Fascinating Repulsion

There are some things I am intensely curious about, but also hope I never have to experience. One is swimming with sharks. It looks fascinating on the science channels and would be cool to do, but I really wouldn't want to do it for fun, and it would be even more terrifying if shipwrecked. Another example is being shot out of a cannon. There are people who do it, and it looks dangerously fun at the circus, but if I were ever really faced with the chance to participate, I don't think I would take the opportunity.

Skyscraper climbing is another example. The idea of being harnessed to a huge building with hundreds of feet of empty space below while balancing precariously knowing the only thing between you and the ground is a harness system...you get the picture. All of these make sense with the obvious element of high danger, but equally intriguing is the California bar exam. There must be a ton of legalese within that test that prospective lawyers have to comprehend, and have probably needed the assistance of a California bar exam tutor for. The whole idea of regurgitating that much factual information in one sitting is daunting to say the least. I would like to see it done, but have no inclination to try it myself.

Billboard Brilliance

I am very grateful to the online full service printing company that is in charge of billboard designs. There are some pretty cool advertisements that catch the eye. Some, it's because of location, it may be the only thing to look at. But others are spectacular displays of ingenuity. There was a billboard that had half a speed boat sticking out of it. It was made to look like the boat had crashed through the entire billboard. There was another for a rock climbing place that had a fake mannequin hanging from their sign. It was definitely a mannequin, but they left a little slack in the rope, so at first glance, especially if there was a little wind, it looked like it was a real person moving. There are others that have really clever sayings and are memorable, but there is a definite bonus to the added three dimensional effect which catches the eye.

The most technologically advanced I've seen are these billboards that appear flat, but then split into vertical triangle segments that spin independently of each other. Every ten to twenty seconds these vertical bars turn and the entire billboard advertisement changes. One billboard holds three different advertisements and then it has the added bonus of movement to draw peoples eyes. Business printing and advertising could definitely benefit from that. Those are some killer printing services. Whoever thought it up should be given some serious credit.

Pheasant Allies

There are certain types of creatures that are generally disliked by people. Not necessarily all people, but many. Spiders, catfish, leeches, rats, snakes, sharks, and ants are just a few. Granted they often fascinate and mesmerize peoples attention as they instinctively recoil from them. There have been instances though, where a certain creature is introduced to an area and absolutely thrives. Supposedly it is because they lack natural predators and completely overpopulate a place. It happened on Porto Santos with rabbits during the age of exploration and there was a more recent incident in Australia where they brought in a predator who didn't have a natural enemy. The funny thing is, you rarely hear of incidences like this related to birds.

There is pheasant hunting in South Dakota, and deer hunting season, as well as elk, moose, bear. These are times when hunting is allowed, but people don't seem to have the same reaction to birds as they do to insects and reptiles, even when they are participating in pheasant hunting season. Instead, they seem to anticipate, admire and display their prize. It lacks the whole recoil response that is so predictable to insects and rodents. Perhaps birds are seen more of allies since they tend to eat insects themselves.

Functional Fitness Home Decor

Good home décor items are useful, functional, and pleasant to look at. I recently was shown an engineers desk where it had computer access, lamp, normal desk type setup. However, the entire desk folds down while keeping all of the items level, and a bed suddenly appears in the same space. It is an amazing piece that an engineer could definitely appreciate.

There was another interior home decorating piece I was shown recently that could be useful in a residence or office setting (if it were allowed). It's a treadmill desk. You literally walk while you work on the computer or fill out paperwork. You wouldn't necessarily be running on it while you fill out paperwork, but you could if you had long briefs to read. It was a very cleverly designed home décor item. I bet people who work from home would absolutely adore having that as part of their interior home decorating. They could work, be at home and get fit all at the same time, while being paid for it. Sounds fairly ideal. Who knows, maybe ten years from now it will be standard in some offices. Many places do have gyms or fitness areas available for employees, this would just be the next logical step.

Senses

Camping is an experience that completely plays upon all the senses. Between the sensual fragrance of smoke from the camp fire and the perfume fragrance of pine trees mixed with dinner smells and moldering leaves, the unique blend is almost intoxicating. The smells alone can leave a person dizzy from all the variety. Crisp air and wafting scents of flowers on the breeze being intermingled with the leather of your boots and morning coffee is memorable to say the least.

Add the sense of sight to the multitude of perfume fragrance sensations and you add a sense of color and shadow to the flavor of your food. Sunrise is a visual haven. It starts with everything being dim and slightly indiscernible, but as it moves further and further up in the sky, details suddenly start to appear and objects take on new vibrancy.

There is a sense that can halt all of these powerful smells and sights in one fell swoop. It's the sense of touch. Sleeping bags and tents only go so far when defending against the sharp edge of rocks that dig into the back at night. If you have the unpleasant opportunity to run into poison ivy or perhaps be bitten by a tick, there is a disconcerting remnant of itching, bruising, or pinching that distracts from everything else. Granted, the sense of touch can amplify as much as detract. The smooth feel of a rock after feeling the textured bark of a tree can add to the sensual fragrance of pine while watching the sunrise with a nice hot cup of coffee warming you up. There's definitely a plethora of material for the senses when camping. Well worth it.

Cyber Trance

Have you ever been entranced by the most idiotic and trivial things? There used to be a toy that was magnet based and had a spinning wheel that would travel back and forth along two metal bars. It's simplicity is astounding, yet it can captivate people for hours. It becomes a part of their psyche to continue to back and forth motion during conversations, and sometimes they learn how to do some tasks with one hand in order to continue.

This tendency also applies to electronics. There are so many cool interactive videos and graphs available. Generally, people watch out for these trivial time consumers, but most of us fall prey to one or another from time to time. Mine was a roofing company site. They had a picture of a two story house with a whole slew of color options and roofing types in neatly labeled boxes off to the side. If you clicked on a box, the whole roof on the house would change to that color and style. It doesn't matter if you're looking at roofing in Austin or Maine, the site could be helpful and also ultimately distracting. To make it even better, there was a server error and the picture split in two, so it ended up displaying these cool two toned roofs. Roofing is definitely not on my to-do list, but the site had my attention for quite some time.

Hesitant Leap

Generally, people dread having their life turned upside down and proceeding knowingly into a massive mess. Most will quail at the thought and try to dodge, avoid, ignore, or deny the potential hazards. Who can blame them? Ironically, whether it is a figurative or literal situation, even when a person knows they will benefit from the upheaval or enjoy the results, they often still try to avoid the necessary mess.

Home improvement projects are a good example of this. People get so excited over the prospect of having the appearance and comfort of their home updated. They love to talk about how nice it will look and what benefits it will bring. Some suck it up and continue into the nitty gritty of planning the upheaval process. Others, stay in the dream stage. A few, conveniently plan the upheaval and a vacation for the same period of time.

Roofing is a great example for this. Installing roof shingles in Austin or switching over to metal roofing in Alaska is not the same as completely remodeling the roofing structure. One is a little inconvenient, but operations continue like normal inside the house. The other results in complete displacement and the potential of living with neighbors or relatives for a few weeks. Once the job is completed, people rarely regret it, but getting past that initial leap into the mayhem can be dicey.

Observant People

Some people are incredibly observant. They walk into a new environment, socialize for a minute or two, walk out, and they can practically describe the room to the last detail. The painting quality and the dupage flooring, to the kind of lighting and number of switches. It's like their brain never stops functioning and hangs on to every little detail.

This definitely has its advantages, especially if they were to participate in a police line-up or recall sequences and events. However, as appealing as this might be to students stressing over a test or jeopardy contestants wishing they had more of this capability, most people would probably find it a bit irritating.

To never really forget or have events fade could really be overwhelming. Would you want to remember perfectly every argument you've had and how foolish you acted on numerous occasions. Granted, you could remember the good things just as well, but human nature is an oddity sometimes. Even if people are fed a million good things about themselves, they often choose to focus on the twenty things that bug them the most. It would be fun to find out the average ratio of positive and negative thoughts for humans. The results might be surprising.

Technical Art

Tile flooring is fascinating to watch. Some Seattle tile contractors make it look as easy as slicing warm butter to cut curved lines into stone. It's a very versatile art. Tiles are used as flooring, backsplashes, and wall coverings. Schools often put them halfway up the wall and it cuts down on the number of dirty hand prints the janitorial staff has to try and clean off paint. It's much easier to clean the tile instead. Plus, with all the patterns and swirls tile often has, the hand prints are much less noticeable.

What is amazing, is to see the designs and pictures that can be created with miniature tiles. It is painstaking work, but the intricacy of it adds to the beauty of the tile flooring. There is an old movie called Batteries Not Included that can credit half of its charm to the tile flooring completed as part of the set. You wouldn't naturally think the flooring would have that dramatic of an effect on the theme of a film, but it does.

Overall, the skill tile contractors possess is probably under appreciated. There is a definite artistic element that is an inherent part of the work. Plus, they must complete it with the finesse of accuracy, otherwise the client will end up paying for extra boxes of tile. It's a technical art form people rarely notice...unless it's missing of course.

Strapless Stress

I once saw a performance with a song called 'stress of a strapless' evening gown. It's true, if you watch, a strapless evening gown has to be incredibly well made and tailor fitted in order to avoid the persistent upward tug that accompanies any such outfit. Plus, there is the added dilemma concerning the fact that your underclothing matches suit in order to avoid visible bra straps. There isn't a lot of reassurance in such an ensemble. However, for all of you who can sympathize with the stress of a strapless gown, there is a fashionable solution available.

You can now get designer bra straps that match the strapless evening gown, but alleviate the stress. Whatever your taste, they have rhinestone bras straps or more subtle, but still effective decorative bra straps. It actually can be quite attractive and I imagine it would be particularly appealing to brides. They do spend an entire day in a monstrous dress that has a decent amount of weight to it. They are also surrounded for the entire day by numerous relatives who she probably wouldn't mind leaving with a good impression. Then there is the fact that as exciting as the day is, it is often the most tiring one as well. Everyone knows klutzy accidents are more likely when fatigued. True for driving situations and brides.

Recent Trend

There is a recent rumor that the best guys to date are nerds. A myriad of reasons are given, they are loyal to their spouses, they generally treat women well, and lack the monstrous egos accredited to their jock counterparts. There is a dilemma though. How many girls comprehend phrases such as data integration from sql to xml, xml to pdf, and database to xml conversion. After 20 minutes of this, many girls will either emit a timid yawn or change the subject, which is not always effective with the intense focus most intellectuals have. They can only feign understanding for so long and eventually he is going to expect some sort of intelligent response beyond “that's interesting.”

With the new rumor, there may be a trend ensuing to date nerdy guys, which could be beneficial. Eventually the girls will have to pick up a book, attempt the spark notes, or ask him and his friends to help. This whole concept has been popularized even more by the recent sitcom, the Big Bang Theory. It revolves around two apartments, one containing bachelor nerds, and the other a hot blond. The combination is amusing and disturbing all at once, but possibly becoming more accepted.

Pharmacy Qualifications

There is good reason pharmacies are located almost everywhere in the United States. Between unexpected illness, injuries, and recuperation from weekend festivities, pharmacies play an essential role in daily living. The trouble is, the clientele that may enter a pharmacy is varied, but generally not feeling well and potentially cantankerous. An expert pharmacy employee not only has to master medication dosages, but also craftily handle potentially hazardous customer service situations. Perhaps a West Palm Beach pharmacy would have a higher proportion of weekend festivity cases, but generally pharmacies need employees who are as resolute. A vet has an advantage when working with his sick patients that pharmacists do not.

Another drawback which pharmacists have to handle is the fact that they are at the tail end of the individuals route home when ill. By the time they have waited in a doctors reception area, completed the doctor visit, driven to the pharmacy, and waited for the prescription to be filled, they have had a lot of time to focus on why they don't feel well. There's a good chance the pharmacy technician will get an earful before the nauseous person leaves in anticipation of a warm cozy bed at home.

Elvis and Avril...

I have never been able to figure out why certain trends become popular. Anyone else remember the MC Hammer pants from the 80's? Then there was the huge massive hair for girls at that time. Look at Michael Jackson's single glove fad, and thank heavens no one really followed Madonnas fashion trend. There are more vintage styles like Elvis Presley, who could totally pull off the diamond plate leather jacket look. But why in the world was he so popular? You compare him with the Beatles or basically any fashion magazine picture and it really makes you wonder. Elvis could pull off a buffalo leather jacket while standing in Hawaii under the blazing sun, but could anybody else really manage it?

There must be some sort of recipe for fashion that eludes 75% of the general populace. It's either that or these figures have a massive amount of charisma. However, they say Hitler had charisma, and you rarely see people modeling his mustache. Maybe that was one of the pseudo trends that claims to be popular but never really is. Avril Lavigne's tie look could probably classify as that. She can handle it, but there must be some magic ingredient she and Elvis have in common because there don't seem to be many others like them. Maybe it's in their names...

Dangerous Professions

There are certain professions that seem as if they should have a higher mortality rate than others. If I were to pick some, they would be National Geographic photographers/authors, lion tamers/safari guides, skyscraper maintenance workers, and New York electric contractors. The first three are pretty self explanatory, but if you think about it, electric contractors have to wire and maintain any place with lights or power. The empire state building lights up like a lighthouse beacon at night, there must be some electric contractors who service it. On the flip side, they also have to help with subway stations and tunnel systems. They have to go where the wires lead.

Surprisingly, electric contractors are in the top ten as well as skyscraper workers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2002, the 10 most dangerous jobs are:
1. Timber Cutters
2. Fishers
3. Pilots and Navigators
4. Structural Metal Workers
5. Drivers-sales Workers
6. Roofers
7. Electrical Power Installers
8. Farm Occupations
9. Construction Laborers
10. Truck Drivers

Surprisingly, when you look at occupations with the highest suicide rate, some of the most dangerous are not on there. In fact, there is only one duplicate profession on the list.
1. Doctors and Medical Professionals
2. Security Guards
3. Pilots
4. Artists

Good luck to you pilots, perhaps consideration of being an electrical contractor is in order...

Family Law Assumptions

There are certain assumptions children make when growing up about how other people must live like they live because that is just the way things are. There was an individual who thought she could catch a broken arm like the flu and thus avoided a peer on the school bus the entire time he had a cast on. There was another who thought that since her family was required to take music lessons, everyone must have to take music lessons.

These are all fairly innocent, but there some peculiar family law decrees, that can lead to uproar when the child finally realizes not everyone lives like that. For example, one Lexington family law that is particularly memorable is called opera hour. For at least one hour a day all communication in the household consisted singing in an operatic voice. Whether talking to your family or on the phone, opera was the tone.

Generally it would be assumed that such a family law could lead to ridicule, but in this case it was the opposite. Instead of being teased, peers decided to have their own opera hour within the classroom for the entirety of the math lesson. There was definite benevolence, slight mayhem, and a lot of laughter as a result.

Weird Tidbits of Advice

Have you ever wondered how we end up with weird tidbits of advice like: Pickled pigs feet make Philadelphia carpet cleaning necessary, come from? An immediate mental image of a potential scenario that must have given birth to the idea comes forth and is often followed by a grimace.

There are literal published proverbs such as never own a black dog if you have white carpet that implies another carpet cleaning situation. Many people can sympathize with the dog problem, and few think of the hair color and carpet cleaning when choosing their favorite breed of pet.

Let's take an odd Irish proverb: A cow pat is wider when trodden on. Would you really want to be the person who coined that phrase? There is a definite implication about the state of your shoe, and the distance your friends are now making between you and them.

If you look at proverbs around the world, dogs should be very wary. In Italy, it is said Dogs and rude people have no hands, which is a definite step up from their status in China: Give a dog an appetizing name, and eat him. Yes, there is definite potential for traumatized children in that last saying.

Rocky's Cleaning Theme

Have you ever noticed the obvious cleaning improvement theme in the Rocky movies? In the early movies, you get numerous depictions of Rocky and Adrianne's apartments, which could obviously use some carpet cleaning in a hurry. Then you have the pet shop where Adrianne works, which could also use a good visit from a carpet cleaning company. Throughout the series they upgrade their living spaces to the point where the mansion looks like it is visited by a Philadelphia carpet cleaning company every week or possibly every day.

It's kind of an interesting theme, especially since the latest movie pictures Rocky back in a Philadelphia apartment. He has neater habits, but it is quite similar to how he started. It could be a subtle tribute to the effect Adrianne had on him, or it could be a commentary on the power of habits, but a favorite possibility is the fact that he just really likes being around people. Keeping a character like that cooped up in a large house by himself would be a recipe for the next sports star fiasco. Plus, if you look closer at the cleaning theme, you can't help but notice how much his experiences have changed his character and consequently his habits. Purposeful or not, it's a nice visual emphasis to support the character development.

The Dentist...

There are so many professions that are loved, feared, and hated all in the same breath. A dentist is probably at the top of the list of victims when it comes to the complexities of customer relations. A poor dentist is expected to create a friendly environment for children while proposing the idea of extracting and drilling into teeth. There are many parents who would probably be willing to travel to a San Jose dentist in hopes that the travel alone would tire out the child enough to make them behave just a little. Sadly, many children blame the dentist without the realization they are being paid by their own parents to complete the procedure. It is said that there is a fairly high suicide rate among the dental profession—can we blame them? The children that scream incessantly directly into the ear of the dentist when young, often grow into teenagers with similar dental anxiety.

I met a concerned mother who was asking what to do to help calm her almost 20 year old daughter in order to have a successful dentist appointment. The dentist himself, has probably seen that person bi-annually for years. Can you blame him if the patience factor gets a little thin? Yes, if you look closely, there is an increase in friendly dental offices who cater to children and advertise quality sedation techniques. It seems like a win-win situation for both the dentist and parents. Smart marketing.

Parental Sanity Keepers

There are some genuine benefits we have now days when it comes to infant care and convenience. The motorized swing is one. It soothes colicky babies without parents having to sit there and rock them and can allow them to have a respite from the crying and screaming that often accompanies colic. This could be a good prevention practice for shaken baby syndrome.

Then you have those lovely seats that children sit in and can bounce from the door frame or roll around the kitchen floor. These are fantastic for keeping there leg muscles moving without the parents having to walk stooped over across the living room floor four dozen times in 20 minutes. This always tires out the parents way before the child.

The most recent in convenient infant care are baby bath rings. No longer do you have to worry about constantly holding up a slippery baby, they can sit nicely in the baby bath rings while your hands are free to make sure shampoo never reaches their eyes. Plus, baby bath rings can help safeguard against infant drownings. There are definitely some added bonuses to having these conveniences for your infant's care. Plus, they help a lot with parental sanity.

Sell My Site

If there were a nice property with a sign out front stating “sell my site” it would probably make any passing real estate agent complete a hasty u-turn and wipe the tiniest amount of drool from their lip as they cope with the increased mouth watering over such potential. Poor, poor real estate agent. In their hasty first pass they failed to notice the small print at the bottom of the sign stating “website broker needed.” It could be helpful for all involved if there was a dual license available for real estate agents. They could specialize as a land and website broker. This would make things easier for many people who have no idea what to do with a website domain once they have it and no longer need it, except to let it expire by letting the bill lapse. Then for the next three years, reminders will be conveniently sent to their home to remind them they had no idea what to do with that old website. It could be a relief to have a real estate agent who can also broker websites. There could definitely be some new advertising potential and being generally ambitious people who deal with picky clients regularly, they may enjoy the inanimate silence a website provides.

Where are the Swings?

It used to be that quality commercial playground equipment could be found at parks and schools. Recently playground equipment has become a popular product to put in backyards for residential use. Though this is a great feature for parents who encourage their children to spend time playing outside, families have become less dependent on quality parks and school playgrounds to provide fun play spaces. With this and the increase in liability issues, there is a huge decrease in the number of parks and playgrounds that have swing sets as part of their setting. This is a tragedy for children who do not have swings in their backyard. Most playground equipment poses a liability risk due to injury or misuse. But, for some reason swings have been targeted as a more likely culprit than the rest, and therefore left out of the lineup.

I would venture to argue that playground equipment is not complete without a decent set of swings. It would be like a park without a slide. Swings and slides have been the staple for recreation areas for years. If the number of accidents occurring on slides increases, will they be chopped from parks as well? It would mark another tragic death due to liability, like the swings.

Fly Fishing Waders

Waders are one of the greatest inventions of modern man. The practicality of being able to stand in waist high water can come in fairly useful in a variety of situations. There are the more obvious examples such as fishing trips where you have to walk in the water as you push out your boat. Then there are the fly fishing trips where you spend the entire day standing in water. There are also tasks more close to home such as cleaning the muck out of the local irrigation ditches, conquering the pesky pool filter clog before work, dealing with the sewer system or water pipe damage in your basement, or my favorite, maintaining your backyard fishing pond.

The one drawback to waders is the occasional sudden downpour. If you were fly fishing in the middle of a river in Montana when a sudden rainstorm occurred, your waders would be more likely to catch the rain and leave you walking in the middle of a personal puddle than help you remain dry. Fortunately, most fisherman have a decent eye for gauging weather and will mosey back to the cabin before the rain hits unless they have a personal vendetta against a certain fish—then there's no telling what they will endure in their waders.

Camera Magic

Cameras are a highlight to take on any vacation or trip. I once received a free wide angle lens camera and took it with me to the zoo—that was the most fascinating trip to the zoo ever. There is something magical about looking at the world with the goal of finding a piece of life that expresses a moment of beauty, horror, solitude, glory, triumph, or complete boredom. Being able to capture those snippets of emotion that intrigue a viewer is challenging to say the least.

We have speed shutters, zoom lenses, and wide angle lenses, but especially with the popularity of digital cameras growing, we need new shutters. For example, we could have accordion shutters. These would split the exposure of the film or digital feed into halves, thirds, fourths, or fifths. Accordion shutters would be perfect at the Dade County zoo! You could have the top third be the head of an elephant, the middle third be the body of a flamingo, and the bottom portion could be alligator feet, but it would all be taken from real live photos—none of that photoshop magic. Yes, I like the idea of accordion shutters. It could add a whole new dimension to photography. I thought a panorama lense was awesome—accordion would definitely top that.

Daunting Travel

Historically, traveling can be a daunting experience. Before yellow cabs, the subway, airplanes, boats, buses, and limousine service, travel was only attempted by the strong and brave. Take our modern marathon. The length of a marathon comes from the distance a messenger had to run to deliver some urgent news before he dropped dead once the message was complete. Talk about strength, dedication, and health hazard. I doubt he would have complained if a limousine service had been available, but then we would not have our marathons.

Another example of an ancient pony express was the Inca runners. The Incas built this long road almost the entire length of their empire and every mile they would have a station where a strong, fast runner would wait. It was a lot like modern relay races. One runner would come speeding up, the next runner would begin and match his pace while the first delivered the message and then stop as the new runner keeps going. Only the strong were allowed to do this and it was their main method of getting messages across the kingdom.

In modern times, travel is definitely not just for the strong and brave. It isn't really a hazard to your health, yet we can definitely complain about it. If the limousine service is five minutes late, you might get an earful. If the cab driver can't get you from New York to Washington DC in a few hours, you might be annoyed, and if you are planning on going through the airport terminal, be prepared for numerous delays. Though the annoyance is understandable, try to keep it in perspective. After all, now we run marathons for fun.

Ten Reasons

Ten Reasons Why the Worst Place to Meet Your Spouse is a Fashion Designer Consignment Shop:
1. You know they have expensive taste, even if it is consignment upscale
2. They may break their habit and decide to shop retail
3. High probability they are at the consignment fashion shop because of credit card debt
4. You will probably have to plan on 4 different closets: purses, shoes, accessories, clothes
5. Your children will be adorable in the family photo, and then you'll get the bill
6. Imagine the exponential shopping bill growth of teenagers with fashion taste
7. The names of the shoes will be more familiar than the in-laws and grandma
8. Every season is like entering a whole new candy shop of choices—the seasons never end
9. Holiday gift expectations require you to have designer knowledge
10. Consignment fashion styles can change as rapidly as hair color
Though the initial approach could be invigorating, be wary of the effect a well planned outfit can have. Skills in this department cannot be underrated for their visual appeal. Of course, there is the ultimate question...if you met someone there, what were you doing in a fashion designer consignment shop? It could be a match made for the fashion books.

Street Urchin Students

Forced service projects are becoming popular at colleges now. Think about it, you have a mass of people who have signed on to do what they have to in order to gain a piece of paper that is supposed to validity to their interests and skills. Obviously they want the validation and as such, deans have access to a pool of “lackeys” who in some ways are like lemmings and must do his bidding. Sound a lot like a dictatorship? There are some definite similarities.

If you were to compare the situation to a designer handbag consignment shop owner who sees a certain bag lady with a treasure of a consignment handbag she somehow managed to find, my guess is the designer handbag consignment shop owner would not blink an eye at employing a street urchin to acquire it.

Likewise, why would a dean blink an eye at potential labor that not only is of eligible working age and obviously could use some good experience, but also build the positive image of the university? It's a win-win right? Cause obviously the street urchin would never think to acquire the handbag of his own volition. Why else would he be hanging around the designer handbag consignment shop?

Color Smarts

Did you know there is an official book of colors? There is. It is tremendously expensive, which makes it a slight privilege to have seen, but it exists. It has practical purposes such as helping airliners speak to the people designing their burberry fabric seats with accuracy and don't end up with a fuchsia monstrosity when they wanted a more subtle mauve.

Can you imagine ordering Louis Vuitton fabric for a hundred thousand designer purses and ending up with an algae slime or teal instead a soothing sea green? If that were to happen, Gucci fabric would have a heyday until their midnight blue looked like the black hole on Star Trek.

Cinderella could have had a great time with this color book. Of course, any prince would be nuts to give such a thing to a new princess bride. Castles are huge and the amount of redecorating possible would empty the royal coffers in minutes. No, he was smart to keep the book locked in the library, that way she stays content with pumpkin coach fabric and will never know the difference.

In a more modern setting, there are college professors who use this book for classroom competitions. Secretly, they may be searching for the next great color communicator to work with the airlines and busing services.

A Question of Sanity

When you look at shows like cops and see the massive civil disputes, car chases, and DUI encounters that can occur, it makes you wonder what a person was thinking to become a defense attorney. If you become a defense attorney, you are earning the privilege to spend a lot of time with people who are possibly guilty, perhaps in enclosed spaces. That could take some guts. Prosecuting someone couldn't be too much more pleasant since if you lose, there is the possibility of a grudge, but it seems like you wouldn't have to spend quite so much time alone with them.

The whole idea of being in an enclosed space with a criminal is eerily similar to a confession booth for a priest. If you want to be a defense attorney or a priest, you have the whole attorney-client privilege and are like a container for people's secrets with no outlet for you. How would that wear on you with time? I can't imagine it would be pleasant.

On the other hand, say you have an innocent person, Charlotte, sitting in a jail cell. It could be kind of noble and rewarding to be her defense attorney. Maybe those cases make the rest of the risks worth it...maybe.

Circus Teeth

With the advent of health care and services like cosmetic dentistry it's amazing how much more sheltered and reactive people can be when they meet someone who hasn't participated in more modern oral hygiene matters. For instance, you go to a convalescent center and little kid meets an older person who didn't have braces when younger. What does the kid do? Recoil in fright because the teeth are crooked and could use some cosmetic dentistry. It's the recoil though. Think of the older person. They lived with their teeth for plenty long and would not even think twice if the kid was missing some. Even better, introduce the kid to a glass sitting innocently by the bedside with dentures in it and then have them look at the old person. There is a look you should witness at least once in your life. Cosmetic dentistry is taken as a byword now, but think of the long term effects. Potentially crooked teeth could have merit for a side show in a circus in Washington DC. Forget the super strong man or the lady with two different colored eyes. Steroids and contacts have ruined the novelty of those. No, the future of circus shows is in crooked teeth.

Elizabethtown

I saw a movie recently called Elizabethtown and absolutely loved it. It's kind of surreal in nature. Suicidal guy has to deal with crazy relatives to plan his dad's funeral near Louisville. He meets an equally neurotic stewardess on the flight there who can match him in quirks. It's fascinating watching the heating and cooling of family relationships as he deals with past grudges and current arguments. The quirky girl helps him with his cousins screaming kid by sending a video of a house being blown up—that part was hilarious and had me laughing out loud.

The characters themselves go through these phases of heating and cooling off in their own passions. Really, you look at the main character and he is a creative shoe designer who can't help but build this elaborate contraption to do himself in. You think he's getting over it, and halfway through you find out he's still planning on returning and following through. The girl drives all the way out to meet him, then nothing happens. Later, she changes her work schedule, drives out, hangs out at the hotel, and comes to the memorial service, all while keeping up the facade of a fake boyfriend. Gotta love the combination of southern Louisville charm and unpredictable characters.

Natural Disasters

Don't you love phrases like “the next big one” and “imminent doom” to brighten up your morning? It's funny, I go through phases where I will watch the news for a while and find the lovely depressing news a hilarious way to start the day, and other times, I won't watch it at all. Out of robberies, murders, and natural disasters, the latter is definitely my favorite. Within the natural disaster spectrum, the ring of fire events are by far the most intriguing. Take the movie Independence Day, the portrayal of Steve being so calm when they think there has been an earthquake is fascinating to me. I bet people who live in Los Angeles, Long Beach, or Orange County are actually like that.

What happens to their floor leveling though? I once was told that some earthquakes can cause the floor to literally roll like a wave toward you. It reminds me of a carnival ride. Except, houses usually have concrete foundations. How would you complete a foundation repair after your concrete has rolled like a wave? It boggles the mind to think that the ground beneath us can turn to such a liquid state. It seems sturdy enough normally. It would be cool to see, but I don't think I really want to find out.

Dharma

There used to be a show called Dharma and Greg, I think it aired on a national level. I thought it was hilarious. Straight-laced guy loves way weird girl who has crazy messed up parents. Good for lots of laughs right? There's a used minibus for sale, which reminded me of one of my favorite episodes. Dharma's car breaks down and she decides to go purchase another vehicle without her husband. When her husband gets home he finds a huge yellow bus in front of their city apartment. She couldn't help it, she fell in love with the bus and decided to buy it.

He thinks she's nuts for buying a bus. I half agree with him because it would require a CDL license, but she finds all of these random uses for the bus, which are actually fairly practical and helpful. At the end of the show her bus breaks and he tells her she can go pick out a new car/vehicle because she is so sad. When he gets back from work, she has him look out the window and guess what she bought. He stares out the window and starts listing off all the strange vehicles he sees like converted bus, motorhomes bus, garbage truck...you get the picture. The last vehicle he saw was my favorite, a cherry picker—how random is that? Check it out if you get the chance.

Good fences?

Have you ever heard the phrase "good fences make good neighbors?"  It's from a poem by Robert Frost, I think.  Is it really true though?  I mean what kind of fencing is he thinking of?  Maybe it is some super durable magical mediation fencing of some sort.  I know the images portrayed of Brady Bunch like characters chatting away the afternoon over some short white picket fencing deal.  Have you ever seen that in real life? 

From what I've heard, your fencing won't stop an angry neighbor.  Besides the fact that whatever fencing you choose has some sort of gate or entry in it that is useful for you, but also usable by your neighbor.  Wouldn't they generally target your front door if upset?  It is completely contrary to the Brady Bunch scene, but wouldn't fencing between neighbors cause more of a yelling match that could be heard by everyone?  I mean, the fencing does create a natural barrier to sound that needs to be overcome if even poor communication is going to occur.  Unless, of course, your fencing has empty sections in it.  That poses an interesting question.  Would open  or closed fencing work better for good neighbors?  Who knows, they've probably done a study on it already. 

Whoever related fencing with good neighbors probably had nice neighbors already and was in denial.  A little like Bugs Bunny, who could always find his way to Albuquerque to make the wrong turn but was probably in denial about the fact he had no idea where he was headed in the first place.

Strange parenting

Have you ever wondered about those people who treat their pets as if they are substitute children?  I saw a television special once about a lady who had a pet monkey who wore diapers and who she would take to the park to play by walking him there in a stroller.  It made me wonder...if her "baby" gets sick, who would she take him to?  A doctor or an animal clinic?  The animal clinic seems a much more appropriate place to me, but with the obvious emotional attachment factor, would she attempt a doctor?  If she were so bold, would the doctor refer her to an animal clinic?  How much expertise does an MD have when it comes to a monkey?  I can't remember where she was, someplace sunny like Dallas.  Wherever she is though, I would not want to be the animal clinic specialist who has to watch the monkey while she goes on vacation.  Wait...I made a gross assumption.  There is potential for a nanny or babysitter, but seriously, how would you explain that this very well treated monkey would need to sleep in a kennel like enclosure?  I think pandemonium would ensue.  That is what any good parent would do...right?

Really?

Have you ever seen the commercial advertising window cleaner where the wife tricks her husband into doing the pool cleaning?  She presents the two chores option and has him pick the one he wants, which is the pool cleaning.  Meanwhile, she has an ace up her sleeve with the new window cleaner product that makes her job completely easy.  While his pool cleaning job takes him so long, she is changed into her swimwear and lounging on a floating bed in the pool while he is still doing the pool cleaning. 
I must admit it's memorable, which I guess is the purpose, but seriously, the pool is way too clean for him to be still working on it when she is lounging.  Plus, why is she in the pool while he's cleaning it?  Any normal guy would take one look at that pool and say well, that's good enough, and jump in.  Real life would definitely trump her strategy, especially if you're in someplace hot like Las Vegas.  No one in their right mind would stay by the poolside when they just obviously got duped.  Seriously, that lady is gloating and he just lets her.  Does that not bug anybody else? Maybe it's just me, but the whole scenario is strangely...absurd.  Course, it is just a window cleaner commercial. 

It would be nice...

It would be nice with how things operate, if all of us were as photogenic as children can be and models are made to appear.  Think about it, you get a drivers license, and then you are awarded an ID with your picture.  You want to attend school, you get another mugshot.  To make it even better, if you want to travel, you have to get a photo for the passports page.  At least the passports design has a little mercy, it has a cover that conceals the photo most of the time.  To add to this pleasantness, if you apply for another form of government ID, what photo do they say you can use?  Your passports image! 
Passports serve a great purpose in allowing us to travel.  However, if you are one of those people who uses their passports image on a regular basis, you're stuck showing the picture to any kind of authority figure who asks.  Picture it, even if your cab driver gets pulled over in Europe, most likely you are going to have to show your passports information as well.  Going on a trip to multiple countries, be prepared to show that passports image every time you cross a boundary.  That is one benefit to the United States, once there, at least you can travel to Chicago without pulling out that passports image again.