Crazy Frog

OK, so I haven't actually been writing that much. I guess my brain's on vacation and I don't have any strong opinion on anything right now. So, while my mind takes a rest I'll keep uploading these fun things.

Do you remember Crazy Frog and his rendition of Axel F, he has a bunch of records out now and even a rendition of Queen's We are the champions.

If you notice in Axel F, Crazy Frog is wearing only a biker helmet and goggles and sporting ambiguous genitalia between his legs. Many of his videos were used in ring tone commercials in Europe and there was much controversy and curious children asking their mommies what it was between his legs, so the commercials started blurring Crazy Frog's midsection.

If you watch this version of We are the champions you'll notice Crazy Frog's midsection is censored.

Too funny.

Who's fastest?

Flash, Road Runner or Speedy Gonzales?

Einstein says . . .

Go to www.entertainmentlondon.ca to find movies and show times in London. Entertainment London is your what, when, where and why of the entertainment industry in London, Ontario and area.

Marriage contract with an end date

This is an interesting concept. As the article discusses, so many people are getting divorces why bother getting married.

The concept is to sign a relationship contract with an end date, say 5 or 10 years. The contract can include goals that the couple would like to achieve in that period.

When the time comes up, the couple can reevaluate, make new goals and sign another contract if they wish.

The paper also discusses keeping a joint journal between the two people that have signed the contract. This keeps them on track with their goals and allows them to reevaluate them continuosly.

I think this would actually create longer term relationships. The two people in the relationship don't feel like they're stuck as there's an end date and they are working together towards their mutually agreeable goals so the relationship won't go stagnant.

My wife and I do this to some extent, but without the end date. At the start of every year, usually New Year's day or during the holidays at the end of the year, we sit down and discuss our financial and peronal goals. And we revisit these goals through the year to keep on track.

It's worked so far; we're coming up on our 10th anniversary.

Robert Barrington Leigh

This post is a tribute to Robert Barrington Leigh. Robert was a brilliant math student at the University of Toronto and was considered to be one of the country's top mathematical minds. Robert went missing in Edmonton near his home on August 13. His body was found Tuesday in the North Saskatchewan River. Foul play was not suspected.

I feel it's a great loss not only to Robert's family, but also to the world to lose such a great mind and the potential contributions Robert would have made.

A search on the Web for "Barrington Leigh" brings up many links for the family and highlights the contributions Robert and his family have made to the academic and science communities.

In following the story of Robert's disappearance I came across a site for his brother Christopher and the idea I discuss in my next post.

No more pizza

My Very Educated Mother Just Served Up New Pizza.

The childhood way of remembering the order of the planets will need to be rethought. Pluto has been officially ruled not a planet.

New definition of a planet:
"a celestial body that is in orbit around the sun, has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a ... nearly round shape, and has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit."

According to the Associated Press news article, Pluto is disqualified because its oblong orbit overlaps with Neptune's.

Pluto will now fall under a new category as a "dwarf planet."

So, can you come up with a new phrase for these letters?

M V E M J S U N

Put your suggestions in the comments.

World's Funniest Commercials

Some of these are pretty funny, some are pretty stupid, but then as they say in the advertising biz," if you don't get the commercial, then you're not likely the target audience."

In case you thought I wasn't man enough to go see Step Up on the weekend, check out this ballerina commerical.


This isn't a commerical, but it's pretty funny.

A hand up

Just wanted to comment about this article in The Globe and Mail:

Police move to evict man living under Toronto expressway
Anti-poverty protesters stage rally after resident told shelter would be demolished to make way for road work.

The issue is that there's some bridge repairs that needs to be done under the Gardiner Expressway and there's a man who's lived under there for eight years in a makeshift house he built from scrap wood.

"The protesters, from the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, argue that Chris should not be forced to leave his home..."

He's been allowed to live there free of charge for the past eight years. It's not like there's a grudge against him. If I, as a tax payer, owned a house and the city wanted to put a highway through it I wouldn't have much of a choice. I'd be compensated, but I still wouldn't have much of a choice.

The man "has refused an apartment and various support services offered by the city, saying he does not recognize the right of landlords to charge rent." What more can they do? If the protesters are so concerned, help him move his "house" to another location; under another bridge that isn't under repairs or maybe one of the protesters backyards.

I'm all for giving people a hand up, but there are just some people who prefer to live the way they do. Give them a sleeping bag and a hot meal, but I don't think they should be used to further any holier-than-thou causes.

I am so there . . . Rev It Up

Rev It Up Performance Driving School and National Racing Competition

This looks way cool.

Chevy holds this once a year and the cost is only $40. You get performance driving tips in Chevy SS cars, like the Corvette, and then there's a race at the end.

2006 events are just finishing up this month, but I'm definitely going to watch for next year's dates.

Step Up

(Warning movie spoiler)

I'm going to start sounding like I'm whipped. First I write about The Devil Wears Prada, now I'm writing about this.

I just watched Step Up with my wife. It actually wasn't that bad; there was enough boys 'n the hood and basketball in it. The music wasn't bad either.

It was actually a kind of inspirational movie. Though in the movie the guys didn't come around until the one's little brother was shot. Then they realized that there's more to life than hangin out at parties and boosting cars.

My wife asked me if I thought that there was one thing that each person was really good at, better than everyone else. I'm not sure that I would go so far as to say 'better than everyone else," but I do believe that there is one talent that each person is good at and that they can become famous for; whether it's dancing, singing, playing basketball or even building a real estate empire like Donald Trump.

It's then up to each of us to find that one thing, that thing that we really love and would fight for. Now I have to think what is that one thing for me...

My wife asked if I knew what that was. I know that there are lots of things that I'm really good at, but the real question is what do I really love, what skill or talent can I develop and become famous for.

I guess you could say that's everyone's raison d'être, their purpose in life. Is there somthing you would fight for? something you could become famous for? Will you step up and fight like Pluto to be recognised as a real planet as opposed to sitting back and being labeled a pluton?

Movie Listings and Show times

Another link I have at the left is to Entertainment London.

This is a site that I created to provide a complete listing of movies and show times playing in London, Ontario. That's its raison d'être. And then just to flesh it out and provide more substance I also added pages for some of the other entertainment venues in London and area.

So, if you're into movies or even if you just go to a movie once a year, bookmark the site and check it out next time you're looking for a diversion in the evening or even some afternoon.

Red Hot Pawn

You may have noticed this in my links to the left, but just wanted to mention it.

It's a neat site for correspondance chess. Basically you log in and make your move and then an e-mail can be sent to you when your opponent makes his (or her) move. It also has a message component so that you can message your opponent.

Art Fronckowiak

Is that a self-fulfilling prophecy; naming a painter Art?

Just discovered this artist (although I think I've admired some of his work on display at a Lazyboy Furniture store).



This is one of his pieces called, New Grapes.

I think he's now into Florida scapes, but the stuff I really like are the Italian landscapes. The traditional landscapes are nice as well. He paints with such vibrant colours.

• Update (18/10/06): Just received the price for this piece:
  
  New Grapes
  Original Acrylic on Canvas
  24"x30" unframed // 34"x40" framed
  Custom frame: Larson Juhl combination (Castillano)
  $6,500 (not including shipping)

Early to rise

Just wanted to mention a really good daily newsletter that I receive: Early to rise.

It contains great information on three themes: healthy, wealthy and wise. The focus is on teaching you how to make money through investing, real estate and business opportunities; and staying healthy through proper exercise and eating healthy.

I'm back

I was on vacation for a few days in Ottawa for a friend's wedding. My wife and I stopped overnight outside of Gananoque and then went on a 1000 Islands boat cruise around Heart Island to see Boldt Castle. It's a grand place (or should I say palace?)

It's a rather sad story as George C. Boldt, who ran the Waldorf Astoria hotel, was building the castle for his wife and she passed away before it's completion. Mr. Boldt was devastated when is wife passed and construction of the castle and grounds was halted and the buildings sat vacant for many years. Such love and devotion that his wife was his entire life.

I wish that kind of love and devotion on my friends who were married this weekend. The wedding was great, and the brides parents opened up their home for everyone during the celebrations. They're heading off to Greece today for their honeymoon to relax on the beaches of the Mediterranean and visit some of the ancient historical sites of the classical world.

While in Ottawa we visited the National Civilization Museum and saw the Petra: Lost City of Stone exhibit. It was a main city on the trade routes in classical times. While in Ottawa we also visited the National Gallery of Canada and saw the Emily Carr exhibit. She really went through a lot of phases with her art.

So, it was a nice trip, though not really a relaxing one as we were on the go all the time.

The real free Napster

This site contains old movies, cartoons, and documentaries; all public domain stuff, so you can download and view them for free, legally.

Internet Archive

Stuff like Three Stooges, Buster Keaton, old WWII documentaries, etc. I found a lot of old Superman cartoons. Cool stuff.

Also inlcudes freeware/shareware software, and an audio section with Grateful Dead stuff and even a presidential recordings section with private recordings that are in the now public domain.

The devil wears prada

There was a woman last week who held up a flight for over an hour and then ended up getting off the plane just because she didn't want to stow her Gucci bag under the seat.

Is fashion really that important? I don't know where the flight was going, but I imagine that the woman wouldn't have received a refund. She didn't even get off until threatened with being arrested. And I imagine that the airline is going to put her on their black list. Could she not have just wrapped the bag in a blanket and then put it under the seat if she was so concerned about it getting damaged?

I watched The Devil Wears Prada last weekend with my wife. (Hey, I dragged her to X-men and Superman, so I have to go with her to the chick flicks every once in awhile.)

Really, is a Prada or Gucci bag really that important to let it rule someone's life?

Do you feel like a rat in a maze?

Most people get up in the morning, do their commute, sit in a tiny cube for eight hours, do the commute home, go to bed, and get up the next morning to begin the cycle again.

If you spend the majority of your life in a dull, boring cubicle, check out this for some ideas to liven up your workspace or look for ideas to surprise a fellow cubemate when they come back from holidays.

I'd like to know though, what office lets someone put up a Playboy poster?

Tax cuts designed to produce growth

What a concept, eh?

The Chinese government did away with all rural taxes last year. In 2006, they are doubling the threshold for income tax.

We may see some minor tax breaks here in Canada (maybe a per cent or two), but I would never expect to see such drastic changes.

Many governments interfere so much with tariffs and subsidies; I think the whole world would be better off if we had a free market economy with more private enterprise and less interference from government.

There are many people in the world who do need a hand up, but that's what it should be. A hand up, not a hand out. I think we do need social services, but these services need to be more about educating and training people. Too many people don't take any action and just sit around expecting money to flow in to their bank every month without doing anything to earn it.

I think governments focus should be on training (e.g., tax breaks for university and college). Let business be ruled by supply and demand and those that survive and prosper will benefit by the trained workforce. Those businesses that can't survive on their own will step aside and those workers can re-train and be more productive in another business that is thriving on its own.

So, I guess the question is, are there any enonomists out there who really understand the concept of supply and demand who could run in the next election?