I love Judge Judy, especially her book “Don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining”, a smart lady who does not put-up with crap from bad guys. . . . .
This video below is supposed to be the most-watched episode ever. She destroys this eBay criminal, IMHO, best Judge Judy EVER.
YouTube Video
(if this link is bad, try here).
As a former eBay PowerSeller myself (with 100% positive feedback), I could not believe that this lady defended her selling only “photographs” of a cell phone for over $400.
Ever want to slap the smug look off of a criminal's face? I think that Judge Judy showed remarkable restraint!
The eBay lady tried to defend herself by citing small-print that said that the auction was “for what you see”, a photograph of the cell phone! When the victim complained, the scum eBay seller gave her negative feedback, claiming that she was a Nigerian scammer. Here is her actual feedback record.
Theft, libel, defamation of the victim, Judge Judy’s dream case. . . .
Judy is at her best, dressing-down this scum, and as much as stating the she was going to report her to Child Protective Services and the IRS. The victim also said that the Attorney General was investigating.
I hope that she follow-through and reports them to Child Services and the IRS, and that this scum gets what she deserves.
This blog also notes that Judge Judy may have set a precedent with eBay, who refuses to remove defamatory false feedback from eBay without a court order, even when it's clearly false:
“eBay should be required to remove the negative feedback that the accused seller placed upon the profiles of the complaining buyers. eBay should immediately ban the dishonest seller.”
Here’s to you, Judge Judy. I wish that all judges had her inate sense of justice and guts to stand-up to scum like this. . . .
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Bigfoot bones in Richmond dump site
The Houston Chronicle notes that a fellow found a severed foot in a Richmond landfill and that it was not judged as non-human, and it may be related to the Anna Nichole Smith case:
The Alleged Bigfoot foot
Spotsylvania sheriff's officials have said the foot might have come from an "ape-like species," leaving Bigfoot-believers across the country wondering if there might finally be proof of the creature. . .
"We did see a suggestion that it might be a Yeti or a Sasquatch, and that might be why they call it Bigfoot instead of Bigfeet," Hagan joked.
Tom Biscardi, who runs Searching for Bigfoot Inc. in Menlo Park, Calif., posted an image of the foot on his Web site, www.searchingforbigfoot.com. Biscardi doesn't know if this foot is a Bigfoot's foot, but he is certain the creatures are real.
"I have no doubts in my mind," Biscardi said. "I've had six encounters over the past 34 years. Not in my dreams. Up close and personal." He supports DNA testing to find out one way or another.
The Alleged Bigfoot foot
Spotsylvania sheriff's officials have said the foot might have come from an "ape-like species," leaving Bigfoot-believers across the country wondering if there might finally be proof of the creature. . .
"We did see a suggestion that it might be a Yeti or a Sasquatch, and that might be why they call it Bigfoot instead of Bigfeet," Hagan joked.
Tom Biscardi, who runs Searching for Bigfoot Inc. in Menlo Park, Calif., posted an image of the foot on his Web site, www.searchingforbigfoot.com. Biscardi doesn't know if this foot is a Bigfoot's foot, but he is certain the creatures are real.
"I have no doubts in my mind," Biscardi said. "I've had six encounters over the past 34 years. Not in my dreams. Up close and personal." He supports DNA testing to find out one way or another.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Air Force Bruce Crandall wins Medal of Honor
A proud moment for the US Army today
Bruce Crandall (Lt. Col, US Army, Ret.) is the latest Medal of Honor winner, another true American hero. His heroism was immortalized in a movie "We Were Soldiers", but sadly, the role of Lt. Col. Crandall was played by the Australian drunkard jackass, Mel Gibson.
"Without Crandall's actions, the embattled men at Ia Drang would have died in much the same way — "cut off, surrounded by numerically superior forces, overrun and butchered to the last man," the infantry commander, Lt. Col. Harold Moore, wrote in recommending Crandall for the medal."
Crandall was first awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, and it was upgraded over the years. Crandall now joins the most elite group of soldiers in the world, holders of the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Now, if we can just get-back the undeserved Medal of Honor from Douglas MacArthur, an award that I think constitutes a shameful act of stolen valor. Me, I'm sick of fake hero's parading their fake medals in public, and they should be thrown in prison . . . .
Anyway, congrats to Bruce, a real-deal American Hero. . . .
Bruce Crandall (Lt. Col, US Army, Ret.) is the latest Medal of Honor winner, another true American hero. His heroism was immortalized in a movie "We Were Soldiers", but sadly, the role of Lt. Col. Crandall was played by the Australian drunkard jackass, Mel Gibson.
"Without Crandall's actions, the embattled men at Ia Drang would have died in much the same way — "cut off, surrounded by numerically superior forces, overrun and butchered to the last man," the infantry commander, Lt. Col. Harold Moore, wrote in recommending Crandall for the medal."
Crandall was first awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, and it was upgraded over the years. Crandall now joins the most elite group of soldiers in the world, holders of the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Now, if we can just get-back the undeserved Medal of Honor from Douglas MacArthur, an award that I think constitutes a shameful act of stolen valor. Me, I'm sick of fake hero's parading their fake medals in public, and they should be thrown in prison . . . .
Anyway, congrats to Bruce, a real-deal American Hero. . . .
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Fuzzy Zoeller sues Wikipedia
This article notes that Pro Golfer Fuzzy Zoeller has had enough of the libel on Wikipedia, and has filed a lawsuit against the owner of the IP address where he was defamed:
"Fuzzy Zoeller, a Pro-golfer is suing not the website owners, but the owner of an IP address from where allegedly defamatory remarks about him were posted onto the site.
The offending paragraphs, which allege that the golfer abused drugs, alcohol and his family were posted on December 20 2006, and have since been removed, but not before a suit was filed."
People have had enough of Wikipedia, a web site where a demented crackhead can over-ride the work of a Rhodes Scholar. Some even say that Wikipedia facilitates criminal acts and misinformation and some legislation is underway to ban Wikipedia.
"A bill introduced by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) would block social networking programs and other popular websites from computers at public libraries and computers."
Even though most folks know that Wikipedia has no credibility, search engines make the mistake of rewarding Wikipedia with high rankings, facilitating its use for character assassination and misinformation.
“In late November 2005, former journalist John Seigenthaler wrote an editorial in USA Today complaining about "Internet character assassination" on Wikipedia, based on a Wikipedia entry that erroneously linked him to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.”
Of course, the owner of the computer traced via the IP address claims no knowledge, but guess what, it doesn’t matter. The current law makes an employer liable for what their employees publish while at-work:
“Established case law suggests an employer can be liable for even unauthorized publication of allegations by an employee when that publication occurred in performance of an employee's authorized acts”
Go get ‘em Fuzzy!
We hope that you bankrupt these scum!
"Fuzzy Zoeller, a Pro-golfer is suing not the website owners, but the owner of an IP address from where allegedly defamatory remarks about him were posted onto the site.
The offending paragraphs, which allege that the golfer abused drugs, alcohol and his family were posted on December 20 2006, and have since been removed, but not before a suit was filed."
People have had enough of Wikipedia, a web site where a demented crackhead can over-ride the work of a Rhodes Scholar. Some even say that Wikipedia facilitates criminal acts and misinformation and some legislation is underway to ban Wikipedia.
"A bill introduced by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) would block social networking programs and other popular websites from computers at public libraries and computers."
Even though most folks know that Wikipedia has no credibility, search engines make the mistake of rewarding Wikipedia with high rankings, facilitating its use for character assassination and misinformation.
“In late November 2005, former journalist John Seigenthaler wrote an editorial in USA Today complaining about "Internet character assassination" on Wikipedia, based on a Wikipedia entry that erroneously linked him to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.”
Of course, the owner of the computer traced via the IP address claims no knowledge, but guess what, it doesn’t matter. The current law makes an employer liable for what their employees publish while at-work:
“Established case law suggests an employer can be liable for even unauthorized publication of allegations by an employee when that publication occurred in performance of an employee's authorized acts”
Go get ‘em Fuzzy!
We hope that you bankrupt these scum!
Global cooling is real
With upstate New York still digging-out from more then ten feet of snowfall, Americans are becoming more concerned than ever before about the threat of global cooling.
The concern about global cooling is not new, especially since man's pollution may be to blame, and respected scientists have been predicting global cooling for decades.
Back in the 1970's, scientist Isaac Asimov saw global cooling as a serious, man-made problem. Even in 2006, respected scientists are predicting more global cooling:
"Abdusamatov and his colleagues at the Russian Academy of Sciences astronomical observatory said the prediction is based on measurement of solar emissions, Novosti reported.
They expect the cooling to begin within a few years and to reach its peak between 2055 and 2060."
Tropical areas are getting record snowfall
In 1970 the World Meteorological Organization also warned about global cooling, and in 1975 NEWSWEEK noted the consensus about global cooling by scientists. Does this sound familiar?
"ominous signs that the earth's weather patterns have begun to change dramatically," the magazine warned of an impending "drastic decline in food production." Political disruptions stemming from food shortages could affect "just about every nation on earth. . .
This NASA document says that the “Iris effect” contributes to global cooling and that average temperatures are falling dramatically. This NASA chart on global stratospheric temperatire anomalies clearly shows the global cooling trend:
NASA has proof of global cooling
To scientists, these seemingly disparate incidents represent the advance signs of fundamental changes in the world’s weather...
But they are almost unanimous in the view that the [cooling] trend will reduce agricultural productivity for the rest of the century. If the climatic change is as profound as some of the pessimists fear, the resulting famines could be catastrophic."
In 2005, the US Senate questioned scientist Michael Creighton about his bestselling book "State of Fear" where he explains the "bad science" behind the "global warming" scare and the scientific reality of climate change. Scientist Lowell Ponte noted that global cooling is a serious issue today:
"It is a cold fact: the Global Cooling presents humankind with the most important social, political, and adaptive challenge we have had to deal with for ten thousand years.
Your stake in the decisions we make concerning it is of ultimate importance; the survival of ourselves, our children, our species"
Dr. Tim Ball, a respected climatology expert, also notes that it's global cooling that we need to be worried about:
"Global Warming, as we think we know it, doesn't exist. And I am not the only one trying to make people open up their eyes and see the truth. . .
This in fact is the greatest deception in the history of science. We are wasting time, energy and trillions of dollars while creating unnecessary fear and consternation over an issue with no scientific justification."
This 2006 article titled "Global Cooling Effect" notes the science behind global cooling:
“A report in New Scientist magazine yesterday chronicles the work of a crew of scientists who forecast a new wave of global cooling brought on by a decline in activity in the sun.
The New Scientist report, along with other scientific assessments warning of global cooling"
There is no denying that massive global cooling exists, and the only question is whether it's natural or man-made. . . .
The concern about global cooling is not new, especially since man's pollution may be to blame, and respected scientists have been predicting global cooling for decades.
Back in the 1970's, scientist Isaac Asimov saw global cooling as a serious, man-made problem. Even in 2006, respected scientists are predicting more global cooling:
"Abdusamatov and his colleagues at the Russian Academy of Sciences astronomical observatory said the prediction is based on measurement of solar emissions, Novosti reported.
They expect the cooling to begin within a few years and to reach its peak between 2055 and 2060."
Tropical areas are getting record snowfall
In 1970 the World Meteorological Organization also warned about global cooling, and in 1975 NEWSWEEK noted the consensus about global cooling by scientists. Does this sound familiar?
"ominous signs that the earth's weather patterns have begun to change dramatically," the magazine warned of an impending "drastic decline in food production." Political disruptions stemming from food shortages could affect "just about every nation on earth. . .
This NASA document says that the “Iris effect” contributes to global cooling and that average temperatures are falling dramatically. This NASA chart on global stratospheric temperatire anomalies clearly shows the global cooling trend:
NASA has proof of global cooling
To scientists, these seemingly disparate incidents represent the advance signs of fundamental changes in the world’s weather...
But they are almost unanimous in the view that the [cooling] trend will reduce agricultural productivity for the rest of the century. If the climatic change is as profound as some of the pessimists fear, the resulting famines could be catastrophic."
In 2005, the US Senate questioned scientist Michael Creighton about his bestselling book "State of Fear" where he explains the "bad science" behind the "global warming" scare and the scientific reality of climate change. Scientist Lowell Ponte noted that global cooling is a serious issue today:
"It is a cold fact: the Global Cooling presents humankind with the most important social, political, and adaptive challenge we have had to deal with for ten thousand years.
Your stake in the decisions we make concerning it is of ultimate importance; the survival of ourselves, our children, our species"
Dr. Tim Ball, a respected climatology expert, also notes that it's global cooling that we need to be worried about:
"Global Warming, as we think we know it, doesn't exist. And I am not the only one trying to make people open up their eyes and see the truth. . .
This in fact is the greatest deception in the history of science. We are wasting time, energy and trillions of dollars while creating unnecessary fear and consternation over an issue with no scientific justification."
This 2006 article titled "Global Cooling Effect" notes the science behind global cooling:
“A report in New Scientist magazine yesterday chronicles the work of a crew of scientists who forecast a new wave of global cooling brought on by a decline in activity in the sun.
The New Scientist report, along with other scientific assessments warning of global cooling"
There is no denying that massive global cooling exists, and the only question is whether it's natural or man-made. . . .
Taco Bell rats caught on tape!
Taco Bell “Rats Gone Wild” caught on tape!
A New York City Taco Bell/KFC was over-run with rats as cameras rolled, a bizarre "rats gone wild" display captured in this YouTube video.
This article notes that the rats seemed to play to the cameras:
"Rafael Garcia looked through the windows of a KFC-Taco Bell restaurant in Greenwich Village on Friday morning and saw 30 to 50 rats clambering over chairs, tables and children's highchairs. . .
Garcia, meanwhile, celebrated his good fortune. He was selling the rat footage for $300 a pop, and had made more than $4,000 by Friday night."
The newspapers are having a field day over this story.
This Wiki entry for “Taco Bell” notes the history of Taco Bell. We all know that everything on the web is 100% true, right?
"Taco Bell is the most popular church of choice for Latter Day Saints, based in the City of Los Angeles, just outside of Mexico. Known for its tasty chalupas and infamous E. Coli wraps, its pastors make up nearly 12/18ths of the population of Mexifornia. In 2004, they reported forced donations north of 276 million dollars.
However, most of these profits were spent on candy, against the advice of Taco Bell's mother, who had wanted him to start a savings account. One of the biggest fans of Taco Bell is it's Pope, Benedict XVI. The rat meat within the tacos have been known to be of the highest quality outside of New York."
A New York City Taco Bell/KFC was over-run with rats as cameras rolled, a bizarre "rats gone wild" display captured in this YouTube video.
This article notes that the rats seemed to play to the cameras:
"Rafael Garcia looked through the windows of a KFC-Taco Bell restaurant in Greenwich Village on Friday morning and saw 30 to 50 rats clambering over chairs, tables and children's highchairs. . .
Garcia, meanwhile, celebrated his good fortune. He was selling the rat footage for $300 a pop, and had made more than $4,000 by Friday night."
The newspapers are having a field day over this story.
This Wiki entry for “Taco Bell” notes the history of Taco Bell. We all know that everything on the web is 100% true, right?
"Taco Bell is the most popular church of choice for Latter Day Saints, based in the City of Los Angeles, just outside of Mexico. Known for its tasty chalupas and infamous E. Coli wraps, its pastors make up nearly 12/18ths of the population of Mexifornia. In 2004, they reported forced donations north of 276 million dollars.
However, most of these profits were spent on candy, against the advice of Taco Bell's mother, who had wanted him to start a savings account. One of the biggest fans of Taco Bell is it's Pope, Benedict XVI. The rat meat within the tacos have been known to be of the highest quality outside of New York."
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Royal Caribean Genesis cruise ships
This story describes the newest generation of cruise ships, billion dollar monsters that will carry over 6,000 passengers.
The new Genesis class - over 6,000 aboard
"Royal Caribbean International on Monday ordered the world’s largest and most expensive cruise ship, a $1.24 billion vessel that will hold up to 6,400 passengers."
"The $1.24 billion figure includes all expenses for the ship, “from forks and knives and sheets to artwork and everything else,” said Harri Kulovaara, the Miami-based cruise line’s executive vice president of maritime operations."
Learning at Sea
With cruise prices at an all-time low, these new mega cruise ships herald an era where over 100,000 Americans are cruising the Caribbean Sea at any given time.
With prices less than an average hotel room, cruises are a great bargain and my company is now doing Oracle database training at sea, a great way to learn while having a wonderful vacation. Next year we will be doing Oracle Tuning training in the Caribbean and Oracle RAC classes in the Mediterranean.
The new Genesis class - over 6,000 aboard
"Royal Caribbean International on Monday ordered the world’s largest and most expensive cruise ship, a $1.24 billion vessel that will hold up to 6,400 passengers."
"The $1.24 billion figure includes all expenses for the ship, “from forks and knives and sheets to artwork and everything else,” said Harri Kulovaara, the Miami-based cruise line’s executive vice president of maritime operations."
Learning at Sea
With cruise prices at an all-time low, these new mega cruise ships herald an era where over 100,000 Americans are cruising the Caribbean Sea at any given time.
With prices less than an average hotel room, cruises are a great bargain and my company is now doing Oracle database training at sea, a great way to learn while having a wonderful vacation. Next year we will be doing Oracle Tuning training in the Caribbean and Oracle RAC classes in the Mediterranean.
Friday, February 23, 2007
The virtual PC of the future
People always tend to overestimate the advancement of computer technology, beginning with the HAL computer from the Movie “2001 A Space Odyssey”.
For decades people have been heralding the advent of true artificial intelligence, yet very little has been brought forth other than speech recognition and language translation, relatively simple tasks compared to a real AI application.
But what will a PC look like in 50 years? Surely, we will not be forced to use old-fashioned keyboards, and some say that the PC of the future might look like this:
Imagine a single small device that handles all of the external devices with a motion-sensitive keyboard and virtual screen display . . . .
For decades people have been heralding the advent of true artificial intelligence, yet very little has been brought forth other than speech recognition and language translation, relatively simple tasks compared to a real AI application.
But what will a PC look like in 50 years? Surely, we will not be forced to use old-fashioned keyboards, and some say that the PC of the future might look like this:
Imagine a single small device that handles all of the external devices with a motion-sensitive keyboard and virtual screen display . . . .
Thursday, February 22, 2007
No more Big Dick’s in Louisburg
It’s the end of an era. Dick’s Drive-in on South Bickett St. in Louisburg is being town-down. The last real vestage of a lost age of innocence.
A real 1950’s style drive-in restaurant, Dick’s was famous for their hot dogs, as noted by their famous sign:
If you like hot dogs, you’ll love Dick’s
The favorite menu items was the “Big Dick” a foot-long hot-dog served with coleslaw, chili and mustard, a real feast.
A real 1950’s style drive-in restaurant, Dick’s was famous for their hot dogs, as noted by their famous sign:
If you like hot dogs, you’ll love Dick’s
The favorite menu items was the “Big Dick” a foot-long hot-dog served with coleslaw, chili and mustard, a real feast.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Wikipedia Credibility challenged
Wikipedia is a great idea, but it suffers from such such horrendous lack of credibility that it has been banned as a reference citation at all respectable schools and universities.
Only by providing a real identify and qualifications can the credibility of a publication be accessed.
Many folks note that Wikipedia has a huge ultra-liberal bias, with most of the entries being made by people who have lots of free time.
Wikipedia has even spun-off competing Wiki sites and parody sites, mostly attacking the lack of credibility of Wikipedia.
So long as an illiterate drug addict can override the work of a Harvard professor, Wikipedia will never be an authoritative reference.
We also have the issue of cttations. Citing factual references on Wikipedia is problematic because most legitimate references are not online, or not free. Regardless, the credibility for Wikipedia centers around the credentials and reputation of the person publishing on Wikipedia.
Check out uncyclopedia.org
Are Google search engine rankings to blame?
Google has always had the credo "Do No Evil", but it appears that a part of the problem is the high-weight that Google assigns to uncredible Wikipedia entries. This shortcoming may herald the downfall of Google, as a more intelligent competitor finds a way to improve the "relevance" of search requests.
Remember, Wikipedia is widely used by criminals. Business competitors unjustly defame their competitors personnel and products, jealous rivals publish false biographies, and Wikipedia facilitates many other criminal acts.
The DMCA Section 230 only immunizes the ISP, and it's not hard to get a subpoena to reveal the true identity of bad guys on Wikipedia.
For example, this accused Google bomber was fined $37,000 for libel. Also, 17 states have criminal libel laws for the web defamation, and hacker how-to guides constitute aiding and abetting a criminal.
Certifying credentials on the web
It would not be difficult for an independent body to verify credentials, and this would make the entire internet more credible, as people can evaluate each publisher on their own background. An independent body could accept college transcripts and other verification, so that you knew exactly how much credibility to place an any Wikipedia contribution.
This would be entirely voluntary, and it should include voluntary measures of "Moral turpitude" such as criminal records and credit history checks. Such an independent body might charge a fee for verification and collect all aspects of credibility, without making value judgments:
Academic qualifications - College transcripts can be easily verified
Published research - It's easy to verify authorship of academic research from accepted journals.
Books published - Verifying authorship of books is easy.
Criminal background checks - It is very easy for a volunteer to show that they are not convicted felons and have no history of deceitful acts. A failure to supply this information would speak for itself.
Credit checks - The moral turpitude of a publisher is also an issue that goes to credibility, as anyone who would stiff a creditor may not have sound moral values.
Expert experience - Records of testimony as an expert witness and other verifiable experience can be collected.
We must remember that anonymity as just a side-effect of the nascent web technology and they only way that Internet archives like Wikipedia will gain acceptance is when contributors reveal their identify and qualifications.
Read more about Wikipedia credibility in my article Getting Credibility for Wikipedia . . .
Only by providing a real identify and qualifications can the credibility of a publication be accessed.
Many folks note that Wikipedia has a huge ultra-liberal bias, with most of the entries being made by people who have lots of free time.
Wikipedia has even spun-off competing Wiki sites and parody sites, mostly attacking the lack of credibility of Wikipedia.
So long as an illiterate drug addict can override the work of a Harvard professor, Wikipedia will never be an authoritative reference.
We also have the issue of cttations. Citing factual references on Wikipedia is problematic because most legitimate references are not online, or not free. Regardless, the credibility for Wikipedia centers around the credentials and reputation of the person publishing on Wikipedia.
Check out uncyclopedia.org
Are Google search engine rankings to blame?
Google has always had the credo "Do No Evil", but it appears that a part of the problem is the high-weight that Google assigns to uncredible Wikipedia entries. This shortcoming may herald the downfall of Google, as a more intelligent competitor finds a way to improve the "relevance" of search requests.
Remember, Wikipedia is widely used by criminals. Business competitors unjustly defame their competitors personnel and products, jealous rivals publish false biographies, and Wikipedia facilitates many other criminal acts.
The DMCA Section 230 only immunizes the ISP, and it's not hard to get a subpoena to reveal the true identity of bad guys on Wikipedia.
For example, this accused Google bomber was fined $37,000 for libel. Also, 17 states have criminal libel laws for the web defamation, and hacker how-to guides constitute aiding and abetting a criminal.
Certifying credentials on the web
It would not be difficult for an independent body to verify credentials, and this would make the entire internet more credible, as people can evaluate each publisher on their own background. An independent body could accept college transcripts and other verification, so that you knew exactly how much credibility to place an any Wikipedia contribution.
This would be entirely voluntary, and it should include voluntary measures of "Moral turpitude" such as criminal records and credit history checks. Such an independent body might charge a fee for verification and collect all aspects of credibility, without making value judgments:
Academic qualifications - College transcripts can be easily verified
Published research - It's easy to verify authorship of academic research from accepted journals.
Books published - Verifying authorship of books is easy.
Criminal background checks - It is very easy for a volunteer to show that they are not convicted felons and have no history of deceitful acts. A failure to supply this information would speak for itself.
Credit checks - The moral turpitude of a publisher is also an issue that goes to credibility, as anyone who would stiff a creditor may not have sound moral values.
Expert experience - Records of testimony as an expert witness and other verifiable experience can be collected.
We must remember that anonymity as just a side-effect of the nascent web technology and they only way that Internet archives like Wikipedia will gain acceptance is when contributors reveal their identify and qualifications.
Read more about Wikipedia credibility in my article Getting Credibility for Wikipedia . . .
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Manufacture your own Oak boards
I love North Carolina, but mostly because natural resources are abundant and cheap.
For example, I can buy raw cut Red Oak here for less than a dollar a board foot, and it’s exciting to take raw boards and dry and finish them yourself.
I’m cheap, very cheap (some call me stingy!), a trait from my management career that carries over into my personal life. I love a bargain. . .
This lumber yard has amazing deals on finished Oak hardwood floors, 3/8 inch deep for only 89 cents a square foot!
Red Oak is cheap and abundant here, and properly finished, it is even prettier than walnut:
Red Oak has great grain
With a warehouse full of finished oak boards, everyone’s woodworking dreams can come true. I love woodworking, and I appreciate quality. Imagine building something like this, all for a pittance:
Red Oak can be finished to look like Walnut
I’m working on a construction project and I want wall-to-wall hardwood, with warmth and beauty that would be unaffordable elsewhere else but in the Carolinas:
Red Oak has a natural warm glow
I have lots of country cousins who dry and cut their own Oak, and although it’s a lot of work, it can be well-worth doing, especially if you need lots of Oak. I love hardwood, and I want Oak cabinets, floor to ceiling oak panels, oak doors and carved oak trim everywhere.
Sure, I have expensive taste, but I’m nobody’s fool; I know the secrets to make your own inexpensive oak boards.
North Carolina is one of the major timber regions in the USA and I’m quite fortunate to be able to buy fresh-cut Oak for less than a dollar a board foot.
You can buy reclaimed antique Oak from this vendor starting at $6 per board foot, but it still requires finishing, an expensive process.
For my project, I must dry and finish 20,000 board feet of Oak, a large labor expense, but well worth it. Let's look at the costs of Do It Yourself (DIY) Oak finishing:
Drying Oak - Renting a "moveable cubicle" for 22k board feet of Oak costs $500 for 3 months rental (two units). Plus, you must stack and vent the cubicle, plus unloading, about 5 days work, at $20 per hour = $2k.
Finishing rough cut Oak - You must spend about $600 for a planer and another $500 for replacement blades, not to mention a whole lot of your time. Planeing a 5 BF board takes about 5 minutes, so my 22k BF project would be at about 60 BF per hour, for at total of 366 hours (9 weeks) effort. For a laborer at $20 per hour, that's a finishing cost of $8,000.
I’ve done the research and figured out how to dry and finish over 40k board feet of oak for under $20k, a savings of over $40k!
If you like working with hardwood, read my notes on how I plan to save $50k by processing my own oak.
For example, I can buy raw cut Red Oak here for less than a dollar a board foot, and it’s exciting to take raw boards and dry and finish them yourself.
I’m cheap, very cheap (some call me stingy!), a trait from my management career that carries over into my personal life. I love a bargain. . .
This lumber yard has amazing deals on finished Oak hardwood floors, 3/8 inch deep for only 89 cents a square foot!
Red Oak is cheap and abundant here, and properly finished, it is even prettier than walnut:
Red Oak has great grain
With a warehouse full of finished oak boards, everyone’s woodworking dreams can come true. I love woodworking, and I appreciate quality. Imagine building something like this, all for a pittance:
Red Oak can be finished to look like Walnut
I’m working on a construction project and I want wall-to-wall hardwood, with warmth and beauty that would be unaffordable elsewhere else but in the Carolinas:
Red Oak has a natural warm glow
I have lots of country cousins who dry and cut their own Oak, and although it’s a lot of work, it can be well-worth doing, especially if you need lots of Oak. I love hardwood, and I want Oak cabinets, floor to ceiling oak panels, oak doors and carved oak trim everywhere.
Sure, I have expensive taste, but I’m nobody’s fool; I know the secrets to make your own inexpensive oak boards.
North Carolina is one of the major timber regions in the USA and I’m quite fortunate to be able to buy fresh-cut Oak for less than a dollar a board foot.
You can buy reclaimed antique Oak from this vendor starting at $6 per board foot, but it still requires finishing, an expensive process.
For my project, I must dry and finish 20,000 board feet of Oak, a large labor expense, but well worth it. Let's look at the costs of Do It Yourself (DIY) Oak finishing:
Drying Oak - Renting a "moveable cubicle" for 22k board feet of Oak costs $500 for 3 months rental (two units). Plus, you must stack and vent the cubicle, plus unloading, about 5 days work, at $20 per hour = $2k.
Finishing rough cut Oak - You must spend about $600 for a planer and another $500 for replacement blades, not to mention a whole lot of your time. Planeing a 5 BF board takes about 5 minutes, so my 22k BF project would be at about 60 BF per hour, for at total of 366 hours (9 weeks) effort. For a laborer at $20 per hour, that's a finishing cost of $8,000.
I’ve done the research and figured out how to dry and finish over 40k board feet of oak for under $20k, a savings of over $40k!
If you like working with hardwood, read my notes on how I plan to save $50k by processing my own oak.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Redneck cuisine tips
As a businessman, I eat in lots of upscale restaurants and I get disgusted by the constant parade of fish eggs (Caviar), over-priced fungus (Truffles), goose liver pate and other gross things disguised as Haute Cuisine. No self-respecting red neck would eat this crap.
I’ve noted that trendy restaurants are now elevating common peasant foods to culinary delights, such as Jamaican Manish Water in Manhattan for $80 a bowl and Spanish smoked duck burritos in Santa Fe for $30.
If you want evidence, just look at the cat butter craze, people charging a fortune to food snobs for cat dairy products, just because it costs a fortune to milk a cat:
Redneck Haute Cuisine
It’s about time that Americans started demanding real, good-ole country foods. Traditional redneck foods are very difficult to find, and it’s about time that the gourmet restaurants started elevating red neck chow into the ranks of haute cuisine.
I have had mixed success in my experiments with horse milk, but I see an emerging market for creating gourmet redneck dishes.
Don’t carry your brains around in a can
For example, outside of North Carolina it’s almost impossible to find Livermush and brains and eggs, and I’m forced to carry my brains around in a can, and ask the chef to put my brains into my scrambled eggs:
What we need is a steady source of simple, wholesome country foods, and there is a huge emerging market to "gourmetize" redneck chow, like these fine products:
It should be easy to create market demand for gourmet redneck cuisine, if presented properly. Here are my no-miss ideas:
Squirrel in a cup
Everybody loves squirrel, but you have to admit, it's messy and the meat falls off of the bones. What we need is gourmet squirrel, pre-chopped and served-up in it's own butt.
My initial market research is very promizing:
Eight of ten rednecks like squirrel in a cup
However, the younger generation has been raised on fancy store-bought foods. Younger folks don't always appreciate fine cuisine:
Jen3 sez “Ewwww” (but she liked it)
But it's not just squirrel. I'm shocked that nobody has thought of Cooter sushi.
Cooter in the half shell
Cooter is wonderful and it has seven kinds of meat, a great and versatile undiscovered gourmet food. Imagine serving up a whole Cooter, all raw, right in his own shell.
For a limited time, I’m soliciting investors for these great ideas.
Read more about my ideas for Redneck Cuisine here.
I’ve noted that trendy restaurants are now elevating common peasant foods to culinary delights, such as Jamaican Manish Water in Manhattan for $80 a bowl and Spanish smoked duck burritos in Santa Fe for $30.
If you want evidence, just look at the cat butter craze, people charging a fortune to food snobs for cat dairy products, just because it costs a fortune to milk a cat:
Redneck Haute Cuisine
It’s about time that Americans started demanding real, good-ole country foods. Traditional redneck foods are very difficult to find, and it’s about time that the gourmet restaurants started elevating red neck chow into the ranks of haute cuisine.
I have had mixed success in my experiments with horse milk, but I see an emerging market for creating gourmet redneck dishes.
Don’t carry your brains around in a can
For example, outside of North Carolina it’s almost impossible to find Livermush and brains and eggs, and I’m forced to carry my brains around in a can, and ask the chef to put my brains into my scrambled eggs:
What we need is a steady source of simple, wholesome country foods, and there is a huge emerging market to "gourmetize" redneck chow, like these fine products:
It should be easy to create market demand for gourmet redneck cuisine, if presented properly. Here are my no-miss ideas:
Squirrel in a cup
Everybody loves squirrel, but you have to admit, it's messy and the meat falls off of the bones. What we need is gourmet squirrel, pre-chopped and served-up in it's own butt.
My initial market research is very promizing:
Eight of ten rednecks like squirrel in a cup
However, the younger generation has been raised on fancy store-bought foods. Younger folks don't always appreciate fine cuisine:
Jen3 sez “Ewwww” (but she liked it)
But it's not just squirrel. I'm shocked that nobody has thought of Cooter sushi.
Cooter in the half shell
Cooter is wonderful and it has seven kinds of meat, a great and versatile undiscovered gourmet food. Imagine serving up a whole Cooter, all raw, right in his own shell.
For a limited time, I’m soliciting investors for these great ideas.
Read more about my ideas for Redneck Cuisine here.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
The Billionaire Yachts
I’m lucky to get a chance to visit some of the places frequented by billionaires and I’m an unabashed fan of their opulent toys.
My research on billionaires and economic demographics indicates that 1 out of 1,000 Americans is a millionaire now, and the USA boasts over 360 super-rich billionaires. Check out Billionaire Magazine, a rag for millionaires who want to live like billionaires.
The typical billionaire yacht looks like the one below, a 150 foot-long, super-sleek ship costing between $25m to $100m:
Opulence feeds the American Dream
I disagree with the attitude about “robber barons”, and those who chide the wealthy for their success. It’s the raw essence of the American Dream, proof positive that hard work and innovation can be rewarded handsomely. It makes America look good when an orphan like Larry Ellison can make billions of dollars and whether or not the average American wishes to reach for the stars, it’s comforting to know that the opportunity is there.
Rent a Yacht!
If you want to be a billionaire for the week, consider this company that can rent you a mega yacht. You can even rent the Onassis Yacht (The Christina O), but renting a yacht does not have to break the bank. A more modest 80-foot yacht can be rented at prices starting at $30k per week, but too bad if every passenger kicks in $5k.
The Billionaire Yachts
Most billionaires have smaller yachts, small enough to dock at the rich enclaves, and most of the most opulent yachts I’ve seen are between 100-300 feet long, and have a crew of over a dozen people to maintain it. (It’s interesting to walk by them at night because the crew parties, and they light-up the interiors so that you can see behind the smoked glass!
I was really mad at myself last week because I walked right past the Rising Sun, Larry Ellison’s 452 foot-long yacht which cost $270,000,000.00. We were on a cruise, stopping at Charlotte Amalie (Virgins Islands), and the Rising Sun was docked there, right next to the cruise liners. At 450 feet long, the Rising Sun is too big for the other billionaire posts (Turtle Cove, St. Croix), and it’s half as long as the giant cruise ships that hold 4,000 passengers!
The Rising Sun does not have the “gee whiz” jaw-dropping lines and contours of other billionaire yachts,
Ellison's Rising Sun - World's largest Yacht
You can see other photos of the Rising Sun Yacht here.
We were just pulling out of port when John Garmany told us that he had seen the elusive monster yacht, and wondered aloud if Larry Ellison might have been that bearded fellow that we saw in line at Burger King.
People in the Caribbean love to gossip, and whenever a billionaire yacht docks or anchors nearby, the news travels across the island with astounding speed. But almost always, the billionaire has already departed and they have a very specific protocol for remaining anonymous and hidden. I know a fellow who books rooms at St. Croix and Parrot Cay, and they do a pre-check-in background check on every guest, lest a Paparazzi scum tries to book one of their $8k per night rooms!
I know a border control officer whose greatest highlight was processing the world’s richest man (Bill Gates) into his country. As he tells the story, Gates’ private jet arrived on a lesser island, with a deserted airport and a helicopter waiting. This officer was amazed with Gates friendliness, and he told how the world’s richest man took the time to give him a private tour of his private jet before being whisked-off to Paul Allens Octopus, a mega-yacht waiting offshore, only 413 feet long, but with a useful heliport:
Microsoft's Paul Allen's Yacht
I remain an unabashed fan of the super wealthy toys and it’s great that the American dream is alive and well, where anyone, regardless of circumstances, can become super wealthy. It’s the American Way . . . .
My research on billionaires and economic demographics indicates that 1 out of 1,000 Americans is a millionaire now, and the USA boasts over 360 super-rich billionaires. Check out Billionaire Magazine, a rag for millionaires who want to live like billionaires.
The typical billionaire yacht looks like the one below, a 150 foot-long, super-sleek ship costing between $25m to $100m:
Opulence feeds the American Dream
I disagree with the attitude about “robber barons”, and those who chide the wealthy for their success. It’s the raw essence of the American Dream, proof positive that hard work and innovation can be rewarded handsomely. It makes America look good when an orphan like Larry Ellison can make billions of dollars and whether or not the average American wishes to reach for the stars, it’s comforting to know that the opportunity is there.
Rent a Yacht!
If you want to be a billionaire for the week, consider this company that can rent you a mega yacht. You can even rent the Onassis Yacht (The Christina O), but renting a yacht does not have to break the bank. A more modest 80-foot yacht can be rented at prices starting at $30k per week, but too bad if every passenger kicks in $5k.
The Billionaire Yachts
Most billionaires have smaller yachts, small enough to dock at the rich enclaves, and most of the most opulent yachts I’ve seen are between 100-300 feet long, and have a crew of over a dozen people to maintain it. (It’s interesting to walk by them at night because the crew parties, and they light-up the interiors so that you can see behind the smoked glass!
I was really mad at myself last week because I walked right past the Rising Sun, Larry Ellison’s 452 foot-long yacht which cost $270,000,000.00. We were on a cruise, stopping at Charlotte Amalie (Virgins Islands), and the Rising Sun was docked there, right next to the cruise liners. At 450 feet long, the Rising Sun is too big for the other billionaire posts (Turtle Cove, St. Croix), and it’s half as long as the giant cruise ships that hold 4,000 passengers!
The Rising Sun does not have the “gee whiz” jaw-dropping lines and contours of other billionaire yachts,
Ellison's Rising Sun - World's largest Yacht
You can see other photos of the Rising Sun Yacht here.
We were just pulling out of port when John Garmany told us that he had seen the elusive monster yacht, and wondered aloud if Larry Ellison might have been that bearded fellow that we saw in line at Burger King.
People in the Caribbean love to gossip, and whenever a billionaire yacht docks or anchors nearby, the news travels across the island with astounding speed. But almost always, the billionaire has already departed and they have a very specific protocol for remaining anonymous and hidden. I know a fellow who books rooms at St. Croix and Parrot Cay, and they do a pre-check-in background check on every guest, lest a Paparazzi scum tries to book one of their $8k per night rooms!
I know a border control officer whose greatest highlight was processing the world’s richest man (Bill Gates) into his country. As he tells the story, Gates’ private jet arrived on a lesser island, with a deserted airport and a helicopter waiting. This officer was amazed with Gates friendliness, and he told how the world’s richest man took the time to give him a private tour of his private jet before being whisked-off to Paul Allens Octopus, a mega-yacht waiting offshore, only 413 feet long, but with a useful heliport:
Microsoft's Paul Allen's Yacht
I remain an unabashed fan of the super wealthy toys and it’s great that the American dream is alive and well, where anyone, regardless of circumstances, can become super wealthy. It’s the American Way . . . .
Thursday, February 01, 2007
generals award themselves medals for valor
In December 2006 Congress just passed the Stolen Valor Act, an enhancement of Federal law making it a felony to wear medals that you have not earned. This great site exposes and shames fake heroes and it is great that these scumbags can now be sent to prison.
But what about people who got medals they did not deserve?
As a case in point, consider Gen Douglas MacArthur. Big Mac always wanted to get the Medal of Honor as a teenager just like his father did in the Civil War (when MOH winners were far more common than in the 20th century), but it’s tough to get your hands dirty in combat when you are a four-star desk jockey. Could there be another way, if you happen to be a 5-star general?
The Father-and-son Medal of Honor Winners
Douglas’ Dad, Arthur Macarthur was a brave teenaged officer in the Civil War, back when the U.S.A gave out the “medal of Honor” like candy. Arthur got his MOH at age 18, and was a Lt. Col by 19 years old.
Young Douglas MacArthur was born in 1880 when Arthur was 35 years-old and the lad idolized his Dad, but he was troubled that after the Army tightened the criteria for the Medal of Honor that he had a snowballs chance of hell of getting the medal as a teenager, like Daddy.
During WWI, MacArthur was a real-deal hero, fearlessly charging into the fray and receiving two Distinguished Service Crosses, seven Silver Stars, a Distinguished Service Medal, and two Purple Hearts.
You don’t win seven silver stars without having huge nads.
Even Audie Murphy (the most decorated U.S. soldier in history) only got the Silver Star twice.
But what about Gen. MacArthur?
Granted, MacArthur was very brave in combat, but you have to question medals that are outside of his area (flying a desk):
This 1951 TIME magazine article notes that Gen. MacArthur could not have possibly met the requirements of aerial combat to earn his DFC.
True, the DFC medal is in his record, but it is fairly well documented that it was not "extraordinary", by any definition:
"And Stratemeyer awarded MacArthur the Distinguished Flying Cross ("for heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight"), on the ground that MacArthur's flying visits to Korea were made "under conditions presenting the threat of hostile air interception."
And this, well, it speaks volumes about Mac Arthur’s character:
“When MacArthur finally landed, he passed out Silver Stars to three Marine officers—and two South Korean naval officers who happened to be passing by.”
I personally find this an affront to all servicemen who earned "real" medals for valor and extraordinary achievement in combat. I was 8 years-old when Macarthur died, and since I’d never heard of him, my Dad treated me to the shameful account of this medal-chasing prick and the horrors of the men he abandoned in the Philippines. I was told that Mac was arrogant to a fault, believed that he was invincible, and was indeed cool under fire, but only because he was nutty.
Cowardice presented as Heroism?
It’s just sickening that MacArthur’s act of cowardice (leaving his men behind to face the Bataan Death March) was warped into an act so courageous as to warrant the Congressional Medal of Honor. In fairness, Mac wanted to stay but was ordered to abandon his men, but still, how does abandonment translate into gallantry? Here is the Congressional Medal of Honor citation for this jackass who left hundreds of men to be captured by the Japanese invaders:
“Citation: For conspicuous leadership in preparing the Philippine Islands to resist conquest, for gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against invading Japanese forces, and for the heroic conduct of defensive and offensive operations on the Bataan Peninsula. He mobilized, trained, and led an army which has received world acclaim for its gallant defense against a tremendous superiority of enemy forces in men and arms. His utter disregard of personal danger under heavy fire and aerial bombardment, his calm judgment in each crisis, inspired his troops, galvanized the spirit of resistance of the Filipino people, and confirmed the faith of the American people in their Armed Forces.”
I wonder if it might be appropriate to posthumously prosecute Douglas MacArthur under the Stolen Valor Act?
But what about people who got medals they did not deserve?
As a case in point, consider Gen Douglas MacArthur. Big Mac always wanted to get the Medal of Honor as a teenager just like his father did in the Civil War (when MOH winners were far more common than in the 20th century), but it’s tough to get your hands dirty in combat when you are a four-star desk jockey. Could there be another way, if you happen to be a 5-star general?
The Father-and-son Medal of Honor Winners
Douglas’ Dad, Arthur Macarthur was a brave teenaged officer in the Civil War, back when the U.S.A gave out the “medal of Honor” like candy. Arthur got his MOH at age 18, and was a Lt. Col by 19 years old.
Young Douglas MacArthur was born in 1880 when Arthur was 35 years-old and the lad idolized his Dad, but he was troubled that after the Army tightened the criteria for the Medal of Honor that he had a snowballs chance of hell of getting the medal as a teenager, like Daddy.
During WWI, MacArthur was a real-deal hero, fearlessly charging into the fray and receiving two Distinguished Service Crosses, seven Silver Stars, a Distinguished Service Medal, and two Purple Hearts.
You don’t win seven silver stars without having huge nads.
Even Audie Murphy (the most decorated U.S. soldier in history) only got the Silver Star twice.
But what about Gen. MacArthur?
Granted, MacArthur was very brave in combat, but you have to question medals that are outside of his area (flying a desk):
This 1951 TIME magazine article notes that Gen. MacArthur could not have possibly met the requirements of aerial combat to earn his DFC.
True, the DFC medal is in his record, but it is fairly well documented that it was not "extraordinary", by any definition:
"And Stratemeyer awarded MacArthur the Distinguished Flying Cross ("for heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight"), on the ground that MacArthur's flying visits to Korea were made "under conditions presenting the threat of hostile air interception."
And this, well, it speaks volumes about Mac Arthur’s character:
“When MacArthur finally landed, he passed out Silver Stars to three Marine officers—and two South Korean naval officers who happened to be passing by.”
I personally find this an affront to all servicemen who earned "real" medals for valor and extraordinary achievement in combat. I was 8 years-old when Macarthur died, and since I’d never heard of him, my Dad treated me to the shameful account of this medal-chasing prick and the horrors of the men he abandoned in the Philippines. I was told that Mac was arrogant to a fault, believed that he was invincible, and was indeed cool under fire, but only because he was nutty.
Cowardice presented as Heroism?
It’s just sickening that MacArthur’s act of cowardice (leaving his men behind to face the Bataan Death March) was warped into an act so courageous as to warrant the Congressional Medal of Honor. In fairness, Mac wanted to stay but was ordered to abandon his men, but still, how does abandonment translate into gallantry? Here is the Congressional Medal of Honor citation for this jackass who left hundreds of men to be captured by the Japanese invaders:
“Citation: For conspicuous leadership in preparing the Philippine Islands to resist conquest, for gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action against invading Japanese forces, and for the heroic conduct of defensive and offensive operations on the Bataan Peninsula. He mobilized, trained, and led an army which has received world acclaim for its gallant defense against a tremendous superiority of enemy forces in men and arms. His utter disregard of personal danger under heavy fire and aerial bombardment, his calm judgment in each crisis, inspired his troops, galvanized the spirit of resistance of the Filipino people, and confirmed the faith of the American people in their Armed Forces.”
I wonder if it might be appropriate to posthumously prosecute Douglas MacArthur under the Stolen Valor Act?
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