Rad BMX Movie Cover

Could it really be true? Is there a sequel to the totally kick ass 80′s BMX movie RAD in the making? I know there are lots of us out there that would hope so. I can remember my friend Jesse and I must have spent at least $100 renting RAD repeatedly from El Granada Booze and Video.

RAD is basically impossibe to find in rentals or stores these days, and as far as I know there has never been an official release on DVD. So for those of you that were somehow unfortuneate enough to not see the movie a decade ago, you will have to find a copy on the internet.

But back to talk about the sequel, according to this myspace page, put together by members of the cast of RAD, they are working on making it happen. But they need our support! Please give the page a visit and add them to your friends.

http://www.myspace.com/theradmovie

As a poor college students that happens to live right across the street from the local Dollar Tree, I have been seduced into buying several products from the place. Here are a few of my real experiences:

First of all, NEVER buy food products from the Dollar Tree. Although it may look safe, you really don’t know whats in that stuff. Its my personal experience that any kind of chocolate purchased is at least 50% wax. My roomate and I once bought a bag of 100 individually wrapped bubble gums for $1. 1 cent bubble gum? Unheard of since my grandfather’s day. Well we quickly found out after reading the ingredient list that one of the chemicals used was banned in several countries including Japan and Sweden. I can’t recall the exact name of the substance right now, but if I remember I will post. All food products in the Dollar Tree are so heavily preserved I dont think they even have expiration dates, and if they do, I doubt they are ever checked.

I bought some razors. When I tried shaving with them, it hurt a lot and left a big read streak on my face. I opted instead for a rusty used Gillete that had been sitting in my toiletry kit for months instead because it was more comfortable.

My girlfriend picked up some mouthwash once. It looked almost exactly like Listerine, except it was called Listerclean or some shit. I tried it and it was tasted like sugar water. There was absolutely no alcohol in it. In fact, I wouldnt be surprised if it did more harm to my teeth than good.

Think my ideas on the dollar tree are unfair and unfounded? A quick google search comes up with loads of stories that condemn the Dollar Tree of its crappiness:

Glue Guns Recalled by Dollar Tree Stores Due to Fire, Burn and Shock Hazards

Incidents/Injuries: Dollar Tree is aware of seven incidents in which these glue guns short circuited resulting in two injuries, including electrical shock and burns.

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08175.html

I guess thats one way to make arts and crafts a little exciting.

Dollar Tree Plush Insect Toys Recalled

Dollar Tree is recalling about 300,000 plush insect toys.They contain small parts, posing a choking hazard to small children.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/recalls04/2008/dollartree_insect.html

Choking hazard to children? Thats too far.

Dollar-store deals and dangers

“…Consumer Reports’ Shop Smart magazine found that certain brands of multivitamins it tested didn’t contain nutrients listed on the label.”

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/story.aspx?guid={5F916616-0D7D-4766-A3DA-F8B1780B93A6}&siteid=rss

False information is ok if it only costs $1 right???

Dollar Tree to remove toys with magnets from stores

“…rare-earth magnets — which are made of strong natural materials, as a “banned hazardous product” when used in children’s toys.”

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-thu_magnet_0816aug16,0,1950083.story

Looks like Dollar Tree really has it out for the kids.

Colgate finds fake (poisonous) toothpaste in 4 states.

“Colgate said the fake toothpaste may contain diethylene glycol, which the company never uses in its toothpaste… The fake toothpaste has been found in discount stores in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Maryland, the company said.” “The chemical, also known as DEG and sometimes illegally used as an inexpensive sweetener and thickening agent, is commonly found in solvents and antifreeze.”

http://money.cnn.com/2007/06/14/news/companies/colgate_poison/index.htm?postversion=2007061407

Greeeaattt.

Dollar Tree Jewelry Recalled for Lead Poisoning Hazard

“The recalled jewelry contains high levels of lead, posing a serious risk of lead poisoning and adverse health effects to young children.”

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/recalls04/2006/dollar_tree_jewelry.html

Maybe its better to keep your kids out of the Dollar Tree period.

If you think your health and well being is worth more than a dollar, don’t shop at the dollar tree. If you love buying crap you dont need just because its cheap, go right ahead.

Technically, the ConnectR is almost identical to it’s sibling Roomba, but with some communication gadgets stuck on top. Some of the added features include a 16x zoom video camera, high quality speakers and wireless connectivity. The robot allows remote control from both the “visitor” and the “guest” via keyboard or joystick. One of the features on the guest’s remote is a privacy mode, that once enabled, disables all communication capabilities of the robot – effectively shutting out the guest without warning. With all of these fancy capabilities, iRobot claims that piloting the ConnectR is just like being there in person.

The concept of a robot taking the place of anybody in any situation is disturbing to most people. There was unrest when industrial robots, basically metal arms, took the place of human workers in factories. Countless movies have been made about robots taking the place of people – none of them positive. The very idea of a machine taking the place of a person for a social purpose is pretty absurd. Now I’m sure that iRobot never intended for their product to seriously perform everything that it claims it can do (I hope) but we can at least have some fun playing with the idea.

First of all, the thing is connected to the internet. I would distrust this machine for the same reason I distrust voting machines – anything with a network cable plugged into its ass can be hacked. Chances are, something as crazy an idea as the ConnectR will be targeted extremely quickly. The kind of guys and gals that are into cracking security are going have a field day with this thing. Peeking in on someone’s personal interactions is just too irresistible a temptation for the voyeurs who potentially have the power to do so. Imagine if the ConnectR really was being used by a far away business man… to visit his lonely wife.

One of the more humorous uses advertised for the ConnectoR is pet sitting. Apparently you can keep check on your pets while you are away at work or on vacation. Yea right. How many dogs actually pay attention to TV? When you put the phone up to your dogs ear so it can listen to a family members voice, how often does it listen? Very little, if at all. The fact is dogs and cats can’t comprehend that the voice coming out of speakers belongs to a person, and wont respond to objects that don’t have a scent. I remember building a Lego robot car as a child that could be remote controlled by a joystick. It scared the crap out of my cat who ran away for a night or two. When I confronted my dog with my creation, she quickly attacked and destroyed the machine before I could save it. I can’t imagine the pooch reacting much differently to the ConnectR.

On the more serious side of things, I hope people don’t actually buy this thing and try to use it as a replacement for real human interaction. If they do, this behavior should be indicative of a deeper problem. Is having a job that pays enough to purchase ridiculous things like the ConnectR really worth keeping if you don’t even have time to spend with your own kids? I think not. If anything the the robot should be treated as nothing more than a really cool expensive toy. Maybe even a very pricey security system, but definitely not a babysitter.

For those of you interested in purchasing the ConnectR, you will have to wait. The product is not yet in consumer production. If you want, you can sign up for the “Pilot Program” which is basically a Beta test of the robot in order for iRobot to receive feedback. But please, if you do receive a ConnectR, don’t do anything that you would do with your wife, kids or pets.