Category Archives: Video

Can you own an Apache helicopter?

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Not that I had ever asked myself that question, but today the answer presented itself so I just had to ask the question – what’s an answer without a question!?

Was out at Fox Field in Lancaster, CA today and noticed a rather unusual vehicle flying slowly down the runway – big, black and making a lot of dust. It came closer and closer, finally coming to rest right there on the GA ramp in front of the airport building.

The fuel truck got on the way as if it was all normal that an Apache helicopter landed at Fox Field. At that time I did not know that this was an Apache, I only concluded that it was a real bad-ass flying machine, apparently flown by civilians as ‘United States Army’ was painted over, although not enough as to completely obscure it. The only marking was a small  041 on what’s on a real airplane would be called the horizontal stabilizator.

The aviators did not necessarily looked civilian. They were wearing fatigues and a very macho attitude, but I missed to look for any insignia, when one of the dudes joined me in the restroom for some water dumping – so, private or not, will remain forever a mystery. Maybe they just came back from Iraq or wherever the US is fighting for liberty and justice at this particular point in time, but I am more leaning towards “rich guys with a new toy.”

The pilot and gunner took their sweet time to inspect rotor and swash plate before heading off into the blue yonder again and so I had the chance to properly use my Nexus S.

Rammstein – The Next Generation

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The music of the German band Rammstein is not – I have to admit – one of my favorite types of music. I might just be too old for that, even though some of the comic elements in their art is appealing to me. Maybe it’s just that the mood in their songs is just too dark for me or maybe simply that I don’t want to jeopardize the good hearing I still have.  – – Boy, do I sound like my parents when I started to listen to the Beatles or the Stones!

I case you don’t know what I talk about, here is an example…

Now, what made me talk about Rammstein is not Rammstein themselves but the fans – and not just any fans, but those fans that are very young and active. So active in fact that they not only listen to their music, but also play it themselves…

I just wonder if the kids understand what they sing, but as they are home schooled, they probably do.

Tim Hawkins tells it how it is

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There is plenty of good information out there on the vast reaches of the internet promoting a society based on voluntary interaction – such a society would not have any room for a government, which is based on the initiation of force.

One of the biggest and most successful sites of this genre is Stefan Molyneux’s site Freedomain Radio. To my dismay, great talks from Stefan on Youtube get – maybe – a few thousand views, when I wished that millions of people would get this information.

Now, how happy was I when Nicole (thank you so much) told me about Tim Hawkins. He is a comedian, a co-home-schooler and, apparently, somebody with an anarchistic streak. What made me so happy was that his parody of The Candy Man Can – The Government Can – got nearly five million (in words 5,000,000) views.

That’s the exposure people who still think voting is a good thing need. Don’t misunderstand, I am not against voting. I am just against having to choose from the (slightly) lesser evil. I am all for the voting with you wallet, in that you only pay for what you really want. Could not imagine that you would really voluntarily pay for the war on drugs, the war on Irak, Iran, Afghanistan, etc. – or the health benefits of somebody you don’t even know.

You know I am talking about taxes, right? Extortion, that the nice politician that you just voted into office, extracts from you at gun-point, yes?

So, when you start voting with your wallet and don’t pay those politicians any more, then Mr. Hawkins will have to make some new song soon – but I am sure he would like that very much.

Without further ado, here is The Government Can…

And to help you sing along, here are the lyrics:

(Hey everybody! Gather ’round! I’m here to give you
anything you like! You want free college, money,
mortgages?! Whatever you like! You have come to the
right place! Why? I’ll tell you why!)

Who can take your money?
With a twinkle in their eye?
Take it all away and
Give it to some other guy

[Chorus]
The Government
The Government can!

Who can tax the Sun rise?
Who can tax the trees?
Let you run a business and
Collect up all the fees

[Chorus]

The Government can ’cause
They mix it up with lies and
Make it all taste good!

The Government takes
Everything we make
To pay for all of their “solutions”
Healthcare, Climate Change, Pollution
(Throw away the Constitution)

Who can give a bailout?
Tell us to behave?
Make the Founding Fathers
Roll over in their graves

[Chorus]

The Government takes
Everything we make
They’re power hungry
And malicious

The economics are fictitious
Soon we’ll have to eat our dishes
Mmm! Delicious!

Who can be a failure?
In so many ways?
Instead of getting fired, HEY!
We’ll give ourselves a raise!

[Chorus]

The Government can ’cause
They mix it up with lies and
Make it all taste good!
And your government can ’cause
they mix it with lies and
Makes it all taste good!

And I feel so good
Because the Government
Says I should! Oh!…

Being an American depends on the little word WE

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Interesting video that explains how using the little word ‘we’ instead of ‘us’ and ‘they’ has made it possible that one whole country can see itself as enemy of another, when most persons in either country would get along  just beautifully with any other person in the other country.

So, next time you notice a crook trying to make you an accomplice to his crimes by speaking of you and him as ‘we’ – be weary! I mean, if you get half of the loot, that might be OK, but if you are also the victim, it might be prudent to look if the little word ‘we’ is indeed correctly applied.

The Idea of Freedom is definitely not new

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I always equated Charlie Chaplin with comedy, but when I look back, the most memorable scene I remember, is a bitter-sweet scene from City Lights. In fact, beside some shorter clips on TV I did not actually see much of his work.

But after seeing his speech in The Great Dictator I have to change that. I was surprised that this movie is actually not available on Netflix.

This, Jen, is the Internet – the IT Crowd

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The first time I heard about the IT Crowd was from Cory Doctorow in one of his BoingBoing posts. Thanks to pirates I was able to watch the show despite not being in the UK, and I was instantly hooked on the show.

After a few seasons I re-visited the IT Crowd in one of my posts from 2009 but now, finally, there are some clips of it on the interweb, so that, for all of you who don’t know these master pieces of television yet, I can share some of the highlights.

Here is one of the best scenes – EVER!

Violins and hot chicks

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I reported about the violinist Vanessa Mae in the past and just have to revisit the subject now that another YouTube sensation has crossed my 32-inch monitor (yes, I am using an HD TV as my day-to-day monitor instead of investing in some reading glasses).

If you haven’t clicked through to the other link yet, here is what I mean when I say Vanessa Mae…

And then we have the bubbly Lindsey Stirling who combines violin play with a very unique type of dancing. I am just blown away by how you can hop around so wildly and then play the violin without missing a beat…

She seems to be a real member of the new YouTuber crowd, offering something worth spending your time on and maintaining a light and fluffy communication with the fans. I like it when an artist understands that this friendly contact is way better than being aloof.