Things that make you smile

[Trenchfriend]

Finding rocks with holes through them ("friendship rocks") when down on the creek bank. My OCD requires that I find one each visit or there won't be a smile on my face when I leave. Someday I'll string them together for garland.

I know:

http://www.dict.cc/?s=hühnergott

 

[Harp]

The St Louis Cardinals wild card hope. But they are always a danger.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Yesterday, I got out of the other supermarket at little-town's central bus-terminal and on passing behind, I looked at the two bus-shelters and saw in the right shelter two women, I guess a 20+ and a 40+, one in the left corner and one in the right. And both looked forward and were on "tandem-chowing", with their fatty, sugar-glazed bakery-shop stuff from the supermarket, in their hands. Germans are always hypoglycemic and munching, you know.

 

[Fading Fast]

This gives none of the big plot resolution away, but does give one teeny-tinny subplot away, so be aware. In "The Night Of," a small sub-story is the fate of the cat of the girl who was killed. The "not-a-bad guy, but I'm allergic to cats and, basically, am a ambulance-chasing" lawyer took the cat in perforce, as he couldn't leave him at the city shelter knowing he'd be killed.

But as the show moves on, you see the lawyer, John, struggle to care for the cat - because of his allergies, he has to wear gloves and a surgical mask when directly interacting with him. But he also shows the cat kindness - buys him a bunch a cat toys, the good canned cat food, etc., and tries to entertain him. But John also has eczema and is struggling hard with it, family and work.

Exasperated with all life is throwing at him, with great sadness, he takes the cat back to the city shelter. The story moves on to the climatic courtroom scene and enough drama, tension and venality to drain anyone's humanity reserves for the evening. Then, as the show is about to end, you see John, bedraggled - shoulders shrugged and gait enervated - leave his apartment as the camera sits inside the apartment about ten feet from the just-closed door. All is over, the credits are about to roll and, then, the cat walks left to right in front of the camera and, then, out of range.

John, despite it all, went back again and got the cat he's allergic to out of the shelter as he couldn't let him die.

Completely deflated emotionally from the full brunt of the last episode, I still smiled widely when that little white-and-tan fur ball trotted by the door.

 

[2jakes]

I can sleep peacefully with a smile at night with burglar bars & a security cat.

 

[1mach1]

I can sleep peacefully with a smile at night with burglar bars & a security cat.

Now, THAT'S a pet door.

 

[Fading Fast]

How freakin' awesome is this little guy. Very throwback feeling technology:

http://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-public-library-book-train-conveyor-system-video-2016-9

This definitely brought a smile to my face. I just want to see it run with books in it. A trip to the library will have to happen soon.

 

[Harp]

The US Supreme Court hears oral argument today in Salman v United States; and ultimately will need to ascertain quid pro quo relevance to insider trading information.
Insider trading is not illegal unless an agreed confidence is violated with evidentiary material gain and agency assumed by secondary party thereto, knowing said
confidence and receiving benefit germane to said violation. Absent such qualification, the ball is considered hit in fair territory.
Now the actual tip itself is in jeopardy. Another ideological split and dissenting tie score.

 

[Fading Fast]

⇧ and this makes you smile (the theme of the thread seems not to be with irony) how?

 

[Harp]

⇧ and this makes you smile... how?

Insider trading remains undefined by Congress and the courts and regulators lack adequate constant definition of same,
and the Court would not have taken the case with only eight justices and previous overturned convictions allowed stand, so
I believe Salman will not lose his appeal. The resultant score though will be interesting. I admire Justices Kagan and Sotomayor,
but seldom agree with them, and this tightrope should produce some interesting opinions.

 

[Fading Fast]

⇧ If that makes you smile - I'm happy for you.

I have spent the past thirty plus years in the financial markets and insider trading has been a shifting standard that entire time. The courts, the regulators, the prosecutors, the honest investors and the crooked ones all operate without a clear roadmap. But like many things in life that appear simple from afar, the specifics bring in much complexity.

 

[Harp]

... the specifics bring in much complexity.

And that complexity is the reason I believe the Roberts Court will not attempt either clarity or legal address.

 

[Fading Fast]

For a few years now, I have been depositing checks on my phone (load bank's app, follow directions for depositing, which includes taking front and back picture of endorsed check, and basically, you're done). It is so easy, it's silly and I literally smile every time as (1) now I don't have to go to an ATM machine and (2) it always seems odd to still have the actual check in hand.

This is one that the banks got right. They took something that was a small hassle and made it something you can do in less than a minute from your home. Well worthy of a smile.

 

[BlueTrain]

If I were to start doing something like that, I'd no longer have a reason or good excuse to leave the house after I retire, if in fact I ever do (I'm 70 and still working). And when my wife retires next year, I will absolutely need a reason, too. Anyway, I enjoy going to the bank.

 

[2jakes]

 

[sufidancer]

I can sleep peacefully with a smile at night with burglar bars & a security cat.

Notice how the cat is in there going.."What? you think I'm going out there? You crazy."

 

[BobHufford]

Bald Eagles. I saw a pair two and a half times while waiting for a deer to walk by.

 

[2jakes]

Pan shot of the candy aisle reminded me of the cheshire cat from “Wonderland”,
& the many visits to the dentist.

 

[Fading Fast]

There is a new book out on Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and his creator Robert May. Basically, May was an employee of Montgomery Ward and created the book for the company as a Christmas promotion; hence, the book / Rudolph was owned by Montgomery Ward. Even though it was hugely successful, this line in the WSJ review caught my attention:

May’s “Rudolph” was a work for hire owned by Ward, but the company’s chairman gave the adman the copyright in 1947, and May made the most of it. Over time, there would be enough Rudolph merchandise to stock a toy store.
​

Maybe there's more to the story than meets the eye (there usually is), but the review doesn't touch on it so - on the surface - it appears a company gave a profitable creation to the employee who created it despite having no legal reason to do so. What a wonderful Christmas gesture - made me smile.

 

[Zombie_61]

There is a new book out on Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and his creator Robert May. Basically, May was an employee of Montgomery Ward and created the book for the company as a Christmas promotion; hence, the book / Rudolph was owned by Montgomery Ward. Even though it was hugely successful, this line in the WSJ review caught my attention:

May’s “Rudolph” was a work for hire owned by Ward, but the company’s chairman gave the adman the copyright in 1947, and May made the most of it. Over time, there would be enough Rudolph merchandise to stock a toy store.
​

Maybe there's more to the story than meets the eye (there usually is), but the review doesn't touch on it so - on the surface - it appears a company gave a profitable creation to the employee who created it despite having no legal reason to do so. What a wonderful Christmas gesture - made me smile.

This reminds me of Harvey Ross Ball. You probably don't recognize the name, but must surely be familiar with his iconic creation:

Yep, Harvey Ross Ball was an American commercial artist, recognized as the earliest known designer of the "smiley face". In 1963 Ball was hired by The State Mutual Life Assurance Company to create an image to increase employee morale after a merger. Ball created the image in less than 10 minutes, and was paid $45. State Mutual had 100 pin-buttons made for employees to wear, and they became so popular that State Mutual soon placed orders for the pin-buttons in lots of 10,000. Reportedly, more than 50 million smiley face buttons have been sold since 1971.

Unlike Robert May and Montgomery Ward, neither Ball nor The State Mutual Life Assurance Company made money off of Ball's creation (apart from the $45 he was paid) because neither trademarked or copyrighted the design. However, Ball's son Charles is reported to have said his father never regretted not trademarking or copyrighting the design. "He was not a money-driven guy. He used to say, 'Hey, I can only eat one steak at a time, drive one car at a time.'" The design and the phrase "Have a nice day" were trademarked in the early 1970s by Bernard and Murray Spain, and the rest is history.