The Art of Being Conflicted

On the Move

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl) — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:07:00 +0000

Just in time for summer travel...Google is improving it's maps and gas prices are moving up. If you are under the false impression that one of those things is good and the other is bad...you are sadly mistaken. I for one, love the quirks of Google's map miscalculations. A few years ago they did away with the directions that had us swimming from the U.S. to Europe. That was a real step backward as far as reading Google maps for the sheer entertainment value. Who needs accuracy when you need some comedic relief during travel?

It may be hard to see...but Google wants us to swim 3,462 miles.

Do I Need It Or Do I Want It

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl) — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:46:00 +0000

Kiddo #2 and I were chatting over lunch at Gordon Biersch when somehow we landed on the subject of desk treadmills. I don't remember how we landed on that subject, but it was Kiddo that brought it up. I
know this because my head did the RCA Dog pose with a "what's that you said?" Treadmill desk??

It turns out that there are desks built around treadmills so people can workout and work. Seriously? Two tortures simultaneously. Miserable multitasking. Now don't get me wrong. I spend a lot of time on treadmills. I own one and thought the $2000.00 price tag was a small price to pay for years of cardiac health but never did I imagine that I would want to actually be productive...in a "real" work kind of way... while walking on it. Frankly, I can't read a book while I am on it and stay focused. I know a lot of others can, but the best I can do is watch TV or
listen to music. Oh, and sweat...I can do that fairly well.

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Oh, Those Kids!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl) — Fri, 10 May 2013 14:24:00 +0000

OK...so maybe my kid coming for a visit might not rank as high as finding three girls that have been missing for 10 years or the ending of the verdict phase of a "whackadoodle" trial for Jodi Arias.....but it's news here at TAOBC.

As my loyal readers know, Friday is "ODD NEWS" Day around here and....Really could there be anything more bizarre than the case surrounding Jodi Arias??? In 2008 Jodi did an interview with Inside Edition saying "No jury is going to convict me. I am innocent, and you can mark my words on that.” She claimed that she killed her boyfriend, Travis Alexander in self-defense. Seemingly, there is a jury that can and did convict her.

BUT ON TO TODAY'S THEME....KIDS IN THE NEWS.

Reason Number #1 ......NOT to Upgrade

An April robbery was among a series allegedly committed by the two 17-year-old boys, who were arrested and booked into Juvenile Hall on suspicion of armed robbery after they were tracked down in Berkeley, police said.

Old, Older, Oldish

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl) — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:01:00 +0000

Last Wednesday, Hubby and I were taking our 2 grandsons to the park and having a serious discussion on
the state of the world...OK..the state of the world from the vantage point of a 5 year old. Anyway...Grandson #1 was discussing the fact that he has two homes. His "everyday home" is where he lives with his mommy, daddy and little brother, AND his spare home...which is Grandma and Grandpa's house. "Of course" we say, "Our house is your house!"

This is where the conversation took a decidedly bad turn. Hubby asked G-Boy #1, if when Grandma and Grandpa get old, can we live at his house.

G-Boy #1 didn't miss a beat, before he said. " I will have a house someday, but you will be dead already."

Which brings me to our subject today..

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Tattoos, Tickets, and Toilets...

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl) — Fri, 03 May 2013 12:54:00 +0000

We are back in front of our computer after a glorious week of traveling through the Ozarks. Last week, I hardly read a newspaper or watched the evening news. Did anything monumental happen that I am unaware of???

So...it's back to the grind so to speak. Reporter Cheryl P. and Crabby Pants picked through the stack of newspapers that had accumulated and found a few oddities to talk about.

NOTE: For you newcomers to TAOBC, I pick articles not necessarily because they have any humor but because they contain something that tags them as being "unusual."

Haunt Jaunt

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:19:00 +0000

This week, I am back visiting areas in the Ozark region of southern Missouri and Northern Arkansas. As I sit typing out my Two Thoughts For Tuesday, I am a bit pressed for time. Hubby and I have been hanging out in America's Most Haunted Hotel for the last couple of days and are going to go out on a ghost hunt tonight. Chances are I will have to fill you in on the results of our hunt sometime later tonight. For now I will give you a little history of the 1886 Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

Thought Number One: The 1886 Crescent Hotel

Built in 1886, the Crescent Hotel and Spa was built by Irish stonemasons in the Ozark Mountain town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. When the doors opened, the hotel catered to the “carriage set” of people living in and traveling through the town during the Victorian Era. It was a destination for the rich and famous. Tea dances were held in the afternoon while dance parties were held at night, with music from the in-house orchestra. For many years, the hotel enjoyed prosperity as a year-round resort for those seeking the healing properties of the springs that seem to be abundant all over Arkansas.

By 1908, the hotel was in decline and was opened as the Crescent College and Conservatory for Young Women. It catered to wealthy young women while still
catering to the tourist crowd, but neither this nor the astronomical tuition charged to the students was enough to keep up with the constant upkeep and repairs needed. The school closed in 1924. In 1930 it reopened as a junior college for four years.
It wasn't until 1937 that The Crescent Hotel entered it's most notorious period.

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Someone's Having A Birthday!

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 01:22:00 +0000

Typically I don't post on Sunday, but today is a special Sunday. It is nonamedufus' birthday and Cheryl (obviously a different Cheryl) over at Deckside Thoughts is hosting a surprise birthday party. So here we all are hiding in a dark room...waiting ever so quietly....sssshhhhh...for nonamedufus to show up.

Where is the birthday boy? Oh wait...I think I hear him coming!!!!

Perhaps they are just clowning around

Ignore the clowns. Cheryl P. and Crabby Pants wish you a great birthday!

I Am A Lady

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 17:59:00 +0000

The Lady of Shalott painted in 1888 by John William Waterhouse

Thought Number One: Titles

I have a new title! Yes, it's official...well...sort of official...I am a lady.

Before I begin to try to prove my case for "ME being a lady", let's just throw it out there, that it is so much easier being a man as far as titles go. For the most part the title "Mister" is one of the few titles that would be used other than a professional designation.

Women, however, have an array of titles that they may be called over a lifetime. Throughout the world, many titles have to do with the marital status of a woman or her level in society. In the U.S. some of various choices have changed over the years.

For example: There was a time that married women took on the husband's first and last name when signing legal documents. For example a woman would write Mrs. John Doe when signing a check instead of writing her own given name such as Jane Doe. My grandmother once got a call from the bank asking her to quit signing her checks like that after my grandfather died. She was in her 90's at the time and seemed to be annoyed by the request. They knew who she was after all. The same bank didn't have a problem cashing checks that had been stolen from her with forged signatures on them so, I am prepared to just think they are a crappy bank but back to the subject at hand.

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The B Word

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:37:00 +0000

Today we are bringing you the Back-page news with a lot of "B" words involved.

Seems there is a bird that has a bit of an ego

Banish Your Bra

A French sports doctor who spent 16 years studying the busts of about 300 women sent a scare through a country known for its love of lingerie this week when he suggested bras were useless. (Useless??? ...that's harsh)

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How Would You Rate That?

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:22:00 +0000

I was reading an interesting blog yesterday over at Riot Kitty called Could This Movie Be Made Today?.

She had watched the Bond movie Goldfinger and commented on some of the things contained in the movie that would by today's standards might be viewed differently. I took a special interest in the topic as I was planning on writing a post today on the subject of a book that was made into a movie in the 1950s that was considered scandalous....which I will talk about in a moment.

Anyway..I always enjoy RK's take on things as she is a great blogger and found her comparisons to Goldfinger which was released in 1964 to a current movie that she went to see.

Of course, me being me, I had to jump over to Google "Goldfinger" and refresh my memory. I hadn't seen the movie since I was a teenager and didn't remember much other some of the characters odd names. There was Goldfinger, of course, but there was also, Oddjob and Pussy Galore.

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Last Chance Deductions, Maybe or Maybe Not

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:29:00 +0000

Crabby Pants and Cheryl P. are awfully busy today rounding up all those receipts and such to figure out how much "who owes who" so today, we are posting a post from a couple years ago. For those of you that have been long time readers, hope you aren't bored with old information.

Today is the day!. April 15th is here and I just wanted to help you out by offering up a couple of ideas for last minute deductions.

Disclaimer - these ideas are to be used at your own risk (risk of an audit and risk being thought of as an idiot). I got my information off of the ever reliable, never wrong on any subject, have to believe it because I read it and it looked accurate enough to have me repeat it, Internet. I am not an accountant, don't want to be an accountant, worry about why anyone would be an accountant and can hardly add simple numbers
together so would make a miserable accountant. Never the less here are my "last minute deductions" advice to you. Take them or leave them. I don't really care as I don't have to pay your tax bill. I am just out here trying to be helpful.

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Take One for the Team

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 12:43:00 +0000

Normally on Friday, I look around for stories that are more "filler" type of pieces that didn't make the front page headlines. Odd, weird or offbeat news that you may or may not of heard about. Most of the odd types of news stories have the common component of "That wouldn't make your mother proud!"

But for this week among all the questionable behavior and the "what were they thinking?" stories, I am going to talk about a story that you probably have already heard about. Hopefully, you will enjoy seeing the video one more time.

Crabby Pants is ready to cheer for the Huskers

Just a little background information....As my long time followers know, my husband and I have taken a number of moves to accommodate his corporate ladder climbing. Twenty-one moves to be exact. One of the states we called home for almost 6 years was Nebraska. It was in Nebraska that our Kiddo #2 went to college and got a couple undergraduate degrees out of the University of Nebraska, so we have had a close up and personal experience with the Huskers. (or at least our son and his tuition money did)

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Shopping Paranoia

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:54:00 +0000

It's that time of year that most of my gender is eager to shop for their summer wardrobe. I seem to be one of
the few that is reluctant to get out and revamp my winter duds with lighter, brighter, funner (yes, I realize that isn't a real word) summer duds. I hate shopping in general but I especially hate "hunting for bargains". Oh, don't get me wrong. It's not the saving money part, I detest. I love saving money. It's the fact that the stores that seem to offer the deepest discounts, also offer the greatest measure of security. It's more like dealing with the TSA than a retailer. The big difference, of course, is the pat-down would be on the WAY OUT not the way in.

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It Could Be Funny

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 02:04:00 +0000

I know that humor can be VERY subjective. What I find funny, you may not and vice versa. Although, it should be noted that I can usually find humor in about anything. Unfortunately, this trait has not always proven to be a good thing. Laughing at inappropriate times isn't always (OK...let's say... IS RARELY) appreciated.

I think funny glasses are humorous
on some people.

I sometimes feel that I am "swimming against the stream" as far as humor goes. This was recently reinforced when I went to a lecture on the subject of humor. The speaker refers to herself as a Dr. of Humor. Self- proclaimed doctor, I am sure. Frankly, I just didn't "get" her humor at all. A lot of the audience seemed to be entertained by her anecdotes of what she found funny at her mother's funeral. I wasn't moved to emit even so much as a chuckle. During the portion of her program where she hauled audience members to the stage and forced them to wear funny glasses, I was sneaking peeks at my watch. It had to be apparent that I wasn't rolling in the aisle with uncontrolled laughter, thereby giving me a 100% chance of never being invited up to the stage.

Why am I explaining my somewhat "off kilter" sense of humor? Well...this week, while I was trolling around for news some of this week's odd news stories, several reports that caught my eye, weren't necessary funny in their subject matter as much as the tie-in of certain words or unlikely outcomes.

Let's start with an April Fools prank...those tend to be tricky. What may be funny in theory may not be so funny in execution. I have to wonder how many times the perpetrator said "Watch this! This is going to be hysterical." only to be followed up with someone else saying "Do you understand these rights as I have explained them to you?"

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Looking From Both Sides Now

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 20:38:00 +0000

It occurred to me while filling out my most recent juror qualification form, perhaps question #6 is a PERCEPTION on my part. What if I am certifiably crazy but I only think I am a sane person?

Do we really see ourselves as we are? Are our opinions of ourselves or the world around us anything close to being accurate?

This week I have noticed on a number of occasions that perhaps, my point of view might be....OK...more than might...strikingly different than those around me.

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Happy Easter

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl) — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 03:33:00 +0000

When Pigs Fly

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 14:12:00 +0000

Crabby Pants and Reporter Cheryl P. on the hunt for odd news

In a Pig's Eye

Yesterday I woke up to hear a strange report on the local Kansas City news. A gas station attendant found an insulated medical cooler containing two eyeballs that had been left on top of a trash can at a Conoco gas station. Yes, you read that correctly...eyeballs. Two eyeballs packed in ice in a cooler just sitting there. Needless to say, this caused a bit of a panic. Who leaves their eyeballs at the gas station?

It turns out that two men in a blue Toyota with Nebraska plates left them there, according to the security cameras. Still, the investigators were concerned that perhaps these were supposed to be at an eye bank and that there might be some urgency involved in figuring out where they belonged. However, police called all the area hospitals and transplant centers and none were expecting deliveries of eyes.

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Heaven It's Not

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 15:56:00 +0000

Springtime in the Midwest

I am cranky! Yes, today is definitely a day for Crabby Pants to visit here at TAOBC. I could blame it on the weather. A foot of snow in late March didn't help improve my mood, but actually it is a combination of smaller annoyances, which I will get to shortly.

There was a movie...although for the life of me I can't remember which one...that espoused the idea that Heaven was a place where the things you loved doing in life would be yours for eternity. Does anyone remember which movie that was in? Darn, that is going to nag at me trying to remember where that came from. Anyway...if Heaven would actually turn out to be spending Eternity doing all the things we love to do, then Hell must be doing the things we hate doing...forever...and ever...never ceasing...into Eternity.

Cheerful thought don't you think?

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Are You Judging Me?

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 12:52:00 +0000

Did you know that no one has ever come up with a perfect bracket for the NCAA Men's basketball tournament....or if they did they kept it a secret. No...we would of heard about it.

As it turns out, according to Jeff Bergen, a mathematical professor at DePaul University the chances of picking a perfect bracket is 9.2 quintillion. That's 18 zeros.

Of course, to win an office pool, you only have to do better than the next guy. That is what Crabby Pants is opting for.

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I Can't Believe You Said That

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 13:44:00 +0000

Over the last few days, I have seen several news reports and read a number articles on the subject of anonymous comments left on the Internet. Nearly every web site has a comment section at the bottom so that the readers can weigh in on the subject being discussed. The comment sections are meant to illicit open communication and the sharing of ideas. Sounds like a good thing, doesn't it?

HHHMMMMM...maybe not.

First of all... there are all types of forums, blogs, and news outlets that offer spaces to leave comments. I love ...yes LOVE comment sections. Some of the best reading on any given web site are the comments.
Even if you are a person that prefers not to weigh in because you are uncomfortable writing your opinion down, by all means read the comments. Of those that DO comment, there seems to be a wide disparity in how they comment.

On my blog, for example, nearly every comment is polite and has a legitimate point of view. Often your comments have swayed my opinion on an issue.Of course, there would be times, I totally disagree with you as well. BUT... Even when I don't agree with your viewpoint, I am always interested in your thoughts. AND every once in a while there is some awful, hateful, obscene tidbit that I just have to dump. (that is extremely rare)

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Fortunes and Futures

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl) — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:27:00 +0000

Please Don't Be My Friend

Misty VanHorn, of Sallisaw, Okla., was arrested for trying to sell her children on Facebook in order to get money to bail her boyfriend out of jail, CBS affiliate KWTV reports.

Police say the 22-year-old VanHorn tried to sell her children, ages 2 and 10 months, to an Arkansas woman via Facebook.

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Time Has a Way Of Throwing It All In Your Face

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 15:24:00 +0000

Thought Number One: TIME is on my mind

It's that time a year again. Daylight Savings Time. Only this time of year we lose an hour...yes...what feels like "it's 6 AM, right???" is now "Oh, hell,. can it be 7:00 AM already??". It could be said that DST and I have a love hate relationship and this time of year it's the hate part. While I bask in the change when I get to set my clock back an hour in Fall and have that hour all over again...to sleep as it's 2:00 AM, after all. I curse the missing out on it. I did a post way back when about George Vernon Hudson and the history of DST. (feel free to click on those links for more information)

This year was particularly bad as I have a virus that I can't seem to kick. Having spent the last several days in bed, watching endless TV,, I couldn't escape all the references to time...more specifically the passage of time. After seeing all the assorted programs that are making me feel old, it appears that I can't afford to lose hours.Seriously, I want my HOUR back.

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You Might Want to Rethink That

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 13:24:00 +0000

click to enlarge

This has been a busy week in the odd news category. A couple of the mainstream news items that I am sure you heard...of course you did...because it was reported over and over again... The TSA is now going to let passengers bring small pocket knives on board and 2 hockey sticks, or two golf clubs or 2 ski poles per person. The TSA doesn't believe knives to be a threat but you still have to keep your shampoo down to 3 ounces or less. Then we all heard the chilling tape of the nurse that refused to administer CPR to a dying patient. It came out that the woman apparently had a DNR order in place so, I believe that the nurse wasn't in the wrong. It didn't make it any easier listening to the audio. I, for one, think I am going to recheck my "advanced directive" and make sure that everyone can and should, at least give it a shot, to save my life. Yes, remember the broccoli incident? Yes, the next time I aspirate on broccoli and try to die in the middle of a restaurant, I want CPR... the Heimlich Maneuver first, then CPR.

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Name Shame

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 13:35:00 +0000

Thought Number One: Should There Be Any Limits on What Parents Name a Child?

For the last decade or so a number of rather unique, if not down-right crazy, baby names have appeared on birth certificates all over the world. That is especially true in the United States where there are no rules concerning what you name your child. AND ...that, my readers, has led to some very creative parents hanging some very unfortunate names on their offspring. What others might deem imaginative, the general populace may think of as weird. Take for example the names Lemonjello, Loser, or Hashtag.

Just last November, little baby girl Hashtag Jameson was born to parents that really love Twitter. They probably Tweeted about the arrival of little Hashtag but they most assuredly updated their status on Facebook. That is... the real Facebook. Not the Facebook that is a little boy in Egypt. When people hit the "Like" on Facebook, let's hope that they were hitting the little blue button and not hitting the little girl in Israel named Like.
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News Around Town

noreply@blogger.com (Cheryl) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 03:53:00 +0000

I have a lot of pictures today!!

It's the combination of snow and ice that makes things more difficult.

picture is courtesy of KansasCity.com
When the city advisories said "STAY OFF THE ROADS", I don't think they meant driving off of them.

This week, here at TAOBC, I am aiming for a few heart warming stories resulting from events around Kansas City. Anything that has the word "warm" connected to it, got moved to the front of the line. So for today, I am just talking about some nice things that have happened in my city this past week. Hopefully, there are nice things happening where you live as well.

Last week, I wrote about the first wave of the snowstorm that blew through here on Thursday. With that storm most of the KC got between 10-16 inches of snow. Comparatively speaking that amount of snow isn't all that bad. I guess, you might disagree if you live in Phoenix or Orlando. Here in Kansas City that amount isn't unheard of but is a bit unusual. The upside to the snow...is that it is a lot of fun for the kids (the word "kid" here isn't defined by age) that came out in droves to play. I was going to post a picture of all the people on one of the local sledding hills. but after arriving, I couldn't find a parking spot. The hill was covered with all manner of people with sleds, toboggans, even sheets of plastic to slide around on this wintery slide. SPOILER ALERT!!! Just so you get to see some sledding pictures, I have added some to the bottom of the post.

ANYWHO... as I was saying.........That was last Thursday......and the snow wasn't done with us. After a couple of days of milder weather, round two came through. Tuesday of this week a second snow storm moved into the area clogging up the already snow packed roads. That brings me to a story that is a story about people being generous and kind. Really?? LOOK AT ME WRITING A FRIDAY NEWS STORY THAT IS ABOUT NICE PEOPLE.

Miracle of 74th Street

Emergency crews were called to a south side Kansas City neighborhood on Tuesday where a resident had collapsed of an apparent heart attack while trying to shovel out the snow from his drive. Unfortunately, when the ambulance tried to enter the unplowed street, it became stuck.

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