Monday’s Missing Links
All the big wigs at BP have been getting a verbal lashing with regards to their handling of the underwater oil deluge that continues to pollute our waters – and deservedly so. The Deepwater Horizon rig’s well-publicized blowout has also brought a lot of shady details and dealings the company was involved in to light. My favorite little nugget (before today) was the fact that the oil rig’s port of registry (it’s origin) was a little place called the Marshall Islands. Why is that interesting, you ask? Well, apparently if the port of registry was the United States – or most other industrial nations – the rig would have been subjected to a 6-8 week safety inspection before it was cleared for use. In the Marshall Islands, this same inspection is completed in 4-6 hours. Today, gruesome details emerged with regards to how BP is protecting marine life while doing their controlled burns. Fire ‘em up! [The Raw Story]
Actor Jeremy London told Florida police that he was kidnapped on June 10th by three men. They robbed him, then put a gun to his head and pulled some Denzel Training Day-type shit by forcing him to smoke drugs. Oddly enough, London is currently undergoing drug testing for a custody battle involving his son, and his family claims that both he and his wife have a drug problem. I kinda feel sorry for the guy, because I really liked his characters in Dazed and Confused, Grind, and Out Cold – wait, that was his twin brother Jason London? Well, I guess Mallrats will have to do. [Radar Online]
I’ve never even heard of the ABC Family show The Secret Life of the American Teenager, but apparently it has accumulated quite a following since it started back in July of 2008. After doing some quick Wiki-based research, the plot revolves around a young girl who gets knocked up, and the pregnancy’s subsequent effect on her relationship with friends and family. While it is the most-watched show on the network (which isn’t saying a whole lot) and a hit among girls age 12-34, the critics have a different opinion: “Secret Life doesn’t take the fun out of teenage pregnancy, it takes the fun out of television (NY Times)”, “An obvious, stereotype-laden teen soap opera (Variety),” and “The worst scripted drama on television (The Reporter).” In other words, it doesn’t sound like my kind of show; but at least it’s teaching kids lessons that are sure to keep them sexually confused for the rest of their natural lives. [The Daily Beast]
Star Wars (pre-1999) is one of the highest grossing film series in history, and I have watched the first three films more times than I can begin to calculate (although I am not this big of a fan). However, I was unaware that multiple knock-off versions of the film have been made in several different countries over the years. It’s apparent the story doesn’t translate as well in other parts of the world. [The Swedish Bed]
COPS is not only one of the longest running TV programs in our country, it also continues to be the single biggest showcase for rednecks to strut their law-breakin’ stuff:
