In which I give a fair and balanced review of the aging rockers, make incendiary comments about their openers, detail the wonderful people-watching parade at the concert, and come face-to-face, practically, with a real Little Rock n' Roll Legend.

So last week, quite by accident, I found myself at the 20 year anniversiary show of two bands who started when I was in high school--Cinderella and Poison.

Now I was never a big glam-rock fan in high school. I went straight from listening to 50s and 60s classics with my dad (The Drifters are still one of my favorite groups ever) to Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, and the horror-metal stylings of King Diamond. There's a connection there, somewhere, I just haven't cemented it yet. However, at the same time I was discovering Bruce Dickinson, Ozzy Osbourne, and Ronnie James "Fucking" Dio (Respect the Rainbow Warrior!), my buddy and bandmate Jon Parham was having nothing but a good time with the likes of Warrant, Bon Jovi, and of course Poison and Cinderella. And to his credit as a loyal fan, he never abandoned these favorites of his youth, a fact which put him in line for merciless teasing in Mad Hatter practice sessions. ("What was the first metal show you ever went to?" "It was a Poison show." "No, it wasn't...")

Sturgeon Cross Body-Blocks Jet Skiier!

I hope the dude's okay, but I'm wondering if the fish had had enough of the noisy neighbors upstairs and just SNAPPED.

"Officials at the time said similar accidents occur once or twice a year on the river and that [sturgeons] can jump as high as 8 feet in the air and can weigh up to 200 pounds."

Warning to watercraft users: the fish are after your ass.

by Stephen Cassar.

Congratulations, Stephen. I hope you sell a bunch of them.

I also hope you'll contact me--here. I'd really like to catch up.

Don't that make your Halloween?

With apologies to Trout Fishing in America.

Mon(k)ey quote from the article:
"We hope to take advantage of a hungry monkey."

I don't know why this makes me so happy.

And reveal to you all my deep dark secret...

The third and final part of my World Horror Convention trip journal, posted for your edification and small amusement.
Wherein I get to be a tourist, get mistaken for a beggar, chat with a dominatrix, get chatted up by a horror fan, eat squid, finally get my interview, and have so much to tell you that I literally run out of ink at the end and have to stop.

5/14/2006
11:05am

Such a busy day yesterday I didn't even get to write it up. But now I'm on the plane from SF to Dallas & have nothing to do but look out the window & write.

I haven't been reading as much as I'd like, but I have been keeping tabs on those few books I do read, and reviewing some (but not all of them) on my Books I Have Read 2006 forum. Anyway, I just put a long review there for a book I got for free at the World Horror Convention, EarthCore by Scott Sigler. A good read for Crichton lovers. Check out the full review for detail.

Part two of my World Horror Convention trip journal, posted for your edification and small amusement.
Wherein I visit a landmark, meet a movie star, watch a 1960s nudie film with him, and grumble over my cups about grievances that later turned out to be completely without merit.

5/12/2006
6:56 pm

Well, it's been a very busy first day at the WHC, following a very long day yesterday. To summarize quickly:

Finally rolled into SF last night at 10:30pm local (12:30am biological). Getting off the plane gave me my second wind, so I met Dave [Lindschmidt, editor-in-chief of City Slab whom I'd only known via email and phone calls prior to this] finally and we had a meet & eat/planning session. Dave seems a good guy--we don't see entirely eye-to-eye on politics, but we're both open-minded, so that's cool. My hotel is a lot nicer than I thought it'd be, esp. given the special convention rate of

Well, say goodbye to productivity. Thanks to the folks over at MonkeyFilter, I've just been exposed to a website that is going to suck up an awful lot of my cryptozoology-lovin' downtime:

American Monsters.

This site has everything. Want a heapin' helpin' of Bigfoot and his kin? It's there. Do you want to bathe in the balmy waters of sea-monster lore? Dive in. Avian anomalies? Curious Carcasses? Lovers' Lane Lurkers? They're all here. And despite the name, the site does not limit itself to the US of A or even the American continent. Worldwide monsters, baby. Ohhhhh yeah.

Part one of my World Horror Convention trip journal, posted for your edification and small amusement
Wherein I spend literally all day on or around a plane, see a baseball celebrity, and disrespect my elders most egregiously.

5/11/06
11:20 am

On my way from LR to Chicago, thence to SF. Dropped Will off at school this morning & was worried he'd make a scene at me leaving, as he has before. Needn't have worried--he lost one of his front teeth last night, & was very excited to show off the gap in his teeth to his friends. Sarah & Thea came with me to the airport, Thea sleepy & grumpy, but sweet in saying bye-bye.