Bikini Carjacker
Thank goodness she didn't have a gun on her, there's only one place I can think of where she could have concealed it, and that's just nasty.
This....got an official DVD release? Yay! I loved this show. Watched it every time Nickelodeon showed it on "The Third Eye". Now I can retire my crappy bootleg version. And why is it every time I buy some bootlegged curio at a convention, it shows up on DVD later? I'm looking at you, "Voyagers".
Besides that, this was a fabulously creepy British sci-fi series from the late 1970's. It's about a scientist father (Professor Brake) who, along with his son (Matthew), moves to the town of Milbury to study an ancient circle of stones there. The stones were rumored to have some sort of power, and as the father studies them, he and his son realize that all is not right in the town. Person by person, the townspeople are turning into "Happy Ones". Death and mystery ensue.
Can Professor Brake and Matthew discover the secret of the stones and save the townspeople before becoming "Happy Ones" themselves? You'll have to either buy the DVD, or ask me to make you a copy off the set I own to find out.
P.S. Ooooooh. "The Tomorrow People" on DVD also? My day is made. All's that left is for the USA to put out a version of the blog's namesake "Into the Labyrinth."
Customers Suck
I worked retail for 14 years. All at Blockbuster Video. Generally, most days were quite pleasant. I was usually able to defuse most situations pretty quickly. However, there were times when all one could do was shake with anger after a customer left. Luckily, I found the above outlet. Customers Suck. It's a website devoted to retail workers, teachers, IT people, whoever, telling their stories about the sucky customers that make it harder to get through the day.
Even though it's been 4 years since I've been in retail, I still enjoy heading over there to see what others have to put up with. It makes me feel a little better knowing I'm not dealing with customers like that anymore. The best stories, of course, are the ones where the customer gets pwned.
So if anyone reading this has a job where you deal with the horrible public, head on
over, create an account, click on forums and share your stories. It feels good to get them off your chest, and the others posters will offer sympathy.
(Someday, I'll share some of the more interesting characters I met while working at Blockbuster.)
Yay! I finally got my 10 percent key chain from Weight Watchers! I actually earned it a few weeks ago, but the stellar employees there had a little trouble realizing that 10% of 200lbs is 20lbs and not 25lbs. Oh well. I have it now. That leaves only about 13 lbs to go before I reach my goal. After that, I guess it will be my personality that repels the guys I am attracted to.
Time to celebrate. Bananas with Hershey's Chocolate Syrup! (Lite syrup, of course)
For some reason, I can't resist posing in front of large statues of animals.
Sorry all.....the answer to The Man was.....SCHRANK
It was John F. Schrank that shot President Theodore Roosevelt in Milwaukee.
The Story:
The Bull Moose
Cattle Rancher, Commissioner of Police. Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Governor of New York. He was also the youngest president in American history, rising to sudden and unexpected power at the age of 42 when President McKinley was assassinated.
Roosevelt is most famous today for two things: the 'teddy bear', which is named after the man himself, and his dream project, the Panama Canal.
A canal across Central America had been a dream of travellers, exporters and explorers since the early 16th century. Roosevelt, a sometime explorer himself, certainly knew the cachet that such a project held. Before the canal, a ship sailing from the Atlantic to Pacific had to sail around the very dangerous Cape Horn, at the very southern tip of South America.
It took ten years, hundreds of millions of dollars, and cost hundreds of lives, but Roosevelt's army completed the impossible: The Panama Canal, linking the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans, opened officially on August 15, 1914, and American troops have never left 'the Free Republic' of Panama since.
Roosevelt declined the opportunity to run for a third term, nominating his friend William Taft, to represent his party. He was later convinced, however, to run against Taft, even though he had to form a new third party, the National Progressive Party, in order to do so. The party was more often called The Bull Moose Party, because Roosevelt, when once asked whether he was in shape enough for another campaign, remarked that he was 'fit as a bull moose.'
The campaign was one of the most bitter and dark in American political history, with Roosevelt fighting more against his 'old friend' Taft than either of them fought against their common enemy, Woodrow Wilson.
But it could be said that Roosevelt's vision protected him in more ways than one. It was in Milwaukee, at the height of the campaign, when he was hit by a gunshot from a barkeeper named John Schrank.
The Barkeep
John F. Schrank, born in Bavaria, came to America at the age of 13. His parents died soon after, and Schrank came to work for his uncle, a New York tavern owner and landlord. Upon their deaths, Schrank's aunt and uncle left him these valuable properties, from which it was expected he could live a quiet and peaceful life. But Schrank was heartbroken, having now lost not only his second set of 'parents', but his first and only girlfriend, in a ferry accident in New York's East River.
Schrank sold the properties, and drifted around the East Coast for years. He became profoundly religious, and a fluent Bible scholar whose debating skills were well-known around his neighborhood's watering holes and public parks. He wrote spare and vivid poetry. He spent a great deal of time walking around city streets at night. He caused no documented trouble.
It is unclear when his interest in domestic politics so flared that he would attempt to kill Roosevelt. It is known that he was a staunch opponent (to say the least) of a sitting President's ability to seek a third term in office.
He claimed, later, that he had nothing against the man himself, and he did not intend to kill 'the citizen Roosevelt', but rather 'Roosevelt, the third termer.' He claimed to have shot Roosevelt as a warning to other third termers, and claimed further that it was the ghost of President McKinley that told him to perform the act.
It didn't take long for Schrank to be declared insane. The doctors that examined him reported that the man was suffering from 'insane delusions, grandiose in character.'
While millions of Americans wanted him executed, Schrank lived on in a mental hospital. He died there, many years later.
The Bullet
Schrank's bullet, which struck very close to Roosevelt's heart on that cold Milwaukee night, was deflected by the glasses case in his pocket and lodged itself 'harmlessly' in his ample chest. It may also have been cushioned somewhat by the speech that Roosevelt was carrying, neatly folded, in the same breast pocket.
Roosevelt went on to deliver that very speech, that very night, before visiting the hospital to have the bullet removed. As it turned out, the bullet was lodged in his fourth rib, and doctors decided to treat the wound and leave the bullet in place. It remained there for the rest of Roosevelt's life.
His vision couldn't save him twice, though. His third-party split the political right, and he collected only 4,118,571 votes, compared to Woodrow Wilson's 6,296,547. (Taft placed third with 3,486,720).
Retiring from politics, Roosevelt led two expeditions into the Amazon jungle in 1913 and 1914, returning only when he succumbed to malaria.
In 1919, though he was weakened by his sickness, deaf in one ear and blind in one eye (he lost it while boxing at the White House), he was still widely rumored to be planning another run for the Presidency. He didn't live long enough to make any such announcement, however.
Theodore Roosevelt, the twenty-sixth president of the United States and the protagonist of everyone's favorite palindrome, died unexpectedly of complications resulting from a blood clot in his heart, on January 6, 1919.
©Rod Bruinooge
Treevenge
The less I say about this masterpiece, the more you will enjoy it. Go to the site, start it, make it full screen and enjoy. Best short film I've ever seen. Also NSFW, no nudity though.
I've spent many an hour at the Museum of Television and Radio watching old broadcasts of his. I have vague memories of Cronkite growing up; I was only 8 when he retired from CBS news. Still, as a lover of pop culture, it's always sad to see one of the greats go.
Find the question above, and the answer will follow. Begin.(The picture can be embiggened by clicking on it.)
As I've previously stated, I am a child of adoption. No clue who my birth father is, but I do enjoy wondering from time to time. Somehow, I managed to combine this line of thinking with my love of game shows and have concluded that Jim Perry would make a great father. (Hmm....I should do a rundown soon of my favorite shows/hosts...see how my thoughts match up with the other 93% of people who read this blog for 0-5 seconds a day.)
Anyhoo, imagine my horror when I came across this clip on You Tube. I do not appreciate anybody dissing on my imaginary father. I can only hope that whoever these people are, they suffered greatly after committing this slight.
That's what I need right now. Maybe I should set up one of those web sites pleading people for money. There's always a few who seem to respond to requests like that.
Back in NY in one piece thanks to the crew of American Airlines. Posting of random crap to resume.
Off to Pasadena, CA this weekend for a visit with the grandfather. I shall return next Tuesday. May all have a great weekend!
Well.....I'm not exactly sure how this happened....but somehow in celebrating the
4th this year (yes on the 3rd, I'll be working tomorrow), my friends and I ended up watching my copy of the Paul Lynde Halloween Special. It's sort of difficult to say just how bad (or kitschy) the show is, I guess the best image is shoving rusty wire hangers into your eyes.
And this is my backyard in suburbia. At least he/she? didn't charge me, I can only imagine what fending off a savage turkey attack would be like.
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