Bible Art but No Jesus on Velvet

I have long believed that these weeks shortened by a holiday seem longer than the regular weeks. Luckily, we all made it to Friday, so enjoy it.

How good are you at being able to discern different colors? I do have a game on my phone that has you pick which of two colors is lighter called Color Run. Well, this is a web-based game, Kuku Kube, that has you look at a bunch of small squares and choose which has a different shade than the others. It sounds simple, right? Well, I haven't gotten past 11 yet before my time runs out.

I took a couple of other shots the other day at the Memorial Day presentation. Here is a closeup of the 10,000 flags spelling out "For The Fallen".

And here is the Color Guard marching in the flags during the ceremony. That is always an emotional moment.

Did you see the recent Pizza Hut ad making fun of Selfie Sticks? It is hilarious, and you should take a couple of minutes and watch it right now. It is more important than whatever you were fixing to do.

I recently saw this quote in an article about The Beatles and The Who. I thought it was funny. "The Beatles are a lot like Christianity, except that only some people get mad at you if you question Christianity."

Would you pay $13,000 for a new car? What if it was a hybrid? Autoblog claims to have seen the Chevy Volt go for as low as $13K at auction. Remember that it can only go about 37 miles on battery alone. Still interested? Read this story before you decide.

I have recently been crazy busy on my project at work. There are 4-5 project-related calls each day. Madness, I say.

If you are anything like me, then I pity you. Also, though, you are thinking that you would frequent McDonald's more frequently is if they toasted the buns. Well, let's find the nearest location and meet there.

Did you hear that Google has offered free storage of photos, videos for the whole world? It can be accessed from tablets, phones and computers. So, I decided to check out photos.google.com and see what it looked like. Imagine my surprise to see a whole much of my stuff already loaded and waiting, including this video. This is a screenshot of it.

Did I share this artwork entitled Exodus 16:4 on greatbigcanvas.com? It is weird and reminds me of abstract aspen trees, but that must not be what it is. Maybe it will make more sense once you know what that Bible verse says.

Here are some others on the same site. If you HAD to pick one of these to be displayed in your house, which would you choose?

Bible verse notwithstanding, I think I would choose Sediment Rocks, with Come to Save Me as my second choice.

Well, I've got back-to-back meetings coming up, so go get your morning coffee. I will catch up with you when I can. have a good weekend. Remember that we DO have to work next Monday.

Cacti, Cricketi, and Clariti (Plurals End with 'i', Right?)

Do you ever walk outside your house and actually look at the cactus growing there? What, no cactus in your front yard? We do, and I came outside in the cool morning air and found these lovely flowers blooming. They will shrivel and fall in the heat of the day, so I grabbed a photo while I could.

Our family room has a popcorn ceiling. Do you know what that is? It isn't really popcorn. It is a bumpy surface made of sprayed-on paper products. It tends to capture dirt and dust and is a pain (literally and figuratively) to remove. So, you can imagine that headlines talking about to eliminate it catch my eye. This article suggests covering it with planking. Painted white, that could work in the den.

Did I share this woman's photography before? Wow, it is really impressive. Look at this one called "Like a Harp’s Strings I – Overture". Her name is Julia Anna Gospodarou and you can see more of her excellent work here.

Did you watch every Friends episode? How about "The One With The Beatle"? I know that you did not because, even though they tried to get Paul McCartney for a 2-episode arc, he said he was too busy. Can you guess what role he would have played? Check it out.

Here's a map I came across. It seems to be most helpful if you want to know how far away Ohio is from wherever you are.

Prefer a map covering the NFL? You got it.

Prefer today's Clarity of Vision? You got it. 

BTW, I did not get stopped NOR get a ticket today. It's a comic strip, people. Sometimes, I just go for laughs.

Looking for a nice, healthy mid-afternoon snack? How about a Chaco Bar? You say that you have never heard of that? Yeah, it's new on the market with the "leanest, meanest, and most eco-friendly protein source out there". According to the article, it adds "protein, unsaturated fat and minerals, plus B vitamins and iron to your diet". We are, of course, talking about cricket bars. Wait, did that just crawl out of the package?

Do you ever go into Pinterest? It seems most of us use the tool to hold ideas for things we will do in the future. I have a Games page of my own (and Follow others) for games I might want to buy or that sound interesting. I have a page with ideas on hanging photos in aesthetic ways. One lady uses it every morning to help her get dressed. No, she remembers how to button or zip or whatever. She types in a description of an article of her clothing and sees what photos display to give her new ideas on how to mix and match from her own closet. That is NOT to imply that I think some of you need guidance on your attire.

Time's up for today. Here I was on a roll sharing stuff with you when the clock on the wall said I had to get back to work. I suppose I should. Hasta la tomorrow.

Waxing Lyrical With Nutella Coffee

No travel shots today, so we will start with some storage hacks I came across. Our master bedroom has two regular-size closets. That means we have needed to be very creative to fit the majority of our "stuff" in there. We do Tip #1. We cannot do Tip #2 because the doors slide. I've seen Tip #4 before but haven't really played with the idea much because I have a second hangar row down below the top one. Well, you can pick and choose which make sense for your situation.

Did I share this photo from my iPhone yet? I don't think so. This is the sunrise from the window near my desk. It was a nice one that day. You can see signs of the city in the foreground, so just focus on the mountains and the sun in the background for today's inspiration.

Do you need to wash new clothes before wearing them? We almost always do, but maybe not for the reasons this dermatologist espouses. Do you ever wear things without washing? You probably won't now, right?

The US Supreme Court will soon issue decisions on a number of cases. They range from whether same-sex couples have a right to marry nationwide to whether the Obama administration may continue to subsidize health insurance for low- and middle-income people to whether the 1st Amendment forbids states from refusing to produce plates because of their message, such as a Confederate battle flag. There are other decisions pending, but that is not why I decided to share this. Do you remember a TV show called First Monday? It aired back in 2002 and I really liked the way they took you behind the decisions and let you in on the politics and personal nature of those choices.

Did you see this headline anywhere this morning?

They must have been some ugly dudes, huh? "I'm sorry. You guys are too ugly to be allowed on campus together as a fraternity."

Are you a coffee drinker? Do you take it black or do you add something to it? I am not much of a coffee drinker, but MBH is. Actually, so is SS, although her prefers espresso because it is stronger. Anyway, this article has some unique ideas on what to add to your coffee, and why you should. You know, things like eggs, and ice cream, and peanut butter. And there are more, but you should read about them for yourself.

Was The Beatles song Eleanor Rigby named after a gravestone in a churchyard? Was Father McKenzie a real person? Read this article and find out the truth, as revealed by Paul McCartney in 1966.

No, this did NOT happen as depicted in today's CoV, but it makes it funnier to have a youngster schooling a more mature individual.

Can you believe it is already Wednesday this week? Let's have a wonderful one, OK?

Post-Holiday Working Blues

Go take a look , if you haven't already. I did put up a small post yesterday.

In the last few years, we have tried to capture at least one photo of our feet enjoying our vacation. This particular hotel room had a very high railing. So, we had to hold our feet in the middle.

While we were in the gift shop at the lighthouse, I saw this book.

I could not believe they had a book proclaiming the good things about herpes? Once I glanced at the title and noticed the drawings on the cover, I realized it was about herpetology. What did you see at first?

And a nice shot of the folks looking out over the ocean with the lighthouse behind them. They end up doing this a lot when they are on vacation with me and I am taking photo after photo.

How was your holiday? Ours was nice and quiet. We had BBQ for lunch and leftovers for dinner. Do either of those make you hungry? If so, maybe you can whip up some cinnamon rolls from pizza dough. Now THAT should have made you hungry.

I saw this black-and-white of a staircase...

and it made me wonder if the lighthouse staircase I shared the other day would work better in B&W. What do you think?

Do you have a gallery wall? You know, like the photo below, where all the photos are grouped in a pleasing arrangement? If so, I hope you hung it at the right height. Here's what I read today, "Treat a gallery wall as one big piece of art. The central pieces should hang 57” on center; arrange the rest around them. As a general rule, keep art “about 5 to 6 inches from the edge of furniture or windows.” Did you already know that?

Also remember “Don’t be afraid to mix photos, original art, and kids pieces. You can unify the look by selecting one frame type for all pieces. In fact, there’s tons of different unifiers you can utilize, say, theme, color, type of media, etc. Just remember that going too matchy-matchy reads a little catalogue-y or just too basic."

I worked on both Saturday and Sunday to finish one deliverable, and then still had to work yesterday on another. It is close, but not finished, so I need to get busy. Let's go ahead and look at today's CoV.

I'm ready to go back to work. Perhaps 'ready' is too strong a word. I am prepared to get to work. Nope, wrong word again. I know. I am resigned that I must do some work. Now THAT is true. See you in 24.

Memorial Day 2015

I created this cartoon early this morning (maybe 7:30am), but then got busy and never posted it. however, I felt tomorrow was too late for the timeliness of the message. So, thanks to all veterans and especially those who gave their lives to protect our freedoms. I have had a number of family members in armed services, but only one was killed in battle (that I know of). My uncle Clyde was killed on the USS Ticonderoga by a Japanese kamikaze pilot during WWII (before I was born). A few years ago, we went to Ft. Ticonderoga with my folks and we found a memorial where his name was mentioned. It was cool.

And at work, HR planted 10,000 flags in this shape. I took this shot out a window on the 6th floor.

Did you know that Darrell Hammond is the SNL cast member who appeared on the show the longest? He made it 14 years, and rejoined as the announcer last year.

Which do you think are the best military movies? Here's the list I found on Yahoo today. Surprisingly, no John Wayne movies are in the list.

I have been working most of the day. I took this quick break to share today's CoV, but now, I need to finish a deliverable before tomorrow at 8:30am, so let me do a bit more. You go and finish the holiday...no, don't worry about me.

Forget About Friday Fecundity

We have seen glimpses of the lighthouse from the outside. Now, let's look more closely. Here is a view that includes a storage building down the hill a bit.

Off to the right of this next photo, you can see the folks coming down the hill. My primary reason for this shot was to allow the trees and foliage to frame the lighthouse.

And another shot from that same vantage point, but zoomed in a bit.

Want (or got) a hybrid? You can find out how long it will take to recoup the cost of a hybrid over a regular car here. Here's the sample I did for my driving habits.

What's the difference between ice cream, soft serve, gelato, custard and fro-yo? Not sure? This article will teach you so much about this food category that you'll get brain-freeze. Read it and tell me which one this is.

How would like to find a product that can help tone your skin AND revitalize your hair? Wouldn't it be even better if you could spritz it onto a salad in a pinch? It sounds like Apple Cider Vinegar can do just that. Read more to learn more.

I am not finding many links to share this morning. Maybe we should head over to CoV Corner.

Well, I just scanned back through Yahoo, etc, and found nothing new. Let's start our weekend a few minutes early. I don't think any of you will object.

It's a Clip-O-Rama

Today, let's look at the New Point Loma Lighthouse. It is down near the water below the original Point Loma Lighthouse. This first photo is a wide landscape shot showing the lighthouse, the associated buildings, and the ocean behind it.

I zoomed in a bit to better focus on the lighthouse.

And here, I changed to a portrait format to further accentuate the lighthouse. You cannot see all the buildings down there, but it really all about the lighthouse anyway, right?

Hmm, Dad sometimes prints out photos. I should probably do more with my pictures. Maybe this could prove to be an easy (and light so simple to hang) display option. I'm all about the easy.

Survivor has ended for another season. Can you believe who won? No, I'm not telling.

Check out this next photo. Is that cool or what? This dude waited until a night when an LED light that usually obscures night shots at the Cape Neddick Lighthouse was out so he could see the Milky Way over the lighthouse. We have been to this lighthouse with the folks and it is a nice place. We even ate dinner at a restaurant overlooking the lighthouse just to the left of this shot.

I spotted this headline with an accompanying photo earlier this morning. What do you see when you look at them together? I wondered what warning all those people were shouting at the offensive spy plane. If it's up in the sky, the pilot wouldn't hear them anyway.

And what was this guy thinking? "Hey, if I'm naked, the plane can fit me in easier because I will take up less space."

Or maybe he was upset because he was not going to get to go on his 'nacation'?

Top 10 Things I’ve Always Wanted to Say to Dave

10. Alec Baldwin: “Of all the talk shows, yours is most geographically convenient to my home.”
9. Barbara Walters: “Did you know that you wear the same cologne as Muammar Gaddafi?”
8. Steve Martin: “Your extensive plastic surgery was a necessity… and a mistake.”
7. Jerry Seinfeld: “I have no idea what I’ll do when you go off the air. You know? I just thought of something. I’ll be fine.”
6. Jim Carrey: “Honestly, Dave, I’ve always found you to be a bit of an over-actor.”
5. Chris Rock: “I’m just glad your show is being given to another white guy.”
4. Julia Louis-Dreyfus: “Thanks for letting me take part in another hugely disappointing series finale.”
3. Peyton Manning: “You are to comedy, what I am to comedy.”
2. Tina Fey: “Thanks for finally proving men can be funny.”
1. Bill Murray: “I’ll never have the money I owe you.”

We have reached the end of today's blog post. Just kidding. I haven't put today's Clarity of Vision comic in yet. Let's take care of that now.

I have several HUGE deliverables due tomorrow, so no more time for chitting and chatting. Let's check back in tomorrow morning to see how close I am to being finished.

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign

Have you ever seen the words in the title before? If not, it is likely that will not know that a group called the Five Man Electrical Band recorded a song called (appropriately enough) Signs in 1971 and those were the opening lyrics. Anyway, I thought of it because my photo theme today is signs. This banner was hanging on a display table in the Visitor Center of Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego. I asked the volunteers if I could take a picture and, when they said I could, I sat down on the floor to take it.

In fact, here is the sign outside of the Visitor Center. I like to capture the signs that describe the places I visit, or the view in front of me, or share additional information or background about a scenic spot or historic location.

This sign tells about the man for whom the monument is named, a Portuguese explorer named Joao Rodrigues Cabrilho in 1957. The challenge for a shot like this is I wanted to see the statue and include the sign.

And this sign in one of the buildings on site describes lighthouses along the West Coast.

It's coming. A Leap Second will be added in June. Hide your women and children. It may not affect us on our DVRs, but it could be a challenge for business systems that require critical timing.

Would you like to have a van to carry your whole crew, but can't find one that would fit them all? I found one for you.

While we are traveling, let's go to China to check out an interesting building. First, the photos and then, the reveal.

Does the building facade remind you of anything? It does me. The USS Enterprise-D from Star Trek: The Next Generation. They actually licensed the design from CBS, so it is the only one like it in the world.

It's Hump Day, and I had decided to recycle another comic from 2009. I did use the concept, but ended up rethinking it. So, while it claims to be a 'Redux', it is mostly new (I did use two of the same comments, but everything else has changed).

I have to get ready for my MWF conference call now, so I will say adieu and leave it at that. Adieu,