It's a good thing I decided to turn on Court TV yesterday. With no pre-promotion or fanfare, there were the opening statements in the Phil Spector murder trial right before my eyes. I mean Court TV didn't even list the trial in their programming lineup. Here are some observations on day 1 of the trial:
- Prosecutor Alan Jackson (wonder if he likes country music?) is very good. He established a case of similar instances where Spector held a gun on several women he took home to his "castle" in the past and he presented a case packed with evidence against the accused...
- Spector looked like an ancient version of the dutch boy who stuck his finger in the dike to stop a flood. He was nervous and made several facial gestures disapproving some of Jackson's opening statements...
- His attorney Bruce Cutler looks like Benito Mussolini. Cutler is using the 'accidental suicide' defense and pointed out that Spector may be the victim of his own success, "fame and success can come back to haunt you."
Opening statements by the defense will continue to be heard today and four women are expected to begin testifying against Spector following that. Should Spector be convicted of second-degree murder, he could face 15 years to life in prison. The judge expects the trial to last 2 to 3 months before a verdict is reached. Stand by...
Look for video links in the "Celtic Pride" and "Debuted on this date" timelines...
Timeline Memories...
Killer cut down: 1865] John Wilkes Booth, 26, assassin of President Abraham Lincoln is surrounded by federal troops and killed near Bowling Green (VA)...
"Happy Trails": 1989] Legendary actress-comedian Lucille Ball dies at 77 from a ruptured aorta...
This is odd: 1819] The 1st Odd Fellows lodge in America is established in Baltimore which leads to this question: How odd a fellow do you have to be to join???
Debuted on this date: 1977] Studio 54 opens on West 54th Street in Manhattan. Studio 54 was an experience as you'll see in this profile of the club that contains some rather bizarre stills, no more bizarre than the place itself: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-vkd8ly0g0&mode=related&search= ...
Redcoats land: 1607] English colonists go ashore at Cape Henry (VA) to establish the 1st permanent English settlement in the Western Hemisphere...
Another Babe? Not: 1912] Red Sox 1st baseman Hugh Bradley hits the 1st home run at Fenway Park. It's Bradley's 2nd and final home run of his career...
Waxed: 1928] The 1st Madame Tussaud's opens in London. No matches allowed...
Home Run Derby: 1931] Lou Gehrig hits a home run but passes a Yankee runner, nullifying the home run. Not only do the Yankees lose the game but Gehrig loses the home run which would have put him ahead of Babe Ruth at the end of the season plus 2 RBI's to add to his record setting 184 for the season. Gehrig and Ruth end with 46 home runs each...1961] Roger Maris hits the 1st of his record breaking 61 home runs against Paul Foytack of the Detroit Tigers...
That's LIFE: 1937] LIFE magazine is printed without the word LIFE on the cover. It could have been worse. They could have used LOOK instead...
Organic music: 1941] A tradition is born at Wrigley Field in Chicago as Roy Nelson serenades the crowd by playing organ music. The Cubs still lose, organ music or not, 4-2 to the Cardinals...
Celtic Pride: 1964] Make it 6 in a row. The Celtics win their 6th straight NBA title. They go on to win 2 more to set the greatest of all consecutive NBA title streaks at 8...1966] Arnold "Red" Auerbach retires as Celtic's coach right after the Celtics win their 8 title in a row. Here's a clip of Red and the team celebrating: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PpMKZdcygs ...
Isle comeback: 1975] The Islanders become only the second team in sports history to rebound from an 0-3 deficit in games to win a playoff series when they win the Stanley Cup quarterfinals over Pittsburgh. The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs did it previously in 1942 and of course the Red Sox did it by winning 4 straight games against the Yankees in their World Series winning year of 2004...
Longest #1 title ever: 1975] "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" - B.J. Thomas...
Rock and Roll Mugging: 1982] Rod Stewart is mugged as a gunman steals his $50,000 Porsche. What's that worth today???
Nuked: 1986] The world's worst nuclear accident happens at Chernobyl in the Ukraine. An explosion and fire in the #4 reactor sends radioactivity into the atmosphere killing at least 31 immediately...
Wedding Bells: 1986] Arnold Schwarzenegger and newscaster/Kennedy, Maria Shriver flex their marriage muscles. Ahnold will become the Governator and Maria, first lady of Cah-lee-forn-iuh...
Super-K: 1990] Striking out 16 batters, Rangers pitcher Nolan Ryan ties Bob Feller's major league record of 12 one-hitters, beating the White Sox on one hit. Hall of Famer Ryan totals 14 one-hitters and a record 7 no-hitters in his phenomenal career...
Bargain basement: 1999] Daniel Snyder buys the Washington Redskins from the estate of Jack Kent Cooke for $800 million, the highest price tag ever for a sports franchise...
I now pronounce you husband and husband: 2000] Vermont Gov. Howard Dean signs the nation's 1st bill allowing same-sex couples to form civil unions...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...
Commentary...
One of our birthday girls today, former P.O.W. Jessica Lynch testified in front of Congress this past Tuesday saying that she never fired her weapon and was knocked unconscious when her vehicle crashed in Iraq. She woke up later in an Iraqi hospital before being rescued by U.S. troops. She blamed the media and the military of lying for their own gain in making her a hero. "They should have found out the facts before they spread the word like wildfire." At least she was honest about it in setting the record straight...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Jessica Lynch (24), Kevin James (42), Bobby Rydell (65), Claudine ("Party Lights") Clark (66), Maurice ("Stay") Williams (69), Duane Eddy (69) and Carol Burnett (74)...
Timeline Countdown: 2 days until the NFL draft, 9 days until the Kentucky Derby and 32 days until Memorial Day...
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