The Celestin Web Site

Wednesday 10 June 2009
Ever lament the demise of the drive-in movie theater? We still have the West Wind Sacramento 6 Drive-In in the area, but they have been threatening to close it for the past year. It's still open, but who knows how long it will last.

Saturday 30 May 2009
Have you heard of Jake Shimabukuro? If not, you've got to check him out. He plays ukelele, and he plays it really, really well.

He's from Hawaii and has been playing since the young age of four and was hooked ever since. That's good news for us. Enjoy!

Thursday 28 May 2009
The Scripps National Spelling Bee is nearing its final moments. Maybe not as exciting as the Olympics or the Super Bowl, but it holds its own.

It's pretty amazing to think that young kids can spell as well as these ones. If you haven't already seen Akeela and the Bee, you should check it out. It's a pretty good movie about the inner workings of the Scripps National Spelling Bee and how kids can make it there.

Wednesday 27 May 2009
Have you ever heard of a machine that generates water directly from the air? It's the same principal as a dehumidifier, but it filters and purifies the water that it sucks out of the air. There's a company that sells a device that actually does this, and it sounds pretty amazing.

Check out EcoloBlue. It kind of has a stiff price tag, but hey, no more buying bottled water!

Sunday 24 May 2009
What does it take to stage an elaborate musical performance in an otherwise busy European train station? With a cast of over 200 participants, this rendition of "Do Re Mi" from The Sound of Music is very cool.

To see another of my favorite YouTube moments, do a search on "improv best buy". If you've ever visited a Best Buy store, you'll appreciate this one.

Saturday 23 May 2009
Some sad news for tasmanian devil fans. The actual creature, which lives in the Australia state of Tasmania, is now on the endangered list, but not because people are hunting them. The species appears to be suffering from some sort of facial tumor, and this is ravaging the popular animal, leading to a decline of about 70 percent. There are probably only 20,000 to 70,000 of them remaining in the wild, and more are dying every day.

I have a soft spot for this creature, and do probably many of you out there. Let's hope that things don't get too bad for it, and that the species will begin thriving soon.

Friday 22 May 2009
OK, there's a lot of people who seem to think that the new 2010 Olympic torch looks like a joint. You know what I mean. That cigarette made with the insides filled with some sort of cannabis leaf. What do you think?

Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. I don't know what I think, but I would have rather seen something a little more like a torch myself. Someone commented that it looks like a pregnancy test. I can just see the instruction page: one line - boy, two lines - girl, flames - spawn of satan. You know, to me it kinda looks like a Schick razor on fire. Talk about razor burn...

Wednesday 20 May 2009
The Hubble Space Telescope has been repaired by the crew of the space shuttle Atlantis. They say we might get up to 10 more years of pictures out of it, which would be terrific. If you haven't checked out some of the amazing images it has created, you need to check out their web site. Some truly incredible pictures there!

It might look like a paint bucket with a piece of dryer vent hose sticking out of it, but it's certainly much more than that.

Friday 15 May 2009
Chrysler has been in the news lately, mostly because no one really knows how long the car company will survive. None of big 3 auto makers are doing really well right now, and GM is especially tilting for a fall. However, Chrysler has been there and done that back in the distant past, when it was brought back from the dead by Lee Iacocca (with a $1.5 billion bailout from then President Jimmy Carter). But can it survive or be reborn again now? I guess only time will tell. Almost 800 of their dealerships are slated to close. Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, and Jeep are all brands under the Chrysler umbrella, and right now, none of them are doing great.

The PT Cruiser used to be a very popular car, and so was the Sebring. The hottest looking of the current models is the Crossfire, but even that is not doing so great. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Thursday 14 May 2009
For the first time ever, a Michelangelo painting is being acquired to be part of a permanent exhibit in a U.S. museum. The painting is called "The Torment of St. Anthony" and was painted somewhere between 1487 and 1488.

The painting will be on display in the Kimbell Art Museum on Fort Worth, Texas. I am a fan of Michelangelo's work, which is why this piece of news made it into my blog, in case you were wondering.

In an exciting second entry on the same day, I am going to mention the new Star Trek movie and the fact that I have not seen it yet. I hear it's playing in IMAX theaters as well, but the ticket prices are higher, and it's not in 3D, so not sure what I'll do. Maybe, I'll wait until the crowds thin out a bit, but I really do want to see it.

Saturday 9 May 2009
I was doing some web browsing recently and noticed that there seems to be a problem with DHS (department of homeland security) trying to pinpoint certain groups that may cause trouble in the near future.

The groups they target happen to be the ones that would like a little freedom in their lives, so I wonder what would happen if I put some key phrases into this blog? On their own, these phrases aren't that provocative. Well, maybe one or two of them.

Anyway, I'm not saying that someone's going to come knocking at my door anytime soon, but you never really know. Do you? Stranger things have happened.

Friday 1 May 2009
I've been toying with the idea of using some real blogging software for this blog because I know that it will give me much more flexibility, and isn't that what we all want? Joomla! is one package I'm taking a serious look at. You can do a lot with it, and it just might fit the bill for me. I'll keep you posted as to what I plan, or maybe one day, you'll visit and see for yourself. That is, if I can get Joomla or whatever else installed properly.

Thursday 23 April 2009
It's been a while, mostly because I've had nothing important to say. But today, I found out about another free service from Google. It's called Google 411, and it's a free directory information service that you can use from any phone. Brilliant.

Wednesday 18 February 2009
I love the rain. I know a lot of people don't like dealing with the wetness that comes with rain, but this part of the country (California) could certainly use a lot more of it. Otherwise, we'll be facing another drought, and that's something we could do without.

I've been checking Google Books, yet another Google product that is simply amazing. They've got public domain books, excerpts from copyrighted books, and even thousands of old magazines. I checked out their Popular Mechanics offerings and found that they have issues going all the way back to 1905! If you have nothing better to do, check out one of these old magazines one day. It's a real kick to see the old advertisements and the subjects of interest of yesteryear.

Who know there were so many uses for concrete that it would require its own journal?

Saturday 14 February 2009
There's a bunch of junk floating around in space, just above our heads. A few days ago, two big chunks collided over Russia. Actually, only one was space junk and the other was an operational satellite, at least operational until the collision. Now, they are just debris. I guess that's what happens after 50 years of launching things into orbit.

I hear that we are planning on launching a new ship to take care of some of that debris. The Kirby IV will be deployed sometime next year, and it will use vacuum suction to pull space debris into its disposable bag. The disposable bag is fitted with a rocket pack that will send it to the moon. Once enough of these bags land on the moon, we'll use them to build a monument of some sort. No word yet on what the monument will commemorate.

Friday 13 February 2009
It's Friday the 13th. Time for yet another horror film to be released. What I don't understand is why they keep remaking the same films over and over again. Or come out with sequels. Aren't there any people in Hollywood with an original idea?

I'm experimenting with something called Google Docs. It's a browser-based word processor that works remarkably well. You can also do spreadsheets and other stuff. It's like having Microsoft or Open Office wherever you go. And your documents are available wherever you go. Need to check something or make a change? Just find any computer with Internet access, and you're there. Gone are the days of having to keep your files on your personal computer. I'm liking it myself. There is the security issue of having your data files out there in the ether, but I suppose it's no more dangerous than having them on a Windows box connected to the Internet. Actually, maybe it's far less dangerous.

What I'd really like to do is get one of those nifty netbooks, like the Asus EEE PC 1000HE. The battery lasts all day on a single charge, and you've got plenty of RAM and hard drive space, and it's light enough and small enough to take just about anywhere you want to go. At only 3.2 pounds, you won't even know you have it with you. And you can run either Windows or Linux. Yep, I'd really like one of those things. If only I had the cash to get one...

Wednesday 11 February 2009
Lionel Gonzalez says people are welcome to view the following statue that appeared stuck to the side of his mobile home one day. It does bear a resemblence to the Virgin Mary, but I suppose what it looks like is open to interpretation. What do you think?

He lives at Northgate Mobile Home Park, which is at 1687 N. Michigan St. in Plymouth, Indiana, across from Centennial Park.

Saturday 7 February 2009
You've probably heard of The Entertainment Coupon Book. It's a great little book of coupons that you use to try out new places that you might not have even know existed. Only problem is, there's no way to take advantage of all the coupons, so most of the book goes unused. Well, that's not a problem any longer. I just got news that they are now offering coupons you can print on their web site for only 99 cents each. Visit this link to give it a try. Now, if you know you want to have dinner in a certain city, type it in, see all the available coupons, and print out only the one you know you will be using. How cool is that?

Saturday 31 January 2009
Already the last day of the month and only my 2nd entry for the year. That's pretty pathetic, isn't it? OK, to spicen things up, I'm going to link to a site that promotes a radical cure for just about everything. If you are familiar with Dr. Hulda Clark and her Zapper, you know what I'm talking about. I have absolutely no idea if it works or not, but there have been many claims that validate it. So, if you at least want to find out more, Go here and get some details. Then do a bit of research and make up your own mind.

Friday 2 January 2009
Well, last year, a lot of companies simply disappeared off the face of the earth. And I've heard that many more will do the same this year. Will 2009 be as grim as all that? No one knows for sure, except perhaps those who create the news before we read about it. Conspiracy? Perhaps, but you never know.

Thursday 1 January 2009
Happy New Year! Hopefully, this one will be much better.

If you are looking for earlier musings, Click Here.