INTERESTING QUESTION

Entertainment Weekly's Pop Watch poses an interesting question:

The Great Sci-Fi Divide: Why don't we want science fiction on TV?

Two weeks ago, Fox aired what was probably the final episode of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, a pretty solid sci-fi show which nevertheless suffered from guttery ratings. Two weeks from now, Terminator Salvation will premiere in theaters -- where it will likely make somewhere in the vicinity of $90 million in its first weekend, regardless of how "good" it is. Two separate extentions of the same franchise: one will be labeled a failure, the other a ginormous hit. Why?

Why don't we want science fiction on television anymore?

Sci Fi movies do great box office. Why isn't it working on TV? Is the Sci Fi on TV an inferior product? Is it that TV can't match the abundance of big-budget special effects so common to movie blockbusters? Or is it something else? What do you think?

WOW!!!

This is giving me flashbacks to SoCal.

BABE OF THE WEEK

This week's babe can stop traffic, or at least disrupt it in Albany. Angelina Jolie is in town for a few days filming an action scene for her upcoming movie Salt.


Here's a video from one of the local TV stations about the movie, and some of the star-struck fans hoping to catch a glimpse of Angelina.

IT'S SUPPOSED TO WORK ON DOCTORS, NOT COPS

From the virtual pages of the online version of the Albany Times Union:

Apple-eating man takes on police

AMSTERDAM - A 39-year-old man walking down the sidewalk eating an apple exploded in rage and attacked an officer Sunday morning when police say they stopped him to investigate a family fight.

City police were responding to a domestic incident just after 9 a.m. when they say they spotted Hector A. Davilla walking along East Main Street.

When an officer pulled alongside, Davilla of 1351 Route 5S, Davilla threw the apple to the ground and charged at the officer who was getting out of his patrol car, police said.

I'll bet you can guess what happened next. I'll give you a hint: it involved pepper spray (just to get his attention), batons (just to keep him focused), and handcuffs (to ensure proper retention of the material covered). Another of life's lessons taught to someone who was apparently in need of some individual tutoring. Dumbass shoulda just finished eating his apple.

FRIDAY MOVIE QUOTE

"I'm not a spy. I'm nothing. I'm navel lint. I have to lie to women to get laid, and I don't score much. I got a little dick, it's pathetic."

-Simon (Bill Paxton), True Lies (1994)

FROM CELL (PHONE) TO (JAIL) CELL?

When I see people sleepwalking through life with a cell phone pasted to their ear, or constantly sending/reading messages on a Blackberry, I often wonder if we really have become slaves to our gadgets.  Apparently, some of us really have:

Cops: Pregnant woman tries to rob bank, gets call

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- Police are looking for a pregnant woman they say tried to rob a North Carolina bank at gunpoint but left empty-handed after answering her cell phone. Fayetteville police spokeswoman Teresa Chance said Wednesday the woman had a handgun and demanded money when she entered a Carter Bank & Trust branch at 9:43 a.m. Tuesday.
     
But she got distracted when her cell phone rang. Police said she began talking to the caller and left the bank without taking any money. No one was hurt.

I guess this call was too important to let it go to voicemail.  "I'm sorry, I can't take your call right now, I'm committing a violent felony.  Please leave your name and number, and I'll get back to you later.  Unless I'm in police custody."

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: APRIL 23, 1985

On this date in 1985, one of the most heinous corporate crimes in history was committed: the introduction of New Coke. Coke drinkers were not amused. They gathered up their torches and pitchforks and laid siege to Coca Cola headquarters in Atlanta. OK, not literally, but I have no doubt the thought crossed the minds of millions of Coke drinkers. It was a dark time in history. I'll always remember it as the time Bill Cosby lied to me.

After 79 days of hiding under their desks, Coca Cola executives relented and did the only sensible thing: they brought back the original recipe, now dubbed Coke Classic. The new formulation was kept on as Coke II, targeted, no doubt at people who wanted a Pepsi-ish drink, but preferred drinking it from a red can for some reason.

Further reading:

Coke Lore - The Real Story of New Coke

Snopes - Knew Coke

Wikipedia - New Coke

DYED CASH = ROBBERY LOOT

I guess this guy didn't get the memo.

Arrest made in Troy bank robbery

VERMONT -- Vermont State Police have nabbed two Troy area bank robbers. They say they caught them trying to pass the money in Bennington and surrounding areas.

The loot was stolen from the Key Bank branch in Brunswick on Friday and was tainted by exploding die (sic) packs, which troopers say helped them track down Michael Washington and Colleen Carpenter, both from Bennington.

Note to would-be robbers: Do some research first. Even Wikipedia would be better than nothing.

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: APRIL 22, 1934

On this date in 1934, the FBI went toe to toe with John Dillinger and his gang in a shootout that left an FBI agent and a bystander dead.

Dillinger and his gang--which at that point included Lester Gillis (aka "Baby Face" Nelson)--decided to hide out at the Little Bohemia Lodge in northern Wisconsin. The owner of the lodge managed to get word to the authorities. FBI agents were dispatched to the scene.

As the agents approached the lodge, the owner's dogs began to bark. Since the dogs barked incessantly, their warning was ignored. A few minutes later, a car approached the agents. Thinking that the gangsters were inside, they opened fire in an attempt to shoot out the tires. Shooting high, which often happens when firing on full auto, they hit all of the occupants of the car, and killed one of them. To make matters worse, they had the wrong guys. Dillinger and his crew were still inside the lodge.

Barking dogs you can ignore, but submachinegun fire will get your attention every time. Dillinger and the boys heard the shots and knew that the heat was on. They opened fire on the agents from the lodge. After throwing some hot lead at the G-men, the gang bolted for the door. Dillinger and two of his guys turned one way and made a clean getaway. Nelson turned the other way, and wound up at a nearby house in a car with the owner of the lodge and a neighbor.

A car containing two of the FBI agents and a local constable approached Nelson. Nelson pointed his gun at them, and ordered them out of the car. When they complied, Nelson shot all three of them. Agent W. Carter Baum was killed; Agent J. C. Newman and local constable Carl Christensen were injured.

The final tally: two dead (one lawman and one innocent bystander), four injured (two lawmen and two bystanders), no gangsters in custody.

Crimelibrary article on the Little Bohemia shootout

FBI History--Famous Cases: John Dillinger

FBI History--Famous Cases: "Baby Face" Nelson

FBI History--Hall of Honor: W. Carter Baum

Website for the Little Bohemia Restaurant (formerly the Little Bohemia Lodge)

SWEET HOME ALA-SPAMA

More delicacies from my email spam filter:

Denise rode me to ectasy all night
How far is ecstasy? It must be far if it took all night to get there. My back can't handle that kinda thing anymore. Next time Denise wants to go to ecstasy, tell her to take the bus.

Superman has a big peck
Of pickled peppers? Are they Kryptonian pickled peppers?

our sexual life maybe incredible and exciting
You're not sure?

Every girl will beg you for more
Yeah, more money. Welcome to marriage.

Never be embarassed in the locker room again
Sorry, but once you've sharted in the showers, there's no rehabilitating your image.

She'll be wet and wild all night
Give her a towel and a valium, I have to be to work early tomorrow.

Give her good news today
Sure, as soon as I have some to give her.

So big my girlfriend got nervous
And that's what all men want, a nervous girlfriend.

She'll always want to go down on you
That'd get us kicked out of most restaurants.

Enhance your bedroom performance
Actually, I was thinking of adding a juggling act to my performance. Or maybe a unicycle. Are they difficult to ride?

Don't let ED stop you
Who's ED? Why does he want to stop me? And why are both of the letters of his name capitalized?

Bigger, longer, thicker
What is this, free association with adjectives?

How to retain a man or woman near itself. I have information!!
Hopefully the information includes the meaning of the first sentence.

Riding, licking, sucking
But no texting, it's illegal to do that while riding, licking, and sucking.

The monster growth supplement
A growth supplement for monsters? Isn't Godzilla big enough already?

BABE OF THE WEEK

Last night I caught A Shot in the Dark on TCM. Great flick. In my opinion, it's the best of the Clouseau movies. And for the record, I refuse to even watch the Steve Martin knock-offs. Anyway, this week's babe, Elke Sommer, played Maria Gambrelli in A Shot in the Dark.

FRIDAY MOVIE QUOTE

"I feel like you're eyeballin' me, dawg! I don't like punk bitches eyeballin' me! You got beef? You got beef? You want some of this?"

-Warren (Zach Cumer), Smokin' Aces (2006)

"HE'S DEAD, JIM"

Tonight's episode of CSI was pretty cool. "A Space Oddity" poked fun at the whole Star Trek phenomenon, including featuring the classic tagline that I used for the title of this post. It also featured lots of Liz Vassey, which is always a good thing. Note to the producers of CSI: More Liz Vassey!!! You can never go wrong with more Liz Vassey. And speaking of Liz Vassey...

FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BULLET

I had a new roof put on my house yesterday. Not that it needed one. It's just that I had a few thousand bucks burning a hole in my pocket, and I figured that the economy needed more "stimulus."

The crew showed up around eight o'clock yesterday morning. I didn't count how many guys were there, some were already on the roof when I walked out the door. Anyway, I took some personal time, so I got home from work early (just after three o'clock). They were gone. Every one of them. And so were their trucks, their tools, and the dumpster they were dropping the old roof materials into. The only evidence of their earlier presence was a stack of extra shingles they left by the front door... and the brand new roof on my house. Man, those dudes were fast.

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: APRIL 15, 1920

On this date in 1920, an armed robbery in South Braintree, MA resulted in the deaths of a paymaster and a security guard. On May 5th, two men were arrested for the crime: Ferdinando Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti. The two men, both Italian-born anarchists, were tried, convicted, and sentenced to death. They were executed in the Massachusetts electric chair on August 23, 1927. Controversy still rages to this day as to the guilt of the men, but their conviction has yet to be overturned. Oh yeah, and they're still dead. I guess it's all academic at this point, isn't it?

Further reading:

The Sacco-Vanzetti Case

Wikipedia - Sacco and Vanzetti

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: APRIL 14, 1943

On this date in 1943, four inmates tried to escape from the Alcatraz federal prison. The men, James Boarman, Harold Brest, Floyd Hamilton, and Fred Hunter, overpowered two guards in the industries area of the prison and tied them up. They climbed out the window and made their way to the water's edge.

While the would-be escapees were entering the water, one of the guards they had tied up managed to alert others of the escape attempt. The alarm was sounded, alerting the tower guards, who opened fire on the men. Boarman was hit. His body sank and was never recovered. Hunter and Brest were rounded up by guards. Hamilton, who was assumed to have died in the escape attempt, hid in a cave on the island until the search was over. Cold and hungry, he was caught three days later hiding in a store room in the prison.


Further reading:

Alcatraz History - Escape Attempts

BoP - Alcatraz

Wikipedia - Alcatraz escape attempts

BABE OF THE WEEK

This week's babe is actress Ali Larter (Heroes, Legally Blonde, and Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back).

WEEKEND WEIRDNESS

Check out this video where the Star Wars series gets the Weird Al treatment.

Weird Al Yankovic - Star Wars Parody
Uploaded by tuturlatics

FRIDAY MOVIE QUOTE

"Like all yankee women, all you can do is order in restaurants and spend a man's money."

Pai Mei (Chia Hui Liu), Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004)

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: APRIL 9, 1934

On this date in 1934, John Dillinger's girlfriend, Evelyn "Billie" Frechette, was arrested by G-men in Chicago and charged with harboring a fugitive. An angry Dillinger vowed to break her out of jail, but a girlfriend of one of his gang members talked him out of it. He did pay for her legal defense, but she wound up being convicted anyway. Billie Frechette spent two years in federal prison. When she was released in 1936, she toured the country in a theatrical show called Crime Doesn't Pay. Several members of Dillinger's family were also featured in the show. I guess sometimes crime does pay after all.


Further reading:

American Experience: Public Enemy #1 - Evelyn "Billie" Frechette, 1907-1969

Don't Call Us Molls - Evelyn "Billie" Frechette

BABE OF THE WEEK

This week's babe is a smokin' hottie who can drive a bus through Los Angeles at 50 MPH: actress Sandra Bullock.

NO SOUP FOR YOU!!!

I've been a bad blogger. My motivation to post something has been lacking... not that I've had much worth posting. Life's been kind of dull lately. And to prove it, here's the latest from my world:

Last weekend was Air Guard drill weekend. The long drive out to Cape Cod went well, idiotic drivers notwithsatnding. Drill was OK. Boring, but not too unpleasant. They pinned a medal on me on Sunday, so I guess I shouldn't complain too much. It was for my performance during my deployment to California last year. It only took eight months to catch up to me.

I was in the Walmart in Falmouth on Saturday evening when I saw they had both Kill Bill movies for $7.50 each. I had vowed not to spend too much money over the weekend, but the price was too much to pass up. As it turns out, I had a Walmart gift card in my wallet. I had won it in December in a drawing held by the base Chief's Council, so it was basically "found money" as far as I was concerned.

After making my guilt-free purchase, I went back to my room on base to watch Kill Bill: Volume 2. I had seen the first one (I saw it in Qatar in 2004), but hadn't seen the second. Great movie. Better than the first one, in my opinion. So much for sequels being inferior.

Yesterday I was back to work at my regular job. Mondays usually suck, and this one was no exception. Thanks to budget issues, we won't be getting our raises this year. And I don't get to advance to the next pay step either. But I'm not getting laid off, so I'll be thankful. Sort of.

I may have gotten stiffed on my raise, but the agency did give me a new car yesterday. Well, not new new, but new to me. It's a 2005 Impala, same as the one I turned in. But it has 30k less miles on it, so it's all good. Oh, and it has a casette player, just like the last one. I can't seem to get one with an 8-track. There's gotta be one out there somewhere. This is GM we're talking about after all.

Looks like I'm late with my Babe of the Week post. I guess I'll have to take care of that tonight. Not sure who it's going to be; I'll have to give it some thought.

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: APRIL 3, 1882

On this date in 1882, legendary outlaw Jesse James was shot and killed in St. Joseph, MO by an outlaw named Bob Ford. Ford and his brother Charley attempted to claim a reward that had been offered for James, but the only reward they received was arrest and indictment for murder. They pled guilty and were sentenced to death, but a pardon from the governor spared them the hangman's noose.

Charley Ford, suffering from tuberculosis, committed suicide in 1884. Bob was killed in 1892, shot in the back by a man named Edward O'Kelley. Sounds like poetic justice to me.

Further reading:

Legends of America: Jesse James - Folklore Hero or Cold-Blooded Killer?

St. Joseph History - Jesse James

Wikipedia - Robert Ford (outlaw)

The video below is the trailer for the movie The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

Assassination of jesse james
Uploaded by Cinerie

FRIDAY MOVIE QUOTE

"You wanna get Capone? Here's how you get him: He pulls a knife, you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital, you send one of his to the morgue. That's the Chicago way!"

-Jimmy Malone (Sean Connery), The Untouchables (1987)

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: APRIL 2, 1992

On this date in 1992, the teflon had finally worn off the Teflon Don; after several tries, federal prosecutors finally convicted Gambino crime family boss John Gotti. Gotti, who was convicted of racketeering and murder charges, was sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole. He died of cancer in June 2002 at the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, MO.

Further reading:

truTV - John Gotti: The Last Mafia Icon

Seize the Night - John Gotti (1940-2002), Former Godfather

Gangsters, Inc. - John Gotti