Reviews of Shoedog, by Pelecanos.

I had always thought that Stagger Lee was just a great character in a Clash song. Now I learn that Stagger Lee is not a Clash song, it is an American classic, with a wonderful history and that it is based on a true story, whereby Stagger Lee killed someone in a St Louis bar for touching his hat. Now it is the subject of a book, which I going to have to get just as soon as I can lay my hands on it.

Build a bridge

Play 20 questions

Nims winter story is a bit special.

The week, generally, has been a bit wonderful. I have had such a great time time with Mrs Buddha and the kids I am waiting for some disaster to befall me so the pleasure gets balanced out by some pain, and I can stop feeling guilty at being so lucky.
We had so much fun I haven't even had time to get decently pissed before crawling to my pit; which means I at least had the wits about me to finish the Crumley.
Man that was a depressing read. I was in need of light relief, and my hand fell upon Princess Naughty and The Voodoo Cadillac, by Fred Willard. So far so good, I think I am going to like it, thankfully. I have taken some chances on pulp type novels recently and been sorely disappointed.

I have to say I have been a bit underwhelmed by my first mefiswap experience. Of the two cd's I received one was excelklent, full of really good stuff that I was unfamiliar with, the other was good as well, but not as surprising, or startling. But where the chuff are the other 3 ? Also, I keep having guilty pangs about putting unintended tracks on the one I sent out, and not being arsed to change them. I also realise that of all the Ed Harcourt tracks I could have put on, I chose the worst.
Oddly when I tested the link, the website was playing the tune I was actually listening to anyway. Spooky.

The suicide wave: an extremely harrowing account of young men approaching slaughter on Omaha beach June 16 1944.