T-308 : Holding doors

If I hold the door open for you am I being a gentleman or just showing common courtesy?

If you don't hold the door open for me are you being inconsiderate or are you just not thinking?

Does gender matter?

My personal opinion is that we all ought to hold doors a little more often.  On the other hand, there are times when someone holds the door for me that I feel like I'm just beyond the "holding zone" and it's a bit awkward to have to speed up to get through the door while they wait.

How about you?

T-309 : Head Down

If you don't wear eyeglasses you might not understand.  Allow me to explain.  When I wear my glasses outside in the rain (which is whenever it's raining, of course) I walk with my head down.  I'm not an overly-friendly chap in the first place.  Head down in the rain can make me seem even less so.  I mean no offense.  I'm just lazy and don't want to have to wipe my glasses dry when I reach the next indoor location.


Capiche?

T-310 : Sink Flicker

How many times have you ever shaken the water off your hands after washing them in the sink and inadvertently whacked your finger(s) on the faucet?  

That smarts!  I hate when that happens!

T-311 : Salad Beater

Salad bars can be dangerous places.  Not only can you pack on more pounds than you'd planned, apparently many of the items cost more per pound than one might realize.  This is a really neat article and graphic from the New York Times that illustrates the concept.

Of course whether you like the taste of something is going to be the ultimate decider.  Granted, some tastes can be acquired.  I tried a pickle at the deli the other day, though, and I have to say it's going to be a long acquisition time for that taste to me.

How to Beat the Salad Bar - NYTimes.com

T-312 : 'Zona Travel

In a couple of weeks we'll be traveling to Arizona for Spring Break.  High on our list of places to visit is the Grand Canyon and the Mesa Pageant.  Here are some other places we're considering:

-Havasupai Falls?
-North Rim? South Rim?
-Paria Canyon?
-Desert View Tower?
-Skywalk?
-Slot Canyon?
-Lake Havasu - Stayed at Motel 6 within view of the London Bridge and In 'N Out Burger
--London Bridge - Took some great night shots with my new DSLR
-Phoenix
--Phoenix Zoo - Agreed that this is one of the top 5 zoos I've been to; still lags behind Omaha.
--Desert Botanical Garden

--AZ Science Center

--Heard Museum is good for local history

--METRO Light Rail
--Chase Field (Rube Goldberg device) - D'Backs tickets from a good friend on Wednesday night!
--Golfland/Sunsplash is fun for mini golf/laser tag/go cart type stuff, they have an awesome water park there but I'm pretty sure it won't be open yet but you could call and check. 
-PIR?
-Rawhide Western Town?
-Hoover Dam - An amazing place; a little disappointed that they charged for everything.
-Mesa
--Mesa Historical Museum
--Champlin Fighter Museum
--AZ Museum of Natural History
--Usery Park which is good for desert scenery, picnicking and hiking
-Tempe

--Tempe Town Lake

--AZ Mills Mall 
---IMAX theater
---aquarium


What would you add/subtract from the list?  Opinions wanted.

T-313 : Homey Thoughts

At least once or twice a day while I'm at work I think of the joy of coming home each night.  I'm thankful for my sweet homemaker and partner.

Do you have thoughts like that?  What do you look forward to at the end of each day?

T-314 : Pi Day

Somehow it's fitting that entry number 314 should fall on National Pi Day.  It also happens to be National Potato Chip Day.  If I was in charge of refreshments for Family Home Evening I had my ketchup chips in the pantry ready to break out for the occasion.  Alas, Tara had made a mint pie -- I think green is on her mind considering St. Patrick's Day is this coming Thursday.  Ketchup chips will have to wait for another time.  At any rate, here are some fun Pi links courtesy of one of my favorite websites, MentalFloss.com:

• Pi Necklaces
• Pi Guy on Letterman
• Pi = 3.2 Bill refuted in Indiana (whew?)
• Pi Gem
• Wikipedia Pi
• Pi Birthday?
• Pi Quiz
• Pi Smell
• Pi Song
• Pi History
• Pi Shirt

T-315 : Covered Covers!

Am I the only one that's bothered by stickers on top of words on a book cover?  It's bad enough when a store puts a price tag there.  It's even worse when the library puts the more-permanent bar code there so that I can't see what the author/publisher intended me to see to get me more excited about the book!  I understand that the sticker people must have standards that they need to comply with.  Let's make an exception to the rule, though, and find a spot 1/2-inch lower to put them so that I can read and enjoy?  Am I missing something?  I'm willing to entertain other opinions.

T-316 : Crack-up Critters

Even if you've already seen these ones I think you'll agree they're worth another look.  

I challenge you not to laugh!

T-317 : Devoted Dudes

One of the fringe benefits of working on campus is the opportunity to attend the weekly devotionals.  As employees, we're in fact encouraged to attend.  The picture at left was snapped as President Clark uttered one of his famous weekly phrases, "Now let's reverently show our speaker we're prepared to be taught...".  It's nice to get a little jolt of spirituality on a mid-day Tuesday.  Here are some of the notes I took on my SmartPhone at a recent devotional:

John A. Madsen

Emeritus Member, First Quorum of the Seventy


The gospel is the sole hope of the world...
--Joseph F. Smith, British Area General Conference, 1971


The atonement is not part of the gospel; the atonement is the gospel.
--Bruce R. McConkie


"Gospel" also refers to the principles and ordinances of the gospel.


All efforts lead to the temple.
--Howard W. Hunter


Reconcile
Redeem
Ransom


The atonement of Jesus Christ is not a mass of theological jargon.


Atonement consists of these elements:
1. Suffering
2. Shedding of Blood
3. Death and Burial
4. Resurrection

If you're interested in the official transcripts -- including some video and audio archives, as well, just click through to http://web.byui.edu/devotionalsandspeeches/speeches.aspx and have a gander.

Do you feel better?

T-318 : Bracket Time?

Do you have the time and/or inclination to fill out a bracket for March Madness?  I've got one on facebook if you care to match wits.  'Tis the season!

facebook Hi , Join me on Facebook Tony Derricott BYU - ID 1015 friends · 38 photos · 2 notes · 469 wall posts I have started using CBSSports.com Brackets, an application on Facebook, and I think you would like it too. Facebook is a website that lets you connect with your friends, share photos, use applications and more. Join Facebook

T-319 : Ponder Power

1. Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting weak?
2. Why do banks charge a fee due to insufficient funds when they already know you're broke?
3. Why is it that when someone tells you that there are one billion stars in the universe, you believe them but, if they tell you there is wet paint, you have to touch it to check?
4. Why do they use sterilized needles for lethal injections?
5. Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?
6. Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?
7. Why did Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
8. Whose cruel idea was it to put an "s" in the word "lisp"?
9. If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?
10. Why is it that, no matter what color bubble bath you use, the bubbles are always white?
11. Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?
12. Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?
13. Why do people run over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?
14. Why is it that no plastic bag will open from the first end you try?
15. How do those dead bugs get into enclosed light fixtures?
16. When we are in the supermarket and someone rams our ankle with a shopping cart, then apologizes for doing so, why do we say, "It's all right"? Well, it isn't all right, so why don't we say, "That really hurt, why don't you watch where you're going?"
17. Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?
18. Why, in winter, do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?
19. How come you never hear father-in-law jokes?
20. Why don't they make airplanes out of the same material they make the black boxes out of?
21. The statistics on sanity say that one out of every four persons is suffering from some sort of mental illness. Think of your three best friends.  If they're OK, then it's you.

• Which one(s) do you like?
• Do you have any to add?

T-320 : Holy Gruel

My brother, Bryan, sent me this picture today with this note attached:

"Ever since I saw my brother eating hot cereal out of the nifty pan he cooked it in, I have been jonesing for one.  I finally found my holy grail for gruel.  Breakfast tomorrow will be pixie-straw-sweet!"

I had no idea he thought so much of it.  I do indeed cook oatmeal each morning and eat it right out of the pan.  I hear it's good for you.  It tastes good, too.  I add cinnamon sugar.  On weekends I add a chopped banana.  They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  I usually eat the pan loaded.

Do you have any odd eating habits?

T-321 : Progression Denied

One of my favorite blogs to follow is "Indexed".  There are index cards with simple charts and graphs offering out-of-the box commentary and thinking that makes my head twist in ways that feel good to me.  This is one of my favorite recent posts showing how attitude matters:


Denial vs. Progress. | Indexed

T-322 : Firth Fourth

We went to Boise this past weekend to watch my nephew play in the State Basketball Tournament.  His team had taken State 4 years in a row and were going for an unprecedented 5th in a row.  While they lost their first game --  to the eventual runners-up -- they won their next two; including a last-second desperation 3-pointer to cap the weekend and hoist the 4th-place trophy.  The photo is of the 4 seniors holding the hardware high above their heads.  We were seated on the opposite side of the court but Kedrick is number 3.

T-323 : Warehouse Trickery

I don't know if it's bias or preconceived notion or something else but I don't like warehouse stores.  I think they're a rip-off.  Part of my opinion stems from the fact that the nearest one's have always been a 30- to 60-minute drive for me.  When I calculate the gas dollars on top of the membership dues I shy away.  This article seems to bring out a few more good points:

Learn the Tricks Warehouse Stores Use to Bring Out Your Inner Impulse Buyer

What side are you on?  I can be swayed.

T-324 : Thirsty Tuesday?

The other day we got a notice that one of the buildings on campus -- the one that houses the walking track that Tara and I use on Tuesdays -- would have the water shut off due to a leak that needed to be fixed.  Suddenly we were thirsty.  What's up with that?  I'm sure there's a psychological term for it.

T-325 : Stroked Card?

I had no idea that Orson Scott Card had suffered a minor stroke until I read it in his weekly article from the Mormon Times newspaper:

Talents, gifts and intelligence

I've never read any of his books but I've got a couple on my reading list.  I certainly enjoy his writing style and learned some good life lessons from what I read here.

What's your opinion?

T-326 : Bigger Bitterroot

To my old friends from the Bitterroot, look how big it could have been!  To the rest of you, it's still interesting, isn't it?  What "state" would you be in today if George Etzel Pearcy had his way in 1973, when the California State University geography professor suggested that the U.S. should redraw its antiquated state boundaries and narrow the overall number of states to a mere thirty-eight?

Read more on MentalFloss.com...

T-327 : Oh Deer

Today was sunny and "warm".  I'm sure it got up above 32º because I saw things melting.  My friend, Bill, sent me this picture with accompanying text today so I thought I'd share:

"Summer's almost here.  I can see the deer moving around in the back yard."