Breaking News from Boston

Three more suspects are in custody (courtesy of PerthNow)

The details are still sketchy at this time, but the latest in the Boston bombing investigation is that three additional suspects have been detained and will soon submit to questioning.

Whether they like it or not, I assume.

This comes after a week of new leads and discoveries in the case that continues to captivate America and the world. For instance, investigators found at least one fingerprint on the debris from one of the bombs. And female DNA was discovered on one of the pressure cooker bombs, as well.

Granted, this could have come from the cashier who checked the Tsarnaev brothers out at Wal-Mart or something—wherever they bought their home appliances—but for now it only adds to the mystery surrounding this terrible attack.

I will do my best to keep up with all the fast-breaking developments from Boston, especially with regard to these new suspects. And when I know more—if I know more—so will you.

Incidentally, all the drama surrounding the Boston attacks, the car chase, the shootouts, the standoffs and everything else have me wondering: Should I scramble to get a screenplay written about this thing? You have to admit, it would make a great television mini-series.

Or should I say maxi-series, which is what it will be by the time it’s all said and done.

Let’s make a deal (courtesy of James O’Toole)

It could work. And consider this: What if the series could air for free on the major networks with all advertising revenue going to the victims, their families and the survivors of this deadly attack?

I heard how much it costs for even one amputee to use a prosthesis and you wouldn’t believe the financial burden. Toss in loss of wages, insurance hikes, hospital costs and everything else the poor folks have to deal with and the idea sounds even better, don’t you think?

So if you’re reading this and you happen to be in the television industry, well-connected, filthy rich or motivated in some other way—and if you like the idea—let me know. I’m sure we could work something out.

More to come, peeps!

UPDATE: It turns out the three suspects detained by police were friends of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. They have all been charged with either obstruction of justice or lying to federal investigators. Apparently, they suspected Dzhokhar had made a bomb, said nothing about it and even removed items from his room after learning their friend was a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing. And yes, these items included things like a backpack, Vaseline and fireworks that had been emptied of their gunpowder… potential clues and maybe even evidence. Now it looks like each of these guys faces a jail sentence of five to eight years if convicted, which they will be. So let me be the first to send a special message to Azamat Tazhayakov, Dias Kadyrbayev and Robel Phillipos, an American citizen: “Thanks for nothing.”

Obama as Satan?

Look familiar? (courtesy of Joe Alblas/History Channel)

If the man in this photograph looks a little like a slightly aged President Obama doing a bad impression of Mister Spock‘s father on Star Trek, then imagine viewers’ shock when he appeared as Satan in The History Channel’s hit series The Bible last Sunday evening.

Incidentally, this is not President Obama. It’s a famous Moroccan actor named Mohamen Mehdi Ouazanni. And believe it or not, but he has portrayed the master of all evil in numerous Biblical productions.

Too bad viewers weren’t aware of this before they started lighting up Twitter and other social networking sites with complaints and other general outrage. Even conservative Glenn Beck noticed the similarity when he tweeted his followers that night.

“Anyone else think the Devil in #TheBible Sunday on History Channel looks exactly like That Guy?”

Producers of The Bible, which include Survivor creator Mark Burnett and his wife, former Touched by an Angel star Roma Downey, were quick to dispel Obama-as-Satan rumors and to label the controversy as “utter nonsense.” A short time later, the History Channel released the following statement:

“History Channel has the highest respect for President Obama. The series was produced with an international and diverse cast of respected actors. It’s unfortunate that anyone made this false connection. History’s The Bible is meant to enlighten people on its rich stories and deep history.”

If you also consider that Burnett donated to the Obama campaign in 2008 and the Democratic National Convention in 2009, then claims of Satan being cast to look like the President are even more far-fetched.

It’s simply a very strange coincidence.

Even Glenn Beck chimed in Monday to help calm the storm: “Media—relax. Actor has been in similar roles b4. Funny, nothing more. For different reasons, #TheBible is 1 of my fav shows. Keep watching.”

The resemblance is uncanny, though. Don’t you think?

Sinkhole Sadness

The hole opened up under the Bush home (courtesy of ABC News)

For the Bush family of Florida, the nightmare began as everyone was heading to bed Thursday evening.

There was a loud crash as a sinkhole opened up under Jeff Bush’s bedroom and swallowed him whole. His brother Jeremy ran in moments after the giant hole appeared.

“Everything was gone,” he later told reporters. “My brother’s bed, my brother’s dresser, my brother’s TV. My brother was gone.”

Jeremy jumped in the hole and attempted to rescue his brother Jeff, but he was overwhelmed as the floor continued to collapse and had to be pulled out by deputies. He and four others escaped unharmed, but poor Jeff never made it out.

He was presumed dead and although rescue workers tried to recover his body, it was simply too treacherous as the sinkhole continued to expand. On Sunday, a demolition crew destroyed the house after surviving family members salvaged what little they could.

Unfortunately, it looks as if the sinkhole will become the final resting place of Jeff Bush. He is yet another casualty of “sinkhole alley” along Florida’s west coast.

I hope his family had sinkhole insurance. Is that even a real thing?

Quiet Commercials

Finally some peace and quiet for televisions (Photo credit: Medhi)

Television junkies like me finally got some great news Thursday. And no, the new season of “The Walking Dead” isn’t starting early.

Effective today, television commercials will no longer be able to blare more loudly than the shows they sponsor. The Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act just went into effect and prevents both cable and satellite providers from killing your ears any time your show breaks for advertisers.

I once saw an ad for a television that automatically reduced the sounds of  commercials, as well as another that completely blacked out commercials and came back on when the show began again.

It’s nice to know that I won’t have to shell out hundreds of dollars for one of these “special” televisions since CALM will handle the business of shutting up advertisers for me. Thank goodness human evolution applies to the “boob tube,” too!

Good night, J.R.

The man behind J.R, (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Actor Larry Hagman passed away at a Dallas hospital on Friday due to complications from cancer. He was 81 years old.

Hagman is best known for his iconic television character J.R. Ewing on the prime time soap opera “Dallas” in the 1970s and 1980s. He was also Major Tony Nelson in the 1960s hit comedy “I Dream of Jeannie,” a show I used to love watching on Nick at Nite.

Barbara Eden was a cutie.

Recently, Hagman reprised his role as J.R. on TNT’s reboot of “Dallas,” a show whose days may now be numbered. His shoes may be just too big to fill.

I was never a fan of “Dallas” or other dramatic 1980s fare like “Knot’s Landing” or “Falcon Crest,” but I do remember the whole “Who Shot J.R.?” thing.

Turns out it was Kristen Shepherd, J.R.’s sister-in-law. And I couldn’t have cared less.

But Larry Hagman was a talented actor. J.R. was a scoundrel and if I did watch the show, I’m sure he would have been my favorite character. I have respect for the man and the role he made famous, so with an imaginary 40-ounce I spill a sip in honor of our lost brother. Farewell, Larry and J.R.

Suicide accidentally broadcast by Fox News

The victim (property of Fox News)

GRAPHIC: Carjacker Shoots Self On Live Television At End Of High-Speed Chase | Mediaite.

Those of you who get squeamish or offended easily may not want to click on this link or view this terrible video.

Fox News broadcast live footage of a carjacker being pursued by police in rural Arizona. Eventually, the criminal pulled onto a dirt road, got out with gun in hand, and took off on foot. All the while, the “eye in the sky” news helicopter followed him closely.

The unidentified man staggered down the sandy road, stood behind a grassy embankment and did something no one could have anticipated.

He put the gun to his head and pulled the trigger. On live television, no less.

Host Shephard Smith yelled for the footage to be stopped, but everyone watched as the carjacker’s lifeless body crumbled to the ground. It was quite surreal.

Smith apologized, Fox apologized and people are moving past it, but this is a terrible thing to see on television. Pay-per-view, maybe, but not network.

Bigfoot is dead

 

Bigfoot (Photo credit: naturemandala)

Bigfoot hoax turns deadly: Montana man dressed as sasquatch to provoke sightings struck and killed by car – NY Daily News.

Today in northwestern Montana, a man dressed as Bigfoot was struck by two cars and killed.

It is believed that Randy Lee Tenley, 44, may have been wearing a military-style Ghillie suit to spark Bigfoot sightings in the area. Unfortunately, he wandered into the right lane of Highway 93 south, got hit by a car, rolled to the ground and got run over again.

It was a bad night for Bigfoots… um…. Bigfeet… everywhere.

See zombies invade Manhattan in Walking Dead viral video – Yahoo! TV

Sue Lee and one of her creations (Thinkmodo)

See zombies invade Manhattan in Walking Dead viral video – Yahoo! TV.

Any zombie lovers out there, and I consider myself one of you, should check out this AMC-Thinkmodo marketing experiment to promote the hit series “The Walking Dead.”

Makeup artist Sue Lee created a number of zombies and unleashed them on Manhattan’s streets while AMC filmed people’s reactions as they passed by. It’s worth a quick look.

But I’m still waiting for the real zombie apocalypse. And I will be ready.

New lab working on security shoe sole to ID people, experts say it raises privacy questions – The Washington Post

User big brother 1984 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

New lab working on security shoe sole to ID people, experts say it raises privacy questions – The Washington Post.

After writing a post about the reality show Big Brother earlier today (see “Big Brother: My Guilty Summer Pleasure”), I stumbled across this article. And I can one thing with absolute certainty:

Big Brother is always watching.

I’m talking about Big Brother in its most Orwellian sense. A government that monitors your every move, attempts to control your every thought. It isn’t as unlikely as you might think.

Most people already know that they can be tracked through a cellular phone, even if it’s turned off. And everything said on the phone is fair game, too. There are also locators built into popular social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

If someone wants to find you, it’s all too easy to do so.

Now it looks like your shoes might someday serve to identify you. Actually, the soles of your shoes could transmit information about your gait, stride and weight, while sensors in the floor receive and use this information to identify exactly who you are.

Right now, this technology is being studied for use in high-security areas, especially those belonging to the military. Of course, like any new technology developed by our government, it eventually trickles down to the masses.

Where do you think the internet comes from, after all?

Completely clean shoe soles (Photo credit: eszter)

At some point, these high-tech soles could be secretly inserted into shoes and monitored covertly. Imagine going to Wal-Mart and immediately having a text message containing coupons (for products you commonly purchase) sent to your phone. And all because the mat you strolled across when you entered the store contains this new technology, as do the shoes you ordered from that government wholesaler online.

Big Brother is watching us all, people. And now even our shoes might not be safe.

Big Brother: My Guilty Summer Pleasure

Big Brother (U.S.) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I confess: I am a Big Brother fanatic.

For those of you unfamiliar with the show—and I can’t imagine there are many of you out there, especially since it’s a worldwide phenomenon—Big Brother centers on a house full of contestants who battle it out for power all summer long. The catch is that this is no normal house. It’s wired with microphones and cameras at every turn, fed through a live feed on cbs.com and transmitted to Showtime every evening for three hours of viewing pleasure.

Each week, the house guests compete for power in the form of the Head of Household, who nominates two other house guests for eviction and gets a private room with all the amenities, including pictures from home. The nominees then compete in a Power of Veto competition, the winner of which can choose to remove herself or anyone else from “the block.” And each week, the house guests vote someone out and continue until only two remain. At this point, the last nine or so people voted out—known as “the jury”—vote for the winner of the half million dollars. Second place pulls in only $50K.

That’s the game, in a nutshell. Of course, the motto for Big Brother is “expect the unexpected,” and this year is no exception.

Big Brother 14 is underway and, as is the tradition, there are new house guests competing for the cash prize. However, there are also four returning players from years past, including two winners (Dan and Mike Boogie) and two memorable babes (Janelle and Britney). These returners serve as coaches for groups of the new players and, if one of their players wins it all, the coach receives $100K.

It’s a pretty good deal all around. Aside from being trapped in a house with the same people all summer—enduring all manner of hardships, from eating slop for a week to sleeping in a room designed for discomfort—you get to chill out, deceive people and play some fun games along the way.

And there are always beautiful people to watch.

The cast demographic is by no means representative of American society. For instance, only one African-American contestant made it this year, and she was kicked out on the first night! Now we’re left with mostly white folks, I’m sorry to say. It’s still very entertaining, though, and I’m personally happy to see Janelle and Britney again.

Hubba hubba.

My favorite part of the show, however, comes roughly two weeks into the experience. That’s when the house guests start to forget that the cameras and microphones are there. Sure, the producers call them to the “diary room” throughout the day to tape one-on-one interviews and seemingly to help nudge them in the right—and most entertaining—direction, but most of the contestants start becoming a little more real. They say things that reveal their true character, do things that would embarrass even me, and stir up all kinds of great drama.

CBS Logo Light (Photo credit: watchwithkristin)

I don’t watch the live feed, which comes with a price tag, but I certainly catch every show on CBS and DVR the late-night feed on Showtime. And the show itself comes on three times a week (Sundays, Wednesdays & Thursdays), so it’s impossible to ignore for very long. I highly suggest you check it out sometime soon.

Before I wrap up, I would like to mention that while I love reality television, I am very selective about the types of shows I watch. My primary interests are of course Big Brother and also Survivor, although Jeff Probst and the gang are starting to bore me a little. For now, at least, I still tune in to find out for whom the tribe has spoken. I dabble in some other reality programming, sometimes drifting over to see The Bachelorette hand out roses to a bunch of cheese balls or to watch Rick and Big Hoss haggling with people on Pawn Stars, but that’s about it.

So trust me: Big Brother is worth a look. And no, CBS isn’t paying me to say so. I am open to the possibility, though.

Are you listening, CBS?