I love technology

My previous post about new gadgets got me to thinking about more gadgets. I have a lot of electronics, but none of it is top of the line stuff. When I want something, I watch for the price I'm willing to pay for it, and don't get it until then. If it's something I want/need right now, it's probably going to be low end. By low end, I mean cheaper brands which usually means lower quality. Although you can pay through the nose for high end crap.

I think about what I'd like if I had more disposable income. I'm not talking lottery-rich...that's a whole nother fantasy. I mean if I had a fairly decent bank of extra funds at all times. I'm lucky that I can have almost anything I want. I don't have expensive taste and I can usually afford that new gadget. But some I don't want so badly I'd go into debt for them.

A better tv. I don't need one right now. I'm content with the one I have. It's a flat screen HD tv, and bigger than the last tube tv. But a better one would be nice. Doesn't have to be bigger, I like the size I have now. Just better. Happily, prices for flat screens have come way down the last few years, and I can get a better one for less than I gave for the one I have. When I need it.

A new camera. A good camera is a fun toy. I have 2. The old one is a Minolta that I paid a fortune for before I retired (had more money). At the time, this was as close as you could get to a digital SLR. SLR didn't come on the market until several years later, and then they were so expensive, only professionals would afford them. This camera does almost what a SLR can do, or at least as much as I wanted it to do, but it has drawbacks. It's big and bulky for one thing. It's also a battery hog. It takes 4 AAs, and it chows through them in no time. I found an electric adapter for it, and now it just stays on the tripod with the stage for rabbit photo shoots. It also has issues...I guess it's aging. The other is a nice little point and shoot that I got at Overstock.com a couple years ago, and this is the one I can take anywhere. A digital SLR would be fun.

A tablet. Like an iPad, but not as a phone. Even if I had the funds for a fancy tablet phone with internet, I wouldn't own one. I prefer a plain ole flip phone for phone calls, and I just don't see me liking a tiny phone screen and keyboard for internet. The tablet with bigger screen would be for portable internet, and it would also be a toy. The other expense that might be included with this is the data plan. Something else I don't need, and I'm not willing to pay for right now. My little Netbook is serving that purpose without an extra data plan.

I didn't really need the Netbook, but I took advantage of the annual "tax free holiday" and got it at the same time as the desktop computer (which I did need). Saved quite a bit on both. I don't use the Netbook a lot, it's not very powerful as computers go. But it has come in handy, which is the reason I got it...for just in case. When I was without power for several days after the tornado, it got a lot of use. I bought a special charger for it during the outage that I can run off the car so I didn't have to worry about conserving the battery.

A Wii. I'm not really a gamer. I play little time-waster games, but I don't have much interest in the heavy duty type of games that you need a gaming console for. Wii looks like it would be a fun toy, so I'd get one if I had extra money. I might even get that new tv so I could dedicate the Wii to the old one, and keep the new tv for...well...watching tv.

You might have noticed a new computer isn't on the list. I don't want a new one. I love my current pc and don't see a need to upgrade again until it dies. Oh, but that reminds me...

Software. I'd buy some expensive software that I'd like to have but get by without.

Where do I go for my gadgets? Best Buy has always been the one for big ticket items like computers and tvs. Walmart is the best option around here for prices so I get small things there. I like The O for stuff that can't be found at Walmart.

BTW, if you're nervous about buying "refurbished" from The O, don't be. I've been very happy with everything I've got from there. Refurbished usually just means it was returned for reasons other than defect or damage, and usually doesn't include a manufacturers warranty (however, The O will stand behind it), but you save money on a perfectly good item. They also have good deals on new things that are just not the latest thing. If you don't mind an older version of a gadget, this is the place to go.

I usually buy myself something for Christmas from The O (like the little camera). They always run a free shipping deal at Xmas time. This year, it's a graphics tablet. I ordered it the day after Xmas and haven't got it yet. I've been looking at these for a while. I love playing with graphics and I think I'll like it. I went with a Wacom. It's (I think) the best, and I found a nice mid-range model. I saved a good $40 over what's in-store locally. Basically, it's so I can draw. I can't, not really. My mouse is a trackball controlled by the thumb. I love it because I have a hard time keeping a regular mouse on the desk. It tends to wander off, and I'm constantly picking it up to place it back where I need it. The trackball stays in place. I'm pretty good with it when it comes to editing graphics, but I still can't draw with my thumb. Can't wait to get my new toy.

Happy New Year from The Wee Dark Hours

Diversions

Besides my daily routine of websites, I have some I visit now and then for entertainment.

The Hollywood Gossip is actually one of my daily stops, and it's linked over there in the sidebar. I think this is one of the best and most accurate celebrity gossip sites. I take their word for it, and they will redact an incorrect report if it turns out they were duped as well. I love how they make fun of the gossip rags' headlines (that probably aren't true). I especially love that they share my disdain for a lot of reality tv shows and their "stars".

A slightly related site is G4's Attack of the Show. I don't actually goto this site much, I watch it on tv. The reason it's included here is the viral videos. I see many of them before they appear the following day on The Hollywood Gossip, and often before anyone on Facebook shares them.

Another show I watch and have mentioned many times is The Soup. I catch some pretty good virals there, too.

People of Walmart is well...about the people who go to Walmart. I think it must be mostly evening and late night Walmart-goers because I don't believe I've seen anything like them. I'm out and about in the earlier times of day, so I mostly see oldsters, stay-at-home moms, etc. There's the occasional rock star wannabe lady of advanced years. The ones who make it on PoW have to be the more dysfunctional members of society. Anyways, it's a chuckle to see how much shame some people don't have. Seems to be regional. There have been some from my state, but I don't think my area. A lot from California and Florida where...ummm...unusual characters are a given. And the other southern states where...oh I hate to say it but you know what I mean.

You Are Not a Photographer makes fun of the people who think they are professional photographers. They don't pick on anyone who takes a bad picture. They go after the ones who decide their fancy new camera will pay for itself and open up shop. Then display their work which should make any intelligent consumer run hard and fast the other way. Most of these outstanding works are heavily photoshopped, which really points to their lack of editing and artistic skills more than their photography skills. You really don't need much skill to operate a digital camera, but you do need skill and talent to photoshop. My last visit to YANAP, I was delighted that they are taking submissions and will open up a new segment..."You Are Not a Graphic Designer". Can't wait. I can think of a few who should make the grade. Oh dear, I hope I don't end up there.

Speaking of that, there's Photoshop Disasters. This is stuff from print and internet media that was actually done by "professionals". It includes ads that you would think someone would have taken a little more care with. Sometimes you have to look close to see the PSD, because hey, who pays that much attention to print ads? Bet you will now.

Not Always Right is one I just found and haven't been all through it yet. The premise is conversations with customers, and should make for some chuckles.

Missouri Trailer Trash has been around for as long as I've had internet, and I'm surprised it's still online. You have got to see it! It's not updated anymore, but it's definitely worth revisiting from time to time.

Some more diversions from my links database:

Crank Dot Net
Cracked.com
Facebook Status Stalker
Awkward Family Pet Photos
Parodyville
Pravada.ru (from Russia with love)
Fireworks (you need a Java plugin for this one, so allow it and go play with fireworks)

Enjoy.

Very cool

So I've had the Blue-Ray player for over a week now, and I'm very pleased. Netflix and music CDs work fine. Not so for the MP3 player. No place to plug it in, but there is a USB port on the front of the player. I tried to plug in the MP3 player that way, but that's not how it works. It tried to write to the player but good thing there was nothing to write to it or I'd have lost the files on the device. I guess the USB connect for the MP3 player is just for transferring files to and from it and charging the battery. But....

Something way cooler and much better! I can plug a USB flash drive into the BR player! I tested it with MP3 files and it was amazing. The sound came through the Bose rich and full. And there isn't a battery like for the MP3 player.

I only had one 4GB flash drive that I had picked up at a discount store. Functional but plain and black. I went on the search for a more attractive device to store the music on. Not only for aesthetics, but such a small black thing disappears when kept with the other black components. It could be lost.

Found some online, but I was hoping I wouldn't have to go that route. I made a point of checking any local store I happened to be in, but wasn't having any luck. The discount store where I got the other one didn't have any in stock. Then I tried Staples which is right next door. I thought that would be the logical place for something like that. Not really, unless you're a kid or a professional. The kid things were silly cartoon characters or skateboards on a display for stocking stuffers. Price was ok but none appealed to me. The real deal was in an aisle but they were all high end professional grade devices. And all black. I just wanted a reasonably priced 4-8 gigs in anything other than black.

Found it at Kmart. I don't do Kmart much but I did find my 1st MP3 player there when no one else had anything other than iPods and the like. I just wanted a plain music player, I don't need graphics and video. I liked it so much, I got a 2nd better one (not an iPod) later. So I tried Kmart for the flash drive. They had a good selection and I got one that was pretty much perfect for my need. Not too small, not black, and only $10. It has a loop so I can attach it to something making it less losable and easily identified as the music files. I'll look through my craft stuff for a charm or something.

So now I have another good option for music in the house. I like it! BTW, most of my MP3s were freebies. Some were burned from CDs I had bought. When I first got the cell phone, I was roped into the free trial apps, one being Rhapsody. The app was free, but that doesn't mean the music is. It's not. I went crazy before I realized I was paying for each song I downloaded. Quickly put a stop to that and cancelled the apps.

I learned how to search for free music online. There are lots of sites that offer free downloads, you just have to know what to look for. Can't find all the music you might want, but most of what I wanted was out there for the taking. I mostly listen to classic and oldies rock and almost all those old tunes can be found. I listen to Dish Network's audio channels (Sirius) and jot down any song that I liked. Then I search the free sites and usually find it.

So I have a pretty good size collection of MP3s now. Enough for more hours than I'm likely to listen to at one time. And there's still room for more on the 4GB players and flash drives.

Oh and I think I'll embrace the flash drive way of backing up files. I hadn't done that, and I'll keep an eye out for more in the future. In the meantime, I have an immediate use for the black drive that I hadn't considered before. There's a program I wouldn't mind having on the Netbook, but backing up the files was cumbersome. I had to unplug an external drive from the desktop puter. The flash drive will make that so easy!

I love technology!

Good morning.

Black Friday

Nope, didn't participate. Never have, never will. There's nothing I need or want badly enough to join that insanity. I did poke around the net on Cyber Monday, but there weren't any deals for me.

So I went in Walmart on Monday. Still not really needing anything but on the lookout for things I kinda wanted. It was a calm normal day for shopping. The insanity was over, and Walmart staff had cleaned up the mess I'm sure was left in the wake. Kudos to the staff! I wouldn't want to be them.

One of the departments I always cruise is electronics. I've been wanting a Blue-Ray player so I've been watching prices. It's one of those things everybody will need someday. Like when we had to give up VHS for DVD, Blue-Ray will make DVD obsolete eventually. I hadn't made the commitment yet, and still bought DVDs. I looked at BR players online to see what prices were doing, and I read reviews of the ones that interested me. One thing I saw was that not all are as good for DVDs. They are supposed to play them, but some brands had issues with older DVDs. That worried me, I've got quite a library now.

They are already pushing BR harder. The last DVDs I bought were the final installments of Pirates of Caribbean and Harry Potter. I was pretty disgusted that they were only available in a Blue-Ray/DVD combo pack. I was forced to pay BR price for the DVD. OK, maybe not forced exactly. If I'd waited, I'm sure I'd have found the DVD only price. But I wanted them now, and it would give me a chance to see what all the fuss is about Blue-Ray. When I got a BR player.

Back to Walmart. I cruised around looking at this and that, not seeing anything I needed/wanted, at least not at a price I was willing to pay. As I wheeled into electronics, there it was on an end display. BR player for $49! Score! That was the price I was willing to pay to give it a try. It was an LG which had always been one of the cheapest brands, but also one with less than stellar reviews. For that price I'd risk it. I could always return it if I didn't like it.

So far so good! Set up was easy. I only had to take the audio and video cables out of the old player and plug them in. Just in case, the BR player sits on top of the old one so I can quickly hook it back up. BTW, it's considerably smaller than the old DVD player. That's a plus. So is the remote, but that's not that great when it's black with tiny buttons. I think all remotes should be silver so you can see what you're doing in dim light.

Another issue in reviews was sound. BR is supposed to be better, but some consumers had issues with sound not being converted correctly by some sound systems. One mentioned the Bose 3-2-1 in particular. Damn, that's what I have. I've had this thing for many years, it's the oldest component in my "home theater". It has a DVD/CD player built in but that damn thing burnt out after the 1st year. Word to the wise - don't buy combo units. Part of it will die, and usually sooner than a separate component.

I do love the Bose, though, and would probably buy another one when the time comes. For my needs and space, it gives excellent sound, and I don't need a new one yet. They did come out with a new system based on the 3 speaker concept from the 3-2-1. Highly expensive, but hopefully by the time I need it, the price will come down.

So I tested it with the BR of Pirates. I didn't want to watch the whole thing again, I had just seen it, so I just watched bonus features. OK yeah, better picture. I don't have a high end TV (actually pretty low end) so I didn't expect the best picture that could be had, but I could tell the difference. It was like the difference between HD and regular TV. No problem with the sound. I couldn't tell if it was better, it sounded the same to me...excellent.

What surprised me was that DVD looked better. I can't remember which are the oldest ones in my collection so I pulled out one that should give a good test. I used the SyFy version of Dune which I've had for a few years. Very sharp and detailed picture. I really noticed it on pause. It might be that the old DVD player (almost as old as the Bose) is wearing out or was never that good to begin with, but it was definitely an improvement. I'm pleased. I also got hooked into watching the entire Dune series again. Got through 3 of the 5 discs last night.

The next test is Netflix. I'm expecting the latest in the mail. I checked to see if Blue-ray costs more. Of course it fucking does! $3 extra a month. Don't think I'm willing to pay that for 2 out at a time. Since DVD looks better anyways, I can live without it. If Netflix tries to force me into a higher priced BR package, that's probably the day I quit Netflix.

I suppose I'll be buying BR from now on. It's hard to resign to paying the higher price, but I guess it really isn't that bad. At Walmart, where I get all mine, it's $3-$5 difference. That's actually about what I used to give for DVDs. If I could force myself to wait a little longer, I could probably pay less as older stuff always gets marked down. Doubt that will happen. When I buy a movie, it's one I've been waiting for.

Oh just remembered there's another test. Music. I haven't had a good CD player in the house since the Bose player died. I just listen to Dish Network's audio channels. I'll have to check the manual to see if there's an MP3 hook up. That would be cool. I have it in my car which is much better than storing a CD collection out there. Most of my music is MP3 files, anyways. Don't see the jack on the front of the unit. Would be rather inconvenient if it has to go in the back.

Good morning.

Agnostic or Atheist

In the Beginning, I stated I'm agnostic. I've always referred to myself this way in the belief that it's the best word to describe my lack of belief in a higher power, my lack of religion. I felt Atheist didn't fit me as Atheism seems to be a religion itself, a crusade of sorts. But I'm not out to convince anyone else to not believe the way I do. I just have no religion, no beliefs.

If I didn't already know this, an experience in school made me realize it. This was an extracurricular literature class on Mythology. We were assigned to write a theory of afterlife, a myth about it. I couldn't. I had no concept of afterlife, no idea, no fantasy of what it would be like. I had nothing. I cheated and drew on an obscure element from mythology and very vaguely built on that. Basically, I wrote about Nothing. I never felt I successfully completed the assignment. If the assignment was an exercise in imagination, and I think it was, I surely failed there. I couldn't imagine it.

After seeing some online discussions that made me question the label I gave myself, I thought it would be a good idea to research some terms. The following definitions are taken from Dictionary.com.

Religion:
1. a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.
2. a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion.

Doctrine:
1. a particular principle, position, or policy taught or advocated, as of a religion or government: Catholic doctrines; the Monroe Doctrine.
2. something that is taught; teachings collectively: religious doctrine.

Deism:
1. belief in the existence of a God on the evidence of reason and nature only, with rejection of supernatural revelation ( distinguished from theism).
2. belief in a God who created the world but has since remained indifferent to it.

Theism:
1. the belief in one God as the creator and ruler of the universe, without rejection of revelation ( distinguished from deism).
2. belief in the existence of a god or gods ( opposed to atheism).

Atheism:
1. the doctrine or belief that there is no God.
2. disbelief in the existence of a supreme being or beings.

Agnosticism:
1. the doctrine or belief of an agnostic.
2. an intellectual doctrine or attitude affirming the uncertainty of all claims to ultimate knowledge.

Agnostic:
1. a person who holds that the existence of the ultimate cause, as God, and the essential nature of things are unknown and unknowable, or that human knowledge is limited to experience. Synonyms: disbeliever, nonbeliever, unbeliever; doubter, skeptic, secularist, empiricist; heathen, heretic, infidel, pagan.
2. a person who denies or doubts the possibility of ultimate knowledge in some area of study.
3. a person who holds neither of two opposing positions on a topic: Socrates was an agnostic on the subject of immortality.

Paganism:
1. pagan spirit or attitude in religious or moral questions.
2. the beliefs or practices of pagans.
3. the state of being a pagan.

Pagan:
1. one of a people or community observing a polytheistic religion, as the ancient Romans and Greeks.
2. a person who is not a Christian, Jew, or Muslim.
3. an irreligious or hedonistic person.


Ok then. Now I know. Let's pick this apart a little to see if I can figure out where I am.

I'll start with Religion and Doctrine. The definition of Atheism includes doctrine. Atheists "teach" their doctrine, same as Christians or Buddhists. Sounds like religion to me. Interesting that Agnosticism also includes the word doctrine. Maybe doctrine is actually just ideas.

There's a fine line between Deism and Theism. Deists acknowledge a creator, but that was the end of its role in earthly life. Theists believe that this creator is in control of daily life and destiny. Both believe in a higher power. Definitely not me.

As I thought, Atheism is a doctrine, a teaching, a belief, a religion. I suppose its doctrine could apply to me, but it still isn't quite right. I don't believe there is no god, I just don't believe in the concept of god, I can't imagine it. Believe it or not, there is a bit of difference there. I think the main reason Atheist doesn't apply to me is that I'm not trying to convince everybody else. At the same time, I reject anyone's attempt to convert me. You can't and you won't.

I think Agnostic is still the best label for me. I think we don't and will never know the truth. Whether because there is no way to know, or there isn't anything to know, I don't know, and it's not important that I know. Two of the synonyms for Agnostic are nonbeliever and pagan.

Hmmm, I could be Pagan. "a person who is not a Christian, Jew, or Muslim"; "an irreligious or hedonistic person". That definitely describes me, except that modern paganism is a practicing religion, which doesn't apply to me.

I guess I'll stick with Agnostic. That's still as close as I can get. Maybe we need a new word.


Good morning.

I knew it!

It was the software! What am I talking about? I'm just so pleased, I'm starting at the end.

I have Verizon mobile broadband for internet. This is my only option for highspeed, other than satellite and I did not want that. The price I pay for living out in the sticks. I had the 3G modem and it was good enough. Big improvement over dialup which was all I'd ever had before.

Then Verizon offered a $10 break on the monthly bill if I switched to 4G modem and plan, and the modem was free after rebate. I figured, what the hell, might as well go for it to save $10 a month. I'll get 4G here eventually I hope.

That damn thing has done nothing but give me fits! I never had this much trouble with the old 3G modem. I had to install new software as the old wouldn't work with the new modem. Don't have 4G here yet, but it's supposed to connect to 3G when 4G isn't available. Which it did. Some of the time. It was the rest of the time that pissed me off.

I think what was happening was that it was detecting the 4G signal from the big cities about an hour from here. But it wasn't strong enough to connect with it. Once it detected that signal, it left the 3G signal and I had nothing. Not only that, but the software constantly phased out. Don't have another word for it. It wouldn't stay connected, grayed out the connect button so I couldn't reconnect, and there were long delays while it attempted to reset to a signal. And I sat here fuming and swearing. I often had to close the 'ware and unplug the modem to force a reboot. I have the modem on a long extension cable so I could hang it high in the window to get the best signal (2-3 bars). I found it helped to hang it lower (like 18" from the floor!) to avoid detecting the 4G signal it couldn't connect with. Even then, the 'ware was still wonky.

After an especially frustrating morning, I called tech support, and the guy walked me through some steps to get to some hidden settings. For some reason, these settings are only available with a password. Once there, I saw what I had been wanting all along...a way to make the modem only connect to 3G. Now why couldn't that option be available in preferences? It certainly solved that weak 4G signal glitch.

At the time, I didn't think to write this password down, and I needed it to fix my other device, the Netbook. A little googling about the issues, and I stumbled across the password. Guess it's not really a secret. Cool. I didn't have to call tech support again.

But the software was still wonky. I was still shutting down/rebooting, unplugging/plugging the modem to force a reset. And it seemed to be getting worse as though the 'ware was degrading with each reboot.

I had mentioned to the tech guy that the 'ware needed some work. Maybe he heard me, or maybe I'm not the only one who had problems. Every now and then, I'm asked to check for updates. In hopes something new would happen, I always did. Finally FINALLY an update was ready! Took a while to download and set up, but when it did, the first thing I saw was the 'ware looks different. Kept my fingers crossed that appearence wasn't the only thing changed.

I do believe it's fixed! The 'ware has been stable. The password still works so I could set to 3G only on my own. The only complaint I have is that the widget (connect button thingy on my desktop) is bigger and uglier.

Now all I need is 4G. I was told that we were supposed to get it here, but the tornadoes this spring put that on hold. I guess they had to replace some damaged equipment on the towers, and they weren't ready to go to 4G. Now it will probably be longer before we get it since they had to install new equipment. Why they didn't just go to 4G then, I don't know. As long as I have reliable and reasonably fast internet, which I do, I can wait.

Still can't view videos like everybody else, but I can sometimes. I sure don't spend as much time as everyone else seems to on them. Probably even when I do have 4G, I won't do that as much. My plan does have a bandwidth limit, and so far, I've never used more than half my allowance. Since it usually takes longer than I care to wait to download a video, I'm very selective about the ones I waste time and bandwidth on.

Happy Thanksgiving. I give thanks for a decent internet connection again.

Good morning.

Random ruminations & rants

Happy start of the holidays. A thing than annoys me about the holidays (besides starting earlier every year) is what it does to my tv time. My shows skip weeks or go on hiatus until it's over.

Did I mention I hate the K's? Yeah I did. The K's, of course, are the dysfunctional family of Kardashian fame whores. Especially Her Kimness. Come on! Did no one see the whole wedding thing and quick split was a publicity farce? That's what the K's do. Any and every thing to keep their names in the news, and make money off it. There's no talent, no skills, no nothing. Kim came on the scene after a leaked sex video and for some reason this produced a franchise (or something). She claims she's a role model for her young fans. Really? For what? To show young girls you just need to be pretty enough and crass enough, and you too can be famous and rich. The Jersey Shore drunken sluts fall into this same category. I just wish everybody would quit talking about and taking pictures of them and they'd go away. It happened to Paris Hilton and she actually had a claim to fame - she was already filthy rich.

No, I have never ever watched any of those shows, or any other stupid has-been "stars" realty shit. Oh and then there's Rob K on DWTS. I want to hate him, but I don't. He's actually dancing ok, and seems rather humble. I don't believe he deserved to be in the finals, but he has that mysterious K fan base keeping him on. Wait, maybe that's not it. Her Kimness didn't last very long when she did it. Curiouser and curiouser.

What else is on my mind? How about murder trials? I should add I didn't follow the trials as closely or religiously as some, but I read enough to form opinions.

Dr. Murray - Michael Jackson. I talked about this a year ago. Do I agree with the charges and verdict? Not really. He should have been charged with malpractice, but of course that wouldn't do for the powerful Jackson family. They needed redemption for Michael and his estate. In my opinion, this weak and gullible doctor was caught up in the fame and money, and only did what his patient asked.

Casey Anthony - her baby. The entire country was caught up in this mess, and it was sensationalized to death. Everyone still thinks she pulled an O.J. I'm not so sure, and I think the jury did the only thing they could. What I got from it all is that the baby's death was an accident, perhaps due to neglect. It became a crime when the mother was directed by her controlling father to cover it up. Then it looked like murder, and so she was charged. They couldn't prove murder so they had to let her go. If they had charged her with what it really was, like negligent homicide or conspiracy (I don't know all the legal terms), they could have put her away for a while, and everybody would be happier.

What else? Politics. I hate politics and don't follow it that closely. I feel we will never know just what the government is up to. My political news mostly comes from Jon Stewart on The Daily Show, and he shows why the Republican candidates are all clowns! I can't believe anyone is seriously considering any of these idgets for President! Who would I vote for? Ron Paul. He's a liberal Rebublican - an oxymoron. I know he'd never get there. He's not even on the radar right now. I haven't seen yet what the Democrats have to offer. If I have a political leaning, it's Democrat because I'm liberal, middle class and union, and I remember the good years under Democratic presidents. The country began the mudslide in the Bush years, and poor Obama hasn't been able to clean up the mess they left. Congress fights each other on every thing he tries to do, and nothing is getting done. His administration will be referred to as a failure, but it wasn't he that failed, it was the Congress that refused to work with him. It's our government that sucks, not the president.

Good morning.

What I'm watching.

There's a few interesting new fall shows. I'm pleased the networks (or at least one or two of them) are spending a little money. They should have banked quite a bit after saving off the drek that is reality TV.

I just watched Grimm. Here's a different take on the classic fairy tale. It started with a twisty Red Riding Hood theme. I'm assuming there will be other tales and monsters as there's only so much you can do with Red Riding Hood. It's a little grotesque but not too gory. I can't take much gore.

About that. I will rarely watch anything rated R for violence. I just don't enjoy it and it will bother me. Fantasy violence I can take. It's not real. But the kind of things humans can do to each other...that's too real.

Once Upon A Time. Pretty easy to see this is another fairy tale theme. I haven't completely grasped this yet. I guess that was the plan. It's basically Snow White. There seems to be a fairy reality alongside or before our real world, and the characters are here now, and maybe they know it, maybe they don't.

Revenge. I'm hooked. A crafty young woman is destroying everyone responsible for her father's death in very elegant ways. How handy that she just happens to have piles of money at her disposal. Hasn't said yet where that bank roll comes from. I guess her inheritance.

Ringer. It seems pretty up front at first glance. Twin sisters trade places. But now it's not clear just where the one twin is. She faked her death, we know that, but so far, I can't tell if she's on the other side of the world or right there messing with the other twin's life. And I think the recently disappeared best friend is actually alive and well and still besties with the "evil" twin.

Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries are stacked on the DVR. I like to save them for a marathon watching. I always save the last episode of the previous season, too. That way I can remember what happened way back then.

In movies, I just watched The Green Lantern. I bought this one. I liked it a lot and it was a worthy addition to the comic book section in the DVD library.

I also bought the new Pirates of the Caribbean. I had heard Chris Gore review it, and he pretty much got it right. He asked, "Did we really need another Pirates movie?". It was OK (hey it's still Jack Sparrow/Johnny Depp), but I didn't like it as much as the others. Maybe partly because Elizabeth and Will aren't part of the story. I didn't like Barbarossa's cleaned-up gentleman persona, either. I much prefer him as a scruffy pirate, which happily he returned to at the end. This one ended as though it was really ended. I don't expect another installment, and that completes the collection in the library.

I rented Thor. Decided I better rent first before I waste money on it. I liked it more than I thought I would. I might buy it later for the Mythology section.

Sucker Punch (rented) was a strange flick. It was dark and a little bloody but in a comic book way. Gotta appreciate the art. Might buy it later. It's worth seeing again for the art and fantasy, and maybe it will make more sense the next time around.

When a movie in the library comes around on my Dish package, I'll DVR it if it's been a while since I saw it. Knowing is one of those. I can't remember but I think I rented before I bought it. Not the greatest movie (I don't think it did very well) but there was so much I liked about it and I knew I'd want to watch again. I remembered how it ended but forgot how it really ended so that was cool. I love the biblical mythology that was woven into the story which was part paranormal, part Sci-Fi.

Well, that's all I got for now.

Good morning.

DWTS - week 4

Still bored. What does it say about me that I'm still watching? But here I am.

Nancy Grace is the one to watch for flubs, and she flubs BIG. There was the nip slip and then the fart the following week. I didn't catch either in my viewing but saw them thanks to YouTube. Last week she managed to get by without anything too embarrassing, but she really messed up the end of their routine when she nearly ended up on her ass. I love watching her face after each of her dances. Blinking fast with tightly clenched lips. Since I missed the nip slip, I didn't understand until later why she had such a mortified face then. She didn't miss a beat for the fart, and it's been said that it was Tristan and not her. His face didn't stay quite as straight, but that reaction could have been to either case. Since Nancy is holier-than-thou on her show, I like seeing her so humbled. Oh yeah, raise your hand if you only watch (or vote) for Nancy so you can hear Tristan talk another week. He's Irish, you know. I love the Russian accents, but I could listen to him all day. He's not hard on the eyes, either.

A few things were said that said it all, and I can only paraphrase since I'm too lazy to look it up. One of eliminated stars who was one of the better dancers said, "This is clearly not a dance competition." Another who also danced well but is also gone said something to the same effect. Carrie Ann said, "Don't take it so seriously." To which Tom added, "Yeah, have you seen the trophy?" So there you have it. This isn't about dancing, it's about who has the most fans. This has to be so frustrating for the pros. They're competitors themselves and train their partners as though it's a real competition.

Who has the most fans so far? Ricki Lake is actually dancing well and holding her own. Of course she has Derek which is a big plus. Chaz is consistently in the bottom but makes it back over dancers much better than him. We know who his fan base is and it must be huge. J.R. has the rest of the sympathy vote, and he really isn't bad. The Kardashian brother is for some reason getting raves from the judges and of course whatever fan base the K's have is keeping him on. David Arquette is also getting underserved raves from the judges, but I doubt he has the fan base to hold him.

The raves from the judges? Yeah, they are still handing out higher than deserved scores across the board. What game is this?

I'm sure the flaming gay guy will be gone this week. He's an amusing novelty but absolutely no dance skills there, and Chaz has all that particular fan base locked up. I expect Hope the soccer player to go soon. She's an odd looking woman. Rockin athlete's body but doesn't look all that good in the outfits. An athlete needs to have natural dance skills to go far in this competition, and she doesn't.

This week we were treated to performances by The Bangles. I didn't even know they were still together but apparently they are (or most of them) and touring now. Jeez, how unfair they've barely changed and they can't be much younger than me! I'm not even sure they're younger. Where was I in their heyday? That was sometime in the 80's which would have made me about....OK never mind, I guess they are younger.

Good morning.

I think I hate sports.

Actually, I know I do. I hate sports when they encroach on my personal time. Case in point. I've been eagerly awaiting the new season of The Good Wife. 2 of the last 3 weeks, it was preempted by (I assume) some damn sports event. Well, not exactly preempted. Worse. It was run in entirety. Later. Later as in the DVR only recorded the first half of the episode. If this is going to happen all the time, I now have to waste DVR space recording the program that follows to make sure I get the whole episode. Fine.

This brings up another annoying thing that the powers that be do. Running an episode past its allotted time slot. Since I'm setting up timers so tightly (back to back on different channels, 2 in one slot, etc), I can't tell it to record an extra 2-5 minutes or it messes with another timer. So I often miss the crucial last couple minutes that set up for the next episode. Grey's Anatomy is one that does this, but at least I'm also watching Private Practice which comes right after. I miss a few beats while I switch recordings, but at least I get the last words. Not always the case with other shows, though.

Speaking of The Good Wife. Last week (got the whole thing) there was the hottest most honest sex scene I have ever seen ever. Yeah, on primetime network tv. He had her against the wall and you only saw their heads the whole time. I was mesmerized.

Dancing With The Stars. Bored now. If sports gotta mess with my programming, take this one. Won't hurt my feelings a bit. The judges have gone soft and are giving high scores across the board. Well, I guess that's their only option since everybody is equally mediocre and boring.

I've already given up on The X Factor. The auditions were kind of interesting for the really bad ones, but that's why we watch the auditions, you know. Now that they've got through that, it's just too boring for me. And it's conflicting with other things I'd rather watch.

Verizon rant. I just invested in a new mobile broadband modem. The offer lowered my data plan by $10 a month if I got the new modem and 4G plan. Well, saving $10 is good, and with the rebate, the modem was free. Right now, that's all that's good about it. The problem is I don't yet have 4G here. The modem is supposed to connect to the 3G signal in the meantime. It does, but not reliably. In fact, I think I have a faster connection than I had with the old 3G modem. When I have it.

I'm thinking the problem is the new software. It looks the same as the old one, but it doesn't work the same. It's fuckin wonky, and I think I know why. I just found out that the big cities about an hour from here just got 4G. I think the modem is detecting that 4G signal, but it's not strong enough to connect. I'm left in limbo with no connection because the software can't resolve it and it gets stuck on the 4G signal. After much cussing, rebooting, and pissed offedness, I learned that if I unplug the modem and then plug it back in, it forces the software to reset, and I get the 3G connect button back. In the time it's taken to write this much, it disconnected more times than I counted.

I'm trying something else as I write this. I was barely getting 2 bars with the old 3G modem, and hanging it high in the window seemed to help maintain a reliable connection. It looks like this modem is more powerful, and maybe by placing it lower, it won't be so sensitive to that faint 4G signal. I tried it sitting on the desk the last couple days but it was still wonky. It's now hanging lower than my desk top. So far so good.

Good day.

Of Facebook and DVR things.

I have yet another rant about Facebook and I'll get to that in a minute. First, I'll talk about TV. Summer shows have ended and the fall season is finally here. The DVR is filling up fast!

It's really getting hard to juggle the schedule to see everything I want. Remember...the DVR can only handle 2 shows in 1 time frame. It really helps that many of the cable shows are aired more than once, and I can usually find it in another time slot to free up the prime time slots. I've had to pass on a couple sitcoms, but I know I can catch them later in reruns.

I learned early it's better to NOT use the handy DVR button that automatically records every episode of a particular show. Instead, I spend time flipping through the program guide and manually setting each recording. There's a lot of back and forthing when conflicts arise from too many sets in a time frame. More resets as I forget I already have that one on the DVR or set to record. I almost forget that obscure show on a cable channel I don't watch regularly. There's some mental labor involved, and the thumb gets a workout on the remote.

Dancing With The Stars started this week. Meh. The producers had originally stated they wanted more A and B list stars and less controversy. Yeah right. What did they end up with? You got it. Well, there's Chaz Bono. I guess he's interesting for the controversy, but for me it's about his A-list pedigree. I'm looking for Cher to sit in the audience, or perform. She better! I suppose you could consider Chynna Phillips and Ricki Lake B-listers so there's that. Mostly we got more reality "stars" and Z-listers. Oh joy, another Kardashian. That means we get to see more of the K's because they're sitting in the audience. I really hate the K's. I don't really expect this particular K to last long on the show. He has the same K lack of talent. Any standouts yet? Nah. It's actually a pretty (low) level playing field at this point. Chaz surprisingly didn't suck too bad! First one off was that tall sports guy, I don't have a clue who he is. He gave himself a stupid name, didn't have an endearing personality, and he was a big klutz on the dance floor. I rooted for him to be gone and yayed when he was. Can't wait to see what The Soup and The Daily Show have to say about Nancy Grace. She's a running joke on both shows.

Sad to see the season finale of Eureka. That was way too short! And Haven, I was just getting into it. Warehouse 13 and Alphas are near the end of their seasons, too. Where did Sanctuary and Leverage go? I'm pretty sure the season wasn't over. I hate when they split a season.

Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, Nikita, The Good Wife, Harry's Law, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, and Big Bang Theory are back. New shows are Ringer (had to watch, I'm a Buffy fan), The Lying Game (these two are very similar in concept), and The Secret Circle. I'm also checking out The X Factor. I never got into American Idol, I prefer dancing to singing competitions, but I'll give it a try.

Oh yeah. America's Got Talent got it right. The most deserving act (Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr.) won, and the runners-up will have successful careers.

And now The Whenever Rant.

Facebook even made my local news this week. Maybe you read the uproar about the latest changes? Shit flew out of the fan, and of course over and over again as it was copied/pasted/posted/reposted. I was amused, and a little riled as evidenced by this rant.

Don't you get it!? You are Facebook's bitches, people! Slaves, buttmonkeys...FB has you by the short curlies. It gave you a taste and then got you addicted. There's even a fucking phone just for Facebook (surely funded by FB), and I'm sure there are FBers who just had to have it for their fix. FB is FREE, you have NO SAY about anything. Sure, FB addresses privacy and security issues. They have to in order to avoid law suits. But the rest, you are just their little junkies.

Facebook is in the business of making money. All those changes are to make sure it keeps making more money, and they don't give a rat's ass whether you like it. Every time you click within FB, they make a buck. Every status post, every game, every copy/paste, every photo uploaded or viewed, every friend or group or page is another click...another buck. That's why they keep suggesting new friends. That's the reason for this new format where the "top stories" go to the top of your feed (yeah, I don't like it either). Frantic reposting of every protest (and other causes) is just adding more money to their bank account. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that FB employees start some of the things that go viral.

Do you get any of that vast fortune? Profit sharing? No, you do not. Not a penny. If you spend a good portion of your day on FB (epic numbers of people apparently do), it's like you went to a job and didn't get paid. You made money for the company, but you don't get any.

You really want FB to feel your displeasure? STOP! Stop doing anything in there. Stop posting and reposting. Stop playing games. Did you know games are one of their biggest money makers? Get your "friends" to stop. Just say no. Remember that slogan? It was about illegal drugs, but it applies to any addiction. And that's what FB is for too many people...an addiction. At the very least, don't be sheep. Only use it when you have something REAL to share. How about a Facebook Free Day! Nobody in the world use it for one whole day. You better believe FB will notice that!

I also don't get that people think FB is a substitute for a business website. I see too many home businesses based almost solely in FB (and not done well). Hey, just because Mark Zuckerburg made a fortune from FB doesn't mean you will. Believe me, you won't. FB is a good tool in conjunction with a website, but you still need a site to conduct good and successful business. Myself, I won't do business with anyone who doesn't have a functional and UPDATED website.

Sure, I go there everyday, OK several times a day. I'm retired, I have time on my hands. But I do way more reading than writing there, and I don't click around that much. Sometimes I get the urge to respond to something, and then back off. Do I really want my opinion there? Does anybody really care if I do? I really only use it to communicate with my real friends. I use the Like button only when I really agree with something. Ugh, my English teachers would smack me with a ruler for over-using "really", but I didn't have another word handy.

End of rant. Maybe I'll start hanging out at Twitter to see if anything interesting happens over there.


Good morning.

Prequels Wish List

I have piles and shelves of paperbacks. Most are Sci-Fi and Fantasy series. I love a good series. One book is never enough about a good story for me. I love prequels. I love when a series takes me back to the history of the first books. I've been thinking about prequels as I read the latest books in my favorite series.

This might be gibberish to anyone who hasn't read them. If you like an intricate story that takes a while to read, give them a try. I'm attempting to avoid spoilers in case you do decide to check them out. I've listed the series in the order they should be read.

Dune - Frank Herbert. In my humble opinion, the best Sci-Fi series EVER. Frank died after the 6th book (Chapterhouse), and his son Brian and Kevin J. Anderson collaborated and wrote the rest based on Frank's notes. I have all 15 on the shelf, and another was just published. However, it seems it might not be worth getting just to fill out the series. The last one (Paul of Dune) was mid-point in the chronology and didn't give anything new. Rather boring, even. Reading customer reviews, it sounds like the latest is the same.

So anyways. Brian and Kevin wrote several prequels to the original Dune, and these were excellent. They explain a lot of things. Like what started the Butlerian Jihad. Why the Houses are enemies. Why "thinking machines" are outlawed. How the other elements of computerless technology came about. Where the Navigators came from.

The Butlerian Jihad
The Machine Crusade
The Battle of Corrin
House Atreides
House Corrino
House Harkonnen
Dune
Paul of Dune
Dune Messiah
Children of Dune
God Emperor of Dune
Heretics of Dune
Chapterhouse: Dune
Hunters of Dune
Sandworms of Dune

I'm also adding the movies that were based on the books. The original movie "Dune" was the best in my opinion as it was more true to the book. The 2nd was produced as a 2-part mini-series by the Syfy Channel and includes "Children of Dune". I liked this as well but the characters weren't all portrayed as in the books. For instance, Paul was blonde. In the books and original movie, he's dark haired. His mother Jessica was an earthy rather plain light-complected woman, but in the books and original movie, she's the dark exotic beauty.

On my Wish List is a prequel about the Bene Gesserit. This was barely mentioned in the prequels and it's something that has always fascinated me. Who were these women called witches and how did they develop their abilities? And most important, when and why did they begin the breeding program that pretty much defined their existence and produced Paul and Leto?



The Black Jewels - Anne Bishop. Bishop is relatively new on the scene and she killed it with The Black Jewels Trilogy. I've read this series at least 3 times. Maybe more. Each time a new book in the series comes out, I have to go back and read one or two of the others. After the trilogy, she wrote Dreams Made Flesh which was a prequel of sorts in that it tells 2 stories about things that are mentioned in the first books. With the exception of the last book (Twilight's Dawn), the rest in the series are more like side stories. They do give some new information, but don't focus on the main characters in the core story.

Daughter of the Blood
Heir to the Shadows
Queen of the Darkness
Dreams Made Flesh (this could actually be read first since it includes 2 prequels)
Tangled Webs (side story only important because it's referred to in later books)
Twilight's Dawn
(the next 3 are side stories and a somewhat separate series)
The Invisible Ring
The Shadow Queen
Shalador's Lady

On my Wish List is a prequel far in the past. I want to know what the dragons did, why they died out, and why 2 survive? Why did one become human (sort of)? Who were the first recipients of the dragons' gifts? What exactly are the Jewels? Well, I know where they came from, but how is it that they store the Blood's powers, and why do some get the darker more powerful Jewels? Who (or what) is Geoffrey the Librarian? He seems to have been around for nearly as long as the dragons. Was he one of the first Blood? What about the caste system, and why isn't it about which Jewels are worn? It seems to be something inherited in some way, but what? I get the feeling that it's an animal aspect which might mean the Kindred became Blood before humans. The Eyriens have bat wings so they're not completely human. And the rites that bestow the Jewels, I want to know more about that. I want to know a lot more!


I have a Kindle now, and I'm loving it. It's kind of hard to go back to books, and especially hard to decide what to do about my series. Some of them are getting very worn. I'm thinking I will get e-copies of my favorite series when the budget allows so they will always be together. That could get expensive! I have some series over 20 books long! I'll talk about a few other series next time.

Good morning.

Rethinking Netflix, and what's on the DVR

There isn't a movie rental store nearby, and Netflix was the best way to see new releases. However. Netflix isn't very good about getting those new releases available in a timely fashion so I'm waiting almost as long as it takes for it to go to a movie channel. I don't take any extra movie channels, and never use pay-per-view. It can be a long while before they show up in the ones that are included in my Dish Network package.

Netflix recently changed their pricing and packages, and a lot of people weren't happy about it. One change is in DVDs by mail. I can't stream movies so I have to stick with DVDs. I didn't mind that so much since that bill would go down by only subscribing to DVDs. Since I got the DVR, I don't watch rented movies as much. They often sit around for weeks while I catch up on the DVR. Netflix was getting their money's worth out of me, instead of the other way around. So I cut back from 3 out to 2 out. But (grr) not before Netflix soaked me for the new bundle package bill.

I do buy DVDs but only the ones that fit in my library. Like Sci-Fi, fantasy, comic books, etc. Even those are sitting waiting for me to get to them after the DVR. Is Netflix worth it at all anymore? I'm thinking not. I think I could live with waiting for movies to show up in my Dish package. Or maybe occasionally using pay-per-view for the ones I really want to see now.

What's on the DVR.

So You Think You Can Dance just wrapped up. The winner Melanie was predictable. I was bored this season. Way too much contemporary (samo samo) and not enough of other styles. Very few routines I wanted to rewind and watch again. A lot of new choreographers were brought in, but there wasn't anything exciting and new. Even hip hop was bland under these new choreographers, and even the regular ones. One new premise that I liked was mixing the All-Stars with the usual contestant pairings. The top 20 danced with each other, and then the top ten got the All-Stars as well as each other. That worked for me since I enjoy seeing the All-Stars again, but I think the contestants need to dance with each other as well.

A note on a particular choreographer. Mark Ballas (Dancing With the Stars) was brought in for the semi-final and had Sasha and Tadd for his version of a cha cha. It was so painful to watch, and the judges felt the same. Sasha is a fierce and beautiful dancer (2nd place) and B-boy Tadd has proven he can take on pretty much anything. That they couldn't do justice to a cha cha (the beginner's dance on DWTS!) speaks for the choreographer, not the dancers. Mark is so desperate to prove himself as an edgy choreographer, he ruined it for these 2 outstanding dancers. Just as he did for his partners on DWTS. It's time for Mark to go away, maybe concentrate on his music career instead. He can do anything he wants there.

America's Got Talent. Does it? I think America ran out of talent. The only things remotely interesting this season are the light shows. As of now, there are 3 light shows I think. A guy on a black light painted bike, a variation of Fighting Gravity from last season, and Silhouettes. No really good singers or magicians, or anything. I'm not into stunt acts and there are a couple of those. Even You Tube didn't yield anything amazing this season other than the guy on the bike.

I like Howie Mandel. Always have, and I thought the show would improve with him on the judge panel. Not so much. I'm so over his feud with Piers. Piers is the voice of reason. Most of the time. Sometimes I don't know what he's thinking when he puts something really bad through. Because he's a comedian, Howie seems to think anything trying to be comedic should go through, even if no one but him is laughing. Sharon is the buffer between these two, but too often she goes for the adorable, such as kids and animals. Everybody seems to forget this competition is for a prize that includes a Vegas gig. That means they have to draw paying customers and provide a show worthy of the admission price.

Covert Affairs (USA). The main reason I watch this is to see Auggie (Christopher Gorham). He's one of my crushes these days. I was so glad for the episode that focused on him and how he lost his sight. Surely he and Annie will hook up someday? It's obvious that he is in love with her, just a matter of time until they both realize it.

Warehouse 13 and Eureka (Syfy), and Leverage (TNT) are back! Yay! Nuff said.

Haven (Syfy). This show was gone for too long, and I completely forgot about it until this 2nd season. I like it. Would have been nice if they had rerun last season to get us back up to speed.

Alphas (Syfy). Interesting, but I'm not sure if it can sustain itself. The most interesting character is the strange autistic boy.

Suits (USA). I like court room dramas, and this is one of the best new concepts since Boston Legal. It's slick and funny.

Franklin & Bash (TNT). It's Ok. It's a lot like a recently canceled court room drama (title escapes me right now) but with younger guys.

I'm also catching up reruns of Harry's Law (NBC). I hope that means it will be back in the fall.

I've recently become an avid Daily Show (Comedy Central) viewer. This is the way to get political news! Jon Stewart cuts through the crap to get to the heart of what's wrong with our government and the media that covers it. I tried to watch the Colbert Report that comes on afterwards, but I got sick of it always being about Steven Colbert. Can we say full of himself?

Attack of the Show (G4). This is for geeks. I fast forward through much of it, but watch for certain things. Around the Net samples viral videos. The Feed gives technical news, Gadget Pron reviews gadgets. There's the occasional celebrity interview that I sit through because they're stars of current or past sci-fi things. Oh yeah, and Chris Gore gives DVD reviews. This guy is far from most anyone's idea of sexy (makes me think of a bulldog), but he's another of my current crushes. I'm really tired of the hosts' attempt at comedic banter that goes on for way too long. I have to fast forward through that, too. Kevin comes off like a douche bag and Candace as a ditz. Then for some reason there's squeaky voiced Sarah who was apparently a Playboy model. I guess she and her hooker outfits are for the nerd boys who watch the show.

Some of my guilty pleasures: (none are very well written or acted, but I can't help myself)

Teen Wolf (MTV)
Pretty Little Liars (ABC Family)
Nine Lives of Chloe King (ABC Family)
Gossip Girl (CW, in reruns)
Royal Pains (USA)


Good morning.

The Story of Everything

This was an episode of "Into the Universe" with Stephen Hawking, on the Science Channel. Hawking is one of the greatest minds in this generation, if not THE greatest. Imagine if he could procreate. The brain power that could be achieved by the human race in future generations. But that's a topic for another time. This is about the episode and where my little brain went with it.

I'm always fascinated by things that refute the Bible. I watch documentaries on such religious studies. A religious person might think these documentaries are on the side of religion, but if you pay attention, and I do, these documentaries raise more questions than they answer, and they actually question doctrine. The religious scholars who comment in the shows never say this is absolutely so or otherwise. Maybe it was edited to keep the whole thing objective, but I think these scholars are really saying this one fundamental thing. We don't know, we can't know. We just can't.

So I look to science for the best guess. This episode started with the Big Bang (of course) and Hawking's and his colleagues' theories on what happened. He says it started with one thing. Just one tiny atom. Hydrogen.

Genesis - creation. People took the Bible so literally that they believed the universe and all that's in it was created in 6 days. Science has proven that's just plain silly. So religion tries to adjust their flawed beliefs to fit the current science. Then science learns more, and more flaws appear. Christians believe their "Genesis" is the true story of creation, and the rest are just myths, including scientific theory. They are all creation myths. Yes, even the Big Bang Theory. The stories are created to explain the things that can't be explained. Science has just taken it to the next level - the logical level, and they use proven science to tell the story.

From the science arose another version of creationism called "intelligent design". This was how some religious factions compromised to acknowledge the science. It attempts to rationalize the concept of deity by saying that nothing is random, something...some "mind" had to be at the beginning to create it. In the beginning there was Nothing, and then "intelligence" created Something.

Here comes the part where my brain went. If there was nothing, where was this intelligence? It couldn't be there, nothing was there. If it was there, then there couldn't be nothing. What if there was always Something? Not an intangible "intelligence", but a real physical Thing. Hawking said in the beginning there were hydrogen atoms with their gravity and space, but he didn't speculate on how the first atoms came into existence. What if it was always there? Not magically zapped into existence by some deity. Hydrogen and gravity and space. Just THERE.

If we try to apply time to this idea it falls apart. Time implies a beginning. Scientists can only speculate on how long it took for things to happen. Their beginning point is the events leading to the Big Bang because that's as far back as they can go with the science. We can't know how long things were there waiting for something to happen, so we can't know whether or not it was always there.

Religion says the creation of life is too complex to have happened randomly. Hawking said that it could. A couple of hydrogen atoms randomly collided and created a new element and a different gravity. This new element's gravity and energy affected the atoms around it, and created more elements in new configurations. The chain reaction was unstoppable. Eventually this vast array exploded and blasted all those new elements and energy out into space, and those little pieces continued the process that led to life as we know it.

Religion says God is perfect, and everything he does is perfect. If a perfect deity had created the first atoms, they would have been arranged perfectly. That would have been the intelligent, logical thing to do, right? But intelligent design theory doesn't go that far. It simply says that the first thing, the first building block was created by intelligence. They can't give up the idea of deity because their religion won't let them.

Hawking's science says it was random, and it could only be random because it wasn't perfect. If all the little hydrogen atoms had been arranged perfectly, the exact same distance from each other in any direction, nothing else would have happened. They would have just sat there in that arrangement forever. But they weren't arranged perfectly. The arrangement was random, and the atoms' gravitational fields affected the space around them randomly. The concept of a building block created by deity is flawed because there would have been nothing else to cause a reaction. Even if this deity created the randomness necessary for things to progress as they did, it couldn't create the specific events that led to the first atoms coming together, the ones that led to us. Because it's random, it would be unpredictable and therefore uncreatable.

If that's true, and I believe it more than any religious text, life is the result of happenstance. Why is that so hard to digest? Why must there have been a mystical brain to create it? We weren't created by a god, we created god.

My inner geek wants to believe that time travel will answer all our questions. But will it? Anyone who has ever read or seen a time travel story knows that traveling back in time can and usually does change the future. The tiniest change in the past can radically change what happens later. The very act of traveling back to when those first atoms came together could change everything, because the existence of our time machine (or the device that allows us to view the past) in that time and place would affect how those first atoms come together. We might be a very different form of life. Or maybe we don't happen at all.

Good morning.

Rants on the Road

I'm in a rural community, but it's fairly modern, but I swear, drivers around here think they're on a farm access road or something. I come from a state known for bad (and angry) drivers, but the ones around here take the cake. I'll say it...these old farmers and farmers' wives are too old to be driving! I'm getting up there, but when the day comes that I can't drive right, take away my keys!

My first week here I saw 3 fender-benders in one day. That might not sound like much. Where I come from, you see at least one a day, and they usually during rush hour. This was not that. It was mid-day. Kids were in school, people where settled in at work, traffic wasn't heavy. No one was going particularly fast or trying to. In fact, traffic was rather slow. There was no excuse that I could see. I didn't get it. What the hell was going on here?

As time went on, I began to see what was going on. I think part of my problem is that because I'm retired, I'm usually out and about during the times of day the older also retired population is on the road. So I see more of what the old folks do, and it's scarier than a kid with cell phone in hand.

The kinds of things I see way too much:

Driving too slow. You know the joke. Can't see the driver's head so it's probably a little old lady hunched over the steering wheel. Or there's a hat just showing above the seat back. At least they mostly stay in the right lane, but you are at their mercy if you need to stay there for a turn and it takes forever to get to that turn.

Pulling out in front of you. What...is my car invisible? That's bad enough, but then they don't GO! They pull out, make you brake hard, and then just poke along like they're the only ones on the road. Are they ever surprised to look in the rear view mirror and see a car on their tail which they apparently didn't see coming when they pulled out? Do they look in the rear view at all? I get the feeling they can't feel the gas pedal or don't have the strength or reach to push it down.

About that. How can anyone drive effectively and safely when they are so close to the steering wheel their chin is practically against it? You've seen it. Elbows fully folded and tight to the chest, peering over the top of the steering wheel. You need some elbow room to maneuver. Most newer cars have a driver seat that can be adjusted a lot. You can raise it up, put the back away from the wheel while still keeping in reach of the pedals. You can adjust the steering wheel, too. Most of these seniors have newer cars, and it's often a nice sedan. It has all of those lovely adjustments. If your body is too old to fit any adjustments, you are too old to drive!

Speaking of nice cars, that's another running joke. Nice sedan = senior citizen. Beware. I'll add to that old truck = old farmer. Or sometimes shiny new one. My point is if it's driving like an old farmer, it probably is.

This next one is special. I mean really special and I'd never seen it before I moved down here. Stopping in the middle of the road and what...? I don't know, looking for a turn? Looking at a map or the directions? Looking at that thing over there? What??? I'm not talking about a country road. That's acceptable IF there's no one behind you. I'm talking about a divided highway with fast moving traffic. They just stop! Oh and there's no warning they are going to do something so stupid. You're clipping along at the speed limit or even over it, and then whoa...stop. Boy, have I been surprised by that brilliant move one too many times. And guess what? It's an old timer. You are not on the farm, dipstick!

Do I need to mention turn signals? Nobody...NOBODY...uses them! I want the guy behind me to know what I'm doing next. I really want to know what you intend to do. Is it that these old southern drivers didn't get drivers training? Oh that's right, they learned to drive on the farm in old trucks or tractors that didn't have turn signals. I want to know how in the hell they even pass a driver test when getting their license renewed. I think it should be mandatory every year after a certain age, and that would include the eye exam.

A little story about that. Back in the day, it was mandatory to take the written test every few years. I think now it's only required for those with a few accidents on record. I was renewing my license, and this little woman came up to me and begged me to help her with the test. I just looked at her and shook my head, and she looked back with pleading eyes, saying she didn't understand the questions. Or I don't know, maybe she couldn't read. Yeah right, lady. I'm going to help YOU get on the road. I watched as she went to other people. Don't know if she ever got it. Hope not. If she did find a soft-hearted but dumb soul, I hope he was as dumb as her and they both failed.

Where was I? Then there's the turns themselves. Most modern highways have right turn lanes. I see old drivers come to a near stop in the moving lane and then make the turn. The turn lane is so you can ease into the turn without disrupting traffic too much, you know. What did you think it was for...parking?

I'm going a little off topic now. Not much, this is still about the rules of the road. Now it's about shopping. Shopping carts, shopping aisles. Why do shoppers suddenly revert to British rules when driving their carts? If everybody drives on the right side, everybody keeps moving in an efficient fashion. Why is that so hard? It should be 2nd nature, you're already doing it in your car. Other things you can apply. Like looking before pulling out into an aisle.

One that annoys me to no end! Stopping in the middle of the aisle. Look around. Are there other people in the aisle? They probably want to go around you. Nooo. They have to excuse themselves, and usually louder than should be necessary, and more than once since you are oblivious. Pull the hell over! That's what you'd do on the road, isn't it? Isn't it???

It gets worse. Socializing in the middle of a busy aisle. Suddenly stop to chat with someone going the other way. Neither of you look around to see if this is a good place for a chat. I feel a bit uncomfortable having to interrupt your important conversation to say excuse me. And again more than once and louder since you didn't hear me the first time. One of the chatters is even facing me, but for some reason I went invisible.

I wish shopping carts had horns, or maybe those little hotel desk bells. Wouldn't that be cool? Not only would we get the oblivious ones' attention, it would get everyone's attention and they'd be embarrassed. Might get annoying but I think it's a fine idea. Maybe they'd learn.

I will admit that I'm guilty of occasionally stopping in the aisle without looking around. But I always realize what I've done right away and correct quickly.

One last rant. Cell phones. I notice if someone is following me too close, and I pump my brake lights in hopes they see I'm slowing down or coming to a stop. I'm really nervous if they have a phone stuck to their ear, and these days, 3 out of 5 do. If ever someone rear ends me while on the phone, I'm going to make the report call and then dash their fuckin phone on the ground!

It's polite to allow someone to pull in front of you when they are stuck in a parking lot waiting for a traffic jam to clear. I will let anyone in that position in. I'm just sitting there anyways, it's not going to slow me down any more. But if you are on the phone...no. Sit there and finish your damn call. You aren't paying attention anyways, so you won't notice me giving the go wave. I'm not going to sit there and wait for you to notice.

Well, I've gone on long enough about this. I will probably revisit this rant again sometime. There's more.

Good morning.

Random thoughts

Recently the term "act of God" was mentioned online. In particular, a car-deer crash. The insurance company calls this an act of God and waives the deductible.

Think about this. Why is a deer running out in front of your car an act of God? Did God in his infinite wisdom send one of his creatures to crash your car? Why would he do this? Were you in his radar? Why would such an important personage care about your car so much that he felt that it needed to be destroyed. Oh wait. This is one of those tests God is always sending, huh? Your faith needed to be tested so he wrecked your car by killing an innocent and beautiful animal.

I appreciate that insurance companies recognize there are some things we can't control or prevent. But why call it an act of God? Wouldn't "natural causes" be a better term. And really, does it reflect the kind of god we'd want? The bible toters say God is wise and good, blah blah. It's God's will if you survive a disaster, and it's a measure of your faith how you get through it. Bullshit. It's dumb luck if you survive and a measure of your strength how you get through it. Your strength comes from within you and not some intangible outside force.

I was thumbing through a Reader's Digest the other day, and a letter to the editor caught my eye. It was from a Jehovah's Witness in response to an article about door to door sales. I kind of remember the article and it gave tips on how to handle unwanted door-knockers. This JW felt he had every right to knock on your door, take up your valuable time, and spew his theology. I should mention it's not just JW who do this. Many Christian denominations do it, too. They feel their right to religious freedom is the right to infringe upon your freedom. Where did they get this idea? From their bible of course, and they take what they want literally. Interesting that they don't take everything in the books literally, just the parts that work to their advantage. In this case, the advantage is to recruit more members to fill their church's tills.

A few years ago, a family member was accosted by JW on Christmas Day! No shit! He couldn't believe it either. In the midst of their brunch and opening gifts, this band of JWs wanted them to listen to their sermon and of course convert to their way of worship. Which apparently doesn't include one of the main Christian holidays.

Enough about that. TV time.

Dancing With The Stars. What a great season this has been! The best I can remember in a long time. It was about dancing. The stars who deserved to stay are still dancing, the ones who didn't cut it are gone. Plain and simple and honest. We're down to the finals and it's going to be a close call. The freestyles are next and we're looking forward to it.

Hines and Kim. What a guy! I think the entire country is madly in love with him and it helps that he can dance. Unfortunately, Kim's injury (her neck was seriously sprained attempting a difficult trick in rehearsals) has them both gun shy and the freestyle might not be as outstanding as it could be.

Kirstie and Maks. I'm actually surprised she made it to the finals over Ralph Macchio, but he did lose ground with less than great judge scores. I'm sure the tallies were very close. I love her too, and she and Maks get along so great. But one thing has bothered me. Who the hell is dressing her??? I get that she's a full-figured middle-aged woman who can't get away with skimpy costumes, but most of her outfits have been horrible! Even for the elegant dances that called for beautiful flowing gowns. They've looked more like bad bridesmaid dresses with extra bling, or silly Halloween costumes. UGLY!

Chelsea and Mark. What a cutie she is! And she is a really good dancer. Mark is my bitch here. I've decided I really don't care for him. He is supposed to be showcasing his partner's strengths and instead seems to be channeling his inner choreographer wanna-be. He always outdances his star instead of being the frame and support he's supposed to be. The judges have called him out more than once for his edgy routines. It's similar to how Lacey Schwimmer (brought onboard as a pro fresh off her successful run on So You Think You Can Dance) was called on the carpet for showboating her edgy style at the expense of her star. Mark justifies it by saying Chelsea is young and the routine should be young. Young doesn't mean edgy, the judges still want traditional ballroom. In one of the early weeks, his routine was so out of the box, even Carrie Ann didn't like it. She said there's a time and a place and this wasn't it. That particular routine was really good, but not for then. It would have been a great freestyle. What's left if you've already done freestyle more than once. I am looking forward to their freestyle and hope he doesn't go overboard for Chelsea's sake.

I'm sure it will come down to Hines and Chelsea, but I'm not taking bets on either. I can't call it.

Smallville. The much anticipated series finale was kind of anticlimactic and a little confusing. From the beginning, it was said that Clark wouldn't wear a cape and he didn't. We were teased by glimpses of the red and blue suit, and it was even hinted that Clark's mother sent it to him. In the end, he did wear it, but we didn't see the whole thing. Just that final image of him tearing off his shirt to reveal the suit as he leaped into the sky. Yes, he finally learned to fly. Lex Luther returned from the dead as expected so the mythology is as it always was. I really liked the small story in the background of the last few seasons about how Martha Kent entered politics and then used her connections and resulting power to help her son in his battles. She went from a simple farmer's wife to a formidable woman.

BTW, you're right if you're thinking I'm a closet comic book nerd. At a young age, I was ridiculed by my "peers" for my fascination with comic books, and subsequently left them behind. If not for that, I'd probably be a comic book junky to this day. Instead, I indulge in film based on comic books.

There were a lot more season finales this month, and summer reruns and a few summer series will start up. Mostly notably (for me) So You Think You Can Dance starts in 2 weeks. Yay!

Maybe I can catch up on Netflix now. They've got their money's worth out of me lately! I've held movies for way too long while I watched what I had on DVR. I had to, the disk was nearly full almost every night. I've got a few series in waiting to watch in their entirety after the season finale, and they take up a lot of space. Looking forward to Supernatural and Merlin marathons.

Good morning.

DWTS - week 3

I am really enjoying this season! It's pretty even as far as how the stars are dancing, with some better than others and some worse than others.

I'm really really enjoying Kirstie and Maks. I can't believe how well she's dancing, and Maks loves her. That was too bad about Maks's stumble in the rumba last night, but they pulled it up. I think if not for that, they would have got a high score, maybe the top. So right now, they're my favorite team.

Unfortunately, the station lost service in the middle of the show, and I missed several dances. Wish it would have been some that I didn't like. Like Wendy and Sugar Ray. Sorry, I see them gone very soon. Not crazy about Romeo either so I could have missed his routine.

That's another thing I'm liking about this season. Voters are actually voting for good dancers! The bottom 3 last week were the worst dancers and it wasn't about their popularity. Sugar Ray was there, and these venerated old-timers usually stick around for a while.

There is something on my mind about the order of the dances. It seems to me, things should start with the easiest dances. Cha Cha is always first, and that's simple enough for a first Latin. I think Waltz would be a better first ballroom. But then they throw Jive in the 2nd week and Jive is not easy. The stars should have a chance to get their feet under them before they tackle it. Not only that, but it's one of my favorites and I like to see it done well. Rumba would be a better 2nd week dance because it's slower and the dancers can practice technique in it.

So what else is on the DVR? I'm suffering through the spring hiatus on many of my favorites. Hate that. I'm into it, I don't want a break.

Smallville. I have no idea what is happening here. They promised this final season would wrap up the Superman mythology, but so far it's been kind of disjointed. Like the Lex-clone now known as Conner. Is he the future Superboy (is there a Superboy?) or will the Lex DNA take over to make him the arch-villain again? I'm thinking the latter as there was always Lex, wasn't there? Lois lost her edge, and I don't care for her. I love the Chloe-Oliver (Green Arrow) dynamic, but I'm sure it's not going to be a big part of the rest of the series. Last we saw, they got married in Vegas and went off into the sunset. Yeah, disjointed. I guess what I was hoping to see was the reformation of the Justice League including all the former members of Watchtower. And will Clark not learn to fly until the very end?

Supernatural. The season is stacked on the DVR, and I haven't seen any of it yet. I'm looking forward to a marathon watch. Also waiting for it to pick up after the spring break. I might have to add this series to the library.

Merlin. Also stacked, and another that might be library-worthy.

Being Human. I'm not sure if I like this. The problem is there is 2 versions. The original British version that I saw first. I thought it was canceled when Syfy picked it up and made an American version with new actors. Then it seems the British version is still being produced. Color me confused. I don't know which to watch, and usually forget to check the BBC listings for it. This is not a show I fret about missing.

The Event. This is another one that irks me with the long breaks. I've lost momentum. Hey, if the break will be that long, at least run reruns so we can catch up again.

Other stuff I'm watching:
The Good Wife
Grey's Anatomy
Private Practice
Ordinary Family
Harry's Law
Nikita
Hellcats
Gossip Girl
Vampire Diaries
Mr. Sunshine
Big Bang Theory
Glee
House
Sanctuary (coming back soon)

Dish Network added Starz channels temporarily to my line up. Supposedly free for a year. I don't take movie channels, that's what Netflix is for. I have adjusted the Netflix queue as Starz showed some of the things I had saved. But I'm here to tell you, the Starz line-up is not going to make me want to pay for it. I find maybe 2 or 3 movies a week that I want to watch, and then they are run over and over again before anything new comes along. Why would I pay for that?

Speaking of Netflix. I like a la carte movies, but it's so frustrating that new releases aren't released when they are released elsewhere. What's up with that? At one time I thought about switching to Blockbuster because they did release them right away, but it's a good thing I didn't. The local Blockbuster is closing shop and I think they might have given up the movie via mail concept.

Till next time.
Good morning.

Dancing With The Stars - week 1

OK!!! Now this is the DWTS I fell in love with! Fun, happy, no drama or controversy, no divas or dickheads. No outstanding dancing out of the gate, but mostly not horrible either.

Most of the sports stars I don't know from anything, but I liked all of them. I think the football guy will go far on his sweet personality. A few people I've never heard of, but that's not unusual. Surprises from people I do know.

Ralph Macchio and Kirstie Alley came out on top. I admit I'd heard that Ralph wowed before I watched it. DVR, you know. Kirstie, now she was a surprise. I've always liked her, and sad she's had so much up and down in her life, and that tabloids tore her to pieces for it. She looked and danced great! 60? Really??? I'm very happy for her and hope she sticks around for a while. It looks like Maks finally has a partner who won't piss him off too much.

Wendy Williams was a disaster. I don't really know her because I don't watch that kind of stuff, but I know of her from my fav clip show The Soup. I guess her personality is best(?) sitting down.

There might be a dickhead in Romeo. Turns out he's the son of the king of dickheads Master P who had the lowest scores ever (2's) and somehow managed to stay around way too long. It took those low scores for the judges to finally get him gone. What happened back then was that Romeo was supposed to go on but was injured so his dad stepped in. And we suffered. Romeo is already showing his cockiness which doesn't endear him to me, but at least he's taking the dancing seriously.

Maybe a diva in Kendra. She wasn't a bad dancer, but I just don't have a lot of respect for reality "stars". She's not as cute as she thinks she is.

Good to see Dmitry back on the floor this season. He's one of my fav pros. His super model partner wasn't bad so hopefully I'll get to see more.

All in all, an enjoyable season shaping up. I don't have any favorites yet, but I think this season won't piss me off.

BTW, what the hell was going on with Brook's dress? Why was there a big floppy hat stuck on her hip? Where's the fashion police when you need them?

Good morning.