Larryville's Crime Wave Continues / Plus, Local Hipster Makes Good! / Also, Tonight's Hipster/Hippie Destination

Readers, it seems that the recent surge of bizarre local crimes has continued into the summer. This week brought a daring daylight robbery of a WestSide Mr. Goodcents sandwich shop, a place that has about as many customers as Buffalo Wild Wings (about six per month). But the crime-of-the-week, without question, is the book vandalism case at Watson Library. Here's the scoop from the LJ-World:

"Kansas University officials are conducting a worldwide search as they look to recover thousands of dollars worth of pages stolen from books that date back to the early 1800s. At least six large, rare and valuable books have been vandalized over the last two weeks at KU’s Watson Library. Valuable artwork, maps and other large prints were ripped out of books, the remnants left scattered throughout the library, including a women’s restroom."

Richard: "I think the only possible explanation for this is a band of sophisticated international art-thieves working their way across the Midwest. It's really infuriating, and I plan to make like Robert Fucking Langdon* and put an end to this."

Chip: "More likely the culprit is just a local sorostitute who finds art bewildering and is furious about the 'D' she received in Ms. R's 8:00 a.m. art history course."

*Robert Langdon is the hero of Dan Brown's DaVinci Code, which you hipsters would know if you ever read anything besides Chabon and Franzen.

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Most hipsters know Eric Melin from his Scene Stealers film site on Lawrence.com

Richard: "It's good, but it's not as good as this film site: www.nogonfilm.blogspot/com

But did you know that Melin has now won the KC Air Guitar championship title and will advance to the finals in Washington D.C. in August? On his blog, he is currently seeking fashion assistance for future performances:

"Oh, and, P.S. If you anyone who can help me with a better stage look, let me know. I wore a sleeveless Nigel Tufnel green skeleton shirt to the KC event and another guy was already wearing the same shirt. Ugh."

Richard: "A true hipster would never have made that mistake. Obviously, we all own that shirt."

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There aren't many events where hipsters and hippies can come together in harmony, but tonight's midnight screening of The Big Lebowski may be one of them.

Hipsters love the Coens' ironic juxtaposition of hyper-literate dialogue against a blue-collar bowling alley backdrop ("Say what you will about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it's an ethos."). And hippies love the surreal dream sequences and constant weed smoking. Surely both groups can bond tonight over a White Russian and perhaps a few tokes in the alley behind the theater.

The Dude abides, readers! I don't know about you, but I take comfort in that.