Green Lantern's LIGHT!

It's happening. News right HERE

Okay, but another "origin" story? Really DC? Is that the way to go?

Anyone else tired of the origin stories? Let's just start with the superhero, in existence and doing his/her thing. Let's have a comic-book story, with everyone in costume from the beginning to the end, no "human interest" rubbish. That's the way it's done.

Hollywood, are you listening? How about you, DC?

Didn't think so.

However, this Fan Trailer ROCKS!

Crazy about Linux

I don't have a computer that doesn't have Linux installed on it. That's how I am. That's how lots of people are. It's fun, it's free, and it's legal. We indulge.

However, there are limits. This is a jokey way of telling us that. You could install Linux on an iPhone. On TiVo (actually, it's already there). Or an Xbox.

Or you could install it on a Dead Badger. Like the animal. Detailed instructions

By the way, if you want to "do" Linux, I highly recommend PCLinuxOS.

Disney Recycle?

Okay, this is really eye-opening! I had NO IDEA that disney re-used their scenes, frame by frame. I knew that Kaa was in Jungle Book and Robin Hood, as was Baloo, but I mean, well, gee...

Just watch this, okay? You will FREAK OUT! Promise.

The creepy music doesn't help with the whole 'not-freaking-out' thing.

Wolfpigeons and Sharkfalcons and Crocodeagles, "Oh MY!"

This was a great April 1st (hint-wink) release by Qualcomm. It almost sounds serious as they talk of genetically manipulated wolfpigeons, sharkfalcons, and a fleet of crocodeagles, “large enough to blot out the sun”

Awesome job, guys. Almost had me fooled.

Blending Norris

Those of you familiar with the Blendtec Blender (http://www.willitblend.com/) probably know about their great online videos. You know, when they blend glow sticks, or plungers, ipods and iphones, video cameras, even a crowbar!

But will Chuck Norris blend?

Com'on, what do YOU think?

Extreme Sheep

It's a light display! It's a sheepherding display! It's a combination extravaganza!

Look, if you haven't seen it, there isn't any way to describe this. Just watch it. It's amazing what a few bored shepherds can do with sheep. Um, and LED lights.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens

If you are ever in South Florida you could do worse than to go to the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens. From their webpage:

Since its opening in 1977, The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens has been a center for Japanese arts and culture in South Florida, with rotating exhibitions in its galleries, tea ceremonies performed monthly in its Seishin-an tea house, an educational outreach program with local schools and organizations, and Japanese traditional festivals celebrated for the public several times a year.

Oh hai! Try to make it to the anime festival. They do a good job.

15 Reasons Mr. Rogers Was The Best Neighbor Ever

The Mental Floss blog has an old article about Mr. Rogers. My friend said...

"He was such a friend to me growing up. It was sometimes really scary at my house growing up, and he genuinely comforted me. I wish I would have written and told him before he died.."

And he probably would have answered. We loved him too.

A good man.

Superhero Costumes

I've always hated the costumes they use in the movies for Superman and/or Batman. Either they look like ill-fitting cloth (old school) or nearly immobilizing rubber (new school).

I always said they should just get a buff guy and have him run around in red shorts and a cape, and use CGI to overlay his skin with a costume. Jim Lee (perhaps the best comic artist. Period.) said he just draws them naked and colors on a costume.

Here's a guy who used body paint for the same effect. And IMHO, this is possibly the best Superman costume I have ever seen in real life.

Proof once again that I am a genius. And only slightly evil.

Skiing Elephant

I wish I had video of this happening...

Little People Street Art

Here is something interesting to look at, it's tiny little dramas acted out on such a small scale that only by accident are they ever seen.

I like this idea, although I don't know why. I guess it is that the pointlessness of the little dramas themselves is ramped up a bunch by doing it so that it is never seen. Somehow, I dig that.

Of course, their book should do well enough, I think. But the webpage is pretty amusing. I like this guy protecting his little girl from a bee.

Little People

More S&P 500

Here's a close-up of the same thing. What do you think? I think 730 is support.

Man, I hope so

S&P 500 Trendlines

This is from www.prophet.net javacharts. You can see that starting in the early 80s the trendline got much steeper than it had historically, and then in the early 90s it got crazy steep. We already broke through the 90s line, and if we go down through the 80s trendline, now at about 730, there's no stopping place until somewhere around 300. 

Yikes. Now THAT would be a correction

10 Cool Secrets About Disneyland

Regardless of where you believe to be the true "Happiest Place On Earth" is, you have to admit, Disneyland is at least pretty magical. It's so magical, in fact, that even after 50 years and over 500 million of visitors, there are still tons of secrets hidden in and about the Magical Kingdom. 1. Disneyland was expected to fail. Opening day was such a disaster that pretty much every press organization that attended the celebration had predicted the park's failure within one year. It opened on a day that was 101 degrees and the street asphalt still wasn't dry, leading to it sticking to shoes. By the end of the first day, all but 2 of the 48 Autopia cars were crashed and about half the rides were broken. Despite all that, park visitors loved it and attendance continued to grow day by day. Source (Photo: ThomasFredrick [Flickr]) 2. Need a real drink? While many Disney fanatics may already know this one, others may find it surprising to know there is exactly one place in the entire park that serves alcoholic beverages. The place is called Club 33 and it is a very exclusive club to get in. To gain entry, there is a ten year waiting list and admission is at least a thousand dollars. Supposedly, the food is good though. Source (Photo: emmyboop [Flickr]) 3. Tomorrow Land is so outdated. Or at least, the first version is by now. The only Tomorrow Land ride that still exists in its original state from the opening is Autopia, and even it was changed to fit with Cars the movie. Actually though, there is one major change in Autopia from how it was on opening day -there were originally no guide rail to keep people on track. Sometimes Disney was a little too trusting of the good of humans. Source (Photo: Frikitiki [Flickr]) 4. There's a Disney Underground. Photo: lwr [Flickr] It's not quite as exciting as it sounds though. Despite rumors, the area under the park isn't a massive underground city. There are many underground basements though, where cast can relax, change in and out of costumes and eat lunch in peace. Think of it like a few really big break rooms. Disney World on the other hand, was built late enough that they have a full city underground. Source 5. Olympic sports anyone? Photo: Frikitiki [Flickr] Just walking around the park over and over again is exercise enough for most people, but employees have the option of working out in the Matterhorn. Surely you didn't think that huge mountain was only used for one little ride did you? No, the Matterhorn is officially classified as a gym and has a full basketball court inside. In 1984, it was even certified as an official Olympic Stadium. Source 6. It's safe, but not 100% safe. Photo: videocrab [Flickr] Despite persisting urban legends that claim no one ever died in the park, people have. At least 12 people have died there, reports vary as to whether some additional death tales are true or not. All things considered though, 12 deaths in over 50 years isn't that bad. Keep in mind, aside from dangerous rides, there is also a notable amount of gang violence at other Southern California amusement parks that doesn't occur as frequently at Disneyland. Source 7. Ever feel like you're being watched? You might be. There are cameras everywhere. Aside from average security brigades, they even have special tasks forces with only a handful of things to focus on. There are at least two special forces at the park, one dedicated to catching people using drugs at the park, and another dedicated to catching people who flash or flip off the cameras during the photo parts of the rides. If you've ever gotten a message saying your photo isn't available when you got off the ride, there's a good chance someone either flashed some breast or flipped the bird to the camera. Source 8. A ghostly Hazmat problem. Photo: major_clanger [Flickr] There are many reports of people trying to spill the ashes of loved ones in the Haunted Mansion. As nice of a thought as it is, there are plenty of ghosts in the Mansion already and if everyone dumped their ashes here, then the whole thing would be covered in dust. So, every time it happens, the Mansion needs to be closed and a hazmat team cleans it. Source 9. A pirate's life for Jack. We all know that Johnny Depp is dang sexy, but just the character of Jack Sparrow? Apparently, a lot of women still think he's just as good as Depp. The stories range from flirting to receiving napkins with naughty offers. (Photo: Locket479 [Flickr]) 10. Words from beyond. Ever notice the telegraph clicking at the New Orleans' train station? It's ticking out the speech Disney gave out on the park's opening day. Traces of Disney are all over the park, my favorite one though is his old apartment over the fire house on Main Street. They always leave the light on in his memory. Not only is it cute, but it's also rad that he got to live in the park. Source (Photo: Mysteryofmaps [Flickr]) A few other fun tidbits: Steve Martin used to work in the magic shop here. There used to be live girls dressed like mermaids in the 2000 Leagues Under the Sea pool. Did your balloon pop? Just show any balloon seller your popped balloon and they'll give you a new one. The Imagineers put special touches everywhere. The Haunted Mansion features faces of a few of the early Imagineers and has tombstones written with inside joke references. Coke gives the park free soda to eliminate competition in the park and for the advertising. Hidden Mickeys are spread all over the park and there's at least one in every ride. Source and Source Info from Neatorama.com

Karaoke anyone?

Okay, so I'm a little old to have been involved in the Dance Dance and Karaoke Revolutions. I don't think we had any revolutions in the 70-80's. But we sure had some timeless music!

Now you can sing it! That's right, the hits of yesterday and today can be sung online, all you need is a microphone, no registration required, over at Karaokeparty.com. What a hoot!

I went for Oasis Wonderwall right away, and I must say, I sound mahvalous. It isn't the original singers like in Karaoke Revolution, but they are rather good. I dare say, if you go visit you will be amused.

Free Wifi

Here are a few fast food restaurants which offer free wi-fi. There are more being added every day, and I hope you'll add one if you don't see it here. BTW, I'm including McDonald's and Starbucks because I have ATT broadband (the cheap one) and therefore, it's free to me. Sorry if that doesn't mean you.

Burger King
Denny's
Dunkin' Donuts
IHOP
KFC
Subway
Taco Bell
Quiznos
Wendy's
CiCi's Pizza
Krystal
Panera Bread
Schlotzsky's Deli
Whole Foods Markets
McDonald's
Starbucks

Information found at Open WIFI Spots

Written at Starbucks with a cup of Sumatra Blend, Black, and an old-fashioned donut.

Mmmm, donuts.

Earth, Discovery Channel Style...

I like this. Didn't make me feel all warm inside like it was supposed to, but it was good. Sorta funny, with some very nice moments.

I liked it. The arachnid guy is my favorite. He's so soft-spoken. I like the mummy lady too. Um, and Mack from Future Weapons (BOOM-be-a-da). He he.

You can see some stars from your favorite Discovery Channel shows. Like Mythbusters.

Real-Life Superheroes

Crimefighting is my bag. Okay, not as much as it is for these guys and girls.

Welcome to the world of real-life superheroes.

That's right, there are people who wear costumes and chase bad guys, complete with martial arts skills and secret weapons. They have Leagues of Justice they belong to. A quote from the definitive website, World Superhero Registry:

A Real-Life Superhero must meet the following minimum criteria to be considered for the registry:

Costume: The purpose of a costume is not simply to protect the identity of the Real-Life Superhero from criminals that might seek revenge, but to make a statement both to the evil-doers that you fight against and to the world at large: you are not simply someone who happened upon crime or injustice and made an impulsive decision to intervene. You have vowed to actively fight for the betterment of humankind and to serve as an example for others. The costume of a Real-Life Superhero must be of sufficient quality to show some care went into it's creation.

Heroic Deeds: The purpose behind becoming a Real-Life Superhero must be for the benefit of mankind, and the Heroic Deeds must be of sufficient degree as to exceed normal everyday behavior. If proof of Heroic Deeds is not present, a listing may still be added to the Registry, however, it may be marked as "inactive" or "unconfirmed" in the description.

Personal Motivation: A Real-Life Superhero cannot be a paid representative of an organization, not even a benevolent one. The motivation to become a Real-Life Superhero must come from the individual: not an advertising gimmick or a public relations campaign.

Citizens, I love your enthusiasm. And your costumes.

Okay, I love it all. Everything. AND, I had no idea you existed.

But then, perhaps that's the way you planned it...

World Superhero Registry gallery

Another link with more info, from the grammatically challanging "Superheroes Lives."