Lest We Forget

Despite this photograph that was taken during the election and Obama's lame excuse for intentionally not placing his hand over his heart during the playing of our country's national anthem, he was still elected President of the United States.

At this Fourth of July holiday season, I hope the rest of the people of the United States take time to reflect on the history of our great country and what our freedoms mean to us. Do not take them for granted.

How I Want to Remember Michael Jackson

We all knew it would happen sooner or later. It happens to us all some day. Michael Jackson died. There are lots of stories about how he died and why he died and if he should have died at such a young age, but the fact remains that he is gone. There are also lots of pictures of Michael Jackson over the years and especially pictures of him in his more recent years after extensive surgery on his face and skin. However, that is not how I want to remember him.



I want to remember him as a young boy with a great voice and a smile on his face. And the moves......he could really dance!



I also want to remember him with his brothers and the wonderful songs they sang together as the Jackson Five.



I want to remember him as a young man who was called the King of Pop.

I want to remember his videos and the songs that inspired them...like "Thriller".

But one of my favorite memories of Michael Jackson will always be his MOON WALK!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_3v-_p3ESo

I know there are some people who are happy that Michael Jackson is gone, but there are more who are sad. Maybe they saw Michael Jackson, like I did, as a very talented, but lonely and frightened man who never grew up. Like most famous people he probably never had any close friends either and so many of those around him were always after his money.

Good bye, Michael Jackson, and thanks for all the good memories you left us.

I Hope I Get The Swine Flu!

Last night my wife held a party in our back yard for the young women in our church. It got a little chilly so she asked me to turn on the patio heater. While I struggled to get the stupid thing lit, I overhead one of the other adult young women leaders mention that she wasn't feeling well and thought she might be coming down with the flu.

"I hope it's the Swine Flu," I interrupted.

"Why is that?" she asked me, surprised that I would wish such a horrible illness upon her.

"Because," I responded, "It's the most mild strain of flu they have ever seen. If its the regular flu you might miss work for at least a week, but if it is the Swine Flu you will be better in the morning."

She stood and looked at me in amazement, obviously astounded by my wisdom and logic.

The other day the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the Flu Alert Status to Level 6, which is Pandemic! They cautioned all of mankind that half of the world's population could be affected by the Swine Flu. I say "So What!" Why make a big fuss about it?

Then one of our newly hired engineers at work came into my office yesterday and we talked about the Swine Flu. I expressed my complete bewilderment at why the WHO would be trying to scare everyone with this dire threat about such a mild strain of flu?

Then it came to me...

Something my wise old Grandmother always told me...

"If you want to know why something is happening, follow the money," she told me.

"There must me big money involved in this Swine Flu scare," I reasoned, "but where and how?"

The young engineer from UC Davis and I struggled to find a financial link to the Swine Flu and then it hit me like a ton of bricks.

It was the same as Global Warming. There are people whose continuing occupation and future employment is dependent upon financial support from donations and government. It is like James Hansen at NASA who continues to bellow that mankind is causing the earth to heat up with cow flatulence and car exhaust. In order for Mr. Hansen to justify funding for his computer hobbies at NASA, he must make the public believe that there is a crisis that only he can model and thus the government must continue to fund his work. If there is no Global Warming crisis, James Hansen and his gigantic computer will be left to predict the daily weather. (Something he hasn't quite perfected yet, I must add."

It is the same with the World Health Organization. They must have a health crisis on their hands to justify their existence or they are out of work! And the more severe the better. Right!?

Thus we MUST have a pandemic, even though the flu is so mild that most people don't miss a day of work or go to a doctor. The WHO mentioned on the news the other day that they may never know how wide-spread this Swine Flu is because they aren't getting accurate data from doctors, because cases are going undiagnosed.

Too bad for the doctors and too bad for the WHO and too bad for the Center for Disease Control.

I just hope that I get the Swine Flu!

"How Did He Know?"

After graduating from college I took my first REAL job at a computer manufacturing company in Southern California. For a while our new little family rented a two bedroom, one bathroom apartment in Ventura County. We had two little boys at the time, the youngest was just over six months old, and the older had just turned three.

One night when I came home from work, my beautiful wife informed me that the toilet was clogged and that her efforts to unplug it with the standard toilet plunger had been unsuccessful. I went upstairs to check it out and found it was true, but it was not the usual clog. For some reason, this clog allowed water to pass down the drain, but not solids. It was very strange and I could see why my wife was frustrated. My three year old son, joined me in the bathroom and sat in the corner watching me at work. He seemed very interested in how I was going to unclog the toilet.

First I continued with my wife's technique and used our toilet plunger. I tried to force the clog down and I tried to bring it back up. Nothing worked. Then I poured water down the toilet from a large plastic bucket, but that didn't work either. I tried hot water and and more plunging, but still no success. I was getting frustrated and very tired. The entire time, my son sat quietly in the corner watching my every action. I tried more hot water and harder plunging. Still nothing. It was so odd to me that the water was going down but not the paper or the other various items in the bowl.

Finally in exhaustion I sat down on the floor next to my little three year old son. He looked at me but said nothing. I spoke to him as I thought out loud about what I could try next. I am sure that he could sense my frustration as he listened to me discuss removing the toilet from the floor or renting a roto-rooter machine. Being an engineer I was determined that I was NOT going to hire a plumber to unclog our toilet, and I am sure he understood that as well.

Finally he spoke up and what he said was a stroke of genius! It was almost as if he had known all along what was clogging the toilet, and how the toilet had become clogged in the first place. With the tiny voice of a three year old he looked up at me and said....

"Maybe there's a comb in the toilet."

It was brilliant! It made so much sense, too. Why hadn't I thought of that. A comb! A simple comb. Like a filter which allowed the water to pass through, but which trapped the solids and kept them from passing down the drain.

I rolled up my sleeve and held my breath as I stuck my bare hand down into the toilet. Into the murky water I reached, past the toilet paper and other items, down into the bottom of the bowl. I reached into the drain as far as I could, until I was afraid I might get my hand stuck. I pushed harder and deeper and stretched my fingers into the unknown. Finally I felt something with my finger tips. I twisted around to get more room for my elbow which was now well into the toilet bowl as well. That extra twist was just what I needed to reach the object and grab it with the tips of my fingers. The object was wedged in the drain pretty good, but I was able to wiggle it around and finally it came loose. I carefully withdrew my arm from the drain and the toilet bowl and pulled the object out of the water.

There it was...

A large plastic comb.

How did he know?

"Are You A Dancer?" - Cowboy's Sobriety Test

This is a funny video which shows a big tall cowboy trying to pass a roadside sobriety test. The better he does the more difficult the test becomes. I don't know if the recording is real, but it is pretty funny.

"Why Didn't The Trunk Lid Shut?"

Many years ago I was preparing to travel with a group of men from the company where I worked. My boss offered to drive all of us to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in his full-size Buick and we gladly accepted. Since he was the president of the company, it also saved him and the company money. We all brought our luggage to work with us on the day that we were to leave.

At the prescribed time we loaded our luggage in the large trunk of his car. My luggage consisted of a carry-on suitcase and a garment bag which held my suit and a couple of white shirts. I remember that I waited until everyone else had loaded their stuff so that I could carefully lay my garment bag on the top of the heavy suitcases. My engineering brain had told me that this would help to keep my suit and white shirts from getting wrinkled.

After I had put my garment bag into the trunk my boss arranged a few more items in the trunk while we climbed into his car. I remember that I was sitting in the back seat of the car with two other engineers from our company. After a few minutes we realized that our boss was still outside trying to get the trunk lid to shut. He kept slamming and slamming the lid with all his might. It just wouldn't close.

Being typical engineers we saw this as an opportunity to apply our vast knowledge of mechanical things and help to find out why the trunk lid wouldn't shut. We all piled out of the car and went around the trunk where the company president was preparing to slam the trunk lid one more time. He grabbed the trunk firmly with both hands, took a deep breath and with every ounce of force he could muster, he threw down the trunk lid to the closed position.

I remember that the lid was about 6 inches from hitting the locking latch when I noticed that part of my garment bag was covering the latch mechanism. It as too late. The lid came down with a solid thud and finally it locked.

"You hit my bag!" I shouted. "That's why it wouldn't shut!"

My boss had not even noticed that my bag had moved around in the trunk as he was arranging a few last items and that it finally had moved so that the edge of it was covering the latching mechanism.

You need to understand that the trunk latch mechanism of a full-size Buick at that time consisted of a steel post about 3/4 of an inch in diameter and about 3 inches long. The post mated with a round steel plate with a hole in it. When you shut the trunk the post went into the hole and a latch closed onto the post and held it tight. To make sure that the post would go into the hole, the post had been formed with a rather sharp point at the end and was coated with a light layer of black grease.

It was getting late so my boss did not want to waste time opening the trunk and checking for damage. Besides he was afraid that he might not be able to get the trunk shut if he opened it again.

When we got to LAX we opened the trunk and all of us grabbed our luggage. I was first since my garment bag was on top of everything else. I immediately noticed a beautifully punched 3/4 inch hole through the edge of my bag. When I opened it up to survey the damage, I couldn't believe what I found!

There was my nice blue wool suit with a greasy 3/4 inch diameter hole punched right through the left sleeve. The hole went through both sides of the sleeve and it was perfectly formed.

As I shifted the contents of the garment bag around to check for further damage I noticed a similar hole in the side of one white shirt and the sleeve of another white shirt. The black grease from the steel post had been wiped clean as it had passed through my suit and shirts.

As I look back on that day I remember thinking to myself how grateful I was that my suit or shirts hadn't been folded double or my boss might never been able to get the trunk shut and we might not have been able to get to the airport on time.

Lions' Dinner Delivered To The Doorstep

Here is a video that someone sent me the other day. It was filmed in Africa. Gazelles can run very fast but I guess their eyesight isn't so good.

Bird Makes Wonderful Sound Effects

I received this video the other day which shows a bird on TV making wonderful Sound Effects. I like how he has to clear his throat before he begins his presentation.

Modern Rube Goldberg - By Honda

I love to watch these Rube Goldberg mechanisms, as they appeal to my Engineering Gene. Take a look at this Honda Accord Commercial. I hope you like it as much as I do.

P.S. I have some others that I will try to find and post to my blog.

Human Universal Load Carrier by Lockheed Martin

The Lockheed Martin Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC) is a completely un-tethered, hydraulic-powered anthropomorphic titanium exoskeleton that provides the ability to carry loads of up to 200 pounds for extended periods of time and over all terrains. With a HULC exoskeleton, these loads are transferred to the ground through powered titanium legs without loss of mobility. Its flexible design allows for deep squats, crawls, and upper-body lifting. The exoskeleton senses what users want to do and where they want to go. It augments their ability, strength and endurance. An onboard micro-computer ensures the exoskeleton moves in concert with the individual. Its modularity allows for major components to be swapped out in the field. Additionally, its unique power-saving design allows the user to operate on battery power for extended missions. The HULC's load-carrying ability works even when power is not available.

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/how/stories/hulc_player.html

Successful Guided Zuni Rocket Launch at China Lake, California

Loading the Zuni Rocket in the launcher. It is a three man job to lift it and put it into the tube.

Just after launch the rocket heads off into the sky.

In a matter of seconds the high speed rocket reaches its target and punches a hole right through the center.

"Don't Tell Me It Can't Be Done" by Newt Gingrich

http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=32323

No more than 1.6 Gallons Per Flush - A Federal Law?

As we look around us today we see evidence of increasing government involvement and control in our daily lives. The government has taken over the railroads, the banks, and the auto industry. They tell us to wear seat belts and bicycle helmets. They determine how many miles a car should be able to drive on a gallon of gasoline and how much carbon dioxide we can produce. They even dictate the maximum speed we can drive on the highways. The spacing on the bars on baby cribs is defined by law and the government tells us when, where, and if we are allowed to smoke cigarettes. In California the law requires that home heaters and air-conditioners be equipped with special FM receivers to allow the government to control the temperatures in our own homes. Where will it end?

One of the most extraordinary laws that the US Government has imposed on its citizens is the 1992 Energy Policy and Conservation Act. Sounds impressive doesn't it? Some bright congressman had nothing to do one day and so he decided to make a law that would limit the amount of water that you use when you flush your toilet. He threw a dart at the wall and came up with the unique number of 1.6 gallons of water per flush. Now you may think that there is some significance to the number 1.6 gallons per flush and you may be right. In metric units it converts to 6 liters or 6 cubic decimeters. Maybe the congressman wanted us to return to our British roots. On the other hand 1.6 gallons also converts to 370 cubic inches or 0.214 cubic feet. Now there are a couple of significant numbers! Right?

No matter how the congressman came up with the number 1.6 gallons, may never be known, but it became law in the United States in 1992. Since then it has been a federal offense to install a toilet that uses more than 1.6 gallons per flush. The fine for breaking this law is a $2500 fine.

But never fear. If you examine one of these low flush toilets you will discover that the size of the tank has not changed. The new tanks still hold the same amount of water as the pre-1992 versions. The difference is in the flushing mechanism. It is specially designed to allow only 1.6 gallons to drain before the valve closes. The easiest way to keep the valve open longer is to hold the handle down until the tank is empty. There are also ways to modify the valve so that it stays open longer. Keep in mind that if you are risking arrest and a $2500 fine if you are caught using more than 1.6 gallons of water, so be very cautious when doing so.

Or you can simply wait for the tank to refill and flush the toilet again...and again...and again...

Delta Smelt Pair Arrested - Judge Says No Bail

After a lengthy investigation, police have arrested a pair of Delta Smelt fish and charged them with conspiring with environmentalists to deprive 25 million Californians of life sustaining drinking water. In addition a second charge was recently added which accuses the pair of conspiring with fish biologists at UC Davis and the Bay Institute to withhold water for 750,000 acres of cropland which produce food for export to starving nations of the world. The two fish are being held without bail pending their arraignment before a federal judge next week.

A large team of lawyers representing the two Delta Smelt fish have been hired by PETA and members of the ACLU to defend the tiny fish at all costs. Lead lawyer for the ACLU, Noah Respawnski, held an early morning press conference and leveled his first volley against those who are holding his clients when he said, “My clients are innocent of the charges that have been made against them. I am confident that over the coarse of the trial we will prove that this is nothing but an attempt by conservative and right wing extremists including Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh to deprive my clients of their constitutional rights.”

PETA was quick to defend the fish as well, and pointed to a history of harassment, torture and murder by right wing extremists towards “Sea Kittens” such as the “innocent Delta Smelt”. PETA lawyer Pippi Limpet explained, further, that it is time that we stop calling these intelligent creatures “Fish” and begin to refer them as “Sea Kittens”, thus holding them in higher esteem and protecting their constitutional rights.

The case against the two Delta Smelt “Sea Kittens” came after a 400 page “Biological Opinion” was released recently by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Commenting on the report, the Obama administration noted that “We all need to get along better together and establish a far reaching compromise between the human population which needs to eat and drink to survive and “Fish Kittens” such as the Delta Smelt who just want to live out their simple lives in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta with their wives and children.”

LA Times contributor and author of “The Battle Over the Meaning of Everything”, Gordy Slack, identified four reasons that the Delta Smelt should be protected (ref. LA Times, October 21, 2007):

1- It is the law! – You can’t harm, harass or kill an endangered animal without a permit.
2- Saving the Delta Smelt also protects the ecosystem upon which they depend.
3- They are “impressive” fish that can tolerate both fresh and salt water.
4- “The Torah says that if you save an individual, you save an entire universe.”

Many Southern Californians fail to recognize the powerful logic shown by Mr. Slack, and believe that the rights of human beings to have drinking water and food is more important than the vague constitutional rights of a 3 inch sardine. Mrs. Joy Fishnet explained it this way, “How can a feed my children without food and water?” Mrs. Fishnet was also quick to include the fact that she and her family love to eat sardines on saltine crackers with a glass of milk after her kids come home from a hard day at school.

Meanwhile the case against the two Delta Smelt continues to build as members of the public are forced to cut back on water consumption. Fines are being levied against those who water their grass, hose their sidewalks or have leaky water pipes. Thus far only a handful of citizens from California have died as a result of the water restrictions, but their deaths are surrounded in controversy as the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control have also claimed that the deaths actually resulted from Swine Flu.

The Great Debate - Which Way To Roll?

Several weeks ago I was visiting my parents, who live in a different state. I hadn't seen them for a while so it was great to be with them and talk to them about how they and the rest of the family were doing. While I was there, I noticed that they installed all their toilet paper rolls so that the paper was dispensed down the back side of the roll (See method A in illustration). I immediately brought this error to my dad's attention. I was surprised to find that he did not agree with me.

Believe it or not, there are people in our advanced society who fail to realize the correct way to install a roll of toilet paper. In doing a little research on the Internet, I was amazed to find out that the debate over which way to install toilet paper rolls has been going on since the invention of the toilet paper roll by Albany Perforated Wrapping Paper Company in 1877 and Scott Paper Company in 1879.

Prior to producing toilet paper in rolls, it was manufactured in sheets of varying sizes from the 2 feet by 3 feet sheets used by Chinese Emperors in the 14th Century to the small pre-moistened flat sheets medicated with aloe in 1857. Joseph Gayetty of New York began producing the first packaged toilet paper in the US under the name "Gayetty's Medicated Paper" and had his name printed on every sheet.

These sheets of paper were a big improvement over the grass, leaves, fur, corncobs, sponges on sticks, or pages from the Sears Catalog. There was even a catalog called the "Rears and Sorebutt" catalog that was mentioned along with the Farmer's Almanac with a hole in the corner so that it could be hung on a hook near the toilet for ease and availability.

The debate over the proper way to install the toilet paper roll has been going on for years. Method A (above) has the advantage that it is not accidentally unrolled by pets and children or by someone brushing up against it, whereas Method B has the advantage that it is easy to find the end of the roll. Other advantages and disadvantages are mentioned in literature and articles available in libraries and on the Internet.

Another interesting debate about toilet paper concerns the proper distance from the roll to the floor. While 24 inches seems to be the most popular height, 30 inches is also supported by many experts in the field.

One important detail about installing toilet paper rolls is that it must be located within easy reach of a person using the toilet. Believe it or not, I was in a hotel once where the roll was over 4 feet away and required that the user hop across the room to get to it.

Not a pretty sight!

PETA and Their "Sea Kittens"

Take a look as this new website! It is produced by PETA and presents the idea to young children that fish have tender feelings and should not be hunted, killed or tortured, and especially not eaten like they are now. Instead of being called Fish they should be called "Sea Kittens" and should be nurtured and cared for.

PETA is asking for money and they also want you to sign a petition asking the Federal Government to stop hunting, killing. and torturing these tender animals.

http://www.peta.org/sea_kittens/index.asp

The Anti-Reagan by Patrick J. Buchanan

Here is another essay by Buchanan.
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=32195

"Dumber Than A Monkey With A Crayon"

Just prior to my graduation from the 8th grade into my first year in high school, I was required to take a placement test to help me decide what classes I should take the following year. The test was composed of several parts, which were supposed to help a school counselor know if I should take honors, college prep, regular, or maybe even remedial level classes. I did very well on all the parts of the exam except the true or false spelling test. This test consisted of 100 words, some spelled correctly and some spelled incorrectly. If the word was spelled correctly, I was to mark "True", and "False" if the word was spelled incorrectly. I remember looking down the list and thinking that all the words looked fine to me.

A few weeks after taking the test I met with a school counselor to learn how I had done. He briefly showed me the high marks and then turned my attention to the spelling test.

"Son," he started, "You only got 40%."

I remember thinking that it seemed a bit low to me, but what did I know. I was just a kid and he was a school counselor.

"That's pretty bad," he added, watching for some type of reaction, such as dialated pupils or sweaty palms. I could tell he had spent many years studying human behavior under stress in order to obtain his position in the school. Not seeing the reaction that I suppose he was expecting he continued, "You probably know, kid, that a monkey could get 50% on this test just by marking all of the answers "True".

Again his subtlety escaped my naive young mind. I didn't even know that monkeys took tests, let alone spelling tests. At this point he became impatient to make an impression on me.

"What I am saying kid," he stressed as the pitch of his voice increased, "is that you are dumber than a monkey with a crayon."

At this point the comparison between me and a hairy monkey finally sank in. I was awe struck. How could he say such a thing to a young impressionable child? He recommended that I take a remedial English class my first year as a high school freshman.

That night I went home and told my parents that I was dumber than a monkey with a crayon. They immediately questioned where I got such an awful idea. When I told them the entire story my loving father took me aside and told me that I was not dumb. Not only that, but he also said that I should sign up for college prep English class in high school. I did as he suggested and not only survived the first year, but also did well in English all four years in high school.

Following high school, I subsequently learned that I have what psychologists refer to as the "engineering gene". Research has shown that most people who possess this gene are poor spellers. However, this experience made a strong impression on my mind and I have always been aware of my limitations in spelling.

Thank goodness for dictionaries and "Spell Check".

1960's - What Memories!

My good friend Paul just sent me this link to a great website about the 1960's. I remember all these things...how about you? Take a look and enjoy!!!

http://moreoldfortyfives.com/TakeMeBackToTheSixties.htm

We Are Fast Approaching Orwell's 1984

In George Orwell's novel 1984 the government took control of everything. I am sure it didn't happen over night, but it was a gradual change that the people accepted bit by bit, until it was too late.

In the progressive state of California a recent change to the building code requires that all new installations of heating and air-conditioning systems in homes have what is called a PCT (Programmable Communicating Thermostat). It enables the government to control the thermostat that regulates the temperature inside your home. If the government thinks you are setting the temperature too warm in the winter, they can adjust it where they think is appropriate for your needs. Likewise, they can adjust the temperature in the summer if they think you don't need it as cool as you think you do. After all, this is the government we are talking about. They are the ones who know who should run the banks and GM and what kinds of cars we need to buy. They really think they know how to run things better than we do.

Lest you think I am making all of this up, I have included a portion of Section 112 of Title 24 which describes the function of the PCT.
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SECTION 112 – MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS FOR SPACE-CONDITIONING EQUIPMENT
Certification by Manufacturers. Any space-conditioning equipment listed in this section may be installed only if the manufacturer has certified that the equipment complies with all the applicable requirements of this section. Thermostats6. All unitary heating and/or cooling systems including heat pumps that are not controlled by a central energy management control system (EMCS) shall have a Programmable Communicating Thermostat (PCT) that is certified by the manufacturer to the Energy Commission to meet the requirements of Subsections 112(c)(1) and 112(c)(2) below:
1. Setback Capabilities. All PCTs shall have a clock mechanism that allows the building occupant to program the temperature set points for at least four periods within 24 hours. Thermostats for heat pumps shall meet the requirements of Section 112(b).
2. Communicating Capabilities. All PCTs shall be distributed with a non-removable Radio Data System (RDS) communications device that is compatible with the default statewide DR communications system , which can be used by utilities to send price and emergency signals. PCTs shall be capable of receiving and responding to the signals indicating price and emergency events as follows.
A. Price Events. The PCT shall be shipped with default price-event offsets of +4°F for cooling and -4°F for heating enabled; however, customers shall be able to change the offsets and thermostat settings at any time during price events. Upon receiving a price-event signal, the PCT shall adjust the thermostat setpoint by the number of degrees indicated in the offset for the duration specified in the signal of the price event. The PCT shall also be equipped with the capability to allow customers to define setpoints for heating and cooling in response to price signals as an alternative to temperature-offsetting response, as described in Reference Joint Appendix JA5.
B. Emergency Events. Upon receiving an emergency signal, the PCT shall respond to commands contained in the emergency signal, including changing the setpoint by any number of degrees or to a specific temperature setpoint. The PCT shall not allow customer changes to thermostat settings during emergency events.
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http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/01/who_will_control_your_thermost.html

Human Bottle Launcher

Most of us may remember launching those plastic rockets that you filled with water and then pumped air inside. When you released the rocket, the compressed air inside pushed out the water and the reaction launched the rocket in the opposite direction.

We have used 1 or 2 liter pop bottles to do the same thing. Using PVC pipe we construct a stand as shown in the photo. Fill the bottle 1/3 full of water and quickly turn it upside down on the launcher. Hook up a bicycle pump and pump air into the bottle through the PVC pipe structure. The bottle will release itself from the launcher when pressure overcomes the holding force on the mouth of the bottle. The air inside the bottle forces out the water and the reaction launches the bottle in the opposite direction. It is not uncommon to reach a height of 50 feet with a 2 liter bottle.

I found this short video on the Internet the other day. It shows a young kid being hooked up to what appears to be a system of about twenty 2 liter bottles hooked together on some type of common air/plumbing assembly. The assembly is pumped up as I have described and attached to the kid's back. Somehow, all of the bottles are released simultaneously and the kid is launched out over a body of water, where he is quickly rescued.

I have run through the numbers to see if it is possible to launch the kid into the air. By my first order calculations, it would take more than 50 bottles to lift even a skinny kid off the ground, let alone that far over the water. Therefore I believe this video is fake. But it sure looks impressive. Don't you agree?