R.I.P. Trader Joe

Joe Coulombe, the founder of Trader Joe's markets, has died at the age of 89.

It's a sad day for people like me, who love the quirky little stores with great products, including Two-Buck-Chuck . . the California wine that used to sell for $1.99 a bottle.

Great job, Joe.

(The final picture was taken on a sunset cruise off Key West enjoyed by the BRD and Beau Jack this week. It just seemed to fit.)

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

In this bleak old world, let me try to bring a ray of sunlight, a little joy.

Without further comment, here are The Friday Funnies for this last week in February.

O.K. Gentle Readers, that's all I got.

I hope you're feeling a bit cheerier.

Now go out and commune with nature and have a great trouble-free weekend.

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(. . . groan . . .)

TBT - STARDOM IN THE MAKING

Since it is Thursday, I decided to make it ThrowBack Thursday and see what I could find in Oddball's past.

This post from 12 years ago shows you where stars come from.

March 29, 2008

March Madness - - - - - truly!

Before I begin, let me warn those who aren't interested in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament that this post might get pretty boring.

I was looking at the bracket today and realized the Elite Eight, as they're called, has four Number 1 teams (North Carolina, Kansas, Memphis and U.C.L.A.) still remaining. Sounds like pretty good rankings by the people who do such things, right? After those four, things fall off a bit but not much. There is one #2 team (Texas) still playing and two #3 teams (Xavier and Louisville). That leaves only one team and the ranking drops way off to #10 Davidson. Davidson? Who'd a thunk it? Well, I can tell you who the believers are. Gonzaga, which came into the Midwest Regional as the number 7 team; Georgetown, which was the number 2 team; and Wisconsin, which was the number 3 team. Those three powerhouses were all unceremoniously beaten by little Davidson, led by little (6 foot 3) Stephen Curry, who has scored over 100 points in the tournament so far.

Next up for Davidson is mighty Kansas, one of those four remaining #1 teams, Sunday. Will Davidson surprise yet another basketball powerhouse?

Ask the boys from Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin.

It could happen and a true Cinderella team could be playing in the Final Four. They don't call it March Madness for nothing.

Back to the present now, Kansas defeated Davidson by two points and went on to win the championship. But that "little" player for Davidson, Stephen Curry,  went on to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA and, with his amazing 3-point shooting, has set just about every record you can imagine.

I wonder how often he thinks back on that 2008 season.

HANDLE WITH CARE

Some years ago a group of musicians and friends got together to record an album or two under the name "The Traveling Wilburys".

It brings back good memories of those who have passed and those still with us.

TIGERS

The biggest of the cats and, for my money, the most beautiful.

MEDITATION

There were a number of interpretations of yesterday's photo.

I was thinking "lines of communication from the haze of the past."

But I may have been putting too much into it.

If the picture made you think, all the better.

Now enjoy this mind boggling video.

YESTERDAY'S ENIGMA AND A NEW CHALLENGE

The photo from yesterday's post was, indeed, a flag of the United States, on a pole perhaps a mile from my location.

Shot with the telephoto lens on my little point and shoot camera, through the mist of a lightly raining day, then blown up as much as I could with my photo editing software.

Hence, the quality.

But that mistiness made me think and I believe Jager had the best guess as to my intentions, with Ball Points perhaps leaning, and Val's second guess, as well.

But let that be.

I've got another photo from yesterday for you all to interpret.

The original . . .

and how I cropped it . . .

I have a vague idea but tell me what it means to you.