Fred Sandsmark's Blog

I came across this quote from Abraham Lincoln today, and laughed with recognition:

"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe."

Labels: fun, history, politics, psychology, quotes, words

I wonder if Buy.com thinks anybody ever watches the homemade demonstration videos for its products. Case in point: the MySoldius1 Solar Charger. Click the "Watch Video" button on the left side of the screen, under the product image.

Between the one-take-is-plenty-but-lighting-doesn't-matter camerawork, the uninformed mumbling voiceover, and the hairy arms that seem to have never handled the product before, it's quite a piece of work.

My favorite lines: "Just plug it in there the right way and you're set to go," and "There's a few instructions on this sheet of paper right here that comes with your solar charger, and a few specifications right there."

Best of all: I bought the device anyway.

Labels: fun, gadgets, marketing, sales, solar, technology, video

On Slate, Paul Collins has explored why John McCain keeps referring to crowds as "my friends," saying that in American political discourse the phrase hearkens back to William Jennings Bryan.

Personally, I wonder if Senator McCain didn't pick up the habit from another source: Criswell.

Labels: fun, people, politics, words

Delta checks out the new "furniture" in the family room, then goes looking for earplugs.

The drumset is on long-term loan from Dave E. Thanks, buddy!

Labels: friends, fun, music

Those of us who love The Book Shop in Hayward were happy to see the article about Hank Maschal in Saturday's Daily Review. In it, Staff Writer Kristofer Noceda got a lot of the details exactly right. For example: "If friends were made solely on first impressions, Maschal wouldn't have many. Yet he does, several of them longtime, loyal customers. That customer loyalty is what helps keep the store open." Count me among them. I also liked Noceda's calling Renée Rettig "the sweet to [Hank's] sour." An excellent article about a gem of a place.

Labels: books, friends, fun, Hayward, writing

I saw an AP story about Jill Sobule, who's collecting money to record her next record. A snippet from the article:

Contributors can choose a level of pledges ranging from the $10 "unpolished rock," which earns them a free digital download of her disc when it's made, to the $10,000 "weapons-grade plutonium level," where she promises "you get to come and sing on my CD. Don't worry if you can't sing - we can fix that on our end."

For the $500 "gold level," Sobule will mention your name in a song, maybe even rhyme with it. The $750 "gold doubloons level" is "exactly like the gold level, but you give me more money."

I've seen Jill just once, at Judith Owen and Harry Shearer's Holiday Sing-Along in 2006. She was fabulous.

You can contribute at JillsNextRecord.com. I'm in; I just have to decide how much.

Labels: fun, marketing, music

Today's the day when we celebrate Heidi, Olav, and Lief-Martin Henriksen, the only living set of siblings all born on Leap Day. Norwegian folks, the Henriksens. Their birth years are 1960 (Heidi), 1964 (Olav) and 1968 (Lief-Martin). Gratulerer med dagen!

Labels: fun, Norway

I'm swamped with work and stuff, and have been unable to post for some time. But wanted to add a link to a fun Wikipedia article I found via The Morning News on the World's Most Northern Things.

Norway checks in with the most northern movie theater, church, ATM, airport, brewery, and much more.

Labels: fun, Norway, world