Napoleon Dynamite, Little Miss Sunshine, and Juno are all approaching 10 years old.
All 3 movies about quirky individuals trying to succeed despite family dynamics and against the odds as set forth from the narrative of societal restraints and expectations - the old square peg/round hole formula.

I felt sad for all the hipsters who saw LMS in 2007 and thought it was a great and moving story.

One of the biggest inspirations for taking my trip cross country via motorcycle was the miniseries, "Long Way Round" with actors Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman.
It's a fantastic adventure between two guys who seem to genuinely love and respect one another.
Outside of the wonderful tour itself, what shines most is their obvious man love, and I mean that in a very positive and hetero sorta way ,))

"Long Way Round" follows the pair from London thru Europe, Russia, and Mongolia, and on thru the U.S. via Alaska, and ends in New York City.  The last episode will really pull at your heartstrings as Ewan's dad surprises him on the last day of riding.

"Long Way Down" finds the two going thru the whole of Africa, traveling thru 18 some odd countries in just a couple of 3 months.  It's not quite as much fun to watch as the first show but still damn cool - particularly after they hit the midway point and cross into Rwanda.  This time Ewan's lovely wife shows up for a few days of riding.

Unbeknownst to me, Charley has been doing a travel series of his own for the last few years and it looks to be worth watching and I fully intend to do just that.

"By Any Means" follows Charley across the globe as attempts to reach his various destinations however he can - cars, trucks, bikes, boats, even elephants keep him moving at different parts of his journey.

He's also doing a sponsored sort of ride along with Eagle Rider Motorcycle this November that will take a large group from Los Angeles to Cabo San Lucas.
Check it out here:
http://www.eaglerider.com/motorcycle-tours/guided-motorcycle-tour/baja-with-charley-boorman-experience.aspx

If you can come up with the roughly $5,000 you can grab one Eagle Rider's bikes and join him for a weeklong adventure down the coast of California and on into Mexico.

Charley's website is here:  http://www.charleyboorman.com/

Ya' know, the really fun part of watching '80's rock videos is looking for the one band member that enjoys the hair spray, make up, and women's clothing a little too much.

The '80's were a weird time for rock.
Coming out of the horribleness that was '70's soft rock and disco, many rock bands started going for a heavier, more in your face sorta sound.  They also had to find a new way to shock and entertain and just generally be outrageous.  Hence the crazy outfits and the wacky hair.  But because of the competitiveness of the music world and because of that new fangled Music Television, the weirdness kept getting raised higher and higher, as did sales of Aquanet.

Here for your listening and viewing pleasure, I take you back to the early days of 1980's LA glam rock music scene for a little group known as Ratt.

Enjoy.

Interesting side note on Ratt:  Tawny Kitaen, high school sweetheart of guitar player Robin Crosby, who'd graced the cover of the band's EP from the previous year, agreed to appear on the cover of their debut full-length album. She also appeared in their video for "Back For More" as the girl in the 1950s skirt at the jukebox.

Over the last few weeks the media has been going bonkers about a new study claiming that 97% of scientists agree on the main issues of "global climate change" (formerly known as global warming).
President/National Golfer Obama even mentioned it in a speech recently citing the consensus view that global climate change was going to lead man's extinction and the end of the world.
(Ok.  I added the last part.)
Turns out that the "scientist" that came up with the 97% number is more activist and PR for the climate change folks and his methodology and ethics have been called into question.

The short version is that he cooked the books to arrive at 97%.

From Brietbart:  http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-London/2014/09/08/Obama-s-97-Percent-Climate-Consensus-debunked-demolished-staked-through-the-heart

_______________________________________________________________________________

"Ninety-seven percent of scientists agree: #climate change is real, man-made and dangerous."

Remember that statement, a while back, from some bloke on Twitter? What we now know with more than 97 per cent certainty that this guy - or whoever is in charge of running his Twitter account - is either wilfully dishonest or woefully ill-informed.

The "97 per cent" claim is an utter nonsense. This report released today by the Global Warming Policy Foundation explains exactly why.

First, that word "dangerous". This is a concept that was never mentioned in the study responsible for that 97 per cent claim. The paper was written by an Australian warmist activist called John Cook (and others). It drew its conclusions having allegedly reviewed 12,000 papers on climate change and found - so it claimed - that the vast majority of them supported the "consensus" on global warming.

But here the watch-the-pea-under-the-thimble game begins. The "consensus" which the Cook et al paper supports is so banal and trivial as to scarcely be worth stating, viz:

• that carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas;

• that human activities have warmed the planet to some unspecified extent.

Since even the vast majority of sceptical scientists agree with this statement you might wonder why, when Cook et al released their findings they got so much attention in the global media. (And they really did. That tweet of @barackobama's helped, of course. But you only have to recall how many occasions you've heard that "97 per cent" figure cited as unquestionable "proof" of the existence of man-made global warming to appreciate how effective this propaganda exercise was; and also to realise just how ineffective the world's media generally is at subjecting such claims to any kind of rigorous analysis).

But this fudge, of course, was always part of the plan. We know this because John Cook's internet home is an alarmist propaganda website called Skeptical Science. Unfortunately for Cook, a security lapse at his site in 2012 led to the disclosure of private email exchanges between Cook and his co-conspirators.

Here's one from Cook himself, explaining the purpose of the paper:

It's essential that the public understands that there's a scientific consensus on AGW. So [Skeptical Science activists] Jim Powell, Dana [Nucitelli] and I have been working on something over the last few months that we hope will have a game changing impact on the public perception of consensus. Basically, we hope to establish that not only is there a consensus, there is a strengthening consensus."

Two things are immediately apparent from this email. 

1. Cook had decided even before he began his investigations what those investigations would reveal. 

2. This was always going to be a PR exercise, not a scientific one.

Next we find Cook digging himself still deeper by referring to a chosen methodology - its name coined by one of his associates, Ari - as the "porno approach." What he means, presumably, is that rather than allowing for rigour and nuance, his paper will be researched in such a way as to deliver the most dramatic, headline results possible. Not just tasteful nudie pix, then, but hardcore with donkeys...

Okay, so we've ruled out a definition of AGW being 'any amount of human influence' or 'more than 50 percent human influence.' We're basically going with Ari's porno approach (I probably should stop calling it that) which is AGW = 'humans are causing global warming'. e.g. - no specific quantification which is the only way we can do it considering the breadth of papers we're surveying.

Under these criteria even an otherwise arch-sceptical paper conceding that, say, the methane from the farts of beef and dairy cattle might have a marginal influence on climate, could be claimed by Cook et al as being in support of the "consensus."

As Andrew Montford's GWPF report goes on to reveal, this is more or less what happened. He cites two  examples of scientists who had written highly sceptical papers which - much to their mortification and irritation - they discovered had been graded by Cook and his team as endorsing the "consensus."

"It is not an accurate representation [of my work]" wrote one, Nir Shaviv.

Statistically and scientifically, as Montford goes on to detail, Cook et al's survey was a dog's breakfast. ("This is garbage, and a crisis," wrote one critic, all the more damningly because he self-describes as a believer in man-made global warming, "It needs to stop, and [such] papers need to be retracted immediately, especially Cook, et al (2013)")

Elsewhere in the report, Montford finds space to chronicle dodgy goings-on at the University of Queensland, where Cook is the Climate Communication Fellow for the Global Change Institute. Rather than 'fess up to the scandal, the University responded with blustering threats and a press release containing a pack of lies.

But for me the most interesting part of Montford's report is the light it sheds on the modus operandi of the wider climate change alarmist establishment, from the Guardianjournalists who disseminate this naked propaganda to the politicians, from Barack Obama to UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Ed Davey, who use it to justify their dubious policies.

Here is Davey, talking last year on the BBC's Daily Politics Show, to Andrew Neil:

We've had a complete unchallenged view of the climate change deniers. I think we need to have rather more balance in the debate, particularly when we saw a recent analysis of 12,000 scientific papers...and of the scientists who expressed a view - these were climate change papers - of the scientists who expressed a view 97 per cent said that climate change was happening and that it was human-made activity.

Most neutral observers on hearing such a claim would, I imagine, find it highly persuasive. "12,000 scientific papers? Sounds a lot! 97 per cent? Wow!" And while they might find Davey a fairly slippery character, they would have no real reason to question the analysis he is citing. As a senior government minister heading a department full of experts in the field he must surely know what he's talking about. Right?

So this is where we're at in the climate wars. (And where, indeed, we have unfortunately been at for a very long time). You can be the biggest, most risible assclown in the history of junk statistics and pseudoscience but so long as you can somehow cobble together a half-way plausible paper, no matter how inept your methodology, which helps prop up the vast man-made global warming industry then you have it made: the President of the USA will Tweet you; your University will back you to the hilt; your colleagues will rally round you; you will get a very favourable write-up in the Guardian (and myriad other alarmist publications); your critics will be sidelined and ignored.

But wait. It seems that Cook and his friends have now produced a response to these criticisms almost as devastatingly convincing as that original report. Over a period of 97 Hours Of Consensus, his website will be showing cartoon caricatures of climate scientists from around the world, each with little speech bubbles coming out of their cartoon mouths explaining exactly why global warming is more real and dangerous than ever before.

For further updates don't watch this space because I'm afraid, cynic that I am, I find this all a bit desperate, childish and silly. Instead, why not check out @barackobama's Twitter feed? I'm sure he'll be reporting on this exciting development in our understanding of the climate change phenomenon any second now.....

Apple was kind enough to "cartoonize" me.  Love that the bird has an eyepatch too !

How does a woman fit 4 kids plus her husband, sisters, nieces, nephews, step-children and various others into her 4 seat car?

Evel Knievel nearly burnt down my house!

True Story!!!
Hand to God.

That really almost happened.

I was watching, "I am Evel Knievel", the documentary movie about stuntman and legendary bad/jackass Evel Knievel on Thursday night and I was reminded of that time that he set my childhood home alight.

If you missed the show shame on you; it was great.

Those of you who remember life without cable TV are probably old enough to remember Evel's historic daredeviling.  In that special time of the early '70's when, still reeling from the losses of the Vietnam War and recovering from the turbulent civil chaos of the late 60's, America wanted and needed a hero.
A man for and of the common man but a patently American man.   Rugged.  Forthright. Handsome and flawed.  Like you and me only a lot less inclined to take anyone's B.S.
A guy that could drink and woo the ladies and fix a car or settle somebodies s@#t if they got outta line but do it with a little smile on the edge of their lip like they were just being sarcastic a bit because they've seen all this before and "they ain't really worried none."

It was in that special time and space that men like Steve McQueen, Clint Eastwood, and Evel Knievel made their mark.  Men who talked little but acted quickly.  Men who could tell you everything you need to know (right now) with a single, sharp glance or glare as the situation would call for.

For me it was Evel Knievel right from the start.
He had those cool leather biker suits and those loud as hell Harleys and all the bravado in the world.
Evel was a great showman and endless self promoter who knew how to keep the audience's attention thru years of doing small shows on the local dirt track circuits out in Montana.
Throughout the early to mid-70's Evel's stunts got bigger and bigger and more and more dangerous.
He jumped the fountain at Caesar's Palace and nearly killed himself at Snake River Canyon and again at Wembley Stadium trying to jump 15 buses.  In the documentary he says he knew he couldn't make that jump over the buses because he didn't have the correct gear setup on his bike but he refused to back down and went ahead anyway.

He was so popular when I was a little kid that he had his own best selling toys.

And that's how the house nearly burnt down.

One year for Christmas I got:
The Official Evel Knievel Action Figure with Daredevil Motorcycle

and The Official Evel Knievel Scramble Van (with accessories)

That was a good year!
I played with those things all the time.
Evel jumped over the kitchen table and the coffee table and the dog and the cat and just about everything else in or outside of the house.
For several months my life was one big screamin, slidin', poppin' a wheelin', stuntmanin', nonstop adventure.
Good God I loved that little toy.  We had a grand time riding around together.

But then came that fateful day when "The Source of the Trouble" was out of the house and Evel tried to jump "The Flames of Doom".

Ya' see, after a few months of stunt-manning our way up and down Ave J, Evel and I needed a new challenge.  The crowd, i.e. me, needed something more thrilling, more daring, and way more riskiery!

What's a guy to do?
You gotta please your loyal fans.
So Evel and I decided to jump over fire.

Everyone knows that fire makes just about everything 58% better.
It's just good science.
So off Evel and I went to dig up one of momma's scented votive candles to liven up the show.
We put the candle on the roof of the Scramble Van, did our Hail Mary's, cranked up the Harley, and got ready to put on the most spectacular jump of our lives!

And WHAT a jump it was!!!
Damn you should've seen it!
Me and Evel sighted ourselves down a straight path from underneath the bedroom window to a few feet from the closet where the van was parked with "The Flames of Doom" burning brightly atop.
We did one trip around the room just to loosen up then we hit the throttle and with that front tire pointed at heaven off we went.
We hit the ramp right on target and our speed carried us up and over the rear of the van.
It was beautiful.
But we must've failed to accurately calculate the crosswinds because the rear tire dipped and just when you thought we would barely make it, the rear end caught the candle and tipped it over catching Evel's cape in the process.  The cape erupted into flames burning my hand and scaring the bejeezus outta me.  I threw the now fiery bike down but the forward momentum carried it into the closet where it continued to smolder.  Meanwhile the hot wax melted the roof of the Scramble Van dumping the candle inside where it immediately burst into a ball of burning plastic.
Thick, black, putrid smoke filled the room in an instant and the young "pinche'r" panicked.

Never before had one of our stunts gone so horribly wrong.
We were unprepared for this possibility.
Of course, professional medical teams were always on standby for any of our jumps - we were stuntmen and we accepted that things occasionally went wrong - but something this catastrophic had never entered our collective realm of imagination.
It was awe inspiring and terrifying at once.

So I ran to the nearest water source:  the hall bathroom.  And I grabbed the first cup I saw: the Dixie Cups that hung on the wall by the sink.  And I filled it and ran fast as I could back to the conflagration and threw the water on it.
Nothing happened.
Because Dixie Cups held about an inch or so of water at best and I spilled most of it running back.
So I ran again.
And filled the cup again and threw it on the fire again.
The fire sizzled and laughed and grew larger and hotter.
And off I went to get more water, growing more and more frantic as the fire continued to grow in the back bedroom.
My older brother finally noticed a slight whiff of smoke.  That coupled with me running in and out of the hall bathroom got him interested enough to come see what the heck was going on.
Oh boy, did he yell when he saw that damn fire!
But he was calm enough to get the big pitcher out of the kitchen and douse the fire once and for all.
His yelling got "El Deucey's" attention and he came in and stomped out the fire just starting in the closet.
And there they stood, staring at their little brother and his melted toys for what seemed like forever.

Finally, "Deucey" said, "Mom is going to kill you", and walked out.

The other brother couldn't help but ridicule my choice in firefighting apparatus.

"Usin' a f@#ing Dixie Cup!?!  Are you f@#ing kiddin' ME!?!  What the hell is wrong with you!?!
A friggin' Dixie Cup?  JeeZUS!!!"  and walked out laugin'.
That was nearly 40 years ago and he still laughs about it every time he tells it.

Usually,, just after the story about how he put me in the dryer and turned it on.

I think "The Source" did nearly kill me that day.
It was long time before,
A.)  the smell of burnt plastic went away.
B.)  I could sit down without wincing.

And if you pull up the carpet in the back bedroom of the old house on Ave J, there on the tile, you can still see the black ring where my daredevil career with Evel came to an abrupt ending in a puff of black smoke.

The Source of the Trouble plays 20 questions!

"The Source of the Trouble", aka mom, has been a travel agent for years and years.
It's been a great to have her as a resource when I travel.  She's helped me many, many times over the past 10 + years whether getting last minute flight deals or finding a decent place to stay for business travel.  Without her help on my recent trip to Marfa, TX the guys and I would have been driving 45 minutes every morning to get to work.  She worked some magic and found a house for rent right in town, just a 5 minute drive, and for less money than the available hotels.
And because of her connections and knowledge, I was able to bank thousands of extra Marriott points while working in NYC which I later used to stay free at Marriott properties all over the southeast.
Going places is fun.
Going places free is way more funner.

Dee, one of her friends and clients, recently interviewed "The Source" for her blog.
Results are below.
Way to go Mommy!!!

If you would like to read Dee's blog, write to me and I'll connect you.


_______________________________________________________________________________


September 2014

Twenty Questions With Judy

My friend Judy and I met in our wonderful book group, The XXXX Book Club. Our dynamic leader runs a very loose ship but it’s always lots of fun. In the meeting last Saturday Judy mentioned she could use some marketing help with her travel business.  I met her for lunch on Monday and we brainstormed.  All of my clients are attorneys, so it was fun to talk about a different profession for a change.

I was intrigued to find Judy is a travel agent. I honestly thought nobody used travel agents any more.
Judy is an independent agent for Company X Travel.  It’s great that she gets to work from home.
Judy specializes in tours and cruises.

“People don’t realize that most of the time a travel agent can find the same or better rates, even finding perks not accessible to the public.“

I know from my own experience on my adoption trips, it’s great to be able to call your travel agent if there’s an issue, like the hotel room isn’t available or you need another ticket for your flight, etc. Judy handles that sort of thing for her clients and she’s a lot easier to reach than the 800 number of the airline or hotel company.

She often books travel a year in advance. “Often times a cruise line or tour company will have great rates that are only available months in advance.”

Where do most of her clients like to cruise?  I asked her. “In this area, most people want to cruise the Caribbean seeking out warm weather. However, I’ve done several European cruises this year. I was able to find a great rate on an Alaskan cruise for a couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.

She gets a lot of repeat customers. “Frequent travelers tend to be a bit more adventurous and take longer trips.”

Judy is only a phone call away. You don’t necessarily need to be in Atlanta. You can reach her at xxx-xxxx.  (I'll be happy to put you touch with The Source.  Just write to me here.)

I asked her how the industry has changed now that everyone uses computers. “Most of the cruise lines use electronic tickets same as the airline industry. If you not familiar computers or have a printer, I will fill out the necessary informational forms and mail paper documentation,” she explains.

Judy has been on many cruises. “I love cruising. You either love it or you don’t.”

What type of cruise does she like?   “I like the river cruises best. The boats are much smaller making it easier to dock in smaller ports. The smaller boats take you to small towns and you get a better feel for the people and area. Cruising on The American Queen on the Mississippi River is fun and a part of American history."

(I would be thinking of Mark Twain the entire time if I could cruise the Mississippi!)

The river cruises in Europe serve recipes made with local fresh foods which I like. I don’t want to go to Europe and have a hamburger from McDonalds.”

Why cruises?   “A cruise is great because everything is right there. Adults have activities and entertainment and the kids usually have a kid’s age appropriate program. There are numerous dining options and you don’t have to get off the ship in port.”

The ships usually pull into a port in the morning and stay anywhere from 8-12 hours. Most of the port calls are for a day. Sometimes a European cruise will port overnight.

“Over Thanksgiving I am taking a Celebrity cruise out of ------. Our ports of call are XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX.

One of Judy’s passions is for genealogy. “I’ve only been to Italy once but it wasn’t a genealogy type of trip. I belong to an Italian genealogy group. I’ve done quite a bit of research. The internet makes researching a whole lot easier. I used to troop through old cemeteries, visit small libraries, and go into dusty old basements in little courthouses. Genealogy is a history puzzle. That’s why I like mystery books more than anything. That mystery part in genealogy goes into that mindset – why my ancestors came to this country and when. My dad’s side of the family is Italian. They were from San Lorenzo, north and east of Naples.”

Where else would she like to go? “I haven’t been able to do all the traveling I’d like to do. I’d love to go to Australia and New Zealand but there are other places closer I haven’t seen. I’d love to see all the US national parks.”





What is your full name? Judy X.

Where would you live, if you could live anywhere in the world?  Right now I am actually perfectly happy with Greater Atlanta.  Greater Atlanta is a unique little area that offers a lot. I’m close to art galleries, the airport, the Fox Theatre, but it also has a hometown feel. I would really have to think about that a while.

What is your favorite movie and why? I am not a movie person. However, I loved the Harry Potter movies.

What was your least-favorite subject in school when you were a kid? Probably Geography. (Ironic!)

What was your nickname when you were a kid? I don’t think I had one. I don’t remember anybody calling me anything but Judy.  (I've taken care of this for her ,))

Do you believe in God? Yes. I don’t think there’s a person sitting in the sky. I think of God as an energy force, a force of love and goodness.

What sound or noise do you love? Wind chimes. I have a whole slew of them – probably 5 or 6 out front. I love the sounds of the wind chimes.

If you could do anything other than what you do, as a profession, what would it be? I’d still travel. I hated Geography in school. I didn’t realize or care about geography or history until I started genealogy research-- and all of a sudden history and geography really meant something.

If heaven exists, what do you think it is like?  I don’t envision it as a building or a place. I think maybe it’s less specific, more of a just an area…

Do you have siblings? Yes. (How many?  Male/Female?  Alive?  Where?)

What is your favorite memory of childhood [something specific]?  Not a special day but a special time when I was little and I lived with my grandparents on their farm. It was a laid back, peaceful time.

If you had to choose between one week traveling around the USA by car, or one week traveling around Europe on a train, which would you choose and why? I’d want to do BOTH! I’d want to get off the train a lot. I’ve been to Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon but there are so many other places to see and things to do here in the US.

What or who inspires you? Probably my sons, they really do.  (awww...)

Which holiday do you prefer, Christmas or July 4th?  July 4th because it’s a fun time and there’s not a lot of pressure to make everything perfect. Not a lot of cooking, no worry about gifts. You just enjoy the day.

What project or idea are you most passionate about, right now? I want to dig deeper into family history. I love family stories.

Do you know how to cook? Yes. (Lasagna?  Hello?  Pleeeeasssseee?)

What is your favorite thing to cook/eat? I have a special pound cake recipe that came from my grandmother and it’s a very good recipe. I have sent it to my sons many times. Cakes have gone to California, New Jersey, foreign military bases, all over.  (Yes, more pound cake please!!!)

If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world, for 2-4 weeks, all expenses paid, where would you go and why?   I would go to Italy. I’d really like to go and do more in depth genealogy research.

Who do you love the most in the world?  My children and grandchildren.

What question has nobody ever asked you, but you wanted to answer?  I don’t know.


Editor's Update:  If you would like info on travel feel free to contact me and I'll put you touch with The Source!

The latest post in which Bedford Slims steals my likeness!

www.bedfordslims.com

I stumbled onto this little ad last night.  Bedford Slims are a new-ish brand of electronic cigarette.

Of course I wrote them.

_____________________________________________________________________________

“Dear Bedfordians,

If you're going to use an eyepatch wearing model for your website, why not use the real thing ? 

El Pinche Pirata del Fuego at your service!

You may not know this, but I have been Atlanta's top pirate since 2007 and was recently voted, "Hottest White Dude at Publix"  (Ponce  de Leon location) 

Lofty honors to be sure.

But not as great an honor as representing your fine company would be!

El Pinche Pirata del Fuego - don't settle for imitators!!!

xoxo,

Your friend and mine,

J  “

______________________________________________________________________________

This has not really worked in the past.

My letter to Monday Night Brewing was completely ignored.  F@#ers!

http://elpinchepirata.blogspot.com/2012/10/monday-night-brewing.html

Dear Monday Night Brewing Company People(s),

I had the great pleasure of meeting some of your company's representatives at my favorite local adult beverage and good time emporium, The Family Dog, last night.

They seemed like really nice people despite the fact that they were on their way to an Alanis Morrisette concert.  

But that is neither       here.     Nor                               

                                                                                                                                                there.

I am writing to you today because I feel that we, that is I, the Royal "We" if you will, think that I would be an excellent spokes-pirate for your company in general and especially for your 2 beers, Eyepatch IPA and Blind Pirate.

Who better to represent these 2 hand crafted beers than El Pinche Pirata del Fuego himself!?!

Or his self, if you prefer.

You may not know this, but I have been Atlanta's top pirate since 2007 and was recently voted, "Hottest White Dude at Publix"  (Ponce location) 

Lofty honors to be sure.

But not as great an honor as representing your fine brewing company would be!

I have already taken the liberty of throwing an advertising campaign together just so you can get a little taste of what EPPdF could do for you!

You can see it at www.elpinchepirata.blogspot.com under the post “Monday Night Brewing.”

Much love and many thanks,

Your friend and mine,

El Pinche Pirata del Fuego

I don't wanna brag or name drop but I have Lauren's number!

(It's a damn shame I didn't get it from her though and, although the lady that gave me her number was well meaning, I can never use it.  That would be weird and creepy.  But damn is it disappointing!!!)

It's new music Monday!

Here are some bands I've been listening to recently.  Hope you enjoy!

Vintage Trouble live on The Tonight Show.

Vintage Trouble's official video for Pelvis Pusher.

Ruby Velle and the Soulphonics.

More Ruby.

Lee Fields & The Expressions, "Wish you were here".

I finally updated the company website with pictures from Marfa, Texas and a new "installs" page.

Check it out and let me know what you think:

                                                               www.sunxus.com

Dateline: Marfa, TX.

Tasked with infiltrating the local separatist community and disrupting the general population whenever, wherever, and however possible we made a high speed, 21 hour, all out sling shot straight into the heart of darkness.

3 hours of sleep in 36 hours - check.

14 gallons of coffee - check.

One half eaten, moldy bag of Funyons to share between 3 guys - check.

Thru a meticulous subterfuge we were able to convince one of the locals to grind all of the coffee beans ahead of time and thereby avoid the old "hard tack" brewing method of chewing on the beans in between sips of scalding hot water but I chose to go directly to the hard stuff anyhow- a bottle of Bosco and a few lemon wedges.  A man has to keep his wits about him out here.

To think that the brass even considered launching an amphibious assault is just plain ridiculous!!!

JEEZ!

Do these guys even own a map!?!

The logistics of getting 3,200 metric tons of a medium-coarse Tulum beach sand and 450 million gallons of artesianal spring water onto trucks, across borders, and into position before the locals catch on, much less the noise those damn hovercrafts make on take off!?!

No way!

Not after last time.

But damn Weatherby up in the Big Office insisted on doing the initial paperwork if for no other reason than to spruce up his budget report.

"Let's run it up the flagpole and see what's what," he says.

It wasn't until I brought up the probability of The Dept. of Fish and Wildlife getting involved with that much fresh water moving across the interior that he relented.

"This is bat country, dammit people!!!",  I say.  "Think like a nocturnal flying rodent!"

Damn you, Weatherby!

A wave of Christian Hate and Violence that never came to shore.

A good friend recently posted a clip of Bill Maher going on about the culture of hate in Christianity on her Facebook page. Because there's no off position on my smart ass switch, I responded by citing the extreme hatred and explosive violence of Mother Theresa and Martin Luther King.

Because Salon.com is Salon.com, after the Boston Marathon bombing they had to find the worst examples of Christian and far right violence to prove that Islam is not the problem but all religion. The article is below.

If you exclude people that just plain hated the gov't the number of deaths in the US by christian extremists since 1984 is 14.

14 deaths in 30 years does qualify as a culture of hate or violence.
Totaling all of the deaths in Salon's article will bring that number up to 188 over 3 decades - still not an avalanche of murder and mayhem.

http://www.salon.com/2013/08/03/the_10_worst_examples_of_christian_or_far_right_terrorism_partner/

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/06/16/Hillary-Clinton-The-Bible-Is-My-Biggest-Influence

HILLARY CLINTON: THE BIBLE IS MY 'BIGGEST INFLUENCE'

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced during aNew York Times interview that the Holy Bible is the book that made her who she is today.

“If you had to name one book that made you who you are today, what would it be?” askedThe New York Times, in a book review questionnaire.

“At the risk of appearing predictable, the Bible was and remains the biggest influence on my thinking,” Clinton said. “I was raised reading it, memorizing passages from it and being guided by it.”

“I still find it a source of wisdom, comfort and encouragement,” she added.

Clinton explained that she was a voracious book reader, naming off multiple writers who made an impact on her.

“I’ve got a pile of books stacked on my night stand that I’m reading — or hoping to get to soon,” she said.

Of the Russian novel The Brothers Karamazov, Clinton explained, "[It] made a lasting impression on me when I read it as a young woman,” and she stated that she would try to reread it this summer.
________________________________________________________________________________

What a lying twat this woman is.  Jeezus.  I swear she doesn't have an honest bone in her entire body.

PJTV - Showtime: Evil or Stupid?

Another great video by Bill Whittle in which he explores the question:

Is President Obama evil or just stupid visa vi the administrations top 7 scandals that the president knew nothing about.

They are:

1.)  Closing Gitmo and moving the trial of Kaleed Sheik Mohammed to Manhattan.

2.)  The Fast & Furious narco gun swap that killed 2 border patrol agents.

3.)  The IRS scandal in which senior officials targeted conservative groups for extra scrutiny.

4.)  Benghazi where 4 Americans were murdered.

5.)  The Obamacare rollout and the quote about keeping your doctor/insurance.

6.)  The Veterans Admin scandal in which over 40 vets died.

7.)  The prisoner swap in which Obama traded 5 hi level Taliban prisoners for one deserter.



Bill's didn't bother to mention the current state of Iraq and the entire middle east, the annex of eastern Europe by Putin, the overwhelming amount of Mexican children currently being dumped onto U.S. soil by "dreamers", advancing amnesty of some 15 million illegal aliens when the economy is not exactly going gangbusters, cash for clunkers, or various other policy and program failures.



That would've been overkill.

Chris Matthews scolds Ronan Farrow: Liberals need to stop looking down o...

A surprising clip of Chris Mathews defending The Tea Party.

さつま20140531

Now I want a pet owl.

I'm pretty sure that I'd be a good owl owner because I don't like rodents and we'd keep the same hours.

Any ideas where I can get a gently used owl?

Home

The new website is finally up and running.  Took much longer than I thought but looks nice.

Go take a look-see at www.sunxus.com and give your favorita pirata some feedback - what works, what doesn't work, what would you be looking for as a consumer, etc.

Thank you!!!

Car Tipping Vandals Flip Over Smart Cars In San Francisco

My new favorite sport has finally arrived!!!



Smart Car Tipping is all the rage with the disenfranchised trouble makers of San Francisco and will soon be making an arrival in Atlanta.

Love this!

Car Tipping Vandals Flip Over Smart Cars In San Francisco: Car Tipping Vandals Flip Over Smart Cars In San Francisco

57 Chevy on his 57th birthday a promise I made to my dad when I was 8 ye...

This is the sweetest story you'll see all week.

Enjoy it!

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/06/06/8-year-old-promised-dad-a-57-chevy-by-his-57th-birthday-this-is-what-happened-when-that-day-came/

Brad Paisley takes my GoPro and plays a slide guitar solo with it!

After playing a concert, Brad Paisley and crew went to a local bar and played again.

Then used a audience members Go Pro camera as a slide.

Cool stuff.

Marilyn Monroe continues to be the most gorgeous woman who has ever lived.
She proves it yet again by donning a potato sack and making it hotter than 90% of everything you've ever seen any woman ever wear at any time.

http://www.messynessychic.com/

Joss Stone & Rob Thomas-Stop dragging my heart around

I posted this before but it's awesome so here it is again.

Just damn, Joss Stone.

Just damn.

England v Peru: victory by 3 goals and a paper plane (ft. Blair Valentine)

Have you ever seen a paper airplane thrown from the top rows of a stadium fly all the way down and smack a Peruvian soccer player in the head?







Now you have.

Since I was up way too early this morning and since I was alarmingly productive, I decided to go over to see my friends at Sublime Donuts.
Deliciousness happened.

And since I was due for my annual "lube and tune"at Emory, I picked up a couple dozen of Sublime's finest to take over to The Winship Cancer Center.

One good deed for the day is now finished.
Back to being a jackass.
Thank you!

_______________________________________________________________________________

Almost 9 years since diagnosis.
Good times.

http://www.chordomafoundation.org/understanding-chordoma/

https://winshipcancer.emory.edu/

Celebration of Living 2014
Description:	Growing Hope Together! A Free Survivorship Event
Date:	Saturday, June 21, 2014
Details:	8 AM - 1 PM Fellowship Hall at Peachtree Presbyterian Church 3434 Roswell Road Atlanta, GA 30305 Celebration of Living is an annual Winship survivorship event with a rich history extending back over 20 years. Join us for a day of community, celebration and learning, offering a festive atmosphere with engaging and interactive workshops, information exhibits, music and door prizes for survivors, their family and friends. The event is co-hosted with Saint Joseph’s Cancer Survivors' Network. This year we're happy to have with us the mother-daughter duo, Laura and Susan Stachler from Susansnaps. You'll get to hear the amazing story behind Susansnaps; the gourmet gingersnap cookie company that was inspired by an idea during chemotherapy. Celebration of Living is free and open to the public. It is held in the Fellowship Hall at Peachtree Presbyterian Church on Roswell Road.  Lunch will be provided. Online registration is open! Contact us at survivorship@emoryhealthcare.org . WORKSHOP/BREAK OUT SESSIONS:   Paint Your Cause Decorate ready-to paint ceramic Ribbon Cause ornaments with acrylic paint. Ribbons, paint and instruction provided by That Pottery Place Studio. Finished ornaments can be kept or donated.   “Light” Zumba with Linda Vaughn of the YMCA Introduction to the dance fitness program.  Bring your own towels and change of clothes, as anyone can join the fun and try out this effective workout system   Sacred Drumming with Madelyn Spiegelman   Participate in drumming for joy, strength and inner calm. Join our circle to help lift your spirit even higher! Drums are furnished for use in the class.   Feel Beautiful Today® Create inspirational bracelets of pearls, semi-precious stones and crystals for women affected by cancer. All supplies and instruction furnished. Finished pieces can be kept or donated.   Rebuilding Strength with Rhonda Tingle of the YMCA  Wellness workout showing you how to rebuild your functional strength without expensive or special equipment.   Laughter Yoga with Lori Sugarman  This physician developed program will give you plenty of reasons to laugh deeply and as a community. No equipment needed, just you!   Journaling for Hope with Frances Jo Grossman This workshop encourages each person (patient or caregiver) to connect to their own journey from fear toward hope; a healing experience in your own words.   Ongoing sessions include: Tree of Hope Survivors’ Call Out and Message Board. Leave your personnel message of hope and encouragement.  Therapeutic 15 minute free chair massages Pet therapy with Happy Tails Aromatherapy Musical performances including Bruce Gilbert and Leon Jacobs Download Celebration of Living flyer (PDF). LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS Currently, we are in need of volunteers to assist with the following: Setup (4) – Assist in setting up breakfast and lunch Parking (10) – Direct attendees to appropriate parking Registration (4) – Register attendees and assist with afternoon raffle Workshop Ambassadors (6) – Assist workshop facilitators with handouts and activities Hallway Attendants (6) – Assist participants with finding event rooms. Vendors (4) – Checking in vendors and helping them to set up.  In addition, serving as their liaison regarding any questions or concerns. All volunteers will need to be present at 7am wearing pants or a skirt with a blue shirt.  In addition, all volunteers will assist in the breakdown of the event. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact either DaVida Lee-Williams at 404-778-2405 or emailDLeeWil@emory.edu.
Contact:	Mary Brookhart
Additional Information
Email: mary.brookhart@emoryhealthcare.org
Online registration is open!

The newest post in which EPPdF announces his upcoming nuptials to and impending divorce from.....

....the wildest of Wild Women, none other than the lovely and talented....

(...drum roll...)

Francine Reed!!!

I think we cut quite the fine couple if I don't say so myself!

And I do.

In fact I just did.

True Story.

This just happened.

Here's my little angel-dove doing what she does best.

Enjoy!

University of Texas at Austin 2014 Commencement Address - Admiral Willia...

Jazz for Cows

Apparently, cows like jazz music.

Who knew?

Teacher admits he helped write Common Core to end white privilege

A teacher who claims he helped write the controversial Common Core State Standards informed a stunned audience at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics on Monday night that he decided to get involved because he is a “white male” who has been “given a lot of privilege that I didn’t earn.”







In preparation for an interview with Adam Carolla, NPR allegedly dug up what the news outlet thought would be controversial audio from the comedian’s podcast. It was apparently a recording of someone doing a highly stereotypical Asian voice.


Adam Carolla and Jo Koy (Source: AdamCarolla.com)

Carolla says NPR thought it was him. It wasn’t.
The person behind the voice was actually comedian Jo Koy, who just happens to be Asian. Carolla revealed on his podcastMonday that he wasn’t shy about calling out NPR for the poorly planned “gotcha” attempt.

“I said, ‘Well, I appreciate you trying to ambush me, but that wasn’t me. That’s Jo Koy, who happens to be Asian, and the guy, he muttered… ‘Well, that helps.’ We’ll see if he has the balls to air it,” Carolla said.

He also claimed he told NPR to “do your research next time” they want to interview him and insinuate he is racist. The comedian did not identify who at NPR conducted the interview.

It will be interesting to see if that particular segment is included in the NPR interview, which Carolla says has yet to air.

Carolla also addressed his interview with left-leaning Salon.com, which pressed him on the racial makeup of comedians and his feelings about gays. He said it has become common that news outlets attempt to “ambush” him during interviews.

“It’s incredible that you’re doing a finger-pointing thing about you and your stereotypes, but you’re constantly working in the ‘white male’ part,” Carolla said, reflecting on his recent interviews. “I cleaned out f***ing garbage on a construction site. For the love of f***ing christ, I cleaned carpets before that.”

“By the way, I’m you’re worst nightmare. I’m the guy whose mom was on welfare, I’m the guy who got the free lunch meals over at the school, I’m the guy who got the government cheese, and I’m the guy who picked up garbage on the construction sites, and I’m the guy who was told, ‘you can’t be an L.A. fireman because you’re a white male’ … So don’t try to paint me into this white privilege bulls**t … I’m never going to buy into it, I lived it!”

Audio is here:
http://launch.newsinc.com/share.html?trackingGroup=69016&siteSection=breitbartprivate&videoId=26140476

Soldier Adopts Dog That Saved His Life

The latest post in which EPPdF solves the mystery that no one asked about.

This morning I watched a video of a diver fending off an overly curious Great White shark off the coast of Florida.

You can watch it below.  Although only slightly dramatic from behind my MacBook here in the A-T-L, I can only imagine how incredibly poop-inducing it would have been had I been in the water at the time.

Click the clicker here:

Only moments ago I turned up the inter-webs to find this article about a Great White named Katherine that was tagged near Massachusetts but now tracked in - wait for it - Florida!

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/05/19/great-white-katharine-tagged-in-cape-cod-found-3685-miles-in-south-florida/

Researchers are tracking a great white shark that has traveled nearly 4,000 miles to South Florida waters after she was tagged in Massachusetts.

The shark, named "Katharine" by nonprofit shark research group OCEARCH, was last tracked by satellite Sunday at 11:05 a.m. in waters just east of Biscayne National Park.

OCEARCH has been following Katharine since August 19, when she was tagged in Cape Cod, Mass.

The shark is about 14-feet long and weighs about 2,300 pounds. She has traveled a total of 3,685 miles since she was tagged nine months ago.

Katharine the shark also has a Twitter feed, where comical posts can be found, such as, "I like spots where no one bugs me," and, "You know I'm not the only one here, right?"

For more on Katharine and other great white sharks, visit OCEARCH.org

This is a photo of Katharine out of the water.
Still freakin' terrifying!

Stay tuned for more mystery solvin' soon!!!

Also, Ocearch Shark Tracker is pretty cool.  Go check it out for fun.