UofA End of the Line

Even though I have no ties to UofA, I was pulling for them in the NCAA tournament. However, as of Saturday night, it is over for the 2013-2014 season.

Sometimes, it takes a while before an idea becomes a CoV comic. This lucky idea finally has its day in the sun after waiting since late October. Does it get better with age? I don't know.

OK, class. Raise your hand if you know what a trebuchet is. Anybody? Bueller? We saw this one at the Scottish Games a couple of weeks ago. It is like a catapult with a sling on the end. This one was throwing a soccer ball, so there was little danger anyone would get hurt. Luckily, no one did.

And these poor little girls are trying to cross their legs and sit down with no chair under them. Seems cruel, right? Those Scots were a strange people.

Do you like statistics and graphs? Sure, who doesn't, right? Check out this tool that shows the ratings of TV episodes for all the seasons of their programs. The article talks about Seinfeld episodes, but I looked up M*A*S*H from the '70s. Take a look at your favorite and hover over the episodes that stick out on top and on bottom. Do they match your expectations?

It's ObamaCare deadline day. Have you signed up? Do you know anyone who has? I don't (well, that I know of). I guess most people that I interact with are employed and covered through their employer (as I am). It will be an interesting debate going forward. I did hear on my Monday morning commute that the website had crashed again. How many want to bet there will be an extension of the deadline?

No, I do NOT want to know what happened in the Season 4 finale of The Walking Dead. We recorded it last night, but will not watch it until tonight.

Our Sunday School teacher and his wife went to see Noah on Saturday. He said that he feels the movie should have been advertised as "Based on a story from the Bible." It apparently runs 2:10 in length and he said it was about 2 hours too long. The best parts are the ones you see on the TV commercials. He did note that, in their defense, there is not really enough of a story in the Bible for a full-length movie, but even the parts that exist were not all in the movie.

My scan of top websites did not bring up anything else I want to share today, so let's get the day over with so we can go watch The Walking Dead. If you are not into zombies, then when I said The Walking Dead, I meant Whose Line Is It Anyway? If you don't like that, then I meant watch the movie Frozen, that just became the highest-grossing animated flick ever.

See you soon.

No, You're Too Smart

No, I don't think anyone ever told me that, but I do think that people were told that when they tried out for Hell's Kitchen. Have you ever watched it? Some of those people don't seem to have any sense (even ones that can cook). As you can guess, I am watching that while typing this blog post on Thursday night.

I do have a Macbook, but I do not have a Macbook Air. I've heard the Air is much lighter than my laptop. Still, I wonder what's next.

Let's check out some old family photos.

Hey, Dad. Can I borrow the car?

Would you kids stay out of my way? Your father will be home soon and I want to have dinner ready.

I want to quit piano lessons. I mean, I can't even tell where middle C is. Can you?

Have you read about the new dangers of texting while walking? Apple has, and they have a plan to help combat it. How about having the screen behind the messages be a live view of what is in front of you? Would that be helpful? We'll see.

Today, Friday, is TMI Day. No, not Too Much Information. It is the day that, back in 1979, the worst nuclear accident ever in the US occurred at Three Mile Island in PA. I heard during my commute that no new nuclear plants have been built since in the US.

I just found out that Preacher Bro cannot drive camels on the freeway where he lives. Shocking, right? Learn more about some weird driving laws in this Yahoo article.

It has been a while since I flew, but I know that flights still face lengthy delays and people getting bumped. Maybe you can get some payback for those aggravations (especially if any of them occur in Europe). You can learn more here.

Do you like Les Miserables? Apparently, so do Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Segel.

If you follow this blog, you know my family enjoys Disneyland. I wish I had seen this guy there. If he pranked you, would you be annoyed or think it was funny? I would think it is hilarious.

OK, let's end the week of blog posts now. There will be more next week, though. Yes, I promise.

Did You Survive Another Day?

It is Wednesday night and we just got back from watching Survivor at the folk's. Does your browser ever slow down and you have to clear the cookies and links in your cache? Isn't that a funny word?

These are some strong girls, aren't they? Notice KNW posing on the right even while she is bending the bars.

And now, the boy gets in the act.

I saw this article a few days ago on Yahoo. Why don't I have this kind of job?

And how about this? Wouldn't you like to have one for your stuff at home? :Honey, please put away the clothes I just folded for you." "OK, dear. <boop> Done."

With that, I have shared everything I choose to share for today. I release you from any obligation to sit here and suffer through my mental meanderings. Go forth and be productive.

Post-Chorale Post

Oh, wait. Before you read this, note that I did not publish Tuesday's post until 5pm, so you may have overlooked it. Well, you also may have chosen to miss it. I just wanted to let you know that it is now available for your viewing pleasure.

I just got back form Chorale practice and decided to share some photos with you. So, right now, it is Tuesday night and I am posting while watching Whose Line Is It Anyway?

I like to try and capture flowers when I like how they look. These caught my eye near the entrance to Disneyland, so here you go.

Here is my Daughter-in-love taking a picture of me taking a picture of her. Luckily, I caught her just as her flash went off. That makes it even cooler for you, my reader.

Here is MBH and the girls on the water ride in California Adventure (I don't remember its name right now and I would have to stop writing this to look it up, so I will let you do so.

And how about a little quiz on wars?

I was looking at some Groupons earlier today and I found this quote. "There are other fun ways of traveling through Durango—cutting through the heart of downtown is the Animas River, a popular whitewater-rafting, kayaking, and canoeing destination. It served as the filming location for the famous jump scene in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The river also boasts gold-medal fly-fishing." I did not know that. Did you?

Do you remember when Star Trek: The Next Generation was on TV? I liked the program, but I guess I was not such a fanboy that I have favorite and least favorite episodes. Do you? Well, these guys certainly have some that they did not like. It is an interesting read.

It is now Wednesday morning and I just completed my scan through my daily sites looking for interesting content to share. I found nothing else to add. So, just enjoy the eye candy above and let's go our separate ways...well, for 24 hrs or so. I will be back tomorrow, and I will try to be sure I make it available to you in the morning. Really.

Belated and Future Happy Birthday Wishes

This paper microscope is kind of cool, and as the article says, could be invaluable in lesser developed countries.

I must have slept wrong, because I've really got a crick in my neck. Could one of you swing by the office and give me a little massage while I work?

How many of you were fans of the old Mystery Science Theater 3000? On April Fool's Day, national Geographic Channel will have those guys dubbing their shows during prime time. Read some details here.

Once again, I come to you with empty hands. Yes, there are photos to be shared. Yes, you are worth taking to time to share them. Yes, it's my fault as the host not to be more prepared. Even so, as Jeff Probst says almost weekly, "I got nothing for you."

That said, even on days when I do not have photos because I did not load them at home, I can usually share a CoV because I can create them at work. So, without further ado (does that mean everything I wrote above is 'ado'?), here is today's comic from an idea I first documented on Jan 6.

BTW, I recently made an error I can only ascribe to my dodderiness. I knew that my two youngest siblings had birthdays on the 23rd and the 26th. I just could not remember the order. So, I led MBH astray and, based on my recollection, wished the wrong one Happy B-day on Sunday. We now know the order, and a way I can remember in the future. Preacher Bro's birthday comes first, and he is the elder of the two. So, in case you missed his, you can still wish IT Sis Happy B-day tomorrow.

And now, at the end of the day, I am finally publishing this. This, I DO ascribe to dodderiness. Thanks to MBH for pointing it out.

Aye, Laddie, We Did Go to the Games

I sort of forgot to upload any photos last night. I even have some new ones from our day at the Scottish Highland Games on Saturday. I have photos of cabers and dancers and pipers and bands. Speaking of the Games, I was afraid there would be nothing for me to eat for lunch. After all, they have meat pies and haggis and turkey legs. Not much for a vegan. There wasn't much, it is true, but I found a place willing to add mashed potatoes and peas to their meal for $3.50. So, they made a veggie plate for me with potatoes, peas and carrots for $5. That is not a bad price at these kind of events. I did not take time for snacks, though, so I ended up not eating regularly enough and felt a little punk that evening. I am back to normal now, though.

I also did not create a Clarity of Vision comic last night, so I just wrote one. Maybe you can guess that I was out in the sunlight all weekend.

Are we getting close to finding out what happened to that missing Malaysia Airlines flight? The Malaysian PM is implying we are. When we discussed it the other day at work, those that wanted it to be terrorism outnumbered those that wanted it to be an accident. Crazy, huh? I am an accident-favoring person.

I know that parts of the family attended movies this past weekend. Teacher Daughter saw Divergent, but was not overly impressed. This article does point out that its primary audience is female and under 25, though. And another family member saw God is Not Dead and liked it. I have never even heard of it.

A site called gayot.com (pronounced guy-oh) has chosen their Top 10 National Parks. I have visited 7 of them. How about you?

Hey, I've got a busy day ahead, and I need to get started. Have a Marvelous Monday.

I Am Sore (and) Afraid

OK, I am not really that afraid, but when I thought of using sore in the title, that verse occurred to me, so I added "and" in parentheses. My mouth is still sore from the dental work of Wednesday morning. I should have done the warm salt water rinses the dentist recommended, but I sorta forgot. We had to hurry over to our haircuts last night and I just got distracted.

Do you know all the different types of Roman numerals? I don't, but I had to think about them to write today's Clarity of Vision.

Here is a photo of the birthday girl eating her birthday brunch breakfast (try saying that three times fast).

Here is a photo of JV telling me that he can see some ducks in the water.

And finally, a photo of the middle GRAND trying to pull the sword from the stone (n.b. she was not successful).

Can you believe that we all missed out on an opportunity to have Lincoln standing over our bed watching out for us at night? I could have bought it for birthday girl because she went with me again to see Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln at The Dis.

One of my annual Christmas gifts is a desk calendar. When you get a Workman calendar, you also can sign up for an online version of a different offering. I chose a Mensa puzzles calendar. Today's puzzle has me puzzled. I think they totally blew it. See what you think. No, you can't look at it online like I do, so I have copied it. Here is the puzzle. How many rectangles are formed by the lines?

Are you going to see the new Noah movie? We haven't really thought about it, but then again, we don't go to that many movies. One of the things I just read is that it never mentions God, on The Creator. You can read more about it here.

Did you read this? "Edd Joseph of Bristol, England recently purchased a PlayStation 3 from Gumtree.com, the UK’s version of Craigslist. After sending a $130 direct bank transfer to the seller, Edd waited and waited, but never received his PS3. Because he’d paid by direct bank transfer he couldn’t cancel the sale, and the police were no help. So, using the copy and paste function on his phone, Edd grabbed 22 of Shakespeare’s works online, and texted them to the Gumtree thief. Since Edd's phone carrier splits long texts into 160 character chunks, the 22 plays actually added up to 17,424 texts for the Gumtree thief. Oh, sweet revenge!" Pretty funny.

OK, ready for the official answer to the puzzle above. How many did you get? They say 20. Look at the diagram. Whoops. After I looked at the letters in their answer, they are correct. I was wrong, but I will leave this in the post for your review.

J Lo lip-synching on her own show? As viewers note, "Oh, the irony."

The post has reached its maximum length...well, as defined by my desire to either write more or end it for the day. So, let's start Friday a little early and agree to come back together Monday. Scottish Games tomorrow and GRANDS tomorrow night. It's gonna be a good weekend, right?

That's Gotta Hurt

Yes, my mouth is still pretty sore. I ended up getting 1 root canal, 2 new crowns, 2 fillings in 3.5 hours. It was not fun...nor was it cheap...even for my out-of-pocket expenses. Everything should be back to normal for the rest of the week.

As I was looking through my Spring Break photos, I found a funny sequence that I thought I would share. First, let's look at JV with his typical "I'm not impressed" face.

However, Stitch was not giving up without a fight.

Just a minute. I think I see the ice breaking.

Yes, that is definitely a smile.

Now, it is like they are best buddies.

Those photos came out fun, right? Now, let's look at a Clarity of Vision inspired by my visit to the dentist and our discussion about being vegan.

Speaking of CoV reminds me of a previous CoV where I talked about The Dis being very crowded. And it was. However, this house makes The Dis look like it was as empty as Montana in the winter. Read on.

Here at work, we have to change our password at least every 90 days. And we cannot repeat a password within 24 months. And sometimes, security breaches mean we want to go to the interweb and change some of our regular sites. What is there were an easier way to have a password that changes every time you use it, but you would always remember? That'd be cool, right? Read this and see how one company is looking to allow just that.

Is Superman also supersmart? Would he be able to create his own superpasswords all the time? Maybe, but he could certainly superchase anyone who used his passwords, right? This video is a clever way to make a superlooking video using a drone and a GoPro camera.

And speaking of flying, this app looks really cool. Finally, something Siri can do well. I know JV and his fascination with airplanes would use it all the time.

I need to get a couple of things finished before the team meeting this morning, so I am going to duck out. You guys stay and finish your coffee. We can meet again tomorrow.

Waiting for Godentist

I am working on today's blog post at home waiting to go to the dentist. Unfortunately, it is a 3-hr appointment for at least one (and possibly, two) root canals. So, they will deaden my lower right jaw and work on two teeth together with cavities under the existing crown. Sounds fun, right?

It's true that I have been planning this comic for a long time. Hey, what's going on here? OK, OK, I just thought of it during my shower.

Here are the GRANDS playing with a really big dog at our Disney character breakfast last week.

And then, getting a really big hug from Pluto.

Stitch was everywhere that morning. Here, he stopped back by and greeted the birthday girl.

Did you notice anything in the movie Frozen that reminded you of Donny Osmond? No? Neither did I, but apparently his nephew animated an homage into it.

I am thinking this dude will not convince many to become vegan. Wouldn't you want to go to his place to buy your food?

I mentioned that Stitch came back by to see us? Well, Hollywood also revisits a lot of places for its movies. Watch this and see if you recognize any of them.

I cannot put it off any longer. My dental appointment starts in 15 minutes, so I need to get over there. This is the opposite situation from yesterday's Clarity of Vision. In today's activities, I would rather be at work. See you tomorrow.

When You're Smiling...

Well, look at that. Minnie actually got a smile out of JV.

Since we started with a Minnie photo, let's keep that theme going. Here are shots of Minnie with each of the girls, and they are smiling, too. How come I didn't get a photo with her?

Speaking of The Happiest Place on Earth, I will say it is a bit more crowded around Spring Break and Christmas. How much more crowded?

It looks like a Where's Waldo cartoon, doesn't it? Yeah, those cartoon searches are a lot more fun than the really busy days.

Did I tell you that I was able to stay on my diet at The Dis? It is not a cheap way to eat. Unh unh. However, they had veggie patties and black bean patties and fruit and salad at a number of places. They did not offer the new superfood, brusselKale. Then again, I only read about it yesterday, so I suppose it is possible that it did not exist last week.

Craziness about that missing plane, huh? I think it is definitely some type of hijacking.

Time to do some work-type activities. Also, I just have nothing else to add for today. Stay classy, San Diego.

My Green Granddaughter

Well, she may or may not be concerned with the environment, but she was born on St. Patrick's Day. Happy birthday to Isabella. You are wearing green today, right? Otherwise, you might get pinched.

Our trip to The Dis happens every year around her b-day. Let's look at a couple of photos from that trip. First, here is Jack on the Winnie the Pooh ride with Grammy.

Stitch clowning around with the girls at our character breakfast in Downtown Disney. Birthday girl is on the right. I must admit that character was my favorite.

If we are talking about photos, you can imagine which photographer first comes to mind, can't you? If you did not select Ansel Adams, then you have not followed this blog very closely, Anyway, I enjoyed this article about a new show in LA of some of his "best" work.

Speaking of birthdays, did you know that we missed James Madison's birthday yesterday? He was our fourth president, you know. I am sure you've heard of his wife, Dolley Madison. OK, you're probably actually thinking of the bakery of the same name that makes Zingers.

Over the weekend, we watched one of our backlog of Shark Tanks. Do you watch that program (ABC on Friday nights)? Anyway, I enjoyed this little behind-the-scenes peek from Mark Cuban. And he talks about the best and worst pitches here. And an entrepreneur talks about the 10 worst pitches here.

I just got off a call about starting my MBA at Western International University. It has been a while since I was a student, so this will be quite the ride. Of course, I will take you along with me. And that wraps up my Monday morning. Let's get going, gang.

Oh, wait. I almost forgot to add today's CoV.

I Like Two Day Workweeks

Spring Break is a busy time at the Happiest Place on Earth. Luckily, not all school districts have the same break, so the park was not quite as crowded Mon-Wed as it was on Sunday.

Yesterday's CoV was about a sign I saw as we drove into the Skecher's outlet store. Today's is a comment I heard during the same trip that made me have to respond with a snarky comment. I know. What other kind do I make, right?

I do not have it in me to have any more babies. And that's a good thing. I am worn out after keeping GRANDS. For those of you still going, take a look at what names are popular now in this article.

No, I did not load any photos last night. So, you'll have to wait until next week.

We did finish the True Detectives series last night, but I saw that Hell's Kitchen started back up. Good thing. I had feared that our TV would not have enough foul language on it, but Gordon Ramsey will fix that.

I did not find any more fun links for today, no photos, and no clever badinage (good word, right?) to share. So, let's go ahead with Friday. Have a great weekend and come back refreshed on Monday.

That Magical Mouse

He charmed us again over the last 3-1/2 days. We scooted over the The Dis for a birthday trip for the eldest granddaughter. We had a great time, and great weather, and I even found great food. Sounds like it was great, right? Well, it was even though that sounded like the setup for a joke wherein something bad would be added. Nope. The only bad thing is that I have not yet shared any photos. We were busy last night resting and unpacking.

I didn't create a Clarity of Vision comic last night, either. So, I did it today. We went to the Skecher's outlet store on the way home and I saw the sign just like you will see below.

We saw Matt Walsh one day at the Grand Californian Hotel. We know him from his work on HBO's Veep. We did not talk to him. He was on the phone and fussing at a kid to "stop dropping things and throw it in the trash".

Did you hear about Star Wars being written by Shakespeare? 'Tis true. If it were watched when 'tis watched, then 'twere well it were watched quickly...here.

I am not seeing anything to share today. I've got so much to do after a three day absence in the office, so I am going to do some of it. I will be back tomorrow, though, Lord willing and the creek don't rise.

TGIABB

Thank goodness it is almost Bella's birthday.

More and more, today's youth are so tech savvy compared to those of us in their parent's and grandparent's generations. So, we should not be surprised how quickly they can figure our smartphones and tablets and stuff.

Here is a photo I lifted from Facebook showing some white-haired due at the game. We had a good time.

Hmm, I do have some chickpeas at home, and I have been looking for an interesting way to cook them. Crunchy sounds nice.

Are you planning on seeing the movie Noah? Whether you are or not, this Yahoo story is really interesting on how they designed and built the ark for the movie. Watch it. Now.

Do you like photo-realistic drawings? How about watching one being created? How about both?

Do you like oatmeal? Have you ever wondered whether steel-cut is healthier than rolled oats? You say you have never thought about it? I have...and now I know the answer. I am not going to tell you, though. You can read it for yourself.

Do you like your job? Well, since I have to work for a few more years, it's good that I like mine. And to make sure that I keep it, I need to get Friday started. Y'all have a great weekend.

Batter Up!

We have made it to the Spring Training team event this afternoon. Lunch at Chipotle, then into the stadium we will go.

A long time ago in an email far, far away, I wrote down this idea, but just got around to reading that email last night. As I did, I came up with an idea on how to present it using the Clarity of Vision format.

Will these two lovebirds ever get together? You know what they say. Never say never.

What music do people prefer where you live or maybe where you are from? One thing I noticed in this diagram is that The Civil Wars is the popular group in Alabama. It should be no surprise, though, who is the favorite in New Jersey.

And here is a diagram posted especially for Salesman Son. I know he probably still has a jersey from that this guy gave him when we were in San Antonio. Notice that he mostly plays in the middle of the court, but does seem to own the area under the baskets.

While I was thinking about what else to share today, I came across a bookmark for Mix Magazine Classic tracks. Here are some notes about Paul McCartney recording Admiral Halsey in 1971.

When you went to college, did you take the SAT or the ACT? I took the ACT while on a family vacation to NM. I think we were in Santa Fe and the family went and did something fun while I sweated and struggled through the test. I do not remember my score except that it was high enough that I got a small academic scholarship my Freshman year (I lost it when my grades did not stay in the top 5%). Anyway, I see that they are tweaking the SAT this year and will no longer require kids to know what sagacious means and will be dropping the essay question.

Chocolate chip cookies and milk? In one bite? Yes, please.

An $84,000 piano played by the Beatles in the movie Help? Yes, please. Oh, wait. I would have to pay for it. Never mind.

Have any of you been watching the 8-episode True Detectives show on HBO? Teacher Daughter came through last night and asked if she should spend the time to catch up on it. After pondering (that means deep thinking for those of you about to take the SAT), I said it was interesting but not really worth binge watching. That's just my take. You are welcome to disagree.

Speaking of TD, I think she has Vista on her laptop. Why hasn't she upgraded to a newer OS? I suppose she doesn't see the value for the price. Have you upgraded at home? I see that XP is still on 30% of the country's Windows boxes. Many, when faced with the need to upgrade, simply move over to a Mac. Some of us forward thinkers are already there. Nanny, nanny, boo boo.

Whoa. Look at the time. I need to boogie, so y'all have a good day.

Many Are Cold But Few Are Frozen

I decided I wanted to have my own spin on Snowden and Wikileaks. And spin it is.

I see it is still cold in some areas of the country. We were cool Tuesday at 78F, but are back above 80F starting Wednesday. Do you see many birds when it is that cold? Here is a combination of a couple of shots from a previous trip up to Ouray, CO.

Do you like black and white photos. Here is one I played with to try and capture the old-timey feel of the surroundings. The color actually distracted form seeing the shapes and items in this alley.

I did happen to be watching the Oscars on Sunday when John Travolta said Let It Go would be sung by ... well, some name I had never heard. Then I saw Menzel singing and thought maybe I just had not been paying attention. As we all know now, John T totally messed up her name, and now, there is a website that will Travoltify Your Name. So, from Ramsey Walger to you, try it yourself.

Maybe it is because I am a father, but I think that Rachel Canning left home because she did not like the rules her parents imposed, including not liking who she was dating.

It stinks that Chrysler-Fiat seems to be losing its way with Jeep models. Notice that three of the bottom ten rated vehicles in a Consumer Reports study were Jeeps.

OK, the siren call of a work deliverable is calling. So, I am also calling it quits on today's post. Buh bye.

Two Days Until Root, Root, Root

It is just two days until we root, root, root for the home team. Our team event is an afternoon Spring Training game.

We had a chili cookoff at church Sunday to raise money for Vacation Bible School. This pretty much occurred as written.

Here is Pops with the two younger GRANDS at Mom's b-day party. That is one good-looking crew. And we are all so happy and smiling.

As you may remember, I have just a few games. Board games. Card games. Party games. Dice games. Anyway, here is a pile of us playing Tsuro.

What was this dude thinking? This does not even look like a state vehicle inspection sticker. The real crime is that he didn't even use the part with the recipe.

It's been a while since I found a craft that looks like something LMW would do. Well, this one does. It even includes the shape templates.

I don't see much else to add, except I heard that today is the anniversary of a famous but controversial quote from John Lennon. Did you guess what he said back in 1966? This was the day he said the Beatles were "more famous than Jesus". Yeah, it was quite the lightning rod for comments back then.

Well, I've got a dentist appointment here in a few minutes, so I will close out today's post. Hopefully, they won't find any cavities or failing fillings. Then, I've got to get the office right afterward to prepare for a project meeting. Y'all have a good day.