IN MEMORY OF IRVIN KERSHNER

A great interview from Vanity Fair: (Via Big Hollywood)

One of the biggest surprises in the book is that, in 1980, you had to convince interviewers you were not just following George’s direction. Obviously no one thinks that today. What was the biggest argument you and George had over a particular scene?

There was really only one disagreement. It was the Carbon Freeze scene when Princess Leia says, “I love you.” Han Solo’s response in the script was, “I love you, too.” I shot the line and it just didn’t seem right for the character of Han Solo. So we worked on the scene on the set. We kept trying different things and couldn’t get the right line. We were into the lunch break and I said to Harrison try it again and just do whatever comes to mind. That is when Harrison said the line, “I know.” After the take, I said to my assistant director, David Tomblin, “It’s a wrap.” David looked at me in disbelief and said something like, “Hold on, we just went to overtime. You’re not happy with that, are you?” And I said, yes, it’s the perfect Han Solo remark, and so we went to lunch. George saw the first cut and said, “Wait a minute, wait a minute. That’s not the line in the script.” I said ““I love you, too’ was not Han Solo.” Han Solo was a rebel. George felt that the audience would laugh. And I said, that’s wonderful, he is probably going to his death for all they know. We sat in the room and he thought about it. He then asked me, “Did you shoot the line in the script?” I said yes. So we agreed that we would do two preview screenings once the film was cut and set to music with the line in and then with the line out. At the first preview in San Francisco, the house broke up after Han Solo said I know. When the film was over, people came up and said that is the most wonderful line and it worked. So George decided not to have the second screening.

George was the best producer I ever worked with. He left me alone and only came to England a few times. I told George at one point that I was behind schedule, not that it was anyone’s fault, but because it was so complex. Many of the special effects that were done on set often did not work at all. His answer was, “Keep doing what you are doing. Just keep shooting.” This was the greatest thing for a director to hear from a producer.

IN MEMORY OF LESLIE NIELSEN 1926-2010

From The Wrap.com

Leslie Nielsen, the veteran Canadian actor whose bumbling straight-man schtick made him one of Hollywood's funniest leading men in comedy, has died.

CJOB in Manitoba first posted audio Sunday night of Nielsen's nephew, Doug Nielsen, saying the actor died Sunday in a Florida hospital of pneumonia complications. His wife, actress Barbaree Earl Nielsen, and family were nearby.

Nielsen's family released a statement confirming his death: "We are saddened by the passing of beloved actor Leslie Nielsen, probably best remembered as Lt. Frank Drebin in 'The Naked Gun' series of pictures, but who enjoyed a more than 60-year career in motion pictures and television."

See slideshow: Leslie Nielsen, a Life in Spoof

Nielsen had a long career in TV drama and films before becoming an unlikely comedy star with the 1980 disaster-spoof hit "Airplane!" in which he played Dr. Rumack. The clueless doctor with a patrician air inspired the makers of "Airplane!" to bring Nielsen's newfound comedy schtick to the small screen with "Police Squad."

Though that show lasted only four episodes before being canceled, it won Nielsen an Emmy nomination and his role as Lt. Frank Drebin was reprised in film with "Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad." The final installment of the triloy, "Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear," debuted in 1991

Thanks for all the great laughs.

A WHALE OF AN EVENING!

The Connecticut Whale(rs) have returned! Welcome back to Hockey Night In Hartford.

From the Hartford Courant.

As the green-and-blue uniforms hit the ice a few minutes before 7 p.m. Saturday, "Brass Bonanza" filled the XL Center and 13,089 fans reveled in the nostalgia of the moment.

"It feels like old times," Howard Baldwin said.

And there was indeed a sense that Hartford's downtown arena was in a time warp on the night when the AHL team was re-christened as the Connecticut Whale. With green jerseys throughout the stands, fans roared during a pregame video that interspersed Whalers from the past with Whales of the present — a shot of Kris Newbury followed by the image of Pat Verbeek.

After all of the references to Hartford's hockey history (Tony Harrington belting out the national anthem, a group of former Whalers on the ice before the game, the introduction of "Welcome back to Hockey Night in Hartford"), the game came down to a shootout for the former Wolf Pack.

When Jeremy Williams netted the game-winner to secure a 3-2 win over the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, the crowd erupted. And appropriately, the night that was as much a celebration of Hartford hockey was capped with another rendition of "Brass Bonanza."

 

  Jeremy Williams celebrates his overtime shootout goal that beat the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at the XL Center. It was the Connecticut Whale's first game under a new name. (MARK MIRKO)

"You can feel the energy," said Whale coach Ken Gernander, who has been with Hartford's AHL franchise since its inception in 1997. "When a big play is made, it just enhances the game."

Most of the crowd remained throughout the overtime period and shootout. Baldwin, who took over the marketing of the team just weeks before the season, hopes customers keep coming back and an exciting game will only help his chances.

Baldwin was hoping for a crowd of 10,000-plus, but the Whale got a walkup of about 3,200. And beyond the number of fans in the building, it was an electric atmosphere.

"I don't think people understand the difference," Williams said. "When you step out there and make a big hit and everybody goes bananas, it makes you want to do it again and again. It's a great feeling. I'm hoping we get some good fan support now. It helps the guys and I think it will be really good for the city."

The players noticed the difference before their pregame skate. They decided to connect with the crowd by discarding their helmets for the early skate and they seem to feed off the fans once the puck was dropped.

"The crowd was awesome," said Brodie Dupont, who had a goal and an assist.

Video highlights from the game are here.

                          

NOTE TO NHL OVERLORDS: You have a team that is in bankruptcy  in Phoenix that you had to take buy and spend millions of dollars on. Yet 13,000 fans will still show up and support the Whale. The southern expansion did not work as you intended get the NHL back into Hartford, Quebec City and Winnipeg (three viable NHL hockey markets) and maybe people will start caring about the sport again.

SILVER BELLS!

With the holiday season now upon us you need to Stay Hungry!

A THANKSGIVING PRAYER

BANK OF KEV BLOGGER DISCUSSES THE NEW TSA RULES

Bank of Kev blogger Andrew Ian Dodge has a new op-ed up in the Portland Press Herald about the new TSA screening rules.

As we enter some of the heaviest traveling days of the year, we ponder the disruption of the TSA's overreaching examinations. We will be concerned with the reports of children, standing in terror, being groped by TSA agents as their parents watch helplessly. We will be horrified at the indignity of one cancer survivor having to show her breast prosthesis to a guard. Anger will flow as they read that another cancer survivor found himself covered in urine thanks to an overzealous TSA search.
In addition, imagine the indignity of a woman whose breasts were exposed to smirking TSA agents. Or shall we mention the affront to a returning soldier, who has been fighting for our freedoms abroad, being subjected to such a procedure?

My personal experience on Monday included the full-body scan, an advanced patdown involving my private parts and some hard squeezing of my cancer scar.

I spoke with a cancer doctor concerned that an untrained examination of such wounds and scars could lead to internal bleeding and associated problems.

Go read the whole thing as someone you know will most likely be going the a TSA checkpoint later this month.

30 MIE BACKUP ON THE MASS PIKE HEADING WESTBOUND

The Thanksgiving weekend has already gotten off to an interesting start in New England. From the Boston Herald.com

The feared Thanksgiving crawl has begun on the Mass Pike where westbound traffic is backed up for miles all the way out to Charlton, state police report.

State police say it’s only going to get worse.

The backup begins on the Pike in Framingham and continues well into western Massachusetts. The Web site traffic.com is labeling the mess a “jamfactor” of eight out of 10.

Earlier today the crash that snarled Thanksgiving traffic early on a ramp connecting Route 295 and Interstate 95 in Attleboro is over after crews spent nearly three hours cleaning up spilled fuel and debris from a dump truck rollover.

“There was going to be a lot of traffic today anyway,” said state police Sgt. Matthew Murray.

“That didn’t make the start of the holiday commute very easy.

State police said it appeared no one was injured in the accident.

But there’s more traffic headaches.

A 12:35 p.m. brush fire at Route 128 north at Exit 17 in Wenham also caused a slight traffic clog, said state police spokesman David Procopio. He added the mess was cleared little more than an hour later.
“There’s no backup right now,” said Procopio said.
Drivers are beginning to pack the highways in what is projected to be a record-setting travel day.
New England holiday auto travel is expected to increase 12.1 percent from last year, and out of 42.2 million people traveling nationwide, 94 percent are doing so by car this Thanksgiving, the highest percentage ever recorded for a single holiday, according to AAA statistics.

“We ask people to be patient, give yourself plenty of time, make sure your car’s prepared, don’t drink and drive, and always wear your seatbelt,” Lt. David Wilson said this morning.

Wilson said Interstate 495, the Massachusetts Turnpike and Route 9 in Framingham could become trouble spots for traffic buildup as the day progresses.

Notorious for its backups at holiday time, the 56-mile-long stretch of the Mass Pike west from downtown Boston to Interstate 84 in Sturbridge was recently voted the number two most congested road in America by the Weather Channel.

Soon I shall deal with the LA Rush Hour. In 2008 it took me 3 hours to get home. In 2009 I left early and it only took me two hours to get home. Today I will will leave even earlier and I have no idea how long it will take. 

NORTH KOREA SHELLS SOUTH KOREAN ISLAND

North Korea has shelled Yeonpyeong Island in South Korea. This is the largest clash between the two sides since the cease fire was signed in the 1950's.

Here is video of the shelling.

  

BigPeace.com Editor-In-Chief Peter Schweizer who is one of the best authorities on this subject had this to say today. 

North Korea has shelled a remote island killing two South Korean marines and now there is talk of war breaking out on the Korean peninsula.  What is North Korea really up to?

Contrary to what some are saying, this is not likely the first volley in an attack.  By choosing to strike a remote island, Pyongyang destroyed any opportunity for surprise.  Had they wanted to attack the South, they would have hit valuable targets–even Seoul–and mobilized all of their ground forces.

The fact that the North Koreans have fired these shells days after announcing they have another nuclear reactor online indicates that their real objective here is to garner the attention of the West.  Unlike Iran,  which has worked with stealth to develop its nuclear weapons program,  the North Koreans have always loudly proclaimed their atomic advancements.  Why?  Unlike Iran,  which has oil to lubricate its economy,  North Korea has nothing.  It needs aid from the West or it risks economic collapse.  So it blusters and makes threats. Pyongyang sees its nuclear program as a way to gain leverage over the West.   The shelling of South Korea is more akin to a temper tantrum designed to get the attention of the West than a serious military move.

Peter has posted video of the shelling from KBS





BigPeace.com has posted numerous links on this.


01 US condemns North Korean strike on south
02 South Korea vows stern retaliation for North Korean attack
03 Pentagon says too early to discuss military response
04 UN chief condemns North Korean attack
05 Flights continue in and out of Seoul airport

Lets not forget Drudge either.

NKorea's military command vows 'merciless' military strike against SKorea...
Fires artillery onto island...
South denies seeking redeployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons...
Returns Fire...
May strike NKorea's missile base...
'Intentional, planned attack'...
Japan prepares for 'any eventuality'...
CHINA WATCHES... WHITE HOUSE CONDEMNS...
Russia Sees 'Colossal Danger'...
FLASHBACK: UK fears NKorean attack on Seoul G20 summit...

More as it comes in...

DISNEY ANIMATION CLOSING THE BOOKS ON FAIRY TALES

The end of an era.

Once upon a time, there was a studio in Burbank that spun classic fairy tales into silver-screen gold.

But now the curtain is falling on "princess movies," which have been a part of Disney Animation's heritage since the 1937 debut of its first feature film, "Snow White." The studio's Wednesday release of "Tangled," a contemporary retelling of the Rapunzel story, will be the last fairy tale produced by Disney's animation group for the foreseeable future.

"Films and genres do run a course," said Pixar Animation Studios chief Ed Catmull, who along with director John Lasseter oversees Disney Animation. "They may come back later because someone has a fresh take on it … but we don't have any other musicals or fairy tales lined up." Indeed, Catmull and Lasseter killed two other fairy tale movies that had been in development, "The Snow Queen" and "Jack and the Beanstalk."

To appreciate what a sea change this is for the company, consider that a fairy tale castle is a landmark at Disney theme parks around the world and is embedded in the Walt Disney Pictures logo. Fairy tale characters from Disney's movies populate the parks, drive sales of merchandise and serve as the inspiration for Broadway musicals.

Alas, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, Jasmine and the other Disney royals were all born in the 20th century. Now, different kinds of Disney characters are elbowing their way into the megaplexes and toy aisles, including Pixar's "Toy Story" buddies Buzz Lightyear and Woody, Capt. Jack Sparrow from "Pirates of the Caribbean" and a platoon of superheroes from the recent acquisition of Marvel Entertainment.

Over the decades, Disney has benefited from the ticket sales and licensing revenue generated by such princess-driven properties as "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin." The studio's most recent offering, however, was a clear disappointment. Although critically acclaimed, last year's "The Princess and the Frog" was the most poorly performing of Disney's recent fairy tales.

 The article is worth the read but what it does not go into is to WHY this is happening. There is a reason and maybe I will tell you why at a convention next year.

BOOK OF THE DAY

WINTER WEATHER IS IN STORE FOR THE WEEKEND

From NBC Los Angeles.

It's back to jackets and an umbrella

The recent rollercoaster weather has taken another turn as cold temperatures, gusty winds, and rain are expected across the Southland.

The National Weather service is calling for widespread, strong gusty winds on Saturday as a cold front works its way down the California Coast. A wind advisory will be in effect from 6am to 3pm Saturday, with gusts up to 40mph possible in some areas. 

Rain, heavy at times, is also expected throughout the weekend and into Monday. Rainfall totals are expected to range from 0.75 to 1.50 inches in the lower elevations and as much as 2.50 inches across the mountains. In addition, there will be the threat of thunderstorms as the front moves across the area, the Weather Service said.

I've said before that these Pacific winter storms have a wonderful energy to them that is often refreshing. When it rains in New England its often quite boring compared to the what these storms bring. I plan on enjoying the weekend with a good book while listening to the rain hit the roof.

VANCOUVER OLYMPIC VILLAGE GOES INTO RECEIVERSHIP

We talked about the Vancouver, BC Olympic Village troubles on the old Bank of Kev platform. Now the condo development has gone into receivership and it appears it will cost the taxpayers a bundle.
                             

UBC real estate professor Tsur Somerville said Thursday the value of the land tends to be forgotten in relation to the city’s outstanding $740-million loan to developer Millenium.

“People forget about the land piece, but that was where the city was going to get its money,” said Somerville.

“If you don’t get $160 million for the land, that’s losing money.
“It’s the most likely outcome.”

The $160 million is what’s left over from Millenium’s $193-million purchase price, less the company’s down payment.
Millenium Water, a cluster of 1,108 environmentally friendly condos on False Creek, was placed into receivership Wednesday.
It means Vancouver must recoup as much as it can from sale of the luxury units, some 450 of which are still for sale.

Somerville said Vancouver and receiver Ernst and Young have some tough choices to make, likely involving three scenarios:

1. Cut prices and try to sell as quickly as possible. The condos are being offered for $600,000 and up.

“A receiver usually wants to get the money out because the market is uncertain for a ‘new’ condo which is three years old . . . In this case, Vancouver ends up with zero.”

2. Hold out with high prices for as long at it takes.

“It’s hard to find people willing to pay any price for sustainability.”

3. Try something in between.

“There are political and financial costs to each choice.”

Whatever happens, Somerville sees a tough road ahead for city bean counters.

Garth Turner talks about a housing bubble in Canada and this one more example of what he is talking about.

UPDATE: I did some editing to clarify the post. 

ANDY ZORIC REVIEW OF SKYLINE

Bank of Kev reader Andy Zoric has posted a review of the new film Skyline.

Excerpt. 

For a mere ten million dollars the fine people at Rogue Pictures have put together a slick looking movie in Skyline. However outside of the scary looking aliens, blue LED light effects and space ships, there isn’t much going for this movie.Staring Donald Fasion (and I use the term ‘staring’ loosely as Fasion is merely the most recognizable actor in the film, as the rest of the cast carries with them a lot of cable drama and made-for-tv movies on the resumes. Fasion at least has appeared on network television for six years) as an up and coming action film star who has invited his best friend and his girlfriend to LA from New York for a birthday party at his beachfront penthouse.

SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON REGISTRATION TO OPEN NOV. 22nd

From the SDCC.com website. 

Comic-Con registration will open on Monday, November 22, 2010 at 6:00am Pacific Time. Thank you very much for your patience.

Badge sales will be online only -- there will be no onsite sales of badges! Supplies are limited.

Please note: Currently 4-day Badges with Preview Night are SOLD OUT due to onsite sales at Comic-Con in July. 4-day Badges without Preview Night are available. All 4-day Badges purchased online once registration opens will be WITHOUT Preview Night.

No badges for the 2011 Comic-Con will be sold on-site at the Convention Center. You must preregister everyone in your party before you arrive on site. Encourage your friends to register early, before we sell out.
PLEASE NOTE: Only one registration per person and that each person will need to have a valid photo ID that matches the name on their confirmation when picking-up a badge at the show next year.

BADGES WILL NOT BE MAILED OUT IN ADVANCE PLEASE BRING YOUR BAR CODED CONFIRMATION LETTER AND PHOTO ID ONSITE TO RECEIVE YOUR BADGE. BADGES WILL NOT BE PROVIDED WITHOUT A PRINTED, BAR CODED CONFIRMATION and PHOTO ID.

    A photo of the large crowds that San Diego Comic-Con is know for. 


If you are thinking of going to SDCC you really need to consider purching your badge when they go on sale on Nov. 22nd.. Many fans were caught off guard last year when the event sold out months in advance and there was no way for fans to get in and see the Robotech panel.

Buy your badges when they go on sale on the 22nd.

QUANTITATIVE EASING TEDDY BEAR STYLE

THE IS NO ANONYMITY ON LINE - THE FINAL CHAPTER

Late in the campaign of 2008 David Kernell hacked into Sarah Palin's e-mail account. He used an IP masking program thinking it would protect him from his committing a felony. He worked under the assumption that you can be anonymous while on line and do things you normally could not do publicly.

On Friday Kernell was sentenced by a federal judge. 

A federal judge today ordered a former University of Tennessee student who snooped through Sarah Palin's private e-mail account in 2008 to serve a year and a day for his crime and recommended that his time be served at a Knoxville halfway house.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Phillips noted the sentence for David Kernell goes on the books as a term of imprisonment. He said the U.S. Bureau of Prisons could override his recommendation that Kernell spend his days over the next year at the Midway Rehabilitative Center on Magnolia Avenue.

Phillips said Kernell's actions in 2008 merited some form of imprisonment not because his victim was a prominent political figure but because what he did threatened "the expectation of privacy that we all have."

Kernell spoke today for the first time since he was charged.
"I'm not going to make any excuses," he told Phillips in court. "For the rest of my life I'm going to be ashamed and guilty for what I've done."

Phillips insisted that his recommendation for a halfway house should not be viewed as an act of leniency.

"Even if the defendant serves his sentence at a halfway house, this combined with a criminal conviction is significant punishment ... and a sufficient restriction of the defendant's liberty."

What the article does not discuss is how Kernell used an IP masking program to hide his location. ITs very clear intentions were malicious:

Threat Level broke the story in September 2008 that someone using the name “Rubico” had obtained access to Palin’s personal Yahoo e-mail account. Palin was then running for vice president on the Republican ticket. Kernell got into the account by using publicly available information — such as Palin’s birthdate and postal ZIP code — to reset the password to “popcorn” and gain control of her account.

Photos taken from the account — including two pictures of Palin’s children — and five screen shots of e-mail messages were then posted on 4Chan and Imageshack. Bloggers quickly traced “Rubico” to Kernell.

Kernell, a University of Tennessee economics student at the time, had targeted Palin, he wrote in comments online, because he’d hoped to find information that would help derail her campaign and prevent her from being elected.

Although Kernell never found information in the account that was damaging to her campaign, the hack did show that Palin used her personal e-mail account to conduct official Alaska state business. Critics had accused the Alaska governor and her staff of using personal e-mail accounts to avoid public oversight.

Palin called the hacking of her Yahoo e-mail account “the most disruptive and discouraging” incident in that year’s presidential campaign. She and her daughter Bristol testified at Kernell’s trial that the hacking had caused the family emotional distress.

I will leave the reader to decide if this punishment is fair. 

An interesting sidelight: When I began following this story on the old platform in 2008 I began to notice several websites who have been critical of myself (accusing me of lying to fans etc..) and my coworkers at Harmony Gold quickly disappeared as their proprietors took them down. Almost like they had an conflict of interest and they werent telling the truth.

I will leave the reader to decide if that was the case.

TRAILER OF THE DAY

MECHACON ANNOUNCES 2011 DATES

MechaCon has made its official announcement of its 2011 dates. Below you will find the press release.

JETT

On August 26-28, 2011, Louisiana's largest and longest-running anime convention returns to the Crescent City!

MechaCon offers anime and mecha fans of Louisiana and neighboring states a chance to gather in a warm and friendly setting to learn more about the culture of Japan and to share in the experience that is the anime fan culture. Located in the French Quarter of New Orleans, MechaCon welcomes anime fans and Asian cultural enthusiasts across the south to join us for our seventh annual MechaCon weekend.

Located on New Orleans' world-famous Poydras Street, near the banks of the Mississippi River... the Hilton New Orleans Riverside will be host to MechaCon VII. Check out the wonderful accommodations offered by the Hilton New Orleans Riverside in our Accommodations section.

The 2011 event is our seventh convention and the MechaCon staff is completely dedicated to bringing you yet another spectacular convention experience in our commitment to continue evolving MechaCon to it's fullest potential. MechaCon is a unique blend, combining the worlds of Anime, Transformers, and Japanese Culture into an enjoyable three-day weekend. Fans of Anime and Transformers will not only be able to enjoy our many panels, viewing rooms, and dealers room, but attendees will also have the opportunity to learn more about the history and the culture of Japan through our informative panels and presentations.

ZEE

Now, it should be noted that we are aware that our 2011 dates may be inconvenient for some due to school being in session. We humbly apologize for this and ask for your understanding in knowing that this was the only weekend the hotel had available for us. Unfortunately, these are some of the growing pains we must endure in trying to make MechaCon a bigger and better event year after year. The Hilton is working with us to assure that we will be returning MechaCon to the month of July in 2012. We thank you in advance for your patience and your willingness to work with us to keep MechaCon growing ang going strong!

All that being said, we heartily welcome you back to MechaCon and if you haven't already, we hope you'll visit our forums and enjoy the full convention experience. All of the information for early registration, as well as the many wonderful benefits, will be available soon in our Registration section.

If you are interested in being a dealer, volunteer or purchasing a table in MechaCon 2011's Artists Alley, at MechaCon VII, these sections will be updated with reservation information soon.

Welcome back to the Big Easy...
welcome home to MechaCon!

Last year MechaCon was the signature event of the Robotech Convention Tour, with outstanding guests, informative panels, great tournaments and memorable events for Robotech fans. On top of all of that you had the City of New Orleans to explore and explore it everyone did. 

        The Robotech Ranger wants you to go to MechaCon!

BLOG UPDATE

Well we are off to races!

However not everyone is on board yet.

Many of you have made the transition to the new platform, however, there are still quite a few who hanging around on the old platform waiting for something. Well that old platform is no longer going to be used and soon it will cease to exist.

Please make sure your bookmarks and those of your friends are updated with the new address. 

                                

Banky has moved his blog to a new platform Mr. President.

MYSTERY MISSLE WAS AN AIRPLANE

It appears the "Mystery Missle" was an optical illusion.

he United States Department of Defense Tuesday night issued a statement regarding the "mystery missile" seen off the coast of southern California that's been the subject of debate across the country.

The "mystery missile" is a vapor trail that crossed the skies off the Southern California coast and resembled a missile launch.

Expert Thinks "Mystery Missile" an Illusion

The Dept. of Defense statement from Col. Dave Lapan, the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, reads:

"While there is nothing at this time that leads the Department of Defense to believe this is a missile launch, the department and other U.S. government agencies with expertise in aviation and space continue to look into the condensation trail (CONTRAIL) seen and reported off the coast of southern California on Monday evening.

"All DoD entities with rocket and missile programs reported no launches, scheduled or inadvertent, during the time period in the area of the reported contrail. NORAD and USNORTHCOM confirmed that it did not monitor any foreign military missile launch off the California coast yesterday and has determined that there was no threat to the US homeland.

"In addition, the FAA ran radar replays from Monday afternoon of a large area west of Los Angeles. Those replays did not reveal any fast-moving, unidentified targets. The FAA also did not receive reports of any unusual sightings from pilots who were flying in the area Monday afternoon. 

Yesterday I posted an interesting analysis on why this was not a missile but most likely an airplane. I also added m personal experience watching missile launches at Vandenberg AFB over the years. When you watch the video the object is moving  very slowly where as a rocket would move at great speed.

There also has been  better quality video of the object and you can clearly see its an airplane.


Many have begun to point out that it most likely USAirways flight 808 from HNL-PHX.

THE MYSTERY MISSLE UPDATED: COULD IT HAVE BEEN A PLANE?

As I was flying back to L.A. from my World Domination Meeting in Washington D.C. this happened.

No I did not see it but I have seen launches at Vandenberg AFB before and when they launch a rocket it goes up FAST! (It's always very cool when they reach the upper atmosphere)  The "Mystery Missile" in this video goes up very slow. Also when there is a launch from Vandenberg AFB you can see them from hundreds of miles away yet this one can only been seen from L.A..

Lots of questions...

UPDATE: The blog Closing Velocity has a good point.

As seen in their report, the local CBS station puts the missile launch very close --- if not within --- an important, immense Navy test range (Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division), bracketed by Naval Air Station Point Mugu on the coast NW of LA and Navy-owned San Nicolas Island 75 miles off the coast.

(Link to the picture in the blog)

San Nicolas and Point Mugu have been key launch sites for several recent missile defense tests, including the historic first missile intercept by the Airborne Laser (target launched from Point Mugu) and this Aegis BMD test from last year (ballistic missile launched from San Nicolas):

                            
                      

 
If a hostile launch occured from within the Sea Range, they couldn't have picked a worse spot to a) be monitored or b) put a thumb in our eye:

Sea Range is the largest and most heavily instrumented air / sea range in the United States. The Range Operations Center hosts and monitors complex full battle group Fleet exercises involving aircraft, surface ships, and submarines.

 When I was a Road Runner Shuttle driver I would often pick people up from Point Mugu NAS and they would tell me about the range and what was done there. When I asked whats to prevent some guy from taking his ship/plane into the area they would always tell me that the area is very heavily monitored that if someone were to go there they would know instantly.

Even if the launch did not occur in the restricted area its close enough to that area not be noticed by the various assets that monitor the area.

UPDATE 1:30 p.m.: ContrailScience.com has an a credible theory on why this may have been an airplane. Excerpt.

Firstly that the trail is vertical – it’s not, it’s a horizontal trail, at around 32,000 feet (about six miles). 

[edit]

 This contrail is no more vertical than the road is, and nor are the power lines at 45 degrees. Everything is horizontal – it’s the just the angle you are viewing it from. All of these show horizontal contrails.

Secondly there’s the misconception of direction, that it’s flying away from the viewer, when it’s actually flying towards the viewer. This is because the “base” of the contrail seems wider than the tip. Perspective tells the brain that this mean the base is closer. But actually you can see the base has been greatly spread by the wind. Since it’s still so far away the effects of perspective are greatly diminished, meaning the actual width of the contrail is what is creating the illusion. Imagine is a plane with a 100 mile long spreading contrail were coming towards you; what would it look like? It would look exactly like this.

Thirdly there’s the idea that it goes all the way down to the ground. Now that might be true if the Earth was flat, but the Earth is round, and things go beneath the horizon eventually, no matter how high they are. A plane 200 miles away but five miles up is always below the horizon.

As I said earlier when Vandenberg AFB launch a rocket it goes up very fast and is seen for hundreds of miles by millions of people. This is moving very very slowly to be a missile. Also, so far all we have is ONE video angle of this if this was a real ballistic missle launch it would have been seen, not to mentioned, photographed by millions of people.

Here is HQ video of this and notice how it all changes after the  49 second mark.

NOT FADE AWAY…

Well were here!

To continue the Bank of Kev blog I have moved the blog from the decaying Blog-City platform to the blogger platform.  As Blog-City is starting its shutdown many of its features no longer work and trying to blog there was becoming very difficult to maintain the high standards you have come to expect from me. So we have moved to this new platform.

However, moving the blog to a platform is not the only changes happening to the Bank of Kev. The Bank of Kev has grown so much in the past 5 years that over the next few weeks the blog is going to have some changes in store.

There is much goodness in the months ahead.

Stay tuned.

PRODUCER OF ANIME "SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO" DIES

Very sad news.

Film producer Yoshinobu Nishizaki, known for the popular TV "anime" series "Uchu Senkan Yamato" (Space Battleship Yamato), died Sunday after falling into waters from a boat anchored at a port at Chichi Island in the Ogasawara island chain in southern Tokyo, local police said.

Nishizaki, 75, fell from the boat around 12:35 p.m. and was rescued about 20 minutes later by a patrol boat, but he died shortly after, the police said.

Nishizaki, whose real given name was Hirofumi, was trying out his 485- ton boat, named Yamato, from Sunday morning near the port. He appears to have accidentally fallen from it while preparing to swim after putting on a swimsuit, according to the police.

UNEMPLOYMENT HOLDS STEADY AT 9.6%

 Well the unemployment numbers have come out and they hold steady at 9.6%

U.S. payrolls increased 151,000 in October after dropping the revised 41,000 in the previous month, according to the latest data from the U.S. Labor Department. Unemployment in the month hovered at 9.6%

Net private hiring increased 159,000 but manufacturing payroll declined 7,000. The employment gains were driven by increase in services of 146,000. Government agencies lowered the payrolls in the month. Federal government cut staff by 1,000 and state and local government lowered employment by 7,000.

The October employment report is the first after the completion of census conducted every ten years and the federal employment declined to 6,000 from the peak of 586,000 in May.

The average hours worked each week increased to 34.3 from 34.2 and hourly earnings increased to $22.73 from $22.68 in September.

 Well since unemployment held steady that means yet another Gregalogue!

DRINK YOUR BACON SODA

From AOL.com

When you're too lazy to make bacon, why not pop a bottle and just drink bacon instead?

J&D Foods, a company that specializes in all things bacon -- including bacon-flavored envelopes and the bacon Kevin Bacon sculpture that made headlines recently -- has taken the obsession one step further by coming up with a new drinkable pork product: bacon-flavored soda.

That's right, Coca-Cola is out, and swine soda is in.

J&D Foods owner Justin Esch told AOL News that his company recently partnered with Jones Soda to create a special-edition bacon-flavored drink just in time for the holidays.

One of the great inventions of the modern world I say. 

POST ELECTION DAY LINK INSANITY

Well election 2010 is one for the history books. Here is your must go to links of the day via Big Government and Big Journalism.

1. GOP takes the House, but fall short in Senate

2. Emotional Boehner Breaks Down During Speech

3. Exit poll: Ailing economy, tea party fuel GOP

4. Colorado Senate race could drag on for weeks

5. Returns Show Write-Ins in Lead in Alaska, Murkowski Likely to Win

6. Obama's Senate Seat Falls to GOP's Kirk

7. Kasich beats Strickland in Ohio governor's race

8. Dem Blanche Lincoln Defeated

9. GOP's Toomey beats Sestak for Specter's Pa. Senate seat

10. Republican topples Feingold in Wisconsin

11. All three of Palin's 'Mama Grizzlies' win gubernatorial races

12. Tea party-backed Haley SC's 1st woman governor

13. Democrat Manchin wins key West Virginia Senate

14. Dem Blumenthal ekes out win in Connecticut Senate race

15. Meet Allen West: Florida’s Newest Congressman

16. Redistricting big prize for GOP

17. Californians reject legal marijuana

18. The Left Lost More Ways Than One on Election Night

19. The Day After The Political Tsunami-What's Next?

20. Exclusive: Michele Bachmann to Run for GOP Leadership

21. Midterm elections won't effect Mid East policies

22. Obama loses midterms because he doesn't share America's core values

23. UK Guardian: Obama must now co-opt Republicans

24. UK Independent: Midterm elections sign 'Americans are impatient'

25. China: Midterms will lead Obama to follow Clinton's path

26. Gaffney: National Security and the New Congress

27. Army Times: Democrats with military ties lost, too

28. Results Are In And Many Agree: Fox News Offered More Balanced Election Coverage Than MSNBC

29. Maine goes all red for first time in 50 years...

30.Dems lose centuries of seniority... 

UPDATED: ELECTION DAY LINK INSANITY

 

Well its election day and here is your link insanity for the day. 

Big Goverment will have Mike Flynn and Peter Schweizer along with featured contributor Dan Riehl offering full coverage. 

Big Journalism will have full coverage provided by John "Dirty Harry" Nolte of how the old media reacts.

UPDATE: Larry O'Connor of BrietbartTV has tweeted that "Comprehensive LIVE election coverage on Breitbart.tv begins at 6PM ET!" 

Brietbart.TV will have streams of CNN, PBS, MSNBC and the Hugh Hewitt in studio camera. 

Real Clear Politics will have direct links to all the results from the local Secretary's of States as they come in.

As for me I will be at an A-List Election Night party in a private home with some friends and top movers and shakers. If the internet access hold up I might post some photos and thoughts. 

I can say the question is not how many seats will the Democrats lose, rather the question is how many souls will the Demonsheep take this evening.

                                     The Demonsheep will take your piggy bank and harvest your soul.