Four Funny and Amazing Shampoo Commercials

Below are Four Funny and Amazing Shampoo Commercials I found on YouTube.

This is not an endorsement of any of these shampoo products, I just find these videos amusing.

No Name TV dinners

Got the following email from someone wanting to express their opinion on No Name TV dinners.

Just to add my two cents to theirs, I think all TV dinners are horrible tasting.

And I think it is a matter of no matter how good the ingredients are going into it, and how precooked the food is, heating up a meal like that that has been frozen is always going to taste bad. You will have way more enjoyment from fresh ingredients and food you prepare yourself.

Or if you really must have something that is quick and easy and prepackaged, I recommend couscous (just boil water...) with canned soup (I recommend Campbells).

The email...

"Please don’t misunderstand, most of NO NAME products I really like.  However the TV dinners are another matter.

 

Have you yourself tasted the potatoes?  Hoping to get rid of the taste I have tried “drowning potatoes in ketchup” regardless, that horrible taste still comes through? 

 

If the potatoes were like Swanson’s (just have a good potato taste) I would always buy NO NAME, as the rest of the dinner is delicious. 

 

I have only spoken about this matter with 4 friends, was surprised that all of them went back to Swanson - same reason – the yucky potatoes. 

 

I miss the apple crisp (which was a plus for me) however it wasn’t worth not being able to eat a whole dinner.

 

I solved my problem by buying my apple crisp separately.

 

I’m just letting you know from 5 people. if perhaps your sales may not be as good for tv dinners as you

had anticipated.

 

Swanson TV dinners have a brownie as desert, which doesn’t compare to apple crisp, but at least I can eat their potatoes.

 

Thanks for listening,

Bev Walker"

THE GREATEST RAID OF ALL

The Battle of St Nazaire - also known in military circles as the Greatest Raid of All Time. See the documentary below.

New Business Cards from Staples

Today I picked up new business cards today from Staples for my personal training business.

Since a lot of my personal training clients come from word of mouth and online, having business cards is kind of 20th century these days. In a world of twitter, facebook, youtube, social media the old fashioned business card is likewise an old fashioned and obsolete form of advertising.

Lets face it, websites are essentially online brochures for whatever it is you are promoting. They get a much bigger audience if you promoted with Search Engine Optimization, etc.

Yet sometimes people ask for them and I procrastinated about getting them for waaaaaaay too long.

Anyway, I got a discount on these cards from Staples. 250 cards for $29 roughly. Total would have been closer to $49 under normal circumstances.

Which proves a point. You can get a great deal on business cards if you time it right and buy them on sale.

For me getting 250 was a smart choice. In the past I have always purchased business card in 2000, 1000 or 500 units. And I never used them all. If I was lucky I used half of them. I only got them in such large numbers because my mentality was that I didn't want to run out of them. Which is backwards now that I think of it for a variety of reasons.

Another problem I have run into in the past is I would sometimes design a new / better business card... and then what do I do with the old cards? Just toss them out? Now when I run out of business cards I can just commission better new ones.

Same thing happens if my phone number changes or something like that. The old business cards then become a waste.

Thus I lucked out when Staples had a sale on 250 glossy paper full colour cards on the day I went in to order them.

Samuel L Jackson Movies

Word to the wise, if you have kids who are impressionable. Maybe you should not let them watch Samuel L. Jackson movies. Just a hint.

The video below stars Samuel L. Jackson and deals with this topic in a funny way.

3 minute commercial brings tears to your eyes

The video below is a brilliantly made commercial. I don't even know what it is advertising and don't really care. It is the commercial itself which brings tears to your eyes.

A&W gouging healthy choice customers

Costs extra 50 cents for orange juice or apple juice if you swap out the soft drink for something healthier. $1 more if you get the large juice.

So instead I got the rootbeer.

But I did swap out my fries for a salad, as I usually do.

Still it annoys me that they charge extra for juice. It is like they are actively discouraging people from ordering a healthier drink - even with a combo.

The regular juice prices at A&W are highway robbery.

Dog Clothing

Dog accessories is big business.

I mean yes, the entire canine industry has everything from dog food to dog leashes, dog collars and dog harnesses...

Oh and dog figurines, dog paintings, dog beds, dog bowls, doggie water bottles...

Oh and then there is the breeders, the pedigree papers...

Dog artificial insemination, spaying, neutering, whelping, registration for pedigrees.

Dog grooming, dog walking, dog sitting, dog boarding.

Like OH MY DOG, it is just really ridiculous after awhile.

Thus when people start dressing up their dogs in dresses, gowns, vests, with matching leashes - or better yet Halloween costumes for dogs - well, then you know it is an industry without and end in sight.

My topic today however is dog clothing. Specifically dog bows, dog vests and dog dresses, which are so adorable on your little poochie poo that you just have to have it.

My advice? Shop on Etsy, because at least then you are buying from an actual dog owner who is making the vests, dresses and bows themselves. As opposed to buying from some company that is likely using slave labour in South East Asia to make the clothing.

It also means what you buy will be unique, higher quality - and more likely to stand the wear and tear of everyday life on your dog.

For example Kasamile's Klosette is a company that makes dog bows, vests, dresses and leashes, all made by a Maltese breeder who lives here in Toronto. So immediately you know she is going to be one of those dog obsessed people who wants the absolute highest quality materials for her little snookie-poochie-poos.

And a guarantee that she probably really uses words like "Awwww, that is so cute!" on a regular basis.

After all, what kind of woman would make a matching vest, leash and bow tie for her dog - and use ladybug buttons?

Air Purifiers

I purchased an air purifier today from Canadian Tire.

The reason?

Lately my allergies have been bothering me more - possibly due to the fact that I was recently doing some woodworking and the sawdust is still in the air.

So instead of taking allergy pills constantly I have decided to buy an air purifier and see if that provides a permanent solution to my dust allergy problems.

The air purifier I purchased was a Honeywell HEPA Clean Air Purifier with Ionizer.

I took it home, removed all the plastic wrap - including the plastic wrap around the air filter, installed the air filter and then plugged it in and turned it on.

And voila!

Its a fan.

A $69.99 + tax fan.

Okay, technically it is a fan that cleans the air. I am not being fair by calling it just a fan. It does come with a lot of features.

#1. Three stages of air purification - Pre-Filter, for large air pollutants, which is hand washable; HEPA filter, which filters 99% of air pollutants; air ionizer... which presumably runs an electric current through the air and filters out even more air pollutants somehow.

#2. A Night Light - No seriously, a night light you can turn on and off. I guess it is so if the air purifier is on the floor you don't kick it.

#3. Different settings for the fan - I stuck mine on MAX. Why would anyone stick it on medium or low...?

#4. The HEPA filter is permanent and never needs to be replaced. It does however need to be vacuumed once in awhile. They are pretty clear also that you should never get the HEPA filter wet (because then it will turn into gremlins and run amok). No seriously, it will just ruin it if you get the HEPA filter wet.

#5. Reminder light to let you know when it is time to vacuum your HEPA filter. I am guessing it is on a timer because in the booklet that came with my air purifier they recommend cleaning it once per month.

And that is it.

So I shall run it non-stop for a week or two and see how much cleaner my air is. Honestly it has only been running 30 - 40 minutes already and already my air feels cleaner. But I want to wait a week or two before passing judgment on how well it is working.

I wonder if it also sucks out moisture from the air? Acting a bit like a dehumidifier? If so that would be awesome because I need a dehumidifier during the summer months. If it filters out contaminates in the air then in theory it should also filter out moisture which is stuck to contaminates.

Wanted... An old diner that serves 50s style burgers and milkshakes

I am on a quest to find the perfect 50s style diner in Toronto.

It must have...

Burgers and cheeseburgers.

Milkshakes in a variety of flavours.

Ice cream.

Really awesome homecut fries.

Staff dressed in stereotypical 50s fashion.

Fair prices.

Excellent service.

If you know of such a place in Toronto please leave a comment below.

Rudder Bows Archery - Longbows

I purchased a new bow today.

I now own 7 bows, so this is really nothing new.

It is a 35 - 40 lb hickory longbow from "Rudder Bows Archery" company. Paid $149 + tax.

I bought it from a new archery store in Toronto which specializes in traditional archery gear. If you are regular at the Toronto Public Archery Range you already know the owner. His name is Gary and you are probably familiar with him if you visit the Toronto Archery Range regularly - older guy with mustaches and a longbow. Shown here on the right with a buffalo target.

Gary called his new archery store "Basically Bows Archery" - but I think he should have just called it "Gary's Archery Shop", after himself because he is quite well known at the Toronto Public Archery Range.

Anyway back to the bow.

The hickory longbow is a traditional longbow that still performs really well today. Its simple easy to use design means that basically anyone can pick it up - beginners or professional archers and get some amazingly good accuracy out of it.

I found the video below praising the bow I purchased. I think the video summarizes what I am getting at here, that this is a classic longbow design that works really well and performs above expectations.

I have yet to try my new bow at the range, but it is certain to be a lot of fun.

Consumer Tips to prevent Vehicle Theft

Aside from your home, your car is the biggest investment that you make in your life and whether it’s a luxury car you take pride in, or just what gets you to and from the loss of such a large personal investment is devastating. While there are many ways to minimize theft, being aware of the most targeted models is important when choosing your next car.

The top 10 most stolen car models are:

DODGE TRUC CARAVAN
HONDA ACCORD EX 4DR
CHEVROLET / SILVERADO
FORD TRUCK F350 SUP
DODGE TRUC RAM 1500
CHEVROLET SILVERADO
GMC TRUCK / SIERRA 1
HONDA CIVIC LX 4DR
FORD TRUCK F350 SD

In other words trucks are the most stolen vehicles in Canada since most of the top ten vehicles are trucks (and Chevrolet Silverado is on the list twice...? Not sure why.). And it is usually the result of someone leaving their truck for "a few minutes" and leave their keys in the ignition. Trucks are also easier to break into and easier to hot wire and typically don't have any anti-theft features.

Most vehicle crime is opportunistic and therefore preventable. Here are some helpful tips to help prevent your car from being targeted:

Know where your keys are at all times.

Never start your vehicle and leave it running with the keys in the ignition unattended.

When you take your car in for service make sure that you’re taking it to an accredited repair facility that you are familiar with.

Be careful about loaning your vehicle to people, their actions can have implications on your insurance.

Make sure to always close the garage door at night and that vehicles are locked. Check to make sure that you haven’t left anything valuable in your car, and make sure your sunroof is closed.

If you’re out shopping don’t leave any cash lying around in the car, make sure that your wallet, keys and purse are all out of sight or safely locked in the trunk.

At times thieves will target specific types of cars and gain access through an unlocked door in the house in order to take the keys of your vehicle and drive away. Make sure that all of your house doors are locked at all times.

The cost and time spent on repairs, buying a new vehicle and replacement of stolen items can easily be prevented by following the above tips. Having theft insurance helps too, but basically you're just begging to have your car stolen if you are careless.

Son of the Morning Star

If you think I am on a Western movies kick you would be correct.

Except the following is not a movie. It is a two part mini series made in 1991.

Son of the Morning Star is a retelling of Custer's Last Stand - wherein the Battle of Little Bighorn is retold from multiple perspectives, the widow of General Custer, the 7th Cavalry survivors of the massacre and also from the perspective of Kate Bighead, a young Cheyenne woman. It is also the tale of Crazy Horse, who fought in the Battle of Little Bighorn and later surrendered and was killed.

The mini series stars Gary Cole (General Custer), Dean Stockwell (General Philip Sheridan), Rosanna Arquette (Elizabeth Custer), Rodney A. Grant (Crazy Horse), Nick Ramus (Red Cloud), Buffy Sainte-Marie (voice of Kate Bighead), and Floyd Red Crow Westerman (Sitting Bull).

Triton Showerhead

Honestly - the commercial further below may look really sleek and everything, but what they don't tell you is that it is just a showerhead.

A showerhead with a fancy control that looks like an iPod (ripoff!) and made of polished stainless steel.

So in other words, yes, it gives you more control over the hot and cold in your shower, and yes it looks pretty awesome with the polished stainless steel - but how well does it actually work???

Well it works just as well as say a $39.99 showerhead that has 5 settings. Which is to say, okay, because it gets the job done.

Except this isn't $39.99... the Triton Showerhead shown here is a whopping $415 CDN.

Plus 13% HST. So $468.95 including tax.

Proof that if you design something that looks like an iPod you can charge an arm and a leg for it.

In contrast if you buy a Creda showerhead for $120 you get everything you want in the Triton plus other extra settings not available on the Triton - but it will be white instead of polished stainless steel, so it will not look like an iPod.

Proof that if you make something shiny you can charge a lot more money for it.

A Man Called Horse - Movie Review

A Man Called Horse is a 1970 American Western film starring Irish actor Richard Harris and directed by Elliot Silverstein.

Unlike The Indian Fighter (which was rife with historical inaccuracies), A Man Called Horse attempted to be very accurate with respect to costume design, languages, marriage ceremonies, etc, such as the film's representation of tribal practices and rituals (including the Sun Dance) is shown as based upon historical records.

The film makers evidently wanted to be as historically accurate as possible and you can tell by the level of detail that they tried the best they could. As such the film is largely about Native customs and rituals.

It is still however a white man's fantasy story - but hey, what can you expect for a film made in 1970? Only 10 years earlier John Wayne films was still shooting Natives as savages. In contrast this film treats both Natives and white men equally - which is more than can be said about many earlier films.

There was also two sequels made, both starring Richard Harris. The Return of a Man Called Horse (1976); Triumphs of a Man Called Horse (1983).

4 stars out of 5.