It's a bird! It's a plane! It's casting news!

[Phyll33]

  Does anyone have any idea how old Bonita Friedericy is that plays General Beckman?

I couldn't find anything on her age. She is married to John Billingsley (Dr. Phlox from Enterprise) and he is 49 according to IMDB, so it would make sense to put her around that age. She does look a lot older that 50 though.

  That's what I thought. The age markers she has are of someone in her mid to late fifties.
Yes, I knew she was married to Billingsley and he was 49 which made me think maybe I
was wrong. I feel bad now.    I told Adam I thought she was a little uhhh mature
to be a BG and she should have another star or two on her shoulders. Now if she is only
his age she would have been a little young.  That'll teach me to try and guess
people's ages. 

Of course, you realize that most of us have NO IDEA what those 'stars' and such mean, let alone who would be what age for whatever. I think the severe, professional look adds 'maturity' to her look.

Just like how they made that one gal from "24" (Cloe? I think) look so plain, in real life she's unrecognisable!

I'd been watching the panel for awhile and it wasn't till a scene of her character had played and they followed up with a question to her, and I was like, 'whoa! that's her?'

  I think you may be underestimating knowing what the Stars mean since there are a
whole lot of military members and their families out there. If they are going to do the
military thing it's nice if they get it right. I am fully aware this doesn't mean much to
the average viewer but then many times this is where the average viewer gets their
information. Too many times they show General Officers as old men when in reality
they usually make their first star in their mid to late 40's and have retired by their
mid- 50's.  These are not old coots but I think in the minds of many civilians they
see them played by people well into their 60's and get the wrong idea. Just a pet
peeve of mine when they do military themes. Adam is too old to be  a Major but
they finally promoted him BUT she called him Colonel, which is fine since a Lt. Colonel
is addressed as Colonel, however it's not fine if they promoted him to Colonel instead
of Lt. Colonel because that is not the next rank up. So I will be interested in seeing his
new insignia.

The reason I said that about Bonita is because she always struck me as being in her mid
to late 50's and you see you even think by your statement that General's should be mature
and professional looking which of course many of these men and women are but they aren't
necessarily old looking. Hollywood has done a number on reality in this case.

[Saxon]

Since when has Hollywood ever gotten anything right though. I asked Tom how many people he'd shot when I first met him. heh...I mean, on TV, cops shoot people all the time, right?

I'm sure military folks would know, and just like cop families, they cringe at all the inconsistancies and inaccuracies.

My Uncle was career Navy, and I still never really 'got it'. I know my Aunt never was the typical 'Chief's wife'.

As for me? I've never been able to judge age on people, again, most likely cuz on TV they use 30-something to play highschool kids! On most movies, they have guys 'dating' or being married to gals young enough to be their daughters and no one seems to notice or care.

Personally, I don't really want anyone trying to figure out MY age. heheh...

[Phyll33]

Since when has Hollywood ever gotten anything right though. I asked Tom how many people he'd shot when I first met him. heh...I mean, on TV, cops shoot people all the time, right?

I'm sure military folks would know, and just like cop families, they cringe at all the inconsistancies and inaccuracies.

My Uncle was career Navy, and I still never really 'got it'. I know my Aunt never was the typical 'Chief's wife'.

As for me? I've never been able to judge age on people, again, most likely cuz on TV they use 30-something to play highschool kids! On most movies, they have guys 'dating' or being married to gals young enough to be their daughters and no one seems to notice or care.

Personally, I don't really want anyone trying to figure out MY age. heheh...

  Hollywood always changes things to make a "better" story so they say but when so many
get what they think is true info from these and of course it's wrong then the country as
a whole is in trouble. I'm sure your husband has seen just that in his line of work and
probably has to fight those misperceptions everyday.  Age is kind of relative in Hollywood,
apparently it is what you look like not what you actually are that is most important.

Did you see that video on Glen Beck where the guy was going around interviewing kids
at Berkley and asking history questions which of course they got wrong? Some of the answers
you could tell were given from seeing the wrong info given somewhere.

If there is something military wise that you would like to know don't hesitate to ask. I might
not know it but I do know where to find out.

[Saxon]

Yeah, I love Steven Crowder! He's showing us what these 'institutions of Higher Learning' are 'teaching' these 'kids'.

And yep, Tom does cringe at the misinformation of what TV portrays. They've had cases lost because people think the 'cops must be lying', since on TV things are done 'this way or that'. They think that you can get DNA results back in a few minutes, and that going to court happens within a few minutes of the crime taking place.

I too thought that '4 star generals' were 'old coots' as you say. I guess that would be 'retired' ones, huh?

Tom was very young when he started with the Sheriff's Dept (19), so he could have already retired! BUT, if he waits 2 more years we'll make more when he does, if he holds out for 5 more years, it would be stupid to stay, since he'll actually lose money (it's weird, but plays out that way on paper). He'd be better off retiring and collecting that pay, then getting a parttime job somewhere else (like Disneyland!! Or working as a 'expert' in the entertainment industry, since, as we've bemoaned here, they sure do need it!). heh.

[Phyll33]

Yeah, I love Steven Crowder! He's showing us what these 'institutions of Higher Learning' are 'teaching' these 'kids'.

And yep, Tom does cringe at the misinformation of what TV portrays. They've had cases lost because people think the 'cops must be lying', since on TV things are done 'this way or that'. They think that you can get DNA results back in a few minutes, and that going to court happens within a few minutes of the crime taking place.

I too thought that '4 star generals' were 'old coots' as you say. I guess that would be 'retired' ones, huh?

Tom was very young when he started with the Sheriff's Dept (19), so he could have already retired! BUT, if he waits 2 more years we'll make more when he does, if he holds out for 5 more years, it would be stupid to stay, since he'll actually lose money (it's weird, but plays out that way on paper). He'd be better off retiring and collecting that pay, then getting a parttime job somewhere else (like Disneyland!! Or working as a 'expert' in the entertainment industry, since, as we've bemoaned here, they sure do need it!). heh.

  I was laughing so hard at Crowder. More at the straight face he kept then anything.
When that girl said Benjamin Franklin was her favorite President I thought Good Grief
we're doomed.

  With all the cop shows on I bet he's yelling at the TV all the time. My husband
is so used to them getting military stuff wrong he just shakes his head anymore. I guess
that's better for the blood pressure.
  Yep, most 4 stars are retired in their late fifties. I can't think of too many that I knew
that stayed into their 60's although some have and do. Some have even been called back
after they retire so they would be the old coots.   Not too many are aware of this
but a General is never officially retired. If something major happens they can be called back
any time. Not likely to happen but still always there for them.

  Your retirement sounds like the military. If you retire at 20 years then you get half your
base pay as a pension, if you can stay till 27- 30 you get three quarters of your base pay
for retirement. Some ranks have mandatory requirements for retiring though or at least
they did. They may have extended some since they are trying to keep people in. For Officers
if a Lt. Col. hadn't come out on the promotion list for Col. by 27 years he had to retire, I'm
sure it probably was the same from Major to Lt. Col, somewhere in the early 20+ years. A
Col. has a mandatory retirement of 30 if they haven't come out on the promotion list to BG.
The young man on the board that just retired at 20 from Washington State acted like he
would have liked to stay longer when I told him he was too young to retire yet but he said
they wouldn't let him so I'm assuming he didn't get the promotion he needed to go on. That's
always sad when that happens since so many would like to stay.

Has anyone heard, getting back to the topic of this thread, if Chuck may be able to start
earlier then next year? I hope so. I love to watch this show in the winter months. I hate
starting a series when it is starting to get nice and I want to do other things. Usually I
just wait until the DVD's for those that start late.

[Saxon]

Yeah, I love Steven Crowder! He's showing us what these 'institutions of Higher Learning' are 'teaching' these 'kids'.

And yep, Tom does cringe at the misinformation of what TV portrays. They've had cases lost because people think the 'cops must be lying', since on TV things are done 'this way or that'. They think that you can get DNA results back in a few minutes, and that going to court happens within a few minutes of the crime taking place.

I too thought that '4 star generals' were 'old coots' as you say. I guess that would be 'retired' ones, huh?

Tom was very young when he started with the Sheriff's Dept (19), so he could have already retired! BUT, if he waits 2 more years we'll make more when he does, if he holds out for 5 more years, it would be stupid to stay, since he'll actually lose money (it's weird, but plays out that way on paper). He'd be better off retiring and collecting that pay, then getting a parttime job somewhere else (like Disneyland!! Or working as a 'expert' in the entertainment industry, since, as we've bemoaned here, they sure do need it!). heh.

  I was laughing so hard at Crowder. More at the straight face he kept then anything.
When that girl said Benjamin Franklin was her favorite President I thought Good Grief
we're doomed.

  With all the cop shows on I bet he's yelling at the TV all the time. My husband
is so used to them getting military stuff wrong he just shakes his head anymore. I guess
that's better for the blood pressure.
  Yep, most 4 stars are retired in their late fifties. I can't think of too many that I knew
that stayed into their 60's although some have and do. Some have even been called back
after they retire so they would be the old coots.   Not too many are aware of this
but a General is never officially retired. If something major happens they can be called back
any time. Not likely to happen but still always there for them.

  Your retirement sounds like the military. If you retire at 20 years then you get half your
base pay as a pension, if you can stay till 27- 30 you get three quarters of your base pay
for retirement. Some ranks have mandatory requirements for retiring though or at least
they did. They may have extended some since they are trying to keep people in. For Officers
if a Lt. Col. hadn't come out on the promotion list for Col. by 27 years he had to retire, I'm
sure it probably was the same from Major to Lt. Col, somewhere in the early 20+ years. A
Col. has a mandatory retirement of 30 if they haven't come out on the promotion list to BG.
The young man on the board that just retired at 20 from Washington State acted like he
would have liked to stay longer when I told him he was too young to retire yet but he said
they wouldn't let him so I'm assuming he didn't get the promotion he needed to go on. That's
always sad when that happens since so many would like to stay.

Has anyone heard, getting back to the topic of this thread, if Chuck may be able to start
earlier then next year? I hope so. I love to watch this show in the winter months. I hate
starting a series when it is starting to get nice and I want to do other things. Usually I
just wait until the DVD's for those that start late.

Yeah, I thought Steven Crowder was going to strain something trying to keep a straight face! lol!

Tom always says, 'I don't have to watch it, I live it'. hehe. He does like "Warehouse 13" though.

Right now he's a Sgt., that's the rank of the Coroner, if he wants to retire out at a higher pay, it's tricky. See, the 'brass' don't get overtime. They get a salary. So, he could end up making MUCH LESS (he was the 2nd highest paid employee in the County! Only the Sheriff made more than him this last year!). So, if he promoted, he'd not be the coroner, he'd have to 'baby sit' (which he HATES), and we'd make less money (well, bring in less). BUT, they'd use our 'base pay' to do the figuring for the percentage of what we'd collect in retirement. It's something like '75% at 50' or something...so if he can hold out for a few more years, promote for the last year, then go out (which they HATE and make your life a living heck), then we could do okay. Trouble is, we'll still have to pay for our health insurance without their help...COBRA or something.

And yeah, back to Chuck....I WANT IT NOW!!! lol!