Marietta Friday Night

Ryan, Brian, Elaine, and I traveled to Marietta, Ohio and stayed at the Hampton Inn, in preparation for going to Aaron's Ohio University Graduation tomorrown in Athens. There was a street fair going on in downtown Marietta and the first person we met, was serving free samples of pizza. Turns out, it was the Mayor of Marietta, Moon Mullen. It was a very nice affair, lots of people out, shopping, and the downtown restaurants were very busy.
Next, we ate dinner at the Gun Room Restaurant, part of the Lafayette Hotel. The whole town is very historic and the restaurant was just part of the history motif. The inside was exactly like a turn to the century riverboat, very unusual. The food was very good.
Here is the Ohio River Bridge downtown.

Ryan and Brian Went to the Cleveland Indian Game

DUI Drysuit Day at Gilboa Quarry

Friday, I went to the Quarry as the DUI Company was there and you could test out drysuits in the hopes of buying. I do want a drysuit, but I want to get a few dives in before we go to Belize. Also, I got the new underwater housing for my Flip Video Camera and wanted to test it out.


This is the DUI Company display. You start at one end and work your way through each station to get you fitted and suited properly.

Here I am just getting in the water to start my second dive.


Here is the boat and motorcycle, I've videod and photod these before, as I said, I was just testing my video equipment. As you can see, I did not have the wide angle lens on, so everything fills the screen like I am way to close.

The water temperature was about 54 degree and I was in about 20 minutes for each dive. My face and head were cold, but the rest of me was warm from the drysuit. There is no way I could have dove with a wetsuit, the water is still too cold. Hopefully, it will warm up soon.

Lockdown at New Towne Mall

Real Bad Storm Today

Dinner at O'Charley's in Akron

Zombies in Boston

Chickens in Boston

Video from Boston

Taken by the Iphone.

Ryan and Brian's Trip to Boston

The Geekiest Thing I Ever Did

There are three computer operating systems, MS Windows, Apple Mac, and Linux. I was reading that installing Linux on older machines give them new life. I happened to have an old laptop in the basement, just sitting there gathering dust as Windows XP really made it cumbersome, so I thought I would give it a try. Leo Laporte, technology broadcaster, said that you are not a real geek unless you have installed Linux.

Installation was simple, just install the CD. The problem was that it would not connect to our wifi network. That actually took me a couple of hours and typing strange codes that I had no idea what they meant:

~$ lspci -vvnn | grep 14e4
~$ sudo modprobe -r b43 ssb wl
~$ sudo modprobe wl
:/bcmwl/$ sudo dpkg -i bcmwl-kernel-source*

Well, you get the idea. Anyway, I booted up and there was our wifi network. The computer is running great, much better than it ever did. Guess I am officially a Geek now.

Ryan and Brian got iPhones



They have lots of apps on them and really like them.

Isn't it amazing how AT&T was predicting this technology back in 1993 with these Tom Selleck ads?

Betty White Hosts Saturday Night Live



Here is the opening monologue. I heard she was terrific.

Cedar Planter Boxes for Ryan and Brian



Ryan wanted me to make her planter boxes for her herb garden on her deck, so I built these three yesterday out of cedar wood. This is the first time that I ever used cedar as I have always made things out of pine and treated lumber. Cedar is a really gorgeous wood. After I finished and powerwashed the boxes, the beautiful wood grain came out on them. The wood is three times as much, but well worth it.

Sprouting After A Week

Got My Garden Started

I built these planters and mounted them to the deck railing. Yesterday, I put gravel in the bottom, filled them with potting soil, and planted all types of seeds. Oh, the little tubs are mini-greenhouses. I will keep posting on their progress.

Career Counselor's Movie Review: Up in the Air

George Clooney portrays a Corporate Terminator. His outplacement company is hired by major corporations to not only provide job search and career services, but to do the dirty work, too. The dirty work being handle the firing and downsizing of employees. I know this is Hollywood but, I will address this depiction in the movie. The rest is standard boy meets girl and the man who learned better plot lines.

I do outplacement work myself, but I do not get into the firing of employees. I suppose this is an extra service to employers that outplacement companies can bill a sizable amount for, too. Is it worth it? This could be a very valuable service as these people are supposed to be experts in human relations and interactions and they are supposed to know how to deal with dropping the big one. It must be up to the terminator to assist them with the initial shock and awe. This is a business arrangement, though as the company is betting that if you are talking to the outplacement firm (in the film, taking the packet), you are not talking with your attorney.

As some of you know, being whacked is like an earthquake going off in your mind, emotions, and life. The devastation mirrors disaster victims assessing the damage after losing their family and/or homes. The more time you have with a company, the worse it is. It is a horrible, utterly dehumanizing experience. Clooney portrayed the bad news giver as very smooth and confident with all the right answers. I am sure these people are experts at this. This career field probably pays the big bucks these days, but you really have to be the right kind of person to do this work.

The only one that seemed too smooth and slick was when Clooney's apprentice gave it her first shot and messed up badly be going with canned, cliche remarks and enraging the poor unfortunate. Clooney stepped in to save the day by reminding the said poor unfortunate that he could get on with his dream of managing his own restaurant. This calmed his down. Maybe it would work at a time like this in real life. Maybe Alice goes off to Wonderland, too.

By the way, Clooney's apprentice inadvertently almost messed up his good lifestyle of being on the road three hundred and twenty days a year, staying at the best places, driving the best cars, and eating at the finest places (I won't mention the woman here, but you get the point). Yes, his apprentice convinced his boss that they could save eighty-five percent of these costs by SKYPING the victims. Yes, you heard that right. The firm hatchet person sits in Chicago in front of a webcam and flushes someone's world down the toilet via their webcam in Hoboken, or wherever.

Clooney did have a point with this in his protest, at least give them the dignity of a face to face, one to one, mano y manna send-off. I agree with him on this point, at least to us Baby Boomers. The more years you are in the workforce, the more time you are at a place, they might be pulling the rug out from under you, but at least do it with attempted dignity and respect.

Having said that, I think the webcam idea might work with the Generation X. They were born with a mouse in their mouth. They build their first computers by five and program the software by ten. Their whole world these days is social networking, twitter, facebook, and gaming. Whereas we boomers may have friends in the neighborhood or town, they have close friends all over the world, whom they have never met face to face. The live their lives via technology, I supposed technology would be an appropriate avenue of career demise.

Clooney's love story was not enough to hold my wife. She was the one who wanted to see the movie in the first place and just tolerated the movie as events unfolded. I found the movie to be an interesting cluster of ideas along my profession. I would give the movie ***.

Teacher Pulls Clever April Fools Prank

Resurrection Sunday Photos 2010

Resurrection Sunday Video 2010

Nitro Second Coat Done

Nu Finish will last all year. I won't have to polish again until next spring. Here is the finished Nitro. Looks pretty good to me.

April Fools Day Tie

Ryan and Aaron got me the Three Stooges tie, which I wear proudly every April 1st.

Click on the picture if you want to see the tie close-up.

Elaine's Birthday - Detailed Her Mazda

Nitro Yearly Wax and Polish 2010

Elaine and I Went to See





Marshall's Review

I suppose there were three reasons that we went to see Alice in Wonderland:

1. Tim Burton film
2. Johnny Depp
3. 3D

1. Tim Burton film

Burton does make lovely, though strange and different movies. His masterpieces are painted with lovely brushstrokes and exquisite attention to detail. All of his movies are superbly made, though all are not good stories. So it was with this one. I never read Through the Looking Glass as I had no interest. Not long after starting the movie, I realized that whereas I was aware of the plot and the characters, personally, I did not find the story interesting. Having said that, if you are a Lewis Carroll fan, you may get more enjoyment from the storyline. I will say that Burton brought the characters and images to life, beautifully, though.

2. Johnny Depp

When he first shows up as the Mad Hatter, I was wondering how much Jack Sparrow (Sorry, Captain Jack Sparrow) was in this role as another three bricks shy of a load person. Ah, but Depp soon dispels that and the Mad Hatter is it's only persona and character. I forget about comparisons and was interested in seeing this person unfold to find out why he is who he is. Can't say enough about Depp's acting skills. In a alternate universe where good looks is associated with good acting, more craftsman like Depp are needed.

3. 3D

Truth be told, the main reason I went to the movie was out of curiosity as to how Burton would utilize 3D and I had high expectation. This is the second movie I've seen in 3D, Avatar the first and twice, and I am sad to report that 3D is nothing more than a gimmick to get me to buy the ticket for a movie that I would have waited to come out on Bluray. First and foremost, 3D was not used properly in this movie. There were several scenes in Avatar where 3D came close to getting you believe that you were watching what seemed almost like a stage play with real live actors/characters on a huge spectacular set in front of you. On the other hand, Burton used regular film technique and just added 3D depth. Rather than using the medium to its fullest potential, it seemed to be just an add on or in. Yes, several times things came out in front of the screen, but most of the time, the effect was used to add depth, and not that well. There was never a moment where I believed I was watching a real portal to another fantasy world with events unfolding.

Which leads to, you get the 3D effect at the expense of color. Burton uses color so majestically in his movie: Big Fish, Sleepy Hollow, Willie Wonka, to name a few. The colors from start to finish are dull, faded, and muted. Sad that you get a gimmick trade-off instead of pop off the screen colors.

What do I think of the state of 3D thus far? Anyone remember the GAF View Master? This was a goggle type thing that you put film wheels into, looked in the eye pieces, and saw people, objects, and places in 3D. The only difference between the View Master and 3D movies is the View Master showed still images and the films, well, moving pictures. Oh, by the way, not only did you get 3D, but the colors were gorgeous, too. Sadly, the View Master went the way of the dinosaur. Can you image young people today being remotely interested in click a film wheel to watch static pictures and reading the description? Boring, the internet and video games are so much more exciting.

I submit that this 3D fad is nothing more than an updated GAF View Master. It is just a marketing ploy to sell tickets, new TV's, and new Bluray players. I may change my mind where someone does a movie right and uses the medium to its fullest potential, but that day is not today.

Based on the above, if you want to see an entertaining movie, leave the 3D aside, go see Alice in Wonderland. I give it ***.

Annual Rite of Spring

Washed car for the first time this year tonight.

Matthew and Marshall's Birthday Party

I Visited my Parents Yesterday

My Mother is in the hospital recover from some microsurgery and should be released soon. This is good news. The bad news is, she cannot take care of my Father and herself, so my Father will be going to the nursing home not far from Dave for a little while until Mother is stronger.

So, thank you for your prayers. All told, things seemed a lot worse during last week.

Please Pray for My Parents

My mother is back in the hospital with complications from her surgery of a year and a half ago and my brother is looking after my father. My father will probably be going back to stay at the nursing home.

Aaron's New Film

The Black Glove Initiative

This was their project and entry for the Ohio University 48 hour shootout 2010.

Brian and I Went to Pandora

Well, not really, but we did go see Avatar in 3D. Brian really enjoyed the movie and thought it was very epic in scope. After, we met Elaine and Ryan and had a wonderful dinner at Bravo in Akron.

Watched the Times Square Ball Drop last night with CNN Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffin.

New Year's Resolution: Going on the Cheese Cake Factory Diet.
Make a million dollars being the spokesman.

Christmas Day 2009 Videos

Christmas Eve 2009 Videos

Christmas 2009 Photos

Merry Christmas 2009


The Gospel of Luke

2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
2:9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them,
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
2:10 And the angel said unto them,
Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
2:12 And this shall be a sign unto you;
Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Mythbusters Do the Star Trek Gorn Cannon

from the classic Star Trek episode, Arena. This will be broadcast December 28 at 9:00.



Did you know, that Arena, broadcast in 1966, was written in 1944? Actually, science fiction writer Fredric Brown wrote the short story then as the basis. If you want to read and compare the short story to the episode, it is here:

http://www.fastcopyinc.com/orionpress/articles/sfarena.htm

Watched the Steelers Browns Game Last Night

Big Old Squirrel on Deck

Christmas Shopping Summit Mall

Pearl Harbor Memories

My father is a World War II Veteran and was stationed at Hickam Air Base, which is right next to Pearl Harbor. This is my father's incredible eye witness testimony of the events of December 7, 1941.

Happy Birthday Ryan!

Ryan's New Rav4

Thanksgiving 2009 at Ryan's and Brian's

Happy Thanksgiving

Here is the classic Turkey Drop Episode from WKRP in Cincinnati

Steelers Mike Tomblin Referenced on House MD

What Did They Do to Star Trek Review?

Rented the Blu-Ray last night. Technically, the film was a visual Thanksgiving feast and the Dolby Tru-HD really made you feel part of the action.

Possible Spoilers

Now, on to the movie. What did they do to Star Trek? I'm watching half the movie with this isn't right, this isn't right, this isn't right. Kirk's father did not die as Kirk was born, Kirk was born on earth in Iowa. He did not serve on the Enterprise with Captain Pike, Chekov came aboard later, and I could go on and on. When he got stranded on Delta Vega, there was only a lithium cracking station there . . .

And then Leonard Nimoy shows up as Mr. Spock and injects that Nero corrupted the timelines and this is what emerged.

Oh, I get it. JJ Abrams is rebooting, reinventing Star Trek to appeal to todays Gen Xers and Gen Millenials, but to keep us Boomers happy, he had to had Nimoy's blessings on the new direction. So, things are the same, but they are different now in the Star Trek universe.

To give Abrams the benefit of the doubt, I think they had to try a new strategy. Just recasting the parts with new people probably would not work. To me, the only real James Bond is Sean Connery.

The three laws of movie making today are: Nudity, rebellion against authority, and explosions. Back in the day, the two laws of movie making were interesting story and interesting characters. Here is where the movie let down. The new cast is not as talented as the former cast. The former cast were real actors and you got into the characters, forgot the cheesy effects and sets, and really believed these people were in outer space.

Having said all that, it was an exciting amusement park ride, never dull, holds your attention the whole time, and is over before you know it. I mean, JJ Abrams does know how to do action adventure. He needs to study up on good science fiction, though.

Okay, enough rant. I give the movie ***1/2. If the actors could act, I would have given this four stars.

Afterthought

Messing with time lines is always very tricky. Just out of curiosity, I went to the Star Trek episodes at Hulu and, sure enough, The Menagerie episode is gone. Erased.

Elaine Recovering from Surgery

As many of you know, Elaine had knee surgery last week for torn cartilage. She is doing well and coming along. Physical therapy is going well. Please continue to pray for her.

Halloween 2009

You probably think this is LA Dodger Manny Ramirez. No, it is Aaron's Halloween costume. I know, looks just like him, but it's not. Take my word for it, it's Aaron. No, really.
See, this is the real Manny Ramirez. No, it is not Aaron in his Halloween costume, it really is Manny Ramirez. I know, the resemblance is amazing. Looks like Manny's twin brother, doesn't it? Couldn't tell them apart if you had to save your life, could you?
And would you look here, we have a cute little Halloween monkey . . . hey, wait a minute, that's not a monkey, that's Licorice. Boy, sure fooled you, didn't he? I know, it looks like a monkey, but it's not. No, I'm not kidding, it is Licorice.

Brian in Young Professionals Amazing Race


Team G members Hillary Taunton, Brian Hollingsworth, Christopher Hisey and Adam Gerig huddle in the rain. Ryan Hollingsworth also was a team member for the Saturday YSTARK! event.

Click here for the story.

The Prisoner Puzzle


I finished watching the seventeen episodes of the 1960s television show The Prisoner. The premise is, how does a spy resign as they know too much? The Prisoner is secreted to the Village on an island where he is subjected to unusual measures and interrogation to find the answer.

Click here for a quote from The Prisoner.

NASA LCROSS Spacecraft Impacts the Moon

Ryan Designed This Logo

And now they are on luggage tags and water bottles. Great job Ryan!

The Twilight Zone

Happy 50th Anniversary

Networking in the Middle
Akron-Canton Airport