The Private Party in my Head

More disturbing than "People of Walmart"

2009-10-10T08:21:00.001-07:00

Go here and check out the sick, crazy, odd crafts that people try and sell. I think it is a hilarious look at the "minds" of America.

Gay, Lego Zombies - need more?

2009-10-10T08:16:00.000-07:00

I ran across this post on i09 about the Zombie Apocafest - basically a bunch of people make Lego scenes of zombies destroying the earth. A gay parade float zombie attack won most original vehicle.

Click on the link to enjoy the post and galleries.

Tim Gunn - Superhero!

2009-09-06T08:41:00.000-07:00

This is so cool.

The humor of reality.

2009-08-29T08:50:00.001-07:00

This site doesn't have too many pictures yet - but People of Walmart is so funny - and sad.

O.K. crows are creepy.

2009-08-09T20:46:00.001-07:00

A little while ago I heard a story on NPR about the fact that crows can recognize human beings faces even though we can't recognize them.

Now, I read that crows actually will put rocks in a container to raise the water so they can drink. Here is the full story but I have included one of the videos.

Clever rooks repeat ancient fable

Do they have a McDonald's setting.

2009-08-09T20:36:00.001-07:00

Have you ever truly "needed" a Coke? When this need comes upon you there is nothing better than a Coke from McDonald's. I don't know why but it is better than from a can, on tap, or a bottle. It is just amazing. So I hope this new fancy Coke machine better have a McDonald's setting.

Coke's New Soda Machine (aka: Freestyle)

Caoching and Cats

2009-08-09T20:28:00.001-07:00

I am involved in coaching a I like cats. This link leads to the picture that sums both up :)

G.I. Joe dreams

2009-08-08T09:23:00.001-07:00

When I was a kid I was a total G.I. Joe lover - and by that I mean the toys. I had so many of them and their vehicles. I would set up the entire living room as 2 bases and have major invasions and sneak attacks.

I had high hopes when they said they were going to make G.I. Joe a movie. The previews didn't thrill me but this ad campaign pretty much highlights how playing with G.I. Joes went in my head.

This link takes you to io9 page - not able to get the embed code to work for some reason.

Dance Grants Pass - Dance

2009-07-11T19:36:00.001-07:00

So I don't watch America's Got Talent but was bored and surfing this evening and ran across this kid from Grants Pass Oregon doing some breakdancing for the auditions.

One by Each Bridge

2009-07-06T21:58:00.001-07:00

Portland needs one of these at each bridge - for protection!

How is this not in the US and a Tony Winner???

2009-07-06T21:56:00.001-07:00

Because watching it makes the audience go insane.
HE-MAN the BollyWood musical:

Cats getting high on catnip

2009-06-20T14:10:00.001-07:00

Just a little fun and humor - heck even knowledge. Watch as cats get stoned on catnip.

Ahh - a chair company that advises not wearing underwear!

2009-06-20T13:48:00.001-07:00

I am all for good ergonomic posture etc. I think this chair is brilliant. Why - because I am tired of crushing my testicles! :) LOL

This is great product - a great video for a product. Remember loose paints with no underwear is ideal!

Ultimate office chair?

Fun stuff

2009-06-13T09:54:00.001-07:00

I will admit that I tend to go to a lot of "tools" on-line to see if they are very useful, fun, and if I would like to use them a lot. I ran acoss this "wiki-maker" type blog page creater called SpringNote.

Too often, I sign up for the service and play around a bit but then try a new service and forget the previous one. This is quite fun, but then I rarely find out all the features and truly discover if this a tool worthwhile. So I find myself playing with another tool and we will see how long I keep up with it. I will say that I am liking it a lot so far.

This article was written in springnote.

Yes, I am excited for the Piranha remake.

2009-06-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

Almost 30 years ago, I spent the night at my Grandma's house with my sister and my cousin Stacey. Usually, I was the odd man odd as the two girls would play together and often make it their goal to pick on me. On this fateful night, I thought I was going to be put through a living hell. Grandma was going to go to bed and said we could stay up and watch television.

The T.V. gods were generous to me that night. Piranha was showing on TV. Since I was about 5 or 6 and not horror movie savvy, it was one of my first exposures to shlock horror. It made me smile and made my sister and cousin scream. It is one of the few memories I have vividly of ever staying over night at my Grandma's house so I think of it very fondly.

The exciting news - they are remaking this fine movie with the beautiful Elisabeth Shue. (I fell in love with her in Adventures in Babysitting and love her even in crappy movies - how she wasn't a bigger star than 90% of the tripe out there I will never know.) Here is a link to a shot of her on set - she is freaking pumped (both her biceps and her boobs! imagine them in 3D!).

I am ready to see it now.

Must watch trailer!

2009-05-23T09:52:00.001-07:00

Ok - click on this link. Watch the trailer. Pee you pants with excitement!

V - Remaking the 80's

2009-05-23T09:47:00.001-07:00

While Hollywood seems completely devoid of new ideas, they are completely horrible at retelling an old tale the same way it was before. The remake bandwagon continues with V. I am a fan of the original for all of the great cheesecake moments and the fun concept. Hell, I even bought and red the new book V: The Second Generation from the original creator Kenneth Johnson. So I am very leery over the up coming ABC reboot of the V T.V. show. At least Alan Tudyk is in it.

ABC's 'V' - Upfront Trailer - with Elizabeth Mitchell

Do they all need to be tortured to get the point?

2009-05-23T09:35:00.001-07:00

On Friday, this video of Mancow getting water boarded was all over the place. Why? Because he immediately changes his mind and states that it is torture. My question - do we really need to water board them all for them to get the point?

Mancow Waterboard

A little extra sleep in the morning

2009-04-25T11:09:00.001-07:00

I would love to have an extra half hour of sleep in the morning - that would require me to get ready in 5 minutes. I would need to be as innovative as this crazy Japanese video shows. Unfortunately, I don't think I am physically fit enough to pull of some of these moves. How do you pull your pants up without your hands? See below:

Laughter in the Morning - Richard Simmons

2009-04-25T11:05:00.001-07:00

This is a hilarious video of "nice guy" Richard Simmons to go crazy over and over.

A little odd indulgence - Janet Jackson

2009-04-25T11:03:00.001-07:00

Crooks and Liars does a Late Night Music Club - here the poster waxes nostalgic about Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation.

I remember staying up for Friday Night Videos to enjoy this gem. :)

Janet Jackson "Rhythm Nation" (Official)

Very Cool Light Show

2009-04-25T10:59:00.001-07:00

Extremely cool light show used with mapped High Def projectors.

A little dedication to my friend Noland

2009-04-23T08:39:00.001-07:00

For some reason Noland is popping up all over the Web. Well, not Noland the man but more like essence of Noland. I think he may be haunting the web.

First, I ran across this lovely post on how to make your own bacon. Then a post on a reporter that says a very bad word on a live TV feee.

Then of course there was the post about a rumor Burger King making a sandwich that is a sloppy joe inside a fried shell.

Followed up by the "Flaming Bacon Lance of Death"

Flaming Bacon Lance of Death, from Theo Gray's book "Mad Science"

The final topping to all of this was a post on the guys who have created bacon salt.

I think there may be a ghost in the machine - and I worry that its name is Noland.

Cute and detrmined!

2009-04-18T12:45:00.001-07:00

My eyes are burning already!

2009-04-11T08:21:00.000-07:00

In this article from the BBC a woman eats 51 ghost chilies in 2 minutes. That is the craziest thing I have heard - one of the "closest" records they mention is someone who ate 8 jalapenos in a minute.

An ominous version of Wall-E

2009-03-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

This mash up of Wall-E with the Watchmen theme song bring out the dark side of the children's movie in a very effective way.

Sometimes you just want to puch someone in the n***

2009-03-28T09:33:00.001-07:00

LOL - This is not safe for work - unless you have a really cool job.

Cock Shot from Invisible Engine on Vimeo.

KFC bowl - funny and yet sad.

2009-03-28T09:02:00.000-07:00

If only KFC was open at 2:00 in the morning - we could really enjoy the depression of eating a KFC bowl!

Enough cuteness to make you sick.

2009-03-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs a dose of cuteness once in a while - here is your daily dose!

Lovely Kitten Bobo @ Yahoo! Video

1.2 Miles of Vodka

2009-03-13T13:26:00.000-07:00

I like me some vodka and all but these inventive folks decided the best way to get some cheap drinks was to build a 1.2 mile pipeline and smuggle it across a country's border. That is dedication to the drink. Read more here at Gizmodo.

Let your 4 year old drive!

2009-03-13T12:29:00.000-07:00

This is a funny video of suped up Power Wheels. I would live to see a 4 year old kid strapped into the Barbie Corvette and allowed to drive-baby-drive.

Wonder Woman MOVIE!!!

2009-03-03T19:07:00.000-08:00

That's right - the Wonder Woman movie has been made! O.K. so it is an animated movie but that is all right since Bruce Timm is producing! The DVD came out today and Cesar was nice enough to order one for me and it arrived today as well. I am looking forward to watching it. Here is a great review of the movie from Wired.com - this quote here should wet your appetite - "Bruce Timm has admitted that the first cut of the movie sent to the MPAA received an R rating."

Set the DVR!

2009-03-02T19:59:00.001-08:00

The cast of Start Trek: The Next Generation is reuniting on an episode of Family Guy. The episode airs on March 29th. Check out this post on iO9.

Happy Clouds!

2009-03-02T19:57:00.001-08:00

Stuart Semple - an artist - created happy clouds and released them over London. There were made of soap, helium and vegetable and each lasted about 30 minutes. He released over 2000. Check out the web site stuartsemple.com as well as the video below.

No matter what they do - I love me some Billy Idol

2009-03-02T19:51:00.001-08:00

Here is a link to a boingboing post - video is also on Funny or Die. It is the Billy Idol video for White Wedding. Instead of the actual lyrics they sing what is actually happening in the video.

Fresh OJ - Not so fresh?

2009-03-02T19:42:00.001-08:00

Ran across this story on boinboing that talks about how processed OJ is and the fact that "not from concentrate" does not mean it didn't sit around for a year before you get it.

Weird.

Trader Joe's fan video

2009-02-11T17:38:00.001-08:00

Everything you love and hate about Trader Joe's.

Hello 3-D - Coraline a quick review.

2009-02-07T12:15:00.000-08:00

Last night, Cesar and I decided to do dinner and a movie. This is something we used to do often but with a lack of movies we were excited to see we just haven't in a while. First we went to Toji - my favorite Korean eatery. If I ever get a bad meal there I think I will fear the world is ending. I had some great Kimchee soup and a seaweed salad.

We had purchased tickets to go see the late show of Coraline at Cinetopia in Vancouver. I enjoyed Neil Gaiman's book and also the work of Henry Zelick. The movie was going to be in 3-D. I haven't see a movie use 3-D since some bad Friday the 13th or Freddy movie way back when.

Once I became used to the glasses - thank goodness they had 3-D trailers for Ice Age and Monsters Vs. Aliens - 3-D really came to life. It is so much better than it used to be. It really brough some magic to certain shots/textures used in the movie. The best part was that the movie didn't aim everything to be part of the zooming in and out 3-D world. They used it effectively and made it fun for all.

The movie was very enchanting and was a fun spooky/scary fairy tale. I highly recommend it!

How can you not love a fat cat.

2009-02-03T18:35:00.000-08:00

Now this is the type of fat cat I want to be :)

Billy Idol down with Banjos

2009-02-01T08:44:00.000-08:00

Some people got their hands on Microsofts Songsmith software - and here is the result.

Love/Hate affair with Iowa (Pt 2)

2009-01-26T09:33:00.003-08:00

Part 2

The trip has been its usual good and bad. I have already heard friends and family that believe in conspiracies (Barak Obama is not a U.S. Citizen) and some other right wing things I do not believe in the slightest. But at the same time, I see this article in the Carroll Paper that highlights Obama's visits to the area and the role Iowa played. Unfortunately, the web version does not show one of the coolest pictures I have seen. It is Obama in a high school gym in Denison, IA giving a speech to a bunch of old, white, people who are all smiling and cheering wildly! I have also seen a variety of bumper stickers etc. that would do us all proud.

I also have already eaten some other really good food. My cousin, Stacey, bought a new house and made us a great dinner last night. She also had homemade sugar cookies (my favorite). I ate at Hunan's Chinese restaraunt. This is the first Chinese place I ever ate at and their food always brings back great memories. Back in high school they had a tiny little spot but now they have a beautiful and very large restaraunt. The couple that runs the place is very friendly and they remember everyone. This morning I am fending for myself for food but tonight mom is making a roast with potatos and carrots - simple but very good.

Yesterday, I was able to enjoy what small town life really offers - good neighbors. Every morning after church. My parents go to one of the local establishments and sit around and have coffee with other people from town. The group varies is size and who shows any given day. What is amazing from this group is the communication level that occurs. Everyone talks and everyone listens. People will ask questions, clarify, truly want to understand. They will offer help if they can and they follow up on what they have heard previously. At moments it feels like everyone knows everyone's business and how annoying - yet then again - no one is alone in this town. Little old ladies are alone because people check up on each other. They watch houses to make sure nothing happens and the minute something happens - they immediately bring food. Often this food is pie - because pie seems to cure many things. It always amazes me because I feel like I had very little contact with some of these people but when I return they can remember what I told them I was going to be doing last time and they follow up.

Today, I am home alone and fending for myself because a neighbor of mom and dad's passed away. This morning is the town funeral. Everyone that can attend does. There is procession parked in front of church. After the funeral, everyone will gather at the legion where volunteers (usually the lady forresters) will serve dinner to everyone. People will have brought salads and deserts and then the goup make a main dish to serve to everyone. It runs like a well oiled machine - even if you are the lowliest of people in this town - they do send you off in style. I watched my mom pass by the window just a bit ago. The funeral service must be done and she is walking downtown to help with the meal. (Remember it is 11 degrees above zero and everyone does this cheerfully.)

There are good things and bad things with coming back to Iowa - but I will say it does always feel like home.

(Oh here is one cool bit of news - as the economy goes bad there is a bit of a highlight from my little home town. Toyne is a production company that builds firetrucks. It is all done in this one little town and they are expanding!) If you still think fire trucks are cool - see what is made here.)

Love/Hate affair with Iowa (Pt 1)

2009-01-26T09:33:00.001-08:00

A Love/Hate affair with Iowa -

Some of you may know that I am currently in Iowa. I was fortunate enough to find some cheap air fare back to my home stomping grounds during my "forced time off" from my job. I appreciate that my employer is doing what it can to hold on to jobs as long as possible but being forced to take time off is never a fun position to be in.

I left Saturday morning and had a fairly uneventful travel day. I had the joy of being slapped with reality as I flew into Omaha and preceded to hear some backward conversation coming from the couple sitting next to me. She continued to refer to Barak Obama as that "Son of a Bitch" while she held her 10 Commandments bookmark in her French manicured, fake baked, tan hand. I think I would have said something but every time I opened my mouth a received whiff of the over powering perfume she was wearing and it would just make me gag and have to turn away. I don't think I realized how clever they had become in thwarting rational conversation. Oh well - I was almost going to see my parents so why start on a bad note.

The plane landed, I got my bags (oh I will spare you my rant on idiots who haven't figured out how to fly or the stupid airlines - I don't want to suffer a heart attack and die on my trip so I will just say - IDIOTS!) and found mom and dad. It was time to enter the 8 degree weather and head out. Yes, I said 8 degrees. Surprisingly, I forgot how not so bad 8 degrees really is. As long as there is no wind - I was doing fine. The temperature did allow me to continually say "Thanks for the warm reception." to anyone I could. See how clever I am? Of course, it was time to eat.

Eating at Perkins after getting picked up at the airport is now a tradition. We have done it twice and I plan on continuing it. I don't know what it is about Perkins - but it just rules for me. I have never had bad service or food while being there. This time I realized that at Perkins, even when everyone at every table seems to be talking normally, the overall restaurant is quiet. You can still talk in normal tones and be heard by others at your table. I am sure it has to do with the carpeting, ceiling tiles, and fact that the kitchen is enclosed so you don't hear/see it but it does make it nice to sit down and have a conversation with your family. (Oh I had pot roast, mashed potatoes, and corn. Dad had the full turkey dinner with caramel apple pie for desert. Mom decided to go with the potato pancakes. In case you were looking for recommendations when you go.)

The drive home allowed me a chance to practice my winter driving skills. There was a slight bit of snow - say 1-2 inches coming down and blowing directly at my windshield. This gives that great hypnotizing effect while driving. There was little traffic so that allowed just enough snow to stick to the road so you couldn't see the lines and tell where the road ended. I think I scared my mom when I reminded her that I hadn't driven in anything like that in about 8 years. So with a top speed of about 45 and a few times of complete white out (where you can't even see where the front of your car is) we continued on. Luckily after about 45 miles it become a little clearer and we were able to pick up speed.

It has been just over a year since I was home. At that time they had about 60 wind turbines up and around Breda. That number has increased to 100. As I drive to my home town, it is kind of eerie at night. You can't see the turbines, but each one of them has a red light at the very top of the tower that flashes. They all flash in unison. They are on. They are off. This occurs in a very slow, pulsing rhythm. It looks like the aliens have landed. I asked my mom and dad if they were fortunate enough to see any reduction in their power costs with so much wind power around. I was sadly informed that all the power goes to Chicago through the grid and they see no benefit. I think this is a shame - the power of 3 or 4 of those turbines could probably provide free energy for all the people in the area, but currently they see little benefit from it.

(End part 1)

Technorati Tags travel,home,Iowa

GREAT AD! and not safe for work!

2009-01-17T13:32:00.001-08:00

Here is a fun condom ad - give yourself a little giggle.

Helen Thomas - Can you believe Bush dissed her?

2009-01-17T13:24:00.000-08:00

While I don't always believe that tradition is something that needs to be adhered to, I do think there are some traditions that everyone agrees to out of respect for all participants.

When Bush didn't call on Helen Thomas first - it probably wasn't the biggest deal but not calling on her at all shows what a coward he really was. Here is a link to an interview Helen Thomas did recently.

I agree with another blogger that stated it would be great if Obama would call on her first in his first official press conference. He will be the 10th president she has covered.

MUST HAVE SNUGGIE, MUST HAVE SNUGGIE!

2009-01-17T13:09:00.000-08:00

Free drinks anyone?

2009-01-08T22:00:00.000-08:00

So Lifehaker finds a web site that lets you know where there is promotional free drinks but Portland is not on the list yet. Lets hope that it does soon. With this economy, I need free and I need booze!

Myopenbar

Free drinks anyone?

2009-01-08T21:53:00.000-08:00

The technology of the yellow line.

2009-01-08T21:42:00.000-08:00

The yellow, first down line has been around for a little while and I have actually begun to take it for granted. This video is a great insight into all the tech that goes in to producing that golden glow.

Congratulations Minnesota

2009-01-08T21:38:00.000-08:00

Congratulations on electing Al Franken as your senator - let him bring some life to the party.

SOLID GOLD - Al Franken & Tom Davis - The Rolling Stones!!

Losing your pants - in the cold - no no no!

2009-01-08T20:37:00.000-08:00

Being de-pants is one thing. In the cold - that is just cruel. Especially when you are stuck hanging upside down.

9 The animated short

2009-01-08T20:27:00.000-08:00

Nine Shane Acker - 2005

A friend of mine turned me on to the trailer for the full length movie and I wanted to share the animated short which is quite good as well. I am looking forward to the movie.

Is it good that dad's are spending more time with their kids?

2008-12-26T12:45:00.001-08:00

I am sure mom thought it was great that dad wanted to spend more time with the kid. At which point he put the kid in a chair and said, "Watch me play video games while mom is gone."

Hey at least it was quality time!

Love it - but is it over yet?

2008-12-22T10:35:00.000-08:00

I think the snow is about as beautiful as it can be. It is light and powdery. My back yard view looks like a postcard. Now can it stop! I am sorry, but this is part of the reason I left the Midwest. I hate scooping (I am lazy). I hate idiot drivers - this combined with the fact that I work 20 miles away - makes it very hard for me to get to work on days like this. (It would take 3 hours one way under normal circumstances).

Oh well, I at least don't have to worry about going to work till next Monday. Hopefully we will have some thaw by then and if I work an hour a day - I may even get that driveway shovelled.

Movie Trailer - Samurai Zombi

2008-12-20T08:42:00.000-08:00

A tasty idea!

2008-12-18T17:16:00.000-08:00

I ran across this little tidbit - Iowa received 18,000 pounds of garlic salt from a local spice company - Tone's (very tasty stuff by the way). They mixed it with regular road salt and used it to de-ice.

Yeah for recycling!

Ants will rule the world!

2008-12-11T19:42:00.000-08:00

Wow - this is an amazing piece on an ant colony. They pour cement down a hole and excavate it. It goes to show how advanced everything is in its own way.

Where are all the shoppers?

2008-12-06T20:07:00.000-08:00

It was a sunny, great early winter day today. Cesar and I decided we would kill a little time by making a trek down to Fry's and the outlet mall. We stopped at Fry's first and was completely suprised - there were hardly any cars in the parking lot and few people inside. I know the economy is going south but I thought there would at least be some window shoppers out and about. We were looking at the cooking ranges - and the poor sales guy almost begged us to buy something today. I am sure these guys are suffering a lot with the lack of shoppers.

The outlet mall was a little better. There were at least people milling around. It wasn't as busy as it has been other years (two shops were closing completely).

Just another sign that things are going to be tough this season.

The credit crunch

2008-12-06T08:27:00.000-08:00

I am by far a financial wiz. I don't pay nearly the attention I should to the economy as a whole or how markets affect me etc. Some of this goes to my upbringing. Pay as you go - if you can't pay - you don't go. Hard work is rewarded in the end and savings are important if you can do it.

Unfortunately, in today's world it is more about investing than in actual work. More about playing the game than doing the best that you can. The double edge sword in this is that you usually need a strong pot of money to start playing the game in the first place.

It is always good when people who are not so versed in topics can find explanations that make sense. I ran across this video from Marketplace.org that explains how credit card and other debt can become security backed - and it is described in a clear and concise manner.

How credit cards become asset-backed bonds from Marketplace on Vimeo.

The Transporter as a gay character? :)

2008-12-01T19:49:00.000-08:00

The thought that the character in The Transporter movies was gay can make one's heart go all a pitter-patter. Even if they aren't great movies - they have a great leading man. This article over at JoBlo states that the director of the second movie directed it as if the trasnporter was gay.

Fish for Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T20:10:00.000-08:00

Gathering with friends for Thanksgiving is always a wonderful time. This year we had a some of the wonderful views of Blue Planet in the background on Jenn and Noland's lovely 50" TV. One other unique fish viewing that came across my web pages was on Io9. The Magnapinna, is a relative of the squid and only has been viewed a few times. Click over to io9 and check out the video.

MMMM - O.K.

2008-11-25T20:59:00.000-08:00

Coraline - Amazing detail in this film.

2008-11-22T15:28:00.001-08:00

I am very excited about the upcoming stop-motion movie Coraline. The original novella by Neil Gaiman was a fun children's story and the movie looks like it captures much of the magic.

This link connects you to a story on io9 that describes all the detail that goes into making these movies.

It looks wonderful.

Great movie poster!

2008-11-17T19:29:00.001-08:00

You will have to click on this link to see a great poster for a B Horror flick - Otto; or Up With Dead People.

Humor to wake up by - cat in a box

2008-11-08T09:55:00.001-08:00

Some days getting started off right by running across a video that sums things up so wonderfull. I present Maru - the cat in the box.

Obama Wins!

2008-11-04T21:02:00.001-08:00

I am not going to blog a whole lot on this topic but wanted to point out one little thing:

McCain gets up to give his speech. As soon as he mentions Obama, the crowd boos. He does try and quiet them but not very hard and with little success.

Obama gets up to speak and says he received a gracious call from McCain. The crowd cheered McCain and applauded.

That is the difference as to why the right team won.

Driving home on a Sat. night

2008-11-02T09:52:00.000-08:00

Driving home on Sat. night, til tuesday's song Voice Carry came on the radio. It was one of those songs that immediately takes me back - mostly becuase of Aimee Mann's voice that I don't mistake it for some other song. Cesar asked me when the song came out and I guessed 1982. The joys of modern technology allowed Cesar to Wikipedia it to find out for sure. Since I had the joy of the musical flashback, I thought I would share.

Non Political humor and music!

2008-11-02T09:32:00.000-08:00

Ah the Lords of Acid - I so remember so many "not right" moments occurring to their music. Ran across this video that in a humorous way combines the raunch of the music with the cuteness of kittens! NOT SAFE FOR WORK :)

More political humor - with music!

2008-11-02T09:29:00.001-08:00

Here is a cute political video - with both humor and music. (It is also quite scary at the same time.)

Everyone needs a laugh first thing in the morning!

2008-11-02T09:22:00.000-08:00

I woke up a little early with the time change - and probably cause of the nap I had yesterday - and decided to catch up on some blog reading. On Crooks and Liars they had a video clip of Bill Maher doing his New Rules from Real Time. It is a wrap up of the campaign season. The clip is well worth the watch and I am suprised I didn't wake Cesar with my laughing.

Clip found on Crooks and Liars

Dancing Heads!

2008-11-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

In viewing this little number from YouTube, all I could think of was an army of the "heads in jars" from Futurama dancing away.

Children are evil

2008-10-27T14:09:00.000-07:00

LOL I have always said that children are evil and now they are making a movie to prove it! Check out the trailer: The Children

Granny with a gun.

2008-10-27T14:03:00.001-07:00

I am not sure if I should laugh, be scared, sad, or begin arguing that there should be no limit to the age of those that serve in the military?

Solar furnace - want one

2008-10-27T14:01:00.000-07:00

Cool video of a solar furnace melting steel.

Working from home.

2008-10-27T13:23:00.000-07:00

I am working from home today - a.k.a. I am home sick. I think a lack of sleep since last weekend finally caught up with me. I woke up with a killer sinus headache - called in and went back to bed. Now to get to work - catching up on some blogging.

The trip to Reno was fun - but definitely is not Vegas. I will say that the trip went really smoothly. There were absolutely no hitches with travel, bags, hotel, etc. and the weather was great the whole time as well. We flew out on Thursday after work (amazingly there was no price difference for leaving on Thursday instead of waiting for Friday morning). We landed in Reno early, the shuttle was there waiting and in 15 minutes we were checking in. We stayed at the Silver Legacy Hotel probably one of the nicer places I have actually stayed. It was connected to the El Dorado and Circus Circus. We did some exploring and grabbed some food - dropped $20 on slots and went to bed.

Friday we tackled our first breakfast buffet. What a beautiful thing - breakfast buffet - especially when the food is good. Over breakfast we talked about things we could do. A trip to Tahoe sounded like a good idea. There was a Hertz rental car agent in the hotel lobby so we went to check it out. $90 bucks for an SUV for the day. Thanks but no thanks, but oh wait - if you go to the airport you can have a full sized car for $40. Thanks to a 10 minute free shuttle ride to the airport - we were on our way to Tahoe

From Reno and halloween

Tahoe was pretty - a very resort little town. It is fun to see the casinos on the NV side but not on the CA side. We toured around a little and then headed back. Carson city was the tourist trap on the way back. It is much more impressive on TV shows - lol. After that it was time to hit some of the casinos on the outskirts of town. The Grand Sierra was fine and then headed to the Peppermill.

I am not quite sure how to describe the Peppermill - it is kinda like being killed with color. I think there is actual mind manipulation that goes on there. The neon and various color schemes just is beyond words. It was quite an experience - they have a restaurant that has these cool glass jellyfish lights. They also have a sea food buffet - Happy Birthday to Cesar - we ate a lot of good grub.

Time to call it a day - dropped the car off at the hotel. It was very convienent not to need to take the car back to the airport. Sat. we hung out and toured downtown Reno. There really isn't much in downtown Reno. They do have a nice river that runs through downtown and I guess people actually white water kayak down it.

From Reno and halloween

Sat. night was a good night - we found a Martini bar happy hour! They were very good martinis - they basically made any mixed drink from pure alcohol. The best part about good booze is that you can get drunk but not suffer much of a hangover! After drinking it was time for a quick dinner and more gambling. Over all - I think we went to 8 casino over the weekend and while I didn't come out ahead I didn't lose much either.

Sunday was a day to relax. The flight home wasn't until 8:30. We had breakfast and decided to see what movies were playing. When we reached the theater Max Payne was playing so we said what the heck - a cheesy action movie could be good. It wasn't - all I need to say on that. A few hours later it was off to the airport and home.

A fun trip and a good weekend away!

John Cleese's take on Sarah Palin

2008-10-21T19:03:00.001-07:00

Now here is an effective ad.

2008-10-21T18:58:00.000-07:00

Laugh a little!

2008-10-11T08:36:00.000-07:00

Betty White shows why comedy is an art - the timing and the facial expresssions are just priceless!

Have you had your web therapy?

2008-10-09T19:57:00.000-07:00

McCain - not even maverick enough to stand up to his crowd.

2008-10-06T19:29:00.000-07:00

In the above video - listen to what the audience member calls Obama - a terrorist. John McCain obviously hears it - you can tell by his reaction - and says nothing. How do people call him a hero when this is what his response is? Oh, well I suppose when his running mate has been telling people that Obama is "friends with terrorists" we shouldn't be expecting much.

Idiots at the store.

2008-10-04T19:05:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we go to Fred Meyer to get some of those weekly groceries, food for tonight and a log for the first fire in our fireplace!

Of course we end up buying more than we expect and head over to the exit by our car. There is only one checker by this door and I worry there is going to be a line. LUCK - only one couple checking out and have only 6 items or so. As they begin to check out, they have three pairs of kids boots of which they are still talking with the kid about which 2 he wants. The lady proceeds to tell the clerk they don't want one of the pairs. Then they decide they need to do 2 different transactions for the 5 items they have now. All of a sudden she decides that she doesn't want a large wicker basket that the clerk scanned. She also has to point out to the clerk - for no reason - that the shoes are buy one- get one free.

Observing this whole transaction really annoyed me. Why people are unwilling to make their decisions before they get to the check out? Can't they do the math as they shop to know how much they spend? Oh wait, probably not. I used to work in retail and dealing with idiots like this was never fun. It also adds work to have to return all of the crap that people bring up for no reason. The two transactions for 5 items was just dumb as well. Oh, and you don't have to tell clerks that things are on sale etc. unless they don't ring up right. All of the pricing is in the computer - just telling a clerk doesn't amount to much. I think all of this really annoyed me because of all the shopping carts in the parking lot - in parking spaces. Americans have become so lazy in not being able to put carts in their little corrals.

Oh well - now I am sitting in front of a lovely fire and my annoyance is disappearing nicely. :)

I know where Noland really was on Sat.

2008-09-21T13:46:00.001-07:00

PICKLEFEST!!!!!

As viewed here on Boing Boing.

LOL - I can just imagine Noland surround by pickles, pickle makers, and pickle fans!

Have you seen this?

2008-09-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

I am suprised to hear that Marvel Comics played it on ESPN. Does it make you curious? Was it an effective ad?

PC needs Mac too.

2008-09-21T13:14:00.000-07:00

I had to laugh when I ran across this post on Boing Boing. Someone looked at the coding and found out they had to make the PC ad on a Mac. While I haven't gotten to use a Mac regularly since college (10 years ago), I too can see how sad it is to not use your own brand of equipment to make the advertising for it.

Beginning to hit back hard.

2008-09-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

While I do think it is a shame that America tends to respond to negative campaigning over honest information and details and facts, I am happy that Obama is finally getting some serious hits in. This speech he gave on Sat. does a nice summary of the previous week and how ridiculous McCain has become.

The spider goes down the hole.

2008-09-13T16:29:00.000-07:00

I composed a post earlier about the 50 foot mechanical spider on the prowl in Europe. Here is the wrap up of that bizarre trek.

Gremlins on DVD

2008-09-06T09:42:00.000-07:00

There is that scene in Gremlins where the film breaks and they play it up as if the gremlins were taking over the theater. A fan has decided to update that scene for DVD generation. A fun and pretty well done clip of the gremlins plaguing many different movies.

Daily Show only?

2008-09-06T09:31:00.000-07:00

I am beginning to think that we should require America to watch no other news source than The Daily Show:

I love headlines like "50 foot mechanical spider"

2008-09-06T09:13:00.000-07:00

I have been following this story a little bit through various blogs and finally have come across a very interesting video.

The 50-Foot Mechanical Spider Comes to Life - and they are not lieing. Flip over to Gizmodo for a great video.

Mona Lisa - Mythbuster's style

2008-08-28T21:16:00.000-07:00

This was a fun little display to watch -

Don't forgot The Middleman!

2008-08-14T22:06:00.000-07:00

I saw a post for the TV show The Middleman on i09 a few weeks ago and had nothing better to watch on a Monday night at 9:00 (The Closer's new season had not started yet.). I fell in love with the show. It plays like a cross between the 60's campy Batman, Men in Black, and a comic book cross over. There are some really good lines in it and Natalie Marales and Matt Kessler cook up some great chemistry.

I watched the last two episodes tonight on the DVR and was laughing like crazy. The show isn't for anyone - Cesar does not like it. I was even inspired to go to the website and make my own avatar. My name is Ray Pierre and my Middleman nickname is The Menace.

Have fun!

Hot, fun, comic cover.

2008-08-14T22:02:00.000-07:00

I ran across this great image from a Black Panther comic book that shows Storm in a funked up 70's garb.

Credit card companies - crazy and STUPID!

2008-08-13T19:58:00.000-07:00

So I look in the mail today and find a credit card bill, sent to my old address, from a card that has been cancelled for over 4 months.

Of course, I have the joy of calling and wading through phone menu hell to finally talk to someone. I was politely told (I will give credit to the customer service woman - she was very nice) that there was a $1.13 credit on the account that was cleared off and so the computer automatically sends out another statement every time activity occurs.

The problem are many - 1) The account was closed months ago - why is any activity occurring? 2) They sent statements to addresses after they have been closed - any thought that maybe the people closed it because they weren't going to be there? 3) Statements have names and account numbers on them - and they didn't do anything to verify the information other than ask for the account number and the name THEY WERE ON THE BILL THEY SENT TO THE WRONG ADDRESS!

How these companies are allowed to do such practices in a time of identity theft just amazes me.

Man Crush! Robert Downey Jr.

2008-08-13T07:46:00.000-07:00

Ok, I ran across this cute video of Robert Downey Jr on JoBlo.com when he was 5 years old. If you think he was cute now - wait till you see how your children with him could turn out.

Unsung actresses

2008-08-13T07:40:00.000-07:00

One thing about watching movies over the years - I have noticed the huge trend of actresses coming and going while male actors (especially the stars) stick around year after year. This observation is nothing new to most people but rarely do I run across articles that help to highlight some talented people that are overlooked.

This article is about Joan Allen - and the quality of class. I appreciate that John Farr wrote it and that he wrote it about a non-20 something actress.

Let me ride your Batmobile!

2008-08-12T21:33:00.000-07:00

Some people get way into movies, some people get way into cars, some of us just read about cars in movies. HowStuffWorks has a great post on all the ins and outs of the actual batmobile. It may be more than you really want to know but I found it a fun read.

Ducati RC - a friend of mine would love this

2008-08-12T21:28:00.000-07:00

AJ - just for you:

To see more about this little speedster check out Gizmodo.

The Simpson version of your favorite hero.

2008-08-12T21:15:00.000-07:00

See all your favorites at Gizmodo.

Cokie needs to leave the building.

2008-08-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

I heard this segment on NPR on my way to work - it was not on ABC's this week. This means she repeated this factoid more than once, "going off this week I know his grandmother lives in Hawaii and I know Hawaii is a state, but it has the look of him going off to some sort of foreign, exotic place. He should be at Myrtle Beach and if he’s going to take a vacation at this time. I just think this is not the time to do that."

I amost fell over. While Hawaii is a beautiful place that is unique, it is a state. The fact that a presidential candidate decided to vacation in a U.S. state should not be a "story" of any kind. I have caught many other of Cokie's pieces on my drives to work and they are all pretty much at this depth. Sad.

A video search site -better than just YouTube

2008-08-02T12:05:00.000-07:00

I ran across this video web site. Cleepr. It pulls YouTube videos but does a good job of filtering out people singing crap or irrelevant stuff.
Here is a great sample of what can be found - Bjork and Skunk Anansie on stage together live!

This is why Natalie Portman is a star.

2008-08-02T08:18:00.000-07:00

Check out this groovy video starring Natalie Portman: Devendra Banhart, Carmensita