Panty Raid- Theives Steal $4000 in High End Lingerie From California's Victoria's Secret Shop

DISCLAIMER: Not the actual panties stolen

Police in San Diego are searching for two men who were filmed by surveillance cameras stealing hundreds of pairs of panties from a downtown Victoria's Secret shop earlier this week.

The suspects were caught on surveillance camera entering the store, one of them carrying a large shopping bag. His accomplice then scooped up about 300 pairs of panties on display on a table near the entrance, and deposits them in the bag. Moments later, both men leave the store, unnoticed by any of the employees.

"It's not a petty theft or grand theft," said Lt. Andra Brown of the San Diego police department. "It is a felony burglary because they went into that business with the intent to steal."

Now- I suppose the easiest thing in the world would be to make some sort of pun about how authorities promise to get to the bottom of this....oh wait...I just did. So far, police have yet to announce they've made a bust in the case. Of course, if the crooks took nothing but panties, maybe the boosted lingerie should be considered 'low-end'.

San Diego, California News Station - KFMB Channel 8 - cbs8.com

Anywhoo, San Diego Police say that these types of 'stash and dash' robberies are becoming increasingly common as stores get busier for the Christmas shopping season. In November, authorities broke up what they described as a highly organized burgularly ring that targeted retailers such as Bloomingdale's, Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch in San Diego's Fashion Valley.

The sheer quantity of panties stolen would indicate that the thieves likely already had potential buyers lined up or they were confident they could move the merchandise quickly. According to the FBI, organized retail theft rings can be generally described as professional burgulars, shoplifters, cons and fences consipring to steal merchandise at the retail level and sell it at flea markets, online or to move it to other fences. Unlike a one-time opportunist, uch groups will steal electronics, clothing, hardware or even food- sometimes being sent a 'shopping list' from fences and potential buyers in advance.

Victoria's Secret is a subsidary of specialty retailer Limited Brands [NYSE- LTD]. A cursory check of prices on the Victoria's Secret website shows some panties going for as much as $36 a pair.

Happy Earth Day National Pin-Up Day from Not Another New England Sports Blog!

Instead of observing a holiday that was co-founded by a degenerate murdering hippie charlatan like an increasing number of Americans are doing, I'm still lobbying [in vain, apparently- NANESB!] that April 22nd instead feature some sort of official observance for the late Bettie Page.

What is it with chicks and shoes? Am I right, guys?

Actually, since Jayne Mansfield and Bettie Page's birthdays fall within a few days of each other, I wouldn't mind doing a 'National Pin-Up Day'...kinda like President's Day in that it could be used to honor more than one individual. Sunday, April 22nd 2012 marks what would've been Bettie's 89th Birthday. The secretary-turned-model found fame as one of the earliest models for Playboy magazine and went on to model for Irving Klaw and Bunny Yeager. Bettie also reportedly tried pursuing a career as a Broadway and film actress, but her southern accent was said to have hindered her from getting any choice roles.
Although summoned to appear before Congress as part of the 1957 Kefauver Hearings which linked pornography with juvenile delinquency, Paige was never called upon to testify. Paige's personal life afterwards were the subject of a number of conflicting rumors, although by the time she was 'rediscovered' in the late 1980s or early 1990s, she was living alone in the Los Angeles area and reportedly suffering from acute schizophrenia. Paige was reportedly unaware of her resurgent popularity until the 1990s.



While she agreed to licence her name and likeness to sell various items (books, lighters, t-shirts) she declined public appearances, hoping that people would remember her as she looked in the 1950s. With her health abruptly deteriorating, Bettie Paige passed away in December 2008. April 22nd, 2012 marks what would've been Ms Paige's 89th birthday. According to a 2011 Forbes article, Paige's estate remains worth an estimated $6 million, putting her on the magazine's top 20 list of deceased celebrities.

Happy National Cleavage Day From Not Another New England Sports Blog!

You know how some people grouse about how holidays like Valentines Day were merely concocted by Hallmark or FTD to sell flowers and cards?

Not surprisingly, you could accuse National Cleavage Day of being just such a contrived holiday and you would be 100% correct, although I think the purveyors of the March 30th holiday would gladly wear it on their sleeves- or perhaps another garment.


National Cleavage Day actually got its start 10 years ago in South Africa as a promotion by WonderBra and South African radio station 5FM [which I guess would make it INTERnational Cleavage Day- NANESB!]. Over the last 10 years, National Cleavage day was bumped from early April to late March.


For some reason, a holiday designed to sell women's undergarments by highlighting bosoms seemed to gain popularity outside of South Africa. In London, lingerie retailer Ann Summers marked the occasion with a parade of women parading down Oxford Street clad in nothing more than the retailers line of lingerie.

Jayne Mansfield- ahead of her time when it came to National Cleavage Day- Sophia Loren seems to agree.

The WonderBra promoted holiday quickly became one of the top trending topics on twitter on Friday. WonderBra is a subsidiary of Hanes Brands international [NYSE: HBI] although other retailers have managed to capitalize on the holiday as well, as demonstrated by the exhibitionist flash mob in London earlier today.


Given that we're so close to opening day for the Red Sox as well as the goregeous women who are frequently seen in the stands at Fenway, I figured I shouldn't overlook Red Sox Nation's contribution to National Cleavage Day.

Dispatches from The Wonder Years

While growing up in the hinterlands of Western New England, the rabbit ears would catch the signal from the nearest ABC affiliate often enough for me to see The Wonder Years on a pretty regular basis.

The story centered around the day-to-day exploits of adolescent Kevin Arnold (played by Fred Savage) and his family growing up in the suburbs- presumably in an unnamed California municipality- during the tumultuous late 1960s while his older self was often narrating events off screen with the benefit of some introspection and hindsight 20 years later.



And what TV or cinematic depiction of adolescent slice-of-life would be complete without a first crush? In the Wonder Years, that was the button-cute Winnie Cooper (played by Danica McKellar) who would have an on-again, off-again relationship with protagonist Kevin as the series progressed. Interestingly, the recurring role of Kevin Arnold's antagonistic classmate Becky Slater went to Danica's younger sister Crystal.

The series remained on the air until the 1990s and has since been airing in Syndication on the Nickelodeon networks. I'm not 100% sure what the appeal was for me at the time- while there were a few similarities, it wasn't as though the protagonist's life and mine followed similar trajectories [altho we both ended up working for a Chinese restaurant in high school; there was no Wonder Years episode that centered around heavy snowfall or moving out of state, things didn't go nearly as well with my 1st crush and I don't recall Kevin Arnold spending two weeks at Volleyball camp where he was the only male out of 20 or so people. I'm just sayin'- NANESB!].

After the Wonder Years run, Savage would go on to act in some films and other TV Series, including Working and direct episodes of Ugly Betty, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Modern Family and Two Broke Girls.

Danica McKellar, on the other hand, hasn't been quite as visible in TV or film since the Wonder Years wrapped up. 'Why is that?' you might be asking 'What has she been up to since then? Shoplifting? DUI? Drug Possession? Assault conviction? Rehab?'.

Worse than any of those.

She's on Twitter.

Wonder Years star McKellar (in yellow) on USO Tour with Salma Hayek, Garrett Morris and Johnny Grant in 1999- Life Magazine photo

Actually, before the advent of either Twitter or social networking, McKellar earned my gratitude as an infantryman in the United States Army when she toured with Salma Hayek, Saturday Night Live's Garrett Morris and radio personality (and USO ambassador) Johnny Grant with the USO in the late 1990s, visiting the troops in Kosovo.

Usually when I use the phrase MENSA, I typically do so in the snarkiest and most ironic manner possible, but McKellar has demonstrated a MENSA-caliber intellect when it comes to mathematics. While she has managed to land a few roles post Wonder Years, McKellar graduated from UCLA Summa Cum Laude in 1998 and its safe to say is the only child star out there who has a mathematical theorem bearing her name; the Chayes-McKellar-Winn Theorem.

Danica has also gone on to write a pair of books designed to make mathematics studies more appealing to teenage girls- Math Doesn't Suck and Kiss My Math. She also was kind enough to strip down to her lingerie and do some photo shoots for Stuff and Maxim in 2005 and 2010.

While on Twitter the other night, somebody in my timeline had less-than-kind things to say about McKellar's Winnie Cooper character. I replied that she gets a pass as far as I'm concerned because A) She toured with the USO while I was still serving and B) when all is said and done, it's just a TV show.

While checking my account a few hours later, I was pleasantly surprised to receive this message from 'Winnie Cooper' herself.

I have to say, that made my evening. I wasn't really expecting to hear from her at all, and I'm glad to hear from Danica herself that touring with the USO left an impression on her.

These days, McKellar is keeping busy by raising a family, getting ready to release a 3rd math-centric book and has landed some leading roles in a few SyFy Network movies as well as some guest appearances on CBS's The Big Bang Theory [which given the premise of the show, would seem to be right up her alley. Not sure if they have her typecast as 'hot mathematician' yet- NANESB!]. Her son Draco, who just turned 1 in September, had already been to his first Dodgers game.

So just in case there was any question, yes- girl-next-door Winnie Cooper is all grown up.

Although she's spoken for, if that seemingly all-to-rare combination of beauty and brains holds any appeal to you, in addition to her twitter feed, you can also see what Danica's been up to lately at her official website as well as her Facebook page.

Just don't quiz her on the Wonder Years- she may not do as well as you'd expect.


Say- did I mention that McKellar was on the same USO tour as Salma Hayek? Ah, to be driving the Humvee carrying the both of them....