It’s four months until “Talk Like a Pirate Day,” so I thought it might be a good time for this oldie from ten years ago this spring. I’m back at my desk and easing into the routine again. I’m going to look around and see if I can’t find something different to show you in the next few days. I figure I owe it to you. Meanwhile, at least the doors are open! Come on in.
Personal Touché
By Jimmy Johnson
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242 responses to “Personal Touché”
Mark….”DragonHeart”!
Sean Connery as the dragon voice in “DragonHeart” was a perfect choice. It took a fair to middling movie and bumped it up in class and interest.
Morning village.
Debbe, you use your time well, the submissions always appreciated.
Incubator? I think it is more likely a tanning lamp. Arlo is just trying to get a head start on the Memorial Holiday weekend.
Evan, I love that 2001 strip! Thanks for linking it!
Congratulations on the beans, John! Every now and then while copying out a recipe for someone, it dawns upon me how much I have altered recipes from the originals on the cards over the years. Seasonings, quantities, preparation methods, proportions…almost no recipe is prepared the “original” way anymore, although most have somewhat stabilized. When I copy the recipes for others, I include these changes, but I should really update them for Phil, too. A couple of years into our marriage, he realized that I had no written recipe for one of his favorite meals and asked me to write it down. He explained that if he lost me, it would be some comfort to him to be able to still have that meal as I prepared it. Bless you, John.
You’re lucky to have a Ben Franklin nearby, Debbe! I miss the ones that used to be around here, but I still see them in small towns when I travel.
Incubator. Awwww.
Is not Ben Franklin on the $100 bill? What is so rare about them, they are everywhere.
And the original is still in Philadelphia.
Debbe, you’re right. It wasn’t the title. It was a line from the song.
Yes, Ben is still in Philly, resting at 5th and Arch St. Christ Church Burial Grounds, Ben’s resting place, charges $7.00 admission, and they say the dead can’t make money.
Loon is clueless about Ben Franklin stores, but has a good understanding of $100 bills.
How much baby cuteness can y’all stand?
http://www.kutv.com/entertainment/features/viral-videos/stories/twins-irish-dancing-kutv.shtml#.VV19GmTBzGc
Gary,
Google “A-maz-n Smoker”. They have a pellet smoker that I use in my electric smoker cabinet to cold smoke cheese, and home-cured bacon. Also use it to warm smoke summer sausage.
I can see him just fine through the fence, thank you.
Loon: Not if “everywhere” is supposed to include “in my wallet”. 🙂
Don’t want to see him in my wallet. Too many crooks making funny money with his pic these days. When a cashier tries to give me Ben or Grant I say no thanks. Few businesses are willing to take those bills when I use them, so why should I take them myself? There is currently a team of scammers using phony $100 here in Alabama which are clearly marked as “motion picture use only” and “not legal tender”, and yet ignoramuses at fast food, etc have been taking them.
My Ghostly one must prefer plastic to the real thing.
I must remember to tell Uncle Anton about Alabama, sounds like his kind of vacation spot.
I like Ghost’s comment, the hundred dollar bills not in his wallet. The same goes for me, in fact with my simple and frugal lifestyle, it’s been many long years since I saw one of these. Thank you to Mark in TTown for his warning; I will keep it in mind, and also let my family know.
Correctomundo, Loon. Since the advent of the debit card, I seldom have more than two twenties in my wallet; $20 or less in small bills in a money clip; and five twenties hidden in my car. If I am ever approached by a mugger, I will pull the money clip out of my left front pocket; let him see it and say very loudly “Here!” as I toss it as far as I can to his right and behind him; and move briskly to my right and away from him.
If he is stupid enough to follow me instead of the cash, I will have Mr. Glock speak to him concerning the Darwin Award of the Day he has just earned.
Miz Charlotte, the only “C-notes” I’ve seen lately are when I periodically withdraw some cash from my Mom’s savings at one financial institution to deposit in her checking account at another FI, to supplement her SS direct deposit and to maintain the minimum balance to give her free checking. Hundred dollar bill are so colorful now they make me think “clown money” when I see them.
GR6, in the service we referred to MPC and foreign currency as “funny money.” Can only wonder how they’ve woven the plastic? strip into the front side of the new $100 bill. First new $5 bill I received some years back looked like a kid had spilled grape juice on it. Then they introduced the tea stained ten spot.
As someone who handles money all day, and occasionally has had to watch crappy video of said money transactions, I would love all of our money to be different colors. Once had a clerk putting twenties in with ones, make a personal purchase, and get back the “change.” Really hard to tell an old twenty from a one from ten feet up. We are trained to check strip, watermark, color-changing ink, and pen test. There are actually two sheets of super-thin paper with strip sandwiched between. Occasionally someone will come in with the strip cut out. Hard to do, but it can be done. Counterfeiting here is huge. Locally, the big thing is bleaching bills to print over. Passes the pen test, which is what everyone does in a hurry. Can’t replicate the color-changing ink though … yet.
Many countries now are printing their currency on a type of plastic. Harder to counterfeit and lasts much longer than the paper variety. Gives a new meaning to the question, “paper or plastic?”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymer_banknote
Mindy from Indy, the pen test is not perfect, either. I read a news story sometime back, where a Hispanic man tried to pay for his purchases with a $50 that did not work with the pen. Police were called and man was arrested. Turned out that it was just an old bill, printed without whatever it is that causes the reaction with the pen. Lots of apologizing from police and the store involved. And I’ve heard of bills that would not react properly after accidentally going through a washing machine. But it is quick, and easy to teach to the unmotivated.
Sideburns, an ice block for a smoker would be awesome. Unfortunately I don’t have a freezer with enough space to make such a block.
Anonymous, I have the A-maz-n Smoker. It is what I used in the bottom of my electric smoker cabinet. It generated too much heat (on top of the ambient 80F) and resulted in a puddle of cheese on the baffle/drip tray.
Gary
Mark, come to Canada and see our plastic money. Rumors abound about it melting in various situations.
Gary