Removing Backgrounds

My first attempt to replace the white background in my image with a transparent one (i.e., no background) using my favorite free (I love free) Online Image Editor website could not get every bit of white removed, so I went looking for alternatives.  The one I found worked best was remove.bg, which is at the link below.  I just uploaded the image, and it automatically scrubbed every bit of white away, perfect for my requirement.  The free version provides a lower resolution (576x433) download, but they have paid plans for maximum resolution, and that includes a pay-as-you-go option for $3 for 3 images.  For my needs, the lower resolution is fine.

A day or so later, I wondered if it would remove the background from other photos and was surprised to find that it works pretty good.  For example, I uploaded a photo of a dozen eggs in a bowl sitting on our kitchen counter, and everything but the bowl of eggs was removed.  You'll see that picture in an upcoming blog.  

https://www.remove.bg

Creating Line Art

I've been looking for a way to generate black and white line art using AI (Artificial Intelligence) and found the bigger names (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok) lacking.  Then I heard about the Canva app, downloaded it to my Pixel 7, and gave it a try.  Using the prompt "A black and white line art of the words thank you done very expressively", Canva generated the images you see below, of which the first one best fit my needs.  The image had a white background, but I required a transparent background.  That bit of magic will be covered in tomorrow's blog.

Links to the Canva app for iOS and Android are below.

https://www.canva.com/download/ios

https://www.canva.com/download/android

In Plain Sight

The image you see below is from the check-in process for my chiropractor, and I've seen this for more years than I can imagine.  I have dutifully clicked on various descriptors and body locations each time, even though they change infrequently.  But a few appointments ago, I noticed the option to choose "click here if you have no change in symptoms", which is a nice little time-saver.  

According to the Perplexity AI chatbot, this is caused by two phenomena.  The first is "inattentional blindness", which occurs when a person does not see something fully visible because their attention is focused elsewhere.  The second is "selective attention", our brain's way of tuning into what matters and ignoring background distractions.  All part of what it's like to be a human.

Understanding Freezer Capacity

The sign you see below is from a Lowe's in College Station, Texas, that I ran across while shopping for microwave ovens.  I'm not sure if our local Centerville, Ohio, has the same signage, but I'll check it out the next time I visit.  A rancher in Texas probably needs to know that an entire cow will take 40 cubic feet of freezer space, make 210-270 meals for their family of 4, and last for 70-90 weeks.  Certainly, that's nothing I have ever concerned myself with.

Blue Bunny

Gourmet Chef Elaine and I don't eat a lot of sweets, but when we do, we like portion-control options.  We shared the little Blue Bunny Mini ice cream cone that's shown below while catching one of our evening TV shows.  It's enough for 4-5 bites each, and that's plenty to satiate our need for sweet.

https://www.bluebunny.com

Watermelon Margarita

Good fortune was smiling on me at Gringo's in College Station, Texas, when I found out that day was the last day of the year for ordering their specialty Watermelon Margarita, shown below.  I opted for the Tajin rim to spice it up a little, and the larger, chalice-sized goblet.  Things are truly bigger in Texas.

Gringo's has a free (I love free) vanilla and chocolate ice cream machine that's a hit with the grandkids.  They always seem to have some extra room in their tummies for ice cream.

https://www.gringostexmex.com

Nitrogen Pipeline

Another new encounter while walking around the Pebble Creek neighborhood in Texas is the "Nitrogen Filled Pipeline" sign, shown below.  I did a little digging (metaphorically speaking) and found that these pipelines exist to support Texas's oil, gas, and petrochemical industries.  Nitrogen is inert and non-reactive and is injected into oil reserves to push out additional oil, prevent explosions in pipelines and storage tanks, and test and dry pipelines.  A lot of interesting information on nitrogen can be found at the link below.

https://periodic-table.rsc.org/element/7/nitrogen

Bigger In Texas

While walking around in the Pebble Creek neighborhood in College Station, Texas, I noticed they have oversized drainage storm drains, which I measured at ten feet wide.  Texas utilizes oversized storm drains because it experiences heavy rainfall, the ground is generally flat, and the risk of flash flooding is high. The extra capacity is a safeguard against the powerful, fast-moving storms that are typical of the state’s climate.

https://pebblecreektx.com

Easterwood Airport

Easterwood Airport (CLL) is a regional airport in College Station, Texas, serving Texas A&M University and the surrounding area.  Unlike the 171 gates at Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) airport, which will expand to 202 in the next couple of years, CLL has just two gates and is owned by Texas A&M University System.  The airport is named after Lieutenant Colonel Jesse L. Easterwood, a U.S. Navy pilot and early aviator from Texas A&M University’s Class of 1909.  As you can see in the picture below, you can watch as the baggage handlers unload your bags on the carousel, which gives me a comforting feeling that my bag is not lost (or mishandled).  Although small, it's a very nice airport.

https://flyeasterwood.com

Butter And Pepper

The gnocchi pictured below came from a grocery store, which explains why its size and shape are so much more consistent than my homemade recipe.  I made a lot of different sauces for gnocchi, but the simple addition of a little butter and pepper is all it really needs.  Add a little medium-rare steak, a bi-colored ear of corn, and a glass of wine, and this quickly became a meal to remember.