I’m sorry but the only person who’s teeth I wanna look at that much, would be Robert Culp’s.

BAHAHAHA! Ah, any excuse to post more Culp pics. Heh!

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted anything about the Swingin’ Mr. Miller. Back in the archives of this blog you may recall my scathing commentary about a couple of books, “Operation Glenn Miller” by Leo Kessler and “I Kept My Word” by Clarence B. Wolfe. The first being a conspiracy theory disguised as fiction, the second being a supposed true life story that, at least as far as Glenn Miller is concerned, is riddled with inconsistencies and incorrect information. The author of “I Kept My Word” believed he was responsible to downing Miller’s plane in 1944. In actuality, he was not.

These books were not the first to offer a conspiracy theory and, unfortunately, they’re not the last. Just recently yet another conspiracy theory book has been released titled “The Glenn Miller Conspiracy” by Hunton Downs. This book, from what I gather, seems to basically take the plot and premise of “Operation Glenn Miller” and presents it as truth and fact.

Well, the boys (and I’m assuming there’s gotta be some girls) over at the Glenn Miller Archive at the University of Colorado are laying the boomshot down and setting the record straight. Today, they released a nine page statement that takes everything presented in “The Glenn Miller Conspiracy” and shreds it all into little bitty pieces.

Booyah!

These guys know what the hell they’re talking about and have the documents and whatnot to back it up. The GM Archive at UC Boulder is the world’s largest collection of GM related material and memorabilia. They’ve got everything from music and photos, to personal items of Glenn’s, trombones, one of his Army uniforms, correspondence, journals and what have you. It’s a place I’d like to visit some day before I die.

I’m no expert on Glenn Miller (not compared to these folks anyway!) but of what I do know of him, he wasn’t the type to take any crap. And it pleases me to see an organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of Glenn Miller standing up and not taking any crap either. At the rate we’re going with all these bunk books, somebody somewhere along the line will end up turning one of them into a movie. Then I’m really gonna be mad.

Because you know what? I think a new movie about Glenn Miller (one done right and accurate) would be the perfect thing right now. Because, from the point of view of this writer, Glenn’s military service alone is a hell of a story and would make a hell of a movie. And of course, the music would be terrific.

Of course, I don’t know who I’d have play Glenn but I might know somebody who could write the story…

Ah, big ambition on my part. But helping keep the Miller legacy alive and well, I’m all for that and I salute the GM Archive at UC Boulder for their continued efforts.

Sal-ute!

1. The stock market is up! And you know why? Because I’ve been ignoring it. Yes, I knew it would work!

2. Age-related mental decline starts in the late-20s - Yahoo! News  This explains everything. It’s also a pisser to realize that I’m past my prime, mentally speaking.

3. Why Cheap People Will Never Get Rich  This writer’s friend sounded like they deserved to buy that “really good deal” of a house. He’s also right about financial education in school. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen horror stories of people who just don’t know the value of the dollar and have no concept of budgeting, prioritizing, planning for the future or anything else. They can’t handle a check book and sure as hell can’t handle credit cards.

4. Saturn Was Supposed to Save GM . I’m partial to GM cars and we all know the unfolding disaster that is General Motors today. But after reading this article I felt especially bummed the next time I got behind the wheel of my Saturn.

5. YouTube Redeux - Well, I had said before that I was done with YouTube. I’m still irritated over the whole WMG thing and all but I recently got inspired to try to make another video and I went about looking for music that, hopefully, will be allowed on YouTube. I found a site called freemusicplay.com which has royalty free instrumental music that can be used. The music there is very good. I haven’t finished my vid yet and frankly I should be spending the time working on writing projects but the idea wouldn’t leave me alone. I’ll post it up and blog it here when it’s completed.

6. Saddam’s Peal Handled AK-47.  When I saw this tidbit today, all I could think of was George C. Scott as General George S. Patton Jr in the 1970 movie “Patton” when a reporter asks Patton about his pearl handled revolvers. “They’re ivory. Only a cheap pimp from a New Orleans whorehouse would carry a pearl handled pistol.”

7. Opportunites - Let’s Make Lots of Money!  Interestingly, I vividly remember this Pet Shop Boy’s video from way back when but couldn’t recall the song. I like the song though and this is another one of those great 80’s hits that I’ve discovered/rediscovered lately.

Oops: Colbert Wins NASA Space Station Name Contest

Of course this is all still subject to NASA and their “right to chose an appropriate name.”

I don’t see anything inappropriate with Colbert. Do you?

So while Jon Stewart was duking it out with Jim “Mad Money” Cramer this past week, I saw this little blurb in the news about Stephen Colbert trying to get a room on the international space station named after him. Now, I haven’t watched Mr. Colbert for a few months, the domestic situation being what it is, and I’ve missed the guy a lot. So it was with pleasant surprise to see a news blurb about ‘em. And even more reassuring to see that he’s still up to his usual shenanigans.

Only this time he’s really aiming high. Even higher than the plane in the Virgin Airlines fleet known as Air Colbert. He’s already got a bridge in Hungary, an eagle and an ice cream that’s named after him. Now it seems he’s got his sights set on his legacy enduring for all eternity. If I remember correctly, he has some of his DNA locked away in space, so why not a room on the international space station bearing his name?

Well, I don’t see a problem with that. And neither do the people who have voted so far on NASA’s website to have the room named in favor of Colbert. NASA, though, apparently has this “theme” they’re trying to go with. Other rooms are named Unity, Harmony and Destiny.  On the ballot for “Node 3″ are Earthrise, Legacy, Serenity and Venture.

Hmm… Unity. Harmony. Colbert. Destiny.

I dunno about you, but it fits in perfectly.

Unfortunately, NASA has made this voting thing non-binding. Even if “Colbert” takes in the most votes (and yes, I went and voted), NASA can say “eh, that’s nice but we’re gonna go with suchnsuch name instead…”

At least the Hungarians honored the vote tally for their bridge.  I would think NASA could do the same.

If you’d like to vote, you can too by going here.

*sigh* Oh Stephen. How I miss thee…