Weekly Randomness for Friday June 3, 2016

Did someone say June already?!

News that made me stop what I was doing to look it up.

• A byproduct of the "Publish or Perish" expectation, which is a byproduct of inadequate funding for science research, which is a byproduct of.... (I could go on...) 
• Another argument for proper livestock farming practices
• Uff-dah! All that bending and kneeling and reaching - I call it Yard Yoga 😜

Weekly Shits n' Giggles

• Umm.... no.  
• Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes...  Turn and face the strange
• So excited so excited - it'll be here soon!!
• My Pinteresting Randomness

Weekend Aims

• Outside: time to map the gardens before I really forget what's planted where.  
• Inside: annual rummage in a few weeks, time to start gathering goods (i.e. de-clutter!)
• Outside: Golf in the evening! So far we've seen coyote, fox, and deer (countless birds). 

Outside wins!

Weekly Randomness for Friday, May 20, 2016

Finally warm enough to sunbathe outside.

News that made me stop what I was doing to look it up.

• This one falls into my "why is this news" category. We've always known green spaces were healthy. ...sigh.... We're not spending time merely re-inventing the wheel, but actually rediscovering it.
• Let's go there, and there, and maybe there, okay maybe not there, but there...   (see them all here)
• I want to know who paid the reviewers on this one. It should never have been published, not because the results are directly contrary to an enormous amount of data, but because the study was poorly designed. 

Weekly Shits n' Giggles

• When I was a kid (walking to school barefoot in the snow uphill both ways), lego only had two shapes, square and rectangle.
• Because now I need one. No one warned be about having to keep track of numbers in my head... 
• My Pinteresting Randomness

Weekend Aims

• Some people tailgate for sports. Us, we tailgate for this: SEWMGPS - cannot wait!!  
• Last Concord Chamber Orchestra concert of the season
• Golf! My first full 18-hole round, thankfully on an executive par-3 course (don't want to get ahead of myself here...). 
• And if the weather holds, more mulch. And planting! And mulch. (.... so.... much.... mulch....)

Weekly Randomness for Friday, May 13, 2016

Best way to approach a Friday the 13th

News that made me stop what I was doing to look it up.

• Min svävare är full med ål ** (and IKEA is coming!!)
• Sadness
• Only Congress gets to decide their own raises... 

Weekly Shits n' Giggles

• A city growing up
• My Pinteresting Randomness

Weekend Aims

• Brunch and a classic movie at Avalon Theater
• Season opener for the Elkhorn Flea!!!
• Mulch. More mulch. Finishing up planting containers. And mulch. 

** For the Monty Python fans

Bad start to this Friday the 13th for HandyMan.... 

Whole batch of lemon curd-filled lemon cupcakes with lemon-mascarpone icing rendered inedible by pavement and bad luck.... sigh..... 

Weekly Randomness for Friday, May 6, 2016

someone is hiding from all that yard work...

News that made me stop what I was doing to look it up.

• Ugh. Why is this even a surprise?! 
• Technology humbled by the mundane. 
• The big NO is nothing new. 

Weekly Shits n' Giggles

• Be Happy advice always in style.  
• Keep swimming!!
• Everything old is new again, and it sounds.... interesting. 
• My Pinteresting Randomness

Weekend Aims

• Somebody dumped 4 cubic yards of mulch in our driveway... 
• More yard work. 
• Sunday brunch in Janesville with family to celebrate all of us who mother in some way. 

44 years ago today was the first breath of air for my favorite husband. 

Happy Birthday babe!

Weekly Randomness for Friday, April 29, 2016

News that made me stop what I was doing to look it up.

• Sounds like I shouldn't feel guilty about donating those super-well worn old t-shirts.
• I've never thought about the idea that it's harder to think like an eighteenth century servant than we realize. 
• Access demands accountability. Food for thought: could it change the way we think about engaging in conflicts? 

Weekly Shits n' Giggles

• As if I needed another reason to visit Japan.
• Philosopher-turned-musician Boethius' "The Consolation of Philosophy"
• My Pinteresting Randomness

Weekend Aims

• hometown Earth Day cleanup and recycling: proceeds from recycling "any electronic item with a plug" will buy trees for the city! 
• More golf, if the weather holds (or at least warms up!)
• Possibly a movie: they're showing Purple Rain for $5 😊

Weekly Randomness for Friday, April 22, 2016

Sometimes it snows in April

Sometimes I feel so bad, so bad

Sometimes I wish life was never ending,

And all good things, they say, never last

News that made me stop what I was doing to look it up.

• Another re-examination of old theories, and another lesson in humility to the data
• A presidential kind of graveyard

Weekly Shits n' Giggles

• Used to be foodie heaven was only during the growing season. Now it's year round if you know where to look. Here's the guide.  
• One-man-band, rather Seussian to me, don't you think?
• My Pinteresting Randomness

Weekend Aims

• Earth Day is our anniversary. Best gift? Go clean up something! 
• Speaking of anniversary, looks like Deadpool!
• Hitting the links for the first time if the weather holds. And hope I don't embarrass the sport...

Weekly Randomness for Friday, April 15, 2016

News that made me stop what I was doing to look it up.

• Everything old is new again. Again. 
• Beautiful, but you're still not building that by my back door
• We could wonder about a lot of leaders in history

Weekly Shits n' Giggles

• Interpretive jiggery-pokery (in honor of the late great himself. I'm inclined to think he would have found humor in ASSoL) 
• Best combination of fascinating and creepy
• Smell-ements... Clearly the authors never suffered the sulfurous after-effects of cabbage... 😜
• My Pinteresting Randomness

Weekend Aims

• Estate saling - for the thrifter in me
• A wee drive for eats at Oakfire
• Finally warm enough to spend some much-needed time on the yard!

Weekly Randomness for Friday, June 5, 2015

And after a brief hiatus... 

The business of summer is already heating up, even if the weather isn't (what's with that, anyway?!). 

News that made me stop what I was doing to look it up.

• Of course grandma knew best. 
• Great. Now what do we eat?! [everything! omnivores are awesome!]
• Seriously!? Let's try not to escalate the issue by misusing statistics. Per capita rates places us well BELOW Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, even Finland. Shame on you MJ-P!

Weekly Shits n' Giggles

• Sometimes the wee brings a smile.  
• Dumpster diving, old style... 
• Lego? Check! Gummy? Check! DIY? Check! I am so there!! 
• My Pinteresting Randomness

Weekend Aims

• A wee bit o'fishin', and hoping it doesn't storm. 
• More than a wee bit o'workin' in the garden, yet. Lookin' good though!

Weekly Randomness for Friday, May 15, 2015

Nora says: A man a plan a canal Panama
Every date between 5-10-15 and 5-19-15 is a palindrome!*


News that made me stop what I was doing to look it up.

• What I want to know: who's going to teach them how to roll one?
• I'm such a romantic sucker for shipwrecks on the great lakes (there are more than 6,000 out there, people). 
• Working in a beer lab trumps working in a poop lab... 

Weekly Shits n' Giggles

• Despite being a professional intestinal researcher (seriously), I couldn't find anyone in our lab interested (but it's so stylish!)
• Want. 
• Almost literally shit. I actually dropped my cell phone into the toilet... I was way overdue for an upgrade (still using an S2, but it looks practically new, so how could I not keep using it?). Fortunately the S5 is water-resistant. Unfortunately, there's an app on there driving some adware that means now I get random texts for lunch invitations. Decline, no?
• My Pinteresting Randomness

Weekend Aims

• Southeast Wisconsin Master Gardeners annual plant sale - get 'em while they're hot! My neighbor and I have our wagons at the ready, and husbands prepared to go buy us coffee - perfect! 
• Dinner and a concert. When I was young, this could mean gyros and the Romantics in Madison, or brats and Kenny Rogers at the state fair. Now it means classical-pops and fine French dining. Same thing. 
• Family time - somebody's graduating from FVTC!! 

*Or as we used to say in college, Pat's Tap (thanks for that one - you know who you are!!)

Weekly Randomness for Friday, May 8, 2015

News that made me stop what I was doing to look it up.

• Walk this way. And that way. Not long. But often. 
• Tasty gymnast. 
• Lessons not learned will be re-taught.

Weekly Shits n' Giggles

• I'm sure there's a fart joke here somewhere... 
• I'll admit this is not funny, but it is ironic.  
• My Pinteresting Randomness

Weekend Aims

• Wedding Saturday - Catholic mass in Spanish, and then a party (but I repeat myself...)
• Mother's Day: was hoping to take Mom to visit the Anderson Gardens but the weather is going to be uncooperative. Sigh... 
• More yard work (a.k.a. yard yoga). 

Weekly Randomness for Friday, May 1, 2015

News that made me stop what I was doing to look it up.

• Well done!! And isn't it about frickin' time... 
• Ooohhh.... shiny things!

Weekly Shits n' Giggles

• Butter burgers can be to Wisconsinites what donuts are to Homer...
• That's because those ole' Paleo-folk were fun-guys... (insert groan and facepalm here.... thanguvurrimuch - I'm here all week!)
• My Pinteresting Randomness
• Because everyone needs a new desk toy now and again - thanks Chuck!!

Weekend Aims

• Finally warm enough for some serious yard work and 
• A decent cookout!
• Hopefully dust off the bicycles even!! 
• Birding season is here in the midwest flyway - warbler walks in Grant Park start Sunday. 

Weekly Randomness for Friday, April 24, 2015

News that made me stop what I was doing to look it up.

• As if cephalopods weren't cool enough. 
• Diversity is a major reason I choose to work in academia. It's about more than being able to wear masculine shoes though: let's try for equal pay and opportunity as well. 
• We are so not ready for this technology. Not practically. Not ethically. Not any way. Not any how. Maybe someday, but it ain't today. 

Weekly Shits n' Giggles

• How many of you looked for Nessie? How many of you will admit it...?  
• Creepy.  And yet... I honestly could see myself doing this when Miss Pooh-Butt leaves us... (Also, not anywhere near as creepy as the freeze-dried stuffed version)
• I think we've all been there. 
• My Pinteresting Randomness

Weekend Aims

• More Earth Day activities: showing of Our Water about the Great Lakes, another clean-up. 
• Phase 1 of rehabbing the Garden of Shame on the east side of our house (if it's not raining): an early start on ripping out the heinous and all-devouring groundcover*. 
• Trying to fix the "NET::ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID" issue on my computers. WTF Chrome?!

*A pox upon you Bishop's Weed - stay away from my peonies! Not to be confused with the squill - they can spread as much as they want...

Weekly Randomness for Friday, April 17, 2015

We had some much-needed rain last week accompanied by some sky-theatrics. I'd forgotten just how loud thunder can get. Word to the wise: it really is next to impossible to get struck by lightning inside your house, even if the lightning-thunder was close enough to shake the toilet you're sitting on. Just sayin'... 


News that made me stop what I was doing to look it up.

• Everything old is new again - this could come in handy. 
• Geekness for everyone!! 

Weekly Shits n' Giggles

• Am I seeing this? I'm not sure I'm seeing this right.
• Penguin the magpie. 
• I got nothin'.
• My Pinteresting Randomness

Weekend Aims

• Time to get serious about cleaning out the garage...  
• Also time to bring the patio garden containers out and set up the deck furniture. 
• Pizza & a Movie: Game of Thrones binge (okay, not really a movie...)
• Tickets to the Brewers game on Sunday! Okay, okay, so they're not doing so hot (yet?). But tickets that come with 300 Club & parking passes are not to be refused - should be a fun time. Plus, we all get bobble-heads :)

Weekly Randomness for Friday, April 3, 2015

Last week snow, this week loungin' outside on the patio.... ah.... Spring in Wisconsin!

News that made me stop what I was doing to look it up (but was it real...).

• Virgin Galactic is Missouri-bound!
• Microsoft introduces MS-DOS Mobile!

Weekly Shits n' Giggles: A Recap of the Week's More Outrageous April Fools 

• Redbox introduces Petbox! Fido can finally play Koala Duty on the XBOX!!
• Do you call them Shelfies? Shoeflees? I don't think I'm limber enough...
• Tiny tiny armholes... or rather, leg holes. 
• My Pinteresting Randomness

Weekend Aims

• Family time - always good! 
• Cooking for family time: Maple-Glazed Ham, Asparagus-Lemon Risotto, Mashed Sweets, and Lavender Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze to finish. 

Weekly Randomness for Friday, March 27, 2015

It snowed last night here next to the lake. Our foxy neighbor was out too. You can't tell from this photo that this is our back patio. This fox regularly trots right up to our back porch on its way into the backyard on its way into the ravine behind our house. Sure wish it did a better job of scarfing up the ground squirrels and the rabbits... (big prints are Nora, little prints are the fox)

News that made me stop what I was doing to look it up.

• George Washington Carver would be pleased. 
• Cool. But is it raccoon proof? I think not. Sigh... 
• Saving ancient art one way or another. 

Weekly Shits n' Giggles

• Because I've recently discovered that I love popcorn.  
• I'm intrigued... mixer? Maybe with champagne?? (that might defeat the whole non-alcoholic-healthy-for-you aspect though...). Love the recipe note: Because of the fermentation process, it is best to open the lid and release some of the gas that accumulates. (unless you want ginger beer splatter on the inside of your fridge... duh!).
• My Pinteresting Randomness

Weekend Aims

• Popcorn trials! 
• Home & Garden Show - they sell Bloody Mary's at the bar (what else do you need for checking out landscaping rock and new curtains?!). There's a garden metal artist out of Appleton, WI that always has neat stuff; we have several pieces and try to pick up something new each spring. 

Weekly Randomness for Saturday, March 21, 2015

Happy Spring!!

News that made me stop what I was doing to look it up.

• Science and art make good bedfellows.
• As if falconry wasn't cool enough (so, there are some great uses for them... although this is a limited use. Extremely cool. But limited.). 

Weekly Shits n' Giggles

• Aaaaaand... it pretty much looks like that on the way out too.  
• Sparklemuffin!! Shake your booty for me Spiderman!
• Bit 3
• My Pinteresting Randomness

Weekend Aims

• Da dump (remember the toilet removal...)
• Fun with concrete (and finally the toilet will be a distant memory)
• State taxes. Ugh! 

Weekly Randomness for Friday March 13, 2015

News that made me stop what I was doing to look it up.

• Too bad Neanderthals didn't have Etsy.
• Why sterilizing our homes makes for sick people.  
• Or give you memories you don't have. I wonder if this can partly explain false memories...

Weekly Shits n' Giggles

• Want.
• Upgraded apple pie - just in time for Pi Day!!
• My Pinteresting Randomness

Weekend Aims

• More plumbing... 
• A full backyard de-doodle. I think there may even be a few green things trying to pip out. 
• Catching up on my R programming course - first programming assignment is due!!

Weekly Randomness for Friday, March 6, 2015

News that made me stop what I was doing to look it up.

• First came communicators (i.e. flip-phones), and now food straight out the replicator. Gene Roddenberry is the new Nostradamus (without all the doom). 
• More proof of the coolness of this badass bug.

Weekly Shits n' Giggles

• It's BRAAAAAAAIINS!!!!
• Because, they're spicy... 
• Because, they're scary... and cool.
• My Pinteresting Randomness

Weekend Aims

• Sushi dinner: check! 
• Potluck game night: check!
• Tearing out the old toilet in the basement: gack... 

Weekly Randomness for Friday, February 20, 2015

News that made me stop what I was doing to look it up.

• NAFLD in the news (it's a big deal to me: researching NAFLD in kids is my day job. Seriously.)
• Sigh...  and sigh... 
• Bee-youtifully cool! I would consider it if I thought I could keep the raccoons out of it... 

Weekly Shits n' Giggles

• It's Legos!! Mondrian looks good in lots of colors :)
• Backstage at the greatest show on earth
• The hidden talents of pork
• My Pinteresting Randomness

Weekend Aims

• Still tax time...
• Someone we know is turning 18 - it's a dinner date!
• As part of tax time, it's also time to organize our file cabinets (yes, you can actually hear the hubbie sighing from all the way over there...)

Not to mention thawing out... What is it with this cold?!

Weekly Randomness for Friday, February 13, 2015

News that made me stop what I was doing to look it up.

• Because giving it a more sciency sounding name somehow makes the symptoms more believable. Call it what you will: it can be awful. 
• This may be more legit than blood type love compatibility. 
• Seriously. Huh. Never saw that coming (she drawls, drenched in sarcasm). 

Weekly Shits n' Giggles

• Sometimes the heavens align and generate amazing unbelievableness.  
• Beautiful and a little dark. Perfect. 
• Smile! You're on Hubble Camera!
• My Pinteresting Randomness

Weekend Aims

• Guess what boys & girls?! It's TAX TIME!!!  
• I started a specialization course in Data Science, starting to learn my way round using Git and GitHub (part work related, part perpetual student syndrome)...
• Cleaning target: master bedroom (have you seen the dust behind the bed?! gack!!! )