Monday, March 30

Growing old is inevitable. Is growing up optional?



In response to last week’s question, "Growing old is inevitable. Is growing up optional?, " my friend Richard advised, "Growing up is optional, but it can be a very expensive option, and one that way too many people do not exercise."  To this, my Parrothead friend Sam added, "Of course it's optional!  I am growing older, but not up (Jimmy's song).  That would be boring."

My dad's beach buddy Bob concluded, "Certainly.....It is a state of mind.  Ask your Dad," to which my cousin Jamee confirmed, "Obviously growing up is optional- just look at our family!  Lol!"

My temple friend Tracey replied, "Absolutely! You have had the distinct pleasure of sitting with me at services. It's bad when your children tell you to behave"

My transportation friend Joe shared, "According to my wife – NO; according to our adult children-YES."  My equestrian friend Royce sided with Joe's wife by writing, "HELL No!"

My videographer friend Ivan declared, "I'm 5'17" tall.  Growing up may be an option, but growing up, and up, and up, for me, was not."  My friend Bruce then explained, "No! growing up is genetically identified and can be chemically enhanced...said the guy who's been 5'3" since the Beatles STOPPED touring..."

My social media friend Mark countered, "I have to disagree with the premise...there is an option to growing old, which consequently renders the conclusion incorrect also."

Please share your thoughts about this week's "things that make you go 'Hmmm' “:

What is the proper etiquette in the buffet line?  (from my dog rescue friend Leah)

We don't stop laughing because we get old. We get old because we stop laughing.  Make it a priority to have fun and make others laugh.

Hal

Advice:  Wednesday is a play day -- make a point to have some fun without doing any long term damage.

Thanks to Demetri Martin, Steven Wright and George Carlin for the inspiration for Hmmm.  Stop by www.nichelabs.com to see what else I'm up to.

     





Monday, March 23

With Spring starting this past Saturday, what will you do with your fancy?



In response to last week’s question, "With Spring starting this past Saturday, what will you do with your fancy?", my dad's beach buddy Bob declared, "Everyone is supposed to tickle their fancy when spring starts," to which my sailing friend Dawn  replied, "No brainer.  SAIL" while my cousin Wes wrote, "Go spring skiing.  56 degrees @ 11,000 feet."

My cycling friend Ted thought, "I suppose my wife is my fancy, so I will spare you all the details!"

While my equestrian friend Royce cautioned, "'That's rather personal' he said with a smile," my Parrothead friend Samantha annonced, "Parade it proudly, of course!" My PR friend Stan agreed, "I’m gonna give my fancy more fresh air"

My transportation friend Joe revealed, "Not sure.  As I get older, I use my fancy less and less."

My BBQ friend Alan  replied, "Feed it to my cat.  Fancy Feast."

And then my collaboration friend Andy noted, "Spend another season trying to figure out what Robert Burns is trying to say: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJhDEx6BloM (or read the words at http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/robertburns/works/ode_to_spring/)

Please share your thoughts about this week's "things that make you go 'Hmmm' “:

Growing old is inevitable. Is growing up optional?

We don't stop laughing because we get old. We get old because we stop laughing.  Make it a priority to have fun and make others laugh.

Hal

Happy Birthday Friday to my birthday buds Adam, Jon, James…and Mariah Carey, Fergie, former Baltimore Colt MIke Curtis, and the late Sarah Vaughan,

My videographer friend Ivan shared an additonal response to the prior week's question, What happens if your password is "incorrect?"   He said, "That's just wrong."

Thanks to Demetri Martin (at the Punchline in Atlanta this Sat) , Steven Wright and George Carlin for the inspiration for Hmmm.  Stop by www.nichelabs.com to see what else I'm up to.

     





Monday, March 16

Are you stuttering if you write right? and a question about Spring Fancy



In response to last week’s question, "Are you stuttering if you write right?,"  my transportation and logistics friend Joe concluded, "Of course not.  Two rights (writes) don’t make a wrong" to which my florist friend Bruce explained, "No you are hesitating..."

My cousin Wes demonstrated, "Tihs is stuttreign wehn I type rite."

And my BBQ friend Alan clarified, "In order to “write right”, I would have to switch to Hebrew!  We “write left” in English."

My temple friend Vivian queried, "Is that like when driving a car when left is right?.... or right is wrong?"

Please share your thoughts about this week's "things that make you go 'Hmmm' “:

With Spring starting this Saturday, what will you do with your fancy?  (thank you Alfred Tennyson)

We don't stop laughing because we get old. We get old because we stop laughing.  Make it a priority to have fun and make others laugh.

Hal

Yes, Saturday is the beginning of Spring.  My college roomie John reminds me that it is time to ' burn your socks.'

Thanks to Demetri Martin, Steven Wright and George Carlin for the inspiration for Hmmm.  Stop by www.nichelabs.com to see what else I'm up to.

     




Monday, March 9

What happens if your password is "incorrect?"




In response to last week’s question, "What happens if your password is "incorrect?", my IT networking (and sailing) friend Kurt complained, "If my password were incorrect, you just told it to everyone. May be I'll change it!" to which my birthday bud Jon added, "Damn!  How did you know?  Now I’ve got to change them all back to Password."

My dad's beach buddy Bob wished, "Hopefully it will continue to be incorrect for all of the scammers who are out there. "

Another IT support friend, Kosol, noted, "Obviously it's not 'wrong!'"

My business executive friend Blair replied, "Well, duh - when I type 'incorrect' into the password box, I get immediate access. Hmmm...unless the password requires numbers and special symbols and caps. Then 'incorrect' would be an incorrect password and I guess I'd need a reset."   To this, my Parrothead friend Samantha advised, "Sorry Hal - "incorrect" doesn't have a capital letter or number, so it is incorrect.  Your password is incorrect.  Incorrect? Incorrect.  Oh wait- I remember- incorrect.  And that would be where the computer would go through the window and the electronic paper trail would be irreparably lost."

To all of this, my sailing friend Michael cautions, "When my password entry returns “incorrect,” my protocol is to call my IT consultant, have him charge me $125 and direct me to re-enter it—at which point it works."

My new transportation friend Joe declared, "I type in:   ‘ I n c o r r e c t’ and I’m in!"   

My business collaboration guru Paul reflected, "Per behavioral psychology, we experience ‘loss aversion’ which is more painful to us than the pleasure we’d receive from being able to enter the site."

My temple friend Richard observed, "If you type “incorrect” in correctly, then it must be correct! If you type “incorrect” incorrectly enough, then you will get in a lot of trouble for being politically incorrect. However, if you get sent to diversity training, you would be “in correction.”  When I followed-up with "…and when you do your diversity training to be "in correction," would you be in a correction facility?", Richard replied, "Correct. FYI: You’re comment re correction facilities reminds me (for no obvious reason) that it is not an accident that prisons, mental hospitals, and marriages are all categorized as 'institutions.'"

When my sailing friend Norm suggested, "You call Russia to get the correct one!", my writing friend Stan counseled, "Don’t fight it. Click 'Forgot My Password' and reset it to a 'correct' one. It’s faster. I could go into a diatribe about the use of the word “incorrect” – for example, it could say “perhaps you made a keyboarding mistake” – and how Internet brevity can promote hostile feelings, but…"

My equestrian friend Royce lamented, "If I could only get in my computer i would know" to which my St George friend Bruce replied, "It's the best thing in the world!  That way if you can't remember how to spell it, the computer responds: " Your password is incorrect"... Heck it couldn't be simpler."

And my social media friend Mark shared Microsoft's advice, "Reboot. Even the experts do that first."

Please share your thoughts about this week's "things that make you go 'Hmmm' “:

Are you stuttering if you write right?

Live. Love. Learn. Laugh .. Lighten up!  

Hal

Demetri Martin is performing at the Punchline in ATL on Sat, Mar 28.  Help me celebrate a birthday --- see you there?

Thanks to Demetri Martin, Steven Wright and George Carlin for the inspiration for Hmmm.  Stop by www.nichelabs.com to see what else I'm up to.