FRIDAY MOVIE QUOTE

"Now I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country."

-General George S. Patton, Jr. (George C. Scott), Patton (1970)

SANDRA BULLOCK UPDATE

We here at the Nobody Move! blog have been tracking the Sandra Bullock situation closely. The latest is that she has filed for divorce, and that she has adopted a son. OK, that's total B.S., I'm not really tracking the story. I was just looking for an excuse to post these pictures.

THAT'S NO MOON, IT'S A ... CAR WASH?

Check out this video of last weekend's "Star Wars Charity Car Wash" in L.A. The event was sponsored by G4, with proceeds to benefit Makde-a-Wish. I wish someone would hold one around here, my car's dirty.



h/t: Dr. Gischler

BABE OF THE WEEK

Today I'm correcting a major omission in my Babe of the Week posts. This week's babe is someone I should've posted a long time ago: Australian actress Yvonne Strahovsky, who plays Agent Sarah Walker in the NBC series Chuck.

TO SEEK OUT NEW LIFE AND NEW CIVILIZATIONS... OR NOT

Here's an interesting warning from one of the smartest men on the planet:

Don’t talk to aliens, warns Stephen Hawking

THE aliens are out there and Earth had better watch out, at least according to Stephen Hawking. He has suggested that extraterrestrials are almost certain to exist — but that instead of seeking them out, humanity should be doing all it that can to avoid any contact.

The suggestions come in a new documentary series in which Hawking, one of the world’s leading scientists, will set out his latest thinking on some of the universe’s greatest mysteries.

Just because an alien civilization is advanced, doesn't mean they're going to have a high regard for us.

He suggests that aliens might simply raid Earth for its resources and then move on: “We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn’t want to meet. I imagine they might exist in massive ships, having used up all the resources from their home planet. Such advanced aliens would perhaps become nomads, looking to conquer and colonise whatever planets they can reach.”

He concludes that trying to make contact with alien races is “a little too risky”. He said: “If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn’t turn out very well for the Native Americans.”

Damn right! You don't need a PhD in physics to know that To Serve Man is a cookbook.

IT'S NOT MONDAY YET

But it will be soon. Enjoy the weekend while you can. It's cloudy and rainy in Albany today. I think a picture of Monica Bellucci will help brighten up the place.

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: APRIL 24, 1953

On this date in 1953, a crew of robbers held up the Southwest Bank in St. Louis. The robbers didn't get far with their loot; police officers confronted them as they exited the bank. In the ensuing shootout, a police officer and one of the robbers were injured, and two of the robbers wound up dead (one by his own hand). The story attracted national attention and was made into a movie in 1959 starring Steve McQueen. Officer Mel Stein, who shot and killed one of the robbers, played himself in the movie.

Check out this video from last fall about the robbery. It includes an interview with Officer Stein.

Hat tip: Living St. Louis

Further reading:
South County Journal: THIS WEEK IN SOUTH SIDE HISTORY: Bloody 1953 bank heist hit silver screen

The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery (1959) at IMDb

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

FRIDAY MOVIE QUOTE

"Oh, he's very popular Ed. The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wastoids, dweebies, dickheads - they all adore him. They think he's a righteous dude."

-Grace (Edie McClurg), Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

HAPPY EARTH DAY

Here are some Earth Day pictures of Jessica Biel. What do Jessica Biel pictures have to do with Earth Day? They were taken on Earth. But I'd post pictures of her even if they were taken on Mars, Jupiter, or Neptune. But not Pluto. Pluto's not a planet. OK, actually, I'd post pictures of her from Pluto too.

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: APRIL 22, 1934

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

The gang 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 by the gang. 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)

A "NEW LOW" FOR THE GAMBINOS?

Looks like things aren't going too well for the Gambino family these days. From the NY Daily News:

Mafia hits 'new low': Reputed Gambino mobsters charged with running Craigslist teen prostution ring

The mob has hit a "new low" - pimping out young girls, including a baby-faced 15-year-old, on craigslist, authorities said Tuesday.

The creepy crime was among a litany of charges leveled against 14 members of the Gambino crime family, including a current boss, Daniel Marino.

The indictment includes Mafia standbys like loansharking, extortion and, of course, murder.

But an interstate sex-trafficking ring was a new one for prosecutors.

"No crime seems too depraved to be exploited if it was a moneymaker, including the sexual exploitation of a 15-year-old," added FBI Special Agent in Charge George Venizelos.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara called it "a new low."

Here's a CNN interview with former Colombo family captain Michael Franzese, who discusses these recent arrests:



Just when most people think the mafia is on its last legs, it branches out into new territories.

YOU HAVE MAIL

I found this little gem waiting for me in my inbox this morning from "Taylor McKenzie":

Greetings, my new friend.
I saw your profile on a site of acquaintances, and it has very much liked me. To me of 31 years, I the beautiful, kind, clever girl.
I dream to get acquainted for serious relations with the kind, decent, cultural and clever man.

If you wish to learn about me more write on my e-mail address :  (email address) @yahoo.com

With impatience I will wait from you the answer!

What do you think? She sounds sincere, doesn't she? Of course the email address she wants me to reply to doesn't match the address her email came from, but I'm sure that doesn't mean anything.

TUESDAY TUNE

I figured I ought to post something today, but I find myself without much motivation. A Youtube video is always a safe bet. This one is of Living Colour's "Glamour Boys", a tune that reminds me of my time in California in 89-90. That was a great time in my life that I didn't really appreciate until it was over.

BABE OF THE WEEK

This week's babe is the late, great Jayne Mansfield, who was born 77 years ago today. For more about Miss Mansfield, check out The Official Site of Jayne Mansfield.

DAY OFF

After a couple weeks without a day off, and a weekend spent helping my sister in law move, I figured today would be as good as any to use a floating holiday I had stashed away. I have no real plans for the day, just a vague notion of not being too productive. Maybe I'll spend it reading, surfing the net, or watching movies. Or I'll borrow my friend's dad's Ferrari and drive to Chicago. Or not.

SPECIAL EDITION BABE

It's not Babe of the Week time yet, but it's never a bad time to post a picture of Ukrainian hottie Olga Kurylenko. So here are a couple pictures of Olga. Just because.

FRIDAY MOVIE QUOTE

"I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that."

-Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack), Say Anything (1989)

"Double baco cheeseburger...it's for a cop."

Here's a case of life imitating art:

Wash. deputy sues over Whopper with spit

PORTLAND, Ore. -- A sheriff's deputy in Washington state is suing Burger King and a franchise operator over a Whopper he says a worker spit on.
     
Clark County Sheriff's Deputy Edward Bylsma (BILZ-muh) says in the lawsuit that he stopped for a meal at a Vancouver, Wash., Burger King early one morning in March 2009 and got an "uneasy feeling" about two of its workers.

When he checked his hamburger, the suit says, he found a big gob of spit. DNA testing matched the saliva to one of the workers, who eventually pleaded guilty to assault.

The federal court suit filed Tuesday in Portland seeks at least $75,000 and names Burger King Corp. and franchise operator Kaizen Restaurants in Beaverton.

Burger King and Kaizen said in a statement Wednesday they have "zero tolerance" for the workers' actions, and that both employees have been fired.

Fired?  The little bastards should be flogged.  Tampering with someone's food is one of the major no-nos in my book.  Dirtbags.

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

THIS IS BAAAAAAD

Well here's something you don't see every day:

Ewe will never get us back in prison

TWO escaped convicts have dodged a huge manhunt - by disguising themselves as SHEEP.

The pair dressed in full sheepskin fleeces, complete with heads, to lie low among farm flocks.

Robbers Maximiliano Pereyra, 25, and Ariel Diaz, 28, stole the sheep hides from a ranch after breaking out of an Argentinian maximum security prison a week ago.

And they have managed to evade the 300 cops on their trail - despite locals seeing them running through fields at night.

A farmworker at La Almeda said: "They were wearing grey clothes but had full sheepskins, including the sheeps' heads, over their heads and backs."

Police say spotting the pair among thousands of sheep is "almost impossible". But one warned: "They can't pull the wool over our eyes forever."

(h/t: Drudge)

Are the disguises for the purpose of eluding capture, or are these guys just looking to score some woolly, four-legged dates? Hey, they've been inside a while, so anything's possible. Gotta give them an "A" for creativity, though.

BABE OF THE WEEK

This week's babe is actress Kate Mara, coming soon to a theater near you in Iron Man 2.

IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING, DO IT RIGHT

It looks like Hollywood, in all it's "creative" brilliance, has remade the 1984 classic movie Red Dawn. While the original was no cinematic masterpiece, it was a particularly tasty slice of Cold War-era cheese. I can't see the point of a remake. Unless it looks like this:

"Naked Dawn" Trailer (w/ Rob Schneider, Mena Suvari and Vinnie Jones) Re-Uploaded and Safer-For-Work from Rob Schneider

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

FRIDAY MOVIE QUOTE

"All right, sweethearts, what are you waiting for? Breakfast in bed? Another glorious day in the Corps! A day in the Marine Corps is like a day on the farm. Every meal's a banquet. Every paycheck a fortune. Every formation a parade. I LOVE the Corps!"

-Sergeant Apone (Al Matthews), Aliens (1986)

A RIDDLE WRAPPED IN A GOOGLE

I was checking my site stats when I noticed I've had a number of people who had come here looking for pictures of Argentine-born Spanish actress/model (and former Babe of the Week) Lorena Bernal.  I wondered why that was, so I Googled her.  Search results included the above picture. Mystery solved. She's hot, that's why.

NOT AN ORIGINAL IDEA, BUT A GOOD ONE

You gotta love Sheriff Joe:

Sheriff Arpaio makes inmates pedal to watch TV

PHOENIX -- Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio has started a program he calls "Pedal Vision," in which inmates pedal stationary bikes to generate electricity for television sets. The bikes are customized to turn on connected TV sets once inmates at Phoenix's Tent City Jail pedal enough to generate 12 volts of electricity. An hour of pedaling equals an hour of television.

Arpaio said inmates only will be able to watch television if they choose to pedal.

So where did Sheriff Joe get this idea?  Is he a Victor Gischler fan? Via Boing Boing:

Mortimer Tate was an insurance salesman on the verge of a nasty divorce when he holed up in a mountain cave in Tennessee and rode out the end of the world. Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse begins nine years later, when he emerges into a bizarre landscape filled with hollow reminders of an America that no longer exists. Since "The Fall," highways are lined with abandoned automobiles, for which there is no fuel. Houses stand empty and what little civilization remains revolves around a string of strip clubs called Joey Armageddon's Sassy-a-Go-Go, where the beer is cold, the lap dancers are hot, the bouncers are armed with M-16s—and electricity is generated by indentured servants pedaling stationary bicycles. Accompanied by his cowboy sidekick Buffalo Bill and two gorgeous and lethal women named Sheila and Tyler, Mortimer journeys to the Lost City of Atlanta—and an explosive final showdown that just might determine the fate of humanity.

(emphasis mine)

You know what, I'll bet Sheriff Joe already has a copy of The Deputy.

THIS DAY IN CRIME HISTORY: APRIL 6, 1970

On this date in 1970, four California Highway Patrol officers were killed in a shootout with two heavily armed criminals.  Officers Walt Frago and Roger Gore initiated a felony traffic stop north of Newhall.  The suspect vehicle was reportedly operated by a man who had brandished a gun during an altercation with a motorist earlier in the day.  What the officers didn't know was that the two men in the car, Jack Twinning and Bobby Davis, were heavily armed and had just been practicing with their weapons in preparation for a planned robbery.

Officer Frago approached the car with a shotgun as Officer Gore covered Davis while Davis exited the car.  Twining flung open the passenger side door and opened fire on Officer Frago with a revolver.  When Officer Gore turned to engage Twining, Davis drew a gun and opened fire on Gore.  As the two pairs of men exchanged gunfire, CHP Officers George Alleyn and James Pence arrived on the scene and joined the fight.  All four officers were mortally wounded.  Davis and Twining suffered only minor wounds at the hands of the officers, and of Gary Kness, a Marine Corps veteran who attempted to assist the officers by firing on the gunmen using one of the fallen officers' guns.

Davis and Twining grabbed some weapons and left the scene on foot as a thrid CHP cruiser arrived.  Davis was arrested shortly afterward in a stolen camper.  His ammo supply depleted, he offered minimal resistance to officers.  Twining was cornered in a house a few miles from the scene of the shootout.  After a standoff that lasted several hours, he took his own life with Officer Frago's shotgun.

Davis was tried, convicted and sentenced to death.  His sentence was commuted to life in 1972 after a US Supreme Court ruling invalidated death penalties across the country. 

Further reading:

LA Times - CHP Honors Slain Officers

Officer.com - April 6, 1970 Police tactics would never be the same

Wikipedia - Newhall massacre

BABE OF THE WEEK

This week's babe is actress and math whiz (UCLA, summa cum laude, 1998) Danica McKellar, best known for playing Winnie Cooper in The Wonder Years.


Way too hot for Kevin Arnold, if you ask me. See more of Danica at her official website.

BY REQUEST

Rumor has it that one of this blog's loyal readers would like to see a picture of Irish biochemist/immunologist/model Claire Tully.  I gave this request some thought and came to the following conclusion: so would I.  So here's another pic of Claire, who was 2010's Nobody Move! St. Patrick's Day Babe.  I thought about photo-shopping a "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" button onto her outfit, but decided she didn't really need it.

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)

Here's the trailer for the movie The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, which I still haven't seen yet. I'm going to have to correct that oversight.

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

FRIDAY MOVIE QUOTE

"We do not train to be merciful here. Mercy is for the weak. Here, in the streets, in competition: A man confronts you, he is the enemy. An enemy deserves no mercy."

-John Kreese (Martin Kove), The Karate Kid (1984)

HIPPITY HOPPITY THIS, BUNNYBOY!

Here's another example of crime out of control:

Police search for Easter Bunny attacker in Hudson Valley

FISHKILL -- Who would attack the Easter Bunny days before the holiday?

That's what police are trying to find out as they search for the assailant in an attack on a woman who was dressed in a white rabbit costume on Main St. in the village of Fishkill. 

The victim was dressed in costume to promote Easter season business at a chocolate shop, according to State Police. A white male, about 17 years of age, charged the victim, slamming her to the ground, then fled.

The victim sustained minor injuries.

Wow, that's heartless.  I hope they catch the little dirtbag.  When I first read this story, I wondered if the attacker was one of these guys.