Eagle Eyed Fox

As a guy that has always been interested in photography I have always liked action shots.
I think this is one of the better ones I have seen in a while. It’s a golden eagle taking a fox away from a partially eaten carcass.

NOTE: This photo was not altered in any way. I found this on http://www.snopes.com/ under the “True” status. By the way Snopes is a great site to find out if suspicious photos or stories flying around on the Internet are true or not.

Here is an example of a “False” status from Snopes.com

Snowball the mutant cat

OK you probably had a feeling there would be just one more picture.
This fell into the “undetermined ”status contributed by the No Agenda Zone.

Saddam is discovered to have two ears on same side of his head

& six fingers on right hand.

PS I hope everyone has a happy and safe 2007.

“I can’t understand how that tape could just disappear like that”

This holiday season reminded me of one of the true mysteries of my life:

I can be sitting on the floor involved in putting something together or wrapping presents and I continue to misplace stuff like tools, scissors, glue, pen, tape, parts I just had in my hand etc.

HOW CAN THIS HAPPEN WHEN MY BUTT HAS BEEN IN THE SAME PLACE THE WHOLE TIME?

I sometimes have to get up and get another screwdriver, pair of scissors or whatever I misplaced to finish the job.

I know it’s not gremlins and it’s probably my organizational skills combined with maybe a relatively short attention span combined with my… well I could go on but I will leave it there. Anyway lately I have been bringing two of each item needed before I sit down.
This seems to do the trick.

No wonder I’m having trouble with Beta

December 18, 2006

MAN TAKES POSITION AT BLOGGER CLAIMS HE MISREAD JOB TITLE New Employee overheard saying “I knew it sounded too good to be true”

Sceam Thoughts

I was wondering why Google is making a big deal out of Edvard Munch’s birthday on their home page? (the guy who painted “The Scream”)








Then I thought to myself hey that scream painting kind of reminds me of that Home Alone picture. So I decided to compare the two.












Then I was wondering if anybody else saw this similarity and sure enough there was a mention of it in Wikipedia.

Reproductions of this mask are now very popular and common masks in the real world. Child actor Macaulay Culkin's pose in front of the mirror, in Home Alone by Chris Columbus appears to be a homage to the work.


Then I decided to put this exciting thought process I just had on my blog site and share it with everybody lucky enough to see it.

Word Verification

Is it just me or are these word verifications getting harder to read. (See samples below)
I’m thinking to myself now is that an N or an H is that a small q and what the heck is that etc. I know I have some problems with dyslexia and maybe this is the reason I’m having trouble. I was just wondering if anybody else has the same problem. It OK if you don’t… I can take it.







Anyway it did give me an idea for a new No Agenda Zone illustration

Another No Agenda Zone Enhanced News Story

Mirror test suggests elephant self-aware
Tue, October 31, 2006
By AP WASHINGTON -- If you're Happy and you know it, pat your head.
That, in a peanut shell, is how a 34-year-old female Asian elephant in the Bronx Zoo showed researchers that pachyderms can recognize themselves in a mirror. It's complex behaviour observed in only a few other species.
In a 2005 experiment, Happy faced her reflection in an 2 1/2 -by-2 1/2 -metre mirror and repeatedly used her trunk to touch an "X" painted above her eye. The elephant could not
have seen the mark except in her reflection. Furthermore, Happy ignored a similar mark, made on the opposite side of her head in paint of an identical smell and texture, that was invisible unless seen under black light
The test results suggest elephants are self-aware, or at least that Happy is. The ability to distinguish oneself from others had previously been shown only in humans, chimpanzees and, to a limited extent, dolphins.


Weeks later Happy seems to be really getting the hang of the mirror and its importance much to the chagrin of her mate.

Thanks a lot Krazy George

The Wave Celebrates 25 years

Oakland, Calif. (AP) Krazy George, now 62, says he spent three years perfecting the Wave. He first pulled off the move — in which fans take turns, by section, standing up and waving their arms — on Oct. 15, 1981, at the Yankees-A's AL championship series game in the Coliseum. Washington, meanwhile, did it two weeks later, on Oct. 31.


I hate to sound like a party pooper but I think the wave is kind of a distraction when you are at a game. Of course if you don’t stand up with everybody else you are considered a stick in the mud. I also was wondering why it would take someone 3 years to perfect this thing.

Krazy George: “OK everybody NOW!! NO,NO,NO, NO, way too early lets try it again. NO, NO, NO way too late. OK everybody that’s all for today. I want everybody here bright and early tomorrow"

No Agenda Zone Enhanced News Story

US casino magnate gives Picasso's 'Dream' the elbow

Picasso's famed "Dream" painting turned into a nightmare for Las Vegas casino magnate Steve Wynn when he accidentally gave the multi-million dollar canvas an elbow.
Mr Wynn had just finalised a $US139 million ($A184 million) sale to another collector of his painting, called "Le Reve" (The Dream), when he poked a finger-sized hole in the artwork while showing it to friends at his Las Vegas office a couple of weeks ago.
Director and screenwriter Nora Ephron, who witnessed and related the incident in her blog on the Huffington Post website, said Mr Wynn had raised his hand to show the group something about Picasso's 1932 portrait of his mistress Marie-Therese Walter.
"At that moment, his elbow crashed backward right through the canvas. There was a terrible noise," Ms Ephron wrote, noting that Mr Wynn has retinitis pigmentosa, an eye disease that damages peripheral vision.
"Smack in the middle ... was a black hole the size of a silver dollar. 'Oh s...,' he said. 'Look what I've done. Thank goodness it was me.'"
-Reuters

6 Months Later

Restoration complete on Picasso’s “Dream” Painting

Picasso’s “Dream” Painting has now been restored thanks to Pierre de Pointe. “This little lady was in really bad shape as you can see” said the famous restorator “ I just couldn’t let her stay like that and I was honored to do it”

Those Crazy Census Bureau People

It’s official: U.S. now at 300 million

Associated Press
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
WASHINGTON — America's official population passed the 300 million mark yesterday, fueled by a growing number of immigrants and their children. There were no fireworks or presidential proclamations. Census Bureau employees had cake and punch.


OK I don’t have the most exciting job in the world either but the way this article was worded kind of cracked me up. I mean can you imagine working for the Census Bureau
and you come home every day for 30 years and your spouse asks “did anything exciting happen at work today honey?” Then finally the day comes when the population reaches 300,000,000. I pictured the conversation going something like : “Yyou better believe it baby can’t you tell by the punch & cake stains all over me?” ”Man oh man what a crazy day!” “I can’t wait till 2043 when we hit 400,000,000”

This prompted another No Agenda Zone illustration showing the Census Bureau when this country hit 300,000,001

ROSIE FALLOUT

I used to kind of like Rosie O'Donnell a while back when she first started her TV show but now I’m sorry but she is just so loud and irritating. So she is the latest subject of a No Agenda Zone illustration.

Here are a Couple of Achievements that will Improve Mankind.

A US woman who has been growing her fingernails since 1979 has made the Guiness Book of Records. Mrs Redmond treats her nails daily with warm olive oil and nail hardener and says she can do most household chores without a problem, including shaving her husband.

Also making the new edition of the record book is 16-year-old Aaron Studham, from Massachussetts, who boasts a 53 cm high mohican.

I wish this was a fake news story but it’s not. The thing that struck me kind of strange about the nail lady is that she shaves her husband. I mean of all the tasks she could be doing she picks that one. I don’t know any wife that shaves her husband.

I was thinking maybe they struck up a deal that if she shaves her husband he will pick her nose.

Blogball Tries to Make a Point

I realize there is an Election coming up in a little over a month but I’m getting so tired of the 911 blame game between the right & Left.

So I created this illustration below to make a point.

Jack LaLanne Turns 92

My new goal in life is to try and outlive this guy

Trying to look cool but no cigar

Is it just me or can we all agree that it's really difficult to look cool on one of these things.

My Daughter's Science Project

Thought I would share my daughters science project.

Jut a quick observation: I had no idea that lipstick was so tough to get out.
But I guess that’s a good thing for a married guy not to know.

Soap Project

Problem:

Do all detergents work the same and get the same stains out? Which of these three detergents: “Arm and Hammer”, “Purex” and “All”, works better to get stains out ?

Hypothesis

I think that “All” would work the best because it is the most expensive of the three and I would assume that it had the best ingredients and quality. I think “Arm And Hammer” and “Purex” will do poorly because they are the least expensive and I would assume that they have lower quality soap.

Experiment

For my experiment, I used three pieces cut from a 100% cotton T-shirt. I stained each material with grass and dirt, lipstick and grape juice. First I put 1 cup of Arm and Hammer into my washing machine and set it for 2 minutes on warm/cool. When it was done, I noticed that none of the stains were totally gone, most of the grape juice was gone, none of the lipstick was gone and part of the grass stain was gone. I labeled my experiment and went on to the next detergent. Next, I used “Purex”. I did the same thing and when I took it out I didn’t really do anything. All of the stains were there and the only stain that looked a little lighter was the grape juice. Last I tried “All”. I used the same process as the other two and it turned out that the most expensive one did the worst. All of the stains looked about the same. My hypothesis was incorrect.



Conclusion

My hypothesis was wrong. “All” did the worst and it was the most expensive. Arm and Hammer did the best and it was the cheapest one of the three. I am very surprised with these results and I learned that advertisements and price aren’t really how you can tell if a brand is good or not.

My daughter was thinking about what stains she should use for this experiment. I jokingly said to her "Hey I have a great idea" which prompted the illustration below.

Call 911 IT"S A CONSPIRACY

I am so tired of hearing all of these nutty 911 conspiracy theories floating around. Apparently there is this film called Loose Change on the Internet that has convinced a lot of people that the US Government orchestrated the whole thing. It’s not just a few individuals either. One statistic shows 15% of the population believes this!
Besides believing something so absurd how can you imagine that the government is so organized that they could plan something so extravagant and pull it off? Just ask anyone who has ever worked for the government. I know I have crabbed before about conspiracy theorist
but this one takes the cake.

Anyway I created this Illustration below to relieve my frustrations

Gee I just brought some paper and a couple of pencils

This is a list of supplies my daughter had to bring on her first day of school (5th Grade)
I’m not kidding … I wish I were.

12 black ballpoint pens (no clicking pens)
12 red ballpoint pens (no clicking pens)
12 sharpened # 2 pencils (no mechanical pencils)
1 ruler- inches and centimeters
1 Protractor
1compass
1 pocket-type calculator
1 large eraser (Pink or Magic Rub)
1 box 24 crayons
1 box 12 colored pencils
1 box 8 classic color markers (broad line)
1 box 8 classic color markers (fine line)
1 pair Fiskars brand scissors
1 plastic pencil pouch for pens, pencils, and eraser (label with name)
2 glue sticks (1 large & 1 small)
1 bottle of white school glue (4 fl oz)
1 large package of multi-colored construction paper
1 realm white copy paper
1 paperback dictionary
1 oxford color paperback thesaurus
1 box tissue
1 roll paper towels
1 container of baby wipes
1 package of 81/2 x11” graph paper (4 squares per inch)
1 yellow vinyl folder (for social studies)
1 91/2 x 6” Five Star notebook for writing Journal (*note special size)
1 roll of correction tape (no liquid White- Out)
3 1” three-ring binders (Open Court, Writing & Grammar, and Music)
3 red three- hole fastener folders
2 packages of Avery Write-On Big Tab Reference Dividers (5 assorted colors)
1 yellow fluorescent hi-liter
3 packages of 8 ½ x 11” college ruled paper
1 small bottle of hand sanitizer
1 small stapler
1 box staples
1 clear 1 quart box with lid (for art supplies)
vinyl, 3-prong folder in each of the following colors: Red (2) Black Yellow, Blue, Purple
Book sox (1 for each text book)

NOTE: *Rolling backpacks may be no longer than 12” x 12” x12”

Blogball (1/2 Fake) News Story

CBS slammed for slimming Couric in photo
CTV.ca News Staff

CBS is taking heat for slimming down a photo of its new prime-time anchor with digital effects, after a retouched photograph of Katie Couric appeared this week in a magazine distributed to CBS stations and American Airlines flights.

This image compares the original photo on the left, with the airbrushed photo on the right.


The photograph in the September issue of Watch! made Couric look about 20 pounds thinner. The original photo, taken in May and showing Couric at her real weight, had been circulated to the media as an official photo. To make matters worse CBS also released photos of Couric’s Anchor Competitors Charles Gibson and Brian Williams who appear on ABC and NBC respectively.

This image compares the original photo on the left, with the airbrushed photo on the right.



This image compares the original photo on the left, with the airbrushed photo on the right.

CBS Could not be reached for comment.

Blogball (Fake) News Story

I walked in front of the mirror the other day and from my point of view it caught just the lower part of my body. I was sorry to admit it but my reflection kind of looked like those people they show on those fat TV news stories where they show the body and not the head. OK I admit that I have gained a little weight after I tied the knot but maybe just a pound or two a year. The problem is I’ve been married almost 17 years.

Anyway I was thinking if some attorney decided to represent all of these headless figures in a class action lawsuit it might look something like this ......


A Class Action Lawsuit has been filed for all the obese individuals that have been photographed without their permission.

The Complaint alleges that just not showing their faces is not good enough for the people that recognize themselves or are recognized by close friends and family.

Here are just some of the individuals that have stepped forward to participate in this lawsuit.

Nora Olson from St Paul Minnesota said “I just couldn’t believe how humiliated I felt.
I was watching this special on TV called Obesity is Killing America and there I was with my good friend Alice eating the new Nacho Crunch Stuffed Burrito from Taco Bell’

Rodger Johnson from Miami Florida said” I was looking at some news stories on line and I came across this article called Overweight Men and Impotency Is There a Connection? I did a double take when I saw a picture next to the article of guy that had a tie that looked just like the one my ex-wife gave me. Then I looked a little closer and sure enough that guy was me. I thought hard about participating in this lawsuit because I know I will hear it from by buddies at work’.

Margaret Roastberger from a northwest suburb of Boston says “I have been in therapy for 9 months now. I was relaxing watching TV and the news came on about how some of the airlines are thinking about charging extra for people that are 50 or more pounds overweight. I had just returned from a very strenuous business trip only to see a photo of me at the airport as I was about to board a plane back home to Boston. It’s bad enough when you think you might have to pay extra money for an airline ticket but now I have to put up with the thought that they used me as some sort of poster lady for fat travelers”.

Eileen Stovetop from Wichita Kansas says “Its Just not right. My best friend called me and said Hey Eileen I just saw you on the news! I had no idea what she was talking about until I watched the evening edition and they were doing a news piece called Obesity and Smoking Equals a Death Wish. They were showing all these heavy-set people but not their faces and there I was with my brand new shorts I just bought at Sears. My friends are still teasing me and that story ran 2 years ago".

Blogball Cartoon