aubreyturner.org

Wal-Mart has gained something of a reputation for prudishness when it comes to certain subjects.  This is somewhat understandable when you consider that their headquarters and a lot of their stores are located in the Bible Belt.

The local Wal-Mart here in Denton is one of those super Wal-Marts which has both a grocery store and everything else in it.  At the front of the store on the grocery side there’s a Blockbuster.  When you check out you’re facing the front of the Blockbuster, which usually has its windows full of movie and game posters.  Given Wal-Mart’s proclivity for promoting a “family” atmosphere, I was somewhat surprised to see this poster in the window of the Blockbuster:

It was a huge poster, almost life-sized.  I can imagine some little kid asking, “Mommy, what’s wrong with her mouth?”  I’m surprised that no one has complained yet.

I’m not exactly a cat person, but I’ve always viewed the practice of declawing cats as somewhat cruel.  The human equivalent would be the amputation of the first joint of your finger, which you could imagine would be pretty traumatic if it happened to you.  Even so, I never made much of a stink about it, since the cats usually recover from it and it allows for many people to keep cats who otherwise wouldn’t.

I was very interested when I read about Soft Claws in the comments to this post by Denny Wilson.  Soft Claws are vinyl nail caps that glue over the cat’s claws.  They’re not permanent, so it does require some work on the cat owner’s part to keep up with them.  The makers claim they last from four to six weeks per application (Denny’s experience was four weeks), so a $17.95 kit would last from four to six months.  I guess it would also depend on your cat’s personality with regards to being handled.  I probably wouldn’t try this with my mother’s cat, who has a really bad attitude about being handled (imagine a hung-over wolverine).

I don’t know if this is a practical solution for everyone, but it seems like it would be worth a try before taking the irrevocable step of having a cat declawed.  You can even get them in colors (blue, purple, red, and pink).  Your cat will be stylish as well as being safe for the furniture. 

Or at least that seems to be this guy’s motto.

American companies spend millions of dollars every year on slick advertising to market products from beer to luxury cars, but a new book tells them; Your Marketing Sucks.

Marketing expert Mark Stevens believes car makers waste millions of dollars on advertising, sees fast food company McDonald’s Corp. (NYSE:MCD – News) as adrift and scoffs at beer ads in his book, to be published by Crown Business July 15.

I think this guy’s just got an oral fixation, though:

The author hopes to turn his snappy title into his own brand. After a promotional tour, Stevens plans to write his next book, “Your Marriage Sucks: Face it, Fix it or Leave it.”

Then he plans two more in the same vein—“Your Job Sucks,” followed by “Your Boss Sucks.”

Just don’t get caught reading that last one at work…

The USS Lexington (CV 16) is a World War II-era aircraft carrier that has been converted into a museum.  It is currently located on the bay in Corpus Christi, TX.  During a break in the reunion on Saturday some of us went to see it.

The first thing that strikes you as you’re walking up to it is how big it is.  You enter via the hangar deck, which is a huge open area that stretches for quite a ways.  They’ve put in displays of aircraft and equipment used at various points in the life of the Lexington as well as a food court, a flight simulator, a gift shop, and a theater (despite this, there is still considerable open area).  However, my first taste of what the ship was really like was when I had to use the restroom.  There are no restrooms on the hangar deck (at least that were marked).  There are signs directing you downstairs to the facilities.  The first thing you notice is that you have to go down a ladder which is very steep and has narrow rungs.  Once you get down you have to follow the signs through several compartments to get there.  On the way up I encountered a Boy Scout troop coming down and had to wait quite a while to get back up to the hangar deck (there is only one way in or out of that section).

Everything on the ship is accessed via small ladders and a confusing array of narrow winding passageways.  Fortunately, the museum has marked the way to everything, but I could only imagine what it must have been like for a new sailor.  I would have been lost for quite a while if I had to find my way around unaided.

Just the short time we spent moving around the ship gave me a new appreciation for the sailors who served on these ships during WW II.  The living conditions must have been horrible, especially for people in some of the engineering spaces (like the boiler rooms).

If you happen to be in the Corpus Christi area, it would be worth the time and money to see the ship.  However, I have to warn everyone that the tour is not intended for small children and people who have trouble getting around.  There are no elevators (at least for people) on the ship.  All movement between decks is done using ladders. 

There are those who claim that the ship is haunted.  I don’t know about that, but the museum association offers live aboard opportunities for those who would like to spend the night aboard the ship (if you dare ).  The Boy Scouts I mentioned above were moving into their quarters when I encountered them.

More photos from the Navy.

Last week was horribly hectic at work and I also had several things to do in preparation for a trip.  I left work early on Thursday to head to my mother’s house before we travelled to Corpus Christi for a family reunion on Friday.  My intention was to make several updates to this site Thursday night, but events conspired to prevent me from doing so.  When I arrived I attempted to go online and got the “no dialtone” message.  There had been a big storm here Thursday afternoon, which took out the phones. 

Discouraged from updating my website, I decided to watch TV.  This was when I discovered that the lightning strike that took out the phones also killed the satellite receiver.  The wire had been melted in two at the point where it entered the surge protector.  The strike had overwhelmed the surge protector and fried the satellite.

We got back last night, but the phones were just fixed a little while ago.  I’ve also been busy installing a new satellite receiver, so I didn’t have much chance to write any new entries.  I’ll be heading back to Denton tomorrow, and I hope to make some more updates then.

I’m in the office again tonight, for what I hope will be the final chapter in the deployment saga from hell.  I left the office around 4:45 to run some errands and get dinner before coming back.  As I was leaving I put a Diet Rite in the refrigerator (which, per the sign on the door, was marked with my initials).  When I returned around 8:00 it was gone.

What kind of low-life steals a fellow’s Diet Rite?  That just isn’t right.

My %#@$# cable modem has been up and down (mostly down) for the past week or so.  It’s really starting to get annoying, since I had to go into the office last night rather than working from home (this is part of the install from hell that just never seems to end). 

I spent most of today assembling a new game computer from the parts that I bought.  The other day I mentioned the new processor/motherboard combo.  I went a little crazy on Friday and went to Fry’s after work and ended up buying a new case and video card (and a bunch of other toys).  The only component I took out of the old system was the sound card (a SoundBlaster Live with LiveDrive; and since it’s got built-in sound as well, it will still be usable).  Of course, this means that I have to acquire another copy of Windows XP (I found that TigerDirect sells the OEM version of XP Home for $99.99, which is far better than the full retail).  I ordered a copy during a brief interlude of connectivity, and I tested the computer by installing my existing copy of XP.  So far, it’s pretty speedy.  Somehow I always manage to cut myself at some point during the process of building a computer.  This was no exception.  I guess the computing gods want a blood sacrifice for new computers.

Here are the specs:

• AMD Athlon XP 2000+
• 512 PC133 SDRAM
• 120GB Western Digital (ATA100, 8MB buffer)
• PNY Verto (nVidia GeForce FX 5600 w/ 256MB DDR)
• 52x24x52 CDRW (on sale at OfficeMax, $9.99 after rebates)
• Enermax CS3071 case

The coming week is likely to be hectic, so posting may be light.  This application deployment that’s been dragging on has really screwed up my work schedule, so I’m behind on an important task.  Worse, this is going to be a short week, since I’ll be heading out of town Thursday night.

We should…be able to see that our interest would be best served not by asking the state to promulgate our values but by forbidding the state to promulgate any values at all.  If the state can espouse some value that we love, it can, with equal justice, espouse others we do not love.
    —Richard Mitchell

Fry’s is a dangerous place for someone like me.  You can find all the parts you need to build a computer from scratch or upgrade one you already have.  I’ve only ever gone into a Fry’s once without buying something (something must have been wrong with me that day). 

But now it’s reached an absurd level.  I’ve got a friend who went there tonight and called me to tell me about the current deal on a motherboard and processor (2000+ Athlon XP with MB for $69.00).  So I got him to buy it for me and I’ll pay him for it tomorrow.  I’m going to use it to upgrade my game system.  However, that will leave me with a 900MHz Athlon and motherboard.  I have a spare case and hard drive.  I may build another system from the cast-off parts (although I have no idea what I’ll do with it).  But it seems a waste to just let the parts sit there.  Maybe I can find someone who’s using an old computer and needs/wants something a little faster.

I’m almost tempted to think that drugs would be cheaper than computers…

I got this in an email this morning:

REDNECK VACATION

Billy Bob and Luther were talking one afternoon when Billy Bob tells Luther, “Ya know, I reckon I’m ‘bout ready for a vacation. Only this year I’m gonna do it a little different.

The last few years, I took your advice about where to go.  Three years ago you said to go to Hawaii. I went to Hawaii and Earline got pregnant.

Then two years ago, you told me to go to the Bahamas, and Earline got pregnant again.

Last year you suggested Tahiti and darned if Earline didn’t get pregnant again.”

Luther asks Billy Bob, “So, what you gonna do this year that’s different?”

Billy Bob says, “This year I’m taking Earline with me.”