You Make Me Feel Like a Natural....

Did you think I would say 'woman'? If I were female, you might have been right. As it is, I was actually referring to the Natural Bridges park in Utah.

For today's photos, we are in the Moab area. So, we are going to look at some more shots of Natural Bridges National Monument. We will start off seeing the park entrance sign.

Now that you know we are in the park, we will see the three natural bridges. First is Kachina Bridge. I place it first only because it happens to be the first one I came recognize when I compare my photos against the park website.

Next, we will see Sipapu Bridge.

Finally, the third natural bridge is Owachomo Bridge. You can see what each name means in the Hopi language on the park site.

Do you know what an acronym is? Are you sure? Is radar an acronym? Is FBI an acronym? The answers are Yes and No. Acronyms are pronounced like words (like NASA) whereas initialisms are pronounced by sounding out their distinct letter sounds (like CIA).

Yesterday, I mentioned my interest in a video about special effects on Game of Thrones. Did you watch it? Whether you did or not, I have another CG-related link to share. I found out that a large percentage of the IKEA catalog is actually artificial content. You really should go look at this article.

Have you ever noticed that, when you are tired, funny things are, like, ten times funnier? I think these guys noticed it, too.

Would you say that fondue is associated with the 70s? What about quiche? What decade would you guess blackened fish reflects? You can find out about those, and more, in this Yahoo! article.

I am not finding many articles to share with you today.What is this? A Friday before a holiday? Oh, wait. I found something. It is about Oreos, so that should appeal to most of us. What does the ultimate Oreo look like to you? Is it the classic? Is it a double stuffed one (which only contains 1.86x filling)? What about a 10x stuffed one? You can read the investigation here. One more questions about them, though? How to you eat them? I do not separate the filling from the cookie. Do you?

OK, I cannot find anything else, plus it is time to get going for Friday.Y'all have an excellent weekend and Labor Day. I will see you here again on Tuesday. Hear that, Preacher Bro. There will be no blog post on Monday.

It's a Nice Place To Visit....

But I wouldn't want to live there. Where? Moab, Utah. Have you been there? It gets pretty hot in the summer, which is usually the time when we can visit.

In 2004, though, we stayed a couple of days in the area on our way to Ouray, CO. We were driving between locations in the area when we came across this little corral. I saw the colors behind it and made Dad pull over. I liked the dead wood of the fence, the whiteness of the rocks, contracted against the bright colors of Fall.

This is one of my favorite of the folks. They sat down to rest during our hiking and I asked them to just enjoy the park and not look at the camera.

And late that same day, I saw Dad taking a photo of Mom and took my own photo. You can see Mom up on the overlook.

Can you believe that I remembered to upload a few shots last night? Maybe it's because I wanted to make up for not giving you a blog post yesterday. No, that wasn't it, but I do feel bad. After all, it made Preacher Bro chastise me in public. Maybe I'll pay him back by sticking him in a Clarity of Vision. I would, but he never does anything funny. Anyway, it won't happen again for now because yesterday used up my last vacation day of the fiscal year. The new vacation year starts on Monday, Sept 1.

People who should NOT have uploaded a shot are the real estate agents represented in this blog. They do have some funny photos, though. Actually, though, the commentary really sets the tone.

bitstrips.com tells me that today's Clarity of Vision is my 311th one using this tool. I don't have a way to know how many I have done in total. Some were created at home. Some at work. Some using Microsoft Visio. Some with this web-based tool. So, I don;t have a single location where they all live except this blog, and I would have to count them individually to find out. They have been around since early 2009, and with maybe 180 per year, that would be... I don't know. You do the math.

Here is today's entry.

Have you ever been to Racetrack Playa in Death Valley? That's the place where the rocks have a trail behind them because they move somehow? Well, the word is no longer 'somehow'. Scientists have solved the mystery, and if you read the article, it will no longer be a mystery to you, either.

I think David Chase should NOT have told us what if he thinks Tony Soprano died.

I'm not real tall, but I'm not really short, either. I think I am "juuuust right." Anyway, I do like to have adequate leg room on airplanes. This article tells me I am just going to have to pay up if I really want to unfold on a plane. Would you pay extra for it?

I will admit it. I am a sucker for videos that show special effects. Here is another one about Game of Thrones. I find it fascinating to see the various layers of effects they apply, and how real the results are.How about you.

Remind me tomorrow to talk about Wizard Wars. Until then, have a Thankful Thursday.

It Was Just One Day

It was only one workday that I did not publish a blog post. I took a vacation day yesterday and did not get around to creating a blog post. Oh wait. Did anyone even notice? After the deluge of queries (not), I felt I should let you know that the boss said I should not let a vacation day go to waste, and I should use it this week before the new vacation year starts on Tuesday. So, I had a dentist appointment in the morning anyway, so I said "Sure."

I did not think of today's Clarity of Vision comic yesterday, though. It looks like I made a note about it last Thursday. Why? I think someone used the phrase either at work or on a TV program. I can't remember.

Do you like looking at old photographs of locations that you live or know well? Here is a shot of Ouray, CO, in 1901. You can easily pick out Cascade Falls in this photo from 1889. And here are a bunch of photos of Phoenix in years gone by.

Here are some shots of Camp Bird Mine (#22), Shasta Dam (#28), and other locales around 1940.

If this were a normal post, you would now be looking at more of my photos. However, it must not be because I do not have any to share. I should have loaded a few last night, but other circumstances arose.

I bet that I know something you have never wondered about. What does the moon smell like? If you guessed cheese, you would be wrong. It seems the closest earth analog is spent gunpowder. You can read what the astronauts said here.

Do you like Mythbusters? Even the segments with Kari, Grant and Tory? Well, look for some changes going forward, since they were all released from the program. Too bad. I liked them, although Jamie and Adam were always the stars.

Well, being out yesterday means I need to get going for today. How about you? Big plans for Tremendous Tuesday? Then let's get going.

Is UK Pronounced U.K. or Yuck?

I have exhausted all the New England photos that I found so far. Instead, I will move to some from the UK trip we took back in 2004. Let's start by looking at Malahide Castle in Dublin.

Now, from Ireland back down to southwestern England and see Stonehenge.

The next shot is NOT from the UK, but is my favorite shot of Mom sitting below Wilson Arch near Moab, UT.

Maybe UK is pronounced U.K., but thinking about bugs in your house is pronounced yuck. However, the commercials I hear on local radio are funny. Here is the one I heard today.

If there is any wood in your home, termites move into your home and make it their home.
If termites make your home their home, you have to move to a tent in the backyard.
If you move into a tent in the backyard, your dog pees on the tent pole.
Don't let your dog pee on your new house.
Call -pest control company name-.

Hopefully, something not pronounced yuck is the daily Clarity of Vision. Despite what people may have claimed in yesterday's comments, it is created most days and has periodically been humorous. I hope today's installment does not disappoint.

Have you seen what some call the "worst commercial ever made"? No, you should check it out. It really pretty bad.

What movie did Roger Ebert say was his first "masterpiece"? Well, it was 1967's Bonnie and Clyde. Read this to learn twelve more facts about the movie.

I recently read that the Honda Accord is the most stolen car. There is another commodity that is maybe more interesting to thieves. Legos. Read this story to see why this is true, and what kinds of numbers some sets command.

And you know what? I have spent enough (too much?) time on the blog for today. Let's all get our Fantastic Friday underway. Have a good weekend.

No More Covered Bridges!

I have mentioned before that we traveled through New England a few years ago. I was working in Warwick, RI, so they flew there and then we drove north to Boston. We also hit NH, VT, ME, and NY. So, since we were up in covered bridge land, I wanted to catch as many as I could. Every time I found there was one close, I would sneakily divert our trip to see one (maybe not so sneakily, but I was the primary driver). Finally, after we saw a bunch, Dad decided we would see "No more covered bridges!"

Let's look at a couple, though. I already shared Saco River Bridge a couple of days ago. Here is Albany Bridge in Albany, NH.

While the entrances are cool and more recognizable, I like the shots where you can see more of the bridge itself. Let's see another shot of the Albany Bridge. Yes, the colors really were that brilliant.

And now, another bridge in NH. Let's go with view over the river of the Swift River Bridge near Conway.

The colors are equally bright in the daily Clarity of Vision. Still, it is possible that Dad may say "No more comic strips!"

One of the songs from one of the missing Gaither Vocal Band albums is Build an Ark. Do you remember that song? Here is a reunion of the group singing the song on one of the Homecoming videos.

And now that I am looking through the videos in youtube, let's listen to another song from the same album. The title song, New Point of View. I really like the bass voice, Jon Mohr (who also wrote this one if I remember correctly).

This story out of Denver is titled "Woman with no fingerprints faces theft, forgery charges in Colorado". So, I am wondering what the discussion at the police station sounded like? "Sarge, we've got house that was transferred to another name and a fake signature on the deed." "OK, any evidence? DNA? Fingerprints? Anything?" "Well, sir. It turns out...we've got NO FINGERPRINTS. So, we think it was a woman who removed her fingerprints." "She sounds guilty. Let's bring her in."

So, Wizard Wars did very well on its debut episode on Tuesday. What? You never heard of that show? Me, either, but it sounds interesting to me. Teams competing to create new illusions that Penn and Teller like. It is on Syfy. Let's watch the next one, OK? And NBC cancelled Working the Engels. What? You never heard of that show? Me, either, but since it is cancelled already, we will never know what we missed.

I saw this story headline on Yahoo! this morning.

So, let's compare our responses. What was yours? OK, now let's see mine. I thought of the boss saying to the employee, "Hey, do you want to shower first in the morning or can I?"

I also saw a story headline talking about the value of the various NFL franchises. The Cowboys top the list at $3.2 billion, and the Rams are the lowest at $930 million. What was your response to that? Mine was "Jerry, what if I give you $268 now and we finance the rest?"

Let's wrap up our covered bridge and GVB and Yahoo! link fest with one more topic. We have reached the 75th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz. Here are some things about it you may not have know, or thought about, or cared about.

I have used more than enough virtual real estate for today. Have a Thrilling Thursday and come back soon, Y'hear?

Waiter! A Round of Black Beans For Everybody!

Yup. I am buying you all a serving of black beans to celebrate being a vegan for a year. When I was first starting this diet, I tracked my eating in fatsecret.com. That's the only reason I know that today is my anniversary. I started off at 170lbs and am currently hovering around 156lbs. However, I have been as low as 153lbs and as high as 160lbs. Of course, those numbers are only as accurate as our home scale. The main thing I want to ensure is that I stay at a healthy weight. I don't know how to really evaluate the benefits, though. Oh well. It surely would not lead me to an unrealistic view of myself, would it?

Yesterday, I listened to Chicago (the singing group, not the town or the TV station WGN) during the workday. I started with Chicago 13, a not very good album. I also listened to Eternity, a Christian mixed group from the 70s. They had some nice arrangements. I looked around, but it seems they broke up around 2000 and their old albums are no longer available. Today, as I write this, I am listening to the early music from the Gaither Vocal Band (before they went Southern Gospel). Their old albums are also no longer available. I do have digital copies of New Gaither Vocal Band (their first), Passin' The Faith Along (their second), A Few Good Men (the sixth), and Peace of the Rock (#8). The one I most covet is #3, New Point of View. Update: my New Gaither Vocal Band is not playing correctly. Maybe it's a bad copy? I hope it's not a problem with my iPhone! Update 2: All songs are exhibiting the same behavior. The progress bar continues across as normal, but the music I hear starts again from the beginning after 1:25, and the song abruptly ends at 3:28.

Can you remember who you talked to yesterday? Last week? Last month? Well, a dude names Nick Felton has released a personal annual report noting who, when and how long he communicated with everybody for the past year. Here is the chart.

An eBay auction of a Superman comic (#1) has reached $2,000,000. There are only 4 days left, so you'd better get your act together and bid if you want to have a chance. The last sold for $2.16 million.

Where is CGI going? This is a really wild video about mapping a models face and a real-time makeup that follows her as she moves her head.

I do not have any photos to share today. I did not think about y'all when I got home from Chorale last night. Sorry. Instead, I will share some charts about where people in some states came from originally. First, where Californians were born. This is the state with the highest number of people born outside the US.

Now, Louisiana. Why? It is the state with the highest number of people who were born in that state.

Finally, where current Texans were born. Why? It's Texas!

Listen, folks. I need to go get my diet celebration set up so the whole department can participate. Maybe I will just go get some grapes from the fridge and snack at my desk. Yeah, that's probably best. Thanks for reading and I will see you tomorrow. It's Wonderful Wednesday.

That's Insane

I loaded some different music onto my iPhone last night and listened to it at work this morning. Today, I went for the Baylor Religious Hour choir and Anùna. BRH is from the mid-70s (and sounds like it, although I still enjoy it) and Anùna from the 90s. Anyway, some of the BRH songs reminded me of one of my college buddies and his song 'Nursery Rhymes'. I found it on his site and decided to share it with you today. Have a listen. You might like the whole CD and you can buy it from him on that same site.

Even if you don't read the whole article, you should watch this video. It is about a way your monitor can interact with a unit that lets you have a 3D live thing happening that can roll a ball using your own hands. Just go watch. It's too hard to explain.

And even if you don't read the whole blog, you can still look at the purty pictures. Here is Portland Head Light from our visit in 2002.

If you are anything like me, I pity you. Still, if you are, you have an extra $5,000 around at all times. So, maybe we should go buy this font for your computer. I mean, it's just $5K. A good font is worth that, right?

I am watching The Great Food Truck Race as I write this on Monday night. Have you ever watched this in previous seasons? We always enjoy it. It is on the Food Network. Anyway, their first challenge was some diners who sampled their food as part of the show. One of teams talked about the chance of winning $500 for first place. What did they say? "That's insane!"

Most of the summer interns have left and gone back to their schools. there are still a few around, but none in my area. That doesn't mean that they are not still potential fodder for the COV machine.

Speaking of fodder, my fadder (clever pun and segue, right?) and mudder were with MBH and I up in New England back in 2002 and that's where my recent photos are from. Here is a shot of the Saco River Covered Bridge in NH.

And the entrance to the bridge here.

I got a message from Ex-NZ Niece (Architect Bro's daughter) that they are going to participate in an event in November to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). You can read more about it and donate at this link.

The little boy in this video reminds me of JV. They both REALLY LOVE football.

How many times will I talk about this? Well, that depends. How many times will the State Fair of Texas come up with new food to fry? Blueberry muffins? Yes. Chicken fried loaded baked potatoes? Check. Go read about the others.

It's now Tuesday morning. It is a rainy, gloomy day outside. What a nice change for desert dwellers. Well, it is better when I don't have to drive in it. For now, though, I am sitting in the office looking out, so I'll take it. Let's go enjoy our new day and get back together tomorrow.

A Colorful Post

'Mama, don't let your babies grow up to be ...'. You thought I was going to say 'cowboys', didn't you? If not, you are probably too young to know much about Willie Nelson songs. Well, I was actually going to say 'pears'. At least in China, they are growing pears shaped like babies.

Here is a photo from 2002 when we took a trip up to New England for the fall colors. I somehow thought it would be a little more impressive. Right?

One of the things that has stayed with us since that trip is a name we coined to describe the busloads of visitors (mostly women) who come up during the brief time of maximum fall colors. We dubbed them "foliagettes".

Here is a strange photo of me either doing a John Wayne imitation or perhaps a Christopher Walkenesque dance beside the car. One good thing, though, is you can see there were whole trees with color and not just the individual leaves like you saw above.

Do you remember a link I posted a few weeks ago about The Old Man of the Mountain up in NH? I found a picture we grabbed back in 2002 of the Old Man before he fell in May, 2003.

Are many of the shops and restaurant failing in the community where you live? They are around us. What happens to the buildings or storefronts that are no longer used? For us, if they are in a strip mall, they just sit there empty. A gas station on the corner was recently razed and a credit union opened on the lot. Now, they are also building a Dunkin' Donuts on the site. Sometimes, another business takes over the building, but you can sometimes recognize what used to be there.

Before we hit Colorado again, I should probably replace my hiking boots whose toe is torn open on one of them. Luckily, my tennies are only about one year old, so they are OK. I would not buy shoes that are already muddied, though. And especially not for over $200.

I think that I never finished the story of There's No Mayonnaise in Ireland by Wil Stanton. Here is the rest of the story.

Why, why can't people learn to speak clearly?
It was toward the end of the evening that I noticed an attractive girl, wearing an extremely mini outfit, sitting back in the shadows all by herself. I went over and told her how much I liked her dress.
"Thank you," she said. "I always say, you can't beat sex."
Well, I don't have to have the roof fall on me. I sat down on the couch and put my arm around her. "You took the words right out of my mouth." I said.
She seemed surprised. "Really?" she said.
"That's right," I leered. "I admire somebody who doesn't beat around the bush!" I leaned over and started to nibble her ear. The next thing I knew I got a clout on the head, and by the time I'd found my glasses the girl was gone.
Later, I heard her talking to the hostess. "I don't know what set him off," she was saying. "I said that I'd bought my dress at Saks, and— wow!—it was Katie bar the door!"
So now I've become overly cautious. If a woman says, "I'm so proud of my knees," I pause; I think; and then I remember with a smile that she happens to have a nephew, too.
On occasion, however, I'm still baffled. Like the time last summer when my wife and children were at the shore and I was alone in the house. The phone rang, and a sultry voice said, "This is Sophia Loren. I just got into town, and I'd like to stop by and see you."
Actually, I don't know what the voice said, because obviously it couldn't have been what it sounded like. So I said I was sorry, I was sick, and I hung up.
Since then I have gone over that message word by word, trying to see what part of it I could have misunderstood. As far as I can tell, it means exactly what it seems to have meant. I read in the paper that Sophia was in town that evening, and it certainly did sound like her voice.
Of course, I know perfectly well that if I'd said, "Okay, sure," it would have turned out that I'd ordered aluminum siding for the house and garage. Or agreed to take charge of PTA entertainment for the next year. Something like that.
At least, that's what I keep telling myself.

You can read the earlier extracts in Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

Have you seen Guardians of the Galaxy? I thoroughly enjoyed it and laughed out loud at some scenes. It would help if you are a sci-fi or techy or action nerd. Still, even MBH liked it. Color us happy.

BTW, just like Preacher Bro, IT Sis didn't know that song I mentioned last week, either. I guess the folks were careful who they shared it with.

Speaking of family, I have a cousin who is ill with pancreatic and liver cancer. He is currently undergoing chemo, and it does not sound fun.Keep him in your prayers.

How have we gone this long without a new Clarity of Vision comic? Maybe this will color my cousin's day a little brighter?

Really? Consumers choose Cheesecake Factory over Cracker Barrel and Red Robin for casual dining? Color me surprised.

And with that, color me finished, at least for today. Of course, have a Marvelous Monday.

It's Not My Fault

For some weird reason, I thought of songs about the cross this morning. I wonder which ones would work together to make a medley of them? One of the songs I remembered was At The Cross, written by Isaac Watts in 1707. You know it, right? I am sure you do if you are over 30. It goes:
At the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light,
And the burden of my heart rolled away.
It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now, I am happy all the day.

From that, though, I thought of a version that my parents taught me years ago that they knew from their childhood. The chorus went like this:
In the bar, in the bar, where I smoked my first cigar,
And the money in my pockets rolled away.
It was there, by chance, that I tore my Sunday pants,
And now, I have to wear them everyday.

So, see, I think it is my parent's fault that I am so unique in my sense of humor. I think we should all blame them for this blog and the oddness of Clarity of Vision.

Speaking of humor, there is a local pest control company whose ads I think are funny. Here is the one I heard this morning:
When you don't call Pest Control in time, ants invade your home.
When ants invade your home, you feel powerless.
When you feel powerless, you take karate.
When you take karate, you take it to the streets.
When you take it to the streets, someone yells, "Oh, it's on!"
When someone yells, "Oh, it's on!", you get into a dance battle.
When you get into a dance battle, you fall and break your hip.
Don't break your hip, call Pest Control.
Well, I thought it was funny, and that's what matters. My own dance battle would probably look like this KC cop.

Let's get serious for a moment. I read about a quandary for those of you who have self-driving cars. OK, there's not too many of us at the moment, but consider this. If it gets into an accident, who is liable? You? You weren't driving. The makers of the control software? Read more about this dilemma here.

I think it was Ben Franklin who said "It is a poor mind that cannot think of more than one way to spell a word". I mean, this is a creative spelling of aquarium, if nothing else.

Chocolate Legos? Yes, please.

Pinterest tips? Yes, please.

Real facts about false myths? Yes, please. Do penguins mate for life? Did Franklin really want the turkey to be the US symbol? You can now know the truth, and hopefully, it will set you free.

You are now free to read today's CoV.

Well, I hear the train a-comin'. It's comin' 'round the bend. And I ain't done no work since, I don't know when. Actually, it was yesterday, but I'm burning daylight, so I'd best be ion  my way. Have a great weekend.

AP-F! W2H!

Another Pre-Friday! Whoo to the Hoo! Let's jump right in.

In a break from the usual, let's load the Clarity of Vision right up front. It is something I heard on last night's Big Brother.

I remember having Duncan yo-yos when I was a little shaver (actually, even before I was a shaver. And why is that a phrase, anyway?). However, this dude can yo faster than I can even watch what he is doing. Go ahead. Watch what he is doing.

Let's see how Weird Al answers some off-the-wall questions. Now, if you checked that link out, you will know his sandwich idea. What would the resultant sandwich actually taste like? Based on the article, though, I think it is unlikely I would ever make it.

Hmm. So antiperspirants may make your underarms smell worse? Still, would you stop using them? No, me neither.

Have you watched Idiotest on GSN yet? I watched the first two episodes last night, and it has some tricky questions about the puzzles. Go watch an episode and then we'll talk.

I don't know if he does it anymore, but SS has been known to challenge members of his sales team to work in a random phrase into a call and never call attention to it. Here is a clever tribute to Robin Williams where a sportscaster works in the names of 22 of his roles into a normal sports report. No, I did not get them all.

Looking for a new car. Yahoo! lets you know which cars you should NOT buy. There is also a story saying Volts and Leaf hybrids do not have a strong residual value, so caveat emptor.

Can you believe we are already halfway through August? What's next? September? Really, though, it does seem that 2014 is flying by. So, let's take a moment and enjoy today. OK, time's up. Now, go get 'em, tiger.

Who Made a Typpo?

I read an interesting article this morning about why we cannot catch our own typos. The explanation made sense, so I am sharing it with you. The story reminded me of having read that we can read most things as long as the first and last letters are in the right place. You can see a sample paragraph here. Can you decipher it?

What makes less sense than anything you read in the articles linked above? Probably, it is the daily Clarity of Vision comic. Things start out jumbled in my mind and then spill forth to confound even the most seasoned readers. Let's see what I did today (it is related to yesterday's comic, so you might want to check it out again as a reminder).

Hey, have you ever heard of Corsicana, TX? It is down between Dallas and Houston. MBH is from there. Anyway, a 14-year-old made a hidden home inside their Walmart and lived there for four days. Uh, no thanks.

How does 349 days on vacation sound? That's how many days GW Bush had taken by this point in his presidency, compared to 129 for Obama. No, it does not make me want to be president, though.

Speaking of vacation, I don't think I would like it if our average summer temps (currently 104F) moved up to over 114F. That's what this interactive map predicts could happen this century. What could happen to your town?

Did you hear that Lauren Bacall died?

And talk of people dying leads one to consider their own obituary. I will not say 'Ding dong. The witch is dead' when my mother passes. Apparently, though, this woman wanted that included in hers. Crazy, huh?

Are you an online consumer? Does FedEx ever deliver your stuff? It's good to know that they take care of your purchases, right? Umm, maybe not.

It's a muggy, wet day. I need to make sure my work is a bright spot for my customers, so I will get started now. Have a Wonderful Wednesday.

RIP Robin Williams

Did you hear that Robin Williams died? Of course you did. That's obviously a rhetorical question. Of course, everyone is salaciously awaiting the details since it appears he killed himself. In reading one article this morning, I read about a funny ad lib he did in promoting the film 'Awakenings'. When director Penny Marshall mistakenly described the film as being set in a “menstrual hospital,” instead of “mental hospital,” Williams quickly stepped in and joked, “It’s a period piece.”

Isn't digital technology amazing? They can take two dead singers and join them together to make a synthesized duet. Barbra Streisand and Elvis Presley. Oh wait a minute. It turns out that Barbra is not dead. My bad.

How would you like to learn 19 goofy things about food at the Disney parks? If you would, hop over to this link are ready away. I found some of them interesting. Can you get alcohol anywhere? What about gum? Go. Read.

Do you really get one phone call when you are arrested? I am not going to spoil it, but there are several myths from movies that may or may not be true. Read this enlightening article and we will both know the truth about igloos, kilts, and other things.

One thing that is rarely the truth (although it is often based around a truth) is the daily Clarity of Vision. I will not spoil the surprise of whether or not today's CoV is true.

Speaking of truth, can cats be trusted? Apparently, not always. Check out this cat snooping in the neighborhood of open wi-fi networks.

What is your favorite flavor of potato chips? BBQ? Salt and Vinegar? Cappuccino? Is that a thing? It is, at least for right now. There are several flavors being tested. Do any of them strike your fancy? You can see the reaction of some testers here.

Did you hear that? It's today's starting bell, so I will mosey over to the water cooler and stand around like I do everyday. Have a Terrific Tuesday.

Come Together, Over Timothy Leary?

Gather 'round, kids. Have you ever heard of a singing group from the '60s called The Beatles? Well, I've got a couple of links that can give you some insight into this small, non-world-changing group of British singers. The first is about the title of today's post. It seems John Lennon first wrote Come Together in response to a request from Timothy Leary for a campaign song. Somehow, it morphed into the song that opens the Abbey Road album. Check out this interesting factoid here.

I have a second Beatles-related story today. There were several outtakes from the cover photo for Abbey Road. You can see them here. And that link also drops you into the middle of The Beatles official website, so dig around. You can read about all of their albums and learn some stuff.

Have you ever said you needed a Kleenex, even though you are not using that brand? You can see how that name is now genericized. Here are some others in the same state.

Did you hear about CA residents attending 'water school' if they use too much so they can avoid a fine? I think I might be in trouble based on TD's showers. How would you do at your house?

Do you have cable TV? Do you get TV Land? If so, you might check out Candid Camera, back again from founder Alan Funt's son, Peter. Can it make it in today's media-rich environment? Well, it IS the original reality TV, so i think it has a chance. Then again, tucked away on a small channel like TV Land, it could do poorly and still stay on the air. Will you watch?

Did you go out and check the supermoon last night? I went out with my camera to catch a nice shot with a swaying palm tree in the foreground. Camera? Check. Tree? Check. Moon? Nope. It was cloudy and dusty out, and I could not see anything in the sky. So, I missed out on my one chance at fame and glory. Well, maybe not that, but I missed out on seeing the supermoon. Maybe next time.

Let's look at today's CoV, OK?

And with that, I will send you on your way. I am honored that you stopped by here on your way to today. See you soon.

It's Worse Than That. It's Dead, Jim

After channeling Bones from Star Trek, I will explain that the car battery finally bit the dust this morning. So, I am writing today's blog from the comfort of our couch at home. The auto parts store doesn't open until 7am. Actually, working in the den is quite appropriate given the setting of today's Clarity of Vision.

Speaking of home-kinda-stuff, when is the last time you got pizza delivered? I'm not surprised, since it seems Pizza Hut has been losing market share for almost two years. It looks like Papa John's is the next biggest competitor.

Accordian at the Super Bowl? I vote a resounding "YES". His new album is really good.

Are you SURE you would be able to tell if a food is real meat or a substitute? These people were, too. One of the products fooled them.

Speaking of eating, how about a burger with burgers instead of buns? Sounds yummy, doesn't it? Not to me.

I saw this story on the news this morning. A dude keeps an obnoxious kid from getting the apple pie he was whining to receive. Do you like it or do you disagree with his approach? I think it is pretty funny.

Sure, I often go to work with no pants on, but it is my choice. I hardly ever go to work drunk. It would be tough to do since I don't drink.

Anna and Elsa coming to Once Upon a Time? Believe it, and now there are photos to prove it. Don't know who they are? Well, your entertainment radar is Frozen, then.

OK, it is almost time to go. I will let you go so you can get through today so you can get your weekend on so you can have fun.... Go. Don't worry about me.

Anniversary, The Next Day

Wait. Is this a sequel post? Did you read yesterday's post? If so, then you know it was our wedding anniversary. If you did not, then you know it now. Anyway, let's start with some divorce statistics from this website: 41 percent of first marriages end in divorce, 60 percent of second marriages end in divorce, 73 percent of third marriages end in divorce, that is one divorce approximately every 36 seconds in the US, living together prior to getting married can increase the chance of getting divorced by as much as 40 percent, 29 percent of Baptists are divorced (the highest for a US religious group), while only 21 percent of atheists/agnostics were divorced (the lowest). Does any of that surprise you? No, me either. Well, maybe the fact that Baptists are the most likely religion to get divorced. For us, though, it is onward and upward toward 39.

Would you pay an extra $0.35 to help restaurants pay a better living wage to their workers? One place in MN is doing just that. Why don't they just hide it by raising prices a tiny bit? I guess they want to make a political statement, huh? Which would you prefer?

So, kids, do you like optical illusions? If your answer is yes, look at this. If not, do not look at this.

What really happened to Jim Morrison? Marianne Faithfull gives a hint here.

Who'd a thunk it? It turns out that the scene at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark were more accurate than first guessed. A 6500-year-old skeleton lost in PA for 85 years was found in a museum basement. One good thing is that the modern tools will let them examine it more closely than when it was discovered.

There is now an IFTTT Space Channel that can ping you every time someone enters space or the Curiosity Rover on Mars detects a season change. I have recently been wondering how I can keep up on those types of happenings.

Have you been wondering how you can keep up with new Clarity of Vision comic strips? Just show up here everyday. Let's take a look at today's CoV.

What if you had to go to work at 4:00pm? What if church started at 6:00pm? What if you went to bed at 3:00am? Do those times sound really bad? This article is suggesting we do away with all time zones and base the world on GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), which is based in the UK. So, 4pm might correlate to our current time of 9am. Would that we weird? Would you even support it? It would make TV commercials for new programming simpler. I don't think I would like it.

OK, Time's up. I am outta here. See you tomorrow.

Oops, We Did It Again

Her name is NOT Britney, and it is not really an 'oops', but my beloved and I did make it through another year of wedded bliss. Whoo to the power of Hoo. Can you believe it? Some of you may be wondering who is luckier. OK, none of you are wondering that, but I assure you it is me. Thanks, MBH, for putting up with me for well almost four decades.

Is the fact that we sent a probe to a comet of any interest to you? What if you knew it took 10 years, 4 billion miles to hit a spot between Mars and Jupiter, and it will track it for more than a year? Still no? Man, you are COLD.

I have watched 1/2 of Gravity. Which half? Why, the first one, silly. I imagine the effects are much better on a movie screen than what I see on my little 32" TV screen at home. So far, it is OK. I see it got 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, so maybe I will like the second half better.

You have until next Wednesday to get ready. for what? Sharknado 2: The Second One will be aired again on Syfy. I missed it the first time, and haven't even seen the first one. Wait just a doggone minute. They will air both of them on the same night! See you there, my friends.

Whether you watch (or have watched) any of the things mentioned above, you really should check out this time-lapse video from a couple of national parks in California. Really well done. It makes me want to see about making my own.

Did I mention it is my wedding anniversary? Yes? Well, let's all celebrate together with today's Clarity of Vision.

Speaking of things you have watched (or not watched), this is interesting about food show fails. Did you know of any of them?

A famous Utah rock landmark fell sometime last week. That reminds me how lucky we were to have seen the Old Man of the Mountain in NH before it fell. You can see it's image on the state quarter.

I have been pulled away for a work meeting, so I will close today's post. If you are linked to MBH on FB, wish her a Happy Anny. If you have no idea what I just wrote, don't worry about it. I don't either.

Bartender! Myringotomy for Everybody!

Did you notice that I am a little late starting today's post? No, of course not. All you can see is the end result of getting it posted. Behind that is my work phase of creating the day's comic, checking my email for ideas I sent myself in previous days (denoted by starting the subject line with 'Blog'), writing down any ideas I had in the last 24 hours, and checking today's websites for links and ideas. So, I got behind working on today's Clarity of Vision, and as of right now, I have not done the subsequent investigative steps. So, right now, I am going to email because I know I have at least one idea I can share.

Did you hear about the Japanese creating an all-robot cheering team? Read about the fanbots here and tell me if that is not a little bit (meaning a lot bit) creepy.

I believe JV is getting tubes put in his ears today (a myringotomy). Tube or not tube, that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of painful ear infections, or.... Wait, I seem to be using Shakespeare to talk about JV's otitis media (middle ear infections). Why? Because in my mind, I read 'tube' as two syllables 'too bay'. So of course, that led to 'too bay or not too bay' and my mind was off and running. So, good luck to the little guy.

I had a quotation theme in mind for CoV, also.

Do you remember going to (or being part of) bake sales in your grade school? And not only bake sales. I also remember selling the chocolate bars (and eating more than my share of them). I guess those are now being mostly eliminated so that the government can claim they are helping us raise healthier kids. At least they allow the states to have SOME say on when and where they can be held. What do you think about this?

Not many good links today. No photos to share. I've already added the CoV for the day. I am just going to have to end this early so that I don't bore both of us. Hopefully, tomorrow will offer more diversion for us. I will see you then.

Oops. I just now (two hours later) noticed that I forgot to hit Publish. Enjoy.

Sly Stallone, Sly City, and Sly Way to Avoid Posting Photos

Have you been seeing a lot of TV ads for Expendables 3? I have, so I thought I would check out one of the earlier films from that franchise. Surprisingly, it was worse that I expected, and that's pretty bad. I watched the second one On Demand. In case you could not guess...NO, I will not be going to see the latest installment. And yes, Sylvester Stallone is the main actor in it.

When we pulled out the bills coming due soon, we opened an envelope from the city. I need to pull weeds in the alley or be fined $500. And uh oh, it has to be done by Friday, Aug 1. I guess we should have opened it sooner. Well, I went out after a monsoon rain and pulled enough to satisfy the city (I think). Maybe I will take a look again in a week and see if anything else has grown above their 12" limit.

I think I mentioned last week that I shared all the photos from our last trip out of town. Actually, that is just a lucky coincidence because I totally forgot to check for any to share last night. We did keep the GRANDS this past weekend, but I didn't catch any photos. JV and I never even left the house. All of us went swimming on Friday night (I cannot remember how JV says swimming, but it is cute).

Pretty sly way for me to populate today's post title, right? Actually, I am not sure why the second and third list items are 'sly', but it's my blog and my post title, so I say it works.

Did you remember that Colorado now allows marijuana sales? However, it is apparently up to each town to decide for themselves if it is legal. So far, Gunnison has resisted. How long will they keep that up when they see other towns making big bucks from sales taxes on the drug? Not long, I venture.

I read this article about 11 grocery store items that you can make at home. Sounds intriguing, doesn't it? I will admit that most of them are not items I would have purchased in the first place. Still, I usually read these stories because, some day, I will find the one thing that I really DO want to make at home.

On reasons why I don't exercise, there are some moves the experts want us to avoid. Yeah, baby.

I am 2.5 weeks away from being vegan for one year. Amazing, right? Do you know anyone else that is vegan? Maybe you are thinking about it? Read this first to see some things we have to think about on a day-to-day basis. Will I continue? For now, yes. Will I temper my diet and make it a bit less stringent? I don't know yet. There is also an article on why Clinton, Ellen, Tyson are also now vegan. It mentions the same studies and doctors that convinced me.

So many words, so few visual images. Let's end or Monday malaise with a Clarity of Vision comic, OK? See you on Tuesday.

I Made It Through a Whole Week of Work

After taking last Thursday and Friday off for a mini-vacation, I had to work all five days this week. It seemed to go on forever. Didn't someone suggest that we should adopt a three-day workweek in the US? I could go for that. And I found the article on The Washington Post. It was Carlos Slim, the billionaire businessman from Mexico.

One of the things we always do on our trips is catch a shot of our hiking boots or shoes. Here we are on our back patio after our Sunset Trail hike.

I came across this area of forest ferns and noticed a little white flower showing through below them. I took two photos of it. In one, I focused on the flower, and the other was focused on the fern. Which do you like better?

I had a conference call yesterday afternoon where I was an 'Optional' Attendee. Imagine my surprise when they asked me to explain the purchase requisition for a product. Yes, I am the PM for an upgrade project on the tool, but I don't know anything about which groups use it, how often we have to make service calls on it, etc. I don't think I did as well as I could have if I had known it was coming. I don't even know who filed the paperwork.

Something else I learned yesterday is that thing behind which speakers talk is the lectern, not the podium. The article I read asked that we 'Stop confusing the words “podium” (a raised platform that you stand on) and “lectern” (a reading stand that you stand behind)'. Did you just learn something, too?

Whaddya think? Would you support a restaurant whose dining room does not allow children? Or should anyone be able to eat anywhere, so you would also avoid that restaurant? Tough call. Being without kids, though, I wouldn't care. Then again, I don't really notice them that much anyway. When we keep the GRANDS, I wouldn't take them to 'that kind' of eating establishment, preferring the playgrounds inside of McDonald's.

Can you believe Toad the Wet Sprocket is still around? Have you ever heard of this band name? The name was pulled from a Monty Python skit when they couldn't think of any other name. No, I do not know any of their songs, but I certainly know the name. In case you want to hear them, though, here is a video of their biggest hit, Walk On the Ocean. Actually, it doesn't sound bad.

I heard that our daughter-in-love has restarted K.B.'s Sweet Shoppe again. Sure, it comes back now that I am a vegan. Then again, probably K.B.'s Quinoa Shoppe doesn't have the same cache. Anyway, you can probably find out more on Facebook.

Ready for a little CoV? If not, skip over for my ending comments on today's blog.

As I mentioned earlier, I have now worked FIVE DAYS IN A ROW! Well, I guess it is only a little over four right now since today is just starting. In order to keep my streak alive, I guess I'd better actually do something to help ensure continued employment. Have a great weekend and we will spend more time together on Monday.