Guilt

I may have mentioned that I'm a cable-cutter. I don't have cable TV, although I maintain a relationship with the cable company (in my case, Comcast, but it has been others in the past—Time Warner, f'rinstance) for high-speed Internet. It's my way, it seems. As a result of this cable-cutting, I don't watch much “normal” TV. I watch lots and lots of stuff via media streamers on the televisions, but not what would be called regular cable or commercial TV. I told you that so I could tell you this: I worked a twelve hour shift at the IHL yesterday. It's the Christmas Holiday, so the campus was closed, and essentially abandoned, and the weather was truly frightful. And, there's a cable-equipped TV in the security office. How the IHL can afford this crap when I can't at home is…….Oh, they have a seemingly unlimited budged fueled by the God-Fearing taxpayers of Washington state, or so it would seem. So I watched some Fox News last night du

.....Or, "Selling on eBay is for suckers". I joined eBay as a user on April 19th, 1997, and have a feedback score of 2179, giving me a Red Star. In the beginning, it was easy to use, and eBay acted more like a garage sale than anything else. Things have changed. Not all that long ago, I sold a used media streamer (not a ROKU, which is what I prefer).  The thing worked fine, but frankly, wasn't worth much to me because it didn't have the capability to receive feeds from my MLB.COM account. I got a fair price on eBay and sent it off to parts unknown.  I subsequently got a request for a refund due to it not working.  I refused and was then forced by eBay policy to issue a refund because of the allegation that  the device did not work as intended.  I complied, and paid for the return shipping, and paid eBay their fees.  When I got the device back in the mail, I tested it and yes, it worked fine.  I don't think I got scammed by the buyer, I just thing that the bu

From disqus.com: LGGBTQQIAAPPK stands for: Lesbian, Gay, Genderqueer, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual(and Agender), Ally, Pansexual, Polysexual, and Kink Oh. Well, that clears that up. A number of years ago, I was introduced to the acronym “POSSLQ”. It was an attempt to describe your roomie when you were too old to call her your “girlfriend”, but you had as yet not made an honest woman of her. It was also an attempt to describe a non-marital relationship when employers started offering benefits to your roomie, provided you and your roomie had the habit of sharing bodily fluids—it stood for “Person of the Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters” and was pronounced POSSLQ (just like it's spelled). Took a little getting used to, but it paid homage to the concept of opposite sexes. It covered the question of a relationship where someone does your laundry for you at no cost. I know I most likely shouldn't ask, but what is the opposite of “

I was a public servant for most of my working life. Law Enforcement was my line. Still is, as it turns out, even though I'm “retired”. I suffered a couple of financial setbacks, not the least of which was that the County of Sonoma, California, made the retirees retirement medical benefit so expensive that I had to drop out (or quit paying rent. It was actually a choice , you see, at least that was their take). Oh, that's enough of that specific cry-baby shit, I think. Now, thanks to the geniuses who enacted the Affordable Care Act, I still can't afford to buy medical insurance, so we pay out-of-pocket for our medical needs, and then pay a fine to the IRS when we file our taxes because we can't afford to pay the freight for “affordable” care. So I work. In the industry that I know. In the private sector. I work for a couple of private companies here in the Pacific Northwest as a security officer. Mostly armed and uniformed, but sometimes not.

Baseball is important to me. No, you really don't need to know why, and I really don't want to get into that. Just know that it is. I'm a Giants guy and have been since 1958. That year was important to the Giants, thus, it's important to me. And no, you don't really need to know why that is either. However, I lived near Cleveland, Ohio for quite a few years. I became fond of the Indians ball club, and their fans and radio announcer. Cleveland is a really good baseball town with some unbelievably dedicated and faithful fans. They've earned a winner. Honest. Then there's this: I didn't make a lot of friends while I was in Ohio. It's hard to make friends in NorthEast Ohio. I only made a few. One was Ron Hewitt. Ron was an Indians fan the same way I'm a Giants fan. It was in his DNA. Over the years Ron and I talked a lot of baseball. Cancer took Ron too early. I chatted with him for the last time a few days before he died.

The presidential polls seem pretty clear. This is going to be a rout. Plain and simple. This is going to be a disaster for the Republican party that might even dwarf the Goldwater defeat. And the Republican party didn't really recover from that disaster until Ronald Reagan emerged. What will become of the Republican party itself is unclear, but these facts seem clear: -The Democrats outnumber the Republicans -The Democrats have moved drastically to the left in the past 50 years, and have a more socialist bent than at any time in the past. -The Democrats seem insistent on consolidating power at the federal executive level and removing local control whenever possible (schools, roads, police departments, you-name-it). -The recent Democrat administrations have re-arranged priorities away from traditional American values. I'm reasonably certain that every time the current administration opens a new investigation into a local police department, the ultimate

I've always been a fan of Sam Elliott (or, more properly, Samuel Pack Elliott, born 8-9-44 in Sacramento, California).  He and I have something in common, you see--we each have a mustache.  Sam's is the standard, though, so I have decided to use it as the One And Only Mustache Standard on earth, against which all other mustaches must be measured.  Sam's mustache is equal to one EMEU (Elliott Mustache Equivalency Unit).  These two photos will serve as the examples of what a single EMEU looks like: My mustache is worth 4/10ths of an EMEU.  That's a point 4 EMEU, if you prefer. Other celebrities have dandy mustaches.  Great mustaches, even, but not the standard.  It gets worse.  My opinion on this matter is final.  When I declare that Tom Selleck's mustache is a point 8 EMEU, that rating stays.  Burt Reynolds also comes in at a point 8 EMEU. Point 8.  Not a drop more.  Good mustaches and certainly heroes, but point 8 and no more. Not ev

Having time on my hands and a working Android TV box connected to my home wifi, I caught up with Joe Versus The Volcano, a true classic from 1990. And I'm glad that I did. Here we have a dandy story. And by dandy, I mean spectacular. It starts out by the iteration of “Once Upon A Time”, and concludes with “And They Lived Happily Ever After”. Did I ever mention that when I lived in Southern California, I maintained a season pass to Disneyland and would sometimes go there just to have breakfast sitting by the Rivers of America? No? Well, I did. Spent a lot of time in Fantasyland too. You know…..Courageous Princes and beautiful Princesses and castles and evil beings and such. Yes, I'm a grown man, but I'm a top drawer sucker for a fairy tale, a romantic comedy, and a happy ending. I like Tom Hanks' vehicles. Pretty much all of them—from Bosom Buddies all the way through. I like his kid Colin's work too (for whatever that might be worth).

Look—If you made it here on your “Twin Peaks” Internet hunt, you probably did it on purpose. If, on the other hand, you were looking for a web-site on “Twinkies” or “Pekinese” then I figure you're just a crappy speller—feel free to leave now and continue your Internet frenzy. Those of you who actually came here for Twin Peaks elucidation need to become more aware of your inner selves. I figure that if you came here on purpose and of your own volition, you already know the story, such as it is, and I need not re-tell it. Oh, like I could anyhow. There is this…..If you insist on watching this thing, try to have some mushrooms and chemicals on hand to ease the pain. The creator of this stinker is David Lynch. He's originally from Missoula, Montana, and the winters are cold and long up there, leading some to suicide, and everyone else towards far too much introspection. FAR TOO MUCH!! And psycho-active drugs. When you add in the psycho-babble, imitation Inju

The Olympics lost it's glow for me sometime in the past, but I was wondering if there's anything at all worth going to Rio for (other than a wax)? Is it normal to have bevies of international athletes arrested for minor offenses then brought before courts who demand cash payments as an alternative to a trial? “C'Mon down to Rio—It'll be a blast”. Except for that institutional bribery thing, of course. On the other hand, there is the Brazilian Wax……….

Television Notes From the land of Eminent Rainfall—Castle Rock, Washington I don't normally much care for the movies from the 30's. No, I don't really know just why—Depressing from the Depression mebbe. Or maybe it was just the way things were filmed, written, directed….. The exception that proves the rule is Night World from 1932. Everybody has a secret, and everybody holds a grudge. Nasty business, what with gangsters, cheating women, and other Night World stuff. We got cigarette smoking galore, and we all know that where there's cigarette smoking, there's gonna be some gunplay.  That's the real reason that cigarettes are so deadly, and everybody knows it, The men wore suits and combed their hair, and the women were dressed to kill.  Or be killed. Way too much story here, especially considering that the movie only lasts 50-some minutes. Night World is just PACKED!! with intrigue. If Pulp Fiction has a genealogical predecessor, this is it. W

Television Notes from the land of Eternal Rainfall—Castle Rock, Washington Eternal Rainfall? Did I really say that? It's been a warm summer week here. Without rainfall. In these parts, if it doesn't rain for two consecutive days, people start talking drought. Even though there's a wide fast-moving river just a few feet from the front door. Drought. HAH!! It's Sunday, and you know what that means—That's right…..New stuff on Pub-D-Hub. One of today's new things was that 1943 barn-burner, “Jive Junction”. I KNEW you were waiting for Jive Junction. I just knew it. Wait no more. This fast moving jitterbugging musical will only take an hour out of your life. It's got no stars, and precious little story to get in the way of the plot—It's a musical about putting on a show. Look—this was war-time and people needed to get away from it all. And they didn't have the Internet yet. Or cell phones. Not even Velcro. And they al

Nope, the Olympics haven't really held my attention much since the fall of the Soviet Empire. It used to be the Good Guys (Us) versus the Bad Guys (Them), and it felt like it meant something. Titanic struggles on the wrestling mat and on the track. And all that. The current crop of Bad Guys don't really have a country and don't actually field much of an Ice Hockey team anyhow. So, my interest has waned. But I did take a look to see what events are now considered “Olympic”. Here's a partial list: -5 events in Badminton -2 events in Beach Volleyball -A total of 16 (!) events in Canoe -2 events in Golf -2 events in Rhythmic Gymnastics -2 events in Rugby -2 events in Soccer -4 events in Table Tennis -2 events in Trampoline I figure that Croquet and Rubik's Cube can't really be very far behind. In all fairness, they are also having some track and field events, and some shooting competitions too, but…….Really now, Olympi

Aquarius - January 20 to February 18   You have an inventive mind and are inclined to be progressive. You lie a great deal. You make the same mistakes repeatedly because you are stupid. Everyone thinks you're a jerk.   Pisces - February 19 to March 20   You have a vivid imagination and often think you are being followed by the FBI or the CIA. You have minor influence on your friends and people resent you for flaunting your power. You lack confidence and are a general dipshit.   Aries - March 21 to April 19   You are the pioneer type and think most people are dickheads. You are quick tempered, impatient, and scornful of advice. You are a prick.   Taurus - April 20 to May 20   You are practical and persistent. You have dogged determination and work like hell. Most people think you are stubborn and bullheaded. You are nothing but a goddamn Communist.   Gemini - May 21 to June 20   You are a quick and intelligent thinker. People like you because you are bisexual. You are incli

I watch movies on my television—the TV itself is a 48 inch wide screen HD with a built-in ROKU. How could it get better you ask? Easy. Cable internet and solid streaming, that's how!! I use the stuff that I got from the ever-pleasant guy from Comcast (Or Xfinity, if you prefer)--their router too. I know, I know…..It's not nearly geeky enough and I pay a monthly rental fee. Yeah, I know. I've had my own gear in the past and set it up myself and all that, but this way if something untoward happens, I just call the cable guy, he comes to the house and fixes it, then he drives away. At no charge. I also know that it all sounds a little “sexist”, what with my calling him a cable GUY and all, but the sad fact is, I've never in my life had a cable BABE show up. Ever. Last evening, I was perusing the offerings on Netflix and found that mid-1980's smash hit, The Wraith . Found it, watched it, enjoyed the experience, and so it begins— Television Notes from

It's summer time here in Castle Rock. SCORCHING!! 80 degrees, cool breeze off the river, mottled sunshine. Like I said, SCORCHING!! I live on a bit of a hill, and the grass in the yard is, as a direct result, hilly. My mower is the sort that has to be pushed or pulled. I cut the grass. Pushing and pulling. I tired myself out, what with all the pushing and pulling in the scorching heat. So I poked around the offerings from Amazon Prime, and found, much to my delight, that 1996 Thriller, Unforgettable. While watching the movie on television, I recuperated from my foray into the scorching heat of Castle Rock. You already know what this means, and I apologize in advance….. Television Notes from the land of Perpetual Rainfall—Castle Rock, Washington This is one dandy period piece of a thriller noir sorta thing. Way too much story that really gets in the way of the plot here. In brief, we got a good guy medical examiner who was tried and acquitted regarding the murder of his wife. H

I cut the cable quite a while ago.  Not that I gave up on the cable company itself--I have Xfinity now, but I've had others in the past.  Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, beats cable WiFi.  And I don't much want to hear your mealy-mouth about the alternatives either.. I've got a ROKU box attached to every TV in the house that's not a ROKU TV.  I've had them for a long time and have upgraded on occasion.  I now have two ROKU 3's in the mix, and they occasionally have trouble connecting to my network, even though they have found the network and listed it. Every time that happened, I did the dance that we all do, given the circumstances:  Re-boot the ROKU.  Let it cool off.  Curse.  Put the WiFi password in again. Try connecting to the only open network in the neighborhood. Remove and replace the memory card. Curse again. Try a different HDMI cable.  Re-boot the router.  Wait until tomorrow or watch a different TV. Today, I decided to try to actually fix it, and