That Circus in Cleveland

No.

Once again, I am not watching the televised circus taking place in Cleveland which is calling itself a political convention. 

Those of us old enough to remember watching political conventions in the past remember them as gatherings where people talked and talked and talked and talked and talked some more. 

They were often dry and boring. 

There were sometimes surprises. 

Perhaps a speech given by a charismatic young up and comer that made us sit back and say "Wow. This person is going to be a person to watch," which made a political junkie such as myself happy I had stuck through the boring. 

But, never did I ever imagine the surprise of hearing a couple of D list long out of work actors being considered intelligent enough or articulate enough to be a part of our political process. 

And then, not surprisingly, prove they were neither of those things. 

If you're ignorant and tasteless enough to use the "C" word for ANY woman, you've proved yourself to be scum. 

That this crass ignorance reflects the values of the person this moron is supporting as a candidate for President should not be happening in THIS country. 

MY country. 

And the rest of those people? Reality TV at its worst could never touch this mess. 

And it all reminds me of why I hated the circus, even as a child. 

Because it always smelled like shit. 

Nite, all!

Bouchercon 2012

Bouchercon 2012 is taking place as we speak.

Am I sad about not being there?



oh, Laws - yes.


(insert loud sobs here)


But I've been following all the fun in Cleveland and have enjoyed seeing pictures of some of my favorite people.

If you're on Facebook, check out the Bouchercon 2012 photo album. - https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/Bouchercon2012?fref=ts

It looks as though my Jungle Red buddies are having a big ol' time, and from all reports, their panel was a HUGE hit (who's surprised by that?! - no one!).

and you can read about it here.


Other news would include winners of The Macavity Awards, presented by Janet Rudolph at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during opening ceremonies on Thursday night.

And the winners are...

Best Mystery Novel: Claire DeWitt and the City of the Dead by Sara Gran

Best First Mystery Novel: All Cry Chaos by Leonard Rosen

Best Mystery Related Non-Fiction: The Sookie Stackhouse Companion, edited by Charlaine Harris

Best Mystery Short Story: "Disarming" by Dana Cameron

Sue Feder Memorial Historical Mystery: Dandy Gilver and the Proper Treatment of Bloodstains by Catriona McPherson

The Private Eye Writers Association presented The Shamus Awards Friday night, and the winners are...

Best Hardcover P.I. Novel:
A Bad Night’s Sleep, by Michael Wiley (Minotaur)

Best First P.I. Novel:
The Shortcut Man, by P.G. Sturges (Scribner)

Best Paperback Original P.I. Novel:
Fun & Games, by Duane Swierczynski (Mulholland)

Best P.I. Short Story:
“Who I Am,” by Michael Z. Lewin (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, December 2011)

The Hammer--a commendation celebrating a memorable private-eye character or series, and named after Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer--was presented to Nate Heller the character created by Max Allan Collins.

The Anthony Awards have been presented.  I have highlighted the winners in bold red -  

BEST NOVEL

The End of Everything—Megan Abbott [Reagan Arthur/Little, Brown]

Hurt Machine—Reed Farrel Coleman [Tyrus]

The Drop—Michael Connelly [Little, Brown]

A Trick of the Light—Louise Penny [Minotaur]

One Was a Soldier—Julia Spencer-Fleming [Thomas Dunne/Minotaur]

BEST FIRST NOVEL

Learning to Swim—Sara J. Henry [Crown]

Nazareth Child—Darrell James [Midnight Ink]

All Cry Chaos—Leonard Rosen [The Permanent Press]

Who Do, Voodoo?—Rochelle Staab [Berkley Prime Crime]

The Informationist—Taylor Stevens [Crown]

Purgatory Chasm—Steve Ulfelder [Thomas Dunne/Minotaur]

Before I Go to Sleep—S.J. Watson [HarperCollins]

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL

The Company Man—Robert Jackson Bennett [Orbit/Hachette]

Choke Hold—Christa Faust [Hard Case Crime/Titan]

Buffalo West Wing—Julie Hyzy [Berkley Prime Crime/Tekno]

Death of the Mantis—Michael Stanley [HarperCollins]

Fun & Games—Duane Swierczynski [Mulholland]

Vienna Twilight—Frank Tallis [Random House]

BEST SHORT STORY

"Disarming"—Dana Cameron, EQMM June'11, p.24

"The Case of Death and Honey"—Neil Gaiman, A Study In Sherlock, p.167 [Bantam]

"Palace on the Lake"—Daryl Wood Gerber, Fish Tales: The Guppy Anthology, p.184 [Wildside]

"Truth and Consequences"—Barb Goffman, Mystery Times Ten, p.121 [Buddhapuss Ink]

"The Itinerary"—Roberta Isleib, MWA Presents The Rich and The Dead, p.189 [Grand Central]

"Happine$$"—Twist Phelan, MWA Presents The Rich and The Dead, p.276 [Grand Central]

BEST CRITICAL NONFICTION WORK

Books, Crooks and Counselors: How to Write Accurately About Criminal Law and Courtroom Procedure—Leslie Budewitz [Quill Driver/Linden]

Agatha Christie: Murder in the Making: More Stories and Secrets from Her Notebooks—John Curran [HarperCollins]

On Conan Doyle: or, The Whole Art of Storytelling—Michael Dirda [Princeton University Press]

Detecting Women: Gender and the Hollywood Detective Film—Philippa Gates [SUNY Press]

The Sookie Stackhouse Companion—Charlaine Harris, ed. [Ace]

 

 

CONGRATULATIONS, EVERYONE!!!!