Good Signage.
Dan from Perplexed Orange Independent Biker send this along to me....
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April 30, 2007
April 29, 2007
And Vacation Time Winds Down...
Feeling like one needs a vacation, now that vacation is over, is always a good sign that vacation time was well spent. I worked on the house, worked on the yard, tended the garden, went out with friends, took photos, played with Boris, slept in, bought some new stuff for the house, slept in some more, rode the bike, and ate crappy fast food and take out. Yep, all in all a great way to spend a week and clear the head.
Hmm. Maybe I should just take another week off. Tempting.
April 23, 2007
My Saturn Waits in Dark Alleys.
It is a Hybrid after all. Part SUV. Part Ninja.
How Not To Wake Up.
So I'm chilling (house sitting really) at Dan and Brians for the weekend, Boris in tow. I wake up and take Boris out for his morning constitutional, and *click*, the door shuts behind me -- locking me out in naught but boxers and a tee shirt. Awesome.
So here is my brief photo essay on what to do when facing this situation.
# 1 - JUDO CHOP TO THE WINDOW.
Ok, as much as I admire Chuck Norris, my jumping round-house-kick just wouldn't reach 8 ft up. So instead, I stood up and balanced on a garbage can, boulder in tow, and then heaved it through the pane of glass -- after THREE TRIES. First two heaves glanced off with the dull 'thunking' sound of a white man in boxers who is beyond humiliation.
#2 - CALL IN SECURITY TO GUARD THE HOUSE.
I called 1-800-MUSTACHE and had Michael show up to guard. Note: Men with mustaches are 27% more likely to do a better job guarding stuff. It's a fact. Look it up in the latest edition of MAN LAW. The reference can be found in the chapter entitled "Burt Reynolds and Other Hard Core Man Stuff".
#3 - ENGAGE CAULK SKILLS
Sorry folks. Sometimes the jokes write themselves.
April 17, 2007
Crazy Osmonds. I mean Crazy Horses. I mean Crazy Mormons....
This is a seriously good jam. Seriously.
PS - Thanks to bud Johnny Kingfish for sending me this. Talk about turning a frown upside down...
April 12, 2007
Almost Done with Philadelphia.
Tuesday:
Having to leave the house at 5:15 AM to make a 7 AM flight (I just barely made the flight) is criminal. CRIMINAL. It didn't help that I could sleep much the night before (like two hours of sleep), but hey, who's counting. I made the flight, flew to Philadelphia, dropped off my luggage at the Hilton, then took a cab to Philadelphia University.
My host, Meriem Chida and I went straight to work and started brainstorming about new ways to incorporate software like ExchangeFrame or other Merchandise Planning Tools built on LogicBlox into the curriculum. She has got some great ideas on how to make each course more challenging and relevant for the students who want to go into the world of Fashion Merchandising. We worked on ideas till about 4 PM, and then I taught two classes, back to back, about ExchangeFrame and how it can be used to both Plan OTB and create wholesale orders. Overall, the classes went well I think.
But the time I got back to my hotel room around 8, I was beyond tired.
Wednesday:
Meriem and I met with various members of the faculty in the AM and shared her ideas for developing new courses, and tried to solicit participation and support from some of the other professors. I was there more as a sounding board than anything else. We adjourned after lunch and I was free for the afternoon.
I went back to the hotel, changed clothes and headed downtown.
I started at Independance Hall. I won't get all mushy or anything, but I was really moved as I just stood and took in all the old buildings and thought about what transpired in that area so many years ago. The first time in a long time that I've really felt a swell of patriotism. I wish the world was such that I felt that more often, but I digress.
Spent the rest of the afternoon walking. And walking. And walking. And walking. I'm telling you, I must have walked about 10 miles or so. It wasn't too cold, a little windy, but I still felt right at home, carrying my camera in my right hand like a sidearm, ready to shoot anything that seemed interesting.
Highlight of the day trip was being able to buy a ticket to see The Stooges play the Electric Factory. I had to talk my way into the venue even though I had a ticket, because no cameras allowed. I reached a compromise with the security dude and he held my memory card so I could keep my camera with me. I met him after the show and got the card back. Whew. I was stressed a little bit. But it was worth the gamble. The Stooges blew the doors off the hinges. Those dudes are like in their sixties or seventies and are still shredding.
After the show, walked seven blocks or so over to Kyber, a really cool, but divey bar. They had a great DJ, the place was crammed, and I just hung out till close. Ran into one of the students from a class I taught. That was funny. She was like "why are YOU here" and got really paranoid that maybe the whole staff was there. But she chiilled out and actually ended up introducing me to a bunch of people and had a good time just talking random late night talk.
Thursday (Today):
I don't teach for another few hours, so i'm just camping out at the hotel until it's time to go to campus. Today will be more hands on 'lab' work than lecture, so it should be fun.
More later.....
April 08, 2007
You don't want to kidnap me.
Because my dad, is the former Agency man, now "world acclaimed anti-kidnap expert". Yep, my dad. Mild mannered bad ass. ;)
But should you ever suspect that you are kidnap material, that evil thugs are gonna get you the next time you're making a late night run to Waffle House because you just HAVE to have grits and bacon right NOW.... here are some tips for you:
Tips on surviving an abduction* Remain calm.
* Follow instructions.
* Provide a phone contact.
* Anticipate denial and disorientation followed by depression, sleep loss and intestinal disorder.
* Deal with abductors in respectful but not subservient manner.
* Attempt to win respect and sympathy by developing one-to-one relationship.
* Avoid political discussions.
* If you have a clear opportunity to escape, take it but be mindful that abductors might have laid a trap for you. Statistically, the best chance for survival is in a negotiated release.
* Remember that efforts are being made to secure your safe release.
* Keep positive frame of mind.
* Source: Wes Odom
On a more sober note, it's sad to hear that kidnapping in Trinidad is on the rise. Hopefully the police and government will work to stamp out kidnapping as a 'profession' before it becomes as entrenched as it is elsewhere in South America.
For the record, the editorial team at The Trinidad Guardian grossly misquoted Dad in their headline. I'm paraphrasing, but the general statement was that while one theoretical approach to combating kidnapping would be to not pay the kidnappers, the reality is that if a family member of the victim has the means to pay a ransom, and there is a reasonable chance that the victim may be returned to his family, paying the ransom is practical. I believe Dad was able to correct himself on a morning news show the day following the release of the headline, but still, there isn't a good excuse for reckless journalism.
You make us all proud Dad.