F-16's frollicking and other videos

Many of these files are many megabytes.

F16-video

other videos here
(this one is mostly models i think)
http://www.mcgirt.net/RC/VIDEOS/

and here (more just airplane, car, motorcycle, and misc videos and some funny and some disturbing ones for sensitive viewers)
http://www.elchineroconcepts.com/VIDEOS.htm

Shatner Punk'd Riverside Iowa

As mentioned before, Shatner was in Riverside, IA.
Apparently he was pulling a hoax for Spike TV.

Homestar

In case you have been living under a rock and are in need of entertainment.... might I recommend Homestar Runner and especially the Strong Bad emails.

Joke from Ashley

Haven't heard from her for a long time until she sent me this fine dilbert joke.

Dilbert Quotes....Life in 2004...

A magazine recently ran a "Dilbert Quotes" contest. They were looking for people to submit quotes from their real-life Dilbert-type managers. These were voted the top ten quotes from the Dilberts we work for in corporate America, circa 2004:

1. "As of tomorrow, employees will only be able to access the building using individual security cards. Pictures will be taken next Wednesday, and employees will receive their cards in two weeks." (This was the winning quote from Fred Dales, Microsoft Corp.in Redmond, WA)

2. "What I need is an exact list of specific unknown problems we might encounter." (Lykes Lines Shipping)

3. "E-mail is not to be used to pass on information or data. It should be used only for company business." (Accounting manager, Electric Boat Company)

4. "This project is so important, we can't let things that are more important interfere with it." (Advertising/Marketing manager, United Parcel
Service)

5. "Doing it right is no excuse for not meeting the schedule." Plant Manager, Delco Corporation)

6. "No one will believe you solved this problem in one day! We've been working on it for months. Now go act busy for a few weeks and I'll let you know when it's time to tell them." (R&D supervisor, Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing/3M Corp.)

7. Quote from the Boss: "Teamwork is a lot of people doing what I say." (Marketing executive, Citrix Corporation)

8. My sister passed away and her funeral was scheduled for Monday. When I told my Boss, he said she died on purpose so that I would have to miss work on the busiest day of the year. He then asked if we could change her burial to Friday. He said, "That would be better for me." (Shipping executive, FTD Florists)

9. "We know that communication is a problem, but the company is not going to discuss it with the employees." (Switching supervisor, AT&T Long Lines Division)

10. One day my Boss asked me to submit a status report to him concerning a project I was working on. I asked him if tomorrow would be soon enough. He said, "If I wanted it tomorrow, I would have waited until tomorrow to ask for it!" (Hallmark Cards executive)

I am a temporary king

cause I have a temporary crown.
Fans of this blog will be excited to know the color of the permanent one will be C-3. It is due in 2 weeks. I am washing off the new temporary crown with some soda to make it feel at home and to make it taste better. My slurring speech is almost back to normal.

Wondering how to make hand shadows?

Now your worries are over.
With a shout out to boing boing for pointing us to the article.

Electrocution free

The electric for the dishwasher and microwave was installed without any sparks, fires, or electrocution.
Here is the pile of tools that have been laying on the basement floor for a month for the installation.

Here is the microwave in its native habitat.

Nuke installed

The microwave has been mounted over the stove. The electrical outlet has been installed in the upper cabinet and fished to the basement. Still have to run the wires in the basement to the power panel (just across one wall and one room). That is next on the list. The microwave can be plugged in to one of the kitchen outlets if we are willing to leave the cabinet door open. Took all day saturday and a few hours sunday to get to this point. After that, the kitchen needs a water line run to the fridge.
M approves of the dishwasher and microwave.
She has been most patient with my slowness at getting them installed.

New Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy episodes

The BBC is running a new series of Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy on the radio. You can listen to it live or recorded on the internet.

Random videos

Here are lots of random videos of airplanes, helicopters, accidents, some iraqi dude getting shot cause he has a rocket launcher.

William Shatner is in Iowa

William Shatner is in Riverside, Iowa (future birthplace of captain kirk) making a movie or something. Denny Crane. In his honor you may wish to use the William Shatner Acting Simulator.

Avast. The Dishwasher is washing

After removing the dishwasher to check it and make it easier for the repairman to look at on wednesday, I saw that the flexible water line I chose to use flopped around during installation and knocked off an exposed connector on the motor's starting capacitor. Stupid design having it be exposed and very easy to bump as well as having the connector point to the rear. Since it is an extra capacity model it is also nearly impossible to see or reach it without removing the washer from the cabinet.
Stapled down the water line and was very careful not to have it flop around.
Appears to spin the cleaning arms. A dirty dirty test dish is being spritzed as I type. You may assume it is clean unless you see a RANT to the contrary. Perhaps my luck is turning around.
Oh did I mention the missing piece on the cabinet we bought yesterday and TRIED to assemble. Replacement parts are on order.
Kill me now.

UPDATE: It appears that the dish is clean. I stand by my "Kill me now" statement though.

Snowed on Fred's new garage today

Sept 21, snowed on Fred's new garage.

Here are some pictures of the inside.

Yet another failure

Since I am waiting on Whirlpool to come look at the dishwasher this wednesday, I decided to not work on the dishwasher last night and try something easy. We bought one of those dresser things in a box from Target that merely requires a screwdriver and a hammer to put together. Hoping for at least some success this week, I spent 1.5 hours putting all the parts I had together... yes, all that I had. Seems two large pieces were not included.
Failure yet again.
Called them today and they are supposedly shipping the parts. So I have large pieces of furniture parts scattered across the living room. Cleverly we also bought a couple night tables by the same manufacturer.... I can' t wait.

Snickers helps install a speedometer

Snickers kitty helped install a bike computer on G3's ZZR.

Disregard previous "Dishwasher installed" post.

Please disregard the previous post (except for the pictures, it sure looks nice sitting there).
I did NOT install a DISHWASHER. I did, in fact, install a large plastic box that pumps in water, heats it, sits quietly for several minutes, then pumps the water out. Note that it does not spray.
The brand name says Whirlpool but I suspect it may have been made by a NASA team since after it is completely on site and installed, one little motor appears not to run and thus fails its one and only function.
Some would refer to it as a piece of feces,alley apples, buffalo chips, compost, cow chips, cow pats, dung, golden apples, guano, humus, manure, maul, mulch, peat moss, plant food, potash, road apples, corruption, crud, defilement, dregs, dung, excrement, feculence, filthiness, foul matter, foulness, garbage, grime, impurity, mire, muck, mud, nastiness, ordure, pollution, putrefaction, putrescence, putridity, refuse, rottenness, scuzz, sediment, sewage, silt, sleaze, slime, slop, sludge, slush, smut, trash, uncleanness (thank you dictionary.com).
Instead for the moment this BLOG will sit in ennui, apathy, and despair.
Never, ever try.

Dishwasher in operation.

Dishwasher is 80% installed. It is running on an extension cord. It needs official wiring someday but it is usable as is for the time being. It was as painful as I estimated. Cabinets needed to be trimmed, non-standard drain plumbing, no electric, etc. Click on pics for bigger version.

Profit from 9/11

Now you too can buy some coins made from the silver found at ground zero of 9/11. This article at boingboing.net has some info and link to a Daily Show video about it and other profiteering.

Weapons update

If you are looking for ideas about concealed and disguised weapons look here.
If you need something less discrete perhaps some MicroNucleic .50BMG Ammunition would fit the bill.
And everyone knows that germans and klingons like weapons... so now the Klingons can read up on the German news in Klingon.
Don't forget to drop by Magnum Research for your Desert Eagles etc.

Grass seed

Bought 25lbs of grass seed at Theisens over lunch hour. Probably will stop by Menards and get some fertilizer and maybe go back to Theisens for a spiker aerator.

P2 machine is back online

Powered up the old Pentium 2. Got the printer working and also the new wireless link. Something odd is going on with the IP, it isn't listening to the hard coded IP. Still seems to work. Transferring files from the laptop to the P2 machine. May just end up putting the router back near it and/or running hardline from it to the routers rather than wireless. At least i can now backup files and burn CDs and print again. FTP is still funky on the laptop. Probably will have to do something about that when it gets annoying. Maybe it will all hold up until winter when the weather is bad. Computer room is still a mess.

Pseudoscorpion in the bathroom

Found this little guy in the bathroom. Read about pseudoscorpions here.

M's $1200 dent

Pics are here. The unblemished passenger side is also shown for reference.

Phaucet Fotos

A couple pics of the old and new faucet in the kitchen. Click to see a bigger one.

Saturday cookout

Pam & Rita joined us for a small cookout and a fire in the FBB memorial fire pit. Only had to put out the lawn twice. It is awefully dry.

Another dead bunny

Found another dead bunny in the flower bed yesterday. Maybe the hawk has been snacking.

Faucet gave it up.

The Dremel tool with the new right angle attachment and cutting wheel forced the faucet into submission. Cut the main locking nut several times. The next problem was to scrape off the voluminous amount of silcone caulking that was under the old faucet.
The new Moen faucet went in without any troubles after all that.
Water came out in the right places and stayed in the right places.

The kitchen faucet must die.

Tried to remove and replace the kitchen faucet last wednesday. Luckily a gorilla tightened the bolt on the faucet, THEN installed the sink. Oh, and did I mention it is corroded and also in very close quarters.... Tonight the faucet will never work again. I may not get the new one installed but I am sure the old one will cease to function. I do have armor piercing ammo if necessary.

Now I can spread it.

My Agri-Fab 125lb towable spreader is now assembled and ready for action.

Got it at Northern Tool last August. Agri Fab has all kinds of stuff I need.

M has a door ding

One of M's officemates crunched in her driver door on the Mistubishi. No pictures yet. Door still works. No big creases, so maybe it can be repaired.
UPDATE: 9/10/2004 - Initial estimate of $1200 with new door skin, repaint, and feather paint into the rest of the car and clear coat.

Ever want to pretend you are a turd?

Well now is your chance. The Colossal Colon will be in Cedar Rapids at Westdale Mall, Sept 17-19th. For those that want to practice, here is an online tour.

Need a pen pal?

Inmates always make good pen pals. Just ask this other Travis. Hey ladies... his CURRENT RELEASE DATE: 10/11/2006.

A flapping paper airplane

This paper airplane flaps its wings (kindof). Found it at the Boing Boing newsite.

Saw the HERO movie

Good kung fu. Good scenery. Have to read subtitles, but that wasn't bad.

Class of '84 meets

Pana Class of 84 had our 20th reunion. About 30-40 of the 118 made it back home. Good to see everyone again. May get a few pictures up sometime.

Big blowout in Herrick.

No, a real explosion. Dad's cousin Jane lost her entire house last friday. Probably a propane leak. Parts of the house were 1/4 mile away. Luckily nobody was home at the time. Nothing left standing.

Dead Rabbit in the driveway

We came home to find a half eaten dead rabbit lying in the driveway. Perhaps somehow we irritated the mafia. If i didn't know better I would think Dales cute little puppy Sam was over here eating on the body. All his favorite tasty parts were gone. Sorry, I didn't take a picture.

OEM sprocket back on the DR650

Was revving too high on the interstate and am using it for a commuter bike at the moment so I slapped the original front sprocket back on the DR650. It is once again a bit sluggish, rolls a bit fast at idle in 1st gear, and revs a bit low at 55mph. But it is a bit happier on the interstate at 65-70mph. Obviously this means I will need more than one bike, but alas, that will have to wait i think. :-(

How to get ahead in life.

People who believe in hard work and education are silly.... What really gets you ahead in the business world is being a PSYCHOPATH.

Grass is mowed

That is about exciting at it is at the moment. The grass is now shorter.