Archive for August, 2011

Flex Seal — A Marketing Review

Don’t you just hate it when shingles start pulling off your roof, allowing the rain water to hit the exposed wood?

How about it when shoddy construction leaves holes in your house?

Is a leaking gutter allowing for water to drip outside of authorized areas, eroding away the soil, destroying your home’s foundation and ultimately bringing down the entire structure, leaving yourself to question why you didn’t take the five minutes to fix that damn gutter instead of just putting it off day after day after day?

Okay, maybe the gutter example was slightly exaggerated.  But there’s probably something around your home that could a quick fix with a rubber-like sealant, right?

Flex Seal website — www.GetFlexSeal.com

Here we have Flex Seal, a spray-on substance that behaves like rubber when hardened.  The company’s website claims that Flex Seal “stops leaks fast,” and it’s “The easy way to coat, seal & protect.”

Let’s take a look at the TV commercial and see just what all the fuss is about.

Flex Seal — TV commercial Read more…

TROPICAL STORM KATIA – A First Look

Last night we had the transformation of tropical depression #12 in the far eastern Atlantic Ocean into TROPICAL STORM KATIA.

And just where exactly is this tropical storm right now?

It’s so far off to the east that the outer bands of this storm are over the Cape Verde islands just off the coast of western Africa.

It’s so far off to the east that it’s barely visible on the widest of views on the NOAA weather satellites.

So why is this storm getting attention?  Don’t most storms that form that early in the Atlantic usually miss the U.S. completely?

Well, yes.  Historically, the majority of tropical storms and hurricanes that develop in that general area do miss the Caribbean islands, continental U.S., and even Bermuda.  Most make that right turn about halfway across the ocean and just stay out at sea, only effecting ships and aircraft.

But as we can also see in that cool image of the past hurricanes, those few hurricanes that do come close enough to strike the U.S. coast do so as MAJOR hurricanes. Read more…

HURRICANE IRENE – update #8 – U.S. Landfall

Around 9 am EST, HURRICANE IRENE made landfall near Cape Lookout, North Carolina.

Fortunately for residents and business owners, HURRICANE IRENE has been losing organization and weakening since early this morning, decreasing the maximum sustained winds to only 80-85 mph, making the storm a Category 1 hurricane.  Despite this weakening, the hurricane still has a minimum central pressure of 952 mb.

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The latest public advisory by the National Hurricane Center in Miami, FL, has HURRICANE IRENE tracking to the north-northeast at 14 mph.  This path is expected for the next 36-48 hours before the hurricane makes a right turn to the northeast when passing over eastern Canada, and then heading out to sea over the northern Atlantic Ocean. Read more…

HURRICANE IRENE – update #7

Here we go.

HURRICANE IRENE is currently about 300 miles south-southwest of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and moving north at 14 mph.  Outer rain bands are already reaching the coastlines of both North and South Carolina.  The brunt of the hurricane is on track for striking the coastline of North Carolina sometime tomorrow morning.

HURRICANE IRENE has been slowly diminishing in strength.  The hurricane’s maximum sustained winds have decreased to 90 knots (105 mph) with gusts of 110 knots, downgrading the storm to a Category 2 hurricane.  However, the minimum central pressure has also decreased and is now 946 mb. Read more…

“Deadliest Warrior” – S03E06 – Theodore Roosevelt vs. Lawrence of Arabia

Deadliest Warrior — Season 03, Episode 06 — Theodore Roosevelt versus T. E. Lawrence (a.k.a. Lawrence of Arabia)

In this episode of Deadliest Warrior we have a great match-up between two of the best military leaders  in the early 1900s:  Theodore Roosevelt and T.E. Lawrence.

When it comes to modern American history, it’s harder to think of a tougher man and leader than Theodore Roosevelt.  From a cowboy in North Dakota, to a Colonel in the U.S. Army and commander of the incredibly brave and tough Rough Riders, to President of the United States, to safaris in both Africa and South America, it’s safe to say that Theodore Roosevelt was not just an adventurer but a modern day warrior.  His battles alone against Spanish forces in Cuba during the Spanish-American War would catapult him into stardom and help him seal his attempt at the U.S. presidency.

Going against the brawn of Theodore Roosevelt is the brainpower of T. E. Lawrence, the British Lieutenant Colonel who used Arab irregular troops in guerrilla-style, hit-and-run attacks against the Ottoman Empire during World War 1.  Part of Lawrence’s success was from his extensive knowledge of the Arabia region, from field work in Middle Eastern archaeology to extensive travel throughout the Ottoman Empire and vast knowledge about the German trains in the Middle East.

Can the leader of the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War defeat the man who led irregular Arab troops and defeated the Ottoman Empire during World War 1?

VERSUS

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HURRICANE IRENE – update #6

Brand new hurricane watches and warnings have been issued concerning HURRICANE IRENE and the storm’s expected impact along the coast of North Carolina, Virginia and New Jersey.

A HURRICANE WARNING has just been issued for almost the entire coast of North Carolina from Little River Inlet north to the Virginia border.  A hurricane warning still exists for the northern islands in the Bahamas.

A HURRICANE WATCH has just been issued from the Viginia-North Carolina border north to upper New Jersey.  This includes the southern part of Chesapeake Bay.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING has just been issued for the coast of South Carolina from Edisto Beach northward to the North Carolina border.

A TROPICAL STORM WATCH has just been issued for the northern part of Chesapeake Bay including the Potomac River area.

HURRICANE IRENE – update #5

HURRICANE IRENE is currently passing over the northern islands of the Bahamas and tracking to the north-northwest at around 14 mph.

Right now HURRICANE IRENE is about 600 miles south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.  The hurricane is still a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 100 knots and gusts up to 120 knots.  The minimum central pressure has slightly lowered since this time yesterday, decreasing to 951 mb.

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The official 3-day forecast from the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, has shifted the hurricane’s projected path slightly to the east, anticipating that HURRICANE IRENE will strike the coast of North Carolina sometime on Saturday afternoon, and then the Delmarva Peninsula by Sunday morning. Read more…

HURRICANE IRENE – update #4

HURRICANE IRENE is continuing in its track through the Bahamas.

Right now the hurricane is a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 100 knots (120 mph), guests to 120 knots, and a minimum central pressure of 954 mb.  HURRICANE IRENE is currently tracking to the northwest at about 12 mph.

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Once again the forecast has shifted the projected path of the hurricane slightly further to the east, making it doubtful that the storm will strike North Carolina’s Outer Banks or even the New England area.  Right now the only immediate threat to HURRICANE IRENE are the central and northwestern islands in the Bahamas. Read more…

HURRICANE IRENE – update #3

Another day, another shift east in the long-range forecast of HURRICANE IRENE.

For those people living on or near the coastline along the Atlantic Ocean, this news keeps getting better as it looks more and more likely that the hurricane will miss the U.S. entirely.

As of right now HURRICANE IRENE is about 50 miles north-northwest of the Dominican Republic and still tracking west-northwest at around 10 knots.  The storm has continued to strengthen and now has a minimum pressure of 980 mb with maximum sustained winds of 85 knots (100 mph) with gusts up to 105 knots.  Right now the hurricane is a Category 2 storm.

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HURRICANE IRENE is still on track to march through the entire chain of islands in the Bahamas before making its turn to the northwest and then north to open water.  The latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, warns of the hurricane continuing to strength, but a split in the weather models questions just how much the hurricane will strengthen within the next 24-48 hours. Read more…

HURRICANE IRENE – update #2

Over the past 24 hours TROPICAL STORM IRENE has passed over the eastern tip of Puerto Rico, crossed back into the Atlantic Ocean, and strengthened into HURRICANE IRENE.

The latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, has positioned the HURRICANE about 95 miles west-northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and tracking to the west-northwest at about 11 knots.  The storm’s pressure has decreased to 988 mb and maximum sustained winds are around 70 knots with guests to 85 knots.

Take note that HURRICANE IRENE’s forecast path has been shifted eastward, and now an estimated U.S. landfall is near Charleston, South Carolina.  The storm is forecast to move along the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, track northward through the Bahamas, and then stay in open water until possibly striking the southeastern U.S. coastline.  A U.S. landfall is going to be dependent on whether an upper-level trough develops along the eastern coast and essentially forces the hurricane more to the north and east. Read more…

TROPICAL STORM IRENE – update #1

Over the past 24 hours, TROPICAL STORM IRENE has continued over its west-northwest track and passed over the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles, entering the Caribbean Sea.  When looking ahead at the forecast, people in Miami and south Florida, this storm is heading right to you.

The latest flight by an Air Force Hurricane Hunter aircraft measured winds aloft of 53 knots and an estimated wind of 45 knots at the surface level, keeping the storm a tropical storm.  However, because of the upper-air dynamics and the tropical storm moving over warm waters, the storm is expected to intensify and reach HURRICANE strength before reaching the island of Hispanolia.

The National Hurricane Center has shifted the tropical storm’s path more to the east, forecasting it to pass entirely over the island of Hispanolia (the Dominican Republic and then Haiti), and then passing along the northern coast of Cuba and heading straight for south Florida. Read more…

Snap Light – A Marketing Review

Don’t you just hate it when you’re working on something in a dark area, and you just can’t hold a flashlight the right way?

Or how about trying to grill at night and you didn’t think to have a lantern, torch, campfire, or even a flashlight handy?

What oh what can you do?  I mean, it’s a hopeless situation, right?

Well, worry no more!  Thankfully there is a solution to those problems and more thanks to the Snap Light.  Or, at least that’s what the TV commercial and company website wants us to believe.

Take a look at the company website and watch the commercial advertising the product.  I couldn’t find it on YouTube, so you’ll have to visit the website to see it in all its glory.

Snap Light website – www.GetSnapLight.com

Is it just me, or is the commercial REALLY stretching the versatility of this product?  I’m talking about stretching its alleged uses so far that some people may consider it to be a scam.

Let’s take a look at some highlights in the advertisement and see if it makes any sense. Read more…

TROPICAL STORM IRENE – A First Look

Less than an hour ago, the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, upgraded the latest tropical depression into TROPICAL STORM IRENE.

As of right now the storm is still east of the Lesser Antilles islands and in the Atlantic Ocean.  A hurricane hunter research aircraft measured a minimum pressure of 1006 mb, 53 knot wind at 1,400 feet above sea level, and estimated surface wind of 45 knots.  The storm is expected to strengthen as it passes into the Caribbean Sea, reaching HURRICANE strength prior to passing over the southern part of the island of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic).

TROPICAL STORM WARNINGS are currently in effect for most of the northern Lesser Antilles islands including Pureto Rico, St. Maarten, Dominica, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.

As you can see in the NHC’s forecast for Tropical Storm Irene, it’ll be interesting to see just how much the island of Cuba alters the storm’s path and strength.  South Florida could be quite windy and rainy come Thursday evening and Friday morning.

More updates will follow as TROPICAL STORM IRENE strengthens and makes its turn northwest towards the continental U.S.

“Deadliest Warrior” – S03E05 – Saddam Hussein vs Pol Pot

Deadliest Warrior — Season 03, Episode 05 — Saddam Hussein versus Saloth “Pol Pot” Sar

This episode of Deadliest Warrior turns to two of the most evil dictators of the twentieth century:  Saddam Hussein and Pol Pot.

Here we’re not talking about military leaders who crushed opposing forces.  We’re not talking about glory on the battlefields.  In this episode we’re talking about two dictators who had so little regard for human life that they brutally tortured and killed innocent citizens of their own countries.

During his reign of power, one of Saddam “The Butcher of Baghdad” Hussein’s most infamous acts was the al-Anfal Campaign, also known as Anfal.  This was a genocidal campaign primarily against the Kurdish people of northern Iraq.  Commanded by “Chemical Ali” and carried out by the Iraqi Army, attacks and methods used to fight the Kurdish guerrillas and civilian population included ground assaults, aerial bombardments, and of course, chemical warfare.  Those people captured in Kurdish towns were processed and executed in concentration camps.  An estimated 200,000 to one million Kurdish civilians were massacred in Saddam’s genocide of Kurdistan.

Pol Pot’s most infamous act during his reign of power in Cambodia was during the Khmer Rouge period of 1975-79, also known as the Cambodian Genocide / Holocaust.  After taking control of Phnom Penh, Pol Pot began his vision of Year Zero and the new creation of Cambodia’s history sculpted to his liking.  The Year Zero concept involved essentially emptying the city of Phnom Penh as well as other major towns and cities, and basically killing anybody who was an intellectual, teacher, artist, historian, musician, etc.  Rebuilding his communist utopia would only require a few million people, and as far as the rest of the population, the chilling saying was, “To keep you is no benefit, to destroy you is no loss.”  The mass graves and killing fields throughout Cambodia estimate the death toll from the Khmer Rouge period and Year Zero concept to be between 1.4 million and 2.2 million people.

VERSUS

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“Deadliest Warrior” – S01E07 – Shaolin Monk vs Maori Warrior

Deadliest Warrior — Season 01, Episode 07 — Shaolin Monk versus Maori Warrior

This episode of Deadliest Warrior takes us to two remote and lesser-known parts of the world:  Denfeng, China and east Polynesia/New Zealand.

Up first we have China’s Shaolin monk.

Don’t let the small size or seemingly peaceful and remote lifestyle of the Shaolin monk throw you off guard.  Extremely skilled in martial arts and very deadly with their weapons, the Shaolin monks will prevail when defending themselves and their monastery.  The monks wanted to live a peaceful lifestyle, but because of attacks from bandits and other troublemakers, the monks learned kung fu and practiced the art to deadly levels.  But rest assured, the monk’s Buddhist code prevented them from being the attackers.  Their deadly skills were only used in defense.

Going against the Shaolin monk is the Maori warrior.

Hailing from eastern Polynesia and New Zealand, the Maori culture was one that focused on warfare.  Battles between tribes were common.  The dedicated and fearsome warriors would continue attacking, even after being seriously wounded.  After battles, sometimes the victors would eat parts of their enemy’s body, gaining even more mana and spiritual power for future battles.  Strength and aggression were key factors to the Maori warrior’s success in battle.

When looking at the Shaolin monk and Maori warrior, it’s hard to find two cultures with a greater difference.  From size to weapons to fighting style to personal beliefs, these are two OPPOSITE cultures.  Can the smaller Shaolin monk find a way to defeat a larger and more intimidating Maori warrior?

VERSUS

Read more…

Fushigi Ball – A Marketing Review

The art of juggling has been around for thousands of years, even dating back to the days of ancient Egypt.

Juggling was also used by street performs during the Middle Ages in Europe, and it has been associated with circus acts since around the 1770s.  It takes serious hand-eye coordination and a tremendous amount of practice to become proficient at juggling small objects.  Juggling larger items and making an entertaining show out of it takes years of practice.

For many of us, we either don’t have the coordination or don’t want to take the time to learn the skill.  I’ll admit that juggling doesn’t rank high on my list of new skills to learn.

What if you were to manipulate one or more objects but not toss them into the air?  Would that still be considered juggling or even as entertaining as “real” juggling?

Enter the Fushigi ball.

Enter the world of contact juggling.

Fushigi ball website — www.FushigiBall.com

Let’s take a look at the Fushigi ball TV commercial and see if they’re pushing the concept or the product.

Fushigi ball — TV commercial

Read more…

“Deadliest Warrior” – S01E06 – Green Beret vs Spetsnaz

Deadliest Warrior — Season 01, Episode 06 — Green Beret versus Spetsnaz

This episode of Deadliest Warrior jumps into modern warfare and puts the U.S. Army Special Forces against the Russian Spetsnaz.  Considered to be the elite of the elite in both organizations, and at one time trained to conduct special forces operations behind the lines of the other’s country, both the Green Berets and Spetsnaz commandos are mobile killing machines.

Formed in the early 1950s, the U.S. Army Special Forces specialize in unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action, hostage rescue, and counter-terrorism operations.  The U.S. Army Special Forces have been involved in nearly every U.S. military conflict from Vietnam to Bosnia to Afghanistan to Iraq.  They are capable of operating deep behind enemy lines and training a foreign country’s army, going as far as leading them in guerrilla warfare.  President John F. Kennedy authorized the U.S. Army Special Forces to wear its famous green beret as part of their uniform back in 1962.

Tracing its roots to World War 2 and not officially forming until 1949, the Russian Spetsnaz commandos specialize in reconnaissance, direct action, assassination, sabotage, and capturing political leaders.  The Spetsnaz go through a brutally tough training program.  If all else fails while in combat, the Spetsnaz carried one last grenade to ensure that they would not be captured alive.  The very name Spetsnaz can strike fear into the heart of the enemy.

Head-to-head, it’s tough to call which unit would win in simulated combat.  The weapons are going to be fairly equal in comparison, and the difference maker could come down to the individual soldiers themselves.  Either military would win when conducting an ambush on its counterpart, but head-to-head in a neutral situation, that’s a tough one.

I’d give a slight edge to the Russian Spetsnaz just because of their brutal training program.  The American forces are extremely tough and have the latest high-tech weapons, but I would still give a slight edge to the Spetsnaz for their tough warrior mentality.  Maybe that’s just from growing up in the 1980s and hearing the propaganda about the Soviet Union (a.k.a Russian Bear) and its military program.

VERSUS 

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Book Review – Douglas Preston’s “Tyrannosaur Canyon”

Today I finished reading Douglas Preston’s dinosaur-themed novel, Tyrannosaur Canyon.

The last time I read a dinosaur book was Michael Crichton’s masterpiece, Jurassic Park.  That is one of my favorite books of all time, and I know that when it comes to that subject material, it’s going to be hard to top Crichton’s work.

Instead of bringing dinosaurs back to life or creating a unique theme park on a remote island, Preston’s Tyrannosaur Canyon goes into the world of paleontology and the world of fossils.  Specifically, the world of black market fossil excavations and trading.

I’ll be honest here and say that some parts of the story and characters were a bit simplistic, but other parts, especially in the basement laboratory and everything dealing with the fossils themselves, were quite interesting.

Tyrannosaur Canyon starts out with an innocent bystander (Tom Broadbent) finding a mortally wounded man out in a remote canyon area in New Mexico.  The wounded man was ambushed and shot a few times, but he survived long enough to pass along his notebook and last words to the innocent bystander.  The bystander is able to escape with the notebook before the unknown assassin is able to reach the now-killed man and claim his prize. Read more…

The Last Day of Summer Break

Here it is Friday in early August.

The sun is shining.

The squirrels are running across the lawn.

The outdoor temperature is nearing ninety degrees Fahrenheit.

And if you listen closely, you can hear the faint sobbing as the neighborhood children realize that come Monday they’ll be back in school.  This will be followed by shouts of joy by the parents as soon as the children board the school bus that Monday morning.

It’s the end of the summer as we know it . . .

No more beach trips.  No more late nights and sleeping in the next day.  No more sitting inside and playing video games all day. Read more…

“Deadliest Warrior” – S03E04 – Genghis Khan vs. Hannibal

Deadliest Warrior — Season 03, Episode 04 — Genghis Khan versus Hannibal

In this next episode of Deadliest Warrior we have a great match-up of two of ancient history’s most legendary military leaders:  Genghis Khan and Hannibal.

Here we have a warrior from Carthage who made one of history’s boldest moves by taking his army through the Alps to launch a surprise attack on the Romans, to a warrior who used united tribes and used ruthless and brutal attacks to conquer most of Asia.  Separated by about 1,400 years and both fighting on horseback with steel weapons, a match-up of Hannibal and Genghis Khan should be epic and lasting down to the last man.

Let’s see how well these two legendary warriors and battlefield masterminds can compete in this episode of Deadliest Warrior.

VERSUS

Read more…