Archive for March, 2012

My Lil’ Pie Maker (baking accessory) – A Marketing Review

Dinner is going to be served in a few hours, but you’re still trying to think of something to bake for dessert.

Brownies are so yesterday and cakes are overrated.  What should you do?  Bake a pie?

Nah.  Baking a large pie could be challenging by itself.  Plus you have to pick a single flavor that most people would enjoy.  But what if you were to bake a few mini pies?

Hmmmm.

That’s so crazy it just might work.

The only question is how to bake it.  You already have the pre-made pie crust and some pie filling.  You just need some sort of contraption to hold it together while it bakes.  For some reason that seems harder than it sounds.

I’ve got a jumbo cupcake pan.  It’ll hold six of them at once.  Will that work?

I don’t know.  It kinda looks complicated, with the six holders and all.  I might need something more simple and a lot more stylish.

What’s this?

A My Lil’ Pie Maker?  Really?

My Lil’ Pie Maker website — www.MyLilPieMaker.com

That’s right, folks.  Your eyes are not deceiving you.  Just when you thought that baking mini pies was going to be nearly impossible, along comes the My Lil’ Pie Maker.

No, it’s not a My Little Pony horsie toy for little girls.  Tiny plastic horses do NOT belong in the oven, no matter what your older brothers and sisters may tell you.  This is the My Lil’ Pie Maker, a device that almost seems like it was designed for the My Little Pony age bracket.  At least, that’s how it sounds based on its name AND sheer simplicity.

Let’s take a closer look at the My Lil’ Pie Maker’s TV commercial and give it a good ol’ fashioned review.

For starters, the best version of the TV commercial is available on the company’s website.  It’s a tiny video on the website, but it’s better quality and updated compared to what you’ll find on YouTube.

Have you seen the commercial?

Ready to continue?

Great!

My Lil’ Pie Maker TV commercial —  Mmmm, some humble pie for dinner tonight!

The My Lil’ Pie Maker TV commercial begins with this shockingly believable scene.  Apparently people enjoy eating pies!  They’re delicious! Read more…

Book Review – Clive Cussler’s “The Wrecker”

Earlier today I finished reading Clive Cussler’s adventure story, The Wrecker, the second book in the Isaac Bell series of novels.

Honestly, I cannot remember the last time I read a Clive Cussler novel.  I read most of the Dirk Pitt series a few years ago, but it feels like it’s been eons since I last picked up and read one of his books.  Thankfully, the most recent Cussler book I read happened to be a great one!

The Wrecker is part of Cussler’s Isaac Bell series of novels and set in the early twentieth century.  Specifically, most of this story takes place in the American west during the Fall of 1907.  And it involves steam locomotives — lots of them!

The Isaac Bell character is an elite detective, similar to Sherlock Holmes.  He’s as quick with his wits as he is with his fists, and he’ll stop at nothing to solve the crime and catch his man.

The Wrecker tells the tale of the Southern Pacific Railway and owner Osgood Hennessy as he strives to complete his latest expansion of the railway.  The problem is that somebody intends to stop him in his tracks.  A mysterious saboteur known as “The Wrecker” has a nasty habit of derailing and destroying locomotives owned and associated with the Southern Pacific Railway company.  Many people are killed in a series of not only train wrecks but other attacks against the railroad company and its construction projects.  Determined to stop the Wrecker and finish construction of his expansion, Hennessy hires the elite Van Dorn Detective Agency to solve the case.  Along comes lead detective, Isaac Bell.

It’s up to Isaac Bell to use his wits, fists, and some gunplay to identify the Wrecker and stop his evildoing before more people die and the Southern Pacific Railway goes bankrupt.  Along the way he’ll use telegraphs and every bit of early twentieth century technology to help him and his fellow detectives solve the case. Read more…

Killing of Trayvon Martin and Lynching of George Zimmerman

By now you’ve probably heard about the shooting that took place last month in Sanford, Florida.

The suspect — 28-year-old George Zimmerman, a person dedicated to his role as a neighborhood watch volunteer.

The victim — 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, a high school student visiting his father during a 10-day school suspension.

Depending which articles you read, which news reports you may watch, or what your friends are saying on Facebook or Twitter, you may hear one of several accounts for what happened the night of the shooting.  Of course, you may also have heard the news from Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson since the young black male is being proclaimed by the media as being completely innocent in the crime.

Of course, that depends on the facts.  You know, those pesky little details that tend to set the story straight.

The problem here is that only two people know for a fact what happened during the shooting, and one of them is dead.

The police have been investigating the crime.  From what I’ve heard, there hasn’t been enough evidence yet to charge George Zimmerman with a crime.  I’ve also heard that the police may have not been completely thorough with the investigation.  I don’t know.  I’m not a cop, nor have I seen the final report of the incident.  Until such a report is finally released, it’s too early to jump to conclusions about what really happened the night of the shooting and the response by the Sanford police department.

So for us, the general public, how do we know the complete chain of events that occurred the night of the shooting?

Do we know enough information to protest and demand further action by the investigators and district attorney?

Let’s attempt to take a closer look at the shooting incident.

One of the better sources of information is the website for the city of Sanford.  Click on the link that says “Trayvon Martin Investigation.” Read more…

Suffering in Atlanta’s Pollen Regime

Okay, maybe it’s not a regime, but the start of this year’s pollen season here in Atlanta, GA, has been absolutely brutal.

Yesterday, the city hit a record with a pollen count of 8,164.  Today’s pollen count . . . 9,369!

The pollen count is too DAMN high!

The neighborhood streets are already covered in a thick dust of the yellow powder.  While out running some errands, my girlfriend and I saw that ordinary black parking lots had many bright yellow sections.  It’s all because of pollen.  Grrrrr.

Lately, the pollen season here in the Atlanta region has been occurring in the spring around late March and early April.  We’d have like a week or two of intense pollen counts, but then it would quickly end.  At some point a nice downpour embedded in a thunderstorm would help wash away the dusting, making it easier to breathe once again.

But as we’ve noticed, it seems like spring skipped the region and we’ve headed straight into summer.  The daytime highs have been in the low to mid 80s, and nights have been pleasantly warm in the mid 60s.  That kind of weather is fine for June, but not for the first half of March.  This is just crazy hot for this time of year!

Right now the weather forecast is showing highs in the low to mid 80s for the rest of the week.  We might see some precipitation on Thursday or Friday, but right now the chances of that are still fairly low.  With intense pollen like this, we need a good downpour about every other day to help wash away that crap and keep it easier to breathe outside. Read more…

NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament – 2012 edition

The month of March has arrived, and to way too many people that means only one thing:  college basketball.

Specifically, March Madness and the quest for the championship.

People will spend days analyzing and making predictions, only to be shocked when the upsets occur.  Personally, I could care less.  While I don’t mind watching the occasional game on TV, basketball (any level), is just not my thing.  If people want to spend time on the whole “bracketology” crap and everything associated with it, then that’s their problem.

So what happens when it’s time to fill out a bracket just for the fun of it, and you really don’t know anything about the teams this year?  That’s where the coin comes into play.

Yes, folks, the infamous coin has returned.  I had to switch coins this year as my normal one grew legs and walked away.  Let’s hope that this alternate coin has a little bit better luck than the previous two coin predictions.

For the 2012 season, the coin has predicted Colorado, Memphis, Montana and Purdue as the Final Four teams.  The University of Colorado is predicted to be the overall winner. Read more…

Micro PLUS (hearing aide) – A Marketing Review

Hearing loss is a common problem as people grow older.

It can also strike younger people through a variety of reasons:  attending too many rock concerts, working in loud environments, sticking fingers and other items into the ear, etc.

In addition to hearing loss, some people desire sharper hearing.  This can be advantageous to hunters, people who sit in the back of auditoriums and theaters, and those people who want to eavesdrop on everybody in the neighborhood.  Apart from getting tested and fitted for an expensive hearing aide, is there a way for these people to boost their ability to hear others?

You know, something more recent than the old fashioned way of telling the world that you have a hearing problem.

Micro PLUS website — www.BuyMicroPLUS.com

Say hello to the Micro PLUS, a tiny sound amplifier that fits right into your ear.  Designed to look as discreet as a hands-free, Bluetooth-style cell phone headset, the Micro PLUS works like a poor man’s hearing aide.  It amplifies the sound and rebroadcasts it straight into your ear.

The Micro PLUS may look familiar to you.  An older version of this product was on the market years ago.  Get ready, folks, cause it’s back!

I remember the old version of the Micro PLUS TV commercial being hilarious and very much over-the-top with its scenarios.  Let’s take a look at the modern commercial and see how the company sells the product.

As of right now, the only way I’m aware of watching the TV commercial is by visiting the product’s website.  It’s streaming there just like almost every other as-seen-on-TV product.

Micro PLUS TV commercial — The joys of spending as little as possible and complaining about lousy seats.

The Micro PLUS TV commercial begins with a couple as they attend some kind of show.  I assume it’s a high quality stage show as most audience members are dressed fancy.  That part doesn’t matter.  What we do know is that the gentleman cannot hear well and he’s disturbing the people around him.

If this is a constant problem for him, then he needs to get evaluated for a hearing aide.  He probably has problems understanding people in loud environments, too.  But for the time being, is there a quick and easy fix to help his hearing problem?  Let’s listen closely and hear what the TV commercial has to say about the problem. Read more…

March 2, 2012 Tornado Outbreak Aftermath

Friday, March 2, 2012 witnessed a deadly tornado outbreak across the southern states and Ohio Valley region.

Out of the 127 reported tornadoes, 57 of them were confirmed by the National Weather Service.  One of them struck about two miles from my parent’s house here in the Atlanta metro area.

Forty-one people ultimately lost their life from the deadly storms, with the worst hit areas in southern Indiana and northern Kentucky.  In particular, one of the hardest hit areas was a damage path caused by an EF-4 tornado.  Eleven people died as the twister tore through the small towns of New Perkin, Henryville and Chelsea, Indiana.  South of the Ohio River, twenty-five people were killed in northern Kentucky.  The town of West Liberty, Kentucky, suffered extreme damage.

As it was noted, that region of the country was experiencing unusually warm air for that time of year.  Through in a strong low pressure system and extreme wind shear, and the area was just ripe for the formation of violent supercell thunderstorms.

The day of violent tornadoes started early with twisters striking in northeastern Alabama.

Harvest, Alabama – EF3 tornado footage

The town of Harvest, Alabama, was hit with an EF3 tornado on Friday morning.  Take note that the same town was hit by an EF5 tornado in the April 25-28, 2011 super outbreak.  Some of the very homes that were being rebuilt were struck AGAIN by a tornado in less than a year. Read more…

Book Review – Stephen Coonts’ “Saucer”

When I was younger, one of the first authors I started reading and following was Stephen Coonts.  I started with Flight of the Intruder followed by The Intruders.  After that followed almost all of the books (at that point in time) in the Jake Grafton series.

This time around, instead of writing high flying thrillers or battles against terrorists, Coonts dips into science-fiction and flying saucers.  This isn’t one of those tales about people being abducted or an evil alien armada set on destroying the planet.

Saucer is a modern day story that begins in the Sahara desert in northern Africa.  While assisting on a seismic survey, young 22-year-old assistant, Rip Cantrell, helps make an astonishing discovery.  He spotted a piece of metal sticking out of some rock.  After digging and breaking away the rock over the period of a few days, it turned out that Rip’s suspicion was true.

The piece of metal was an ancient flying saucer.  It had crashed into an ancient ocean, sank and buried itself in the sediment, and remained undisturbed under layers of rock for about 140,000 years.

And it still works.

Naturally, everybody wants the flying saucer.  The team of scientists who can crack the marvel of science will control technology that could dominate the world.  It’s at this point that the Air Force sends in former test pilot Charlotte “Charley” Pine to investigate the saucer.

Together, Charley and Rip learn how to operate the saucer and open its secrets.  The test flights with the flying saucer are the highlights in this novel.  As it’s evident in the Jake Grafton series, Stephen Coonts has a fantastic ability to describe the feeling of flight and the dynamics of it all. Read more…

Potential Tornado Outbreak – March 2, 2012

In what has already been an early start to the spring severe weather season, there is another threat of severe storms and tornadoes.  As of this very moment, there have already been thirteen reports of tornadoes in Alabama, Tennessee and Illinois.

Today’s biggest threat area stretches from northern Tennessee to southern Illinois and Ohio.  This includes major cities such as Nashville, TN, Knoxville, TN, Cincinnati, OH, along with Louisville and Lexington, KY.

Tornado probability outlook – March 2, 2012

Today’s activity had an early start as tornadoes touched down in northern Alabama around the Huntsville area.  Many homes and buildings suffered moderate levels of damage.  Thankfully, there have not been any reported fatalities or significant injuries from those storms.

Tornado Watches – March 2, 2012

As of right now, tornado watch boxes much of Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and the northern parts of Mississippi and Alabama.  The two northern watch areas are labeled as Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) Tornado Watches. Read more…

Movie Review – Rough Riders (1997)

Originally aired as a mini-series on TNT back in 1997, Rough Riders tells the tale of Theodore Roosevelt and his creation of the 1st US Volunteer Cavalry regiment, also known as the Rough Riders.

Rough Riders takes place in 1898 during the Spanish-American War.

Taking place over thirty years after the bloody American Civil War, the United States is once again in another armed conflict.  After the mysterious sinking of the U.S. battleship USS Maine (“Remember the Maine, to Hell with Spain!“) in Havana Harbor, Cuba, the U.S. ultimately declared war on Spain.  While battles between the U.S. and Spain took place all over the world from the Philippines to Guam to Cuba and Puerto Rico, the most famous part of the war took place in Cuba.  Specifically, Roosevelt’s Rough Riders and their heroic charge up San Juan Hill.

Rough Riders follows the timeline of the Rough Rider regiment, starting at the sinking of the USS Maine.  Following the sinking, we see the declaration of war, call to service, and the formation and training of the Rough Rider volunteer cavalry regiment.  After that follows the unit being sent to Cuba via Florida, and then the bloody action begins.

Rough Riders (1997) – (c) TNT

Rough Riders stars Tom Berenger as Teddy Roosevelt.  Berenger does an amazing job recreating the former president’s speaking style and mannerisms, giving us an accurate glimpse of the legendary adventurer and leader of the free world.  Also starring in Rough Riders is Sam Elliott as Captain Bucky O’Neil, the person responsible for training and leading some of the men.  One of the better supporting roles is Gary Busey as General “Fightin’ Joe” Wheeler, a former Civil War leader.  Other faces appearing in the movie are Brad Johnson as Henry Nash, George Hamilton as William Randolph Hearst, and R. Lee Ermy as Secretary of State John Hay. Read more…