Extremely Dangerous Activities - While driving to mine office this morning, I encountered a young man who was car surfing(1) atop a Ford pickup that had a hideously elevated suspension and enormous wheels and tires. This young man was apparently entertaining a group of young men and women traveling in a rice-burning SUV that followed behind the pickup. The passengers in the SUV were cheering loudly and encouraging the car surfer to perform increasingly dangerous stunts from his lofty stage. They appeared to consider the actions of the car surfer to be courageous. I have a label for such as he: I call them "organ donors."
(1) The term "car surfing" describes an activity in which passengers of moving vehicles perform various stunts (also known as urban surfing or ghost riding), including hanging out of the car or "surfing" on the hood, trunk, or on the roof of the vehicle while it is in motion. Car surfing has been popularized by the hyphy movement and is similar to ghost riding except that the vehicle remains under the nominal control of another person. Car surfing has caused several people to be killed during the course of such stunts. A 2008 study by the United States Centers for Disease Control identified 58 newspaper reports of car-surfing deaths and 41 reports of nonfatal injury from 1990 through summer 2008. Most reports of injury were found in U.S. Midwest and Southern newspapers (75%), largely involving males (70%) and youths aged 15-19 (69%). A majority (58%) of reported car surfing incidents ended in death.
My personal opinion of those who engage in car surfing or other extremely dangerous activities is they are direly in need of psychological counseling and are not operating on a sane level. Above all, they should not be encouraged!
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Extremely Dangerous Activities
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Details at Eleven
Details at Eleven - Today is a particularly good day for those who enjoy stupid criminals, bad parents, high-speed chases, shootouts, riots, and bizarre news. While each day certainly finds such stories spewing forth from the media, today is particularly replete with such items.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Telemarketers and Fun
Telemarketers and Fun - I realize you are probably thinking that telemarketers and fun are mutually exclusive, diametrically opposed, and in all ways counter-point to each other.
Generally, I would fully agree. At times, however, I find that relaxing, cavorting, capering, chortling, and in all ways seeking and enjoying humor leads necessarily to one having fun. Eschewing telemarketers while enjoying a healthy hoot prepares one fully for the day—no matter what might lurk in the hours ahead!
I submit, then, to you the following videos I enjoyed while watching calls I determined by Caller ID to be telemarketers go directly to voice mail!
Monday, February 25, 2013
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Winter Food & Beer Pairing Dinner
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Winter Food & Beer Pairing Dinner - Saturday evening, I accompanied Laura to the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Winter Food & Beer Pairing Dinner. It was a truly amazing event! CRAB COCONUT BISQUE - Dungeness crab, coconut broth,julienne vegetables, crispy banana, ginger, cilantro, and pepper oils. Executive Chef Micheal Iles talked with dinner guests, graciously accepted their praise, and answered their questions. Executive Chef Micheal Iles LLANO SECO PORK RILLETTES - Ruthless gelée, pickled onions, fennelpollenbutter crackers. This was paired with Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye. Steve Grossman (brother of SNBC founder/owner Ken Grossman and Brewery Ambassador) - Speaking to dinner guests and Executive Chef Micheal Iles waiting to introduce the next course. BITTER GREENS SALAD - Crispy duck confit, Quad soaked figs, and plum vinaigrette. SIERRA NEVADA SHORT RIBS - Chorizo hash, butternut squash, Bigfoot demi-glace. This was paired with Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Ale Executive Chef Micheal Iles - working the room. MIDWINTER DESSERT - Bigfoot Baba, whiskey soaked wild cherry chocolate truffle, and espresso panna cotta. This was paired with Sierra Nevada Barrel Aged Bigfoot Ale
For complete information on all the wonderful Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. offerings and information regarding future food and beer pairing dinners, the Pub, the Gift Shop, concerts, and other events, visit Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
I bemoaned that I had neglected to bring my camera. Laura eschewed my petulance, however, and reminded me that "The best camera is the one you have with you!" She then took these photographs with her Motorola(r) Droid X smartphone!
This opening course was paired with a wonderful Sierra Nevada Kellerweis.
The tables were beautifully set and adorned with impressive floral displays.
This third course was paired with exotically fruity Sierra Nevada Ovlia Belgian style Abbey Quad with Plums
Friday, February 22, 2013
What Group of Animals Are Called
What Group of Animals Are Called - Laura recently asked me what a group of cobras was called. "A quiver," I replied.
Actually, Laura found this list on the Web and emailed the link to me!
Here are all animals and their collective names:
ANIMAL - GROUP
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Reuniting with Old Friends
Reuniting with Old Friends - I recently received an email from an old friend with whom I had not communicated in thirty years! John was not only my closest and dearest friend, he was my fellow musician in the power trio, Night Flight. John played a Gibson Les Paul Recording Bass.
This beautiful instrument made a wonderful companion to my matching Gibson Les Paul Recording Guitar.
John's bass ran through a powerful Carvin amplifier head and pumped out through a massive Carvin speaker system, which contained two 15" high-performance speakers. This was a fitting companion to my Carvin amplifier head and Carvin double-stack speaker system, which contained eight 12" high-performance speakers.
John still has his Gibson Les Paul Recording Bass. He has added considerably to his guitar collection—as evidenced by this photograph he emailed me recently.
Sadly, I no longer have the Gibson Les Paul Recording Guitar. I have a 2012 Gibson Les Paul Traditional Pro guitar, however. It is a beautiful instrument that is truly a joy to play.
I also have a Fender CD-60e acoustic/electric guitar.
And Laura has a beautiful Fender Special Edition Custom Telecaster FMT HH.
I also have a nice collection of Boss FX pedals.
Often, when Night Flight appeared at a club, auditorium, or stadium, we were received with polite uncertainty—facing remarks such as, "There's only three of you guys?" Unless they were familiar with Night Flight, people generally found it difficult to imagine that a trio could create enough sound force to satisfy a large audience. As soon as I ran through a few warm-up power chords and screaming scales, however, John rattled the walls with throbbing bass runs, and the drummer (we had several drummers throughout our career together) slammed a few power flams, crashed some cymbals, and kicked his bass drum pedal unmercifully, the crowd quickly realized that we were well-suited to the task of filling the venue with electrifying rock!
I last saw John around 30 years ago, when he departed Oroville—the small Northern California city where we both had been living—and traveled north to Alaska. Soon thereafter, I returned to my childhood home of Corning—approximately 60 miles to the northwest—and remain here today.
John spent 20 years in Alaska and migrated to Eureka—a far-Northern California city near Oregon. Eureka is the largest American West Coast city north of San Francisco—situated directly on the Pacific Coast.
Recently, John returned to Oroville. He contacted me via email, and we have been in near-daily email communication since then.
He asked me to call him in an email Tuesday, saying "...I want to hear your voice to see that you really are real!" I chortled merrily when I read that email and told him I would call him the following day.
John called me Wednesday—impatiently not wishing to await my call. We had a wonderful conversation, and we recounted many experiences that we shared many years ago.
We determined that it truly is "a small world" when I told him of Laura's job at Sierra Nevada, and he exclaimed that his daughter-in-law worked there as well!
It was wonderful speaking with John and sharing memories; and now that we have reunited, we shall continue our communication and plan to get together soon.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Stormy Weather
Stormy Weather - Long ago and far away, Sammy Cahn said,
"Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky
Stormy weather.
All I do is pray the Lord above will let me walk in the sun once more."
Yesterday, stormy weather fell upon this area—following weeks of beautiful sunshine and relative warmth.
A tornado missed Corning only by a few miles—striking the neighboring city of Gerber. Fortunately, damage was minimal. A barn lost its roof—the only victim of the tornado.
I tracked the tornado as it traveled eastward toward Corning. The Weather Channel posted severe storm warnings for Corning, indicating the tornado was on track to hit Corning. At 2:45 PM, the warnings were lifted, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
Early in the morning, the sky was blue and clear, and the Sun beamed brightly. For a few minutes in the late morning, the sky darkened suddenly, clouds appeared, the Sun disappeared, and rain fell. This was a brief, light rainfall, and soon the sky was blue and clear once again, and the Sun reappeared.
In the neighboring city of Orland, a hailstorm greeted soccer players, and the soccer field quickly became covered with hailstones. The hailstorm was significant,and the soccer field soon appeared as if covered with snow.
On her way home, Laura encountered what appeared to be snow when she neared Corning. This was hail, also.
Today, the Lord has answered my prayers, and He is allowing me to "...walk in the sun once more."
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Gun-free Zones
Gun-free Zones - "Gun-free zones" are supposed to be safer. I shudder, cringe, and enter a state of near paranoia whenever I enter one, since I am fairly confident only criminals will be armed within the confines of that area.
Ted Nugent—rock legend and pro-gun advocate—said: "Gun-free zones are recipe for disaster. Zero tolerance, huh? Gun-free zones, huh? Try this on for size: Columbine gun-free zone, New York City pizza shop gun-free zone, Luby's Cafeteria gun-free zone, Amish school in Pennsylvania gun-free zone and now Virginia Tech gun-free zone.
Anybody see what the evil Brady Campaign and other anti-gun cults have created? I personally have zero tolerance for evil and denial. And America had best wake up real fast that the brain-dead celebration of unarmed helplessness will get you killed every time, and I've about had enough of it."
Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX) has introduced a bill to repeal the "Gun-Free School Zones Act" of 1990 (updated in 1995) on the grounds that mass shootings at schools have increased five-fold since its passage.
The "Safe Schools Act of 2013" (H.R.35), co-sponsored by Rep Broun, Paul C. [GA-10] notes that the 1990 "gun-free" law has made schools unsafe because "shooters now know that they can victimize American school campuses with no fear that victims will be armed."
Stockman's bill notes that there have been 10 school shootings killing at least four people each in the 22 years since the "gun-free" bill passed - compared to only two in the 22 years before passage.
What's more, "Horrific massacres on school campuses in Pearl, Mississippi, and southwestern Virginia, were averted by armed staff and students," it says.
Given that "the 'Gun Free School Zones Act' has been a deadly failure," H.R.35 says it will "restore safety to America's schools by allowing staff, teachers, and administrators to defend the children and themselves."
NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre said, "How do we protect our children right now, starting today, in a way that we know works? The only way to answer that question is to face up to the truth. Politicians pass laws for Gun-Free School Zones. They issue press releases bragging about them. They post signs advertising them. And in so doing, they tell every insane killer in America that schools are their safest place to inflict maximum mayhem with minimum risk."
Monday, February 18, 2013
Gun Control and The Harlem Shake Invades Chico
Gun Control - I have always maintained that "gun control" should be descriptive of target acquisition!
The Harlem Shake Invades Chico - Chico is invaded by the Harlem Shake!
Friday, February 15, 2013
Welcome to the Jungle!
Welcome to the Jungle! - William Bruce Rose, Jr. said it years ago, and it is even truer today:
"Welcome to the jungle
It gets worse here everyday
Ya learn ta live like an animal
In the jungle where we play"
Thursday, February 14, 2013
The Survey
The Survey - Yesterday afternoon, I was relaxing in my office. It was just after 3 PM. I was watching the pilot for a television show that seemed promising. "Hart of Dixie" stars Rachel Bilson as New Yorker and new doctor Zoe Hart. She accepts an offer from a stranger, Dr. Harley Wilkes, to work in his medical practice in Bluebell, Alabama. She arrives to find he has died and left half the practice to her in his will.
I ignored her, and she departed mine office. I completed watching the pilot and enjoyed it. I spoke of it to Laura and suggested that she might wish to begin viewing episodes following the completion of the program we currently watch, "Raising Hope."
It had been a particularly busy day, and I was lounging in my office chair. "Hart of Dixie" was streaming from Netflix(r) via Roku(r) and my wireless 6 Mb/sec Internet connection. The video was displayed on my 39" Vizio LCD HDTV, and the audio was playing through my Onkyo(r) surround-sound system. I had the audio volume set fairly high. The Roku(r) remote control was nearby—ready to pause the streaming should I need to answer the telephone.
A woman entered my office. She held a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. I assumed she was a peddler of some sort. She began talking. I could not hear her, because of the volume level of the television program.
I paused "Hart of Dixie" and said, "I was unable to hear you. Please repeat what you said." She said, "Is the owner or manager in?" The following conversation ensued:
At this point, I resumed the streaming of "Hart of Dixie."
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Gun Control
Gun Control - This is one of the best pro-gun videos I have seen.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Beware!
Beware! - One must be very cautious when online. The Internet is a wonderful resource for research, certainly, but it is also a vast miasma of scofflaws eager to take advantage of you financially!
This email message appeared in my Outlook Inbox this morning. It certainly looks legitimate. It is nearly identical to the messages sent by Verizon Wireless.
GREED is often the first indicator one is dealing with a criminal. In this instance, it seems ridiculous that someone expects me to read the message and remit $3587.71! Nonetheless, if these scams did not work at least some of the time, they would soon fail to be sent.
There are several indicators for which one should look when determining the legitimacy of such emails:
It is not yet 9 AM, and already this morning I have received six potentially dangerous emails.
Monday, February 11, 2013
In a World of Human Wreckage
In a world of human wreckage
where I'm lost and I'm found and I can't touch the ground - Sponge said it, and I absolutely agree. I read the news and determine it impossible to propose otherwise. Laura often cautions me regarding my predilection for reading news. Historically, I thought this an advisable preoccupation. More and more, however, I find that the news is so rife with tales of loathsome events and behavior that I am very often inclined to eschew it entirely. My penchant for knowledge and my desire to keep informed, however, disallow my doing so.
This story caused me to enthusiastically cheer: Authorities post $1 million reward for ex-Los Angeles policeman. My cheering quickly abated, however, when I saw other news articles that recounted the grotesque and abominable endorsement of Christopher Dorner—the fugitive former Los Angeles cop suspected of targeting police officers and their families in three killings committed in retaliation for his 2008 firing. I find it at once unconscionable and astounding that liberals such Charlie Sheen and Piers Morgan are praised by Dorner, as outlined in his "manifesto," and even more disheartened that this support is reciprocal. Charlie Sheen says, "Call me"! Piers Morgan postulates that Dorner should be viewed somehow as a "rebel with a cause."
A Facebook page proclaiming that Dorner should be made president has been liked by nearly 3,000 people!
I could not possibly be more appalled. In my mind, nothing imaginable could provide satisfactory punishment for Christopher Dorner. The $1,000,000 reward is a good start, however!
Friday, February 08, 2013
Really?, Farmville, Gnomes
Really?, Farmville,and Gnomes - Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but for Rebecca Gallanagh, they have caused nothing but trouble. Gallanagh, a 22-year-old convict, was fined by a UK court this week for decorating her electronic ankle bracelet in fake diamonds—an act that local magistrates described as a "serious offense."
Gallanagh had been forced to wear the bracelet after being convicted of a public order offense in November, for her involvement in a fight outside a Staffordshire nightclub. As part of her punishment, officials ordered her to observe a strict 9 PM curfew that the electronic monitor was meant to enforce. Gallanagh insists that they never said anything about decorating the bracelet in shimmery diamonds, but her aesthetic modifications did not sit well with the monitor's manufacturers, who took her back to court after realizing what she had done.
I read this story just prior to reading that a television program is being produced from the Facebook game, Farmville. I was still reeling from the bedazzled tale and was certainly not prepared for the Farmville story. At that point, I determined today's news would be altogether too much for me to survive reading, and I set about dusting the gnomes instead.
Thursday, February 07, 2013
Weirdness in the News and Stupid Criminals
Weirdness in the News and Stupid Criminals - Sometimes it is best not to begin the day reading the news. Today is one of those days!
Wednesday, February 06, 2013
Trailer Park Life and Zombies
Trailer Park Life - Previously, I have always considered the trailer park in "My Name Is Earl" to be the most unattractive, unkempt, and uninviting place imaginable. THEN, I saw this photograph of a trailer park NEAR HERE:
YIKES! The trailer park in "My Name Is Earl" seems palatial in comparison!
Tuesday, February 05, 2013
Prawns, Penne, and Cats
Prawns and Penne - Saturday, Laura and I enjoyed a wonderful feast: She grilled beautiful New York strip steaks and portabella mushrooms. Laura made a nice marinade for the steaks and mushrooms, and they were wonderful. While she grilled, I cooked a package of penne until al dente, drained, and set aside. I put butter, extra-virgin olive oil, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, ground black pepper, and ground basil in a large sauté pan. I sautéed this for a few minutes then added a package of baby spinach that I had julienned. I stirred this for a few minutes, added the penne, and stirred.
The meal was excellent, and there was a quantity of penne remaining. Sunday evening, Laura cleaned and marinated some enormous prawns. Last evening, she grilled the prawns quickly indoors on a special grilling pan. She reheated half of the leftover penne and added the prawns to the penne. Words fail me. This photograph will suffice:
Monday, February 04, 2013
Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights), Zombie Road Trip, and Photoshopping O
Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights) - I was relaxing abed last evening, playing "Zombie Road Trip" (easily my favorite game currently), and I saw a notification from the Sacramento Bee flash upon my Google Nexus 7's display. I saw "Super Bowl halted by power outage" appear briefly on the screen and was compelled to open the notification window and click on the link. The story in the Sacramento Bee was brief—simply stating that the power had failed, most of the Super Bowl was in darkness, and game-play had been halted. Laura had been napping in the living room. She awakened and joined me in the bedroom. I told her what I had just read. Initially, she did not believe me (I am known to exaggerate, on occasion). She judged by my expression that I was serious, however, and said, "Well, aren't you glad we didn't go?" I agreed, of course, but there was never a consideration of attending, so her remark was satirical. I chortled merrily. "Zombie Road Trip" - I quickly fell under the thrall of this game. Yesterday afternoon, I played non-stop for nearly three hours. I highly recommend the game to all! Photoshopping O - The White House released what was stated to be a photograph of O firing a shotgun. Photoshoppers immediately began producing variations: Bang!
Laura then slithered into the kitchen and returned with two bowls of strawberry ice cream. We both played "Zombie Road Trip" and ate strawberry ice cream. I suggested that it was an impossibility to achieve a more enjoyable posture, and she agreed.
Friday, February 01, 2013
Gun Control
Gun Control - This is a report from "Guns and Ammo" Magazine that indicates the current status of firearm production and the availability of ammunition and reloading components:
The Anti-Gun crowd has done more to promote firearm ownership in the United States than the NRA and all pro-gun factions combined!
