MORON
Came home the other evening to find a large travel bag full of DVDs on my front porch. Recognizing both the bag and the DVD's as being mine, I opened the door to find most of my easy to grab belongings boxed/bagged in the middle of my living room. Yes, I had been robbed. Lost some autographed baseballs, (2) DVD players and a Playstation 2. Also some blank checks. And he cleaned out my fridge! When the police came, I noticed my cordless phone in my bedroom as opposed to in the kitchen where it's kept. On a whim, I hit redial and up popped a number I certainly did not call. Armed with the number the police began doing their job. This evening, a man showed up at my house looking to be reimbursed for one of my checks, which the thief had forged. Told the situation, the man became very angry and said he was going to go back to the guy who gave it to him. With a little prodding, the man gave me the guys name and address. I called the police and they came back to the house. The officer who responded actually lives across the street from me. When I mentioned the name he just nodded. Seems that he not only knows this individual, but was worried because my landlord, who is re-siding and touching up my house, had this guy here painting the other day!!!! The officer told me that he later informed my landlord about this guy......drug addict, thief, etc. Seems he was left alone to paint for a few mins and it looks like he found a way to leave a window in my son's room unlocked. Hopefully it's only a matter of time before this guy is in jail. I can only hope that my items are returned (the personal stuff, not the packs of hot dogs or tv dinners he stole). I'll keep you informed.
UPDATE: It's now 5:19 am Friday morning as I write this. Last night while I was out the dumb bastard broke in again. He actually made off with the travel bag of DVDs and a briefcase full of "Star Wars" trading cards. Foolishly, he was caught with the items at the address I gave the police. He tried to claim the items as his, but he couldn't explain the "SP4 Michael A. Smith" embossed on the front of the briefcase. This was what I carried my paperwork in when I was in the Army. The police just left after giving me the good news. Apparently this guy has a hell of a way with people, telling them enough sob stories that they feel sorry for him and try to help, which he then repays by stealing from them. My landlord is a pastor, so I'm sure he thought he was helping a man down on his luck by giving him work. I just had a great thought. I've coached the son of the county prosecutor for four years..........I wonder if I can pull some strings and get this guy electrocuted!
DO YOU LIKE PINK?
Warner Brothers is looking for an unknown to play the Man of Steel in the next "Superman" film. The studio has posted the following notice on the Craigslist.com web site. The ad reads, "Late 20s, at least 6 foot, chiseled good looks, athletic, strong character, all-American, confident, yet awkward." Let me know if you get the job.
MOVIE HEAVEN
Labor Day weekend, the newly opened Screenland theatre here in Kansas City is showing a triple feature each day.....brand new prints in the latest sound formats. Friday, "Star Trek's 2, 4, and 6." Saturday, "The Godfather 1, 2 and 3" and Sunday, the Indiana Jones trilogy. Tickets are only $8. Let me know if I should save you a seat.
LXG IS A-OK
Just wanted to remind Andy Lalino that I gave "The League of Ordinary Gentlemen" three stars when I reviewed it. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it!
PASSING ON
Sorry to report the passing of film score composer Elmer Bernstein, who died this week at the age of 82. After graduating from NYU, Bernstein served time in the Army Air Corps. After his discharge, he began studying under composer Aaron Copland. His first work was scoring United Nations' radio programs. He then moved on to television, especially documentaries. He started scoring films in the early 50's. Among his early work were the scores for "Robot Monster" and "Cat-Women of the Moon." He scored more then 200 films, including "The Ten Commandments," "The Magnificent Seven," "To Kill a Mockingbird," "The Great Escape," "True Grit," "Animal House," "Airplane," "Caddyshack," "An American Werewolf in London" and "The Age of Innocence." He was nominated for 14 Academy Awards, winning the best score award in 1967 for "Thoroughly Modern Millie."
SORRY ABOUT THE KNEE!
Some time ago I commented on the NFL getting strict on the injury reports released to the public. Briefly, I was angry that a coach had been reprimanded for NOT reporting to the media that one of his players was injured before a game. Commissioner Paul Tagliabue was not happy with this. Not because the player was actually hurt, but because he realized that a lot of gamblers may have bet on the players team thinking he was healthy. And you don't want organized crime mad at one of your teams. Remember, the NFL is the only league to have a public injury report. Why? For gambling purposes, of course. To make sure that the gamblers get the right information, Tagliabue has mandated that not only must you report an injured player, but now you must state the specific injury. Example: Tampa Bay reports Mike Alstott is probable due to a leg injury. Well, that's not good enough. Maybe he just has a sore thigh. Now, the Bucs would have to say Mike Alstott is probable due to a sore right knee. Not only does that give the gamblers a better idea on how to place their bet, but it also lets the opposing team know exactly where Alstott is the most vulnerable. I know if I'm the opposing coach, I'm telling my boys not to body tackle Alstott........aim for his right knee. Baltimore Raven's head coach Brian Billick shares my outrage at the new rule. He feels it's only a matter of time before a player is seriously injured because the opposition has concentrated on a weakness reported.
MEET THE BEATLES -- PART 30
August 20, 1965 - The band plays two shows (3:00 pm and 8:00 pm) at Commiskey Park in Chicago. Total attendance: 62,000 people. The Beatles' share of the gate: $153,000. Not bad for a day's work.
Well, that's all for now. Have a great week. See ya!
"Mike's Rant" is ©2004 by Michael A. Smith. Webpage design and all graphics herein are creations of Nolan B. Canova. All contents of Nolan's Pop Culture Review are ©2004 by Nolan B. Canova.
