Conrad Was Inspired Yesterday Morning
By an item on the BBC's News website. It takes all sorts. Anyway, the item focussed on the background to M. Knight Shyamalan's latest opus, "Trap", for which I've seen a couple of posters at bus stops. Art!
Rather tangentially, I checked on his film "Old", which I've not seen. It made $90 million globally on a budget of only $18 million. Even if the studio got back only $45 million that's a decent profit, despite having to pay for promotion and distribution.
ANYWAY the premise behind T is that there is a huge sting operation mounted at a concert to trap - do you see what I - O you do - a serial killer.
What's even more outlandish is that there is an element of truth in this fiction.
Enter the US Marshals and 'Operation Flagship'. They targeted 3,000 criminal fugitives, sending them invitations to an event celebrating the Super Bowl final, claiming that they had been 'randomly selected from Washington residents'. They were to get a free brunch and be taken by bus to the game in the afternoon. The brunch and ticket presentation was due to take place at Flagship International Sports Television studio. Art!
119 criminals turned up to get their free food and tickets, and were arrested in small groups as they were called into the podium and reception area, flanked by a lot of armed US Marshals. Art!
An arresting experience
There were codewords to describe the 'contest winners', "Confirmed winner" being a criminal and a "Double winner" being a potentially violent, armed criminal. O and those affectionate cheerleaders giving out hugs? Agents frisking the audience for weapons.
Black and white photos because this was back in 1985. Bear that date in mind.
Well now, we all know by now that Conrad has a mind like a skip, with a cubic capacity of 1,273 square yards, so it's no surprise that I immediately recalled a Judge Dredd story in "The Megazine" that echoed Op Flagship.
This is where the detective work begins. I had no idea what the story was called, nor who wrote it, nor who drew it, so a modicum of Googling was required. Thus we discover that it's from "TM Volume 2 #2". Art!
This then required a good overhaul of titles in the Comic Mountain. No small task, I assure you. Art!
This doesn't include the boxed trade-paperbacks in the small cupboard nor the giant stack next to the tall bookcase.
It took ages, hoiking stuff up and down that ladder. In the end sheer perseverance paid off and we got a result. Art!
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| Yes, I found my little fan again. |
Let me set the scene for you. In the world of Judge Dredd, there are three mega-cities that occupy the habitable portions of South Canada: Mega-City One (the Big Meg); Mega-City Two (Meg Deuce) and Texas City. If I rattle Art hard enough with this mains-powered cattle-prod we may get a map -
Now, Texas City has a simultaneous superiority and inferiority complex, believing itself to be above the other megs, yet feeling that nobody loves it. As a result, visiting Big Meg judges may experience a little - ahem - 'friction' when trying to pursue criminal fugitives. This is where the story kicks off. Art!
Here you see the Texas City Deputy Chief Judge refusing to help Dredd, as none of the fugitives he is pursuing have done anything wrong in TC. This is purely DC acting up thanks to being a bottomhole and parading his power and position.
Now, do you think Dredd is going to take this passively?
No.
Dog Buns, NO! Art
Those brown bags are full of legally-acquired weapons, since getting hold of guns in Texas City is ridiculously easy; in fact you have to try very hard not to acquire guns there (touch of social satire there, thank you writer John Wagner). Art!
What, you thought he was going in there for a quickie divorce? Pshaw! And as the TC judges point out, Joe did this all fair and square, legal and above the law, much to the annoyance of the asinine DC. Dreddy - that would probably get me a six-month stretch in an iso-cube for slander and over-familiarity - then proceeds to work through the list of 49 warrants he'd brought with him. Art!
DREDD: It's possible a mistake has been made. if you can convince the Mega-City Court of this you will be released and compensated for your time and inconvenience.
PERP: But by then it'll be too late! I'll be back in the cubes where I belong!
DREDD (note hint of smile): That's not my place to say, sir. I'm only the debt collector.
Inevitably this work-around enrages DC, who gives Dredd and his partner until midnight to leave Texas City, meaning they depart with only 12 prisoners.
Ah, but here's the 'Operation Flagship' sting in the tail, if you will. Art!
Ooopsie.
Bear in mind that Op Flagship took place in 1985 and didn't impact the public consciousness until 2016 and a documentary about it, whilst Dreddy was tackling the issue in 1992.
It took me over an hour to get those comics down, sorted and selected, so as the title mentions, you'd better appreciate my labours, you pikers.
A Bit Of An Oddity
After that mega-Intro we need a short item, which this is. Art!
When Conrad was around thirty laps of the sun, he and Robbie looked very similar, so much so that when I caught a clip from the film "Carny" I wondered why I was speaking with a Canadian accent. It was very strange. Art!
He does rock that hat a lot better than Conrad ever could.
You What?
"Egad!" is my considered response to the following thumbnail on my news feed from Bing (I think).
When was this bumptious oaf ever 'fun'? Mocking, abusing and slandering people may have amused him and his cult followers, but at no point was this amusing or funny. He never laughs, only jeers or sneers.
The posts haven't been sustained, but last week there were several pondering if Donold would drop out of the race for Prez because he's going to lose. Conrad doubts this; as others have confirmed, at this point he's in the race to stay out of prison. We'll see how that goes in 86 days, won't we? Art!
Poor baby
"Detwiler"
I can place the very second this word came up in my mind - as I was crossing the road in Royton to get to the precinct, there to stock up on sugar-free sweets.
I have no idea why this name popped up, and suspected it to be of Teuton origin. Needs must, it was necessary to wait until I got home to check up on it. Art!
So, it's not a person, it's a South Canadian retail chain. Named after a person, and the name is indeed of either South German or Swiss origin.
Thing is, there are only 6 Detwiler stores, all in Florida. So why on earth did it pop up in my mind? Answers in the Comments, please.
Perhaps 'Farmer Marv Bot' mentioned it on Twitter? He is a farmer, after all. Don't think he farms in Florida, though.
I'll Buy That For A Holler!
Conrad has just discovered the 'Speech To Text' and 'Voice' options in Word, which might mean him trying a bit of dictation to see if it speeds up or simply enhances the creative process. At present you can only get a rather prissy-sounding South Canadian woman's voice in 'Voice' and I'm trying to see if that can be replaced by a man speaking Received English Pronunciation. Just to be snobby.
Finally -
I did get to 'Sweet Deals' this morning, and bought a big batch of sugar-free sweets, which I shall demonstrate here. Art!
The 'Free From Fellows' are new to me, I shall enjoy trying them out.
Chin chin!
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