Edged in Blue

One of the greatest comedians ever, if not THE greatest, has passed away.  George Carlin died this past weekend of heart failure at age 71.

One of my fondest memories of Carlin came in the late 1980’s.  Jim Chenault, a DJ for Akron’s WONE, used to play comedy bits between songs on his afternoon drive show.  One day, while out driving around, I heard George Carlin’s voice saying, “Join the Book Club!  As an introductory offer, we’ll send you the following books absolutely free…”  Though the bit was edited for radio, I still damn near wrecked the car laughing so hard.  The bit’s actually not one of Carlin’s best, but Carlin had a delivery that made you think you’d fallen down the rabbit hole or accidentally drank a Deadhead’s 7-Up.

We’ll miss you, George.

Dave White asks (and will be avenged upon for asking), what is “[y]our most exciting experience and your most embarassing experience as a Star Trek fan (not including Fan Fic).”

Most Exciting: Partying in full Klingon gear with Robert O’Reilly, who played Klingon Emperor Gowron on Star Trek: The Next Generation/Deep Space Nine.

Most Embarrassing: Meeting Walter Koenig (Chekov) in a dealer’s room and realizing the dude’s pretty uncomfortable talking to someone in full Klingon gear.

I only did that for about a year, but it was an interesting year. However, I needed to get a decent job and an education, so hanging with the “Klingons,” though they drank lots of beer and partied well, had to go.

I haven’t laid out in the sun in years.  I am not what you would consider the tanning type.  Being fair-skinned and having been blond throughout my childhood, the sun and I never really got along.  One summer, I actually got blisters on my ears during a Reds game.

Still, last summer, I would spend upwards of four hours walking along sections of the Little Miami Bike Trail, somedays in 90 degree weather.  The worst I ever had to deal with was near-dehydration, and that only because Spring Valley, Ohio, a town still stuck in the Great Depression, had no working ATM or a store that took plastic any closer than a mile from the trail head there.  So a 12-mile round trip turned into 16.  But no sunburn.

This weekend, however, Schmoopie and I decided to get lazy and lay in the backyard.  I had my Warsteiner beer and a copy of John Adams to read.  All in all, a pleasant afternoon spent idle.  No bills, no work, no cares.

And then we came inside.

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s not the burning that’s so bad.  (Schmoopie will disagree.)  It’s the itching that follows.  We are now huge fans of aloa vera.

I will be participating in an American Cancer Society Relay for Life event in Harrison, Ohio on June 13-14.

There’s still plenty of time for you to contribute. Find out how here.

My review of Elizabeth Becka’s Cleveland-based Unknown Means is now live at January.

Drop what you’re doing RIGHT NOW!  RIGHT NOW!  DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?

Go buy Anthony Neil Smith’s Yellow Medicine.  Then prepare to have your ass kicked by the original Crimedog himself.  You won’t regret it.  Promise.

Dear Cat, in reply to the topless snack…. i would never masturbate to your voice….
your pictures….? yes. but your voice…. no.

but i will now.

[You know?  Joel is really disturbing sometimes.  - JW ]

Somehow, I’ve managed to drag Nick Kepler out of retirement in time for the 10th Anniversary Issue of The Thrilling Detective Web Site. Nick’s latest adventure has him chasing a degenerate gambler all over the Midwest only to corner him on one of Indiana’s Ohio River casino boats.

Also this issue, new fiction from the hypergraphic Stephen D Rogers, the hypernoirish Robert Petyo, and the just plain hyper Paul Guyot. Also on tap are excerpts from the latest efforts by Eric Lerner and John Shannon, with more to come from Sandra Seamans and Finland’s Tappe Bagge.

And if that weren’t enough, TD perpetrator Kevin Burton Smith gives thanks and praise to all those who helped him, including Blue Murder founder David Firks.

So get over to Thrilling Detective and prepare to be thrilled.

Yes.  Someone should stop Ann Coulter and Bill Cunningham from endorsing her.  It’s not fair to drag her down like that.

Otherwise?  Not so much.  She digs her own grave nicely, doesn’t she?

Plots With Guns rises again.

Thank you, Neil Smith.

Thank you.

[OK, enough with this Wagner crap, that antisemitic prick. Someone put on Warren Zevon's "Lawyers, Guns, and Money" and get me a bottle of Jameson.  Time for some PWG!]