Tuesday, July 31, 2018

loyal reader of the month: july

my loyal readers,

another month has passed us by, this one called july. I am, as always, very honored and humbled to offer, for the fifth time ever, frank's new blog's award for the loyal reader of the month. the month of july was a month of adventure and discovery. it was exploration. it was the road trip of life ©. it was summer. and so, we find ourselves on the doorstep of august, celebrating july for what it was.

for their renaissance man ideas, really good creativity, and responsible blogging activity--I present to you the loyal reader of the month: frank from JUL 11th!

this award may seem a little narcissistic, but I know all of us who have observed the blog would agree the contributions from frank from JUL 11th made this month a resounding success. without him, there would not have been posts during the long road trip period when franks from various points in time could not access (or chose not to access) the blog. the mantle of responsibility fell on the shoulders of frank from JUL 11th, and he delivered numerous fantastic blog posts and created a safe and friendly space for the fnb community to interact.

unfortunately, given the combination of the way we perceive time and the lack of readily accessible time travel technology, frank from JUL 11th will only be able to accept portions of this award in spirit. he will receive: a place in history on our loyal reader wall of fame, a letter of recognition and certificate of appreciation, and a "frank face" static cling.

I owe you one! way to go, frank (from JUL 11th)!!

-frank (sched.)

Monday, July 30, 2018

a trained eye

a loyal reader with a trained eye may have noticed a slight change in the post from yesterday (which also happens to be noticeable on the post you are currently reading). need another clue? helvetica. now do you see?

yes, we are trying something different with our font style. this is something we are trying out to freshen up the look of fnb, corresponding with our push for the new office space. there are a few of these changes that might take place during this time of transitioning, rebranding, and reassessing. we wanted to inform you that there will likely be many small changes in the near future, and we will work our hardest to keep you informed of them as they occur. this is our pledge of solidity!

thanks for your understanding and patronage. keep those eyes searching for the minor details...

-frank (sched.)

Sunday, July 29, 2018

cool thing 26

following your trail, the road trip of life ©, is a good thing.

COOL THING JUL 23rd - JUL 29th:

please enjoy the short poem "please stay on the trail." I saw this sign out on my road trip and it really spoke to me on a deep emotional and metaphysical level, which led to the creation you see below. hopefully it will speak to you as well. at the very least it is pretty cool.





we've made it halfway through the cool things for 2018. yes, this makes 26/52 cool things for your enjoyment. naturally cool.

cool thing bonus activity: share how you have stayed on the trail in your own original piece of poetic justice.

thanks for letting me share this.

-frank



Saturday, July 28, 2018

flossing is easy

flossing is often thought of as a nuisance. I don't blame this line of thinking--I understand it. in fact I used to feel the same way. but when it comes right down to it, flossing is so easy! it only takes a moment, and it's kind of fun with the right mindset.

especially with the dangers of gum disease.

-frank

Friday, July 27, 2018

the dangers of gum disease

I went to the dentist and he told me some frightening information related to flossing and gum health. I immediately thought of you, my loyal readers and sharing this important information.



don't be scared! 85% of adults suffer from gum disease in some form, but we can do beat it together.

-frank

Thursday, July 26, 2018

redundancy

I'm going to see the dentist tomorrow. not only will I see him, he will clean my teeth (something I could do at home) and tell me to floss (something I could imagine him doing to save us both time, and time is money). alas, instead I will begrudgingly get out of bed and go to the dentist.

it just gets tiresome to hear compliments about how strong and great your teeth are. hello, I'm standing right here!

-frank

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

one of a few things

there are very few things I do not know about. you might remember back at the start of summer when I thought one of these things was sandals; however, unsurprisingly, I proved I know a lot about sandals after selecting a fantastic pair of the german engineered birkenstocks. (they are the style "arizona" and the flavor "stone.")

why am I telling you this? I will tell you. it is because I am in the process of preparing the proposal for the fnb office space, and I find myself wondering if sitting or standing desks are the optimal approach.

on the one hand, a standing desk provides an incredible range of movement. at a moment's notice one can fire off a series of jumjax™ with ease, unobstructed.

at the same time, a standing desk means a commitment to standing all day, everyday. the simple truth is this: sometimes it is nice to have a sit and take a load off your feet, especially when there are ergonomic and stylish chairs available, like the aeron.

maybe the answer is to choose the standing desk coupled with a tall seat or stool. or maybe the answer is a convertible desk that can be switched from standing to sitting. (this option does not come without the hassle of transforming before use.) the answer undoubtedly lies somewhere in the middle--a crouching desk. just a little joke, ha ha. more accurately, a few of each could do the trick.

a lot to think about.

-frank

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

office space

the fnb team is excited to announce that we are in the process of securing an fnb office space. nothing ensures optimum productivity and creativity like having a devoted workspace for the implementation of optimal operational procedures. this move will allow the webmaster, communications team, design group, writers, and creatives to streamline communications and developmental needs.

what this will mean for you, the loyal reader:
  • more of the content you love
  • greater accessibility and ease of use
  • better community interaction
please bear with us during this exciting process as there may be some growing pains stemming from the move and new workflow adoption.

-frank

Monday, July 23, 2018

in road tripping

the doctor (me) is in. I may be back from a road trip, but that doesn't mean I'm not still road tripping. I'm talking about the road trip of life ©, of course. the journey from womb to tomb. I learned a lot on the road trip, some of which I will now be sharing with you.

things I've learned:

1. jumjax™ are the perfect road trip exercise

I already knew this, technically, so I didn't learn it, per say.. I should have titled this differently, i.e. "important takeaways" or "street smarts" (staying with the road theme). you can do jumjax™ at any rest area, restaurant parking lot, hotel, or even camp site to get the blood pumping after long sedentary periods in a car.

2. everyone is going somewhere

there are all different makes and models of cars out there on the road, and they are all driven by someone different--from roberts to robots (title of a TEDx talk in development).

3. the arrival is part of the journey

sometimes they say the journey is more than the arrival, but I dispute that notion. you cannot view the journey or the arrival in a vacuum. you cannot have one without the other, and I dare someone to try to argue otherwise.

4. pack snacks

when you get a little hungry you will be happy you did.

I've come back reenergized and recharged and rearing to go.

-frank

Sunday, July 22, 2018

cool thing 25

and we're back!

COOL THING JUL 16th - JUL 22nd:

a sailor lives as a sailor dies: smelling salt and sea breezes. enjoy this video of an experimental periscope video. (periscopes are attached to submarines.)




that's a quarter, 25/52 cool things. you can check them all out on the cool things database page! not bad, not bad at all.

cool thing bonus activity: create a sea shanty (tune, diddy) to go along with this video.

ahoy!

-frank


Saturday, July 21, 2018

it's been fun

well, this is the last you will hear from me (frank from JUL 11th) for a while. but who knows, maybe I'll come back and fill in again sometime. I've really enjoyed my time in the future with all of you, even if it is in the past now. tomorrow posts will return to your regular programming created by the fnb team from your present. I'm sure there will be lots of great ideas nurtured by frank's experience out in nature.

without firther ado, this isn't goodbye. it's see you later on the road trip of life ©.

-frank (sched.)

Friday, July 20, 2018

sleeping

if you think about it, home is where you sleep. sleeping takes a lot of energy and a certain comfort level that shouldn't be taken for granted. whether you are sleeping in a tent, a bed, a floor, a couch, that's your house. it's your home away from home where you lay your head.

pleasant dreams to you and yours. welcome home. you're there now anywhere.

-frank (sched.)

Thursday, July 19, 2018

what I've learned

it has been a week that I've been at this. an entire week... not a super long time (especially as time flies when you are having fun) but still a solid length of time. what have I learned this week? I've learned it is really tough to be a blogmaster. I didn't realize how much work my future self has to do! it was much better when I only had to take care of the blog post for JUL 11th, let alone the posts for future dates of my future selves! I guess you could say I'm impressed at how hardworking and creative I am, and I hope my future self comes back with a lot of great ideas and insights to share with the fnb community.

I've also learned how great all of you are. it's been a blast in the comments section with all the great responses and jokes you guys have been posting. keep it up guys, great job. luckily, we still have a few days left together, and I'm happy to spend them here with you.

-frank (sched.)

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

nurture

nurture is like hugs and stuff. it's alright.

some people say that's lame or whatever, but it's no big deal. it's just a form of being nice.

nurture is also tellong people they did a good job.

-frank (sched.)

Tuesday, July 17, 2018

when I think of nature...

...I think of rocks and moss and grass 
and trees and sea anemones
and dirt and dust and living things
like cats and bugs and plants.

but when I think of each of these
the only thing that I can think
is planet earth by bbc
would rock if it had followed me instead.

I'm nature,
this is my dream.

-frank (sched.)

Monday, July 16, 2018

that was a treat

if you ask me, it is pretty cool that future frank checked in yesterday to post that cool thing. that was a real treat for all of us. and boy was it cool! I don't think I've seen anything like it before.

forgive me if it seems like I'm being a bit narcissistic. I just want to take the chance to pat myself on the back for the thing that I will create a few short days from now. I really do an awesome job! I don't know about you, but I'm excited to see what I will cook up next.

the future is bright on the road trip of life ©.

-frank (sched.)


Sunday, July 15, 2018

cool thing 24

hey guys. it's frank from the present sending in a cool thing from my road trip. glad to see the blog hasnt burned to the ground without me... i might just leave myself in charge more often! hope everything is going well! xoxo

COOL THING JUL 9th - JUL 15th:

the nice things about road trips? you see a wide variety of tree brands. roadsides and sides of mountains are a few popular hotbeds for tree brand activity. have a peek at some of the numerous trees I've seen.









this makes 24/52 cool things that have been created for your audio, visual pleasure. very cool.

cool thing bonus activity: how many brands of trees can you name? 

back to you, JUL 11th me, for the previously scheduled programming.

-frank

Saturday, July 14, 2018

nature vs nurture

nature and nurture similarities:

n, t, u, r, e.

nature and nurture differences:

a/u, /r.


a lot more similarities than one might initially think. that's 5 similarities and only 2 differences for a +/- similarity score of +3. not a bad score at all. maybe the age old discussion should be focused on nature and nurture instead of pitting them against each other as combatants? I'm looking at you, psychologists. the ball is in your court.

-frank (sched.)

Friday, July 13, 2018

outside

what is it. 

is outside a place? or more of a concept.

outside.

outside.

...

on it's own, it doesn't mean a whole lot. outside could be referring to a whole slew of places, things, ideas, and people. it's all relative to the intentions of the author. (by author, I mean the person making use of the phrase outside.) however, the intentions of the author can only reach as far as the comprehension of the reader. naturally, it is also heavily contingent on what is viewed as inside. together these terms form a dynamic duo, just like the author and the reader. just like ant-man and the wasp from ant-man and the wasp (2018).

in the general colloquial scene, outside refers to any space not in the confines of a man made structure or building. this could be the front yard, the back yard, the side yard, the woods, and often encompasses footpaths and roads. outside is also used in other ways, in particular as a modifier of observation based on predefined parameters. examples include tools outside their box, cars outside their parking spot, arms and feet outside the ride. a more specific definition of outside is the wilderness: "a natural environment on earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: 'the most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with roads, pipelines or other industrial infrastructure.'"-wikipedia. alternatively, to the alaskan perspective, it refers to any place not in alaska. right now, any of us not currently in alaska would be considered outside. this is where it gets crazy, because you could be inside alaska but outside the house, meaning you are both inside and outside simultaneously. or say you are in alaska and you tell someone you are going outside--did you mean outside the house? or out of alaska…? do they know what you mean? have a safe trip! it is important to start any conversation by defining what reference point you are using when you use terms like inside and outside for the sake of understanding each other.

yes, outside is a matter of perspective, and it is important to remember we all come from different perspectives on our different the road trip of life ©. in a way, you are always both outside and inside. it's a question of balance. so be sure to go enjoy the outside today!

-frank (sched.)

Thursday, July 12, 2018

off road tripping

over the next 10 (ten) days, the doctor is out of the office. except instead of the doctor, I mean me, haha. and instead of out of the office I mean out on a road trip. having an office for the blog is a very good idea though... yes, I will be leaving you for the entire duration. but fear not, I leave you in good hands--my own. over the next few days please embark with me on a discussion of nature or/and nurture. (to be a bit more specific, the me you will be experiencing is the me from yesterday--what would have been your JUL 11th--when the series of 10 posts was originally written. not the me for the present of each post, who will be on a road trip. or even the me of right now, the twelveth, for that matter. I hope this brief explanation is clear enough for you, my loyal readers.)

the upcoming posts are pre-scheduled ahead of time as you can discern from the presence of the "(sched.)" tag after the signature. as this is the case, I regretfully inform you that I will likely be unable to respond to your comments until my return. I look forward to interacting with you when that time comes... unless, of course, I somehow predicted what you might comment ahead of time and scheduled an apt response. just remember that the response would be from the me of your JUL 11th, and not the present me. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that historically I have been great at predicting things, especially when relating to stocks and cryptocurrencies.

kind of funny when an actual road trip is part of your the road trip of life ©.

-frank

Wednesday, July 11, 2018

what have I done

have you ever said you would do something you didn't want to do and then once you start doing that thing you realize you won't be able to finish that thing and now how are you supposed to tell the person that the thing you said you could have done by a certain moment probably won't be done because you can't do the thing that you thought you would be able to do because it is outside of your technical abilities and now you feel sort of responsible because let's say you dillydallied for a few hours instead of initially working on the thing that you said you would work on and now you've gone and tried to do the thing but you probably don't have enough time to do it unless you stay up all night and even then there's no guarantee that you'll finish in time and you still have a bunch of things that you need to do yourself so you definitely shouldn't have taken on this other thing for another person but they seemed in a bind so you figured you would offer your support thinking it would be a walk in the park only to discover that your grasp of the necessary measures is not nearly as advanced as you initially had convinced yourself and now you are in an awkward position of do you tell them or do you flounder for a while more and hope somehow magically everything works itself out...

you too, huh.... well I'm glad I'm not the only one.

-frank

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

laundry tips to help the planet

just a few tips about keeping the earth green while you make your clothes clean...
  • use cold water. this means less energy (0%) is used to heat the water!
  • use less detergent. how dirty are your clothes, really? it was just you wearing them, anyway.
  • stay away from chlorine bleach. the fumes aren't great for you or your neighbor the great outdoors. if you have to use bleach, try oxygen bleach instead.
  • always clean the lint trap. dryers will run more efficiently and run a lower risk of catching on fire (which could burn down your house and, in turn, the forest)!
  • line dry. tiny microbes and bugs will drink the water, leaving your clothes nice and dry after a few hours!
-frank

Monday, July 9, 2018

latest recommendation

in this post I made a prediction about which upcoming 2018 release was the most likely to contain jumjax™. unfortunately I must relay that my prediction about ant-man and the wasp (2018) utilizing jumjax™, while a great guess, was wrong. there was not an instance of on-screen jumjax™

that being said, the movie excels despite this negligence for a few reasons:

1. ant-man (paul rudd) still seems like the most likely super hero to do jumping jacks and that is something I admire. maybe the director, mr. peyton reed, will include jumjax™ in the next film in the ant-man universe? we can only hope.

2. speaking of hope, hope van dyne (the wasp (evangeline lilly)) played by evangeline lilly. total badass and total genius. that's probably why they call her the wasp.

3. the movie is pro postal service. --spoiler alert-- scott lang (ant-man (paul rudd)) mails the ant-man suit home from germany, showing his incredible trust in the boys in blue, tracking numbers, and logistics. --end spoiler alert--

4. sonny burch (walton goggins) states that cryptocurrency is totally worthless as an investment opportunity... even though he's a villain, I have to admit he is totally right on this one.

go see it when you get the chance. this flick is fnb approved.

-frank

p.s. hopefully mary poppins returns (2018) will give jumjax™ the big screen treatment this december.

Sunday, July 8, 2018

cool thing 23

when the lights go out...

COOL THING JUL 2nd - JUL 8th:

just showcasing my new hobby: dark room photography. photography is the science, art, application and practice of creating durable images by recording light, as stated on wikipedia. that's interesting, but I wanted to take pictures where light was lacking, i.e., dark room photography. please enjoy these cool picks.






so far 23/52 cool things have been created for your viewing, listening, reading, and pleasure. they have been flicks. they have been pics. they have been excerpts and poems and activities. they have been cool.

cool thing bonus activity: share an interesting hobby in which you partake. who knows, maybe I'll try it for myself.

keep on keeping on

-frank

Saturday, July 7, 2018

going nuts

remember that list of 6 things I said I go nuts for? yeah, I'm spending my saturday night enjoying all 6 of those things. TED and TEDx talks? yep. on tap. dynamic business strategies? I've been analyzing a few. finding examples of jumjax™ in film and television? my loyal readers will know I'm always working on this one. dare I say donuts? oh yeah. I've got brain food. this venue supplies all of these things, which, by my count, definitely makes it a venue to express creativity. check and check.

you could say it is a very productive night (and you would be right), but it is also a very wild night. you could say I'm going nuts ha ha.

I love saturdays. I go nuts for saturdays. add it to the list.

-frank

Friday, July 6, 2018

cold in summer?

here I was thinking we were in the dog days of summer (more like simmer) and all of the sudden it's refreshingly chill outside. we're talking a 40 degree temperature difference... what the. ..

this world we live in is certainly a crazy place, but I will allow it since I can now wear my assorted jumpers without overheating. hindsight of hindsight is certainly 110.

-frank

Thursday, July 5, 2018

hindsight is 100

it is summer and it is hot, which means wearing sweaters is not a fun thing to do. unless I feel like overheating...

the main trouble with this is as follows: cool thing 12 is a jumper (sweater). I want to wear it, but then I get so sweaty. it's possible I could even pass out from the heat! in hindsight I would have made the custom jumper as a t-shirt. or even a sleeveless shirt! now that would be a way to beat the heat. hindsight is definitely 100. hindsight is also kind of cheating, because you can make decisions based on knowing the outcomes. analysts and stock market junkies definitely wish they had hindsight when they make buying and selling decisions on the market (as do east coast hipsters for their cryptocurrencies). 

one easy fix to this would be to turn the air conditioning way down and never leave the house... then I could wear whatever I wanted, no questions asked.

on the bright side, while wearing a jumper (sweater) you won't get sunburnt. it's important to think about the positive aspects of any scenario.

-frank

Wednesday, July 4, 2018

independents' day

independents' day is a day to celebrate the uniqueness of the individual (as opposed to independence day which is to celebrate the united state's declaration of independence in the year 1776).

it's good to take an independents' day every once in a while to recharge your batteries. some "me" ("you") time. sometimes maybe independents' day falls on independence day.

-frank (sched.)

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

a dangerous disease

how many of you have heard of hvx? not many. it stands for hosta virus x, a dangerous potexvirus that infects plants in the hosta brand.

this disease has been around for 22 years with the first cases identified in minnesota in 1996. it is a travesty we did not crush it then, when we had the chance. alas, instead the spread has continued unheralded. in 2017, documented cases were even recorded in ukraine. this thing is endemic and it needs to be stopped

naturally, I find myself wondering why I am just now hearing about it? this should be something they teach in schools: the danger and warning signs of hosta virus x (which include "dark green 'ink bleed' marks in the veins of yellow-colored leaves, and/or tissue collapse between veins" -wikipedia).

at the present, the only way to remove the virus is the destruction of the plants that fall victim. that simply isn't good enough. a cure must be found. please use this hashtag to help raise awareness for this new campaign to end hvx: #endhvx

otherwise, we will find ourselves saying "hosta la vista, baby."

-frank

Monday, July 2, 2018

tricks to beat the heat

"release the dog days of war!" the sun said, probably.

know what I'm saying? haha. but in all seriousness, please enjoy these 7 tricks to beat the heat.

1. drinks with ice cubes
it can be anything you like...orange juice, water, soda (aka pop, cola, eta)

2. a fan blowing air over a bowl full of ice cubes
some easy air conditioning

3. blended smoothies made with your favorite frozen fruit and ice cubes
tasty treat

4. the ice bucket challenge
support a good cause and stay cool

5. create an ice sculpture of a chair and sit in it
a throne fit for a king with a cool head

6. take a cool bath with ice cubes
brrrrrr

7. pop some ice cubes straight down the hatch!
a quick cool treat

-frank

Sunday, July 1, 2018

cool thing 22

"demo reel" is short for "demonstration reel"

COOL THING JUN 25th - JUL 1st:

this video is an audition/demo reel for my place as an actor in westworld season 3. I think you'll agree this performance is very cool, but it would be very very cool if westworld's creators cast me in season 3. 


so far 22/52 cool things have been created for your viewing, listening, reading pleasure. if you missed one, you can check it out on the cool things database page! cool.

cool thing bonus activity: send this video to the creators of westworld and let them know how great you know I would be in season 3.

am I man or am I machine...or.. both...

-frank

This place is a little dusty

Hm. This place is a little dusty. I bet you are wondering what on Earth I have been up to for the last 16 months! (Wow, that's a long ti...