Fly Like A Hobbit

Airline safety videos aren't known for being particularly creative. Here's how the tray-table works. Lavatories are in the back. Sit down. Don't move. The end. But Air New Zealand decided to do something with its preflight video by honoring the upcoming film "The Hobbit."

And, really, these guys went all out. Air New Zealand partnered with the special effects experts at Weta Workshop to create a video that manages to entertain, amuse and educate you on the intricacies of operating a seat belt all at the same time. Watch for a slew of inside jokes and a precious cameo from director Peter Jackson.

Traveling in Style

I got a chance to use the company car for the day. A Toyota Yaris. I won't say too much about the car due to the fact that I love my job but I will say that it's very interesting that I have to lean over to the passenger seat to see the speedometer gauge. All in all my wife likes it because its small. 

Fullmetal Alchemist meets Fanboy & Chum Chum

Once again my wife was inspired by the cartoon shows our boys watch to draw a parody picture using characters from her favorite manga and anime show 'Fullmetal Alchemist', Jean Havoc and Heymans Breda and Riza Hawkeye.

Redneck Joke

One day a redneck farmer goes to farmers market and asks "Do you have any donkeys"

"Yes, but we call them asses" the man replies.

"Ok, I'll take one" says the farmer "also I need a rooster, have you got any"

"No" replies the man "but we do have some cockrells. Will that do."

"Sure" says the man "Gimme one of those also"

When he arrived home he found that both his new animals were being quite troublesome.

He called his wife and said "You bend down and grab my cock, while I slap my ass"

Christmas Shopping

Once again we go shopping for the perfect Christmas gift for our two boys. And once again I have to admit that I love playing this game with them. And in getting my wife to pose for me.

Death and Dinner

We lost another pet. This time it was our pet opossum Zikky. He normally stayed in the shed but would from time to time find his way into our house. There was nothing like the screaming sound of a Japanese woman (my wife) going into the kitchen and finding Zikky eating cat food.

From that point on Zikky made regular visits to our home as our two boys and cats played with him before a screaming Japanese woman chased him out of the house, again. Zikky’s passing was a bit hard for the boys and as my wife presented the ceremonial shovel for burial, I instead produced the recipe for dinner that night. 

Skylanders Babies

The Christmas of 2011 is the one where I went store to store looking for those Skylanders for my two boys Christmas gift. This year I’m buying the lot of them early so I don’t have to fight over parking and the crowds of people such as one lady who questioned the price of every item she bought. Then decided she forgot an item and went to get it while everyone else simply line moved to another register. 

I was able to get an early start by getting four Skylanders babies to add to the Christmas tree. That is until my wife got a hold of them and wanted to start collect all of them just for her. I see myself collecting lots of receipts and bills.

KFP - Kentucky Fried Pokemon

The mystery has been solved and everyone has begun to get on with their lives once the greatest mystery of the Pokemon world. Throughout the cartoon series and games there have never been any images of cows, chickens, pigs or other types of animals we see every day that can be used as a source of meat for people to eat.

The people depicted on the show and games are not vegetarians in any way. They are shown eating meat. And just as with the games and TV show states, ‘Gotta catch them all’ has come to have a more deeper meaning to it.

If you haven’t figured it out yet then I’ll make it as plain as possible. Pokemon are not only used for 

entertainment battles but they are also used as food. 

Making Charizard classified as spicy food.

Repeating History

England and Scotland Flags

As anyone who has studied the history of the British Isle including Ireland will acknowledge that many years ago no one really got along with each other. England was always at war with Scotland in their efforts to take over the whole island. Ireland was always bossed around by England to go Protestant. The many years of their confrontation would still continue on to this day in another country.

As America was known then as the “New World” was being colonized along the Atlantic Coastal areas by these settlers, a pattern began to emerge. People from England were settling in the Northern areas while the Irish and Scottish were making the Southern areas. The Scottish settled in the mountains as the Irish settled in the flat lands and became farmers

Over time their respected cultures adapted to their new surroundings to the point that the English settlers were known as Yankees, the Scottish people living in the mountains became known as Hillbillies and the Irish became known as Rednecks. As events were leading up to the Civil War, one could easily see the cultural differences repeating themselves as they did years earlier in the Irish and British Isles.

USA (1863) and Confederate Flags

The Southerners (Irish and Scottish) were ready to go to war with the Northerners (England) in an effort to separate from what they felt were Northerners trying to dominate and control their lifestyle. One can make the argument of slavery and you would be right. But that was one of the many issues the Southerners had with the Northerners.

After the Civil War had ended in 1865 produced the same results that had taken place on the British Isles. The South was completely dominated by the North until 1877. Even afterwards Southerners were looked down upon and ridiculed by the North. The same British feelings towards the Irish and Scottish and vice versa were re-imagined and revitalized into today’s America’s North vs. South that still goes on to this day.  

Target for a Joke

This has been going on for a month now. At a Super Target in Raleigh, NC just off Highway 540, there has been a prank of sorts that the employees have yet to notice. Looking closely at the picture you will notice that a shopping cart rack has been moved to a new location and turned around.

What’s even more amazing is that customers have been putting their shopping carts into the corral as an added joke for the employees to try and get the carts back out. 

NCIS Fan Script #2

I'm not that good at writing. So I'll leave it to professionals and those with imaginations to fix the grammar and multiple errors in my writing style to improve upon it. Nevertheless, enjoy.

It begins as the sound of a doorbell is ringing. A man stumbles out of bed still half asleep. Tripping over luggage, giving the impression that he just got home after a long trip. He lets the person on the other side of the door know that he was coming. Quickly opening the door he sees someone holding a gun at him and is shot repeatedly.

Cue music.

It opens up as Tony and Ziva on a military aircraft carrier flying somewhere over the Middle East. Sitting between them in their custody is Marine Corporal Hatch. Not a bad guy, more as an innocent employee of a company set up for funneling money and training terrorist.  He was the one who notified the authorities that brought Tony and Ziva to go and get him. Corporal Hatch is feeling more comfortable just as the plane comes under attack from rocket launchers on the ground.

Flashback to when Gibb’s and his team arrive at the home where a man, Marine Major Parks,  who was shot at the door still lays in front of the entrance.  His wife and two kids are next door out of fear the killers would be back. Ducky and Palmer begin working on the body as Ziva goes over to interview the wife.

Gibb’s, Tony and McGee search the house as it appeared to have been ransacked. His luggage seen earlier is not there. Gathering what evidence they can, Gibb’s goes over to see the wife to get a better picture of what had happened.

Stating that after her husband was shot in the doorway; two men entered and began to look for something specific. They slapped her around as they demanded his belongings. They noticed his suitcases and grabbed them. They also take his cell phone and clothing that was lying on a chair. One points a gun at her as the other man simply knocked her unconscious with a blow to the back of the head.

Gibbs then gets a phone call from The Director saying he has to get back to NCIS for a meeting with the Secretary of the Navy and a Pentagon Official, General Ratcher. In the Director’s office, Gibbs is brought up to speed on the individual who was shot at his home. He was a messenger for Corporal Hatch in bringing documents and Intel about the company he was working for to General Ratcher.

In autopsy, Ducky see’s in the x-rays that there is something embedded in one of the Major’s buttocks. Removing it, they get it to Abby who unlocks tons of documents stored on it. She calls Gibbs and with the Director and General Ratcher they go to Abby’s lab and looks over the documents. Glancing over a bit of the data, General Ratcher strongly orders the info to be taken to a more secure location.

Back in the Director’s office they find a treasure trove of evidence of an American company set up in Afghanistan to train the Afghan military and civilian police force. They see evidence of large amounts of money going in and out of the company to known terrorist bank accounts after it had gone through several dummy companies.

But the one thing that gets their attention is the hand written massage on one of the documents from Corporal Hatch is that this company, with the help from the US military, has in reality been training many terrorist in US military tactics. The Pentagon official, General Ratcher, wants to raid the facility but the Director and Gibbs would like to get Hatch out first. His Intel of the company is crucial.

The Director sends Tony and Ziva to go and get him back stateside as quickly as possible. When they acquire him, a Marine unit will go in and secure the area. McGee begins looking for information on the owners of the company. Mark Rauch, a former marine who served in the first Gulf war and Natalia Hamidi, a rich American woman of Jordanian decent. 

 Natalia Hamidi travels a lot on business but she resides in the Washington DC area to deal with congressional support. Mark Rauch resides in Afghanistan and controls the daily operations of the company.

Not wanting to alert them and other people working at this company and risk getting themselves and Corporal Hatch killed Tony and Ziva dress up as Marines reporting to the company to inspect the daily training process.

Unbeknownst to them, a security official has run a face recognition program on both of them. Just as they see Corporal Hatch alarms start going off. The images of Tony and Ziva’s face appear on a computer screen showing them as NCIS agents. By now Tony and Ziva have grabbed Corporal Hatch and are running to a Military jeep with Ziva returning fire towards Afghan personnel firing at them.

As they leave the area they see what looks like a huge military strike force go into the company area as the sounds of an ongoing firefight can be heard behind them. They are driven right up to the entrance of an awaiting military cargo plane ready for take-off. Quickly getting inside, the plane leaves the base as they settle down and finally catch their breath.

All this leading up to earlier in the show when the plane comes under attack from rocket launchers. The plane takes an indirect hit from the underside but with everything appearing normal they continue to fly on to a base in Germany then onto Washington DC. By then Hatch informs them on more Intel about the company. He basically gives the same story to Tony and Ziva that McGee is finding out about the company in question.

Set up by those with anti-American feelings by recruiting former soldiers with grudges to train terrorist in American tactics all under the guise of training local military and police while having the US Government pay for the training. All the former military personnel working for the company have a dishonorable discharge or made statements showing support against the war.

Corporal Hatch goes on to say that the company recently installed a direct link to all military data. The guise was for the company to easily identify suspected terrorist trying to enlist in the Afghan military and police force. In reality, it was being used to get a constant updates of US and allied intel so terrorist could use it against US forces.

He goes on to say that he has all the intel of employees, bank accounts and terrorist operation: past present and future on the whole organization on a chip implanted in his butt cheek just like Major Parks. They couldn’t contact the Pentagon directly or they would have been identified and all the evidence and terrorist would have gone into hiding from US officials. Major Parks was officially heading home and was to meet with General Ratcher.

The plane begins to act funny as it flies over Israel. They have to land and Ziva contacts her father to quickly clear a landing site. As the plane is landing, the landing gear begins to buckle. As the plane is trying to slow down and come to a stop, a fire erupts as everyone quickly begins to exit the plane. One side of the landing gear starts to collapse as Tony and Ziva are making their way to an exit.

As Hatch and the flight crew jumps out of the plane onto the tarmac, one of the planes fuel tanks in the wing erupts and the plane begins to lean over to its side. As Tony grabs Ziva, he gives her a message and pushes her out the door as the plane rolls over. Ziva looks up from the tarmac with what may be a broken arm and see the plane becoming engulfed in flames with Tony still inside. Fire crews show up and begin to work on putting out the fire.

The scene cut to the NCIS office where Gibbs and McGee are working during the night. All of a sudden McGee states that something doesn’t feel right. Gibbs looking at McGee says that he feels it too. When McGee asks on how long it will be before Tony and Ziva get back, Gibbs begins to call but they see the news images on the TV screen of a military plane on fire at an Israeli airport. The Director then calls Gibbs who then informs Gibbs on what Eli just told him.

Hatch is OK, Ziva has a sprained arm and Tony is still unconscious with 2^nd degree burns. Ziva has been staying by Tony’s bed side the entire time as she finds it harder and harder to hide her tears. Her father then enters the room and quietly tells Ziva that everyone at NCIS have been informed of their ordeal.  Looking at his daughter then towards Tony, Eli begins to open up to Ziva.

Stating that Tony killed one of his best men, made him look like an idiot during his interrogation of Tony. But he also rescued Ziva from a terrorist camp, protected his life from a terrorist attack in Washington DC.  As he turns to leave the room he comments that Tony would make a great son-in-law. Ziva is a bit shock to hear this coming from her father but then looks towards Tony and finally begins to smile as the tears begins to flow.

Back at NCIS Gibbs gets word that the Afghan company has been ceased and all those working there have been either missing, detained or killed. It was then learned that they had a direct link to all military intel and knew Tony and Ziva were going to Afghanistan. More intel starts coming in as the chip implanted in Corporal Hatch has been removed and securely downloaded to NCIS from Eli David.

McGee then finds that Natalia Hamidi is in the Washington DC area meeting with politicians to try and get more support and funding for her company. They track her to a meeting she is currently having with a Senator. They watch her through surveillance cameras as her meeting is cut short as she and the Senator are surrounded by military personnel. She and her aids are arrested and carried off. It is then the Senator is told what is happening. He had agreed to increase funding to her company for another five years.

At NCIS her aids are identified as the ones who killed Major Parks and attack his wife. Hamidi is informed that her company has been taken over as all moneys, including hers, connected to the company have been ceased. She is questioned on the whereabouts of Mark Rauch but she doesn’t say anything. She is then informed she is being transported to Gitmo as a penniless woman with no hope of ever getting out.

Back in Israel Tony wakes up to find Ziva sleeping in a chair next to him. He tries to move about a bit as Ziva quickly wakes up and tends to him. She starts to cry a bit as Tony tries to calm her down by talking about movies that have planes blowing up in them. Everyone at NCIS is informed that Tony’s awake and in good health. He and Ziva would return as soon as Tony is able to travel.

Weeks later in an Afghan Desert area, terrorist are going through training given by Mark Rauch who is looking more native than before. A shot is heard as Rauch is killed by a bullet to the head. Far off in the distance an individual quickly climbs down a hill side and gets into a vehicle and drives off rather quickly. He removes his turban to reveal himself as Malachi.

He gets to a secure site and notifies that he was successful in his mission. Later at Ziva’s apartment, her father calls to give her the news about Mark Rauch. A bit puzzled she asked why he did this for NCIS. He reply’s that he didn’t go after her when she was captured by terrorist and want to make a start at repairing their relationship and to repay a debt to Tony for all those years of looking after his daughter.

As she hands up the phone, she’s remembering the words that Tony said to her as the plane was exploding all around them. It is a quote from the novel and movie ‘A Tale of Two Cities, "It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done”.  

The scene ends as Ziva puts the phone down as the image of someone holding a TV remote un-pause a movie being played. That person is revealed to be Tony who is sitting on the couch next to Ziva. The movie they are watching is A Tale of Two Cities. And as Tony is focused on watching the movie, Ziva is smiling as she looks upon Tony.

Generations of Hate

My yard is bigger than some of these islets

Recent news events between Japan and China fighting over a few islets respectfully called Senkaku and Diaoyu that are barely above the ocean water surface has brought to my attention the continuing story that has been repeating itself over the course of human history. But it is curable.

With the islets in question that is causing the conflict between Japan and China is simply over the untapped oil reserves and fishing rights. The Smallest islet area mass is .037 miles. The largest islet has an area mass of 2.6 miles. Many others are barely above the water. The only life found there are Albatross birds and some goats left behind in 1978. All this hatred has over 5 small islets where an oil reserve was discovered in the late 1960’s.

But listening to the Chinese side is like listening to a call for war. People drag from their Japanese cars and beaten. Japanese factories as well as a Korean factory heavily damaged as Japanese people living in China fearing for their lives.

Chinese protest rallies throughout the world condemning Japanese people and government of stealing lands. Chinese entertainers like Jackie Chan supporting their native countries policies. Many of these Chinese entertainers are at risk of losing their entire fan base and jobs outside of China, if not already, by the comments they have made.

Being a sales vendor I get to meet other vendors and different companies who have really taken an interest in how the Chinese conduct their protest rallies.  A few companies have expressed interest in moving out of China if the Chinese organized protest “riots” continue to get out of hand. Just like when the United States Ambassador to China was in his car when Chinese protestors attacked him while chanting "down with the U.S. imperialists".

All this is due to not letting go of hate that has been passed down for years. Wars have been fought that continues the cycle of hate. In the case of Asia, many countries still look to Japan as the enemy nation that concurred their homeland, killed many people, raped their women and stolen everything of value. That was in the early 20^th century.

In the 19^th century, it was China that was doing all of these things as well. Forcing the Korean people to use their own resources to build an armada of ships to attack Japan. The Korean people were worked to death of starvation and harsh conditions under Chinese rule. Only to be conquered later by the Japanese people until the end of World War 2 and then face a Korean civil war afterwards that furthered the plight of the Korean people.

But there has been a change in the wind so to speak.

With the elder generations still chanting the same tune, many of the younger generations have been listening to a different one. Many musicians and actors have been surprised by the large fan base they have in other countries. One Korean actor, Bae Yong Joon was very surprised that many Japanese women loved him in the Korean drama “Winter Sonata”. Japanese singer Namie Amuro was and still is a huge hit with Koreans as well.

As many inroads are being made to reconnect these countries as allies has motivated others who want to rekindle past hatreds. With the situation now between Japan and China, many Chinese entertainers are risking their entire fan base not only in Japan but other countries as well by showing their support for China. Actress Li Bingbing “requested” that none of her images appear in connection with the movie Resident Evil: Retribution while it is shown in Japan.

The right to protest is a right of all people. The right to express their free will on issue’s that affects them the most. But with China’s history of human rights issues, are Li Bingbing and other Chinese entertainers’ comments that are being reported of their own free will or are they being forced to by government officials?

China is still a communist country that is operating a very successful commercial trade with many countries around the world. But never-the-less a country that still controls the military, media, banking system and one’s right to work and have a life in that country.

Speaking out against or failing to support one’s own country can and has been hazardous to Chinese citizens. Just ask 2010 Nobel Peace prize winner Liu Xiaobo who spent three years in a labor camp followed by an eleven year prison sentence for “spreading messages to subvert the country and authority”.

In time all of this will pass. In time all these countries will be one big happy family. I say this not out of wishful hope but from many examples of human history where enemies have forged bond of friendship after years of war. England and France, Germany and Europe, England and Scotland, Tom and Jerry, American Southerners and American Northerners are few examples of different people and countries have overcome their differences and hatred of one another.

The most famous and tragic story of overcoming hatred is the biblical story of Moses and the Israelites spending 40 years in the desert before entering their promised land. The Israelites wanted so badly to go back to their old lives as slaves to the Egyptians. Their resentment and hatred for Moses kept them in the desert for 40 years. Everyone who left Egypt, including Moses, never entered “the promised land”.  

All that hatred died out in the desert. Those who were born in the desert had no connection to that hatred. The only connection they had was to their faith, religion and the promise of a better life ahead. In time, as other countries have shown; Japan, China and Korea will be as a family much like the countries in Europe or U.S.A and Canada. In time the generation of hate will die out as new generations discover a better life instead. 

Back Pains

Awhile back when I was working one Friday, I pulled a muscle in my lower back. It felt like I got kicked up my rear end by a mule. I tried to be as composed as I could. Making my way to the company truck, I looked like I had just ridden for ten hours on a horse. Sitting down in the truck I started to feel a little bit better. Figuring I could walk it off I continued to keep on working.

That didn't go to well as I finished up as quickly as I could and made my way back to the truck again where I called my supervisor. He told me where to go and in no time I was at the doctor’s office. Unbeknownst to me, the Doctor was standing outside talking to someone else as I walked into the place. Completing the forms, weight and blood pressure checks needed I did the usual waiting game.

He entered the room already with a diagnosis just by how I was walking. But he did the formality of 20 questions. All confirming what he already knew. I had pulled a ligament in my lower back. Getting a prescription and a note for work, I headed back to the plant and waited for my supervisor to fill out the accident report. A few hours later I went to the drug store to get the medicine and headed home to my wife who had been texting and calling me as to how soon I was going to get home to rest.

And then the fun started. She went into mother mode.  She wanting to know all the details. Making sure I was comfortable in bed, waking me up to give me a nice lunch that she cooked. She continued to wake me up every few hours to see if I was OK.  Never mind the fact that the medicine was supposed to make me sleep.

In time my back got better and better. Still feels weird but I was able to go back to work and not be forced to watch hours of TV and surfing the web. Not forced to eat my favorite foods my wife cooks for me. Eating junk food and soda in bed as family members babysit my two boys for us. Although that could be the medicine in me talking.

Why Americans Hate Soccer

Sports, is the reenactment of war. The major difference is that afterwards the participants can go home without the smell of death all over them. Although the jury is still out on a few players and coaching staff connected with the New Orleans Saints.

Here in America we love sports on all levels from professional to College to High School. Football, baseball, basketball and NASCAR still reign supreme. There are other major sporting events going on as well and are entertaining to watch. The main reason they are so popular is the players give everything they have to play at their best, to win with honor and dignity.

And then there’s Soccer. A sport made up of marathon runners with hard heads and the ability to date and marry gorgeous women for as long as their careers hold out. That last part does tend to describe all other persons of interest in other fields of sports.

But what soccer lacks when compared to other forms of sporting events is the honesty of fair play. Many Soccer players fake injuries as if they have nothing better else to do. Soccer players would rather resort to lying in the effort to remove an opponent from the field.

That alone is what is really keeping Americans from embracing the world of soccer. If a European soccer player really wants to cry over a fake injury, you can be sure than an American player will make an honest man out of him the next time they meet on the field of battle.

Carolina Kitties

As the American football season continues a great deal of events have taken place. The major event is the return of the official Referees that have brought a calm to a growing storm of mismanagement of NFL officials and the replacement referees who couldn't decide the difference between a touchdown and an intersection.

The other news event here in North Carolina is the way the Carolina Panthers have been playing for years now. Not so oddly enough is the new name for the team that has been floating around lately.

The Carolina Kitties