Various and Sundry

[eldritchhobbit]

First of all, much love and many thanks to dodger_winslow, who surprised me with this gorgeous new icon. We loves it, Precioussss, yes we does!

Second, it looks like late next week I'll be making a day-long sojourn to Washington, D.C. to film some lectures for the Institute for Humane Studies to be released on YouTube, a prospect both exciting and daunting. Mr. De Mille, I'm not sure I'm ready for my close-up! So it goes.

Third, today's TeeFury shirt is a very clever Harry Potter design.

Fourth, sad news...
* R.I.P., Joanna Russ (1937-2011)
She was a pioneering science fiction author who will be read and remembered for a long time to come. I've taught her short story "When It Changed" (which won the Nebula Award in 1972) in many university courses, and it's never failed to impress and inspire.

* R.I.P., William Campbell (1926-2011)
He had a long and varied acting career, but to me he will always be Trelane, the Squire of Gothos, from Star Trek.


And last, news of possible interest...
In past years I've posted about the still unsolved 1977 Girl Scout murders in Locust Grove, Oklahoma, including a post about the anniversary of the tragedy and the results of new DNA testing.

Up until now, only one book has been published on the murders: Someone Cry for the Children: The Unsolved Girl Scout Murders of Oklahoma and the Case of Gene Leroy Hart by Michael and Dick Wilkerson, which inspired a Discovery Channel documentary by the same title. (A separate Cold Case Files episode also was devoted to the case.) I've just learned that a new book is forthcoming: Tent Number 8: An Investigation of the Girl Scout Murders and the Trial of Gene Leroy Hart by Gloyd McCoy. I'll be very interested to read it as soon as it's available.

I have to say that I find these photos of Camp Scott today rather chilling.


"I think 100 years from now, people will say, 'Well, what's the biggest case in Oklahoma history?' And people will say this case."
- former criminal defense attorney Gloyd McCoy on the 1977 Girl Scout murders

Comments

[xtrustisyoursx.livejournal.com]

Having only moved to OK from Nashville a few months back, this is so eye-opening! Today I've basically read everything there is to read online about the girl scout murders.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

It's a very sad and horrifying moment in recent Oklahoma history, to be sure. And it's one I think many are yet to fully get over, since there's been no real closure even after all this time. It deserves to be remembered: thanks so much for reading about it!

If you'd like something a bit less awful, though, I offer this tribute to the town where I grew up. Hopefully it's less nightmare-inducing.

How are things in OKC these days (am I remembering correctly that's where you are)? It sounds like you've had some crazy weather lately.

[xtrustisyoursx.livejournal.com]

OKC is good. Still getting used to the lack of diagonal streets and the extreme amounts of space between things which make for lengthy travel times lol. Obviously the weather is the weather, though luckily most of the really bad stuff has gone south of the metro (which I understand is how it often happens.)

I had no idea you were from Tulsa. My girlfriend's best friend goes to law school at U of Tulsa, and though I've only visited 2 or 3 times, I really enjoyed the city and hope to spend some more time there.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

and the extreme amounts of space between things which make for lengthy travel times lol.

LOL! Audiobooks are your friend. ;-P

Very cool about your Tulsa connection! My mother graduated from the University of Tulsa. :) I have great memories of the city. If you haven't been to Philbrook Museum there, in particular, I highly recommend it. It's one of my favorite places in Tulsa.