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It's not every day that a highly acclaimed author specifically asks for your signature. And no, I wasn't just signing a check for one of his excellent books.

Palahniuk was in Louisville on June 8 during a book tour for his latest book, "Haunted." You may not recognize the name, but you may know him as the author of "Fight Club." Many of his other works are also in the middle of movie deals, including my favorite, "Choke."

It's mildly amusing to me how people -- the media, your next-door neighbor, the waving chicken mascot on the corner of your street -- will make it a point to remind you how right they were about something they predicted. Maybe they picked Florida to win the men's NCAA basketball championship, or maybe they picked Taylor to win "American Idol." But it's interesting to note how hardly anyone reminds you about a wrong prediction.

If you're a fan of "Fight Club" or "Choke," you won't want to miss Chuck Palahnik's appearance at 7 p.m. June 7 in The Clifton Center Reception Hall (2117 Payne Avenue). Carmichael's Bookstore is hosting the event, but due to the expected crowd, the venue has been moved just down the road. Palahniuk will be reading from his new book, "Haunted," and will be signing books as well.

I owe a bit to Palahniuk because after reading "Choke," I realized that maybe I could write "The Developers." Not that my stuff is as good, but it's a similar style ... at least, I'd like to think so.

Stop by any Krispy Kreme and pick up a free doughnut. If you need to figure out where to find a Krispy Kreme location, visit the website for additional details.

One of the best things about the summer is amusement parks. Maybe I'm slightly biased, since I worked at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom for eight years. Even still, I suspect most other people have fond memories of their trips to amusement parks. Unless, of course, you hurled every time you got off any spinning ride.

I finally returned to the Purdue campus during the weekend, and it didn't take me long to realize how much I missed it. Even though it has been five years, and a plethora of new buildings have gone up all across Lafayette and West Lafayette, there were still plenty of things to reminisce about.

I certainly had High Hopes for writing more on this website last year. I suppose it's easiest to blame it on the pandemic, but that wouldn't be completely accurate.

In what appears to defy the laws of nature, an octopus has been videotaped taking a leisurely stroll along the ocean floor in Indonesia.

"I do this all the time," the octopus said. "What's funny is I recently showed my friends a videotape of people walking on two legs. They were stunned."

The Purdue University Liberal Arts featured myself and The Developers in its spring issue. I had communicated with a representative in Alumni Relations about sending information for the magazine, but little did I know that they would devote more than a quarter of a page to me. I shared the page with Ted Allen, the cook from "Queer Eye For the Straight Guy," who is also a Purdue grad. On the preceding page, basketball great John Wooden, yet another Purdue alum, is spotlighted for receiving a reward.

The Book Escape in Federal Hill is now carrying Corporate Ties. I just noticed online that this store is selling a copy of The Developers for $5. That's a great deal (although I won't get a penny if someone purchases it).