A penny for your thoughts

Today I am celebrating World Intellectual Property Day! Back in 2000, April 26 was set aside to celebrate the contributions made by innovators and artists around the world and to raise awareness of the role of intellectual property in our daily lives. I celebrate those with the big ideas in life today and especially when watching such fun shows as the Shark Tank.

For those who, like me, work for a technology company, you may be very aware of the emphasis on intellectual property and its role in our lives. Many of us were required to sign our intellectual property away to the corporate giant before walking into the office on Day 1. Our every creative thought, no longer our own, became the property of the company, to use in its current or future business areas or to keep from its competitors. With the emphasis on innovation today and continuing the tradition of being a world leader in patent awards, you may have even heard a direct challenge to achieve a patent before even dreaming of a raise or promotion in the competitive workplace of the day. This practice gives a unique perspective to "a penny for your thoughts."

I recently began thinking that maybe it is not so difficult achieving a patent. I found some interesting lists of big ideas that received patents. Here are some of my favorites:

• For our bird watching friends, a head bird feeder, comprised of a hat with a support and one or more mounted feeders was patented. (Patent number 5996127)
  
• The human sound muffler was designed to permit someone to 'sound off' or 'let off a bit of steam' safely, without others hearing (Patent number 4834212). Maxwell Smart (Agent 86 in the Get Smart movie) could definitely have used that device for his little rant during a meeting with his coworkers when the Cone of Silence again failed. Perhaps you have even double-checked the mute button on your phone during a teleconference before abruptly reacting to comments of your co-workers, manager, or customer service.
  
• For the summer season, there is even a patent for a maternity beach chair, allowing a mother-to-be to easily tan her back (Patent number 6295668)
  
• For those who cannot afford or are afraid of the drastic gastric bypass and lapband operations, an anti-eating face mask may be the answer. (Patent number 4344424)
  
• For the cook in the kitchen who can never find the dish towel, the hands-free towel carrying system (otherwise known as a towel with a neck loop) may be handy (Patent number 6718554)
  
• For those celebrating Earth Day last week or those annoyed while walking through the cloud of smoke by smokers who can no longer smoke inside a building, the smoker's hat may be the solution (Patent number 4858627). It is a hat that covers the head of the smoker, while intaking the smoke, filtering the air, and expelling filtered, purified, and optionally scented air from the hat.
  
• For those of you who feel it necessary to tweet your every thought but are frustrated at so many who do not use Twitter, you might like the mountable printable head placard (Patent number 6049912). This head accessory may be useful to get your message quickly to everyone you meet, even those who are technology-challenged.

Well, maybe not all big ideas are bright ideas. Maybe some should just be left on paper, for our amusement. Hey, if you've got a bright idea that you would like to proclaim to the world, check out the United States Patent and Trademark Office to see if someone else also had the same thought.

The secret to staying young

It's that time of year again. The older I get the faster time seems to fly. It just seems like yesterday as my brother cautioned my young nephew, "Don't talk to an adult that way" that I heard him exclaim, "Aunt Tonya is not an ADULT!"

In celebration of this day, I found some interesting thoughts about aging.

• Age is a matter of feeling, not of years. (George William Curtis)
  
• Every one desires to live long, but no one would be old (Jonathan Swift)
  
• Aging seems to be the only available way to live a long life (Daniel Francois Esprit Auber)
  
• Age is a question of mind over matter, if you don't mind, age don't matter. (Leroy Paige)
  
• You can't help getting older, but you don't have to get old. (George Burns)
  
• I will never be an old man. To me, old age is always 15 years older than I am. (Bernard M Baruch)
  
• I'd like to grow very old as slowly as possible (Irene Mayer Sleznick)
  
• Just remember, once you're over the hill you begin to pick up speed (Charles M Schulz)
  
• If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older (Abraham Sutzkever)
  
• Don't just count your years, make your years count. (Ernest Meyers)
  
• And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. (Abraham Lincoln)
  
• Forty is the old age of youth, fifty is the youth of old age. (Victor Hugo)
  
• At twenty years of age the will reigns; at thirty, the wit, and at forty, the judgment. (Benjamin Franklin) Like wise Ben, I stopped counting then too!
  
• When your friends begin to flatter you on how young you look, it's a sure sign you're getting old (Mark Twain)
  
• I am also a fan of Robert Browning and encourage you all to Grow old with me! The best is yet to come. (Robert Browning)
  
• Live your life and forget your age. (Norman Vincent Peale)
  
• You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream (Les Brown)
  
• And my favorite, The secret to staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age. (Lucille Ball)
  

Image credit: seattle traveler

There's a blizzard in the forecast

Today I'm celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Dairy Queen Blizzard. This week from April 19-25 DQ has a special on the Blizzard -- Buy One Get One for 25 cents. I can predict with great confidence that there will be blizzard in my immediate future.

DQ is a favorite treat in our family. I don't visit DQ often. However, our family takes lots of road trips. We go to the Rio Grande Valley once or twice a year and cross country to the family farm during the summer. Along the way on each trip, it's a tradition to stop at a DQ.

On my last Thanksgiving trip to the Valley we stopped at the DQ in Premont, Texas for a brief break and ice cream treat. However, our trip was delayed when my Murano would not start. We were stuck at the DQ! We soon determined that it would not likely start without some attention from a professional. When arriving, the tow truck driver commented about strange it was that I replied "Great, thanks, how are you?" to his greeting. Both my brother and I discussed on the way the blessings of the day. This minor inconvenience was no big deal at all, things could have been much worse. After all, I have AAA service, and it covered free towing of my car all the way to my Mom's hometown over 80 miles away. I was traveling with my brother and his family, and I simply just piled my stuff into his truck and we continued to my Mom's house. I was able to Google from my Palm Treo the phone number of the dealership in my Mom's hometown, where I had originally purchased the car. They were waiting for it when it arrived. We broke down at a DQ! If you're going to be stuck for an hour and a half with 2 kids and a dog, that's a pretty good place to be. We could have been stranded on I37 or Hwy 281, miles from nowhere. Plus, the tow truck driver arrived earlier than estimated. And, because we traveled on a Tuesday, the dealership was able to fix the car the next day and it did not impact our travel plans back home.

However, after that experience, the kids would say, "Don't stop at the DQ -- we don't want to be stuck at the DQ!" Knowing how much DQ is a part of our family trips, during Christmas in the Valley I decided that I needed to fix the fear of the DQ. After a fun family evening of Mexican Bingo, I energetically yelled after 'winning the pot' at the end, "Blizzards for Everyone!" We then all loaded up in the Murano and headed for the local DQ. The DQ door was locked and the nephews frantically screamed, "Hurry get in the car, the drive thru is still open!" Everyone thought that we had just arrived at closing time and would not get the ice cream treat after all. We later learned that only one of the two doors was locked! Anyway, we made it to the drive thru with our long order of a small dip cone, a medium dip cone, a large chocolate shake, a waffle cone, and three different blizzards. Someone usually tries the newest blizzard offered, but I get the same one every time. For me, throw some M&Ms in some ice cream with chocolate and I'm very happy. We enjoyed the treat, laughing while describing the newest DQ adventure when arriving home.

Hey, don't forget about the special this week. And, if you're wondering what you're going to do with your second blizzard, I'm always up for a trip to the local DQ! If you get this Blizzard special, post me a comment and tell me your favorite flavor! Enjoy!

Happy Secretary's Day

Today is officially Secretaries Day -- oops the name recently changed to Administrative Professionals Day. Each year on this occasion, I recall the funny 1980s movie 9 to 5 with Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin, and Jane Fonda. You can see the 9 to 5 movie trailer on YouTube today. It has an interesting description of the challenges of the administrative professionals. Hopefully things have changed a bit during the last 30 years. I would like to see the Broadway musical version of it one day.

I've had more than one assignment as an administrative assistant. One summer during college I temp'd as a typist. Also, in college, after spending one single (interesting, but unsuccessful) day as the college telephone operator, I was assigned as an administrative assistant to Ms Galloway in the Speech and Drama department. I spent weeks typing scripts for the drama department. When Ms Galloway learned that I was a piano performance major, she dismissed me from typing her scripts and told me that she would call me when rehearsals were scheduled for her next production, a musical. I had a wonderful time as accompanist for the musical You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown and even had the opportunity to stay in the dorm on campus for a few weeks for the long rehearsals and performances.

Because of the many years of practicing and performing on the piano, I can type rather fast. My Dad was a fast typist in his day too and challenged me to beat his speed. I passed the speed test rather quickly in high school and never was able to challenge my Dad's record because the teacher immediately assigned me to work on boring tasks while the rest of the class competed in the timed trials. It was not unusual for people to stop outside my office and comment on my fast typing speed.

I must admit that I don't really miss the typewriter. I don't miss the messy task of changing the ribbon and trying to figure out those electric typewriters. Plus, the noise. My Mom and I recently bought a very old typewriter at a garage sale. She thought it would be a collector's item one day. You can see how one group of guys use their old typewriters in the Boston Typewriter Orchestra in many videos on YouTube. However, my favorite use of a typewriter musically can be seen in the YouTube video available here:

Up in the air

Today the world is celebrating the opening of the airspace to airline traffic. It has been amazing to watch the power and impact of a single volcano to the worldwide airline and travel industry. The skies have not seemed so friendly during the last week. I read estimates that over 95,000 flights were canceled and 40,000 Americans were stranded in the UK alone. Plans for many people are up in the air, many already missing vacations, weddings, funerals, concerts and other special events (Boston Marathon). Some say that the recent eruption of Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland has reduced air quality, has lowered temperatures due to reduced sunlight, and may possibly cause some acid rain.

Although many are up in the air today, some say that it will take weeks for the backlog of stranded passengers to make it to their destinations. Many have chosen alternate forms of travel. There has been a great demand for rail travel, but a strike by the French rail network has impacted availability. Ferry capacity and schedules were changed to help move people. I read that Whitney Houston had to travel by ferry to make her tour destination. The Royal Navy has even sent a ship to rescue stranded service personnel, and more ships are on standby. The Celebrity Eclipse cruise ship was sent to pick up stranded UK tourists in Spain. The Monty Python comedian John Cleese spent over $5000 on a 930-mile taxi ride, with three drivers taking turns at the wheel, driving from Oslo to Brussels after being stranded by the volcano.

I'm reminded of a favorite song by Three Doors Down. The neat video starts in the cockpit of an airliner. I'm sure many are hoping to be in the air and then landing in London very soon.

On the run

Today I'm celebrating the first running of the Boston Marathon in 1897, inspired by the marathon at the first modern Olympics Games in Athens earlier in 1896.

I'm definitely not going to compete in the Boston Marathon, the local Cowtown Marathon or any footrace. However, I feel that I'm a very avid runner. After all, I have a lot of experience in running:

• In my early career, I found many bugs while running test cases
  
• As an programmer, I spent a lot of time running the code
  
• For pageants, I create the running order
  
• I can often be found on a headset running the show
  
• While stuck in a six-hour gas line after Hurricane Katrina with my cousin, we never felt that we were running out of stories to tell each other
  
• Back on the farm, it's fun to hear that we'll be running to town
  
• After cooking a large meal for guests, I'm running the dishwasher several times
  
• Last week I answered the phone, missing loading all the clothes for the wash cycle while the washing machine was running
  
• I spend my time on many Saturdays running errands
  
• I no longer have the task of running the vacuum with my new floors
  
• It feels like I've been running in circles trying to fix my icemaker
  
• It seems that I'm too often running a little behind schedule
  
• I'm running with the pack of employees trying to stay employed until retirement
  
• I regretfully am guilty of locking my keys in the car while the engine was running
  
• Thankfully, my little brother came running at my call for help
  
• My Mom cautioned me as a teenager about the dangers of running with the wrong crowd
  
• I've been the unlucky one to take a cold shower because those before me were running the hot water too long
  
• I once barely made it to the gas station, running the car on empty
  
• I wonder if the parents in the neighborhood know where their kids are -- they seem to always be running the streets
  
• When I'm home for the holidays, on most days I'm running to the grocery store
  
• My neighbor once did not think anything was wrong, even though two guys were seen with my stolen electronics wrapped in sheets, running across her yard
  
• I'm too often concerned about running out of money if I get to retire (foolishly forgetting that I need not worry, remembering the lilies in the field)
  
• Scheduling events for a group is sometimes challenging, running down my friends to discuss availability
  
• I try to make wise decisions while running the risks
  
• I rarely have a cold, but I endure it, running its course
  
• Time is running out on several nice coupons I recently received
  
• I'm running out of reasons why I'm not riding the bike more often
  
• I would have missed one flight, but a colleague told the flight attendant that I was running through the airport
  
• I am often reminded that my computer has been running too long
  
• I have several friends who are faithful -- and will come running when needed
  
• By the end of the weekend, it felt like I was running out of steam
  
• I'm almost running out of patience with the repairs due by my gas company
  
• I often worry about who is running our country
  
  It occurred to me that people spend a lot of time running. So many we know are running ahead of their bills, running out of money, running for their lives, running from their problems, and simply running away. We hear of others who are obsessed with running to meet short-term and long-term goals, but seemingly missing the joys of life along the way. Many are running so hard, just to keep up with the Jones' too. I recently saw an interesting statement:
  All men should strive to learn before they die, what they are running from, and to, and why.
  
  I recently heard a nice song by No Doubt that you may enjoy. However, for those who seem to be running with no purpose or running astray, Reuben Studdard sings a song that may bring hope today.
  
  Photo credit: Associated Press, 2009

Free french fry day

Today I'm celebrating Free Fry Day at my local Jack in the Box restaurant. Not only are their fries free today, but they are also now trans fat-free.

This event got me thinking -- I LOVE french fries. I began to worry about how much trans fat I was consuming while driving through some of my favorite fast food restaurants. After a little research, I had a brief moment of celebration. Don't get me wrong - french fries are not on the recommended list from our nutritional experts. However, I was surprised to learn that the french fries at McDonalds, Burger King, and Wendy's don't have any reported trans fat either.

Hey Jack, what took you so long? I guess Jack is hoping to encourage those folks who were worried about the TF to come back. Or, might Jack have been worried about the rug being pulled from under his feet by those cities considering banning all trans fat from restaurant menus. Either way, thanks, I will take your FREE fries with that!

BTW, if you haven't visited the Jack in the Box website, try it out. Don't forget to visit Jack's office. At your request, Jack can make a phone call or send a video message on your behalf -- to simply talk trash, help you get a date, send your apologies, break up with a boyfriend, call in sick, or help you get a raise. Don't start celebrating that new raise too quickly -- be sure to actually listen or view the message first. Else, you may be spending quite a bit of time burning the midnight (trans fat-free) oil or shaking things up with Jack.