Thursday, December 24, 2009

Happy Holidays


It says, "Wishing you happiness and time to 'paws' and celebrate life this holiday season."

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Analisa & Crocket Summited Mt. Tallac... who'd a thunk it?


# # #

This just in: photos from the real photographer in the family:





MORE HERE:

http://www.flickr.com/drmarkidunn/








# # #
Newsflash.

Pictures of our own hike/climb, here (http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=91701&id=531650997). Look at the freakin' terrain!!

# # #
A few hours ago Analisa and I just climbed a mountain.

I had NO idea what I was getting into. Analisa said we were going "hiking."

Just look at that monster!

Seriously, though, I'm glad I had the experience and look forward to many more... I'm hooked!

In another life, I have ice-climbed tethered to a crevasse-crossing team, camped on glaciers, canoed/portaged hundreds of miles of the border waters in the Canadian Quetico wilderness area, survived being trapped by mudslides from a tropical storm in NC's Pisgah forest, hiked Washington, Oregon, climbed Mt. Baker, and so on, etc.



However . . . my lifestyle has become, let's just say, a *bit* more sedentary as of late. I run a web technology gig (cdLLC) that involves lots of management via phone & email.

Translation: Much time is spent with my rear-end planted to a chair (when I'm not working from the world-famous internet treadmill workstation). I digress...

This was a BRUTAL hike/climb.

It's only five miles up, but at times, the trails seemed as if they were actually "booby-trapped" to roll an ankle or send a hiker plummeting off a rock face!


Loose rocks everywhere. Some small, creating the effect of hiking a trail paved with marbles, and others large and jagged.

And every rock is a surprise :). "Are you a loose rock, a wobbly rock, perhaps a foot entrapment rock?"

Snowbanks turning the trail into mud at the narrowest point where there is sheer mountain wall drop-off to the other side. "Keep your hands on the snow and lean AWAY from the death drop."

Here is a website that tells the story of our journey (exact same trail). Read it if you want, but definitely check out the photos. They are amazing panoramas of the view, and great shots of the unique rock formations

http://www.tahoebackcountry.net/hiking/desolation/tallac.htm (credit: all photos on this post are from the aforementioned site)

It was not until we returned that I discovered this hike is rated a 10/10- the black diamond of climbs.

Now I feel victorious and am psyched up again.

Kilimanjaro, here I come!

Oh hey- I almost forgot. ATT HSPDA net access is available at the summit and many other trail segments, so you can video chat to prove you really made it. Or bring along the laptop, set up camp, and park your mobile office there for a few days.

Good times

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Funny is Everywhere, Installment II

The fine print is not completely legible at this resolution, so I have transcribed it for you.

The copy reads,"Please keep away. Thor, mighty god of thunder and lightning, locked securely inside (for past several thousand years). Kindly do not open as your immediate death, followed by 40-day-rain with flooding will result.


I think it's weird, you know, that it's just right there at a mall in Pacific Grove.

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

The Libertarian Farmer and the Federal DEA Agent

A DEA officer stops at a ranch in Montana , and talks with an old
rancher. He tells the rancher, 'I need to inspect your ranch for
illegally grown drugs.

The old rancher says, 'Okay, but do not go in that field over there'
as he points out the location.

The DEA officer verbally explodes saying, 'Mister, I have the
authority of the Federal Government with me.' Reaching into his rear
pants pocket, he removes his badge and proudly displays it to the
farmer. 'See this badge? This badge means I am allowed to go wherever
I wish...on any land. No questions asked or answers given. Have I made
myself clear? Do you understand?'

The old rancher nods politely, apologizes, and goes about his chores.

A short time later, the old rancher hears loud screams and sees the
DEA officer running for his life chased close behind by the rancher's
prize bull. With every step the bull is gaining ground on the officer,
and it seems likely that he'll get "horned" before he reaches safety.
The officer is clearly terrified.

The old rancher throws down his tools, runs to the fence and yells at
the top of his lungs.....

'Your badge! Show him your badge!

Sunday, June 07, 2009

The weird sh... err, "stuff," that I think about

This is very real, quantum physics and string theory. A change in one of a separated sub-atomic particle pair, up to a mile apart, triggers a change in the other. There is a connection in a realm we do are yet to perceive. Subatomic particles also travel backwards in time.

The content below is the best analogy to help in the understanding of higher dimensions/different universes/things beyond our perception, the foundation for Stephen Hawking's string theory. Yet it was written in 1884, 6 years before the invention of the bra, around the time of the plank road boom, I believe.

FLATLAND SUMMARY:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flatland

The copyright has expired and it's free for all to redistribute:

FULL TEXT:
http://xahlee.org/flatland/index.html

AUDIO VERSION:
http://librivox.org/flatland-a-romance-of-many-dimensions-by-edwin-abbott-abbott

In closing, a quote by Albert Einstein:

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed."

I might need to go back to school to satisfy my lust for wonder. And this time I could party AND study!

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Funny is everywhere


From: http://www.flickr.com/photos/crockettdunn/3489619255/


DANGER!

While body surfing in flames, take extra care to prevent placing the flame source in the line of your surf ride.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Primary Sources- I'm a big fan

From The Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/16/bush-torture-memos-releas_n_187867.html



Holy shit!



The media...




...the POWER...




... THE MEDIA'S POWER TO SHAPE OUR THOUGHTS!






[I wish I controlled the media!]


Check the spin:




On some sites, these are referred to as "Obama's Torture Memos."

Other sites say, "Bush Torture Memos released by Obama."

Objective sites refer to, "Torture memos."












Wow. I wish I controlled the media. No, I wish our 2 party system would GET OVER THEMSELVES AND THEIR CHILDISH WIN-LOSE WORLDVIEW!






Anyway, I think they're all here, for those of you who are interested in forming your own opinions from primary sources.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

"Interfaith... East-West... Peace," or, "Picking up the slack for the US Government."

Fed up with U.S. partisan politics? NGOs (non-government organizations) can make a difference. Here is an example:

From: http://www.jordantimes.com/index.php?news=15251

King briefs leading CEOs on reforms



Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania on
Sunday pose for a photo with members of the Society of International Business
Fellows (Photo by Yousef Allan)



AMMAN (JT) - Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania
received on Sunday a delegation from the Society of International Business
Fellows currently on a visit to the Kingdom.

At the meeting, King Abdullah briefed the delegates on the performance and
competitiveness of the Jordanian economy, highlighting the economic reforms the
country has embarked on over the past few years as well as its efforts to
attract projects and investments.

The Monarch also noted the steps Jordan has taken to mitigate the effects
of the global economic crisis on the strength of its economy.

Created in the US city of Atlanta in 1981, the society is a not-for-profit
entity that comprises about 450 directors and CEOs from around the world.

On politics, the King underlined the need to exert all possible efforts to
bring about peace in the region based on the two-state solution, which, he said,
is the sole solution to end the conflict in the region.

The two-state solution, the King said, is the key to addressing the
problems the Middle East faces.

Referring to the Common Word Initiative, which has become the leading
project for interfaith dialogue between Christians and Muslims, King Abdullah
emphasised the need to build bridges of communication and understanding between
followers of different religions.

In response to a question, Queen Rania said Jordan will continue to invest
in education and provide the best possible environment for educating Jordanians
and enhancing teachers’ effectiveness.

In this regard, the Queen referred to the Madrasati initiative she launched
in April 2008 which aims to make education a social responsibility and improve
the conditions of public schools across the Kingdom.

Queen Rania also stressed the importance of enhancing concord and
humanitarian cooperation in addressing misunderstandings and misconceptions.

23 March 2009

Monday, March 23, 2009

"Sustainable Building Solutions," or, "One Button for Pee-pee and One Button for Poo-poo"

More later, but wow!

I was out of the loop for a few weeks, and I just learned my sister Rebecca Bryant and associates have started a Sustainable Building Solutions green architectural consulting firm.

I may have mentioned, I used to think my big sister was a big meanie until I realized she was a genius (see related links below). While studying at CU Boulder in the early 1990's, she somehow saw the future and was hammering on me and family about all the green stuff that everyone is talking about today. 20 years ahead of mainstream America [little brother aside: I saw the future the same way for the internet, but that's another story].

Now that I have lived in California for some time, experienced "running out of electricity," (rolling blackouts), and water rationing, I have a great respect for Green Design and Green Consulting. If you take a second to think about it (or two gulf wars), it really just makes sense.

I have to admit, when I visit Rebecca and hang around her home on the coast near Mobile, AL, there's a sense that something is just right about the way her green home just fits right into the lush, forest-like surroundings. There is a sense of peace about it. I guess that's what Sustainability and Green Building are all about.

Almost forgot... the company is http://www.watershed.pro/.



Related links:

Sunday, March 22, 2009

"a weekend of record breakers!" or, "Better Wang Parameters!"

One of the simple joys of being an IT professional is watching the spam/counter-spam wars, specifically, the metaphors, synonyms, and other methods used by the snake-oil sales-people to slip through the spam filters.

Just two days after announcing Crock-Town's new, most awesomest t-shirt, I am pleased to announce the following.

After almost two years, the #1 silliest spam subject, "your penis make shadow like tree," http://crockettdunn.blogspot.com/2007/09/penis-make-shadow-like-tree.html, is being bumped to #2.

Our new winner?

Based on pushing the limits of ambiguity and slang while still retaining comprehensibility:

"Better wang parameters!"

The subject of an email I received minutes ago.

[If only we could harness the power of these wordsmiths for good.]

Friday, March 20, 2009

newest most awesomest t-shirt

Sometimes...



It's the simple things that get me through the day.

With that, I present you with the official new favorite shirt of Crock-Town:




Friday, February 27, 2009

Close call...

Thank heavens I noticed this sticker just before I was going to seal buttercup in a plastic bin and leave her in the car with the windows up.


I think I shall start a collection of these absurd disclaimer stickers, starting with the "don't pull the vending machine on top of you and die," one


I fear for the intelligence of our society.


Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Steelcase walkstation vs. Home-cooked Internet Treadmill Workstation & Home Gym

Anyone catch Steelcase's Walkstation featured on Regis and Kelly last week?

Say it with me now:

"Crockett Dunn sees the future."

(re: the Crock-station Internet Treadmill & Wired Home Gym, conceived in 2003, featured here http://internet-treadmill-workstation.blogspot.com/2008/12/welcome-statement-of-purpose.html).

Steelcase's first generation exer-station was also featured in TIME a while back, "DANGER: Walking While Working," found here: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1862448,00.html.

My editorial didn't make the cut, but seriously- being married to Analisa, a medical professional, I am keenly aware of our health as a society and the costs associated therewith. Not only that, being a knowledge worker in the midst of the post-information-revolution/gamer/obesity epidemic in America, the message is as seriously as a heart attack (yes, pun shamelessly intended).

Salut!

Saturday, February 21, 2009

a wee bit more biz talk

To all of the loyal members of the CDLLC Global Alliance (you know who you are):

I want to express my sincere gratitude for your work: your commitment to delivering top quality software, on-time, and to specification exceeds that of the "average" e-lancers out there, and I am glad to have the opportunity to work with you.

This growing group of class-act software developers, graphic designers, CMS administrators (YOU) has enabled CDLLC to take on a tremendous amount of new work as businesses scramble to cut their costs and streamline their operations... basically cutting back on the "brick-and-mortar," if not entirely closing that storefront, and going totally virtual.

In closing, I could not have done it without all of you guys and girls around the world, and I look forward to feeding you more work and further strengthening the team.

Rock on!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

world through the eyes ofa business owner

I recently received this email from my super-conservative, ultra-libertarian friend and found it interesting. It's a little disjointed because of the number of topics covered: mixing in the concepts of welfare, employees' perceptions of business owners, and politics. But it's still worth a read, in my humble opinion

# # #
A Bosses letter to his Employees...

To All My Valued Employees,

There have been some rumblings around the office abut the future of this company and, more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn't pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country.

However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your best interest.

First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to understand that, for every business owner, there is a Back Story. This back story is often neglected and overshadowed by what you see and hear. Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside. You've seen my big home at last year's Christmas party. I'm sure; all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my life.

However, what you don't see is the BACK STORY:
I started this company 28 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire living apartment was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you.

My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I saved went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a defective transmission. I didn't have time to date. Often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business -- hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.

Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of hitting the Nordstrom's for the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the discount store extracting any clothing item that didn't look like it was birthed in the 70's. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had.

So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9am , mentally check in at about noon , and then leave at 5pm , I don't. There is no "off" button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have the freedom. I eat, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. Every day this business is attached to my hip like a 1 year old special-needs child. You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden -- the nice house, the Mercedes, the vacations... you never realize the Back Story and the sacrifices I've made.

Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bail-out all the people who didn't. The people who overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed more than a decade of my life for.

Yes, business ownership has is benefits but the price I've paid is steep and not without wounds. Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you why:

I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don't pay enough. I have state taxes. Federal taxes. Property taxes. Sales and use taxes. Payroll taxes. Workers compensation taxes. Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes. I have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of my time. On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. You know what my "stimulus" check was? Zero.. Nada. Zilch.

The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Me, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business? Or the single mother, sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her next welfare check? Obviously, government feels the latter is the real economic stimulus of this country.

The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? That's nuts. Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, I agree, which is why your job is in jeopardy.

Here is what many of you don't understand ... to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Had suddenly, the government mandated to me that I didn't need to pay taxes guess what? Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black-hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But - you can forget it now.

When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don't defibrillate and shock his thumb, thinking that will bring him back to life, do you? You defibrillate his heart! Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it. Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington believe the poor of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth; this is the type of change YOU can keep.

So where am I going with all this? It's quite simple. If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, my reaction will be swift and simple. I'll fire you. I'll fire your co-workers. You can then plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and your child's future. Frankly, it isn't my problem any more.

Then, I will close this company down, move to another country, and retire. You see, I'm done. I'm done with a country that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work, and to provide jobs, will be destroyed and, with it, will be my citizenship.

So, if you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the economy; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country, steam-rolled the constitution, and will have changed its landscape forever. If that happens, you can find me sitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about....

Signed,
THE BOSS

Monday, February 16, 2009

US Airways Flight 1549 Air Traffic Control Audio, Video

I just listened to this and was very moved.

I had read that there had never been a zero-casualty water ditch. I have also read that water ditching is not even included as a scenario in the flight training simulators anymore.

This is powerful, when you hear the air traffic controller say, "they're gone," at the end, when in fact, as we all know, they they were not at all "gone," but very much "there."




If you are interested in this topic, here is an article and audio about Air Traffic Controller awards, including audio and commentary about amazing events, including a traffic controller talking down a daughter after the pilot (her father), and the mother, both suffered incapacitating medical emergencies.

Story & Audio from NPR, here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4654062

Sunday, February 08, 2009

Annoyed with Your Push-to-Talk Button? Re-map it to MS Voice Command.

Not exactly breaking news, but during this flight (Hello again Denver!), I just got around to re-mapping my ATT Tilt's bothersome PTT (Push to Talk) button. You'll need to backup your registry and be enough of a tinkerer to know how to edit the registry in Windows Mobile.

PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK. INCORRECTLY EDITING THE REGISTRY CAN KILL YOUR PHONE.


Background:

There is a button on the top left of the HTC Kaiser a.k.a. 8125. With the, "ATT Tilt," branded version of this phone, this button, when depressed, asks something along the lines of, "Are you sure you wish to activate Push-to-Talk? Additional service charges will be incurred."

I'm not a walkie-talkie, "where you at?" kind of guy, so I do not wish to activate and purchase PTT Service. Heck, even if I wanted that capability, I could probably find some freeware IM/Voip app to work just fine, rather than purchase a new "service."

This reminds me- post a comment if you would like me to create a blog post about the Internet Connection Sharing app already built into Windows Mobile. There is no need to purchase a separate "computer" data plan and PC card. With a standard USB cable and Windows Mobile, the functionality is already available.


Here is the good stuff:

REMAP PTT, FROM,
http://forum.xda-developers.com/archive/index.php/t-335995.html

Worked for me. You have to read the whole post.
For my own purposes as well, here are the consolidated steps to take. Until someone improves on this, I keep all this stuff in a directory so I can reconfigure my device as necessary. Here goes...

I think the trick is the PTT settings take precedence when the device boots up so delete the PTT registry settings under HKLM/Services/PTT.

Delete the whole sub tree, then
From HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Shell\Keys
Add a new key called "40C6"Add a string under the key called "Name" with the value "Button 6"

Add a new key called "40C7"Add a string under this key called "Name" with the value "Button 6 (hold)"
(Note, do not enter the quotes, thare are to delimit what belongs in the registry entry)

Go to the Buttons settings and assign a program to the new entries. [Crockett note: I use MS Voice Command].

Do a soft reset [Crockett note: use a paperclip or pen to hit the reset button in the tiny pinhole on the bottom of the phone, or take the battery out] which will remove the PTT settings from the buffer and enable your key changes.

Thanks for all the help.

I'd say the only caveat is if you some day want to use the PTT features, it would be a good idea to take an inventory of what is under the PTT node in the registry.

Crockett Dunn [via Mobile Device]

Saturday, February 07, 2009

The Real Rebecca Dunn Bryant

[REPOST: update 2009.02.07: Check this out: http://www.al.com/business/press-register/insider.ssf?/base/business/1232878660174400.xml&coll=3 "You go green girl!]


I don't like my sister's name having a #5 result in Google, so here is some clarification- this is the Real Rebecca Dunn Bryant, as featured on her architecture firm's site, Walcott Adams Verneuille Architects, headquartered in Fairhope, AL: http://www.wavarchitects.com/

Rebecca's (the real Rebecca Dunn Bryant) profile can be found here:
www.wavarchitects.com/ab_detail.php?recordID=9

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Gitmo

Jump to ~5:36 in the video below. This is brilliant, using comedy to dissect the concept of terrorism, and how to win without declaring an indefinite war on it.



Related story: http://crockettdunn.blogspot.com/2007/06/end-of-era.html

Friday, January 23, 2009

I married a Spanish-Language Television STAR, w0ot!

[continuation of this one layman's observation of the life of an MD, http://crockettdunn.blogspot.com/2007/02/woman-amazing.html]




This was totally spontaneous, on-the-spot, no prep... they just walked in and setup the lights and cameras:

La Doctora Marki-Dunn, Part I


La Doctora Marki-Dunn, Part II



CD

A Little ZEN to go with you iTunes GENIUS

This morning on the treadmill, I was noting that I listen (pretty much every day) to Ah-Ha's, "Take on Me," in its entirety, simply because I am not warmed up enough mentally or physically to change or filter the music. [I suppose one day I will be shuffling toothless around with a walker singing the lyrics to this song with 100% accuracy.]

Anyway, iTunes has built in 3 varieties of "Shuffle By," but I need more.

Thus, I coined, "Zen Playlists"... every time you listen to a song within one of these playlists (filtered by play date), that song no longer meets the playlist criteria, and is removed from the list:

You can go back as far as you like in the past, depending on how your files are tagged, and you can go up to the prior year.

--CD

If you dig this kind of thing, see http://internet-treadmill-workstation.blogspot.com/.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

most awesomest picture

Not much time to post this month.... when it rains it pours (in a good way).


This is the best picture ever.

Flea from the Chili Peppers, totally in the zone. I like to imagine he's doing the solo from Stone Cold on Mother's Milk.


Compliments of the company formerly known as Groovetography, (http://michaelweintrob.com/portfolio/)

Michael, a high school colleague of mine, has a press pass and does this for a living- once sold a Rolling Stone cover I think, but there were other plans for the week of 9/11/2001.

Michael's success has led him to put his name on the company, http://michaelweintrob.com/

3 items:

  1. Michale Weintrob takes incredible, one-of-a-kind photos
  2. Michael Weintrob has a wicked-cool job: livin' the dream
  3. I desperately want Michael, rather, Michael Weintrob Photography, (http://www.michaelweintrob.com), to sell me the high-res version of the above print.

Collectors- check out this "one of a kind" list: http://michaelweintrob.com/pdf/mweintrob_stock_list.pdf

Saturday, January 10, 2009

BACK IN STOCK!!! Carnivorous Plant Set (top candidate for most awesomest 2009 list)

BACK IN STOCK!!! Carnivorous Plant Set, from ThinkGeek.com:

Little Desktop Of Horrors...

Here at ThinkGeek, we truly understand you have needs. Especially at work where minutes often last hours and hours become days. You need to be entertained, you don't want your neurons to prematurely atrophy. You crave stimulation. You crave a Carnivorous desktop plant set. Perfect for the casual office worker who delights in watching insects slowly meet their makers as they are painfully digested by an engaging variety of meat-sucking flora. Nothing quite like it.




So what's our recommendation? Grab a set and grow your own collection of feared and famous carnivorous plants. This deluxe set has seeds from over ten varieties of carnivorous plants! Watch these fascinating plants grow into bug-eating monsters and delight in creating your own authentic bog with the included peat planting mix, blue Swamp Rocks, three Bog Buddies and full color decals. This rare and unusual collection of carnivorous plants will flourish for years in this specially designed terrarium with proper care...

Each Complete Kit Includes:
  • Growing Dome
  • Planting Mixture
  • Carnivorous Seed Pack:

    • Venus Fly Trap
    • Yellow Trumpet
    • Hooded Pitcher Plant
    • Purple Pitcher Plant
    • Pale Trumpet
    • Temperate Sundew Plants
    • Cobra Lillies

  • 3 Photo Decals
  • 3 Bog Buddies
  • Swamp Rocks
  • Instructions and Information Manual

NOTE: Unlike Insta-Pets(TM)like Sea Monkeys or Triops, your carnivorous plant set will take several weeks to get started. But have patience friends, the blood-curdlingplant-on-insect action will be worth the wait! We guarantee it or pay us double!

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

2008 Year in Review: Crock-Town's "Most Awesomest" List

Most awesomest people toys:

  1. This RULES. If you know me, you know I tend to have quite an obsessive personality. This serves me very well while I am obsessed with a client's success. However, it can be a liability if I am obsessing over clearing Tony Hawk Pro Skater.

    So this is the great thing: with these electronic RC helicopters, you only get about 10 minutes of batter life per charge... it's self limiting. The first time I circled the Christmast tree and landed, I felt like I "cleared a level" or "beat the boss" on a video game. Same as when I first lifted off downstairs and set her down upstairs.

    Twin Engine, 3 Channels Chinook Helicopter

    Images:















  2. Temperature-Sensitive Color Changing Faucet LightAND Shower Light!!!



    Why?

    Why not?

    Practically speaking, this works great as a nighlight when you don't want to blind a sleeping co-inhabitant.













Most awesomest dog toys:

In the past, I've been disappointed in dog toys, because the dog gets to have all the fun. This year, however, having moved into a town with abundant off-leash dog parks and open spaces, that has all changed. I'm not sure whether it is I or B-Rock who has the most fun when we play dog games.


  1. Franklin Soft-strike Teeball & Mini-Wooden Bat:



    I was a little disappointed. For some reason I can only find the mini-wooden bat with two multi-color balls at Longs Drugs out here in California. The multi-color action adds to the fun. Here is a customer image of one of the blue balls:




    They also come in red and silver... TONS MORE FUN.

    I don't know what's up, but I can't find a link to the mini-wooden bats online. It's like they go from foam directly to full-size wooden or aluminum.

    Soft T-Ball + Mini Bat= GREAT FUN, because I can strike myself out very easily. But the memories of nailing the "sweet spot" on the bat and slamming a line drive past the 2nd base man bring me back to the greatest joys of my childhood. I find myself tossing the ball up (pitch to me), and saying, "B, do you like your sugar with coffee.... or CREAM!!!!!!" as I slam a homer!

  2. Hyper Dog Sling Shot: 2 Ball Version:





    Hyper Dog Sling Shot:4 Ball Version:




    - Warning, this can be a lethal weapon. Note the fold out, assault-style wrist support.

    Dog must always be out of the line of fire.

    But the great thing about this is I get to play target practice. It's a lot like archery: calculating the ratio of drop to distance. So I setup a chair in my backyard (a taught, bouncy chair), and practice hitting it. The object fired from the sling shot, when it hits the chair just right, bounces directly back towards me at a 45 degree angle, letting B turn on a dime and chase the other way. Good times are had by all.

    Perhaps the greatest thing about the HyperDog Sling Shot is that for each time it is broken, it only becomes more powerful (for I clip the torn rubber tubing even shorter).

    Again, this packs some serious punch. Use with extreme caution- like old-school lawn darts.
The combination of these two toys makes me feel like a total mercenary bad-ass warrior when I arrive at the off-leash dog beach. Donning my camel-back hydrating backback, with bat in sheath behind my back, and high power sling shot locked and loaded in hand, I turn many heads. At first I was worried people would think I was going dog hunting or seal clubbing, but now I'm a regular and it's all good.

Happy new year everyone!

-Crockett