Inception, what a trippy movie.

It has been a very long time since I have done a blog about a movie but I liked this one so much I thought I would do one.  Inception is a pretty original idea, mostly.  Taking control of a shared dream to steal corporate ideas or in this case to plant an idea. 

It is almost like a bunch of movies cut up into one.  City of Lost Children, The Matrix, Dark City with a little Mission Impossible thrown in for good measure.  Let me just say I am not a huge Leonardo DeCaprio fan, strike that, I do not like him at all, but he did an alright job in this film.  The special effects did carry the movie and most every question was answered which is pretty good.

I didn't figure out the ending until about 30 minutes in, which for me is a good thing because I can usually tell how something ends 5 minutes into the film.  there are some twists and turns along the way that might have made me doubt what I thought the end to be but I was pretty much dead on. 

Am I ever going to get to the plot or anything here?  Okay, fine.  It is about controlling dreams, creating the places and keeping the dreams from falling apart too soon.  It would seem that the more control you put in the dream the faster it falls apart.  Follow me?  Well let me add that this is about controlling nested drams.  Dreams within dreams.

The further the dream is nested the longer the time seems in the dreams, which I thought was kind of groovy.  Whereas your main dram was like an hour to every 5 minutes of dream, deeper nested dreams could last what seems like decades.  This would have been nice if it was real when I went to school.  I could have learned everything I needed to know in one night and tested out of everything.  Oh well, I guess that is why they call it fiction.

It was a good movie overall but be sure to pay close attention or you may find yourself lost pretty fast and you may stay lost.  Have I lost you with my review?  Sorry about that.  Watch it for yourself and see what you think.

Holy movie selections bat-person!

I am not sure how I made it as long as I did without an iPhone but I did.  I am not sure how I made it as long as I did without Netflix but I did.  I am not sure how I made it so long without the Netflix iPhone App but I did.  Now I am not sure if I could live without it!  Okay, that is a bit of an exaggeration but really, I love it!

It sometimes amazes me how far technology has come in a matter of 10 years.  In 2000 the average hard drive size in a laptop was 10 gig.  My iPhone has 32 gig and eeighs about 8 pounds less and does 100 times as many things including play down-streamed movies.  My first laptop could not play anything more than an animated gif and that sometimes froze up the computer.

Recently we got Netflix for the house.  We signed up for the free trial- it is only like $10 a month after the trial.  It is really cool to have a DVD shipped to you and not have to worry with going to the video store and paying $3 a pop for DVD rentals.  After you get 4 DVDs in the mail you've paid for the monthly fee just in DVD rentals.  But wait, there's more, much more.

You can watch movies on your laptop.  You can watch movies through your PS3 or Wii.  You can watch movies through devices that stream to your TV or you can watch movies on your iPhone.  Seriously, the amount of options for watching movies is staggering.  Especially when you think of how much you are paying for what you are getting.  We are going to cancel our premium movie channels on our Direct TV and save $44 a month.

I imagine Netflix isn't for everyone.  The movie selection isn't great when it comes to downloads and sometimes it is a month or two before new releases are added to the DVD selection but you are never without something to watch.  They have tons of genres and sub-genres that make it easy to find something entertaining.  I know I can find something to watch for 1/4 what I pay to the movie channels on TV.

I am a sucker for Christmas, I always have been.  I have always been more the giving type.  I don't really even like getting Christmas gifts anymore.  I am always just happy seeing the look on my daughter's, nieces' and nephews' faces.  To me, that is Christmas.

I come from a very non-traditional family, but it seems like we always had Christmas traditions.  We always have had Christmas eve just for the family and Christmas day was for friends and such.  It is really great to be able to have friends that have no family or family that is too far to visit come spend Christmas day enjoying food and fun.  I look forward to that every year.

What do you do for Christmas?

Volunteer Police Department Mascot.

I have a plan for dear Penelope.  She is going to be the only car in the "All City Volunteer Police Department."  You see, Nash was a provider of police cars in the late 40's and early 50's and Penelope just happens to fall into that category.  She wasn't a police car but she has the style of one.

I have owned many cars that were used as police cars including a 1979 LTD, a 1978 Dodge Aspen, my 1966 Ford Fairlane and now Penelope.  I am not sure why I have owned so many cars that were used for police departments but it does not really matter, Penelope is going to be the first one I dress up like a police car.

The above image shows what she might look like.  Just remember though, nothing will be shiny on my car, no sir!  It is flat black and flat white and gray for Penelope.  I just love the look of flat colors and rust.  It must be a Rockabilly thing. This is just the way of things for me.  So, now I am on the look out for vintage police car accessories.  Know anyone that might have some?

What the Hell is Twitter's #FF all about?

What the Hell is Twitter's #FF all about?

If you just started a Twitter account you may have noticed all the #FF last Friday. You may be wondering what this is all about. I wrote a little bit about Hash Tags in general last week and this is just a specific type of Hash Tag that has gained popularity Twitter-wide over the last couple of years. 

In an effort for friends to recomend other friends a hashtag was started to help organize the posts into a usable searchable database.  It is a great way to make new friends and get more followers. It is like a word of mouth endorsement from a friend. 

#FF used to be  #FollowFriday but fitting in more than a couple of friends in the 140 character limit caused it to be shortened.   Use #FF anywhere in your message and all the @tweeple listed will go into the database. For fun you can type #FF into the Search Twitter page and see just how many people are using it!

This is a simple way that Twitter users have made it easier to share their friends with their other friends.  Get creative with it if you want.  It can be a lot of fun.

Dimond Mining in Arkansas Fun For The Whole Family

Diamonds found in the United States

Where do diamonds come from?  From a jewelry store is probably the answer most people would say.  Diamonds come from deep within the earth.  I won't give you a lesson on how they get to the surface or anything, you can look that up later.  What I will say is that there is one place in the United States that you can actually go and mine diamonds for yourself!  That is right, there is a diamond mine that is open to the public.

When you think of diamonds you think probably think of engagement rings or anniversary jewelry.  You probably did not realize that diamonds can be quite beautiful in the rough.  The image on this page is of uncut rough diamonds.  Not a thing has been done to them at all.

Back to diamonds in the United States.  Diamonds have been found in many states but they were more than likely moved by glaciers or rivers.  There are only two known diamond bearing areas in the US.  One is a privately owned mine on the Colorado/Wyoming Border.  The other is in Arkansas.  It is located near Hot Springs at Crater of Diamonds State Park.

That is right, it is not only open to the public it is owned by the state of Arkansas as a state park!  For just a under $10 a day you can mine for genuine diamonds.  There is also camping on site and plenty of camp grounds in the area.  Crater of Diamonds State Park is the only diamond mine open to the public in the world.

Some people may think this is a hoax and that they salt the field with diamonds, but let me just clear this up for you, they do not.  I personally have found eight diamonds from the park.  The diamonds can be found on the surface but for a serious effort a little digging may be necessary.  Check out the park and plan your next family vacation.

Want to learn more?  Visit http://diamondsinar.com/ where my friend has literally written the book on Diamonds in Arkansas.  He also has created a really great DVD with the history of Diamonds in Arkansas as well as a handy "How to" guide for finding diamonds at the State Park.

Sometimes Naughty IS Nice, Just Ask Santa!

Click on the image to go to the shop

Sometimes it pays off to be naughty.  The naughty list isn't always about being bad.  This card design shows that.  Click on the image to go to the shop and see what else is in there.  Yes, I will probably add a few more cards.  I really dig creating them.

This is how you get people to donate to the poor!

Click the image to visit the shop.

By now you have probably figured out that I have a thing for old retro Pin Up anything!  I love all the old Pin Up models and everything that they did.  I used this old design to create yet another Christmas Card.  One of these days someone might actually buy one of my cards.

Have A Happy Christmas Retro Pin Up Greeting Card

Click the image to visit the shop

I was not around in the 50's but I sure do appreciate the time period.  Maybe I appreciate it a little more than most people.  I would give up computers and cable TV to go back and live in the 50's.  Maybe I would feel differently had I lived back then but I doubt it.  The Greeting Card above was inspired by a time gone by.  Click on the image if you would like to buy one or 10 or 20.

I used to own a company called Rockabilly Tees.  I guess that I still own the business but I used to have the screen printing company that went with it.  The economy caused me to not make it worth while to continue screen printing.  I have moved most all of my designs over to CafePress.  Perhaps one day, when the economy is better I will get back into screen printing.

1951 Nash Ambassador Custom Lead Sled?

Penelope - 1951 Nash Ambassador Custom

Yes, here we are again talking about Penelope, a 1951 Nash Ambassador Custom that I saved from the crusher.  I love this car, strike that, I Lurve this car.  While most rat rod enthusiasts enjoy the 30's and 40's there has to be something said for the 50's.  Big fins, nice curves and well, a whole lot of car!  Penelope is over 17 1/2 feet long!

This beauty came with an inline 6 cylinder, 235 c.i.d., engine, which is great if you live in the flatlands.  I, however, live in the Ozark Mountains.  (Before you start, yes, the Ozark Mountains are more like foothills but they are far from being flat.) So, my plans are to put in a Ford 289 or 302 or maybe even a 390.  I will more than likely go with a C6 Transmission and a heavy duty Ford rear end.  Why Ford? Because I like Ford, nuff said.

Penelope does not need to be chopped, her lines are quite perfect as it is, but her stance will end up being much lower than it was originally.  I will have to put in new floor boards, and by new I mean welded in old street signs.  I am going to have to rewire the entire car, too.  I may end up adding a few modern things like power steering and an A/C if I can find something that would fit right.   It is going to take a while but the journey is a big part of the adventure.

Twitter's Hash Tags Explained

Ahh, Twitter, how I love you so!  You bring me joy every day, but especially on #FF or #FollowFriday  Hash Tags make things so easy!

It is now time to familiarize yourself with hashtag commands, so that you only broadcast a message out to the people you want to receive it, those being the members of your hashtag group. Here’s a quick rundown of the more useful ones:

1. Follow #tag - (example: follow #tip) - lets you follow all updates tagged with #tip. 

2. Follow username#tag - subscribe to all updates from a certain person that are sent to a group. (Example: Follow @EricTheBastard#tip will give you every post by @EricTheBastard sent to the #tip group)

3. #tag message - Send a message or question to the group. (Example: #tip Don't set up an automated message with a web address in it.)

4. #tag !message - Send a message only to people who are subscribed to updates from #tag. (Example: #tip !How many tips have you retweeted me  today?) 

5. Leave #tag - Unsubscribe from the group. If your friends are subscribed to this group as well, you’ll still get messages from them that include updates for the group. (Example: leave #tip will unsubscribe you from the Tips group, but you’ll still get messages from your friend whenever send a message to #tip).

6. Remove #tag Unsubscribe from the group and from friend messages that include this tag.

Visit hashtag.org for more information

New Christmas Ornament!

Click On The Image To Go To The Shop

This fun Retro Ornament is sure to make the Christmas tree better this year!  There are other items in the shop with this Rockabilly design.  Have a look and let me know what you think about them.  Remember your hard earned dollars make my Christmas a good one!

Ornament of the Day!

Click On The Picture To See The Shop

This is a Rockabilly Christmas Ornament that I designed.  There are several other cool products in the shop with this Skull & Crossbones with a Santa hat.  Click on the image and take a look at all the stuff.  Comments?

Another Skanky Christmas Card

Click Me to Go To The Shop

"Is That A Yule Log In Your Pocket?

That is right, another skanky Christmas Card just for you all!  Click on the skank to go to the shop and buy some cards.  "Yule" be helping me out this fine Christmas Holiday by spending your hard earned money on my Christmas products.

Pinup Christmas Cards and More

Click Image to Visit the Shop

This is based off of a very old vintage Pinup.  I have put the design on a few items including T-shirts, Cards, Christmas ornaments and more.  Have a look at the shop by clicking the picture.  I will have more designs coming soon.  Some of you may remember my old T-Shirt shop Rockabilly Tees.  I used to do a lot of Oldskool designs.

Skanky Christmas Cards

Click Me To Go To The Shop

"Yeah, I'm Naked... I Couldn't Figure Out How To Wrap Herpes."

This is one of the Skanky Christmas Cards I designed.   I had a little help from Babs on the "message" on the cover.  Click the card to go to the shop.  I am having a lot of fun creating cards and ornaments this year.  Please feel free to let me know what you think.

Christmas Cards Part 1

Christmas is not far off and it is time to start thinking about sending out your cards for this year. I have designed a few cards just for the occasion.  Let me know what you think about them.  I will have some more items up in the weeks to come.

 

Click Me To Go To The Shop

Click Me To Go To The Shop

Black Friday

I am on my way to Walmart to buy a few items in the Black Friday sale.  I plan to get a couple of Christmas gifts, a few movies and maybe a few articles of clothing.  I decided to not buy any high end items this year.  Partially because I don't really need to spend the money on items I already have and partially because I don't want to get up at 4:00 a.m. to go stand in line for anything.

I may have previously stated that my girlfriend might have said something to me about spending money at Black Friday but let me clear that up.  She did not have any say in my decision.  She may have helped me to see the error of my ways but she did not tell me how to spend my money.  She is a wonderful woman and I want the world to know that I was just kidding in my disclaimer from earlier this week.



Anyhow, for those who are about to brave the lines for 10 more inches of flatscreen TV, maybe you should just rearrange the furniture and move the Lazyboy 10 inches closer to your existing Flatscreen.  You know, just sayin'.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  I hope that your day is filled with food, fun and family.  I am very thankful this year.  I have a wonderful daughter.  I have a wonderful family.  I have a wonderful girlfriend.  I love them all very much.

Holiday Traditions

Years ago my brother-in-law and I had a Thanksgiving tradition.  We used to spend Thanksgiving day exploring caves in the nearby hills of the Ozark Mountains.  We would recruit a couple of friends to go with us.  This tradition was started because neither one of us are the football watching type and we didn't feel like being in the house while the cooking was going on.

We would leave relatively early in the morning and go to whatever cave we had chosen for that year.  Many of the caves in the Ozark Mountains can only be found by word of mouth.  Most cavers in the area choose not to mark caves on maps.  This is because many of the caves that are marked on maps around here are trashed by party goers.  True cavers have respect for caves. 

But I digress.  These caving trips were before my nieces and nephews came along.  My daughter was just a baby.  There were not that many kids to keep an eye on.  Now my brother-in-law has five beautiful kids with my sister.  They range in age from 6 to 13 years old.  We do not leave them to get underfoot while we go out caving.  Now the tradition is to take the kids on a hike while the cooks cook.

The hikes are fun and we have been doing them for a few years now.  There is a nice valley behind the houses and we usually find our way down there looking at bluffs and trees and nature in general.  Traditions tend to change over the years.  What kind of traditions do you have?

My 1951 Nash

This is me admiring my 1951 Nash Ambassador Custom.  Yes, she has some issues.  (Her name is Penelope, by the way.)  Her floorboards have seen better days.  Her chrome isn't as shiny as it used to be.  Her engine is inoperable.  But I love her just the same.  I see the potential.  Her beauty shines in my mind.

Penelope was on her way to be removed from the face of the earth.  She was to become something else.  She was on the way to the graveyard to await to be crushed.  This is the way of many great cars with potential today.  The cost of scrap metal has made it easier to haul a car to the crusher than to put it back on the road.

This is not the case with newer cars because they have very little wight to them, but these older bigger cars weigh a lot and bring a fair price at the crusher.  This car would have brought $700+ for scrap weight because she is so big.  It does not seem to matter to some that there are very few dents or damage in the body.  It mattered to me and that is why I saved her from death.

Thanksgiving Duck

A few years ago I developed an allergy to something that they give commercial chickens and turkeys.  I have never figured out what exactly it is that I am allergic to but let me just say I do not eat commercial chicken or turkey any more.  I have found that all natural, minimally processed and free range poultry does not affect me.

Sometimes the price for minimally processed poultry is a bit expensive, especially when you are buying a turkey.  Last year I paid about $75 for a free range organic turkey that weighed about 18 pounds.    It was dry and not as good as I remembered turkey to be.  This year I have decided to smoke a duck.  Average price for a duck is about $6 a pound.

Some people think that duck is greasy and not so tasty.  I however love the taste of a slow smoked duck.  If cooked properly the duck will lose much of the fat that gives it the greasy taste.  Be cautious if you are planning to smoke a duck and make sure your drip pan never runs dry.  I am not saying that I made a flaming.... okay yes, I am saying I caught a duck on fire.

I may be the only one in my family to eat any duck this year and it has been suggested that perhaps I should get a Cornish Game Hen instead, but I am stubborn and refuse to do what is suggested to me sometimes.  That is part of the reason that I am known as Eric The Bastard.  I guess everyone will just have to continue to deal with my little idiosyncrasies.

Black Friday - The Death of a Paycheck

Ahh, Black Friday, the shopping event of the year, the best deals of the year, the death of a paycheck. Each year and every retailers try their best to get your hard earned dollars on the Friday after Thanksgiving. This event has become almost as big as Christmas itself.

Starting at 5 a.m. deals on just about everything you can think of cause millions of people to behave as little children in a candyshop giving away free candy. The only difference is there isn't free anything and the deals are usually a precursor to what the retailers think the average price will be for their products in the months to come.

So, if that 50 inch TV says it is only $499 from 5 a.n. until 11 a.m. chances are that it will be $499 regular price in the months to come. I am not saying don't buy it now, I am saying you don't have to buy it now. There are some good deals on non electronic stuff out there and those deals are rarely repeated throughout the year. Deals on bathroom, kitchen items and apparel are out there for the taking.

Walmart has some of the best deals around, and this year they got smart. They are just doing electronics from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. and starting most of their deals at 12:01 a.m. on Thusday night / Friday morning. I have a feeling this is a trend that a lot of retailers will be doing in the next few years. So what if you can't get your new Playstation or your X-Box 360 or your Guitar Hero, chances are you won't get tackled by anyone either!

I will be attending the Black Friday event at 12:01 a.m. this year, going back home and doing what everyone else should be doing Friday morning - sleeping in. You should try it, it might just be what the doctor ordered, literally. I am going to be happy with my less than industry standard TV size, my non-blu-ray DVD player, my less than 1000 watt surround sound player this year and settle for keeping my money in the bank. There will be no complete death to my paycheck this year, no sir.

*I in no way endorse any of the retailers for Black Friday and my girlfriend did not say I could not buy any electronics this year. This was completely my choice. My girlfriend also did not require me to make any disclaimers stating that she was not the driving factor in my choice to not go crazy and spend every cent of my paycheck on something that I don't need even though my best friend just bought the biggest TV known to man.

My Other Project- 1966 Ford Fairlane 500

I have always allowed myself no more than two project cars at any given time. This is my 1966 Ford Fairlane 500. I have had this car since 2002. I drove it for 4 years before I decided to take it apart to restore. This car came stock with a straight 6, 200c.i.d. engine and a 2 speed automatic transmission.

The original goal was to make a GT clone out of it. GTs had a 390c.i.d. with a 4 speed manual transmission. All original GTs are selling for $40k to $50k completely restored. GT clones are selling for $20k to 35K depending on the condition. I no longer have plans to build a GT clone as it would cost me around $15k to get it to that point. So, I am thinking about putting it back together and either driving it or selling it so that I can have another project.

I currently have not yet even worked on Penelope. For those of you who don't know Penelope, she is a 1951 Nash Ambassador Custom. The plans with her are to make her a Rat Sled. I will not be doing any kind of chop because her lines are just too beautiful. I plan to paint her up like an old cop car. Yes, the 51 Nash was used as a police car. on a side note, the 1966 Ford Fairlane 500's were also used as police cars.

I have actually owned several cars that were models that were used for police cars but that is a story for another time. Anyhow, I am hoping to find time this winter to put my Fairlane back together and get it running. Then, in the spring I will start working on Penelope. It is times like these that I wish I had a garage.

Five Myths about Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is the Red Headed Step Child of the Holiday Season. At most department stores the Christmas decorations are going up before they even have the Halloween stuff in the clearance section. thanksgiving just gets lost in the transition. It hasn't always been that way but at this rate Thanksgiving will only be around for a few more years. Here are some myths about Thanksgiving and the facts.

Myth number 1: Pilgrims started Thanksgiving

Nope. 100% untrue. Pilgrims were too busy building houses and fending off wild animals and killing the natives to have any kind of celebration! Thanksgiving started with the celebration of the arrival of Spanish explorer Juan de Onate landed in Texas near El Paso on the banks of the Rio Grande. It was more than two decades before the Pilgrims had their first Thanksgiving celebration.

Myth number 2: Thanksgiving is all about Family

Yeah right. The only Holiday where more people get arrested in a domestic dispute is Christmas! Thanksgiving was set up for communities to come together to celebrate the harvest. This gave people that would not normally have a chance to get together to meet. A lot of times it was more of a traders market with an evening feast.

Myth number 3: Thanksgiving was about religion

If by religion you mean thanking your lucky starts that that drought or too much rains or fires or animals didn't destroy your crops! Religion did not play a roll in thanksgiving back in the 1500's in early America. Like I mentioned earlier it was more about community and less about church.

Myth number 4: Thanksgiving is all about the Turkey

Alright, today it is called Turkey Day but back in the 1500's it was more "the kill of the day" not necessarily Turkey. Most animals start rutting when it gets cooler. You were as likely to have a deer on the plate as a Turkey back then. It wasn't until 1863, when Abe Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national Holiday. With a national Holiday you need a national emblem to make it official. The Victorians decided on a Turkey and Turkey-Day was born.

Myth number 5: Pilgrims wore Black and White clothes with funny hats and over sized Buckles on Everything

Yeah, right, traipsing around in the woods you always want to wear something white! And while you are at it wear thew most expensive and uncommon dye color you can get! This depiction of the style of the day is more of an artists rendering and interpretation. In reality, the pilgrims probably wore a lot of earth tones and clothing that would make work easier. Yes, they were prim and proper when they went to church (which was more likely a monthly event than a weekly event) but they worked from daylight to dark. They got dirty, and bathing had not been invented yet.

That is my take. Got any more myths about Thanksgiving you'd like for me to tell you the truth about? Leave me a comment and I will see what I can do. Say, do you know how to keep a turkey in suspense? I'll tell you tomorrow.

Generation X- the Retro Generation?

Yesterday, I talked about things I missed from back in the day. I grew up in the 70's and 80's and by definition I am considered to be part of Generation X. It would seem that there are a lot of Generation X that are heavily into retro and vintage things. Companies are really starting to jump onto the bandwagon and advertising to us in ways that remind us of days gone by.

There is a huge movement to drive old cars, get old school tattoos and to even dress in styles from decades ago. We live in a custom culture and Generation X is starting to really bring things back. If you don't believe me Check out Curious Crow Vintage or other shops on Etsy or sites like Decorate For The Holiday that boasts their line of vintage and retro holiday decorations coming soon.

Times are changing but it seems that more often than not, Generation X is trying to bring things back. Here is a list of things I would like Generation X to go ahead and lay to rest before they get any bright Ideas: Mullets, Spandex, Disco Music and hot pants. What would you like to see brought back or not brought back. I want to know!

Back in the day

Back in the day, when I was young, toys were made of wood. The toys I destroyed as a child are worth huge amounts of money today. And the toys made today are not worth the money you pay for them. Nor would they last long enough to become valuable.

Back in the day, when I was young, cars were fast and gas was cheap. Now when you step on the accelerator (formerly known as a gas pedal) cars do not respond like they used to. Gas is very expensive and cars are even more expensive. Antique cars are worth 20 times the original price and new cars are worth 1/2 what you pay for them.

Back in the day, when I was young, food tasted like food. You had a garden and grew vegetables and canned and froze. Today it is cheaper to buy your vegetables at a store and they taste like nothing. It is almost impossible to find seeds that have not been genetically altered to grow fast without taste and nutrition.

Back in the day, when I was young, people worked for a living, because there were jobs. I had my first job that had taxes taken out when I was 13 years old. Before that, I would help in the garden and sell vegetables to help pay for my school clothes.

How I long for back in the day. I can only go back in my memories and alas my memories are fading. I wonder what my parents remember about back in their day. I wonder what my daughter will remember about back in her day. Back in the day is ever changing. lets hope the children of today will remember the days fondly.

This is a busy time for me...

Starting in the fall I get very busy at work. I produce a 3 day festival that has 15 Bands, a parade, two contests and a lot of other things. I have not been writing much lately because of all of the planning. I did register http://ericthebastard.com and will be doing some fun stuff over there in the near future.

In the meantime, read some of my older posts or send me a message for something you'd like me to blog about.

evoli and three 1989

evoli and three

one enchanted beauty of sorrow is
on enchanted key of possession lost
lost from the view of my mortal eyes has
given me the quest of therefor finding
the key that i should learn to hold to me
and open the sorrow be it no more
the castle on the far reach understands me not
and a dream of visions coming true she and me
come back my lost vision that i may see
of fallen grandeur such as ozymandias be
help me on my quest so that i may never leave
of daemons and dragons and creatures of the night
of castles and wizards and magicks of the life
of life love and no hate and feelings of the heart
of dreams of and lost love and powers of the mind
these things i shall seek and low these things i shall find
of life’s lost solemn promise may it be
of life’s solemn love give it to me
to deceive a phrase you are everything
of mozart’s music be them songs of love
of my strong love is my thoughts are of all
that he is no longer remembered by himself
is his fear of loosing her to someone of else
be they may they be no more lay it on the shelf
and whence they leave oh heavenly love find themselves
in each others arms loving each others self
of lightning and thunder and raining in the dark
of loving and hatred and let there not be two
of lying and cheating let there be neither nor
for found i have a love so true a love for life
and there it will be evoli and three
and here it will be and for she and me
i have discovered what is of the key
one enchanted beauty of sorrow is
one enchanted key of possession lost
i discovered that the key must be me

I am a member of an elite club!

Yes, I am one of two members of the Eureka Springs Nash Club! The biggest reason behind that is that there are only two people in town who own a Nash! Mine is a 1951 Nash Ambassador Custom and it is almost ready to put up on blocks!

Her name is Penelope. My wonderful girlfriend named her. Penelope is in need of a little tender loving care. As soon as it cools off a little bit I am going to delve into getting this beautiful lady back on the road.

She has been sitting in a field and has had no attention in a very long time! Apparently her rear wheels were taken off and her front tires went flat many years ago. Her lines are straight and her body solid. She deserves better than she has had and I am just the man to treat her right! I will be reporting her progress here for all of you to see.

Anyone out there have a Nash? I'd love to know about yours!

Would you like to Tweet about this article to your followers?
Please CLICK HERE

Where did the Poetry go?

Some of you may remember that this blog used to be full of poetry I had written over the years. You may have been shocked to see that I had removed it. Not to worry, I will be posting some now and then. I fancy myself a poet- sometimes. I have been published a few times in magazines and anthologies. Nothing all that big unfortunately. There does not seem to be a very big market for poetry these days.

Poetry for me started when I was nine years old and read the complete works of William Shakespeare. I did not understand a good portion of what I was reading but the flow, the words and the meter were something that stuck with me ever since. I hear poetry in just about everything, the wind through the trees, traffic sounds, music and even the crackling of a fire. The simplest of things can be poetry to me!

Perhaps I was born in the wrong century! I can take the most mundane topic and make it seem like the greatest thing since the invention of sliced bread! Some may call that over dramatic, I call it poetry! Sometimes I write poetry to mark a moment in life so that I may never forget it. Sometimes I write poetry just for the sake of writing it! Often times, however, I have misplaced my muse and no words flow.

My muse has returned and I have a lot of poetry floating around in my head. Most of which will probably never make it to paper but a few will. If you would like to read some of my poetry I will be happy to post a few of the old ones on here. If you do want me to post some please add your comments here and let me know!

Would you like to Tweet about this article to your followers?
Please CLICK HERE

My New Toshiba Laptop Satellite L675D-S7015

I realized a couple weeks ago that it my current laptop (a Gateway ML6732) was starting to show its age. Two years old in laptop years is a lot! The performance was just not handling the demands of all my programs. I was going to try and switch the operating system over to Ubuntu. (That is Linux for those of you who don't know.) Unfortunately Gateway doesn't like anything other than Windows on their laptops.

After much thought and research I ended up in the electronics section of good old Wal Mart looking at what they had available. After a few minutes it was pretty obvious that the Toshiba Satellite L675D-S7015 was the best they had to offer. $698.00 plus the $99.00 for the 2 year warranty. Yes, I do feel that this is a necessary addition! This didn't seem like a lot of money when I started reading the specs:

Performance Processor:

AMD Athlon™ II Dual-Core Processor P320
Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
Graphics Engine: ATI® Mobility Radeon™ HD 4250
Graphics Memory: 256MB-1405MB dynamically allocated shared graphics memory
Memory and Storage Memory: 4GB DDR3 memory (expandable to 8GB DDR)
Hard Drive: 500GB HDD (5400rpm)
Optical Drive: Blu-ray Disc™ ROM and DVD SuperMulti drive with Labelflash®
Audio and Video Display Size: 17.3" widescreen
Display Type: HD+ TruBrite® LED Backlit display
Display Resolution: Supports 720p content, 1600x900, 16:9 aspect ratio
Audio: Microphone jack (mono), Standard stereo speakers, Headphone jack (stereo) Communication Webcam: Webcam and microphone built into LCD bezel
Wireless LAN*: Wi-Fi® Wireless networking (802.11b/g/n)
LAN: 10/100 Ethernet LAN
Power AC Adapter: 65W (19V 3.42A) Auto-sensing, 100-240V / 50-60Hz inputBattery: Li-Ion (48Wh, 6-Cell)Battery
Life: Up to 3.73 hours
Expansion PC Express Slot: No PC Express Slot
SmartCard Reader: No SmartCard Reader slot
Media: Memory Card Reader
USB Ports: 2-USB (2.0), 1-eSATA/USB combo port
HDMI: HDMI output port

There are some things that I really like about it. 500gig HD is pretty nice. I can sure fill it up fast though if I am not careful. Thankfully large capacity hard drives are getting pretty cheap. I also like the 4gig of ram expandable to 8gig, I haven't opened the case to see what the configuration is but I imagine I will be upgrading that very quickly.

The size of the screen is pretty standard. The newer 18.3" laptops just don't seem worth the extra $300 to $400 so I am fine with that. I love the back-lit LED screen. I mean it is the best looking screen I have seen yet! It is only 720p but so is my TV at home so it is all good. Combine that with the HDMI out and the bluray player and this is perfect for watching movies on the laptop or on my TV at home. I guess it would have been nice to have a TV Tuner card but oh well.

It fits in my Swiss Army Laptop Bag but just barely. The addition of the 10key pad is nice. It boasts a full size keyboard but it still feels like a laptop keyboard and the keys on the bottom row are set up a little oddly and my fingers are going to take a bit of time to adjust. I would call it a 7/8th keyboard!

Now, for just a few things that I do not like.
First off is the fact that it does not have bluetooth. Though I am not even sure that that is an issue not that I have an iPhone.
Second, it gets hot. Like cook the legs hot and the single exhaust fan on the side is not nearly as good as it should be. I did purchase a Targus duel 17" lap chill mat. Though I think the one I got is for the old 17" laptops not the newer ones because it hangs off the edge a little. The mat really helps keep it cool so I stongly suggest getting one.

Third, there are just not enough USB connections. Two dedicated and USB/SATA combo just doesn't cut it. My old laptop had four total and that wasn't enough. I think I will be able to solve the problem by adding a USB hub to the chill mat. It looks like it will fit with some slight modifications, but with everything that uses USB these days I would think there would need to be more not less. Maybe everything is going to be moving to wireless LAN soon. Right now my iPhone is connected to the USB/SATA port, my wireless mouse is connected to one of the ports and the chill mat is connected to the third one. So, if I want to plug in one of my external hard drives I will have to unplug something- my iPhone.

That is probably a good enough preliminary review. I have only had the computer for about 12 hours so I am sure there will be more things to say about it in the very near future. Got any comments?

Would you like to Tweet about this article to your followers?
Please CLICK HERE.

Apple does not want my money -Take 4!

Seriously? Okay, after the week I had I decided to just give up on the iPhone 4 and settle for the 32gig 3gs but I had decided I wasn't going to pay iPhone 4 price. I went back to the Big City AT&T store with the full intention to apologize to the girl I went almost postal on. Fortunately she was not there. I really hope she didn't have to take a personal day to get put on Xanax on my account.

I walk quietly into the store and another girl comes up to me and asks how she may help me. She is more cautious than the other girl. I guess the word got around and they probably had shown the security camera footage to everyone that morning. I just simply state that I would like a 32gig 3gs iPhone. She informs me that they have two left a black one and a white one. I ask her to set aside the black one. She goes to the back and sets the phone down behind the counter and informs me that I am next in line.

When it is my turn, the cashier asks if I would like any accessories. I said yes, I want the most bullet proof case that is on the market. He takes his iPhone off his belt and proceeds to throw it across the room! Yep, that will do. I am informed that I can get a $35 discount if I buy the screen protectors for $10 even though I do not need them. Okay, sometimes you have to spend money to save money. I also opt for the two year one fee replacement option.

And yes, my friends, I walk out of the store with an iPhone. I pop it in the case and presto- static bubbles under the screen that refuse to go away. I walk quickly back into the store and interrupt the huge sigh of relieve that was in progress. I ask what I can do to get rid of the static bubbles. I am informed that I need to put an anti-fingerprint/anti-static screen protector on the phone even though the case has one built in.

Alright, let's do it! Take a deep breath and sit down for the next part..... "I am sorry sir, they are out of stock and because the phone is discontinued we won't be getting any more in, but Wal Mart or Best Buy might have some...." I walk out of the store a broken man. Here is the part where I get to mention that my very awesome girl friend has been with me since step one in one form or fashion, either on the phone listening to me bitch or driving me from store to store. I love her for all of her support. One Wal Mart and Best Buy later I realize that I may just have to not only settle for a phone I did not want but for the static bubbles to boot!

A few hours later we do stop one last time. A smaller AT&T store on the outskirts of the Big City with a very helpful guy, who shows me that the iPhone ant-fingerprint/anti-static screen protector will almost fit if you start it from the top of the phone. $20 well spent. No static bubbles but still not the happiest of campers. I now have an iPhone and I do love it. I do not know if it is worth all the hassle but perhaps I will find out.

Apple doesn't want my money Part 1
Apple doesn't want my money Part 2
Apple doesn't want my money Part 3
Apple doesn't want my money Part 4

Would you like to Tweet about this article to your followers?
Please CLICK HERE.

Apple does not want my money -Take Three!

Good day my faithful readers! If you are expecting to read a happy story with a happy ending about my quest for the new iPhone 4, avert your eyes now. This is another chapter in the lesson of disappointment. It is becoming quite apparent that not only does Apple not want my money, neither does AT&T! I drove to the Big City today. A City which boasts 5 Super Wal Marts and multiple Official AT&T stores. Anyone notice a set up for multiple disappointments?

I have become pretty wise in my years upon this earth, yet, it seems that I still have just a touch of optimism that was just begging to be stomped into the ground! If you have not read the lead-in to this story, stop now and go to Take One! Otherwise here we go!

I walk into the biggest AT&T store I could find. The nice cheery girl comes bouncing up like she had just received a pony for her birthday! "How can I help you today?" she asked in what can only be described as an orgasmic desire to make me happy! "I have journeyed far and wide in search of the Holy Grail of cellular phones- the iPhone 4!" Okay, maybe I didn't say it like that but you get the general idea. "Oh, you will love it!" she said smiling a smile that could blind even a bat! "Unfortunately, we do not have any in stock...." Uh oh, I had a feeling of what was about to be said next......

"But we can help you order one and it will be delivered to you in 7 to 10 business days!" I must have had a strange expression on my face because she took two steps back, stopped smiling and asked what was wrong. I proceeded to explain the part about my debit ard being tied to a P.O. Box and she interrupted me and said, "Oh, Apple doesn't accept debit cards anyway, just credit cards." I said fine, I will just give you cash. "Oh, Apple does not accept cash either, nor does AT&T for any kind of orders. If we had it in stock we co......"

I missed the last part of what she said from the massive amount of steam billowing from around my collar. I proceeded to, in not so nice language, express my disbelief and disappointment. I should have probably not reacted so nastily but I guess I was a touch upset. I decided not to go to the other stores and just admit defeat. Probably a good thing because it looked like everyone had taken out their phone and were poised to dial 911......

Apple doesn't want my money Part 1
Apple doesn't want my money Part 2
Apple doesn't want my money Part 3
Apple doesn't want my money Part 4

Would you like to Tweet about this article to your followers?
Please CLICK HERE.

Apple does not want my money -Take Two!

Apple does not want my money! I guess my money just isn't good enough! I went into my local Wal Mart today to buy an iPhone 4 from the AT&T store inside. Amazingly enough, the two that came in today were already sold. So, I decided to ask about a 32gig 3gs. Yes, they had one left. The price? $297.00

Wait a minute, the 32gig iPhone 4 is $299.00 "Am I confused?" I asked the person behind the counter. She replied, "Nope! That is our price." So, I asked the very obvious question of why the price for the 'discontinued' 3gs was a mere $2 less than the newest brightest shiniest iPhone 4. I was answered by a blank stare that could only be compared to if I had asked her to solve a series of algebraic equations.....After a few minutes of complete silence she said "You might try the official AT&T store next door, they may have some iPhon 4's....."

So, I leave the store, go next door and enter the 'official' AT&T store. The lady behind the counter does not like me very much. We have a history of her being completely clueless and overpriced and me being a disgruntled customer. Perhaps today is the day for burying the hatchet and starting fresh. Nope, today was just a replay of the past- with a twist!

I ask the lady why on earth Wal Mart is carrying an outdated, closeout iPhone 3gs for only $2 less than the new iPhone 4. Her answer is a simple one, the $199 price that it should be is an on-line price only. Fair enough. So, I ask the next very obvious question: "Do you have any iPhone 4's in stock." The answer out of her mouth was quite unexpected and I am still very perplexed by it. "No, we are not authorized to sell iPhones or iPhone accessories in this store."

The look on my face must have been epic. So, she volunteers that I should just buy it on-line. Again, I am quite dumbfounded. This is an 'Official' AT&T store and they cannot sell an AT&T phone? I try to explain to her that I have been through the on-line battle already to no avail. She then suggests I go to the BIG City and try another AT&T Store. The Big City is about an hour from home so I guess I will fuel up the car and head that way in the morning........

Apple doesn't want my money Part 1
Apple doesn't want my money Part 2
Apple doesn't want my money Part 3
Apple doesn't want my money Part 4

Would you like to Tweet about this article to your followers?
Please CLICK HERE.

Apple does not want my money, - Take One!

Ahh, the much coveted iPhone 4, the stuff dreams are made of. Or is it? Well, I have been dreaming of upgrading from my much outdated Blackjack II for some time now. I wanted to go with an iPhone 4 so I have been patiently waiting for it to be released. Then there it was, a release date. I knew better than to think I would get one the day of the release. That is reserved for really geeky nerdy people with cash to burn. (if you subtract the cash to burn that is moi!)

So, I wait for the website release date. Being broke has taught me patience! The day arrives just like any other and I log into my AT&T account and hit the upgrade option. Yes! There is the prettiest shiniest newest tech in the known universe just sitting there awaiting my order! I will just say now that it is a very good thing that I am used to disappointment!

For security reasons I have my bank account and debit card tied to my P.O. Box. Interestingly enough, Apple does not see that as very secure and refuses to ship anything to a P.O. Box. In fact, I find out after several failed attempts that you have to have the billing address and the credit card address the same as your street address. I am confused but I accept it. Tomorrow I shall make the 12 mile trek from the sticks to the big city population of one Super Wal Mart. Stay Tuned!

Apple doesn't want my money Part 1
Apple doesn't want my money Part 2
Apple doesn't want my money Part 3
Apple doesn't want my money Part 4

Would you like to Tweet about this article to your followers?
Please CLICK HERE.