Pre-Thanksgiving Greetings

I want to wish each of you a great Thanksgiving Day. I will not be posting for a few days, so this is our last visit this week. I do have so many things for which I am thankful, certainly more than I have time to enumerate. Of course, MBH has to come out at the top, as does my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Then, kids and spouses and grandkids and parents and in-laws and cousins. As I think through things to list, it is interesting that it is people and relationships and not possessions that come to mind. What is the first thing that comes to your mind? Take a look at the sheet music for "I Am Loved," by the Gaithers. I thought of that song as I typed the above paragraph.

Are you driving anywhere these next few days? If so, you are already aware that gas prices are down to around 2008 levels. Our prices locally are around $2, but I will take that. How about you?

Hey, are you going to be smoking over the holidays? No, I am talking about smoking your turkey. If you are, be sure you follow all the preparatory steps to make it the most moist and flavorful that it can be.

If you have any idea what this travel poster refers to, then you probably are already a Game of Thrones fanatic. A woman on etsy.com (Teacup Piranha) has created a series of posters for famous locations in the George R.R.Martin book series Game of Thrones (GoT). This one is for King's Landing, home to the Stark family. The etsy site also has travel posters for famous Star Wars sites. And she offers some Disney-related posters such as Ice Palace, Rapunzel's Tower, and Neverland.

Speaking of Game of Thrones, how about a Risk game using GoT sites? Just $75.

Wait. How did I end up with a GoT theme when I was writing a Thanksgiving-themed blog post? I do like the show, but it is not something for which I am overly thankful. Oh yeah, I came across a link on Yahoo for an ugly GoT sweater.

Back to Thanksgiving, do you like cranberry sauce? If you do, do you prefer the gelled version or a more salsa-like consistency? I came across a recipe to make your own cranberry sauce that they claim would be preferable to any canned or bottled version. And it supposedly only takes 10 minutes to make. Even so, I know that I wouldn't do it. And BTW, I prefer the chunky-style of cranberry sauce.

I know that it is easy to get stressed out preparing for the big family dinner. Guess what? There are some things you can do beforehand to make Thanksgiving Day a bit easier to navigate. One example: make your mashed potatoes early, then rewarm them with some fresh butter in your slow-cooker that morning. Take heart, though. And here are some 5-ingredient-or-less recipes to help make everything easier for you. It’s still cheaper to cook than to eat out. The average price of classic items found on the Thanksgiving Day dinner table for a 10-person meal is $50.11, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation, which is a 70-cent increase from last year’s average of $49.41. If you want to eat out, though, Boston Market is ready for you.

UPDATE: I am adding in a story about piecaken to go with your turducken.

I just saw a cool article talking about a never-completed subway system in Cincinnati. I like those type of photos. The article says they hold tours twice a year, but it is not very convenient for me, so I will just look at these photos one more time.

Here is the photo in this month's wall calendar at my desk. I am fairly certain it was taken on CO 5 just outside of Ridgway, CO. Do you agree?

And I think this one is near Animas Forks Ghost Town. I am sure you agree with me on that (since the photographer helpfully labeled it for us).

Let's check in on how holidays and elections seems to start earlier every year.

I do wish a great holiday season for each of you. Thanks for still reading this blog.

How is a Finger Like a Pie? It Has Meringue On It

Spotted in a Samsonite store last weekend. No, I didn't buy them at almost $300 for the large size. I do like that they would be easy to spot at an airport.

Spotted in IKEA a few weekends ago, No, I didn't buy it because it was too expensive. I do like the way to wraps around the corner, though. What do you think?

Spotted in my calendar last month. I am fairly certain we have seen the ruins of this mill, but I cannot remember where it is.

Also spotted in last month's calendar is this shot of aspen near Telluride. I do have shots very similar, but no, I don't remember these exact trees.

Are you a cat person or a dog person? Well, that has nothing to do with an article I came across touting the best pie shop in each state. I suppose I should have started the paragraph with 'Are you a pie person or a cake person?" Anyway, see if you agree with the choice they made for YOUR state. This pie from OK has meringue so high that I think you have to bring an SUV to take it home.

Are you a yam person or a sweet potato person? According to Vox, you are a sweet potato person. Why would would they say that about you? Because they have found that we are all eating sweet potatoes because yams are less common the US and only sold at specialty stores. I can't explain it. Go watch the video with the head of the Sweet Potato Council.

Spotted on Yahoo this morning: Ringo Starr is auctioning off a rare piece of Beatles memorabilia: the first copy of “The Beatles,” aka the “White Album,” numbered 0000001. Each unit of the 1968 album came with its serial number stamped on the cover. Julien’s Auctions of Beverly Hills estimates the LP will sell for up to $60,000 at the Dec. 3-5 auction. Maybe you should go for it? If it escalates in value, it could fund your retirement. However, it only went up in value $60,000 in its first 50 years, so maybe it won't fund your golden years.

Are you the type who worries that internet searches and company data mining is capturing too much knowledge about your life? What things have you searched for? What products have you bought? Do you link to your bank, and credit cards companies? Well, I read that Google had created a pin (like a brooch) that you can talk to and it will link to Google and do or find things; you know, like a Star Trek: The Next Generation communicator? Sound interesting? It would be that much more that your computer would know about you. Anyway, it is not moving towards production right now, so we'll see.

How do all the presidential candidates feel about Syrian refugees right now? Vox.com has that covered in one single, easy-to-digest chart. So, if that is the key item on which you want to base your choice, it will be much easier to evaluate. Personally, right now, I lean towards the 'pause and draft a strategy' camp.

Speaking of Presidential candidates:

We are just two days away from Thanksgiving 2015. Are you ready? Have you moved the bird from the freezer to the refrigerator to begin defrosting? Have you purchased everything for the meal? No time to delay. I will let you leave early to finish everything. Check back soon for more frivolity.

Paul Bunyan and Dick Van Dyke Walked Into a Bar ...

I came across an article on how to chop wood like Paul Bunyan. I had to look just because it is so unusual that anyone I know would split wood anyway, and I had to see how Paul Bunyan did it. Aren't you curious?

Chinese billionaire and art collector Liu Yiqian found a savvy way to accumulate frequent-flier miles. He put his record-breaking purchase of Modigliani’s “Reclining Nude” painting — which he bought at auction for $170 million — on his American Express card. Liu, a former taxi driver, told The New York Times that he charged the painting so that he, his wife, and their extended family of four children and two grandchildren can accumulate Membership Miles and fly around the world for free. Personally, I'm reluctant to even put $170 on any of my cards.

Time for a political commentary by cartoon characters.

Did you know that yesterday was the anniversary of the John F Kennedy assassination in 1963? Do you believe that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone to kill him, or maybe that he was involved but was not alone, or even that he was totally framed? Of course, we ill likely never know the truth, but this site lists another ten sites that have details about the assassination.

Have you tried Peter Pan Creamy peanut butter? If not, DON'T! This article ranks it as the worst of the worst. And while Simply Jif is advertised as healthier, it is still one of the options to avoid.

Moving to the best peanut butters, Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter Chunky is very near the top, as is MaraNatha Organic Peanut Butter Creamy. The best is... not revealed here. You know my policy.

Would you be more or less likely to frequent a business whose name is a pun? You know, names like Hannah and Her Scissors or Lord of the Wingz or Souper Girl or Burgatory? Well, atlasobscura.com has given us a map where you can research businesses with clever names right in your own state. However, I am still not going to The Codfather.

I clicked through to an article telling things I did not know about The Dick Van Dyke Show. Well, I did know those facts, but the article included a photo showing the audience at a filming, and I thought how amazing it is that TV shows make it look like people are in a room, but there is that missing fourth wall so they can film.

I have been looking everywhere for a chicken dish that takes 8 hours to prepare. Actually, this slow cooker dish does take eight hours to cook, but only ten minutes of preparation is required. How does Crock Pot Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken sound? If it sounds too sweet (and it does to me), I am sure we could reduce the amount of brown sugar in the recipe. Maybe I will try it sometime now that I have included a link to the recipe for future reference. I found the recipe because I came across a link that claimed it offered A Year of Slow-Cooking. Actually, it contains 52 slow cooker recipes, so it is only a year's worth of recipes if you eat the same dish for a week at a time.

I think it is time to do some work now. What about you? Ready to earn your paycheck? Plus, I need to decide about my 2016 health care coverage before the end of the day. You know what I am about to say now, right? Have a Magnificent Monday.

Last of the Week, But Not the Least (OK, It IS the Least)

Everyday photos from Darth Vader. Isn't that something you have been asking to see? Go check them all out.

Something else you have been asking to see is another way to enjoy Oreos. How does Oreo Churros sound? Interested? Apparently, they are coming soon to a grocery store near each of us. Just be patient.

Are you traveling for Thanksgiving? Flying or driving? Have you heard that the day before Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel days? It turns out that is not true if you are flying. This survey showed that it is only the 121st busiest day of the year. Surprising, isn't it?

Do you like to visit sites where some famous movie scene was filmed. Remember that, a few weeks ago, I shared some shots from where part of True Grit was filmed. I don't have any more shots from a site I visited, but I do have an article telling us about some places. These include the original building for the 1960 Psycho file at Universal Studios. If you are in Oregon, you could visit the hotel used for the exterior shots in The Shining. Check out the other places in this article.

I am both out of time and out of story ideas. The interweb isn't really giving me fun stuff to share. However, the newscast last night did give me a Clarity of Vision comic idea.

How about we agree to take the weekend off and get back together next week, OK? Until then, have a Fine Fin de Semana.

Preachers, and Fudge, and PB&B, and a Bomb You Cannot Get Rid Of

It is possible that James Taylor was talking about this exact imagery when he sang of "I guess my feet know where they want me to go walking on a country road". Doesn't that look so peaceful and pleasant?

Did you notice the mountain peak in the center right of the above shot? I decided to zoom in on it a bit and it came out nice.

Well, let's look in the opposite direction and see if there is anything nice. Ahh. It's Preacher Bro catching me catching him taking a photo. He is surrounded by some lovely scenery, though.

8 hours. 5 ingredients. 1 microwave. 0 fudge left after the family tastes it. That is the recipe for Chocolate Pumpkin Fudge. And the 8 hours is only because it needs to be refrigerated overnight. OK, no, I have not tasted it, but it sounds interesting for the holidays. One of you make it and let me know.

As I write this, I am chilling out to Daisy by Fang Island. What? Never heard of them? Me neither, until I read this article about 6 great modern rock bands you never heard of.

Another thing you may not have heard of is some recipes shared by famous musicians. How does Beyoncé’s Cajun Green Bean Stir Fry sound? Elvis Presley’s Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich? Moby’s Vegan Blueberry Pancakes? There are also recipes from Ziggy Marley, Freddy Mercury, Jack White, and Lady Gaga.

I have had the band link in my queue for the blog for a while. I like to keep some available for those days when I do not find many new articles to share. Today, I was not finding anything other than the fudge link.

Do you like the various comic-to-big-screen movies? You know, like Superman, and Batman, and The Avengers, and .... Well, there have been many. I found an article claiming to list the worst to best of the Batman movies. They place Batman and Robin as the worst out of nine in that franchise. I might agree. But come on. Placing Batman: The Movie from 1966 as #7. I thought it should have been higher. It is so silly that it is fun. In the article, they do acknowledge the self-aware silliness of the movie as making it more fun. Here's what they say about it, "While the film is silly from start to finish, it executes that tone with such a dry and self-aware sense of humor that viewers can’t help but revel in it. Bonus points to the entire bomb disposal scene: 'Some days, you just can’t get rid of a bomb.'" As I often do, I will not reveal the name of the movie they chose as #1. You can read the article to find out.

Look, I cannot stall any longer. I am finding almost nothing today. Let's share a Clarity of Vision comic.

I sense a Thursday is waiting on us to get started, so let's not delay it any longer. I will see you soon, but don't wait up.

A Coke and a Big Mac, Please

Chick-fil-A, Wendy's, Burger King, and McDonald's walk into a bar. OK, it's not really a joke. It's a review of which has the best chicken nugget. Which would you pick? Which did they pick? Hint: it was not Wendy's.

Take a look at this photo of a small stream up in Colorado. You can see Preacher Bro trying to 'one-up' me by taking a better shot. However, that is not the point of sharing it. I want you to look at the water falling. Specifically, I want you to see that it is not very smooth. It was taken at 1/30th of a second.

Now, check this one at 1/6 of a second. The shutter was open longer, so it tends to smooth out the water. Still, I wonder if it could be smoother, don't you?

Finally, a photo taken at 1/2 sec. It is finally looking smoother. However, if I try to keep the shutter open longer, it is just too bright during the day and the photo gets blown out (too light).

Have you ever drunk a Coca-Cola from a glass bottle? The shape of that bottle was chosen in a contest, and has its own patent. It was apparently inspired by the shape of the cocoa pod. Read the details here.

I think you are the type of person who would prefer sushi over a Big Mac. Am I right? Actually, it doesn't matter. What if you could have both? Read this to see a new presentation of a Big Mac.

Sound a little too odd? OK, let's try the Big Mac fried.

OK, I hear you. You don't like Big Macs in any way. Fine, let's go with good old spaghetti-and-meatballs. That is a little more mainstream, isn't it? Great, now let's present them as a taco, with the noodles acting as the taco shell. However, it is now no longer a sandwich. So, a restaurant in L.A. does make spaghetti-and-meatballs into a sandwich, the Spaghetti Meatballwich.

And we will finish today, as we often do, with a little office humor.

I think I am trying to get a cold or something, so I think we done enough for today. It is time for my morning nap before the first conference call. Be wise this Wednesday.

Paging the Wicked Witch

From today's 365 Stupidest Things Ever Said calendar:
I'm curious about everything. Even subjects that don't interest me.
Alex Trebek, Jeopardy host

When I started creating today's CoV, all I knew was that one character was going to call the other a turkey. I did not know what else anyone would say. The only thing that occurred to me was to work in 'tofurkey' or 'turducken'. Maybe I will use those in a future comic.

I have used this forum before to tout unusual uses for common items. Today, I learned some new things you can do with sandpaper. True, not as many of us have some just laying around crying out plaintively for attention, but if you do, read this. Among the ideas are cleaning grout, scuffing the bottom of dress shoes so they will not be so slippery, a pencil sharpener, and loosening lids in the kitchen.

Speaking of kitchens, I know that all of you have noticed, and perhaps even snarkily commented on, that TV families often all site on three of the four sides of a table, leaving the fourth side open for camera angles. There are some other facts about TV filming sets that I found interesting. In Golden Girls, though, there were only three chairs for the table, even though there were four characters. The same set was used for Lucy and Ricky Ricardo's bedroom and the Mertz' living room. The den on The Addams Family was pink to provide better contrast in black and white. Read the article for a few more fun facts.

I saw some cool barrel cactus at the venue for the Evil Dead the other night.

I also took a shot of the Necronomicon, the book of the Evil Dead, that was on the stage and used to open the show.

Go on. Take a fifth grade geography test. I'll wait.

How did you do? I got 8 out of 10 correct.

I'm not saying I am getting old, but I do know about too many of these things my kids might not know about. For example, would they remember that I used to carry a pager all the time? Would they even know what a pager was? A camera where you had to replace the flash bulb after every shot? Disposable cameras in a cardboard cover? A record adapter so you could play 45 rpm records on a 33-1/3 player? There are more. Go reminisce and see which you grew up with.

You want more fun facts? Here are some about The Wizard of Oz. The Tin Man cried chocolate syrup. Dorothy's dress was actually blue and pink. Many of the Wicked Witch's scenes were cut after being deemed too scary. As always, read the article for some more interesting tidbits.

What's REALLY scary is that we are out of time for today. I'll be back soon, though, with news and facts and photos and frivolity. Make it a Tee-rrific Tuesday.

Monday's Mish-Mash Plus a Capybara

Dad has a recipe for a dump cake that is pretty tasty. However, I came across a list of 50 dump cake recipes that could give him (and me. And you) some new ideas.

While we are talking about eating, I found a story about a guy that researched the difference between 'dinner' and 'supper'. Do you know? I did, but maybe I looked it up at some point in my past. You can find the results of a survey here, but the graph of those who say the words mean the same thing are shown below.

Are you eating more healthily (is that a word)? Even though more and more companies are tweaking their recipes to exclude bad stuff and include more good stuff, we are still getting heavier. What's up with that? I am pretty much staying the same weight for the last few years (I weigh 6.6 lbs less than I did in Sept, 2012). However, do NOT ask about cholesterol.

I am going to share an ad for a photo manipulation app. I am not plugging it, but rather asking you to take a look at the photo they chose to use as a sample. Here is the 'after' photo. Are you impressed? Click on the link to see the original. Which do you prefer? I do not like the end results and much prefer the photo as it was taken. (UPDATE: I lost the link. So, just look at the after shot and think, "Wow! I wish I could see the original.")

I heard an ad on the radio this morning saying that if you smell rotten eggs, call 911 because it implies a gas leak. How many of you have ever actually smelled that sulphuric smell because of a rotten egg? I am not sure that I have. Still, I suppose it is more logical to link the smell to rotten eggs than to volcanic lava or the gates of hell.

What did we do last night, you might ask? We went to Evil Dead: The Musical. It did have some funny stuff in it, and it included a well-done 'abandoned cabin' that was fun, but it had way too many curse words in it. Wait a minute?! When did I become my father? Anyway, you can search youtube to see some clips.

Oh, you sneaky internet. The title of '10 Fun Things to Frame (That Aren't Just Pictures)' made me look, but I didn't see much that interested me. Frame antique brooches? How many of us have those? Luxury shopping bags? That doesn't sound like great wall art to me. Maps? Yeah, maybe. Check the list out. Maybe you'll find something you'd like on your walls.

One thing that I DID find interesting today was this article with photos from the building of the Panama Canal. It also reminds me of a famous, clever palindrome. 'A man, a plan, a canal - Panama'.

I am quite sure that I have never seen anyone rating animals, but I came across a review of the capybara. What is it, and who cares anyway? Read the review and judge for yourself.

We now transition from a cute capybara to a less-cute Clarity of Vision.

Did your NFL team of choice win yesterday? I had one of each. Oh well, life goes on. Make it Marvelous today, OK?

My Wi-Fi is Not Li-Fi...Yet

Ketchup leather. Does that sound like a food item? It is like fruit leather that make up a Fruit Rollup, but this is ketchup. You can use it on burgers without it getting soaked up into the bun. They also put crunchy cheese on it. Just watch the video and see if it makes you want to try this burger.

In the early part of the last century, there was a trend of having restaurants where food was all pulled from a big vending machine called an automat. I don't think I ever went to one, but I remember that they existed. What if you could buy a car in one of those things? Well, it is possible if you travel to Nashville.

Staying with the food theme of the last two articles, I found one about the government trying to better define what the word 'natural' should mean for a manufacturer to put it on a label. What does it imply to you? Since 1993, the FDA has used an informal policy stating that the agency has “not objected to the use of the term” as long as a food “does not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances.” However, two-thirds of people believed that “natural” implied that the food contains no genetically modified organisms, pesticides, or artificial ingredients. It is also commonly believed that the “natural” label on meat indicated that the animals’ feed did not contain growth hormones, antibiotics, or other drugs. Hopefully, we will get some guidance in the near future.

Back in 1969, John Wayne made a little movie called True Grit. It was largely filmed up near Ridgway, CO. We often eat at the True Grit Cafe, which sports a large amount of Wayne paraphernalia. It sits next to a building that served as a jail in the movie. One of the iconic scenes in the movie the shoot-out near the end (you can start at around the 7:00 mark in the clip). It was filmed in Katie's Meadow. Here is a shot from the parking area overlooking a split-rail fence beside the meadow.

The open spot off to the right of this next photo is where John rides out from as he begins the gunfight.

And right here between the center of the meadow and the background of Chimney Peak is where the bad guys started from.

You know that CA is in the midst of a drought and is asking all residents to conserve water. The average usage per person in the state is 97 gallons per day.  Not everyone complies with the mandate, though. How mush more do you think the worst known offender is using? How about 1,300 gallons? PER HOUR! That's correct. Someone down near San Diego is using 13.8M gallons per year.

How much do you investigate before you buy sheets for your bed? Do you check thread count? Weave type? Fiber length? Price? Probably you do at least some of that. Anyway, find out how much each matters in this short video.

Are you reading this blog via your Li-Fi internet connection? Probably not, since it is not commercially available yet. However, a Scottish professor has built a working prototype. Why does this matter? Read the story! See the movie!

Also being investigated as a way to improve connectivity is Wi-FM. That would somehow use FM radio bands to improve throughput. You can read about that here.

Sometimes, I get emails from friends or acquaintances that are actually Spam. I'm pretty sure they don't really come from that person, but I don't know how they got their info. Anyway, I just ignore them, and rarely notify the person that it happened. Do you just ignore them?

We have reached the end of week 46 of 2015. My, how time flies. It only seems like week 44, doesn't it? Anyway, let's see. We are keeping the GRANDS tomorrow night, so that will be fun. MBH wants to start cleaning the garage, so that will be less fun. TD wants to empty out a storage locker, and that will be even less fun. There is one paradox, clearing the locker means the stuff moves back into the garage, making it less clean. I guess we'll deal with that when it happens. See you next week.