Who Cares About Body Art

Thinking that I might get a tattoo and this one seems really appropriate.

What do you think?

. . . About a Repeat Customer?

Here I sit in my den waiting for Howard the Hawk to return for breakfast again this morning but he's a no show.  He's probably dining at the Murphy Mansion across the street.

Guess I shouldn't be surprised.  Like many of us, he probably likes variety; Monday I'll stop by McDonald's for a sausage biscuit with egg then on Tuesday I'll visit Panera's for quiche.  Of course eating at an up-scale joint with high brow music comes at a price so maybe back to McDonald's (my house / tree) tomorrow.

What's for Breakfast

Watched as a feathered friend enjoyed breakfast this morning.  I'm not a fan of raw meat but he seemed to be enjoying it.

Note:  Pretty hard to see the above (or maybe I'm just old and eyesight isn't what it used to be).  Anyway, if you click on the following link you should see a more robust version of the video.

What's for Breakfast

About Kids

Received from my brother-in-law and thought it was worth keeping.

GOD CREATED CHILDREN (AND IN THE PROCESS, GRANDCHILDREN!) To those of us who have children in our lives, whether they are our own, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or students... here is something to make you chuckle. Whenever your children are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence did not extend to His own children. After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve. And the first thing he said was 'DON'T! '  'Don't what?' Adam replied. 'Don't eat the forbidden fruit.' God said. 'Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit? Hey Eve..we have forbidden fruit! ' ' No Way ! '  'Yes way! '  'Do NOT eat the fruit! ' said God. 'Why? ' 'Because I am your Father and I said so! ' God replied, wondering why He hadn't stopped creation after making the elephants. A few minutes later, God saw His children having an apple break and He was ticked! 'Didn't I tell you not to eat the fruit?' God asked. 'Uh huh,' Adam replied. 'Then why did you? ' said the Father. 'I don't know,' said Eve. 'She started it!' Adam said. 'Did not ! ' 'Did too! ' 'DID NOT! ' Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own. Thus the pattern was set and it has never changed.  If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give children wisdom and they haven't taken it, don't be hard on yourself. If God had trouble raising children, what makes you think it would be a piece of cake for you ? THINGS TO THINK ABOUT ! 1. You spend the first two years of their life teaching them to walk and talk. Then you spend the next sixteen telling them to sit down and shut up. 2. Grandchildren are God's reward for not killing your own children. 3. Mothers of teens now know why some animals eat their young. 4. Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said. 5. The main purpose of holding children's parties is to remind yourself that there are children more awful than your own. 6. We childproofed our homes, but they are still getting in. ADVICE FOR THE DAY: Be nice to your kids.. They will choose your nursing home one day! AND FINALLY: IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF TENSION AND YOU GET A HEADACHE, DO WHAT IT SAYS ON THE ASPIRIN BOTTLE: 'TAKE TWO ASPIRIN' AND 'KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN'!!!!! Quick, send this on to ten people within the next five minutes. Nothing will happen if you don't, but if you do, Ten people will be laughing!!!

Who Cares About the General State of Things???

This just seemed appropriate for this blog:

Over five thousand years ago, Moses said to the children of Israel ,"Pick up your shovels, mount your asses and camels, and I will lead you to the Promised Land."Nearly 75 years ago, (when Welfare was introduced) Roosevelt said,"Lay down your shovels, sit on your asses, and light up a Camel, this is the Promised Land."Today, Congress has stolen your shovel, taxed your asses, raised the price of Camels and mortgaged the Promised Land!  I was so depressed last night thinking about Health Care Plans, the economy, the wars, lost jobs, savings, Social Security, retirement funds, etc. 

.... I called a Suicide Hotline.I had to press 1 for English.I was connected to a call center in Pakistan . I told them I was suicidal.They got excited and asked if I could drive a truck......Folks, we're screwed.

Billion Dollar Boondoggle

Note:  This post updated on 28 September 2018 to include a concept of the I-74 bridge and replace photos of the other bridges that for some reason disappeared over the years.

There is no doubt that the I-74 bridge across the Mississippi needs to be replaced.  Look closely at the superstructure the next time you cross the river if you don't think replacement is needed.  Actually don't look but instead keep your eye on the traffic as it's bumper to bumper and very narrow so it warrants a driver's full attention.


OK, so the Quad Cities has a plan to replace the bridge at a cost of one billion dollars (that's $1,000,000,000).  Is such a  project realistic?  Take a look at some really fine bridges and their costs below and then decide if a billion dollar bridge is needed.

The Golden Gate Bridge - Estimated replacement cost:  $1.4 billion



Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge (Hoover Dam) - Cost:  $240 million



Minneapolis 35W bridge (replacement) - Cost:  $234 million

Brainiac

1-  Good example of 
a Brain Study: If you can read this you have a strong 
mind:

>7H15 
>      M3554G3
>      53RV35 7O 
>      PR0V3
>      H0W 0UR M1ND5 
>      C4N
>      D0 4M4Z1NG 
>      7H1NG5!
>      1MPR3551V3 
>      7H1NG5!
>      1N 7H3 
>      B3G1NN1NG
>      17 WA5 H4RD 
>      BU7
>      N0W, 0N 7H15 
>      LIN3
>      Y0UR M1ND 
>      1S
>      R34D1NG 
>      17
>      4U70M471C4LLY
>      W17H 0U7 
>      3V3N
>      7H1NK1NG 4B0U7 
>      17,
>      B3 PROUD! 
>      0NLY
>      C3R741N P30PL3 
>      C4N
>      R3AD 
>      7H15.
>PL3453 F0RW4RD 1F
>      U C4N R34D 
>      7H15.
>      

2-  If you can raed this, you have a sgtrane mnid,  too.
Can   you raed this? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100   can. I cdnuolt blveiee that I cluod   aulaclty uesdnatnrd what I was rdanieg.  The  phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid,  aoccdrnig to  a rscheearch at Cmabrigde  Uinervtisy, it dseno't  mtaetr in what  oerdr the ltteres in a word are,  the olny  iproamtnt tihng is that the frsit and  last  ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can   be a taotl mses and you can still raed it   whotuit a pboerlm. This is bcuseae the  huamn  mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by  istlef, but  the word as a wlohe. Azanmig  huh? Yaeh and I  awlyas tghuhot slpeling  was ipmorantt!

 3-  Find the C below..  Please do not use any  cursor  help.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

4-  If you already  found the C, now find the 6   below.
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
69999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999
99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

5- Now find the N below. It's a little more   difficult.
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

This   is NOT a joke. If you were able to pass  these 3  tests, you can cancel your annual  visit to your  neurologist. Your brain is  great and you're far  from having a  closerelationship with   Alzheimer. 
Congratulations!