Locks Not Lox!

I assume this was an attempt at being clever and witty. If my country wasn't in an intellectual race to the bottom, I might agree. Lox is not what secures your door.

Boycott This

I don't normally visit Starbucks. I don't drink coffee and don't drink that much hot chocolate. I do enjoy the relaxed atmosphere though. Recently, He who shall not be named decided to make a huuuuuuge deal over Starbucks choice of holiday cups. So in a rage fit for a person who would mock a handicapped human, try to deport over 11 million human beings, turn his back on refugees, allow his supporters to give a beat down to a black man in Alabama, close down mosques, make people register based on their religion and call a man in the audience fat, he called for a boycott of Starbucks.

I felt there was no choice other than supporting Starbucks in their hour of need. It didn't seem to me they were really looking for business when I stopped, but hey someone needs to fight back before He who shall not be named's supporters replace their t-shirts with witty sayings for some plain old brown shirts.

I hope history does not have a way of repeating itself within my country.

Now if you will excuse me, I think I may need to do some shopping at Macy's. ;)

Eggs at Room Temperature?

On a recent trip to Mexico I noted that, unlike the U.S., eggs were not refrigerated when sold in stores. I wondered why. Apparently many other countries vaccinate hens for salmonella. The vaccination is not required in the US. Since over 100,000 people are sickened with salmonella each year, it is an easy safeguard to refrigerate eggs. Apparently the shelf life of a room temperature egg decreases quickly when compared to refrigeration. Most sources said seven days. I am sure we've never eaten a dozen eggs in seven days.

Binged and Googled

Am I being watched? We were hiking in Minnesota's Banning State Park when we spotted a Bing car driving down the dirt roads of the park. A little while later we spotted the Bing car again at a nearby gas station when we stopped for refreshments.

We saw the Bing car on August 1st. Thirty days later, I'm near my office and spot a Google car turning the corner. We haven't made the Bing Streetside maps yet and it's too early for the Google Maps to be updated, but maybe we'll show up in one.

This is the current Street View image from the intersection above. The intersection was much busier this morning.

I always feel like somebody's watching me
And I have no privacy
Woh, I always feel like somebody's watching me
Tell me is it just a dream?

Just Rushed

I was at O'Hare Airport waiting for a flight to Mexico and wanted a beverage for the plane. For once I was looking for something other than Coke and decided to get a bottle of Naked Orange Juice. I prefer Simply Orange to Naked which always seems a cut above Simply Orange in price but not in taste. I bought my $5 15-ounce bottle of Naked and made my way onto the plane.

With hours to fly on the way to Monterrey I had time to let my mind wander and even read the marketing drivel on the Naked orange juice bottle. I had to wonder who the marketing team was trying to fool with the sentence below...

and the expiration date on the bottle.

You can't be too worried about rushing the product to market when you are willing to let your product sit around somewhere for months. Maybe they meant to say, We rushed this product to you so we could keep our cash flow solid... :)

As an aside, why does every 15 to 16 ounce beverage in O'Hare Airport cost almost $5? Other airports are happy relieving visitors of twice the going rate. Why does O'Hare need almost three times? I guess I should be happy for getting a flight from O'Hare and avoiding Houston at least once on my trip.

Goldenberg's Peanut Chews

Goldenberg's Peanut Chews' wrapper has an interesting tribute to its Philadelphia Heritage on the wrapper. This interesting product has a history dating back to 1917. The bars were included as ration bars for the US military in World War I.

Eagle Cam

Check out the Eagle Cam from Codorus State Park in Pennsylvania!

Nice Guy or Jerk?

I guess I pass. I recently spotted an article in which a highly scientific ;) study had determined guys with ring fingers longer than index fingers were nice guys. We all know what happens to nice guys... Still I had to check and yes my ring fingers are longer than my index fingers.

Door Locks?

So why does my room at the Tulsa Hampton have a keyed lock on the door?

While the room across the hall doesn't.

And who controls the keys?

80 Million Minutes

This is a depressing number if you need to fly to make your living. The US Government tracked six million flights in 2014 and found them late a net 80 million minutes. Small wonder we all have that strange feeling of euphoria when our flight arrives that rare ten minutes early.

Note to Hampton Inn....

Beer is Dead

Found Money

Am I the only person who gets satisfaction from finding money in the drier? I know it was already my money, but when it's found in the drier, it was unexpected. It's almost free. ;)

Conewango Creek is Pennsylvania's 2015 River of the Year

The Conewango Creek in our home county of Warren was recently voted the Pennsylvania River of the Year for 2015. The quiet beauty of the Conewango begs for a visit whether you like to paddle, to look for eagles, or find a geocache or two. Many congrats to our friend Liz who has been tireless in her support of this treasure through conservation and clean-up efforts!

Waving the Flags?

Wow, W.B. Mason must be a serious flag-waving, made-in-America, old time company. Well, maybe not. Four Old Glorys and Red, White, and Blue print all over the wrapper of their paper doesn't cover the small Made in China mark in the lower right, rear corner of the back side of the package. I understand globalization is a reality, but wrapping your imported products in red,white, and blue seems hypocritical. It's one thing to sell imported products, but branding imported products in the flag is low.

Food Service Hygiene

I'm glad I only have to eat my words and not too much food from North Carolina restaurants should Republican Senator Thom Tillis get his way. According to the BBC, Mr Tillis has suggested that requiring food service employees to wash their hands after using a restroom is an example of regulatory burden which should be removed. Congratulations Mr. Tillis, you have officially entered the race with Dan Barrington for the year's dumbest legislation. I really had no idea such a fitting competitor would rise up so quickly. I would shake your hand, but I'm not sure that is a good idea considering your thoughts of hygiene requirements.

Red Green

For a number of years The Red Green Show was a Sunday evening staple on our local public television station. They now have many of the old episodes on the Red Green YouTube channel. The show's are silly, but they are clean fun. The old episodes can be located through the program's web site.

Duct Tape: the handyman's secret weapon

If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.

The Drink of Mexico's Astrunauts

We had just found a cache dedicated to Tang and were wondering whether Tang was still made. I guess this answers the question. I was in a 7-Eleven in Apodaca to buy soda when I noticed the Tang packets. I bought the two in the picture then thought better of bringing them back since I had only two carry-ons. Too bad, I really wanted to try Mango Tang.

When Hoodies are Outlawed....

Only outlaws will wear hoodies.

Republican Don Barrington of Oklahoma has surged to a possible insurmountable lead for the dumbest legislation of the year award in 2015.

Can we be looking at the formation of a ridiculously overfunded political action group called the NHA to protect our rights to wear hoodies?