A Soggy Super Sunday?

Yes, the Big Game this weekend will be played indoors at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ. However, they are planning to have the roof open.What if it rains? And what about the events today and tomorrow? Will the weather rain on their parade?

Let's think back to times when I saw an artist capturing their vision and showed where their inspiration came from. We will start with a Lady I saw drawing a scene in Zion National Park.

It looks a whole lot like the actual view, doesn't it?

And when we were in Balboa Park in San Diego, we came across a woman doing a watercolor of the California Tower (which, by the way, is now reopened to the public after 80 years).

And here is the tower from one of my photos.

We will end with a photo showing a lady drawing a path on Telluride Mountain. Her subject is the path in background.

MBH showed me this weathercast on Facebook last night and I thought it was hilarious. His weather map has temperatures all messed up and he goes along with it. One town's temp shows as over 2900 degrees.

I had a meeting yesterday afternoon, but I was still on the phone with a IT person at the time it was starting. No, I really WAS on the phone. Anyway, even though it was me, it still led me to this.

It is like they read my mind. I was just sitting here wishing there was some way I could turn my smartphone into a wireless mouse and keyboard, and BAM, I came across this app.

Like it or not, the Exploding Kittens game seems destined to reach the marketplace. They had a Kickstarter goal of raising $10,000 in 30 days, and instead, reached $2,700,000 in 2 days. See the video explaining the game on youtube.

Wait? Is that Giraffe Girl?

Is that a Dragon Dog?

Find the stories behind these two photos and other funny photos here.

Water and Wiener Words of Wisdom

Let's go with a 'river' theme for today's photos. They all happen to be from my Zion National park folder. I recommend you listen to Loggins and Messina sing Watching The River Run while you look at the shots.

We watched Masterchef Junior last night, and luckily, it don't not have his trademark bleeped out foul language. I have a story about the 'insane mode' button in Tesla cars that will accelerate the car from zero to 60mph in around 3 seconds. The video that accompanies the story includes some bleeped out words. Apparently, the car speeds up so fast, it feels like a roller coaster.

I vote NO to digital driver's licenses. It seems to rife with opportunities to be exploited. What about you? Is your cell phone the be all and end all for you and you would like to have your license on there?

Since we left our last church with all the staff and member changes, we have been to a few different ones, but haven't really found one that we felt was our next church home. Yesterday, the daily email devotional that I get was this one from Hebrews. It reminded me that we need to get serious in our search. Then, at Chorale practice on Tuesday night, the woman I sat next to asked about our search and suggested one where her kids landed after they left the same church we left. I don't know if it is a sign, but it is certainly important that we visit more churches soon.

In an article I saw on Yahoo today, it shows Disney princesses and how their hair should actually look given the circumstances taking place around them. I copied the 'after' photo of Ariel below.

This is a clever way to use the current scandal of Deflategate to advertise your brand.

Oh sure, NOW IKEA decides to offer meatless meatballs at their restaurants.

It's that time again. You know what I mean. You go your way and I go mine. Before we go, though, I was talking to a coworker yesterday and he said he had back-to-back meetings yesterday and wasn't getting anything done. I wrote it down as an idea for a comic someday, and that day is TODAY!

OK, go.

On The Downward Side of This Week

In honor of today being 'hump day', we are looking at photos of arches. Can an arch be an archetype? Anyway, all four shots are from the San Francisco area. This first is from the Fisherman's Wharf area and you can see Alcatraz through the arch.

This photo was trying to capture all the arches on the right and the arch down below through the stairway arch in front of me. It is from a shopping area near the wharf.

This one should need no explanation. It is one of the arches on the Golden Gate Bridge.

This arch is in a park area on the Marin Headlands side of the Golden Gate Bridge. However, I just looked around the area via Google Maps and cannot find this location.

Take a look at the photos in this article. Each one has a sniper hidden somewhere in the scene. I did not find a single one.

Would you look to a website to find a private home where you could use the bathroom? I came across the airpnp site and it looks real. It can't be, though, right? That's too weird.

Have you been through a failed relationship or a failed marriage? What did you do with all the old reminders? Give them back to your ex? Next time, think of something that better expresses your feelings. Go to a shooting range and blast the stuff to kingdom come. This place will rent you the best machine gun for the job. So long, old wedding dress.

An all-women Ghostbusters movie coming next year? They certainly chose some funny people.

Does thinking of Ghostbusters take you back to the good old days? Then today's Clarity of Vision comic should, too, since it is a reworking of one from back in April, 2009.

Mom used to make her own hot chocolate mix each winter. It was always a hit and you could make it with hot water, which let me take a bag of it to work and enjoy throughout the season. Yahoo is pitching their own homemade recipe here, but they want you to use milk (even though there is dry mile powder in the ingredients). They also include unsweetened chocolate and cocoa powder. If you are into this kind of stuff, try it and let me know what you think.

Have you had enough? It doesn't really matter. Some guys just came by with a 'show-stopper' problem in one of my projects. So, my time is up, and I am heading over to their area for more follow-up. But I'll be back another day. I promise.

Tuesday Talk

It is still early, but I think I might make it through the week. How about you? Let's get this post started.

Today's photos feature the famous Painted Ladies, built in the mid-1890s.

You may remember that the painted Ladies are also featured in the opening credits to the Full House sitcom back in the 80s.

They are located in San Francisco on Steiner St, right beside Alamo Park.

I like how you can see the city over them.

$65,000. You can buy a nice BMW or Mercedes, or you can buy an actual screen-used phaser from Star Trek. Which would you choose?

Did you read that a couple wanted to name their baby 'Nutella'? A judge ruled the baby's name could only be Ella to reduce the risk of ridicule. I'm glad this happened now. It is making me rethink naming our next child 'Captain Crunch'.

Do you need some choices in games to play with your kids while you are trapped inside due to inclement weather (after all, we will only reach 75F here today. Good thing I brought my jacket)? Yahoo has some suggestions that do not include Monopoly or Candyland.

Of course I am available when I work from home. After all, I am not saying that I am doing-stuff-including-a-little-work-from-home.

Let's end with this ad currently running on cable.

Because of my recent fun with pneumonia, I have missed the last couple of rehearsals and even concerts with the Chorale. Tonight, though, I will be going (and maybe singing). Plus, the director is out of town, so I will be leading the first half of the practice. I do enjoy that.

Are you itching to get Tuesday underway? Yeah, me, too. I have three emails that just popped up detailing problems in a project, so I need to bolt. Drop by tomorrow and see if I survived tonight's practice.

The Roof is Too Hot for Fiddlers

I named the post based on today's photos series. One of the songs in the musical Fiddler On The Roof is 'Sunrise, Sunset' (suddenly, as a grandparent, that song is much more poignant). However, I don't usually get up in time to capture any sunrise shots, so sunset it is.

I think all three are from trips to Northern California. I know for sure that the last one is from near a restaurant in Bodega Bay. I stepped outside to grab a couple of shots while waiting for our meal to be delivered. My meal was probably cold by the time I went back inside.

My camera does not take photos with 1.5 billion pixels. Does yours? NASA does have this capability, and here is the largest photo ever taken.

For the last few years, I have been using TurboTax for my annual returns. However, they changed what the different options handle and which forms they will generate. Some people started using the type of package they bought in previous years and suddenly find out they must upgrade to get the same functionality. Now, TurboTax is willing to give a discount if a client had to upgrade. What do you use? Software or a CPA or accountant? I decided to stay with TurboTax and ordered it again from Amazon because it is $20 cheaper than Target or Office Depot (less than $30).

We are almost out of time for me to skewer Deflategate, so here is one more shot at it.

So wait. Is Memphis #1 or is Boston? Oh, they both are? Memphis is #1 on the Unhealthiest City list and Boston is #1 on the Healthiest City list. You can see how all 50 of the largest US cities ranked here. Follow it up with a peanut butter, fried banana, and bacon sandwich. Thank you. Thank you very much.

Speaking of sandwiches, how about one that includes escarole? I don't even know what that is, but the sandwiches all sound good. First up: a creamy, vegetarian twist on beans on toast, with mashed pintos and avocado finding their ideal foil in crunchy slices of bread. Next up, a happily healthful rendition of a lunchbox standby. Chicken salad is often "laden with unnecessary fat," says the author, so she calls for the filling to be laced with nonfat yogurt, juicy grapes, and bright chives instead. Finally, a classic killer combo sandwich: turkey, aged cheddar, creamy hummus, and green apples. See what each includes at the link.

At least this mother and son had the protection of all that glass as they watched an atomic blast from their house in Las Vegas in the 50s. There are more crazy photos from the past in this story.

Do you want to know what I did yesterday? Actually, that question is immaterial because I am going to tell you anyway. I put the Christmas stuff up in the attic. So, it only took me three weeks to get it done. What, I've been sick. *cough* *cough* It certainly makes the garage look  little better. There is still a lot more to do.

What's up with you this week? Mine looks pretty standard. The only bummer is that I have to work ALL FIVE DAYS this week. Hey, where are the holidays when I need them?

Let's make it a magnificent Monday, OK? I will if you will.

Friday Sounds Better Than Post-Thursday

We made it through this feels-longer-than-usual-but-was-shorter-than-normal-for-me week. I hope yours went well and that you are ready to enjoy your weekend.

By glancing through the photographs in my collection, I found a theme for today's pics. We are going with 'Here's looking at you, kid' because it is people enjoying a view. The quote is from the movie Casablanca and is used four times in the film. We will start with MBH at Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park.

Next, we will shift to the folks looking over the Park from Tunnel View Overlook.

And Dad is checking out the view from the Marin Headlands overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco.

Let me share a video that I saw first on The Soup, but this radio blog includes the specific discussion two people at QVC are having about whether the moon is a planet or a star. Go watch it.

Did you see the recent Lego movie I have not, but I heard it was really good. In a related story, a 15-year-old made this short film using Legos to depict famous movie scenes. This one, I DID see.

Does 'Cheetos Sweetos" sound like a childhood taunt? Well, it's actually a real thing. Frito Lay is introducing a cinnamon and sugar version. Interested?

I have shown you art options before and asked which you would choose. It is that time again. Which painting would you most likely choose for your place?

I think I like Tall Trees I most, followed by Midtown. My least favorite would be Utensil Stack.

I also like Star Trek: The Original Series. It spawned a billion dollar industry with sequels and spinoffs. Today, it also spawned a new CoV.

This photo that I saw online today reminds me why I don't let our dog have the occasional lick of anything with alcohol.

Here is today's entry from the 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said calendar.

ON SORRY, NOT REALLY
There were a few mistakes to the copy of the meditation article in as much as it read "By isn't I mean everything that you can see and hear, touch, or smell, isn't means everything that is," and it should have read "By isn't I mean everything that you can see and hear, touch, or smell, means everything that is." Hopefully this will now be clear.
- correction, New Age magazine

I think that will do it for the week. I am not seeing anything else in my daily site review that warrants using up your valuable time. So, have a nice weekend and we will share together again next week. TTFN.

Thursday's Thoughts

This first note is being written on Wednesday morning. Why? I came across a couple of emails and even one blog where they mention doing things for seniors. Saving money. Discounts on photo packages. Those kinds of things. Even after I looked at the first thing and knew what they were talking about, my mind still misinterpreted what they were saying. They meant seniors as in people in their twelfth year of school, not seniors as in us old folks.

I think I mentioned the possibility a few months ago, but Nabisco finally admitted it. Red Velvet Oreos ARE a thing, and they will be here in time for Valentine's Day.

"Signs, signs, everywhere a sign...." Do you remember that song? It is an oldie from the early 1970s. It was originally recorded by the Five Man Electrical Band. I thought of that song because I wanted to share some photos of signs today.

Here is one from the entrance to Sequoia National Park in California.

And a sign from the entrance to Zion National Park in Utah.

Let's end today's photos with the entrance to Yosemite National Park, also in California.

And of course, we are coming up to the Big Game in football (you know what I am talking about. The one whose name is trademarked so you shouldn't use it unless you pay them a fee). Anyway, thinking of the game inspired this.

Look at what I just found. This is actually a single photo, using carefully placed objects, a table painted multiple colors, etc. to make it look like four separate ones. Really. Blow it up and check.

You want some of these, don't you?

Actually, this is exactly how the cabinet looks. It was carved to look like a glitchy digital image.

This is like some kind of weird post today since I am mostly using images and few links.

So,. there is still another image of a wold constructed entirely of pipe cleaners.

Before we close, there is one link that I will share. It is the top hikes for several of the national parks. While I may not have been on the hikes listed, I have been to four of the ten parks listed. How about you?

OK, let's call it a wrap and put this post out for perusal and pondering. Come back soon. I miss you already.

You Wanna Drink? Let Me See Your ID.

Do you take photos of signs of places where you go? What if it is some type of anniversary? I remember we were at Disneyland back on its 30th anniversary and I took a picture of that sign (not shown here). Here, you can see the sign for Death Valley. It became a National Park in October, 1994. It will turn 21 later this year and can then legally drink alcohol.

Here are a couple of views from up around Zabriskie Point.

Here is a screenshot of some of the ideas on tastespotting.com. Go and see if they have things that might interest you. Here, you can see how to make your own PopTarts and gluten-free M&M cookies and chipotle butter beer wings and egg custard pie and that Cantonese things looks good, too.

Earlier this week, some family members went to some kind of a store where they sold SNL-branded merchandise. It reminded me of this site where you can find all the SNL transcripts. Some of them are truly blasts from the past.

Speaking of blasts from the past, I came across a video of the group that was my first ever concert, The Association. I went with Rick Harrison (not the one from Pawn Stars) over to SMU to see them, and they sang Windy (which is what this video is).

Have you been following the Patriot's Inflategate controversy? It is kind of like the Bill Cosby thing. There is just so much circumstantial evidence that there must be something to it. Still, how far will it go?

Writing about Zabriskie Point above reminded me of a place near LA that I want to visit some day. Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park. Ever heard of it? You don't think so? Did you ever see an old Star Trek episode where Captain Kirk fights a tyrannosaurus Rex-looking creature? Filmed at Vasquez Rocks. Did you see the original Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure? Some scenes were filmed there. However, it is north of the city and Anaheim/Disneyland is south, so we would have to plan the visit to get up there.

I see that Apple Records is re-releasing George Harrison's solo stuff. What do you think? Would you buy it nowadays? I did learn a couple of things from the article. George was the first ex-Beatle to release a solo album. He was the first to release an album on the Apple Records label. Fascinating, right?

What thing we do almost everyday could cause these issues?
48 percent increased risk of metabolic syndrome, a key predecessor of heart disease and diabetes
31 percent greater risk of becoming obese
30 percent higher risk of having a larger waist line
25 percent higher risk of developing high blood triglycerides or high blood sugar
32 percent greater risk of having low levels of good cholesterol
A trend toward an increased risk of high blood pressure
Did you guess that it is one soda per day? Yup. What can you replace that with? This story gives you some ideas.

Now, back to the Patriots possibly deflating their footballs for the game this past weekend.

OK, It is Wednesday and that can mean only one thing. Actually, it only means we are halfway to the weekend. Go make it wonderful and we will meet here again soon.