Does this look like 18K to you?

Haha!

I stumbled upon this "deal" at Overstock. and literally laughed out loud at the notion of anyone paying 18THOU for a time piece as compared to 24K and then getting it shipped for $1.00. How comforting is it knowing that your 18Grand is going through the USPS, FedEx or Brown like every other piece of crap being sent for $1.00?

18,000 for a stupid watch?! Freaking amazing....

An almost 5hour Blow Job...

We're talking home improvement here you gutter-minded sea donkeys! :p Cellulose Insulation in my attic is what was blown, to be exact. What I had planned to take 2-2.5 hrs was double that and man did it suck....or actually, it really blew.

They changed out the machines at the Home Depot near me and this "new&improved" version was not that great.

This took place on Friday night. My bro-in-law helped me out since you do need two people to do this. I was in the attic with the 80ft of tubing to spray the insulation and my bro-in-law was in the garage feeding the machine (aka hopper) each of the 60 bags of this stuff. Correct, I said 60 bags! Each bag covered 40square feet. What can I say, I was going for a high R Value and I was able to achieve that based on my measurements and a guide they gave us at Home Depot. If you have one roll of traditional insulation (the pink ish that makes you itch and you actually roll it out), then you have approximately R19. I wanted to achieve R50. I actually ended up with about R40 because the machine we rented from HD was slow and as you added the additional 40ft of tubing to be at 80ft to reach the corners of the house, the power was further compromised and that is what actually made the job take longer than it needed to; I actually said F it and was left with 10bags that we just brought back since I still made a drastic improvement in my insulation anyway. THAT is the part that pissed me off. My attic is unfinished, so I was basically Spider-Man up there walking on joists and repositioning a powerful light so I could see what was going on. Had to wear a mask, safety glasses, hat and long sleeves. The inside of the mask was jet black and filled with all kinds of nastiness. If it were summer, I would have had a heat stroke, indeed, but the fall temps helped immensely.

Anyway, thank God that crap is over and I hope to save some cash on my utilities with this action over time.

Reason 2,478 why I like APPLE

Today, Steve Jobs mentioned that the iPhone will be open to developers. Is that big news, you ask? H-U-G-E NEWS indeed! It was the right thing to do. It was somewhat of a change in direction by Apple based on a recent update that basically "bricked" people's phones who unlocked them for other carriers since AT&T is the primary carrier at the moment for service. In the microwave society we exist in, not allowing people to use your technology for purposes outside of your simple intentions is very bad. It may please shareholders, but you alienate your consumer. Alienation is bad. This will do nothing but move more iPhones for Apple and REALLY cause Motorola, Nokia and Sony to step up their game in terms of hardware and cause rewriting of lots-o-business plans out there.

I saw another report that has Apple #3 in terms of market share behind Dell and HP for Q3; that is a sidenote because this post is more about one hardware component that Apple has put out.

I expect hundreds of apps to be built within the next few weeks.

I'm waiting for 1-2more price drops before I actually get one, but I can see an eventual purchase of the iPod Touch although I would have to get more apps on it because I don't necessarily care about absolutely getting an iPhone and it being an all-in-one super device for me. I am just not a big fan of all-in-one devices as a whole. We'll see what happens, but Apple continues to innovate and get more people to pay attention.

Carbon Footprints

The other day, I was looking at some propaganda literature from one of my utility companies and it had a small postcard mentioning a new program customers could join that would "offset carbon emissions" and help the environment; reduce your carbon footprint, in other words.

Well, I am all for helping the environment and Carbon Offsetting is the rage right now. Just ask big Al who just picked up a Nobel peace prize for some of his work and attention to environmental issues. Not only are utility companies trying to push consumers over the edge by appealing to their emotions, but airlines are now on board and asking for X amount of dollars to offset your flight and save the earth.

Again, I am all for tangible and concrete actions on reducing waste and truly minimizing emissions and guys like Al do a good service to the planet when they shift people's thinking.....to a point. Don't try and scare me into action or try and pull my heart strings to get me to open my purse strings.

I have an issue when no hard science exists to truly quantify carbon emissions and the idea of my giving $50 to an airline to allegedly plant some trees to offset my plane trip is an absolute scam and consumers are blind sheep that think throwing some cash for a cause will cure the problem. What would be more likely to help the cause would be a severe reduction in SUV purchases, more local purchase of goods and services and heavy R&D into alternative energy and no dependence on oil, but since our government cannot tax the sun or the wind, you can forget those two options for taking us off the grid........People need to start thinking!

Maybe she thought he was Asian...yeah, that's it..

Oh brother.....this episode is indicative of the vast cultural awareness that is possessed by most Americans. The other day, a lady at work brings a guy over to my cube and asks me if "Mr Bla-bla-bla" (insert ethnic last name) is around and I said, "well, he is in the building, but just not around here." And she proceeds to tell me that the guy she is walking with has just arrived from India and "Mr Bla-bla-bla" could probably relate to him. Of course, I was completely aware that "Mr Bla-bla-bla" is actually from Pakistan and NOT India and was pretty sure that these two guys would be unable to communicate in their native tongue. There are hundreds of thousands of people within the country of India that cannot even communicate with each other due to dialect differences. After this foolish woman walked away, I leaned back and looked at another coworker and asked, "How is Mr Bla-bla-bla going to relate to this guy from India when the guy she is walking with speaks better English than her and does she even know that Pakistan is not located within India?"

My point is that the ignorance of Americans and geography/culture/language is pretty sickening. Ethnocentrism is everywhere in this country.

Trilingual = Three Languages
Bilingual = Two Languages
Monolingual = American

What a joke!

Ad of the Day

I'm not a Harley guy by any stretch although I appreciate seeing those machines up close, but this ad is pretty hilarious to me. I literally laughed out loud when I saw this.

The Mighty Race Card....

Here we go again. There are two prominent sports figures in the midst of controversial circumstances this week. The first is OJ who posted bail today after being charged with 10 felony counts for trying to steal back some of his memorabilia that was allegedly stolen from him and these memorabilia "dealers" were in some bootleg Vegas casino room. The second individual involved in a somewhat controversial circumstance would be Donovan Mcnabb who made some comments in an interview on HBO in which he makes the claim that Black QBs are criticized more than White QBs in Pro Football.

I'll address OJ first. #1, the guy is a complete idiot for being involved in a situation that so many of the shady characters involved could set him up. Not that I know it was a setup, but someone with the legal track record that he has just needs to stay out of any situation that even appears like he could be charged in anyway with a crime. For the record, I do believe that "If the gloves don't fit, you've got to acquit" and like you or I, he got his day in court and high priced legal Dream Team or not, he played within the rules that the US judicial system has created...Detroit is a very polarized city when issues of race arise thanks to Coleman Young and so many others who have corrupted the local government here. Racism is alive and well around here. Naturally, people have an opinion on OJ. I have heard black men/women say that OJ is an embarrassment to them and I have also heard people defend the guy for this latest incident and actually having the nerve to say that "the system" is just trying to take him down. Are you kidding me? You or I do that and this is a done deal and we are sitting in jail for a loooong time, but celeb status in the US is a funny situation that certainly changes the rules. My point on bringing up OJ is that his whole situation has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with his race. It has to do with him being an arrogant former celeb who is hiding out in FL since the law there tells him that he does not have to relinquish all income/assets to the Goldman family for whom won a Civil suit against him after his federal trial. And we wonder why FL cannot vote correctly in elections. :p

Anyway, I have heard that since "there are no black people in Vegas" that OJ would not get a fair trial. Again, complete BS and a completely myopic view on legal issues. The guy is everything that is wrong with celebrity and THAT is the reason for him dodging the bullet the first time around. Who can save him now? Johnny Cochran is not on this earth anymore and who would want to represent this fool? Sheesh, it's NOT a race issue in any way. People need to wake up!

On to McNabb. QB in the NFL is THE most scrutinized position in sports. No question on that. Well, the Eagles are in the midst of an implosion. McNabb is not the same since coming back from a severe leg injury and is also not getting any younger. His Receivers are trash and Westbrook is THE MVP of that team thus far this year, but McNabb pulled the race card during an HBO interview like a moron. 4 short years ago when Dan's favorite conservative, Rush Limbaugh had a brief stint doing some broadcasting for the NFL, he tried to stir the pot and say that McNabb was not a great QB and that the media overrated him only because he was black. Well, McNabb showed nothing but class in his response to the statements made by Rush and said that he wanted to be judged as a QB and not a black QB.......Again, 4 SHORT years ago this was said and now, McNabb does not have the cojones to say he just wants out of Philly and quickly pulled the race card to be his scapegoat. Garbage!

Race is one of the most important things in my life, but playing that card shows a lack of character and people actually discredit their race when they pull that crap.

Cool Product-O-The Day

If I were a truck guy and a really consistent tailgating-kind of guy, this thing would be mine!

P.S.,
Peep the larger size of the pic. It's so wack! LOL! Apparently if you have a grill on your trailer hitch, you get a chick on your hip, by default. :p

I am Alpha Male....Hear me snore!

I was discussing a particular issue at work with a female-type and the concept of 'alpha male' came up. She asked me if I or men I know consider that an actual quality? I said, "Well, every man has an alter ego and within the animal kingdom, instinct supersedes all." I was joking of course. A human male has free will unlike animals... and I do certainly believe that the testosterone fueled nature of a male contributes to the constant competitive nature and that makes many of us lean toward "alpha-maleness" in daily living....If you are a man and do not endorse physical competition (sports, working out, cross-training of any kind, etc.), nothing I have just said means anything to you and I expect you to just sit and think about magnesium sulfate that would be epsom salts baths for your delicate feet and have your beard best lady friend from high schoolfinish waxing your arm hairs.....

A quick wiki search yields the most hilarious of definitions: An alpha male or alpha female is the individual in the community to whom the others follow and defer. Humans and their nearest species-relatives, the chimpanzees, show deference to the alpha of the community by ritualized gestures such as bowing, allowing the alpha to walk first in a procession, or standing aside when the alpha challenges. Canines also show deference to the alpha male in their pack, by allowing him to be the first to eat and the first to mate....

Pure comedy!

Summer is slipping away....

I was reminded of this cruel reality this morning when I pulled two of my tomato plants out of the ground since they had finished providing the bounty of fruit that has been a resounding success this year. I have 5 tomato plants still in the ground, but their life cycle is soon to end as well. A few green pepper, eggplant, basil and parsley abound, but seem to be wearing out their welcome. Summer was great this year in terms of my garden. I don't look forward to winter and store-bought produce. Fall can be nice. I need to take advantage of the color change and go up north or west for some shooting (pics, that is). We'll see what happens. 2007 is almost in the record books. Time has wings...

Somedays are better than others...

....like the days when your twin does not feel like rearing it's ugly body on the side of your face...

Kanye To The....

Here is the wackest image on a Friday of your boy, Kanye West.

I've been a fan since back in 2004 when College Dropout debuted. Love him or hate him, the guy makes a statement;lyrically he is pretty unique and a top 5 MC easily. He's #8 on the 2007 Forbes list for hip-hop artists and a fashion icon.

I don't care about the guy's political beliefs and probably would not rock 50% of what he wears, but he has talent and space in my iTunes library indeed.

Peep the vid of his soon to be released album with another fav of mine, Daft Punk.

M in a Cube

You can also enjoy the awesomeness that is Rubik's Cuber at your leisure.

756 HRs!!

..and BaROID Bonds is the owner of one of the most revered records in all of professional sports. Hank Aaron was robbed! Barry has had more juice pumped into him than Churches Chicken....................allegedly.

My cheers will be directed to A-ROD to shatter Bonds tainted record.

Where was I today?

I heard earlier in the week that my Lions were having an open practice. There was no cost for the public to get in and watch for 90min as the hometown team went through BS plays and very light contact drills. Either way, it was cool and our new first round pick, Calvin Johnson is a beast who just signed a 6year/64million contract! Dude is huge. We expect big things from him this year. I am seriously itching for some football. Oso, you feel me? Man, Fantasy is bad enough, but the actual nfl season needs to start ASAP!

The pic of Roy Williams slapping five to this silly bride and groom was taken by me because I thought it was an interesting scene from the day. I'll get a few more images on flickr tomorrow.

Perfect fit for my driveway...

Behold, the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione

First shown at the Paris Auto Show in '06, it can be yours for a cool $200,000 in late 2008. I'll take one now please..... The retro-styled racer features a 4.7-liter, 450hp V8 engine, carbon fiber body with steel chassis, a 6-speed robotic gearbox, 20" wheels, and looks that could bring a grown man like me to his knees.

To tat or not to tat....THAT is the ?

I was talking with L the other night about tats. No, not that I am considering one. Not my bag. Love the art, love the symbolism, even know of great designs I would be proud of. The main issue I have is that I will not be a youthful, tight-fleshed, streamlined specimen forever. An old man with tats is really not that cool. Unless dude owns a tat studio or "lives the lifestyle", it really, again, is not that cool.

I have friends who have tats and it's cool for them, but call me when they are in their 60's and that tribal art, asian script or cross have changed shapes and fade into their sagging flesh. It's not a pretty picture people. Again, I love the art, but the human body ages and does not maintain it's elasticity. Forever is too long in the world of tats and don't even bring up the idea of "getting them lasered off should you grow tired of the design or break up with the chick you inscribed on your triceps. I'll stick with other addictions and leave the ink to the pros....

Heelys

Tell me that anyone reading this blog has not heard of OR seen these Heelys sneaks/rollers and subsequent knock-offs? I thought of this concept years ago as a kid and some schmuck has made millions by getting these things made in a sweatshop for the past few years. I'm jealous. :p

Anyway, anyone older than 11 wearing these things is a loser, but I think they are really cool and would have loved to have a pair back in the day. I think it's hilarious that I can be walking in the mall and one second a kid is walking and the next they are whipping by me. Of course, the downside is the spike in emergency room visits, but no risk = no reward, right? Oh, to be a child again and live free with wheeled heels. LOL!

My Movie of The Year!

Saw it last night.

Amazing!

Tried to find flaws; found none.

Michael Bay owns Hollywood; He should.

The sequel will have MUCH to compete with.

I could watch it 10 more times.

If a piece of luggage played me in a movie...

The Hero 20" upright better get the role. Man, I don't trip over luggage under normal conditions, but the Alexander McQueen design on this is high art for sure. Plus, freaking out innocent bystanders using nothing but your luggage gets 50cool pts in my eyes. As much as I love this product though, $750 for it makes it slightly out of reach and I think I can live with that.