Life on Planet Jim .com

Robin Williams

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McKee) — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 08:12:00 +0000

Actor/comedian Robin Williams died two days ago. Like most of the world, I was highly shocked and saddened. Sadder still, he apparently took his own life.

He had suffered from depression and other mental illnesses for many years. This was known publicly, as he had discussed it at length many times with interviewers. Of course, many in creative fields, such as actors, musicians and comedians, fight similar demons throughout their lives; that's why we've lost such individuals as Philip Seymour Hoffman, Chris Farley, Heath Ledger and John Belushi, just to name a few.

One thing that strikes me about Robin Williams is that I never recall anybody saying a single bad word about him. This is quite rare in the world of entertainment (although I recently read the same thing about Chris Farley). So, in his various addictions, he never hurt anyone but himself.

Everyone will have his or her own favorite Robin Williams film; he certainly had a large, broad body of work that covered over three decades. Probably my favorite was What Dreams May Come. In that movie, Williams' character's wife committed suicide after losing her husband and children in separate accidents. Williams' character had to travel to Hell to bring her back. (It's much more complicated than that, but I'll leave that to you to see it for yourself.) There are both happy and incredibly sad moments in this movie. I have the DVD, I've watched it at least five times, and bawled like a baby every single time. Robin Williams' performance in this film was incredible (as were that of many of the other actors) and this was by far my personal favorite.

The world was a happier place with Robin Williams in it, and less so with his passing. I pray that he may now know the peace that so eluded him in life.

The Next Ride

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McKee) — Sat, 02 Aug 2014 20:29:00 +0000

So, as you may have read a while back, I lost my father on October 31, 2013. A couple days later, I wrote the following work of fiction, with him in mind...

The day was windy and rain-drenched, though surprisingly warm for late October. A young man walked into the nursing home. To say he was smartly dressed was like saying the Empire State Building was tall. He had a look about him that danced on the thin line just past confidence, but just shy of cockiness, which was essential in his line of work.

As he strode down the hallway, passing various staff members, nobody paid him any mind. As he entered Room 26, his appearance changed completely. His bank-president coiffure was gone, replaced by hair halfway down his back. His expensive suit had also disappeared; in its place, a black leather vest over a black T-shirt, faded jeans, and motorcycle boots. Clean-shaven no more, he now sported what appeared to be a four-day head start on a beard. Gently, he approached the bed where the frail, elderly man lay, and touched him ever so slightly on the shoulder.

"Hello, Jim," he said.

The elderly man awoke with a bit of a start. "Who are you?"

"My name is Andrew. Are you ready to leave?"

"What are you talking about?" The older man seemed confused. "I can't go anywhere."

"Take my hand," Andrew replied. Jim did as requested. "Now look me in the eyes, and tell me if you trust me."

Jim nodded his head in the affirmative, so Andrew continued. "Then get out of bed, so we can get moving."

Jim said, "I can't."

Andrew had to fight back a smile. "Are you sure about that, bro?" he said.

Jim tried to get out of bed, hesitantly at first, but then found it to be incredibly easy, and stood straight up. "Well, son of a gun, I haven't been able to do that for years."

"How do you feel?" Andrew asked.

"Better than I've felt in a long damn time."

"Good, let's go, then."

Jim was still a bit confused. "Go where? And I can't go in these pajamas."

Andrew finally smiled and said, "Your clothes? Look again."

Jim looked down and realized he was now dressed similarly to Andrew, except he wore a leather jacket instead of a vest. "How is this possible?"

Andrew replied, "I'll answer your questions on the way."

As the two men left the room, they neglected to look back. Had they done so, they would've seen a frail, elderly man, lying motionless in bed.

They walked down the same hallway and out the door, again drawing no notice from the staff.

In the parking lot were two brand-new -- and seemingly identical -- Harley Davidsons. Andrew pointed to one and motioned for Jim to hop on.

He did so and turned the ignition key. The great beast roared louder than thunder, purring as if it had been tuned by God Himself.

"Where to, Andrew?"

"For now, just follow me."

The two of them headed south for many miles, past cities and towns, until they were somewhere out in the country. Andrew spoke, and amazingly, Jim could hear him quite clearly, even over the engines. "Have you ever done a wheelie, Jim?"

"Never been much for trick riding, Andrew... Always preferred being safe."

"I hear ya, but this is totally safe. Just pull back on the handlebars."

Jim complied, but instead of a wheelie, the Harley started to climb into the air. He looked over and Andrew had done the same on his bike.

"You're doing great, Jim... Just let it down a little now, so you can level off."

After doing as Andrew had instructed, it finally dawned on Jim that they were flying. In the context of everything else that had happened, Jim decided to just go with it. They flew on for a while, eventually coming back down to Earth, where they stopped for a break at a park, which had a small stream running through it. The two men shut down their Harleys and sat down on a bench.

"All right, Andrew, don't B.S. me. Is this a dream?"

"Nope, not a dream."

"Then... then, how...? Wait..." and the look of realization slowly crept across his face, "I died, didn't I, Andrew?"

"Yes, Jim. It was your time."

"But my family...?"

"They will grieve for you, just as you've grieved for other loved ones who passed away before you. But they love you so strongly, and you'll always be in their hearts."

"So, you still didn't tell me where we're going?"

Andrew smiled again. "Isn't it obvious? We're going Home. You don't get this kind of escort when you're going to the Other Place."

"But I've done a couple of things in my life that I'm not so proud of."

"You, too?" Andrew laughed. "Turns out, the Boss cares more about your heart than most of that other junk. You've always been a good man in your heart, served your country, worked hard to take care of your family. That's the important stuff. I wouldn't lie to you, man. I've seen your place."

"My place?"

"Sure. It's a cabin in the woods, there's a lake not far off. Peaceful little place, birds singing, sweet smell of pine everywhere."

"I don't know what to say."

"That's cool, bro. You don't have to say anything."

The two of them walked back to their motorcycles. Andrew turned to Jim and said, "Oh, I almost forgot about the other choice."

"What's the other choice?"

"Bear with me, this is gonna seem kind of strange. Everyone thinks that if they were to live another life, it would be some time after their previous one. But the Boss sees time differently than humans do. If you can imagine it, he sees all time simultaneously. Not me, though, I still see it the same way as humans. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, there's an opening back in 1871."

"1871? The year 1871?"

"I may be off on the exact year... They don't give me all the details, just the broad picture. Now, you won't remember me or the life you just lived, but the good that's in you, that stays with you. If you accept the assignment, you'll grow up to be a cowboy in New Mexico at first, but eventually, you become a lawman. What do you think?"

A smile broke across Jim's face, a smile just about as wide as the Old West itself...

So, I Lost My Personal John Wayne...

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McKee) — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 04:28:00 +0000

I've been saving this post for a while (in my head).

My father passed away on October 31, 2013 -- three days shy of his 76th birthday. He had been dealing with several health problems over the last few years: COPD and lung cancer, to name a couple. Additionally, a couple of strokes had taken away his ability to walk, and made his speech difficult to understand. Yet, through it all, he was always a fighter. My father was the hardest-working man I've ever known. Growing up, he never took a sick day, never went to the doctor's office. Oh, he DID get sick... he just pushed through it. He was that tough. He was one of those rare bad-asses that never acted like one. As a teenager, I once reflected that he was like my personal version of John Wayne.

He was laid to rest on November 5, two days after his birthday, at the Great Lakes National Cemetery (veterans' cemetery) in Holly, Michigan. As a veteran myself, I found it to be both beautiful and solemn, and I've already told my wife that I would like to be buried there as well. You can check out some photos from Google here. This is a random photo I found, unrelated to my father:

He was far from perfect. He smoked cigarrettes for thirty-five years, and even though he quit in the late 1980's, it would still come back to haunt him. He also had a drinking problem back in the 70's and 80's; thankfully, he was able to get past that as well.

He was a quiet man unless he knew you well, and then he was quite the opposite. In other words, he kept the bulk of his conversations to those he knew and trusted. He was never the kind of man who would tell you he loved you, but if he loved you, you most certainly knew it.

He had a corny sense of humor, but it always made me laugh. Typical joke of his:

Dad: "Was Lassie a boy or a girl?"
Me: "A girl."
Dad: "Then why did they always dress her up like a dog?"

Although he never graduated high school, I could probably name at least a dozen topics in which he was far more knowledgeable than anyone I've ever met. He knew just everything there is to know about auto repair and home maintenance & remodeling. He could probably go head to head with most carpenters, plumbers and electricians. I used to joke that he had every tool known to mankind, and some that weren't.

In some ways, I was fortunate to have him as long as I did. My mother passed away when she was only 39. That didn't make it any easier when he died.

My dad taught me the importance of work, that anything worth doing is worth doing right. He didn't cut corners. If something was difficult, that was OK -- do it the right way, and you won't have to go back and redo it. Those are words for the ages, words to live by.

And I intend to.

Everything Old Is New Again

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McKee) — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 03:56:00 +0000

Welcome to the all-new (but same old) Life on Planet Jim .com.

The blog formerly known as JimMcKee.com has been re-purposed for my real estate site. So, it's a whole new day on the Internet!

Also, if you know anyone considering buying or selling a home in Southeast Michigan, please send them my way.

Thank you!!!

Moving Soon...

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McKee) — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 06:02:00 +0000

This blog will be moving soon.

The new website will be: LifeOnPlanetJim.com

As I'm posting this, in the wee hours of Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2013, it's not functional yet, although I have purchased the domain. It should be working no later than Thursday.

I'll be re-purposing this domain for my business.

That is all. Thanks!

It's My Birfday!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McKee) — Tue, 30 Jul 2013 19:03:00 +0000

... And you can give me a gift that won't cost you a penny!!

(Although more accurately, I should say "won't cost you a penny EXTRA".)

If you're already an Amazon shopper (and if not, why not? They sell everything, and mostly at great prices), please go to this link:

[EDIT: Link changed to reflect new URL.]

** http://www.lifeonplanetjim.com/p/amazon.html **

Search for anything you might like to buy, and then buy it. I will receive a small commission (link to the full disclaimer is at the bottom of that page). It won't cost you anything extra, and it works perfectly well with Amazon Prime.

Thank you!!!

Detroit's Dummy, Hero x 3, and Your Butt Did What?

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McKee) — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 22:05:00 +0000

I know, I know.

You're probably thinking to yourself, "What the heck does that title mean?" And if so, I wouldn't blame you a bit.

Actually, it's a reference to the latest episode of my podcast, (which is Episode 7, if you're keeping track). I love doing the podcast, but it's a lot of work. Not complaining, I enjoy it... but it seems fruitless, no one has ever responded to any of my episode.

First, I should say that, although you can use a smartphone to listen to a podcast, it's not necessary. All you need is a computer with either speakers (including the computer's own speakers) or headphones.

Now that we've covered the "how" (albeit oh so briefly), the "where" is fairly simple. The easiest, quickest way is to just go straight to the site and listen: opinionocity.com . But of course, there are other ways:

iTunes
The Podcasts app for iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch).
Spreaker
Stitcher
Zune/Windows Phone
Several other iOS apps, as well as some for Android

That covers the basics. At some point, I will create an in-depth look at podcasts for those who aren't familiar with them. But this will certainly get you started.

So, please check it out, and tell a friend or two, if you're so inclined. Also, if you do, please leave me a message, either in text or by voice.

And... thanks. I mean it.

opinionocity.com

News • Politics • Pop Culture • Current Events

4th of July Parade: Random Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McKee) — Fri, 05 Jul 2013 19:26:00 +0000

My wife and I went down to observe Ypsilanti's 4th of July parade yesterday, held in the city's historic Depot Town area. These are some random thoughts that struck me as I watched:

There are baby strollers that have cup holders. What a brilliant idea!
Do plastic tubas sound as good as brass tubas?
Saw an old-fashioned carriage being pulled by a four-wheeled ATV. The old meets the new.
Lots of random people walking. So, if you ever wanted to be in a parade, apparently you can just join right in.
Seemed like all the particpants from veterans' organizations were senior citizens. Wonder why that is? Did not see any representation from IAVA (Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America), who would mostly be younger, I would assume.
I have always wanted to ride in a rumble seat -- now I have officially added it to my bucket list.

Please check out my podcast: opinionocity.com

Thank you!

For The Love Of Bacon

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McKee) — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 18:43:00 +0000

Have you ever heard comedian Jim Gaffigan's bit about bacon? If not (or even if you have), give a listen... (It's OK, I'll wait...)

Now, keep that whole riff about bacon in mind...

On a recent visit to the deli counter of my local grocery store, I happened upon, and took photos of, some interesting lunchmeats:

Three different types of lunchmeat, all enhanced with bacon. Yet, there's not an actual bacon lunchmeat. Why is that? Are people ashamed to be seen eating bacon (breakfast notwithstanding)? Are we afraid of offending pigs?

No. Not me. I will continue to let my bacon flag fly freely, because I am PROUD to be a bacon lover.

God bless America. And bacon.

I Have A Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McKee) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 07:06:00 +0000

Big news for me: I am now a podcaster.

The podcast is called Opinionocity, the web site is Opinionocity.com. It's a lot of work (more than a blog), but I really enjoy doing it.

And I received more big news yesterday: My podcast has just been approved to be in the iTunes Store (don't worry, it's free).

In case you're wondering, you do NOT need an iPod to play a podcast. You can play it right there on the web site, or download it to your computer. (Of course, if you do have an iPod, iPhone or iPad, you can play it through Apple's own Podcast app, which is a free app).

Don't bother searching for it just yet -- they (the powers that be at Apple) stated it would be a few days before it will show up there.

Wet?

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McKee) — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:20:00 +0000

Really? I was always told they didn't LIKE to get wet. Now, come to find out, there's a special food and treat section just for them?

Well, I guess you learn something new every day.

The Web: Where It All Began

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McKee) — Wed, 01 May 2013 19:55:00 +0000

The World Wide Web. The reason that web site addresses generally start with "www". The graphical, easy-to-use interface of the Internet. Seems like it's been around forever, right? Well, not really.

Actually, it's only been around for twenty years. In celebration of its 20-year anniversary, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (which, for some crazy reason is abbreviated as CERN), has re-published the first web page ever. I've enclosed a screen shot, but if you want to see the actual page, click here. (WARNING: It's not very sexy.)

If You Like It... Tell A Friend!

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McKee) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:48:00 +0000

I have a HUGE favor to ask of you, gentle readers.

Very few of my posts here get commented on. Some posts receive no comments at all.

Now, it's not that nobody visits this site. In fact, 34 people visited yesterday, and over a thousand last month. So there ARE visitors... maybe they're just shy.

So... I would LOVE LOVE LOVE for you to comment as you drive by. But if you either don't really have anything to say, or are too shy to put yourself out there... please pass this site on to a friend, and recommend that he or she give it a spin. My thinking is that if I can increase the number of visitors, there's a good chance I'll increase the number of commenters.

Thank you... Pass it on!!!

Déjà Vu All Over Again...

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McKee) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 18:04:00 +0000

As of Friday, March 28, my employment at Hewlett-Packard has come to a close.

I started working there on October 1, 2012. So, you can say it was basically six months. You're probably thinking to yourself, "But Jim, why would they let a groovy guy like you slip away? Are they crazy?"

No, they're not crazy. They just didn't have any work that matched my skill set. (That is, unless I wanted to move to Malaysia. I thought about it for a hot second, but I'm fairly sure that the commute would be a real bee-yotch.) They were very decent about it, they did give me two weeks' notice (and if I could've gotten an assignment during that time, I'd still be there). Plus, I'll be getting a severance package, almost unheard of when you've only been on the job for six months. All in all, they've been pretty decent about it, and I totally get the business logic behind it: Employees are supposed to help make the company money, and since they had no work that was a fit for me, keeping me was costing them money. Everyone there was very kind and friendly to me, from management to co-workers. It's one of those things that just didn't work out.

I'm trying to stay positive and upbeat. I have a few irons in the fire -- don't want to jinx myself, so I won't be giving details at this point. But, I think things will work out in the long run.

New Granddad

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McKee) — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 04:43:00 +0000

On February 6, 2013, in Banbury, England, my stepson and his fiancée had a baby girl. Mother and child were (and still are) doing quite well. I won't publish their names here, out of respect for their privacy.

So, yes, at the tender age of 52, I'm a granddad.

Cool.

So, I Said Goodbye

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McKee) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 16:34:00 +0000

If you've read my previous post, you'll recall that a co-worker of mine (whom I'll call "E", so as to maintain his family's privacy) passed away recently, with very little warning. I was not available to attend the funeral service, so I made it a point to attend the visitation, which was held the evening before the funeral.

I learned a few things that I hadn't previously known, or had incorrectly assumed (which goes back to the old chestnut about why you shouldn't assume). I had assumed that E was approximately 30 years old, when in fact, he was 37. (I promise you, he looked 30.) Also, it wasn't a virus that took him, but rather, a bad heart valve. I had the privilege of meeting his mother and his aunt. Both of them were warm and gracious, and similarly looked substantially younger than they must have been. I felt I gave them a little comfort in explaining how well E was liked at work, and how friendly everyone knew him to be. (To be honest, there were 8 to 10 other co-workers in attendance, and we all contributed to explaining how much we liked E.)

It also turned out that E had served in the Army. He'd never said anything about that to me, but as a fellow veteran, it only makes his untimely passing a little more painful.

I reckon everyone says goodbye in their own way. I respect that - the important thing is, no matter the method you choose, that you do say goodbye.

The Big D (in other words, Death)

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McKee) — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 20:12:00 +0000

A co-worker of mine died yesterday morning. He was a young guy, couldn't have been more than maybe 30 or so. He'd been hospitalized since last weekend; seems he had contracted some aggressive virus... details are rather slim at this point.

That's far too young to die, when you have your whole life in front of you. He was a fun guy, always jovial and upbeat. Our work group went bowling a while ago (in January, I think). His bowling was pretty bad, and mine was even worse, but somehow we managed to have a lot of fun all the same.

He used to sit in the cubicle next to mine, until they shuffled a lot of people around a couple of weeks ago. Not more than a few days before that, we'd had a lengthy conversation, in which I told him my vision of a radio station that re-created the sounds of the late 1950's era. He said it sounded like it could really work.

We all have to go sometime, I suppose. I'm thankful for having made it to 52, and I hope I have many years left.

But sometimes, life just doesn't make any sense... and neither does death.

The Time Acceleration Theory

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McKee) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 23:42:00 +0000

I know it's hard to believe, but January 2013 is over, and we're already a few days into February. It seems like January just flew by. In fact, as you get older, time seems to go by faster. If you'll indulge me, I'll attempt an explanation.

Let's start with a 4-year-old boy. To him, one year is 25% of his life -- that's massive. When that same boy reaches the age of 10, a year is 10% of his life. And later, when he's 50 years old, a year is only 2% of his life.

The whole point is that, the longer you live, the smaller the percentage of your life any given unit of time becomes.

(NOTE: This is NOT my theory. I originally read it somewhere -- I believe it was Reader's Digest, not sure. However, the interpretation IS mine... you know, just in case you didn't have enough time to read the whole article.)

I know, it's not as sexy as time travel (what is?), but it'll do in a pinch.

:-)

That Movie About Lincoln

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McKee) — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 21:58:00 +0000

Recently, the nominations for this year's Academy Awards were announced. Normally, I don't pay much attention to these announcements, as they're usually hoity-toity flicks watched by people with their noses in the air. That's not me, and I don't have much use for folks like that.

However, once I heard the nominations, I got a little excited. One of the nominees was a movie about Abraham Lincoln. Well, it just so happens that I'd seen a movie about Lincoln in 2012, and it was absolutely awesome.

Yes, it was a bit of revisionism -- taking one of our greatest presidents and also making him into a secret killer of those demonic beings known as vampires (sorry, Twilight fans), but it was a great deal of fun.

As you might imagine, I was saddened to learn that this was not the Lincoln film that was nominated, but instead, some secondary film starring some actor whose name is Daniel Day-Lewis (I know, I'd never heard of him either)...

Anyway, I guess this flick might be OK, I haven't seen it. I just wonder if he kills any vampires in it, or is he a vampire sympathiser?

(NOTE: Clicking either movie poster will take you to a trailer for that particular film. You're welcome.)

ClassicRockJimmy, R.I.P.

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McKee) — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 22:22:00 +0000

No, not a person... I'm referring to my former web site, ClassicRockJimmy.com (don't try going there, it no longer exists).

In the beginning, I thought I had a great idea: Write reviews of classic rock albums, and within each review, put a link so that readers could buy that album from my Amazon Affiliate system. It sounds cool, in theory.

But I hadn't thought it through completely, so I didn't think about one big problem: Listening to that music is great, I love it.... but writing about it is TEDIOUS. Seriously.

So, when it came time for the annual renewal of the site's domain registration and hosting plan, I did some soul searching, and finally made the decision that it didn't make the financial sense to carry on with it. So I let it go. (I did download the entire site onto my hard drive beforehand, so I can always refer to it if I need to.)

I haven't given up on trying to earn some money on the 'Net. I still have my wrist watch site (BuyingWatchesHQ.com) and my news site (TopNewsNow.org -- although it's currently listed as "suspended", and I'm trying to figure out why). Also, I'm still an Amazon Affiliate, so if you're looking for something besides a watch, please let me know -- I can upload it to a separate store and send you a link. (NOTE: This will earn me a small commission, but will not cost you a penny extra, and will also work with Amazon Prime.) I'm hoping to rebrand the watch site soon, and move it to the WordPress platform. The news site may soon meet the same fate as ClassicRockJimmy, as I'm not quite sure how to monetize it. Not to mention, I've got a couple of other web ideas percolating in my brain that I'm not quite ready to discuss.

The bottom line is that if you read any old posts on this blog that link to ClassicRockJimmy.com, those links no longer no work, and now you know why.

You Spoke, I Listened

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McKee) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 03:58:00 +0000

Thanks to astute reader Empress Bee, who informed me that the word verification process makes posting difficult. Until that point, I was unaware of it.

Effective immediately, I have removed it.

However, if I start getting spam posts, I will have to turn moderation on. So, play nice, everyone!

Welcome to 2013 !!!

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McKee) — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 02:15:00 +0000

It's a brand new year! Think of it as a blank canvas... yours to create something wonderful, something interesting, something uniquely you.

And may I ask a couple of favors? First, if you stop by, please leave a comment... doesn't have to be a master's thesis, a sentence or two is fine. And second, if you like this site, please recommend it to your web-friends.

Thanks, and have a FANTASTIC year!

Pro Photo

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McKee) — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 16:02:00 +0000

....

So Anyway... Where Was I?

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McKee) — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 19:55:00 +0000

Really? It's been 5½ months since I last posted? Seriously?

Wow... time flies, right?

Anyway, stuff happens:

I got a job! (Would rather not say where, but if I told you the name of the company, you would definitely recognize it.)
I got a "new" vehicle. (The engine on the little blue Chevy pickup blew.) The "new" vehicle is a 2001 Chevy Venture van, a little rusty on the outside, but clean on the inside, and very nice to drive.
We got a dog... a little Shih-Tzu named Tawny, she's a real sweetheart.

My intention is to get back into blogging on a regular basis, so I wanted to squeeze at least one post in before 2013 rolls around. So, I'm back, and hopefully for good this time!!!

It's Hammer Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Jim McKee) — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 05:55:00 +0000

I was over at my father's house the other day, and I happened to view this particular array of tools in the garage...

For a long time, I've said (snarkily) that my dad has every tool known to man, and some that aren't. Maybe I'm not that far from the mark. I count at least 15 hammers in the photo.

And don't even get me started on his clamps.