Day 436

Slowly but surely, I'm working my way through this month's to-do list. Yesterday, I got my hair cut. Today, I got the oil changed in my car. I've always kind of enjoyed going to the Land Rover dealership. I've had the car for so long that everybody knows me by now. The service is great. You don't really expect someone to offer you a beverage and a copy of Architectural Digest to read while you've having your oil changed, but it's a pleasant experience. Maybe this is a guy's equivalent of having a pedicure. They washed my car too, which was great because this was the next thing on my to-do list. Sure, I know. I could have gotten my oil changed for quite a bit less at Jiffy Lube, but who wants to go to Jiffy Lube? I may not be able to afford one of those $100,000 Turbocharged Range Rovers they have sitting in the showroom, but I can definitely afford the same Castrol oil they use.

My LunaTik watch arrived in the mail today. I continue to be impressed by this company. Somehow, they managed to go from an idea in Scott Wilson's head to shipping finished products in less than three months. The LunaTik is a simple product, but it is revolutionary. The company was entirely funded through the Internet. There probably aren't many employees at all. Everything is outsourced. The product quality is very high and the order tracking system is amazing. I watched on the web as my watch moved all the way from the factory in China to my house in only three days. If I ever have an idea for something people would actually buy, I could probably do the same thing as Scott Wilson. So could you. The combination of Internet funding and global outsource partners make it possible for literally anyone to start their own manufacturing company.

I was sad to hear that the last flight of the Discovery space shuttle launched today. There will be two more space shuttle missions before the shuttle program is officially over, but the Discovery itself will fly no more. Launch Pad 39b, which was home to dozens of Apollo and shuttle flights, is already being demolished. They say they are going to recycle the steel to make sewer pipes. That pretty much says it all. In thirty years we've managed to go from landing on the moon to making sewer pipes.

Spring seems to be the fundraising season for all types of charities. Both of the charities I work with have their hearts set on finding a celebrity to help with their seasonal fundraising efforts. Why is everyone so obsessed with celebrity these days? Call me old fashioned, but I'm still more interested in what the dogs are doing on my own carpet than in what someone else is doing on the red carpet.

Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day