Monday, July 22, 2013

Nobody’s Women Found Among Possessions of Newly Discovered Cleveland Serial Killer?


Michael Madison charged today
 Michael Madison, and his neighbors, are reportedly chattering about a fascination with Anthony Sowell, whose crimes I chronicled in a book last year, Nobody’s Women: The Crimes and Victims of Anthony Sowell.
The first thing I wondered was if he had simply followed the Sowell case via the local media, which did a terrific job, or if he had read one of the two books about his supposed inspiration. I’d like to know when law enforcement releases the evidence list. If I were there, I would ask the cops. Yes, I am curious.
Madison, 35, born in New Castle, Penn., lived a mile from the East Cleveland home in which Sowell grew up. He had three felony drug charges over the years in Cuyahoga County before being popped for attempted rape. Madison pleaded guilty and got four years with 121 days credit for time served.
The first victim was identified as Angela Deskins, 38, who had
a host of driving violations and little else. Police are still seeking information on the other two victims, and fear there are more. Like the remains of most of Sowell’s 11 victims, they were wrapped in trash bags.
The urge is to ask what’s up with Cleveland, where in May it was discovered that former school bus drive Ariel Castro kept three women hostage in his home for up to a decade.  Lumping these three cases together is irresistible for most of the media – you know, what is it about the city? A story with little to hold it together save for a batch of “soul searching” quotes.

It’s ridiculous to blame the usual inner city woes, as Cleveland doesn’t have that market cornered.  That would be just another money grab excuse for race hustlers. It’s perhaps more of an indictment of the justice system in Ohio. I’m no authority on that system at this point, but it’s certainly the first stop in any investigation I would do.

Friday, July 12, 2013

More News From Nowhere – Sarah Pender’s Legal Team Continues Push for Her Freedom

The lawyer for Sarah Pender has filed a petition with the Marion County Prosecutor’s office in hopes of getting her client sprung. The motion includes an affidavit signed by Larry Sells, the man who prosecuted Pender for a double homicide in 2002. Pender received 110 years.

If you’re here, you are aware of the legal debacle. I outline it here, using an article by the local newspaper in Indy, the Indianapolis Star. The town is blowing up over this story, which has received only local coverage so far. But when Pender is released, the cameras will swoop in from everywhere. 

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Detroit Rock City: I’ll Read it to You, Produced by Mike E Clark


Mike Clark in studio
 The audio book version of Detroit Rock City hits today, and it was a cool trip.
I spent a few days recording it with Mike E Clark at his Electric Lab Recordings – north and south.  We did a couple days at his place in Detroit, then moved north for a weekend to his compound/studio north of Saginaw.
Who the hell wrote this?
I narrated the thing, all ten-plus hours, even though people told me what an ordeal it was and how difficult it could be. What happened was my agency sold the audio rights to Audible.com, which does many of the books on CD you see in the store. When the contract arrived, I looked it over and thought I’d like to hear who would be reading it. Pretty standard. Then I thought, ‘well, I can read and this might be fun.’ So I had a clause put in the contract that I be allowed to audition.  A few weeks later, I made the grade, much to my surprise. It’s good, honest work, pays well, and I’m always up for work. It’s now here for download. Dig in.

Monday, July 1, 2013

Insider Comments on/from Detroit Rock City

This is the t-shirt. Why not?
Detroit Rock City is out and there are stories in there that my pal and fellow traveler Tim Caldwell has picked up on and carried away. He writes stories fed by experience and knowledge – which only occasionally are mutually exclusive – in a stream-of-brain feed fashion. All readable and filled with insight. Try this:

did jack/joker bob 'the knob/blob' madigan 
de-throne the king of shock rock alice cooper 
when he approached the rock star with a vial containing 
an aborted human fetus and asked him to autograph it?
{to his credit (!?) i believe ac did sign the dead baby jar}.
  would this mean the man known for inventing shock rock theatrics 
held onto the title or thereby passed it onto 
a hard core gg allin fan
 
mainly known for hooking up folks to a hand crank generator
 
& giving the chain of hand holding fools 
in audience a collective jolt,
his human ostrich side show talent of swallowing and regurgitating items,
and fronting bands (slaughterhouse/cum dumpster)
that made flipper sound like speed freaks
in comparison?
best,
t

   when one of madigan's hooligan 
band members let it be known
they were going to gift me 
with a fetus/embryo
 
i responded while one one level 
i could appreciate
the inverse logic / symbolic gesture 
of an unborn
 
gifted as a birthday present
i graciously had to decline the offer
as in good conscience 
could not accept the gift
unless the proud folks who conceived it 
were the givers...

In the book, the great band Slaughterhouse gets a mention – vocalist Bob Madigan’s love of pig porn, specifically – so that is the Bob that Tim refers to. The band was always surrounded by fringe players who should have all become famous in one way or another. More from Tim:


was thinking about madigan's band c.d. (appropriate acronym if i ever heard one) after re-reading drc. their second best show* i saw was at the red door after hours (former club house space). the band and a good portion of the audience were tripping. rachel nagy and cara lundgren (daughter of grande ballroom artist carl) were still like 17-19 yr old strippers (at silver cricket on mich by telegraph among other venues**). 
they both roomed at the monroe manor next to bronx bar.
the gals were 1/2 to nearly naked while the band cum dumpster 
played their heavy dirges (to my mind sounding like a slower version 
of that groaning/droning vanilla fudge beatles cover) .
they were psychedelic style body painting each other.
there was dim lighting, maybe a strobe and gelled can or two,
as one could thereby create moody atmosphere on the cheap.
the ladies also cavorted in the shower with a large glass door 
situated in the middle of the room.
that figured in their dance/grope fest perf ,too.
steve shaw and joe s. took photos.
 
Then he refers to chatter in the book from a couple of players.

nawara and livingstone were right in their assessments 
of the excruciating power of the band to instill fear n loathing.
their credo seemed to have been borrowed from flipper-
  we suffered for our art/
now it's your turn.
{max bummer stoner rock- the cheech & chong routine shtick
about playing black sabbath at 16 rpm.s on 'cid & seeing god
or satan in their case}
  rachel used to be a butcher so her mentioning the stiletto 
in a dudes crotch would've been a serious threat.
dress em out like a thanksgiving turkey
and stuff their giblets in maw.
have you ever witnessed up close that mischievous/
maniacal glint in her eyes?

  the cobras second performance was at the old miami
after a dally in the alley.
i showed a sound 16mm film clip of bessie smith 
before the band went on.
that would set the bar pretty high intimidating many people 
but not rachel & co.
when i complimented her on her performance she said
'yeah tim, you see i'm not just a whhhooooorrreee'
cracking me up.
she's a great performer,
a classic beauty,
sweetheart who'd as soon kiss ya
 
as spit on ya
 
&/or stick ya.***
   the timmy v. mention of her having mooned the audience and writing on cheeks
made me recall the post wedding reception (kev monroe) party 
of  at the euclid tavern in spudville,oh.
the cobras performed and she grabbed zoot's mgr. aaron anderson 
and jammed his face in her ass (with clothes on) whilst on all 4's onstage.
at the end of the night it was the detroiters dressed in wedding formal finery vs
the local yokels territorial stand off.

And finally, Tim refers to a point in the book in which John Brannon talks about living near Michael Davis from the MC5 in Ann Arbor.
 
that chick that lived with hyenas on platt road 
that went out with mike davis was real odd.
weird passive aggressive dead pan vibe.
she had blunt cut bangs a long ass dark mane 
and wore a bullet belt like her dishonorably discharged
 
guitar army/ trans love beau.
 
pretty sure she was in a band called dog soldier.
larissa and john were annoyed that she kept a dead pet parrot 
or parakeet in the freezer.
through winter ,spring and summer
refusing to plant it.


The best thing about getting anything from Tim is that it’s true, no need for embellishment. He’s part of Detroit Rock City with an eye for reality, and likely has more stories than anyone.