More Than 11 Pipers Piping (And No Lords A-Leaping)

Today, we finish up with the last of the photos from the recent Scottish Highland games. One of the events that is always fun is the various pipe bands from the area playing and getting scores. These first five photos are of a band out of Tucson.

And I moved along with them as they marched to catch them in formation.

Here, I trying to catch just the drum heads and drumsticks as they marched.

And in this photo, I was watching their fingers on their canters, which is the thing that is like a flute.

After they march, they circle around the bass drum and play 1-2 songs for the judges.

Here is a different band (apparently The Cameron Highlanders) marching onto the judging field.

And another try at catching the drummers.

And another shot with a wider angle.

Then, I tried to focus on the bagpipes.

And a shot as they marched past.

And here is a piper piping.

This band includes a medium size drum (between the snares and the bass) and the drummers always swing their drumsticks as they march.

Here she is swinging the drumstick, but it loses its impact in a photo.

Are you a Late, Late Show watcher? I confess that I am not. It is on too late for me. So, I don't know much about the new host of the show, James Corden. He made a star-studded video talking about his preparation for the first episode. I think that it is pretty funny.

Haven't you been wanting to determine the molecular fingerprint of anything around you? Watch this video and you can see a new device that let's you do just that. It can even determine what types of pills it is testing.

I had to get up with the dumb dog last night. As I waited, I noticed that the cat was not sleeping in his usual spot on the ottoman because the clean towels were stacked there. I played with that sentence trying to make it into an alliteration. Do you remember what that it? I remember the definition because it is "the same sound in several successive syllables". What? Doesn't everyone play those types of mind games? So, I started with "Did we kick you out of your sleeping spot?" and ended with "Did some nogoodnik nefariously nab your napping nook? Not nice". Not bad for 2am, right? And it is supposed to help keep your mind young to do things like that.

A right of passage occurred this past week. I broke the last remaining child-proof lock from a cabinet in the master bathroom. You know what I am talking about right? You can see an example below. Anyway, it surprised me that I was upset about it. I imagine that I installed them in 1984, so it made it over 30 years. I guess it demonstrates the inexorable passing of time and the kids growing up.

For years, we have read about unusual uses for products such as Coca Cola. I had never heard of it as a hair treatment to give it the 'tousled' look. Have you? Read about it here and also read about eating clay , sniffing grapefruit oil, honey and beer as another hair treatment alternative, and using cinnamon on your lips.

Did you know that Consumers Union, the company that published Consumers Reports, was once sued by Isuzu after it said one of their cars was unsafe, and they lost? They have since cleaned up their reputation, and here are the Top 10 Worst Cars they've tested.

Were you talking with your family this past weekend about where the evergreen forests are in the US? No? Well, maybe you wondered where the main cornfields were? Even if you were not, you can see those answers and more on the this minimalist maps site.

Oops. I am a few minutes late publishing this because I had not yet created today's CoV, but I already got pulled into some work emails. Here is the Clarity of Vision and I will see y'all again tomorrow.