strange foodfellows

Now, I’m a hot dog fan from way back. And I’ve been known to partake of Pizza Hut’s stuffed crust pizza from time to time. But a hot dog stuffed crust pizza? Sorry, but that just doesn’t work for me. Even with the mustard drizzle. Just because I like two foods, it does not mean I want to combine them in one dish. This thing is being test-marketed in the UK. It will be interesting to see how the Brits react to it. I won’t lose all respect for them if it turns out they like it. But I might lose a little.

digital diamond

News from the book world: Legs Diamond is being digitized. No, Ted Turner hasn’t colorized Prohibition’s flashiest gangster. What I mean to say is, Pat Downey’s book, Legs Diamond: Gangster, is now available in the Amazon Kindle store. If you’re interested in learning about Legs, Pat’s book is the source, so click on over and pick yourself up a copy. And while you’re at it, you might want to grab Pat’s other books, Gangster City and Bad Seeds in the Big Apple, which are also available for the Kindle. You can load all three on your Kindle, tablet, or other digital device, and it’ll be like taking Pat with you wherever you go. Which is cool, Pat likes to travel. Take him somewhere nice. Preferably somewhere where they serve fine food and icy-cold, refreshing beverages.

this day in crime history: february 22, 1974

On this date in 1974, unemployed salesman Samuel Byck attempted to hijack a DC-9 at the Baltimore-Washington International Airport. His intended destination: Washington DC. His plan: Crash the plane into the White House in order to kill President Richard Nixon. Byck shot and killed an airport security guard before he boarded the plane. Once he was on the plane, he shot the pilot and copilot when they told him they couldn’t take off until the wheel blocks were removed. The pilot survived, but the copilot later died from his wounds. Byck was shot and wounded by police. He committed suicide before he could be taken into custody.

IMDB page for the movie The Assassination of Richard Nixon

IMDB page for the movie The Plot to Kill Nixon

Wikipedia article on Samuel Byck

monday, it doesn’t last forever, it just seems that way

On the bright side, tonight I’ll be posting the Babe of the Week. Perhaps that will raise my spirits.

hollywood rips itself off (again)

Coming soon to a theater near you: 21 Jump Street. Yes, you read that right. Another old TV show makes the jump to the big screen. Action Flick Chick put it best: "You know what we need more of? Revivals of old forgotten franchises that are nothing like the source material." If you’re interested in seeing the trailer, click the link to Action Flick Chick’s site. The big screen reboot stars Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill. The screenplay was co-written by Hill.

I don’t know about you, but I anxiously await the big screen treatment for Joanie Loves Chachi. The big question is: Who will star in it? I don’t have any ideas for Joanie, but I think Scott Baio could play Chachi. He could also star in a companion reality TV show titled Scott Baio is 50… And Still Playing a Teenager.

this day in crime history: december 4, 1875

On this date in 1875, William “Boss” Tweed, former head of the Democratic machine in New York City, escaped from jail and fled to Cuba. Tweed was facing hard time for his role in fleecing New York taxpayers of millions of dollars (some estimates run as high as $200 million). Almost captured in Cuba, Tweed moved on to Spain. He was arrested there in 1876 by a police officer who reportedly recognized him from a political cartoon by Thomas Nast. He was returned to the United States by Spanish authorities. He died of pneumonia in the Ludlow Street Jail in 1878.

Further reading:

Wikipedia – William M. Tweed

OSU – Thomas Nast

Friday Movie Quote from 1/1/10

kicking ass in space

This post is a must-see for fans of Star Trek, hand-to-hand combat, and masculinity:

The 10 Most Explosively Masculine Captain Kirk Battle Techniques

h/t: The Rap Sheet

this day in crime history: october 29, 1964

On this date in 1964, Jack “Murph the Surf” Murphy and his crew pulled off the largest (at the time) jewel heist in US history. Murphy and Alan Kuhn broke into the American Museum of Natural History in New York, while accomplice Roger Clark waited in the getaway car and acted as lookout.

When Murphy and Kuhn broke in, the alarm didn’t sound. It had been turned off to save electricity. They broke into several display cases and stole a number of gems. One of the cases–the one containing the Star of India Sapphire–had a separate, battery-powered alarm. Murphy and Kuhn didn’t realize this until they had already started cutting the glass. They went ahead and finished the job anyway. No alarm sounded. It had a dead battery, as it turned out. A sudden sound in the corridor surprised the thieves, and they beat feet out of the museum.

The crew made tracks for Miami with their swag. The haul of 24 gems included the Star of India, which at 563 carats was the largest sapphire in the world (valued at $410k in 1964). They also stole the Delong Ruby (100 carats), the Eagle Diamond (14 carats), and the Midnight Sapphire.

Once the boys got back to Miami, it was party time. The celebration was short lived. Like most thieves, their plan for the heist was better than their plan for the getaway. The police got a tip from a suspicious bellhop who noticed that they were suddenly flush after a short trip out of town. The cops arrested them 24 hours after the burglary. They say the best parties always seem to end too soon.

The Star of India, the Delong Ruby, and some of the other stolen gems were eventually recovered. The Eagle Diamond was among several that never were. I guess that’s the price you pay for shutting off the building alarm and using cheap batteries in the display case alarm.

Further reading:

Wikipedia article on Jack Murphy

Archived Court TV article on the heist

Murph the Surf, a movie about the heist

Murph the Surf website

wicked weasel wednesday

Welcome to another edition of Wicked Weasel Wednesday.

wicked weasel wednesday

Wow, is it Wednesday already? Time really flies when you’re having fun. I guess it’s time to post another Wicked Weasel.