Matt Helm and UFO TV series coming back as movies

I discovered over on the Spy-Fi Channel blog this article about Steven Spielberg might be the director for a revival of the Matt Helm character. Matt Helm was the creation of author Donald Hamilton.

Its unclear if he will actually do the project. The character will be updated for the new century (no longer a government assassin from World War Two/Cold War era). There is a script by Paul Attanasio that will make this "Helm" closer to what we have seen in "The Bourne Identity." Then, for me, the actor has to be very good to make me consider someone else for the role of Matt Helm other than old Dino (aka, Dean Martin) himself.

Then, I remembered seeing a blurb about someone wanting to remake the famous Gerry Anderson "UFO" series. Variety news says that visual effects "guru" Matthew Gratzner has been wanting to make a big screen adpation of that tv series. A script has been written by Ryan Gaudet and Joseph Kanarek. Gratzner's studio, New Deal Studios, has begun work on the concept art and pre-visualizations. When this is completed, they will be shopping for financing.

Like the orignal ITV series that Gerry Anderson came up with, this film will revolve around SHADO (Supreme Headquarters Alien Defense Organization) - a secret military operation hidden beneath a Hollywood studio, whose operatives battle an alien race that has been kidnapping and killing humans for decades and using their body parts.

Quoting that article, "The story, characters and situations Mr. Anderson created in 'UFO' are timeless and engaging," Gratzner said. "My vision is to utilize visual effects as a supportive storytelling device that draws audiences into this universe."

The saying, "Whats old is new again." comes to mind. I wait with baited breath for both projects to see the light of day.

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Ref. Spy-fiChannel blog (http://spy-fichannel.blogspot.com/2009/07/spielberg-to-direct-matt-helm.html).

Ain't it Cool News (http://www.aintitcool.com/node/41783).

Variety (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006352.html?categoryid=13&cs=1).

Fracked Up Friday

How does one end a bad work week? By having your day off all messed up is my answer. Hence the term from the TV series Battlestar Galactica. Where the word “Frack” is a substitute for the four-letter F-word meaning to have sex. Or getting screwed. Or something amazing happened to you. You get the idea... (NOTE: Why is there a picture of Cylon #6 here? Because she a pretty sexy woman and this post needs something "uplifting"!)

The week leading up to this day off of mine was all Fracked up. The roommate I thought I was going to be sharing either a apartment or a future mobile home with decided to back out of the deal. So I'm trying to find a “new” used mobile home to move onto my property and live life again.

Got called on by my Team Leader at work for a particular job that didn't end the way it should. At least I wasn't fired over it – but what the hell... I need a new job anyway. Something that would pay more than what I earn at my current call center.

But that pales in comparison to what has happened to me over the past 24 hours.

Thankfully – it rained overnight so staying inside my 1973 RV was ok. No electric, water, or hookup to the septic tank still. But I'm living in the damn thing now for over 3 weeks and counting. Getting by. It was amazing. Some of the rain drops were bouncing off the table or whatever to get around the particularly closed curtain to wake me up. That was amazing.

But it was this morning, Friday – July 17, 2009. IT was all FRACKED UP this morning!

Woke up late, got changed and received a call on my cell phone that the house that I was going to be looking at in Olton, TX, has been sold out from under me. Oh well, like I had $6,000.00 laying around to spend on it anyway.

Finally headed off to the Wal Mart to get the oil changed in my 1994 Ford F-150 pickup. Also to do some shopping inside. The oil changed went ok, but they forgot to change out my right rear spare tire for the regular wheel that should be on the truck. That too was taken care of, but -

“We're sorry Mr. Shanks, your key broke off in the ignition switch on your truck. Have a nice day.”

There I was, in the parking lot with a running truck and now no way to turn it off without being stranded at Wal Mart! Time to get out of there.

Called up my friend Ricky Taylor at Rickys Auto about what needed to be done. Thankfully, the truck was still running when the key was broken, so I drove over to Auto Zone to get a new ignition module and thus new keys for the truck. And Ricky was a good friend, he switched it out with charging me a thing.

Well, it was now about 11:00am. Time to get something to eat. Too bad that there was a new guy on the counter and there was a line forming at the counter at MacDonalds. “enough of this.” I thought. I crossed the street and picked up a burger at Burger King.

With food and drink now taken care of. I visited George Lock and Key and they only charged me $15.00 to make a new door key and a spare for my truck. Things are now looking much better. Time to go to the bank to get the twenty bucks needed to go see the new Harry Potter movie. Large Coke, Medium Popcorn(no butter), and a hot dog. The price went up an extra dollar now (Total of $13.00 for the munchies).

Enjoyed this new Harry Potter film very much. Now waiting on the final two films in this series. I can tell that they are going to be just as good as this film.

Then I was finally able to visit my friend Aaron and hook my computer up to his net and get this blog posted. And we're now at about 4pm central time... Still some time left today and this evening for more stuff to go wrong. But I hope you got a chuckle from my Fracked up Friday.

Loehle Sport Parasol And Friend's Dream

My friend Ricky from Shallowater, Texas; is one happy fellow this month. Been meaning to post some of these pictures for weeks now, but life got in the way.

For years, hes been wanting to get back into full scale aviation in some fashion. He is a fellow radio control model airplane pilot like me. I myself would like to mess around with some ultralight airplanes sometime in the future. I even like the P-40 that Loehle Aircraft offers as a kit. He has about five acres of land that his house and business is setup on and in the back, he made himself a model airplane airport.

He recently did some trading and stuff and ended up as the proud owner of a Loehle Sport Parasol Aircraft. Turns out this thing while built for nearly 10 years or so I am told; it was never flown. That is until my friend Ricky got his hands on it. That red and yellow Sport Parasol is no longer a virgin!

Anyway, these are the pictures that he sent me - enjoy!

UPDATE: July 13, 2009. Ricky informed me today that his pickup truck went bellyup and thus he now has to turn around and sell the ultralight. Life really sucks for those of us at the bottom of the economy.

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Loehle Aircraft website ( http://www.loehle.com/).

RC Zeppelin Jail Break Foiled!

Which blog should I post this bit of odd news? Easy - I'll post it on both of my blogs.

It seems that ever since the Charles Bronson movie "Breakout" came out in 1975, every now and then you will see someone attempt to use a helicopter to break out of prison. But a radio control Zeppelin? I saw that oddly Enough news article on Reuters.com and had to add my own thoughts to the subject. However, the photograph that went the article was of a regular, full 1:1 scale blimp. I was wanting to see this RC Zeppelin!

Why?

Because a few years ago on RCScalebuilder.com, there was this man who actually started talking with a blimp company about fashioning either a 1:6th or 1:5th scale Hindenburg that could be set up for radio control operations, or manned flight; just to attend a scale model airplane meet to be held in Texas several years ago! Those plans however never came about and I cannot find that thread anymore on that forum.

But, getting back to THIS specific story. Spanish police told news reporters that they had foiled the plot of a Italian drug trafficker's plan to use a RC Zeppelin to ferry in some climbing equipment for him to use to escape from jail on the Canary Islands. His name was given as Giulio B (age 52). He was jailed after being caught piloting a seaplane loaded down with 440 pounds (200 kg) of cocaine from Mauritania to the Canary Islands.

The police arrested three people outside the jail who were in the process of setting up the escape. They (the police) had intercepted the package sent from italy that had the balloon, night-vision goggles and climbing gear. Further searches on Grand Canary island found a tent and telephoto lens that the gang had used to check out the jail's security froma hill that was listed as being 600 meters away from the jail.

As envisioned, Giulio B. would have climbed out of the prison and meet a driver who would smuggle him off the island with forged papers. The police said that they have been investigating the plot since February of this year.

Just for the hell of it, I did a search for RC Zeppelins and RC Blimps and came up with many links. A lot of them are of the made-in-china- product display pages. These RC Blimps are used many as Inflatable Advertising. Check out some of the links below or better yet, do a google search using the words "RC Zeppelin."

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Ref. Reuters.com "Police foil radio control zeppelin jailbreak" posted July 3, 2009 (Madrid) by Martin Roberts (http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE5623GN20090703).

(http://qyqimo.en.made-in-china.com/product/lbSmuQRjunpG/China-Airship.html)

(http://www.gotrade.com/manufacturers/Service.html)

(http://www.myairship.com/rcblimp/rc_parts.html)

Governor Sarah Palin is Stepping Down - Why?

Alaskian Governor Sara Palin is stepping down.

Shes saying all the political correct - nice words when a Pol is going down the tubes. So why now? Is she setting up for a run for the Office of President of the United States in 2012?

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Ref. Breitbart.com ( http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D99763S01&show_article=1) and CNN Video.

also Reuters.com ( http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE5624MB20090703)