Space, Spice and Saints

Who's a genius? Well, I am hoping someone at the Apple Store is because I have an appointment to see one tonight. My Macbook Pro won't boot. That's where all my music is (no, not backed up that recently) and all of my recent photos (also not backed up that recently). Bummer, right? Oh, and my past tax returns are on that machine, and also, as you might guess, not backed up. You would think that I should know better.

And now, a bit of a trick. Which one is the real Pluto? This one? The whole article about New Horizons reaching the dwarf planet can be read on NY Times here.

Or this one?

Well, if you combine them, is it still Pluto?

Well, time for some bacon and eggs. No, wait. Seaweed and eggs, please. Scientists have found that smoking red algae makes it taste like bacon and it is more healthy than kale. So, interested?

Since we are talking about eating things, I wonder if you like some spice in your food? Spiciness is measured in Scoville Heat Units. Banana peppers run 100-900 SHU. Jalapeno can be up to 10,000 SHU. Getting pretty spicy, right? Habanero can get up to 350,000 SHU. Of course, you have heard of the famous ghost pepper, which can reach about 1 million SHU. Is that hot enough for ya? However, the Carolina Reaper reaches 2 million. Watch this video of people trying it. For me, no thinks.

And more eating news broke yesterday when Lay's announced the finalists for the potato chip 'Do Us a Flavor' competition. They were not then ones predicted a week or two ago. Early guesses were for “Thanksgiving Stuffing,” “Sushi,” “Cheeseburger,” and “Truffle Parmesan.” However, the chosen flavors included “Southern Biscuits and Gravy,” “Kettle Cooked Greektown Gyro,” “New York Reuben,” and “Wavy West Coast Truffle Fries.” You can read details about them here.

There is NO WAY there can be more food news in today's post. Wrong. It seems smoked gouda is now available in some McDonald's restaurants. This follows the offering of kale. For now, though, it will probably not become my 'go-to' dining choice.

Wait. I ran out of food news and I ran out of time. So, let's run out of here with an almost-humorous comic strip on our minds.

Have a Thankful Thursday and I'll be back soon.

Wet and Wild (Except for the Wild Part)

Did you have any summer rains pass by your house last night? We did. A whole lot of wind and rain. I think I have had to clean my pool every night this week. Anyway, that reminded me that I have some inclement weather photos from our trip last weekend. Here is a view from our front porch.

And the rain falling on the mini-golf course in the middle of the campus.

This is always fun for kids...getting all wet in the rain.

And also from our porch, you could see this young aspen.

Speaking of water falling down and getting us wet, do you shower in the morning or the evening? For me, showering in the morning is a necessity. It is what kickstarts me into the day. Well, someone has analyzed whether morning or evening is better for you based on a few circumstances. It confirms that morning is the best time for my daily showers.

I weighed this morning and I am up 1/2 lb since Monday. SINCE MONDAY! What is going on? As you know, I eat fairly healthily. This article may give some clue. I have been eating a quinoa salad and black beans for lunch each day. As you can see in the story, A cup of quinoa contains the same amount of calories as 17 Doritos. And a cup of black beans has the calorie equivalent of a slice of the Carvel Celebration ice cream cake you can find in most grocery stores. I don't measure how much of each I eat, so I am sure I don't stop at one cup. I have GOT to get back to the gym. And it sounds like I should get back to unhealthy fast foods, right?

Did you hear that we had a spacecraft pass by Pluto yesterday? Yup, photos coming soon. How far away is that? I saw this graphic showing just how far away that really is, and it is excellent. They started by setting the size of the moon as 1 pixel and then put in the rest of the planets. As you scroll, read the comments between planets. Funny and interesting stuff. You really ought to look at it. I thought it was excellent.

Now, did you learn anything from that? Yes, there is a lot of empty space in the solar system. Just think how much there is between stars. Anyway, I saw a link for 37 websites that help you learn more things. Languages. Computer languages. Coding. Chess. Piano. Guitar. Get going and learn something new everyday.

Let's check in on some of my Bitstrips characters. As you may or may not know, I have to create each of my people by selecting the various features that make them up. Things like hair color, eye shape, body build, clothing, glasses, are all selected when I create them. The challenge comes when I am trying to make them look like someone I know. I think MBH came out quite well. So did many others. Let's see what those wacky people are up to today.

And we are almost at the halfway point for the week. Make it a good one.

Ping Pong, Parks, and PAX

I would like to share the secret features of the red Solo cup. The marking on the edge are perfect measurements for different things. Read more here.

On our recent weekend getaway, we enjoyed all the amenities of the recreation center. Here is SS playing a little table tennis with middle granddaughter.

As usual, when one child plays with a parent or grandparent, the others want their turn. Here SS is with his son.

And then it was my turn with middle grandchild. Yes, there is an abandoned paddle there on the right side of the table, but it did not hinder our play as we did not have that many extended volleys.

Speaking of abandoned, do you like photos of old, abandoned places? Shots of urban decay? Images of nature reclaiming the land? Then check out these shots of "hauntingly beautiful abandoned theme parks". Here's one of the photos as a teaser.

We have some IKEA furniture in one of our bedrooms. i am not ashamed to admit it. In fact, we have two PAX units around either side of the head of the bed. When I saw this article about how to transform PAX units, my interest was piqued. Isn't yours? Don't you like IKEA hacking articles? Well, check it out. And then drive, do not walk, to your nearest IKEA and buy something.

I went to this story because of the photo and expected to say it was just too weird. I ended up deciding to look at every photo and they are a funny type of art. I still would not want MBH to wear this.

I am not seeing anything else of note today, so we'll just grab a quick Clarity of Vision and get Tuesday underway. Until another day, then....

Ohh, THERE You Are

Here's a trick question. How long does it take for the Earth to do one complete orbit around the sun? I hope that you know the answer is one year. So, the Earth has circled the sun 238 times since the USA became an independent country. Another trick question. Have you heard of a spacecraft that is about to fly near Pluto after a nine year trip? How many times has Pluto circled the sun since the USA became a country? Did you guess 50 times? 10? Actually, it is not quite once. Crazy, huh?

Chizza, anyone? What is that, you may ask? Go ahead, I said you could ask. Remember that Pizza Hut offers a hot dog crust pizza? Well, KFC figures, why not replace the crust of your pizza with fried chicken? No, you can't have it yet...unless you go to the Philippines. It could be coming, though.

I found myself playing some basketball over the last few days. The family and I went up north to some cooler climes and had a relaxing weekend. The resort we stayed at has a rec center that includes basketball, racquetball, volleyball, ping pong, billiards, a pool and hot tub, and a small exercise room. So, since the youngest GRAND is into b-ball, I landed there a lot and we all had a good time. First, an artsy shot of one of the balls.

Then, the middle GRAND subtly posing for me with a ball.

And the youngest GRAND showing me his dribbling skills.

Did you even notice that I did not post a blog entry on Friday. Well, harrumph if you did not. Sorry if you did notice. I am back today (you probably guessed that based on today's post title) and expect the conversation at work to go something like this.

Breyers, according to Yahoo!, is the #2 best vanilla ice cream available. #1 is ... no, you'll have to read the article yourself.

It looks like I will not make it up to NYC for this year's Manhattanhenge. Manhattanhenge occurs when the sun lines up with cross streets before setting (named by Neil deGrasse Tyson because the occurrence reminded him of Stonehenge, where the sun aligns with ancient stones).

Who's ready for a shocker? It seems that most Americans do not have sufficient amounts of fruits and vegetables in their diet. Well, that is maybe not as shocking as it should be. I know that, since I have backed off from being 100% vegan, I am probably not getting enough of some of the veggies and fruits. True, I still try to be over 50% plant-based, but I am not as diligent to eat a varied diet. How are you at including fruits and vegetables in your daily meals?

Go get some veggies and meet me here tomorrow.

Can Bubble Wrap Protect Dallas From Aliens?

Here we are in the midst of a long, hot summer. So, as I was looking for interesting stuff to share today, I came across a couple of shot from a few years ago of NH in the Fall. First is a shot I made Dad stop the car so I could capture. We don't have these kinds of Fall color in my little town.

And then a photo MBH took of me getting back in the car after catching the shot of the road above. Yes, that dark hair is mine.

Wait. Was Dallas really featured in the last War of the Worlds movie? No? Then where did these photos come from? Read this article in DIYPhotography and you can find out the whole story and see more photos including the original ones that he built upon.

Have you heard of the Preacher Chuck Swindoll? We went to hear him once when he was in Fullerton, CA, Now, he is over near Dallas (hmm. Was his church destroyed by aliens in War of the Worlds?) at Stonebriar Community Church. Anyway, when I looked at their website, I noticed that there are 59 people listed under Staff and Elders. I think that is more people than attend our local church. That is a huge staff, right? Of course, they have an estimated 20,000 members, so you'd need a large staff to support them. Preacher Bro, I imagine your church is getting just about that big now, isn't it?

I have never ordered a roll of bubble wrap. Have you? Well, this person did and when it arrived, it was safely surrounded by craft paper to keep the bubble wrap safe during shipment. Whew! I don't know if any of the bubbles were popped. And this is closely akin to the 2012 story where bubble wrap was wrapped in ... wait for it .. bubble wrap. Actually, one reader did post a plausible explanation. "It’s so the roll of bubble wrap doesn’t shift in the box, and potentially get the box stuck on a conveyor belt incline, by it continuously rolling backward. Also, the big air packs fill the space in the box, allowing for more weight to be put on the box without the box deforming."

Would you support a plan to let graduating high school seniors in your state get free tuition to local community colleges? Oregon decided it was a good investment for the future, and it should help reduce the education debt that many of them would otherwise incur. It doesn't cover 100% but sound intriguing. Tennessee has a similar program.

I am not finding much to share this morning, so let's not waste any more of our time. well, let's waste just one minute more while we read today's Clarity of Vision comic.

OK, I am out tomorrow, so check back when we start a new workweek.

No Bowdlerization Here

I cannot explain it as I have no clue how it happens, but I have two things to start off today's blog post with. The first is the Simon and Garfunkel's 1975 song "My Little Town". The second is the word bowdlerize. I was in the shower this morning and realized I was thinking of the words to My Little Town. More specifically, I was on the verse that goes "In my little town, I grew up believing God keeps his eye on us all...." I don't know why that song came to mind, but I still believe that He keeps His eye on us. Then, I kept trying to remember the other words. Later in the song, Paul Simon sings, "And after it rains. There’s a rainbow, And all of the colors are black. It’s not that the colors aren’t there. It’s just imagination they lack. Everything’s the same Back in my little town." Sad song, to be sure, but he weaves it in a way that fascinates me. By the way, another of the songs he wrote that I like the verbal imagery for is "The Boxer."

I got sidetracked there for a moment. I was in the middle of my mental song earlier today when I thought of the word bowdlerize, which means to censor or something. Wait. Let me find a definition for you. "Remove material that is considered improper or offensive from (a text or account), especially with the result that it becomes weaker or less effective." Well, I was close, although I didn't know about the concept of the original work becoming less effective.

Look at this sentence and tell me your first reaction. "Sometimes called scarification, body-branding has a long and varied history, from Viking warriors who used to burn runes and symbols into their flesh, to branding thieves and criminals, and the colonial slavers who used hot irons to mark people as their own property." Yes, branding one's self is apparently a thing people are choosing to do. I don't even have tattoos. I am not their ideal candidate. Would you be interested? I wouldn't do it because of my own "scare-ification".

Before we continue, let's detour through CoV land.

Would you be interested in a movie featuring Han Solo? I know I would be. We'll both have to wait three years (at least) to see it, though.

Do you like soggy cereal? No? Maybe it's because our ancestors ate crickets. Well, that's what this writer seems to be implying.

Happy Birthday, Ringo Starr.

It turns out that lottery officials have reduced the odds of winning the Powerball, but increased the odds of winning some money. My first question would be, since the odds were already 1 in 175,223,510, does this make you less likely to buy a ticket when the jackpot is high? Probably not, right? My second question would be, do you play anyway? I admit that I think about it, but I have not purchased a ticket in years. I know, I know. "You can't win if you don't play."

Admit it right now. Would you like to have your very own, fully functional replica of Star Trek's famous Communicator? Of course, you would. Who wouldn't? Anyway, it will be a bluetooth device that works with your smartphone and come available next year.

I have mentioned before that, sometimes, I have to read an article just because the lede (the introductory section of a news story that is intended to entice the reader to read the full story) is so compelling. How would react to seeing this lede? Why the Bible Is Not the Word of God. Exactly. I had to see it even though I suspected I would not agree with the author's findings. Sure enough, I did read it and I do not agree. So, now that I shared it, did YOU read it?

Warning in more ways than one. First warning, this next link is on New York Times, which only allows you to read 10 articles per month without paying. Second warning, having a cell phone case shaped like a gun is a REALLY BAD IDEA. So dumb. The photo below is not a video.

Work is calling. No, I mean literally. I just got off a call, so I need to get going. Have a Wonderful Wednesday.

Peanuts and Donuts

I remember Peanuts TV specials when they were new. This is not to comment about me being old (although I am), but more about the younger generations not having the same nostalgia for Peanuts that I do. It seems there is a new movie featuring the characters to try and win new fans. I am not going to tell you the name of the Peanuts movie. Here is the movie poster.

And in the theaters, there is a 3D display that invites younger audience members to be part of the scene. Here is our youngest GRAND joining Snoopy and Charlie Brown.

Speaking of grandchildren, here are a couple of quotes from them about grandparents:
Everybody should try to have a grandmother, especially if you don't have television because they are the only grownups who like to spend tine with us.

They know we should have a snack before bedtime, and they say prayers and kiss us even when we've acted bad.

When I say Carpenters, I am not talking about people who make their living working with wood, nor about a certain species of ant, nor even about Jesus. I am talking about a singing group from the 70s and 80s. A brother and sister act. Anyway, a song that they sang, but not many people remember, is Intermission. Do you remember that song? Listen right now. It only takes one and one half minutes. You will not forget it, especially if you have to go to the bathroom.

It is that time of year again when Lay's test new flavors of chips and chooses one to add to their offerings. Last year's flavors were Cappuccino, Bacon Mac & Cheese, Wavy Mango Salsa, and Kettle Cooked Wasabi Ginger, and the Wasabi Ginger won. Yahoo tried out this year's flavors, but they don't know what they are for sure. See their guesses and preferences in this link. They think one of them is sushi. Weird, right?

You want weird?

Not tired of reading yet? Check out the search for Joan of Shark. Shark Week is coming, y'all.

I tend to do most serious searches on my laptop and not my smartphone. Looking for cars is one example. Looking for flights is another. For those of you that are more tied to your phone for everything, even web surfing and searches, I found an article about the best apps for finding cheap flights. What wins? Well, it depends on which search parameters you are using.

Don't forget that Friday, July 10, is Krispy Kreme's birthday. If you buy one dozen donuts, you get a second dozen for 78 cents. Also don't forget that those donuts are really sweet, so take them to you office to share, and give a couple to that dude that always gets the promotions. Let him clog HIS arteries and you can then move up. Not that I would do that, of course.

15 action movie mistakes. I like reading about those types of continuity errors. How about you? Dead bodies disappearing. Clothing different between shots, etc.

I have already been jumping between blog writing and email writing. We have a minor crisis around our project right now, so I need to get going. I'll be back. That's just a promise, not a threat.

What Was YOUR Fourth of July Weekend Like?

To tell you about the holiday, I have to go all the way back to last Wednesday because we had family in town. We went over to the folks' for pizza and wings and games. I forgot to bring board games, so Preacher Bro, his son and I played Spaceteam on our smartphones. It is a crazy game, and you can read about it here. And I shared a screenshot of it below. Anyway, we played three games, and I think that we reached Level 8.

And then, the next day at work, I told a friend about it and we played a couple of rounds during lunch. It is MUCH easier with only two, and we reached Level 9.

We were off for the holiday on Friday, but our family went to an Escape The Room adventure that featured a zombie. We beat it, but not without help from The Omnipotent. It was a lot of fun. The zombie definitely had fun with us. I told him my name was Luigi (like in the Mario games). At the end, as I 'escaped', he said "Luigi, I thought we were friends". Two of us were captured during the round. He told MBH, "Nana, I didn't want to get you." When we learned that he could be put to sleep by reading to him, MBH read a book section where Evan was leaving his girlfriend. Zombie, Dr. Oxy, noted, "I hate you, Evan".

On Saturday, we went for a cookout over at SS's house. While they did serve traditional hamburgers and hotdogs, they also had chicken wings. Mmm mmm. They were good. And Daughter-In-Love made a black bean salad that was delish. We brought some home and it is part of today's lunch. yeah, baby. We participated in the neighborhood fireworks, but at the end, GRAND#3 burned his hand a little on a sparkler. It had burned out, and he didn't realize the end would still be hot. We did see him yesterday and he was fine, so that's a blessing.

To round out the weekend, the multi-church chorale that I am part of sang at the nearby VA hospital. We sang religious songs, and a couple of patriotic medleys that got the group excited. Getting to these Sunday afternoon concerts is a challenge, but I know it is an effective and worthwhile ministry.

I don't think that I showed you the house my maternal grandmother lived in. We cruised through town when returning from the reunion a couple of weeks ago. It still looks pretty much the same as I remember it from years ago.

And when my paternal grandfather died, my grandmother moved into town to this house, just down the street from my other grandmother's place.

Recently, I shared an older-style comic because there are limitation in my current tool, bitstrips.com. Today is another of those times. It depicts two Frenchmen talking about the Statue of Liberty. 1) There is no Statue of Liberty in the library, nor clothing that looks like a robe, nor a torch; so, I cannot build my own. 2) I did not want to spend the time building a scene that looks like the last panel. 3) Even if I redid the strip, I would keep the verbiage the same because I think that I nailed my ideas the first time. So, let's jump in our DeLorean and drive 88 mph until we jump back to 2009.

OK, we have to work five whole days this week, so let's get 'er goin'. See you tomorrow.

Which Post Title Catches Your Attention?

I was trying to title today's post and came up with two options that I couldn't decide between. One the one hand, I am off work tomorrow as our company set July 3 as the company holiday for July 4 (which is on Saturday). So, since I am off on Friday, I thought about using 'Today Is My Friday" as the title. However, since it is my last post before the Fourth, I also considered 'Happy B-Day, America. You Don't Look a Day Over 230'. As a result of my ambivalence, I used a post title calling attention to the lack of a specific title.

How old IS America this weekend? Well, it is 239, but I took the easy way out and just let my browser handle the math. Why did I do that? Maybe I have 'digital amnesia'. Yes, that's apparently a real thing, and even more so if you are over 40. Letting your digital device remember things for you so you know that you do not need to remember it yourself. How many family phone numbers do you actually remember nowadays?

How many of you watched, or are watching, or have even watched any Game of Thrones (GoT)? We are caught up to the end of the most recent season, but that is not why I mention this show. Rather, it is to celebrate Cage of Thrones. Someone has taken Nicolas Cage's face and placed it onto all the primary characters from the TV show GoT. Here are a couple of teasers. If you watch it, you know who they are, and if you do not, you don't care.

Need some funny kids comments after so much intensity with the Nic Cage shots above? I don't blame you. Let's see what those wacky kids are saying about grandparents today.
They have to answer questions like "Why isn't God married?" and "How come dogs chase cats?"

When they read to us, they don't skip. They don't mind if we ask for the same story over again.

Writing that last quote reminds me of being very young and my grandmother telling us classic stories. I remember her telling us about Billy Goats Gruff. In my mind, I cannot picture her holding a book, so I am thinking she had memorized the tale, whether for us or from her own past, I don't know. I also remember her telling us Three Little Pigs, and Jack and the Beanstalk, and some Bible stories.

As you know, the topics I cover are wide-ranging. It could even include another place you can spend your hard-earned money such as a personal jetpack. I have seen version of those around for decades, but a company is planning to sell them to the masses by next year. Sure, it costs $150K, but you can fly. What's that worth?

Today's CoV is not related to the Fourth of July, nor GoT, but rather IoT. The Internet of Things. How long before apps rule our lives?

Do have a great holiday weekend. Don't blow off any fingers in fireworks accidents. Do spend time with family. Don't get t-boned and total your car. Do come back next week and visit.

Chicken and China and Cans of Stuff

Would you be willing to ride a zipline? CPA Cuz went on one that has one segment almost a mile long in Puerto Rico. And for the last one, you are strapped in so you are in a prone "flying" position. Maybe he went to this place? Anyway, it sounded fun and he certainly enjoyed it.

OK, while we are up in the air, how about flying on your own jetpack? Would you be willing to do that? Well, as early as next year, and with as little as $150,000, that could cross another item off of your bucket list.

It seems that 86% of you are satisfied with Chick-Fil-A (compared to 67% with McDonald's). Did they ask you to participate in that survey? I was not included, although I would also place Chick-Fil-A over Mickey-D's. However, I would probably place Chipotle over the Chick (and the survey placed them second). Look over the whole list here.

Did you see that the USA won their World Cup match yesterday? MBH somehow got interested in the games as the ladies progressed, so we did watch the last few minutes (well, the last few for me, a lot more of it for her). Now, they move on to the Finals on Sunday against an opponent to be named after their semi-final game ends.

Yeah, we're proud to be Americans. So, let's go buy some patriotic items and display them over the Independence Day holiday.

I admit it without embarrassment. I have never been to the "Hippo Capital of Texas". Hutto is down near Austin. Anyway, read about funny town slogans from the other 49 states here.

Speaking of states, I saw this artwork in my uncle's house during the reunion. It is far a small state park in Arkansas that I remember our family used to visit when I was younger. It seems like one of my brothers and I were sleeping in a camping attachment on top of a van and we heard an animal roaming the campsite. Does that sound right to any of the rest of you?

And speaking of uncles and aunts, we were talking to an aunt about her good food and she revealed one secret to us. She said, "If you like greens, these canned ones are almost as good as homemade, and a whole lot easier." I need to see if any of my local stores stocks them, or I could also just order them off the world wide web.

No, I will not be participating in the new fad of "sunburn art". Will you? that's crazy. What will those people do next, "skin cancer cell art"?

I have filled up today's blog post, so I will stop and wait for it to drain before I share more stuff. Come back in about 24 and see if there's room for more stuff. Until then....