Friday Facts

I am not looking for a job right now. True, I am involved in outsourcing one of our groups at work, but there are no indications that my area is targeted. However, I do still read articles about being prepared for change and interviewing techniques. Here is a good one about how to answer five common questions.

Look at the title of this article on Yahoo! this morning.

Actually, the second one looks interesting, but I was talking about the first one. "This Week in the Civil War"? Really? It's over, right? If we were to look at Yahoo! in May of 2015, wouldn't that article have EXACTLY THE SAME INFO IN IT?

When you go to movies, do you imbibe on snacks (purchased there, of course)? I don't. Even in my pre-vegan days, I wouldn't buy their snacks. Many (most?) of you probably do. How big do you think their profit margins are on all that stuff? This article gives you the skinny on those fat-making foods and drinks.

I know you know this, since I mention it everyday, but I have been pulled into project meetings already this morning. I just got back after 30 min away. So, let me share today's comic and get out of here.

I am sure you heard the news about a high school in Utah that used Photoshop to alter yearbook photos they deemed too risque. Keep that superintendent away from my Clarity of Vision comics, then...just in case.

OK, people. Let's get everything outside finished in the morning, since it should reach 106F in the afternoon here. Even if it is cooler where you are, it will still be cooler in the morning. Get up and get going.

And Then, There Were Three

We had all three GRANDS last night. At least, that's what I heard. I didn't see them awake because...I was at the hospital with Salesman Son and his beloved (did you read that word with two syllables or three? I read it with three)wife. Anyway, he could not stay awake yesterday, and had severe abdominal pain, and vomiting. Sounds pretty bad, right? CAT scans did not show any of the possible worst-case scenarios, so PTL for that. They doped him up, gave him some prescriptions, and asked him to go to a gastroenterologist in two weeks. We will see what today holds.

If you could teleport, would you? Yahoo! suggests it is possible at the molecular level. OK, what if it cost a whole lot? Still yes? What if it involved a lot of pain (after all, your body is being torn apart)? Not sure, now?

If you could have a drink involving 60 shots of espresso, would you? Salesman Son might, but not for me, thank you very much.

Did you hear that a former US Poet Laureate died? Maya Angelou passed away at 86. My CoV does not comment about her being 86'd, nor about the fact that I have never actually read any of her material. Just that she has died.

Hmm, outta links and outta time. Sorry to tease you with a couple of tidbits, only to disappear without a grand finale. As you know already, though, with my current project, it always something.

Time For Bah-buh-bet Ball?

We are watching our grandson, JV, for a couple of days. So, last night, when I got home, he ran over to me and clung to me the rest of the evening. The primary activity was playing with his basketball set. Well, he pronounces it 'bah-buh-bet ball". He would toss one to me then throw his through the little hoop and look expectantly at me, waiting for me to take my shot. He's never discouraged, whether the ball initially goes through the net or not. We also read the Cars book we keep at the house. Well, read is perhaps not the best word. He flips through pages and points at each character and names them. I will not attempt to phonetically spell them, except for "Lug-lug", which is Lightning McQueen. No way I can figure out Mater.

Speaking of pronunciation.

Did you notice today's post was a little late in showing up? As tempted as I am to blame technology, the reality is that I have already been bogged down in that crazy project I am working. We are down to 13 workdays from launch, so everyone is getting nervous and excited and just plain crazy. Yes, that includes me. No, for me, it doesn't look any different than normal. I am always crazy.

JV is pretty good at shooting the ball through his hoop. However, 50 Cent is REALLY BAD at throwing a baseball. Did you see this yet?

Would you feel safe in a self-driving car that has no brakes or steering wheel? I am not ready for that.

I am SOOOO SORRY. I have completely run out of time today since I have already had two meetings while trying to finish this. Maybe tomorrow, we can start a few minutes early? Until then...

Happy Yesterday

Yesterday was Memorial Day, so most of us were off work. Thinking of it, I am reminded of trips out to the cemetery with my in-laws to honor family members. We do now have any family graves near us nowadays. We do have many family members who served in the military, and to you, I say "Thank you."

Just because I honor you and there is a holiday set aside for it does not exempt the day from the barbs of Clarity of Vision. I wanted to step lightly, though, because it is not the day nor its meaning that I want to skewer.

We have family passing through on their way from TX to OR, so we spent time with them yesterday. You can read about (and donate, I think) to them here.

Do you remember the Jetsons cartoon from years ago? Their home was an automation wonderland. How would you like your home to be that advanced? Well, according to this article, Apple thinks some of that is what we will be wanting. Lights come on automatically when we get home, maybe the house will start cooling down. Hmm, where's Rosie the Robot?

Do you ever try to hold your breath as you pass through a tunnel? I know my kids and I always did. However, I would not do so if I were getting close to passing out, and especially not if I were driving.

Hey, Salesman Son, you fancy yourself a Disney expert. Did you know all of these things?

Well, the day intrudes upon our fun. Still, don't let it get you down. Go do something fun while I cover for you here at the office.

Long Weekend Ahead. Whoo Hoo!

Star Wars got back on my mind after seeing that they are working on the seventh movie. Then again, I've been a Star Trek fan since the 60s.

What is with the recent spate of shows involving naked people (in my mind, I pronounced it as nekkid)? now, there is a new one about buying houses naked. Luckily, Disney bought the Star Wars franchise or we might have Star Wars: Naked, They Are. Hmm. Where could CoV go with that idea?

Wow, Yahoo! Tech makes the new Surface tablet sound like it is a worthwhile tool. However, I have a laptop that works for what I need, so I am fine.

I thought I was going to say more, but as frequently occurs in the mornings, I got caught up in a meeting with a couple of the outgoing team members. That helps me with my project, but does nothing good for my blog. So, I am already out of time for this Friday before a holiday. Do not look for an update on Monday. Well, I guess you can look, but do not expect to find one. I will be back in the groove on Tuesday.

If I Were To Ask You...

If I were to ask you if you are busier than you were 10-20 years ago, how would you respond? I would certainly say yes, but this article from The Atlantic suggests it is more a case of a blurred line between leisure and work time. I don't know. I certainly still feel busy. Maybe the argument only stands up if you compare it to 50+ years ago.

If I were to ask you if you saw the finale of season 28 of Survivor last night, how would you respond? Some of you might have recorded it but not had time to watch yet. If so, you should skip over today's Clarity of Vision. No, I don't tell you who won...well, not exactly.

BTW, the Newhart finale aired in 1990.

If I were to ask you if you'd like to learn a new text editor, how would you respond? Actually, it is not so much an editor as an enterer (is that a word?). What? Yeah, it let's you enter text, but you cannot go back and change it, not even for misspellings. What? Why would anyone want that? Read this and you can see what the author's intent was. Still, not for me.

I love this quote from Kurt Vonnegut. "Those who believe in telekinetics, raise my hand."

What if I asked you the Earth's precise diameter at the equator? How would you answer that? It is 7,926 miles. That was one of the questions in the National Geographic Bee. The winning question? I would have had no idea as to the answer. Read more about the Bee here.

What if I asked you if you had heard any new groups or songs recently? I haven't, although I also haven't really tried. Anyway, Yahoo! Tech has 8 places you might want to investigate.

What if I asked you if you had time to sit here and keep reading, or if you needed to get to work? Actually, it doesn't matter because I need to get to work. Thanks for letting me ask you stuff today.

Movies and TV and Songs. Oh My!

Are you going to see the new Godzilla movie? I actually haven't thought about it one way or the other. If we go to the movies, there are plenty from which to choose. Either way, this video is interesting to see the process the sound editors went through to create his roar.

Do you have cable TV? Do you hate them (hate being a strong word, but used in the accompanying link)? Well, look at this to see if your company made the top (bottom?) of the list.

Forty years after Stairway To Heaven was released, a band just now decides to sue for infringement. Listen to the video in the article. You can certainly hear some of the same melody. Still. Forty years?

Did you hear about that town in MI that is going to fine people who swear? Well, I did, and it led to this....

Have you ever written about your displeasure with a company anyway online? What if you were then slapped with a $3,500 fine from that company? Well, this company is doing just that, and says they will defend it in court.

And in a related story, what if you did not want your smart TV to be able to mine and share your viewing habits? LG says that gives them the right to limit the smart TV features you can use.

Walmart wants me to share the 3-digit code from my credit/debit cards. Yeah, that makes me feel safe.

Listen. Did you hear it? Morning has broken, and they want me to help fix it. I need to get going, but I enjoyed our visit. See you soon.

Wrestling Disney and Leno for a Pepsi

This cannot be real. I am scared, and I am an adult. Would your kid want to see him watching you eat?

When our son was young, he was into (and kind of got us into) pro wrestling. They had some fun story lines with Stephanie and HHH and The Rock and The Undertaker. Anyway, I saw today that Vince McMahon lost $350M in one day. Don't you feel sorry for him?

Some of the family visited Disneyland yesterday. They do have annual passes, but how much longer can we afford those. Did you see that they raised the single day cost again? It is approaching $100 per day. Wow, that's some big bucks.

Staying on the money theme, I am sure Jay Leno is not hurting. Still, you have to wonder what he does with his time nowadays.

Sweet potato or Yam? Red pepper or Yellow or Green? Whole grain or whole wheat. Get the scoop and listen to the cool music here.

Do you like those new vending machines for Coke products that lets you choose from a bunch of flavors? Pepsi has just released its answer to that, allowing more than 1,000 choices. Maybe I should do a CoV of someone taking hours to make their selection?

I did just create tomorrow's comic based on a story out of Michigan about a town that imposed a $200 fine for cussing. So, between now and tomorrow morning, think about where you would take that. If your comic is better, maybe you should start writing your own?

And with that, Tuesday gets underway. Thanks for stopping by and chatting a few.

Say What? No, I Mean It. Say, "What"?

Do you pronounce any of your words in ways different from those around you? You may have Dialect Disorder. OK, maybe that is not a real thing, but here is an interesting story about where people say words differently than others. For me, I pronounce aunt more like ain't than awe-nt. And I did grow up referring to soft drinks as cokes, as in "You want a Coke?" "Sure." "OK, what kind?" "Dr. Pepper."

Yesterday at church (speaking of dialects), we had a goodbye party for our Worship Leader. It involved much good-natured ribbing (but no actual ribs). They included a video of them saying a word and him defining it. Words like fire (he said 'far' since he is from Texas), and tired (How do you think he pronounced that? Yep. "tarred").

Does anyone in your family suffer from migraines? I have had bad headaches in the past, but I think none were migraines. A woman at work told me that sometimes, afterward, she loses some of her muscle memory. She told me a story about, after one of hers, she could not even remember how to get into her car. She pounded on the door, but it would not open. Then she saw the remote in her hand and remembered that it had something to do with the car. She pressed it and heard the unlock sound, but still could not figure how to open the door. still pounding and pushing of the door all around, she came across the handle and had to try to figure out how to pull it. She finally got it all worked out.

That story led me to my own dark place where real-life turns into clarity...of vision, that is. Hey, if they don't want me to twist it, they shouldn't talk to me.

What's the difference between the 'use by' date and the 'best by' date on food packages? Is there one, or do some companies use 'use by' and others use 'best by'? Well, Consumerist gives us a little insight here. Do not look in my fridge, though. Pay no attention to that 1997 date. The items is sealed, so it's still good, right?

As I seem to mention in every post recently, I was just pulled away for a while to talk to someone on that team being outsourced. The new company is scheduling him for meetings on top of other meetings already in his calendar. It's madness, I say. Madness.

And it will be worse madness if I don't get my work done. So, I am outta here for Monday. Have a great one.

The Party's Over

I dood it. Dood what, you may be wondering. I hinted at it yesterday, but I decided the time is not right for me to get going on the MBA, so I have withdrawn...for now. I had planned to allow 10-12 hours per week to study on each class, but right now, this new outsourcing project has expanded to an additional 10 hours per week. And it does not allow me any time at work (I am usually working through lunch as I eat), so it is just not feasible for the next couple of months. I think my next chance is Aug-Sept, so I will think about it then.

These really do look like photographs, but they are drawings. One thing I have to question, though, is that the accompanying text says they were created by finger. It seems like there is too much detail for a finger to create. Admittedly, I am not an artist, so maybe I am judging from an incorrect assumption.

There is a woman who sits in the cube just west of mine who has a pacemaker. She told me the other day about having to periodically get it reviewed to make sure it keeps her heart at the correct number of beats per minute, and when it is changed, she can feel herself with increased energy. So, I wondered what if she also had a defib machine embedded and they decided to duke it out.

Read the first sentence of this Yahoo! article and tell me you don't agree. Now, I do not have kids learning Common Core, but I do live with two teachers, so I know about it. And I have memories of trying to help my daughter with her "new math" back in the day. This new stuff, though, is so different that I struggle to get the answer using their methods. Arghh.

I just lost an hour talking with the project team, which means I do not have time to look for anything else to share today. And that means I am letting you leave early. There is no homework for you this weekend, so take some time to relax and come back Monday full of vim and vigor (that's a good thing, right?).