Doomsday - The Death of Superman

I have been a sci-fi freak for decades but even before that, I was a Superman freak. When I collected comics, I had a stash of about 3000 and many of those were Superman, Action Comics, Superboy and other superman related comics.

A few years back, there was a graphic novel called Doomsday where Superman dies. It was rewritten as a regular novel (which I have laying around here somewhere). It was a very good novelization with a very good story line.

Warner Bros is coming out, 9-18-2007, with a new animated movie, Doomsday - The Death of Superman. I don't have all the details but I believe it is a feature length animated movie. Check out the trailer:



LewisC



superman movie

SBA Offers Free Business Training

The US Small Business Administration now offers free business training. They offer quite a few different types of classes: STARTING A BUSINESS 1. Small Business Primer: Guide to Starting a Business 2. The Beginning: Developing a Successful Business Plan 3. Starting Your Small Business* 4. Business Plan Workshops 5. Identify Your Target Market 6. My Own Business (A Free Course) 7. How to Start a Business on a Shoestring Budget - trump University BUSINESS PLANNING 1. How to Write a Business Plan - Trump University 2. Business Plan Workshops 3. Creating a Strategic Plan 4. Business Plan Templates 5. Strategic Planning & Execution - PA SBDC - Kutztown University 6. Developing a Business Plan (en español) PA SBDC - Kutztown University BUSINESS MANAGEMENT 1. Managing the Digital Enterprise 2. Developing a Successful Business Plan 3. Business Plan Workshops 4. Growth Strategies 5. Maintaining an Agile Company - South-West Texas SBDC FINANCING & ACCOUNTING 1. How to Find Start-up Funding - Trump University 2. Assessing Financial Needs - South-West Texas SBDC 3. Cash Flow 4. Accounting 101: The Fundamentals - PA SBDC - Kutztown University MARKETING & ADVERTISING 1. Building Your Brand 2. Marketing for Small Business - Maine SBDC 3. E-Mail Marketing 4. Marketing 101:The Fundamentals - PA SBDC - Kutztown University 5. Conduct a Marketing Analysis - PA SBDC – Kutztown University GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING 1. Steps to Accessing Contracts & Subcontracts 2. Guide to Government Contracts 3. INSIGHT: Guide to the 8(a) Business Development Program RISK MANAGEMENT & CYBER SECURITY 1. Computer Security E-COMMERCE 1. Building Your Website - South-West Texas SBDC 2. Managing the Digital Enterprise INTERNATIONAL TRADE 1. Breaking into the Trade Game 2. A Primer on Exporting 3. International Business Opportunities FEDERAL TAX TRAINING 1. Introduction to Federal Taxes for Small Businesses 2. Understanding Taxes 3. Tax & Accounting Basics 4. Small Business Tax Workshop 5. Small Buisness Tax Center 6. Small Business Tax Workshop (en español) SMALL BUSINESS RETIREMENT 1. Retirement Planning

education training sba

What if a corporation was run like comments on a blog?

This video is incredibly funny. Be aware that the language is adult even though the humor is juvenile.

humor video

Weekly Funny - Sarcastic Wednesday

Have you ever heard of Hoops and Yoyo? They are a couple of characters that Hallmark uses in e-greeting cards. There is one card called Sarcastic Wednesday. I was introduced to this card in the middle of an all day business meeting. I laughed so hard I was crying. After you finish watching that one, check out some of the others. Apparently, they are so popular, they even have their own website in the UK, Hoops and Yoyo UK. You can even get lessons on manners such as how to sneeze in public. ;-) I just did a youtube search and you're in luck! Hoops and Yoyoy are have several videos on youtube including Sarcastic Wednesday: Enjoy, LewisC

humor hoops and yoyo

Open Source BI Wiki

I was recently pointed to a new wiki for Open Source Business Intelligence (OSBI) tools, the OSBIWiki. This is a new wiki and right now it doesn't have a lot of content but I'm hoping it will grow. I would like to see a wiki like this that covers all of the BI tools, proprietary or not. Right now, this wiki has some very basic info for Mondrian, JPivot, BIRT and JasperSoft. I'm hoping it will catch on and be updated frequently. If you are into Open Source BI, check it out. LewisC

osbi business intelligence open source wiki

Man loses leg, fails to notice

From the realm of, "I bet that leaves a bruise!", comes this story from CNN: Japanese biker fails to notice missing leg. According to the story, a Japanese biker was tooling along, minding his own business, when he hit a safety barrier. Ok, at this point, I'm thinking he may have been a little tipsy. Hey, it happens. Have a few brewskis, lose control of your motorbike. Been known to happen. This one, however, gets better. Our Japanese biker guy continues on after hitting the barrier for 1.2 miles. He only stopped because he was at the next junction. His buddy stops and picks up the first guys leg. Can you imagine his reaction? "Holy crap dude! You left a floater!" When he stops, he notices that he feels a bit lighter. Have you ever had that, "I feel like I'm a foot lighter" feeling? He and his, newly liberated, appendage are shipped off to the nearest hospital but the leg is unable to be reattached due to the amount of damage. How can you not feel that your leg has been crushed completely off? In all fairness, the story does say he was unable to negotiate a turn, not that he was drunk. He says he DID feel excruciating pain. I would have to be so stoned, I couldn't even start the bike. This happened in Tokyo. LewisC

news strange humor

Would you like a firmer butt? Give your butt a lift!

I kid you not, you can now give your butt a facial! Spas across the US are now offering "Butt Facials". These reverse facials promise to tighten, lift and tone you flabby butt. Fortunately, these are advertised as "non-invasive", as a butt facial should be. According to one recipient, "it's a stress reliever and relaxing." At anywhere from $65 per session to $650 for a treatment, it better plate my butt in gold!

butt facial humor

Funny Gadget of the Day

I found this incredibly annoying yet funny gadget. It's called Mad Cows. You need to click on 30 mad cows in 60 seconds.

humor

Certegy/Fidelity News

According to SCMagazine, Online forum claims Certegy breach led to ID theft. The article says:

But a number of posters in a Bed, Bath and Beyond online forum accuse Certegy of not being honest. According to the forum, a class-action lawsuit against the company is taking shape over the breach.

"I just found out a few days ago that my husband and I are now the victims of identity theft," an Oklahoma woman using the alias "Class Action Suit Ready" wrote last week on the bulletin board. "As he called his credit card company to prove his innocence, I realized it was only a few days after the notification letter [from Certegy] that all of the fraudulent checks were written on his account. That is not a coincidence. I’ve never had any identity theft issues until a few days after I received that letter from Certegy."

The would be bad for the company that's for sure. They are really banking on no ID theft coming from this. The article reads like a class action lawsuit might be on the way. That also might explain why they are looking for "alternatives for its check services business". This press release says that the FIS Board of Directors also authorized management to investigate strategic alternatives for its U.S. and Australian Check Services businesses.

I predicted that Certegy's Check Services would be sold off after a while. That's the main reason I left last year. It did take longer than I thought it.

certegy fidelity information systems fis

Every blog needs an "about" entry, so here is mine.

About LewisC

For an updated bio, please go to lewiscunningham.com. This page is not really being maintained and my home site contains better information. This page last updated July 19, 2008. Lewis Cunningham is an Oracle Ace, author of EnterpriseDB: The Definitive Guide and a Database Architect. Lewis writes several blogs:

• Databases In The Cloud

• How to Make a Blog
• Oracle DB News
• LewisC's Random Thoughts
• PostgreSQL DB News
• MySQL DB News
• An Expert's Guide to Oracle Technology
• Weird News
• Free Stuff

Lewis's specialties are Oracle, PL/SQL, SQL, XML and other words with Ls in them. Lewis also has a fondness for SOA, security and most anything related to databases. Lewis is an Oracle 9i Certified PL/SQL Developer and is a member of ODTUG, IOUG and ACM. Lewis has been a developer, DBA, manager, team lead, architect and consultant. He has worked with Oracle since 1993. He currently works as a data architect designing and building OLTP and large-scale analytical using Oracle 10g. Lewis lives in Florida with his wonderful wife and son. Lewis also has two huskies. lewisc bio