Create your own campaign ad to run for president!
This is one of the most creative apps I've seen in quite awhile.
VERY CREATIVE! Try it:
Viral Marketing Interface for Election 2008
Make your own campaign ad, running for president, and watch the video until the end, and then you can see how it's done!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Grumpy Yorkie video
We have recently been in-demand as animal trainers for commercials and Janet is currently training Noël to waive goodbye while sitting up, and easy task compared to the time she had to train Scout the horse to lick a wounded woman’s hand on the TV show ER.
Janet with Noah Wyle (Dr. Carter) on the set of ER
The grumpy puppy!
The dog training is going quite well, but Noël gets grumpy! She does not like begging and waving her paw, but she will do it, albeit quite reluctantly.
In the video below, note how Noël become increasingly pissed-off at Janet, growling and complaining! Who ever said that the life of a dog actress would be easy! (double click to play video)
Janet with Noah Wyle (Dr. Carter) on the set of ER
The grumpy puppy!
The dog training is going quite well, but Noël gets grumpy! She does not like begging and waving her paw, but she will do it, albeit quite reluctantly.
In the video below, note how Noël become increasingly pissed-off at Janet, growling and complaining! Who ever said that the life of a dog actress would be easy! (double click to play video)
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Mail order the perfect thank you gift
Buying gifts for co-workers and friends is tough!
In my other blog entries, I’ve discussed by idea for a redneck gift basket, and I talk about the perfect food gifts for fiends and co-workers, but I think that I’ve found the perfect gift!
I used to send people Texas Style ribs and brisket at Coopers BBQ, a life-changing experience for the meat lover:
BBQ by mail is not for everyone . . .
Different people like different things, and there are lots of opportunities for a FUBAR when sending a gift:
- Sending BBQ pork to a Kosher family
- Sending Carnegie Cheesecake to an obese family
- Sending steaks to a Hindu family
So, what makes a great all-purpose food gift? Something upscale, affordable, with a taste that everyone likes . . . .
Everybody likes candy, and we may remember back in the 1980’s when President Reagan quit smoking and started eating “Jelly Belly” gourmet jelly beans”. Back then, they were very expensive (they still are not cheap), and they had the aura of a true gourmet food.
You may not be able to live in a mansion and drive a Rolls Royce, but you could now afford the world's best jelly beans! These Jelly Belly 50 flavor samplers are great fun at parties, guessing the flavors blindfolded:
It’s especially fun to have a blind tasting contest, and see if you can guess the flavors. It’s just like a Whitman Sampler; there is a “key” to the flavors on the back of the box lid:
The Jelly Belly 50 flavor sampler - Only $16.95
It’s fun for young and old alike. Some flavors like “buttered popcorn” sound weird, but the taste is true! And the Jalapeño jelly beans area real treat too!
As candy, they are not too fattening either! They are only 4 calories each!
The best place to buy these is on candycrate.com, best prices and fast shipping. At only $16.95 on Candy Crate, it’s a great deal, since they wholesale for over $12.00 (hey, somebody has to buy retail!).
Jelly Belly goes Mainstream
No longer just a gourmet snack, Jelly Belly is redefining themselves, andf they are constantly introducing new Jelly Belly flavor concepts, like these “manly” flavors:
And these, “energizing” Jelly Belly beans, just for sportsmen:
And, of course, they need a creepy mascot:
With all of this expansion, and the emerging interest in gourmet redneck cuisine, it won’t be long until Jelly Belly starts making flavors just for rednecks:
For more, see my other notes on buying gourmet food online.
In my other blog entries, I’ve discussed by idea for a redneck gift basket, and I talk about the perfect food gifts for fiends and co-workers, but I think that I’ve found the perfect gift!
I used to send people Texas Style ribs and brisket at Coopers BBQ, a life-changing experience for the meat lover:
BBQ by mail is not for everyone . . .
Different people like different things, and there are lots of opportunities for a FUBAR when sending a gift:
- Sending BBQ pork to a Kosher family
- Sending Carnegie Cheesecake to an obese family
- Sending steaks to a Hindu family
So, what makes a great all-purpose food gift? Something upscale, affordable, with a taste that everyone likes . . . .
Everybody likes candy, and we may remember back in the 1980’s when President Reagan quit smoking and started eating “Jelly Belly” gourmet jelly beans”. Back then, they were very expensive (they still are not cheap), and they had the aura of a true gourmet food.
You may not be able to live in a mansion and drive a Rolls Royce, but you could now afford the world's best jelly beans! These Jelly Belly 50 flavor samplers are great fun at parties, guessing the flavors blindfolded:
It’s especially fun to have a blind tasting contest, and see if you can guess the flavors. It’s just like a Whitman Sampler; there is a “key” to the flavors on the back of the box lid:
The Jelly Belly 50 flavor sampler - Only $16.95
It’s fun for young and old alike. Some flavors like “buttered popcorn” sound weird, but the taste is true! And the Jalapeño jelly beans area real treat too!
As candy, they are not too fattening either! They are only 4 calories each!
The best place to buy these is on candycrate.com, best prices and fast shipping. At only $16.95 on Candy Crate, it’s a great deal, since they wholesale for over $12.00 (hey, somebody has to buy retail!).
Jelly Belly goes Mainstream
No longer just a gourmet snack, Jelly Belly is redefining themselves, andf they are constantly introducing new Jelly Belly flavor concepts, like these “manly” flavors:
And these, “energizing” Jelly Belly beans, just for sportsmen:
And, of course, they need a creepy mascot:
With all of this expansion, and the emerging interest in gourmet redneck cuisine, it won’t be long until Jelly Belly starts making flavors just for rednecks:
For more, see my other notes on buying gourmet food online.
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Hidden dirty words in Linux
This page says that there are curse words embedded in the Linux source code. They say that you can grep for them:
grep -r fuck /usr/src/linux[TAB]/*
grep -r fuck /usr/src/linux[TAB]/*
Saturday, August 02, 2008
The Swoose comes to Wright Patterson
The Swoose comes home!
Growing-up watching “Twelve O’clock High” on TV in the 1960’s (and because my Dad flew over 50 combat missions in B-17’s), I’ve come to think that the B-17 is one of the most amazing aircraft ever built.
On July 15th 2008, the Air Force announced that “The Swoose”, one of the most famous aircraft of WWII has been moved from the Smithsonian to a permanent hone at National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright Patterson in Dayton Ohio.
The Swoose - a rare sharkfin B-17 D
A very rare B-17 D (the only one still in existence), the Swoose got her name from the popular song of the day, about a half-goose, half-swan, the “Swoose”. It’s a national treasure and will sit nest to the “Memphis Belle”, but it hold special significance to me because it was one of the B-17’s that my father maintained in the Philippines.
The battle for the Pacific
I’m currently researching the history of the US Air Corp in the desperate days following Pearl Harbor (and the horrendous damage to the Air Corp at Clark Field in the Philippines), and I’m reading the book “Queens Die Proudly”, by W. L. White (1943).
This is a firsthand account (from the men of the 19th Bomb Group), how they were chased by the invading Japanese into Australia, and how we fought back to regain a foothold against overwhelming odds.
The Swoose became a transport aircraft for Generals
I’m especially interested in accounts of the 5th Air Force from late 1941 up to September 1942, events during their stay in Australia, and their raid against the Japanese forcesin Java.
In his book, White does extensive interviews with Frank Kurtz (Olympic athlete and one of the most famous pilots of WWII, with three distinguished Flying Crosses, three Air Medals, and three silver stars).
The 19th bomb group in Australia in WWII:
- March Field, Calif, 25 Oct 1935;
- Albuquerque, NM, 7 Jul 1941 to 29 Sep 1941;
- Clark Field, Luzon, 23 Oct 1941;
- Batchelor, Australia, 24 Dec 1941;
- Singosari, Java, 30 Dec 1941;
- Melbourne, Australia, 2 Mar 1942;
- Garbutt Field, Australia, 18 Apr 1942;
- Longreach, Australia, 18 May 1942;
- Mareeba, Australia, 24 Jul-23 Oct 1942;
It’s always been my dream to take a flight in a B-17 (they are available this week is Oshkosh air show this week for $450 for a 20 minute ride). For B-17 books, here is a great collection of B-17 books, including this book about the Swoose.
Interestingly, Coward-general Douglas MacArthur ("Dugout Doug") rode the Swoose once, in August 1942 when being ferried to Washington DC, which brings me to a far more interesting story.
LBJ gets swiftboated
One great surprise in my research was that Congressman turned Naval Officer Lyndon Johnson, flew a combat mission in 1 B-25 out of Port Moresby, and the shameful prick put himself in for the Silver Star, even though the plane never even got to the target!
Read this, the amazing story how LBJ gave himself an award for bravery that he did not earn.
“For most of his life as a politician, Johnson proudly wore a Silver Star pin identifying him as a war hero. The small lapel pin can be seen in the famous photograph of Johnson taking the oath of office aboard Air Force One following John F. Kennedy's assassination in November 1963.
For three decades, on occasions mundane and momentous, the small red, white and blue badge of courage was often visible on Johnson's suit coat.”
LBJ taking the oath of the presidency while wearing a stolen Silver Star
According to all reports from the flight crew, LBJ did nothing to receive this award, and was in collusion with “Dugout Doug”, the despised 5-star General MacArthur, the biggest medal-grabbing asswipe in history:
“What I concluded," Dallek said," was that there was an agreement, a deal made between LBJ and Gen. MacArthur. And the deal was Johnson would get this medal, which somebody later said was the least deserved and most talked about medal in American military history.
And MacArthur, in return, had a pledge from Johnson that he would lobby FDR to provide greater resources for the southwest Pacific theater."
According to my father (who was there in Corregidor with Big Mac), MacArthur was an amazing coward and widely detested by his men. Soldiers openly mocked his “I shall Return” quote (i.e. "I’m going to the latrine. . . I shall return”)!
In one of the most shameful acts in the history of the USA, MacArthur got himself the Congressional Medal of Honor for his unsuccessful defense of the Philippines (while he cowered in a tunnel).
Read my notes on why I think that people should know what a dishonest and disgraceful man MacArthur was.
Friday, August 01, 2008
Funny English Translation errors!
For an hour of great fun, check out engrish.com, a great collection of hilarious Oriental-to-English translation errors.
WTF? from engrish.com
The syntax of Chinese and Japanese makes it extremely difficult to translate, and I have great difficultly communicating with my oriental friends. Several of my books have been translated into Japanese, Korean and Chinese, and when I get questions (in Kanji), they assume that I speak their language! It's weird, having written books that I cannot read.
Oh, Jolly Old Engrand . . . . from engrish.com
I do my best, with Babelfish, but that’s not always enough. Once, I translated a readers question into English, and the gentleman’s name translated into “pan hundred forests”. I used this in my salutation for the response (Hi Pan Hundred Forests), only to receive a hateful e-mail back, accusing me of mocking his good name! Sometimes you cannot win!
Good Crap from engrish.com
Kanji is Cool!
When our daughter Jenny was a teenager, she liked to wear t-shirts with Kanji characters, it did not matter what it said, she thought that it was very cool because it was Kanji.
However, it always disturbed me that she had NO IDEA what the letters meant, and I often wondered if the Chinese people were making them say funny things.
It was sort of like this, where this Chinese man gets a cool tattoo with those neat European characters:
WTF? from engrish.com
The syntax of Chinese and Japanese makes it extremely difficult to translate, and I have great difficultly communicating with my oriental friends. Several of my books have been translated into Japanese, Korean and Chinese, and when I get questions (in Kanji), they assume that I speak their language! It's weird, having written books that I cannot read.
Oh, Jolly Old Engrand . . . . from engrish.com
I do my best, with Babelfish, but that’s not always enough. Once, I translated a readers question into English, and the gentleman’s name translated into “pan hundred forests”. I used this in my salutation for the response (Hi Pan Hundred Forests), only to receive a hateful e-mail back, accusing me of mocking his good name! Sometimes you cannot win!
Good Crap from engrish.com
Kanji is Cool!
When our daughter Jenny was a teenager, she liked to wear t-shirts with Kanji characters, it did not matter what it said, she thought that it was very cool because it was Kanji.
However, it always disturbed me that she had NO IDEA what the letters meant, and I often wondered if the Chinese people were making them say funny things.
It was sort of like this, where this Chinese man gets a cool tattoo with those neat European characters:
Monday, July 28, 2008
Bad cops caught on video
I travel quite a bit overseas, and I get sick when I’m approached by corrupt policemen, looking for a quick “donation”.
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I REALLY REALLY hate bad cops, and the only thing that I think that police corruption justifies the death penalty. Any corruption, big or small. Corruption is not the American way, and trustworthy police are required for any civilized society. A bad cop is the ultimate betrayal, and long prison sentences are just not enough for bad cops, especially those who betray the public’s trust.
In this case, the Barney Phyfe dictator (soon to be ex-policeman Patrick Pogan, we hope) decides to assault an innocent biker. Watch this video carefully and judge for yourself:
To add insult to injury, scumbag Pogan then arrests the victim for "attempted assault" and "disorderly conduct" and other bogus crimes. He obviously did not know that his disgusting behavior had been videotaped, as the video justifies none of his charges against the victim, who spent 26 hours i jail because of this bad cop.
“Prosecutors say the cyclist, Christopher Long, was charged with blocking traffic, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and assault.
Police say Long was riding his bike in the center lane, forcing several drivers to use their breaks or change direction.”
In court papers, the bad cop accuses the cyclist of purposely swerving his bicycle to block traffic and then using it as a weapon to run down the officer, knocking him off his feet and causing a "laceration" on his forearm. What a dirtbag.
Is this not a “minor” abuse of power? Personally, there is no such thing as “a little” corrupt, especially after taking a solemn oath to defend and protect the public.
If I was on a jury, I would award the victim (Chris Long) millions of dollars, and ensure that the money comes directly from the corrupt policeman’s retirement fund (which he should lose when he is brought to justice).
I may be radical, but prison is too good for officer Pogan. Police corruption, at any level, should be a capital offense. I would have him drawn and quartered in Times Square.
Let's get tough on bad cops
Let’s hope that the good people of New York put Pogue in prison for many, many years.
I REALLY REALLY hate bad cops, and the only thing that I think that police corruption justifies the death penalty. Any corruption, big or small. Corruption is not the American way, and trustworthy police are required for any civilized society. A bad cop is the ultimate betrayal, and long prison sentences are just not enough for bad cops, especially those who betray the public’s trust.
In this case, the Barney Phyfe dictator (soon to be ex-policeman Patrick Pogan, we hope) decides to assault an innocent biker. Watch this video carefully and judge for yourself:
To add insult to injury, scumbag Pogan then arrests the victim for "attempted assault" and "disorderly conduct" and other bogus crimes. He obviously did not know that his disgusting behavior had been videotaped, as the video justifies none of his charges against the victim, who spent 26 hours i jail because of this bad cop.
“Prosecutors say the cyclist, Christopher Long, was charged with blocking traffic, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and assault.
Police say Long was riding his bike in the center lane, forcing several drivers to use their breaks or change direction.”
In court papers, the bad cop accuses the cyclist of purposely swerving his bicycle to block traffic and then using it as a weapon to run down the officer, knocking him off his feet and causing a "laceration" on his forearm. What a dirtbag.
Is this not a “minor” abuse of power? Personally, there is no such thing as “a little” corrupt, especially after taking a solemn oath to defend and protect the public.
If I was on a jury, I would award the victim (Chris Long) millions of dollars, and ensure that the money comes directly from the corrupt policeman’s retirement fund (which he should lose when he is brought to justice).
I may be radical, but prison is too good for officer Pogan. Police corruption, at any level, should be a capital offense. I would have him drawn and quartered in Times Square.
Let's get tough on bad cops
Let’s hope that the good people of New York put Pogue in prison for many, many years.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Eat your kill
I was taught not to waste, and to this day I’m bothered when I see perfectly good food go to waste.
This goes for our animals too, and I get especially distressed when our spoiled Rottweiler’s don’t eat what they kill.
Our barn cats do a great job finishing their kill, and usually all that is left is the tail, but the dogs don’t seem to understand that killing is only half the fun, they get dinner too.
I’m getting sick and tired of throwing away perfectly good dog food:
It just makes me sick to see fresh kill has hardly been touched. And it's not just me.
I'll bet that most people would be sick to find something like this in your back yard:
I suspect that it’s the initial taste of warm blood that gives them the impetus to finish their meals. With cats, the taste of warm blood is irresistible, it stimulates their appetite:
Developing a thurst for blood
The natural instinct of to enjoy fresh blood is instinctive in all carnivores, and some primitive cultures still eat blood on a daily basis:
The Full-English breakfast – served with a scab called “blood pudding”
So, how do I get my Rottweiler’s to start eating their kill? I have a couple of blood drains hanging out of my gut right now, and I noted that our little dog keeps scratching at my woulds, as if the drains were some sort of snack dispenser:
But why let the blood go to waste, especially when I can use it to train my puppies to be bloodthirsty? My surgeon says that my drainage is rich in albumin, fat and red blood cells, and best of all, it’s already at body temperature.
As soon as I’m able to walk freely, my plan is to pull a Pavlov and condition them to associate me with the taste of fresh blood, something like this, except with human blood:
Once they develop a taste for blood, it is my hope that they will discover that vermin is not just fun to kill, it’s tasty too.
On the other hand, Janet says that it's probably not a good idea . . . .
This goes for our animals too, and I get especially distressed when our spoiled Rottweiler’s don’t eat what they kill.
Our barn cats do a great job finishing their kill, and usually all that is left is the tail, but the dogs don’t seem to understand that killing is only half the fun, they get dinner too.
I’m getting sick and tired of throwing away perfectly good dog food:
It just makes me sick to see fresh kill has hardly been touched. And it's not just me.
I'll bet that most people would be sick to find something like this in your back yard:
I suspect that it’s the initial taste of warm blood that gives them the impetus to finish their meals. With cats, the taste of warm blood is irresistible, it stimulates their appetite:
Developing a thurst for blood
The natural instinct of to enjoy fresh blood is instinctive in all carnivores, and some primitive cultures still eat blood on a daily basis:
The Full-English breakfast – served with a scab called “blood pudding”
So, how do I get my Rottweiler’s to start eating their kill? I have a couple of blood drains hanging out of my gut right now, and I noted that our little dog keeps scratching at my woulds, as if the drains were some sort of snack dispenser:
But why let the blood go to waste, especially when I can use it to train my puppies to be bloodthirsty? My surgeon says that my drainage is rich in albumin, fat and red blood cells, and best of all, it’s already at body temperature.
As soon as I’m able to walk freely, my plan is to pull a Pavlov and condition them to associate me with the taste of fresh blood, something like this, except with human blood:
Once they develop a taste for blood, it is my hope that they will discover that vermin is not just fun to kill, it’s tasty too.
On the other hand, Janet says that it's probably not a good idea . . . .
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Horse-drawn green vehicle
This new web site Fleethorse, is promoting an interesting idea, a one horsepower on-road vehicle!
The maroon who own the web site says that he wants a “contest” and the winner allegedly gets $100k, plus the patent for this “remarkable” vehicle:
“If you want the patent of this cruelty-free invention, plus $100,000 to get you started on the road to making the idea a success, all you have to do is tell us why you think it was invented!”
Gee, why not just ride the horse?
Don't get me wrong, I appreciate experimentation, and this reminds me of when I tried to get a horse to scuba dive, not too successful:
With the high prices of gas who knows, maybe the old fashioned posse is gonna make a comeback:
The maroon who own the web site says that he wants a “contest” and the winner allegedly gets $100k, plus the patent for this “remarkable” vehicle:
“If you want the patent of this cruelty-free invention, plus $100,000 to get you started on the road to making the idea a success, all you have to do is tell us why you think it was invented!”
Gee, why not just ride the horse?
Don't get me wrong, I appreciate experimentation, and this reminds me of when I tried to get a horse to scuba dive, not too successful:
With the high prices of gas who knows, maybe the old fashioned posse is gonna make a comeback:
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Banff Springs Hotel tips
As the weakening dollar makes America more competitive overseas, Janet and I are enjoying unprecedented opportunities to work with our friends in foreign countries.
When visiting our Canadian clients, we are fortunate to get a chance to visit some of the most Amazing areas of the Canadian Rockies.
Banff Springs Hotel
The Banff Springs hotel is an amazing hotel, built in an age when elegance was more foremost. The rooms are quaint, but the service is impeccable, although it takes awhile to get used to their no-tipping policy.
The jewel is the Banff golf course, one of the most scenic golf courses in the world:
The Banff Springs hotel is surprisingly affordable, and it’s a great place to kick-back and relax. Built in 1886, the hotel oozes charm, but it’s neither stuffy nor pretentious.
The area around Banff Canada is a natural paradise, unspoiled and majestic, with natural high mountain lakes and glaciers. Natural critters abound, and even the elk, wolves and coyote are semi-tame, posing for the cameras:
Here are more shots from Banff:
http://www.dba-oracle.com/golf_travel/banff_springs.htm
When visiting our Canadian clients, we are fortunate to get a chance to visit some of the most Amazing areas of the Canadian Rockies.
Banff Springs Hotel
The Banff Springs hotel is an amazing hotel, built in an age when elegance was more foremost. The rooms are quaint, but the service is impeccable, although it takes awhile to get used to their no-tipping policy.
The jewel is the Banff golf course, one of the most scenic golf courses in the world:
The Banff Springs hotel is surprisingly affordable, and it’s a great place to kick-back and relax. Built in 1886, the hotel oozes charm, but it’s neither stuffy nor pretentious.
The area around Banff Canada is a natural paradise, unspoiled and majestic, with natural high mountain lakes and glaciers. Natural critters abound, and even the elk, wolves and coyote are semi-tame, posing for the cameras:
Here are more shots from Banff:
http://www.dba-oracle.com/golf_travel/banff_springs.htm
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