Thursday, April 28, 2005

Old A7 Fighters

Where old fighters go to die!

Found at www.airliners.net

Wild Photo...

Alitalia 767 and 747, Lufthansa 747, American Airlines 767, British Airways 747 and 777, Air France A340, SwissAir A330, Delta 767, US Airways A330, etc. 45 flights going to the US diverted to Halifax International Airport due to 9-11 Terrorist Attacks!


Found at www.airliners.net

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Free Graph Paper!

Graph Paper!

Think On This One!

Grand Illusions

You've noticed how big the moon looks when it is low on the horizon. It is all in your mind! Check out this site for some interesting tests you can do to fool your brain into showing you the truth.

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

So You Think You've Got The Tie Thing Down?

Learn How to Tie a Tie at Neckties.com

Stupid Computer Tricks

Stupid Computer Tricks

"These images are the result of 8 years in the retail computer industry - 8 years that are thankfully behind me. I used to work in the service department in a retail store of a very famous computer company (think cows...). During this time, I was able to observe (and preserve for posterity) the aftereffects of the - shall we say - "technology challenged" folks. My friends and relatives couldn't believe the stories I told - thus this collection of photos."

Check Your Internet Speed

WUGNET - Speed Test

Crazy Dragon Optical Illusion

You have to see this to believe it.. this is the craziest optical illusion I have ever seen... It will blow your mind!

read more | digg story

40 Reasons...

"40!!! Reasons Why you shouldn't post your picture on the internet."

Sunday, April 24, 2005

The Gutters, By Rick Whitten

First of all let me make it clear that I have made it until the age of 40 and NEVER had to clean out gutters! The house I have lived in for the last 10 years was taller than any tree, and before that it was apartments, and before that Dad did them? Hmm, I'm scanning my childhood memory banks and can not remember anything about cleaning gutters. Did you ever clean the gutters Dad?

The reason I am talking about gutters is obviously because I just got done cleaning them, and I can tell you now that they are a pain in the ass! First off, let's cover the cost. One extension ladder $100 bucks, one gutter scoop (borrowed from B.S. so it's free this time), one new pair of underwear $3.50! I have discovered that 6 feet is about as high as anyone needs to go on a ladder, and that roofs are for Santa Clause and guys hiding from the police!

So with the help of a friend, I extend this ladder out to 18 feet (yup, that is 2 stories for anyone counting) and head up to the top with my little scoop in the back pocket. Now once I get up there, (a long climb I tell ya!) this puts my nose right over the edge of the gutter. I take my scoop and begin to remove the mountains of stinky, slimy, water logged, crap! Now, one hand has the death grip on the ladder, the other is working the tool, removing the gunk, and it happens... A big blob of stink juice flicks onto your lip! Lick it? Extend your lip out so it is right under your nose? Nope, you slowly rotate your head and wipe it onto your shoulder.

The only joy I received out of this whole event were the screams from below as the, shall we call it, 'forest paste' rained down from above. Now you would think, 'that is not so bad,' but it gets better. As I move down the length of the house, the ladder seems to be getting shorter. Actually, the ground is getting lower as we move along causing me to not be able to reach the gutter. It is then that my helper has the brilliant idea of bringing the trailer down and setting up the ladder inside so it sits higher! The only problem with this is that the Jeep will have to come on down behind the house too!

I fire up the Jeep and drive down in the mud behind the house and we begin the ballet of gutter cleaning with 4x4 and Trailer. This works well but churns up the mud something awful. In the end, the gutters are relatively clean, my tennis shoes are shot, the Jeep and trailer need a major bath, and the gutters will just fill up with crap again!

I am now looking at all of the super gutter topper systems that range from $1.50 to $4.00 bucks PER FOOT! That is just flat ridiculous! I can't believe that they would charge that per foot... BECAUSE I'D PAY $10 !!!

Train Tracks

Fun shot.

A Rick Pic

Walk On The Beach...

Rainy day at the Oregon Coast. No we did not get a dog! These are just random people in the shot. P.S. We did not get a bird either.

A Rick Pic

Tower Of Food!

Close up of 'Food Tower'. Top level consists of small finger sandwiches. The second level has scones with jam, whipped cream and custard. The Bottom contains the desert goodies. This is all to be washed down with your pot of tea.

A Rick Pic

La Tea Da!

Tea Time at "La Tea Da" in Tillamook, Oregon. Pouring down rain outside, good time for High Tea. For Those wondering, that is my sister Loren-Yvette on the right. Seconds after this shot was taken I realized she had moved most of my deserts over to her tray!

A Rick Pic

Friday, April 22, 2005

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Funny...

We are in Deb's Jeep driving away from Carl's Junior with dinner when it happened. The heater fan goes to full blast all on its own! The A/C turns on and we're freezing and laughing with confusion as we attempt to shut it off. We can not. We are turning knobs and the fan is still roaring and the A/C is on MAX and we are really cold! What the HELL ?
Then it dawns on me.
The bag of HOT food is sitting right in front of the temperature sensor the Jeep uses to regulate the cabin temp! The Jeep thinks it is 150 degrees inside and it is doing all it can to get that under control! As soon as I move the bag away from the sensor the fan drops to normal and the A/C shuts off. We thought that was pretty funny!

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Focus! Focus!!

Last Shot The Guy Ever Took!

Found On The Net

The New $50 Dollar Burger!

Hey, I Said NO Onions!

Found On The Net

That's It! I'm Returning The Chain Saw!

New Scientist Breaking News - Risk-taking boys do not get the girls: "WHETHER it's driving too fast, bungee-jumping or reckless skateboarding, young men will try almost anything to be noticed by the opposite sex. But a study of attitudes to risk suggests that the only people impressed by their stunts are other men."

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

Tired Of Waiting...

I got home today and decided that I would start working myself, on the "pick-up list" that I have been waiting to have done for over a month! You see, when you have a house built you will do anything to get into it, so you have a place to live. The builder will also help you get into your home as soon as he can, so he can get paid. The work that still needs to get done after you move in however, takes an act of God to get completed, because the guys who are supposed to come out and do the work won't make a dime. So you call, you schedule, you wait, no one shows up. You call again, you make another appointment, you wait, no one shows up again! With this in mind I began tonight's projects.

There was no kick plate of wood under the front door, just the threshold hanging out in mid air. So I hit the "left over wood from when I built the deck three years ago" pile and installed that goody. I then painted it with the paint left in the shed with all of the other trash, and it was the right color to boot!

The deck behind the house had stairs going up to it, each step had no kick plate either! I could see myself heading up those things in a hurry and my foot sliding through, and me breaking my leg. So, I hit the wood pile again and cut 11 of those and screwed them into place. Also in the shed was a half can of the stain used for the deck, so I'll get started on that tomorrow night.

I took the furnace apart and vacuumed out a ton of construction dust and crap that had been bothering me since the day I moved in.

... And then the sun set and I called it a day. Time to go and have some milk and a cookie!

Dump Hotmail... Get Gmail!

Google plans to double Gmail capacity--at least CNET News.com: "Google says it will dramatically ramp up the storage available with its Gmail Web-based e-mail service, raising the bar for rivals in the sharply competitive business for the second time in a year."

Thursday, April 14, 2005

Site Of The Month...

Property Information: "Property Information Center "

The property information pages include assessment data, sales history, building characteristics, recorded documents, and tax information.

This site is for Clark County residence only. I am sure there are sites like this for whatever county you live in, you just have to find it yourself. Type in your address and see what has happened to your house or property in the past.

The Past...

This is what sat on the property before our new house was built!

I found this photo of the previous owners home on the Clark County Property Information web site. Note: circle driveway, bay window, "always ready" gutter cleaning system AKA 'ladder', and "Sweet Ride" (Chevy Chevette or Ponticac T1000.)

The ATV's Are Restless!

Getting the urge...

This shot is from the archives (taken in front of the old house.) The nice weather out is reminding me of the last time Deb & I were at Browns Camp. This photo was taken afterward after much mud was removed from the rigs.

Sharper Image Ionic Breeze May Cause Lung Damage

Consumer Reports latest study charges that the units actually make air quality worse, by releasing excess ozone into the air, something that can cause serious respiratory problems, especially for asthmatics or other people with breathing concerns (who, not incidentally, are among the biggest purchasers of air purifiers).
Yup, we own two of them!
read more digg story

Where's My Chapstick!

McFarlane Toys proudly announce a new licensing agreement bringing a 'sweet' line of action figures based on characters from the hit cult-flick Napoleon Dynamite.

The line will feature an assortment of figures including the film's quirky anti-hero Napoleon Dynamite, his mustachioed sidekick Pedro Sanchez and chatroom-junkie brother Kip.
As mentioned before in this blog. This is the worst movie ever made!
read more digg story

Been Working Graveyard This Week...

Tonight marks the fourth night in a row I have headed off to a fine store and done a reset. I think of you all padding around your houses getting ready for bed, looking in the kitchen for a late night snack, worrying that you will only get 7 hours of sleep tonight. Well let me clue you in!
Graveyard SUCKS!
There is not one good thing about it. You start working right when your body tells you to "go to sleep." The reason we all usually are sleeping is because it is dark and cold out! You would think that once you stay up all night that you will sleep like a baby when you do get a chance! Nope. You wake up every hour of the 5 maximum hours you do get, and in the end you feel awful just in time to head out and do it again.

Oh, I'm sorry, is reading this preventing you from padding over to the kitchen to get your snack?!

Take This Place Off Of Your Vacation List!

Yahoo! News - Thousands Circumcised in Morocco: "Thousands Circumcised in Morocco"

FES, Morocco - The infant son of King Mohammed VI was circumcised Thursday, and thousands of Moroccans also went through the procedure in a massive show of solidarity for the prince, a news agency reported. The circumcision of Moulay Hassan, the king's only son, marked the start of three days of nationwide celebrations across the north African kingdom to honor the event. The boy turns 2 next month. Some 5,000 boys were circumcised in Casablanca, Morocco's largest city, and thousands more in other cities and towns, the official news agency MAP reported. The ritual of circumcision, known as 't'hara' or purification in Morocco, signals the entry of young boys into the Muslim community.
The practice once mainly carried out by barbers today takes place primarily under a doctor's supervision. "

China Filtering The Internet

My Way News: "China Soups Up Internet Censoring Filters

NEW YORK (AP) - The Chinese government has become increasingly sophisticated at controlling the Internet, taking a multilayered approach that contributes to precision in blocking political dissent, a report released Thursday finds."

Monday, April 11, 2005

Can you stack pennies? Probably not as well as this guy!

This guy is... amazing at stacking pennies in interesting shapes/patterns. Enjoy.

read more | digg story

TIme For A New Wallet?

3M Canada | 3M Scotch Duct Tape | Duct Tape Workshop: "Most people agree that Duct Tape can save you money on costly repair bills but did you know that you could create a wallet to hold all of the money you've saved? It's not as difficult as it sounds and in just a few simple steps, you could be the proud owner of this year's most important fashion statement"

Amazing Art...

Julian Beever's pavement drawings: "Julian Beever has made pavement drawings for over ten years. He has worked in the U.K., Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Germany, the USA and Australia."

Time To Clean Up Your Favorites!

AM-DeadLink - Detect dead links and duplicates in your Browser Bookmarks, download FavIcons: "AM-DeadLink detects dead links and duplicates in your Browser Bookmarks. If a Bookmark has become unavailable you can delete it from your Browser. AM-DeadLink checks Bookmarks from Internet Explorer, Opera, Mozilla and Netscape."
Strange!

A Rick Pic

Bwahahahaha!

Peter's Evil Overlord List: "The Top 100 Things I'd Do
If I Ever Became An Evil Overlord"

The Phobia List

The Phobia List

Been Burned By A Screwed Up Rebate?

Best Buy to End Rebates, Reports Earnings - from TBO.com: "Best Buy to End Rebates, Reports Earnings"

Prepare For A Shaving Lesson...

How to get that perfect shave - Today, Weekend Edition - MSNBC.com: "How to get that perfect shave"

Saturday, April 09, 2005

Working On The House...

No shortage of things to do around the new house. We spent Friday evening trimming the broken branches out of the trees in the front yard. Most of these branches seem to have suffered their failure last winter during the big ice storm, but were never removed from the trees. Some larger limbs required the use of the ATV winch to pull them out!

Put 14 boxes of books back on the book shelves! This was a monster job and only succeeded in showing us that we need yet another book shelf to hold all the books. At one point Deb mentioned taking the books to a used book store and selling them! I quickly talked some sense into her, but it was close!

I have hung most of the pictures and art on the walls around the house. What used to be the "large" pieces are now the "medium" sized ones at best. As always, I enjoy making holes in the walls.

The highlight of each week is using the ATV and the new ATV trailer to haul the trash can and recycle bins out to the main road. The fun does not stop there though, as I still get to bring them back the next day, and get the paper on Sunday!

The computer room is up and running but no where near finished. There are many boxes of stuff that still need find a home, but I seem to become distracted when ever I sit down in front of the computer. Strange, I just remembered I was going to work on those very boxes before I started typing this... hmmmmm.

Monday, April 04, 2005

It's Back...

Part one of the Monday Numa Numa Fest!

Wait! There's More...

Part two of the Monday Numa Numa Fest!

The Original...

Part three of the Monday Numa Numa Fest!
Hard One...

A Rick Pic

Sit Don't Squat!

Ahhhh, The Memories! Can't tell you how many times you would come to a toilet and see foot prints on it!

I found this photo on the net, unknown who took it, but it says alot.

Sunday, April 03, 2005

Sunday Night...

I know what you're thinking. "What is Rick doing up so late on a Sunday night, doesn't he have to work in the morning?" Well the sad reality is, I have to work Monday night at 9:00pm! I am on yet another graveyard shift.
We had Ray and Juli over for a dinner of meat loaf and potatoes. There was not one scrap of food left at the end. We caught up on the gossip and I enjoyed the night very much. I am ready for the rain to stop any time, but the sleep is good every night is does rain. I am Staying up way too late because of the daylight savings time change. This will be a problem later this week when the alarm says I should be up, but I know I need just one more hour of sleep.

Well I am off to try my hand at some shut eye.