WW2 Germany

A collection of aerial pics of Germany during WW2, I suspect sometime during 1945 due to the damage shown. Note the Autobahn interchange pic...look familiar?

Do it yourself mugs, shirts and whatnot

Cafepress started the whole "do it yourself" design thing. There's a new site, called Zazzle that lets you do all kinds of stuff with no minimum. For example, I designed this stein. Sure, it's crude, but I was just messing with it. So, suppose you wanted to do 10 or 100 shirts for a family reunion...there it is. Or, you can sell them thru Zazzle. Pretty cool stuff.

Heathrow Terminal 5 problems

It couldn't have anything to do with the fact that 6 years ago, the head of security was a store security guard and is boinking the boss, could it? Nahh.
story

USA Pics from 39-69

A set of great color pics of the US between 39 and 69. I didn't see any real late stuff in there...and the ads might come up not-safe-for-work. But the pics are great.

2 Degrees of Separation

Democrat Congressmen had a trip to visit Saddam Hussein paid for by CAIR, a known supporter of Hamas.

So, 2 degrees of separation from these Dems to a terrorist organization and 2 (maybe even 1) from Hussein to Hamas.

story.

Expensive apple!

 

This pic (sorry it sucks, took it with my cell phone camera) shows a single apple from Aomori (the prefecture/state where Noreen was in Japan) for $3.70. When apple season came around in Aomori, it was great...their apples are the best I've ever had, and you could get them for roughly Y150.

Life at Qualcomm

 

This is a picture of my monster cube. At my last job, I had a corner of a desk and at Cardinal I had a cube approx 1/2 this big.

Yes, I have 2 computers, one is my laptop (with dockingstation & external monitor), other is a Unix workstation. Free bottled water/soda in the breakroom. Not too shabby!

More from North Korea

This time, a 14-part video series about a visit to North Korea. It's really wacky....and as the guy says during the video "we're in Crazyland." The link goes to part 1 of the video.

Korea and US antagonism

How far back does the antagonism between Korea and the US go? How about 140 years?

Wallet stolen!

Yesterday, during my racquetball lesson, someone broke into my locker and stole my wallet. I have a good idea of who did it because there was a guy in the locker room at the same as I was taking money from my wallet for my lesson. I put my wallet back into my murse and murse into the locker. I may not have locked my lock (I can't remember...not sure, whatever). Came back, lock was gone and my wallet was specifically missing from my murse. Nothing else was taken.

Cancelled/got new credit cards and whatnot last nite. Went and got a new military/dependent ID this morning. Went to DMV and they were actually surprisingly efficient. We got there at 8:30 (opened at 9), I was probably #30 or so in line. Around 8:45, a couple DMV workers came out and handed out forms/clipboards, so I did the form for my DL. I got in at 9, waited approx 20 min for my number to be called and went up to the counter. 5 min later, I walked out with my paper license. The worker that did my paperwork offered me the chance to renew my DL since it expires in August, but I told her I wasn't ready for the trivia contest that is the DMV written test (you can only renew by mail twice before you need to do the test).

Went out did some shopping (like for a new wallet!), and made it to lunch with my crew at 11. Noreen has Wed off, so she came along for the ride.

To recap my past 90 days:
Laid off. Car accident. Wallet stolen. New job.

I hope the thief is happy with his $40. And my lock. Bastard got my combo lock that I've had for nearly 17 years (I bought it when I was in the Navy). Now I have to memorize a new combo. Dammit!

Obama's speech

While very articulate and very well written, there is one problem.

Why in the hell did he not disassociate from Rev Wright when he heard this stuff coming from him? The old saw "You shall know them by the company they keep" comes into play here. Trent Lott got hell a few years ago for saying happy birthday to a 90 year old (who was also a racist). Why is Obama getting a pass for so closely associating with such an open racist?

TV then and now

Here are some q & a from The Hollywood Squares. The jokes are adult and 30 years old...and probably wouldn't see the light of day on today's regular TV:

Peter Marshall was the host asking the questions.

Q. Do female frogs croak?

A. Paul Lynde: If you hold their little heads under water long enough.

Q. If you're going to make a parachute jump, at least how high should you be??

A. Charley Weaver aka Clifford Arquette : Three days of steady drinking should do it.

Q. True or False, a pea can last as long as 5,000 years.

A. George Gobel: Boy, it sure seems that way sometimes.

Q. You've been having trouble going to sleep. Are you probably a man or a woman?

A. Don Knotts: That's what's been keeping me awake.

Q. According to Cosmopolitan, if you meet a stranger at a party and you think that he is attractive, is it okay to come out and ask him if he's married?

A. Rose Marie: No; wait until morning

Q. Which of your five senses tends to diminish as you get older?

A. Charley Weaver: My sense of decency.

Q. In Hawaiian, does it take more than three words to say "I Love You"??

A. Vincent Price : No, you can say it with a pineapple and a twenty.

Q. What are "Do It," "I Can Help," and "I Can't Get Enough"?

A. George Gobel: I don't know, but it's coming from the next apartment.

Q. As you grow older, do you tend to gesture more or less with your hands while talking?

A. Rose Marie : You ask me one more growing old question Peter, and I'll give you a gesture you'll never forget.

Q. Paul, why do Hell's Angels wear leather?

A. Paul Lynde: Because chiffon wrinkles too easily.

Q. Charley, you've just decided to grow strawberries. Are you going to get any during the first year?

A. Charley Weaver: Of course not, I'm too busy growing strawberries.

Q. In bowling, what's a perfect score?

A. Rose Marie: Ralph, the pin boy.

Q. It is considered in bad taste to discuss two subjects at nudist camps. One is politics, what is the other?

A. Paul Lynde: Tape measures.

Q. During a tornado, are you safer in the bedroom or in the closet?

A. Rose Marie : Unfortunately Peter, I'm always safe in the bedroom.

Q. Can boys join the Camp Fire Girls?

A. Marty Allen : Only after lights out.

Q. When you pat a dog on its head he will wag his tail. What will a goose do?

A. Paul Lynde : Make him bark?

Q. If you were pregnant for two years, what would you give birth to?

A. Paul Lynde: Whatever it is, it would never be afraid of the dark.

Q. According to Ann Landers, is there anything wrong with getting into the habit of kissing a lot of people?

A. Charley Weaver: It got me out of the army.

Q. It is the most abused and neglected part of your body, what is it??

A. Paul Lynde : Mine may be abused, but it certainly isn't neglected.

Q. Back in the old days, when Great Grandpa put horseradish on his head, what was he trying to do?

A.George Gobel: Get it in his mouth.

Q.Who stays pregnant for a longer period of time, your wife or your elephant?

A. Paul Lynde: Who told you about my elephant?

Q. When a couple have a baby, who is responsible for its sex?

A.Charley Weaver : I'll lend him the car, the rest is up to him.

Q. Jackie Gleason recently revealed that he firmly believes in them and has actually seen them on at least two occasions. What are they?

A Charley Weaver : His feet.

Q. According to Ann Landers, what are two things you should never do in bed?

A. Paul Lynde: Point and laugh.

The price of oil

These numbers are approximate, but close enough for this exercise.

In Jun 2006, a barrel of oil cost approx $70, or 55.50 euros. (approx E1.26=$1)
Today, a barrel of oil costs $110, or approx E70. (E1.56=$1).

In percentages, a barrel of oil has gone up 57% against the dollar or 26% against the euro.

The weak dollar is making oil even more expensive than it really needs to be and the dollars flowing out of the US to buy oil will make things worse....

Dubai

 

Money, the war, and lots of other things are making Dubai grow like crazy. Here's a before (err...1990) and after pic.

One bad mo fo

This guy is one bad mo fo. Typical British stiff upper lip and all, too.

Flying the SR-71

This story about flying the SR-71 is VERY cool.

Krakow bans kilts

They ban kilts because the wearers have a tendency to uh...show their naughty bits when they get drunk. Included in the story are some pics of kilted men accidentally showing off.

Things I think about when the power goes out

(That's a George Carlin line)

Packaging. For example, I am a competent, 38 yr old. I hate modern packaging. How in the hell does an older (say, 65+) person deal with modern packaging? Or pill bottles? Or phones/cellphones with tiny buttons? It's a big deal now, it'll be a bigger deal as the Baby Boomers get old and need to deal with modern packaging.