Random Wordplay for Wednesday 1/6/16

Bacon Jams:  Spreadable Bacon.

Used in a sentence:  "These are real ... and arrived in the mail this week ... and are real (did I already say that -- sorry I'm a touch excited) ... and these are actually jars of Bacon Jams:  Spreadable Bacon ... and they are REAL .. for reals!!"

Thanks again to my supervisor Katie O (to quote her, they kind of just said "Troy" when she was looking at potential gifts) ... and they've already been sampled (last night, on turkey sandwiches) to prove that they are the perfect mix of sweet and salty and crunchy and BACON!

The only bad thing ... the puppy dogs are convinced that the box was supposed to be for them ...

IN CASE YOU NEED TO GET YOUR OWN BOX:
http://thebaconjams.com/

WAYS TO USE THE BACON:
http://www.chowhound.com/food-news/134518/7-ways-to-cook-with-bacon-jam/

BACON (NIACIN) "TRICKS THE BODY IN TO THINKING THAT IT IS EXERCISING":
http://nextshark.com/new-study-suggests-eating-bacon-may-prolong-life-make-it-more-amazing/

Random Tune for Tuesday 1/5/16

A trilogy, by definition, is a thing of three.

Which is just the fancy way to say that it's time for the third and final entry in the 2015 Dead Celebrity Tune Trilogy ... an annual tradition honoring three celebrities who passed in the year that just ended.

If you haven't been following along with the 2015 edition, it's had tunes from Percy Sledge and Maureen O'Hara so far ... and the final entry is hinted at by the image accompanying this post.

Indeed, Ms. Lynn Anderson passed in 2015, and although I considered going for one of her other hits ... since they were mostly just before I was born, I did circle back to settle on her most famous ditty ... with its reality-based outlook on a life of ups and downs AND the exhortation to "smile for awhile and let's be jolly" (made all the more better because the clip I located on the youtube is a duet between Lynn and the incomparable Martina McBride [one of the artists most frequently chosen for my Tuesday Tune series]).

I BEG YOUR PARDON:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NL6qhVMh6s

Random Memorial for Monday 1/4/16

Gone but not forgotten:  me jogging.

Today, I was discharged from the care of the knee doctor with an overall report of "things look good", but I need to be careful to avoid the "too much too soon for someone too heavy" attitude that led to my troubles in the first place.

He also decided against therapy (for which the bank account is grateful), but he did tell me that I had to return to activity slowly.  For the next six weeks, only swimming is an option ... after which I could begin biking for a month ... and then I finally get back to my lunch walks in mid March -- but only for a *half* hour ... and then, by mid-April, I could be back to full hour long walks.

Banned for me during this period ... any attempts at jogging (and also any squats or lunges in the home gym). And, of course, were I to succeed in my weight loss goals, then that's the best scenario all around.  Still to be determined ... exactly how to build my new exercise strategy around the good doc's orders ... but now I at least know the parameters for the next few months.

That which I *thought* would be a good idea a few blocks at a time for accelerated weight loss ... you will be (replaced) and missed.

THE INTERWEBS CONFIRM ... SWIMMING OR BIKING IT IS:
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/health/Good_Exercises_for_Bad_Knees.html

SUGGESTED EXERCISES FOR WEIGHTS WHEN KNEES ARE BAD:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/360704-weight-training-for-bad-knees/

TIME TO STUDY UP IN ADVANCE OF THE BIKING:
http://bicyclesafe.com/

Random Scandal Sheet for Sunday 1/3/16

What southern Florida is talking about this week:

Classes in Jedi lightsaber fighting.

For reals.

There is a dedicated group who are doing down here what has been done in New York for quite some time -- a bit of choreography for now and a little combat for later, WITH actual "high-end" lightsabers.  Just like in the movies.

Apparently, there's a movie out right now or something that has people pretty excited about lightsaber duels ...

(To be fair, I was all about the original Star Wars when I was young ... and I did eventually catch the prequels on demand ... but I haven't had the courage to avoid getting shot at an actual movie theatre for quite some time ... so I'll take my risk with the chance of seeing spoilers and wait for the premier of that film #7 when it can be watched from the comfort and the safety of my couch [I know ... I know ... I'm letting the evil Sith win ...].  Besides, I'm too much of a contrarian to do it just because everyone else has ... I have my commitment to an exaggerated sense of uniqueness, after all.)

THE LOCAL GROUP (NEW IN 2015):
http://www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/magic-city-jedi-offers-classes-in-lightsaber-combat-7459716

THE ORIGINAL GROUP? (SINCE 2005):
http://www.popularmechanics.com/culture/movies/a10128/heres-how-youd-really-fight-with-a-lightsaber-16460786/

HOW MUCH OF A FAN ARE YOU?  AKA ... DARE YOU DOOKU IN BRAZIL?:
http://emgn.com/entertainment/15-surprising-star-wars-facts-that-even-super-fans-never-knew/

Random Soapbox for Saturday 1/2/16

I don't mean to go off on a rant here, but ...

... arrrrgh!

If you know me, you know I'm a fan of words ... the more, the merrier.

However, there are rare times where I believe that the picture is indeed worth a thousand of them.

*This* is one of those times.

In other news, guess who is the new owner of a pair of bolt cutters?

Oh ... and a new keyless lock (that can hopefully withstand the weather here in Florida, so that I can put away the Christmas decorations and access my archives without worrying about *this* happening again)!

As I said ... arrrrgh!

I BRIEFLY CONSIDERED THIS ROUTE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EChbMvVj1VA

LOCKSMITH HUMOR:
http://www.gvlock.com/blog/funny-door-lock-ideas

EXPERT TAKE ON THE "BEST" LOCKS:
http://www.masterlock.com/cms/keying/best-padlock

Random Posting for Penn State 1/2/16

Here are 9 Nittany Nuggets from today's game:

1.)  Hey -- remember our bowl game from last year and our comeback?  This was *almost* like that.
2.)  To be clear, lest you think the above nugget is snark, I sincerely appreciate the rally and the need to watch every last second of this game.
3.)  So HACKENBERG ... is *this* how it ends?  Hope your shoulder heals well ... and good luck in the draft.
4.)  Hey Jacksonville ... although it might have been the HD viewing ... you could have "nicened" up the field a bit before today's game ("nicened" is a PA Dutch word).
5.)  Hey sidelines lady announcer ... it's SAquon ... not SHAquon.  SMH.
6.)  Hey Austin JOHNSON ... cool it on the celebratory shenanigans.  After one "unsportsmanlike conduct" penalty, I wished we would have been back in the JoePa era, where we would have watched you get benched for being a too-big-for-his-britches-douche.
7.)  Here's the last one of this season ... and the first one for 2016 ... of what will hopefully be many many more ... but attaboy BARKLEY!
8.)  Do Georgia fans have a thing for "booing"?  Or was I mishearing?  Or was this like at a Pearl Jam concert when everyone yells Boo ... because there's a guy named Boo?
9.)  I do like me some Penn State, but when I found out Georgia's kicker was a local boy from Ft. Lauderdale, I felt like maybe I should cheer for him whenever he was in play.  However, that dissonance was resolved ... because kicker boy from the FTL left the game with a hurt ankle, removing my allegiance quandary.

In closing, thanks to Trace MCSORELY, who I'm sure came to Jacksonville for the Florida sunshine and ended up having to do a whole lot more ... and here's to the Blue&White game on April 16th ... followed by the home game against Kent State on Labor Day weekend!

Rest up you players!  Recruit up you leadership!

OUR NEXT SLATE OF GAMES:
http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa-16/2016-penn-state-nittany-lions-football-schedule.php

IT'S OFFICIAL!:
http://www.ydr.com/story/sports/college/penn-state/football/2016/01/02/psus-hackenberg-wont-return-taxslayer-bowl/78205008/

WHAT I FOUND WHEN I WENT LOOKING FOR BOOING BULLDOG FANS:
http://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-football/auburn-fan-writes-open-letter-mistreatment-athens/

Random Flashback for Friday 1/1/16

The first photo in my 1996 album is *this* one ... from what was likely a new year's eve celebration twenty years ago.

That's a smiling happy DJ trying to clean up that champagne overflow ... and a laughing Kyle K looking on ... and it looks like Becca F over by the refrigerator interested in the outcome of the events.

The place is the townhouse in Lebanon that DJ and I shared in 1996 (he had moved in the previous fall after original roommate Jarrod left the summer before to co-habitate with his girlfriend), and this get together was a sign of things to come, as that place turned out to be our (first) version of a fraternity house for as long as it lasted (stories for another time .. including how there was also a second version of that party house).

By the way ... as you may know from my previous writings, DJ is no longer with us ... so this picture of him smiling and happy is precisely how I like to remember him, which is exactly what I'm doing on this new year's day ... fondly recalling *that* new year's day two decades ago.