association was with Elvis Presley movies, for which she co-wrote 13 songs, including 'Rock-a-Hula Baby' for 'Blue Hawaii.'
In 1994, however, the bad-movie cult that had been circling 1950s cross-dressing director Wood culminated in Tim Burton directing an 'Ed Wood' movie bio starring Johnny Depp. Sarah Jessica Parker was cast in a role based on Fuller, who was Wood's muse and leading lady in oddities such as 'Glen or Glenda.'"
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
You Can Stay on Her Lawn; She's in the Pokey
News from The Associated Press: "An elderly woman suspected in a series of armed robberies outside Southern California department stores has been arrested.
[. . . .]
Police have said the woman, who might be 80 years old, stole a purse at gunpoint Wednesday morning outside a Target store and drove off in a dark sedan. It was her fourth stickup in as many days."
[. . . .]
Police have said the woman, who might be 80 years old, stole a purse at gunpoint Wednesday morning outside a Target store and drove off in a dark sedan. It was her fourth stickup in as many days."
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
Cursive Writing Update
Is cursive handwriting obsolete? | MNN - Mother Nature Network: "So with all of these arguments against it, why bother teaching cursive writing?"
Better Far That You Light Just One Little Candle . . . .
KDVR: "Authorities later determined the 'dynamite' was actually three candles wrapped with a ribbon, and a note that read “You're Dynamite.”"
Yeah, Right, It's the Dry Weather. That's It.
Chron.com blog: "In the five months after Houston voters forced city officials to turn off a camera surveillance system that fined motorists for running red lights, traffic accidents at those 50 intersections with 70 cameras have decreased 16 percent, according to recently released data.
The drop in accidents surprised Houston police administrators who say a possible explanation is the unusually dry weather during recent months has made driving conditions safer. They also wonder if years of electronic monitoring have made Houstonians better, if not more cautious, drivers."
The drop in accidents surprised Houston police administrators who say a possible explanation is the unusually dry weather during recent months has made driving conditions safer. They also wonder if years of electronic monitoring have made Houstonians better, if not more cautious, drivers."
Once Again, Texas Leads the Way
wfaa.com Dallas - Fort Worth: "Dallas will keep $2,000 found by a teenager in a parking lot last February.
The money will go into the city's general fund — not back to Plano high school student Ashley Donaldson, who found the cash in an envelope at the Pavillion Shopping Center in North Dallas."
The money will go into the city's general fund — not back to Plano high school student Ashley Donaldson, who found the cash in an envelope at the Pavillion Shopping Center in North Dallas."
Robin Had Already Left
Michigan Cops Cage Caped Crusader In Bizarre Rooftop Incident | The Smoking Gun: "A Michigan man dressed in a Batman costume was arrested early this morning after cops found him hanging off the ledge of a building."
Hat tip to David Cranmer.
PimPage: An Occasional Feature in Which I Call Interesting Books to Your Attention
How about a book-reading detective who believes that the decline of Western Civilization continues apace? Irresistible, right? If you feel that way, then it's time you made the acquaintance of Chess Hanrahan. Honors Due is his third case, I believe, and in it Hanrahan goes to a movie about Galileo. He's horrified to discover that Hollywood has turned the astronomer's life into something like a Will Ferrell film and even more horrified to see that the script is credited to a famous historian who, as it happens, has been recently murdered. Hanrahan sets out to find out the story behind all this, and he's the kind of a guy who won't stop until he finds what he's looking for.
Books With Numbers in the Titles
AbeBooks: Reading by Numbers: "Many people enjoy painting by numbers but how about reading by numbers? We suggest that you start at number one and work your way to 1001 or beyond with books that include numbers in their titles."
Misleading Headline of the Day
Woody Allen Cannes Opener: Love Letter to Paris, Return to Form
For a second I thought Allen had made a movie about a different Paris.
Among Others -- Jo Walton
Anybody who's read this blog for a while knows I'm a sucker for coming-of-age stories. Here's another one.Among Others is told in the form of a diary written during the school year of 1979-80 by Morweena, a Welsh girl of 15 who's left her home to live with her father and his sisters. Well, not to live with them but to attend a British public school that they're paying for. Mor has left her home because of her mother, who's a witch. Mor and her twin sister were involved in some cosmic battle with their mother. The sister was killed, and Mor was seriously injured. We never know what happened exactly or what fiendish scheme Mor and her sister foiled. It doesn't really matter.
Mor herself has the ability to perform magic, and part of the growing up is to decide how to use that ability. She can also see and converse with fairies. She believes all children can, but since down we forget as up we grow, only a few adults can. (Or maybe none of this is true. Mor's telling the story. We don't get anyone else's point of view.)
Mor is scarily bright. At the boarding school she's an almost complete outsider. What sustains her is her reading of SF. Mor has read widely and remembered everything. She has few role models in life, but she learns a lot about the world from her reading. She loves Roger Zelazny and many others. She's not fond of Philip K. Dick. Her opinions about the books she reads are of course one of the more entertaining aspects of the novel.
Outside the school she finds others who share her interests, and she makes friends. She discovers that there are a lot of others like her and that they even have conventions. You can tell that SF is going to play a big role in her life, but not before she faces up to some hard realities.
Does anything in the book happen the way we're told it does, or is Mor just overly imaginative? Or is Walton the narrator behind the narrator, using magic as a metaphor? It's up to the reader to decide that, so you're on your own.
I know nothing about Jo Walton other than that I've been enjoying her comments on books over at Tor.com for a good while now. She's clearly a person who knows and loves SF and has read just about everything in the field. So that's one connection she has with Morwenna, the narrator of Among Others. As for any others, that's for someone else to point out.
Among Others is beautifully written and totally engaging. One of the best things I've read in a while.
And Who Can Blame Him?
The Sun |News: "A CANNIBAL has been arrested after his 'dinner guest' changed his mind and called the cops."
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