Mentionable Morsels

• Mike Ripley’s latest smörgåsbord of perspicacity and frivolity--otherwise known as his Shots column, “Getting Away with Murder”--has been posted.

• Actor Jeff Goldblum has decided to leave Law & Order: Criminal Intent because of doubts about that show’s future.

• Walker Martin recaps this last weekend’s PulpFest.

• CrimeSquad’s “Fresh Blood” profile for August looks at John Verdon.

• Beware the PAC mentality.

• Rob Kelly, in whose blog I often find brilliant mock-up book covers and movie posters (such as this one), was interviewed at Movie Morlocks.com last September, however I only just discovered the piece.

• I couldn’t agree more. From the blog Vintage Paperback Cover Art, this quote attributed to comic book writer James Van Hise: “What is it about pulp art that makes it stand out as unique, different from the kind of cover art featured on books and magazines today? Only its outrageousness. It dared to be wild, and too much was never enough.”

• Useful for this year’s Bouchercon attendees.

• J. Sydney Jones fires questions at Michael Atkinson (Hemingway Cutthroat), while Julia Buckley goes one-on-one with Beth Groundwater (To Hell in a Handbasket).

• And happy birthday, Mr. President: Barack Obama turns 49 today.