Don, Version 2.0

Sullenberger's Flight into the Hudson: An animation

2009-11-12T10:49:00.001-05:00

WOW. This is MUST-see stuff.

Here.

Kalashnikov turns 90

2009-11-11T21:07:00.000-05:00

What's cool is that I've met this guy.

Tough Times

2009-11-09T13:11:00.001-05:00

Unemployment at over 10 percent ... mortgage rates over 13 percent ... government spending at record deficits ...

Yup ... heading into this third year, Ronald Reagan sure was a failure.

Obama haters: Get a fucking clue.

Pure, utter brilliance!

2009-11-06T14:27:00.001-05:00

Spot on!

Wow

2009-11-04T10:00:00.000-05:00

Wow. Wow. Wow.

The Color of Jazz?

2009-11-02T10:38:00.000-05:00

When you think of Jazz, as in music, what color comes to mind?

Cricket

2009-10-29T09:38:00.001-04:00

Best sport that is unknown by most Americans: Cricket.

It's exciting, civilized and world-wide.

All The Best,

-- Don

Television

2009-10-28T14:37:00.002-04:00

I recently had a mini-conversation with a guy via Twitter. He had just gotten rid of his TV and was asking what to expect.

We went about nine years without a television, from 1984 to 1994. Our children were four and two years old, and we wanted to raise them with values that were not congruent with pop culture.

In short, we succeeded. Greatly.

Some interesting things about going without a TV:

When you don't have a TV, you cannot image having one. First, you cannot image how people have the time to watch TV. You're so busy, doing things such as reading to the children, playing games, hiking in the woods, visiting an arboretum, making toys in the basement woodshop, playing badmitten, building fires outside, etc etc. Who has time to watch TV???

Another unexpected result of not having a TV is that you lose touch with popular culture. For example, someone will mentions "the Monopoly game at McDonald's", and -- because you're not watching TV ads -- you'll have no idea what they're talking about. It's really weird and kind of cool.

We got a TV in 1994 when two things intersected: the emergence of good videos for home-schooling, and the Winter Olympics.

Nothing wrong with TV; In fact, I could watch PBS, FoodTV, ESPN or NHL any time. But ditching the tube for nine-plus years was good for our family.

All The Best,

-- Don

What Changed?

2009-10-23T13:14:00.002-04:00

Monday: "You're the leading candidate for the contract position."

Today: "We went with someone else."

Okay, fine ... save a few bucks. You get what you pay for.

I need to find a company in a large city -- New York, Chicago, L.A. -- that needs some great .NET development help on a contract basis.

Help Chicago High School Students

2009-10-23T12:20:00.001-04:00

A friend, Sarah, is trying to help Chicago-area High School students.

Click here and do your part.

All The Best,

-- Don

Auto engine swap IN 32 SECONDS!!!

2009-10-23T11:55:00.001-04:00

Un-believable!!!

And I thought my brother (with some help from me) was amazing for swapping my VW Beetle's engine in 30 minutes.

Worst

2009-10-21T10:17:00.001-04:00

Worst car?

SMART car.

Why? WHY?! WHO would buy such a thing? It's not the best mileage auto, not even in it's price range.

SMART car = STUPID consumer.

Feel-Good Story

2009-10-21T09:37:00.002-04:00

Bernie Madoff's fall.

He should get along fine with the mob boss.

Stupid hype

2009-10-21T09:33:00.000-04:00

WTF?

This.

THE YEAR ISN'T EVEN OVER! ARGH!!!

Fail, Failure

2009-10-13T11:22:00.001-04:00

When does failing over and over and over equal Being A Failure?

I need to find SOMETHING at which I can succeed.

IF YOU HAVE A SOUL...

2009-10-08T10:38:00.003-04:00

If you have a soul...

If you have any sense of compassion...

If you have any connection with life...

Watch this.

All The Best,

-- Don

National Tournament this weekend?

2009-10-06T11:35:00.002-04:00

This weekend I'm participating in the Pan Am Tang Soo Do Federation's National Tournament.

I'm sparring, performing Pyung Ahn Cho Dan, and breaking.

I'm breaking two boards with a side kick, three boards with my elbow, and four boards with a hammer fist.

I'm really looking forward to it.

All The Best,

-- Don

Socialism!

2009-10-02T13:48:00.000-04:00

In order to stop Socialism in its tracks, please abstain from all of the following:

Social Security
Medicare/Medicaid
State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP)
Police, Fire, and Emergency Services
US Postal Service
Roads and Highways
Air Travel (regulated by the socialist FAA)
The US Railway System
Public Subways and Metro Systems
Public Bus and Lightrail Systems
Rest Areas on Highways
Sidewalks
All Government-Funded Local/State Projects (e.g., see Iowa 2009 federal senate appropriations--http://grassley.senate.gov/issues/upload/Master-Approps-73109.pdf)
Public Water and Sewer Services
Public and State Universities and Colleges
Public Primary and Secondary Schools
Sesame Street
Publicly Funded Anti-Drug Use Education for Children
Public Museums
Public Monuments
Libraries
Public Parks and Beaches
State and National Parks
Public Zoos
Unemployment Insurance
Municipal Garbage and Recycling Services
Treatment at Any Hospital or Clinic That Ever Received Funding From Local, State or
Federal Government (pretty much all of them)
Medical Services and Medications That Were Created or Derived From Any Government
Grant or Research Funding (again, pretty much all of them)
Socialist Byproducts of Government Investment Such as Duct Tape and Velcro (Nazi-NASA Inventions)
Use of the Internets, email, and networked computers, as the DoD's ARPANET was the basis for subsequent computer networking
Foodstuffs, Meats, Produce and Crops That Were Grown With, Fed With, Raised With or That Contain Inputs From Crops Grown With Government Subsidies
Clothing Made from Crops (e.g. cotton) That Were Grown With or That Contain Inputs From Government Subsidies
VA Benefits (if a Veteran)

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/28/mom-goes-blind-so-her-dau_n_301947.html

Disney's Multiplane Camera

2009-09-24T09:51:00.002-04:00

Walt Disney was a genius who hired other geniuses.

Check out the Multiplane Camera that they invented. Brilliant.

Innovation at its best.

All The Best,

-- Don

Kaleb Eulls, Today's "Best Person In The World"

2009-09-03T10:58:00.002-04:00

Tackles gun-toting girl on school bus.

Thanks, Kaleb!

Joke Time

2009-08-28T13:47:00.001-04:00

An old country preacher had a teenage son, and it was getting time the boy should give some thought to choosing a profession. Like many young men his age, the boy didn't really know what he wanted to do, and he didn't seem too concerned about it. One day, while the boy was away at school, his father decided to try an experiment. He went into the boy's room and placed on his study table four objects:

1. A Bible.

2. A silver dollar.

3. A bottle of whiskey.

4. A Playboy magazine.

'I'll just hide behind the door," the old preacher said to himself.
"When he comes home from school today, I'll see which object he picks up.

"If it's the Bible, he's going to be a preacher like me, and what a blessing that would be!

"If he picks up the dollar, he's going to be a business man, and that would be okay, too.

"But if he picks up the bottle, he's going to be a no-good drunken bum, and Lord, what a shame that would be.

"And worst of all if he picks up that magazine he's going to be a skirt-chasing womanizer."

The old man waited anxiously, and soon heard his son's foot-steps as he entered the house whistling and heading for his room. The boy tossed his books on the bed, and as he turned to leave the room he spotted the objects on the table. With curiosity in his eye, he walked over to inspect them.

Finally, he picked up the Bible and placed it under his arm. He picked up the silver dollar and dropped into his pocket. He uncorked the bottle and took a big drink, while he admired the magazine's centerfold.

"Lord have mercy," the old preacher disgustedly whispered. "He's gonna run for Congress..."

The Economy, The Future...

2009-08-17T09:42:00.002-04:00

The economy will most likely go through some recovery in the next 12 months. Many experts predict the recovery will be mild. You know, the same experts what whiffed on predicting the recession.

Somewhere, somehow, there's going to be a huge opportunity for income in all this. I have no idea where it is, but it will be there. My goal, your goal, is to be creative and find that niche.

There's always an upside.

All The Best,

-- Don

Now. NOW, DAMMIT ... NOW!

2009-08-11T08:47:00.000-04:00

Live your best life NOW! You have no guarantees of the future. If there's something you want to accomplish, GET STARTED. NOW. RIGHT NOW.

Keeping A Good Attitude

2009-07-15T11:02:00.002-04:00

When everything's going wrong and there seems to be ZERO relief in sight, that's when it's most important to be Positive, Grateful ... keep a Good Attitude.

Obviously, it's easy to be "up" when things are going your way.

It's when there appears to be no hope that you must have Faith. It is then that you must stop your mind, catching negative thoughts, and turn them into positive motivation.

Limbaugh: Racist?!

2009-06-19T14:01:00.001-04:00

Rush Limbaugh repeatedly refers to President Obama as a "man-child".

Rush, why don't you just come right out and call him "boy" and get it over with?