Deadliest Catch – Episode Four (recap)

The seas are heating up on the cold Bering Sea.  In this installment, episode four opens up with the master, Sig of the Northwestern, who now has worked his magic and lands right smack in the mother-load of crab of this season.  These crabs are not the Red Lobster size crabs, but are the biggest King Crabs that I have seen in the three season of watching this show.  These monstrous, red beauties are more than just one meal, they are dinner for a week!  Pass the butter and the beer, I am ready to eat!

Success has not hit everyone at this course of the season.  Poor Phil of the Cornelia Marie had a bit of horrendous luck.  One of his wheels (propellers) broke while at sea.  So, back to Dutch (Dutch Harbor, AK) for repairs.  Not only will this return trip cost him money for repairs, but the time sitting in port prevents the Cornelia Marie from hauling in the red gold these prospectors are craving.  If the sitting in port was not bad enough, the marine supply company that sent the new wheel to Dutch sent the wrong one.   So one day in port has now turned into two with thousands of dollars in repairs and thousands of dollars being lost by not fishing.  With repairs done, the Cornelia Marie steams out port to get back into the game.

We have all heard that bad luck runs in threes, well that is the case here on the Berring Sea.  This time the black cat of luck has now struck the Farwest Leader.  Not only has his lane of crab gone dry, now Ricky (deckhand) has wrecked the crane which looks like about $500 worth of repairs.  Okay, that doesn’t sound too bad.  Guess again!  Now the crew, instead of relying on their strong arm buddy the crane to move the 700lbs pots on deck, have to use other measures.  Human brawn.  If working for 24 hours straight wasn’t bad enough, now they have to use all the energy they have left to move these monstrous pots into position on the deck.  Capt. Greg Moncrief is not a happy man.

Man over board!!!!!  Not what any captain in these waters wants to hear!  While steaming north to find a better spot to lay down his new line of pots, the Time Bandit spies another crab boat.  As the seas are building with 30-foot swells (waves), a deckhand on the other crab boat is dangling on the side of the stack pots trying to secure them.  As the crab boat rocks up and down in the seas like a mother rocking a sleepy infant, the deckhand gets closer and closer to danger.  Before you could get your next breath out, the deckhand had lost his footing and is in the sea.  Man over board!!!  Lucky for this water-bound deckhand that Capt. Johnathan Hillstrand had a gut feeling this accident would occur and already place the Time Bandit in the best position for rescue. 

Once a man hits the cold, icy waters of the Bering Sea he has minutes before hypothermia takes hold and the howl of the banshee is heard.  All crab boat crews train on what to do when a man is in the water, the Time Bandit crew is no exception.  Once the cry is heard, the boat sprints into action as the crew races to put their gear on and man the lines of life which they will use to rescue this poor soul from Dave Jone’s locker.

Minutes seem like hours before deckhand is pulled from the icy cold sea.  The training has payed off – the deckhand is alive!!!  A bit shaken, wet, and extremely cold, but he is alert and alive thanking God for these brave men.  As the news races through the boat, a chorus of cheers are heard and tear of joy flow.  A life saved is greater than any haul these men could ever catch.

What another wild ride in this week’s installment.  It looks like Sid’s unorthodox technique of fishing with 300 pots has paid off.  The Northwestern has moved into the lead.  It should be quite interesting if the standings change next week.  Can Farwest Leader, Time Bandit and Cornelia Marie get back into the game?  What about the Maverick with the rookie captain and green horn crew?

See you all next week!

Season 3 Top Crab Totals at the end of Episode 4

Northwestern - 194,500 pounds

Wizard – 160,000 pounds

Cornelia Marie - 150,000 pounds

Farwest Leader - 70,000 pounds

Maverick – 43,500 pounds (rookie captain Blake Painter)

Time Bandit – 23,000 pounds

Paradise “Lost” or murder capital?

The countdown is on for Lost – four more episodes before the two-part season finale and 5 more deaths.  Yes, that is correct.  There will be 5 more deaths on the island before the end of the season. 

One can only hope the Charlie is one of the five that bites the big one.  His death or even departure is way overdue for this fan. 

How can the show have five more deaths?  I can’t believe the population on the island was that enormous to begin with.  So, let’s take a look.

In the past three years we have seen following die: Mr. Eko, Marshall Mars, Leslie Arzt, Colleen, Shannon, Boone, Ethan, Ana-Lucia, Libby, and 14 other deaths.  When the plan crashed the known population on the island was around 75 people.  Interesting. 

If you compare the known population to the 23 dead to this point, well you can see the death per-capita is extraordinary high.  The murder statistics on the island is horrifying, worst than anything here in the States, even worst than Richmond.  At this rate, when the show ends my guess is that there will be either no one left or just a handful of survivors.  I guess that is one way to end a series.  Then again this island is sure no Club-Med!  Vacation at your own risk!  

The Hulk Lives!!!!

Yes, the Hulk is back on the silver screen but a little bit different than we last left him.  Eric Bana is out and Ed Norton is in to fill the roll of Dr. Bruce Banner aka The Hulk.  The second installment of the Hulk will be a bit different from the Ang Lee’s 2003 version.   Okay where do I start?

From an interview done recently with the CEO of Marvel Studios Avi Arad, the public was able to gain a bit of insight on the new version of the Hulk.  I guess this interview is the best place to start. 

The Hulk will be looking a bit a different – Grey.  Yes, Grey.  The Grey Hulk goes back to the first issue of the Hulk that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby wrote in 1962.  Also to the 2004 mini-series comic written by Jeb Loeb (Lost & Heroes fame) and artist Tim Sale which picks the story up right after Bruce Banner turned into the Hulk by his Gama ray accident.  Of all the Hulk comics over the years since Lee & Kirby retired, Loeb/Sale captured the essence of not only the Hulk but Bruce Banner. 

  

Along with the color difference, this version of the Hulk contain a new size, new attitude, and a love story.  Yes a love story with a heroic twist.  This Hulk will not only pay homage to Lee/Kirby version but will also be influenced by the Hulk tv show of ’70s that starred the late Bill Bixby.  This Hulk will not only show brute force, strength, and determination, but will be shown with human qualities that were missing from the 2003 movie.

Release date for Hulk 2 or the Incredible Hulk is slated for June 13, 2008. 

D.C. Statehood?

In the news today, I ran across an interesting article.  On 4/19/2007 the U.S. House of Representative approved a bill to allow the District of Columbia a vote in the House.  The bill has now been sent to the Senate for ratification.  The House bill will expand the current membership from 435 to 437 (the bill would also be adding a seat from Utah too).  If the Senate approves the bill, one seat will be added in its chamber.

Wait a second here…the District of Columbia will have a vote in Congress?  That’s a bit odd.  Not let me check something here…hmm…there are 50 stars on the flag, the recent official state tally still shows the United States is comprised of 50 states, so I am a bit perplex.

 How can the District of Columbia receive voting rights when Congress per Article I Section 2 states that you must be a state to have a seat in the House of Representative?  There has been no movement by Congress to grant D.C. statehood nor has a State Constitution been written yet by D.C. or a constitutional convention held.  Plus, wouldn’t the 23rd amendment need to be ratified before D.C. could became a state or had the ability to vote?  Looking at the current timing of this bill and how D. C. has voted in the past in both of the Presidential elections and local elections, I think I would agree with Rep. Robert W. Goodlatte of VA 6th District that this is a “raw power grab” by the Democrat.  Better yet, I think Marcellus from Hamlet stated it better yet in Act I, Scene 4, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.”

I would like to hope that before this bill is approved, the members of Congress would take a moment and revisit the U.S. Constitution on how representation in the Senate and house is allowed, along with the spirit of the founding of D.C. by our fore fathers.  If Congress had intended the District of Washington to be a state in 1790, then it would have been so.  Instead Congress wanted a capital city to on neutral land that prevented any influence of the Federal government from the state level.  If Congress is still illiterate about the Constitution, then I would like to think the President will veto this bill on grounds of it being unconstitutional.

 U.S. Constitution

 Article I Section. 2.

The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature. 

Article IV Section. 3.

New States may be admitted by the Congress into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Congress.

The Congress shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United States; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State

AMENDMENT XXIII

Passed by Congress June 16, 1960. Ratified March 29, 1961.

Section 1.
 The District constituting the seat of Government of the
United States shall appoint in such manner as Congress may direct:A number of electors of President and Vice President equal to the whole number of Senators and Representatives in Congress to which the District would be entitled if it were a State, but in no event more than the least populous State; they shall be in addition to those appointed by the States, but they shall be considered, for the purposes of the election of President and Vice President, to be electors appointed by a State; and they shall meet in the District and perform such duties as provided by the twelfth article of amendment.

Section 2.
 The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Deadlest Catch – Episode 3 results

The race is on for catching the most crab for this season on the Deadliest Catch.  As we saw in the first episode, a wager has been made among the crab boat captains on who will catch the most crab by the end of the fishing season.  Each captain anted up $100 with a total pot of $900 on the line.  The rookie captain Blake Painter of the Maverick has made it his mission to be the top dog at the end of the season and take the pot for him and his crew. 

This week’s episode 3 brought on a surprise for the fleet as they searched for that elusive treasure called Alaskan King crab.

As noted earlier, crabbing is one of the most dangerous jobs man can do.  The season is no different.  Already one boat from the fleet has been lost, along with a few hands.  If that lost of life wasn’t enough, Lenny Lakanoff, a full share deckhand on the Wizard, experienced an accident while retrieving pots.  Lenny cut his finger severely enough to causethe Wizard to return to shore for immediate medical treatment.  Despite a good haul, the return to shore prevented the Wizard from capturing the lead.  Below is this week’s crab total.  See you all next week!

Season 3 Crab Top Totals at the end of Episode 3

Corelia Marie – 130,000 pounds

Wizard – 110,000 pounds

Farwest Leader – 56,000 pounds

Northwestern – 33,000 pounds

Maverick – 29,000 pounds (rookie captain Blake Painter)

Tyler Hamilton returns to U.S. cycling at the Tour de Georgia

Yesterday not only marked the opening the Tour De Georgia, a 667-mile race that covers seven days of racing starting in Peachtree City and finishing at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, but also the return of Tyler Hamilton to sanctioned racing in the United States after a two-year doping ban.

Tyler return marks the end of a frustrating two+ years of sitting on the sidelines due to a controversy over doping charges.  The 1st stage results were not fantastic — finishing 56th out of 120 cyclist – but nevertheless it was encouraging and something to build on for future races like the upcoming Giro (Tour of Italy) and July’s Tour de France. 

Hamilton signed with Tinkoff Credit Systems team (Italian-Russian team) in the off-season as their captain, meaning the team will race and support Hamilton for overall victory in the tours.  Even as captain, Tyler is cautious his ability to be a Top 5 finisher due to the long layoff over the charges and his age of 36, which normally is the down side of a cycling career.  Even with these obstacles, Tyler still prepared and trained during his two-year hiatus with activities like supporting and fundraising of his foundation for Multiple Sclerosis. 

The one thing the sport should be aware of is that Tyler is a fighter, if you do not believe me, just take a look at his Stage 16 win at Tour de France on July 23, 2003, as an example of his determination and guts.  He won a 197-km stage while riding in severe pain with a broken collarbone.  Now that is guts! 

This time around Tyler has another weapon in his arsenal - motivation.  The motivation that he is innocent of doping charges and the inexcusable treatment he received during the doping case hearings from his former team, press, and the governing cycling body.  So, now it the time for Tyler to show the world that he has always been clean and can still be consider one of the elite cyclists in the world.   Go Tyler!

Trees Contribute to Global Warming, Who Knew?

I ran across an interesting article on BBC.com last week about the how Snowy Forrest increase global warming.  Yes, your read my sentence correctly, forest now contribute to global warming.   How can this be?  Aren’t tress supposed to be our friend and provide a good source of oxygen to our planet?  Yeah, that is what I thought, but apparently only at the or near the equator.  Let me explain.

Per a report from U.S. journal Preceding of the National Academy of Sciences that pine forest in the northern hemisphere (Canada, Alaska, Northern Europe, and Russia) might add to global warming.  I cannot believe this!  Basically the most efficient way to cool the earth while cleaning the air of those bad carbon dioxide chemicals is only done by tropical forests at or around the Earth’s equator. 

This study has also concluded that planting trees in cooler areas does not help cool the planet instead it “cancels or exceeds” the gains the tropical forest produce in this area.   The reason for this conclusion is that trees in snowy areas help store sunlight that is reflected by the snow thereby creating heat.  This effect provides additional ammunition that clear cutting tropical rain forest are bad to the over all health of our plant.

Okay, now we have it.  Trees in the south good, trees in the north bad.  I guess this means that we can now allow the forest industry full access to all trees they want in Alaska, Canada, Northern Europe and Russia without worrying about replanting what they cut down.  Boy, this could save millions off their bottom line.  Heck, even some computer models suggest this tree genocide in the north is the best route to go. 

I’m still having a bit of hard time swallowing this study.  I guess the next study that is released on global warming is going to tell us that fossil fuels are okay. 

What happen to equal treatment in the media?

Last week two important events in the media occurred.  The first was the controversial comments by and the ultimate firing of Don Imus after his long overdue apology/meeting with the Rutgers Women’s Basketball team.  The second event occurred on April 11 at the press conference held by North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper to announced that all chargers against Reade Silegmann, David Evans, and Collin Finnerty would be dropped and announcing these three men were innocent for the rape, kidnapping and sexual assault of an adult dancer that occurred just about a year ago.

What I am finding a bit disturbing is the media’s fixation on the snowball events of the Don Imus meltdown, which adverted the nation’s attention from the declaration of innocence that Attorney General Cooper articulated at the press conference.  Over the last year, these three men have had their lives turned upside down due to false allegations from a fraudulant District Attorney Mike Nifong.  What did these three guys gain from this experience besides their declared innocence from the state of North Carolina?  Hmm, let me think — thrown out of school, belittled by media and national leaders, and reputations destroyed.  Not to mention to the 3 million dollars plus in legal fees their families have had to pay in order to fight the corrupt D.A. Mike Nifong.  As the Master Card commercial would say — “Priceless.”

So, where is the media storm about how an elected official not only conducted fraud by withholding evidence but also lied in court causing these young men to experience 395 days of hell?  Shouldn’t the media find this D.A. just as guilty in the court of public opinion as they did Imus?  I find it utterly amazing that in the media’s eyes a person is guilty before they are found innocence which is completely backward from what our Judicial System is founded on.  If you need more examples, please look at the beating in the media that Floyd Landis is receiving even before he has had his hearing on doping charges.  I guess the media has a double standard.  Their standard an everyone else’s!

   

Deadliest Catch Back for Season Three

Sig, Phil, and a host of new crab captains are back for Season Three of the Deadliest Catch on the Discovery Channel.  The long wait is finally over!  Of the reality shows that are currently on TV, this one seems to capture my attention week in and week out.  I guess it because its a true test of man against nature in one of the most unforgiving areas of the world or it could be the astonishing amount of profit these guys make in less than three weeks. 

In case you are not up to speed on what the Deadliest Catch is about, allow me to fill you in.  This series is a reality-based show that begins at the start of Alaskan King Crab season in Alaska on the Bering Sea.  The show follows the crews of eight crab boats as they battle the elements and each other in one of the most treacherous, prosperous jobs on the face of this planet.  Through this show, we experience what life is like working, living, sleeping, and eating on a crab boat while being battered by the sea, high winds, rain/snow, ice, and the occasional rouge wave.  The show focuses not only on life at sea, but on the dangers of sea too, which includes tragedy – even death.  Returning this season are the boats Cornelia Marie, Northwestern, Maverick and Time Bandit along with newcomers, Farwest Leader, Aleutian Ballad, Wizard and Early Dawn.

This show has been described as the “last frontier” or the modern version of the “wild west.“  Whatever the description you prefer to use, you cannot escape the rawness of the show and the adrenaline these captains and crews area oozing as they work 21-hour plus days against everything that Mother Nature can throw at them.  This show is the true test of man vs. nature and man vs. himself.  Is it the life/death these crews face that draw the viewers in, the test of man vs. nature, the profit at the end of the season, or is it that we like a good adventure story full of excitement?  Whatever it is, Deadliest Catch is as addictive as the delicious crab legs we like to eat with a cold beer and the warm, golden butter that comes with it.  If there was any show on TV that is all man, this one is it.

I hope to bring you a bit of updates on each week’s episode and the latest crab totals.  So stay tune and enjoy the adventures of these brave men.

Season 3 Crab Top Totals at the end of Episode 2

Corelia Marie – 80,ooo pounds

Wizard -  51,000 pounds

Farwest Leader – 42,000 pounds

Maverick – 16,900 pounds

Northwestern – 15,300 pounds 

Lost – Update for the rest of the remaining season

For you fans of Lost, I just read that Lost will be taking a different approach for Episode 19.  As the viewers of Lost, we have all become accustomed to the traditional “flashback” story technique to provide insight on one particular character — a castaways or now one of the Others. 

However, for just one episode (19th) this season, the traditional ”flashback” technique will not be used.  Instead, the viewers will see a complete hour that will focus on one of mysteries from Season One.  Which mystery has not been released?  My guess is that it’ll be about Ol’ Smokey.

The rest of the remaining episodes for the season will return to the normal format.  Here are the remaining “flashback” episodes that TVGuide.com has published.

• No. 17: Desmond
• No. 18: Jin and Sun
• No. 19: Non traditional flashback time
• No. 20: Benjamin
• No. 21: Charlie
• And the two-part season finale: Jack, natch