I'm pleased to report that Tribune Content Agency has picked up another story of mine for the Dick Tracy comic strip, and that the story begins today, May 19th.

https://www.gocomics.com/dicktracy/2024/05/19

Some darn good work by Charles Ettinger, there.

To amuse  rabbi-tom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Tll-jTVuxw

Pat Oliphant was (past tense: while he's still alive, he retired some years ago) one of the greatest editorial cartoonists active in the United States between the mid-1960s and about 2010, winning one Pulitzer (he probably deserved more, but he was deeply cynical about them). Also a hero of mine growing up.

I picked up the item I described in https://www.furaffinity.net/view/56455460/ and was quite surprised by it. For one thing, it was very substantially framed, and by that, I mean it has UV-resistant glass, and whole pieces of solid wood backing it. This was an uber-professional job.

For another thing, it is signed by Oliphant, and it appears to have been an edition of 30 prints (mine is #4). So while it isn't an original, as such, it's a limited edition, which is fairly close to it. Prices I've seen elsewhere are double what I paid for it at auction (I spent nearly as much fetching it from Philadelphia as I did buying it in the first place). It's also in colour, and you don't see a huge number of colour works by Oliphant, who mostly worked in black-and-white in the pre-digital era.

He did do more limited edition works than I thought -- he also did sculpture, which shows up in at least two books I have by him.

https://www.fox5ny.com/news/coyote-.....ntral-park-nyc

This has been going on for about 25 years, now. They originally came down from upstate New York via the Hudson River and the various parks that more or less act as a series of links.

Even though it wasn't going to get total here in New York City, I figured the event would be much like New Year's in Times Square -- too god-damned crowded for too little effect. So I stayed inside, and watched NASA's feed for a bit. It did get darker outside, and then lightened up.

To my irritation, I sat on a vintage New York, New Haven & Hartford pencil (unused) that I'd been sorting out from a stack of railroad pencils. As a Connecticut mink, this annoyed me.

I put the matter to  marmelmm, who put the vast resources of MMM&M on the subject, put me on to  martenferret, who in turn put me onto a nice eBay listing that had a pencil that while it wasn't identical to the one I broke, fits the bill nicely.

MMM&M: the extra M is for "Godefroy."

Inevitable, of course, but I was just talking with  rabbi-tom the other day about the dwindling number of World War II and Pearl Harbor vets.

Oh, joy.

Some days ago, I won items from an auction house located in Islip, New York, which is reachable by train from New York City. (So I think: more on that in a moment.) To save shipping, I call the firm to find out when they are open. They are open on Saturday. Me: Good. I will be by on Saturday to pick up my items.

Come Saturday. It's raining buckets all over the region, the hardest rain in months. Because of course.

The MTA, as part of its incessant fiddle-poke procedures, most of which shut my subway station down on the weekends, decides not to have direct train travel to Islip this weekend, but bus service. Because of course.

I get to Islip, and find the auction house. In spite of the posted hours, and what I was told, locked up and dark. I call the number. "Did you have an appointment?" I point out to the fellow that: (1) the hours on the door say the firm is open on Saturdays; (2) I was told on the phone the firm would be open on Saturday; (3) I told the person I talked to I would be there on Saturday; (4) it's SUNDAY that's listed as being by appointment only. The guy sheepishly is sorry I came out in the rain, but says they have to get the items from the warehouse. But of course. Can I come back next weekend?

I suppress my first reaction, which is to use the Anglo-Saxon, grit my teeth, and say, why yes, it would cheer me right down to the ground to come out on another 90 minute train hike next weekend. (Not precise words.)

Analysis: the person running the auction house couldn't be arsed to come out on a heavily rainy Saturday, and likely forgot about the phone call.

One minor thing: at least I got to see the new Grand Central Madison LIRR extension, which is well done.

"Because the sea mink was a culturally significant animal. The Passamaquoddy word for sea mink is supeqi-ciyahkehsuwok, suggesting that Native Americans consider them distinct from the American mink, which is called ciyahkehsuwok."

https://maineboats.com/print/issue-.....tinct-sea-mink

Just you try THAT on a Scrabble board.

Pet gila monsters are bad, m'kay?

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/.....-bite/3568498/

The U.S. armed forces put out a plethora of "Field Manuals" and "Technical Manuals" during World War II, covering subjects ranging from basic concepts of electricity and carpentry, to how to take care of different types of weapons, to reading maps, and so forth. One that I got in today has fascinating, hilarious, and wince-inducing elements: "Informal Games for Soldiers." A lot of what you'd expect, baseball/basketball type games (less formal), wrestling games, relay race games, Johnny-on-the-Pony (!) and a game called, no joke, "Concentration Camp." You can actually read this volume for yourself, here: https://archive.org/details/TM21-22.....ge/n1/mode/2up

The Ursa Major Awards finalists for 2023 were announced yesterday, March 1st. To my pleasure, a novel that I had been involved with ("Family Matters") did indeed make the cut for the round of nominations. First time in a while I've made a push for an Ursa, having been steamrollered by Kyell Gold or Tales of the Tai-Pan Universe a number of years running. (Gold has more or less retired his number, which is at least sporting of him.)

So: thank you to those who cast their votes for "Family Matters" to get to the nomination round.

Can I ask that you go back to www.ursamajorawards.org and do it once more, for the final round of voting in the Best Novel category? Voting is open through March 24th. It's going to be an uphill fight, as I see Mary E. Lowd is nominated in at least three categories, which tells me she's organized.

Cross endorsement to "Lauren Ipsum" in comic strip!

A website for professional cartoonists referred to me today as a "back-up scripter" for Dick Tracy.

Glee for me, and oh, boy, if the Peanut Gallery in the GoComics comments section could see that, they'd plotz.

https://www.dailycartoonist.com/ind.....unday-funnies/

My third story for the Dick Tracy strip starts today (February 11, 2024).

Great art by Dee Fish.

As for the comments from the peanut gallery on GoComics, let's just say it resembles Third Ypres, if you happen to be on the British side.

Given what I suspect is a fair number of diabetics in the fandom, and/or members of the fandom that know diabetics, I think this may be something of interest to you all, and perhaps Lessons Can Be Learned. This is on a no-name basis.

X, a friend of mine, is a diabetic. From my observation, X usually takes good care of their condition. A few days ago, I gave them a heads-up telephone call so that they didn't oversleep. I ended up with a somewhat odd conversation, in which X thought 7 PM was 7 AM. While I put this down to being groggy and misreading a clock, I did mention this to Y, another friend of mine.

The day after that previous conversation, I was in chat with Y. X comes into chat. X is not their usual self; answers are a bit vague, and start to drift to statements like "something is wrong," and "wrong inside." I'm baffled. Y, I can tell, is starting to tense a bit. At this point, X types "HELP," all caps. At that point, Y makes a command decision, and makes a call to the police department in X's town to do what is called a "welfare check," i.e., a cop having a look around to see if the person is all right.

X is NOT all right, even if they were able to answer the door. X is transported to hospital. Thanks be to God, the problem appeared to be X's blood sugar level. It is 34. NOT good. However, with a bit of IV treatment, X is put back right, and some hours later, goes home.

X, needless to say, is grateful to Y.

In talking things over with Y, it turns out that in a previous life, Y was in a position where he had responsibility for others, and witnessed a case where a diabetic died because of inadequate care. Quoth Y to me, to the effect of: "I'm just a LITTLE bit sensitive when I see diabetics asking for help."

Moral: if you know a diabetic, and you see signs that they may be groggy or acting out of character or out of sorts, and they seem like they need help...they may actually need help.

The life you save may be your friend's.

This has been a public service announcement.

If you go here -- https://www.furaffinity.net/view/55245437/ -- you'll find information as to how to nominate works I was involved with for the Ursa Major Awards.

You should also consider nominating:

(1) "Swords & Sausages" in Comic Strip (by  cartoonwolf, "Jan")
(2) "Lauren Ipsum" in Comic Strip (by Charles Brubaker)
(3) "Girl Genius" in Graphic Story (by Foglio & Foglio)

Sweet Jesus, these pictures make my innards clench, and I was a trenchermink in my day:

https://www.furaffinity.net/view/3741881

Here is where the current Dick Tracy story stands, from my perspective:

(1) We have three known murders, with two common threads -- a modus operandi (a single, fatal blow to the heart with an edged weapon) and the fact that each victim was robbed of a rare manuscript.

(2) The oldest known murder (which took place some years before the present, outside Tracy's jurisdiction, somewhere "downstate") involved an unnamed courier for an New York auction house. A Shakespearean manuscript was stolen. We, the omniscient readers, know that the manuscript has survived and is in someone's possession, since we've seen a "special acquisition" card.

(3) The second known murder, which took place a number of months before the present time, involved Dr. Aldus Manutius of the Pfister Institute. According to the Institute head, Manutius was in the midst of cataloguing a bequest to the Institute, a bequest that was comprised of medieval manuscripts. One of these manuscripts, a rare volume of Aristotle, is missing. His disappearance was put down by many connected with the Institute to eccentricity, though it is observable (by omission) that no one seems to have remarked to the investigators regarding anything untoward happening in his office on the last day he was known to be there, such as the sounds of an argument or struggle. Also observable is that the cleaning staff, prior to finding his body in the heavy chest in his office, saw nothing unusual -- indicating perhaps some efforts to clean up by the killer. The office had not been disturbed by the staff of the Institute in Manutius' absence (the comments by the head about cleaning).

(4) The third, and most recent, murder is that of socialite Wilhelmina Caxton. Tracy and the MCU believe that Caxton knew her killer (which is something we, the omniscient readers, know, since we saw the murder); for that matter, the killer appears to have known Caxton. There was no sign of a struggle at the murder scene. There is evidence (missing diary, partially wiped teacup) that the killer tried to clean up, but some DNA (a saliva sample) was recovered, according to the report received by Sam Catchem. Omniscient readers also know, from a "special acquisition" card, that the manuscript stolen from Caxton is in someone else's possession. The manuscript appears to have belonged, originally, to Caxton's grandfather (a fact not known to Tracy, yet, but known to us).

Assistant State's Attorney Owen Cormac Desmond has introduced Tracy to a friend of his from school, Xaveria Libris. Libris, who is a wealthy heiress, is said by Desmond to be a medievalist; she certainly possesses an outstanding, even extraordinary library. She has made a few statements to Tracy:

(5) Rare manuscripts, in order to be handled properly, ideally should be carried in protective cases.

(6) The missing manuscripts have not been offered to Libris.

(7) Libris knew Wilhelmina Caxton, though not as well as Libris' parents and grandparents knew her. She notes that there is likely evidence showing the two have met (newsphotos).

(8) Libris knew Aldus Manutius, characterizing him as an eccentric, and noting that many thought the extended period he had vanished was the result of such eccentric behavior (a belief also held by the head of the Pfister Institute). (We, the omniscient readers, are also in possession of another fact regarding Libris and Manutius.)

Also observable is something about Libris herself: she appears to be, as one might put it, very tightly wound. She is capable of some rather cold and callous behaviour (such as her put-down of her friend Desmond), and her descriptions of Caxton and Manutius likewise seem rather clinical and cold. However, she also showed a violent flash of temper when the subject of the vulnerability of her collection was brought up by Tracy.

I did find (on the third try) a store that stocks Fox's U-Bet chocolate syrup, which is made with cocoa and a different formulation than Hershey's. You can taste the difference, though I also used a hand-blender to mix the ingredients thoroughly.

I got in a Junior's brand glass today, that had the proportions for a Brooklyn egg cream marked on it. (Junior's is famous for its cheesecake.) I mixed up a batch (one solecism: I used Hershey's, because the store didn't have Fox's U-Bet), and danged if it doesn't look like egg white on top, just before you mix things up.

Would it be "Die Fuchskommando" or "Der Fuchskommando?" Would the answer be the same for a "Nerzkommando?"

Those who follow me may be interested to know that today (September 17, 2023), the Dick Tracy comic strip is starting to run a story arc that was written by me. Today's episode is here: https://www.gocomics.com/dicktracy/2023/09/17. GoComics is the best place to read the strip. (There are arrow buttons that allow you to go back and forth in the arc.)

In contrast to the previous arc ("The Curse of Nuremoh") that I wrote, where there was also a guest artist (who did very well), the regular artist for the strip (Shelley Pleger) is doing the artwork for this arc. With regard to today's strip, I shake my head in admiration as to how Shelley managed to nail the character shown here from my description -- it is exceptionally close to what I had in mind. And I do like the way the last panel came out.

So, renewed thanks to "Team Tracy" for giving me this chance!

N.B. The villain in this arc is NOT named: Hammerhead, Pussycatpuss, Pumpkinhead, Neon Noodle, Jukebox Jaw, Snakeyes, 88 Teeth, Doubleheader, or Wolfman. Even if, every day, I'm going to be doing the Daffy Duck-pacing-by-the-mailbox thing to see how the artwork turned out. And yes, I LOOOOOOOVE that man!

Senior Assistant State's Attorney O. Clarke Desmond, commenting on People v. Demain:

"The investigation of this case more or less boiled down to the identity of the most likely suspect that could be brought in for questioning. Things were complicated by the fact that all four of the suspects (Hoo, Nichevo, Demain, and Watt) had motives for killing Simpson, and all four of them had the opportunity to do so. Thus, the matter hinged on looking at the pieces of evidence.

The fact that the weapon used to kill Simpson -- the Nuremoh model bat -- belonged to Demain, in and of itself, was not dispositive. Demain kept his Nuremoh memorabilia out in the open, in his locker, and thus, any of the four suspects (including Demain himself) would have had access to it.

Three things pointed to the fact that the killing blows were delivered from left to right: (1) the pattern of the blood spatter on the walls; (2) the defensive wounds on Simpson's right hand; and (3) the fatal injuries on the right side of his head. While this does not preclude a right-handed person from delivering the blows (or even a potential switch-hitter), a left-handed person would be more likely to have delivered the blows with sufficient force to kill Simpson. It is noteworthy that there was no evidence that any of the four suspects was a switch-hitter, or batted in an opposite direction from which they threw.

The blood on the towel was shown to be the victim's, and none of the four suspects had any blood on them. Thus, the killer, knowingly or unknowingly, washed the blood of Simpson off his body.

Additionally, the towel upon which the blood was found was wet, not merely damp. It was also found by the police near the shower.

One additional factor was that Simpson was clearly a tall man, as can be seen from images of him in life and the body on the floor.

None of the four suspects appears to have been with any of the other suspects -- there was no evidence presented that any of the suspects saw any of the other suspects.

Oscar Watt was engaged in a wet activity (the whirlpool) and was in pain. However, he was right-handed, and as his injuries were contracted well before the incident (Simpson was riding him about the injury), it's questionable if he could have delivered a cross-body blow with sufficient force to kill Simpson.

Phil Nichevo was not engaged in a wet activity -- he was weightlifting, and additionally is both right-handed and relatively short (as most shortstops are). It is therefore less likely that he delivered the killing blow.

Hoo Sin-Jen had sufficient height, and was also left-handed. The principal weakness of the case against him was the fact that he was in a sauna, which is a relatively dry activity. The blood on a towel Hoo would have worn might have been damp, but it would not have been wet.

This leaves Phil Demain. Demain would have been tall enough, was left-handed, and admitted to taking a shower, a wet activity. Additionally, the blood of Simpson was found on a towel near the shower. Thus, there was more evidence against Demain than there was against Hoo. It was on this basis that Detective Tracy arrested Demain, and brought him in for questioning.

The fact that Simpson's prints were on the Nuremoh card helps unravel the chain of events. The auction house had delivered the card to Demain, but Demain had not opened the envelope containing the card at the point where everyone scattered. Thus, it's clear that Simpson was the one that opened the envelope and extracted the card, leaving his fingerprints on it. This was the basis for the fatal quarrel with Demain, a sequel to the hot verbal altercation that had occurred shortly before between the two when Demain had lost the game. Demain, apparently, had wiped the handle of the bat, but missed some of Simpson's blood that had splattered onto him. (Of course, if his prints had been on the bat, given that he was the owner, that would not have been conclusive.)

Demain pled guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter, a Class 3 felony, and was sentenced to two years in prison."

Oh, I also registered for MFM 2024...!

25-30 years ago, The Mink used to do reviews of the Kids' WB shows, principally the ones done by WBA, for the old alt.tv.animaniacs group. Also did some fanfics on the same group, which is not unrelated to what I'm going to refer to. Mostly harmless stuff, though I think I did get under Tom Ruegger's skin over some comments about "Histeria!"

I was thinking about this today when I saw the comments on gocomics.com regarding my Dick Tracy Minit Mystery arc, today and for the last few days. Yegads, folks, it's like Third Ypres out there, with yours truly in the starring role of the BEF opposite German machine-gunners.

The most remarkable thing is that for a short arc (15 days total), there's howls of "BORRRRRRING!" and "when is this over?!?" While there have been a few astute comments/critiques, most of the comments do seem to come from folks who probably should be taking their Ritalin. Preferably with a large dose of Glenfiddich. Some of the commenters, judging from past story arcs, seem to be miserable all the time; I'm not sure to what end, and who they're rooting for.

Boy, makes me feel for all those WBA lads reading my stuff, back in the day.