The Hello Kitty Five

What We're Watching...

2010-06-28T23:25:00.000-07:00

You may be aware that we no longer watch TV. Well, the other night - after a long day of work and moving stuff - I did not feel like doing anything, so I plopped down in front of the TV with my in-laws to the last part of "America's Got Talent." There were some idiots who dressed in the most retarded discombobulation of "rock" outfits imaginable and played "air instruments" while recorded music played. Their "stage presence" was, so they were told, enough to get them voted onward to the next trial in Las Vegas.

I was struck by how highly edited this show is (and by how truly UN-talented the contestants were).

At the end, they showed the previously jam-packed waiting room. It was empty, but for one little old lady. I had the distinct impression that this had been recorded separately from the other segments, but I wasn't sure. After all, I can't imagine all those hundreds, if not thousands, of hopefuls simply packing up and going home after being told that this little old lady would be the final act.

She wobbled out onto the stage with the help of her walker. She was dressed ordinarily. She removed a block of wood and stood on it - because one leg is slightly shorter than the other. And then, her act: she whistled a patriotic tune by blowing into her hands. At least, I think that's what it was supposed to be. Her whistling was weak, and her talent lacking. Why was she on this show? I asked myself. And then, her true purpose was revealed. Why, she had written a book about her hand-whistling! Howie Mandel jumped to the stage and bought one, then offered to read a passage to Mrs. Ozzy Osbourne. The old lady blurted out, "Be careful which passage you read! It's not just about hand-whistling; it's a "coming out" story, too!" At which point, the three guest judges sang her praise, called her a hero, and she was applauded for being so forthright about her sexuality.

Ahhh.

So, the next day. We are cleaning up and moving things at my grandparents' house. My grandfather watches TV incessantly (we'll see how this plays out...) and today is no different. During our time there, I go through the living room several times and see snippets of the three television programs he watches in that time frame. What I see is this:

1) A cop/detective-type show. The episode revolves around a guy who is murdering gay guys. This affords the opportunity for a graphic discussion of men having sex, and gives viewers the idea that homosexuals are being singled out for persecution, which, in real life, is entirely NOT the case.

2) Another cop/detective-type show (My wife thinks it may have been another episode of the same show). This episode focuses on the murder of a little girl by a little boy because the girl has "two mommies." When the cop questions the alleged murderer, he says he did it because lesbianism is wrong and that "the Bible says homosexuality is a sin." The cop tells the boy that he "doesn't remember reading that in the Bible." Once again, this sends home the misconception that homosexuals are a persecuted group. Which, once again, they are not. Of course, it also leads people to believe a lie about the content of the Bible, but who reads that anymore, anyway, right? At least, that's what they're counting on.

3) After all this, my grandparents watch Ellen, who proudly boasts about some cutesy comments that were made by "her wife." Last I heard, we were still debating this one as a society, with the majority opinion on the side of Ellen having a "lesbian lover" and not a "wife."

What I want you to consider is this: Every movie, every television program you watch is pieced together by a committee, who decide very carefully, and very deliberately, the content that they will present to you and your children. It is not just some shows that just happen to be about homosexuality, which is what they want you to think. It is intentional indoctrination. (Really. I wish I could point you to the DVD extra I was watching where the writers and editors were discussing the entire drawn-out process.) The Socialist Left - a group that contains a great many of the Hollywood elite - are gearing up to pass some major legislation in the coming months. One, the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), they would like to repeal, but in order to do that they have to convince enough people that homosexuals are being victimized. Second, gay marriage is coming back in California, as well as other places, and in order to pass, they have to - you guessed it - convince the gullible masses that homosexuals are being victimized and persecuted.

So, what are we watching at our house? We're watching you. And we're hoping you're smarter than Hollywood thinks you are.

HERE SHE IS!!!!

2010-06-09T15:11:00.000-07:00

Nathalie Nizhoni Nauvoo Klingler

Born March 5, 2010

Baby Nathalie and Daddy

First smile caught on film

One of her many faces

Very dramatic

Surprise! Another post!

2009-04-19T22:34:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share some of the haps:

1. After much harassment from family and friends, I have finally joined America's newest biggest time-waster: facebook. This is a "Bumper Sticker" I made for it:

2. Some of the most interesting things happen at Wal-mart. These aren't all new, per se, but I have been sharing them to save. ... Wait. Strike that, reverse it. There are just too many intriguing things there to let all the crappy customers ruin it entirely. These are one-gallon orange juice containers, all carefully smashed in:

This looked like deer droppings, at first, but up close it looked more like malformed donut holes. In the end, we never were quite sure:

3. As we were leaving the Sacramento Tax Day Tea Party, we noticed this sign, and thought it was indicative of the new economy. As our dollars are swiftly becoming worthless, you may now pay your parking fees "in kind." This machine takes eggs; the one across the street accepts whole chickens and goats:

4. Nathalie got her eyes checked. She has googly-eye-tis:

5. Our kids have discovered the Japanese phenomenon of papercraft:

6. Went down to the local D.I. (Deseret Industries thrift shop), and saw this parked out front. The goth details were all made out of aluminum foil, which I assume was wrapped around wire or something. We thought it was cool.

7. Nathalie's (French) mother made desserts for a recent family gathering. These are some of the most beautiful things I have ever eaten (and delicious, too!):

8. At the store yesterday, Nathalie grabbed the new Pringle's "Super Stacker," a canister that is larger than the regular one. As you can see, it was approximately one-third empty upon opening. Seriously, I only took one chip out before it struck me how far down I had to reach. Buyer beware, as they say.

9. Oh yeah! We found these yummy-tasting caramel-flavored Tootsie Pops, and I got one that was hollow! Hello?! What good is a "Tootsie" Pop without the Tootsie?!? ... "How many licks does it take to get to the- WTF?!?"

10. Last, but not least, Annika shared a recap of the recent car accident. Transcript below.

Daddy: Okay, Annika, what were you just telling me about the car crash?

Annika: Um, the driver window breaked, and the "get in your seat" window breaked, cracked. And the driver window cracked.

Daddy: And then what happened?

Annika: I was... we were just fussing, and Ivan threw up on Mama's chair.

Recent Hullaballoo

2009-04-10T22:29:00.000-07:00

I got yer update RIGHT HERE!

So what if I haven't updated this blog since last Sept. 11th? I'm updating it now, and you're gonna like it!!!

Motorcrash

On Wednesday, Nathalie temporarily lost control of her grandfather's car while driving on the freeway in the rain. She was swerving to avoid rapidly decelerating vehicles in front of her. When she regained control, the car jerked to the left and she was struck by another vehicle that was attempting to go around her. This was the result:

Nathalie was in the second fastest lane, and the car jerked into the fast lane. The collision put the car back into it's original lane, in proper fashion, exactly parallel to the lines.

When the firemen arrived, they carried the kids one by one from the wreckage to a waiting patrol car. Later, Annika told Nathalie that the firemen and policemen "kidnapped her" and took her to the police car.

I was supposed to take our own car to get a leak checked, so Nathalie had to use this car. When I moved Annika's car seat to Opa's car, I felt that I should put it behind the driver's seat instead of her usual spot on the passenger's side. This may have saved a life, and definitely saved some broken bones - no one was hurt in any significant manner. Haley and Ivan both got a few minor cuts from flying glass, and Nathalie got some minor whiplash. Here, Haley documents her injuries on the way home (after I came and picked them up in our car):

We took the kids home and immediately gave them baths to clean them of the glass fragments. As Haley is washing herself, she tells us that she is trying to think of a way to repay Heavenly Father for protecting them.

Opa Update

Well, having come full circle in life, Opa exclusively "eats, sleeps, and poops" again, just as he did when he first came into the world. Here, he takes a break from all that eating and sleeping, and prepares to poop.

Cool Things

Our friendly neighborhood Sanrio store (i.e., the Hello Kitty store), at Arden Mall, carries a small selection of Japanese import items. Recently, we found Totoro puzzles!

Haley's car was the "Most Colorful" of all in the recent Achievement Day Girls Pinewood Derby!

As if the car crash weren't enough, our kids were abducted by the fierce Midget Pirates of Willygoat on a recent trip to the Lego store.

Actually, we spent 2-1/2 hours, mostly waiting in line (with hundreds of other people), to participate in a free Lego build. The kids got to keep the little Lego bunnies that they made. In my enthusiasm, I neglected to take a picture. Did I mention that it was FREE? Did I mention that we spent 2-1/2 HOURS standing on an immaculate marble slope, when we were supposed to be grocery shopping!!! Did I mention that the store we spent most of our time in front of was proudly displaying anti-American t-shirts in their window featuring Palestinians with AK-47's? Ever heard of a crappy ghetto store called "Up Against The Wall?" Call them, and tell them that they suck.

On a previous mall trip, Annika got drunk and rode the carousel for 6 hours straight. What were we supposed to do?!? She's three years old now! She can take care of herself!

This is a bowl of lemons. With a magazine on top.

This is how we entertain ourselves in the new economy.

Conclusion

Well, we have done several things since the last time I posted (*cough*September 11th*cough*), and these certainly were some of them. If you were real friends, you were probably with us as we celebrated Pi Day, in true math nerd fashion, on 3/14, and Edward Gorey's birthday, in eclectic goth nerd fashion, on 2/22.

Maybe, just maybe, we'll post again before next September 11th.

Stand And Be Counted

2008-09-11T20:43:00.001-07:00

This afternoon, we all went out to a busy strip of road next to a high school just at the time that school let out, and parents were coming to get their kids, and also around the time people were just starting to come home from work. Last night, we made signs. We stood at this intersection for about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

We got a few "thumbs down," one guy who stopped and yelled unintelligible things from his car, and one crazy lady screaming "NOOOOOOO! NOOOOOOO!" at the top of her lungs, like we were about to about to commit infanticide or something. Funny about those Liberals, they poop their pants if you don't let gays get married, and they whoop and holler in favor of Obama, who actively supports baby murder.

On a brighter note, the large majority of responses were positive, from horns honked supportively, to comments, "thumbs up," and even a "Thank you!"

Overall, it was a great success.

We decided to do this on a whim, because we know that this time we're playing for keeps. All of us, quiet, keep-it-to-ourselves, Conservatives have to stand up now, and be counted. We need to let the world know that we will not let radicals and activists destroy our society. We also realized that many people don't know anything about the propositions that they will be asked to vote on in November. We wanted to make sure that those people were made aware of what Prop 8 was, and also wanted to show other Conservatives that it is okay to stand up for what is right. I kept having this verse from the Doctrine and Covenants run through my mind:

For there are many yet on the earth among all sects, parties, and denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceive, and who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it— (D&C 123:12)

We invite all like-minded individuals, couples, and especially families, to make their own signs and stand up and be counted! Remember, there are only 2 months until election day!

We also printed quarter-sheet flyers to hand out, which you can download from here (.doc format).

If you have any cool friends, we think it would be cool to have one individual, couple, or family posted at every intersection for several blocks in a row along a busy street.

If you do anything, please let us know in the comments! A link to pics would be nice!

PS - Oh, and don't forget to check with property owners if you are not on public land, like a sidewalk. We left the sidewalk for a shady spot on the grass. This grass is apparently considered part of the high school we were beside, and someone tattled on us. The cops showed up and asked if anyone else was coming, but when we told them it was just our little family, and they saw that there was no shade on the sidewalk, they told us they would go smooth things out for us with the school. It was a little surprising to have them stop, but everything went fine! Yay for nice cops!!!

Americans R Dumb

2008-09-09T21:49:00.001-07:00

WARNING! More Americans can name their own children than can name four Greek Philosophers!!!"

I hate all of these stupid news stories about how "DUMB" Americans are. Take this link (click here) to an article in the South Bend (Indiana) Tribune. This insightful article points out that more Americans can name two characters from "The Simpson's" than can name two of the freedoms granted in the First Amendment... Translation: "More Americans know something about something they see and talk about all the time than about something they never hear about or discuss!" I have two things to say: 1) If you could get people to watch a show about the First Amendment on a regular basis, then they would obviously know more about it, and 2) the First Amendment is often the subject of "The Simpson's", so it could be argued...

Kids Are Parasites

2008-09-09T21:40:00.001-07:00

Okay, let's get one thing straight: I love my children. However... as I have been thinking about the responsibilities of parenthood, I have come to the conclusion that our home is merely a Boarding House for the Unemployed, Uneducated, and Unappreciative! Things aren't going your way? Just scream about it. Didn't get the proper cup in the preferred color? Cry about it! Want something? Now? You know what to do!

Honestly, I probably have the best kids in the world and therefore have no right to complain, but coming out of nearly 2 full weeks of oversensitive, vomiting, sick, tearful children, I just needed to make myself feel better. And now I do.

PS- I posted this a while ago on my original blog, but I thought I'd re-post it here. Just for fun!

Hamster Balls for Humans!!!

2008-09-09T21:39:00.001-07:00

This is the coolest thing ever!!! I want one NOW!!! [Click here (Quicktime file)!]

Welcome Back, Me!

2008-09-09T21:36:00.001-07:00

When did blogging become the new, old, hip thing to do? Four or five years ago, I created a blog in an attempt to facilitate better communication between members of my family; it was a group blog, where only invited individuals could join, and we could all share baby pictures and synchronize our busy schedules. Trouble is, no one ever posted anything.

Fast forward to today.

Suddenly I've got family members shoving their blogsite URL's down my throat! What happened? Not that I mind, really. I was kind of waiting for it. I did start a blog two years ago, after all. I just didn't want to be the one guy who kept asking people if they'd read his blog. I guess I just want to be a part of the group, y'know, do what everyone else is doing. Um, yeah.

So, welcome back, Me. It's nice to have you around.

They Might Be Giants

2008-09-09T21:35:00.001-07:00

TMBG recently released a brand-new album of songs geared towards children. Their last one, Here Come the ABC's was fantastic! Our kids love it, and we do, too! After we got it, our kids, who were like 3 and 5 at the time, were running around the house singing the alphabet backwards! Their creativity, originality, and enthusiasm just grab your attention, and the songs are easy to remember. You can check this album out by subscribing to their FREE Friday Night Family Podcast via iTunes. Most of the songs from the album, and videos from the dvd, are featured!

Best thing: This album comes with both cd and dvd for only $13, and the ABC's album, with dvd, is only $10!!!

Web Browsers

2008-09-09T21:34:00.003-07:00

Okay, if you aren't using Firefox yet, it can only be because you haven't used it or seen anyone else while they've used it. The remedy? Go to http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/ and try it out!

What makes Firefox special? Well, you can customize it to make it pretty much the browser that you've always dreamed about. Take mine, for example: I installed a couple add-ons that make my Firefox look a lot like Safari. Safari is the default browser that ships with Apple computers, and I have been using it for years. I don't have to - other browsers like Internet Explorer are available for the Mac - but I like it! It looks great, and it runs well. But... I started having trouble with Safari's inability to open certain pages correctly, particularly government websites - school loan sites, etc - and I downloaded Firefox because those sites said they would run correctly with it... and they did! Now I have the look and feel of Safari, without those annoying "blank pages."

What else? Well, I just installed another add-on that puts tiny music player controls at the bottom of my browser. It works with lots of players (I use iTunes), and I don't have to close or minimize my browser to play, pause, or skip songs. It also lets me look up artists with a special search that gives you links to that artist on YouTube and several other websites. I just got it, but I love it already! I also installed an add-on that let's me organize my website bookmarks in an easy and straightforward way, which was one thing I loved about Safari. The Windows/Internet Explorer method of opening lots of little pop-up windows to navigate through bookmark folders is simply ridiculous! Why not have a little window that can open in your browser where you can open drop-down folders (you know, with the little arrows next to them that point to the right (closed) or down (open)), drag your bookmark into the folder from the url field/address bar, alphabetize and rearrange them as you wish, and even view favicons (those little pictures that appear next to many website addresses in the url field/address bar)!!!

An LDS toolbar, an ad blocker, and seriously just about anything else you might want! It's a free download for the browser, the add-ons are free, and there's no commitment or anything, so if you don't like it (and I'm sure you will), you can just uninstall it! Your old browser will still be there, and it will be unaffected.

Go ahead, try it already!

(Email me if you would like to know which specific add-ons I have installed.)

More Monsters Than You Can Shake A Mouse At

2008-09-09T21:34:00.001-07:00

My sister just emailed this to me. Awesome!!!

UPDATE: Sorry, here's the link.

Velvet Underground

2008-09-09T21:32:00.001-07:00

I'd like to introduce you to a band: The Velvet Underground. Lou Reed was their singer before he went out on a solo career. You are free to form your own opinion about them, of course, but I like them. Here is a link to Velvet Underground videos on YouTube:

[Click here.]

They made some music with a model (and, I think, porn star...?), named Nico. I actually like those songs better, I think.

[Click here for Velvet Underground & Nico videos on YouTube.]

For some reason, they also had a relationship with artist Andy Warhol, who designed the cover of their album, The Velvet Underground & Nico, which features, in undeniable Warhol style, a large banana. Of course, considering Nico's past (if I am correct), the cover art and, indeed, even the band's name, are probably innuendos. Well, no accounting for taste. I still like their music. Bottoms up! (That was a little innuendo there. Ha!)

Nanoscience as Art

2008-09-09T21:31:00.001-07:00

Wow. These images are amazing. An organization called The Materials Research Society has photographs that have been taken of nanoparticles (i.e., itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny particles) and presented as art. They are all cool, but some are just plain gorgeous. Click on the link to check them out for yourself:

[Materials Research Society via Wired via Gizmodo]

PS- This is one of my favorites :)

Misc. > Old School Software Party!

2008-09-09T21:30:00.001-07:00

I get these emails from Nothingbutsoftware.com on a frequent basis, and I came across... this!

That's right, 75-plus old skool video games for $3.50!!! And with titles like Oink!, and Bloody Human Freeway, how could you go wrong? Seriously, Bloody Human Freeway.

Okay, so I don't even recognize most of the titles, but I want this for the sole reason that it has PITFALL. Hands down, one of my all-time favorite Atari games ever. Yay for Pitfall! And, if you ever ventured out into Pitfall 2, you already know that you got to ride balloons in underground caverns. It doesn't get any better than that.

You Might Be a Brat if...

2008-09-09T21:29:00.001-07:00

Those who grow up as military dependents (ie, kids with military parents) are known affectionately (I guess) as "military brats," or just "brats" for short. It's a difficult lifestyle, and one that certainly most people do not understand. Always being the new kid in town, having to learn new languages, being thrust into foreign cultures without a choice, etc., are what we all have in common. Well, in 2005 a movie was released that addressed this shared experience. It is called "Brats: Our Journey Home" [website]. I haven't seen it yet, but it sounds amazing. Here is a snippet from the comments on the New York Times review page for this film:

I am a former military brat and I would give this documentary six stars if they were available. This film reveals a huge and hidden American subculture, one that almost borders on being a distinct ethnicity...
The military brat experience is an all-encompassing and in some ways radically different subculture that comprises more than 10 million current and former American military children. Most of these children grew up moving constantly, lived overseas during formative years, have complex multi-national identities and a majority speak more than one language. Deeply and intimately afftected [sic] by war, paradoxically raised in the most patriotic of American institutions and yet international, mobile, 'outsiders' to the civilian American world by nature, children of career military familes have lived challenging and yet enriching lives. This film gives the first deep and close non-fiction look at an enormous but largely heretofore invisible American subculture.

Wow. And that wasn't from the NYT reviewer, it was from a commenter! I recommend reading the many comments from people on the film's website. Especially if you grew up military.

Nerd Cake

2008-09-09T21:27:00.001-07:00

There's really no commentary necessary here. Someone made an R2-D2 cake for their wedding. And it's awesome.

Click here to check it out.

Girl Scout Cookies... De-Bunked?

2008-09-09T21:19:00.003-07:00

So, I came across this article on the MSNBC website about a girl who apparently sold 17, 328 boxes of cookies. Over seventeen thousand boxes! That's a lot of cookies! But wait, there's more! The article says that the girl helped "Troop 813 [raise] about $21,000 in cookie sales that will pay for its 10-day trip to Europe this winter." Alright, now I'm no math genius, but something doesn't add up here. Let's break it down: According to this Wired.com blog, a box of Girl Scout cookies costs $3.50 a box (I couldn't remember if it was $3.50 or $4.50. It's been a while). At 17,328 boxes, that's $60,648. Uh, hello. Someone got ripped off! That's three trips to Europe!!! Okay, okay, not all of the money stays with the Girl Scout Troop, so we can bring the figure down a little. Girlscouts.org says here that the girls get to keep 70%. Well, 70% of $60,648 is... opening calculator... $42,453.60. That's two trips to Europe!!! So, um, I'm not sure where the balance went. According to girlscouts.org, those are the only two places that the money goes.

And yes, that $3.50 box of cookies only costs the bakery $1.05 to make (including profits, I'm sure).

[UPDATE: A quick re-read of the girlscouts.org FAQ answered my question about where the rest of the money goes: "approximately 70% of the proceeds stays in the local Girl Scout council to provide a portion of the resources needed to support Girl Scouting in that area, including a portion that goes directly to the troop/group selling the cookies." (Emphasis added.) Most of it goes elsewhere, the girls only get "a portion." Rubbish, I say.]

[UPDATE #2: Officially, Girl Scout cookies cost "currently $2.50 to $4.00 per box, depending on location." Geez, I need to read the entire page next time...! Seriously, though, who reads an entire FAQ???]

Old Kids on the Block

2008-09-09T21:19:00.001-07:00

I totally sat on this info for a few days, so by now it's probably old news, but I'm going to tell you anyways: the New Kids on the Block are officially back together and touring again. Shoot me now, please. It's true, my wife was watching them perform on the Today Show. Hoo-boy.

Luck of the Eisley

2008-09-09T21:18:00.001-07:00

So, Tuesday night we finally got the chance to see one of our favorite bands you've never heard of, Eisley. The band consists of three sisters, their brother, and a cousin. And they're amazing. They make some of the most beautiful and original music I've ever heard. Some more amazing facts: the singer is only 18, and she wrote their first song when she was 8 (they've been playing for several years already).

Here is a link to Eisley videos on YouTube, so you can hear them for yourself.

They always seem so nice from all of their concert footage, and the truth is... they are! The show was great, despite the disappointingly small crowd, and there were a few surprises: they played a song I didn't recognize (I have all of their songs that have been released on iTunes), and they had a younger sister, that I didn't know existed, who came out and sang the first part of the beautiful song, "I Wasn't Prepared For This." It was very cool. As a matter of fact, everything was cool... until we left. What happened as we left wasn't all bad, but it could definitely have been better. Here's the scoop: We left as soon as they finished their encore. The place was fairly small, and it couldn't have taken us more than a minute or two to get out the door. As we walked past the Eisley tour bus that had been parked out front, we noticed that one of the girls, Chauntelle, was standing there already signing autographs! How cool is that? I hate to be all stalker-fan, but we got in line anyway. I wanted to meet Eisley! So, we weren't far back and our turn came up quickly. We wanted a picture with Chauntelle, and Sherri, who had come out to join her sister. I gave my wife a new camera for Mother's Day, and we had been using it to record snippets of the show (because it can do video also), but I made sure to save some battery life for pictures, just in case. Smart, right? Well, when my sister went to take the pic, the battery died!!! So, I gave her my cellphone to take a picture... no space available!!! So, we had her take a picture with my wife's cellphone... and it just came out all black... Sigh. The good part is we got to spend the better part of 5 minutes or so just standing there with our arms around Chauntelle and Sherri, talking a little. Very nice. Such an amazing band! And such an amazing family!

Scribefire

2008-09-09T21:17:00.001-07:00

Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3! I just installed Scribefire, a Firefox
add-on that allows you to create blog posts straight from your browser,
and I'm just checking to see if it works!

If so, you might want to use it yourself. You can find it at:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1730

Blog*Sponge > Are Rubber Bands Useful?

2008-09-09T21:16:00.001-07:00

Not many Americans are aware of the Japanese cultural phenomenon known as "Urazawa," or "Lifehacking." Marc and Angel Hack Life is an American site devoted to the same thing: little ways to speed up and/or improve life in little, simple ways. Take, for instance, this post: 40 Practical Tips for an Ordinary Rubber Band. It's just what it says, forty ways to use an ordinary rubber band in some practical way. The list includes some obvious, albeit cute, entries ("6. A Hair Tie – Perhaps you could make a ponytail."), but several are downright genius. My favorites? Using them for bookmarks, to open jar lids, keeping your mixing spoon from slipping into the bowl (Yes!!!), limiting soap dispenser output... Well, you'll just have to click the link below and check out the full list for yourself:

40 Practical Tips for an Ordinary Rubber Band [via Lifehacker]

Random Finds

2008-09-09T21:13:00.001-07:00

Here are a few gems from my web-safari this week:

1. What "If Doraemon was a Real Cat...?"

2. Hello Kitty named Japan tourism ambassador (It's about time!)

3. Arby's Coupon Entitles You To Save 1 Cent (But I thought all coupons saved me money?!? Just goes to show you that no one cares about your best interest but YOU.)

Okay, that's all for now :)

Blog*Sponge 9/03/08

2008-09-03T18:19:00.000-07:00

Here's another little post I like to refer to as Blog*Sponge. Blog-sponging is the practice of gathering articles, photos, games, and videos from across the internet and sharing them with family and friends via blog. Get it? I know there's a lot here, but you know that I haven't been posting things very regularly, so they just get all backed up :) Well, here goes:

1) Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

If you don't know about this already, you are probably not "cool." But we know about it, so that, of course, means that we are! J/K!

It is a short musical comedy by Joss Whedon, the guy who made Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the excellent sci-fi dra-medy, Firefly. Dr. Horrible is about a guy who wants to become a supervillain who is accepted by the supervillain community. It is awesome. Here is an excellent interview with Joss and several of the cast.

2) Albert or Marilyn?

View the full-sized image on the website. It's crazy weird. If you can, walk back as far as possible from your computer and watch the picture change from Albert Einstein to Marilyn Monroe!

3) Those Shirts!

This is a website that sells Conservative-leaning t-shirts. This NOBAMA one is my personal favorite!

4) Aquabats! Supershow!

The Aquabats just might be the best thing since sliced Beatles. Seriously. I would watch this show every day, if it ever got on tv!

5) Bluetooth is watching: secret study gives Bath a flavour of Big Brother

From the article:

Tens of thousands of Britons are being covertly tracked without their consent in a technology experiment which has installed scanners at secret locations in offices, campuses, streets and pubs to pinpoint people's whereabouts.

The scanners, the first 10 of which were installed in Bath three years ago, are capturing Bluetooth radio signals transmitted from devices such as mobile phones, laptops and digital cameras, and using the data to follow unwitting targets without their permission.

6) Shades of Black

This article shows patches from several secret military organizations, and explains the symbolism on them. Cool.

7) A CALL TO ACTION IN SUPPORT OF PETER S. BEAGLE, AUTHOR OF THE LAST UNICORN

If you love the movie, The Last Unicorn, a much as we do, then you may want to give him your support. The article explains the situation. You should also read the book!

Oh, yeah. You might also like this, too :)

8) Credit Card Companies Bully Discovery, Mythbusters Into Axing Segment on RFID Vulnerabilities

If you believe everything you hear from giant corporations, you might want to plug your ears for this post. Ready? RFID tags are unsecure! Anyone who wants to read any information on an RFID tag can do so with great ease! Your new passport from the US government? RFID'd. Your next driver's license? RFID'd. Your new credit cards from most companies? Also RFID'd. And your information is wide open to criminals and thieves. Think about it: your credit card number, home address, social security number, driver's license number. Don't think it would happen? Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America right now! RFID only makes things easier for the criminals!

The video above features the guy from the tv show, Mythbusters, explaining that they had an episode showing just how vulnerable RFID is, but before they could air it, they got shut down by legal representatives from all of the major credit card companies. Makes you wonder, doesn't it? No, me neither. I know that the dollar speaks louder than consumer concerns, security or otherwise.

Get more information about RFID at this website.

On that note, you might want to also read this Seattle Times article on the same subject. A quote:

[M]uch of the radio frequency identification technology that enables objects and people to be tagged and tracked wirelessly already exists _ and new and potentially intrusive uses of it are being patented, perfected and deployed.

Some of the world's largest corporations are vested in the success of RFID technology...

9) Photographs Enhance Video in Absolutely Unbelievable Ways

This is some new software that can enhance video using still shots from a camera. It's really cool.

10) Stop The States From Lowering The Drinking Age To 18! Get involved through MADD

Dr. Laura is asking people to help stop the states from lowering the drinking age to 18.

11) SNL - The West Side Story Sketch

I really wanted to post the video from this Saturday Night Live skit, but I couldn't find one, so the transcript will have to do for now. I saw this live and it was awesome!

12) Fenêtres 3.1

Someone made this cool Microsoft Windows window set, complete with a BSOD (blue screen of death) shade that you can close.

13) Font Conference

Okay, this one has like one swear word in it, so be careful if you kids, but other than that all I can say is, this freaking video has me rolling on the floor laughing every time I watch it! It is a conference of people who represent all of the different major fonts and typefaces that you might use in programs like Microsoft Word. It's hilarious.

14) Heelarious

What can I say? I thought these were hil--- I mean, sorta cute.

15) High-speed photography

Photography doesn't get much cooler than this Flickr set.

16) In a secret Paris cavern, the real underground cinema

From the article:

Police in Paris have discovered a fully equipped cinema-cum-restaurant in a large and previously uncharted cavern underneath the capital's chic 16th arrondissement.

Officers admit they are at a loss to know who built or used one of Paris's most intriguing recent discoveries...

Members of the force's sports squad, responsible - among other tasks - for policing the 170 miles of tunnels, caves, galleries and catacombs that underlie large parts of Paris, stumbled on the complex while on a training exercise beneath the Palais de Chaillot, across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower.

Cool.

17) Neverland

Another Flickr set featuring photos from Michael Jackson's "Neverland Ranch."

18) Honda PUYO

This car may be crazy, but it is also cool.

19) Photo Tourism 3D-Photo Browser Knocks Spots Off Plain-Old Slideshows

This program is just as amazing as the other photography/video thing I linked to above. This one, however, takes user-submitted photographs of the same thing, like a building or a statue, and puts them together to create a 3D-like interface by switching between the different angles of the different shots people have taken. Watch the video, and be sure to check out their website. This one is cool!

20) Pilots run out of fuel, pray, land near Jesus sign

I love this story because things like this have happened to me, too. Miracles happen every day, but they don't get publicized like this one. I guess people would be skeptical even if miracles were talked about as being commonplace.

21) LivePlace Is a Virtual World Rendered Server-Side, Streamed To Any Device

If you think you (or "someone you know") spends too much time on the internet playing Second Life or World of Warcraft, you probably don't want them to even know that LivePlace exists. Because it's awesome.

22) Rinnai Tankless Water Heaters

I hear Rush Limbaugh talking about these Rinnai water heaters all the time, so I decided to visit their website to find out what they do. Well, this web page gives a simple illustration, and it looks really cool. Sure beats the pants off of old-style water heaters.

23) Study: Minorities more likely to be paddled

Okay, when I was a kid they were allowed to spank kids in school, as long as they had permission from the parents. That was in New Mexico in the late 70's/early 80's. I live in the Socialist state of California, where you aren't even allowed to spank your own kids let alone someone else's, so I was surprised to hear that this still goes on! Not that I have a problem with it, I might add. I know many, many smart-mouthed little buttheads that would have turned out plenty different had they been taught a little respect.

24) Sprint early termination fees are illegal, judge rules

Thank goodness, someone finally sees some sense! How fair is the current scenario? You pay us a low, low price for a phone by committing yourself to giving us thousands of dollars over the course of the next 2 years. The catch? Once you sign the papers, you're ours, and you don't get a probationary period to check things out. And if our service sucks? Too bad! You're stuck. That is, unless you want to pay a $375 early termination fee! Ha! Ha ha haha! You're screwed! Signed, your current cell phone company.

25) The Brains Behind the Image Fulgurator

What if someone could make corporate logos show up in photographs that you were taking? What if they could make your subject appear to be nude? What if they did all of this without your knowledge? That's what the "image fulgurator" does. And, although it is admittedly cool technology, it also sucks.

26) The Periodic Table of Videos

This is cool in an extremely nerdy, scientific kind of way. If you click on any of the elements in the periodic table, you can watch a short video about that element, including mini-experiments that illustrate its properties! It's fun!

27) Urban Prankster

Urban Prankster is a website devoted, ironically, to pranks that are done in urban environments (ie, cities). Check it out. Some of the things are cool, and some are funny, like the guy in the picture above :)

28) Video: Ants Turn Guy's Scanner Into Giant Ant Farm

Ants invaded this guy's house and moved in... inside his scanner!!! It's disgusting!!!

29) What Mainstream Publishers Don't Want You to Know About Door-to-Door Magazine Sales

The title is self-explanatory, although the content will knock your socks off! Those kids coming to your door selling overpriced candies are doing drugs, sleeping around, and driving around the country together in vans, sometimes even committing crimes like murder! I had no idea things like this were going on! The girl in the picture above was killed when one of the vans went over a cliff due to unsafe driving.

30) Wind Turbines Murdering Bats By Popping Their Lungs

Ah, environmentalism. You solve one "problem" by creating several more.

31) Okay, you know what? I'm stopping. I'm almost done, believe it or not, but I just can't seem to muster the desire to continue. Don't worry, though. You'll get what's coming to you...

ROD

What's Been Going On...

2008-09-03T16:11:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since we posted anything non-political, so I thought we should do so now. And, for the record, I will try to keep all of my political comments confined to my other blog, Oh, No! Not Another Mormon Blog! They are important, but just seem a little out of place on this page where the focus is supposed to be our family. But then again, that is us...

On to the pics...

Since coming to take care of Opa, we have also become responsible for the enormous garden in the back yard. Keep in mind that the backyard is probably about as big as four more of the house, and that it is almost entirely garden. These are some of the tomatoes that we picked yesterday. Last week, we picked what probably was about 75-100 pounds of tomatoes, but there were worms in the bags we brought in and most of them went bad while we tried to figure out what to do with them. This time, my mom and grandma gave us canning jars to use, so that is probably what we will do with these, although Nathalie found some recipes she wants to try. Here are some more tomatoes from this batch:

Some of them look like perfect little apples. Check out this next picture, though. There was this little tomato that was bent all wrinkly in the middle and it looked like a pair of glossy lips:

I wished I could have gotten a better picture. It was kind of small for my cellphone camera, but you get the point.

We went camping at Patrick's Point State Park this summer. We had to drive through some of the severe fire areas, and the smoke was so thick in the air that we couldn't see across the river we were driving next to, at one point. While there, the kids got dirty:

We saw some beautiful sunsets:

And whales (The whales were too far out to get a good picture without a telephoto lens):

The kids had to finish their homeschooling before we went camping. Here's what that looks like:

To be sure, we will do an entire post on homeschooling at some point here. Don't miss it!

When the kids finished last school year, we offered to take them out to a fancy ice cream parlor, Leatherby's. The kids, however, wanted to go to... Arden Fair Mall!? So, we ate candy from the Sweet Factory, and rode on the carousel:

Also at some point this summer, Opa saw Ivan playing a Spongebob game on the PS2 and asked for a turn. He just made the guy run in circles, but it was fun to see him play :)

When my sister, Kimber, was here, we celebrated one of her son's birthdays. Nathalie made this awesome cake:

A few weeks ago, Nathalie and I went to the CA State Fair to see Weird Al. It was great! While we were there, we ran into some old friends:

Also, this past Sunday was my birthday, and Nathalie made me this sweet, sweet Catbus cake (the catbus, or Nekobasu, is from the movie, My Neighbor Totoro):

She painted it on with food dyes. And she complains that she isn't creative...

Other than that, we went to see Kepi the Band when they played for free in the park downtown (Kepi was the lead singer for The Groovie Ghoulies), and I went to the dentist to get a root canal:

I have a smattering of things that I have been collecting to share here, but I haven't spent the time, so stay tuned for another one of my posts full of links to cool, weird and interesting things. We'll leave you with this creepy, creepy clown. Keep in mind that this picture is from the front of an album for kids, from the 40's or 50's (*shudder*):

See ya!

ROD

In the Defense of Marriage... and People, too

2008-08-22T22:57:00.000-07:00

Some guy that I have never met before (and who appears to live in Taiwan...) has been posting snooty responses to my posts about Prop 8 and the "gay marriage" issue. I went to his own site and posted a response to the discussion there, but I wanted to provide my response here, as well (I made the URL's into links here on my site, but I couldn't do so on his site):

Hey, just posted a response to your comments on my site here:

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=1029505792821562881&postID=1042306218509049071&page=1

Also, the following articles contain scientific information that you and your readers may find useful in determining which side is the correct side in this debate:

Born That Way? Facts and Fiction about Homosexuality, by A. Dean Byrd, Ph.D., MBA, MPH:

http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conferences/2004_Facts_and_Fiction_about_Homosexuality.html

The Church and the Proposed Equal Rights Amendment: A Moral Issue. (From an LDS magazine. Read the entire thing because there are prominent similarities between the LDS Church's opposition to the ERA and gay marriage.)

http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1980.htm/ensign%20march%201980.htm/summary%20questions%20and%20answers.htm?fn=document-frame.htm&f=templates&2.0

Does legislation like "gay marriage" really have an effect on society? Consider the following excerpt from Dr. Byrd's article linked to above:

"The developmental biologist from Brown University, Dr. Anne Fausto-Sterling, a self-identified lesbian, offers some interesting insight. Referring to the "born that way" argument, she states:

It provides a legal argument that is, at this moment, actually having some sway in court. For me, it's a very shaky place. It's bad science and bad politics...

When asked about how much of her thinking about change in sexuality comes from her own life, Fausto-Sterling responded,

My interest in gender issues preceded my own life changes. When I first got involved in feminism, I was married... The women's movement opened up the feminine in a way that was new to me, and so my involvement made possible my becoming a lesbian."

By her own admission, the ERA and feminism preceded her lesbianism! She was not born that way - she was taught that way!

Chino, my friend, you are fighting for things that you do not understand. God is real, and He has made His stance on this issue perfectly clear. Don't believe in God? Okay, well, science has also made it perfectly clear that homosexuals are NOT "born that way," but rather become that way through a combination of experiences and nurturing, or lack thereof. Gays are the result of dysfunctional families, inappropriate sexual encounters, and/or poor life choices. True, heterosexual marriages aren't perfect, but we as a society should be finding ways to strengthen those marriages that should exist, instead of seeking to justify the damaging lifestyles of those who have had poor upbringing/were molested/or are just plain hedonistic.

I've known tons of gays in my life, and I have been very close to many of them. I have loved them as I have loved any of my friends. The ones whose backgrounds I knew about were quite often drug addicts, running away from poor home life, or just seeking to be accepted and found acceptance in homosexuality, as a group to belong to, to make themselves feel special like they never had before.

Yes, Mormons feel for gays. We feel for them as children of God who do not know who they are, who do not know what is required of them in life, and who often simply feel that they need to rebel against accepted culture. We love gay people, and in loving them we want what is best for them.

PS- If you haven't done so, please please please read the article by Dr. Byrd. You need to understand that the politics of this issue have greatly distorted the facts.

/End Post

PSS- Another article that I think is excellent, and may be of great help in this issue, is here: [link]. I should have put it in my original post, but I forgot about it. Well, and this PDF: [link], which is about the Biblical condemnations of homosexuality. It is a good read.

Different Spooks for Different Kooks

2008-08-22T21:41:00.000-07:00

A week or so ago, our family watched that old (ahem) classic, Jumanji. The movie began, and before long there were giant bugs, lions, hunters... and an 8-year-old girl and a 5-year-old boy hopped right into Daddy's lap because things were getting just a little too scary. The man-eating plants proved to be the tipping point, for some reason. The 2-year-old was sitting near Daddy, but didn't seem too frightened. Just to be sure, however, Daddy reached over and held her little hand. She looked down at the two hands intertwined, looked up at Daddy, and said with a smile, "Thank you, Daddy!" Of course, she let go a moment later, because she truly was unimpressed with the movie.

Tonight, on the other hand, we watched Matilda. There were no monster-sized insects attempting to suck the blood of children. There were no carnivorous lions or plants, attempting to eat small children whole. There was just a mean, nasty principal. A mean, nasty principal who despises children. The 8-year-old enjoyed the movie. The 5-year-old was fine, too. The 2-year-old, on the other hand, would not be consoled by Daddy, or anyone else, but Mom. Every time this woman appeared onscreen, Annika sought her Mother's lap, and quick! She was even brought to tears during one particularly intense scene. No joke, she kept insisting that the little girl in the movie (whose name was, incidently, Matilda) needed her mommy to protect her from the scary lady. It was so cute.

At one point in the film, the little girl's kind teacher, Miss Honey, tells her that everyone has something that they are afraid of. How true. It is interesting to see what types of things set each of our children off. It is also amusing :)

ROD

Please Read This, Too!

2008-08-16T18:40:00.001-07:00

Most of you are probably aware of the push by the LDS church for it's members to get involved in the current effort to protect marriage, particularly in California, where Proposition 8 will be on the ballot in November to permanently restrict the definition of marriage in the state of California to one man and one woman. Specifically, the church is closely involved with protectmarriage.com, "a broad-based coalition of California families, community leaders, religious leaders, pro-family organizations and individuals from all walks of life."

What you may not be aware of is that there is a serious effort to undermine this effort, both from the usual suspects, such as gay-rights groups, and from within the LDS church itself, where gay members, and their supporters have long sought to undermine the long-standing doctrinal position of the church.

Recently, a gay LDS member donated $1 million to support gay "marriage" (See related article here), and McDonald's (yes, the fast-food chain) donated $14 million to the same (See related article here).

We are asking each of you to lend your support to Proposition 8, and, truly, to the future of our country, by donating to Proposition 8, via protectmarriage.com, as well as permanently boycotting McDonald's.

This is not a joke, nor is it self-righteous reactionism. If we do not take a stand to defend the ideals that will -and once did- make our country great, we will lose it to those forces that seek to say "anything and everything goes!" Which, sadly, is where we have been headed for quite some time now.

Ask yourself: What would Heavenly Father do?

ROD

PS- If you are asking yourself why you should care, considering you don't live in California, just remember the old, and sadly true, saying that says, "As California goes, so goes the nation."

Please Read This!

2008-08-16T10:48:00.000-07:00

There is no evidence that global warming is caused by carbon emissions! DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THE HYPE! This article was written by Dr. David Evans, a scientist who worked on the Australian Greenhouse Office, which was the official Australian office responsible for studying the causes and effects of global warming. With all the hype that has been built up around this issue, you owe it to yourself to read his comments.

Over the last century, the United States' economy has become virtually entwined with oil. We need it for fuel, and we rely on it's byproducts like plastics and other petroleum-based items. Because of the Capitalistic nature of oil, it has also become synonymous with Republicanism, namely Conservative Republicanism. Now, Liberals have latched onto the notion of Extreme Environmentalism, with an especial emphasis on carbon-based global warming, because it leads people away from traditionally-Capitalistic things like oil, and hence away from the strength of the Republican party, and instead sends them into the arms of the Liberals, and hence the Democrat party, running to and fro with every wind of environmentalism. This whole carbon emissions/global warming thing is nothing but a political power play!

The really scary part is that Liberals in England were quite recently attempting to move the country to "Personal carbon credits," a system of allotting only so many "credits" of carbon use by companies and individuals and tracking it via their gasoline use, home fuel (ie, heating, etc), and any other method of so-called carbon consumption! Let's just say, the comparisons to fascism and socialism are not unwarranted.

Please forward this article to everyone you know. "It becometh every man who has been warned to warn his neighbor (D&C 88:81)." I think that includes warning people about lies, too.

Here are some relates articles and discussions: Times Online UK article, discussion on thefiringline.com. See also: The Carbon Credit Agency website!!! Holy cats!

ROD

Meet the Family

2008-08-05T14:55:00.001-07:00

This is Haley. She just turned 8, and was baptized on her birthday! She likes reading, playing video games (Sonic the Hedgehog, mostly), and playing with her Polly Pockets!

This is Ivan. He is 5-and-a-half, and will be starting First Grade soon. He likes to play video games (Zelda, Spyro the Dragon, and Sonic), read his Dick and Jane books, and wander around the house asking "Is there anything I can do?"

Little Miss Annika is 2, but she thinks she is much older. Her favorite pastimes are getting into whatever the older kids are doing, reading anything she can get her hands on, and playing with her baby dolls.

Mommy (Nathalie) homeschools the kids, helps take care of her grandfather, takes care of the house (including washing an ungodly amount of laundry each day), and has found a new love for the Stephenie Meyer books. In fact, she read them all, for the first time, in the past 7 days, I think. Nathalie teaches in the Nursery.

Daddy (Rod) works at Macs Products, a business started about 40 years ago by her Grandfather. He also is webmaster for a Western Swing band, the Hoosierbillies, and takes care of Nathalie's grandfather, Opa, when he is not at work. Daddy likes to read, although he doesn't get to very often, and he doesn't know what else he would do if he wasn't doing everything listed above. Oh, and he is also the Cub Master for our ward.

This is Nathalie's grandfather, Opa. He turns 95 tomorrow. We moved back to California two days before last Christmas, in order to move in with and take care of him, as he is unable to do anything for himself but eat and talk. Mostly talk. A lot. He has Dementia and Alzheimer's, so he doesn't say anything we can understand, mostly "Ten, ten, tententen!!!" He forgets who we are from time to time, but he has never failed to remember the name of his late wife, or recognize a photo of her.

Second Post! Woot! Or Whatever.

2008-07-24T19:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some more links to cool stuff. I forgot to add them to my first post.

1. The WASP Knife

Gizmodo article

The scariest part is that there have been over 25,000 (!!!) stabbings in England in the last 12 months...

2. Crazy realistic dinosaur (costume) in the Museum of Natural History

Gizmodo article

3. A cool boat-shaped mall in Hong Kong

Gizmodo article

Okay, that's enough.

ROD

First Post! Wooot!

2008-07-23T18:42:00.000-07:00

Rod here, I've been saving some things I wanted to blog about, so I guess I'll just dump 'em all on you at once, like this: (NOTE: For full effect, you MUST read the articles!)

1. Some architect is awesome, and some rich family is really, really lucky!

Gizmodo article
NY Times article

2. Some college kids really, really love Star Wars. And Photoshop.

Worth1000.com contest

3. Some artists have too much time on their hands. And they're awesome.

Gizmodo article

4. Some dude wrote about what a fantastic speaker Hitler was. And it's scary. (Pre-WWII)

Calvin College article

5. My sister's dog is a freak.

YouTube video

6. John McCain went through H-E-Double-Hockey-Sticks as a POW.

US News & World Report article

7. The Nazis had Jewish children perform an opera for visitors to the Theresienstadt concentration camp in occupied Czechoslovakia to show that they were being treated well. It is called Brundibar.

Wikipedia article

YouTube videos

8. Lemon Demon is an awesome band.

Free mp3's from their website. (Caution: 1 or 2 have mild swearing, and the ebaum's world song should be avoided altogether.)

YouTube videos

9. It is now possible to use the internet to determine exactly how you are related to someone.

The Cousin Calculator

10. Vincent Price (yes, that Vincent Price) once collected and commissioned art for sale at Sears!

Sears Archives

11. And, last but not least, Bouche a le Reine might just be the world's most perfect food.

Practically Edible.com article

Big Oven.com recipe

I hope you enjoyed that as much as I did! But don't worry - there'll be more :)