Cap'n Scurvy's Treasure Chest

Wow, look at all the dust!

2011-02-22T18:10:00.002-05:00

Ok, it's been a while. Let's see if I can get this stuff off the ground again.

Just for fun, here is a list of albums I always want to have a hard copy of in today's digital age of uncertainty.

(not particularly in order...)

Moody Blues- Days of Future Passed. (on a side note I have to wonder what the lyrics to this would be like were it written in today's society)

Tom Waits- Nighthawks at the Diner (actually his entire catalog, but...)

Morphine- Cure for Pain

Santana- Caravanserai

Dr. John's Gumbo

Frank Zappa- Sheik Yerboutti

Johnny Cash- Live at Folsom Prison

Marty Robbins- Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs

The Cramps- Stay Sick

anything by Fela Kuti

...ok, that's enough random thoughts for now.

later

Lux Interior R.I.P

2009-02-08T22:10:00.002-05:00

Lux Interior, the awesomely ghoulish frontman for sleazed-up New York rockabilly OGs the Cramps, died today in Glendale, California, as the Daily Swarm reports and an official statement confirms. He suffered from a heart condition. UPDATE: Though various publications list different ages for Interior at the time of his death, his publicist confirms that he was 62.

Interior, born Eric Lee Purkhiser, formed the Cramps with his wife, Kristy "Poison Ivy" Wallace, in 1976. Although the band played CBGB a lot and was a part of the whole NYC birth-of-punk thing, but they didn't really fit in with pummelers like the Ramones and the Dictators or art-school types like Television and Blondie. Their sound was a slow, deranged, almost sensual take on 50s rockabilly: lots of guitar fuzz, no bass, tempos slowed to a slithery crawl. Before even the Misfits, the Cramps jammed their songs full of allusions to trash culture and long-forgotten B-movies.

The chemistry between Interior's halting, insinuating growl and Ivy's snakey surf-informed guitar lines remains one of the great iconic pairings in American underground rock. The Cramps even coined the term "psychobilly." Their 1981 sophomore album Psychedelic Jungle is a very serious must-have.

Onstage, Interior was always a proud member of the Iggy Pop school of self-sacrificing showman: climbing all over the stage, stripping down, rolling on the ground, generally showing no regard for his physical well-being. But he also had absolutely nuts timing and some truly great, theatrical facial expressions. He was a showman, not a performance-artist. And no less an authority than Ian MacKaye has often named a late-70s Cramps gig at a DC college as a hugely formative influence on the DC hardcore scene, even though those bands really couldn't have sounded more different than the Cramps' greasy throb.

Over the Cramps' three decades years of existence, Interior and Ivy plowed through a small army of supporting musicians, always remaining as the band's center. Against all odds, the band remained active up until very recently, though they weren't playing live shows too often anymore.

(Thank you for the pic Rev. Frost)

What I have been doing lately...

2008-12-01T20:35:00.004-05:00

Besides form coming down from my second favorite holiday (I want another Thanksgiving), and having a birthday a couple weeks back. 34 now...halfway to 68. Hooray! I have been working (as usual) and playing my bass. (love it!), but my latest thing has been the purchase of a 75 gallon fishtank. I always loved keeping fishes, and the largest tank I ever had was a 15 gal. one. I always wanted a huge tank, and this was the largest one I could find. In a few years I may try to do a saltwater tank, but for now I am raising African Cichlids. These are a fish I always wanted to try keeping. Given their variety and bright colors, they resemble a saltwater fish, and the way I have the tank set up it looks like one now. ...so anyway I got 10 of them the other day, and we are having a great time watching and feeding etc. them. Van loves it when they come over to say 'hi' which this type of fish will do with very little prompting.

The Alphabet Meme

2008-11-10T17:28:00.003-05:00

The Rules

1. Pick one film to represent each letter of the alphabet.

2. The letter "A" and the word "The" do not count as the beginning of a film's title, unless the film is simply titled A or The, and I don't know of any films with those titles.

3. Return of the Jedi belongs under "R," not "S" as in Star Wars Episode IV: Return of the Jedi. This rule applies to all films in the original Star Wars trilogy; all that followed start with "S." Similarly, Raiders of the Lost Ark belongs under "R," not "I" as in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Conversely, all films in the LOTR series belong under "L" and all films in the Chronicles of Narnia series belong under "C," as that's what those filmmakers called their films from the start. In other words, movies are stuck with the titles their owners gave them at the time of their theatrical release. Use your better judgement to apply the above rule to any series/films not mentioned.

4. Films that start with a number are filed under the first letter of their number's word. 12 Monkeys would be filed under "T."

5. Link back to Blog Cabins in your post so that I can eventually type "alphabet meme" into Google and come up #1, then make a post where I declare that I am the King of Google.

Attack of the Clones
Brazil
Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death
Dawn of the Dead
Escape from New York
From Hell
Gone in Sixty Seconds (no the Nicholas Cage one)
Hell Comes to Frogtown
Ice Pirates
Justice League of America (like they'll ever get it together enough to make it...)
Kull
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Mad Max
The Neverending Story
Once Upon a Time in America
Planet of the Apes
The Quick and the Dead
Rushmore
Sin City
Taxi Driver
Underworld
The Van
Watchmen
X-Men
Yellow Submarine
Zulu

A Capella Wars

2008-11-03T20:42:00.001-05:00

This is great!

Characters of Deadwood: Al Swearengen, Dan Dorrity, and Dolly the whore.

2008-11-01T13:16:00.002-05:00

One of the best characters on the show, Al Swearengen, and his right hand man Dan (complete with knife). Also Dolly the whore is in this picture... if you know what I mean....

On a side note, I wasn't completely happy with this one, as it was my first one, so there will likely be another picture of Al in the future.

Characters of Deadwood: Doc fucking Cochran

2008-11-01T13:15:00.003-05:00

One of my favorites, Doc Cochran. Expertly played by Brad Dourif.

This drawing in particular shows one of my influences... R. Crumb.

Characters of Deadwood: Mr Wu

2008-11-01T13:10:00.002-05:00

I am starting a new feature here. This is going to be quick (less than 1 hr) sketches of
characters from one of my favorite shows, "Deadwood". Since the show had such a huge cast, I have a rather large ensemble to draw from. The first I am presenting is "Mr. Wu", boss of the area known as "Chink's Alley". JUst don't end up in his pig pen...

Van of the Week: Starfire

2008-10-23T19:17:00.006-05:00

Wow. Verily I am sucking at posting lately. I just can't seem to get it together enough to pop in here much any more. I guess real life takes precedence sometimes eh? Well, if anyone is still reading this, here is another featured van of mine. This was taken at the Nats this year in Ill. What we have here is the van "Starfire". It is a mid-Dodge Maxivan, which has had several major modifications done to the body (such as the chop above the front seats), thus landing it in the class of a radical custom. As a matter of fact it is the oldest surviving radical custom van still on the road. In the seventies it graced the covers and interiors of many of the top van magazines, some of which were laid out on the floor as a display. It was truly a cool thing to see this old survivor in person, and knowing it's still out there truckin' gives me hope that mine will be around for a long time to come. Enjoy the pics.

What I was doing 10 years ago today

2008-10-05T19:09:00.002-05:00

Today is the 10th anniversary of the day I closed on my house. I can't believe it's been 10 years! Damn I feel old, but that's beside the point. I can't believe I was a 23 yr old home owner. That is virtually unheard of now. Anyway, I have had a great past decade in the house, and I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. I love this house.
Another thing I love is being a Mainer. Don't know why, but I get a little gooofy about it sometimes. Anyway, to celebrate the event we had a little dinner here today and it consisted of 10 lobsters, potato salad, apple pie (I made last night from apples off one of the trees out back), and blueberry scones. Also I had Sea Dog Blueberry Ale, and Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale. Can't get much more "Maine" that this folks. (Unless i threw some clams or mussels in the mix) ...actually there was homeade clam dip too, and it was delicious.

I thought I had a decent picture of the outside of the house, but nope. Maybe next time.

Happy (late) Hobbit Day!

2008-09-26T05:05:00.001-05:00

OK, I missed it again this year. Hobbit Day is celebrated on Sept. 22 and is the birthday of Bilbo Baggins, and the day that Frodo and Sam set out from the Shire on their quest to destroy the ring of power. In celebration of that....

Here's Leonard Nimoy singing "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins"

Drainage Fail

2008-08-22T20:58:00.001-05:00

I just saw this on Failblog, and I don't think I have laughed this hard in a long time as when I saw this.

Van of the Week: Pirates of the Caribean

2008-08-20T18:55:00.014-05:00

Ok, enough of the ELO related posts (although I can't promise we won't visit Jeff's garden again sometime...) Back to the "Van of the Week" feature. This week I am featuring my new favorite van, a 3rd generation Ford named "Pirates of the Caribean".
This is an old show van from the late 70's and 80's that has had a recent exterior facelift/theme. While the theme before was a nautical one (my favorite!) the new owners decided to put a very expensive and expertly excecuted mural on the exterior featuring the "Pirates of the Caribean" trilogy. Holy shit did the level of skill on this blow me away! To the pictures mates, for they tell it better than I can...

While the exterior of the van features quite a bit of custom woodwork such as tail light bezels, side marker lights (which were super cool!), running boards, and frames for the bay windows...

to me the real focal point was the amazing paint work that was done. Look at the faces of the main characters! Often times when photographing vehicles, they come out looking better than in person, but believe me, this was just as stunning from 6 inches away.

The side marker lights as I mentioned earlier, were filled in with wood, and little "lanterns" protruded from them. They had a piece of colored glass in them for a lens, which projected the light when it is illuminated.

Inside the van, the wood work was no less stunning. Expertly done and finished off in satin varnish, you feel like you are in a high end yacht (which I have been in a few of, and trust me on this one, they got it right) or in a cathedral. Unfortunately I couldn't get a good shot of the rear of the interior, but there was a settee across the back that was just amazing. It also features a rear mounted camera which was displayed on a monitor that dropped down from the headliner.

"Davy Jones I presume... ?"(not the Monkee :) ) Also a good pic of one of the side marker lights.

I was trying to get a good picture of the battle with boat and beastie, but in this one you can make out the edge of the rear settee.

Running boards that had some scroll like deatils ran the length of this van. Again check out the mural on the door. Beautiful work that! (don't look too close tho or you'll see me in the reflection!)

The driver/passenger seat matches the rear settee. Hand made capitans chairs, with lift up arm rests cap off the cockpit of this vessel. Also an incredible center console finishes the top of the doghouse off.

The rear features a portrait of none other than Cap'n Jack Sparrow!

Here is an overall worms eye view of how the van appeared on the show field.

There you have it. "Pirates of the Caribean". One of the cleanest, best themed show vans I have seen. When I think of a full blown custom survivior, this is it. I hope you have enjoyed seeing it as much as I enjoyed presenting it. Until next time when I will be featuring a radical custom, later.

JEFF'S SECRET GARDEN WITH JEFF LYNNE and Paul McCartney

2008-08-17T19:34:00.001-05:00

I love ELO, and I have to say this is one of the funniest things I have come across in a while. The other viedos by this person are worth a watch. The "Jeff Lynne Storyteller" series are a riot.

Enjoy!

ELO - Mr.Blue Sky (Original Promo)

2008-08-15T21:46:00.003-05:00

How 'bout a little more ELO? Gotta love this song. One of my favorites.

ELO - In the hall of the mountain king, Great balls of fire

2008-08-15T21:46:00.001-05:00

How 'bout a little ELO? Enjoy. :)

tecnical difficulties

2008-08-03T19:22:00.001-05:00

I seems to be having some troubles posting here, so if a bunch of duplicate posts appear, I apologize.

dammit

2008-07-29T19:40:00.002-05:00

Ok, here's the deal. This awesome hoodie was going to be made by 80sTees.com, who also makes other super hero hoodies, and then the said they weren't unless they had a guaranteed 150-200 pre orders.

A page has been set up by F.O.A.M (Friends of Aquaman) member Eric Stettmeier to do just this. Simply click the link and go over to It's a Cold Day in Atlantis to have your voice heard. Don't let this hoodie die before it's made!

For more information on this story, check out Rob's Aquaman Shrine!

A recent vantoon

2008-07-24T20:20:00.004-05:00

Here is a recent drawing I have done of the classic van Nautilus. This is a multi-show winning van from back in the 70's that graced the cover of many magazines, and was recently restored by a vanner from PA. It has had several different paint schemes over the years, and the roof was chopped when the van had less than 40 miles on it! But I digress, and I intend to feature this one as a van of the week feature soon.

Here is a couple of pictures I snapped of Nautilus at the Nats last week.

The interior... with the drawing on display. :D

2008-07-22T20:48:00.002-05:00

To paraphrase Samwise Gamgee ..."well, I'm back".

I just wanted to let you know posting will resume shortly after I rest up from a 2900 mile round trip. It's good to be home where it's cool, cuz damn it was hot there....

Talk to you soon.

2008-07-10T20:12:00.002-05:00

Ok, God willing I am off to this years Nats in Altamont, Ill. I won't be back online until around the 24th of July. I'll be back with pictures, and tales of adventure of vanning across half the country. Hopefully after that I will have a little more time to post things. Take it easy all.

Waaaaay cooler looking than a Segway

2008-07-06T13:29:00.003-05:00

I pinched this article from over at Dvice. This is so much better than those dorky looking Segways. God, I super mega loathe those things. This I'd ride however.

"Witness the UnoCycle, a single-wheel (technically single-axle), single-rider vehicle that appears to be based on gyroscopic tech similar to a Segway and, more importantly, has photographic evidence of its existence. Of guys riding it and everything. You can see them by following the gallery link below.

Still in development, the Uno's top speed is 15 mph, but the inventor, Ben Gulak, suspects it could go as high as 40. That's no Harley, but it's faster than a Segway, and remember this is a battery-powered machine that you never need to fill up. Gulak says he's getting lots of interest lately."

Futurama cast

2008-06-29T19:26:00.004-05:00

I found this super cool picture of the cast of Futurama, and thought it needed sharing. Which leads me to wonder... where are the new episodes already????

In case anyone is wondering, my favorite episode is the one where they discover the lost city of Atlanta.

Favorite quote (and I find myself saying it all the time... especially when I find toads around the house or wherever...)
"All glory to the Hypno-Toad!!"

oh yeah... click through for a larger version.

Funny German Forklift Video (With English Subtitles)

2008-06-21T16:01:00.001-05:00

God damn is this ever funny!

Laws of Piracy!

2008-06-11T19:00:00.002-05:00

Here's the laws of being a pirate...which strangely enough I pirated from another site! Harrrr har harrrrrr!!!!

A pirate does not ask for directions. He relies only on his gut feeling, a compass, or a treasure map.

Parrots are the preferred pirate companion. Monkeys are an acceptable substitute, unless they fling their feces at people. Then they are an awesome substitute.

When fishing, a pirate uses either a sword, a knife, or his bare hands. Use of a hook is only acceptable in the event the pirate is missing a hand.

Pirates shall always wear boots, except in the case of a peg leg. Then one boot is acceptable. Flip-flops are right out.

Pirates do not cry, except in the case of the loss of a shipload of rum.

When describing the size of a treasure, a pirate is required to exaggerate by at least 130%. Flowers are not treasure under any circumstances, unless said flowers are made out of gold.

A pirate shall never wear lipstick, nail polish, or capri pants. Actually, that kinda goes without saying.

No pirate shall discuss his feelings, unless his feelings include gutting a man from stem to stern and spilling his entrails.

A pirate should always remove his hat in the presence of a bartender.

During a swordfight, swordfighting insults are required. In the event both participants are still alive at the end of the fight, the participant with the superior insults shall be declared the victor.

No pirate shall ever wear a "fanny pack".

All foods prepared by a pirate must include rum, grog, or beer. Boone's and other "Wench Punch" is prohibited.

A pirate may never compliment another pirate on the softness of his hands.

No pirate shall wear a bracelet or a necklace, unless it is the tooth or tusk of an animal he killed. If in the presence of cannibals, a necklace is acceptable camouflage, but only if said necklace is made of human toes.

Pirate Law: Dousing oneself in beer is a perfectly acceptable replacement for a shower.

No pirate shall drink Grog out of a glass. Grog is only to be consumed either straight from the barrel, or from a mug heavy enough to to kill a man.

Three-cornered hats, headbands and bandanas are the only acceptable headwear for pirates. Fedoras, bowler derbies, baseball caps, mickey ears, top hats, sombreros, or anything with lace and flowers will be removed from the vessel-- head included. A grace period of one minute is allowed for hats looted from a tailory.

A pirate shall never wrap presents. The only thing a pirate gives is a bludgerin'.

Pirate Law: A pirate does not use the word "Fabulous". Ever.

No pirate shall attend a movie with less than an Arrrr rating.

Only a pirate is capable of killing another pirate. If you are not a pirate (let's say a ninja) and wish to challenge a pirate, they have a word for that. Corpse.

Pirate Law: "ARRRRRRRRRRR..." is a perfectly acceptable answer to any question.

A pirate does not "go shopping". Unless by "shopping", you mean "killing".

Peglegs must be made of timber or some other suitable wood. Plastic, ceramic, porcelain, or metal peglegs are utterly unnacceptable, simply because it complicates the use of the phrase "shiver me timbers".

Real pirates have chest hair. If you cannot grow chest hair, you may be a cabin boy.

Under no circumstances is a comb-over an acceptable pirate hairdo.

No pirate may ever change his shirt because it is "wrinkled". A pirate may only change his shirt if it is completely soaked in blood.

When drinking, Pirates may sing. "Fifteen Men on a Dead Man's Chest" is preferred. Kelly Clarkson songs are not allowed.

No pirate shall ever drive a minivan, unless he drives the minivan into a tavern, for the purposes of looting barrels of rum from said tavern. Upon completion of this task, the minivan is to be burned. No exceptions.

No matter how hard it is raining, two pirates may never share an umbrella. Pirates do not fear rain.

If circumstances demand a career change, a move into real estate brokerage or tax collection shall be considered a lateral move and said individual may keep their pirate status.

A pirate does not snuggle with an animal, unless he is trying to snap its neck. But I guess that wouldn't really be "snuggling".

A pirate may never wear another man's clothing, unless he first kills that man.

Two pirates must never share a bed or a hammock. It is perfectly acceptable for one pirate to sleep on the floor, or on a pile of treasure.

Pirates do not wear eyeglasses or bifocals unless they are looking at a treasure map, and even then they are allowed only a monacle. Any comments about "Mr. Peanut" while wearing the monacle are prohibited.

When setting out on a voyage, a pirate does not pack a suitcase. He is only to bring what he can carry under his arms, or what his wench can carry on her back.

A pirate does not mow the lawn. Lawns are for landlubbers.

Lifting or removing one's eyepatch is extremely impolite but is not considered an insult. It's just kinda gross. Likewise, one should never remove another pirate's eyepatch, except with a sword to the face.

Pirates never use the words "fresh" or "feelings," and certainly not together (as in "I have that not-so-fresh feeling").

A pirate must never visit a tanning salon. If he is not already tan enough from searching for treasure, he hasn't been searching hard enough.

While creativity is encouraged during any barfight or battle at sea, pirates may only use the following types of sword; falchions, scimitars, rapiers, and particularly long knives. Katanas or any other Ninja sword are strictly forbidden, unless the Pirate rips off a Ninja's arm and hurls the arm, and attached Katana, as a projectile.

No pirate shall ever sit on a toilet seat, for any reason.

Kidnapping is an acceptable substitute for killing, but only if it is for the purpose of plank walking at a later time.

When swimming, pirates do not dive. They cannonball.

Cannoneers aboard a pirate vessel are not allowed to use hearing protection of any sort. No matter what the OSHA regulations say, if ye can't stand bleedin' from the ears, you have no business being a Pirate.

A pirate will never wear a patch that is any other color than black; unless it's halloween. then they can wear a patch with an eyeball painted on the outside. Polka dots are not permitted under any circumstances.

Female pirates are allowed some exception to rules concerning hygiene and garmentry, but must make up for it by using twice as much profanity.

Hooks are the only acceptable hand substitute. However, they may not have secondary attachments such as screwdrivers, bottle openers, corkscrews, or nail files. These are Pirates we're talking about, not Inspector Gadget.

A pirate's diet consists mainly of meat. If at sea, and meat is not available, shoe leather is an acceptable replacement.

Pirate Law: You can't spell pirate, without "irate". There's a reason for that, so don't even try.

No pirate will ever, ever raise his pinky when drinking any sort of beverage.

Pirate Law: When choosing clothing, even if it looks dirty, or smells dirty, it is clean.

A pirate may ride in a rowboat, if traveling to or from his ship. Use of a Kayak is only permitted if used for cannon target practice.

When drinking rum, the only thing a pirate adds to the rum is more rum.

The official Pirate religion is Pastafarianism.

No pirate shall ever play wiffle ball.

Under no circumstances does a pirate speak with a Ninja, unless he first decapitates that Ninja and uses his head like a sock puppet.

When at the office, answering the telephone with "Arrrrrrr" is perfectly acceptable for pirates. Other acceptable choices are "Avast!", and "Ahoy Matey!"

A Pirate does not read poetry, unless said poetry is scrawled on the wall of a bathroom.

All women are to be referred to as wenches, with the exception of female Pirates, who can be referred to as "lass".

Pirates do not clean up, except when gold falls out of a treasure chest.

Spilling rum is not acceptable, except in the act of "pouring some out for dead mateys".

A pirate may tell any tale of swashbuckling without being called on the details, as long as at least 51% of the story is true.

A pirate may never shave below the neck. Shaving above the neck is allowed, but only if the pirate shaves his entire head. In the presence of cannibals, a mohawk is acceptable.

No pirate may do the arm movements for "YMCA", or engage in country-western line-dancing.

Pirates do not say "please" or "thank you". The phrase "Arrr, I'll probably kill you tomorrow" is an acceptable alternative for "Thank you".

Should the ship's bow have a carving of a naked wench, mermaid, or something of the like, crew members should not touch it. Feeling up a wooden statue is unbecoming of a pirate.

Pirates do not "IM". The only instant message allowed is a sword through the chest.

Dental Hygiene for Pirates is not a priority. Should there be occasion, however, strong rum or salt water can be used as mouthwash. Anything "minty fresh" is strictly forbidden.

Pirates never, ever obey laws. Period. Ironic, I realize.

Back from Lost

2008-05-26T19:19:00.009-05:00

Welcome back. I am back form my weekend van trip to Lost Memorial Day Weekend. I had a great time, partied with some great vanners, saw some killer rides, and as always, it was over too soon. Now to get ready for the Nats!
My new trailer worked great, made for worse mileage (by about 2mpg...whatever), but not having all our stuff piled up in the van so as not to be able to move made the trade off worth while. Here's a few pics to enjoy.

This classic van now sports a new coat of art done by my friend Guy (who sadly did not make it this year) Why I didn't get a picture of the new mural... well, they were parked a little close during the show, and I didn't catch up the rest of the weekend, so I now have a new mission. Get a pic of the Eagle's new paint!

This one features some awesome stained glass portholes.

This is the van Visions. Truly an excellent example of an updated classic. The body is a mid Ford, but the nose features headlights from a modern era Chevy pickup. Awesome body work on this one.

Visions interior.
What the?!? That top wasn't chopped last year!! Still an amazing van, and the funny part is it's the owners work truck!

Hey I even made the light show this year! All in all I have to say I had a great time, and special thanks go out to my friends in Moon Lite Vans of Reading PA. for letting me park with them. (and not kidnapping Finnegan! :D ) See you in Altamont in July!

Let's shoot some zombies!

2008-05-17T12:30:00.003-05:00

Check out this cool zombie game I just found out on the internets!

clicky here

Vans in Ads: Ford Econoline Van 1970's Bachelor Pad

2008-05-16T16:42:00.001-05:00

Let's end this little theme week with an actual commercial from the 70's for the Econoline. Gotta love this one!

Vans in Ads: Vonage

2008-05-15T19:58:00.001-05:00

My favorite ad from the Vonage ones! I love that they used a killer early Econline in thier ads, but they seem to have done away with that now. Too bad.

Vans in Ads: Alltel TV ad - Wizard

2008-05-14T15:19:00.002-05:00

Ok, so these guys in no way represent vanners. They are pretty much just dorks with a van. Not really helping our image much, but I have to say these ads do make me laugh. I love the way the wizard goes "uuuuuoooh, it's YOU guys..." Props to Altell for making the van a central theme in their ads tho... even if it is a spoof of another phone companies ads... which we'll see tomorrow.

One side note that bugs me regarding this van tho... that door clearly came from another van. The way the mural abruptly stops at the jambs and the fact that it is a completely different shade of brown really stand out and bother me.

Vans in Ads: Guitar Hero 2 Xbox 360 TV Ad

2008-05-13T20:34:00.001-05:00

Ok, I admit, I have never played the game, and I think learning how to play a real guitar is much cooler (sorry GH fans), I have to tip my hat to the fact that the animators of this ad not only included a van, but it was a radical custom! A tandem! Sooooo the bomb!

Vans in Ads: Diet Pepsi

2008-05-12T16:57:00.001-05:00

Here's another from a few years ago. I love the looks this guy gets when he rolls up in the van. ...seems vaguely familiar somehow.

Never was a big "Loverboy" fan tho...

Van's in ads: Stride Gum

2008-05-11T18:48:00.001-05:00

Thought i'd do a bit of a theme week. Lately it seems as though 70's style custom vans have been used a lot in advertising. The latest is one for Stride Gum. I love that the included this classic looking mid-Ford in the ad, especially as it has NOTHING to do with the product, and is only used as a getaway van for their hijinks. Enjoy.

Van of the Week: Miss Behavin'

2008-05-10T18:15:00.006-05:00

Wow. Been a while since I've done one of these posts! I guess since it's getting back to vannin' season for me (2 weeks from today I'll be coolin' my heels at Lost Memorial Day Weekend in Greenwich NY. Can't wait!)

Anyhoo, this classic mid-Ford van entitled Miss Behavin' which was used by by a company called J&J in their ads back in the 70's, was until recently delegated to guarding the inside of the barn it was sitting in for many years. The owner wanted $1800.00 for it. (where are these deals when i have the money????) It's now owned proudly by a midwest vanner. I am looking forward to seeing it in person at the Nats this year in Altamont Il.
Seriously, this thing is a gorgeous time capsule. Glad it was saved and will be back at shows.

Thor movie

2008-05-10T11:52:00.003-05:00

I just read a pretty interesting article regarding the recent sucess of superhero movies, and the majorites of them being Marvel characters. Having been a DC fan first off, I have been wondering "where are the DC movies?" THis article explains a bit. I have to say I was looking forward to the upcoming Justice League film. Bummer it's on hold.

On a side note, if they were to make a Aquaman film, and took the direction mentioned in the article that would suck. He already gets little respect, and that would just worsen things. His story would make a great film, as he has a rich history, backstory, and supporting cast. Not to mention it would have the potential to be visually amazing.

from E!Online:

"So, if you're Superman, and you heard this week that Thor—Thor!—got a release date for his movie, do you wonder what on your adopted planet you have to do to get on the calendar?

The answer might be: Be a Marvel character.

This week, hot off Iron Man's $102-million opening weekend, Marvel issued a "partial" list of eight upcoming superhero movies, everything from Iron Man 2 to Thor. All but Ant-Man had scheduled release dates.

Meanwhile, rival DC Comics' characters, from Aquaman to Wonder Woman, and with the very large exception of Batman, remain in various stages of, if you'll pardon the vulgar Hollywood expression, development.

"I really don't see a big difference between the potential of Marvel versus DC characters on the big screen," wrote Mike Voiles, editor of Mike's Amazing World of DC Comics, in an email interview.

Well, actually, there is one big difference, as comic experts like Voiles are quick point out: Marvel is its own entity, cutting its own deals, and even financing its own movies. DC Comics is a subsidiary of Warner Bros.

"Even higher profile DC properties have to fight through other Warner priorities and projects to get made," Voiles wrote.

To Jim Littler, webmaster of ComicBookMovie.com, the long-planned Wonder Woman movie is a prime example of the superhuman challenges a DC superhero can face.

"Warner Bros. was able to get Joss Whedon at the helm—AND THEN THEY REJECTED HIS SCRIPT! Joss Whedon of Firefly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and more!" Littler wrote in an email. "I'll bet the DC people were crying when that fell apart."

More than a decade ago, it was Marvel heroes who were having all the rotten luck in Hollywood. Spider-Man wasn't much more than a 1970s TV washout. The Fantastic Four were fit for an unreleased Roger Corman B-movie. Captain America was singed in a direct-to-video bomb.

Now, it's DC's turn. While the comic giant's characters continue to be huge small-screen players, on Smallville and in various animated series, they're getting swamped by Marvel's gang at the multiplex. Superman vs. Batman was scrapped. Justice League of America fell apart. And all sorts of cape- and tight-wearers are cooling their boots—even Superman, who's doesn't yet have a definitive start date for his next movie, two years after Superman Returns grossed $200 million.

According to Littler, DC's troubles have nothing to do with DC's characters.

"Many comic fans think DC has a much stronger lineup than Marvel does," Littler said. "I can think of at least three or four more franchises that they haven't even touched yet that could be as big as anything Marvel has put out."

Few, in fact, expect any comic-book movie to be bigger this summer than The Dark Knight, starring DC's own Batman (with an assist from Christian Bale). Filmmaker Christopher Nolan's much-anticipated Batman Begins sequel opens July 18.

Even in star-crossed times for his JLA colleagues, the Caped Crusader reigns. "I've never run into any comics fan who doesn't like Batman," Littler said.

Now, if only some of his mojo could rub off on the Green Lantern.

Here's a look at some of the upcoming Marvel-based movies, and their scheduled release dates, per the company:

* The Incredible Hulk (June 13)
* Punisher: War Zone (Dec. 5)
* X-Men Origins: Wolverine (May 1, 2009)
* Iron Man 2 (April 30, 2010)
* Thor (June 4, 2010)
* The First Avenger: Captain America (working title) (May 6, 2011)
* The Avengers (July 2011)
* Ant-Man (no announced date)

And here's a look at the statuses of some of the planned DC-based movies, per ComicBookMovie.com:

* Aquaman: "According to Comic Book Resources, the producers want to make a screwball comedy of it."
* The Flash: Wedding Crashers' David Dobkin was signed to direct last year.
* Green Lantern: Greg Berlanti (Brothers & Sisters, Eli Stone) is writing a script; Jack Black won't star—at least he promised as much back in 2006.
* Justice League of America: "Tabled."
* Superman: The Man of Steel: Director Bryan Singer's on board. Superman Returns star Brandon Routh's on board. Filming might begin "early next year," per Routh, who admittedly doesn't have the power to schedule such things.
* Wonder Woman: "Sitting uncomfortably on the backburner."

Apocalypse Yum!

2008-05-09T18:25:00.003-05:00

My favorite on line comic "Breakfast of the Gods" has just begun book three "Apocalypse Yum". I beleive this is third in a trilogy. If you haven't checked this out it's well worth it. I have posted links to one and two respectively, and they are available from the site itself. Dig in and enjoy!

Apocalypse Yum

Jean Baudin - Legend of Zelda Theme

2008-04-30T19:11:00.001-05:00

More of Jean Baudin's incredible 11 string Bass.(I posted him playig the "Mario" theme some time back)
This time playing the theme to my favorite game series ever... "Zelda". Awesome. Clip's too short tho.

I AM IRON MAN!!

2008-04-30T19:02:00.003-05:00

I am really looking forward to the new Iron Man film which is coming out this week. Check out this article I just found. KIck Ass!!!!
(gotta admit the "Cyberdyne" thing is a little creepy tho)

The prospect of slipping into a robotic exoskeleton that could enhance strength, keep the body active while recovering from an injury or even serve as a prosthetic limb has great appeal. Unlike the svelt body armor donned by Iron Man, however, most exoskeletons to date have looked more like clunky spare parts cobbled together.

Japan's CYBERDYNE, Inc. is hoping to change that with a sleek, white exoskeleton now in the works that it says can augment the body's own strength or do the work of ailing (or missing) limbs. The company is confident enough in its new technology to have started construction on a new lab expected to mass-produce up to 500 robotic power suits (think Star Wars storm trooper without the helmet) annually, beginning in October, according to Japan's Kyodo News Web site.

CYBERDYNE was launched in June 2004 to commercialize the cybernetic work of a group of researchers headed by Yoshiyuki Sankai a professor of system and information engineering at Japan's University of Tsukuba. Its newest product: the Robot Suit Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) exoskeleton, which the company created to help train doctors and physical therapists, assist disabled people, allow laborers to carry heavier loads, and aid in emergency rescues. A prototype of the exoskeleton suit is designed for the small in stature, standing five feet, three inches (1.6 meters) tall. The suit weighs 50.7 pounds (23 kilograms) and is powered by a 100-volt AC battery (that lasts up to five hours, depending upon how much energy the suit exerts). By way of comparison, a lower-body exoskeleton developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab's Biomechatronics Group is powered by a 48-volt battery pack and weighs about 26 pounds (11.8 kilograms).

CYBERDYNE (which film buffs will recognize as the name of the company that built the ill-fated "Skynet" in the Terminator movies) designed the HAL exoskeleton primarily to enhance the wearer's existing physical capabilities 10-fold. The exoskeleton detects—via a sensor attached to the wearer's skin—brain signals sent to muscles to get them moving. The exoskeleton's computer analyzes these signals to determine how it must move (and with how much force) to assist the wearer. The company claims on its Web site that the device can also operate autonomously (based on data stored in its computer), which is key when used by people suffering spinal cord injuries or physical disabilities resulting from strokes or other disorders.

The HAL exoskeleton is currently only available in Japan, but the company says it has plans to eventually offer it in the European Union as well. The company will rent (no option to buy at this time) the suits for about $1,300 per month (including maintenance and upgrades), according to the company's site, which also says that rental fees will vary: Health care facilities and other businesses renting the suits will pay about three times as much as individuals. The site does not explain why, and the company could not be reached for comment.

CYBERDYNE is not the only company developing exoskeleton technology. The U.S. Army is in the very early stages of testing an aluminum exoskeleton created by Sarcos, a Salt Lake City robotics and medical device manufacturer (and a division of defense contractor Raytheon), to improve soldiers' strength and endurance. The exoskeleton is made of a combination of sensors, actuators and controllers, and can help the wearer lift 200 pounds several hundred times without tiring, the company said Wednesday in a press release. The company also claims the suit is agile enough to play soccer and climb stairs and ramps.

But there are still many kinks that must be worked out before HAL or any other exoskeleton become part of everyday life. Exoskeletons work in parallel with human muscles, serving as an artificial system that helps the body overcome inertia and gravity, says Hugh Herr, principal investigator for M.I.T.'s Biomechatronics Group, which is developing a light, low-power exoskeleton that straps to a person's waist, legs and feet. Wearers' feet go into boots attached to a series of metal tubes that run up a leg to a backpack. The device transfers the backpack's payload from the back of the wearer to the ground.

One of the difficulties in developing exoskeletons for health care is the diversity of medical needs they must meet. "One might have knee and ankle problems, others might have elbow problems," Herr says. "How in the world do you build a wearable robot that accommodates a lot of people?"

There are also concerns about the exoskeleton discouraging rehabilitation by doing all of the work of damaged limbs that might benefit from even limited use. "If the orthotic does everything," Herr says, "the muscle degrades, so you want the orthotic to do just the right amount of work."

Power efficiency could also become an issue, given that the HAL moves thanks to a number of electric motors placed throughout the exoskeleton. The problem with electrical power is that you have to recharge, says Ray Baughman, professor of chemistry and director of the University of Texas at Dallas's NanoTech Institute. Baughman and his colleagues have been developing substances that serve as artificial muscles (by converting chemical energy into electrical energy) that may someday be able to move prosthetic limbs and robot parts. Their goal is to avoid the downtime inherent in motor-powered prosthetics that must be recharged.

Makes you appreciate Iron Man's strength and agility all the more.

The Peoples Mario

2008-04-30T18:21:00.003-05:00

Alright all you commie bastards. Sorry I have been away for a while, but I hope to get back on track here. For the time being, check out this little beauty I stumbled across.

the peoples mario

Also, how friggin' creepy is that image of Mario as a real person???

Easter!

2008-03-23T09:40:00.010-05:00

HAPPY EASTER! Hope it's a great day and you spend time with those you care about.

Here's a collection of zombie pictures to enjoy!

Everybody else is doing it so...

2008-03-08T20:53:00.003-05:00

(boy I guess I should have re sized these...)

1. Go to photobucket.com
2. Type in your answer for each question into the PhotoBucket search bar.
3. Choose your favorite photo to represent your answer.
4. Copy the html and paste it here.
5. Answer only in picture form.

1. What is your first name?

2. When is your birthday?

3. What kind of car do you want?

4. Where did/do you go to school?

5. What is your favorite season?

6. What is your favorite type of shoe?

7. What is your status?

8. What is your favorite movie?
(It's a tie)

9. What is your favorite song?
(album actually. I can't narrow down a favorite song)

10. Who is your favorite Disney character?

11. What is your favorite clothing line?

12. What is your favorite vacation destination?

13. What is your favorite dessert?

14. What is your favorite letter?

15. What are you most afraid of?

16. What is your favorite TV show?

17. What annoys you the most?

18. What is your job?
(I don't use a roller, I use a paint gun, but...)

19. What's your favorite animal?

20. How old are you?

Han Solo desk

2008-02-28T07:56:00.002-05:00

Ok, how friggin' cool is this?!? This really appeals to the fanboy geek in me.

"Choosing a desk for your office is important; it sends a message about what kind of person you are to everybody who enters. If you want that message to say "I'm a gigantic nerd!" then you really can't do much better than a desk made to look like Han Solo frozen in carbonite.

I guess one could spin buying this for their office if they wanted to come across as a real hardass of a boss. You know, like "you mess with me, you end up like my former assistant, Han Solo here, and I'll make you into a coffee table." But really, you're the only one who will ever find a replica of a sci-fi movie prop threatening in any way, but if that helps you justify something that you really want, more power to you."

F*ckin' OW!

2008-02-24T21:30:00.000-05:00

um, yeah... no comment

Sorry for the absence...

2008-02-13T19:49:00.003-05:00

I started my new job last week, and I don't seem to have much time to be on here as much for now. I have gone to work here as a painter, and so far things have been great. It's funny that after being away form it for a few years I don't feel like I was ever gone from it. I did get to meet a famous musician (yes you have heard of him) yesterday, as I am working on his new boat. No it wasn't Jimmy Buffet again :D

Don't worry, I'm not gone, just posting less these days.

烟在水 (Smoke on the Water)

2008-02-01T18:06:00.000-05:00

No explanation necessary...

This is really friggin' cool tho. Enjoy.

Geez, think it could have been any bigger. Sort of buggered up my border there....

An observation

2008-01-29T14:21:00.001-05:00

Ok, this is really shitty, and I am probably going to burn for all eternity in a lake of fire or whatever, but when I saw the picture on Yahoo Photos of this Chinese man with massive head tumors...

...all I could think of was the classic R. Crumb cartoon "Stoned Agin"

Yep... pretty sure my everlasting soul is screwed now... or something.

Check out my banana

2008-01-28T12:28:00.000-05:00

First of all I just want to clear this up since it is the first thing everyone likes to say when they see a picture online:

I do not have or have access to Photoshop or any other photo manipulating programs (save iPhoto which just lets you change things like exposure, brightness, etc...)

A couple weeks ago I got a shipment of bananas in at work. (I'm still a produce manager at a small grocery store for a few more days) One of the boxes I opend had this "conjoined" banana in it. I took it home tooks some pics, and let it ripen for a few days before I peeled it. I was curious to see if there was peel in between the two pieces of fruit. Turns out there wasn't. It was truly 2 bananas inside one skin. Pretty cool work find I say.

Here's the pics:

VW Bus Jump

2008-01-25T20:30:00.001-05:00

Ok, my last post was a little...er...long. Here's a quick one for a cold ass Friday night. One of my favorites of a VW bus catching air. I laughed so hard it hurt first time I saw this. My favorite part is how it sounds like a WW2 airplane as it passes by the camera. Now if someone would do this with a mid Dodge van, that would freakin' rule! Have a great weekend.

A fistful of facts (and a few facts more)

2008-01-21T20:58:00.001-05:00

in case you wondered:

(and I can back up the ones regarding the great state of Maine)

Any month that has a Friday the 13th also has a Wednesday the 25th.

John Madden is an accomplished ballroom dancer.

In 21 states, Wal-Mart is the single largest employer.

Jim Gordon, drummer of Derek and the Dominos ("Layla"), killed his mother with a claw hammer.

One of Hewlett Packard's first ideas was an automatic urinal flusher.

Eric Clapton did not play the very famous first riff on the song "Layla". That was Duane Allman. Clapton comes in later.

As you age, your eye color gets lighter.

There are more cars in Southern California than there are cows in India.

The two-foot long bird called a Kea that lives in New Zealand likes to eat the strips of rubber around car windows.

The province of Alberta, Canada is completely free of rats.

Illinois has the most personalized license plates of any state.

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle; if the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle; if the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

There are two credit cards for every person in the United States.

The international telephone dialing code for Antarctica is 672.

The average chocolate bar has 8 insect legs in it.

There are 206 bones in the adult human body, but 300 in children (some of the bones fuse together as a child grows).

Fleas can jump 130 times higher than their own height. In human terms this is equal to a 6 foot person jumping 780 feet into the air.

Snakes are true carnivores as they eat nothing but other animals. They do not eat any type of plant material.

There are no venomous snakes in Maine.

The blue whale can produce sounds up to 188 decibels. This is the loudest sound produced by a living animal and has been detected as far away as 530 miles.

The human eye blinks an average of 4,200,000 times a year.

It takes approximately 12 hours for food to entirely digest.

Erosion at the base of Niagara Falls (USA) undermines the shale cliffs and as a result, the falls have receded approximately 7 miles over the last 10,000 years.

The longest living cells in the body are brain cells which can live an entire lifetime.

The Main Library at Indiana University sinks over an inch every year because when it was built engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building.

North Dakota has never had an earthquake.

Alexander Graham Bell (who invented the telephone) also set a world water-speed record of over seventy miles an hour at the age of 72.

There is enough fuel in a full tank of a jumbo jet to drive an average car four times around the world.

Hawaii is moving toward Japan 4 inches every year.

Chimps are the only animals that can recognize themselves in a mirror.

The leg bones of a bat are so thin that no bat can walk.

There are more living organisms on the skin of a single human being than there are human beings on the surface of the earth.

Marilyn Monroe had six toes on one foot.

If you keep a goldfish in the dark room, it will eventually turn white.

Women blink nearly twice as much as men.

In England, the Speaker of the House is not allowed to speak.

Almonds are members of the peach family.

Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable.

Americans on the average eat 18 acres of pizza every day.

One person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.

If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days, you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.

February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.

More people are killed by donkeys annually than are killed in plane crashes.

Lorne Greene had one of his nipples bitten off by an alligator while he was host of "Lorne Greene's Animal Kingdom".

The dot that appears over the letter "i" is called a tittle.

All major league baseball umpires must wear black underwear while on the job (in case their pants split).

The Spanish word esposa means "wife." The plural, esposas, means "wives," but also "handcuffs."

If all Americans used one third less ice in their drinks the United States would become a net exporter instead of an importer of energy.

If the Nile River were stretched across the United States, it would run nearly from New York to Los Angeles.

San Francisco cable cars are the only National Monuments that move.

The Hoover Dam was built to last 2,000 years. Its concrete will not be fully cured for another 500 years.

Abraham Lincoln's dog, Fido, was assassinated too.

All of David Letterman's suits are custom made - there are no creases in his suit trousers.

Cranberry Jell-O is the only flavor that contains real fruit flavoring.

Fewer than half of the 16,200 major league baseball players have ever hit a home run.

In comic strips, the person on the left always speaks first.

Richard Versalle, a tenor performing at New York's Metropolitan Opera House, suffered a heart attack and fell 10 feet from a ladder to the stage just after singing the line "You can only live so long."

If the entire population of earth was reduced to exactly 100 people, 51% would be female, 49% male; 50% of the world's currency would be held by 6 people, one person would be nearly dead, one nearly born.

In 1920, Babe Ruth out-homered every American League team.

Topless saleswomen are legal in Liverpool, England, but only in tropical fish stores.

Toxic house plants poison more children than household chemicals.

The original name of Bank of America was Bank of Italy.

The ant, when intoxicated, will always fall over to its right side.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles has issued six driver's licenses to six different people named Jesus Christ.

Michael Jordan makes more money from Nike each year than all the Nike factory workers in Malaysia combined.

People in China and Japan die disproportionately on the 4th of each month because the words death and four sound alike, and they are represented by the same symbol.

Chicago is closer to Moscow than it is to Rio de Janeiro.

Dogs have two sets of teeth, just like humans. They first have 30 "puppy" teeth, then 42 adult teeth.

In 1950, President Harry Truman threw out the first ball twice at the opening day Washington DC baseball game; once right handed and once left handed.

A Swiss ski resort announced it would combat global warming by wrapping its mountain glaciers in aluminum foil to keep them from melting.

The chameleon has a tongue that is one and a half times the length of his body.

Beethoven dipped his head in cold water before he composed.

There once was a town named "6" in West Virginia.

Ten years ago, only 500 people in China could ski. This year, an estimated 5,000,000 Chinese will visit ski resorts.

In 1920, Babe Ruth broke the single season home run record, with 29. The same year, he became the first major leaguer to hit 30 home runs. The same year, he became the first major leaguer to hit 40 home runs. The same year, he became the first major leaguer to hit 50 home runs.

A Nigerian woman was caught entering the UK with 104 kg of snails in her baggage.

Profanity is typically cut from in-flight movies to make them suitable for general audiences. Fox Searchlight Pictures has substituted "Ashcroft" for "A**hole" in the movie Sideways when dubbed for Aerolineas Argentinas flights.

Author Hunter S. Thompson, who committed suicide recently, wanted to be cremated and his ashes to be shot out of a cannon on his ranch.

Sports Illustrated magazine allows subscribers to opt out of receiving the famous swimsuit issue each year. Fewer than 1% choose this option.

There is a company that will (for $14,000) take your ashes, compress them into a synthetic diamond to be set in jewelry for a loved one.

The RIAA sued an 83 year old woman for downloading music illegally, even though a copy of her death certificate was sent to the RIAA a week before it filed the suit.

Two 1903 paintings recently sold at auction for $590,000 - the paintings were in the famous "Dogs Playing Poker" series.

Russian scientists have developed a new drug that prolongs drunkenness and enhances intoxication.

Romanian firefighters could not get their trucks close enough to a burning building, so they put out the fire by throwing snowballs at it.

A perfect SAT score is 1600 combined. Bill Gates scored 1590 on his SAT. Paul Allen, Bill's partner in Microsoft, scored a perfect 1600. Bill Cosby scored less than 500 combined.

Motorists traveling outside Salem, Oregon saw one of the "litter cleanup" signs crediting the American Nazi party. Marion County officials had no choice but to let that group into the adopt-a-road program. The $500 per sign was picked up by Oregon taxpayers. The Ku Klux Klan is also involved in the adopt-a-road program in the state of Arkansas.

Spam filters that catch the word "cialis" will not allow many work-related e-mails through because that word is embedded inside the word "specialist".

McDonald's restaurants will buy 54,000,000 pounds of fresh apples this year. Two years ago, McDonald's purchased 0 pounds of apples. This is attributed to the shift to more healthy menu options (the Apple Pie, which has been at McDonald's for years uses processed Apple Pie Filling).

The biggest dog on record was an Old English Mastiff that weighed 343 pounds. He was 8 feet, 3 inches from nose to tail.

Mailmen in Russia now carry revolvers after a recent decision by the government.

All of Queen Anne's 17 children died before she did.

There are over 87,000 Americans on waiting lists for organ transplants.

American made parts account for only 1% of the Chrysler Crossfire. 96% of the Ford F-150 Heritage Truck is American.

A Dutch court ruled that a bank robber could deduct the 2,000 Euros he paid for his pistol from the 6,600 Euros he has to return to the bank he robbed.

Only 6% of the autographs in circulation from members of the Beatles are estimated to be real.

The time spent deleting SPAM costs United States businesses $21.6 billion annually.

60.7 percent of eligible voters participated in the 2004 presidential election, the highest percentage in 36 years. However, more than 78 million did not vote. This means President Bush won re-election by receiving votes from less than 31% of all eligible voters in the United States.

John Quincy Adams, sixth president of the United States, loved to skinny dip in the Potomac River.

La Paz, Bolivia has an average annual temperature below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. However, it has never recorded a zero-degree temperature. Same for Stanley, Falkland Islands and Punta Arenas, Chile.

41% of Chinese people eat at least once a week at a fast food restaurant. 35% of Americans do.

A Wisconsin forklift operator for a Miller beer distributor was fired when a picture was published in a newspaper showing him drinking a Bud Light.

G-rated family films earn more money than any other rating. Yet only 3% of Hollywood's output is G-rated.

Richard Hatch, winner of the first "Survivor" reality series, has been charged with tax evasion for failing to report his $1,000,000 prize.

The entire fleet of Unicoi County Tennessee's salt trucks was rendered out of commission in one accident. All three trucks were badly damaged when one of them began skidding down a road, causing a chain reaction accident. Officials blamed road conditions.

More people study English in China than speak it in the United States of America (300 million).

Fast food provider Hardee's has recently introduced the Monster Thickburger. It has 1,420 calories and 107 grams of fat.

More than 2,500 left-handed people are killed each year from using products that are made for right-handed people.

For every person on earth, there are an estimated 200 million insects.

There are 2,000,000 millionaires in the United States.

1.5 million Americans are charged with drunk driving each year.

A Georgia company will mix your loved one's ashes with cement and drop it into the ocean to form an artificial reef.

The Washington Times newspaper is owned by the Rev. Sun Myung Moon.

The busiest shopping hour of the holiday season is between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm on Christmas Eve.

In 2002, women earned 742,000 bachelor's degrees. Men earned only 550,000 during the same year. The difference is growing so large that many colleges now practice (quietly) affirmative action for male applicants.

Most of the deck chairs on the Queen Mary 2 have had to be replaced because overweight Americans were breaking them.

Actor Bill Murray doesn't have a publicist or an agent.

The day after President George W. Bush was reelected, Canada's main immigration website had 115,000 visitors. Before Bush's re-election, this site averaged about 20,000 visitors each day.

Only 30% of stolen artwork worth more than $1,000,000 each is recovered.

The typical American child receives 70 new toys a year, most of them during the holiday season.

90% of Canada's 31,000,000 citizens live within 100 miles of the U.S. border.

Costco is the largest wine retailer in the United States. Annual wine sales are about $700 million.

The worst air polluter in the entire state of Washington is Mount St. Helens.

There are less than 100 surviving American World War I veterans.

Actor Bruce Willis has filed a lawsuit against the movie studio that produced his film "Tears of the Sun", alleging he was struck in the forehead by a fake bullet. Since 2002 (when the movie was in production), the lawsuit claims he has endured "extreme mental, physical, and emotional pain and suffering".

A ten year old mattress weighs double what it did when it was new, because of the -ahem- debris which is absorbed through the years. That debris includes dust mites (their droppings and their decaying bodies), mold, millions of dead skin cells, dandruff, animal and human hair, secretions, excretions, lint, pollen, dust, soil, sand and a lot of perspiration, of which the average person loses a quart per day. Good night!

About 20% of gift cards never are redeemed at the full value of the card.

John Kerry's hometown newspaper, the Lowell Sun, endorsed George W. Bush for president in 2004. Bush's hometown newspaper, the Lone Star Iconoclast, endorsed John Kerry for president in 2004.

Only 939 of the 1,400,000 high school seniors who took the SAT in 2004 got a perfect score of 1600. Two of them are twin brothers Dillon and Jesse Smith from Long Island, NY.

Billboard magazine has recently launched a top 20 chart of cell phone ringtones.

The US Army is handing out $2,500 to Fallujah residents whose property was destroyed by US planes and artillery.

George W. Bush, who presents himself as a man of faith, rarely goes to church. Yet he received votes from nearly two out of three voters who attend church at least once a week.

In 2015, it is estimated that half the federal budget will be spent on programs for the elderly.

A private elementary school in Alexandria, Virginia, accidentally served margaritas to its schoolchildren, thinking it was limeade.

The Chicago Cubs are suing former Hartford Courant newspaper carrier Mark Guthrie to get back $301,000 in pay that was intended to go to a Cubs pitcher with the same name. The Tribune Company owns both the Hartford Courant and the Chicago Cubs.

In February 2004, a Disney World employee was killed when he fell from a parade float and was trapped between two float sections. OSHA termed this a serious workplace violation, but Disney was fined only $6,300.

Even today, 90% of the continental United States is still open space or farmland.

The second Saturday in September is usually a popular time for weddings. Not in 2004, as most couples did not want their anniversaries on September 11.

Mel Gibson has personally earned almost $400,000,000 from his movie "The Passion of the Christ".

Austin High School in Texas has removed candy from its vending machines. Now some enterprising students are earning $200 per week dealing in black market candy.

In 2004, Virgin Atlantic Airlines introduced a double bed for first class passengers who fly together.

The world's largest book, "Bhutan: A Visual Odyssey" is in a Chicago public library. The book measures 5 feet tall by 7 feet wide when open. It weighs 133 pounds.

If the recent U.S. election was held in Canada, John Kerry would have beaten George Bush in a landslide - 64% to 19%.

Oprah Winfrey and Elvis Presley are distant cousins.

55% of Americans claim they would continue working even if they received a $10,000,000 lottery prize.

The company that manufactures the greatest number of women's dresses each year is Mattel. Barbie's got to wear something.

All radios in North Korea have been rigged so listeners can only receive a North Korean government station. The United States recently announced plans to smuggle $2,000,000 worth of small radios into the country so North Koreans can get a taste of (what their government calls) "rotten imperialist reactionary culture".

La Paz, Bolivia is the world's most fireproof city. At 12,000 feet about sea level, the amount of oxygen in the air barely supports a flame.

The estates of 22 dead celebrities earned over $5 million in 2004. These celebrities include Elvis Presley, Dr. Seuss, Charles Schulz, J.R.R. Tolkien and John Lennon.

George Washington spent about 7% of his annual salary on liquor.

Each year, more people are killed by teddy bears than by grizzly bears.

If you disassembled the Great Pyramid of Cheops, you would get enough stones to encircle the earth with a brick wall twenty inches high.

Nearly one third of New York City public school teachers send their own children to private schools.

The New York City Police Department has a $3.3 billion annual budget, larger than all but 19 of the world's armies.

CBS's fine for Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" in the 2004 Super Bowl show was $550,000. This could be paid with only 7.5 seconds of commercial time during the same Super Bowl telecast.

In September 2004, a Minnesota state trooper issued a speeding ticket to a motorcyclist who was clocked at 205 mph.

Al Gore's roommate in college (Harvard, class of 1969) was Tommy Lee Jones.

In her later years, Florence Nightingale kept a pet owl in her pocket.

The New York Jets were unable to find hotel rooms for a game in Indianapolis recently because they had all been booked up by people attending Gencon, a gaming convention.

China is the world's largest market for BMW's top of the line 760Li. This car sells for $200,000 in China - more than almost all people in China make in a lifetime.

A chef's hat is shaped the way it is for a reason: its shape allows air to circulate around the scalp, keeping the head cool in a hot kitchen.

Life expectancy for Russian men has actually gone down over the past 40 years. A Russian male born today can expect to live an average 58 years.

Each year, sixteen million gallons of oil run off pavement into streams, rivers and eventually oceans in the United States. This is more oil than was spilled by the Exxon Valdez.

An employee of the Alabama Department of Transportation installed spyware on his boss's computer and proved that the boss spent 10% of his time working (20% of time checking stocks and 70% of the time playing solitaire). The employee was fired, the boss kept his job.

In 1985, the most popular waist size for men's pants was 32. In 2003, it's 36.

Solid structures (parking lots, roads, buildings) in the United States cover an area the size of Ohio.

A Brussels Airlines flight to Vienna was aborted because the pilot was attacked in the cockpit. The attacker was a passenger's cat, who got out of its travel bag.

Physicists have already performed a simple type of teleportation, transferring the quantum characteristics of one atom onto another atom at a different location.

At General Motors, the cost of health care for employees now exceeds the cost of steel.

There is a regulation size half-court where employees can play basketball inside the Matterhorn at Disneyland.

One of pitcher Nolan Ryan's jockstraps recently sold at auction for $25,000.

Television stations hung banners at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, including Al-Jazeera, until it was noticed and taken down.

A woman was chewing what was left of her chocolate bar when she entered a Metro station in Washington DC. She was arrested and handcuffed; eating is prohibited in Metro stations.

The New York City subway system, in an effort to raise revenue, is considering selling sponsorships of individual stations to corporations. Riders could soon be getting off at Nike Grand Central Station or Sony Times Square.

The Nike swoosh was designed by a Portland State University student, and purchased by Nike for $35.

Gerald Ford once worked as a cover model for Cosmopolitan magazine.

Gillette spent $1,000,000 to place razor samples in the welcome bags handed out at the Democratic National Convention, only to have them confiscated as they were considered a threat. This caused huge delays at all security checkpoints.

Quebec City, Canada, has about as much street crime as Disney World.

Jim Carrey voted in 2004 at the Beverly Hills City Hall. He had an assistant wait in line for him, however.

As part of a charity event, 500 cats were spayed and neutered in the cafeteria of an elementary school. School was cancelled for days and $10,000 was spent on cleaning and sterilizing the room.

The United States has five percent of the world's population, but twenty-five percent of the world's prison population.

Seven percent of Americans claim they never bathe at all.

The largest McDonald's is in Beijing, China - measuring 28,000 square feet. It has twenty nine cash registers.

A house in Baghdad worth $15,000 before the Iraq war now sells for $120,000 to $150,000.

There are between 5,000 and 7,000 tigers kept as pets in the United States.

The fertility rate in states that voted for George Bush is 12% higher than states that favored John Kerry.

The chicken is one of the few things that man eats before it's born and after it's dead.

The number of US college students studying Latin is three times the number studying Arabic.

In 2004, one in six girls in the United States enter puberty at age 8. A hundred years ago, only one in a hundred entered puberty that early.

If you hook Jell-O up to an EEG, it registers movements almost identical to a human adult's brain waves.

Some dogs can predict when a child will have an epileptic seizure, and even protect the child from injury. They're not trained to do this, they simply learn to respond after observing at least one attack.

32 out of 33 samples of well-known brands of milk purchased in Los Angeles and Orange counties in California had trace amounts of perchlorate. Perchlorate is the explosive component in rocket fuel.

The remains of 125 people will be launched into space where they will orbit the Earth for centuries.

The leading cause of on-the-job deaths in workplaces in America is homicide.

So far, Congress has authorized $152,600,000,000 for the Iraq war. This is enough to build over 17,500 elementary schools.

Americans take an average of just ten days per year vacation. In France, the law guarantees everyone five weeks of vacation, and most full-time workers get two full months vacation.

The IRS admits that one in five people who call their help line get the wrong answer to their question.

20% of Americans think that the sun orbits around the Earth.

Van Halen singer David Lee Roth trained to be an EMT in New York City, and planned to be certified by November 2004.

The thong accounts for 25% of the United States women's underwear market.

On average, 40% of all hotel rooms in the United States remain empty every night.

When you hear a bullwhip snap, it's because the tip is traveling faster than the speed of sound.

There is a new television show on a British cable called "Watching Paint Dry". Viewers watch in real-time. Gloss, semi-gloss, matte, satin, you name it. Then viewers vote out their least favorite.

The largest ocean liners pay a $250,000 toll for each trip through the Panama Canal. The canal generates fully one-third of Panama's entire economy.

French author Michel Thaler published a 233 page novel which has no verbs.

The spring thaw finally allows cemeteries in Alaska to start digging graves for those who died during the winter.

When Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen turn 18 in mid-2004, they will take official control of a company worth more than the gross national product of Mongolia. Their earnings in 2003 topped $1 billion.

Orthodox rabbis warned that New York City drinking water might not be kosher; it contains harmless micro-organisms that are technically shellfish.

David Bowie thinks he is being stalked by someone who is dressed like a giant pink rabbit. Bowie has noticed the fan at several recent concerts, but he became alarmed when he got on a plane and the bunny was on board.

A party boat filled with 60 men and women capsized in Texas after all the passengers rushed to one side as the boat passed a nude beach.

In 1997, a woman in Bradenton, Florida lost her cat. In 2004, she got a call from the local animal shelter. The cat turned up wandering the streets in San Francisco, California. The cat's identity was proven with a microchip that had been implanted prior to 1997.

Almost 20% of the billions of dollars American taxpayers are spending to rebuild Iraq are lost to theft, kickbacks and corruption.

The treasury department has more than twenty people assigned to catching people who violate the trade and tourism embargo with Cuba. In contrast, it has only four employees assigned to track the assets of Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein.

There are 40,000 New York City cab drivers, who collectively drive more than a million miles each day.

An estimated 800,000 senior citizens voluntarily give up their driving privileges each year. The average age at which they surrender the wheel is 85.

More than 8,100 US troops are still listed as missing in action from the Korean war.

3,400,000 Americans are considered "Extreme Commuters". These people commute over 90 minutes round trip every day to work.

82% of Americans made a purchase at Wal-Mart in 2002.

Oslo, Norway is the world's most expensive city. A gallon on gas costs almost $5, and it costs $1.32 to use the public restrooms.

Villanova University's commencement speaker this year is the actor who plays Big Bird.

In 1965, auditions were held for the "Monkees" TV show. Some of the people who responded (but were not hired) were Stephen Stills, Harry Nilsson, Paul Williams and Charles Manson.

Kevin Spacey's older brother is a professional Rod Stewart impersonator.

71% of office workers stopped on the street for a survey agreed to give up their computer passwords in exchange for a chocolate bar.

George W. Bush and John Kerry are 16th cousins, three times removed.

If current trends continue, Medicare costs will absorb 51% of all income tax revenues by 2042.

The prison system is the largest supplier of mental health services in America, with 250,000 Americans with mental illness living there.

Newest trend in the Netherlands: Tiny jewels implanted directly into the eye.

Researchers have found that doctors who spend at least three hours a week playing video games make about 37% fewer mistakes in laparoscopic surgery than surgeons who didn't play video games.

Before he had his own show, Jerry Seinfeld appeared on three episodes of the TV show "Benson" as the governor's speechwriter.

There are 1,008 McDonald's franchises in France.

Hostess Twinkies were originally filled with banana filling. The filling was changed during World War II when the United States experienced a banana shortage.

World War II veterans are now dying at the rate of about 1,100 each day.

George W. Bush is probably going to be the eighth president in US history to have completed a term in office without ever having issued a single veto.

A deployed air bag adds as much as $2,000 to the cost of repairing a vehicle. That's enough for insurance companies to often declare the car "totaled".

For the first time in history, the number of people on the planet aged 60 or over will soon surpass those under 5.

A British gymnast survived a fall from a fourth story window because he went into a somersault and came down on two feet.

One out of five people in the world (1.1 billion people) live on less than $1 per day.

The Swedish pop group ABBA recently turned down an offer of $2 billion to reunite.

The New Yorker magazine now has more subscribers in California than New York.

Five years ago, 60% of all retail purchases were made with cash or check. Now it's 50%. By 2010, 39% of purchases will be made by cash or check.

35 Billion e-mails are sent each day throughout the world.

The richest self-made American under 40 is Michael Dell, chairman of Dell Computers. He is worth $18 billion.

Legislators in Santa Fe, New Mexico, are considering a law that would require pets to wear seat belts when traveling in a car.

Life Savers got their shape by a malfunctioning machine, which mistakenly punched a hole in the center of each candy.

SUV sales are up 18% in the first quarter of 2004 vs. the same period of 2003, even though gas prices are skyrocketing. Consumer surveys show that gas prices would have to hit $3.75 per gallon before there will be any real impact on SUV sales.

Airport security agents at Logan Airport in Boston, Massachusetts caught a passenger trying to sneak a severed seal head onto a plane inside a cooler. The man said he was a biology professor and had found the dead animal on the beach.

Jimmy Carter once reported a UFO in Georgia.

There are 150,000,000 cell phones in use in the United States, more than one per every two human beings in the country.

A Boeing 767 airliner is made of 3,100,000 separate parts.

The average child recognizes over 200 company logos by the time he enters first grade.

Last December, the House of Representatives earmarked $50,000,000 to create an indoor rain forest in Iowa.

Amusement park attendance goes up after a fatal accident. It seems many people want to ride upon the same ride that killed someone.

Jeffrey and Sheryl McGowen in Houston turned to vitro fertilization. Two eggs were implanted in Sheryl's womb, and both of them split. Sheryl gave birth to two sets of identical twins at once.

For every ton of fish that is caught in all the oceans on our planet, there are three tons of garbage dumped into the oceans.

June Foray did the voice for Rocky the Flying Squirrel and the Chatty Cathy dolls.

Japanese and Chinese people die on the fourth of the month more often than any other dates. The reason may be that they are "scared to death" by the number four. The words four and death sound alike in both Chinese and Japanese.

People with initials that spell out GOD or ACE are likely to live longer than people whose initials spell out words like APE, PIG, or RAT.

More people in the United States die during the first week of the month than during the last, an increase that may be a result of the abuse of substances purchased with benefit checks that come at the beginning of each month.

In the film Forrest Gump, all the still photos show Forrest with his eyes closed.

There are an average of 18,000,000 items for sale at any time on EBay.

The New York Times reports that in February 2004, 62% of all e-mail was spam.

A Massachusetts surgeon left a patient with an open incision for 35 minutes while he went to deposit a check.

In 1991, the average bra size in the United States was 34B. Today it's 36C.

U.K. telecom provider Telewest Broadband is testing a device that hooks to your PC and wafts a scent when certain e-mails arrive.

The average North Korean 7-year-old is almost three inches shorter than the average South Korean 7-year-old.

In 1993, David McLean developed lung cancer. He died on October 12, 1995. McLean's death made him the second Marlboro Man to die of lung cancer. Another actor, Wayne McLaren, died in 1992 at the age of 51 from lung cancer.

There is a bar in London that sells vaporized vodka, which is inhaled instead of sipped.

According to market research firm NPD Fashionworld, fifty percent of all lingerie purchases are returned to the store.

On EBay, there are an average of $680 worth of transactions each second.

The Eiffel Tower shrinks 6 inches in winter.

The first FAX machine was patented in 1843, 33 years before Alexander Graham Bell demonstrated the telephone.

72% of Americans sign their pets' names on greeting cards they send out.

In an effort to encourage the use of nuclear energy, the United States lent highly enriched uranium to countries all over the world between 1950 and 1988. Enough weapons-grade material to make 1,000 nuclear bombs has still not been returned by such countries as Pakistan, Iran, Israel and South Africa.

Homing pigeons use roads where possible to help find their way home. In fact, some pigeons followed roads so closely that they actually flew around traffic circles before choosing the exit that led them home.

Every year, 2700 surgical patients go home from the hospital with metal tools, sponges, and other objects left inside them. In 2000, 57 people died as a result of these mistakes.

A snowflake can take up to a hour to fall from the cloud to the surface of the Earth.

Only 5 percent of the ocean floor has been mapped in as much detail as the surface of Mars.

The only people whose likenesses adorn Pez dispensers are Betsy Ross and Paul Revere.

We forget 80 percent of what we learn everyday.

Pain is measured in units of "dols". The instrument used to measure pain is a "dolorimeter".

In a nod to astronauts, Texas is the only state that permits residents to cast absentee ballots from space.

Eleven top executives of the Direct Marketing Association (the telemarketers' group that is trying to kill the federal "Do Not Call" list) have registered for the list themselves.

An iceberg the size of Long Island, New York, has broken off Antarctica and has blocked sea lanes used by both ships and penguins.

In 2003, the Transportation Security Administration dropped a requirement that air marshals pass a marksmanship test. Some applicants were even hired after they repeatedly shot flight attendants in mock hijacking episodes.

As of January 2004, the United States economy now borrows $1,500,000,000 each day from foreign investors.

A Costa Rican worker who makes baseballs earns about $2,750 annually. The average American pro baseball player earns $2,377,000 per year.

Former keyboard player for Jethro Tull David Palmer is now a woman named Dee Palmer. He waited until his wife died before going through with his longtime desire for a sex change.

During Bill Clinton's entire eight year presidency, he only sent two e-mails. One was to John Glenn when he was aboard the space shuttle, and the other was a test of the e-mail system.

Albert Einstein never knew how to drive a car.

The UK's best selling hiking magazine published faulty coordinates for descending Scotland's tallest peak (Ben Nevis), and recommended a route that leads climbers off the edge of a cliff.

The Mars Rover "Spirit" is powered by six small motors the size of "C" batteries. It has a top speed of 0.1 mph.

Zeppo Marx (the unfunny one of the Marx Brothers) had a patent for a wristwatch with a heart monitor.

The entire town of Capena, Italy (including children as young as 2 years old) lights up cigarettes each year in honor of St. Anthony's Day. This tradition is centuries old.

The Amish a diet high in meat, dairy, refined sugars and calories. Yet obesity is virtually unknown among them. The difference is since they have no TVs, cars or powered machines, they spend their time in manual labor.

Microsoft threatened 17 year old Mike Rowe with a lawsuit after the young man launched a website named MikeRoweSoft.com.

As of January 1, 2004, the population of the United States increases by one person every 12 seconds. There is a birth every eight seconds, an immigrant is added every 25 seconds, but a death every 13 seconds.

There is a Starbucks in Myungdong, South Korea that is five stories tall.

Astronauts cannot burp in space. There is no gravity to separate liquid from gas in their stomachs.

There has been no mail delivery in Canada on Saturday for the last thirty five years.

The weight of air in a milk glass is about the same as the weight of an aspirin tablet.

The world's smallest winged insect is the Tanzanian parasitic wasp. It's smaller than the eye of a housefly.

Two-thirds of the world's eggplant is grown in New Jersey.

The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely solid.

The glue on Israeli postage stamps is certified kosher.

If you have three quarters, four dimes and four cents, you have $1.19. But you cannot make exact change for a dollar.

There are more plastic flamingoes in the United States than real ones.

The chance that you will die on the way to buy your lottery ticket is greater than the chance of you winning the big prize in most lotteries.

Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.

Dolly Parton once lost a Dolly Parton Look-Alike contest.

An average of 100 people choke to death on ball point pens each year.

The National Anthem of Greece has 158 verses.

Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.

The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as a substitute for blood plasma.

The highest point in Pennsylvania is lower than the lowest point in Colorado.

The Bible has been translated into Klingon.

Toto was paid $125 per week while filming the "Wizard of Oz".

All polar bears are left handed.

Fidgeting can burn about 350 calories a day.

To help reduce budget deficits, several states have begun reducing the amount of food served to prison inmates. In Texas, the number of daily calories served to prisoners was cut by 300, saving the state $6,000,000 per year.

The only member of the band ZZ Top without a beard has the last name Beard.

Pope John Paul II is the world's Scrabble champion in the over-70 category.

Montpelier, Vermont is the only state capitol without a McDonald's.

Wearing headphones for an hour increases the bacteria in your ear 700 times.

In 1993, the board of governors at Carl Karcher Enterprises voted (5 to 2) to fire Carl Karcher. Carl Karcher is the founder of Carls Jr. restaurants.

The little hole in the sink that lets the water drain out, instead of flowing over the side, is called a "porcelator."

The wingspan of a Boeing 747 jet is longer than the Wright Brothers' first flight.

Ted Turner owns 5% of New Mexico.

Over 8 years, this happened 284 times: "Cosmo" Kramer went through Jerry Seinfeld's apartment door.

The cruise liner Queen Elizabeth 2 moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel fuel that it burns.

There are more 100 dollar bills in Russia currently than there are in the United States.

It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky.

65% of Elvis impersonators are of Asian descent.

Burt Reynolds was originally cast to be Han Solo in the first Star Wars film. He dropped out before filming.

Pope John Paul II was named an "Honorary Harlem Globetrotter" in 2000.

There are only three types of snakes on the island of Tasmania and all three are deadly poisonous.

It is believed that Shakespeare was 46 around the time that the King James Version of the Bible was written. In Psalms 46, the 46th word from the first word is "shake" and the 46th word from the last word is "spear".

If you stretch a standard Slinky out flat it measures 87 feet long.

The strength of early lasers was measured in Gillettes, the number of blue razor blades a given beam could puncture.

The drive-through line on opening day at the McDonald's restaurant in Kuwait City, Kuwait was at times seven miles long.

Point Roberts in Washington State is cut off from the rest of the state by British Columbia, Canada. If you wish to travel from Point Roberts to the rest of the state or vice versa, you must pass through Canada, including both Canadian and U.S. customs.

The Pentagon in Washington, D. C. has five sides, five stories, and five acres in the middle.

Sylvia Miles had the shortest performance ever nominated for an Oscar with "Midnight Cowboy." Her entire role lasted only six minutes.

There is an ATM at McMurdo Station in Antarctica, which has a winter population of 200.

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

Newborn babies are given to the wrong mother in the hospital 12 times a day worldwide.

The Starbucks at the highest elevation is on Main Street in Breckenridge, Colorado.

Each year, over 1,000,000 people fail to itemize out the mortgage interest deduction on their income taxes. Last year, this amounted to $473,000,000 in taxes.

In 1998, more fast-food employees were murdered on the job than police officers.

The lead singer of The Knack, famous for "My Sharona," and Jack Kevorkian's lead defense attorney are brothers, Doug and Jeffrey Feiger.

Two very popular and common objects have the same function, but one has thousands of moving parts, while the other has absolutely no moving parts - an hourglass and a sundial.

One out of three employees who received a promotion use a coffee mug with the company logo on it.

If you know a (male) millionaire who happens to be married, The most likely profession of his wife is a teacher.

An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.

1 pound of lemons contain more sugar than 1 pound of strawberries.

The "you are here" arrow on maps is called an ideo locator.

60% of all US potato products originate in Idaho.

61,000 people are airborne over the US at any given time.

A flamingo can eat only when its head is upside down.

Mark Twain was born on a day in 1835 when Halley's Comet came into view. When he died in 1910, Halley's Comet was in view again.

The Weddell seal can travel underwater for seven miles without surfacing for air.

In 1963, baseball pitcher Gaylord Perry remarked, "They'll put a man on the moon before I hit a home run." On July 20, 1969, a few hours after Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, Gaylord Perry hit his first (and only) home run.

The longest words in the English language with only one syllable are the nine-letter "screeched" and "strengths".

Pinocchio is Italian for "pine eye".

All of the clocks in the movie "Pulp Fiction" read 4:20.

A female ferret will die if it goes into heat and cannot find a mate.

A baby is born without kneecaps. They appear between age 2 and 6.

Women blink nearly twice as much as men.

Al Capone's business card said he was a used furniture dealer.

A snail can have about 25,000 teeth.

A snail can also sleep for three years.

A starfish can turn its stomach inside out.

A strand from the web of a golden spider is as strong as a steel wire of the same size.

A toothpick is the object most often choked on by Americans.

About a third of all Americans flush the toilet while they're still sitting on it.

According to Genesis 1:20-22 the chicken came before the egg.

Soldiers from every country salute with their right hand.

The microwave oven was invented by mistake when an engineer testing a magnetron tube noticed that the radiation from it melted the chocolate bar he had in his pocket.

Moisture, not air, causes super glue to dry.

Only 14% of Americans say they've skinny dipped with the opposite sex.

"60 Minutes" on CBS is the only TV show to not have a theme song or music.

Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of their birthplace.

Most boat owners name their boats. The most popular boat name requested is Obsession.

100% of all lottery winners gain weight.

An average American will spend an average of 6 months during his lifetime waiting at red lights.

The Olympic flag's colors are always red, black, blue, green and yellow rings on a field of white. This is because at least one of those colors appears on the flag of every nation on the planet.

Cats can hear ultrasound.

In a recent survey, Americans revealed that banana was their favorite smell.

In all three Godfather films, when you see oranges, there is a death (or a very close call) coming up soon.

The arteries and veins surrounding the brain stem called the "circle of Willis" looks like a stick person with a large head.

Brushing your teeth regularly has been shown to prevent heart disease.

If you were to spell out numbers, you would you have to go until 1,000 until you would find the letter "A".

23% of employees say they have had sex in the office.

Bullet proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers were all invented by women.

Married men change their underwear twice as often as single men.

A kiss stimulates 29 muscles and chemicals causing relaxation. Women seem to like it light and frequent, men like it more strenuous.

There are more collect calls on Father's Day than any other day of the year.

Mel Blanc (voice of Bugs Bunny) was allergic to carrots.

40% of all people who come to a party in your home snoop in your medicine cabinet.

3.9% of all women surveyed say they never wear underwear.

Superman is featured on every episode of "Seinfeld", either by name or pictures on Jerry's refrigerator.

85% of the men who cheat on their wives die while having sex.

Men can read smaller print than women; women can hear better.

Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than for the US Treasury.

American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served first class.

Percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28

Percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38

Percentage of American men who say they would marry the same woman if they had it to do all over again: 80

Percentage of American women who say they would marry the same man: 50

Percentage of men who say they are happier after their divorce or separation: 58

Percentage of women who say they are happier: 85

Average life span of a major league baseball: 7 pitches

Percentage of bird species that are monogamous: 90

Percentage of mammal species that are monogamous: 3

Chances that a burglary in the United States will be solved: 1 in 7

One third of the land in the United States is owned by the government.

The hummingbird is the only bird that can fly backwards.

Antarctica is the only continent without reptiles or snakes.

An eagle can kill a young deer and fly away with it.

In the Caribbean there are oysters that can climb trees.

Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.

The world's youngest parents were 8 and 9 and lived in China in 1910.

When George Lucas was mixing the American Graffiti soundtrack, he numbered the reels of film starting with an R and numbered the dialog starting with a D. Sound designer Walter Murch asked George for Reel 2, Dialog 2 by saying "R2D2". George liked the way that sounded so much he integrated that into another project he was working on.

The youngest pope was 11 years old.

Mark Twain didn't graduate from elementary school.

Proportional to their weight, men are stronger than horses.

Pilgrims ate popcorn at the first Thanksgiving dinner.

Your nose and ears never stop growing.

They have square watermelons in Japan - they stack better.

Iceland consumes more Coca-Cola per capita than any other nation.

Heinz Catsup leaving the bottle travels at 25 miles per year.

It is possible to lead a cow upstairs but not downstairs.

Men get hiccups more often than women.

Armadillos can be housebroken.

Human teeth are almost as hard as rocks.

The first Fords had engines made by Dodge.

A mole can dig a tunnel 300 feet long in just one night.

Peanuts are one of the ingredients in dynamite.

Ancient Egyptians slept on pillows made of stone.

A hippo can open its mouth wide enough to fit a 4 foot tall child inside.

A quarter has 119 grooves on its edge, a dime has one less groove.

A hummingbird weighs less than a penny.

Until 1796, there was a state in the United States called Franklin. Today it is known as Tennessee.

The flashing warning light on the cylindrical Capitol Records tower spells out HOLLYWOOD in Morse code.

Every time you lick a stamp, you're consuming 1/10 of a calorie.

The average person has over 1,460 dreams a year.

One in every 4 Americans has appeared on television.

The average American will eat about 11.9 pounds of cereal per year.

Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete.

Over 1,000 birds a year die from smashing into windows.

The State of Florida is bigger than England.

Ants stretch when they wake up in the morning.

It's against the law to have a pet dog in Iceland.

Your heart beats over 100,000 times a day.

Thomas Edison, light bulb inventor, was afraid of the dark.

During your lifetime, you'll eat about 60,000 pounds of food. That's the weight of about 6 elephants.

Some ribbon worms will eat themselves if they can't find any food.

Dolphins sleep with one eye open.

The world's oldest piece of chewing gum is 9000 years old.

In space, astronauts cannot cry, because there is no gravity, so the tears can't flow.

About 3000 years ago, most Egyptians died by the time they were 30.

More people use blue toothbrushes than red ones.

A sneeze travels out your mouth at over 100 m.p.h.

Your ribs move about 5 million times a year, every time you breathe.

In the White House, there are 13,092 knives, forks and spoons.

Slugs have 4 noses.

Recycling one glass jar saves enough energy to watch TV for 3 hours.

Lightning strikes about 6,000 times per minute on this planet.

Owls are the only birds who can see the color blue.

The average American drinks about 600 sodas a year.

It's against the law to slam your car door in Switzerland.

There wasn't a single pony in the Pony Express, just horses.

Honeybees have hair on their eyes.

A jellyfish is 95 percent water.

In Bangladesh, kids as young as 15 can be jailed for cheating on their finals.

A company in Taiwan makes dinnerware out of wheat, so you can eat your plate.

The elephant is the only mammal that can't jump.

The penguin is the only bird who can swim, but not fly.

The most common name in the world is Mohammed.

Q is the only letter in the alphabet that does not appear in the name of any of the United States.

One quarter of the bones in your body are in your feet.

America once issued a 5-cent bill.

You'll eat about 35,000 cookies in your lifetime.

Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different.

Babe Ruth wore a cabbage leaf under is cap to keep him cool. He changed it every 2 innings.

Fortune cookies were actually invented in America, in 1918, by Charles Jung.

A man named Charles Osborne had the hiccups for 69 years.

A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue.

Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.

The pitches that Babe Ruth hit for his last-ever homerun and that Joe DiMaggio hit for his first-ever homerun where thrown by the same man.

Bats always turn left when exiting a cave.

The praying mantis is the only insect that can turn its head.

In Tokyo, they sell toupees for dogs.

There are over 52.6 million dogs in the U.S.

Dogs and cats consume almost $7 billion worth of pet food a year.

Fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than toenails.

Baby robins eat 14 feet of earthworms every day.

The Pentagon has twice as many restrooms as necessary. When it was built, segregation was still in place in Virginia, so separate restrooms for blacks and whites were required by law.

In England, in the 1880's, "Pants" was considered a dirty word.

Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin.

In 2003, there were 86 days of below-freezing weather in Hell, Michigan.

The average person laughs 15 times a day.

King of the road sez you move too slow

2008-01-17T16:15:00.001-05:00

Ok, I am really wishing to go get in the van and go to a truck in. THis is getting worse as the winter goes on. This video has some great old show vans from the 70s in it. I can't wait for summer....

The truth of the matter... and then some.

2008-01-15T17:24:00.000-05:00

Ok. I recently posted several...um... questionable "facts" about myself. Here are seven actual truths about myself you may have not known.

1. One of my hobbies is taxidermy. I do what is known as the "European Mount" It is in essence a bare skull on the wall. In my house I have ones I have done ranging from deer and moose, to red squriell and field mouse.

2. I have worked longest as a boat builder (and looks like I will be returning to this field shortly) I have worked (and met) twice on boats owned by Jimmy Buffett, and have a sink out of one of them.

3. I have appeared in a photo on this blog exactly once.

4. I enjoy drinking Gin and Tonics. I drink them out of a (pint size) Aquaman "Super Series" moon glass from 1976.

5. I enjoy assembling products. One of my favorite things to see on a box is "Some assembly required"

6. I didn't cut my hair from 1991 to 2001. Now I keep my head shaved. (I still have my hair in a braid. Yes I'm keeping it)

7. I have 8 vehicles and 2 boats.

What do you do with a scurvy pirate?

2008-01-10T20:32:00.001-05:00

Take him to the Van Nationals of course! Here is a video by none other than Mr. Pex from Finland (who I had the pleasure of meeting in person here) of the second half of the convoy into town at the 34th Nats in VA in 2006 (my first truck-in) and I hope to make this years in IL. Great memories here for me, and no i didn't drive in this, I stood at the gate with camera in hand and got many great pictures of some of m favorite vans.

Rev. Frost

2008-01-09T19:31:00.000-05:00

I am wicked happy. One of my favorite sites "Spread the Good Word" is back after a 4 month hiatus. The good Reverend has one of the best music blogs out there and is a great musician in his own right. I urge everyone to check his site out. Most of what I listen too comes from his site and I consider him a good friend. I am very glad he is back online. The internet seemed empty without his offerings. Welcome back Tom.

Start a band!

2008-01-08T14:45:00.001-05:00

Ok everyone else is doing it so here we go.

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first article title on the page is the name of your band.

2. http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.

3. http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/
The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

You then take the pic and add your band name and the album title to it, then post your pic.

my band "Nanejemoy, Maryland's" ne album entitled "Not from anybody else" will have the following cover

That's right. It wouldn't let me save it. Oh well. I guess if it worked for "the white album"....

The truth of the Matter!

2008-01-04T20:55:00.000-05:00

As requested by the Skull Cave, here are 7 "facts" about me that may not be quite accurate:

1. I started "Frodo Lives!"

2. ...and "Clapton is God"

3.I'm the Lindberg baby. I miss my flyaway Daddy.

4.I'm working on a Man-Ape project in the basement.

5.IF I see my shadow when i wake up, it scares the shit out of me and i sleep for 6 more minutes

6.I sometimes star in adult film under the stage name "Lance Boyle"

7.I'm a robot. I'm a goddamned robot.

Barred Owl 2

2007-12-28T19:52:00.000-05:00

Man have I been seeing these guys everywhere! Just last night alone I saw three as I was out driving around. (all in a distance of 2 miles!) And me with no camera.

Since I made my last post I have been trying to get a better picture of one. Tonight I spotted one sitting on a line along the road over an open field where it was hunting for mice and the like. I have touched the picture up a bit to bring out the details and color.

My next goal is to get a picture of one in flight as they are truly amazing to see soaring overhead.

*click picture to enlarge

huzzah

2007-12-21T20:26:00.000-05:00

well, this is my one year blogaverary. (is that even a word?)

Thank you to the people who have been interested enough in my ramblings to check this site out on occasion.

You rock!

(don't know why the picture...just liked it)

Barred Owl

2007-12-14T16:02:00.000-05:00

I love owls. I always have. One thing I like about this time of year here is the Barred Owls become more visible, usually showing up in the same areas around dusk. This year I have been fortunate enough to have one been visiting my yard. I was outside with Finnegan a little while ago and this one soared overhead. I went back in to get the camera, and the owl had landed up on one of the powerlines. Just as I snapped the picture it decided to move on. I was left with a cool shot of this owl with wings in air and talons spread!* Too bad it is from the rear... maybe I'll have to see if I can see it another night.

*as always..click to enlarge the picture

9 people

2007-12-12T19:37:00.000-05:00

Check out this groovy illusion. Can you find all 9 people?

Evel Knievel Portland

2007-12-01T22:34:00.001-05:00

So Evel is no longer with us. :(

I really enjoyed watching his jumps as a child, and I thought this would be an appropriate tribute video to post as he jumps a bunch of (at the time) new vans!

Awesome!

Amazing guitars!

2007-11-28T20:22:00.000-05:00

I found this site with the most amazing custom guitars and basses on it. I recomend checking it out for some details of these breathtaking pieces of work.

Happing Thanksgivy

2007-11-22T20:15:00.000-05:00

I want to wish all a Happy Thanksgiving. Hope you had a good one and didn't overdo it too badly, lest ye explode. I believe I will no retire to read some of my favorite puritan, Solomon Kane.

Here is a song of thanks for you to enjoy.

Thank You Pretty Baby- Professor Longhair

Album Covers: Country Church

2007-11-20T18:35:00.001-05:00

No info on this creepy ass cover. Sorry

Rock on you dang crazy f*#%ers!

Shakespeare Insult Kit

2007-11-19T19:34:00.000-05:00

Well, back after a brief interlude (which included my 33rd birthday...geez I'm old)

I found this amusing page a few days back. Good stuff. I have to say my favorite combo is "thou lumpish fly-bitten barnacle"

Have fun.

Shakespeare Insult Kit

Paul Norris R.I.P

2007-11-06T18:50:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Paul Norris, creator of Aquaman died. Ever since I was child, he has been my favorite super hero, and thanks to Mr. Norris I have had the pleasure of enjoying these stories. Here is a link to his obituary.

Thanks Paul.

Halloween!

2007-10-31T18:39:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween to all from yer ol' cap'n. This being Van's first Halloween I feel I should share pics of his costume. Most people who know me know that I love comics, and my favorite hero is Aquaman. So my wife suggested we dress van up this year as Aqualad. I thoght this was a pretty cool idea so we made up a costume, and voila! Here he is making his Halloween debut on dry land...

Special thanks to Rob over at The Aquaman Shrine for the aqua-beanie.

Sutton Island

2007-10-16T19:58:00.000-05:00

Sunday we took a ride out to Sutton Island to do a little gardening work. As it was a gorgeous day (started that way anyway) and we had a little time to kill at the end, we walked around the island on the shore path. Sutton is probably one of my favorite places around here, and is reached by a 15 minute ride on the mail boat. The island is made up of seasonal residents, and this time of year they are all gone, so there wasn't a soul out there, and we had the whole island to ourselves. Here are some pics from the day...

This is the osprey nest on the western tip of the island. It's somewhat of a local land mark. It's over 100 years old, estimated to weigh several tons, and is about 6 feet tall.

This is looking back toward Bear Island and the lighthouse.

This is looking back toward Mt. Desert Island, which is where I live.

The shore path veers into the woods for a bit.... right past the spooky old abandoned water tower. Zoinks!

This is on the northern side of the island. I thought it was really cool how the rocks right next to eachother are completely different colors. The dark ones look blackend by smoke or something, but they are not.

One of the many little coves/beaches on the island

A groovy stump. 'sheck it out meng.

While we were waiting for the boat, I signed Van's name to the collection.

Spooky pic

2007-10-12T20:12:00.000-05:00

Just in time for upcoming Halloween, I thought it would be a good time to post a picture taken by my friend Pex from Finland. This is a shot he took of his new dog Proco. I think it's just an awesomely scary picture between the glowing eyes, background, and effects. Enjoy!

I wonder if I could make Finnegan look this scary...

probably not.

GSVR 3

2007-10-10T19:37:00.000-05:00

Hey. Long time no see. I know I haven't been posting as much as I used to , but you gotta live your life, right? And do that I am. I just returned from Great Southern Van Run III in beautiful Cherokee North Carolina in the Smoky Mtns. It was put on by the Southeast Van Council. We left home at about 4:30 last Wednesday afternoon, and got there around the same time Friday afternoon after a few stops. Stayed friday night and Saturday, and left for home on Sunday. We rolled in about 8:00 monday night. What a time we had too! It was great to see my vannin' family again, and to introduce little Van to them. Yes, he went on his first van run at 10 weeks old! 2600 miles round trip, and i'd turn right around and do it again. I live for this stuff. Nothing puts me in a better state of mind than being around vans and vanners. Especially some awesome customs. Here are a few pics from the event.

We took the purple van down for this one.

The vans lined up for the show

Here's a shot of my as yet unnamed van in the show featuring the uber-rare cameo appearance by the Capn' on this blog. (and a leg shot from Mr. Van ;) )

the interior of one of the vans. The owner Kevin does competition chainsaw carving...
more on that later.

Boot's van, "Street Survivor". It's one of my favorite vans currently being built. In my opinion mid-Dodges look best when photographed from a worms eye view.

One of my favorite vans from the event. It's no secret I love the tandems so naturally this one stood out for me.

This super cool shorty was spotted at the Food Lion in Cherokee, and he invited the owner to the event. He had no idea anything like this was going on,and it turns out he had a really great time. I think we'll see him again.

Here's a pic I took during the run into town. Since I was bringing up the rear, I had a pretty unique perspective of the convoy.

Guess who took home the long haul trophy home... This was carved with a chainsaw, and is one of the most unique trophy's you will ever see from a truck-in.

Mr. Van and Mr. Finnegan waiting patiently for the van to be packed so we could get going home.

Speaking of going home, here's a last show of Magic Carpet Ride and Street Survivor with their matching go-karts. Awesome! I can't wait till next year.

Paganisim unleashed!

2007-09-23T08:53:00.000-05:00

I found these images this week whilst fooling around online. I think they are a riot. I used to love these extremist pamphlets when I was younger just due to the outlandishness of them. Not to mention they usually showed God destroying the world for the most silly things... like eating a banana. The funniest part in this is the spoken parts. Clearly Mr. Tourist is enjoying himself. Good lord save us from the tiki torch bearing, ukelele playing lei presenting south sea islanders. Think I'll go have a rum drink and ponder this in my favorite vintage Hawaiian shirt...

here's a bonus track from the master of evil himself...

Tiny Bubbles- Don Ho

Special Message from Bob Dylan.

2007-09-16T13:26:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone. Mr. Zimmerman had this to say. What a nice guy...

Message from BD

Earlies!

2007-09-06T13:02:00.001-05:00

Hi. I thought today would be a good day for some random images of vans I dig. (I have thousands thanks to the magic of computers!)
Todays selection is of 1st and 2nd Generation Chevys. Enjoy!

ok, so this one isn't just Chevys, it's got Fords and Dodges too (and one Mr. Leadfoot). It's the group shot from the Nationals. Leadfoot puts out the only van magazine out there. It's called "Van-iN" and it's 100% vanner owned, written, and published. Here is a link to the mag. Issue 3.5 holds a special place in my heart. :)

Back!

2007-08-30T13:00:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone. I want to say thank you again for waiting. Let's get right into it shall we?
I was looking around on line and came across the most incredible instrument I have ever seen. It combines two things I love. Mermaids and guitars! Check out the page. The pictures of this thing are absolutely stunning. If this guy made a bass I'd be all over it. (Probably good for my bank account that he didn't ;) ) There is also a video of the instrument being played, and it sounds great.
The level of skill put into this piece just blows me away. Check out the little details! Even the case is a work of art.

Thanks for waiting

2007-08-12T16:57:00.000-05:00

Hi. I just wanted to let you know that I will be returning to blogging soon. I don't really have a lot of extra time these days, but fear not... yer ol' Cap'n will be back with the best vans and album covers and the few odd bits from hither and yon before too long. Talk to you soon!

New arrival!

2007-07-21T09:16:00.002-05:00

This morning at 6:52 am we welcomed our new child into the world!

His name is Van Patrick. He is 8lbs 13.2 oz, and 23.5 inches long. He is about 1 hour old in the picture.

HUZZAH!!

WELCOME BACK, POTTER

2007-07-18T19:05:00.001-05:00

Enjoy.

Coolest Belt Buckle ever!

2007-07-16T18:34:00.001-05:00

I got my new belt buckle the other day I won on eBay. I love it! I had to retire my old one (VW Beetle) as it broke after 15 years. THis is an awesome replacement, and I have wanted one for a long time. Wheels look goofy, but what the hell...

Not a one. Nay nay nay.

2007-07-13T04:27:00.001-05:00

ONly Mel Brooks could turn something like the Spanish Inqisition into a Busby Berkley style musicql number complete with synchronized swimming.
THis is one of my favorite movie clips ever, so I thought it would be a good post for a Friday. Enjoy.

Album Covers: After Bathing at Baxter's

2007-07-10T11:48:00.000-05:00

Last time I posted a cover by Jefferson Airplane founder Paul Kantner. This time it's a cover by the band itself...Jefferson Airplane. 1967's After Bathing at Baxter's was the follow up to their breakthrough record "Surrealistic Pillow".

After having chart the topping hits "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love" the band took a step away from the mainstream and decided to to make an album the way they wanted, and were given full artistic freedom on the record. The result is a album that is fun to listen to as it sprawls all over the place, and captures the experimentalness, and newness of the times. The record executives must have literaly crapped themselves when they heard some of this album like the psychedelic mash-up "A Small Package Of Value Will Come To You Shortly", the piece inspired by Joyce's "Ulysses" titled "ReJoyce" (a track which really showcases the incredible bass playing of Jack Cassady) and the nearly 10 minute instrumental "Spare Chaynge". The album itself is divided up into 'suites', each containing 2 or 3 tracks.
The cover, which depicts the house at Foulton St. where the Jefferson Airplane lived, was done by cartoonist Ron Cobb. He made the house into a most insane flying machine, and from the first time I saw this cover when I was 12, I knew it was something I had to hear. As a result it has been one of my favorite albums, one I have enjoyed for 20 years now, and it still sounds just as exciting to me as it did the first time I heard the feedback intro to "The Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil".

Here's a few tracks from the album to enjoy:
Wild Thyme(H)- Jefferson Airplane

Rejoyce- Jefferson Airplane

Also in my Box widget on the side of my blog is the tune "Young Girl Sunday Blues" also from this album.

Watery Tarts

2007-07-10T11:24:00.000-05:00

Granted they're not hurling scimitars about, but here are two very beautiful pictures I found over at Shorpy's.

These beautiful pictures were both taken by Toni Frissel. The first is taken in 1947 at Weeki Wachee Springs, FLA, where they have a "mermaid" show. I'd love to make a stop there someday. It was also featured as the cover of "Undercurrent", a 1962 Jazz album by Bill Evans, and Jim Hall. (making this a partial album cover post!)

Shorpy's photo blog is a great site, and I urge you to visit it if you are a fan of vintage photo's. I especially love the old railroad ones on there, but it's just an incredible site overall.
The second, taken in 1939 in the dolphin tank at Marineland in FLA, and was featured in the Oct. issue of that year's 'Vogue' magazine.

Jet Pack! The future is getting less sucky!

2007-07-07T08:54:00.001-05:00

From SciFi

"Nothing says "the future" quite like jetpacks. Well, guess what, bub? The future is now. Don't believe me? Just check out that video above! No, that isn't from a movie, it's a real test of Jetpack International's new product. Their product: jetpacks, unsurprisingly.

Sure, it can only fly for 3 minutes, but what a 3 minutes! For your $250,000 you'll get your very own jetpack as well as training in how to not kill yourself with it, which seems pretty important. Those 3 minutes not enough time for whatever you've got planned, they've got a more impressive version coming soon: 19 minutes of flight time, a range of 27 miles, and a $200,000 price tag. Yeah, it's probably worth waiting for that one. Sure, its expensive, but can you really put a price on the future? — Adam Frucci"

The numbers are correct. The reasons for the price difference:
1. Second generations of new technology are always cheaper than the first generation after the designs are better refined and supplier costs are optimized.
2. The 19 minute flight time jetpack is based on a design that uses Jet-A fuel instead of hyrogen peroxide as the oder models do. So the different technology must translate into lower overall costs.

all I know is the house in the video kicks ass!

An old painting

2007-07-05T07:19:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling too lazy to write (or do much of anything else after working a 12 hour day yesterday) So here is an one of my paintings. I painted this over the course of almost 10 years. I sketched it on Thanksgiving day 1997, and worked off and on until I finished it at long last. It is the first in a series I have planned of mermaids. (I posted "Arctic Mermaid" this winter) This one is "Reef Mermaid" and the life in it is indigenous to the Caribbean. I had originally planned to put a lot more fish in it, but I reached a point where I just wanted to be done working on it. Maybe someday I will return to it, but for now, there it is. Hope all your fingers are intact after the 4th.

Big Country - In a Big Country

2007-07-02T14:25:00.001-05:00

I have had this song stuck in my head for a while now, just thought i'd take the chance to get it stuck in someone elses...

cheers.

Historical Lunatic

2007-07-01T14:40:00.000-05:00

Huh. Didn't see that one coming. Although in my defense, I did declare myself to be the Duke of West Tremont a few years back. ( I thought to declare myself King would be a little full of myself, so Duke it was!)

Which Historical Lunatic Are You?
From the fecund loins of Rum and Monkey.

Proteus

2007-06-30T11:45:00.000-05:00

Just for funsises I took a Greek Mythology personality test. I answered the questions honestly, but don't necessarily agree with the assessment of me on all levels. Oh well. I was just for funsises after all.

Your Score: Proteus

33% Extroversion, 33% Intuition, 83% Emotiveness, 42% Perceptiveness

Changing your shape to suit your situation, you are most like Proteus. More than anything else, you need to be wanted. You have a very strong work ethic, and are very adaptable, but are often unappreciated. You develop very strong personal loyalties, and will often maintain these personal relationships at a great expense to yourself. Convention and conformity are very important to you, and you find deviations from either to be very inappropriate. You tend not to burden those around you with your own problems.

Famous people like you: Mother Theresa, Jimmy Carter

Album Covers: Blows Against the Empire

2007-06-28T19:51:00.001-05:00

Wow. I have been busy as hell lately, and as a result, I haven't had much time for things. One of which being posting anew here. So here we go.

One of my favorite albums, and covers is "Blows Against the Empire" by Paul Kantner and Jefferson Starship. While not a 'true' JS album (in fact this album predates their first as a group by 4 years), this concept album, which was inspired in part by Heinlein's "Methuselah's
Children", is actually a one off band made up of many of members of other San Francisco bands of the day, such as Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, CSN and Quicksilver Messenger Service.

"

The album is a narrative concept album that tells the story of a counter-culture revolution against the oppressions of "Uncle Samuel" and a plan to steal a starship from orbit and journey into space in search of a new home. The original vinyl release is of course divided into two album sides. Mau Mau (Amerikon) launched Side One, a counter-culture manifesto and call to arms. In the context of the narrative, this is the free music being performed in the park, drawing everyone together.

"Put your old ladies back into bed,

Put your old men into their graves,

Cover their ears so they can't hear us sing,

Cover their eyes so they can't see us play."

"Get out of the way, let the people play,

We gotta get down on you,

Come alive all over you,

Dancing down, into your town."

It celebrates late-sixties counter-culture, depicting people celebrating mind expansion and free love, "We'll ball in your parks, insane with the flash of living... calling for acid, cocaine and grass." They've had enough of the military, domestic and abroad, "You unleash the dogs of a grade-B movie star Governor's war... so drop your fuckin' bombs, burn your demon babies, I will live again!" They condemn the divisive strictures of conservative society, and dream of finding a Utopia.

The Baby Tree, (written by Rosalie Sorrells) an enjoyable if seemingly anachronistic song for this album, is about an imaginary island where babies grow on trees and are collected by happy couples when they fall. The scene develops over the remaining album side, in Let's Go Together and A Child Is Coming, that a couple is among the gathering in a park outside Chicago the night before the hijacking, tripping on acid as dawn approaches. She reveals that she's pregnant, and predictably they resolve to free their child from the government's "files and their numbers game" by joining the hijackers. In this setting, The Baby Tree can be seen as their acid-induced daydream about pregnancy, and so fits neatly into the narrative.

Side Two, informally known as the "Blows Suite," opens with Sunrise, describing the breaking dawn the couple was awaiting, and leads directly into Hijack. The revolutionaries storm the transport to the orbiting starship and head off into space, boarding the ship by the end of Hijack and leaving orbit in Home. As the story progresses with Have You Seen the Stars Tonite, hopes and misgivings are revealed. After the ship's engines and systems are readied in X-M, Starship relates a mutiny fought for control of the ship, to determine whether to surrender and return or to continue on. Eventually the idealists win control and the ship is flung by gravity sling-shot around the sun and out of the solar system."

"Kantner went so far as to write to Heinlein to obtain permission to use his ideas. Heinlein wrote back that over the years, many people had used his ideas but Paul was the first one to ask for permission, which he granted. The album went on to garner a nomination in 1971 for the prestigious Hugo Award for Dramatic Presentation, marking the first time a rock album was so honored."

"The original vinyl album was a single platter in a gatefold sleeve. The cover featured a piece of Russian folk art from a painted lacquer box, attributed to CCCP (U.S.S.R. in Russian). Kantner has said he enjoyed stealing the art from Russia because many of their albums were bootlegged on the Russian black market. The back cover painting depicts a partially opened parcel revealing a room inside with Jerry Garcia peeking out, the parcel being flown on a string by a pair of breasts with wings. Inside the gatefold is more artwork with track listings and credits, done in silver ink on black background and featuring a Paul Kantner caricature with a head of marijuana-leaf hair rising over a mountainous planetscape. The inner dust jacket was decorated with collages of musician photos, writings and doodles. Original pressings included a full-color booklet as well, with lyrics, poetry and drawings mostly done by Slick during the recording sessions and collected daily by Kantner. Subsequent pressings included a black & white version of the booklet."*

I have two copies of this on vinyl. One being the rather beat up copy I found for a buck at a antique shop, and the other being a VG/NM one I found in a record store in Boston complete with the color version of the booklet. I also have it on cassette (remember those?) If you haven't heard it, and like sci-fi inspired rock, and can overlook all the hippie idealism and drug shit, I recomend this record.

*from wikipedia

and in color...

2007-06-21T19:35:00.000-05:00

Here's the final product in color. More to come... enjoy!

New Vantoon

2007-06-20T18:27:00.000-05:00

Last night I decided that my break from drawing had to come to an end, so I whipped up this little piece I call "Gone Vannin'". I don't usually name my drawings, as they are often just of peoples rides, but this one is right out of my head, it told me it's name. I made one of my favorite things, that being a van and matching trailer combo. The van is a mid-Dodge (like mine of course) and has several features/mods I like on vans I have seen like the Vista Cruiser roof for example. I hope you enjoy the picture, and know that they should start coming again with some degree of frequency.

BTW- Yes I will color it eventually, but for now I like the b&w.

Akira bike

2007-06-14T09:43:00.000-05:00

Ok, so sorry I haven't posted anything interesting in a while. I have been quite busy lately, and haven't really been online much.

I found this over at scifi.com. This is really cool!

Akira is one of those classic films for geeks that's become an icon. Its bleak vision of the Tokyo of the near future, it's crazy story line, its disturbing visuals, all made it one of the most popular anime films ever made.

Now, the famous motorcycle from that movie has jumped from the screen and into reality. Think you can tear it up like Kanada? Well, you probably can't, as according to the horribly mangled machine translation I'm basing this post off, it's just a concept model. But hey, just seeing the real-life representation of such a classic piece of animation history is pretty cool, right? Yeah, I know, I wish it was for sale too. — Adam Frucci

Music Meme

2007-06-04T19:39:00.000-05:00

As requested at The Skull Cave, I did the following.

1. Go to www.popculturemadness.com
2. Pick the year you turned 18
3. Get yourself nostalgic over the song’s of the year

Boy did I have a hard time with this. Looking at the list form the Billboard Top 40, I am reminded of why I stopped listening to the radio back then and was a long haired freek (not a "hippie"* tho, they bug me) who listened to music that was 20-30 years old at the time. I have to say there were a few tunes out then (1992) that I thought were ok enough to comment on.

Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen. I took some flak for being a Queen fan, mostly from people who weren't familiar with them, and when this song was re-issued for Wayne's World, all of a sudden all the people who gave me a hard time about it were rushing out to buy it. Go figure. I hadn't heard the song in quite a while, and I had forgotten how much I actually liked it. There are a few other songs from "A Night at the Opera" I like better like , "I'm in love with my Car", or the Brian May penned Sci-Fi offering '39, but I'll stay on topic here. One of the best things about the re-issue of this song to me was the classic video was being played on TV.

Baby Got Back - Sir Mixx-A-Lott. This was one of the funniest things I had heard in a long time. There isn't too much I can add to that.

November Rain - Guns N Roses. Ok. not necessarily November Rain, but I was pretty into G'nR at the time. I remember the first time I heard this song, it was played on the radio the day after the albums came out, and pretty much fell flat. I liked it, and later that year when it came out as a single, I was not surprised. What did surprise me was the fact that it became one of the biggest songs of the year, thanks in part to MTV driving the video down our throats about 15 times a day. I was more of a 'Civil War' fan myself when it came to Use Your Illusions. One other thing, at this time I was really heavy into collecting vinyl ( I have about 350+ records representing about 2yrs of buying whenever I had money and time to kill) , and was super pumped to find both of these albums!

Give It Away - Red Hot Chili Peppers. I used to love the Peppers. I think this album was one of their last good ones tho. Their early stuff was pretty fun party tunes, and I have to say I think they pretty much suck now. There's some serious talent in the band, but in my opinion, i find their offerings pretty weak now.

One that wasn't on the list, that will always remind me of that time of my life when I hear it it Soundgarden's 'Black Hole Sun'. "Superunknown" was another one I found on vinyl (clear vinyl no less!) and it spent a fair amount of time on my turntable that year.

Looking back, it's pretty funny how my musical tastes have evolved, and I rarely listen to any of this anymore. If I had known about them some of the albums I would have enjoyed that year would have included Tom Waits- Bone Machine, Morphine- Cure for Pain, Dr. John- Goin' Back to New Orleans, but it was still a few years until I moved on from what I was listening to to this. I wish I had found Tom Waits sooner especially, as I have really enjoyed all eras of his music, but he was one of the things my wife introduced me to thank God. (and my wife)
Perhaps I need to do a Tom Waits post soon......

The time has come...

2007-06-04T18:25:00.000-05:00

...for me to sell my Buick. First of all, let me just say I love this car, and deciding to sell it has not been an easy decision to come to. It has been in the family for 11 years now, and I have been familiar with it through various owners for about 16. I haven't done anything with it in a few years now, and it breaks my heart to just see it sitting in my garage collecting dust. Here's the rundown.

1972 Buick Riviera. Has the distinctive boattail design.

455 CI, 4BBl, 315 HP

Power everything.

Cruise Control.

This car will float down the highway, and has plenty of power. However, it is a 35 year old car, and is a project vehicle. There is a few rust issues which need attention. The rear quarters, which is an easy fix, and the roof under the vinyl top. That is the worst part of the car. There is signifigant bubbling under the vinyl, but several body guys have told me that it's not the end of the world. The frame was repaired in 1992, and is still in fantastic shape. I have a spare bumper for the rear which is included. The seats were professionally recovered from the original leather, to a woven fabric 'salt and pepper' design. Also the climate controls need attention.
Here's a few pictures.

I'd like to get $2500 for this car. Restored these cars book close to 20k. This one still has a lot of life left, I just want to see someone get it who will love it as much as I have.

contact me at driftwoodpile@yahoo.com

Thanks for looking.

I don't believe it...

2007-06-04T17:00:00.000-05:00

Ok, I've seen every Zombie movie, I'm pretty handy with a firearm,, and I have keep "The Zombie Survival Guide" next to the bed. I submit that this quiz is full of shit.
...but who knows?
67%Mingle² - Free Online Dating

Breakfast of the Gods: Book 2

2007-05-31T10:00:00.000-05:00

Book Two of this very original series entitled "Oh Cap'n, My Cap'n" is now in swing. It's currently 4 pages into the story, and is worth the read. If book one was any indication, I have no doubt this will be a fun one too. Check it out here.

If you missed book one, and need to catch up, it can be found here.

Back from "Lost" (w/ pics!)

2007-05-30T20:33:00.000-05:00

Well, here I am again. I am back from "Lost Memorial Day Weekend", and I have to say I had a blast! I met up with friends I haven't seen since last summer, saw vans I had never seen in person, and met new friends.

The trip, which took about 10 hours each way with stops, went down without a hitch. We took the 98 Dodge. (I have 2 full size vans, a 77 which is customized by me, and a 98 Conversion) Seeing as my wife only has 8 weeks left until she has the baby, we took the more comfortable one. This is how the weekend looked.

On Saturday, the show and shine took place in the afternoon. It was blazing hot out, and I realized after I got home that 95% of my pics from the show were just of the interiors. If it had been a little cooler I probably would have stuck around and got more pictures of the exteriors. Here are some of my favorites form the show.
This Chevy was named 'Junk' of all things!

One van I have always wanted to see is the one in the previous 3 pictures. It's a heavily customized 78 Dodge named "Machina" it is a multiple show winner, and has under gone many changes over the years. This is how it currently appears.

Most people prefer short wheel base vans, but to me the longer the better, and the more axles the better too! I love tandems. One of my favorites belongs to my friend Guy. He is an amazing artist and has done all the work on the outside of his van. He also built the inside too, and it is definitely built for comfort. One of the projects he is working on is a tire cover for my 77. It is going to be a rendering of one of my paintings, and I can't wait to see it!! For more of his work click here.

Another 'new' favorite of mine is called "Fog Cutter", and belongs to my friend 'Snotty'. Last time I saw his van it was just plywood on the interior. In the span of less than a year he has transformed the inside of his van to a lighthouse and beach. It features glass bricks, copper paneling, and brickwork. Yes this adds a good deal of weight, but his van is a 4x4 converted by Pathfinder, and it can handle it. Snotty also makes a damn good blender drink, and verily I enjoyed my share this weekend. :)

I love the paint on this Chevy owned by Mike Rat.
Now this van, which took best of show has a story. It is called "The French Connection" and was built by a vanner who was very well liked, but died tragically in a motorcycle accident. I never had the pleasure of meeting him, as it was 7 years ago now that this occured. His son just turned old enough to inherit the van, and this was the first time it has been out of storage in 7 years. Getting the van ready was a group effort between the club members and the son, and it's presence there was a very emotional experience for many who saw it, and knew the story surrounding it.
One thing about vanners that I have to explain is this: it is one big family. When a tragedy occurs it is felt by all, as we tend to be pretty close. Some vanners have known eachother for over 30 years, some are related by blood, and there are second and third generation vanners in the fold. It's difficult to really relay what goes on at a truck-in, because this is the part most people don't really understand. It's more than a van show, it's more than just camping, it's spending time with people that in some cases are closer than family.
I really look forward to the next truck-in I can make, but unfortunately this year it isn't going to be until Oct. So until then I will have to settle for reports form others and their pictures.

Oh. Sorry, no light show pics. I didn't make it as I was too busy at the business end of the blender. ;)

Gone to Lost

2007-05-24T09:35:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm off to a truck-in for the weekend. From tonight to Monday I will be attending "Lost Memorial Day Weekend" in Greenwich, NY, at the fair grounds. The only criteria is to have a van. I will be hanging, and partying with the best people ever, and just generally digging life. I'll see you when I get back, and will probably have pictures to share from the show-and-shine, and light shows, and other good times. Have a great weekend and keep it safe.

Here's a little Joseph Spence to enjoy.

Coming in on a Wing and Prayer- Joseph Spence

Van of the Week-Pt. 2: Rollie's Econobar

2007-05-21T18:31:00.001-05:00

As I said this post is a two parter. Here's part 2...one of the coolest things I've ever seen: The Econobar! In Rollie's own words, here's the description:

"While traveling back home from a weekend campout with
another local Van club, I was fortunate to stop at a friend's home and
strike up a conversation about "Items" that may be found on "E-Bay". He
mentioned to me if I would happen to know of anyone that might be
interested in an old Ford Van Front end? I asked him what he had, "70's"?
He said no, an Early 1961 Econoline Front end! I said may I see it? He took
me out to his barn, behind his house and we climbed a ladder into the
attic. Boy to my surprise was this NOS set of panels with the Original
stickers! I told him that I would buy them off of him, and what did he want
for them? I offered him $150, but he said that since he had known me for so
long, $100 would do quite well! COOL!!!
I decided this past year, that the time had finally come for me to
design and build the "Bar-of-my-dreams" and it has taken since July to get
where she is today!"

The "Econo-Bar" specifications are:

Front: 1961 N.O.S. panels
Framework: 3/4" Melamine
Color: 2003 G.M. Flame Yellow
Top: 3" thick Maple Butcher block
Sound system: Kenwood amplifier
Gemini 4 channel mix board
Speakers: 2 600 watt Kenwood Sub-woofers
2 150 watt KLH indoor/outdoors in the headlight grills
Electronics: 110 volt on board
12 volt on board to operate the headlights and
parking lights
Cabinetry: 5 slide-out cabinets w/ oak veered door panels
Storage for @ 120 CD's on board
Custom built dollies: to accommodate the weight

Of course true to form, he had me do one of my Vantoon renderings of the Econobar too. I even added a logo made from the same script they used for the Econoline door emblems.
Here's a shot of the bar with my drawings on display in their new home, which in itself is like a museum to vanning. Rollie has made some incredible wooden signs which make up a good portion of his collection.

Van of the Week: Rollie's 69 Chevy

2007-05-19T19:37:00.000-05:00

For this installment I am going to do somewhat of a 2 parter. One of my favorite vans this one here "Hot and Nasty". This radical custom started off as a typical cargo van, and has undergone many changes over the last 33 years.

Some of the features of Rollie's van include a chopped top over the driver seat, and a roof from a Vista Cruiser wagon over the rear. An etched design borders the front windows, and the side doors have been replaced by a fiberglass gullwing door.
The front end was changed to that of a 1970 Bonneville to increase cooling. I like it as it gives the van a unique look.

Rollie, as you can see is a fine wood worker, and has made the interior of his van reflect that nicely.
Finally here is an shot form the early 80's before he changed the front end to feature the Bonneville grille.

Here is the list of mods made to the van*:
Originally purchased in Virginia Beach Virginia in 1974 and owned for the
past 30 years! First National award "2nd Place Most Radical" 1976 Bowling Green, Kentucky numerous National awards since.

Body
Roof: Front Roof Chopped 6"
Raised Rear Roof 10"
1968 Olds Vista Cruiser Roof Installed w/Vinyl
Doors: Rear Doors removed
Gullwing side door installed
Taillights: 1967 Pontiac Firebird, Installed Vertically
Flares: Handmade fiberglass, molded from Early 70's Dodge front flare!
Grill: 1970 Pontiac Bonneville sectioned 6" each side & 3" on the wrap-arounds
Headlights: 1976 Cadillac
Rear Window: 1969 Ford Fairlane Station Wagon
Gas Cap: 1968 Dodge Charger
Running Boards: White Ash Hardwood

Suspension
Springs: 3/4 ton
Steering Column: 1967 Olds Toronado
Shocks: Lowered 6" Front
Wheel Openings: Enlarged to accommodate 15" tires
Front Sway Bar installed with 7/16" stainless down-links & polyurethane
bushings

Engine
Engine: 1969 Chevy 327 cu. in.
Cam: Crane "Street/Strip"
Valve Covers: Aluminum
Heads: Shaved .015"
Intake: 1978 Chevy 350 w/ 4BBL
Exhaust: Headers
Starter: "Hamburger" drag strip starter
Radiator: 5 core Griffith
Trans: 350 Turbo
Alternator: 80 Amp

Wheels & Tires
Wheels: 1979 Cragar Limit Edition Gold & Chrome w/ Knockoff Spinners
Tires: B.F.Goodrich T/A Radial

Electronics
Alarms: Custom Designed Security Systems (Quantity Classified!)
2 Power Distribution Systems
110 volt Charging System
3 Deep Cycle Auxiliary Batteries
Power Windows All Around
Power Antennae
Gauges: All Digital, Split to be powered from separate power sources.
Proton combo radio/cassette/CD player, Front
Proton combo in rear also
Amplifiers: Proton 30 watt amp
Proton 75 watt amp
Speakers: 4 Boise front seats
2 120 watt Pioneers in Gullwing Door
2 180 watt Pioneers in rear couch
2 200 watt Blue Thunder Sub-woofers
Proton Graphic Equalizer in front dash
Proton Graphic Equalizer in rear overhead console

Interior Woodwork
Wainscoated walls and ceiling
3/4" tongue & groove Cherry Hardwood Floors
Custom Designed Dashboard
Hand-carved Overhead Console
Hand-carved side door panels
Custom designed spare tire compartment, under rear couch & hidden from view
Wood covered engine compartment cover, cut-down 3" to allow easier access
to rear.

*from showtrux.com

Here are a couple of Vantoon's I did for Rollie. He has been a great supporter of my art and I thank him very kindly for this.

The trunk on the rear of the van is a 1920's era touring trunk from a Packard, and was handed down in the family from his grandfather.

Resistance is futile!

2007-05-17T06:56:00.000-05:00

Damn, and all these years I've been doing it the hard way. If I had one of these, coupled with this
I could be the perfect super hero. Oh, well. I guess in the meantime, I'll have to just keep hitting the gym.

Here's the article from Sci-fi:

The folks at Tokyo's University of Science may be watching too much '70s television. One of their latest projects is the Muscle Suit, which isn't quite a suit really — more like a pair of borgified hockey shoulder pads. Muscle Harness, maybe? In any case, the Muscle Thingie is presumably meant to enhance the strength of the wearer, enabling him or her to lift weights that muscle alone can't conquer, a lot like that powered exoskeleton we heard about a while back.

Not much else to go on here, seeing as the site's in Japanese, but I look forward to the day when I can strap on a Muscle Contraption when I need to deal with an inconvenient tree stump or fight a little crime. If only it could make a "na na na na na" sound as you lift stuff, things would be perfect… as long as it costs considerably less than 6 million dollars. — Peter Pachal

The Last Supper... Zombified!

2007-05-14T19:26:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I'm probably going straight to the lake of fire for this, but I love all things zombie, and this rendition of "The Last Supper" unfortunately for my eternal soul, is no exception. I found a link to it earlier, but no artist credit was given. Quite a brilliant piece really, when you se how it was...um...rendered. The way it is made to look like the original fresco, the way the chalice is mid-air as He was caught off guard, and the legnth of entrail, as on Him they feast. It's reminiscent to me of the climactic scene in "Day of the Dead" when the underground bunker is stormed by the living dead. Whatever, I dig this painting.

I'll probably regret that after I shuffle off my mortal coil, but for now.... :)

First, the tricorder, then a deflector shield, and now...finally a replicator for the masses!

2007-05-12T11:49:00.000-05:00

Holy crap. All the Star Trek technology is coming to be! Granted it's a bit of a stretch on this one, but it's a start.
"

The first affordable Desktop Factory 3D printer is just about to ship, paving the way for even more sophisticated manufacturing in the future. This first home 3D printer will cost between $5,000 and $7,000 and will be roughly the size of early laser printers. Starting out with powdered plastic, it layers the plastic material so precisely that it exactly conforms to the software 3D model that serves as its guide.

Similar 3D printers used for quick design protyping have been available for around ten years, but the $15,000 devices have been prohibitively expensive, owned only by major corporations and researchers. However, more-accessible Desktop Factory technology is just the beginning of 3D printing, where scientists foresee even more complex products being manufactured as the printers get exponentially more sophisticated.

Could this be another example of Star Trek tech becoming a reality? This home 3D printer brings us closer to the day when we'll have replicators like those on Star Trek: The Next Generation, making entire meals at the touch of a button and creating complex objects from simple materials. In the meantime, soon you'll be able to download spare parts for toys and build them in a few minutes, or even prototype your own designs, right in your home. — Charlie White"