Shangri-La .... or so it would seem

Convenience Store Shooting

Last night I dreamed....

I was riding in the Mazda truck with my mom driving. We pulled up to a local convenience store that used to be named Fast Fare. We parked behind the store beside a police car. I told my mom to be sure and not hit the police car with the door as she got out since I saw one of the officers sitting inside the vehicle. She walked into the store and I noticed the cop car move. There was another cop in front of the car trying to arrest someone. The cop that was sitting inside got out assisting. I then saw a man drop out of a tree nearby behind the cops. I started to get out of the truck to help them, but the man pulled out a gun. He shot and killed both policemen and then looked in my direction. I ducked down and got as low as I could, hoping that he didn't see me. The truck sounded like it was exploding around me as the man opened fire. I opened the door and ran across the parking lot. He kept shooting at me as I ran hitting the pavement nearby but never actually hitting me. I turned the corner and ran down the sidewalk. He didn't pursue me. After waiting a while, I went back to check on my mom and get her out of the store. I didn't see the man with the gun any longer so I went inside the store. Then I saw him standing in line behind my mom. He must have been afraid of the crowd so he went into the restroom. I grabbed my mom's arm and told her that we had to leave right now! She didn't understand so I had to persuade her to leave. She wanted to get in the truck that was parked out back but I told her that the guy was probably waiting for us and would shoot us if we walked behind the store. I was in a panic and she didn't seem to understand what I was saying. I finally convinced her that we had to run before we got shot. We ran back to the same sidewalk where I hid earlier and continued until we found a car. I thought it would be best if we hotwired it and drove it to find some help.

Then I woke up.

Hatchet

This book is geared toward a younger audience, but I certainly enjoyed it. It is a story about a boy who survives a plane crash in the wilderness only to find that he has only himself to rely on. Watching how he deals with problems that arise and figuring out a way to overcome them is the best part of the book. He makes mistakes but learns from them.

Hanker for a hunka cheese

I hanker for a hunk-a,
A slab, a slice, a chunk-a,
I hanker for a hunk-a, Cheese!

Watch the commercial.

This is a tune that I can't seem to get out of my head these days. It is a commercial from the early 80's that is part of the SchoolHouse Rock series. The guy pictured above was named Timer. His segments were called Time for Timer where he would tell us things like eating cheese is good for you.

"When my ten-gallon hat's feelin' five-gallons flat, I hanker for a hunka cheese" When my get-up-and-go has gone up and went, I hanker for a hunka cheese."

"Look! A Wagonwheel!"

Baby Name Wizard

The Baby Name Wizard is a pretty neat java app. You can see where a certain name ranks per decade in the US. Like "David" was the number 4 most common name in 70's.

Shotgun!

Everyone knows the basic premise of calling shotgun, but be sure to follow the official rules.

"The history of calling "Shotgun" goes back to the days of covered wagons and the Wild West. On a trip across the plains, the driver of a wagon would hold the reins of his horse team and concentrate on driving. This left him and the occupants of his wagon susceptible to sneak attacks from bandits and thieves. To avoid this atrocious circumstance it became necessary for one person to sit next to the driver with a shotgun and fend off the enemy.

Defending against bandits is no longer the priority of Shotgun however, but it has evolved into a pre-driving ritual that is experienced before almost every car ride across America and even the world. Because of the obvious evolution that has already occurred with Shotgun, we ask you to consider Shotgun as a living entity and be aware that it is always changing for the better good of society."

New Seinfeld Show

Last night I dreamed...

I was watching a new Seinfeld show in person. Kramer and Newman were trying to set up a sandwich stand on the sidewalk. They had a couple of tables set up with choices of meat and condiments. One lady came up to buy a sandwich and picked ham. Kramer then put mustard all over it telling her how good that looked. She told him that she didn't like mustard to which he replied looking at Newman, "Who doesn't like mustard on a ham sandwich?" Then turning to the lady, he told her, "You have to have mustard on it.". That scared her off.

Then a man walked up and decided he wanted a sandwich and when he tried to pick out the type of bread, Newman told him that bread was extra. This made the man mad and he threw what he had for a sandwich at Newman.

Kramer then decided to make a sandwich and piled up some meat, lettuce, tomato, etc. He tried to get some bread, but Newman wanted to charge him for it saying that he was eating all their profits. He refused and ate what he had and got sick. Newman explained that he was getting sick because he prepared the lettuce and tomatoes in his shower. Kramer then tested his theory and discovered that it was true. He got sick if he ate anything that he had in his bathtub.

Destroyer of Worlds

Purpose of Writing

"The purpose of writing is to inflate weak ideas, obscure pure reasoning, and inhibit clarity. With a little pratice, writing can be an intimidating and impenetrable fog!" - Calvin & Hobbes

Old School Beating

I was driving to work this morning listening to John Boy and Billy. They played a voicemail message describes a confrontation between a male motorist and four women after a minor traffic accident. Listen to it for yourself.

"While an operations manager employed by Jack in the Box restaurants is commuting to the job one morning, he calls his boss to leave a voicemail message announcing that due to the rainy conditions that morning he'll be late getting into the office. In the middle of the call he witnesses a minor traffic accident in which a lone male motorist runs a red light and clips an Impala occupied by four middle-aged women. Breaking off the explanation for his tardiness, the manager instead launches into a blow-by-blow description of the ensuing mayhem as the motorist gets out of his car and begins berating the four women (even though the accident was clearly his fault). Between bouts of hysterical laughter, the caller recounts the action as the four women assault, poke, and beat the hapless motorist with, variously, pepper spray, an umbrella, a large purse, and a Bible until he finally retreats back to the safety of his car." - Snopes

Honda Ad

(Click for Video)

This "domino effect" commercial was made of parts of the honda with pieces of the disassembled car triggering each other. The whole process is real and no trick photography or computer editing were used.

"Six hundred and six takes it took, and if they had been forced to do a 607th it is probable, if not downright certain, that one of the film crew would have snapped and gone mad.

On the first 605 occasions something small, usually infuriatingly minute, went just slightly awry and the whole delicate arrangement was wrecked. A drop too much oil there, or here maybe one ball-bearing too many giving a fraction too much impetus to the movement. Whirr, creak, crash, the entire, card-house of consequences was a write-off and they had to start again."

Just in case you think it might be an urban legend.