They Must Be Tough Fingernails

Kung Fu Survival Guide For Life & Leadership

Pretty cool trailer for the book Deadly Viper Character Assassins. Click on the image to go to the website.

DEADLY VIPER PROMO TRAILER: LONG FORMAT:2 MIN from Deadly Viper on Vimeo.

Farewell To Some Dear Friends.

Back in 2007 Mary and I had the pleasure of going with GVI on our second trip to Hanoi, VN. While there we met Sherman and Becky Chau, a great couple that run GVI’s Hanoi office. Sherman and Becky have two daughters, Hannah (on right) and Allison.

In the fall of 2008 the Chaus came 'home' to the states to work with the local GVI office for a year. This gave them a chance to see family, reconnect with friends and to generally refresh themselves after being away from western culture for so long. This was a scheduled one year assignment.

During their stay in the states the Chaus have babysat our dog Kensington a number of times. Sometimes it was while we were traveling and sometimes it was just for the girls to give Kensington some love. Either way, I know the girls enjoyed spending time with her (I think Sherman and Becky did too). I have done a couple of posts on her experiences at the Chau house here and here.

Well, after a year in the states it was time for the Chaus to return to Hanoi. Their flight left on Thursday so Mary and I thought it would be good to take Kensington by that morning for a final visit. The video and the pictures below show some of their farewell time together.

So long friends. We look forward to seeing you again soon.

Big Picture: Flooding in the Southeast

Heavy rains, beginning on September 19th, dumped between 15 and 20 inches of rain over three days on parts of Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. The deluge overwhelmed natural and man made systems, and the record-breaking downpour turned streams into rivers, swamping neighborhoods, washing out roads and, unfortunately, taking at least nine lives. Damage costs are estimated at $250 million, the cleanup just now beginning. Georgia's Republican Governor Sonny Perdue recently announced that President Obama has issued a Federal Disaster Declaration for individual assistance to aid residents of five affected counties. Collected here are a few recent photos around the area, largely centered on Atlanta, Georgia. (30 photos total)

New Art At Fort Worth's Kimbell Art Museum In Fort Worth

The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth has a new acquisition that will be revealed on Friday. "The Torment of Saint Anthony" is Michelangelo's first known painting. Experts say he painted it in 1487-88 when he was 12 or 13 years old.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram posted a column by an art fan that I thought was interesting. Click the picture above to read the article and then go to the Kimbell to see the painting. It goes on display in the permanent collection September 26th.

I’m no art expert, but I do love great art. I consider the Kimbell and the other museums in Fort Worth and Dallas to be possibly the best reason for living here.

Sometimes Dilbert Hits Way Too Close To Home

Click the image to see the full size version.

Big Picture: Dust Storm In Australia

A huge outback dust storm - 500 km (310 mi) wide by 1,000 km (620 mi) long - swept across eastern Australia and blanketed Sydney on Wednesday, September 23rd, disrupting flights and ground transportation and forcing people indoors for shelter from the hazardous air, gale-force winds, and in some places hailstorms. Those few who ventured outside, especially at dawn, were greeted by a Martian sky, familiar landmarks blotted out by the heavy red dust blowing by. Collected here are a few photos of the worst dust storm Sydney has seen in 70 years, three of which you can click to see a before/after fade effect. (26 photos total)

Click the image above to see the full collection (and be sure to read the captions).

How Far Are You From A McDonald's?

The image above is "a visualization of the contiguous United States, colored by distance to the nearest domestic McDonald’s". Click on the image to read the full article.

Thanks To Keith at BagOfNothing