tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32525192024-03-09T16:23:19.150-05:00a dam siteMonthly MusingsDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.comBlogger1712125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252519.post-6513752888450428982024-03-09T16:22:00.002-05:002024-03-09T16:22:47.324-05:00The Month That Was - February 2024I'm afraid I have to bail on this month. I really hate doing that. I think I've only done it a handful of times in over 20 years, but I haven't had any time to do anything but my day job this month -- it's gotten particularly horrendous -- and even when I have time to breathe I'm too brain dead to write anything. Honestly, if it takes so much of my energy that I can't evenDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252519.post-363381692222168152024-02-06T16:57:00.002-05:002024-02-06T16:57:32.364-05:00The Month That Was - January 2024My memory is uncertain but I think I started blogging in 1999, which means I've been at this for a quarter-century this year. Nobody actually blogs anymore, at least not in the original sense. Not even me. I just do monthly postings to keep my writing muscles engaged. At the start I didn't have my own url. I just had some space allocated by my internet Provide.Net, Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252519.post-74108694913866413262024-02-06T16:54:00.003-05:002024-02-06T16:54:54.544-05:00[TV] Alas, Toob NotesIf you've been following my posts for the last few years, nothing in this article in the Guardian about the decline of quality television will be new to you. It's getting some play because the comments are coming from David Chase, creator of the Sopranos, but really it's been blindingly obvious for many, many years. (BTW, Chase's follow up to the Sopranos, Many Saints of Newark, was Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252519.post-38260992229952372602024-02-06T16:53:00.008-05:002024-02-06T16:57:44.231-05:00[Rant] San Francisco State of MindTriggered by both the Lions playoff game against the 49ers (the chosen team of my SO) and this posting of photos by Scott Alexander, which needs to be looked at, I have been thinking of San Francisco a bit. Those photos remind me of Ann Arbor in the 70s. Is that good? In any event, Keep Austin Weird can't hold a candle.SF is so well documented as a disaster of filth, crime, and chaos,Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252519.post-1575174000951079682024-02-06T16:52:00.005-05:002024-02-06T16:52:46.652-05:00[Michigan] Michigan State of MindDespite living my entire life in Michigan, I hit a deer with my car for the first time. It wasn't a hard hit. The only thing on my car that was smashed was the grill (made of plastic) and the deer ran off into the woods, with probably little more than a bruise. This has been one of the warmest winters on record (thankfully) and the deer seem particularly active and I find myself driving to Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252519.post-33530592647395293172024-01-05T12:12:00.003-05:002024-01-05T12:12:24.176-05:00The Month That Was - December 2023Nostalgia: remember when the changing of the year meant you would mis-date the checks you wrote for a couple of weeks? Now our electronic payments, and even our clocks, know what the day and time is with us telling them, like we're billionaires or something. I still wear a lovely mechanical watch that requires winding and resetting the date for months that are shorter than 30 Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252519.post-34307197682314562462024-01-05T12:10:00.007-05:002024-01-05T12:10:37.206-05:00[Rant] Holiday RuminationsLike many, I struggle with the holidays. Not with getting depressed, as many do. It's that my feelings and approach to them just don't seem to mesh with most other people's. I suspect a great deal of this has to do with not having a family in any conventional sense of the word. Oh, yes, I was in a family growing up and I still have a brother today, but my family was not a familyDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252519.post-48981722008469397222024-01-05T12:09:00.006-05:002024-01-05T12:09:39.194-05:00[TV] Toob Notes: The Smart and The StupidI've been keeping up with two shows that have some similarities, and similar problems. Fargo is a new season of the highly stylized series that grew out of the successful movie of some years ago. As typical, it is set in the frozen north of Minnesota and North Dakota. Conflicting groups of evil people, motivated by either greed or pride or some other deadly sin, mesh into a web Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252519.post-57571277601066924452024-01-05T12:08:00.006-05:002024-01-05T12:08:38.584-05:00[Good Links] Year-End ListsNothing too important but if you're passing the time scrolling, you'll find some interesting stuff here.Snippets 2023: 52 Snippets from 2023 | Snippet FinanceLesser known but useful websites: 100+ lesser known but useful websitesThings Tom Whitwell learned in 2023: 52 things I learned in 2023.Things Kent Hendricks learned in 2023: 52 things I learned in 2023.Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252519.post-43252601872045352572023-12-09T16:38:00.002-05:002023-12-09T16:38:20.946-05:00The Month That Was - November 2023Well, I spent Thanksgiving weekend sick in Omaha, which sounds awful, but I was grateful. I was with the SO's family, including three high-energy grandkids who were laboring under the impression that I was just a large toy to be physically abused. I was happy to be able to instruct the oldest boy (age 6) in the finer points of "I know you are but what am I?" and "I'm rubber, you're Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252519.post-14340444735468864092023-12-09T16:36:00.000-05:002023-12-09T16:36:01.260-05:00[Travel] OmahaI'm not sure why they would name an entire city after a Peyton Manning audible call, but there you are. (Such a dad joke…ugh.)Omaha is a good place. In any practical sense, Omaha is a success. The living conditions in even the worst parts of the city seem acceptable, which is more than I can say for most cities I've been in. The infrastructure seems solid. There is no evidence Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252519.post-72402855918866194542023-12-09T16:35:00.018-05:002023-12-09T17:12:02.342-05:00[Roaring 20s] The New Next Thing>>>For several years now the new thing I have been uncertain about has been cryptocurrency. I could understand all the arguments for it, but I didn't see its value beyond intangible transactions and as a hedge against some sort of bizarre worldwide currency meltdowns. It's gotten worse since lately everyone who has wanted to do something clever with it has been a scammer.&Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252519.post-16330338431026212612023-12-09T16:33:00.004-05:002023-12-09T16:33:24.975-05:00[TV] Toob NotesEnd of Archer - the final season (14) ended on a business as usual note, but shortly after it was announced that the actual ending will be a movie length special feature coming on 12/17. I was actually going to applaud them for not turning the finale into a festival of closure and hugs and learnings. Now I have to wait. The first two or three seasons of Archer were among the funniest Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252519.post-88547944972077227302023-11-10T13:05:00.000-05:002023-11-10T13:05:02.389-05:00The Month That Was - October 2023A relatively eventful month as you will read below. October did what it was supposed to: opened with the last vestiges of Summer and ended with a glance at the winter to come. I got to enjoy some of the colors this year, which I don't recall doing in the last couple of years, probably due to travel.Otherwise I soldier on. Pushing through each day. Trying not to panic Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252519.post-79125738882848467862023-11-10T13:02:00.007-05:002023-11-10T13:02:57.290-05:00[Health and Fitness] Time Waits for No OneThis may be TMI, but this month marked my third colonoscopy, a thing that I will be doing regularly for the remainder of my life. It is a hideous annoyance. I am supposed to get one every 5 years, but I generally push it to 7. The indignity of it all -- from the preparation to the procedure itself -- is humbling at best. I'm going to put my next one off until I'm 70.At theDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252519.post-92132698765538326772023-11-10T13:02:00.000-05:002023-11-10T13:02:04.081-05:00[Savannah] Re-evaluating SavannahI spent a couple of weeks down in Southern Headquarters and I now have fairly extensive experience with Savannah and I can say it's very nice for a visit but I can't really recommend it as a place to live. There is a core historic district that is quite lovely with a very active waterfront along the river and lots of shops and restaurants mixed in with remarkably beautiful restored historicDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252519.post-62888306942758743032023-11-10T13:00:00.006-05:002023-11-10T13:00:43.396-05:00[Rant, Music] Sound in Your SkullEarbuds, how hard should they be? Earbuds are one of those things that I have spent too much time dealing with and trying to get right. I use earbuds for two things mainly; at the gym up north and walking the dog down south. At the gym I just need standard earbuds, as long as they fit well. I don't need noise cancellation although it's nice. Down south I need almost the oppositeDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252519.post-34058580140266133692023-10-03T09:31:00.002-04:002023-10-03T09:31:33.898-04:00The Month That Was - September 2023The passing of September makes me 63 years old. It's a birthday of no consequence. No boundary has been crossed. No symbolic meaning. No great revelations. At least 62 had the significance of me being able to apply for Social Security, even though I'm not going to. 64 has the significance of being in a famous Beatles song. But 63 -- I got nothin'. InDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252519.post-30767208364086068102023-10-03T09:28:00.000-04:002023-10-03T09:28:40.238-04:00[Music] Changes in GratitudeI guess you could call me a Jimmy Buffet fan. I wasn't always. As a sneering, snarky youth I scoffed at his silly songs which I passed off as some kind of limp country pop. I probably came to like him in my late 20s as I lost my hard edge and I fell for the simple catchiness of the tunes that would earworm their way into my brain. The more I listened, the more I Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252519.post-42729571154062253322023-10-03T09:24:00.003-04:002023-10-03T09:24:46.364-04:00[TV] Streaming StoriesI ran across this list of the top 15 streamed programs last year. I have no reason to doubt it.Stranger Things NCIS Cocomelon Ozark Encanto Grey’s Anatomy Criminal Minds Bluey Disney+ Gilmore Girls Seinfeld Supernatural Wednesday Heartland Cobra Kai The SimpsonsAnd I can't let it slide without commentary. First, I'mDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252519.post-52358064447412971692023-10-03T09:21:00.001-04:002023-10-03T09:21:32.384-04:00[Cars] Whatever Happened to Ten Years AgoSometimes I have good timing -- I bought my house at the absolute bottom of the market in 2010. Sometimes I don't -- I bought southern headquarters near the top. Regarding cars, it looks like my timing is bad again. The good ol' Acura (2014 TL) is still driving strong, but I have reached the 9 years / 170k mile point whence I traditionally buy a new car. Sadly the auto market Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252519.post-22688106446478351852023-09-12T18:36:00.002-04:002023-09-12T18:36:20.577-04:00The Month That Was - August 2023Storms -- we had awful storms, high winds, tornados, power outages. I can't remember a wetter summer. Correspondingly it's also been a greener summer than I can remember. Whenever I travel down to southern headquarters I am reminded of what a lush, verdant state Michigan is. It is a thing I will miss if I leave.I say "if" because I had the SO and daughter up for extended Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252519.post-73051276043470807532023-09-12T18:34:00.005-04:002023-09-12T18:34:29.590-04:00[Rant] Tell You of My DreamingFor the bulk of my life I thought I didn't dream. In time I came to understand that I did dream but I had no recall of the dream. My dreams were completely ephemeral, vanishing on waking. The story in the past few years has gotten more complicated. Lately, the memory of the details has lasted longer although I still don't retain them for more than a few seconds, I am left with aDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252519.post-41818267773798933392023-09-12T18:33:00.009-04:002023-09-12T18:33:47.254-04:00[TV] UnjustifiedI mentioned this last month but it merits repeating: the follow up mini-series to my beloved Justified is truly awful. Normally I wouldn't give much of a hoot beyond simple disappointment, but this is border-line offensively bad. This is an entirely emotional reaction on my part. I really loved Justified. I thought it had about the best writing a TV show ever has had. Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3252519.post-14297263554249321382023-09-12T18:33:00.001-04:002023-09-12T18:33:06.290-04:00[Travel] Parks Outside the BoxI've spent a fair amount of time in National Parks. They are wonderful places and I'm glad I saw so many before the deluge. I have visited many of the places mentioned in that article and can confirm the mass increase in visits. A few years ago when I visited Zion to hike the Narrows I literally walked right in from my hotel just outside the park and hopped the (mostly empty) first Davidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06196333737485857456noreply@blogger.com