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Phil H's avatar

Good Sunday afternoon. I was out of town on retreat until a little while ago. Interesting little critter, as Cynthia's TSAF picks always are.

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LucyTrice's avatar

Good afternoon all. The sun is mostly out and the temperature and humidity are up here near the coast. Swimming in the ocean is on the agenda.

I thought last week was the final stretch for preparing for the estate sale folks to come it but I was off by a week - fortunately in the more easily remediable direction.

I have spent the last four months with departed relatives, some long gone and others more recent. It has been interesting, I have learned a lot, found things I didn't know existed. I am looking forward to getting back to the living,

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CynthiaW's avatar

That's a very interesting point of view. I hope you enjoy the ocean!

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LucyTrice's avatar

Thank you - we did! We saw tons of coquina in the surf, so many you could pick them up by the handful. I haven't seen them that thick in years. Although it may be more timing on my part rather than rarity on theirs. I have been concerned that beach renourishment projects may have had a negative impact on their population.

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Jay Janney's avatar

It is beautiful weather outside. I may go take the doggos for a walk. I am sure they'll be happy.

When I come downstairs in the morning, both most often are laying on their backs, all four legs in the air. Although they hear me coming and their tails are a waggin' as well. In their mind, life is good.

Going out to dinner tonight. It was going to be just Katie and I, but then our daughter invited herself and her brothers along. 🙄 Katie then decided to invite the Godparents over, and wanted to surprise me, but as soon as I walked into the room Clair asked if I knew if the Godparents were joining us. She didn't appear to notice the look of annoyance on Katie's face for ruining the surprise. Our daughte invited her boyfriend to join us, but due to logistics reasons he won't be able to attend. Long story short, his car died 8 months ago, and at least 3x a week our daughter takes him to work. He lives 7-ish miles from us, so each trip is a minimum of 16 miles. He wants to move into an apartment 25 miles away: Katie told our daughter she will not be taking him to work if he does. Ironically, there's a decent apartment complex literally a block from where he works.

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CynthiaW's avatar

Placido Domingo, everyone. Nice weather so far today. Epic Fail will have to mow the lawn after not mowing before we left.

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IncognitoG's avatar

Morning—barely, still…

Supposed to be around 90 later today here in Greater Mar-a-Lago-Land.

What Epic Fail lack in enthusiasm, they’ll make up for in youthful vigor, I’m sure!

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CynthiaW's avatar

They take a lot of long breaks.

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M. Trosino's avatar

Maybe the right word here is semi-epic breaks? Or maybe epic-esque? Or maybe they're just pain old full-on epic?

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CynthiaW's avatar

The breaks overwhelm the action.

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CynthiaW's avatar

We are back home, where everything seems to be fine. Not having left a pet here makes "fine" more probable. We learned that we never want granite counters, but a wine fridge would be nice.

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IncognitoG's avatar

Stone surfaces are hell on fine glass and porcelain…

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CynthiaW's avatar

Also on plain glass. And slick and unpleasant, and it's hard to see spills to clean them up.

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LucyTrice's avatar

Yes! Why do people not think about this?

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C C Writer's avatar

Yesterday evening there was apparently an actual dust storm in this area, complete with a dust storm warning (the first I ever heard of) on my flip cellphone (which I missed). I never noticed any strange weather outside, probably because at the time I was in the kitchen concentrating on following a recipe. Possibly there was a wind off the lake keeping the dust away; who knows.

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Angie's avatar

It is slightly chilly today...upper sixties and cloudy...I might turn the furnace on, after two really hot and humid days...sigh...OH...

We were supposed to get severe thunderstorms last night, but if we did, I never heard them...lol

I have a bunch of chores that I don't feel like doing...

I have done one: I ordered some full-sized sheets of Bounty Paper towels ( I hate the select-a-size ones for several reasons), and they sent me the select-a-size, This has happened before, though a different vendor on Amazon...I attribute it to whoever picks the stuff not knowing there are two kinds, as they are packaged the same, was a decent deal, 6 double rolls for only $ 25...I have to box them up and return them via UPS, though it is easy, ,just put them in a box and slap the label on, this vendor doesn't do exchanges, so I just ordered them again through someone else...and that is the only productive thing I have done today...lol

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C C Writer's avatar

And probably someone who wanted the select-a-size got stuck with the full-size one.

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Angie's avatar

Yeah, most likely

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Angie's avatar

What an interesting frog, that screaming is too funny...and the first video where it walks into something was quite funny..they seem kinda cute in a way.

I looked up herpets because I didn't know its meaning, and all I kept getting was

"herpes"...lol

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C C Writer's avatar

AI is just so much smarter than us, isn't it? /s

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M. Trosino's avatar

Maybe it's off its game due to a (coughs, clears throat) viral infection?

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Angie's avatar

Yeah, it can be wrong and has been and screwed up my trivia counts...lol

I understand it can fantasize also

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C C Writer's avatar

It tells people what it "thinks" they want to hear.

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C C Writer's avatar

Why can't more people see the problem?

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JohnF's avatar

So, based on that first video, can we assume that Budgett’s Frogs are none too bright?

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C C Writer's avatar

Not a cat. A frog. Not a cheap low-end frog without many features (which would be a budget frog). A Budgett's frog.

edited for clarity

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IncognitoG's avatar

The Motel 6 of frogs.

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C C Writer's avatar

Actually my point is that this one is *not* a budget frog. The analogous hotel would be . . . I dunno, don't stay in hotels much, but the breakfast buffet is included?

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M. Trosino's avatar

This is the frog Trump would want if he were into herpets instead of jets.

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Kurt's avatar

That image is so weird it made me laugh.

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M. Trosino's avatar

Probably made some others want to croak. Metaphorically speaking - or croaking - of course.

Phil? What say you?

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M. Trosino's avatar

Didn't have time to comment on this yesterday, but regarding Jay's throwdown with implicit bias (well done, BTW Jay; that Marque guy might want to start dusting off his resume if you keep it up), my own confirmation bias tells me that implicit bias training is at least one worthwhile aspect of DEI training (and maybe one of only a very few, though my direct personal experience with said training is admittedly limited to only one instance, which I can say with the utmost confidence and no implicit bias whatsoever was a complete waste of employee time and company money) because, like becoming knowledgeable about confirmation bias (maybe someday I'll tell you the story of my mentioning "confirmation bias" in my answer to a judge's questioning me about my ability to be fair and impartial during jury voir dire for a criminal trial some years ago), it can be carried over into most - if not all - areas of one's personal life with benefits beyond what may be applied in just the work place.

So, now that I've once again revealed my own bias for often taking the long way around the barn to get to the feed lot, here's a little something that showed up in my inbox recently, written by an Epstein not named Jeffrey and therefore, unlike the late Jeffrey Epstein, most likely someone who's worth the air they breathe and the food they eat. Sorry if my bias against child sex offenders, child sex traffickers and perverted, twisted child sex voyeurs is showing. I have no illusions about not being biased in this regard.

Maybe I need more DEI training.

Anyway, the fact is that I thought perhaps at least some among you might find this interesting. And I'll certainly try not to be offended, let my feelings be hurt or feel left out if you find it more interesting than my comment here. But if that's the case, maybe it's y'all that need more DEI training...

https://davidepstein.substack.com/p/fact-checking-and-the-illusion-of

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LucyTrice's avatar

Thanks for the link. Lots to chew on.

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M. Trosino's avatar

Bon appétit.

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IncognitoG's avatar

> for a criminal trial some years ago <

We’re so glad you beat the rap.

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Angie's avatar

Giggle

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M. Trosino's avatar

I wish. I'm just out on bail while my appeal's pending.

BTW... Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a lawyer who's not so busy working for some guy named Trump that he actually has time to take a case like mine?

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CynthiaW's avatar

Tell them you'll pay their bill.

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M. Trosino's avatar

Do I have to tell them that under oath?

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R.Rice's avatar

My mind wandered to the question of why the French are called frogs. A suggested answer:

"the area where Paris is now located was known as Lutetia which means Mud-land and it was surrounded by swamps. So the occupants lived like Frogs and toads in the swamp. The French nobility that would visit Versailles apparently tended to refer to Parisians as frogs because of the swampy surroundings…and only later did the term get picked up to describe the French in general."

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Jay Janney's avatar

It's a better explanation than their being cannibalistic like these frogs.

Although I suspect some Parisian shopkeepers may have evolved from Budgetts frog.

If I am candid, the frog in the last video seemed stressed or scared. It was interesting to hear but not amusing.

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Angie's avatar

Yeah, I felt bad for it, especially them goading him

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BikerChick's avatar

I played the screaming video and asked my husband to guess what kind of animal it was and he said, “raccoon?”

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John M.'s avatar

This was a fine edition of TSAF. Thank you.

I certainly wasn't expecting that frog's vocals when I watched the video.

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Kurt's avatar

Me neither. It was disturbing.

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R.Rice's avatar

My dog didn't expect it either. With the video playing, out of a slumber his ears perked and then he tried to climb in my lap to see what the heck was making that noise.

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Kurt's avatar

I never heard a frog do that before. One of the videos led to a "frog meme" video recommendation, which of course I watched in its entirety, and now I'm frogged out.

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CynthiaW's avatar

Good morning, everyone. We'll be going home today. The youth, of course, are still dead-o.

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Citizen60's avatar

Thanks for taking the time to enlighten us on a travel day. Safe journey

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M. Trosino's avatar

RE: young dead-os

Drive carefully. Don't want to attract the R.I.P.D.'s attention, otherwise it might turn out to be a little more exciting drive than you'd care for...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWCAI6Zu2Vo

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Jay Janney's avatar

Safe travels! And may your kids sleep well on the trip home...unless one is driving, we prefer that one remain awake!

My father fell asleep 2-3 times driving my Aunt Betty home from an ice cream adventure. She lived an hour south of him, the ice cream parlor 30 minutes north of where he lived. he'd pick her up, drive up for ice cream, and back. We had them nap back at his house after the 2nd accident, breaking up the trip.

Her daughter asked Aunt Betty (who was 88) "aren't you afraid to die"?

Aunt Betty informed her "Today is a good day to die. That or eat ice cream, I'm fine either way".

Not a bad motto to live by.

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M. Trosino's avatar

Give me Lemon Blackberry Swirl or give me death!

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Jay Janney's avatar

My father was legendary for loving desserts. He used to say there were only two good types of pie: hot 'n cold. At his usual restaurants, when asked if he wanted dessert, he'd nod, but when asked what, he'd tell them "surprise me". After they got used to it, the wait help would do fun things with an existing dessert (e.g. add sprinkles to ice cream), and he'd grin, then thank them.

With my wife Pam, the first time we took him to a Baskin Robbins, he asked her to order for him, "surprise me". Pam looked panicky (so I whispered "doesn't matter what, two different flavors one chocolatey"). So she ordered rocky road and something else with it. Dad loved it, told her she did a great job.

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C C Writer's avatar

Great example of gratitude, also known as deciding to be happy. Turns out you can make other people happy by being happy yourself. Where does it all end?

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Citizen60's avatar

that sounds wonderful. Is it something I can find in a store locally?

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Jay Janney's avatar

If you are ever in flyover country, specifically Indiana, and somewhat northeast of Indy, stop by Ivanhoes Ice Cream parlor in Upland Indiana. Upland is about an hour north of Indy (I-69, go east about 6 miles).

100 different sundaes, 100 different shakes. At least 93 of them delicious.

Is it worth a trip just to get ice cream? Probably not, but if you're in the neighborhood...

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Citizen60's avatar

My niece lives in Indianapolis, so I may actually get to Indiana!

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Jay Janney's avatar

I love Indy, and hated moving, but at the time there were no job openings in my academic domain, so I moved to Dayton. I still have friends and family there. I was there two weeks ago walking the Indy Mini marathon.

If you can visit the Indianapolis Children's Museum, I think it is one of the best in the world.

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M. Trosino's avatar

Guess that depends on where you live. These guys have stores and home delivery around the Midwest, sadly not in my area though...

https://www.oberweis.com/dairy-stores/products/product/6779

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IncognitoG's avatar

I certainly go through sugar spike-and-crash cycles. I try to eat as little as possible on a long drive.

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IncognitoG's avatar

Safe travels. The roads were busy yesterday. Friday traffic.

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CynthiaW's avatar

That shouldn't be a problem today in the direction we're going.

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