Paradise Driver

My Last Post of the Year

2011-12-31T23:16:00.000-08:00

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Another Pic From Friday

2011-12-18T03:09:00.000-08:00

Alissa, Me & Ron (Alissa's Dad)

"Let's all be careful out there!"

The Best Quantum Physics Joke I've Seen...

2011-12-18T03:04:00.000-08:00

"Let's all be careful out there!"

My One True Love

2011-12-16T17:00:00.000-08:00

Alissa & Me
December 16, 2011

This February we will have known each other for 10 years. I met her right after I started driving taxi. She was in her senior year of high school. It was one of those instant friendships that so rarely occur in a person's life. Last night she and her parents flew in from the Twin Cities for the specific purpose of visiting me. They are going to spend the rest of this weekend having fun in San Francisco.
Think about how special this loving act meant to me. The odds are that I will probably never see them again. The odds are against me being here next Christmas. Who could ask for a more loving gift that what these wonderful people have given me.

I love her with my total heart.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Col. Sherman T. Potter has died...

2011-12-07T12:48:00.000-08:00

Harry ("Henry") Morgan (nee Bratsburg)

4/10/1915 - 12/7/2011

Wikipedia info

USA Today

IMDb

I had the honor of sharing coffee with him back in 1974, when I was a cop.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Tokyo Drift...

2011-12-05T05:21:00.000-08:00

Eight Ferraris, three Mercedes-Benz cars and a Lamborghini have crashed in a massive -- and very expensive -- 14-vehicle accident in southwestern Japan.

Click here for details

"Let's all be careful out there!"

HAPPY THANKSGIVING...

2011-11-24T07:15:00.000-08:00

"Let's all be careful out there!"

HAPPY HALLOWEEN from Google

2011-10-31T08:04:00.000-07:00

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Can't Disagree with this ...

2011-10-11T13:42:00.000-07:00

"Let's all be careful out there!"

The Facts of Life

2011-10-09T05:26:00.000-07:00

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Median Point - 19 months

2011-09-23T16:07:00.000-07:00

This past week my oncologist told me that 50% of the people who have cancer that's spread through out their body only survive 19 months from diagnosis. On October 6th I will reach 31 months since it was discovered in me. I am getting up into the single digit survival zone.

Am I winning?...Nope.

The end result is still terminal but I've always been a fighter.

Doc says I should see Xmas this year, but no time projections beyond that.

I am in constant pain but limit myself to medication when it gets really, really bad.

Just wanted to let everyone know that I am still here and still "kickin'."

What do I do to pass the time? For the past year I've been studying quantum physics, black holes, "branes" and the 11th dimension (no joke, it really does exist). Just light thinking to keep the brain from going stale.

BTW - Did you know that gravity doesn't pull but it pushes. It is actually the fabric of space/time pushing us towards a mass.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Goodnight Irene

2011-08-27T13:32:00.000-07:00

Jeff Masters, a meteorologist at the Weather Underground website, said the New Jersey shore could be especially hard hit. Waves as high as 15 to 20 feet (4.5 to 6 meters) could batter the Jersey coast, causing serious damage in a region that's not used to hurricanes.
"They just don't get these kinds of events there," Masters said. "I anticipate a lot of damage along the New Jersey coastline."
God, I hope Irene signals an end to that inane TV show - "Jersey Shores".
That would be a constructive result of this minor (Category-1) hurricane.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

OMG! - A new post! The Virginia quake

2011-08-24T10:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's (2011-08-23) 5.8 mag quake in Virginia produced this interesting video that actually shows the seismic wave moving across North America. (for more info click HERE)

Just to keep things in perspective, the 9.0 quake that hit Japan on March 11th was over 1,000,000,000 (one billion) times stronger at the epicenter. Every whole number increase in magnitude is 1,000 times stronger than the lower whole number.
I've read that there is an identified fault that crosses the mid-line of Manhattan Island with the potential of generating a 6.5 quake. I don't know when (or if) NYC has upgraded their building codes to account for this hazard but it is easily conceivable that if/when it does occur the structural loss within the city could easily be in the 78%-90% range. The regional effect would be devastating, with major damage extending over a far greater range than we typically have in California.
Oh, yeah. In California a 5.8 is what considered "coffee stirring strength." Nothing to get excited about. Feces occurs.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

A Man I Admired......

2011-07-11T03:12:00.000-07:00

Richard "Dick" D. Winters, Major, U.S. Army (ret.), Company E (Easy), 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division
Winters, 2004
Winters, Somewhere in Europe, WWII
I just found out that Dick died earlier this year (January 21, 1918 – January 2, 2011). He was just 19 days shy of his 93rd birthday. He was the last survivor of "Easy" Company, the "Band of Brothers".
Please take a moment to honor his memory.
"I cherish the memories of a question my grandson asked me the other day when he said, 'Grandpa, were you a hero in the war?' Grandpa said 'No… but I served in a company of heroes.'" Richard Winters

"Let's all be careful out there!"

HUBBLE'S VIEW OF THE UNIVERSE

2011-07-09T05:39:00.000-07:00

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Well, Its 7 PM and We're Still Here

2011-05-21T19:00:00.000-07:00

Or, at least, I am.

Now on to December 22, 2012. The day after the world is supposed to end according to ~~some moron's~~ someone's translation of the Mayan calender.

Anyone remember the early '70's when people were moving to Idaho because California was definitely going to fall into the Pacific? I had a ~~really stupid~~ reality challenged cousin-in-law who moved his family to southeastern Idaho. You know, right in the heart of the Yellowstone super-volcano caldera. A place where the Earth pukes it's guts out about every 600,000 years. It's last bender was around 600,000 years ago, so its probably getting itself all gussied up for another period of "painting the town 'red'" (or actually gray).

So, as May 22nd approaches, may I wish each of you a very happy first day of the rest of your life. For what its worth.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

What are your plans for 6pm?

2011-05-21T04:21:00.000-07:00

Well, according to some obscure American religious cult, the World ends at 6pm today.
But 6pm where?
Well, they're a bit vague on that trivial fact.

Its already past 6pm in the Land of Oz and they're still here. Same goes for Japan, Korea and China.

Maybe it's supposed to be 6 pm in Jerusalem.
Or Rome.
Or Salt Lake City.
How can a guy make plans about when to pop the top on his final can of beer or stoke the fire on his favorite bong?

Maybe today would be better handled if everybody just stays wasted until May 21st finally dissipates at the IDL (International Date Line).

I'll drink to that!

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Did you hear?.....

2011-05-08T12:43:00.000-07:00

Bars are now serving a new drink called the "bin Laden"
Two shots and a splash of water.

Thanks to Princess Leah for this one. 8-)

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Where Obama bagged Osama

2011-05-05T22:26:00.000-07:00

If you have the Google Earth app on your web box (and who doesn't?) just enter these coordinates:
34º 10' 09.18" N 73º 14' 33.45"E
for a "spy in the sky" view of where bin Laden bought the farm.

I doubt the rumors are true that he was thrown overboard off the coast of the Fukushima Nuclear power plant in Japan. I mean, lets face it, do we really want a giant mutated radioactive creature smashing the buildings in Tokyo?

"Let's all be careful out there!"

50 Years Ago - "A-OK"

2011-05-05T03:41:00.000-07:00

In his "work clothes"

Alan B. Shepard (November 18, 1923 – July 21, 1998)

It was a mild spring day in coastal New Hampshire. I only had about 5 weeks left before summer vacation started. My first summer as a teenager! It was my Dad's 35th birthday. He was away, as usual, flying somewhere for the USAF. The first thing I noticed when I arrived at school was that one of our 4 junior high classrooms (the school was K-8) had a TV set in it. Now that was odd. My heart fluttered slightly. I knew that Astronaut Shepard was scheduled to launch into space that morning on a short (15 minute) sub-orbital flight. I was really bummed because I had wanted to stay home and watch it all on TV. I knew that this was history being made. Now, for the first time ever, there were multiple TV sets scattered around the school. Mrs. Kyle's beautiful baby boy may have been a stubborn cuss but not a stupid one.
WE WERE GOING TO WATCH THE LAUNCH!
Somewhere around T-minus 30 minutes the two 7th grade and two 8th grade classes congregated in the Science (appropriately) Room. Now you must remember that this was before we had any form of satellite tele-communications. All TV signals were transmitted nationally by terrestrial microwave towers and the three (and only, this was pre-cable) TV Networks (ABC/CBS/NBC) had to pool and coordinate their use of the one microwave link out of Cape Canaveral, which did cause some comical miscues. All the programming was in black & white (color TV didn't become prominent until around 1966)

The designated time arrived, finally, and America watched Freedom 7 climb into the heavens on a brillant pillar of flame from its Redstone rocket. 15 minutes later it was over. Of course we didn't see the splashdown or any of the other post landing stuff because, as I noted earlier, there were no satellites to send a signal to. Yes, the Soviet Union had beaten us into space when Yuri Gagarin made a single orbit of the Earth 23 days earlier but we (America) didn't care. We had a GEN-U-INE Hero.

Later that summer he returned to his hometown of Derry, New Hampshire for his true hero's parade. I was there and got to shake his hand.

Mission Patch

Launch

One of his faux pas was that he liked speed (astronaut/test pilot, duh) and it was not uncommon for him to be stopped for speeding (usually 120+ mph) as he made his regular trips between New Hampshire and Cape Canaveral. I don't think he was ever issued a ticket after his epic journey. After the mission he was once asked what he was thinking about just prior to the launch and he replied "That we're doing this on 'low-bid'."

His wife Louise died 5 weeks after he did. Their bodies were cremated and the ashes scattered together in the ocean near Cape Canaveral.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

TOO MUCH INFORMATION

2011-04-22T06:52:00.000-07:00

Did you know that if you post images on the web from either a camera or camera-phone that is GPS enabled, that the exact location of where the image was captured is embedded in the photo data and is easily (like just 'right-click') obtained?

Keep that in mind when sharing images of your home, kids or anything else that might be placed in jeopardy.

I CAN STALK U

"Let's all be careful out there!"

The best footage of a tsunami that I have ever viewed

2011-03-31T17:44:00.000-07:00

Forget about all those Hollywood movies and F/X that depict a tsunami as a big sea wave, crashing on shore. A tsunami is a rapid rise in water level that just seems to never stop. Overwhelming and unrelenting.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

The Government Can't Do Anything Right...

2011-03-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

Or Can They?

Found this at Lugosi's blog, which he found on FaceBook. Well worth passing along:

This morning I awoke to my alarm clock, powered by electricity generated by the public power monopoly regulated by the US Department of Energy. I took a shower in the clean water provided by the municipal water utility. After that, I turned on the TV to one of the FCC regulated channels to see what the National Weather Service of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) determined the weather was going to be, using satellites designed, built, and launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). I watched this while eating my breakfast of US Department of Agriculture inspected food, and taking the drugs which have been determined as safe by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

At the appropriate time, as regulated by the U.S. Congress and kept accurate by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the US Naval Observatory, I get into my National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) approved automobile and set out to work on the roads built by local, state, and federal Departments of Transportation, possibly stopping to purchase additional fuel of the quality level determined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), using legal tender issued by the Federal Reserve Bank. On the way out the door I deposit any mail I have to be sent out via the U.S. Postal Service and wave to the the kids being taken to the public school.

After spending another day not being maimed or killed at work thanks to the workplace regulations imposed by the Department of Labor and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, enjoying another two meals which again do not kill me because of the USDA, I drive NHTSA car back home on the DOT roads, to a house which is not burned down in my absence because of the state and local building codes and fire marshal’s inspections, and which not has been plundered of all its valuables thanks to the local Police Department. Finally, I can log onto the internet, which was developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration, and post on FoxNews.com forums about how socialism in medicine is bad because the government can't do anything right.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Las Vegas Long Haul

2011-03-26T19:36:00.000-07:00

We had "long-haulers" on Maui too. If you complained to the owner (not Art, but the ass-wipe that bought Royal from him) about other drivers doing this, you were on his shit list.

Companies that "split the meter" with the driver would tend to shut their eyes to these violations because it is extra money in the company's coffers. Companies that just charge a flat lease fee for X number of hours of cab usage don't have a financial interest in promoting this form of illegal activity.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Elizabeth Taylor Dead

2011-03-23T08:15:00.000-07:00

Liz died today (Wednesday 23-March-2011) at the age of 79 from congestive heart failure.

More details

Photo Gallery

"Let's all be careful out there!"

UCLA Girl - Rant Against Asians in the Library [OFFICIAL]

2011-03-15T08:35:00.000-07:00

Story

I have absolutely no problem with what this lady has said. It was a true statement of facts from her perspective and anyone who does have an issue with this probably doesn't understand the U.S. Constitution.
"Let's all be careful out there!"

Q: What do Tokyo and Oklahoma City have in common?

2011-03-15T07:46:00.000-07:00

A: They both sit on the North American tectonic Plate.
Until last weeks temblor, I did not know that. The northern half of Honshu Island, and all the islands to the north, from just south of Tokyo are part of the North American Plate.

SEE MAP

Isn't it nice to learn something new everyday?

"Let's all be careful out there!"target

4 U STONERS

2011-03-14T01:43:00.000-07:00

More Info

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Assorted videos and slide shows of the earthquake/tsunami from Hawai'i & Japan

2011-03-13T08:01:00.000-07:00

It is now believed that there were over 10,000 deaths in just the Miyaki Prefecture alone.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

8.9 Earthquake generates 13 ft (4m) tsunami

2011-03-11T02:07:00.000-08:00

Pacific Basin on Tsunami Alert
A magnitude 8.9 earthquake slammed Japan’s northeastern coast Friday, unleashing a 13-foot (4-meter) tsunami that swept boats, cars, buildings and tons of debris miles inland. At least one person was killed and there were reports of several injuries in Tokyo, hundreds of miles away, where buildings shook violently through the main quake and the wave of massive aftershocks that followed.

To stay updated, just follow the stories on the news tracker at the top of the blog and the USGS links on the left sidebar.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

"Life`s not about waiting for the storms to pass..."

2011-03-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

"It`s about learning to dance in the rain."

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Kilauea - March, 2011

2011-03-07T17:24:00.000-08:00

This image is NOT some artist's concept of an alien world:


Kilauea

To see (and read) more

CLICK HERE

"Let's all be careful out there!"

RELIGION:

2011-03-02T13:05:00.000-08:00

The greatest joke ever played on mankind.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Ancient Chinese Proverb:

2011-03-01T17:51:00.000-08:00

"There is no smaller package than a man wrapped up in himself."

Charlie Sheen: (I am) "tired of pretending I'm not a total, bitchin' rock star from Mars."

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Zeitgeist

2011-02-26T17:05:00.000-08:00

"Let's all be careful out there!"

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

2011-02-14T00:25:00.000-08:00

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Life Lessons

2011-02-05T23:59:00.000-08:00

GOOD DECISIONS

come from

EXPERIENCE

comes from

BAD DECISIONS

"Let's all be careful out there!"

And now for something completely different....

2011-02-04T10:54:00.000-08:00

A man boarded a plane at Sydney airport and took his seat. As he settled in he noticed a very beautiful woman boarding the aircraft.

He realized she was heading straight towards his seat and "bingo!" she took the seat right beside him.

Eager to strike up a conversation, he blurted out: "Business trip or holiday?"

She turned, smiled enchantingly, and said "Business. I`m going to the Annual Nymphomaniac Convention in the United States."

The man swallowed hard. Here was the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen sitting next to him and she was going to a meeting for nymphomaniacs!

Struggling to maintain his composure he calmly asked "What`s your business role at this convention?"

"Lecturer," she responded. "I use my experience to debunk some of the popular myths about sexuality."

"Really?" he smiled. "What myths are those?"

"Well," she explained, "one popular myth is that African-American men are the most well-endowed when, in fact, it`s the Native American who is most likely to possess that trait. Another popular myth is that French men are the best lovers, when actually it is the men of Greek descent. We have also found that the best potential lovers in all categories are the Irish."

Suddenly the woman became uncomfortable and blushed. "I`m sorry," she said, "I really shouldn`t be discussing this with you, I don`t even know your name!"

"Tonto," the man said. "Tonto Papadopoulos, but all my friends call me 'Paddy'."

BTW - "Tonto" is a Spanish word, NOT Native American, and it means IDIOT.
"Let's all be careful out there!"

"The envelope please."

2011-02-03T00:57:00.000-08:00

"And the winner is..."

If you follow this sort of thing, then you are aware that the nominations for this year's Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences awards have been announced:

The nominees for the Best Picture "Oscar" are:
127 Hours
Black Swan
Inception
The Fighter
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter's Bone
All of these films (plus more than 2,000 others) are available for viewing at the HOME THEATER CENTER. Just click on a title above to view the movie.

I have seen all 10 of these excellent movies. All deserve their entry onto the ballot. But I believe that True Grit should win for "Best Picture" and that Jeff Bridges should win the award for "Best Actor in a Leading Role." He absolutely nailed the re-imaging of the character of "Rooster" Cogburn. Not better than John Wayne's nor that much different. Just a different "feel". A different "air". A different "texture." Hailee Steinfeld's rendition of the Mattie Ross character is well worthy of her nomination for the "Best Actress in a Leading Role" statuette. Matt Damon far out shown Glenn Campbell as "La Bouef".

So, that's my "2-cents worth" on the "Oscars." What's yours?

"Let's all be careful out there!"True Grit

SURFING "JAWS" IS DANGEROUS...

2011-01-22T16:10:00.000-08:00

NOW TRY IT AT NIGHT:

Complete story
HERE

"Let's all be careful out there!"

THE MILKY WAY GALAXY

2011-01-14T14:13:00.000-08:00

OVER Mt. LASSEN, CALIFORNIA

"Let's all be careful out there!"

PARADISE

2011-01-14T08:39:00.000-08:00

BURIED


Azeka Place - Makai

This image is looking southwest, from (what I remember as) the Long's Center, across south Kihei Road This is about 24 hours after the rains diminished. All of Hawai'i was hit by two huge Kona storms this week. Highways were closed and the town of Kihei was virtually isolated. South Kihei Road was buried under about 3'-4' of water flowing at approx. 20mph.

From what I have read and seen, this was even worse than the huge storms of 2007 and 2005.

The Kihei side of Maui is basically a desert. Typically less than 10" of rain per year. This time around, there was so much precipitation that the west slopes of Haleakala actually had waterfalls. During the 15 years I lived on Maui, there had never been waterfalls on the west side of the mountain.

Obviously, this in no way compares in magnitude to the floods in Australia or Brazil.

Looking East from south Kihei Road towards FoodLand. The "Triangle" is off-camera, right.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Wandering Through the Forgotten Pathways of My Memories

2011-01-07T04:04:00.000-08:00

Getting the tickets for the Kingston Trio concert started me searching for the songs of my youth. Peter Paul and Mary, The Mamas and Papas, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, etc. Then I hit upon the Carpenters. Karen, who considered herself to be "a drummer who sang" (and acknowledged as a great drummer by Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, among others) had a vocal range of three octaves but usually sang in contralto. In my opinion, the most beautiful voice of the 20th Century. Their hit song We've Only Just Begun was originally the musical background for a Crocker Bank TV/radio ad campaign. Richard heard it and decided it was a perfect tune for his sister. BOY! Was he ever right!
Here are two video captures recorded a few years apart. I hope you enjoy them...

My wife and I were headed into the LA basin when the news came over the radio about her death in 1983. We both softly wept.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

KINGSTON TRIO

2011-01-05T19:23:00.000-08:00

In 1957 The Kingston Trio emerged from San Francisco's North Beach club scene to take the country by storm, bringing the rich tradition of American folk music into the mainstream for the first time. During the late 50s & early 60s, the Trio enjoyed unprecedented record sales and worldwide fame, while influencing the musical tastes of a generation.

Through changing times, the Trio has played on, remaining popular for a simple reason... great songs that sound as good today as the first time you heard them. And fifty-three years after Tom Dooley shot to the top of the charts, the Trio is still on the road thirty weeks a year, bringing back all the great memories and making new ones.

Talk about excited!

At 8:00 PM this Saturday I am going to attend the Kingston Trio concert at the Gallo Center for the Arts, here in Modesto, CA.

For those of you too young to remember them, here are some videos from YouTube. (click to see the entire list of Kingston Trio videos)
There are no images on the first video, just the lyrics of their most popular song: "Tom Dooley"

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Andromeda

2011-01-05T15:28:00.000-08:00

Click HERE for more info

"Let's all be careful out there!"

“Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl, is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.”

2011-01-03T06:37:00.000-08:00

Albert Einstein

Interesting article about "kissing" from the New York Post.

The Science of Kissing
What Our Lips are Telling Us
By Sheril Kirshenbaum
Grand Central Publishing

"Let's all be careful out there!"

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2010-12-31T18:36:00.000-08:00

1-JANUARY-2011

Christmas 2010 - Family Photo

2010-12-29T19:30:00.000-08:00

Gee, we all have the same last name.

Rob, Justin, Me, Zac, Kellie, Harley

Taken with a cell phone, hence the low quality.
"Let's all be careful out there!"

2010-12-25T00:00:00.000-08:00

25-DECEMBER-2010

IF YOU ARE AS TIRED OF XMAS MUSIC AS I AM...

2010-12-22T11:05:00.000-08:00

Then, hopefully, you'll enjoy this:

Billy Joel - Piano Man
"Let's all be careful out there!"

SOME CHRISTMAS PRESENTS ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS...

2010-12-21T11:13:00.000-08:00

Regular readers of this blog know about my special relationship with an extraordinarily beautiful woman named Alissa (a/k/a/ "Wiskers", "Lady Hawke"). I started driving a cab on Maui in late January or early February (memory is a bit vague) of 2002. I made a pick-up at the Grand Wailea Resort one February evening. Two very beautiful girls from Minnesota. Alissa was just 17 and Chrissie was 18. For some strange reason, our personalities "clicked". I made them promise to keep me informed as to their location on the island in case they needed assistance. It was just my "grandpa" complex worried about two young innocents. Over the ensuing years Alissa, and all her family, became very close friends of mine. The last time I saw her/them was in March of 2008, just before I moved back to California for health reasons.

Alissa, Me, Chrissie

Chrissie and I saw each other again, with Alissa, after the two of them graduated from high school in 2002. They have both earned their University degrees since and their world experiences have grown.

Alissa and Me

This year the company that Chrissie works for was flying her to the Bay Area for their annual Christmas party. She could bring a companion and so she asked Alissa to be her guest. Alissa knew I lived somewhere in northern California, so she called me and asked me how far I was from Palo Alto. I told her that it was approximately 100 driving miles away. DUH! Only 2 hours. She decided right then that she was coming to see me.

Chrissie and Me

Many phone calls and text messages later, we all met at a restaurant at 1:00 PM this past Saturday and spent a few hours together.

Talk about overwhelming JOY!

Realistically I know that each Christmas is a milestone for me and the odds are less than 50/50 that I'll be around for the next one.

I am not asking for sympathy nor trying to sound morose. I am very much a realist and to have both these beautiful ladies deem it necessary to go out of their way to see me once more is more special to me than anything since the birth of my son.

Chrissie, thank you for being my friend.

Alissa, my darling, you are the one true love of my life. Watching you mature into a very sophisticated woman is a joy beyond compare. Your vivacious spirit has always invigorated my life. Becoming friends with your family (Ron, Susan, Leah, Pete, Nora & Hank [at least in spirit]) was beyond my dreams.

Wiskers, you are on my mind and in my heart 24/7/365. As I said Saturday, if we must part ways before we can meet again, "No Regrets". We will each have a part of the other to keep and share with others through out eternity. I will always watch over you.

I LOVE YOU!

"Let's all be careful out there!"

A ONE-WAY ==> Trip To Mars

2010-12-20T16:00:00.000-08:00

"Let's all be careful out there!"

It's Time for Musical Christmas House Lights - AGAIN

2010-12-16T11:23:00.000-08:00

"Let's all be careful out there!"

The Christmas Song

2010-12-13T23:47:00.000-08:00

Christina Aguilera

"Let's all be careful out there!"

NORAD Tracks Santa Again This Year

2010-12-10T10:51:00.000-08:00

I have heard though that ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), DHS, CIA , FBI and TSA have sealed warrants for his arrest for illegally entering the country every year with goods that have not had import taxes paid on, violating the "NO-FLY" list, failure to file a flight plan, no passport or entry visa, possible pedophile activities, habituating known haunts of terrorist organizations globally, and slavery. The IRS wants to know how a man with no known income is able to acquire the "presents" he illegally dumps on an ailing global economy. The DEA also has questions about what type of material he puts in his pipe. His famous "RED" suit and the giving away of commercial merchandise for "free" have given rise to speculation that he might have ties to communist organizations.

His ability to enter and egress any room, in any structure across the world without, normally, detection has given rise to suspicions that he might be the source of the leaked U.S. Government documents being released by Wikileaks.

NORAD is also collaborating with Google Earth to provide documentation of his movements across the planet.

You can find more information HERE.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010) (complete movie)

2010-12-06T15:09:00.000-08:00

If you haven't seen it yet (or just want to view it again), it is available for viewing at my other website

HERE

Enjoy!

"Let's all be careful out there!"

COMMENTS FROM 1955:

2010-12-04T06:37:00.000-08:00

1955 Chevrolet Bel Air

"I'll tell you one thing, if things keep going the way they are, it's going to be impossible to buy a week's groceries for $20.00."

"Have you seen the new cars coming out next year? It won't be long before $2,000.00 will only buy a used one."

"If cigarettes keep going up in price, I'm going to quit. A quarter a pack is ridiculous."

"Did you hear the post office is thinking about charging a dime just to mail a letter?"

"If they raise the minimum wage to $1.00, Nobody will be able to hire outside help at the store."

"When I first started driving, who would have thought gas would someday cost 29cents a gallon. Guess we'd be better off leaving the car in the garage."

"I'm afraid to send my kids to the movies any more. Ever since they let Clark Gable get by with saying DAMN in GONE WITH THE WIND, it seems every new movie has either HELL or DAMN in it."

"I read the other day where some scientist thinks it's possible to put a man on the moon by the end of the century. They even have some fellows they call astronauts preparing for it down in Texas."

"Did you see where some baseball player just signed a contract for $75,000 a year just to play ball? It wouldn't surprise me if someday they'll be making more than the President."

"I never thought I'd see the day all our kitchen appliances would be electric. They are even making electric typewriters now."

"It's too bad things are so tough nowadays. I see where a few married women are having to work to make ends meet."

"It won't be long before young couples are going to have to hire someone to watch their kids so they can both work."

"I'm afraid the Volkswagen car is going to open the door to a whole lot of foreign business."

"Thank goodness I won't live to see the day when the Government takes half our income in taxes. I sometimes wonder if we are electing the best people to congress."

"The drive-in restaurant is convenient in nice weather, but I seriously doubt they will ever catch on."

"There is no sense going to Lincoln or Omaha anymore for a weekend,
It costs nearly $15.00 a night to stay in a hotel."

"No one can afford to be sick anymore. At $35.00 a day in the hospital, it's too rich for my blood."

"If they think I'll pay 50 cents for a haircut, forget it."

"Let's all be careful out there!"

The New Google Earth 6 is now integrated with Google Maps-Street View

2010-12-01T02:14:00.000-08:00

Download Google Earth 6

HERE

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Pretty Self-Explanatory:

2010-11-27T20:39:00.000-08:00

"Let's all be careful out there!"

BURLESQUE

2010-11-27T20:17:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you but this looks interesting.

Two of my favorite singers.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, AMERICA!

2010-11-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

"Let's all be careful out there!"

3 Examples of How to Fail a Police Sobriety Test

2010-11-24T17:59:00.000-08:00

I bet each suspect claimed they were the victim of police brutality!

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Imagine If All Atheists Left America

2010-11-21T06:28:00.000-08:00

Thanks, Lugosi.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

ITS A FULL MOON TONIGHT...

2010-11-20T16:39:00.000-08:00

I think this is the "Hunter's Moon".
Thought I would share this image of the Moon rising over my servant's quarters.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

After Monday and Tuesday...

2010-11-13T00:17:00.000-08:00

Even the calendar says W-T-F

"Let's all be careful out there!"

DON'T FORGET...

2010-11-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

You get an extra hour of sleep tonight.

At 2:00 AM, it becomes 1:00 AM again

Daylight Savings Time ends tonight.

Yup. We're back on "Standard Time" again.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

CAN YOU IDENTIFY THE LOCATION?

2010-11-02T17:24:00.000-07:00

HINT: Taken from the ISS

"Let's all be careful out there!"

IT'S ELECTION DAY -

2010-11-02T07:43:00.000-07:00


Election Day, November 2, 2010

Vote early - Vote often.

Special thanks to Lugosi for posting this:

NOW You Get Mad?!?!

We had eight years of Bush and Cheney, now you get mad!?!?
You didn't get mad when the Supreme Court stopped a legal recount and appointed a President.
You didn't get mad when Cheney allowed Energy company officials to dictate energy policy.
You didn't get mad when a covert CIA operative got ousted.
You didn't get mad when the Patriot Act got passed.
You didn't get mad when we illegally invaded a country that posed no threat to us.
You didn't get mad when we spent over 600 billion (and counting) on said illegal war.
You didn't get mad when over 10 billion dollars just disappeared in Iraq .
You didn't get mad when you found out we were torturing people.
You didn't get mad when the government was illegally wiretapping Americans.
You didn't get mad when we didn't catch Bin Laden.
You didn't get mad when you saw the horrible conditions at Walter Reed.
You didn't get mad when we let a major US city drown.
You didn't get mad when we gave a 900 billion tax break to the rich.
You didn't get mad when, using reconciliation; a trillion dollars of our tax dollars were redirected to insurance companies for Medicare Advantage which cost over 20 percent more for basically the same services that Medicare provides.
You didn't get mad when the deficit hit the trillion dollar mark, and our total national debt hit the thirteen trillion dollar ($13,000,000,000,000.00) mark.

You FINALLY got mad when the government decided that people in America deserved the right to see a doctor if they are sick. Yes, illegal wars, lies, corruption, torture, stealing your tax dollars to make the rich richer, are perfectly fine with you, but helping your fellow American citizens live healthier lives.... That's where you draw the line.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

All-Time Worldwide Box office (TOP 100)

2010-10-25T09:03:00.000-07:00

As of 20-OCTOBER-2010 (IMDb) (NO ADJUSTMENT FOR INFLATION)

Rank Title (Year of Release) Worldwide Box Office
1.      Avatar (2009) $2,780,339,004
2.    Titanic (1997) $1,835,300,000
3.    The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) $1,129,219,252
4.    Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) $1,060,332,628
5. Toy Story 3 (2010) $1,058,144,168
6.     Alice in Wonderland (2010) $1,023,285,206
7.    The Dark Knight (2008) $1,001,921,825
8.    Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001) $968,657,891
9.    Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007) $958,404,152
10. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) $937,000,866
11. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) $933,956,980
12. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) $922,379,000
13. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) $921,600,000
14. Jurassic Park (1993) $919,700,000
15. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) $892,194,397
16. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009) $887,773,705
17. Spider-Man 3 (2007) $885,430,303
18. Shrek 2 (2004) $880,871,036
19. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) $866,300,000
20. Finding Nemo (2003) $865,000,000
21. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) $860,700,000
22. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) $848,462,555
23. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) $835,276,689
24. Inception (2010) $811,451,947
25. Independence Day (1996) $811,200,000
26. Spider-Man (2002) $806,700,000
27. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) $797,900,000
28. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) $795,458,727
29. Shrek the Third (2007) $791,106,665
30. Spider-Man 2 (2004) $783,577,893
31. The Lion King (1994) $783,400,000
32. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) $783,011,114
33. 2012 (2009) $766,812,167
34. The Da Vinci Code (2006) $758,236,138
35. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) $756,700,000
36. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) $738,809,845
37. The Matrix Reloaded (2003) $735,600,000
38. Shrek Forever After (2010) $731,071,987
39. Up (2009) $727,079,556
40. Transformers (2007) $700,759,914
41. New Moon (2009) $687,919,304
42. Eclipse (2010) $681,123,113
43. Forrest Gump (1994) $679,400,000
44. The Sixth Sense (1999) $661,500,000
45. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) $653,200,000
46. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) $648,200,000
47. Kung Fu Panda (2008) $633,395,021
48. The Incredibles (2004) $624,037,578
49. Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006) $623,829,763
50. Hancock (2008) $623,546,274
51. Iron Man 2 (2010) $616,757,433
52. Ratatouille (2007) $615,935,493
53. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) $614,300,000
54. The Passion of the Christ (2004) $604,370,943
55. Mamma Mia! (2008) $601,204,210
56. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008) $594,082,968
57. War of the Worlds (2005) $591,377,056
58. Casino Royale (2006) $587,607,184
59. Men in Black (1997) $587,200,000
60. I Am Legend (2007) $583,986,216
61. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) $572,700,000
62. Iron Man (2008) $571,827,600
63. Night at the Museum (2006) $571,063,268
64. Quantum of Solace (2008) $569,968,427
65. Armageddon (1998) $554,600,000
66. King Kong (2005) $547,051,260
67. Mission: Impossible II (2000) $545,300,000
68. Home Alone (1990) $533,800,000
69. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) $533,800,000
70. WALL·E (2008) $532,506,889
71. Monsters, Inc. (2001) $528,900,000
72. The Day After Tomorrow (2004) $527,939,919
73. The Simpsons Movie (2007) $525,532,370
74. Sherlock Holmes (2009) $518,419,489
75. Ghost (1990) $517,600,000
76. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) $516,800,000
77. Aladdin (1992) $501,900,000
78. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) $494,800,000
79. Twister (1996) $494,700,000
80. How to Train Your Dragon (2010) $492,387,997
81. Clash of the Titans (2010) $491,592,114
82. Angels & Demons (2009) $485,975,846
83. Toy Story 2 (1999) $485,700,000
84. Troy (2004) $481,228,348
85. Saving Private Ryan (1998) $479,300,000
86. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) $471,856,431
87. Jaws (1975) $470,600,000
88. Pretty Woman (1990) $463,400,000
89. The Hangover (2009) $461,613,371
90. Bruce Almighty (2003) $458,900,000
91. 300 (2006) $456,592,590
92. The Matrix (1999) $456,300,000
93. Gladiator (2000) $456,200,000
94. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) $455,260,014
95. Shrek (2001) $455,100,000
96. Cars (2006) $454,752,771
97. National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007) $453,961,501
98. Mission: Impossible (1996) $452,500,000
99. Pearl Harbor (2001) $450,400,000
100. Ocean's Eleven (2001) $444,200,000
Last update: 20 October 2010

All of these (plus over 1,600 more) are available for free viewing at my other website:

HOME THEATER CENTER

"Let's all be careful out there!"

The God Who Wasn't There

2010-10-15T07:38:00.000-07:00

Another look at the fallacy and falsehood of the Christian mythology.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

DO UNTO OTHERS*

2010-10-15T03:44:00.000-07:00

AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU

*exceptions:
Jews
Catholics
Muslims
Buddhists
Taoists
Hindus
Atheists
Pagans
Blacks
Mexicans
Asians
Africans
Oceanians
Eastern Europeans
French
Irish
Germans
Native American
Caribbeans
Latin Americans
People poorer than me
People richer than me
Any one who believes that the First Amendment [Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances] applies to anyone other than a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant Christian.
Any belief more liberal than Baptist.
Any belief more conservative than Pentecostal.
Gays (excluding "lipstick" lesbians)
Mormans
Communists
Socialists
Democrats
Any one who doesn't exactly agree with all my opinions

I know this will help me get into Heaven. The Bible told me so.
"Let's all be careful out there!"

The Earth at Night

2010-10-14T14:02:00.000-07:00


A NASA composite image of Earth at night. Because of the light pollution, all of you in the bright areas have never truly seen the night sky. What a shame. You can view/download the full sized image HERE. It will open in a new tab or window, depending on how your browser is set.

An interesting note:

The amount of light is a very good indication of the industrial strength of a region or country.

Back in 2001, everybody was saying "let's bomb them into the 'stone-age'" when referring to Afghanistan.
Uh, duh. They were/are in the stone-age.
Closer examination will also show you just how weak Kim Jung-Il's North Korea (DPRK) is.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Do you think god smokes cannibis?

2010-10-11T08:43:00.001-07:00

"Let's all be careful out there!"

SATURN

2010-10-06T09:38:00.000-07:00

This is a mosaic of quite a few images, stitched together to produce this magnificent portrait. The Sun is behind the disk of Saturn, and you can see the rings lit up on the sides, but in silhouette against the disk itself.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

The Brain sees the science

2010-10-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

But the eyes see the sci-fi

Shooting a laser at the sky

This image, released on Sept. 6, shows a laser beam shooting up from the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal Observatory in Chile. The laser beam is used as a guide for the observatory's adaptive-optics system, which compensates for unsteadiness in the atmosphere to produce sharper astronomical images. (Y. Beletsky / ESO)

"Let's all be careful out there!"

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - On a Clear Summer's Night

2010-10-06T09:16:00.000-07:00

"Let's all be careful out there!"

AMBER ALERTS really do work -

2010-10-05T23:14:00.000-07:00

Concerned citizen helps free kidnapped Fresno girl

Police say the 8-year-old, who was abducted Monday while playing outside her home, had been sexually assaulted. The suspect, Gregorio Gonzalez, 24, was on felony probation. An unemployed construction worker spotted Gonzalez's truck and gave chase.

By Diana Marcum, Los Angeles Times
October 6, 2010
Reporting from Fresno —
An 8-year-old girl, kidnapped from her yard by a stranger — the object of an intensive overnight search — was returned to her mother alive Tuesday after a dramatic rescue by a quick-acting unemployed construction worker.

"It's truly a miracle of God that she is with us…we certainly beat the odds," said Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer.

The third-grader and a 6-year-old friend were playing in the driveway in front of their apartment complex about 8:30 Monday evening, when a man, whom police later identified as 24-year-old Gregorio Gonzalez, told them he would buy them gifts if they came with him..

Neighbors who saw the man talking to the children shouted at the girls to run. Gonzalez allegedly grabbed the 8-year-old and forced her into an older rust-colored Chevrolet pickup truck with white stripes.

The girl's mother and a neighbor, Enrique Miguel, followed in his car.

"I saw that same truck around here for days," Miguel said. "We chased and chased but lost him."

Authorities issued an Amber Alert, which quickly escalated to a statewide bulletin about a small girl last seen wearing a purple "Winnie the Pooh" sweatshirt. About 130 officers were put on the case, and helicopters scanned the city. Alerts flashed on freeway signs and appeared during television shows.

Everyone working through the night knew the clock was ticking. Dyer would later point out in a news conference that most kidnapping victims are killed within the first 24 hours.

Just down the street from where the girl was kidnapped, Victor Perez was discussing the story with his neighbor.

"He was saying, 'Man, what could we have done different to keep that from happening?' I was saying, 'We've just got to keep a lookout for that truck.' "

On Tuesday morning, the first thing Perez did was turn on the TV to see if there was anything new in the case. Police had released surveillance camera footage of the truck. As Perez and his cousin Flor Urias watched the grainy black-and-white images, Urias looked out their living room window and saw an old rust-colored pickup with stripes making a U-turn in front of their house.

"I was saying, 'Victor, that sure looks like that truck. Is that the truck? That is the truck,' " Urias said.

But Perez was already out the door giving chase in his 1988 Ford pickup, which he always backs into his driveway so he can leave quickly if he needs to.

The first time he caught up to Gonzalez, Perez waved and rolled down his window as though asking for directions.

"I told him, 'Hey man, let me ask you something.' He said he couldn't talk, his battery was about to die. I said 'I have [jumper] cables.' And I'm thinking, 'Maybe it's not him, he seems like a friendly guy.' Then while we were still talking he sped away."

Perez caught up and forced Gonzalez to the side of the road. Gonzalez threw his hands over his head in anger.

He had been holding the little girl down. When his hands shot up, her head popped up over the dashboard and Perez saw her.

"I made eye contact with her. And that's when I wasn't scared anymore," Perez said. "I won't kid you, until then I'd thought 'Does this guy have a gun?' But once I met her eyes, I just thought 'I've got to get that little girl out of there.' "

Gonzalez sped off, at one point driving on the sidewalk.

Perez kept trying to force Gonzalez to the side of the road, finally pulling his truck directly in Gonzalez's path. His plan was to rush the driver's door. But Gonzalez pushed the girl out the passenger-side door and fled.

The girl's first words to Perez were, "I'm scared."

"I said "You're OK now.' Oh, man, she was shaking so bad. She kept saying 'Am I going to be OK?' and I kept saying 'You're OK now.' "

Police say the girl told them Gonzalez took her to a wooded area near a canal where he sexually assaulted her and at one point threatened to "physically harm" her if she did not get back in the truck. Seven witnesses identified Gonzalez. Some witnessed the kidnapping; others witnessed an incident earlier Monday when he allegedly exposed himself to two young girls and then got away in the same truck.

Gonzalez, who lives with his grandparents, had previously been arrested on charges of possession of a sawed-off shotgun and domestic violence. He was on felony probation. About 40 minutes after he pushed the girl out of his truck, he was spotted in central Fresno by California Highway Patrol Officer Dustin Dimmer and taken into custody.

As Perez was chasing Gonzalez, her mother was home after a night at the police station, sobbing uncontrollably. Miguel, the neighbor who had helped her chase the kidnapper, could hear her through the thin walls.

Then, through the walls, he heard a phone ring. She came next door to tell him her daughter was alive.

"She was crying and crying all night," he said. "Then suddenly, hope. I was afraid there was no hope, but there was."

metrodesk@latimes.com

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Henry James Silas Swartzburg

2010-09-27T05:18:00.000-07:00

Please read Momma's full account of his birth

HERE

"Let's all be careful out there!"

FOOD for THOUGHT

2010-09-27T05:17:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Lugosi for this

"Let's all be careful out there!"

The Circle of Life

2010-09-17T15:55:00.000-07:00

Phone calls can generally be assigned into three categories: MUNDANE, GOOD, BAD.

Yesterday I got one each in the latter two.

Princess Leah (Wisker's sister) and Pete the Prince had a 6.3 pound /19 inch baby boy. Big sister Queen Nora is ecstatic, she now has a baby brother. Henry James Silas was a little early but not in as much of a rush as Nora was a few years back. No further details are available.

My son also called to inform me that one of his good friends died overnight Wed/Thu. Marlene was a contemporary of his and I had known her since her late teens. She had some major medical issues that she dealt with bravely and quietly. A single mother, it was her 12yo daughter who found her. She apparently passed quietly in her sleep. R.I.P.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

The Beauty of Photography

2010-09-17T04:28:00.000-07:00

These three images make me think of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy

The first one is from BC and the other two are from India.

Assorted images from Antarctica

Ice-breaker USS Atka in Antarctica

"Let's all be careful out there!"

DIDN'T YOU READ THE SIGN?!?

2010-09-15T16:46:00.000-07:00

"Let's all be careful out there!"

HOME THEATER CENTER

2010-09-09T09:43:00.000-07:00

Below are the most recent additions to my HOME THEATER CENTER. I now have over 1,380 movie available to watch for free. Check it out when you can. I think you'll enjoy it.

9-SEPTEMBER-2010

Steel Magnolias (1989)
Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, Julia Roberts, Tom Skerritt, Sam Shepard, Dylan McDermott
Drama | Romance

9-SEPTEMBER-2010

In Like Flint (1967)
James Coburn, Lee J. Cobb, Jean Hale
Action | Adventure | Comedy | Sci-Fi

9-SEPTEMBER-2010

Blood Work (2002)
Clint Eastwood, Jeff Daniels, Anjelica Huston
Action | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

9-SEPTEMBER-2010

Date Night (2010)
Steve Carell, Tina Fey, Mark Wahlberg
Comedy | Crime | Romance

9-SEPTEMBER-2010

The Break-Up Artist (2009)
Amanda Crew, Moneca Delain, Ryan Kennedy
Comedy | Romance

8-SEPTEMBER-2010

Basic Instinct (1992)
Michael Douglas, Sharon Stone, Jeanne Tripplehorn
Mystery | Romance | Thriller

8-SEPTEMBER-2010

Our Man Flint (1966)
James Coburn, Lee J. Cobb, Sigrid Valdis
Action | Adventure | Comedy | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

8-SEPTEMBER-2010

Pacific Heights (1990)
Melanie Griffith, Matthew Modine, Michael Keaton
Mystery | Thriller

8-SEPTEMBER-2010

Pink Cadillac (1989)
Clint Eastwood, Bernadette Peters, Timothy Carhart
Action | Comedy | Drama

8-SEPTEMBER-2010

Something Wild (1986)
Jeff Daniels, Melanie Griffith, Ray Liotta
Comedy | Drama | Crime

7-SEPTEMBER-2010

Joe Kidd (1972)
Clint Eastwood, Robert Duvall, Paul Koslo
Western

7-SEPTEMBER-2010

Crazy in Alabama (1999)
Melanie Griffith, David Morse, Lucas Black
Drama | Comedy

7-SEPTEMBER-2010

Half Moon Street (1986)
Sigourney Weaver, Michael Caine, Patrick Kavanagh
Thriller | Drama

7-SEPTEMBER-2010

Hocus Pocus (1993)
Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kathy Najimy
Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Horror

7-SEPTEMBER-2010

Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)
Jason Robards, Jonathan Pryce, Diane Ladd
Drama | Family | Fantasy | Mystery | Thriller

6-SEPTEMBER-2010

Sergeants 3 (1962)
Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, Joey Bishop, Henry Silva, Ruta Lee
Comedy | Western

6-SEPTEMBER-2010

Lifeboat (1944)
Hume Cronyn, Tallulah Bankhead, William Bendix
Thriller | War

6-SEPTEMBER-2010

Seems Like Old Times (1980)
Goldie Hawn, Chevy Chase, Charles Grodin
Comedy | Romance

6-SEPTEMBER-2010

Modern Times (1936)
Charles Chaplin, Paulette Goddard, Henry Bergman
Comedy | Drama | Romance

6-SEPTEMBER-2010

Firefox (1982)
Clint Eastwood, Nigel Hawthorne, Stefan Schnabel
Action | Thriller | Sci-Fi

2-SEPTEMBER-2010

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Paul Lukas
Adventure | Drama | Family | Sci-Fi

2-SEPTEMBER-2010

Beau Geste (1939)
Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, Robert Preston
Action | Adventure | Drama | War

2-SEPTEMBER-2010

Dangerous Minds (1995)
Michelle Pfeiffer, George Dzundza, Courtney B. Vance
Crime | Drama | Thriller

2-SEPTEMBER-2010

Innocent Blood (1992)
Anne Parillaud, David Proval, Rocco Sisto, Anthony LaPaglia, Robert Loggia, Don Rickles
Comedy | Horror | Romance

2-SEPTEMBER-2010

Knocked Up (2007)
Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd
Comedy | Romance

2-SEPTEMBER-2010

Taxi! (1932)
James Cagney, Loretta Young, George E. Stone
Crime | Drama | Romance

2-SEPTEMBER-2010

The Shadow Riders (1982)
Tom Selleck, Sam Elliott, Ben Johnson, Katherine Ross
Romance | Western

"Let's all be careful out there!"

ALL I CAN SAY IS...

2010-09-08T00:31:00.000-07:00

WOW!

One of the most amazing geometrical forms in outer space, the nebula IRAS 23166+1655 is centered on a hidden star in the early stages of becoming a planetary nebula. Photo taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. Credit: NASA/ESA

I saw this photo on another online post and wanted to share it with you. It belongs in the same category as the planet Saturn when seen for the first time through a telescope – you can’t believe it’s real. What you’re looking at is a spiral-shaped nebula around the star LL Pegasi in the constellation Pegasus the Winged Horse. Star you say? Where is it? The star is hidden in the center of the spiral within a dense cloud of gas and dust. We see only the cloud’s dark silhouette. Material in the spiral is moving outward at about 31,000 mph. If you combine this speed with the distance between the shells, it turns out that once every 800 years a new shell is spun out from the center, where there lurks not one but a pair of closely orbiting stars called a binary.


In the distant future, the sun will begin burning helium in its core and consequently balloon out as a red giant. Red giants expel their outer atmospheres into space. The remaining stellar core emits ultraviolet light causing the expanding gases to glow as planetary nebulas, so-called because many are round like the planets.

Their period of revolution about one another closely matches the age of each shell in the pinwheel. One of the stars is a red giant called a carbon star because its atmosphere is rich in carbon formed through the fusion of helium in the star’s core. Numerous sun-like stars pass through a giant phase in their evolution when they lose mass from their atmospheres into space. In this case, the star sloughs off material at the rate of 1/100,000 of the sun’s mass each year or an entire sun’s worth over 100,000 years. The companion star is hotter and bluer and revolves around the giant. The gravitational interaction of the giant and its companion during their 800-year revolution channels some of the giant’s gas and dust into an expanding shell. Over many millennia, a series of concentric layers are spun out. I count five separate shells which adds up to 800 x 5 or 4000 years this gem’s been in the making.

You may be wondering why we should see the spiral nebula at all if the stars that form it are hidden behind dust. Astronomers propose that the nebula is being illuminated by galactic starlight. The dense plane of the galaxy, where stars are concentrated, is off to the right. That also happens to be the brightest part of the spiral. It all makes sense in a wonderfully natural way.

This entire post was blatantly stolen from HERE. A great blog.

Astro Bob blog: This can't be real, but it is

An amazing natural phenomenon in outer space catches astronomers' attention.

By: Bob King, Duluth News Tribune

"Let's all be careful out there!"

IMAGINE.....

2010-08-31T13:11:00.000-07:00

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Another Hubble Beauty

2010-08-31T12:46:00.000-07:00

NGC 4911

"Let's all be careful out there!"

MY OPINION of the "TEA PARTY" CROWD

2010-08-31T12:39:00.000-07:00

THIS ALSO APPLIES TO GLEN BECK

"Let's all be careful out there!"

5 YEARS AGO

2010-08-28T04:43:00.000-07:00

"Hell of a job, Brownie."

"Let's all be careful out there!"

THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

2010-08-28T04:31:00.000-07:00

HAVE YOU EVER STOPPED TO WONDER.....

WHAT THE INSIDE OF IT MUST SMELL LIKE?

Something akin to the inside of a WWII submarine after a long patrol I would think.

I mean, there are no true bathing facilities. They use a modified version of a "Handi-Wipe" to wash their skin.

We've all heard about the various problem their toilet has had.

How many days must they wear the same flight suit and underwear? There is not enough storage space to allow for daily changes. I would guess they can probably change every 7-10 days.

My imagination is the smell of a boy's high school locker room wrapped around an Ozark outhouse, on a hot summer's days.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

LADYHAWKE IN ACTION!

2010-08-24T23:15:00.000-07:00

My beautiful little angel Alissa (a/k/a/ "Wiskers") sent me these pics and video of her doing a jump from a "choppa" over Superior, Wisconsin on 21-AUG-2010. I love her so much!!

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Shii - A new video game for the distaff

2010-08-23T23:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is funny. I hope you have the DivX player installed so you can view it. Its only 1:17 long. Like all good jokes: Short and Sweet.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

I LOVE THOSE HUBBLE IMAGES

2010-08-19T00:11:00.000-07:00

MORE ABOUT THE IMAGE

"Let's all be careful out there!"

re: 7.5 temblor in Vanuatu

2010-08-10T00:29:00.000-07:00

000
WEHW42 PHEB 100535
TIBHWX

HIZ001>003-005>009-012>014-016>021-023>026-100735-

TSUNAMI INFORMATION STATEMENT NUMBER 1
NWS PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER EWA BEACH HI
735 PM HST MON AUG 09 2010

TO - CIVIL DEFENSE IN THE STATE OF HAWAII

SUBJECT - TSUNAMI INFORMATION

THIS STATEMENT IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NO ACTION REQUIRED.

AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS

ORIGIN TIME - 0724 PM HST 09 AUG 2010
COORDINATES - 17.6 SOUTH 167.9 EAST
LOCATION - VANUATU ISLANDS
MAGNITUDE - 7.5 MOMENT

EVALUATION

BASED ON ALL AVAILABLE DATA A DESTRUCTIVE PACIFIC-WIDE TSUNAMI IS NOT EXPECTED AND THERE IS NO TSUNAMI THREAT TO HAWAII.

REPEAT.

A DESTRUCTIVE PACIFIC-WIDE TSUNAMI IS NOT EXPECTED AND THERE IS NO TSUNAMI THREAT TO HAWAII.

THIS WILL BE THE ONLY STATEMENT ISSUED FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS ADDITIONAL DATA ARE RECEIVED.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

DID ANYONE ELSE NOTICE??.....

2010-08-09T23:41:00.000-07:00

That at 12:34:56.7 PM today (August 9, 2010), that the time/date sequence (American style) would have been:

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10

Thought I would pass it on in case someone might be interested.

"Let's all be careful out there!"

THE GULF of MEXICO

2010-07-29T06:47:00.000-07:00

A "NO SMOKING ZONE"!!??

Also:

"NO SWIMMING"

"NO WADING"

"STAY 500 METERS BACK!"

"NO BREATHING"

"MAY CAUSE CANCER"

"CAUTION: EXPLODING WATER!"

"Let's all be careful out there!"

ARE AMERICANS REALLY THIS STUPID??

2010-07-29T06:26:00.000-07:00

GAWD, I HOPE NOT!

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Gotta Love Those BIG BRAINS in the Tea Party Movement

2010-07-28T19:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Lugosi

"Let's all be careful out there!"

YING / YANG

2010-07-21T12:47:00.000-07:00

Well, the past 2 days have run the gamut of emotional extremes.

Yesterday (Tuesday 20-JULY-2010) I was informed that after 2 years of legal battles with the Social Security system that I have been granted disability. The end result is a nice sum of money in a lump payment and a 30% increase in my monthly stipend. Exact amounts are still pending while the bean counters crunch the numbers, a process that could take from 3 weeks to 6 months. Govt's aren't always efficient but they are methodical. Thank god that patience is one of the few virtues that I still have.

That was the "YING."

The "YANG" hit today, naturally. My oncologist made the following statement:
"I wouldn't be surprised if you are still alive 2 years from now. I also wouldn't be surprised if you are dead one year from today."

So that's the gist. As we get closer to the inevitable he'll be able to refine the parameters but what he said today represented the extremes. So, lets split the difference and say that I probably have 18 months left, give or take 6 months or so.

Whatever, its been a fun trip these 62+ laps around the Sun. Wouldn't have missed it for anything. But, alas, all good things must come to an end.

Besides, the pain-killing drugs I take are rather pleasant.

The funny thing is that while the gov't is going to have to pay me extra money, they won't have to do it for very long.

Feel free to make a comment but go easy on the sympathy shit. I don't really need it. I have no regrets. I only ask for one very small favor. As long as you are alive, please celebrate my birthday (November 13th) by having a party and raising a toast to me. That's not too much to ask, is it? Call it Wil's Day. Maybe the idea will catch on globally and it could mushroom into a big event at some point in the future. The theme will be "Screw the multi-nationals and the governments they run. Spit in the bastard's eye."

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Echoes of the Big Bang:

2010-07-05T20:22:00.000-07:00

Telescope captures 'oldest light' in the cosmos

THE EUROPEAN Space Agency (ESA) has released the first whole-universe image captured by the Planck satellite. Launched in 2009, its mission is to help cosmologists understand the very earliest years of the universe and explain why it is shaped the way it is today.

READ MORE

"Let's all be careful out there!"

Paradise Driver

My Last Post of the Year

Another Pic From Friday

The Best Quantum Physics Joke I've Seen...

My One True Love

Col. Sherman T. Potter has died...

Tokyo Drift...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN from Google

Can't Disagree with this ...

The Facts of Life

Median Point - 19 months

Goodnight Irene

OMG! - A new post! The Virginia quake

A Man I Admired......

HUBBLE'S VIEW OF THE UNIVERSE

Well, Its 7 PM and We're Still Here

What are your plans for 6pm?

Did you hear?.....

Where Obama bagged Osama

50 Years Ago - "A-OK"

TOO MUCH INFORMATION

The best footage of a tsunami that I have ever viewed

The Government Can't Do Anything Right...

Las Vegas Long Haul

Elizabeth Taylor Dead

UCLA Girl - Rant Against Asians in the Library [OFFICIAL]

Q: What do Tokyo and Oklahoma City have in common?

4 U STONERS

Assorted videos and slide shows of the earthquake/tsunami from Hawai'i & Japan

More Tsunami Video

8.9 Earthquake generates 13 ft (4m) tsunami

"Life`s not about waiting for the storms to pass..."

Kilauea - March, 2011

RELIGION:

Ancient Chinese Proverb:

Zeitgeist

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Life Lessons

And now for something completely different....

"The envelope please."

SURFING "JAWS" IS DANGEROUS...

THE MILKY WAY GALAXY

PARADISE

Wandering Through the Forgotten Pathways of My Memories

KINGSTON TRIO

Andromeda

“Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl, is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.”

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Christmas 2010 - Family Photo

IF YOU ARE AS TIRED OF XMAS MUSIC AS I AM...

SOME CHRISTMAS PRESENTS ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS...

A ONE-WAY ==> Trip To Mars

It's Time for Musical Christmas House Lights - AGAIN

The Christmas Song

NORAD Tracks Santa Again This Year

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010) (complete movie)

COMMENTS FROM 1955:

The New Google Earth 6 is now integrated with Google Maps-Street View

Pretty Self-Explanatory:

BURLESQUE

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, AMERICA!

3 Examples of How to Fail a Police Sobriety Test

Imagine If All Atheists Left America

ITS A FULL MOON TONIGHT...

After Monday and Tuesday...

DON'T FORGET...

CAN YOU IDENTIFY THE LOCATION?

IT'S ELECTION DAY -

All-Time Worldwide Box office (TOP 100)

The God Who Wasn't There

DO UNTO OTHERS*

The Earth at Night

Do you think god smokes cannibis?

SATURN

The Brain sees the science

Shooting a laser at the sky

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - On a Clear Summer's Night

AMBER ALERTS really do work -

Henry James Silas Swartzburg