Just another day in cubeville...

38 hour sentence per 9-11 victim

Perry P Perkins — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:39:24 +0000

8 years and 4 months.

That how much time that U.S. District Judge Micheal Mihm decided on Thursday was an appropriate sentence for al-Qaida sleeper agent Ali Saleh Kalah al-Marri. Add this to the 6.5 years he’s been held since his arrest, and the total is about 15 years.

Marri, who arrived in the United States on September 10th, 2001, had close contact with Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, a mastermind of the Sept.11 attacks, and phone contacts with Mustafa al-Hawsawi, described as a chief financier of the operation.

Al-Marri admitted he trained in Al Qaeda camps and stayed in Al Qaeda safe houses in Pakistan between 1998 and 2001, where he learned how to handle weapons and how to communicate by phone and e-mail using a code. The government said he met with Osama bin Laden in the summer of 2001 and was sent to the U.S. to help Al Qaeda operatives carry out post-Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

An FBI search of Marri’s property uncovered evidence, in folders labeled “jihad arena” and “chem,” which (according to the government) contained information on hydrogen cyanide, along with lectures by Osama bin Laden and links to Web sites related to weaponry and satellite equipment. There was also evidence that Marri had been bookmarking dams, reservoirs and other possible US targets.

On April 30, 2009 he entered a plea of guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization.

So, as an accessory* to the murder of the 3,497 who died in the 9-11 terrorist attacks, Marri will serve eight years and four months (in addition to the six and a half years he’s been held.)

That’s roughly 38 hours per victim.

-Perry

*An accessory is a person who assists in the commission of a crime, but who does not actually participate in the commission of the crime as a joint principal.

Fast Followers

Perry P Perkins — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:15:37 +0000

Hey all,

Just a quick note to tell you about this free service I signed up for yesterday in order to boost my Twitter follower & following numbers, as I build my readership on Examiner.com.

If you use Twitter as a marketing tool, you’ll want to check this out! I’ve been receiving approx 100 new followers everyday from using this free service called Fast Followers, in which I’ve gone from 120 – 338 followers in approx 48 hours, all on autopilot!

If you’re interested in building a network of followers on Twitter, I highly recommend you check out and use this free service… http://fastfollowers.com?i=PerksBooks I’ll continue to update my results below.

Blessings,

-Perry

www.pdxdads.com

PC Games, Etc for Sale

Perry P Perkins — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:26:46 +0000

Here’s the individual list and pricing:

Starwars Battlefront (new/unopened): $15.00
Age of Empire III (4): $10.00
Diablo: (M) $5.00
Diablo II: $5.00
The Battle for Middle Earth II (4): $20.00
Call of Duty II (18): $5.00
Star Wars: Empire at War (M): $15.00
Battlefield II (32): $5.00
Warcraft Battle Chest (2): $20.00
StarCraft Battle Chest: $15.00
Pirates: Live the Life: $25.00
GuildWars: $5.00
Everquest: Titanium Edition: $30.00
F.E.A.R: First Encounter Assualt Recon: $5.00
Half-Life 1: $20.00
Half-Life 2 (39): $5.00
Day of Defeat (9): $5.00
World of Warcraft (8): $10.00
World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade (3): $15.00
City of Heros: Collector’s DVD Edition: $30.00
City of Villians: $5.00

All games that, unless otherwise notes, have been opened and loaded once onto a computer, then stored back in the original box.

*I have multiple copies (all original, in boxes) of this game, and can sell it seperately from the set. Contact me for pricing.

I also have some bar tables and chairs, a cash register, a small safe, tons of keyboards, misc networking cables, several high-end poker sets (new in box) etc, etc. I’ll be listing most of these on the Portland Craigslist in the next few days, but you get first shot.

Bar table & 2 chairs – $50.00

Cash register – $150.00

Desk chairs (broken in) – $10.00

Office safe – $250.00

Strobe lights (set) – $20.00

NIB 500 pc Poker set (13g chips) – $25.00

See pics below.

How to smoke briskets on La Caja China

Perry P Perkins — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 23:59:55 +0000

Hey all,

One of the facts that is often bemoaned about cooking with La Caja China (the Cuban roasting box) is that it’s hard to get an authentic smoked flavor with it.

There is an electric smoke unit that can be purchased, along with special pellet canisters, and attached to the unit (after drilling a hole through the side) but I’ve found a simple, inexpensive method that works flawlessly. This weekend I had a lot of fun smoking 50lbs of perfect brisket in my La Caja China.

I’ve posted some pictures below, and a complete step-by-step on my eHow page here:

http://www.ehow.com/how_5199271_smoke-briskets-la-caja-china.html

Also, I have several more Caja-related posts if you’re interested. Take a look at the “BBQ & Foodie Stuff” category on the right.

If you have any questions, let me know!

Happy Smokin’

-Perk

Fred Meyer offers chance to win $10K for baby or toddler’s college fund

Perry P Perkins — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 23:29:46 +0000

Hey all,

Moms and dads looking for ways to stretch their household budget are getting a boost from Comforts®, a line of products for babies and toddlers made and marketed by The Kroger Co. Comforts is expanding its product line-up, offering a wide variety of quality products parents want for their children. To help launch the new initiative, parents are invited to enter a special contest for a chance to win a $10,000 scholarship from Comforts for their child’s college fund.

“We wanted a way to involve our customers in this new product launch while simultaneously offering them some value,” said Melinda Merrill, public affairs director for Fred Meyer Stores. “So we’re offering this special contest, and we’re really excited to see what our customers come up with.”

Name the Firefly Contest to Win College Funds
The Comforts product line and packaging have been re-designed and each product package now carries the brand’s new memorable and approachable icon – a happy, yellow firefly. To celebrate its new look and expanded line, Comforts is inviting parents to help name the friendly firefly. The winner will receive $10,000 to help with future education expenses. The funds will be placed in a college savings plan or 529 plans.

Parents can enter the contest now through July 31, 2009. Names will be judged by the following qualities – most inventive, appropriateness to campaign theme and most compelling. Eligible entries will be judged by an independent judging organization. Entrants must be 18 years of age or older and have a child under the age of two years at entry date.

To learn full contest rules and how to enter, please visit: www.comfortsforbaby.com

Fred Meyer Stores, based in Portland, Ore., contributes more than $5 million to communities across the Northwest each year through grants from the Fred Meyer Foundation as well as product donations, cash donations and sponsorships. Fred Meyer Stores is a division of The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR). For more information, please visit their Web site at www.fredmeyer.com.

-Perk

PS – Now do me a favor and click this link to go to my Examiner page, so I get the credit! LOL

New Writing Gig

Perry P Perkins — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 23:05:29 +0000

Hey all,

I just wanted to let you know that I’ve just been hired as the “Portland Fatherhood Examiner” at Examiner.com. I’ll be posting several times a week, and linking here, so you should get those posts as part of the regular updates.

I’m pretty excited to get to be the “Voice of Dad” for our area. Here’s the link my first post:

http://www.examiner.com/x-16615-Portland-Fatherhood-Examiner

Please feel free to pass this link around (please, please) as I get paid “per click” on my page!

Blessings,

-Perry

Restaurant City Tips

Perry P Perkins — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:54:18 +0000

Hey all,

Okay, so I’ve given up bullets for BBQ and switched from Facebook’s “Mobwars” to “Restaurant City” as my game of choice.

Here’s a few tips I’ve learned as a newbie:

1. When you’re not going to be playing (off-line) for a while, block your door with an award, or a potted plant, or something. This will keep folks out and so not effect your rating when your employees run out of energy and slow down.

2. Set up your tables in a round, so your waiters and waitresses can reach them as quickly as possible. (See below)

3. A good ratio is 3 chefs for every 2 wait staff, and 3 tables per chef. (See below)

4. There is NO speed differnece between stoves, stick with the cheapest. Same with tables an chairs.

5. Keep your tables and chairs as far from the door as possible (I plan to set up and “maze” of partitions in the future) this gives yor staff as much time as possible to clear dishes before new customers arrives.

6. Buy a toilet

7. A video game (which I haven’t bought yet) will keep your customers occupied when tables are full. Dart boards, etc, will not.

8. Block the door and give your employees a rest went they fall below 70%, in the long run it costs less than buying food.

9. Upgrading your dishes will NOT increase your earnings, but WILL inclrease your popularity.

I’ll post more tips as my restaurant grows.

-Perk

Luau Pork Shoulders in the Caja China

Perry P Perkins — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:12:53 +0000

Hey all,

Roasted up 4 pork shoulders (6lb ea) in the Caja yesterday for my little girl’s birthday Luau. They came out great!

After bringing the shoulders to temp, I scored the fat cap and rubbed them with coarse sea salt and liquid smoke.

Then wrapped them in banana leaves (couldn’t find Ti leaves) tied with string, then wrapped in foil.

Roasted them for about six hours, maintaining a box temp of about 200d. Started with 16lbs of coals and added 5lbs every half-hour. That’s not exactly how the instructions read, but I’ve found the “every hour” thing caused dips in the heat, and I can maintain a more even 200 by adding less coals, more often. I used the racks and flipped the shoulders after about 4 hours. Then unwrapped them and peeled back the banana leaves to let the fat get crispy for the last half-hour.

Cooked to about 180d (would have cooked longer, but I had hungry guests waiting, lol) Chopped the meat and then mixed with a wash of 1/2 cup liquid smoke, 4 cups hot water, 1/4 cup Adobo Criollo spices, and 2 Tbs seasoned salt. I let that sit about 15 minutes, drained remaining liquid (most had been soaked up) and served.

I think the wash made it all much more flavorful, I will be be experimenting with different types in the future!

Happy Independence Day

Perry P Perkins — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 15:41:58 +0000

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.”

Great video on Fireworks safety for kids

Perry P Perkins — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:41:26 +0000

Thought this was a great “how-to” video. Mostly common sense, but good info anyway.

http://video.about.com/childparenting/Children-and-Fireworks-Safety.htm

-Perry