David Rohde, New York Times Reporter, Escapes Taliban in Afghanistan

In a scene straight out of 2008’s Iron Man movie, New York Times Reporter and Pulitzer Prize Winner David Rohde and a local reporter, Tahir Ludin, escaped Taliban captivity by climbing over a wall. They had been abducted along with their driver, Asadullah Mangal, on Nov. 10, 2008.  For the past 7 months, they were held captive in the mountains of Afghanistan and Pakistan. So maybe it wasn’t like Iron Man with all the explosions and gunfire as they made their escape. Regardless, we are extremely excited about David’s return to America.

One of the more interesting aspects of this ordeal is that it was kept relatively quiet by all major media outlets in the United States:

From the early days of this ordeal, the prevailing view among David’s family, experts in kidnapping cases, officials of several governments and others we consulted was that going public could increase the danger to David and the other hostages. The kidnappers initially said as much,” said Bill Keller, the executive editor of The Times. “We decided to respect that advice, as we have in other kidnapping cases, and a number of other news organizations that learned of David’s plight have done the same. We are enormously grateful for their support. (source)

This is one of those times where I’m happy that the US media held back a little on this story. If David’s abduction had become a viral internet/news story, I do not think he would have ever been able to escape. Welcome home, David. Get back to that awesome reporting.

For more on David Rohde’s amazing escape from the Taliban:

  • Media Stayed Silent on Kidnapping (Washington Post)
  • New York Times journalist David Rohde escapes Taliban (Telegraph.co.uk)
  • Why Did Nobody Pick Up The David Rohde Kidnapping Story? (Gawker.com)
  • New York Times Reporter Rohde Escapes From Taliban, NYT Says (Bloomberg)
  • Secretary of State Clinton on David Rohde’s Return to Freedom (State.gov)

Spaceport America: Commercial Spaceport in New Mexico

Conceptual Picture of Spaceport America in New Mexico
Conceptual Picture of Spaceport America in New Mexico

New Mexico broke ground for Spaceport America yesterday. Spaceport America is going to be the first spaceport built specifically for commercial space tours and space travel. A few weeks ago, I wrote about Virgin Atlantic offering trips to space for $200,000 per ride. Spaceport America is where paying customers will take a flight into Earth’s low orbit.

Spaceport America: Terminal Facility and Hanger in New Mexico
Spaceport America: Terminal Facility and Hanger in New Mexico

The New Mexico state government is funding the entire project, and it is estimated that the Spaceport America project will cost $198 million. But it doesn’t stop there. Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic are also investing $300 million to develop a space launch system on the site. And don’t fool yourself into thinking they are not going to make money. According to Virgin Galactic President Will Whitehorn, the company already has 300 space flights booked! That’s right. Here we are in the midst of a wrecked economy, and there are 300 people willing to spend $200k per person to take a trip to space. Gosh. I wonder what it’s like to have that kind of money. But more power to them. We need more demand to drive the price down. And if there is a profit to be made, more companies will enter this market, creating more competition, supply and lower prices. Maybe in the future I will be able to take a space tour! Go economics-based reasoning!

Spaceport America in Google Maps Satellite View in New Mexico
Spaceport America in Google Maps Satellite View in New Mexico

Where is Spaceport America exactly? Well, according to all sources, the simple answer is: it’s out in the middle of nowhere in the New Mexico desert. But more precisely, Spaceport America is near Upham in Sierra County, New Mexico. That’s about 30 miles east of Truth or Consequences, NM and about 45 miles north of Las Cruces, NM. Also, the Spaceport America facility is close to the perimeter of the White Sands Missile Range. That’s odd to me. Planes bound for low orbital space will be taking off near a missile range. Are you kidding me? I hope those two places are on good speaking terms.

There are a ton of facts out there about Spaceport America. Here are a few:

  • Spaceport America on Wikipedia (link)
  • Breaking Ground Press Release (link)
  • Official Site of Spaceport America (link)
  • Google Maps Satellite View (link)
  • Space.com covers ground breaking (link)

World Beard and Mustache Championships 2009 in Anchorage, Alaska

Just in case you missed it, the 2009 World Beard and Moustache Championships were held on May 23, 2009 in Anchorage, Alaska. Surprisingly, the United States dominated the competition, winning 12 of the 18 categories and the overall champion, David Traver of Anchorage, is also American. He was the hometown favorite (and rightfully so!), and he is a member of the Southcentral Alaska Beard and Moustache Club (WBMA).

Also known as the”Facial Hair Olympics,” the competition got its start in 1990 in Germany. Germans typically dominate the competition, but this year it was the US that shocked everyone. There were almost 300 competitors, and those competitors represented 15 different countries. For full results, visit the official site of the World Beard and Moustache Championships. In fact, here are some links for further reading if you are interested:

  • Official Site of the World Beard & Moustache Championships (link)
  • CNN covers the 2009 Championships (link)
  • Beard & Moustache Championship page on Wikipedia (link)

Here is a beard and mustache champions photo gallery from the 2009 Beard and Moustache World Championships:

2009 World Beard Champion - David Traver
2009 World Beard Champion - David Traver
English Moustache Champion 2009 - Lutz Giese
English Moustache Champion 2009 - Lutz Giese
Freestyle Beard Champions 2009 - Hans-Peter Weis, Gerhard Knapp, Daved Traver
Freestyle Beard Champions 2009 - Hans-Peter Weis, Gerhard Knapp, Daved Traver
Freestyle Moustache Champion 2009 - Keith Haubrich (Gandhi Jones)
Freestyle Moustache Champion 2009 - Keith Haubrich (Gandhi Jones)
Full Natural Beard Champion 2009 - Jack Passion
Full Natural Beard Champion 2009 - Jack Passion
Fu Manchu Champion 2009 - Ted Stedman
Fu Manchu Champion 2009 - Ted Stedman
Imperial Partial Beard Champions 2009 - Udo Fritzsche, Karl-Heinz Hille, Mark Voermans
Imperial Partial Beard Champions 2009 - Udo Fritzsche, Karl-Heinz Hille, Mark Voermans
Natural Full Beard with Styled Moustache Champions 2009 - Bob Gengler, Bernd Popiak, Kyle McNair
Natural Full Beard with Styled Moustache Champions 2009 - Bob Gengler, Bernd Popiak, Kyle McNair
Natural Moustache Champion 2009 - Kees Lek
Natural Moustache Champion 2009 - Kees Lek
Sideburns Muttonchops Champion 2009 - Toot Joslin
Sideburns Muttonchops Champion 2009 - Toot Joslin

Cheers!

Calvin Klein Billboard in SoHo, NYC features a Threesome (or a Forgy)

Calvin Klein Billboard in SoHo, NYC features threesome (or maybe a forgy!)
Calvin Klein Billboard in SoHo, NYC features threesome (or maybe a forgy!)

Billboards are meant to catch your attention. Is there any reason why this Calvin Klein billboard in SoHo, NYC would not catch your attention? Of course it catches your attention! It’s got 4 people who are all about to burst with sexual energy. I mean, the girl’s already topless, and the guy on the ground has his jeans unbuttoned. Is this scene depicting an upcoming threesome? Or maybe a forgy? This billboard was not only going after attention – in my opinion, this Calvin Klein billboard was meant to shock people.

I am not offended by this image. I am not here to tell you about how America is going to hell in a handcart. I am here to tell you that sexual ads like this do not even phase me any more. I believe advertising is what makes us do 99% of the things that we do. However, I cannot remember a time when a sexually-charged billboard made me go out and purchase a pair of jeans. Maybe this ad is for girls. Maybe it’s for guys. Maybe it’s targetted equally at heterosexual and homosexual men and women. I don’t know. What I do know is that, when it comes to my buying habits, I prefer less shocking advertising. I don’t want to see a hot naked lady playing a Gibson Flying V electric guitar. I just want to see the guitar. Adding all the other superflous detail and scenario context – well, it only makes me feel like I’m being marketed to. Like someone is targetting my demographic. Once I get that feeling, I’m more likely to walk away. I’ll keep my money, you marketing jerks.

Even with apathy to this type of marketing, I have to hand it to the marketing team at Calvin Klein. This billboard is just what America craves: controversy. It’s exploitation. It’s sex used in advertising and marketing. Whatever. But America will jabber about this for hours. And because America is so divided politically and culturally, this billboard will likely get approval from half of America and disapproval from the other half. Or maybe there are a ton of people like me who could really care less. However, I do care enough to blog about it, and that is why this shock marketing works: it’s about generating buzz for brand exposure. Well done, Calvin Klein. In terms of brand awareness and brand exposure, this was a brilliant ad. Maybe it will pay off for you.

RIP Grasshopper: Kung Fu & Kill Bill Star David Carradine Dead at 72

David Carradine in the TV Show Kung Fu
David Carradine in the TV Show Kung Fu

Yesterday it was announced that the body of TV and Film star David Carradine was found partially naked in a wardrobe with a cord wrapped around his neck and other parts of his body. Depending on varying versions of the story, he was found in a wardrobe or a closet with a cord or a rope around his neck and other parts of his body. Mr. Carradine’s body was found in a suite at the 5-star Swissotel Nai Lert Park Hotel in central Bangkok, Thailand. The iconic actor was in Thailand filming his next film, Stretch.

While many news sources are reporting the death as a suicide, his family is disputing their claims, reporting that his death was an accident. His mother-in-law believes it was an accident or possibly foul play involving a break-in (source). With so many friends, colleagues and friends shocked at the idea he would take his own life, it’s unclear why the actor would have taken his own life. According to that same article, Mr. Carradine did have dark thoughts, and he suffered from depression. In an article from 2004, he admitted to thinking about taking his own life (source). At any rate, the world lost a phenomenal actor who obviously was very loved by his friends and family. BBC News published a very nice obituary here.

Master Kan & Shaolin Monk Kwai Chang Caine (played by David Carradine)
Master Kan & Shaolin Monk Kwai Chang Caine (played by David Carradine)

Though my generation is more familiar with David Carradine for his role as Bill in the two part Kill Bill series from Quentin Tarantino, David Carradine appeared in over 100 films. However, before the Kill Bill movies he was most recognized as Shaolin Monk Kwai Chang Caine from the TV show Kung Fu that aired on ABC from 1972-1975. Kung Fu was described as a mystical kung-fu western, and it received multiple Emmy nominations and awards. Mr. Carradine was also nominated for Best Actor for his role in Kung Fu.

Here is a scene from Kung Fu: The Movie, featuring a final fight scene between Brandon Lee and David Carradine. [Note: Something about this scene reminds me of the awesome fight scene from Road House, starring Patrick Swayze. Just saying is all.]:

David Carradine was an actor, director and producer. He starred on Broadway, and he also made an appearance in the TV show King of the Hill in the episode titled Returning Japanese. He voiced the character of Hank Hill’s Japanese half-brother. Recently, he appeared in a Jonas Brothers music video as a kung-fu master. This guy did it all. According to Tarantino, “He was a jobbing actor, he worked all the time.”

David Carradine as Bill in Kill Bill
David Carradine as Bill in Kill Bill

One of my favorite lines from Kill Bill was actually said off-screen:

The Bride: How did you find me?
Bill: [off screen] I’m the man.

You are the man. RIP, Grasshopper.

GM Expected to File for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection Today

According to the Wall Street Journal (here) and Bloomberg (here), General Motors Corp. plans to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection today at 8:00am eastern. 56,000 auto workers and 3,600 GM dealerships are asking: What now? The plan is for our government to purchase a majority ownership in the company (around $30 million worth). Ultimately, the government can help GM return to profitability. Or so they hope.

General Motors was founded in 1908 in Flint, MI with its headquarters located in Detroit, MI. In the first 10 years, GM would acquire many brands that we know today, such as Oldsmobile, Cadillac and Pontiac. William C. Durant, who controlled GM early on, also went on to start the Chevrolet Motor car company. At its peak in the 1980s, General Motors employed 349,000 auto workers and had 150 assembly plants. Today, GM is an icon of the American auto industry, and globally GM ranks second only to Toyota. Second place is not so bad once you consider that GM had an impressive 77 years in a row as the world’s largest automaker from 1931 to 2007. In fact, 2008 saw 8.35 million GM cars and trucks sold globally. Of course, those 8.35 million cars and trucks came from all of GM’s brands, such as Buick, Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC, Hummer, Saab, Saturn, etc…

In our era of economic bailouts, GM has received $15+ billion from the US Treasury Department, so how about another $30 billion? Hopefully our government can turn around this company. And who is going to head the turnaround? According to the Bloomberg article, Al Koch will be named GM’s chief restructuring officer. Apparently he was chief financial officer at Kmart when it filed Ch. 11 back in 2002. I hope he can make the transition to New GM quick and painless.

But even still, as the WSJ article points out, there are a ton of challenges facing GM in the move from Old GM to New GM:

  • When will consumer demand for new cars rebound? New car sales are down 40% since January. Even Toyota is losing money right now.
  • How will GM shed brands such as Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Hummer? How much will that cost? How much time will it take?
  • Can GM bounce back with new Chief Executive Frederick “Fritz” Henderson?

However, even with all of these variables, bankruptcy protection should allow GM some speedy resolutions to things that typically take months and years:

Bankruptcy protection should allow GM to pull off one of the most expedient downsizings in the industry’s 120-year history. Long hampered by laws, union strife and management practices that kept it from fast action to fix problems, GM plans to eliminate almost all of its debt, halve its U.S. brands, shutter 2,600 dealers and rewrite labor contracts almost overnight.

President Obama and other members of the government have made it much easier for GM to get through all sorts of red tape in a very small amount of time. And in this plan, the government will own 60% of GM’s stock. Plus, the Canadian government is throwing in another $9.5 billion for a 12.5% stake in GM. Thanks, Canada! You fill our hockey teams with great players, and now you are helping out one of our most famous automakers. Thanks!

I wish GM the best, and I can’t wait to see the electric-powered Chevy Volt. Even though it’s priced at $40,000, I’m just excited that a major American car maker is leaping into the electric/hybrid market.

Inspirational Quotes from a Wolf…and Gmork, too!

Inspirational Quotes from a Wolf
Inspirational Quotes from a Wolf

I can’t possibly take credit for this idea, but I certainly had to post about it on my blog. Sometimes inspirational messages and quotes are awesome. I enjoy them every now and then, but I’m pretty sure that they are always enjoyable (and maybe even more meaningful) when they are coming from a wolf. Here are this wolf’s inspirational messages:

  • Bite off more than you can chew – then chew it!
  • An obstacle is only something you haven’t torn through yet.
  • Nothing’s gonna stand in your way. Not tonight!
  • The world is dark when you’re depressed. You thoughts have the power to invent your world.
  • You were born a winner – You were the fastest sperm!
  • Depression breeds depression. Effort breeds success.
  • If you never give up, you never lose.
  • Don’t believe in yourself. Believe in me, who believes in you.
  • The doctor said it was cancer. I call it a challenge.
  • You are awesome. Go and prove it.
  • Even if you fall on your face,  you’re still moving forward.
  • You have no limits.
  • You feel alone, but someone is thinking of you.
  • Better to die on your feet than live on your knees.
  • If life asks for your all, give it even more.

Again, I didn’t create these quotes. I just think they are awesome. Be sure to check out the source to get the full effect.

"People who have no hopes are easy to control." - Gmork
"People who have no hopes are easy to control." - Gmork

On a side note, doesn’t the wolf remind you a little of Gmork from The Never Ending Story movie? Gmork was a badass. Gmork had some awesome insights to share in his brief meeting with Atreyu. For example, he reminded Atreyu that “Fantasia has no boundaries.” That’s pretty useful information, especially for Bastian. I mean, Bastian needs to know that information in order to save Fantasia. Gmork even added, “People who have no hopes are easy to control. And whoever has control has the power.” Gmork was obviously a student of philosophy at some point. Wise wolf, that Gmork. Yep, he was a wise wolf, even if he did let the cat out of the bag regarding how to save the world of Fantasia. Well, it looks like I have derailed – and how!

Enjoy!

Update: Someone left a comment, accusing me of stealing 4chan‘s memes. I first saw the Courage Wolf here, and I gave a link and credit to the source. Isn’t the spirit of the internet finding stuff and then writing about it and linking to it? That way, I’m promoting 4chan and the Courage Wolf. It’s not like I’m taking credit for the idea and then selling a Courage Wolf T-Shirt, like this company here. Calling me a thief is an over-reaction. This reminds me of the scene from The Big Lebowski, when Walter brings a dog to the bowling alley:

Walter Sobchak: Huh? Oh, that’s Cynthia’s dog. I think it’s a Pomeranian. I can’t leave him home alone or he eats the furniture. I’m watching him while Cynthia and Marty Ackerman are in Hawaii.

The Dude: You brought the fuckin’ Pomeranian bowling?

Walter Sobchak: What do you mean brought it bowling, Dude? I didn’t rent it shoes. I’m not buying it a fucking beer. He’s not taking your fucking turn, Dude.

The Dude: Man, if my fuckin’ ex-wife asked me to take care of her fuckin’ dog while she and her boyfriend went to Honolulu I’d tell her to go fuck herself.

Relax already. I’m staying. I’m finishing my cup of coffee.

On Sale in 2011: Air-Powered Car from Zero Pollution Motors

I enjoy science fiction, but I must admit that I’ve never read any of the works by Jules Verne. I know. It’s terrible, but I have never really taken to reading. I think it’s because books don’t come alive to me, as they did for Bastian Balthazar Bux (the kid from The Never Ending Story movie. Or was that a book? Sheesh!). Anyways, I always wished that reading would appeal to me, but I have not been hooked…yet. [Note: I’m hoping one day I will be a reader of many books. Sometimes I think reading is an acquired taste, while other times I just figure that it’s a lot like taste buds – they change over time. One day you love a certain food and hate another type. Five years later and there you are loving the food(s) you once hated. But I digress. Big time.]

Back to Jules Verne. Here are a couple of quotes from Jules Verne:

The Mysterious Island (1874): “Water decomposed into its primitive elements (Hydrogen and Oxygen), and decomposed doubtless by electricity, which will then have become a powerful and manageable force. Yes, my friends, I believe that water will one day be employed as a fuel.”

Paris in the Twentieth Century (1863): “Our modern cities, with streets a hundred meters wide and buildings three hundred high, and which are always maintained at the same temperature, and with the sky furrowed by thousands of aero-cars and aero-buses!”

Jules Verne predicted a lot of stuff. Water used as a fuel. Water-powered vehicles. Aero-cars. Aero-buses. In Paris in the Twentieth Century, Verne even predicts the internet (in telegraph form), televisions, the electric chair, calculators and high-speed trains which run on compressed air. Sounds like a bunch of 20th century hogwash, right? I jest. Many of his predictions have become a reality, and now it seems that Zero Pollution Motors has realized the vision of using compressed air as a fuel for automobiles. Here are some of the designs of the first air cars, cars powered by gas and air:

Air Car Designs from Zero Pollution Motors
Air Car Designs from Zero Pollution Motors

I know. I know. It’s more weird car designs. There must be some scientific law that states: “All cars with new fuel technologies must look really weird.” Regardless, ZPM is hoping to sell these cars in the United States as early as 2011, and the price tag will be $18,000-$20,000. That’s pretty good for a car that gets about 100 mpg and runs on compressed air and a small conventional engine. I dunno. I think it’s pretty cool. You can read more about it here if you want.

How the Air Car Works
How the Air Car Works

I like the idea of all of these energy efficient cars, but I’m still waiting for a perfected version of Mr. Fusion. Just imagine if Doc Brown hired the ShamWow guy to sell Mr. Fusion. I’d own four of them like five months ago!

Doc Brown Pours Beer into Mr. Fusion in Back to the Future
Doc Brown Pours Beer into Mr. Fusion in Back to the Future

I mean, I can run on beer. Why can’t a car? Just kidding. I don’t run. And I don’t drink beer. But I still think the notion of using trash as fuel is terrific!

Bonus: Just because you may want to know who invented the compressed air technology for cars – it was a dude named Guy Negre. Here he is, standing between two air cars from ZPM:

Guy Negre and 2 Air Cars from ZPM
Guy Negre and 2 Air Cars from ZPM

They don’t call this thing an Air Pod for no reason. It looks like an escape pod from a submarine. If only submarines had such awesome escape pods.

MDI Air Pod (Air Powered Car)
MDI Air Pod (Air Powered Car)

Enjoy!

American Idol Kris Allen Won By Large Margin

American Idol Kris Allen finding out he's going to be rich.
American Idol Kris Allen finding out he's going to be rich.

According to this Access Hollywood article (here), a top FOX source told them that the results were not even close. Kris Allen won the American Idol finale by a large margin. Imagine that. The previous week, only 1 million votes separated the Adam and Kris. I guess the majority of Danny Gokey’s fans voted for Kris Allen. And why wouldn’t they? Kris is married and he served as a worship leader at his church. Sound familiar? It should because that is pretty much Danny’s bio as well. And once again, Simon Cowell had it all wrong. Last year he proclaimed David Archuleta the winner, but David Cook won. This year he did the same, proclaiming Adam Lambert the winner, but Kris Allen won.

Why do I even know so much about this stuff? I only watched a few episodes at the beginning of the season. I like that part of the season because it’s like stopping to watch cars about to wreck. But it’s really not cars. It’s people who are failing at life. Well, American Idol, you did it again. Whatever it is that you do. See you next year. Good luck to Kris and Adam.

Here’s a pic of Kara DioGuardi in a bikini from the American Idol Season Finale 2009:

Kara DioGuardi in a bikini at the American Idol Season Finale 2009
Kara DioGuardi in a bikini at the American Idol Season Finale 2009

Enjoy!

Houston’s Gallery Furniture is Burning

If you have not heard, a fire broke out in the Gallery Furniture warehouse in Houston, TX tonight around 8:45pm. The showroom and warehouse are located on I-45 between Tidwell and Parker. Traffic on I-45 was backed up for a good ways, and flames could be seen from several miles away. My prayers go out to Jim McIngvale (aka Mattress Mack) and the Gallery Furniture family. Mattress Mack is an icon of goodwill in Houston, and if we know him well enough, he’ll still honor his promise to get furniture the day you buy it. Maybe not tonight. But probably by Monday. He’ll be back on track in no time.

Here’s a shot of the fire at the Gallery Furniture warehouse. That is a 100,000 sq ft warehouse:

Houston, TX: Gallery Furniture on Fire
Houston, TX: Gallery Furniture on Fire

Bro hymn for a longtime landmark of Houston, TX. They are down but not out. According to Mattress Mack, their store on Post Oak and Westheimer will be open tomorrow at 9:00am. Business as usual for that store. However, the main showroom off of I-45 – that may not be open tomorrow. But like I said, give Jim some time. He’ll be back up and running in no time at all.

Gallery Furniture has been in Houston at the same address since 1981, and it’s funny how I still remember the Gallery Furniture commercials on 20Vision. Here’s a video for old time’s sake:

Even Chuck Norris enjoyed the recliners at Gallery Furniture: