Openers: Almost ninety years ago during the Sutton-Taylor feud, John Wesley Hardin drilled a half dozen .44 pistol balls into one of the wood columns on my front porch. My grandfather, Old Hack, lived in the house then, and he used to describe how Wes Hardin had ridden all night from San Antonio when he heard that Hack had promised to lock him in jail if he ever came back to DeWitt County again. The sun had just risen and it was raining slightly when Hardin rode into the yard, his black suit streaked with mud, horse sweat, and whiskey, he had a shotgun tied across his saddle horn with a strip of leather and his navy Colt was already cocked in his hand.
"You, Hack! Get out here. And don't bring none of your Lincoln niggers with you or I'll kill them, too."
(My grandfather was sheriff and justice of the peace, and the Reconstruction government had forced him to take on two Negro federal soldiers as deputies. Of the forty-two men that Hardin eventually killed, many were Negroes, whom he hated as much as he did carpetbaggers and law officers.)
Hardin began shooting at the front porch, cocking and firing while the horse reared and pitched sideways with each explosion in its ears. Wes's face was red with whiskey, his eyes were dilated, and when the horse whirled in a circle he whipped the pistol down between its ears. He emptied the rest of the chambers, the fire and black powder smoke roaring from the barrel, and all six shots hit the wood column in a neat vertical line.
-- Lay Down My Sword and Shield by James Lee Burke (1971)
Old Hack faced down the outlaw, knocking Hardin out of his saddle with his Winchester, and placed him in jail. "[A]nd no other law officer got the better of him, except john Selma, who drove a pistol ball through his eye in an El Paso saloon in 1895."
James Lee Burke has used this story a number of times in his novels about the Holland family, allowing a continuity over the more than a century in which the novels took place, and helped define the toughness against heavy odds that members of the Holland family have faced. In Lay Down My Sword and Shield, Old Hack's grandson and namesake, Hackberry Holland, is a disillusioned lawyer, a hard drinker, and a wealthy progressive who is running a half-hearted campaign. for a Texas congressional seat. Hack lands in the middle of a civil rights conflict when he tries to help an old war buddy, and ends up rebuilding his life. Many of Burke's protagonists are trying to atone for past mistakes and offenses; nearly all find themselves facing near impossible political, social, or criminals odds.
The Holland Family books:
Hackberry Holland:
- Lay Down My Sword and Shield (1971)
- Rain Gods (2009)
- Feast Day of Fools (2011)
- House of the Rising Sun (2015)
- Another Kind of Eden (2021)
- Every Cloak Rolled in Blood (2022)
- Cimarron Rose (1997)
- Heartwood (1999)
- Bitterroot (2001)
- In the Moon of Red Ponies (2004)
- Wayfaring Stranger (2014)
- The Jealous Kind (2016)
- Two for Texas (1982)
Incoming:
- John Appleyard, and the staff of John Appleyard Agency, Inc., Fifteen Mysteries of Pensacola 100 Years Ago (Volume III). "Pensacola at the turn of the 20th century was a most unique city. While much of the postwar South still struggled economically, Pensacola was a boomtown, with lumbering, naval store, fishing and military activities generating thousands of jobs and great wealth. It was a time to be remembered for those who later would live along the Gulf Coast. Mysteries of Pensacola, first published in 1999, have been designed to tell the story of those days, with fun and intrigue in the bargain. For this series of stories I created Pensacola's own Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson who were real members of the local police force at that time. They are Patrolman Corporal Yelverton and scientific detective Henry Coburger of the series. the places they go, the things they see, hear and do are real. So are most of the people who cross the pages. However, the plots and villains are fictional. Hopefully, men and women, students and more will find these journeys back in time fun, entertaining and informative, too. The plots disclose Pensacola as it once was. and if plans mature, there will be other mysteries featuring scientific detective Henry Coburger and his friend, Patrolman Corporal John Yelverton -- 2002" As you tell, the author was a local historian. This edition was published with the support of the American Fidelity Life Insurance Company, with proceeds to benefit television station WEAR-TV's traditional Christmas program of giving gifts to underprivileged children.
- Lawrence Block, writing as "Jill Emerson," Seven novels, all with sexual themes. Enough of Sorrow: "Karen Winslow is starting over. But she's not sure how to move forward when her deepest secret haunts her and keeps her from enjoying her carefree youth. She's a sweet but troubled young thing, and not until she meets Rae, a confident young lesbian, does she realize what she's been missing. Meanwhile, she's also intrigued by a man and can't help but wonder if a normal life will put an end to her sorrows for good." A Madwoman's Diary: "The diarist is a young woman, seeking a richer and more fulfilling life in and out of bed." The conceit here is that "Jill Emerson" drew upon a case history described by "John Warren Wells" in one of his books. Of course, Emerson and Wells are both pen names for block. To complicate things, Emerson and Wells are close friends and sometime lovers in block's fantasy world. Threesome: Takes "the form of a collaborative novel in which the participants in a menage a trois wrote a book together to chronicle their own experience -- an experience that continued to evolve as each read what the others had written." Meta, much? Thirty: Written "in the form of a diary, piling incident upon incident as the diarist, a woman in her thirtieth year, fled her safe suburban marriage and went off in search of her real self." The Trouble with Eden: The Bucks County novel: In 1969, Block and his family moved to an 18th century farmhouse a mile east of the Delaware River. A year later he moved, and "when it came time to write a big trashy commercial novel, I knew right then just where to set it. By this time I'd written three erotic novels for Berkley Books as Jill Emerson. Now I don't know who thought that Jill ought to write a big, juicy, trashy, Peyton-Place type of book, but my agent brought the idea to me, and I thought Bucks County would provide a good setting. The deal was an attractive one, with a hefty advance...I went to the city and wrote the book in a week." Warm and Willing: "An emotionally and sexually frustrated divorcee explores her mounting attraction to women. Rhoda's divorce has her thinking that romance is not for her. But maybe she just needs to look into a new direction. Megan is an attractive blonde who instantly sees what Rhoda's love life has been missing: a woman's touch." A Week as Andrea Benstock. Dell editor Peggy Roth once asked Lawrence block about his background and Block replied that he had grown up in a middle-class Jewish family in Buffalo. "Then that's what you write about," she said. Block set his book over a period of seven random non-consecutive days, strewn over a decade, in the protagonist's life, beginning with day she married and became Andrea Benstock. All seven of these books show block's growth as a writer and his willingness to experiment.
- Peter Brandvold, Two more westerns from Mean Pete. The Devil & Lou Prophet. "Call him manhunter, tracker, or bounty hunter. As long as the cash was cold and the trail was hot, Lou Prophet would run his quarry into the ground before giving up the chase. He loved his work -- it kept him in wine and women, and was never, ever dull. And his newest job sounds particularly attractive...Her name is Lola Diamond, She's a showgirl, a chanteuse, and a prime witness in a murder trails that's going on without her. Prophet is supposed to find her and 'return' her to the courthouse, whether she likes it or not. But even as Prophet and his lovely charge battle each other, some very dangerous men are moving to make sure the pair never reach the courthouse alive, And Lou Prophet is about to find out that even the best hunter can become someone else's prey." Also The Romantics. "The daughter of a Hispanic landowner, Marina Clark, has been given a map that purports to lead the way to a hidden cache of Spanish gold. to her husband, Adrian, his beautiful wife and her map are the keys to restoring his family's fortunes and honor, both lost during the Civil War. The Clarks' guide through the sun and sand-blasted lands of what will someday become the American Southwest is Jack Cameron, a deadly shot who has won fame as an Indian scout. It should be an easy trip, assuming they can avoid marauding Apaches and greedy Mexican rurales. But the Clarks are not the only ones seeking the gold. Gaston Bachelard, a former Confederate Army officer turned bandit, is hot on the Clarks' trail, eager to use the Spanish gold to fuel a revolution in Texas. Bachelard will kill anyone who stands in his way."
- James Lee Burke, Lay Down My Sword and Shield. A Hackberry Holland novel. "Hack Holland's a hard drinker, a lawyer, and a wealthy progressive Democrat. He's also a disillusioned man, running a half-hearted campaign for a Texas congressional seat. But when his efforts to help an old war buddy culminate in his unwitting involvement in a civil rights conflict, Hack finds himself rebuilding his life," Few people write better than burke.
- Erskine Caldwell, God's Little Acre. The 1933 literary phenom about a dysfunctional farming family in Georgia obsessed with sex and wealth. "The novel's sexual themes were so controversial that the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice asked a New York state court to censor it. Although controversial, the novel became an international best seller with over 10 million copies sold, and was published as an Armed Services Edition during World War II. God's Little Acre is Caldwell's most popular novel, although his reputation is often tied to his 1932 novel Tobacco Road, which was listed in the Modern Library 100 Best Novels."
- Loren D. Estleman, Cape Hell & The Book of Murdock. Two Page Murdock westerns. Cape Hell: "US Deputy Marshal Page Murdock is ordered to Cape Hell, Mexico, to verify a report that former Confederate Captain Oscar Childress is raising an army. Childress reportedly plans to take over Mexico City, then turn north to rekindle the Civil War. Murdock heads south on a steam train named El Expanto -- The Ghost -- accompanied only by an engineer who can't be trusted and a fireman with a few secrets of his own. The Ghost hurtles through the murderous desert of a foreign land toward a man bent on wholesale massacre...unless Murdock can stop him." The Book of Murdock: "Murdock dons a clerical collar to worm his way into the confidences of the wary residents of Owen, Texas. a gang of ruthless bandits is terrorizing the Texas panhandle and all evidence points to the dusty cattle town as their base of operations. Murdock aims to unmask the gang, provided he can pass himself off as a preacher long enough to stay alive." I read a number of earlier Page Murdock novels and enjoyed them all; it's time to reacquaint myself with the character.
- "George G. Gilman" (Terry Harkness), Edge #49: Revenge Ride. Edge was a popular, violent British adult western series ghosted by 'Piccadilly Cowboy" Harkness. "Wildwood is a nowhere town in the dirt of the New Mexico territory. Edge is going to put it on the map as the last place some poor fool tried to play him for a sucker. The ice-eyed half-breed's appetite for vengeance has him teamed up with Harriet Newton and Dinah McCall, a hot-blooded pair of hard women on the corpse-littered trail of a homicidal loser, whose bound for Mexico and a fortune in gold. But greed is as much a stranger to Edge as mercy. For Edge there's only justice -- and its face is as ugly as Hell, as ugly as the bark of a Winchester, as ugly as death itself..." The Edge novels -- there are 61 of them -- are over-the-top cult favorites; each book ends with a very bad pun in the final paragraph.
- Lee Goldberg, Hidden Smoke. Preordered. The third book in the Sharpe and Walker series, a crossover with the author's Eve Ronin series. "After dozens of Hollywood apartment buildings erupt into flames during a single night of terror, arson investigators Walter Sharpe and Andrew Walker are assigned to catch the serial torcher and end his spree. But then a catastrophic fire destroys a major freeway, crippling the city and forcing Sharpe and Walker to take on another massive case. Desperate for help, they known exactly who to call: Hollywood detectives Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone. Together the four detectives must quickly figure out whether the freeway disaster was a tragic accident...or the work of a mastermind with a horrific plan. As the investigations collide, an old foe with a revenge scheme enters the fray, igniting a race against time to stop a conspiracy of deception, corruption, and murder." Goldberg always delivers the goods.
- Lee Goldberg & William Rabkin, Successful Television Writing. How-to, from two who that of which they speak.
- Roland Green & John F. Carr, Great Kings' War. Science fiction novel, a continuation of H. Beam Piper's Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen. "Calvin Morrison was a pretty good cop in Pennsylvania -- until he was scooped up by a cross-time flying saucer and transported to a dangerous parallel Earth. Here he faces warriors armed with pikes and broadswords, not petty criminals. bur courage crosses all lines of time and space, and Morrison was able to transform the unorganized kingdom of Hos-Hostigos into a fearsome warrior nation -- becoming known as Lord Kalvan in the process. And his work is not yet finished..." Piper was a popular SF author and, following his death, others began playing in his literary playground. Green (singly or in collaboration) wrote seven Kalvan novels, as well as a number of works in Piper's Paratime Police series, of which the Kalvan story were a subset. A number of other authors have added to Piper's creations over the years.
- Stephen Graham Jones, Mongrels. Werewolf novel. "He was born an outsider, like the rest of his family. Poor yet resilient, he lives in the shadows with his aunt Libby and uncle Darren, folk who stubbornly make their way in a society that does not understand or want them. They are mongrels, mixed blood, neither this or that. The boy at the centers of Mongrels must decide if he belongs on the road with his aunt and uncle, or if he fits with people on the other side of the tracks. For ten years, he and his family have lived a life of late-night exits and narrow escapes -- always on the move across the South to stay one step ahead of the law. But the tine is drawing near when Darren and Libby will finally know if their nephew is like them or not. And the close calls they've been running from for so long are catching up fast now. Everything is about to change." Jones is always worth reading.
- "T. Kingfisher" (Ursula Vernon"), A House with Good Bones. Horror novel. " 'Mom seems off.' Her brother's words echo in Sam Montgomery's ear as she turns onto the quiet North Carolina street where her mother lives alone. She brushes the thought away as she climbs the front steps. Sam's excited for this rare extended visit, and looking forward to nights with just the two of them, drinking boxed wine, watching murder mystery shows, and guessing who the killer is long before the characters figure it out. But stopping inside, she quickly realizes home isn't what it used to be. Gone is the warm, cluttered charm her mom is known for; now the walls are painted a sterile white. Her mom jumps at the smallest noises and looks over her shoulder even when she's the only person in the room. And when Sam steps out back to clear her head, she finds a jar of teeth hidden beneath the magazine-worthy rosebushes, and vultures are circling the garden from above. To find out what's got her mom so frightened in her own home, Sam will go digging for the truth. But some secrets are better left buried." This is one of the most critically acclaimed horror novels in recent years.
- Zelda Knight & Ekpeki Oghenechovwe Donald, editors, Dominion: an Anthology of Speculative Fiction from Africa and the American Diaspora, Volume One . Thirteen stories, the winner of the 2021 British Fantasy Award for Best Anthology. (Note that Ekpeki is the author's actual surname and Oghenechovwe Donald are his first and middle names.) I'm looking forward to reading this one.
- Joe R. Lansdale, In the Mad Mountains: Stories Inspired by H. P. Lovecraft. Pre-ordered. Collection of eight stories in which Old Providence runs smack into East Texas. I'm sure HPL would be spinning in his grave had he ever read these irreverent tales. Gotta love Lansdale.
- Richard Laymon, Two horror novels. Into the Fire: "Pretty young Pamela was a very happy newlywed, with a loving husband and a beautiful home. But all that changed the night Rodney broke in. He's been obsessed with Pamela since high school, and now he intends to make her his slave for life. He thinks they'll be alone when he drives her out to the blazing desert. But someone else is out there too...someone with a gun. Pamela hoped he nightmare was over when Rodney was shot, but something about her rescuer wasn't quite right. Maybe it's the way he dropped Rodney's body in a pit -- like he'd done it before. Maybe it's the bus he's driving, with only mannequins for passengers. One thing is certain, she won't be prepared for what she'll find when he drives her to a tiny, isolated town baking in the desert sun. A town with very odd customs and a unique way of welcoming strangers." Also, No Sanctuary: "Rick would do anything for his girlfriend, Bert. He'd even spend his vacation in the wilderness with her, hiking the trails around Fern Lake, even though it's the last place on Earth he wants to be, But Rick would follow Bert to hell and back -- which is just what he's about to do. Gillian is on vacation too, but her pastimes are decidedly weirder than Rick and Bert's. She likes to break into people's homes and live there while they're away. Too bad for her she picked the home of a serial killer -- a particularly nasty one who likes to take his victims out to the wilds of Fern Lake so he can have his fun without being interrupted. Rick and Bert have no idea how wild the wilderness can be. But they're about to find out." Laymon, gone way too soon, was a talented and prolific writer. For reasons that escape me, he proved to be far more popular in England than in his native America.
- John D. MacDonald, Clemmie. "She was very young. She was dangerous. She was a girl who lived too close the edge of violence. She hunted trouble. she was an exhibitionist, a body worshipper, a sensualist. she was without morals, scruples, ethics. She was beautiful. She was CLEMMIE..." Also, Please Write for Details. "When a jaded exponent of the Fast Buck hitches his starload of schemes to the salacious bent of a well-heeled, well-oiled divorcees, the result is a daffy mail-ordered Mexican art colony known as the Cuernavaca /summer Workshop. The unique goings-on and comings-off of the members of this oddball establishment are the stuff a he-man's dream are made of. It is a positively no-money-back, uninhibited, unabridged romp through passion and Picasso under the naked Mexican sun, where East meets West, North meets South, Madison Avenue goes native and long-stemmed Texas lovelies unveil their astonishing natural equipment in the hallowed name of culture. Please Write for Details is strictly adult fare -- a trifle salty and somewhat hotly spiced with Latin savvy." These happen to be the only two novels of JDM that I have not read; my previous copies went walkabout long ago, and it's good to finally get a chance to read them.
- Adrian McKinty, The Chain. Thriller. "You just dropped off your child at the bus stop. A panicked stranger calls your phone. Your child has been kidnapped. The stranger then explains that their child has also been kidnapped, by a completely different stranger. The only way to get your child back is to kidnap another child. And. most importantly, the stranger explains: It you don't kidnap a child, or if the next parents don't kidnap[ a child, your child will be murdered. You are now part of THE CHAIN."
- Kim Newman, Anno Dracula 1899 and Other Stories. A compendium of 19 tales, featuring appearances from Jekyll & Hyde, Jack the Ripper, The Invisible Man, Edgar Allan Poe, a Zombie Apocalypse and a Martian and Frankenstein's Monster -- all from "the feverish mind of Mr. Kim Newman." the title story "sets the scene for the forthcoming novel Anno Dracula 1999: Daikaija," which is the sixth novel in the popular alternate world series.
- William F. Nolan, Soul Trips: Collected Poems 1940-2015. Nolan, who wrote just about everything else, never wrote much poetry but most of what he did write is collected here.
- Andre Norton, Snow Shadow. Romantic suspense. "Being able to step back into the past seemed a wonderful stroke of luck for Erica Jansen. Northanger Abbey was like another world. And her introduction to the family there had come from a charming man, Preston Donner. She felt very fortunate indeed. But from the moment she became a guest of the Abbey, she felt like a prisoner. First there were the arguments she couldn't avoid...then the murders she could not ignore...and then the man who stepped out of her own buried past to entwine her in terror from which she saw no escape..." Also, Moon Mirror, a collection of nine science fiction and fantasy stories, first published between 1966 and 1988.
- "Ellis Peters" (Edith Pargeter), Death Mask. Mystery. "When archaeologist Bruce Almond is tragically killed on a dig in Greece, his son Crispin returns to Somerset and to a mother he barely knows. Crispin has good reason to believe his father's death had been no accident, and in his grief and confusion, even his mother is not free from suspicion -- particularly when she seems over-friendly with two of Almond's ex-colleagues: men who had opportunity, if not motive, for foul play. The truth lies buried along with some priceless Greek treasures, so Crispin baits a clever trap that is designed to lure the murderer out of hiding, fully realizing how dangerous a game he is embarked upon..."
- Rachel Pollack & Caitlin Matthews, editors, Tarot Tales/ Fantasy anthology of 16 stories about -- you guessed it! -- the tarot. Authors include Michael Moorcock, Gwyneth Jones, M. John Harrison, Josephine Saxon, Gary Kilworth, and Storm Constantine.
- Joyce Porter, Dover & the Claret Tappers. A Chief Wilfred Dover mystery. "Here -is a surprising departure from the series -- and the first to depart is none other than Dover himself. When the doubtful detective suddenly vanishes from Scotland Yard, along comes an ultimatum from a gang of kidnappers, the Claret Tappers. They demand not only a stout ransom, but also the release of two prisoners -- a multiple bigamist and a nymphomaniacal shoplifter. How Dover gets out of this one is only the beginning. For just as the case is getting cold, the Claret Tappers strike again. And once more Dover is aroused from his stupor in a most unexpected way." Dover is one of the laziest, most disagreeable and inept detective out there -- that's why we love him so much.
- Bill Pronzini & Martin H. Greenberg, editors, Uncollected Crimes. Anthology of 14 stories that had never before been anthologized. A pretty nifty line-up: James M. Cain, Stuart Palmer, Jack Ritchie, John Jakes, John D. MacDonald, William Campbell Gault, Dorothy B. Hughes, Michael Collins, Helen Nielson, Edward D. Hoch, John Lutz, Loren D. Estleman, Bill Pronzini, and Ed McBain.
- Stanley Schmidt, editor, Analog's Expandmg Universe. Scoince ffiction anthology with 14 stories from Astounding/Analog, 1935-1984. Authors include Stanley G. Weinbaum, Hal Clement, Clifford D. Simak, George R. R. martin, Isaac Asimov, and Poul Anderson.
- Jay Williams, The Rogue from Padua. Historical novel. "Liar...Adventurer...Nobleman... Beggar...Scholar...Swindler...His name was Arminius, and he was as bold and clever a soldier of fortune as any in his day. the time was the 16th century, a time of turbulence, excitement, change. The peasants and guildsmen was rising in revolt. there was violence, danger, confusion -- with corruption, witchcraft, and villainy rampant everywhere. And in the midst of it all, turning all things to his own advantage, was Arminius, who pretended many things to many men, but vowed loyalty to no one...until Kate, a dark-haired, dark-eyed beauty with a spirit as bold and free as his own, claimed his love..." A "lusty romance," they say.
- Betty Crocker Cake Mix (with a special appearance from the mythological Betty C.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMIMxj0PGGY&list=PLiyIsd32rycMRyAMv_QSbTDWn_H5jZsOX&index=2
- Post Heart of Oats Cereal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKoSMDGFASQ&list=PLiyIsd32rycMRyAMv_QSbTDWn_H5jZsOX&index=8
- "Big New" Studebaker Car https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHvfjqx4c5U&list=PLiyIsd32rycMRyAMv_QSbTDWn_H5jZsOX&index=12
- Vanquish Pain and Headache Relief https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NyAZeOjGl0&list=PLiyIsd32rycMRyAMv_QSbTDWn_H5jZsOX&index=19
- Yuban Coffee https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiOHBPUh44A&list=PLiyIsd32rycMRyAMv_QSbTDWn_H5jZsOX&index=22
- Carling's Red Cap Ale https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_GNWSN2ebo&list=PLiyIsd32rycMRyAMv_QSbTDWn_H5jZsOX&index=24
- Camay Beauty Soap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLo5voNHwHk&list=PLiyIsd32rycMRyAMv_QSbTDWn_H5jZsOX&index=25
- Western Union Telegram https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jS76s2I40yU&list=PLiyIsd32rycMRyAMv_QSbTDWn_H5jZsOX&index=30
- Nucoa Margerine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bbNESzL-Gs&list=PLiyIsd32rycMRyAMv_QSbTDWn_H5jZsOX&index=42
- Flavettes Anti-smoking Tablets https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3T9cWX7dk4&list=PLiyIsd32rycMRyAMv_QSbTDWn_H5jZsOX&index=49
- Coca Cola https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWrVxQVcdaU&list=PLiyIsd32rycMRyAMv_QSbTDWn_H5jZsOX&index=51
- 1954 Buick Special with Panoramic Windshield https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhlRccfUzZA&list=PLiyIsd32rycMRyAMv_QSbTDWn_H5jZsOX&index=52
- Fresh Frozen Orange Juice from Florida https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3klp3M_270&list=PLiyIsd32rycMRyAMv_QSbTDWn_H5jZsOX&index=53
- Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix Presents Breakfast with Peggy and Chuck https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYkXO5-qqPM&list=PLiyIsd32rycMRyAMv_QSbTDWn_H5jZsOX&index=58
- Beech Nut Peppermint gum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAUuKJZBuUU&list=PLiyIsd32rycMRyAMv_QSbTDWn_H5jZsOX&index=74
- Florida Man Charles Edward Kunath, 68, of Palm Harbor, let road rage get the better of him when he hit two city workers cleaning up after Hurricane Milton with his car. Apparently the construction barriers on the closed-off roadway meant nothing to him. Kunath drove over a curb, onto a grassy berm, and hit the two workers who were trying to flag him down. Both men are suffering "serious life-threatening injuries." Florida -- if the hurricanes don't get you, the drivers will!
- And, keeping with the theme -- 57-year-old Florida Man Kenneth Ray Velasco was arrsted for threatening utility workers trying to restore power in Hillsborough County following Hurricane Milton. Velasco allegedly verbally threatened them, then drove his car toward them in a threatening manner; he then backed into a utility pole and fence, causing $1000 in damage, before attempting to flee. When workers tried to stop him, Velasco allegedly threatened to shoot them. Some jobs just don't pay enough. (The road had been closed for repairs, causing traffic delays, and Velasco reportedly grew impatient.)
- Sarasota County Emergency Management Chief Sandra Tapfumaneyi has issued a warning about reported scammers in the area posing to be Federal emergency Management Agency officials trying to get personal and financial information from Hurricane Milton victims. They just crawled out of the woodwork, or sewers, or whatever...
- Viral sailing sensation and Florida Man "Lieutenant Dan" (real name Joseph Malinowski) was arrested Friday on two counts of failing to appear, along with a misdemeanor charge of trespassing in a city park. "Dan" had gained fame for refusing to leave his boat during hurricane Milton, saying "God told me to come out here and get a boat. I came out here and got a boat. And everything that He's been telling me over the past few days is that I'm doing the right thing. He's got my back. I'm in good shape." Unfortunately, the good shape included not having an accessible marine sanitation device on his boat, nor a record of a proper waste disposal. Because of this, officers deemed the boat a public health hazard and ordered him to move the boat out of the area. As of Friday, he did not, and he was arrested. Supporters are working to get him bail.
- Florida Man Soyal Zapata-Dye, 40, of Sun City Center, was arrested for trying to steal a generator that was used to power a traffic light that had been damaged in Hurricane Milton. "There was a generator on 674 that I saw that...had no lock on it, and it was...it had no name on it, so I thought somebody had just set it out," he said. Officers believed enough to charge him with third-degree grand theft during an emergency.
- Florida Man Giovanni Aldama Garcia, 23, of , is accused of tying his dog to a pole and abandoning it as Hurricane Milton approached. Police were able to rescue the dog, named Topper, was the flood waters rose. The dog was taken to safety and placed with a foster family by the Hillsborough County Animal Shelter. Garcia was charged with animal cruelty, a third-degree felony. Garcia, who was released on bond, indicated a willingness to surrender ownership of the animal. State officials, from Governor Ron DeSantis to prosecuting Thirteen Circuit State Attorney Susy Lopez, have used the case as an example for the need of stricter laws on animal cruelty.
- Boy with rare skin condition can now sleep with eyes closed for the first time in seven years https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/boy-with-rare-skin-condition-can-sleep-with-eyes-closed-for-the-first-time-in-7-years/
- Opposing fans who came down to help fix power lines two weeks earlier get loudest cheer at Tampa NHL game https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/at-tampa-bays-4-1-home-win-loudest-cheer-went-to-traveling-fans-who-came-down-to-help-fix-the-power-lines/
- Robot effectively dismembers e-waste so components can be reused https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/this-robot-expertly-takes-apart-e-waste-so-their-components-can-be-reused/
- New cervical cancer treatment shows huge gains https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/new-cervical-cancer-treatment-regime-shows-biggest-gain-in-survival-since-1999/
- Shades of Indiana Jones! There's a grail in a tomb underneath Petra! https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/like-indiana-jones-archaeologists-find-a-tomb-with-a-grail-underneath-the-treasury-at-petra/
- Wearable cuff rewires brains of stroke victims https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/new-wearable-cuff-rewires-brains-of-stroke-patients-by-stimulating-nerves/
- Kirk, Picard, Sisko, Janeway, Archer, Burnham, and Pike are now all frogs https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/seven-new-frog-species-were-named-after-star-trek-captains-to-boldly-croak/
What a lot of work-both research and typing. Wow!
ReplyDeleteThanks for doing this so regularly and thoroughly!
ReplyDelete