The Weekend Graphs

Really quite a boring weekend this week for some reason. I had planned on doing my income tax but then I got a call from Procrastination...and you know how persuasive he can be this time of year. It even took me all day to make this post, or I should say, get around to this post.

However it is done and it is now yours...

Enjoy!


Go Ahead, Hit That Extra Bold!




Your Tax Dollars At Work...




Zed IS Dead!




Venn You Really Want To Know...



Just Like In The Wild

The Weekend In Black And White

Winter seems to present endless artful opportunities for photography. It maybe my favorite B&W season. This shot of snow collecting on a windless day made me think of, what else...


Q-Tips

Linking to The Weekend In Black And White

CassaStorm - The Cover Reveal

I am proud to be among the many who are kicking off the promotion for Alex J Cavanaugh's upcoming book - CassaStorm!

Here is the advance look at the book cover, it is simply awesome!!

CassaStorm by Alex J. Cavanaugh

http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/

 

A storm gathers across the galaxy…

 

Byron thought he’d put the days of battle behind him. Commanding the Cassan base on Tgren, his only struggles are occasional rogue pirate raids and endless government bureaucracies. As a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the desert planet, Byron’s ideal life is threatened and he’s caught between the Tgrens and the Cassans.

 

After enemy ships attack the desert planet, Byron discovers another battle within his own family. The declaration of war between all ten races triggers nightmares in his son, shaking Bassan to the core and threatening to destroy the boy’s mind.

 

Meanwhile the ancient alien ship is transmitting a code that might signal the end of all life in the galaxy. And the mysterious probe that almost destroyed Tgren twenty years ago could be on its way back. As his world begins to crumble, Byron suspects a connection. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in the middle…

 

Release date: September 17, 2013

Science Fiction - Space Opera/Adventure

Print ISBN 9781939844002

E-book ISBN 9781939844019

-----------------------------------------

If you have read his first two books in the trilogy you will be as anxious as I am for September 17th to get here. If you are new to the series, I would seriously recommend you pick up CassaStar and CassaFire and get up to speed before September. You can pick both of them up at Amazon on Kindle for less than $10 total. A steal of a deal!!

These are good stories that happen to be in the science fiction genre. Even if you are not a die-hard "sci-fi" devotee, these books tell a great story and are a riveting read. Alex is a first rate story teller and the best compliment I can give his books is that I was truly not ready for them to end.

Mark the 9/17/13 date on your calendar and get in line behind me for the release of what is sure to be Alex's best work yet!

The Storm is comin'....

See you on Tgren!



:)~

Mid-February Weekend Graphs

Today's graphs are a mixed bag ... but no less entertaining, and maybe a little educational. You are sure to find something to add wrinkles to your grey matter (aka, brain).

I figured the last graph was appropriate now that Valentines is over and everyone is starting Phase II of their New Year's resolution to lose weight (or the between-Valentines-and-Easter diet). Sooo, we have the big overeating Holiday season followed a month later by the Super Bowl binge followed two weeks later by the Valentines glut...and now we are hell-bent heading towards the next candy tsunami we call Easter!

Wow...way sidetracked there...anyway, enjoy the following...then go outside and play!!


You gotta be quick!



This is how I leave meetings!




Bad Hair Decades




Curious, I have never watched a single episode and my wife is hooked...




Can I get you a cinnabon and a Dr. Pepper Slurpee?

The Weekend In Black And White

Still a winter wonderland in many places of the country.


White Out

Linking to The Weekend In Black And White

SOTU and God Bless You Too!

Last night as required by law, the President presented the State Of The Union address to the House and the American people. I, like many others, watched.

Now I am not the least educated on politics. I have voted Republican for my own reasons, when I have voted. I believe many Americans really don't understand politics or the inner workings of the "political machine"...for either party. I think most people glom on to a general theme from either party and call it home. Because the worst thing is to not know what side you are on. Only mavericks and the whackos don't belong to a team right?

In last nights speech it seemed like a lot of good points were made (read: wishful thinking). I tried hard to stay focused on the general overall ideas. I believe most people would agree that we would like to see many of these proposals come about. The crux of the matter always comes down to how will it/they/them be paid for. We are already a gazillion dollars in debt. However some of these things we need to, no, HAVE to find a way to pay for.

The country's infrastructure must addressed. Roads, bridges and the like have taken a back seat to far more glamorous expenditures and if not our generation, future generations will suffer from our procrastination. Provided we are not using hovercraft cars in the near future.

Everything to do with school and educating our kids must be a priority. The future depends on this

Of course the problem with the government is quite obvious...too many hands in the Pie. Do we really believe that 435 Representatives could ever reach a consensus on anything? Even if they were all from the same party?? There are 53 alone from the great state of California. Gridlock on their highways and gridlock in their politicians. Did you know originally the articles of confederation called for one representative from each state? We may want to reconsider where we are now.

But you get the idea. The fiscal cliff and sequestering and any other of the gridlocked bullshit that we the taxpayers foot the bill on is clearly caused by too many people wanting it "their way". And by God if they are going to give in then a lot of pork is going to have to be conceded to "buy" their vote. It's crap on a stick.

This is a subject with myriad layers like an onion. The more you peel the more you want to cry.

The SOTU address should be just that...where are we right now. This minute in time. No BS or sugar coating but where we stand, by God. Throwing out a problem and then some fantastical solution over and over again in a 60 minute speech to inane standing ovations is ridiculous. Not enough time to detail the problem or the solution. This speech should be an announcement to the American people of where the USA realistically stands. A hard pill to be sure. We are not in a vacuum. Every country on the planet has someone watching. Allies. North Koreans. Terrorists. So the speech has to be tempered on international and national security points.

The speech should be general enough to get through it and specific enough to let the American people know just what is going on with the important things to ALL Americans. Infrastructure, schools, disaster preparedness, global warming, etc. These things matter to all who don't live in a cave on the side of a mountain. In a nutshell, "here are the problems your elected officials and I, as President should be held accountable to work on". Then stop. And get to work on it.

This rambling could go on until the next SOTU (and thank God for Twitter giving us the ability to use the SOTU moniker)  but I will stop here. None of this probably makes any more sense than the address anyway. Too much to cover, so little time.

---------

Lastly, I have to address the issue of the Republican rebuttal. Marco Rubio as the GOP Savior???  Seriously? He is a freshman/junior Senator from the great state of Florida. They are already talking about the White House in his future. After last nights rebuttal speech, I don't see him teaching a 12th grade government class. He showed me nothing to get behind and made multiple gaffs during his time on air.

To wit:

~ The obvious dabbing of sweat from first the right temple and shortly thereafter the left temple.

~ The "dry mouth" that resulted in the smacking sound as he spoke early in the speech.

~ Later the tic of wiping his mouth in a V pattern from the corners...twice

~ He appeared very twitchy and animated, Granted he was trying to come off very passionate about what he was saying but there was no chance this rookie was going to out-passion the earlier polished Obama passion. Bad strategy.

~ And WTF was that SNL skit-like ducking for the water bottle. I swear I had flashbacks to a SNL time when Murray or Akroyd would have done that exact move. How the hell did his handlers not have water with in easy arms reach at the right height?? Amateur hour at Second City auditions.

Grade: D-

My real regret from the address is that the cameramen for NBC must have been instructed to NEVER point the camera at Ted Nugent. He of the anti-establishment boots, jeans and open collar shirt as his dress for the address. He was invited by a Senator and never shown. I figured a quick shot during the gun control portion of the night...but nothing. Very sad. I have always like the Nuge's music and no BS position on pretty much everything.

Until next SOTU...it will be SSDD (same shit different day).

Peace>>>out

The Weekend Graphs

We are now in the doldrums of winter. Yes P. Phil predicted an early spring but who can really trust an over-sized rodent who's only been right like 13% of the time. However...

You can always trust the Weekend Graphs to melt your snow or plant your garden...even without opposable thumbs...or a brain!


Please enjoy these offerings and I suspect the last one is the greatest graph I have ever found! What guy has not thought of doing that back in the day. No fair peeking...

Enjoy!




Smart Phone Meltdown




The Obvious Questions




Guide To Zombies




Is This Your Sense Of Humor




Who Needs Questions...Just Do It!

The Weekend In Black And White

Whether sand or snow, where ever we go, you will always know, my wife will tell you so. She finds some way to "sign" every vacation we take. This signature was covered in an hour as the snow started falling furiously not long after she was done.


Sign Off

Our "signature" event

Linking to The Weekend In Black And White

Overcoming Adversity Bloghop For Andrew

Nick over at Scattergun Scribblings is hosting the "Overcoming Adversity" bloghop. He is trying to raise funds to send his step-son to a specialist college in Scotland. Andrew has cerebral palsy and Nick is going to compile all the posts from this bloghop and publish them. Using all funds raised to help Andrew. I will be in line to buy that book. Join and share if you can. Good luck to Nick and Andrew!

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes Life Is Adversity

 

My post may pale compared to others I have read yesterday and today but I see the adversity of the most insidious kind most days. It is not the one traumatic event that is a spike of adversity but rather the crushing never seeming to end kind of adversity. It is proof there is adversity all around us that many times we grow numb to.

 

The girl at  work with 4 kids, all by different fathers, now raising them as a single mother. The youngest almost losing a leg when hit by a bus while riding his bike in Mexico. The one by one untimely deaths of most of her family members, mother, father, aunt, just last week an uncle. The never ending merry go round of sick kids and invariably sick herself. Her everyday paranoia that her blood pressure medicine in making her condition worse. Her sister with serious and often hospital required heart issues. I don't even know when she truly has last had a happy day. She has fortitude that I am not sure I could muster. Her life is a constant adversity curveball.

 

A friend of mine and his wife are agonizing at the decline of her father due to emphysema after years of smoking and second-hand smoke. They have been handling this inevitably fatal condition for a few years now and  it has gotten progressively worse recently. I know the man as he worked for me for a short while many years ago. The last picture I saw of him with an oxygen tube and swollen face while his smiling daughter had her arm around him was quite saddening. Hopefully she quit smoking in time to spare herself this misery later on. She has quit.

 

I myself have lost my uncle and mother in consecutive Januarys. Years of 2011 and 2012. Going home for Christmas this year was a little anxious as my Aunt lives in the adjoining condo where my mother lived...and now someone else lives there. I only went to see her once for a short time while I was home. She was astute enough to ask my wife if I had a hard time coming over to see her. I so wanted to make the 2 hour journey south of my sisters to the cemetery but the weather was so bad (blizzard of 2012 stuff) that it would have been crazy to leave town. I even told my sister that this must be Mom's way of telling us to stay here and enjoy each others company and not waste time out in the snow just to visit her grave...because that is exactly the sort of person my mother was.

 

Many of the customer's I deal with in my job have faced adversity so often you would mistake them for the guy in the Lil Abner cartoon who is always followed by that black cloud. Sometimes you can see it and instinctively move away. Afraid that some of it may rub off on you. Lost jobs, burned down houses, deaths in the family, jail. It never seems to end.

 

There is so much adversity everywhere you look. The human spirit somehow mostly always overcomes.

 

Final note...

 

This past Saturday Chris Kyle, the deadliest sniper in American military history and owner of the 1.2 mile kill shot, was himself gunned down at a gun range in rural Glen Rose, TX. About 30 minutes south of my lake house in Granbury, TX. He and another man were shot at close range by another soldier who has been treated for and continued to suffer from PTSD. That is no way to go after 4 tours in Iraq and being shot twice in combat. He leaves behind a wife and children. The irony? He devoted his time to helping in anyway he could when it came to returning service men and PTSD.

 

Nick, take good care of Andrew and God Bless.

Super Bowl Sunday Weekend Graphs

The day is here. Just like every Super Bowl Sunday in recent memory...10 mind-numbing hours of "pre-game". I for one watch very little of it unless I happen to walk through the living room and they happen to be talking about something of interest. And since the game is in New Orleans (N'awlins) there is always plenty to talk about, Bourbon St, Mardi Gras, Katrina, Harry Connick, Jr, etc.

I will let most all that slip by unwatched but by 5PM I WILL be ready for some football. Even lacking my team playing, I suspect it will be a good game. My prediction...28 - 24 Niners.

What do you think??

Regardless of your pick, you can have a good time right here catching up on the SB Weekend Graphs.

Enjoy!



Sick guitar Skills




Nothing!




Skiing Skills Explained




Coincidence?




Petting Guide

The Weekend In Black And White

A sign on the mantle at an old style 60's restaurant called "Woodstock".


Lennon Revisited

Linking to The Weekend In Black And White