Just Be a Kid for a Few Minutes

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Godspeed and Thanks, Randy

I don't have much to say other than Randy's lecture touched me, along with millions and millions of others. You can see my post about him and view his lecture here.

Associated Press / July 26, 2008 -- PITTSBURGH -- Randy Pausch, the Carnegie Mellon University computer scientist whose "last lecture" about facing terminal cancer became an Internet sensation and a best-selling book, died yesterday. He was 47.

Sonny Come Home

I'm not a cat person. I'm a dog person. Lindsay is my constant companion, and although it may perhaps sound ... silly? ... we have a fantastic relationship.

I've had lots of cats during my lifetime. Lots and lots of cats. There has been Celtic, Henrietta, Nike, BC, Minnow, Epitome, Shadow, Otis, Bailey, and at least a dozen or two unnamed barn cats. Maybe it's because of the sheer number of them, but none are particularly special to me. There have been a couple with distinctive personalities, but none like Sonny.

Yes, this is a eulogy of sorts for Sonny. I'm not even sure if he's gone to the big litter box in the sky, but he hasn't been home for weeks. It's possible he's sauntered into another house with children and just decided to shed somewhere else.


Sonny was a remarkable cat for one specific reason. He was the most tolerant, patient, affectionate cat I've ever known. Ever. I have even sent him on a diplomatic mission of sorts, when a family considering adding a cat to the household needed to take a test drive. A test cat . . . a stunt cat . . . a cat consultant was required, and Sonny had a grand time on vacation.

My hardened heart isn't so concrete that I won't miss him nor wish he'll show up again one day. Most difficult for me was when my daughter Nicole came home after time away with my wife in NH. One of the very first things she said to me was "I can't wait to see Sonny!"


Ugh.

So far there has been little more mention of Sonny. What Nicole may or may not remember as she grows up is that Sonny allowed her to pick him up ... by any available limb or patch of skin ... and carry him around with her. He never bit nor scratched, just faced his duty with an admirable sense of duty and perhaps stoicism. He was a floppy and furry purring machine. Moreover, he actually followed Nicole around the house and the yard. When Nicole sat down or fell asleep, Sonny would simply plop himself down with her and go to sleep too.


To Sonny! Raise a can of Friskies to him! Just don't actually consume it because, well, the smell alone would make a billy goat gag.

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Val's New Pinup Tank Art

Well, I finally did it. I've wanted to put a particular WWII era pinup image on Val's gas tank ever since I first met her. For those readers who are new to this blog, "Val" is my 1999 1580cc F6 Honda Valkyrie motorcycle.

The first step was to remove the Valkyrie badge (the chrome nameplate affixed to a motorcycle's gas tank). To be honest, I feared that this step was going to be the most expensive and difficult one. Due to simple ignorance, I thought it would require delivering Val to a custom chopper shop, where her tank would have to be removed and pop rivets sanded from the inside of the tank. How wrong I was. I did it myself in no time at all -- and I'm a moron when it comes to all things mechanical. Had I known how amazingly easy and effective the procedure was, I would have launched this project years ago. If you're interested in debadging your bike, I posted about it here.

While I was pleased with Val's plain black tank, there was now an empty canvas waiting for the pinup artwork. Once again, ignorance and doubt caused a long delay.

I should have kept track of how many companies I contacted about the project, but I can assure you it was dozens and dozens. Custom paint shops told me the costs would run into the $800 - $1,500 range, and I'd be without Val for up to three weeks. Even more discouraging was that nobody could promise me that the art would look like the piece I had selected. It's like a tattoo ... you have to know the capabilities of the artist, fork over a lot of money, and hope for the best. For better or for worse, once it's done, it's done.

My only other option was to find a company that could make a high-quality reproduction of the image onto a digital vinyl decal. Also, that decal would have to be suitable durability for application to a motorcycle tank. Finally, the largest digital version of the artwork I could find was very small (but I admit the task of searching through hundreds of pinup images wasn't exactly an unenjoyable one). There was no way I was going to have a distorted and pixelated image stuck onto Val. I found plenty of other artwork that was okay, but it wasn't "the one." I wanted the right image, I wanted it done cheaply, I wanted it to look like it had been painted directly onto the tank, and I wanted it to be durable. Oh, and just one little additional detail. I want the same image duplicated in mirror form, so that she's on both sides of my tank.

You are well within the bounds of reason to say I was being picky, but this isn't just any motorcycle. It's Val. You'd understand if you knew her. She's my girl.

I looked on eBay and Google for days, putting in keywords such as decal; motorcycle graphics; custom motorcycle decal; sticker; vinyl graphics; ad nauseum. Of the dozens of companies I contacted and described the project, none would take it. Well, that's not exactly true. Many responded with quotes of hundreds of dollars, others said they would do it but it would horrible and pixelated, but most just said they wouldn't take the challenge.

Just as I was about to throw in the towel and decide it wasn't meant to be, I gave it one final shot. While I'd been wasting my time e-mailing every decal maker across the globe, there turned out to be a print shop right down the road that took the project on with enthusiasm. If you're looking to add custom artwork to your motorcycle, contact the folks at Blazing Signworks. I honestly think this could turn out to be a healthy line of business for them to pursue.

I'll spare you the details, but the sheer oddity of my request was accepted by the guys on the print floor as a challenge. I think they were almost as excited about testing their skill and creativity as I was to see the final result. My total cost? Fifty bucks. Yep. Fifty bucks.

Without further ado, here is a picture of Val with her gorgeous new artwork. I'm sorry the quality of the picture isn't great. I'll take a new one and replace it soon. I can tell you that during a gathering of a thousand motorcycles last weekend, lots of people turned their heads, smiled, pointed, and muttered superlatives like wow, awesome, cool . . .

Bad SPAM

Some SPAM is fairly creative, and some is downright ingenious with the clear effort invested in using bank logos and such. On the other hand, some SPAM is just laughable. I present for your enjoyment one of the worst examples I've seen in years. And that's really saying something.

Oh, and as an afterthought, who the hell would be so gullible as to respond to this? Fascinating. And kind of sad. The second paragraph made me laugh so hard that I shot ginger ale out of my nose.

"My late father happens to be in control of a large number of farms including cattle's and many sheep before he was poisoned by his foreign business partners in Paris with my mother in one of their farmers association meeting because of greed."

A run-on sentence of truly baffling and epic proportions. I wish I had "cattle's and many sheep!" Oh, life would be so sweet!

From: saadsanusi2008xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: GENUINE ASSISTANCE NEEDED
Date: July 9, 2008 3:46:44 PM EDT
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Reply-To: saad2008xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

GENUINE ASSISTANCE NEEDED CAN YOU HELP US INVEST OUR LATE FATHER FUND?????

Dearest Beloved,

Please kindly go through this letter before you pass judgment because I am in need of assistance. I am Mr.Saad Sanusi the son of late Dr. Alahaji Bugora Sanusi from Liberia. I must confess my agitation is real, and my words is my bond, in this proposal.

My late father happens to be in control of a large number of farms including cattle's and many sheep before he was poisoned by his foreign business partners in Paris with my mother in one of their farmers association meeting because of greed.

But before his death my late father deposited some amount of money outside our country in bank at the tone of Four Million Eight Hundred United States Dollars $4,8 Millon. So I and my little sister are no longer safe here as the present government of Liberia are working with almost all the killers of my late father as one of them has been just be made a minister, name undisclosed because of security reasons.

Furthermore we have contacted the bank where the money is deposited and the bankers let us understand that they signed an agreement with our late father that the total money must be transferred into his foreign business partner account undisclosed to them and that is the major reason why i am contacting you now for assistance.

All I needed from you now is your full names and address including your direct and personal telephone number for easy communication as you know that this transaction is a very confidential one.

Please Kindly get back to me immediately after you must have gone through my message fill free and make it urgent. That is the reason why I offered you 15 % of the total money amount, and in case of any other necessary expenses you might incur during this transaction.

N.B Try and negotiate for me some profitable blue chip investment opportunities which is risky free which I can invest with this money when it is transferred from the bank here, personally I am interested in estate management and hotel business, please advise me.

For more explanation write me through my alternative e-mail address (saad2008@xxxxxxxxx) or my private tel phone number +22505xxxxxxxxxx

And promise me and my younger sister to be a good guardian considering our situation and not to betray us.

Thanks and God bless you and your family.

Best regards

Mr.Saad Sanusi

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What a Great 4th of July

Happy 4th of July! I hope you all had a fun-filled and safe holiday weekend.