Italians repel boarders

Italians don't always have the best reputation for bravery (largely, I suspect, because of some mass surrenders during World War 2) but hats off to Commander Ciro Pinto commander of the MSC Melody which repelled a group of Somali pirates today by opening fire with pistols and turning a fire hose on them. The piractes were actually climbing up the side of the ship at the time so it's pretty in your face stuff from the Italians not just taking pot shots from a distance.
No doubt lots of experts will say that this was the wrong thing to do and may make things worse/should be left to the armed forces/putting passengers at risk etc. But it's nice that someone stands up to these scumbag thugs. Maybe, just maybe, they will think twice next time they approach an innocent vessel.

Complimenti, Comandante!

Star Trek

The unneccesarily redesgned USS Enterprise


Agent Triple P is very excited about the new Star Trek film which seems to have had universally good reviews. Both the Daily Mail and The Times gave it five stars! All we need now is a review in Metro that gives it one star and we will know if it really is a classic; Metro film reviews always being the exact opposite of what a film is actually like. No doubt we will be off to see it with Agent DVD on the big screen soon.


The classic original.


They have changed the USS Enterprise once again but surely if the film is a prequel to the series they should have used the original Enterprise design. It was fair enough to have the Enterprise changed in the earlier films as this could represent upgrading. The real problem is those huge engine nacelles which unbalance the stern of the ship and make it look like a dreadnought rather than an agile cruiser. The first Enterprise from Star Trek (we refuse to call it "Classic Star Trek") was a true original and really took the on-screen depiction of spaceships away from rockets for the first time. They should have just used a better rendered version of the original. It's like when they made the hideous new Thunderbirds film a few years ago. Why change design classics?

L to R: Chekov, Kirk, Scott, McCoy, Sulu, Uhura


Oh well, I suppose you could say that as they redesigned the crew then I suppose that in redisgning the ship they have been consistent at least.

Actually, we have to say that the redesigned Spock is a very good job but we can't say the same for the Enterprise bridge which looks like a sparkly Beverly Hills hairdressing salon.

More on the re-designed Lt Uhura in Venus Observations...

http://venusobservations.blogspot.com/2009/04/space-venus-zoe-saldana.html

Calendar Girl April: Brooklyn Decker

Brooklyn in her calendar pose in a very, very tiny pair of bikini bottoms




This month's calendar girl is 21 year old Brooklyn Decker who was born in Kettering Ohio and was discovered by modelling talent agents in a shopping Mall.



5'9" tall and a trim 34-24-34 she has modelled for those prime target companies for all slightly curvier models: Sports Illustrated, Intimissimi and Victoria's Secret.



In 2007 American tennis player Andy Roddick was leafing through the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue (how do they still get away with that?) when he saw a picture of Miss Decker and promptly rang his agent to arrange an introduction. Good grief, how romantic. Nice to know that he was so attracted by her personality.




Well, it must have all worked out fine as they are getting married next weekend. Love all, obviously!


Hmm, does she look like wife material?


Definitely!




Interestingly, since he started going out with her his World ranking has dropped. Not an uncommon phenomenon amongst sports stars who get new girlfriends. look at poor old Lewis Hamilton since he started hanging around with that Pussycat Doll. Probably worth it, though.


Brooklyn has a particularly cute tummy button





North Korean Rocket: Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2

North Koreans use rubbish special effects to persuade us of a successful launch


So, the North Koreans claim to have launched their Kwangmyŏngsŏng-2 satellite, much to the annoyance of the rest of the world who think that they are just trying to build an ICBM and not put a satellite up. Or, if the James Bond film Die Another Day is to be believed, then they were attempting to launch a space-borne laser death ray.


The most rubbish-looking papier mache satellite ever


The North Koreans claim a succesful launch whilst the South Koreans and the Americans say the whole thing crashed into the sea shortly after launch. Well, we know who we believe... It all sounds rather similar to the launch of the Kwangmyongsong-1 satellite in 1998 when the North Koreans claimed that their satellite was happily beaming back the "Song of General Kim Il Sung" to Earth but no-one else could detect it and it was believed to have crashed before it reached orbit. The first test of the carrier rocket the Unha 2 (believed to be either similar to the Taepodong 2 ICBM or identical) in July 2006 was also unsuccessful with the rocket failing 40 seconds into the flight. The first stage of the rocket is based on the old 1960s Soviet R27 submarine launched ballistic missile. Overall it's a pretty sizeable rocket at 2m in diameter and over 35m tall.


Personally we just think that if you look at the live footage from North Korean TV it just all looks like a terrible 1950s Sc iFi movie special effect. No way this was real!

Most searched item...March


Ayshea Brough on the other show she is famous for; pop programme Lift Off.


This month Ayshea Brough comes back to reclaim the top spot from Sophie Howard who drops to number three.

Gabrielle: highest climber


A strong showing for another UFO hottie, Gabrielle Drake, who jumps five places to third. Most of the top seven are about the same but naked grape treading girl Brande Roderick goes up three places.


Irina: highest new entry


Highest new entry is February calendar girl Irina Shayk with Lauren Pope and Andrea Allan from UFO also making the list for the first time. Holly Willoughby regains her top 15 position.


The top 15 is as follows (last month's position in brackets):

1 (2) Ayshea Brough
2 (7) Gabrielle Drake
3 (1) Sophie Howard
4 (3) Agent Triple P
5 (4) Luci Victoria
6 (6) Margaret Nolan
7 (5) Linda Lusardi
8 (11) Brande Roderick
9 (-)Irena Shayk
10 (10) Danish Schoolgirls striptease
11= (9) Jade Ewen
11= (14) Kristy Brimelow
11= Norman Bel Geddes
13 (-) Lauren Pope
14 (-)Andrea Allan
15 (-) Holly Willoughby


Top 10 non-girlie searches:

1 Agent Triple P
2 Norman Bel Geddes
3 John Swannell
4 How to Murder your Wife Soundtrack
5 Latium Restaurant
6 Fontainebleau Hotel
7 Sanger-Bredt Anti-podal bomber
8 MGM Soundtrack Anthology
9 Gallo Turning Leaf Pinot Noir
10 Hotel Babylon

Airliner Number 4

People are still searching Agent Triple P a lot so either they aren't bookmarking the site or it's some sort of Cold War chemical weapon being researched by thriller writers, scientists or North Korean weapons designers. Nice to see Norman Bel Geddes still up there and we will write a piece on his massive flying boat project, Airliner Number 4, this month.