The Associated Press Guide on the 2021 Impeachment: How It Happened Before When Someone Left Office

If you're confused or having a hard time finding information about Trump's 2nd impeachment, the Associated Press (One of THE BEST sources for any news- and totally unbiased). has put together these facts about. They also tell you HOW, WHAT, AND HISTORY of an impeachment done after someone left office. Here's are the details (unedited):  

2021 Impeachment -Associated Press

To help with coverage of the impeachment inquiry, The Associated Press has prepared a guide with key background, explanation and style points.

WHAT'S HAPPENING

Former President Donald Trump faces an impeachment trial in the Senate beginning Feb. 9. The U.S. House impeached Trump on Jan. 13, one week before his term ended, on a charge of "incitement of insurrection" for his role in the deadly riot Jan. 6 at the Capitol. It was only the fifth time in U.S. history that a president has been impeached, and the only time a president has been impeached twice.

WHAT IS IMPEACHMENT AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

Impeachment by the House is the first part of a two-step process set out by the Constitution for the removal of a federal official, up to and including the president. Though it is a political process, not a legal process, impeachment is the equivalent of an indictment — a determination that there is enough evidence to proceed to a trial, conducted by the Senate.

An official may be impeached for "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors." The Constitution does not define "high crimes and misdemeanors," but there is general agreement that they need not be criminal activities in a legal sense, and that "high crimes" are abuses of power.

Article 1, Section 3 says the Senate "shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments." The senators must take an "Oath or Affirmation," promising to consider the charges honestly and dutifully. Members of the Senate took that oath on Jan. 26.

The House has selected from among its members nine managers to present the case against Trump, while attorneys for the former president will present his defense. The Senate decides whether to call witnesses for the trial, in which both sides can examine and cross-examine.

The Constitution sets a high bar for conviction, requiring a supermajority of two-thirds of senators voting. By majority vote, the Senate can then vote to prohibit a convicted official from holding any federal office. If impeached and convicted, an official may face criminal prosecution as well.

DETAILS

The Democrats contend that Trump was "singularly responsible" for the Jan. 6 attack by inciting the crowd that attacked the Capitol. They say it's "impossible" to imagine the riot unfolding as it did without Trump's encouragement.

Trump's lawyers say he can't be responsible because he never incited anyone to "engage in destructive behavior." They concede there was an illegal breach of the Capitol that resulted in deaths and injuries. But they say the people who are "responsible" — the ones who entered the building and vandalized it — are being investigated and prosecuted.

Trump's lawyers don't dispute that he told supporters to "fight like hell" before the Capitol siege. But the defense says Trump, like any citizen, is protected by the First Amendment to "express his belief that the election results were suspect."

There was no widespread fraud in the election, as has been confirmed by a range of election officials across the country and by former Attorney General William Barr. Nearly all the legal challenges to the election put forth by Trump and his allies were dismissed — a fact Democrats mention in their brief for the trial.

House Democrats say the First Amendment is meant to protect private citizens from the government, not to allow government officials to abuse their power. And while a private citizen may have a right to advocate for totalitarianism or the overthrow of the government, "no one would seriously suggest" that a president who adopted those same positions should be immune from impeachment, the Democrats say.

Trump's conduct not only "endangered the life of every single Member of Congress," the Democrats wrote, but also "jeopardized the peaceful transition of power and line of succession." Those in the line of succession for the presidency — then-Vice President Mike Pence, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley — were all forced to flee for safety.

WHAT ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE HAS LEFT OFFICE?

The sides are at odds over whether a trial is permissible now that Trump has left office — and that issue could be key.

Trump's lawyers say the case is moot since he is no longer in the White House and the Senate therefore doesn't have jurisdiction to try him in an impeachment case. Many Senate Republicans agree, and 45 of them voted on that basis to end the trial before it began.

It is true that no president has faced impeachment proceedings after leaving office, but House managers say there's ample precedent. They cite the case of former Secretary of War William Belknap, who resigned in 1876 just hours before he was impeached over a kickback scheme. The House impeached him anyway, and the Senate then tried him, though he was ultimately acquitted. Democrats also note that Trump was impeached by the House while he was still president.

The framers of the Constitution intended for the impeachment power to sanction current or former officials for acts committed while in office — with no "January exception," Democrats wrote. Not only that, they point out that the Constitution explicitly allows the Senate to disqualify an official from holding public office again. Conviction could bar Trump from running for the White House again in 2024.

THE IMPEACHMENT RESOLUTION

The impeachment resolution from Democratic Reps. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Ted Lieu of California, Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Jerrold Nadler of New York draws from Trump's own false statements claiming fraud in his loss to Joe Biden.

It also details Trump's pressure on state officials in Georgia to "find" him more votes, as well as his White House rally ahead of the Capitol siege, in which he encouraged thousands of supporters to "fight like hell" and march to the building.

The mob overpowered police, broke through security lines and windows and rampaged through the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to scatter as they were finalizing Biden's victory over Trump in the Electoral College.

The resolution passed the House by a vote of 232 to 197 on Jan. 13, with 10 Republicans voting with all Democrats in favor.

MORE (Source): https://www.apstylebook.com/topical_most_recent

Novelization of DC Comics "Countdown 52" Series by Greg Cox

Today's blog is about a novelization I just read, based on a large series of comics.   In 2011,
DC Comics ran a weekly series for 1 year called, appropriately, Countdown 52.

MY TAKE ON THE STORY:   Although I bought the comics in 2011 and read them at the time, I thought they were okay. The series focused on 5 main characters that have always been "second rate" characters. The most recognizable to everyone is Jimmy Olsen (everyone knows Superman's pal). The other three were a lot more obscure. Regardless, I was excited to find a novelization of the series, so I bought it. It only reminded me why I sold that batch of 52 comics. 

 Two of the other characters were killed off in previous DC Comics storylines and found themselves alive with the Multiverse rebooted: 1) Wonder Girl (Donna Troy) and 2) The 2nd of Batman's Robins - Jason Todd. After he was resurrected he became the violent hero known as the "Red Hood."  The fourth character was a woman who filled in for Selina Kyle when she wasn't being Catwoman for a time. Again, not well known characters... The fifth character was Mary Marvel, Shazam's sister- who winds up going bad and angry with bad energy. 

BOTTOM LINE - The story dragged. It was hard to get interested in these characters. The only saving grace of the story was the search for the superhero known as the Atom (That part of the comics I kept and still have). But, I would skip it... unless you like these characters. - Rob 

  BOOK SUMMARY: Five unlikely superheroes must defend Earth against the machinations of Darkseid and the New Gods of Apokolips.

An Amazon Book Review I Like: Pets and the Afterlife 3

 My newest book "Pets and the Afterlife 3" (by Rob Gutro) has already received some reviews, and I'm grateful that people are finding it helpful and comforting. Here's one of the reviews on Amazon. 

To order the book visit: tinyurl.com/5acr6deg

Check Your Cupboards! A Stolen 500 year old Painting was Found in a Naples Cupboard

(Photo: Recovered painting with Italian Police back in the Doma Museum. Credit  BBC News) 

The COVID19 Pandemic has closed museums and some churches around the world, and apparently someone was "working in" or "visiting" the Doma collection in the San Domenico Maggiore church, when it was closed. Then they walked off with a 500 year old painting and hid it in their apartment's cupboard (before they could sell it). Somehow the Polizia (Police) in Italy found out about it, broke in, found it, and arrested the thief. 

Here's a summary of the story I put together from news stories (BBC News and others) 

A painting of Salvator Mundi was found in a bedroom cupboard in Naples on Saturday, January 17, 2021.  The 36-year-old owner of the apartment (known as a flat in Italy) was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen goods. "The painting was found on Saturday thanks to a brilliant and diligent police operation," Naples prosecutor Giovanni Melillo told the AFP news agency. The artwork is usually part of the Doma Museum collection at the San Domenico Maggiore church in Naples. 

 Officials were not aware it had been stolen because "the room where the painting is kept has not been open for three months" due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It is not known who actually painted it, but some experts believe Leonardo DiVinci's student Giacomo Alibrandi may have done so in the early 1500s. It's a painting of Christ with one hand raised, with the other holding a glass sphere (and no one knows what that's supposed to symbolize, either). I will say that when I first looked at it, it looked like a woman, because of the low-cut clothing... 

Photo: San Domenico Maggiore church. Credit: www.visitnaples.eu)  

 

I checked the internet and found out that the last time it sold was 2017, and the buyer apparently donated it to the Doma Museum. When it was sold in 2017, the painting became the most expensive ever sold when it was auctioned for a record $450m (£341m) in 2017.

ORIGINAL STORY:  

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55719685

Idiot of the Week: Mike Lindell, MyPillow CEO Permanently Banned from Twitter

 You would think that if you had a profitable company that achieved sales in large retailoutlets throughout the country that you would be smart enough to know when something is a stupid, fake conspiracy theory and not propagate it. Well, Mike Lindell, CEO of MyPillow wasn't that smart. In fact, he chummed up to the Orange one, and even apparently suggested throwing the country into Martial Law. Further, he peddled fake election fraud on his personal twitter and was banned. Then he used his company's Twitter account to keep up the crap. They shut the loser down.

Here's the story. 

 MYPILLOW GUY HIJACKS COMPANY ACCOUNT, THEN TWITTER BANS IT

    Twitter has permanently suspended the MyPillow company account after CEO Mike Lindell used it to spout political lies following his individual suspension from the social network.

    Twitter permanently shut down Lindell’s personal account late last month after he repeatedly posted fact-free claims of election fraud. He was officially bounced for “repeated violations” of Twitter’s “civic integrity policy.”

    Donald Trump ally Lindell has continued to make the false claim that Trump remains the rightful head of the nation because the U.S. election was rigged. Lindell was seen with notes reading “martial law” before heading into the White House for a meeting with Trump last month.  Archived tweets posted Sunday from the MyPillow account reveal Lindell used it to post personal messages and push his conspiracy theories. Lindell wrote to Twitter co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey: “I know you are tied into the election fraud.” He also posted that Dorsey “should be put in prison.” “I can’t believe they’re doing this to my company,” Lindell told USA Today. “They’re out to destroy me.”

Good Person /Heroes of the Week: Stamford, Connecticut Firefighters Rescue 2 from Vehicle in Icy Waters

This week's Good Person/People are Connecticut Firefighters.  I have developed a high admiration for firefighters, and like to feature them in a "fireman Friday" post every week on social media.  

     Earlier this week, firefighters from Stamford, Connecticut braved frigid waters to rescue 2 people from a pickup truck the careened off a bridge and landed in icy waters. Here's the story and the Video of these heroes;

(Photo: Stamford, CT, Fire Department Screen Shot) 

Stamford Fire Department crews braving icy waters to save two people after their pickup truck crashed into the harbor at Cummings Park 

Ignacio Laguarda and Peter Yankowski

The Stamford Advocate, Conn.  Feb 2nd, 2021

STAMFORD — A truck fell into the harbor at Cummings Park on Monday afternoon after the driver was doing "doughnuts" in the fresh snow in the parking lot, according to Stamford Police.

A man and a woman inside the vehicle were able to safely get back to shore.

Stamford fire officials said they were first notified of the accident around 2:10 p.m. Police Capt. Richard Conklin said a call came in around 2:30 p.m. of someone losing control of a vehicle that fell into the water.

The first units on scene found the four-door pickup truck partly underwater about 40 feet offshore, Deputy Fire Chief Matthew Palmer said in a statement. A female occupant of the truck was shouting from the bed of the pickup that a male was still inside.

"The extreme winds, snow, and tide continued to move the vehicle and cause it to fill with water," Palmer said.

Three firefighters entered the water in cold water suits and swam out while one of the department's tower trucks positioned its ladder over the truck. Scuba divers were also sent out to the sinking vehicle.

"The firefighters in the water were able to calm the female occupant and assist her into the tower ladder. As weather conditions continued to deteriorate, the vehicle continued to submerge deeper into the frigid waters of Long Island Sound," Palmer said.

Firefighters attempted to pull the man out through a rear window of the truck, but were unable to.

As the truck sank completely below the water, a firefighter who held onto the man's arm was able to pull him through a window. He was then rescued using the ladder truck.

Both occupants of the truck were turned over to EMS personnel. The man was taken to Stamford Hospital for treatment, while the woman declined treatment.

Police Sgt. Jeff Booth said firefighters handled the water rescue while the police patrol division is handling the investigation into the crash itself.

Fire Department divers were called to the scene, according to initial dispatch reports. One diver was still in the water as of 3:20 p.m. and assisted a tow company in removing the truck from the water.

The diver was out of the water by 3:33 p.m. and the truck was secured, according to dispatch reports.

___ (c)2021 The Advocate (Stamford, Conn.) Visit The Advocate (Stamford, Conn.) at www.stamfordadvocate.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

 VIDEO: https://youtu.be/GEaJdp8Kax8  (video from local Fox affiliate)

Comic Book Art Goes for 3 Million Pounds in the UK (More than $3 million US Dollars)

As a comic book collector this story was of great interest to me. Although I've only read one book about the comic book character TinTin and his dog, I am quite familiar with the character and his exploits. Recently a piece of controversial artwork featuring the character sold for over 3 million pounds (more than 3 million dollars) in the United Kingdom (at least it did by January 15, 2021). Here's the original story from the UK Guardian Newspaper;

(Photo Credit: UK Guardian Newspaper) 

Rejected Tintin artwork to be auctioned with estimate of €3m

ORIGINAL STORY: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/sep/23/tintin-artwork-to-be-auctioned-with-estimate-of-3m Daniel Boffey in Brussels

Wed 23 Sep 2020 12.49 EDT 

The original Hergé cover for Tintin and the Blue Lotus is being auctioned with an estimated value of €3m (£2.75m), more than 80 years after it was rejected as too colourful and given to a seven-year-old boy as a keepsake. 

 The Belgian artist had been pleased with his drawing for the cover for his fifth album of the adventures of Tintin in 1936, only to be told it would be too expensive to mass produce due to the use of four colours in the drawing of his heroic young reporter facing a dragon. 

 The drawing was instead given to Jean-Paul Casterman, the son of Louis Casterman, Hergé’s editor, after which it was folded in six and put in a drawer. It stayed there until 1981, when the younger Casterman asked the author to sign it. The drawing emerged once more in 1991 when the Hergé Foundation displayed it after taking it out on loan. 

Until 2 October it went  on show again in the Brussels headquarters of the Artcurial auction house before being taken to Paris for its sale in November. Fold marks remain visible on the painting to this day. Eric Leroy, the auction house’s comic book expert, said: “This work is so emblematic that it could be bought by someone who has absolutely no other works of Hergé but who would think that with this one he would have the ‘Grail’, there is no need to have anything else.” 

 The cover drawing is expected to draw bids of €2m-€3m. A double-page ink drawing that served as the inside cover for all the Tintin adventures published between 1937 and 1958 sold for €2.65m to an American fan two years ago. The Blue Lotus drawing, painted in India ink, watercolour and gouache, is expected to secure a higher price than that as it is 34cm x 34cm in size, larger than the regular 21cm x 21cm. The story of the Blue Lotus involves Tintin heading for China in the hope of dismantling the opium trafficking industry.

UPDATE: The piece was sold for over 3 Million Pounds in January 2021. 

Vulcan pub in Wales being rebuilt and they saved the Urinals, too!

 In Cardiff, Wales, an historic pub was taken down and is being rebuilt near a history
museum. As it was taken down, pieces of it were removed and saved so the pub could be rebuilt. That includes signage and even urinals from 1914, that were restored! Today's blog is a compilation of a couple of BBC News stories about the process. I think this is pretty cool and this story also includes pictures from the museum. Read on!  

(Photo: Sign from the Pub - and this is definitely worth saving!  Cr: Museum of St. Fagans/BBC)

Rebuilding an Historic Wales Pub Piece-by-Piece

The Vulcan Hotel - named after the Roman god of fire and metal - opened in Adamsdown in 1853.

 After decades of being threatened with demolition, it was taken down in 2012 to be reconstructed just a few miles away at St Fagans National Museum of History. Workers took it down brick-by-brick and are rebuilding it at St Fagans National Museum of History. A team rebuilding a pub at a museum even managed to save distinctive 1914 orange-brown urinals from the venue.

Museum staff say it seems the Vulcan's reputation as a tough, workingman's pub may not be entirely justified.

WHO DID THE PUB SERVE? Dafydd Wiliam, principal curator of historic buildings at St Fagans outlined the pub's history. "The Vulcan was first licensed to sell alcohol in 1853 and served the mainly Irish community of what was then known as Newtown, one of the 'five towns' of Cardiff, along with Crockherbtown, Butetown, Grangetown and Temperance Town," he said. "In the 1850s its customers were mainly comprised of workers from the rapidly expanding Cardiff Docks rather than steel workers, so we're not yet sure how the Vulcan got its name. We can only presume the original owner must have had some connection with heavy industry."

(Photo: The 1914 urinals. Credit: Museum of St. Fagans/BBC)

SAVED THE URINALS But the urinals, which were installed as part of a substantial refurbishment in 1914, have been the focus of just as much attention. Officials said that during their near 100 years of use they had sustained damage, with specialist ceramic conservators commissioned to work on them. "After a thorough clean, they were restored not just to museum standard but to a standard that will allow them to be used once again for their intended purpose," a spokeswoman said.

(Photo: Pub being reconstructed in 2021 at the museum of St. Fagans. Credit: Museum of St. Fagans/BBC). 

WHEN WILL IT BE REBUILT? St Fagans are hoping to replicate in the rebuild, re-using what Mr Wiliam said was the "vast majority" of the 1915 fabric.The rebuilt Vulcan is expected to serve its first customers at its new home in 2023.

Research News: Found a Giant Prehistoric Sharks Bigger Than People at Birth

Science News produces some of the BEST science content, and I love the dinosaur research they cover.

In today's blog, this is a story Science News posted last month about the Megladons, a giant prehistoric shark. These sharks when born, were even taller than full-grown humans!  Here's the story:

(Image Credit: https://www.britannica.com/animal/megalodon) 

By Carolyn Gramling , SCIENCE NEWS 

JANUARY 12, 2021 AT 11:42 AM 

“Baby shark” has taken on a whole new meaning. Newborn megalodon sharks were supersized fish larger than most adult humans, a new study suggests. 

An analysis of the growth rates of the ancient ocean predators, which lived between about 23 million and 2.5 million years ago, estimates that the sharks started life at about 2 meters long, researchers report January 11 in Historical Biology. Otodus megalodon is right up there with Tyrannosaurus rex in the pantheon of scary extinct predators, but little is actually known about the shark’s biology (SN: 8/10/18). 

Its skeleton was made of difficult-to-fossilize cartilage, so what scientists do know mostly comes from fossilized teeth. For example, paleobiologist Kenshu Shimada of DePaul University in Chicago and colleagues previously used megalodon teeth, as well as those of other ancient and modern sharks, to estimate a total adult body length for the fish of at least 14 meters (about 46 Feet!) (SN: 10/5/20). 

In the new study, Shimada and colleagues had an extra, rare piece of evidence: megalodon vertebrae. Although shark skeletons are made of cartilage, the animals’ backbones can become hardened and strengthened by deposits of calcium salts, which can then be fossilized. These vertebrae also preserve annual growth bands, like the rings of a tree, showing how the fish grew. 

The researchers used an imaging technique called micro-computed tomography to study three well-preserved vertebrae from one shark. Those images revealed 46 growth bands, suggesting that this shark lived to the ripe old age of 46. The creature is estimated to have been about 9 meters (29.5 Feet) long at its death, and the size of the bands hints that the animal grew at a rate of about 16 centimeters each year. That means that the shark would have been about 2 meters (6.5 Feet) long at birth — large enough for even a newborn to be a fearsome foe in the seas, the scientists conclude. 

Shimada’s team has previously suggested that while in utero, megalodon sharks, like some of their modern cousins, might have fed on unhatched eggs in the womb. That practice may have helped the giant fish to gain such a large size even before entering the world.

Best-ever Travel Service to the U.K.: Across the Pond Vacations, Who Inspired my book "Ghosts of England on a Medium's Vacation"

Now that vaccines are being distributed around the world, and travel in 2021 looks promising, I wanted to tell you to plan now. I took 3 trips through Across the Pond Vacations to England, Scotland and Ireland, and they not only were the greatest vacations of my life, but I ran into many ghosts and wrote about them in my popular paranormal book "Ghosts of England on a Medium's Vacation," on Amazon.  If you want to visit the U.K., you need to plan now. Here is my experience and highest recommendation: 

I think it takes about 6 months to organize the greatest vacations, just as it does to anything that will be awesome. That way, when you work with a professional on organizing a trip, you have time to go back and forth, modify things to your liking and make it perfect. We did that with the BEST-EVER U.S. travel service to the United Kingdom, Across the Pond Vacations in California. Here's a summary of my 5 of 5 star experiences: 

Three of the most memorable and thoroughly enjoyable vacations we have ever had in our lives were organized by Across the Pond Vacations out of Torrance, Calif. 

Anne Marie and Simon who own and manage the business. were a pleasure to work with, easy-going and provided the best suggestions of places to visit.  It's all about planning. 

   We contacted them 6 months ahead of our trips and gave them some highlights we wanted to visit in 1 trip to England, 1 trip to both England and Scotland and 1 trip to Ireland. During that time, they organized personal tours (historical and haunted), found a Tudor castle for us to stay in (which was amazing!),  found the BEST B&Bs and hotels;; and coordinated transportation in the U.K. and Ireland. 

  They presented options and without hesitation, modified things based on our preferences. Planning a comprehensive trip overseas requires time and all 3 trips we super-organized. We had a binder complete with schedules, maps, tickets, and tips on food, tipping, transportation, etc.  The organization was something that was unprecedented by any travel service we've ever used.  We will be returning the U.K. and Across the Pond will always be our first stop. They are the "Rock of Cashel" when it comes to traveling to the United Kingdom. 

Their Website: https://www.atpvacations.com/

Phone	310-791-6101
Calling from Outside US or Canada	001-310-791-6101
E-mail	letstravel@atpvacations.com

 WHAT'S MORE: GHOSTS AND A BOOK I WROTE ABOUT MY TRIPS! - The vacations provided an extra bonus: GHOSTS. Since I can sense them, wherever we went I ran into some. In fact, after coming back from the three trips, I wrote and published "Ghosts of England on a Medium's Vacation." - It's a popular paranormal book on Amazon.. 

ABOUT MY BOOK: What happens when a medium goes on vacation? Can a medium simply switch off their ability at will? Well…not exactly. Rob Gutro is a medium/author/paranormal investigator and a scientist who has written 4 books about his encounters with human and animal ghosts and spirits. In this book, you will read about his experiences on two separate trips to the United Kingdom.        

     England’s rich history and many epic battles have caused an over-abundance of residual emotional energy. Everywhere he traveled, he had a paranormal experience. He explored royal palaces and spent the night in haunted castles. He encountered the ghosts of historical figures including a queen, a prince, and a nobleman; and several ghosts even shared their pain of death experience with him. 

     On one occasion, the doppelganger of a loved one provided directions when he became lost while driving in the countryside due to a malfunctioning GPS. But not all of his encounters were of the human variety: there was also a very special visit from a canine ghost.

     This book is intended to be more than just a collection of personal ghost stories. In addition to relating my ghostly encounters, he has also included a short narrative history of the places where the experiences occurred. After all, knowing the history of a place is key to understanding why a ghost has decided to stay behind.  So, join Rob as he relates his encounters with the ghosts of England.

 Click here to Buy on AMAZON.

  I am also planning "Ghosts of Ireland and Scotland on a Medium's Vacation." It's in editing now for 2022 or 2023. 

Superhero Day: DC Showcase World's Finest Vol. 2 Review and Video Interview: Wonder Woman 1984: 13 Yr old Actress Lilly Aspell

Today's blog references 4 of my favorite superheroes- and is a combination of film and literature. It highlights Superman, Batman, Robin and Wonder Woman.   Lilly Aspell is a Scottish-born actress famous for portraying the main Young Diana (Gal Gadot) in the film "Wonder Woman 1984." (which we haven't yet seen, but are anxious to see).  Recently, BBC News sat down with her for an interview to learn how she got the role in this blockbuster film.

   ALSO in today's blog, I'll review DC Showcase's 500 page collection of World's Finest Vol. 2!  Read on! 

(Photo: Lilly Aspell. Credit: UK Daily Mail) 

1)  Here's the BBC News interview:  Wonder Woman 1984: Actress Lilly Aspell reveals how a chance encounter led her to the role

Thirteen-year-old Lilly Aspell landed a part in Wonder Woman 1984 after a chance encounter with a director who noticed she looked like the lead actor, Gal Gadot. 

Despite never acting before, Aspell was cast as a young Wonder Woman and dreams of becoming the first person to win both an Olympic Gold Medal and a Best Actress Oscar. The young actress has been speaking to the BBC's Colin Paterson (in the video below).

ROB'S REVIEW: DC Showcase Presents Worlds Finest Vol. 2 Trade Paperback.

DC Showcase collections reprint comics from the 50s through the 80s, and the World's Finest was a famous comic book that teamed Superman with Batman and Robin from the 50s through the 70s. It was always one of my favorites. In Volume 2,  it starts from issue #112 in 1960 to issue #145 in 1964. Although I was born in 1962, I never read the original stories when they came out, but I enjoyed them as reprints. One of the BEST stories was "the Composite Superman" from Issue #142 which is where the Janitor from a superhero museum receives powers and transforms himself into half-Batman/half-Superman. Outstanding story.   This is a GREAT collection to get and keep (which I am keeping to re-read).. Sadly, it's out of print so you'll have to check E-bay. - Rob

Construction Fails!

You have to wonder what people building things are thinking... or not thinking in this case. Here's a collection of a couple of "Construction Fails." If you're an architect, like Tom, or OCD, or just have any sense, you'll be shaking your head in disbelief. Here are the photos: