Owen McGoogie

Wardrobe malfunction.

2012-02-17T08:00:00.000-06:00

Recently I had to go buy some clothes for work, as my old ones were getting too small or too worn out. It seems to come in spurts and waves, fits and starts. I'll lose three pairs of pants in the same week, and then wind up needing four shirts six months later. I work in the service industry. The kind of work I do varies, but it can be thought of as light to medium duty construction type stuff most days. When I first started with the company, I made the mistake of wearing normal type clothes. Sneakers, tee shirts, blue jeans. Nuh-uh.

I finally figured out that I was not dressing for the occasion. Prematurely wearing out jeans didn't clue me in right away. Getting less than ideal mileage out of shoes wasn't a tip-off. I'm slow sometimes, what can I say. So years ago I figured out, "you are working for a living, you should probably wear work clothes, dummy."

For those of you that think that work wear is just overpriced clothing aimed at folks who want to look rugged or butch, don't be so hasty. In my experience, work wear is designed of much more sturdy materials, and designed for heavier use and abuse. Here are some things to look for and keep in mind about heavy duty work wear if you are in the market.

Cotton duck-this is one of your best friends. Basically canvas, this stuff is hellaciously tough, fairly lightweight, and used in everything from pants to jackets to tool bags. Easy to care for and break in.

Insulation-sometimes your work is not in a comfy office. Having good insulation to keep you warm is a good idea, just make sure it won't strangle the life out of you if you happen to venture inside for a few minutes while wearing it. I personally like to layer up. I use a few layers of lightweight to medium insulation under my jacket. If I get too hot, I just start peeling off layers.

Jackets-the good old fashioned work jacket can not be praised enough. It is protection on so many levels. Protection from sharp objects on a job site, protection from cold, protection from sparks and metal shavings, protection from the rain. Hell, I've even sat on mine on a hot-ass roof once.

Work-pants. From carpenter pants, to painters jeans, to dungarees etc. Good work pants made of solid materials with tough stitching will keep you comfortable, protected, hold your tools, and last for years. Don't forget to check out the belt loops, make sure they are up to the job. Don't want your pants bailing out on you halfway through the job.

Boots. You will likely be on your feet all day, so comfortable footwear is important. Picking up a quality pair of long lasting, purpose built work boots will keep your feet happier, which has more effect on the soul than most realize. Make sure you give proper consideration to the type of work you will be doing in them. Get a tread pattern that will best serve your environment. Get insulated boots if you will be in cold weather alot. Get moisture-wicking, breathable, or sweat friendly boots if your feet like to drown your footwear. You might also want to consider waterproof, although this can reduce the chances that the boots will breathe worth a damn. Warm, dry, non-achy feet are worth a million schmuckers.

This is just a basic simple list, but overall you should consider some of the more purpose built work wear if you do any type of contractor/construction/service work. Durable and comfortable work clothes will pay for themselves.

-Owen

Power!!

2012-02-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

Power tools. Fun to use, they help the working man or do-it-yerselfer get the job done a little quicker, hopefully with a little less effort. I love my power tools. I use them almost every day at work, and could not get by without them.

I've always been partial to DeWalt tools. I like the design, function, features, durability, and reputation they build into their products. In 1999, I bought my first DeWalt cordless drill, a wimpy little 9.6 volt. In 2004, I picked up a little corded 1/4 sheet sander. Since coming to work for my current company, I've acquired a sawzall, drills, and an impact driver. All of the latter are of the cordless variety.

These tools have been babied. They have also been abused. They have seen light duty, and the worst of job sites. While I generally take very good care of my belongings, tools are just gonna get roughed up. They should be made for it. DeWalt might not be the tippy top of the tool world, but they make some pretty damn tough tools, with some nice little whistles and bells, for not too much money, in the grand scheme of things.

If you are in the market for a new power tool, consider the following before making your purchase.

1. Budget. Checking out a $600 circular saw does you no good whatsoever if your budget is $70. First figure out what you can spend comfortably. Then, after going over the rest of this list, if the tools in your range are falling short, bump up your budget and save up some more dough.

2. Corded or cordless? Will you need to take the tool places where you won't have an A/C outlet? If so, and you go cordless, make sure you stock up on charged batteries. If you aren't near an A/C outlet, your charger won't be either. This also applies if you just want to go with cordless for the hell of it.

3. Brand. This may or may not matter to you up front. Make sure to do some research, get a little familiar with the brands in your budget range. Unless you like tossing your moolah out the window, go with a reputable brand with durability.

4. Icing. This will likely influence the brands you look at. Consider what toys you want/need on the tool. LED illuminators, belt hooks, bit holders, four position blade clamps, pivoting heads, self-sealing stem bolts, whatever tickles your pickle.

5. Accessories/Kit/Finish. What goodies come with your new tool? A bag or hard case? Charger and batteries? Bits/blades? What goodies will you need to buy? Keep these in mind when working up a budget. A gun's no good without ammo. Make sure that the doodads you grab are designed for the job, and will take years of punishment.

6. TOOL. Lastly, make sure you are looking at the right tool for the job. A cordless screwdriver is worthless for drilling. A hammer drill is overkill for putting plates on a lightswitch. Most decent hardware/home improvement stores will have at least one knowledgeable tool guy. If you see a grizzled old feller with more callouses than hair, that's your guy to go to for tool advice.

-Owen

If you build it...

2012-02-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

they might not come. If you are building a house, or thinking about building a house, contractor-friendliness may be a key component you have overlooked.

Don't just be concerned with the dwelling's interaction with contractor-types while it's being built. You also need to consider down the road, several years later when you want to add your frangible whoseewhatzit or wire for a oscillating framus. Walls that are impossible to fish wire within after completion of the house are no good. An attic that is the bane of electricians is to be avoided.

Keep in mind, a house that isn't installer friendly will cost you more money. Longer install times, aggravation fees (where applicable), and difficulty finding a willing company to do the work in the first place are all possible.

Wide open attics with walkways, walls that are easy to run wire in, windows and doors that are serviceable, framing that is pipe-friendly. All gigantic plus signs. Just sayin.

-Owen

Belly laugh.

2012-02-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

I enjoy some good stand-up comedy every once in a while. Normally, when something is funny to me, I don't really laugh, per se. I maybe sort of sniff loudly and chuckle. It's brief, but very noticeable. On occasion however, someone gets me to actually, really, fully guffaw. Not because I am some sort of stiff or comedy stuck-up. I just have a jacked-up laugh protocol. Point is, if I am bellowing and cramping and pissing myself, you will likely be put in a coma. Recently, I was flipping through Netflix, looking in the stand-up section, and found some new stuff, well, new to me anyways. So I thought I'd share with you some of the comedians that I find funny. (This means you should check them out.)

Dana Gould. Apparently, he writes for The Simpsons, but is also a stand-up comic. Very funny and original. His timing/expressions are impeccable.

Tom Wilson. Played Biff in the Back to the Future Movies. This is one funny hombre. He can play guitar and sing, gets very animated on stage, and is family friendly.

Lewis Black. Oh man, this guy is one of the best insane "ranters" I've seen in a long while. FYI, I use the term "ranter" to describe guys like Dennis Leary or Dennis Miller, or anyone else named Dennis, apparently.

Patton Oswalt. Genius. Alcoholic. Nerd.

The Amazing Johnathan. Part magician, part comic, all entertainment. More than worth it.

Eddie Izzard. Duh.

Carlin. Super-duh.

Louis C.K. Very funny guy. Original, but "everyman" at the same time.

Christopher Titus. Brilliant all around. I've watched a few of his acts, and this guy gets me to actually laugh loudly for several minutes. Repeatedly. Any of his stuff is extremely funny.

Stephen Lynch. Folk/kids songs gone horribly, horribly wrong. Probably one of the most original in a long while. Super talented, demented, timing is spot on. NOT family friendly. At all. Ever.

There are more that I wish I remembered at the moment, I'll append the list as I remember/discover them.

-Owen

You're on my list.

2012-02-02T08:00:00.001-06:00

I keep lists. Lots o' lists. I like them. Notes and lists. I keep them to try to stay organized, which doesn't always work. I also like to be able to keep the lists and notes handy at all times, so I've tinkered around with different ways to have them nearby. Most of these methods have fallen short.

Syncing. I've tried syncing between my computer and phone on a semi-regular basis. The problem with this is finding the time and remembering to actually sync all the files I want updated. I also have to remember which version is the most up to date, the PC or the phone? Tools like Microsoft's SyncToy can help with this a little, but it's still not the best way.

Dropbox. This worked pretty well, as the updating was handled automatically on every device. Except that I had to put all my lists and notes in my Dropbox folder, which isn't necessarily where I want to keep them. This is really better used as a "USB stick" off in the cloud. This was working for the most part, but still lacking something.

Google docs. This was a pretty good idea, in theory. Like Dropbox for the most part. Still lacking something.

Evernote. Aha! Now we are getting somewhere! I have seen mention of this app/program here and there. It never really got my attention though. Well, recently I installed it, right offa them intarwebs. Within about 2 hours my PC was so much more organized. I now have all my little notes and lists in one place, and I can get to them from anywhere. I have the app on my phone too.

I really like how you can add pictures or voice recordings to the notes, and who knows what else. I like the way you can make a checklist, like a to-do, or grocery list. You can even share notes, which makes collaboration easy. There are tons of tips that the Evernote people provide to help you make the most of using it. I really can't go into every aspect of it here, it's that powerful. That, and I haven't been using it long, so I don't know that much. :P

If you are looking for a powerful note/list organizer, that allows you to include media into the notes, allows for search functions, etc. go check out Evernote.

Are you screwed?

2012-01-28T08:00:00.000-06:00

It can be hard sometimes. Screwing, I mean. I mean, dammit, screwing a screw into something that needs screwing a screw into! Mind outta the gutter folks.

Sometimes that screw just doesn't want to cooperate, no matter how much you cuss and hiss and spit. Turns out, it may not be the fastener, it may be your choice of bit! I'll wait for the gasps and murmurs to die down. Compose yourself, you lot!

Now, if you have the unfortunate luck of dealing with the cursed slotted screw, or "flathead" as it is sometimes called (for obvious reasons) then you are pretty much shit out of luck. Move into the 21st century with the rest of us. Mr. Graham Bell will forgive you. I promise.

If you are using a Phillips head, like most of the sane, free world, you are in luck. Let's say you are using, for example, a drywall (or sheetrock) screw. You are having trouble getting it to go into the drywall, or wood, or plywood that you are working with. The bit keeps skipping and hopping around the screw head all day long, while you round the head out and make the fastener useless.

Or perhaps you are unlucky enough to have a Phillips head self-tapping screw, rather than the hex head that a rational man, a man who knows what he is doing, would use. Get a hex head driver and some screws, you buffoon, this isn't the dark ages. Ahem. To continue...if you are using a Phillips head self-tapping screw, and it just keeps popping off your bit, falling down past your 12 foot ladder to go "pink pink terpink" on the floor, never to be seen again, we might have a solution for you.

#2Reduced bit on the left.

Most Phillips head screws are of the #2 size. Which is OK, except when you are trying to actually drive them, in which case, it's impossible. If you try a Phillips #2 REDUCED bit, you will have much better success. These can usually be picked up individually or in packs at hardware stores for around $1.00 each. The bit is a tiny bit smaller in overall diameter, and focuses more on the actuall, uh...."bitty" part of the bit, the bit that bites on the screw head that cooperates with the bit of the bit that, oh for Pete's sake.

It grabs on to the screw in a more positive fashion, with much less wiggle and play. The result is more traction, much less screw wobbling, and a faster sink on the fastener. I've even had success using these bits with drywall screws and no guide sleeve, into wood no less.

If you are having the bit-hopping woes, take a look at something simple like bit size versus screw type. It is a very often overlooked, minor but important detail of fastener work. Hell, I've been as guilty of it as anyone. Hope this helps, and happy screwing! You filthy beast....

Closeup of #2 Reduced, on left.

Going blind.

2012-01-26T08:00:00.000-06:00

It seems that we are losing sight of something important in this country: the working man.

I'm not really sure when it was, exactly, that working hard for a living (read:manual labor) became a sin. We have been focusing on, preaching the value and necessity of a "four year degree" for so long now, with such zeal and fervor, that we have neglected a very valuable and needed section of our workforce. Think about it; if everyone went to college, got a degree, became an architect or doctor, lawyer or chemist, who would do the work?

Who is going to collect your garbage weekly? Who will install your satellite? Who's gonna fix that garbage disposal or running toilet? Who will you call when your roof starts leaking, or when you need a new light fixture in the nursery? Who will build the grain silos that hold feed for the cattle we eat? Who will raise those cattle? Who will farm the corn, potatoes, wheat, carrots, cabbage and greens that go so well with them thar beefs?

Who will repair our cars? Who then will sew our clothes together, and dye them such wonderful colors? Who will assemble our HD televisions and Blu-ray players? Who will paint our houses, pave our streets, put up billboards? Who will keep the water flowing at the pumping station, keep the gas coming at the petrol station? Who will keep the damn lights on??

While there is something to be said for the "four year degree" careers, they aren't for everyone. Not everyone is cut out for college. And it's a good thing too, or the world would stop turning, literally. No gas at the pump, no juice at the A/C plug, no water at the tap, no sewage flushing down the toilet, no fries with that burger.

We seriously need a revival in support of the skilled tradesman. Welders, carpenters, mechanics, air conditioning repairmen, electricians, etc. Mike Rowe, of Discovery Channel fame, recently went before congress to make this very observation and plea to support more "Dirty Jobs." You should watch it. And then thank a tradesman, before we become extinct.

-Owen

Ahhhhhhhh....

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

There aren't many things out there that feel as warm and fuzzy as a new pair of socks. You know the feeling, when they are at their best, their cushiest, best fitting. I love the feeling, especially when you go from a worn thin pair to the new ones. Heaven.

I recently decided to give some extra thought to my choice in foot underwear, rather than just pick up the same old. Now, I'm one of those people that hates a thick, cumbersome seam anywhere on my socks. It's like the Princess and the Pea, times a million. Especially in my work boots. Perhaps it's the way I walk, roll my feet, or maybe I just have overly sensitive feet, but regular socks with pronounced seams just seem to twist on my feet somewhere during the day, and I get a nasty ball-up under my big toe, right under the bone, and a large amount of pain and discomfort. So I learned a few years ago to put a little more thought into socks. I usually go with some of Hanes cushion socks, with their nifty "hardly-there" type seams. These are pretty damn comfortable, affordable, and last for a while, your mileage may vary.

Best. Socks. EVER.

Last trip to "the store" I checked out everything they had. I was wondering if I could find something a little more sturdy, with more cushion, or at least thicker. I also wanted to try to find something with moisture wicking, as my feet have suddenly decided to sweat like a whore in church, no matter how cold it is inside/outside. I came across several different flavors of "work socks," but decided to try out some Dickies work socks. Sweet. Fancy. Moses. These are the most comfortable socks, not just work socks, any socks, I've ever worn. The cushioning is very, very nice, without being bulky. The heel and toe are reinforced without giving up comfort. The seams are, uh, seamless. Flat. Glorious. They have "compression" areas, just fancy talk for spandexy or elastic like areas of the sock that keep it in place. It works, when you wear these things inside a work boot all day, they really stay in place. No rolling, no turning, no bloody slipping down. The ventilation works really well, so the socks breathe easy. Not so sure yet on the moisture wicking, as my idiotic Hobbit feet tend to sweat even more in new socks, like they are nervous and concious of needing to keep up with the performance of the new gear. Morons.

I think, given footwear that will breathe appropriately, they would do a good job of keeping your feet dry. Granted, these are not the most high tech of hoof skivvies, so I'm not expecting a miracle of the Sahara.

So if you are thinking about upgrading your footwear, you might want to give these a go. So far, I'm sold on em.

All this has also (my wallet thanks my brain, Oh-so-much) brought to my attention the fact that I've neglected the respiratory and perspiratory systems of my work boots, which are apparently severely lacking. So I may need to look into a replacement set without the asthmatic clammy-sweats. That's a topic for another day.

-Owen

F.A.Q.

2012-01-22T16:00:00.000-06:00

Since the change to the site, there may be a few questions floating out there. I'll try to answer them here.

Q: Why the big change?

A: Well, for the longest time, the site was disjointed. There was no common theme at all, no regular content updates, no real meat at all. There was no focus or purpose. Now there is.

Q: Why the cammo background?

A: I wanted a new look for the overhaul, and played around with a couple different backgrounds. I really like the look of the cammo, and the theme colors that Blogger has to go with it worked well on the text and borders and so forth. Just cause it looks cool.

Q: Are you trying to make some kind of statement with the site?

A: Nope. I'm just putting up my opinion on various things, as defined in the "mission statement" on the sidebar. That and a logbook, like it says. It is a blog, you know.

Q: Are you in the military? It sure looks like you are tying to make it seem like you are in the military.

A: No. I am not currently, nor have I ever been in the employ of any branch of the United States Armed Forces. I have never worked for, or in conjunction with any branch of our military. I do support them, and I have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for our Service personnel, and pray for their safety. They inspire me, and protect the freedom that grants me the way of life that I enjoy so much and hold so dear. I would never do them the disservice of "pretending" to be in the Armed Forces. I'm just a patriotic person.

Q: Are you trying to start political arguments?

A: Hell no. I'm not interested in getting into political arguments on the internet. Don't even try it. You have your view, I have mine. Let's leave it at that and play nice, yeah? :)

Q: Can I send you doodad-x or gizmo-y for you to review?

A: Sure, that'd be swell. Especially if it's a product type that I'm already interested in. However, I'm not into doing "paid" reviews, i.e. doing a review that pays me in some way only if I give a positive review of the product or service. I'm not for sale.

Q: Are you a gun nut?

A: No. I am a firearm enthusiast. Always have been. I got it honest from my old man, who is also a firearm enthusiast, and a retired LEO. And former firearms safety instructor. And hunter. And Captain of the PD Pistol Team. I am also a firm believer in, and supporter of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Q: Are you some kinda "end of the world" nut?

A: Again, no. I am interested in the art of survival, and also in disaster preparedness. I also like camping. So, combine these interests, and this is what you get. Having been through hurricane Katrina, and being very, very poorly prepared for it has altered my mindset to a degree. Preparing for a disaster or emergency doesn't mean I expect or hope for one. Anyone who does might have a loose screw or two, but to each his own.

Q: Do you have something against people who work "behind a desk" for a living?

A: Absolutely not. It takes all manner of working folk to make the world turn. I do, however, have something against the mentality that everyone needs to get a four year degree in a professional employment capacity such as architecture or physical therapy. College ain't for everyone, and someone has to come pick up the trash, unclog the toilet, etc. Nothing wrong with breaking a sweat to earn a living.

Q: What makes you an expert on any of this??

A: Not a damn thing. I never said I was an expert. My old man used to ask me, "You know the definition of an expert? Well, break it down. 'X' is the unknown, we learn in algebra. And a 'spurt' is a drip under pressure. Therefor, an 'expert' is an unknown drip under pressure."

Q: Did you really expect us to read down this far?

A: Shit no! Are you really still here? Wow, I'm not sure if I'm flattered, or...

Q: Is there anything else useful in this thing?

A: Uh....

Q: Hello? Is this thing on?

A: [crickets]

Version Now Point Oh

2012-01-22T00:53:00.000-06:00

Welcome! Or welcome back, as the case may be with you. For those of you that are old hands, yeah, I've changed it up again. But you also knew that I've had a hard time finding a...what's the word...theme, to stick with. Well, I've got it now.

From now on, what you are gonna find on here are things that occur to me. Things that I think about, ponder, or are important to me. Things from the perspective of a conservative, service-industry, working American man. You'll find reviews of work gear, gadgets and doodads. I'll have tips to help you as a service industry customer, little tidbits for whatever I can come up with. I even plan to still have articles from guests as well, on occasion.

So be forewarned. Get ready to hear about work wear, power tools, self defense, Southern living, working in the service industry, good music and movies, great food, etc. Some of my older articles will go the way of the dodo as a part of this process, but I seriously doubt you'll miss them.

I hope you will find the new place informative and entertaining.

-Owen

Update-a-pated...er...something.

2012-01-12T22:54:00.002-06:00

The site will soon be changing. Expect a new view, a new sound, and new perspective. Expect to see some previous posts disappear into the ether. Some of the old ones may stick around. Who knows?

I hope that what we will bring you will appeal to you, and you will enjoy the change. If you do, tell a friend about the site. If not, well, it's a big internet out there. :D

-Owen

Meet the new drug, same as the old drug.

2009-09-26T21:35:00.002-05:00

As it is now entertainment flows into my home from multiple sources, much as it does yours. I have Dish Network and a good portion of my television entertainment comes from it. I have a Netflix account so weekly rental DVD's arrive via the mail. Also with my Netflix account I have the Roku box, an internet streaming video source for movies and television series available to watch free from Netflix and Amazon.com On Demand.

We have a Blockbuster account as well so any DVD we want can be had via a trip into town. I have my laptop and computer and nowadays find myself sprawled out on the bed or laying back in an easy chair streaming programs from such places as Hulu, UTube, Bliptv, and others. Plus regular broadcast TV is now HD and still available.

Podcasts can be carried about on my Ipod or watched on the laptop. Live events are a click away with Livestream. And just about anything can be downloaded and ported to any number of devices to watch while mobile. And this is just the beginning.

And via the internet I have access to almost anything I want to know from friends in a matter of minutes.

So where is all this technology going, and how will we pay for it?

Today many things are free on the internet to watch, but in time that will vanish. It is free now to hook you to the new technology, as more and more ways to extract revenue from it arrives, you will see more free sites disappear. Subscription based systems and pay-per-view will replace these free sites. Producers of this content control the programs and without content these places cannot exist.

In time the only things left free to watch will be the stuff people produce with no expectation of being paid for it. Like UTube today and other video sites, all of the free stuff will probably be things you wouldn't pay for anyway. If it has value, you will expect to have to pay for access to it. You are being trained for that now by these free streaming companies.

In the future there will not be only networks with quality TV shows. Small independent video distribution companies will exist with access to this technology. As they do now. And as they are now they will require money to keep producing programs.

More and more of these technologies will merge and you will have one device to get it all in one place. Plus you will be able to display this material on multiple sources and devices around your home. Today you need to be techno savvy to get all of it. In the future you will not. Further down the road it will all come directly to you.

Just as I played with the "internet" back in he 80's before anyone knew what it was, I can see into the future and see where all of this stuff is going. And it's going to one place. One box.
A single unit that will bring you everything.

This single box will be your computer, television, recorder, camcorder, clock, phone, car keys, security system, remote, wallet, purse, music player, health monitor, game system, appliance controller, storage device, radio, shopping tool, and bank.

You will wear it like jewelry, interface it with your car, sleep with it, bathe with it and control your whole environment with it. You will need only speak or think what you want it to do and it will do it. It will be powered by you and controlled by you. Part of it will be installed within you. The rest will be worn and never taken off.

You will hear with it, see with it and communicate with it. It will become a part of you. It will remind you of appointments and when your health is not good. It will schedule your life and you will follow it. You will let friends access it and you will access theirs. You will know where your friend is, what he is doing and even see what he sees anywhere in the world. And he can do the same to you.

You will sit in Central park as your buddy sits in Gorky park and watch a movie together, listen to the same music and chat. You will enjoy a new tv series together while cooking dinner. You will wake with this connection and maintain it all day until you sleep.
You and he will grieve together over some world tragedy and attend a sporting event together with many of your other friends while passing time on your lunch hour.

You will fight with a partner and even block people who you don't like. You will tweet your every move and have access to others movements. You will see the best and worse of everyone and you will enjoy it.
And, you will never be alone.

All of your actions will be recorded in real time and you can download and store any event you experienced to relive over and over again. Much of your entertainment will be watching something other people experienced. If your friend witnesses a car accident he can flash the whole thing to you in seconds. You will do the same. Nothing like sharing a good train wreck together,or with the world.

When people die they will go offline and you will mourn the loss of that connection but you can download and access any moment of their lives you want when you want. The video of his life will still be on a server somewhere ready to access.

You will cast your life to the world for others to watch. Your whole day will be a blog, tweet and facebook post all in one. You will watch others lives when you are bored with your own. You will hook up and hang with people you don't know and never leave your car. You will share business tips with your peers in real time and watch theirs so you know what they know.

You will use this technology to get ahead and gain an advantage in both your work and personal lives. You will get attention and love it, or drown in someone's misery. You can turn it off but rarely will you do so because the connection is addictive. And the compay you buy this glorious service from will constantly feed you advertisements to direct you where they want you to spend your money and time. No one wants to be out-of-the-loop and turning it off causes you to miss stuff. So you leave it on.

It's your connection to the world. It is the new drug.

And the drug is already here. Can you leave your cell phone at home? Do you suffer when the internet goes down? How about satellite TV? I know I do.
Sure we get it from different pimps today but one day all the pimps will consolidate and we will have one supplier.

And,we will love it.

All of this cool shit is very tantalizing. Like a drug we taste it then get hooked. We have to have it, and the pimps know this. They are working hard to bring it to us. What we do with it is of no concern to them, only that we buy.

Alcohol in moderation is actually good for you, even a little pot won't kill you. But abuse either and you are on a path of destruction. You see, almost everyone has an addictive personality. The pimps know this too.

The art of "give a little, sell the rest' is not new either. A good pimp will always sample the product. Give out some to build a market. Get them hooked and they will come back to buy more. It's one of the oldest tactics in the book.

All of this free shit is great, but remember you are the lab rat here. Enjoy the technology, but be able to walk away when the price goes up.
J.

Travel Log Part 1

2009-07-16T22:13:00.008-05:00

I should have known. I have the worst luck ever. Some people have told me that I have the luck of Job. My fiancee and I decided that since we had never taken a vacation anywhere together, and neither of us have actually taken a vacation in years, that it was high time to rectify the situation.

Of course our trip would have hiccups. Started off that way. Thankfully, I've learned to just laugh most of it off. Makes you appreciate it more when shit goes your way, right?

On the short trip to board our dogs, the new puppy got nervous and decided to drop ass in the car. He left us a little present in between the seat and console that we had to pull over and take care of. Yay. After that, finally underway.

We went to the Battleship Park in Mobile, AL, where the U.S.S. Alabama battleship is on display, first. We had a blast, the sub U.S.S. Drum is especially awesome. I could spend an entire day just on the submarine. The battleship is nice too, but it was too hot to climb around inside that behemoth. We got some great video and photos all over the park, dispite the windy conditions. We got there a little late, and only had about 2 hours to tour the whole place, so we had to move at a good clip, and missed some things, but had a great experience overall.

When we left we were starving, so we decided hit up an interesting looking little joint called Felix's that we passed on the way in. It has a very distinct look about it. The food was very good as well, they focus on seafood and it was done very well. Nice atmosphere inside, but a stark contrast to the exterior of the building. You'll see what I mean when the pictures are up.

When we got back to the parking lot after dinner, we saw disaster in the making. An extremely nasty storm was rolling in. True to our luck, this bastard was heading the same direction as we were, so we decided to pass on the fun park in Orange Beach and make straight for the hotel in Pensacola. Good thing too, the storm is intense, and turns out we are a little tired.

Tomorrow we plan to hit the Naval Aviation Museum, and see what else we can get into, weather permitting. Fingers crossed. More later...

-Owen

Your attention, please...

2009-07-13T19:44:00.001-05:00

Do not fret. The idiotic, insane, and evil are still running loose on the streets. No need to panic.

As you were.

-Owen

Jesus...

2009-07-06T23:56:00.003-05:00

Well, I finally caved in and made the jump. A jump off a large cliff, into a deep chasm. I signed up for Facebook. Sigh.

You know I hate social network sites, especially the dreaded Myspace. But FB seems slightly more grown up, and seems like if I want to stay in contact with people, I have no choice. Whatever happened to using email?

We'll see how this goes for me. Rocky, no doubt, given the situation and my loathing for these things. Who knows, maybe I'll survive it and get some fun/use outta it.

Wish me luck.

-Owen

They BLOW.

2009-06-18T18:26:00.007-05:00

Fan:

1. any device for producing a current of air by the movement of a broad surface or a number of such surfaces

2. an implement of feathers, leaves, paper, cloth, etc., often in the shape of a long triangle or of a semicircle, for waving lightly in the hand to create a cooling current of air about a person: We sat on the veranda, cooling ourselves with palm-leaf fans

3. an enthusiastic devotee, follower, or admirer of a sport, pastime, celebrity, etc. Short for FANATIC.

Fanatic:

a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal, as in religion or politics.

So, yeah. Fanatics drive me crazy. So let me just address you lot for a second. Quit it. Stop it. Cease. Desist. Drop it.

I recently had a few separate discussions that had a common element. They all either were about fanatics, or were with a fanatic. These conversations being so close together really resonated with me, and got me to mentally harping on the topic, so, here we are.

I have found that, by definition, fanatics do not realize that they are, in fact, fanatical. More often than not, they consider either their opponent or audience to be the fanatic. This makes the lunacy and aggrivation much more intense for me. See, I can't stand a fanatic. Enthusiasts are fine. Supporters are good. Believers are awesome. Endorsers are handy. Hell, I'll even put up with a staunch follower. Fanaticism is a whole new level of crazy though.

My experience with these mongrels has been that they are close-minded, argument prone, simple, angry little people. They love their chosen topic so fiercely, so blindly, that they will simply refuse to listen to or acknowledge anything that does not go along with their way. There is no room for any opposing point. In fact, I find that when they see your mouth open up during one of these litanies, they automatically assume you are about to expell some vile inflammatory comment in direct contradiction to the ideal they have sworn a bloodoath with the dark gods to uphold. They really won't let you say much at all. Oh, and by the way, you must listen to them. It is imperative. It will save your soul and body. And the earth. And the universe. And freedom. You have no choice, you see, but to listen fully or the cosmos will unravel and all will be lost!

But where the fanatic really shines, just really puts the rubber to the road and hits low earth orbit, is when trashing another fanatic, one who is on the other side of the fence. It should be hilarious irony to listen to them accuse someone of their exact behavior, disapprovingly, but it isn't. It just makes the situation more aggrivating. So...

To all you fanatics: Shut the fuck up. Let go. Find your own kind, and blather on to your filthy ilk, not the rest of us. We are tired of the bullshit. Don't go hunting us down on the intarwebs, either, just because we won't let you engage us in public. Y'wanna argue that damn bad? Then make a video of yourself to argue with and play with a mirror. Whiner. Oh, and by the by, chances are pretty good that, in regard to your...cause...you are dead wrong. Moron.

Now, for the rest of you, the normal(ish) folk out there. Here is how you handle these nitwits. When you first realize, I mean really have that "Oh SHIT, a fanatic," moment, that you are stuck engaged in conversation with a fanatic, you must act. Immediately. Do not delay. Choose one or more of the following options:

1. Tell the nutjob to shut the fuck up.

2. Scowl and walk away.

3. Slap them. You know, the backhanded, mafia-overboss type of slap. Good stuff.

4. In the loudest voice you can muster, bellow "WRONG!"

5. Walk away.

6. Yawn profusely while looking about 45 degrees to either side of the jerk. Stare intently.

7. Interrupt them frequently and with great zest. This is best done using a useless topic, like a cool new color for a shoe, or what you think of insert random word from the dictionary here.

8. Walk away.

9. Make a very obvious attempt to fake the hiccups. Loudly.

10. Walk away.

11. Start humming old showtunes.

12. Stare at an imaginary object in the sky or tree. Do not acknowledge the aggressor.

13. Walk away.

14. Begin to circle them slowly, all the while not breaking eye contact. You must look at them intently, as if trying to solve a complex algebraic equation.

15. Walk away.

16. Yell the word "feathers" with much eagerness right in their face, then take on the dopiest smile you can think of for the duration.

17. Begin fiddling with the various functions of your cell phone, ignoring them completely.

18. Walk away.

19. Keep repeating the phrase, "nothing for me, thanks" in a soft tone, over and over about every 3 seconds.

20. Walk away.

Whatever option(s) you choose, it is vital that at least one of them is to walk away. You see, without this critical move, anything else is simply a waste of time. For you see, the fanatic can not be delt with by any rational means. You must adopt a posture of being far more crazy and intent than they are, and that is something hard to fake.

-Owen

Sheer Terror: Ferrari 275 GTB mad dash through Paris...

2009-06-04T00:36:00.003-05:00

On an August morning in 1978, French filmmaker Claude Lelouch mounted a gyro-stabilized camera to the bumper of a Ferrari 275 GTB and had a friend, a professional Formula 1 racer, drive at breakneck speed through the heart of Paris early in the morning .

The film was limited for technical reasons to 10 minutes; the course was from Porte Dauphine , through the Louvre, to the Basilica of Sacre Coeur. No streets were closed, for Lelouch was unable to obtain a permit.

The driver completed the course in about 9 minutes, reaching nearly 140 MPH in some stretches.

The footage reveals him running real red lights, nearly hitting real pedestrians, and driving the wrong way up real one-way streets.

Upon showing the film in public for the first time, Lelouch was arrested. He has never revealed the identity of the driver, and the film went underground.

Whether or not you’ve seen this before it is a classic ........Turn up your sound and enjoy..............
J

Long Way Round

2009-05-02T17:23:00.009-05:00

Long Way Round (LWR) is a documentary television series documenting the 19,000 miles (31,000 km) journey of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman from London to New York on motorcycles. They travelled eastwards through Europe and Asia, flew to Alaska and continued by road from there to New York.
Watch the whole DVD series here! Just press PLAY and it will load each clip in order:

You can watch it full screen by selecting the full screen icon on the player bar.
This is a fantastic program! I love it because it includes my three passions, Video, Camping & Motorcycles!

Enjoy!
J.
Note: Harsh language at times.

Twitter, Dig me!

2009-04-08T12:03:00.005-05:00

Twitter.
I figured it was another bain of the Internet. Another useless thing to do on the super expressway wired up crap 'net. Another stupid app to waste time on. Yet another social thingie to make little girls flutter and boys look cool. Yes, yet another waste of bandwidth passing notes back & forth like little school children.

And I was right.

But, like so many other digital drugs it is addictive. Now I twitter from my phone and often stop just to 'say' something stupid and broadcast it to the world, or whoever might come across it.

I've upgraded my "twitter" page, which is little more than a fancy background. I set up my phone so I can 'tweet' while mobile. And I check it to see what other blather the few folks I follow are jabbering about uselessly.

And indeed it is apparently just the adult digital version of passing notes back & forth. Like shouting in a crowded room one must shout louder and often to be heard. But I admit that living in the two thousands "dig me" generation, this is probably the coolest thing to come along since the Furby.

Was the Furby cool? I forget. Anyway. Twitter. Yeah, it's sooooo super delicious. Right.

I haven't figured out how it can be useful, other than a broad way of sending text messages. More like posting a note on a bulletin board for others to walk by and see, I guess it could be used to promote garage sales or report on your last trip to the bathroom. Which is how it appears to be used most often.

But it is addictive and I got the bug. I tweet. Yes, imagine that. Damn.

So basically I put a RSS feed from my Twitter on my blog so I can just post a one-liner now and then and mention what I am doing, like anyone would care. But hey, at least now thousands of readers can know when I go to the john, or have a eureka moment. Which ever comes first.

It's a good way to send a Hi 5 or just let everyone know you are alive, and go see other people's stupid banter. So I see the attraction if not the demise of it all. Sometimes you just want to shout to the world something you thought of or did. Dig me!

Look at how cool I am! Look at me! Look what I said! LOL For a moment when you tweet you can get some tiny satisfaction that for that split second the whole world was focused on you. Yes, little insignificant you.

Do you feel better now? I sure do. I'm so proud I know what time you went to sleep or that you hate your job today. I feel sooo much better knowing my friends are as happy or as sad as I. And I feel soooo much satisfaction knowing I can tell you when I farted or thought of some cool rant in my own head.

I twitter, therefore I am. Somehow I don't think Plato would have been amused. But I sure am!

Tweetin' can be fun and it is a useful distraction from what ever is bothering me. I can tweet and get it off my chest. So maybe, that is the point? The digital version of walking out the back door and shouting to the world?

sigh.
J

For your digestion

2009-03-10T23:28:00.003-05:00

Absolutely hilarious vids follow, but definitely not safe for work (NSFW), and they are quite...vulgar.

You are welcome.

-Owen

Sony Releases New Stupid Piece Of Shit That Doesn't Fucking Work

In The Know: Are Reality Shows Setting Unrealistic Standards For Skanks?

Follow This Blog

2009-03-04T21:29:00.004-06:00

Over on the right you will see "Followers". Its a place where you can follow this blog. It also gives us an idea of who likes us and is returning to this blog. So...if you will, please stab that button and Follow This Blog, okay?

We don't email you or send you spam or other such silliness. Its just a way we know you come here. No cult members will visit you in purple shrouds. No black unmarked helicopters will buzz your house.

However, Owen may stand in your front yard naked and sing ABBA, other than that it's okay to follow us. Really.
No I mean it, really.

Just press the button already! Sheesh.

We appreciate your continued support. :-D
J.

Worth

2009-02-25T12:00:00.001-06:00

I'd like to talk to you for a minute. The recent discussion on Reality TV got me to thinking. Specifically, my type of audience I think most of the shows will appeal to, and the type of shows that generally fall into this category. They can be summed up with the same word: shallow.

This got me to thinking about worth. The shallow version is wealth. This is all to often confused with worth. The two are separate, make no mistake. Wealth is financial and materialistic abundance. Worth is value. There is a distinct difference. One is measured in physical terms, the other, in more philosophical terms, and in actions.

It seems to me more and more that society is becoming more shallow, more obsessed with wealth. The ideal shown in magazines, the media, and movies are superficial and rich. Prissy and self-centered. I see more and more people subscribing to this method of life.

Think about this for a second, however. These people are choosing this representation and life for a reason. Usually, that reason has something to do with the perception of other people. What do other people think of me? That sort of thing. Well, the wealth line gets you a certain image. So does the worth method. The difference for the purposes of this discussion is simple. Wealth is temporary and volatile, its is fleeting, and it can be destroyed. Worth, on the other hand, is more robust. You can always lose your fortune, your position of power or employment, your fancy car and clothes. Your personal worth, your personality, ideals, morality, manners, and integrity are much harder to destroy. People can not take those away from you, at least not very easily, and certainly not without some cooperation on your part.

People who have lost these characteristics have done so by choice. Almost any fool can take all you have in this world, including your life. It's much harder to get someone's polite demeanor out of their pocket, if you will.

Which would you rather be remembered for? Ok, scratch that. What if tomorrow you lost everything in the world except yourself? How would you survive? If you knew that you would never again be atop Mount Olympus, how would you feel about yourself? What would your perception be?

Think about it.

-Owen.

Let me tell you a story...

2009-02-24T23:19:00.006-06:00

Please humor me for a moment will you? I'd like for you to spend 4 minutes of your life watching something. Just press play and watch, we'll talk when its over...

Did you see the fancy laser effects? Wha...? You didn't see them? Oh but you did! In your mind!

Spielberg once said, "A movie is 49% visual and 51% audio." He was right. You heard the laser, saw the flash and you bought the fact that those guns could kill someone. You saw people die. No laser beams were necessary.

In a comment I left for Owen on a previous blog I mentioned the BBC TV series "Blakes 7." The clip above is the final scene from the final episode of that show. As a refresher, here is that comment:

I'm reminded of an old sci-fi series on the BBC. It was called Blakes 7. They shot it mostly with video equipment on a sound stage with "little" to no effects, and the little was very cheap. Occasionally they would shoot at a landfill or some outdoor location that was supposed to be a planet. If they shot outside they used 16mm film because back then video was not portable. The effects were less than the quality of the original Trek series and the sets were cardboard. BUT... The stories were superb! The series ran for several years and ended in a cliffhanger that fans still talk about. The thing is, that series could be shot by anyone with the passion to produce it and common consumer equipment, today. Might even look better! And it would be just as good. The characters were interesting, the stories were good science fiction, and the audience didn't care if it had Star Wars quality effects. Blakes 7 is still a good show. People need to stop thinking blockbuster effects and start concentrating on the story. I'd rather watch one good 10 minute show that is compelling and thought provoking than sit through two hours of stuff blowing up and a predictable ending. But, that's just me.
J.

The clip above shows the sets and simple effects. The guns shot sparks and smoke. There was only one blood squib on Blake. Cheap and simple. But the drama was breathtaking especially if you had watched the whole series and had come to know these characters.

Notice how it was cut together. How each character had their moment to die and raise the bar on the drama. And you were left with wondering just what Avon was about to do when it ended. To this day fans are still wondering what happened next.

My point? You don't need millions of dollars and tons of effects to make a movie. You need a compelling story, interesting characters and the passion to make it.

J.

Reality bites

2009-02-24T22:12:00.003-06:00

Originally, I was going to post a comment response to Jay's post on reality tv. That is, until I realized how long the post had gotten. So, I thought it deserved a whole post all it's own.

Jay,
Very good point you make here. I can remember when the beginnings of what we now call "reality tv" was the kind of informational program on Discovery, only watched by shut-ins, geeks, and those without a life. I used to watch these all the time. More like mini-documentaries on everyday subjects, I really enjoyed a show on how house insulation was made, or what goes into a city's septic system.

Now, as you point out, they have taken the heart out of the issue. They have pumped in prosthetic plotlines and synthetic drama, until the whole thing is a bloated mess, a sickly thin shadow of the original, with dark circles under the eyes. Course, the audience is larger now. Nobody really cared about the crab industry until the drama was injected, "these people might cuss, or DIE out here!" Now you have a show that appeals to the masses.

It can be said that there are two types of moving picture entertainment. One is the visceral, action type flick. All booms and bangs and sex and cars and fun. Revenge flicks, football movies, shooting sprees. The other is the more cerebral type of engagement. The puzzle, the mystery, the twisty thriller, the unsolvable crime, the mental chase, the race for the cure.

Personally, I usually prefer the cerebral type. On occasion, however, I do like to unwind and dip into the thoughtless realm and just have a fun series of shallow images flood my brainpan. You know, when I get tired of thinking for myself.

What about the rest of you?

-Owen

Reality TV

2009-02-23T23:43:00.006-06:00

Reality TV Shows suck. Okay, not all of them. Today I was thinking of all the reality TV shows.
We have just about every job or group represented today with more on the way.

To name a few:
Loggers, Ghost Hunters, Plumbers, Exterminators, Barber shop, Salons, Tailors, Decorators & Designers, Truckers, Shrimpers/fishermen, Paranormal, DEA, COPS, Survivors, Weight Losers, Bachelors, Parenting, Animal cops, Bounty hunters, Little people (midgets), Gamers, Court rooms, Poker, Counselor, Reunions, Ufo hunters, Housewives, Gangs, Tattoo artists, Sex, Motorcycle builders, Big brother, Prison, D.I.Y, Teen Idols, Real World, Bands, Weddings (Brides), Car builders, Intervention, Sobriety, Nanny's, Get fired (Trump) Get hired (Martha), Cooking (Chefs), Supermodels, Superheros, and many, many more.

Why do we have all these lame shows you ask? Because they are cheap to make! You can make a whole season of reality TV shows for what it would cost to make one episode of a drama, like CSI or Law & Order. Video cameras are cheap, no film to buy and no processing. You pay a small crew and you find some smucks that want to be paid to be on TV and you got yourself a show!

Is it reality? No. All of these shows are scripted. Or at the very least the participants are prompted to react a specific way. Yes there is ad libbing, but the producer has an agenda and a plan for each episode. It is not reality. Why?

Because reality is boring. Even shows that show the every move of a player is edited so only the interesting things get shown. It is neither real or even recorded in the time line it is shown in. In some cases these shows are written as they go along and they probably don't pay a writer because the producer is usually wearing both hats. So they are not subject to writer strikes either. See how popular that is to the executives at networks?

Are they turning our brains to mush? Well, that depends. Many reality TV shows are as popular as dramas. In a drama you are told a story, in a reality TV show you are also told a story but you are lead to believe it is real. Kinda like wrestling. So it is a lie you believe in. Plus they often display people behaving in less than honorable ways. People see this and often think its appropriate behavior.

Though cursing is often blanked out, it is pretty easy to tell what they said. And disclaimers lead and trail them, but most people ignore them. So you have a society of jackasses slurping up the fake drama in all of them and acting like, well...jackasses.

Some of these shows are good, compelling even. But most are just more slop fed to a hungry audience.

You can expect to see many more of these shows in years to come. They are cheap to make, cheap to produce, cheap to get labor, easy to edit and doled out to an audience that has come to expect them. Dramas will be few and far between. Until.

Until people begin to figure out that you can make dramas cheap too if you are willing to lose some of the flashy special effects and hire unknown actors. You see, anyone with a camcorder and an editor can make a movie. The real drama is in the script, not the expensive sets, actors and props. Go take a look at Casablanca, The Wizard of OZ, or even the old Star trek series. You can reproduce everything in those famous and classic movies/TVshows with your editor and a good camera. Plus some talented people helping you. Like your friends.

Drama and a good story do not require blockbuster effects, games, and famous actors. It needs to be a good story first. It needs to touch the audience. It needs substance. That is what you need. And you make that yourself, no equipment required. It can even be about a real event.

We have mucky TV shows because we are willing to eat garbage instead of steak. In time people will get tired of the garbage, and there will be good Indie films and such waiting to be consumed. People love a good story, they will sit through a lame story if it is fed to them with flash and fireworks. Kinda like that last taco you ate, it looked good but was made with third rate beef and kept warm under a sunlight.

Reality TV? Reality is what you make it.
J.

Behind the Scenes ...with Jay

2009-02-20T17:54:00.004-06:00

Working on a documentary takes weeks of editing to get it together. I'm producing a docu-drama type documentary on the subject of UFOs and it is filled with effects shots to convey the events that transpired. Almost any other kind of documentary would be easier because you just need to go shoot the subject.

However when dealing with an esoteric subject that you cannot just go shoot them when you want, it requires the producer to get creative and portray the subject as best you can with effects, stock footage, recreations and other elements to push the story along.

If I were doing a documentary on bears I could just go to the zoo and shoot a ton of footage of bears. Then string it along and talk about bears. Subjects like ufos and such take a ton more created elements to get the point across.

So, I have to make the shots I use. This documentary will end up being about 80% effects shots. To do this I rely heavily on stock footage, motion design elements, alpha elements, green screen, composites, animation, sound effects and recreations to tell the story.

Below is a short video I made to show off some of the effects I've created. These are raw with no sound and even jerk a little because I recorded them off the preview monitor of my editor. I'm using Magix Video Pro X to edit the documentary and Movie Edit Pro 14 Plus on some of the effects.

There are many more in the documentary, these are just a few I had rendered to look at and smooth out. Some still need tweaking. But, alas that is more work that will go into this project before I'm ready to release it.

Enjoy the "behind the scenes" and come back often because I will have more later.

Jay is a professional videographer Don't try this alone!

Myspace go buh-bye?

2009-02-18T12:00:00.001-06:00

Fall down, go boom? Could be. Could we actually be seeing the slow and painful death of Myspace now?

If you have read the site at all, you know how I feel about Myspace. Quiet, Daddy's talking right now. I've always felt like it was a fad, and longed for the day that everyone just got over it. I understand, I think, the main ideas behind the creation of the site. There was an influx of "social networking" sites popping up all around the same time. Facebook is another example. Maybe the intentions and general idea behind it at inception was good, but so much got lost in the mix, it has now become a beast which cannot be fed.

I have noticed a trend lately. People seem to be migrating more and more towards Facebook. I know, I know, most people have had an account on both for the longest time, which I consider to be putting your left hand into a wood chipper, and then your right foot just for good measure. Several people that I am in communication with have recently expressed to me that they really don't use or visit their Myspace page much anymore, and many of those have told me that they use Facebook now instead. Are we watching the world evolve a bit?

Seems to me, that of the two evils, Facebook seems a bit more mature. It has video time limit restrictions, so no droning emo-baby long video blogs. Facebook, unless I recall wrong, was originally created for those in school to stay in contact, similar to Classmates dawt com. In fact, I seem to recall something about Facebook requiring you to be in school in order to sign up, before it went public to all. I forget the details.

Point is this. Looks to me like the world is finally tiring of the juvenile, silly, pointless, evil Myspace nonsense, and has elected to move it's misguided and misspent energy to another site for the time being. No, I'm not saying that everyone is going to stop using MyPlace tomorrow. I'm not that thick. But it looks like maybe, just maybe, that in five years, it will be a thing of the past. With about twelve loyal users left.

We can only hope.

-Owen

Guerrilla Video

2009-02-17T00:48:00.007-06:00

Owen and I shoot a ton of video, I shoot many pro videos but I also like to play around with a camera like most people. Recently both of us bought new cameras. This was not planned it just happened to be that we both got new camcorders within a few days.

On this site we shoot guerrilla video, a term for fast produced and opinion type video. Not a boring blog and not stupid videos of your cat. The Guerrilla Video usually has some theme though it may be subtle and can be comedic or tragic. In any case it's usually in your face. It is point driven video. Even if you don't get it.

Its one thing to post a vlog with you pointing a camera at yourself and ranting or just describing your day, like a journal. It's another to put it together where it is not only entertaining but informative. Here we try not to post pointless videos. Note the "try" in that sentence.

We don't plan or script anything. We just shoot, edit and present. It may be great, it may suck, but it will always be something with a point. This is the new revolution of video. The days of Ewe-Tube silly, pointless videos are passing and being replaced, albeit slowly, with more content oriented video. We are a guerrilla video site, not the definition of it. After all, rules are made to be broken!

Owen has the new "Dose of Owen" program and I will be posting something along those lines from time to time, so this site should get interesting as it grows.

You can do this too. Make video for the web. I have enclosed a small video from Videomaker to help you get started. Just some things you will need if you plan to do what we are doing. The equipment you may need, the content is in your brain.

So have fun, but above all else, make something with substance!
J

Somebody smart finally...

2009-02-16T23:48:00.005-06:00

I have a few pet peeves. One is drivers on the friggin' cell phone. If you drive and talk on the phone READ THIS:

(CNN) -- Most of us know we shouldn't be talking on a handheld cell phone while driving. But recent studies suggest that hands-free devices are just as dangerous on the road.

Studies suggest that talking on a hands-free cell phone while driving is just as dangerous as a handheld one.

Engaging in a phone conversation on a mobile device while driving distracts the brain and delays reaction times, experts said. Drivers are more likely to swerve between lanes, slow down and miss important signs.

"When you're on a call, even if both hands are on the wheel, your head is in the call," said Janet Froetscher, president of the National Safety Council, which in January urged legislators in all 50 states to pass laws prohibiting motorists from using cell phone devices.

A recent University of Utah study found that drivers engaging in a cell phone conversation on a headset were more likely to make errors behind the wheel than a driver talking to a front-seat passenger.

"It doesn't matter what kind of cell phone device they are using, because the impairments are so large," said University of Utah professor David Strayer, who used a high-tech driving simulator for his experiment.

Strayer's study, published in December, concluded that conversations with a front-seat passenger can actually mitigate accidents, because the passenger can help observe road conditions and warn the driver of possible hazards.

You can read the whole thing here.

I don't care who you are or what your excuse is, pull over to talk! You have zero right to kill me. period.

GET OFF THE FRIGGIN PHONE & DRIVE!

Canon HV30 HD Camcorder

2009-02-15T17:06:00.005-06:00

Here is some footage from the new camera. I'm quite happy with the resolution, in HD & SD the image is very clear. Shooting under overcast skies today resulted in good footage, I can only image how a clear & sunny day will look.
The sound is good from the camera and it is easy to operate for me. Still getting used to some of the bells & whistles but I'm impressed so far.
Here is a short video of some shots I took today, streaming videos online do not do it justice but you can see it shoots clear shots:

Need Professional Video Production? Visit JML Multimedia

Yet another nifty new camera

2009-02-15T02:37:00.009-06:00

Owen is not the only one with a nifty new camera. I was able to snag a beauty for a good price! This is the Canon HV30, and it rocks. Oh yeah, rocks.

Dig these specs:

Full HD.
Also SD.
24fps film mode.
Mini-dv.
Click this link to see more.

I got this for my business but I'll probably use it for this blog as well because it is smaller than my big pro camera and I can haul it around easier. We shall see.

Between the two of us we can shoot and edit damn near anything. ;-) Owen is a whiz at MEP14+ and I know a few things about it too, and Video Pro X. So we got the hook up on editing, shooting and writing. Look for even more entertaining and creative videos from Owen and I may drop one in here and there too. :-)
J.
Here is a lady talking about the camera:

Here is some idiot talking about it:

Less than three!

2009-02-14T08:00:00.002-06:00

Happy Heart Day! I hope you have an enjoyable and romantic day. I'm hoping that you aren't miserable, or at least that you aren't a miserable, misanthropic bastard who gets pooped on every year around this time. I also hope you aren't one of the jackasses doing the pooping. You know, on the misanthrope types.

Have a wonderful love-fest today everyone! Do something nice for your insignificant other! Spread love and joy and romance. And turkey. Yum, I would kill for a sammich right now.

<3 and stuff.

-Owen

Sholy hit Batman, Part Deux

2009-02-11T12:00:00.002-06:00

Update: My Dad emailed me again, after playing a bit of email tag with Alltel. This just really pisses me off. It's funny, in a way, but still gets my blood boiling. Hijinks ensue.

-Owen

I should have waited until I got a response from Alltel before sending you that email. The following is a copy of my original email to Alltel, their reply, and my response to their reply.

Original email:

Why do you charge for incoming text messages? I received an unsolicited
and unwanted text message from 503-857-9254, www.weRmp3.com at 3:19 p.m. CST on 02/07/09. My cell number is registered with the National Do Not Call Registry. I intend to file a complaint with the National Do Not Call Registry for this call, as well as notify www.weRmp3.com via email
of the violation. However, I do not feel that I should have to pay for
any incoming text message, especially one of this type.

Alltel's reply:

Thanks for requesting assistance from our online support center. Below is a summary of your request and our response.

Thank you for choosing Alltel!

Subject
Text messaging charges

Discussion Thread
Response (Shawnequa J)	02/09/2009 11:02 AM
Dear Mr Name changed to protect the mostly innocent Thank you for your inquiry. My name is Shawnequa and I will be happy to assist you. Messages are neither monitored nor controlled for content, except for direct communication from Alltel. Only those messages confirmed to be sent or received will be applied to your bill. If you do not wish to receive text messages, you may block this feature by following the steps below. Please note that the steps below must be taken for each phone you wish to have blocked. Notifications for voice mails will not be affected Note: Our Call Centers or Online Email support teams cannot complete this transaction for you. You must utilize My Account to block all text messages. Step 1 Log in to My Account. Once logged in, information for your default line of service will appear. If you wish to make changes to another line of service follow these steps: a) Uncheck the box in the 'Account' section displaying phone number currently in focus. b) Check the box next to the phone number you want to make changes to. c) Click 'Go'. Step 2 Click "Service Plan & Features" on the middle navigation bar. Options for the default phone will appear in the middle navigation bar. If you wish to select a different phone to block text messages uncheck the box Step 3 Click "Add/Change Features" Step 4 The "Change Features" screen will be displayed. Scroll down to section marked "Text Messaging". Step 5 Check the box marked "No Text Messaging" Step 6 Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click "Done". Step 7 Click "Confirm" to confirm your changes Please let me know if I can be of further assistance. Thank you for choosing Alltel. I appreciate your business. Sincerely, Shawnequa Alltel Online Customer Service

My response:

Typical. Just like dealing with the government. First you fail to answer my question, 'why do you charge for incoming messages' and then you explain to me how to do something I never said I wanted. I have already blocked that particular number so I should not get any more messages from that company. But I still feel that I should not have to pay for an unsolicited incoming text message that is clearly telemarketing, when I am on the National Do Not Call Registry and never wanted to receive text messages that are of that type. It would be like a telemarketer calling you at home on a land line and you having to pay long distance charges for the call, even though you never wanted it. You tell me how to block all text messages, but I do not want that. I use text to communicate with my grown children often, as do they. Your handling of this situation was less than satisfactory.

I think my next correspondence will be to the Mississippi Public Service Commission.

Just an update to make you sick...

2009-02-10T11:26:00.003-06:00

FDA: Plant knowingly sold salmonella-laced food
AP - Saturday, February 07, 2009 7:07:29 AM
By BRETT J. BLACKLEDGE and RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR
FDA: Plant knowingly sold salmonella-laced food
AP

As far back as 2007, salmonella-laced products were shipped by a Georgia peanut company that knew the peanuts probably were tainted and sometimes after tests confirmed that contamination, inspection records show.

Federal law forbids producing or shipping foods under conditions that could make it harmful to consumers' health. Food and Drug Administration officials earlier had said Peanut Corp. of America waited for a second test to clear peanut butter and peanuts that initially were positive for salmonella. But the agency amended its report Friday, saying that the Blakely, Ga., plant actually shipped some products before receiving the second test and sold others after confirming salmonella.

In 2007, the company shipped chopped peanuts on July 18 and 24 after salmonella was confirmed by private lab tests, the FDA report said. Peanut Corp. sold products "on or after the positive salmonella results were obtained."

In other cases, the company didn't wait for a second round of salmonella tests.

"In some instances, peanut products were shipped by (the company) prior to having assurance that the products were negative for salmonella," said Michael Rogers, head of field investigations for the FDA.

Rogers said the FDA made the discovery after a more detailed analysis of records submitted by the company.

The salmonella outbreak has been blamed for at least eight deaths and 575 illnesses in 43 states. The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation. More than 1,550 products have been recalled.

Wary consumers are shunning all brands of peanut butter, even those not caught up in the massive recall, driving sales down by nearly 25 percent, The New York Times reported Saturday.

A Peanut Corp. lawyer said the company is investigating what happened at the plant and had no comment on the latest FDA findings.

"We have not made a determination yet on liability," said attorney Amy Rotenberg. "We are neither denying or admitting liability at this point. We are still investigating."

Peanut Corp. previously said it "categorically denies any allegations" that it sought lab results that would put its products in a favorable light.

Problems at the plant are not new. FDA inspectors found in 2001 that products potentially were exposed to insecticides, one of several violations uncovered during the last visit federal officials made before the current food-poisoning scare, according to a report obtained by The Associated Press.
____________________________________

BASTARDS!!!!!!!

Sholy hit Batman

2009-02-09T22:26:00.003-06:00

My Dad emailed me the other day, and I just had to re-post it. Thankfully, he not only agreed to let me put it on the site, he actually asked in the email if I would. Talk about luck.
Enjoy!
-Owen.

Ok, I have officially seen it all. I received a telemarketing text message from 503-857-9254, www.weRmp3.com wanting me
to go to their site to download mp3 files. My cell is registered with the National Do Not Call Registry, which makes it a violation
of FTC rules to make a telemarketing call to me. The problem:
1. Alltel, now a part of Verizon, charges for incoming text messages as well as outgoing. I've heard of double-dipping, but really!
2. weRmp3.com is located in Ebene City , Mauritius, an island republic off the coast of Africa. No really, I looked it up in Wikipedia.
3. How the hell did they get my cell number. I NEVER EVER give anyone my cell number, especially on internet forms. It is not on my
checks either. Ok, I realize it could be a computer dialed message. But, DAMN!!!
4. How many future text messages am I going to have to pay for upon receiving unsolicited and unwanted text messages?

Yes, I sent Alltel a message asking why I have to pay for incoming messages, telling them what had occurred, and what I intend to do.
(notify the Do Not Call Registry) I was going to send an ugly email to the weRmp3.com as well, until I found out where they are located
and that they ask for name, phone number, email, height, weight, social security number and sexual preference before allowing you
to send them an email. The very least I can do is block their number.

We are all sitting directly astride the horns of a dilemma.

On one hand, we have big brother invading our privacy. On the other hand, we have big business controlling every aspect of our lives, especially our pocketbooks.
Hmm, lemme see. I seem to remember a quote, something along the lines of, "a little revolution now and then is a healthy thing."

Kinda sounds like an Owen McGoogie rant, doesn't it? Wonder if Owen might be interested in posting it?

Utube Censorship

2009-01-30T13:31:00.003-06:00

Utube has begun an all out campaign to clean up its act. Numerous vloggers and other sites are reporting their Utube accounts have either been censored or closed by Utube. Why? Copyright infringement. Many of the utube videos are taken from TV shows or have copy written music included.

YouTube is owned by Google and is taking heat for their apparent lack of self control. Various accounts have been targeted and in many cases the baby is being thrown out with the bath water. Meaning they are killing an entire account even though many of its videos are quite legal. This has caused some outrage in the Utube community. Of course this leads to conspiracy theories and who knows, maybe big brother is behind it. But the bottom line is Google and Utube have suddenly decided to police themselves.

So you should probably go over your account and remove anything that could be a violation, keep the rest. Otherwise you may lose all that video footage.

What are your thoughts on this? Use the comments section below to reply!

Clean your closet, save the world.

2009-01-30T00:58:00.005-06:00

Today Owen came by to pick up a box to get someone fixed up with internet. The shell of an old computer I used to have. Come to think of it I think it was his originally anyway. But that is the way we roll, always helping someone out that needs a part, a whole PC or just a fix or update.

Been doing that for years. A part here, a part there, someone upgrades and the leftovers get passed down to someone else who needs it. Together we have probably computerized a whole army somewhere. I've given away whole PC's to kids or mothers so kids could do homework.

I wish more folks would do that. How many parts do you have laying around collecting dust? Take some of that junk and build a PC for some needy kid why doncha? How many cases and motherboards you hording? Eh?

Just cause it won't play World of Whorecraft 5 or something new doesn't mean some kid can't do his homework on it! Clean off all that porn you're stashing and put a drive in that baby, boot it up and make some mother happy! Give her kid a PC!

Then when her kid whines cause it won't run all the latest games she will go out and get him a better one. And there you are, you have contributed to society! It'll make you feel good inside. So just do it!

See, the world is cyclical. You build the PC, he whines, mommy buys him another bigger PC, he gets World of Whorecraft 5 and whips your ass nightly on level 12! Everything that goes around comes around. It's karma man.

But look at the good you did. You made a kid happy and contributed to the economy too! Mommy bought him a shiny new PC to shut his mouth and you get a new challenger equal to your strategies. Now he has much more self esteem as he kicks your ass up on level 16 even! Hell, he may build a whole guild of whores to push you around!

See, its a good thing! This kid may never know who took the time and made some little gesture that changed his life, and later when he owns a huge high tech corporation, you may need to ask him for a job! And you will be able to take pride on the day he fires your ass for goofing off and playing stupid video games on the clock.

Life is full of lessons and we make the future people. What you do today will affect others around you and will move the future forward one day, and one deed at a time. And you are a part of this world we call earth, Elf lord! You are a contributor!

So do something nice and quit being so damn selfish! Get off your ass and make the future for all the whinny little kids in the world! It will make you a better person.

Plus you will finally get that damn closet cleaned out.
J

About to bust a gut

2009-01-29T16:38:00.001-06:00

Warning: do not allow Rant to come into contact with skin.

So the company I work for installs security camera systems. One part of such systems is the DVR, or Digital Video Recorder. The cameras all connect up to this device, and it records the video for viewing later.

We've had quite a few issues with one particular brand that we've used in the past. Today, the bossman was contacted by the company that makes them, just a "Hey, how ya doin?" type call. He let them know pretty quickly that we stopped carrying their products, and why. Emails bounced back and forth like ping pong balls.

Later on today, a "higher-up" from the company contacts our head honcho via email. Roughly paraphrased, she told him that PC (computer) based DVRs are designed to last around 2 years.

. . .

Wht?! (In case you missed that, it was a very quickly pronounced, very high pitch "What?!")
(Yes it does. It does so. Sound it out, moron.)
Can you believe this loon? Her comment is just plain wrong on soooo many levels. Firstly, I can't believe she had the audacity to basically say, "What do you expect, these things just don't last long, prick." Secondly, I can't believe she had the nerve to admit that such a thing might be (I guess maybe, is would be a better phrasing) true. Lastly, I can't fathom that she had the balls to say all this, while being snippy about it, when her company has never published this information in the past.

Clarification: the company never stated that their products are temporary and engineered to fail in roughly two years. They are now informing a dealer of this little tidbit. They are informing the dealer in a somewhat caustic manner. Like we're supposed to just know. We're really a bunch of dumbasses.

The last thing that got under my skin is the fact that another brand of DVR we install has held up for years without a single hiccup. And guess what! It is a PC (computer) based DVR running WINDOWS. Dun Dun DUNNNN!

I don't sound as angry as normal during this rant, honestly because I find broadzilla's infantile behaviour, skewed logic, tact (or lack thereof), and speech to be pretty damnable funny. When my buddy called me this afternoon to fill me in, he even told me, "You'll find this hilarious." He's right, I'm giggling.

In closing, to the reps from the un-named company:

Suck it. Idiots.

Sick Sucks

2009-01-27T21:56:00.000-06:00

...so I get up this morning at 6am and wander into my home office to work on a documentary I'm producing. That is when i started to feel the twinge of a scratchy throat. As the day wore on I felt hot, tired and now my nose is running.

I took one of those orange tablet thingies you take when you think you may get a cold, supposed to help ward it off or make it run its course faster. Since then I've taken three and a fist full of vitamins. Maybe it will help.

Now my eyes are watering and I feel stuffed up. This pretty much sucks.

So if I gotta be sick I'm accepting any cards, letters, comments, or money you want to send me. I hate cards, letters and comments so send money. K? Really.

Maybe I'll just blog and make you feel miserable too. Plan? Plan.

J

by bread alone

2009-01-24T20:55:00.000-06:00

"Man does not live by bread alone, ...he must have peanut butter!

I read the news,

The company that sells Little Debbie snacks announced a recall Sunday of peanut butter crackers because of a potential link to a deadly salmonella outbreak.

The voluntary recall came one day after the government advised consumers to avoid eating cookies, cakes, ice cream and other foods with peanut butter until health officials learn more about the contamination.

The announcement by McKee Foods Corp. of Collegedale, Tenn., about two kinds of Little Debbie products was another in a string of voluntary recalls following the most recent guidance by health officials.

Peanut Corp. expanded its recall Sunday to all peanut butter and all peanut paste produced at its Blakely, Ga., plant since July 1.

McKee said it had not received any complaints about illnesses from people who ate any size peanut butter toasty sandwich crackers or peanut butter cheese sandwich crackers. The recall covers crackers produced on or after July 1.

Officials are focusing on peanut paste, as well as peanut butter, produced at Peanut Corp.'s Georgia facility. Its peanut butter is not sold directly to consumers but distributed to institutions and food companies. But the peanut paste, made from roasted peanuts, is an ingredient in cookies, cakes and other products that people buy in the supermarket.

So far, more than 470 people have gotten sick in 43 states, and at least 90 had to be hospitalized. At least six deaths are being blamed on the outbreak. Salmonella is a bacteria and the most common source of food poisoning in the U.S., causing diarrhea, cramping and fever.

Also Sunday, the maker of Peter Pan peanut butter said none of its products are associated with the outbreak. Peter Pan and other peanut butter produced by ConAgra Foods Inc. were linked in 2007 to a salmonella outbreak that sickened more than 625 people in 47 states.

The company recalled all its peanut butter and eventually traced the contamination to a leaky roof and faulty sprinkler head at its Georgia plant. In a statement, ConAgra said it does not buy any ingredients from Peanut Corp.

The Kellogg Co., which listed Peanut Corp. as one of its suppliers, has recalled 16 products. McKee said Kellogg manufactured the Little Debbie crackers covered by the recall.

Wha....???? NO PEANUT BUTTER?!?! What the hell is this world coming to? One leaky sprinkler and the whole Peanut Butter industry is toast? How the hell does that happen?

"Most peanut butter sold in jars at supermarkets appears to be safe, the Food and Drug Administration said Saturday.

Health officials are focusing on 30 companies out of a total of 85 that received peanut products from the Georgia plant."

So you are saying ONE company can kill us all. One. I feel safer already! "Most" peanut butter is safe? How much is "most" anyway?

So, I gotta go without nutter butters cause you were too damn lazy to fix a facet? This makes me wonder what else is contaminated and we don't know about it. Are my Twinkies evil too? Could my puffy, creme filled chocolate cakes be killing me?

When the day comes that confections are subject to the evils of man, we are all doomed. Doomed I say! For man cannot live by Bread alone... we have to have sweeteners! We must have Peanut Butter! AAArrrgggg! Damn you, damn you all!

Someone has to fix this! Life will never be the same. The world functions on nutter butters! LOL

Ok, its just peanut butter. But think about it. One leaky faucet shut down a whole industry. Whos fault is that? Its ours. Someone knew that faucet was leaky but was too "busy" to mention it.

We as individuals have to be responsible for all of us. It may be a frayed wire or a slow drip in a pipe somewhere, something we think is insignificant, but it could affect us all depending on where it is or what it could change.

So look around. Become aware. Your diligence could be important! Take Responsibility! Fix all the leaky faucets. And one by one we can make it a better world.

And leave my friggin' Nutter Butters alone!

Want fries with that?

2009-01-13T13:16:00.001-06:00

Fast food sucks. Sure, its bad for you. Yes, it does drain your wallet faster than the speed of sound. And of course, it does foster laziness as it keeps us from cooking at home.

But that's not really why it is such a horrible thing. Fast food has become an abomination because of one simple thing: people.

Why the hell is it that when I order a salad at the drive through I don't get a bloody fork to eat it with!? When did "burger and fries" become impossible to remember for the staff? I can't recall the last time I ordered fast food and some moron didn't muck it up somehow. No sauce for the nuggets after they ask you what kind. No dressing or croutons after you request extra of each. Fish sandwich when you order a cheese burger.

Apparently, you now have to be either a zombie, idiot, meth head, or vegetable in a coma to work in fast food.

More later. Too steamed to keep writing.

-Owen

Ducky

2009-01-11T17:28:00.001-06:00

Well, this is just ducky. I had to work until 3 am this morning. I came home to an overflowing toilet. I tried to stop it own my own, but to no avail. As a result, my entire apartment flooded. Apparently, the city sewer had failed due to massive clog issues, so my complex got boned. My apartment got hit hardest. After frantic phone calls, the maintenance guy showed up and got the flooding to stop. They then had to rip out all carpet in my apartment and bleach everything.

I have not slept yet today, I'm wiped out. Sometime in the next couple days I should get new carpet. I really just want sleep.

Yay.

Not US!

2009-01-07T23:10:00.001-06:00

Just a quick little post today, while I'm thinking about it. With the recent economic instability, some Americans are a good bit worried. Even though gas prices are now back in the realm of fairly reasonable, and bailouts a plenty are flying through the air, unemployment is still high, and many are struggling still.

Don't sweat it. This will pass, and we will fix it. Yes, my fellow Americans, this situation will be repaired, but not for the reasons you think. Buckle up. We will not get past this because we are brilliant. We will not overcome because we are the greatest nation ever. We will not surpass the odds because of some great pull-together-now national spirit. No fellowship or fiscal planning to the rescue here. We will correct the financial situation for one reason, and one reason only.

We are spoiled. We love our lavish lifestyles, and Americans will not let this pass. We will not sit and idly watch the comfortable lifestyle that we as a whole generally enjoy go the way of the dodo. Not because we are noble, not because we will band together. It's that simple. We, as a whole, are a nation of lazy, spoiled little brats, and we simply will not put up with the idea of bread lines or another depression, because we find the idea of it to be disgusting. We are so superior and egotistical that we look on this with disdain, and refuse to allow ourselves to become a "third world" nation. Don't get me wrong, all the good stuff and nice, noble moves will be made, thrown in the mix, but the bottom line is still there.

Having said all that, I love this country. I'm happy here. And I'm glad that we'll all get past this, one way or another.

Thoughts?

With toothpicks

2008-12-09T13:00:00.001-06:00

Alright, I've had it. Enough already. Stop. Stop it.

See? It must be enough, because I didn't even give you the obligatory rant warning like usual. So what's got my fur in a bunch? One word : people.

Oh no, what did they do now? Nothing new really, but I've just become completely fed up with this little phenomenon that I keep witnessing.

At what point was it exactly that our thought, as rational animals with supposed higher brain function, went into decline so that we became an irrational, selfish, hedonistic society as a whole? When was that? Did I miss the memo?!

If I did, I have two thoughts. One, the mail room guy is fired. The second is that the memo probably looked something like the following:

To: Humanity in general, pretty much anyone who wants to play along, etc.
From: Humanity in general. Pretty much those of us who want it all, etc.
Re: Let's shake things up. Reality is for the birds!

It has come to our attention that for the longest time in our human history we have behaved a certain, inexcusable way. Reality, social norms, manners, etiquette, thoughtfulness, consideration, and all their nasty ilk have dominated our behavior for far too long! Reality be buggered! To these traits which seek to enslave us, we say “Bully!”

Let’s shake things up! We propose and fully endorse the following policies and procedures for an immediate and fruitful turn-around from this grotesque mis-management of our species:

Rudeness is a virtue. Use it wisely and abundantly.
Be totally inconsiderate at every available opportunity.
Baseless feelings of entitlement are strongly encouraged. After all, the rest of us owe you everything, don’t we? Be sure to remind your fellow man of this at least once per hour for maximum impact and fiscal yield.
Disdain for anything that is not important to you at the split second it occurs is highly recommended.
Apathy for anything requiring effort should be of utmost priority. Jobs, careers, and all other forms of employment will be abolished as soon as these policies can take a solid foothold. Volunteer work will be eradicated in Phase 2. We need your support.
Sheer, unbridled laziness. The universe will not go to pot on its’ own. Every contribution you can make to our united effort of doing nothing gets us closer to our goal of achieving absolutely nothing on our own. Let the others do the work!
Teamwork is a crock. There is no “I” in teamwork, but there sure as hell is a “Me!”
Time clocks. These payroll/timekeeping devices have long been misused for nefarious, even and oftentimes evil purposes. We would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that Time clocks are only to be used for two purposes: keeping track of how much money is owed to you, and for being ridden. Ride that clock, baby! The whole day is break time!
The feelings of other humans are to no longer be misused. They are to be used in the manner intended, for which they were designed: doormats. Please refrain from any use which does not utterly abuse or obliterate the feelings of your fellow man.
Outright, common theft. Take what you can, when you can. The other guy will get a kick out of your ingenuity and resourcefulness. You might even teach him a pointer or two!
Total for disgust for your fellow man should be applied liberally, much like an ointment for a wound. Remember, nobody is going to pay attention to you or listen to your empty world view unless you treat them like trash.

You may experience slight resistance to these new polices and procedures as the rest of the species is brought up to speed. Just think of it as natural selection. The others just don’t get it yet, but don’t worry. They’ll come around. Remember our credo, and use it as your universal response to naysayers and negativity towards our directives! “Working as intended.”

Ok, so maybe I should have warned you at the beginning of the post, but I didn’t hold your eyelids open and make you read this far. Hopefully you, dear reader, are smart enough to detect my sarcasm. Let me stop you right now if you actually thought that any of the above was a sincere proposal from me – quit reading. If you didn’t figure out that I am angry as hell and mocking the dregs of society for their idiotic and self-centered behavior, I can’t help you.

I am so very, very tired of witnessing people who don’t give a damn about anyone else on the planet acting out their little emperor-of-the-world fantasies by berating the other inhabitants of the planet. So, here’s my little manifesto on the subject, my two cents, if you like.

Manifesto to the wicked, selfish, socially retarded, and entitlement prone

Get over yourself. Shut up. Stop belly-aching. Stop bitching and whining. Stop cheating and stealing. Stop abusing, mistreating, scheming, thieving, plotting, playing, and calculating.

You are no more special than the human next to you, except to your mommy. And she lies to you because that’s what mommies are supposed to say. You are a wretched vermin, but she was exercising manners and was nice to you. Sorry.

If you absolutely must complain, shut that gateway to hell you call a mouth and just think the complaint to yourself. In fact, adopting a policy of talking only to yourself inside your own diseased brain-pan might just be your best bet. You don’t really have anything of value to say anyway. You are more than likely the only one who will listen to you at this point.

Do. Not. Cheat. Period. It’s wrong, immoral, and often illegal. Stealing office supplies, cheating the time clock, lying about sick days all count. In fact, if it wasn’t given, traded, or sold to you, leave it the hell alone. If you don’t want your boss or grandmother to catch you doing it, then just don’t do it, moron.

Unless you want a very, very large man with a miserable temper and frayed nerves to torment you by shoving an ice pick first between your upper lip and upper gums, only to follow that brutal assault up by then inserting the pick under your finger and toenails, be nice to people. You don’t want people being harsh with you, so keep that in mind. It’s really what holds our society together as far as right and wrong goes. One day you may piss off the wrong person. Don’t be a dick.

Drama is for TV. Plotting, scheming, and stirring the pot against your fellow man is the basest neglect of your design and intelligence as a human. Sure, you can do it. Sure, some of your shrewd planning is brilliant. If you were smarter, you could get by without it.

Don’t do anything you wouldn’t want on the front page of the newspaper. Don’t do anything you wouldn’t do in front of a very heavily armed, pissed off Marine. If you screw up and do something wrong, do not, under any circumstances, EVER get pissed off at another person because you got caught, or got in trouble. If you do this, you miss the point.

You are accountable and responsible for your own actions. No one else is.

Be a damn grown up. Grow a pair and get off your ass. Earn your money, don’t steal it. Make your own way. Be nice or be prepared to get worked over by an angry man with a hammer.

Get right with life. You only get one shot at this, no matter what your belief system is. Do it the right way or someone may just decide you don’t get to play anymore. There is no reset button. Just be a good person, you fool.

Bloody irresponsible

2008-11-04T21:47:00.000-06:00

Warning: Angry rant ahead!!!

Like alot of folks, I've been keeping up with election coverage to an extent, but I just had to take a break. I had to, you see, because otherwise I would run the risk of rupturing my diaphragm from a retching, convulsive fit of explosive vomiting. The media…

That’s right, media outlets. I’m calling you out. I don’t know who thought it would be acceptable, I don’t care who did it first. The irresponsible misinformation filled coverage of the election results is absolutely deplorable.

For those of you who don’t actually know what is going on with the coverage, let me break it down for you.

Only a short while into the coverage, the media outlets began to rapidly spurt out “facts” of Obama’s clinching victory over McCain. Bad news, folks: the figures are either incomplete, false, or entirely conjecture. If you pay, very, very, very close attention to the screen jam packed with a myriad of little widgets, gizmos, whosiwhatsits, dummelflitchies, thingamajigs, and hog wallop, you will notice a couple of interesting pieces of text. One, is the word estimate. The other, is a percentage rating of precincts reported in.

What the devil does all this mean, Owen?? Simple. It means that as fast as the coverage is going, there actually isn’t that much fact to report. So, what you see on screen are estimates by the media outlets on what the total state result will be. Nothing more. They are just guessing based on the number of votes so far in that state, and how that has gone up to that point. What if one, lowly, single county, with a huge population mind you, were to vote the other way?!? GASP!!! That would throw the numbers waaaayy off for these estimates, now wouldn’t it?

As for the percentage, it’s simply that. They are reporting (one of the few facts that are actually being spewed at the U.S. public at the moment) the number of voting precincts that have actually said, “Ok, we’re all done counting votes now. Here’s the total.” You simply can not, SHOULD NOT, EVER call a state done unless 100 effing percent of the votes have been counted. To call the show early is falsehood, disrespectful of the American populace, low-down, underhanded, sneaky, deceitful, and irresponsible. Make no mistake, the election could go either way. Louisiana was reported as a McCain state, before even one single solitary vote in that state had been counted. Pennsylvania was given to Obama before half the state had turned in.

Think like this, ladies and gents: Instead of an election, you decide to hold a contest. You are going to see who wins a coin toss-heads, or tails. You decide to flip 100 times (100 votes, if you will.) You proudly take your coin; flip it three times, and lo and behold!! Heads has shown up twice! Surely, yeah verily, Heads must be the clear winner in this contest! Let us proclaim Heads grand champion! Only…well, there is the little fact that you didn’t finish the contest. You still have quite a few flips left. Theoretically, you could flip Tails the next NINETY SEVEN TIMES. Who would the winner be then? Would you have egg on your face for declaring the wrong winner far in advance? Would you be a fool, then??? Think long and hard before you answer.

“Why would the media lie to us like this, Owen?” you may ask. Well, I’ll tell ya. That is their job. Sorry, hate to break it to you. Part of the function of the media is to draw your attention. At times, the only way to do that is to dramatize, sensationalize, lie, fabricate, embellish, or distort things. Remember the days when it took hours for results to slowly trickle in, from state to state, and news updates on the election were brought out every few hours on the news channels? Not that long ago. But, as technology, the world, and the voracious human appetite for information has grown (into a beast that cannot be fed), the media has had to take drastic steps to keep up. The point is this: with results so slowly trickling in, as the tally process takes literally hours to complete, there is really very little fact to report to the masses. This leaves the media outlets with virtually nothing but conjecture and conversation to hold your attention. They know well that this kind of content will grow stale rather quickly with audiences. The only avenue they have left to ramp you up, get you hooked and reel you in, is to toss out light-speed statistics, snap judgments, and commentary “fact reporting” from the hip. Interesting, sure, but a slap in the face to your intellect.

America, you are stupid. That is what the media is telling you, if you will but listen. Me, personally, I take offense to that. Maybe you don’t. Maybe you don’t see it because your guy is winning in one state or the other, and you don’t want to hear any different. But like it or not, face it or not, admit it or not, it’s the damn truth of it. And it won’t go away or change.

So there you are. The media is one of two things. They are either malevolent entities vying for your attention with whatever dubious means they have at their disposal for ratings and approval, or they are irresponsible grab-asses who want to win the playground popularity contest with the biggest pink kickball with glitter and stars adorning it, trimmed in frilly tassels. So which is it, big media guys? A*hole or retard? You pick.

-Owen.

P.S. There's a poll going up (gag, groan, hiss, I know. Yet another polllll) on the right side of the site. I'd like to know where you stand on the issue I just brought up. Do you agree or disagree?

Go

2008-11-04T19:13:00.001-06:00

VOTE!!

Do it! DO IT NOW!

In a metal mood?

2008-10-27T19:33:00.001-05:00

You might remember a while back I posted a little bit about selling off scrap copper. At the time, it was worth a good chunk of change. In the recent weeks of financial panic, the price of copper has fallen dramatically. While this is great for businesses that need to purchase the stuff, it's murder for the little guy trying to offload some junk for extra cash. Fret not, however. As with most anything in a time of financial turmoil, things will bounce back. Just keep hanging on to your scraps, and when the price rises again, feel free to go nuts!

Don't kick yourself for missing out on the high turn-in prices, we'll have another shot.

-Owen

In your eye!

2008-10-22T23:13:00.001-05:00

Love the whole computing gig, but HATE all the wiring? You're not alone. Every day, we manage to think up a new way to free ourselves from our copper-based bonds, and ditch the cables. Wireless keyboards and mice, wireless speakers, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, the list goes on and on. Where will our endless pursuit of unchained technology happiness and connectivity end? While wireless AC power is still the thing of jokes, the yoke of your favorite digital camera has now been broken.

That's right! No need to buy a wireless digital camera, friends. Wi-Fi enabled memory cards are now available for your shooting pleasure. These little marvels are just what you are used to using in your current equipment, same size and shape, with large storage capacity. Utilizing a technology called Eye-Fi, tiny wireless transmitters embedded in the memory cards allow you to easily fire your photos and videos through the soup, straight to your computer. It's magic! Well, almost.
Here is just one example of such a card. If you are interested in getting your hands on one of these little babies to cut one more cord out of your digital life, work your Google-fu on Eye-Fi and see what's available.

Enjoy.

Newfangled fling-flanging...

2008-10-16T22:33:00.000-05:00

Just a quick post. If you are wondering where is a good site to keep current with all sorts of new technology development and a good news source, visit Engadget. They update several times a day with current news on everything from new wireless tech, to HDTV, to audio and home theater, to the newest in laptops. Pretty much anything technology wise is covered, and it's a great site!

Engadget

Enjoy!

Like a cult...

2008-09-25T22:30:00.001-05:00

So, I've added the "Followers" gadget to the blog, over on the right. If you like the blog, despite the lack of updates recently, go ahead and click the link to follow me! I've also added easy RSS feed and subscription links, if you'd like to follow that route, you have the choice now!

I could really use slavering masses. :)

Going and going and going and...

2008-06-30T10:00:00.000-05:00

Let's talk batteries. If you are up on current technology, you know that most everything portable is moving towards Lithium Ion (LIon) batteries for rechargeable applications. Take cell phones for example, the older style NiCad, or Nickel Cadmium, and even Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMh) batteries are all but dead and gone. However, there are still some applications where these show up, cordless landline phones for instance still use these.

But now we are seeing something interesting happen in the battery world. Cordless power tools are beginning to offer LIon batteries on some new models. But if cell phones and Ipods have been using this technology for so long, why has this taken so long for them to become available in power tools?

Several reasons. Firstly, the development process takes time and is costly. Additionally, the daily workload and usage that these devices go through put different demands on the battery than your Blackberry does. In addition, some tool companies have literally millions of NiCad batteries out there in service today. Construction companies have bought additional batteries, chargers, etc, and there is alot of older, established product floating out there that has cost the end user a good chunk of dough. The new technologies means a fairly decent investment for the end user, especially for larger companies.

First off, you have to, in most cases, buy the new tool that actually accepts the battery. A few toolmakers are making the new batteries cross and backwards compatible, but most are not. Next, the additional batteries that most contractor type applications need will have to be purchased. Finally, extra chargers to keep all these batteries topped off simultaneously have to be added into the mix. This can lead to big bucks, as many of the LIon tools/combo kits/batteries/chargers are fairly expensive.

Let's say that you either have the scratch to burn, or that you like to stay on top of the game. Should you upgrade to LIon tools? Maybe not. There are several things to consider, aside from the cost of it all.
LIon is in its infancy as far as tools go. They have yet to be really proven by extensive independent field testing. At this point, manufacturer input and data is really all you have to go on. Another point in this vein to consider is the different types of LIon batteries available, some are better than others, some are worse than NiCad in some applications.
Yet another point to keep in mind is performance. Some of the LIon batteries out there do have a much faster charge time than older type batteries, but give out much faster on the jobsite, don't have as long a life cycle (number of possible recharges), or require much more care in the charging cycle. For example, one toolmaker has a standard issue old type battery that will last for about an hour, the current LIon "equivalent" from another brand will give out after fifteen to thirty minutes work. Take a look at Amp Hour ratings as you compare.

Point is, if you are wanting to make the switch, there are several factors to think about besides low weight and high cost. Do some reasearch on several different manufacturer websites, compare tool models and battery stats.

I'm not here to endorse any one tool brand, but I will admit that I am a huge fan of the DeWalt line of cordless tools. In my mind they are outstanding tools. My point here is that DeWalt is very slowly and hesitantly broadening their product line to include LIon technology, and they have several reasons for this. If they are being patient and slow, I'm listening to them.

Batten down the hatches!

2008-06-19T14:00:00.000-05:00

Yup, time for another edition of Back Words.

Today, we cover the phrase "Three sheets to the wind."

We all know that this refers to someone who is rather intoxicated, but what the devil does that have to do with sheets? Or wind?

This is a term based in nautical heritage. In the olden days of masted ships with sails, a crewmember was expected to handle his responsibilities of sail control lively. A sailor who was losing control of a sail, which was said to then be "to the wind" or "in the wind", was considered lubberly. If one were to lose control of, say, three sheets, then you were a lumbering buffoon with no motor skills whatsoever, and your intellect would be called into question. Maybe even your parentage.

Therefore, "three sheets to the wind" indicated that you are way out of control, stumbling, and not at all in full possession of your faculties.

A penny for your thoughts is worth more than a penny...

2008-06-18T14:30:00.000-05:00

Yup. In the industry I work in (no, I won't bore you with details) we use a great deal of copper based cable. In the recent past, the price of copper in general has skyrocketed. In some cases, copper based products have doubled in cost over the last three years. Why is that?

According to reports, there are two main factors for the rise in copper prices. The first is a drought condition in the country of Chile, which produces about 40% of the worlds copper. The drought has caused problems with their hydro-electric power plants, thus putting a dent in the copper production efforts.

The second factor is ever increasing demand for copper from China. An unconfirmed report at this time states that the nation is constructing a new, very large building which will require enormous amounts of the metal for it's construction.

What does this mean to you and me? Rising cost of any work requiring copper wiring or pipe. The upside to this is that scrap yards are paying record prices for the metal, so maybe you should take a page out of my book. Save up a good bit of copper scraps, and go drop it off for a few extra pennies.
:)

Article 1
Article 2

Lesson for the day!

2008-06-17T14:00:00.000-05:00

That's right kiddies, it's time for a little part of the blog we'll call Back Words. In these little segments, we'll provide the back story behind words and phrases that you may use every day. This is called Etymology, or the study of the origins of words, not to be confused with Entomology - which is the study of insects. Just a fun little diversion for you all, and hopefully informative too!

Ever heard the following phrase? "Balls to the wall."
I bet I know what you are thinking. Relocate your mind from the gutter. Actually, this dates back to old fighter plane pilots. Back then, the control sticks for the plane all had balls on the very top of them. In the heat of battle, when things were at their most hectic, the pilot would have all the sticks pushed forward to the firewall of the plane(think dashboard). The balls were all against the wall, and the plane was at full throttle zipping and diving etc. This gave birth to the phrase "balls to the wall", or running wide open.

So now you know what it means, where it came from, and how to use it. Enjoy!

Random fun facts...

2008-05-31T22:16:00.000-05:00

Have you ever heard of, or even seen a "cow ant" or "cow killer" ant? Actually, these are not ants at all, but rather wasps. Female wasps. These are actually called velvet wasps or velvet ants, and the female of the species is flightless and wingless. Only the females have stings, and only the males fly. Look them up for more info, or go to this Wikipedia article for a closer look.

Next up, have you ever wondered how the rotary engine in a Mazda RX-7 or RX-8 works? Go to Howstuffworks.com to find out more, it's a pretty good read!

Myspace is the Debil

2008-05-30T22:13:00.000-05:00

And here’s why I think so. Myspace is a social site; people use it for all sorts of interaction. With it, you can send messages, post and share pictures, music, videos, etc. But what’s wrong with good old email? How about some sort of “blog” site, or an image/video hosting site like Photobucket, where you can share your album with friends and family? Whatever happened to those forms of communication?

In my opinion, Myspace is a fad. Like all fads, it has gained a great head of steam very quickly. However, I feel that it may one day burn out, for whatever reason. It’s very popular, but in my experience, the people I have seen using it, don’t actually do much with it. Take comments for example. Most of the ones that I see the average everyday person use are pointless. In some cases, it is merely some sort of competition to see who can do the most in a day. Other times, it’s a meaningless daily “hello” or an excuse to put up a funny picture that someone just found. Remember when we used to get emails with the new funny internet picture of the day? I’m just saying that I don’t think that, in the end after all the time and effort, there is really that much substance or result cranked out. How many pages do you know of that are just too damn busy, with too many images, no common theme, too much glitter, etc, so that you have a seizure just from pulling the page up? What’s the point of that?

Now, to the dark places. First up, the bad software bit. Last time I checked statistics, something like every one in one thousand Myspace pages had at least one piece of malicious code in them. Whether it be spyware, a virus, Trojan, or some other form of malware, it’s there. These little Myspace “pimping” sites, add-ons, codes, widgets, etc. often contain something shady. When you hit someone’s page with one, boom, you get it as well. So, it’s pretty plain that surfing Myspace, even on the page of someone you know, is not safe.

Next, we come to the part I really hate. This is the guts of the issue that just gets my blood boiling. I’ve seen this phenomenon in society growing and gaining traction over the years, and Myspace is hardly the first piece of technology that people have employed for this problem. Text messaging on cell phones was probably one of the first, most widely used formats. What I’m telling you is that some people use Myspace as a vessel to be pure, unrelenting evil vermin. For example, think about the pages you visit most often. Of those, how many do you think the person uses as a forum to show off, or strut? How many of those do people use to try to portray themselves as a “player” or as some super hot sex vixen? Sure, we all need something to make ourselves feel better about who we are. But just think about the gross misuse of vanity here, the extent to which some people take it. People are using Myspace to try to hook up. Now, I’m not saying there is anything wrong with that. People have been using bars for years to try to meet people, and now there are dating sites galore for that very purpose. The difference with Myspace is simple. People are being sneaky, devious, and underhanded about it. To prove my point, I’ve recently seen a small picture floating around, of the stick men variety like road signs use, depicting a guy and a girl engaged in canine type love play. The caption reads, “From Myspace to MyPlace.” I’d love to see the statistics on how many Myspace users have cheated in a relationship after creating a page, and how many cheated using or because of Myspace. It makes it sooooo easy, doesn’t it? There are private messages; the whole site has a slick, sexy feel to it, pictures everywhere, everyone’s on it all day every day, etc. The site seems to instigate flirting, and not always the innocent kind. I read a statistic two years ago, that stated that in couples with at least one Myspace page between them have a 75% chance of breaking up because of the site. Now, this could be from jealousy, miscommunication or misunderstanding, cheating, sneaking around, etc. The numbers for couples who both have a site went up to something like 85%. That’s alarming, isn’t it? This basically tells us that the population at large is having serious trouble because of this site, and that quite a few of us are using it to have affairs.

Now I’m not trying to preach, but seriously, who among us likes to be cheated on? How many of you woke up this morning and said, “Hey, I really wish my significant other would run around on me behind my back.” Ok, put that aside for a moment, and here’s a little ammunition. Ask anyone, anyone you know at all who uses Myspace if they would do you a favor, a serious favor, as a friend. Try this out, not as a joke, but as a social experiment. Ask them to stop using Myspace. If they ask why, tell them you think it is bad for them. Don’t go into terrific detail, because the reason doesn’t matter, it’s not the point. The point is to watch how much resistance you will meet. It’s damn near become an addiction. In addition to that, I’ve observed that people who are misbehaving will defend vigorously the tools of their trade, and the avenues to their “fun.”

Sure, lots of people love the site, have fun with it, and have harmless interaction. Many, many more are using it in the wrong way. It’s another tool for self degradation and injustice. No social commentary here on the status of society at large, just about this one, tiny little website. This is just my thought. I’d love to hear what you think about this.

It's not easy being stupid...

2008-05-29T21:55:00.000-05:00

Until we get some real meat up, please take a few moments to enjoy these little clips of grown men being total retards in a gymnastics accademy. Trying to jump down a long trampoline into a pit of foam blocks, they look like two muppets after snorting a dozen lines of coke...