ivman's blague

Do you like coffee? My parents and grandparents all drank coffee, and as a child, I thought I never would myself. However in college when I had to get up at 4:00 to work in the campus bakery four mornings a week, I found that a cup of coffee helped me be more alert on some of those mornings. Our boss would let us add sugar and cream only after taking one sip without them. I actually grew to like the taste of coffee with no amendments at all. My wife does not enjoy hot coffee, but she likes cold coffee drinks and coffee flavored ice cream ranks high on her list.

This past week we stayed with our daughter and son-in-law in Michigan. Each morning my grandson Drew and I took a walk to various destinations. Two of the mornings we walked to a Tim Hortons that's less than a mile from Megan and Jim's house. Here's a picture of Drew eating a chocolate timbit and of Poppy's steaming cup of brew.

I used to drink only regular coffee, and lots of it, but in recent years if I have to be careful not to get too much caffeine. After enduring a racing heart and shaky hands, I quickly learned to limit my intake. Caffeine after about 3:00 in the afternoon keeps me awake during the night. It's a bummer, but those are the most common signs for me that I've drunk too much coffee. Here's a cartoon I saw recently that makes me smile.

In my files I found a list of other ways people can know they drink too much coffee.

You know you're drinking too much coffee when...

...Juan Valdez has named his donkey after you.

...you can ski uphill.

...you get a speeding ticket even when you're parked.
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Being a person who likes to leave things better than I found them, I have never understood the mentality that does graffiti or other forms of vandalism. Some "graffiti artists" might argue that they are trying to improve things by leaving something eye catching behind, but many of them do not leave something good behind. Much of graffiti is vulgar and unsightly, seeking to show disrespect or to draw attention to the vandals themselves, and most people do not appreciate having their property defaced or having to clean up graffiti. In this post I am in no way trying to encourage or excuse vandalism, but since graffiti happens, I will try to look at some of the effects that are actually interesting or even beautiful. Some graffiti is quite creative ... if only that creativity could be directed into more acceptable activity....

I'll start off with some that are really pretty cool.

Here's a staircase illusion.

Here is some modern art done by someone named Banksy, a British street artist with an international reputation.
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Let's see the hands of all of you out there who want to live in a nursing home! I don't imagine I would see many raised on that one. And that's not surprising. Many people do not even like to visit someone in a nursing home. Living in a nursing home is something that most people dread and hope will never happen to them. But it has become a reality for many and is often their best and only option.

It may have slipped by some of us that this past week — May 9 - 15 — was National Nursing Home Week. My mom lives in a nursing home in Bowling Green, Ohio. It's a very well run facility with very nice staff, and she's happy and safe there. It's really her only option with some of her present special needs.

When we go on trips, we usually stay with family. When we do stay in hotels, which is rare, we thoroughly enjoy some of the amenities there that we don't have at home. As nice and well run as nursing homes and hotels are, though, we prefer living in our home. Thoughts of nursing homes and hotels reminded me of something I've had in my files for a long time.

No Nursing Home for Me!

With the average cost for a nursing home reaching $209.00 per day (in 2008), there is a better way to spend our savings, when we get old and feeble. Someone has already checked on reservations at the Holiday Inn for a combined long term stay discount and a senior discount. It comes to only $70.23 per night.

That leaves you $138.77 a day for the following, most of which is already free:
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Do you find charts and graphs more puzzling than helpful? As I was sitting at work yesterday (I started my summer job at IT Service Desk on Monday of this week), I looked at a flowchart taped to the wall and got an idea for a blog post. I hope that after reading today's post, you will either have a better understanding of how charts and graphs work, get a good laugh or two, or both.

My wife Becka says that she does not like pie charts. Here are several that I think are easy to understand.

If you are planning a road trip this summer, you might want to print this one out and keep it in the car to help you understand what's happening (or not happening) on the road ahead of you.

If that chart was confusing to you, maybe this one will help you understand what pie charts are designed to help you understand.
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What is utopia? According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary the word utopia means 1. an imaginary and indefinitely remote place, 2. often capitalized, a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions, or 3. an impractical scheme for social improvement. Etymology: imaginary and ideal country in Utopia (1516) by Sir Thomas More, from Greek ou not, no + topos place. I think it's safe to say that all people long for a perfect place where all is just and harmonious, but we are continually frustrated. As nice as some places are, no place is perfect. There's no perfect home, no perfect workplace, and even no perfect church. (If you find it, do not join it — you will ruin it!)

Today's instant vacation centers on workplace conditions in the past. The following notice, dated 1852, was supposedly pinned to the door of a cupboard in an office building due to be demolished in London.

• Godliness, cleanliness and punctuality are the necessities of a good business.

• On the recommendation of the Governor of this colony, this firm has reduced the hours of work, and the clerical staff will now only have to be present between the hours of 7am and 6pm on weekdays. The Sabbath is for worship, but should any man-of-war or other vessel require victualling, the clerical staff will work on the Sabbath.

• Daily prayers will be held each morning in the main office. The clerical staff will be present.

• Clothing must be of a sober nature. The clerical staff will not disport themselves in raiment or bright colours, nor will they wear hose unless in good repair.
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