LA News Event of the day

Apparently there is a rash of Chinese people in Los Angeles suffering from Koro.  Koro is the fear that your genitalia will shrink or recede into your body cavity.  And now, I have no more words to say.

Memeface to the rescue

So this morning I'm enjoying breffast out.  Nothing like getting a tasty treat with bacon piled high to start off the weekend frivolity.

Princess Sweet P didn't want to brave the arctic blast so I'm getting a togo order.  Which means I have time to cool my heels and enjoy KFI.

"Gem of the day.  Guy is walking across the street in an apparent attempt to ingratiate himself to plumbers everywhere.  By this I mean that he's dropped his trousers to knee level or thereabouts.  Cops see guy shuffling along and note that his shuffle is rather, extreme shall we say.  They stop to say hi and then proceed to discover...

... the 13" TV he stuffed into his britches."

I only wish I could make this stuff up.  I actually had to call Paulina and interrupt her Princess-ey slumber to tell her about this.  We're both cracking up envisioning this and it occurs to me that I can probably use memeface to better illustrate this rather than pictures of stuff that I happen to find.  So from now on, when/if I update this blog, I'll be including the appropriate memeface.

City of Angels

Winter Trees

Spent a good bit of time on the left coast recently (actually I think I've been there more than in Atlanta this year).  We're doing some good things that are geographically agnostic so why not go there when it's cold?  Right, I couldn't come up with anything either.

There's a radio station there, KFI 640 AM which is chock full of hilarity of the Jerry Springer variety.  It seems like every single day there is a new crazy person being crazy.  So far in the last couple of weeks we've seen:

-Guy goes into house, starts shooting everyone, robs house, cops show up, guy sets fire to house, guy exits house, sees cops goes BACK INSIDE, fire department shows up and basically watch the house burn up.  Because there's a guy shooting everybody that was stupid enough to go back into the burning house...

-Pedophile starts snapping pictures of kids in his neighborhood (there's been a rash of teachers recently getting caught with kids thanks to the LA Unified School District Unions... go figure.), gets reported, cops called, he freaks out, they arrest him, check his computer find pics of kids and kiddy porn, and all kinds of disgusting stuff.  Gets his bail lowered, takes off to Mexico.  The populace is PISSED.

-Just tonight a gum chewing crazy did an OJ minus the low speed chase part and got himself shot at a gas station.

This is exactly like a train wreck that you can't stop watching.

Epic Ketchup-bot Win

Words fail me.  This is simply beyond awesome...

Delicious smashy smash Smashburger

Smashburger-ey goodness

I recently stumbled across what may be accurately described as one of the most delicious hamburgers in memory.  At this place called Smashburger.  It's incredible.

Went today and grabbed a classic on whole wheat and for a side I had iceberg lettuce with 'maters and blue cheese crumbles, blue cheese dressing, onions and, of course, bacon.  The salad was huge.  Size of my head huge.  I'm thinking that maybe they felt bad for me as I have lost weight.

Anyway, if you have one nearby, check it out. You won't be disappointed.

Firefox, why hast though forsaken me?

I'm a convert.  No more Windows.  I quit.  Cold turkey.  I now am surrounded with computers, tablets and handheld devices emblazoned by symbols of fruit.

Well, fruity computers and the carcasses of former Ready for Windows(tm) computers running some version of Linux.

But every one of them has Firefox loaded.  Pretty much anything these days can be accomplished by logging into a program via browser anyway.  So my choice is usually Firefox.

But lately, Firefox has experienced numerous problems.  Crashing, XOrg pegged at 100% plus and now this.

So it's off to Chrome for Mr. Magoo.

Google is simply amazing.  I'd estimate that with the sun setting on the Windows empire, there are good things in store for the consumer in the future.

Occupy Phil Donahue (or why socialism fails)

No comments necessary.

September 11, 2011

Many years ago I participated in the tribute to the 2996 people that died in the Militant Islamic Terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.  Lots of changes in my life, a scouring of my blog (I deleted it and started over) and somehow this tribute was lost.  Well, I dug it up again and would like to remember Thomas Pedecini's life cut short.  Thomas would be 40 now.  Rest in peace Mr. Pedecini, hopefully they play guitars in heaven.

Thomas E. Pedicini, age 30 died on September 11, 2001.

Place killed: World Trade Center.
Resident of Hicksville, N.Y. (USA).

Thomas Pedicini never strayed too far from a guitar. His brother-in- law Raymond Morace's earliest recollection of him is as "a skinny 13- year-old kid jumping around his room playing air guitar" to Van Halen. In his mother's last memory of him, he is teaching his 11-year-old cousin how to play, a few days before his death.

In between, Mr. Pedicini, 30, an easygoing sort and seemingly effortless golfer, studied business and had been working as a trader at Cantor Fitzgerald since 1998, a job he got through another brother-in-law, Mark Colaio, who died with him.

After Sept. 11, in Mr. Pedicini's apartment in Woodside, Queens, one of his roommates found a tape of him strumming and singing his way through some of his favorite tunes. "He was too shy even to show it to me, but I could hear him in there singing and playing so I knew he was up to doing something," said the roommate, Jordan Zed. He gave the tape to Mr. Pedicini's parents. More musical memories.

But Mr. Zed remembers Mr. Pedicini mostly as a decent human being whose life was going somewhere. "You'd sit around and talk about where you see yourself in five years," he said. "He had dreams and goals. He wanted to eventually find the right girl and settle down and have a family and work his way up in the firm. It seems so sad."




As September 11th nears, I suggest we all take a break from the business of politics and remember the victims, Americans and Muslims (and I'm not referring to the terrorists) and Jews and Blacks and Whites and most of all PEOPLE who died in this terrible attack.

Rest in Peace Thomas
~

Free

She walked over and asked me if I needed anything.  

"I'm good, thank you.  I like your glasses."  (she did have pretty nice glasses, being a glasses wearer, I appreciate a good pair of peepers)

She then tells me that she got her glasses for free (she was very proud of her free glasses).

Now, glasses cost money.  I've never heard of free glasses.  Unless maybe her parents purchased her some glasses in a two for one deal?  Sorry, somebody says this kind of thing to me and I must know.

"Really, free.  How did you manage to acquire nice glasses like that free?"

She then responds, "Medicare."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Oh lord.  I pointed out, as nicely as I could, that when she received her very nice glasses at no cost to her, they still cost someone money.  That someone is likely someone like me.  And I told her that she could thank me, by picking up the cost of my breakfast (it was only $8.43).

She then responded that she didn't even have five dollars to her name.

So class, let's recap:
Girl doesn't have any money
Girl gets "free" glasses that likely run $150
Medicare pays the bill
Girl still doesn't have any money
But the real cost of those glasses, when you factor in the amount of money that it takes to run the government is a lot more than $150

And girl has to live with the knowledge that someone paid for her glasses.  Just not her.

I do not think that this is a good thing.
The young lady with the nice glasses agreed with me.  She said she would rather have a good job and make the money to pay for her glasses herself.

When will politicians learn?


free (fre) adj. fre·er, fre·est
1. Not imprisoned or enslaved; being at liberty.
2. Not controlled by obligation or the will of another: felt free to go.
3.
a. Having political independence: "America . . . is the freest and wealthiest nation in the world" (Rudolph W. Giuliani).
b. Governed by consent and possessing or granting civil liberties: a free citizenry.
c. Not subject to arbitrary interference by a government: a free press.
4.
a. Not affected or restricted by a given condition or circumstance: a healthy animal, free of disease; free from need.
b. Not subject to a given condition; exempt: income that is free of all taxes.
5. Not subject to external restraint: "Comment is free but facts are sacred" (Charles Prestwich Scott).
6. Not literal or exact: a free translation.
7.
a. Costing nothing; gratuitous: a free meal...

Goodbye my sweet Zoe

I especially noticed the exclamation point...

So this morning my ex-wife texted me, "Zoe died last night!"

What do I say to the woman who cheated on me, refused the marriage counselors recommended treatment, took my dog and my house and my life and basically fucked me as thoroughly as she possibly could and then took Zoe from me without once offering to let me see her?  Nothing.  I'll focus on the good things in life.  I've forgiven my ex and I hope nothing but good things for her.  She needs it because she has a lot of problems.  Good luck to you Jen and I'm better off without you.

There's a special place for Zoe in my heart.  She was my ex's dog (Christmas present after Snoopy died) but she was crazy in love with me.  And I with her.  It was terrible how my relationship with my ex ended and it wasn't my decision to be estranged from Zoe.  I hope she had a good life because she was a very sweet baby and she loved being with me.

My most vivid memory of being with Zoe was one summer afternoon.  They were building a subdivision behind our house and had cleared a ton of land that was covered with the most beautiful grass.  I walked up a hill and sat while Chloe and Riggs wandered around.  Zoe followed me and sat right beside me and I could just feel the love from her.  She didn't want to be anywhere else but sitting right there beside me.  Honestly, I felt slightly guilty with her there (I wasn't prepared to accept good things in my life at that time) but she didn't care.  She just sat there with me for about a half hour.  I finally gave her a one arm hug and she wiggled down the hill to sniff.  That's all she wanted.

I found a poem that I think conveys my feelings:

This is reprinted under Fair Use and I will reprint the entire poem once I receive permission.  If I don't receive permission, there is a cold black heart behind it (and I'm not talking about my ex wife's cold black heart)...

Poem by Virginia Ellis

Oh, little friend, do you recall,
When you made my house your home?

You loved those walks we used to take,
You never left my side;
And if I got my car keys out,
You were ready for a ride.

You sensed when I was happy,
Or was feeling kind of low;
You'd rub up against my knee,
You always seemed to know.

You'd fetch a ball or get a toy,
Without even being told;
But, was your face crestfallen,
If I felt the need to scold.

You found the outside world exciting,
Do you remember your first snow?
You'd not come back inside the house,
Because you loved it so.

You were afraid of lightening, too,
And of booming thunderstorms;
You'd run and jump upon my bed,
Where it was safe and warm.

I never once felt lonely,
As long as you were here;
You were at my feet or on my lap,
You constantly were near.

You're going back to heaven now,
From whence long ago you came;
You'll be welcomed back by God, Himself,
Who knows your doggy-name.

I think there's Frisbees up in heaven,
And rubber, squeaky toys;
And angels who will play with you,
And little girls and boys.

But, there won't be any thunderstorms,
And no vets with shots up there;
You won't even need a leash,
You'll run freely in God's air.

And when my time on earth is done,
And at heaven's gate I'm near,
I don't want any harps or horns,
Just ... happy barks to hear.

So, see you later, little friend,
I'm glad you're now pain-free;
And I'm glad you're sitting next to Jesus,
Now ... you wait right there for me.

Diary of a disco ball

So my Sweet Girl wanted a disco ball.  We were having a soiree of sorts and she thought it would be a nice addition.  And, when she wants something, she gets it.

Off to the trusty interwebs whereupon I found a likely candidate.  A dual ball with multiple led lights that sequence. Could be mounted on the ceiling or wherever.  Under $40.  Target has it.  Right, off to Target.

Except they don't have it.  And there is apparently no one employed at the store that has a measurable amount of sense.  I was told variously that the disco ball would be in Electronics, Home Improvement and Toys...  All of them were wrong.  I got tired of the run around and called the store (while standing inside it).  Turns out, the item was at another store, the *wait for it* "SUPER TARGET".

So whatever, off to the other store and I called ahead and asked them to pull it for me.  Which they did.  And I acquired my "Solar powered Disco Ball" (insert sound of needle pulling off record)...

What?  Solar powered Disco ball?  Is this a joke?  I get it home and it's no joke.  It's actually solar powered.  Which is great except that:

1. People generally party at night
2. Night is generally lacking in sunlight
3. What, no batteries???

I cannot believe that someone would be stupid enough to think that a solar powered disco ball would cut it.  It won't.  So I grabbed a screw driver and with the help of Josh, modified it to accept battery power.

Here's the finished product.

Details on the surgery:

The solar cell output about 1v DC.  Give or take.  Apparently there isn't enough light to generate any appreciable power unless you're actually in a beam of sunlight.  Seriously.  Ambient light wasn't enough to turn on the electric motor.  Which if you pause to think about that, all these people that think that solar power is a way to get off the oil teat are smoking crack.  There's just no way you're going to generate enough power to replace the grid.  But I digress.

We started by removing the cover for the motor and snipping the wires leading from the electric cell.  I'm interested in gadgetry so I saved the solar cell.  We soldered new wires approx 2.5" and insulated the motor with electrical tape.

Cover goes back on and the gap at the top of the motor housing is the perfect size to accommodate a single AAA battery.  The AAA gives out 1.5v and that little battery spun the ball from about 6pm to 3am without a hiccup.

I want to add an on/off switch because we simply taped leads to the battery ends and that's pretty gettofabtabulous.  And I'm thinking that it might be kinda cool to use one of these old remote controls from cars and helicopters that are gathering dust.  Imagine, a remote control disco ball...  Gives me shivers.

The link for the horrid product in case you want to see what not to buy is here.