Disney Cars DVD Easter egg

I was just watching the home screen of the Car's DVD. It repeats the title sequence and a blurred Piston Cup flys by. Repeats 3 times, on one segment a DinoCo logo shows up in the corner. If you use your DVD remote and move over to it, it plays one of the Pixar shorts using Car's characters. Funny!!

La-Z-Boy, Where's my Shearer?

Update - Sept 22, 2008:
Still shaving my furniture after 2 years of use, I decided to file an official complaint with LA-Z-Boy furniture.

I am disappointed with the performance of my sofa and love seat. For years, my wife and I had been looking into furniture for our home. In 2006, we had finally decided on a sofa, love seat and ottoman. We worked for over an hour to pick out material we loved, and the Sales Associate swore that was kid friendly, easy maintenance and good for a family with pets. 3 months later (July 2006) our furniture arrives and all looks good.

2 weeks later, after daily wear, we started noticing the material was beading up. Small irritating beads that made sitting on the sofa like sand paper. We called Customer Service, a tech came out and he created an incidence ticket. When he got back to the office, his manager told him this is "because of the density of the fabric, it will bead up for a few times, just purchase a shaver and it will go away."

Now 2 years and $50 later in shaver purchases, we are still shaving our furniture monthly. We absolutely HATE these pieces! Not only do they nat up, every piece of lint sticks to them. This means you cannot simply wipe them off, you have to scrub them with the Dyson vacuum to hope to get them clean. Great way to spend the time before company comes over.

As I requested last time, I want La-Z-Boy to fix the furniture. The regular shavings have caused the material to fade unnecessarily fast. 2 years old, and the sofa's look like they've been in the house for 10. I fear the day when the shaving wears down the material, till there is a hole in the top of the sofa.

La-z-boy's response: Too bad, it's over the limited 1 year warantee. Call your local service center and hope and prey they'll do something about it.

Originally posted: 2006-08-28 15:07:24 -0700
Just last month, we finally took delivery of a brand new La-Z-Boy sofa, love seat and ottoman. After 3 years of looking and deciding, we finally put money down on the set. It was the material on our previous set which started ripping to force us to finally decide. We chose the Elliott with Ultrasoft Blue Suede fabric. We were delighted when they arrived! They matched several other blue pieces in the house perfectly and replaced the dying sofa and love seat nicely.

Unfortunately after only 15-20 days of light use, the places were we sat, started to nat up. We called the Service Center and left a voice mail to find out what to do?? 2 weeks later, furious, I called our sales person and complained to their voice mail. Within 2 hours, we had an appointment for Service to visit our house. (about time?!?!)

Service showed up last Friday and took a look at the pieces. Astonished, this new field tech, took pictures and wrote up work orders to have the material replaced and the pieces recovered. Great!! Unfortunately after he got back to the office, and spoke with his manager we learned a different story.

"This is normal for this grade of fabric. Because you bought such a 'high grade' of fabric, it contains extra fibers. These fibers will nat up after normal usage and need to be shaved 3-4 times before it stops natting up. Sorry, your sales agent should have informed you of this and you will need to go out and purchase a fabric shaver. No we won't send out a field reps to fix this. No we don't provide shavers. blah blah blah"

SHAVED?? No way! These 3 pieces cost us $$$$! (more than my first car) Like a sheep, I have been shaving my sofa, love seat and ottoman. Yes, it has returned the sofa (almost) to it's former beauty, but what a pain! The $10 shaver at Linens, requires Karate Kid patience "fuzz on, fuzz off".

I only wish La-Z-Boy had generously offered or included this shaver with purchase of the fabric. "Oh, you got the Ultra-Suede, with the 10 year warantee! Here's your free sofa shearer!".

Checking my referrers , I noticed that someone else's Google search turned up this site.

If you are thinking about buying a La-Z-Boy recliner, think twice, says ConsumerAffairs.com, after hearing from customers who bought one. ~ Mercury News

Musings: Driving Under the Influence of a Cell Phone

Yesterday, a woman (who wishes to remain anonymous) was the first person ticketed for driving while eating. She had just bought a cheeseburger in the drive-thru lane at In-n-Out Burger. Officer Smith pulled her over for reckless driving when he stopped our driver leaving the establishment, maintaining control of the car with her knees and holding the burger in one hand and tring to get a sip of her chocolate shake.

California's latest Safe Driver Law enacted January 1st, mandates that anyone who attempts to drive a car while not maintain two hands on the steering wheel at at all times (10 & 2) will/can be ticketed for reckless driving. The law was initially designed to curb the rising number of accidents caused by drivers talking on their cell-phones. Many active lobby groups and a persistent civil-liberties groups pointed out the number of unsafe drivers reading newspapers, doing their makeup and eating in the car are all equally unsafe. The Safe Driver law was broadened to encompass all unsafe driving. In cases where multiple incidences occurred concurrently, drivers can expect severe fines, mandatory safe-driving classes and even jail time.

One active lobbyist is quoted saying, Tony's Deli on Fourth would like to thank all that voted for the Safe Driver law. My afternoon sit-down crowd has doubled and tips are through the roof!" Now that people can no longer eat in their cars, they are having to dine in restaurants. Fast-food restaurants, previously focused on families with young children are unable to lure in the corporate, quick lunch crowds due to the loud colors and noisy play structures. Many local delis that are able to handle the enormous crowds are experiencing the best growth seen in years. Tony's owner states "Not since the green-pasta diet have we seen such enthusiastic crowds during lunch."

According to the officer, she faces a $5,000 fine and possibly mandatory traffic school for her actions. This does not account for the possible rate increases that her insurance carrier might include. Our female driver plans to sue the restaurant for not warning her of the potential safety hazards of driving while eating. She points out that they also never disclosed that state laws require the burger remain wrapped, in the backseat or in the trunk. Representatives from In-n-Out Burger could not be reached for comment, but this reporter recently found on the In-n-Out corporate website a pop up stating their drive-thru lanes will soon be closed, to avoid further potential litigation. Other fast-food chains are expected to follow.

Restaurants still following the walk up model, like A&W or Dairy Queen, where the food is walked out to cars, might actually come back. Our in house lawyers believe this might be an option that will work as long as the ownership release themselves from possible litigation through posted signage.

Originally submitted 2006-08-28

Musings: Experiencing Accelerated Time, Having Fun??

Amazingly it has been 5 months since my son was born. He has grown so much since his surprise birth one month early. His vocabulary (goo, growl, grunt) continues to grow with raspberries, and combinations of the above. In addition, he has recently found his toes, and started a clinching motion with his hands.

I have noticed that time has accelerated. My theory is that the number of interacting people in the house directly relates to the speed time is passing at. Does this mean I am having fun?

For example, at a large party, the house is full of 15-20 people, everyone is conversing, and having fun. The time from the start of the party, to when the cops show up 4 hrs later, appears to only be about 1 hour in real-time.

As a correlary, the meeting I am sitting in has only be going on for about an hour, and yet feels like it has been 2-3 hours now. I guess this would also explain those never-ending stays in school detention, and visits to the dentist.

Controlling time: So this would imply that it is possible to speed up and slow down time. Next time you feel that time is going by too fast, try working on some complex calculus equations, or doing your taxes. When you feel it is not passing quick enough, trying to find something fun to do with your neighbors, like buzzword bingo!

Musings: High Speed Pursuit of Life

I recently had the honor to ride along with an instructor for a defensive driving class. The instructor was amazing in his ability to control the vehicle all while he calmly discussed his actions and the reason for them. Since then, I've found that each of these skills can apply to everyone.

Prepare yourself. Place one foot on the dead pedal, the other heel firmly planted between the gas and break and finally put your seat in as upright position as comfortable. Adjust your mirrors to not cover your vehicle. The view from each mirror should overlap as little as possible. This will prepare you for what's ahead, remind you of what has already happened, and avoid being blind-sided by something in your blind-spot.

Keep it simple. Keep your movements light and easy. By planting your heel, you avoid excessively stomping the gas or break. This will make your driving smoother, more fluid and controllable.

Get a grip. Sit back far enough that when your arms are fully extended, your wrists sit on the top of the wheel. While driving, keep a loose grip on the wheel; no need to white-knuckle it. Sitting here gets you maximum leverage and flexibility while driving. Sitting too close you can hardly move. Sitting too far away, will force you to reach for the wheel, tiring you out quickly.

Let it work for you. The car is designed to go straight. When coming out of a corner, let the wheel go lightly so that it slides back to straight. If you attempt to steer yourself straight, you will more than likely over-steer and have to compensate.

Let the type of vehicle work for you also. Front-wheel drive has most the weight in the front, with the front wheels pulling the car along. With the center of mass in front, if you enter a corner too fast, your rear-end will likely spin-out. Slow in, accelerate out of corners. On the other hand, rear-wheel drive pushes the car and the weight is more evenly distributed. This center of mass is more near the center of the car. Go around a corner too fast, and the car will likely slide.

Look ahead, right and left. While driving, you need to keep an eye out for obstacles. We tend to turn the direction we are facing, so always stay focused, look ahead. By scanning our horizon, we can prepare for what's ahead. Those window pillars should really start to annoy you as obstacles when driving.

Plan ahead. Driving is not simply about getting in and pointing your vehicle in the right direction. Planning is essential to make sure you don't end up in a ditch somewhere. Look ahead, plan the corner and move your vehicle to the outside of the corner. As you turn the corner, take it tight, and head to the outside edge. Now prepare to do it again.

In parody of the famous word by Forrest Gump,

Life is like a racecar.

It comes at you fast, unrelenting and you better be prepared for anything.

Musings: Imaginary

These last few weeks, I have been thinking a lot about imaginary things. I just finished the last Harry Potter book, which contained quite a few imaginary (or are they) concepts that are quite intriguing. Wizards and witches, house elves and dragons, and even using magical wands are all interesting and seem to be quite imaginary. Yes, I a Muggle, will probably never see or understand much of Mr. Potter's world, but it doesn't stop me from thinking about what is imaginary.

As I've grown up, my definition of the word imaginary has changed quite a few times. When I was young, I am fairly certain I had an imaginary friend. My mom would probably be able to tell you his name, but all these years later, I have forgotten.

Later in college, imaginary was "I" or the the square root of negative 1. When trying to describe 'I' you need to include some discussion of fractals, like the Mandelbrot set. . In fact, one of my classes in college, had me design a fractal drawing engine. Too bad, I can't find that code. :(

After college, I started reading fiction. Since having stories read to me as a kid, this is the first time I started reading books for leisure. Authors like Michael Crichton, Robert Ludlum, Steven King, etc. all had a place on my bookshelf. Eventually in a few years, I picked up on the Harry Potter fanfare and read the first book (soft cover, bought off the discount rack). Like millions, I loved the intrigue of a possible magical world hidden right amongst our own. "When I grow up, I want to be a (fireman, wizard, IT Professional) ______."

Then my daughter was born. Wow, does that ever change your perspective. Around 2, when she was old enough to talk coherently, she started chatting about her "following animals". These imaginary animals follow her around the house, on trips to the grocery store and down to Grandma's house. Sometimes they would need the door held for them, or they would need their seat belts fastened, sometimes they would ride in a large wagon towed behind the car. Now that she is 5+, the animals don't get mentioned as much any more, but Tinker Bell does makes a few more visits.

While I have grown up and working with computers doesn't leave much room for imagination in this very logical world, I do find that escaping into the imaginary worlds is still fun and relaxing. Be it playing with my daughter, reading (or listening to) another bit of fiction (Science Fiction to Dr. Seuss), or playing computer games all help ease the stress of the day-to-day.

Take a moment and have some fun...

Musings: Multiplicity

My wife and I were at home last night watching TV around 10PM, when the telephone started ringing. As you may imagine, with 2 young kids in the house, not many people are calling us after dark. It ended up being a friend who left their cell phone 'unlocked' and it was dialing us from inside her purse. We could hear her chatting with someone about items in the grocery store. After the third call in 5 minutes, we called her back and asked her to pick up some donuts while she was out shopping.

This got me thinking about a long-time muse. People are doing different things, than I am. For example, in the time it takes me to type this story, 400 new babies will born (at 5/sec), a bank will be robbed and a pizza will be eaten. At the same time, I bet there are at least 50 people blogging about something that happened today, will happen today or a random thought like me. As I took my kids to daycare today, I followed behind the same SUV that I followed on at least 3 other occasions.

So, how many clones of me are out there? Googling my name, I see at least 5 Eric Woodfords. I am doubtful that these other Eric's are doing the same thing (otherwise they may be #1 Eric on Google and not me!). Is JC Hutchin's story about 7 clones seperated at birth real??

Musings: Story Idea

This morning I was reading an article about Ray Kurzweil and it reminded me of a longtime story idea bumping around in my head. My last story idea, which didn't stay on the site too long; I am fairly certain, was made into a B-horror flick and was shown on late-night TV. Never watched it, but at that point I was posting my ideas to a site called StoryBytes. (Each story had to be a binary length, i.e. 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128... words long). I assume the site admin probably sold my idea to a producer (all stories become the property of the web site), so I quit participating.

So, on to the story..

---

This morning, it is official, I am declaring war. I am tired of the petty jabs and demands placed on me by my foe and have deployed my troops. As we speak, they should be breaking down the defenses and allowing my secondary army easy access to everything.

I am really sorry that it has come to this, but my wife has had it coming for quite some time. What started out as a prank last year, has slowly escalated into this all out war. You see for April Fool's day, I spiked her coffee with a nano-paint. Microscopic robots, powered by her hot coffee, slowly turned her toes blue. I don't mean a normal, human blue, but almost cyrillian blue like the sky. The effect was immediate, but temporary and slowly faded after about a week. She seemed fine with the whole thing and we even laughed about it quite some time after.

About a week later, I started noticing blips in my vision. I would close my eyes and could still see what I had been looking at. The images were not an after effect, like after staring at a bright light, but actually a live feed of my surroundings. It was about the same time, my wife started asking pointed questions about my day that confused me. One time, about 15 minutes after talking with my boss, she called and asked "So when were you going to tell me about your raise today?". I was dumbfounded. How could my wife learn of something, that I just found out a few minutes before. She gave me a lame answer ("I just saw a deposit in our checking from your company."), but at that time I accepted it.

That night while sitting on the toilet, I was skimming one of her women's magazines and found out the truth. There in the side bar was an ad.

Nano-Vision
Think your spouse is cheating?
Want to get the whole "picture"?

Visit your local Nano shop and pick up
your 12 week trial of Nano-Vision.
Turn on the included receiver and you can see
everything he does.

Just $99.00

(to be continued...)

Musings: Time Travel Troubles

As I am sitting here waiting for a process to complete, I've been thinking about an interview I listened to today in the car. The interview was with the writer/director of a new video called Missing Pages. From the discussion, I learned that this movie is basically about time travel, which is another long time musing that I commute to.

Time travel is the basic concept, that someone could travel through time and arrive at a different place than started. Superman flew backwards around the Earth, the Enterprise slingshot around the Sun, and Nero Dusk drives a cab, each to travel to an earlier time than current.

The problem I have with time travel is much more broader scope than simply screwing with history. Yes, I definitely see the reprocussions of messing with my parents first meeting, like in "Back to the Future".

What I am concerned about is space. Einstein theorized that time and space were closely related. I understand it to say you cannot change one with out affecting the other. So, when the Millenium Falcon jumped into 'warp speed', it warped time and space to jump to a distant part of the galaxy in only a matter of seconds (time travel??). So, if I jump in a time machine, push the button for 30 seconds in the future (or past), will I still be in the exact same location? or will I warp to another part of space?

Does the Earth stand still while I move through time? Sure it is easier to consider time travel when you maintain earth time, but what happens when you try to accomodate the entire galaxy?? I imagine that if I jumped in my suped up Delorean, hit the gas pedal, reaching 88 miles per hour, I would be 30 seconds in the past, but also floating along side the moon.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think..

Musings: Website and Traffic Control Idea

During my commute into the office, I am often plagued by 'ghosts'. Now I am not referring to eerie, translucent images of long-gone travelers, but the shattered tail light and broken parts of their car crash earlier in the day.

You see, an hour earlier, along this stretch of road, someone rear-ended another someone and they blocked the freeway. Now that the cars are cleared and everyone involved has found alternative transportation, all that is left behind is the ghost of the original incident. People continue to slow down, as if to pay our respects. This domino effect continues until the ghost finally moves on, usually after rush hour.

In my opinion, the most predominant reason that traffic builds up is the rubber-necking, slowing to see any carnage on the side of the road. Of course, the carnage is typically a bent bumper. This is why I suggest that we have a first responders group that attempts to make it to all accidents. On the scene, this elite group of people do a few things to help speed up traffic.

1. Document the accident. Pictures are taken and immediately loaded up on a Google My Maps-type server and attached to the GPS coordinates of the site.
2. Move the accident. A forklift, attached to the tow truck moves the accident off to the side of the road.
3. Quarantine the accident. A 10' high screen is immediately erected that hides the accident, cars and victims behind the screen. The only people who can see beyond the screen are those that need to (police, ambulance, etc.)

The idea with the website is two-fold. Imagine a system like the " Dash" that will provide real-time traffic information. This information is provided by other Dash users on the same freeways as you. Why not also share pictures of the accidents if you are curious? (That way those of us not curious can get to work.) Now, users with camera phones can provide the images and using a widget immediately upload with GPS coordinates to the site.

Radio stations will have instantaneous information about accidents.
Employee late for work? Check their route in to verify.

(work in progress)