Should auld acquaintance be forgot, 2016 version

If you’re in the great Pacific NorthWET (especially since it’s raining right now), 2016 has about 6 hours left (as of when this post is being written). It’s been a strange trip this past year, but aren’t all the years strange trips of late?

In no particular order or signifincance (these are just popping in my head as I write them)…

• Mom went to the Great Beyond. This was probably the most significant event this year, and I’m still adjusting.
• I only bought 2 pairs of shoes this year.
• Rialto Jewelers at the Southcenter Mall in Tukwila are really good at resizing watches (yes, I was\still am friends with them previously, but still they know their stuff.
• In all my years as a diabetic, my blood sugar has gotten low on a couple of occaision. Usually, I have some sugar nearby, and it’s taken care of right away. There have been a couple of occaisons where I’ve almost become incoherent. Then there was the time on Christmas eve where I passed out…
• I finally named a beneficiary to the my life insurance policy that I have through work: my brother. I also added an accidental death policy. Along with the admonition to make it look like an accident…
• My TV died, so I got a replacement. And 1 week later, promptly got another replacement (let’s just say that it’s hard to go from a 55” to a 32” set…)
• I got another printer. Parents couldn’t figure out how to put ink in Mom’s printer, so she bought another one, and gave me her printer. Less than an hour later, I had ink ordered. And I spent more on ink than she did on the original printer (and this is a wi-fi capable multi-function printer).
• The power went out. Twice. Not bad.
• Bought a bunch of useless crap, mainly from Amazon.
• I still have the same phone.
• And the same computer, though the video card gave up the ghost.

I’m not setting any resolutions this year. That’s just setting oneself up for failure. If I see an opportunity to improve, I’ll take it. You don’t need a special holiday to turn over a new leaf…

So now, 2016 now has 5 1/2 hours left. I’m home for the night, the shoes are off, and I wish you a Happy New Year. And if you drink, don’t drive…

An end to the vacation

My vacatio ends today. Tomorrow, I return to work. Basically, all I did during my vacation was absolutely nothing. Sure, I did my Christmas shopping on Friday, and celebrated Christmas Saturday and Sunday (as I previously posted about). But the rest of the week, I did nothing. Just vegged out and ate Christmas leftovers. I watched college football. I was going out to visit some friends, but I decided that this week will be recovery time.

Btw, I did work on my computer. Started wiping the drive Friday, and I finished reinstalling everything this morning.

Holiday wishes were sent (and recieved). But the time has come to think about going back to work….

Merry Christmas, blah, blah, blah….

Another Christmas is upon us, and has almost passed. Again, there were two family reunions for me to go to. The first one, I missed for all intents and purposes. I was in my Grandma’s living room, having just watched the Seahawks game. It was probably about 5 o’clock or so. The next thing I remember is like a dream. I was dreaming that my father and my brother were trying to get me to check my blood sugar. What had really happened was that I had a hypoglycemic episode and had passed out on the couch, and they were trying to bring me aroud. The m&m’s my father provided were what brought me around. So, I made it to the first Bryant Family reunion, and after my second cup of apple juice, I was coherent enough to chech my blood sugar, which was still low. I think what happened was the change in venue. Grandma’s house is too small for the family reunion, so they rented a Grange Hall. And that was where all the food was. Basically, I was a combination of too high of an insulin dose at breakfast, too long without eating, and not having a source of candy nearby. Lesson learned: I will always have candy within arms’ reach.

But I made it to the Grange Hall. And I felt fine after the third glass of apple juice. I missed the church service and dinner, but made it for the gift exchange. We drew lots this year, and I was the very last lot. This being done in white elephant style, you could either choose a present, or you could steal another relative’s present, and make them choose another. Since I had the very last lot, I could either steal any other cousin’s gift, or open the last one under the tree. Upon consultation with my brother (who is the cook in the apartment), I stole the crockpot that another cousin got. And having been on the recieving end of one too many ‘gag’ presents in years past, I decided this year to give one: a USB pet rock. I also threw in a gift card to a national retail chain, too.

So, fast forward to today. This was the family Christmas celebration. I made sure that I wasn’t going to pass out at this one. There was food. Lots of it. And it was good. And I brough leftovers home. When it came to the gift exchange, some nephews/nieces got gift cards to Target, some to Worst Buy. And my brother, I got him a talking plush Dalek. And the DVD set of I, Claudius (we had both taken the same humanities class in high school, where Mr. Tarry had shown it). I gave Grandma a couple of gift cards, one to Subway and one to Jack in the Box. My Father got a gift card to The Home Depot. And also there’s the present I gave to the owners of the Mrs. Fields I used to work at: I’m taking February 13th and 14th off to work at Mrs. Fields so they can go enjoy Valentine’s Day as a couple.

Some of the stull I got today:

• Know what, I’m not going to list it this year. It is better to give than to recieve….

Merry, Christmas, Happy Hannukuh, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Festivus, Happy Solstice, Hapy New Year, or Happy Whatever Day You Choose to Celebrate…

On a little road trip.

It's Christmas Eve. Which means I'm on the bus, headed out to Grandma's. This year, I have a full week off (I'm actually on day 2). And I'm heading up way too early, so I can service a laptop and hopefully get that up and running as a favor to my father.

So Merry Christmas, Happy Hanakkuh, Happy Festivus, or Happy Solstice. Or failing that, the 'Hawks are playing at the CLink this afternoon, and reminding everyone why you shouldn't wear a mitre on the football field...

Gosh darn it!

Went to turn on the computer this morning and my usb 3.0 hub had gone on to The Beer Volcano and Stripper Factory last night. No Problem. I just went to Spamazon, and ordered a new one. Yes, there were cheaper ones available, but I’ve also found that on Amazon, you generally get what you pay for, and if you get cheap merchandise now, you’ll end up replacing it. Soon. And to be honest, I’ve never had an issue with the Amazon house brand. And I’ve never really had an issue with house brands in general. The Home Depot has Husky, Worst Buy has Insignia, and Spamazon has Amazon Basics. All really good. And not expensive….

Blown out yesterday….

The Seahawks were blown out yesterday. 38-10. But they’re still atop the NFC West. And in fact they’re the only team with a winning record right now. But the Sounders FC won it all Saturday night (on the road even), so I don’t mind this loss that much…

Anyway, my weekend has come to an end, and so I must retire for the night.

They won it all last night

The Sounders FC won the MLS Cup last night. In every year that they've played in the MLS, they've at least gotten into the post-season. They've won The Supporters' Shield (which in European Leagues is how the Champion is determined) in the past and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on numerous occasions. It's time they won it all...

All this for a spell-checker…

Wiped the tower this past weekend (which is why there no posts Sunday or Monday). I had overcome all my previous issues with Windows 8.1, and in fact I was looking forward to using as my daily driver. Got all my drivers installed. Then it came time to do the in place upgrade to Windows 8.1 Pro. No go. So, I go to Windows Update, and it would download or install updates. After al whole day of this, I wipe the tower again and start over. This time I can upgrade to Pro, and then I start updating. And eventually I end up with it not being able to update. Again. So, Monday night, I said screw this, and I pulled out my Windows 10 thumb drive. I didn’t even have to enter my Windows 8.1 pro key to upgrade this time (the secret, I’ve found out, is to let all the marketplace apps, including the store app to update themselves, then it’ll upgrade you to Pro).

I guess Windows 10 is what I’m meant to run now. Not that it’s a bad system. In fact, it’s a really good system. Oh well. At least I still have a computer….

Made an exception to the rule today…

Normally, I call out for weather only when it’s cold. Like in the teens or lower. I tried to make arrangements previously to come in an hour later, and avoid most of the walking, but it was still recorded as a tardy occurrence, so I’m either on time, or not at all. Anyway, I said I had made an occurrence to my rule last night. I saw that the forecast was in the lower 20s last night. So I went ahead and called out. I had been saving my last eight hours of sick time for instances like this, and I felt that this was the time to use it.

Yes, there is a difference between getting up at 8 in the morning vs. getting up at 1:30…

The only drawback is that the next cold snap I’m going to have to tough it out and walk it in…

It happened a couple of weeks ago.

I went to the Sprint store with my brother 2 weeks ago to upgrade his phone, since I’m leasing his iPhone. And it turns out that they were out of his preferred phone. While I was there, I addressed a matter. It was time I address some very poor judgement that I used 2 years ago. I had never used the tablet. Sure every once in a while, I took it out and used the LTE internet. But I was always so concerned about going over the limit that I kept it home. And on the home Wi-Fi. So, I was paying $20+ a month for something that I didn’t use. I’m a man of integrity, so I kept my end of the contract. And this last summer, I paid the contract off. And while we were are the Sprint store, I cancelled the service. I told the clerk that I never used it. And that was the end of it….

It is possible to pay off a cell phone contract and cancel service without drama…

Finished one wipe, now on to another

Yesterday, among other things, I finished reinstalling all the software from the last time I wiped my tower. Everytime I think I want to try another version of Windows, or even the latest and greatest Windows 10, I always end up back with my previous version. I guess I still like the start menu that I can arrange and sort the folders. I know there will come a time when I’ll have to go to Windows 10 and stick with it (which is why I still keep the flash drive with the installer on it updated). But it could be worse. I could go with Windows 8.1…

Anyway, I was on the phone with my Dad, who got Mom’s laptop when she passed away. And the time has come to wipe it. A lot of her memories are on it, I’m sure. But, I’ll make sure to back everything up before I wipe it. The laptop has potential. But mother was not the most computer literate, and there were serious spyware issues. With all of her machines. When she gave me her previous laptop, the first thing I had to do was wipe it. Anyway, the 32gB usb Flash Drive for it has been ordered from Spamazon.

They lost yesterday…

The Seahawks lost yesterday. Bet they’re still atop the NFC West. We can’t win them all. But there is always next week. And unlike the Browns or the 49er’s, they haven’t already been mathmatically eliminated from the playoffs already…

The Sounders FC are now in the MLS cup. This is the first time that they’re in the finals. They have always made it to the post-season in every season. Next week, they’ll play either the Montreal Impact or Toronto FC. If Montreal wins, then they’ll be playing for it all in the CLink. If Toronto wins, they’ll be playing in Toronto. I’m rooting for Montreal.

Polished off the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers yesterday. Since we had a pork tenderloin (btw, my brother is a really good cook), there was no loftover turkey in the house. I had to go buy some turkey from the Deli counter for my sandwich. And it was good.

Payday was Friday. Today and yesterday were my days off. I did my laundry yesterday and finished reinstallling my software after my latest tower wipe yesterday. So I have today off, I got up early, and all my errands were run yesterday. So I was about to go out and about today (off to Wally World, mainly to get ideas about elf-work). As I’m about to leave, I get this nagging feeling to pay bills. So I sit down, log into BECU, and review my account balance. After budgeting for my ORCA card reload, I paid the electric and the cable bill. And I’m broke again (credit cards were paid last Friday).

So that’s my weekend. Tomorrow, it’s off to work. For another 5 days…

The original Thansgiving…

Addams Family Values was one of the funnier movies around...

Happy Stuff Bread Up A Turkey’s Ass Day!

Also know as Thanksgiving. I have many things to be greteful for. Family, friends, job, the roof over my head. The list goes on an on. I think last year, I posted most of the aforementioned items. But whether or not you’re eating Turkey, Ham, or Soylent Green (Or feasting upon the Lambs. And Sloths. ANd Carps. And Anchovies. And Orang-utans. And Breakfast Cereals. And Fruit Bats. And Large Chunks….), go ahead and have a happy Thanksgiving. There is nothing wrong with having Chinese Takeout or pizza for Thanksgiving either.

Although if you’re still looking for the largest turkey in the store, then go to the poutlry counter, and ask the clerk for Colin Kaepernick. Though Tom Brady is bigger, but by the time you get it home, it will have deflated to smaller than a cornish game hen….

Where do I start?

The Seahawks won today. The Philadelphia Eagles brought a rookie quarterback to the CLink. The conclusion was forgone when the schedule was announced…

After getting his Well-Deserved Beating at the hands of the Seahawks last week, Tom Brady took it out on KaeperPICK. In San Francisco.

Did laundry today. I forgot to remove the change from my work jeans before I put them in. Change was very clean, but it made for a very noisy dryer..

Yesterday, I went to MacDonalds. Placed and paid for my order. And waited. And waited. And waited. Ended up leaving without my food. Had a nice little chat with the manager later, and he told me to come back so they could make good on it. If I leave a restaurant without getting my food after I have paid for it, I make it a point never to come back. I can forgive wasting my money, but wasting my time is inexcusable. Especially in a ‘fast’ food environment.

Got live Christmas trees in at work last week, and I was part of the team who stocked them. My roommate and I won’t be setting one up….

Only have a one-day ‘weekend’ today. Since I’m getting Thanksgiving off, and that’s usually a work day for me, I have to work tomorrow. But that means I get my 40 hours this week, plus 8 hours of holiday pay. One of the reasons why I like my job. True, there are issues at work, but for the most part, I hold my peace, and the situations work themselves out….

On a business trip….

The Seahawks just gave Tom Brady a well-deserved beating. On the road. Tonight, we interecetped Tom Brady, and sacked him twice. And for once, the officials didn’t mess up the calls….

Happiness is....

Happiness is a 20 minute phone call with Grandma. I highly recommend it. Just what I needed, especially after this season a partisan rancor. But more on that later...

Next Stop, Colorado….

The Sounders FC just knocked out FC Dallas. Next up are the Colorado Rapids. To be honest, the last time I saw the Sounders and the Rapids play, it was the game where Steve Zakuani had his leg broken. Let’s hope this game comes out better….

Time for the ful 90 again…

So, it’s round 2 of the conference semi-finals. The Sounders FC won the first round at the CLink, defeating FC Dallas 3-0. Since the scoring is aggregate in this round, Dallas needs to beat up by at least 3 points. Possibly more…

Football, football, and more football

Day 2 of three days ina row off. And I’ve spent most, if not all of it watching football. First, there were both the U Dub and Moo U massacring their opponents. Then today, I had the TV on CBS all day, watching the double header. And tomorrow, it’s the Seahawks in the CLink verses Buffalo. I’d watch the Raiders game on Sunday Night Football, but I’m going to switch to the other football: it’s round two of the Sounders FC match with Dallas. But hey, soccer is called football in Europe, so it’s still football….

3 day weekend….

Due to a quirk in my schedule this week, I have a 3-day weekend. 3 days off in a rown. Without having to take a sick day. And I’m so lazy that I had Spamazon deliver my Diet Coke.

• The cubs won the workd series the past week. The first time in 108 years. I saw most of game 7, but I had to go to bed at the end of the 8th inning.
• A schedule change back in the first part of October now has me walking 4.5 mile to my bus stop every morning. Surprisingly, my left foot (the one with the plantar facsitis) is holding up better now that with my pprevious schedule (where I was walking the 4.5 miles only two days a week). It could be the gel insoles. Or just the shoes (though since I’m wearing the Wally World house brand, so I have to be careful as they wear out).
• I got somebody hired at Mrs. Fields. They need someone, but I’m no longer have that kind of availability (something about being full-time already at my current job).

I have a three day weekend. Main agenda: binge-watching football. Right now, I’m watching Moo U beat up on Arizona. Later on, it’ll be U Dub vs. California. And I’m sure there’ll be other games to watch on the Vizio 55” today.

Today is a good day. Never mind the rain. That’s par for the course on my day off…

It is finished…

My ballot is filled out and will soon by on it’s way to the dropbox. And I voted for Hilary. Both Clinton and Trump have their flaws. While nobody is perfect, Donald Trump has neither the qualifications nor the temperment to be President. A Trump White house just plain scares me. He has openly called for the exclusion of refugees just because of their religious beliefs. He has openly glorified sexual assault. I don’t care if those comments were made over 10 years ago, and he has refuted them as locker-room talk. Most sports teams (especially in high school/college) also have emphasis on character, and this kind of talk wouldn’t be tolerated. Grabbing a woman by her (slang word for femal anatomy) is sexual assault, plain and simple. And then there has been the fat-shaming on Twitter. Respect for women (and all people, for that matter) is a very good thing. And then there’s been the multiple instances of adultery (of his three wives, he’s cheated on at least two). Yes, there was Monica Lewinsky. And Paula Jones (possibly). But they’re still married. To each other. Some have claimed that he is qualified to be president based on his success as a businessman. But he’s not that good of a businessman. Too many bankruptcies. Too many investors and employess shortchanged. As a worker who has had paychecks bounce, that really matters to me. In my first presidential election, I voted third party. But this election, the stakes were too high. If it were up to me I would’ve voted for Bernie Sanders. But even he has endorsed Hilary. Mike Pence was a viable alternative, but the risk of voting for Donald Trump is too great.

Irregardless of the outcome of November 8th, America is the only nation where the government and swing from one extreme to another every four years peacefully. Actually, as of the next inaguration, both parties will have had equal time in the White House since Dwight D. Eisenhower.

When I was growing up, and throughout high school, I found my political views to be skewed to the right. Then I start moving to the left. Now, I find my views to be skewed to the left. But I don’t vote along party lines. Trust me. If Trump wasn’t running, I would’ve most likely voted Republican.

But there is something that has got to stop. The polarization. This is America, people. And we need to work together. Just because somebody doesn’t have the exact same views as you doesn’t mean that they’re pure evil incarnate. It is possible to be morally conservative and socailly liberal at the same time….

Yes, I’ve voted. I’ve done my duty. If you don’t agree with my views, then you’re free to vote according to your conscience as well.

So, it was a tie last night….

The game last night was a tie. Ties don’t happen that often in the NFL, but they’re possible. Before you go criticizing the Seahawks for the non-existent offense last night, just remember that the defense was on the field for over 40 minutes last night and didn’t yield a touchdown…

Note to the kickers: try to put the ball between the uprights, not to hit the uprights themselves….

Final debate was last night.

And I didn’t watch it. I know who I’m voting for this year, and I don’t need to to watch the soundbites, smear campaigns, and out and out lies that pass for this year’s election. I’m not revealing who I’m voting for yet. Until I cast my ballot, I will be non-partisan.

Though I will say that respect for women is a very good thing.

Well, this was strange….

For the past year or so, my ‘weekend’ has been Sunday and Monday. This week, I had some items on the agenda that could only be done during the week, so I requested yesterday, and today off. And I got them. As a result of other circumstances, I couldn’t do what I was planning to do today (combination poor weather, lousy traffic, and a lack of fiber…).

But I still did my laundry, backed up most of my files (with the exception of my Steam Games, and that’s running right now). I think the lesson I’ve learned of late is that if I really want to take a day off, I’ll request it. It has happened before where I assumed that I was getting a day off, and then lo and behold I get scheduled for it.

In a related to my schedule story, my vacation request has been approved, and I will be able to make it to the Big Bryant Family Reunion. I’m also take a couple of days off after Christmas to recover from the Holidays (between the merry-making, well-wishing, and all-in-all having a good time, one should also plan for sleep….)

So much happened this week

So let’s get started.

• Hockey season started. In the summer, my TV was usually tuned to either the Science Channel or Root Sports, so I could catch the Mariners game. Now it going to be between, the Science Channel, ESPN (for the Monday Night Football game), or the NBC Sports Network (for whatever hockey game is on).
• I don’t know if you’re aware of it, but the Great Pacific NorthWET was visited by the remnants of Typhoon Songda. It was windy. And rainy. But power was out here for only and hour or so. It was more of a pain in the ass commuting to work, as my commute involves a walk of 4 1/2 miles in the morning, and while I have no problem walking in the wind or the rain, but when they’re combined together, that becomes a pain. However, my ever-tolerant employer allowed me to come in an hour later on Friday, and so avoid the worst of the weather….
• Last Sunday I was off from one employer, but I didn’t watch one game of football. Something about having to work Mrs. Fields…
• The Cubs are in the NLCS. They play tonight. I think I may skip the Sunday Night game tonight to watch that game tonight.

A weekend cut short…

Normally, my weekend is Sunday and Monday. But I did my good deed for the week on Sunday, and worked at Mrs. Fields, so the owner good go celebrate a birthday. So, today was Recovery Day, Laundry Day, and get ready for work tomorrow day….

My latest stragedy in addressin my chronic foot pain is shoe rotation. Basically I don’t wear the same pair of shoes on consecutive days. It does take some planning, to make sure that on the days that I’m walking the longest I’m not wearing the shoes with the greatest wear. Hopefully, this will also help ‘stretch out’ the usable lives of my shoes.

I switched my backpacks last week. I week before I was fired from Mrs. Fields almost 4 years ago, my boss’s wife gave my a backpack for Christmas. I knew I was getting it, as she told me that she had to borrow my laptop to make sure that it fit. And I used it. It had the right pockets. I didn’t use the laptop pocket that much, but the other ones were used. and then last year, I got another one on Spamazon. It has all the compartments (even the padded laptop pocket). In fact, it has even more pockets. But what caused me to finally switch over to it was the two mesh ones. It’s fall, and I need to keep my umbrella handy. And, due to my schedule at work, I’m going to be leaving for work even earlier that the butt-crack of dawn. So, my thermos of coffee needs one, too…

Anyway, off to work tomorrow. And then my regular work week. And then another cut short weekend. Next week, I’ve asked for some time off in the middle of the week, and my employer granted it. But that means the time needs to made up….

Watching the debate

The debate was last night.  I recorded it. And now I'm watching it. This is a circus. The debate should be promoted by Don King. We need the weigh-in, the hype, and possibly Mills Lane.

Donald Trump is doing cocaine. That's how can I only explain the sniffles....

Why not just give them a pair of boxing gloves, abd let them go at it?

Know what? I think I've decided who I'm voting for. But I'm keeping my choice in pectore until I've cast my ballot.

I think I'm going to just watch football instead...

It’s over.

The Mariners wild card hopes ended last night in the 10th inning, losing to the A’s. But there is still a high note. They end the season with a winning record. But there is still a hope for next season…

A tough decision tonight….

So, there is a debate tonight. And there’s a Monday Night Football game tonight. Actually it isn’t a really tough decision. The Donald vs. Hilary or New Orleans vs. Atlanta. I’ve made my choice. Tonight, I will be watching Matt Ryan vs. Drew Brees. As for the other debate, I think I’ll write in Bob in Appliances this year for President….

Thinking the unthinkable….

I went back to Windows 10 today. I figured why not? While I like Windows 7, Win10 is the most current. Eventually Win7 will go the way of Windows XP, and no longer be supported. Besides in a previous install, I paid for the Wolfram Alpha app, and I’m going to use it. Compatibility be damned. That’s why I have a WinXP vm, which still works.

Not only am I running Win10 again, but there is a very real possibility that I may give up Thunderbird. Windows 10 mail already supports my Google contacts and calendar. Out of the box. With Thunderbird, I have to install 2 extensions, and they have to be updated whenever Thunderbird is updated. And then there’s Cortana. With it, I can text over my phone from my computer. And missed calls and incoming texts are shown via desktop notifications. Sometimes it can be a nuisance, but it’s also a PITA to go get my phone from across my room.

Actually the real reason is I want to try dual-booting with Linux. It may be a little bit more complex than my previous attempts, but it’s something I want to try….

Spending too much of my money….

Let’s see, last week, I was on Spamazon. And I noticed that they had a DVD set of Cosmos (1980) and a Blu-Ray set of Cosmos (2014). And so I ordered both. And then I went to Worst Buy. And I ordered The Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Willy Wonka (Gene Wilder, RIP). And recently I’ve also acquired The Last Starfighter.

I don’t know why I got them. I’m more likely to watch Spaceballs instead….

RIP Arnold Palmer….

You were one of the greats in golf. Tonight, I will raise a glass of half unsweetened iced tea and half lemonade in your memory.

The end of Summer

As I retire for the night, I acknowledge the chill in the air that has fallen of late. It's still warm enough during the day that my window still stays open. But I just took down my window fan. And the AC hasn't been used for the past couple of weeks. Soon, the coat will come out of the closet. But not yet.

All this means is that it's Pumpkin Spice latter season, though not from Starbucks...

A new pair of feet….

The pain in my foot has been getting worse of late. Some of it is attributed to plantar fasciitis. But a lot if it is related to the condition of my shoes. Yes, I’m hard on my feet. Some days start with 4.5-7+miles of walking to the bus stop & work, followed by 8 hours on a bare concrete floor. My strategy for the past year has been to use the really expensive pair of shoes (actually two pairs & rotate them). I got them in September of last year. February of this year, they started to wear out. One pair I hade to replace, and the other pair I bought a set of gel insoles for. And I was able to endure them until recently.

But today, I was at Wally World. I decided to go with a different strategy. I went back to getting Brahma (the Wally World house brand) work boots. Plus I got some gel inserts. My reasoning is if the gell inserts held off replacing my wolverines for 6 months when I had to replace my Columbia’s, then I should be able to get more than 3 months out of my Brahma’s (and save a considerable amount of cash, too)…

Sunday

Football season started Thurday of last week. Cam Newton got his bell rung. Seriously. I saw the game, and there several times when he should’ve been pulled from the game for his own safety. The NFLPA and the NFL are reviewing the incedent. As much as I like to make fun of certain quartberbacks, nobody wants to see people get hurt. Except for Tom Brady getting an Atomic Wedgie….

But today, the Seahawks are playing the Miami Dolphins. At the CLink. Something tells me the Dolphins are in trouble….

15 Years Ago….

15 years ago, I woke up early to get ready for work, flipped on the tv right after the first plane hit. I was watching the news when the second plane hit. The towers collapsed while I was on the bus to work.

Basically, it boils down to freedom. We were attacked for being a free country. For standing for free ideals. But that has made us a target. Because quite frankly, a good chunk of the world hates us, just for being Americans. Because we welcome others. Because we can worship whatever god or gods that we choose. Because you can be a washed-up, has-been quarterback and still make a statement by taking a knee during the national anthem. Because we can say the President has Quaker Oats for brains and get in more trouble for maligning Quaker Oats. Because we can go out, work hard, and achieve our dreams. Because we want the rest of the world to be free (though I’m not going to comment on the invasion of Iraq or the conflict in Afghanistan).

Some would say that Religion was the main motivation for these attacks. It wasn’t. Most of Al-Qaeda’s (a supposedly Muslim terrorist group) victims were Muslims themselves. Just like ISIS of today. I’m not a Muslim, so I can not say whether or not they are really Muslims, but from the Muslim friends that I do know, they don’t act like Muslims. There are some here who catagorize all Muslims as terrorists (but Timothy McVeigh wasn’t).

But I digress. 15 years ago, we were attacked because of our freedom. We’re still here. We’ve been attacked since then, and we’re still here. And we’re going to be attacked again. And we’ll still be here. There are those amongst the lawmakers who kepp trying to erode our freedom in the name of security, but if you turn america into a neo-fascist surveillance state, then the terrorists will have ultimately won. And they’ll still attack us anyway. Those who would give up their liberty for security will recieve neither.

Let us not forget those we lost that day. These 2,990+ martyrs of freedom. They paid the ultimate sacrifice for us to be free (as have many, many other people). Freedom isn’t free. So I will remember those who died that day. By being free.

Live free or die.

The end of a yet another weekend….

Ok, got my laundry done. And I can now do it without worrying about my supply of quarters. I learned that Little Ceasar’s is better than Dominos. Today is the 5th. I paid the rent. I think it’s time to retire for the night and go back to work tomorrow…

And Saturday at work, I found out one of my co-workers knows my dad, and had known him for quite a while. A comment was made about me not seeing him, so I made it a point to invite him to lunch. He declined, but that will be on my agenda. To hang out with Dad. And Saturday, I have to go out to Mrs. Fields and troubleshoot somebody’s house Wi-Fi….

For the first time since I moved out of Puyallup…

One of the things I missed about living in Puyallup was the washer and dryer in the apartment. I could come home and do my laundry basically as I pleased. But there were other issues, and it was time to move on. So I moved to Parkland. My apartment didn’t have a washer and dryer, but apartment complex’s laundry rooms had enough machines for the complex, and they were fast. So, every payday since I’ve set aside enough quarter and got my laundry done in 90 minutes.

Then this June and Mom went to her destiny. I’ve said before that I got her portable air conditioner. But also due to her mobility issues she also had a portable washer and dryer so she wouldn’t have to walk to the laundry rooms. But what happened was that my sister and myself ended up doing her laundry. Eventually my sister just took her clothes to her house and washed them in her washing machine. And when Mom passed on, the washer and dryer ended up in my apartment. And finally this week, my brother bought the $7.00 fitting to adapt the washer hose to the kitchen faucet.

So, today, I’m washing my clothes in the apartment. For the first time since I moved out of Puyallup….

How not to handle a pizza order….

So, I wanted pizza today. Normally I’d go to Little Ceasar’s, and grab a hot and ready pizza and some wings. Never had a problem with them. Well there was that one time when they were out, but I digress. Long story short they’re my usually go-to when I want pizza and wings. Today, I wanted pizza, but I didn’t want Little Ceasar’s. I wanted Dominos. I could’ve gone to the website and placed a delivery order, but I didn’t have a menu handy, so walked to the nearest Domino’s. It was a little over a mile from my apartment, but the distance is nothing considering the walk I had to take to the 512 park & ride yesterday to go to work….

So, I’m there, and I place my order. Over $50. Ok, so I want leftovers. Pizza is best when it’s cold. Paid with my credit card. And then waited. And waited. While I was waiting, I saw a pizza box on its side. I didn’t think anything of it, so I took my pizzas and walked home.

As you can see, my pizza was in the box. And it now had a straight edge from it. And my boneless chicken was supposed to have a hot sauce (which the cashier explained to me was included), and an extra ranch sauce which I was charged for. Guess who recieved neither.

So, Dominos mishandled my pizza, and never gave me the sauces that I ordered. Of cource, I get tee’d off, so I lodge a complaint at the website. And their reply was basically this store is a franchise, so it’s not their circus, not their monkey, and not their problem. Company owned or franchisee, it’s one brand. And it’s a brand I will never go to again.

I could’ve gotten the same order at Little Ceasar’s for half of what I paid at Dominos. And it would’ve been ready right there on the spot. This was a mistake on my part. A mistake I will not make again.

So, if you’re a Dominos and you get a carry out order, don’t set the pizza on its side. Especially where the customer can see it. And make sure the customer get the entire order. Because it is far easier for me to never shop at your business again than it is to come back. Especially when you’re as for out of the way as the Dominos is…

So, it's Friday....

Is Friday tonight. Happy Friday. Happy Labor Day weekend. Or even Happy Birthday....

On the way home....

I'm on my way home from work. And a passenger behind us tossed his lunch. Or his beer. Whatever it was, it left his stomach, and cleared at least three rows.

Needless to say, the bus was emptied, the paramedics got called, abd I'm waiting for the next bus...

On Colin Kaepernick….

As you may know, Colin Kaepernick refused to stand during the singing of the National Anthem at a recent pre-season game in protest of racial discrimination. I don’t neccasarily agree with his position, nor do I think he’s even that good of a quarterback. But he has a right to protest his issue. And whether or not I agree with his postion, I do agree with his right to protest. In fact, this is a right that we all have. And I will not fault him for excersizing his rights. Sometimes, it’s only a symbolic stand, but you still have to stand…

Or in this case, sit…

It's over....

After temperatures reaching the 90s on both Thursday and Friday last week, yesterday was a relief. It only got into the 70s. According to all of the long-range forecasts that I've seen, we may hit 80s on a couple of days, but the heat of the summer is now over. The AC is turned off, and I only have my window fan going in my room.

Welcome fall, my friend. You have been missed.

Did I mention that I don't like the heat?

What a shock!

A couple of days ago, the AC was on in the living room full blast, and the apartment could barely keep cool. And my window can was on all night.

Tonight, I just turned off the window fan in my room, and the AC was turned off this afternoon.

What a difference a couple of days make. Though, I'm going get a rude shock when the electric bill arrives...

An experiment tonight….

So I after finishing my system rebuild last week, I did a full back up today. And after the backup, I turned off my backup drive (to save my data from any of my misadventures on the Internet). So, after all the maintenance, I decided to give Linux another try. I got this computer in November of 2014, and I’ve never run Linux on it. First order of business was to resize my hard drive, which was fairly easy to do. I didn’t even have to reboot my computer (apparently since Win7 the ability to expand/shrink your windows partition has been a part of disk management). Then I downloaded OpenSuSE. But before I burned it to DVD/usb flash drive, I decided to try a live distribution to make sure my system would work under Linux. So I downloaded Knoppix, and burned it to DVD. I was able to boot off the DVD, but that was about it. GUI wouldn’t load. So I booted back into Windows, resized my partition, and learned my lesson.

I may try it again in the future, but for now, it’ll just be with VMWare…

Today’s beat the heat strategy….

Is simply to close the bedroom door. No carefully placed fans. No keeping the windows closed. Just keep it open. The AC is in the living room, and I still have a laptop. So, I’ll just chill in the living room, and use the laptop…

I’m still on vacation. Or, get paid for sitting on my ass time…

Trying to keep cool....

We've been in a heat wave of late. It's been really hot.  But I've had an air conditioner for the past two months. A legacy from my mother's passing.  At first it was in my room, and my room well chilled while I ran it. But I couldn't use it at night. It was just too loud. Saturday, my room was cool, but the living room was an oven. So Sunday, I brought it out to the living room. Ave it immediately cold the living room. With a couple of strategically placed fans, I figured I could keep my room cool.

Basically, it boils down to the only way the AC can cool my room is to keep it in my room. But it's too loud to use. All least if it's in the living room, we can keep one room cool. And I can go back to using my window fan after sunset. At I can keep it running all night, is not that loud.
Did I mention my electric bill is higher this month?

2 weeks later….

About two weeks ago, I downloaded the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. First, I did just a regular install with my Windows 10 usb flash drive, and did an in place upgrade to 10. After about a day and a half, it occurred to me that the media creation tool had been upgraded as well, and so I re-downloaded it and did a clean install of it.

Equipment-wise, all of my hardware still is supported. No surprise there, as my previous upgrades all worked before. After the clean install, I realized that I only had Windows 10 Home (since I upgraded from Windows 8.1 Pro, and in fact I specifically upgraded to Win8.1 Pro to get Win10 Pro). No problem, I just went to buy an upgrade, and had I gone to the Windows Store, I would’ve been able to upgrade for free, due to my digital entitlement. But, I simply entered my Win8.1 license key and all was good.’

This afternoon, I just finished reinstalling my last item of software (you may remember the the adventures I had which started this). Lesson learned. I’ll be more careful about downloading stuff from the internet. And I’ll be backing up more often. If it wasn’t for my 2 tB usb hard drive, I’d be screwed…

And at the same time, I got tee’d off at my phone, and decided to wipe that as well. But that, too is up and running…

And so it begins…

Nothing big. Just my vacation. Unlike my last one, I didn’t start it with a sick day. But I am taking an extra day this time, so I’ll have the same time off. My plans: Absolutely nothing. Just unwind and recover. Maybe a day trip up to Seattle and/or Bremerton, or maybe I’ll just chill at Mrs. Fields.

But whatever. I’m off. I’m not working. That’s the point…

Two days and so disappointed....

This year, the preseason kicks off on Thursday. It was supposed to kick off on Sunday. But they apparently don't know how to prepare a football field in Dayton. Come one, that's the only professional games that's played there every year, and they still couldn't get it right. And they had to cancel it....

All the pre-season games that have been cancelled have involved the Green Bay Packers.

But, it starts Thursday night, and the Seahawks start their preseaon on Saturday. I've always looked forward to pre-season games. Everyone pretty much knows who the starters (and some of the second-stringers) are, but the best football always comes from those fighting for jobs. And in advance, I wish them all full-time employment....

This week's misadventures on the internet...

So, Thursday I was summoned to Mrs. Fields. The owner (and sometime boss, but I try to avoid it now since current day-job has me full-time). And he gave me a non-functioning tablet with marching orders to fix it. Since I had to get up at uber-early in the morning Friday and Saturday, so I told him that I would work on it today, with it being returned Monday....

So last night, I get home from work, and I pull out the tablet. Initial diagnosis was a severely depleted battery, and after a few minutes on the charger, I got into download mode and flashed a recovery. Getting into file manager, and I see why it wouldn't boot up. Somehow he managed to completely wipe the tablet, system and all. Apparently he tried to do a factory reset from recovery. Never a good thing. If you need to do a factory reset in Andriod, there is way to do it. If you do it in recovery, you're more likely to completely wipe everything. I should know. I do that everytime I flash a new ROM to my phone. So needless to say, I found the stock firmware for it, and flashed the tablet back to factory condition. And an overnight sit on my charger, and we're good to go.

And then the Anniversary Update hit. It actually hit on Tuesday. Last night after fixing the tablet, I finally downloaded it. So far, I'm impressed. I am trying to use Windows 10 as my daily driver (there has been a recent sidetrack with the virus I got a month or so ago). But this is why I always have an up to date backup....

It’s not all about the prices…

There was a much ado a while back about Starbucks raising their prices. They also publicly announced that their emplyees were also getting significant raises. Generally, I really don’t care for the former, but since it was for the latter, I’m ok with that. I’ve been on the front line before, and I know how difficult it is to make ends meet. But, that is not why I will never shop at Starbucks again. Here’s what happened:

A week and a half ago, I was at Starbucks and I ordered a venti sugar free cinnamon dulce iced latte. A mouthful to say, but easy to make (just a large iced latte with the requesite puumps of flavor in it). I paid for it (at the new, higher price). And I went to the pick up area for it and waited. And waited. And waited. Between the walk-in and the drive through, there was only one barista making drinks. She was new, and the only help she had was another co-worker who only told her what she was doing wrong, and making her throw away most of the drinks she was making and start over. Needless to say I ended up leaving to go catch my bus. Without my drink! Of course, I was teed off, and when I got home, I looked up the Starbucks web page, and I lodged a complaint.

And I got a canned response with an offer of a gift card which should arrive in 10-14 business days. Loosely translated, instead of doing their fucking jobs in the first place, I’m being told to settle for a low-ball offer that could take upto three weeks to arrive. So I declined it. It is my experience that when companies make this kind of offer, it never arrives. So, as far as I’m concerned Starbucks took my money, and never intended to render the goods and services for which I paid for. No big deal. I’ll just never shop at Starbucks again.

It’s not the high prices that will drive your customers away. It’s your poor customer service. BTW, Starbucks this isn’t the first time I’ve had to leave without my order. Don’t bother with your pretend, hollow non-apologies. Don’t bother with your insulting low-ball offers that will never arrive. Don’t bother with your empy promises. Just fuck off and go back to ingoring your customers.

A send off…

So, Mom’s memorial was yesterday. All the neices and nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles. Well, most of them. And if they weren’t there, they still raised a deviled egg in her memory. There was food. And strawberry soda. And laughter. And memories. I saw my uncle Bill (whom I never really saw growing up). And the mysterious other brother Eric (the only difference between Bigfoot and my youngest brother is that there are more credible sightings of Bigfoot than my brother…). It was a potluck, with plenty of deviled eggs. And another cousin forever condemned to bringing a certaind dish to all family gatherings. Just like aunt Mary and her taco dip….

There were memories shared. And all of Mom’s purses. I hate to say this, but she bought them like they were single-use items. And I’m still using the backback that my boss got me a week before he fired me (that’s an even longer story, and I’ve covered it already in several other posts).

May Barabra Bryant spend all of eternity frolicking amongst The Beer Volcano and Stripper Factory.

Today’s moment of panic:

Due my work schedule and the fact that I’m trying to appreciate the thing called sleep, I don’t go to the store on work days.So last night as I was loading my coffee maker, it occurred to me that I will run out of coffee before the next ‘weekend’.That set off a mini-panic until I realized that there was a Wally World right next to work, and I can grab a tin of Folgers on the way home. For about the price of the Venti Sugar Free Cinnamon Dulce Iced Latte that I paid for on Satruday at Starbucks, but I never got (side note for Starbucks: raising your prices won’t drive away customers. But poor customer service will)…

More on the Starbucks fiasco later…

Soon Tuesday will be upon us….

And that will mean a return to work. But I’m ready. Errands have been run. Laundry is done and put away. Thoug hit kinda sucks that I washed my phone headphones too. And dried them. I figured they’re DOA, so I just trhew them out. And I ordered some new ones off of Spamazon. I could’ve gotten them from Worst Buy, but I still have Amazon Prime. And that’s still free 2day shipping….

It’s Tuesdsay tomorrow. And that means back to work. Goodnight.

So I got Marshmallow last night….

So I got around to upgrading my phone to Marshmallow last night. I went with the VenomROM, like I’ve always done with this phone. All the previous ROMs that I’ve had on this phone have been Sense 6.0, and my current ROM has Sense 8.0 (it’s actually a port from the HTC M10), so there are going to be some changes. But I do like the fact that Andriod Pay now works (never worked before because my phone has always been rooted). I do have some concerns about the home screens (bfore I was able to have a 5x6 display on the home screen, but now the best I can do is 4x5), but that’s nothing really to be concerned about. I’m still working my way through setting it up, but I’m sufficiently impressed. At the least the mail app doesn’t crash when I try to write an email…

Candy, anyone?

Nothing special here. I’m just putting Marshmallow on my phone. I don’t know how well it’ll work out, but I also have my KitKat and Lollipop ROMS also stashed away on my phone’s memory card. Hopefully I won’t need them….

He’s in..

It’s finally happened. Ken Griffey jr. is now in the baseball Hall Of Fame. Along with Dave Niehaus. He started his career with the Mariners, and he ended as a Mariner.

Now I just want to see King Felix get in….

Lesson learned today….

Tried getting more than 4 of hours of sleep last night. And I thought it went so well that I skipped the morning cup of coffee. And I was a zombie at work. Needless to say when it came for my morning break, I immediately had a Monster. Lesson learned: caffienne is more powerful than sleep. Though never underestimate the power of sleep…

And in this corner....

According to the news, Donald Trump has been nominated by the Republican party. I'm not saying that as an implied endorsement. As of right now,I have not endorsed any candidate for President. But I am a registered voter. I take my civic responsibility very seriously. I have voted in every presidential election since 1992. My candidates of choice have not always been elected. It's never about vote for who you'll think will when. It's vote for who's the best qualified for the office. For who you think the country needs the most.

Speaking of being a registered voter, I was registered before I was 18. The loophole here is that while I was 17 when I registered, the election took place after I was 18. My senior year in high school, we took a class called government and society (basically civics), and a lot of it dealt with current events (the cold war ended when I was in high school). And I was the only registered voter in class (if I recall correctly).

Many things have changed since those 24 years ago. My civic responsibility has not. Yes, this fall,I will vote. And I will vote my conscience. And you should, too.

It ain’t over till it’s over…

Watching the Mariners game tonight before I went to bed. They were down 3-0 to the Chicago White Sox at The Safe. Bottom of the 9th is when the bats come alive. And Adam Lindh won it with a 3-run shot.

Say what you will about The New World Order (Mind-Control Division). But the game isn’t over until the 9th inning….

What a good day off…

I have sundays and mondays off. Usually Sunday is my recovery day from work. This is the day when I sleep in, and in general try to do as little as possible while I recover from 5 days of 16 hours oout of the house. Mondays are my errands days, and when I get ready for the forthcoming workweek. Today, I didn’t have any errands to run. So, this was an extra day of recovery. I slept in way too late. And then when I got up, I decided I wanted pizza and wings for breakfast. So, I went to Little Ceasers and got pizza and wings. And I made sure to get an extra pizza, so my roommate could partake in the heartburn and indigestion as well…

From an email I was writing...

I was writing an email to a friend tonight, and it just about sums up June for me:

My mother passed away on June 5th. I was the one who found the body. Per her wishes, she was cremated. A memorial is scheduled on the 31st. I've kept a stiff upper lip for the most part, but the past month and a half have been harder than I let on. Losing a parent is hard. At first the thought was not to tell you. This was my cross to bear. And I was going to take it up with dignity and a stiff upper lip.

It's been a month and change, and it still hurts. But as painful as it is, I will not let the pain darken my heart, and will learn wisdom from this. Cherish your loved ones while you still have them. For you don't know when they will be taken from you, and there is no bargaining with death...

I shall overcome....

Not to go to deeply into certain matters, but that's all I can say. It must needs be. And it is very hard to shake my mind off of certain subject of late that are troubling. I keep telling myself that I'm not supposed to have an ego, and yet I still find that which I thought I didn't have getting bruised. I keep waiting for the reply when I've never sent the message. I've tried telling myself to let it go, but it seems like it never was to begin with.

I shall overcome. Yet, I am uneasy...

What was I doing?

Call it poor judgement. Call it another misadventure on the internet. But last night, I was looking for a .apk file for my phone. I thought I found it, but when I went to download it, instead of the file, it was a .exe file. It could be an installer, I thought, so I downloaded it. My first mistake. Then I ran it, and it downloaded another file. And ran it without my consent. Then Windows Defender started going off about detecting malware. And that was when I had the Oh Shit moment. Immediately it downloaded and installed all sorts of crap and set it to automatically run. And then it deleted all of my browser shortcut and replaced them with modified ones that would go through the malware, not the browsers. Of course I immediately tried to clean it up. Windows Defender caught the torjan horse and deleted it. And I found the hidden shortcuts, and replaced the borgus shortcuts with them. But it still had changed my startup home page, and I couldn't get a reset to stick. So I did the only thing I recommend when you have a virus: nuke the system. So now I have to start over from scratch, with a backup that's over a month old.

But there is no virus that can survive the format c: command.....

With all the stuff that's gone on this week...

It's not just Black Lives Matter. Granted that given the history of racism and discrimination, attention should still be paid to that matter. It's not just White Lives Matter. It's not just Hispanic Lives Matter. It's not just Brown Lives Matter.

It's All Lives Matter. All life is precious.  Including yours.

Any questions?

Nothing to say...

I'm not going to comment on the shootings in Minnesota, Baton Rouge, or in Dallas tonight.

Other than to say that the bloodshed needs to stop....

Violence. Is. Evil.

It is Wednesday...

Today is Wednesday. Tell your loved ones today that you love them. Cherish your times with them. Because when they're gone, they're gone. Death cannot be bargained with.

And also Eid Mubarak to those of you who are celebrating today.

The fireworks are over…

I watched the fireworks on KIRO this year. I think this it the first Independence Day that I was able to go without Lee Greenwood’s Proud To Be An American. And that is definitely not a bad thing….

Anyway, enjoy what’s left of your fourth. I’m going to bed. Goodnight.

‘Murica! F*ck Yeah!

Today is the Fourth of July. The day we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence. By getting drunk and blowing ourselves up. I’ve long since given up. On both drinking and blowing things up. Fingers are undervalued. Keep them while you still can. So I’m celebrating the Fourth by staying home and watching the trained professionals blow themselves up. Actually this year, my celebration is watching baseball on tv (BTW the Mariners swept the O’s yesterday. First 4 game sweep since 2000).

Have a happy Fourth. Celebrate it as you see fit, but keep it safe. And if you drink, then for the love of all that is sacred and holy, please don’t drive…

A better start today...

Today starts better than yesterday. Yesterday, I forgot my phone. So there was no facebooking on my break. No browsing the news on the bus. And I was a little bit cranky without my lunchbreak power nap timer...

What a crazy weekend…..

When I’m at work, I’m at work. Boredom is never a concern. Owing to the commute involved, I can be out of the house for 16 hours or so. I’ve also notice that I’m going to bed a lot earlier that I used to. When I was a teenager, and even when I closed at Mrs Fields, I could go to bed at two, and get up at noon, then shower and be out the door to work. Now I’m working morning/day shifts at full-time, which means I attempt to go to bed by 8 or 9. Sometimes I’m retiring by 7:30. Which is probably why it was decided that I should get mom’s AC, since I have a western facing window, and it sucks trying to sleep during the heat of the day. But I digress….

This weekend was busy. We are still trying to get Mom’s apartment cleaned out (she passed on right after the rent for June was paid, so we’re taking the entire month to do it. Most of the stuff is out of there by now. Karen, by younger sister, has her secretary desk. Which, btw, was in my room growing up (a little background: I had two brothers, and we usually shared the same room. Oldest sister moved out, then moved back in, and it was decided that I would take over the den as my room, as my sisters needed the larger bedroom, and 3 brothers in the smallest room in the house is just plain wrong. Nowadays, I still share an apartment with my little brother, and we’ve made sure we both have our own rooms.) A lot of the items are going to our older sister’s house, where it will be arranged for sale, or for distribution (making sure the keepsakes stay in the family).

Mom has been cremated already. Plans for celebration/memorial are still pending. It’s just one day at a time. Times like this when I feel the most grateful for being so busy at work. At least I have something to concentrate on. We have a couple of more trips to make, and then it will be done….

With all the events of the past two weeks…

I should mention that once you go with a 55” tv, you can never go back. I tried replacing mine with a 32” RCA set that I ordered from Wally World. But within a week of getting it, I was looking for a 55” set. And I found one. Along with no interest financing. I got a Vizio D55-D2. This was the Wednesday before Mom’s passing. Friday, I got the shipment notice. Sunday, we all know what happened. Last week, my TV arrived. And it was set up on the same TV stand as before.

Some things I like about it:

• Wi-fi access. Yes, it is a smart tv. And along with it come:
• Apps. I like one click access to Netflix, Hulu, and Spamazon. Along with Youtube. My Blu-Ray also has them, but it’s easier to access them straight from the TV.
• 3 HDMI inputs. The 55” Sony only had one, and that was taken by the Blu-Ray. I had to get a Cable Box with a component video output. Now, I can connect my Blu-Ray, my HD Cable Box, and my computer with HDMI.
• And finally, the lower power consumption. Only 41 watts. Where my rear-projection set used 240+ watts.

Right now, I’m using it to watch the Mariners beat up on the Tigers (currently leading 6-5 in the bottom of the 7th…).

How I’ve held up…

Yes, I’ve grieved over the passing of my mother. And I still will. The pain and the heartache can and do fade, but it will be a while before it ultimately goes away. I can get away with doing it in private. It’s a hard thing. But there are times when you need one of these.

This has pretty much been how I’ve kept it together at work…

So, what do you get…

When you add a little bit of religious fundamentalism, some possible alleged mental instability, some hate, and a part of ‘Murica, we can have high powered assault weapons… The combination is almost always never good.

This morning there was a shooting in a nightclub on Orlando (I’m not going to link to it. Just go to your favorite search engine for details). Everyone wants to just pigeonhole these tragedies into one simple cause. To blame one thing, and then use this as a reason to suppress it. But it’s lot more complicated than it seems to be. Some people are going to say that because the perpetrator was Muslim, that all Muslims are to blame. No. This is not Islam. If we were to judge the entire Muslim world by these actions, and the person who perpetrated it, then we should also judge all of Christianity by Westboro Baptist Church. This could be just a Lone Wolf act. Or it could be that the person was on the radar of the FBI (as has been alleged) and they either dropped the ball, or they could do nothing (often times, you just have a sixth sense impression, and that is not enough). Personally, I think the cause of this is going to go down as a little bit of column A, a little bit of column B, etc. Some hate, some untreated mental illness, access to firearms, and you have a tragedy in the making. In this case IMHO, religion was just an unfortunate coincidence.

BTW, this wasn’t some Syrian refugee or an illegal Mexican. The shooter was a US citizen, born in the USA.

But my thoughts on the matter don’t justify it at all. Violence is inherently evil. Irregardless of what the cause is about. Sometimes force is necessary, even justified. But to use it to force your religion/way of life/political view on somebody else, especially when they have the right under the law to practice however they wish, is never acceptable.

We are always going to be targeted. Because this is America. Land of the free. Where you can hold whatever opinion you pretty much want. Where you can worship any God anyway you choose. Where you can love whoever you want (as long as the other person is of age, and is capable of giving consent). Some of these items you might not agree with (and yes, I’m one of those who doesn’t). But that doesn’t mean you can resort to force of arms to foist your beliefs on others. From my times when I was on Usenet, I learned that you can ‘agree to disagree’. It is possible to have a difference of opinion/religion/lifestyle with someone else, and still get along. America is one the the few countries in the world where the political scene can dramatically change every four years. And not only that, but it happens peacefully. And some people have a problem with that.

Having said all this, my thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their loved ones. Having lost my mother last week (I’m still trying to come to grips with it), I can start fathoming the pain that these people are going through. These martyrs of freedom….

Picking up and walking on

After the Really Bad Day yesterday, life still went on. While waiting for the Sherriff to turn the scene over to the funeral home (obvious natural causes), I still remembered to pay the rent. And this morning, I remembered that the recycler was coming by to pick up my dead tv….

But today we were out, starting the cleanup of her apartment. Some of her recent purchases were going to be returned to bring down her credit card balances. Other items are being dispersed by common consent (there were rumors of a will, but we haven’t found it yet. Initially the intent was that everything would’ve gone to my father, but the trend of late was to make my sister the executor. Tomorrow, a decision will be made at the funeral home. Her wishes were to be cremated. I’m thinking a celebration will be planned later on this summer. But this month there are previously scheduled weddings and conventions that need tending to. Let those take the priority now. The Living take precedence over the Dead.

But in the midst of my sorrows there starts a new month that many of you will take note. And so to those of you fasting for the next month or so, I bid you Ramadan Kareem.

The shock still hasn’t set in….

Eventually it will. Then the grief will come. Details can’t be diclosed now, but most of the family has been notified. So I can write this. I hope. This is really difficult for me, but I feel I have to say something. This isn’t as much to let you know as it is for me to let it out.

My mother past away last night/this morning. I was last at her apartment last night. It was really hot, but her A/C was working, and I made sure she had water accessible. This afternoon, I came over, and she was gone. There’s going to be funeral plans, and we have to dispose her estate.

Death cannot be bargained with. It happens to everybody. For the most part, you can’t choose your time to go. There were several health issues involved, but that doesn’t lessen the blow. The pain is real. It hurts…

New TV arrived today…

So my replacement TV arrived today. It’s not a 55 inch set, and I have to keep repeating to myself that I don’t really need 55 inches. My 55 inch set is out of the apartment. By previous agreement with my apartment manager, it is by the side of my apartment building until the recyler can pick it up (I’m not throwing it out in the dumpster).

While I’m getting rid of the TV, I’m keeping the TV stand, though I have to improvise to account for the size difference. To boost the TV up to the right height, I had to set the TV on an old printer (third bullet point down). Eventually, I’ll get a proper TV stand for it, but that is down the road. Since the new TV has more than one HDMI port, I can now watch my cable programming in 1080p (since I had to use the component cable on myh Sony, I only got 720p). And since the TV is smaller, I can move my coffee maker over there as well (it’s a cup-at-a-time maker, but space on my desk is at a premium,,,

So there’s this baseball game on tonight…

And through a function/contest at work, I won a ticket to the Mariners game tonight at the Safe. Manager gave me my ticket, and I put it in my locker. Thinking I would actually want to go to the game, I put in for the next day off, which was granted. A couple of weeks later, I was looking in my locjker, and no ticket. Oh well, I thought. I still have the next day off, and I have a 55 inch HDTV that I can watch it on. Saturday, I get home, and I turn the tv on, and no image. The red lamp indicator wasn’t lit (and I checked the lamp, which was intact), so I figured it was gone. It was over about ten years old, and it was about time to replace it. So off to Wally World, where I found another TV set. It’s not a smart tv (if you remember, I got a smart Blu-Ray player a couple of years ago, so I don’t need one). It’s also smaller. I’m going from a 55 inch to a 32 inch. I don’t need a 55 inch, when it’s just in my room.

The recycler will be by on June 6 to pick it up, along with other 2 HDTVs that my brother got since we’ve moved in that have given up the ghost. And my two Gateway EV700 monitors, while they still work, will be recycled.

So I ordered the new TV from Wally World. And I noticed with expedited shipping, it’ll come on my requested day off. Sometimes things work out. Just not in the way that you planned it. BTW, I’m still watching the game. Since April of 2001, every computer I’ve had has had a TV tuner. And since I still have Xfinity X1, I can stream it on my phone or tablet…

So I’m binge-watching….

I have Hulu Plus, commercial free. South Park is on Hulu. So I’m watching South Park, starting form season one. Just finished with Damien, and now on to Tom’s Rhinoplasty.

I don’t normally binge-watch. But when I do, it’s on my 55-inch set, my tablet, and on my phone. While commercial-free…

Last night’s misadventures on the internet….

Not really on the internet, but on my computer nonetheless. Every once in a while, I’ll do a back-up of my key files on to my usb hard drive. And last night was back-up day. It took me over 12 hours. Though, to be honest, most of it was the Steam program compressing all my downloaded games. I’ve been on Steam for 4 months, and I apparently already have over 350 gB worth of stuff. Then there was the 216 gB Windows XP virtual machine. And then I backed up my document, downloads, and the like. My backup drive has a 2 tB capacity, and while I’m not filling it up completely yet, I can use plenty of it quite easily.

I also have a second back-up. My windows installers are on usb flash drives, and there’s enough room on them that I can also store current copies of essential utilities and device drivers. Those were updated as well.

Only problem with doing this is that I’m too tempted to wipe my computer and ‘experiment’. Then again, I’m going to be hating it if I have a hardware failure, and I don’t have a recent back-up (like my most recent one). But I figure, if I’m going to ‘experiment’ then it’s going to happen. That’s how I became so good at computers. Just keep trying. And back everything up.

One other thing with my backup drive: Unless I’m backing up stuff, or restoring stuff, it stays off. Suppose I get a virus, and I lose the entire contents of my internal hard drive. I can still wipe it and start over, but if you have a corrupted archive, you’re going to be back to square one. A hard drive that is not on at all can’t be infected…

All good things must come to an end

Today is the last day of my vacation. Tomorrow I go to work. So, I should’ve spent most of my day today tied up in getting ready to for work (like my usual Mondays are). But I already did my laundry on Monday this week (in preparation for my little adventure Tuesday). So, all I have to do is set the alarms on my phone (which I did as soon as it booted up after I flashed the new ROM Saturday night). But still, I’m going to work Tomorrow. And Saturday. And because Sunday is Mother’s Day, I’m coming in to my other job. But it’s back to the routine otherwise.

Like all jobs, my current does have it’s issues. But that’s what happens when you have any organization of 2 or more people. Not everyone is going to have the exact same opinion. But the pluses still outweigh the negatives, and I’m looking forward to returning to it tomorrow. Sometimes we all just need to step away from it for awhile…

Cinco de Mayo….

According to my mother I’m 1/16th Mexican. That’s enough to say that I’m Mexican/Hispanic on government documents, census forms, and the like. But I don’t. I don’t speak Spanish, and I don’t look like I’m Hispanic (yes, I know it’s playin to stereotypes). But I digress. For all intents and purposes, I’m not really Mexican. And I quit drinking in 2013.

So far all of you celebrating today, happy Cinco de Mayo. please drink responsibly, if you’re going to drink. But for me, Happy Thursday. And actually, if you’re in Mexico right now, Happy Thursday as well….

btw: If you’re in the French Foreign Legion, this time of year means something significantly different…

Get out your brooms!

The Mariners swept the A’s today. As you can tell, I’ve been watching a lot of The New World Order (Mind-Control Division), as well as the Stanley Cup playoffs, on my vacation.

Currently, the Mariners are on top of the AL West standings. And they’ve won every series since going 1-5 in their first homestand. Let’s hope that they can keep it up. The Seahawks  and the Sounders FC routinely make it to the post-season. In fact, the Seahawks won it all in 2014, and the Sounders FC have made it to the playoffs every year that they’ve been in MLS.

Drugs are good…

Not all drugs are good. Being a type I diabetic, I depend on insulin. Multiple times per day. Usually two different types. When I last went to the doctor, my prescriptions were adjusted (mainly changing my insulins to ones that my drug coverage gave me a better price on). But therein lies the adventure. Rather than having him fax the prescription to the local pharmacy, I had him give me a paper prescription. I then went to my prescription insurer (with my employer provided coverage, health care and prescription coverage are provided through two different providers), and I ordered my medication for mail order. Previous research into costs showed me that mail-order would be the lowest cost. And they immediately contacted my doctor for a prescription. Which was summarily rejected because I had already received a paper copy. So, my next step was to submit my paper prescription, which I did through my provider’s Android app (using my phone’s camera). And the image was too blurry. So, I had to mail it in. This time, I was going to make sure that they got it. So I paid $6.45 and had it sent Priority Mail. Mainly so I could have a tracking number, as this was the only proof that I had a prescription. But they finally got it, and after consulting with my doctor again, they filled it. Though they took 5 days to do it. And then they shipped it out. Since it was rather important for me to have my insulin, I paid the $23+ extra to have it overnighted.

And guess what arrived today? Drugs are good. Not all drugs though… Some should be avoided, as having a criminal record for them can be rather annoying….

May the Fourth Be With You...

Today is that special day. Where you reach out to that Inept Imperial Officer in your life. And Force-Choke him.

And btw, all the Star Wars games are on sale at Steam. Even Rogue Squadron (which by the way all the old cheat codes still work...).

The Schwartz awakens….

So, it’s late at night, and I’ve got tomorrow off, due to my oft-aforementioned vacation. So what am I to do? I know. Fire up the Blu-Ray and watch Spaceballs, of course.

Ludicrous Speed Go!

One of the best lessons learned

Never mind this. This is once again the droning of an introvert with a blog….

Your ego will be your downfall. Lose it. Lose it like it was yesterday. Especially on social media. So what if somebody posts something that you don’t like. Twitter has a filter setting as well. Facebook has a ‘unfollow’ setting. You can still be friends, but their posts won’t be in your feed. You can also unfriend and move on. Or you can just let it go. Agree to disagree.Yes, I’ve been unfriended and blocked before. So what. Let go of you ego, and your online problems will go, too. Because 9 times out of 10, you can find the cause of your problems in the mirror.

Took a trip up north

To tell the truth, I had been planning this for the past three months. This was why I took vacation time this week (as well as needing to de-stress from work). I took a trip up north today.
Last January, I was awarded a watch at work, and it was too big. I was told that I could take it to any jewelry store and have it resized. I have a problem with mall jewelry stores. As soon as you walk in, your beset with a high-pressure sales pitch to open up one of their credit cards (which I don’t need as I’m in enough debt), or they’ll lose/mangle/destroy your merchandise (like what they say Kay Jewelers has done in recent media reports). But I remember that I have friends who run a jewelry store north of here. And so I was able to get my watch resized without a high-pressure sales pitch. And my merchandise wasn’t mangled/destroyed/lost.
Yes, I knew them before, so I’m not posting this to yelp or the BBB, and I hesitate to even mention names. But still, props to Rialto….

Some wisdom once again learned…

Never underestimate friendship, or the power of hello. Even if you don’t get what you want, if you still have a friend, then you have a lot. Sugar-free rockstar is not good at curing headaches. Insulin is good. Sometimes you have to be grateful for what you have, and not seek that next thing. Office politics is a game that you really don’t want to play. There are times when you shouldn’t seek to fulfill your desires, but you should seek to end the desires themselves. Wisdom is knowing the difference between the two.

Just some dronings of another introvert with a blog….

Broke. Again.

Paid my bills Saturday. All of them. And now I’m broke.  Payday was Friday. I now have to wait until the Friday after next. But all my bills are paid.

Day 1 (or Day 2) report….

Depending on who you ask, this is the second day of my vacation. Officially, it’s the first day (yesterday was a sick day). Anyway, I succeeded in my primary goal today: Doing absolutely nothing. Last year, I took a week off in the summer, but I spent each day of the entire week working at my second job (I actually planned the vacation around my second boss’s trip to Disneyland). But as much as I like Mrs. Fields, and I enjoy working there, I don’t want to take a vacation to work there.

And yes, I am now admitting the name of my primary employer from 1995-2012: Mrs. Fields. It wasn’t just at Mrs. Fields Cookies (remember that they also own several other brands). Once in a while, I’ll still work there, but it’s no longer my primary employer (no, I’m not disclosing where I’m working at now).

I think tomorrow I’ll go visit a friend for lunch. Then laundry (that’s a standard Monday off task). And yes, I’ll do the all-important ass-sitting as well…

Vacation starts today….

Well, it was supposed to start tomorrow. But I got up this morning, and at 1:30 realized my foot wasn’t up to walking the 6-7 miles to work. Actually, I could’ve made it. But I wouldn’t have been in any shape to work. So, I placed another call to the Night Manager at work. I don’t like doing this, but I also have to look out for my health, as well.

But I am taking a vacation this week. This was entirely unrelated to today (actually, I had put in for it, and received approval for it a while back). I’m not due back until next Friday….

We’re even! We’re even!

The Mariners, as of this morning were 9-9. Currently they’re playing Houston, and they’re leading. If you remember their last homestand at The Safe, they only one 1 game out of 6. The only redeeming grace this year for the Mariners is the 9 game road trip that they were just one, where they won every series (as they did the opening series). Let’s hope that they can win some home games.

Failing that we can always hope for the next road trip…

They arrived today....

New power supply and video card arrived today. Surprisingly, replacing the power supply in my tower was rather quick and painless. Possibly because experience taught me to remove all of my expansion cards and my Blu-Ray drive before hand, so I could have space to move things around. But once I unscrewed it, it dropped right out, and the new one fit right in.

Now to reinstall Win10 back on. My computer should be back to fully functioning in two weeks...

AC/DC Jumps the shark!

Brian Johnson had to quit touring to save his hearing. AC/DC had once before replaced lead singers after the passing of Bon Scott. And they thrived. Back in Black was one there biggest selling albums. But given the other issues (their drummer's legal issues and Malcolm's dimentia), perhaps it's time for Bed Angus Young to put the schoolboy uniform away. Seriously, Axl Rose as their lead singer? Have they seen what has happened in previous Guns 'n Roses tour? He's not the most reliable employee in the shop.

But that's the direction that they've chosen. I wish them the best. But then again, Ted McGinley and/or Cousin Oliver would be a better choice...

Went to the doctor today....

Had a physical today. It was agreed to change my insulins from Humalog and Lantus to Novolog and Levemir. I did my research on my prescription drug coverage before my visit, and switching insulins and getting my prescriptions filled via mail order would be the most cost effective for me. However I'm switching to getting my test strips over the counter. Believe it or not, but you can get those dirt cheap through Wally World (especially if you use their house brand).

I also mentioned my bum foot. Also known as plantar fasciitis....

Just when I realize....

With the last three posts or so about my computer going nuts on me (long story short: have to replace video card), I finished 'moving in' to phone. Usually, I flash the ROM, then I install all my apps, from the Google Play store and Spamazon. There are also a few that I sideload. Then I tweak. I suppose since I have Titanium Backup Pro (and the pro key), I could just back up all my settings, and be done with it. But there is something to be said about setting up my phone like new. There are always new things I want to try. Sometimes the changes are for the better, but there are times (usually) when it blows up in my face. I guess that's why I keep at least three ROM installers on my phone (and yes, I've decided to flash a ROM on my phone while on the bus home).

Irony: Tonight, I finish signing in to all my apps, and setting shortcuts on my phone, and now I have to start over on my computer....

A little bit of drama. Or not (workplace wisdom)

Office Politics is game that is best never played. Leave the drama behind. Let it go. If policies aren't being followed, then be discrete in who you report it to. Make peace with your enemies quickly.

Work hard at your job. Or you'll work even harder finding your next job...

Not the best right now

My computer doesn't have the best of power supplies. But it was enough. The video card I just took out today needed approximately 1 1/2 times the power that my power supply was rated at. But my computer still ran. The new video card, which should be here on Tuesday, will use even less power. But I'm still ordering the new power supply, even though I probably won't need to use it. Just because when the power supply goes, you're out of a computer until you replace it. It's not like my video solution. I still have a Radeon HD 8500d solution, which isn't too shabby.

Lesson learned: make the best of what's around. But if there is a chance to improve, don't pass on it....

So, it looks like...

It looks like I'm getting a new video card. I turned my computer on this morning, and Windows wouldn't load. Well, it mostly loaded, and then when I went to login, it would reboot. Since I go to the logon screen, I could tell it wasn't a Windows issue. I wiped it, and then installed Windows 8.1 off the System Recovery Screen. Logged on again, (or at least I attempted to), and then I get reboot loop again. Reseat the video card, and again I have reboots. So, I pull the whole card out and plug my monitor into my onboard video slot. And it works. So my XFX Radeon HD7750 video card is gone. Anyway, I've gone to Newegg, and I've ordered my replacement. It should be here Tuesday. As well as a replacement power supply....

And I just finished rebuilding my system. I get to do it again. My luck...

It is finished…

Finally. Just finished reinstalling my games. I even added some more Thanks to Steam and Origin. With the exception of Halo, which should be arriving tomorrow, courtesy of Spamazon Prime. Now all that is left is to rearrange the Start Menu to my liking, which may take a while, as I’ve never really put much thought in how to arrange it.

I also tonight finished logging in to all my apps on my phone. Now to customize the home screens, and I’ll be set. Until the next time I get tee’d off and I wipe everything from orbit. With regards to what works on Windows 10 and what doesn’t, I’ve found a couple of workarounds:

• Repurchasing them electronically. If it’s on Steam or Origin, then it’s probably compatible. There were quite a few games that I’ve repurchased. And I’ve also found some classics that were re-released. This is actually my preferred option. It can be expensive and rather frustrating, but compatibility is more guaranteed…
• My Windows XP virtual machine. It’s no longer supported, but then again, neither are the games that will only work on it. And I really don’t like usually compatibility mode…

So I was reinstalling some games today….

So, after my last system rebuild last week, I was reinstalling my games this morning, and I realized my Halo Cd-Rom has disappeared. I can’t find it anywhere. With the garbage can slo close to my desk shelf where I keep it, it was probably inadvertently thrown out. I think I need to replace it. So I log on to Spamazon, and not only do they have it, but they also have Halo 2 as well. It was originally compatible with Windows Vista. Windows 10 is later and better than Vista, so it should work. Yes, I know that Gamespy and games for Windows Live are gone, but I was never an online gamer.

Of course, we all what will probably happen is when the new games arrive, I’ll find my old CD-Rom…

BTW, Star Wars Rogue Squadron was released on Steam recently.

Que Será Será

This is one of those times when I need to remind myself not to worry. I'm not going to go into much details about it, but whatever will be will be....

If to work I go

And I can tell it's going to rain. Not by looking at the forecast. But because I just realized I left my umbrella at home,and I'm already on the bus...

Got some swag….

My Mariners hat and jersey just arrived. I think I should stop making fun of The New World Order (Mind-Control Division). Mainly because they weren’t shipped through Fedex or the USPS. They were shipped via The Black Helicopters….

And we’re under way!

The first pitch was a strike. It’s now the Mariners against the Texas Rangers. Let’s play ball.

Or at least get you AFDB out, as this is The New World Order (Mind-Control Division)…..

Edit: and Robinson Canó just started things off with a dinger…

I suppose this could be a good thing….

It is never a good thing to forget to pay your bills. Late fees. Higher interest rates. Getting your services cut off. None of it is good. I’ve had my share of those (fortunately, I’m caught up now).

But what about forgetting you’ve already paid your bills? I just logged in to pay the electric bill, and apparently I paid it already. Or at least I hope so, since the balance is zero. It also happened when I paid another credit card recently. Though in that case, I just made another payment.

Generally it is wise to keep track of when your bills are due, and when you pay them. But I guess if you needed to forget something, it would probably be better to forget that you paid a bill already than to forget to pay it altogether…

Opening day today

The New World Order (Mind-Control Division) is back. The season started today. The Mariners start tomorrow. On the road. I hope they’ll do better than last year. The home opener at Safeco Field won’t be till Friday night. I have tomorrow off (I know my fixed schedule won’t last, but I’ll enjoy while I can), so I’ll watch King Felix serve up some k’s….

I also have a new Mariners hat and hoodie coming in, as well as a hat & hoodie from the Sounders FC (yes, from the teams. Or at least their team stores….). And it’s also Final Four weekend. Though to be honest, I didn’t follow the Big Dance at all this year….

Now if I could only do something about this nagging idea that Belgium really exists….

A couple of bombings here and there….

And violence is still evil. Especially in the name of religion. Need I say more?

More on this later. Perhaps…

It's late but it's here...

Blu-ray burner arrived today. Should've come yesterday. But whatever. According to what I can figure out, it went out for delivery yesterday, but all I saw tracking it online was that 2 notices were left at 2 and at 5. I was here both times, and no one came by. Probably somebody wasn't doing there join at the postal service. Maybe Amazon should ship Brown. Or better yet, have Office Depot deliver it...

Hello World, for the umpteenth time....

Day two of my weekend today. Absolutely nothing planned. Aside from flashing Marshmallow on my phone today. While I did make a donation to the LeeDriod project last week, I've still decided to go with the VenomROM this time around. Mainly because it's what I've been using since I upgraded my previous phone to KitKat, and I know how it works. If it doesn't work out, I still have my copies of KitKat and Lollipop on myth phone, as well....

Edit: didn't go that well. Ended up inadvertently deleting the Google Play Services framework, so I just decided to wipe and go back to Lollipop. Easily done since I have ROM stashed away on my memory card....

A freak shaving accident.

As you can see from my profile picture, I have a goatee. Not anymore. Today is Sunday. My day off. A recovery day. A day when I can shower and take my time at it. But before I shower, I decided to shave this morning. Which meant trimming the goatee. And guess who didn’t notice the setting on the trimmer until he made the first pass with it. Oh well, I thought. I’ll just trim it down to peach fuzz, and grow it back. So after I did that, I was defining the edges when I took too much off. So, long story short I had to shave it all off. It’ll grow back though. Just give me a couple of months…

EVERYBODY PANIC!

I am cleaning my room today. I never clean my room. I don’t know how long this will last, but for your own safety, stay away….

Edit: I put a stop to it. My room isn’t clean, but there is a lot less garbage in it now. And I found my checkbook…

Happy Thursday!

All I'm going to say about today is that I don't drink, I'm not Catholic, and I'm not really that Irish*...

Happy Thursday, people....

*in a Facebook post last year, I had said that I'm not Irish, and a cousin reminded me that I have Irish ancestors, among others....

Beware the idiots of March

Today is the Ides of March. Those of use who spent high school English reading Julius Ceaser know that today was when he was assassinated. But before that, a soothsayer warned him Beware the Ides of March.

So, today is the Ides of March. It is also Super Tuesday. With all the stupidity going on, I have to warn: Beware the Idiots of March….

Making the best of past mistakes….

After writing about the mistakes I made yesterday, I realized that both Nero and Cyberlink both support Blu-Ray. And I got the Ultra/Platinum versions (not the stripped down OEM versions that come with your hardware). So I can can go and order a Blu-Ray burner from Spamazon, and I can get the cheap one that doesn’t have any software. So I ordered one. Hello two-day free shipping (I sill have Amazon Prime)…

It was still a mistake, I’m just making the best of it….