TV Drama Plots

Over the years there have been many dramas on TV. Some were westerns, some were police or private investigator shows, some were medical dramas, some were about lawyers. There may be a few other genres. Regardless, there are several standard plotlines that are recycled over and over. Sometimes they have to be slightly modified to fit the genres or era but they are very recognizable. Listed below are some of those plots. 

• The star, (a cop, sheriff, PI, doctor), is falsely accused of a major crime. Sometimes they are even convicted before miraculously finding the real culprit in the last five minutes. This usually involves escaping from custody to get the real bad guy.
• The main character or guest star has a twin or someone who looks exactly like them. Of course, one is good and one is evil. Usually, the bad one pretends to be the good one. Sometimes the good guy uses the identical appearance to infiltrate the evil gang. Somehow, they can even fool spouses or lovers.
• The cattlemen vs the homesteaders, sodbusters, farmers, or sheep ranchers. A goodhearted hired gun changes sides and fights for the farmers. Barbed wire is usually involved.
• Every TV private eye was hired by a precocious kid who offered a couple of bucks to solve some easy case. The case always leads to something much bigger involving real bad guys. 
• The fake and corrupt prophet/healer/preacher/cult leader was always good for an episode or two. 
• The psycho killer who was put away by the star (cop or PI) is freed, paroled, or escapes from prison or mental hospital. He then stalks the star to seek revenge. Often involves loved ones of the star being taken hostage. 
• In westerns, there was always the prejudiced army colonel or major or cattle rancher or settlers who have a grudge against the Indians. A past massacre is often involved. The star, the only voice of reason, finally gets the two sides together and they all live happily ever after. This was basically the entire premise for every episode of the old TV show Broken Arrow. 

  

  Broken Arrow

• We often have a brilliant doctor who is an alcoholic. The doctor turned to booze, or drugs when they couldn't save a loved one. He/she usually recovers to perform an almost impossible procedure and miraculously saves someone in the last part of the show. 
• The cop/private investigator star or his best friend is accused of murder. One shady witness is enough to convict them despite years of exemplary service. It's touch and go for most of the episode, but the star and/or his buddy is always cleared eventually.
• It's not an official private eye episode unless the star gets hit over the head. No concussion protocol was needed. 
• The star goes undercover, is almost exposed but talks his way out of it. When his cover is finally blow in the last five minutes, it's too late for the bad guys. 
• A once brilliant lawyer due to alcohol and/or some family tragedy becomes useless and maybe broke. Some underdog persuades him to take a hopeless case against the richest person or corporation in the area. This broken-down lawyer with a staff of one part-time person defeats the huge rich law firm and their rich powerful client.

This is certainly not a comprehensive list of the overly pat recycled plots. I'm sure you all have your examples. Plots you recognize within the first three minutes of the show and can almost quote the dialog that will follow. There are even some of these plots that are recycled over and over again in the same series. How many truly distinct storylines did Gunsmoke have?

wjh

But It's an Election Year

Lately, the GOP seems to think that election years are special and the government should pretty much shut down. Actually, they think it is a valid excuse to shut down the opposition.

A few years ago, Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, said that a vacant Supreme Court justice position could not be filled because it was an election year. There was no need to even interview a justice nominee by what he called a "lame-duck" president. Just an aside, a president is not a lame-duck during an entire election year. The lame-duck period is only the time between election day and the inauguration. That would be early November until January 20th. Justice Antonin Scalia died on February 13, 2016. A full 11 months before the end of President Obama's term. Judge Merrick Garland, considered a moderate, was nominated for the vacant justice position on March 16, 2016. A full 10 months before the end of Obama's term and almost eight months before the November 8, 2016, general elections. That is eight months before Obama became a lame-duck. McConnell said that the new president should get to fill that Supreme Court vacancy. That was a gamble on his part since if Hillary Clinton had won the 2016 election, she might have nominated someone more liberal and younger than Garland. He won that bet but it was still wrong. Presidents are elected to four-year terms, not two years and 11 months. Of course, the hypocrisy of Mitch McConnell was proven when he was asked what he would do if a Supreme Court vacancy came up in 2020, an election year. He said unequivocally that the Republicans would fill it. Now if you take McConnell's original argument that you can not fill a Supreme Court vacancy during an election year then I propose that the Republicans can not fill any federal judicial vacancies this year. Fair is fair. Oh wait, Mitch doesn't play fair or even pretend to. 

This election year magic came up again during the impeachment trial of Donald Trump. Many Republican politicians and Trump's lawyers have repeatedly said you can't impeach a president in an election year. You have to let the people decide at the polls. That means a president can only be impeached during that same two-year 11-month window. Now, in this case, Trump's alleged crimes took place in 2019, before the 2020 election year. So, I guess that means it's not the time of the crimes but when the Senate trial takes place. even if that trial is in January. This logic means that presidents can run amuck during election years and there is no immediate remedy. We have to wait until the election. What about the actual lame-duck period between November and January? Is a president completely unencumbered by any laws during that period? The oath of office is for the full term, not just three years or even three years and nine months. 

I'm not sure if this magic aura around an election year only applies to the presidential four-year cycle. Let's remember, all members of the House and ⅓ of the Senate is up for election every two years. Does that mean government business can only be done during odd number years? I contend that the Senate impeachment trial votes are invalid because ⅓ of the Senators are up for election in 2020. I guess the House impeachment was OK since the articles were voted on in 2019, a non-magic year. We need a ruling from Mitch McConnell on this.

I don't know about you but I think that our government and elected officials should function every year. I'm not willing to halt anything meaningful ¼ or ½ of the years. There may be some valid reasons for a slow down between election day and the seating of a new Congress or the inauguration of a new president. That is two or three months, not a full year.

Let's stop this magic year BS.

wjh

Hyperbole Gone Too Far

Every politician stretches the truth. Sometimes it is using selective facts and statistics. Sometimes it is a slight exaggeration, sometimes a gross exaggeration or an outright lie. It may be a lack of knowledge or a mistake or on purpose. 

We have become numb and immune to the normal hyperbole of most politicians. Words like most, best, biggest, first, worst, and other superlatives have mostly lost any real meaning. Unfortunately, the current rounds of political speech have gone too far. Politicians, pundits, reporters bandy about words like traitor, treason, lynch, unAmerican, unpatriotic, fake news, an enemy of the people, hate the US, soviet style behavior, for anyone they disagree with. 

There has also been the use of derogatory personal slurs for those on the other side of the aisle. It's a favorite tactic of Trump. He labels all those who are not in 100% agreement with him. There is Nervous Nancy, Crazy Chuck, Pencil Neck Schiff or Shifty Schiff, Lying Ted, Little Marco, etc. Trump is like that big bully in junior high. 

There are many examples of this completely unacceptable oratory. 

After Democrats questioned the wisdom of assassinating Soleimani in Iraq, certain Republicans said that Dems loved terrorists. That they cared more about Soleimani than gold star parents. What complete bullshit. Trump was the one some months ago who badmouthed a gold star family and former POW John McCain. Not a single Democrat questioned Soleimani's character as a bad guy. They were questioning the administration's decision to kill him at that time in that manner in that location based on less than clear reasons. Amazingly GOP House member Doug Collins apologized for his comments on Fox news. Kellyanne Conway and Nikki Haley didn't feel the need to apologize for their inappropriate comments. I hope everyone remembers their out of bounds slurs. I will.

How about people in both parties just say that they disagree with those on the other side of the aisle. Maybe say that they are completely wrong, uninformed/misinformed, ignorant, have ulterior motives, etc. Do not question their patriotism. Being patriotic does not mean agreeing with everything our government does.

Neither political party has a monopoly on patriotism or dedication to our country. Let's dial back the rhetoric.

wjh

College Bowls 2019/20

Once again it is time for the college football silly season. Each year there are way too many bowl games, only three of which matter. The rest are the equivalent of soccer friendlies or exhibition games. It only takes a .500 season to qualify for a bowl. That means six-win teams get to play. Hardly a mark of excellence. In addition to a lack of good teams, there are also suspect bowl names and locations. Many are just made for TV filler events, particularly by ESPN. So, let's get on with this year's rundown. 

For 2019/2020 there will be 40 bowl games. That means 78 different teams will participate. There are 130 Division 1 - FBS football schools, so 60 % get to play in a bowl. That is quite an exclusive club.  The first game is December 20th, the last on January 6th.

There are always some funny, awkward, or unfortunate bowl names. Almost every bowl now has some tie-in to a title sponsor.  Some of them this year are:

• Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl - Two problems here. First, it is in Nassau Bahamas, not exactly a hotbed for American football. The game is played in a crappy 15,000 seat soccer stadium. We have bigger and better high school football stadiums in Texas. Second, Makers Wanted is just a slogan for an industrial park in Elk Grove Village, IL. 
• Tropical Smoothie Cafe Frisco Bowl - This game is also played in a rather small 20,000 seat soccer stadium. No, it is not in San Francisco, it is in Frisco, TX. 
• Cure Bowl - Again a soccer stadium, this time with 25,500 seats. The CURE refers to breast cancer. 
• Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl - What's a Cheribundi? It's cherry juice.
• Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl - At least it is played on a natural grass field.
• Walk-On's Independence Bowl -  Walk-On's is a sports bar/restaurant chain. Hardly any of the players will actually be walk-ons. 
• Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl - Shouldn't this be named Tony the Tiger Cereal Bowl? No tigers will be playing in this bowl. It will be the Seminoles vs the Sun Devils. 
• Vrbo Citrus Bowl - Can I buy a vowel? 
• Famous Idaho Potato Bowl - I always find this name confusing. What exactly is famous? Idaho, potatoes, the bowl, some or all of the above? This is the game played on the blue field.
• Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic - Not a funny name but the game is no longer played in the actual Cotton Bowl stadium which still exists, it's at Jerry's World. For a few years, there was a minor bowl at the real Cotton Bowl, but none this year. 

The sponsorships change every year. Many only last a year or two. A few stick around for years. 

Because of the lax requirements for bowl eligibility, there are some pretty bad teams in the mix. If in any year there are not enough six-win teams to fill all the slots, they just waive that requirement. In theory, a six-win team will have a .500 winning percentage. Because we now have conference championship games, some teams play 13 games so a 6-7 team is still good enough. It doesn't look like that aberration happened this year. In fact, there was one extra bowl-eligible team this year. Toledo (6-6) is the unlucky team that lost the lottery. However, there are 13 6-6 teams in the fray. That includes The Kent State Golden Flashes and FSU Noles, two extremes of the college football spectrum.  

Enjoy the games, root for your team. If your school is one of the have-nots who made the dance, this is your chance to get a national TV game and maybe a big upset. If you root for a major school that snuck in with a 6-6 record you just hope for a win so it's not a losing season. I'll certainly watch the three playoff games that count and the Gators play in the Orange Bowl. A few others look interesting too. There is also the yearly tally to see which conference does well in the bowls. The ACC has ten teams in the bowls. The SEC and Big 10 each have nine teams. 

If these 40 games are not enough, remember there is an even sillier season at the end. That would be the four all-star games that have lost almost all relevance in recent years. They are now mostly populated by marginal players hoping for a look by NFL scouts. 

So, let the games begin. Happy bowling. Go Gators! Go SEC!

wjh

Sad, Angry, & Pissed

I held off publishing this post until after the Thanksgiving holiday. I was certainly not thankful for this incident. 

This post is partly a vent and a rant. As the title says, I am sad, angry, and pissed off. 

A few days ago I got a text from my son. He was informing me that one of his friends and softball teammates had been shot and killed. This friend, Jared, was also a friend of mine. I have known him for a few years through the softball team. 

The best way I can describe Jared is that he was a good soul. He was almost always in a good mood despite any problems he was having. He seemed to enjoy life. I never once heard a cross word from him. He was funny and fun to be around. From what I know, he was conscientious and hard-working. Everybody liked Jared. Well everybody but maybe the shooter. 

From the news stories and what I have gathered, Jared was shot by his half brother. The original story to the police by the shooter was that Jared was going into the half brother's house through a window. This house is also Jared's mother's house. The cops were suspicious and a couple of days later filed murder charges. I won't go into the specifics since they really don't matter at this point. The bottom line is that a 30-year-old good man is dead and his 19-year-old half brother is charged with his murder. In addition to the tragic death, that family is now doubly devastated. Unless the shooter confesses, we may never know what actually happened. It has all the makings of a family argument. Jared was shot multiple times, like the kind of shootings that occur during a rage. 

Besides being a good soul, Jared leaves behind a wife and two young boys. From all accounts, he was a very devoted father. He was also a gifted athlete so while his boys may inherit his genes, they will be denied his teaching, coaching, and encouragement in their athletic endeavors not to mention their journey through life. 

The last time several of us saw Jared was on October 16th. The last softball game of the fall season. The Broncos had just won the league championship. It was a fun night. 

Broncos Softball - Jared back row right

My son and I attended the visitation and funeral. Both made me more sad and angry. Hearing from those who knew Jared and seeing the photos and videos of his life reinforced my impressions of him. The funeral was a very nice service with a large crowd. Jared had a big family and many friends. Very nice services and big crowds will not bring Jared back or heal the hole in all our hearts and lives. 

Jared Moore 2016

Now the rant part. While I have no knowledge of whether the gun involved in this tragic incident was legally purchased or the shooter was the owner. That doesn't matter to me. The fact is that a loaded lethal weapon was within easy reach when this situation occurred. That made it deadly instead of maybe a pushing match or a fistfight. That might have resulted in some injuries but probably no deaths. There are way too damn many guns in our society. It is estimated that there are more guns than people in the US. I know several people who have no guns, so some folks have a lot of guns. Why do we need all these guns? About 99.99% of the folks in this country don't need to hunt and shoot for their next meal. Many folks don't live in particularly dangerous areas. The neighborhood where this incident took place is middle-class suburban residential. I know the stock phrases like "guns don't kill, people kill". Well, bullshit. People without guns don't shoot and kill. The fact that a gun is within reach when a family or domestic argument occurs instantly makes that event potentially deadly. 

I have no simple solution but I do know that we need fewer deadly weapons in the public domain. Let's make it harder to buy and own a gun. Let's make it easier to take a gun from those who shouldn't have them. Let's fund more and better mental health services. Let's change focus to saving lives rather than maximizing the profits of gun manufacturers. Let's worry about the gun victims and their families instead of NRA head Wayne LaPierre and politician's war chests. At least, let's pass the gun restriction laws that the majority of Americans support like universal background checks and red flag laws.  

Every time I think of this tragic incident, I get a tear in my eye and very angry. 

RIP Jared. We will all miss you. This didn't need to happen. 

Jared's obituary.

wjh

Seth Meyers - Lobby Baby

Seth Meyers is the host of the late-night talk show Late Night with Seth Meyers on NBC. He was formally the head writer and Weekend Update anchor for Saturday Night Live. He is a funny, smart, and articulate guy. I'm a fan and usually watch at least the monologue of his nightly show. 

Seth has a new comedy special on Netflix. Although he is very political and critical of Trump in his normal monologues, this special is primarily about his personal life as a husband and father of two young children. The title refers to the fact that his second child was actually born in the lobby of his apartment building. 

There is a rather short section of political jokes in the middle. The twist is that Netflix provides an on-screen button that allows you to skip the political joke segment. That way both Always Trumpers and Never Trumpers can watch and enjoy the program. 

The rest of the special primarily recounts the rather unusual circumstances surrounding the birth of Alexi and Seth's two children plus some other marital challenges. 

Seth usually presents his nightly monologue seated at a desk, Weekend Update style. I can remember when he first started hosting Late Night and did a standup monologue. He was pretty bad. Awkward, uncomfortable, and mostly lost. He has improved tremendously. He certainly doesn't command the stage like a Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, or Robin Williams (who does), but he is certainly adequate.

The material is pretty funny and self-deprecating. It is also mostly non-political. 

I rate this special a B+. Give it a look. Now streaming on Netflix. 

wjh

The Democratic Debates

I have watched all three Democratic debates. I'll watch the fourth and any subsequent debates. If the Republicans have a debate I'll watch that. After the nominees are chosen, I'll watch the general election debates. That's what I do. I consume a large amount of news and the debates are news. All that being said, I hate the political debates, especially the primary debates. Here are some of my suggestions for improving these debates to make them more informative. 

First, never have 10 or 12 candidates on the same debate stage. No one gets enough time to expound on their answers or policies. There are also too many interruptions and overruns of the allotted answer time. A few candidates get a lot of face time, some get almost no time. 

Limit each debate to one or two topics. One on healthcare, one on foreign policy, one on the environment, etc. Besides allowing for more in-depth answers, the candidates and questioners could also better prepare for the subject matter.

Limiting the topics would fix one problem we have had this election cycle. The moderators insist on asking healthcare questions. In fact, they insist on asking the same healthcare questions. Will your Medicare for all require raising taxes on the middle class? Will your plan force people who like their current insurance to change? Then if the questioner doesn't like the answer, they ask it again. Those same questions were asked in all the previous debates. It is as if healthcare is the only important topic. Another tactic would be for the candidates to refuse to answer questions that they have been asked, often dozens of times. Steer the topic to those not yet covered. Refuse to answer the gotcha questions that the media is so enamored with. There is no useful or informative answer to these types of questions. (Do you still beat your spouse?) 

The DNC could require the networks and questioners to stick to the agreed-upon topics. Failure to comply and the network and/or questioner is banned from future debates. 

Find some way to give each candidate close to equal time. That may mean restricting the time of those who don't abide by the rules. Maybe turn off their microphone. Real debates have real rules that are enforced. These political debates are more consequential than a high school debate. 

The DNC, media, and candidates owe it to the public to make these debates or forums meaningful, informative, and factual. I don't hold out much hope that any of these changes will be implemented. Both parties and all media outlets seem to be invested in the current very flawed format. We can only hope.  

wjh

More Information, Less Informed

In this age of the internet and numerous cable news networks, we have an abundance of information at our fingertips. We should all be far better informed. Yet, unless we are diligent, we only get that information in short segments. Very few deep dives where we get all the facts and context rather than just the headline. 

The cable news equivalent of the newspaper headline or extra addition is the breaking news graphic, announcement, chime, or the large blinking TV crawl (chyron). 

We also have many news outlets that are highly curated to give a specific slant and bias to the news they disseminate. Some have no regard for facts and spread conspiracy theories. There is also a blurring between news content and opinion or editorial content. We should all realize that Fox News is slanted toward the Trump/GOP agenda. MSNBC is slanted toward a more Democratic view. Neither of these networks has actual news programs during primetime. They are opinion/commentary shows. The same is also true for most of the daytime programs. 

As slanted as those two networks may be, they are "fair and balanced" compared to many media outlets. There are websites, podcasts, YouTube and Facebook Live shows, email newsletters, etc. that are at the extremes. You can find some outlet that will feed you what you believe is the truth and what want to hear. Of course, that is dangerous. We all tend to agree with the news that most mirrors our beliefs and views. We also tend to dismiss news we don't agree with regardless of the facts. 

I would encourage you to flip the channel, go to another website, subscribe to a different newspaper or newsletter. I would also encourage you to regularly skip the opinion shows. Watch the network and local newscasts around 6:00 each evening. Read your local paper and a couple of national publications. Give a peak to an international TV news program like the BBC or even Al Jazeera. See what the rest of the world thinks about what is happening and what they think about the US.  As time goes by, if you have an open mind, you will learn which publications, programs, reporters, anchors, websites can be trusted. None are infallible, but some are mostly factual. The good ones quickly admit their errors and correct the reporting. The bad ones simply forget the story or dig in and repeat the erroneous stories. Two different sources are better than one. Three are better than two. 

Find out who you can trust then curate your own opinions based on those facts. Even then, everyone will not agree. Facts are facts but they can be interpreted differently. Religious, ethnic, racial, gender, geographical, political, professional, etc. differences play into our interpretations of those facts. 

It's our country. It is our duty to vote and if we plan to vote, it is our duty to be informed. 

wjh

Goliath - Season 3

Goliath is an Amazon Prime TV series that stars Billy Bob Thornton as maverick and brilliant lawyer Billy McBride. A once big-time lawyer, he has forsaken all that and descended into an often drunken very small practice. Yet, he takes the down and out underdogs cases against the big corporate bad guys. He, of course, wins in the end against all odds. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two seasons. They are still available to watch on Amazon.  

In this third season, Billy is up against a family that controls all the water and commerce in a rural California agricultural area. Many farms, businesses, and residences have no water. The farms and businesses owned or in cahoots with the controlling family have all the water they want. 

Dennis Quad is the main bad guy for season 3. He plays Wade Blackwell, the top guy in Blackwell County. There are a few other big stars in the cast. 

The first few episodes of season three find Billy and several others in a hallucinogenic stupor fostered by Blackwell and his henchmen. These episodes were disjointed. Many characters came and went for no apparent reason. For a brilliant lawyer, Billy was extremely dumb and slow on the uptake. There was some bad, and over-acting by several of the characters. The whole script is filled with one dimensional, unbelievable, and over the top characters. 

Finally, midway through episode five, Billy figured out he was being drugged and actually began to act like a brilliant lawyer again. 

As usual, Billy won the case with some luck, investigative work, and legal maneuvering. The ending is also somewhat disjointed. It will be interesting to see if there is a fourth season and if so, how they put things back together. 

This was by far the worst of the three seasons. I can't really recommend this season, but it isn't terrible. The last three episodes are far better than the first four. 

I rate this a C overall for an uneven season.  The first two seasons are far better. 

wjh

We All Like Some Socialism

The GOP and Trump are hellbent on branding all Democrats as socialists at the minimum and probably communists. We can add this latest scare tactic to all the other fear-mongering spouted by our president. First of all, they don't know the meaning of either socialism or communism. Here is how Merriam-Webster defines the terms.

Definition of socialism -

1. : any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods
2. : a system of society or group living in which there is no private property
3. : a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state

Definition of communism -

1. : a system in which goods are owned in common and are available to all as needed
2. : a theory advocating elimination of private property

None of the Democrats are advocating the elimination of private property, no one is advocating the elimination of private enterprises. No one is advocating the elimination of capitalism. 

That being said, almost every government jurisdiction, be it a country, state, county, city, or town has elements of socialism. More properly termed government control. These are goods and services that are paid for by taxpayers and distributed to the users of these goods and services for the common good. Let's enumerate some of those. 

• Social Security 
• Medicare and Medicaid
• Police and fire departments including EMTs
• Courts
• County hospitals
• Public schools from pre-K through college
• Roads
• The military
• Water and sewers
• Some public electric companies and co-ops
• FEMA
• VA
• Food stamps
• CHIP

There are many others. The point is, we are not a completely capitalistic or private enterprise society. We all depend on government to supply many of the goods and services we use in our daily lives. We definitely depend on government during and after catastrophic events. 

You may say, "but I pay taxes or I paid into Social Security". That is true, but you are just as likely to get more benefits than you paid for. If you have or had several kids, your family probably got more educational benefits than those who had one or no kids. If your house catches on fire, you get a fire department response regardless of your tax payments. Maybe you drive a long way to work and drive on several town maintained roads where you pay no taxes. Do you think those people who live in FEMA trailers or housing for months actually paid enough taxes to cover those expenses? If you live to be 90, you will collect way more in Social Security than you ever paid in. Thank your children and their generation for funding those payments. 

Yes, the Democrats tend to support more of these government services than Republicans. This a matter of degree, not an abandonment of capitalism or private enterprise. The latest big dustup has to do with healthcare. If you believe that healthcare is a right and not a privilege, then government involvement is required. Some people will not be able to afford their healthcare costs, be it private insurance premiums or the actual doctor, hospital, and drug fees. One proposal is Medicare for all. Progressive taxes on all would pay for the system. Some, the poor, old, and unhealthy, would get more benefits than they paid for. Other, the young, healthy, and rich may not get their full monies worth. 

Medicare for all or some other single-payer plan does not eliminate private hospitals, independent physicians, or other entities that provide health services. It is designed to provide the payments for those services, not to provide the services. As with all the current and proposed healthcare plans, the devil is in the details. Medicare for all may not be the best solution but it certainly is a better option than anything the GOP has ever proposed. 

Regardless of what healthcare legislation is passed in the future, it will not turn the US into a socialist country any more than public roads have. 

Extremism in either direction won't work. 100% capitalism is just as bad and dangerous as 100% socialism. Fortunately, if you get past the hyperbole and lies, no one is really advocating either. The debate is about the degree of each. How much laissez-faire capitalism vs how many social programs? That is the battleground we find ourselves in now just as we have been for the entire history of our country. The needle will always fluctuate. 

It would be helpful if both sides stopped portraying the other as the devil and actually worked out some compromises that can work for most if not for all. 

wjh

Bicycle Rules of the Road

While riding today, I was reminded (twice) of one of the things that is an annoying and potentially dangerous practice by some drivers. I'll get into that in a moment.

Sharing the road with cars and trucks can be harrowing at times. It is an unfair fight in many ways. My bike and I weigh under 175 lbs. A car, SUV, or truck weigh between 3,000 and 5,000 lbs. The driver is surrounded by steel, has airbags and is probably wearing a seatbelt. I am usually surrounded by shorts, a teeshirt and maybe a helmet. Knowing those unfair odds, I am abundantly cautious when riding. I err on the side of safety if there is a choice to be made. I go out of my way to avoid busy roads and intersections. I schedule rides to avoid heavy traffic and congestion whenever possible.

Most drivers are just fine and do not cause any problems for cyclists. Of course, there are always a few jerks. People who think bikes don't belong on public streets, people (usually kids) who think it is funny to honk their horn or yell when they are beside you. Maybe the scariest are those on their phones. They are a problem for all of us. 

So, what is my gripe today? Believe it or not, it is overly polite drivers. They are drivers who want to give you the right of way when they shouldn't. The incidents today occurred at four-way stop intersections. Bicycles are supposed to observe the same road rules as cars. If you reach the intersection before the bike rider, proceed. For some reason, many drivers want to wave the cyclist through regardless of whose turn it is. A nice gesture, but here are the problems. Often we can not see your gesture through tinted windows or glare. More importantly, if there are other cars at the intersection, they may not be willing to let the bike through first. That can cause the stop/start dance maybe followed by horns, yelling, or the finger. Also, some drivers interpret the polite driver's gesture as meant for them, not the bike. It is particularly dangerous on multi-lane roads. It's hard to get everyone in sync when one breaks the accepted rules.

Look, I know many cyclists do not always stop at stop signs, me included. But then, I bet you don't always come to a complete stop either. Here is my logic. I am already going under 10 mph at the intersection. A cyclist hates to completely stop. You lose all your momentum and unlike in a car, we have to manually regain that momentum. If you see us slowing down to a crawl or even doing a track stand, it is because we don't want to completely stop and put a foot down. We hate to put a foot down. Besides momentum, our feet may actually be clipped into the pedals. 

A Track Stand

Bottom line, follow the rules. Most cyclists know that we are subject to the same road rules as drivers. I appreciate the kind gestures but we will all be better served by following the rules. Of course, this all changes if you encounter kids on a bike. 

Share the road!

wjh

Goodbye AT&T

I am in the middle of changing my TV/Internet providers. I have decided to ditch AT&T U-verse for those services. I have been an AT&T customer for various services since the days of rotary phones. Over the past year, I have ditched AT&T mobile and reduced my bill by ½ to ⅔. The service and signal strength are better too. Now it's time to do the same for internet/TV. 

Out with the old

I have chosen YouTube TV streaming to replace U-verse TV. I picked Spectrum internet to replace the internet part of U-verse. My new combination will be less than ½ the cost. This is not an apples to apples comparison, some things better, some things worse. It may take a while to figure out if this was a good decision or not. I can always switch back or find another alternative. 

In with the new

YouTube TV is one of many new streaming services. It is delivered over the internet, not a dedicated cable, satellite or DSL connection. There is no special receiver and remote. While I don't get nearly as many channels, I get most of what I want. There are no infomercial or shopping channels, no dozens of fringe channels I never watched. No 75 music channels, that's what Pandora and Spotify are for. I do get my local stations, the major cable news networks, the major sports providers including Fox Sports Southwest for the Rangers games, and a few general entertainment and movie channels like TBS & TCM. 

There are a few sacrifices. None of the streaming services offer PBS, although limited PBS shows are available online. I will no longer get AXS which had great music shows/concerts. I won't be able to watch the oldies stations like TVLand, MyTV, H&I. No more Gunsmoke or 77 Sunset Strip or Mannix, or Wagon Train... That's OK, I have probably seen every episode of those shows and 100 other old series. Also, I can probably find some of this stuff on the internet, it will just be a little more difficult than switching to channel 1136. 

Some of these like PBS and MyTV are available over the air. Unfortunately, I live on the first floor of a brick three-story apartment building which is right next to another three-story building. I have yet to find an indoor digital antenna that works consistently for most of the local over the air channels. 

On the internet side, I have increased my speed by a factor of over 10 and for less money. I am also hoping that the reliability of broadband and wi-fi improves. Hopefully, the equipment is also a little more robust. I have replaced my AT&T modem/router at least three times. I have also replaced the TV receiver/DVR. Of course, each time was a battle to finally convince AT&T that the equipment was faulty. 

I guess this can be considered "cord cutting" but of course that is not completely accurate. Yes, I am ditching a traditional cable TV package for an internet streaming service. Still, we can not completely cut the cord. We need a physical connection to the internet. Maybe someday wireless internet like the coming 5G networks (or Trump's 6G) will be able to replace a physical phone line, coax, or fiber to your residence but not yet. 

YouTube TV has unlimited DVR storage in their cloud and the shows are kept for nine months. Unlimited, that means you won't fill up the physical DVR sitting by your TV. The one downside, to me, is that once you pick a show to record, it records every episode including reruns. That makes the recorded library a little unwieldy but I'll fight through it. The problem of too much rather than too little. 

There are other minor changes that mostly will just take getting used to There are no more channel numbers, just names on a scrollable list. No immediately jumping from CBS to ESPN to TCM by number on a numeric pad on the remote. Sometimes the channels take a few seconds to start, there is the ubiquitous spinning buffering icon. I'm not usually in a rush.

I still get to stream my TV channels on my phone, tablets, and PCs. Important for when I'm away from home or when I am at home and want to watch two or more sporting events at the same time. 

It's a new day with new technology and new providers. For the first time in forever, I will not be writing a monthly check or two to AT&T. Like many companies, they have taken me for granted for years. Never offering the best or even a better deal to established customers. Rarely offering good customer service. When I called to cancel my AT&T U-verse service they, of course, tried to talk me out of it. He said I had two offers on my account that I hadn't taken advantage of. They totaled about $70/month. I didn't ask what the length or terms went with these offers. The reason I hadn't taken advantage of these offers is that I had never been told about them. Typical AT&T taking established customers for granted. The only offers I ever saw were for phone upgrades and I have never bought a phone from them. 

I'll let you know if this was a mistake. For right now, everything is fine. 

wjh

Old TV

I was watching Encore Westerns late one night and a real gem came on. I use gem only in the context of nostalgia, it was not a great movie. It was Hills of Old Wyoming starring William Boyd from 1937. For you young folks, William Boyd played western hero Hopalong Cassidy for decades in movies and on TV. OK, again for the young folks, ask your grandparents who Hopalong was. This particular movie had an added bonus, it co-starred George "Gabby" Hayes. At one time or another, Gabby played the sidekick to just about every western star in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s. This movie also featured Chief Big Tree who played the part of Chief Big Tree, a real acting stretch. The movie was fairly typical of the westerns from that era. Low budget, many continuity gaffes, weak story/script, and stereotypes and cliches for all the characters. The Indians were rather slow and easily influenced by the superior white men. Hoppy took on a slow staccato speech pattern with a strange accent when speaking to Chief Big Tree. Also, Boyd never took his hat off during the film so I don't know if his hair was completely white yet. He would have been about 42 when it was filmed. 

Boyd did over a couple of dozen Hopalong films in the '30s and '40s. The film series ended in 1948. Boyd bought the rights to all those films. In that year he rented one of those movies to a local TV station. It proved popular and eventually, NBC leased the whole library of movies. They made new Hopalong Cassidy TV episodes in the early '50s. There was also a radio program. Hoppy became a huge hit and began selling all kinds of merchandise like lunchboxes, plates, comics, dishes, cups, and of course, cowboy outfits. I had at least part of a Hopalong cowboy outfit when I was a kid. I remember the hat for sure but don't know if I had Hoppy holsters and guns or other outfit pieces.   

A couple of other interesting, at least to me, old TV facts from recent viewing were from Cannon and 77 Sunset Strip. 

A 1973 episode of Cannon guest starred David Jansen. The Cannon star was fat man William Conrad who was the narrator on The Fugitive TV show which starred David Jansen. 

During the '60-'61 season of 77 Sunset Strip, Richard Long joined the cast as a third private eye in the firm. He retained the character name and persona he used in the canceled Bourbon Street Beat detective series. In a '61 episode that featured Long, one of the guest stars was Peter Brock. Long and Brock would later star as brothers on The Big Valley.

Many of these old TV shows and movies don't really hold up very well but they are fun to watch. The stories are pretty thin and every show of a similar genre recycled the same stories. Like the old movie, the stereotypes are obvious and shocking. There was always a chance some future big star would be a young guest star or have a bit part. I wonder how the new programs and movies from 2018 will hold up in 50 or more years? 

wjh

College Football 2018-19 Bowl Games

Once again it is time for the college bowl season. It could also be named the silly season. Only three of the 40 bowl games actually count. You read that right, there are 40 bowl games this season. That is up one from last season because 39 is just not enough. The two semifinal playoff games this season are the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, actually Arlington, and the Orange Bowl in Miami, actually Miami Gardens. The championship game will be held at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Those are the three that count. The rest of them are exhibition games that are only good for bragging rights and recruiting. The schools may also make a few dollars if they are lucky. They may also lose money. 

Bowls used to be rare. Fifty years ago, there were probably only eight or ten games. A school had to be top 25 to get a bid. Now you only need to win six games, 50%, to be eligible. There are 125 FCS division football programs and 78 will play in bowl games. That is about 62% of the teams, very exclusive. If by chance there aren't 78 teams with six victories, they will let a five-win team or two play. With the inception of conference championship games, some teams play 13 games. A team with a 6-7 record still qualifies for a bowl. Gotta fill those slots so ESPN will have live programming to air. 

So let's get on with my observations about this illustrious bowl season. 

• The first six games will be December 15th, the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl, the New Mexico Bowl, the Mitsubishi Motors Las Vegas Bowl, the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl, and the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. All must see games packed with big-time football power schools.
• There will be four bowl games in the DFW area. The Frisco Bowl in Frisco, TX; the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth; the First Responder Bowl which is played in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas; the Cotton Bowl which is played at AT&T Stadium (aka Cowboys Stadium, aka Jerry's World) in Arlington. So, the Cotton Bowl game is not played in the Cotton Bowl stadium and the contest in the Cotton Bowl stadium is not the Cotton Bowl game. Clear?
• Orlando has three bowls, the  Cure, Camping World, and Citrus Bowls.
• Several places have two games, Tampa, New Orleans, and the Miami area.
• Once again there is a bowl game in that football hotbed Nassau, Bahamas. This year it is called the Makers Wanted Bahamas Bowl but is sponsored by the town of Elk Grove, IL, a Chicago suburb. Not sure what the name or sponsorship is about. 
• It's a tossup for the worst location. Boise and Detroit have games. Boise may win because that game is outdoors and played on a blue field. There is also the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. That could be pretty cold but at least it's in the Big Apple. 
• There are always some obscure sponsors scattered among the bowls and they insist that their name is in the title. This year we have Raycom Media, R+L Carriers, Cheribundi, Bad Boy Mowers, Quick Lane, Walk On's, and Nova Home Loans.
• Some bowls have incredibly long name as they try to get the sponsor's name included with the original name. The San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl, The Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman, and The Rose Bowl Presented by Northwestern Mutual top the list. 
• Gator is back in the name this season. After four years of being The Taxslayer Bowl, it is The Taxslayer Gator Bowl once again. Of course, it was just The Gator Bowl for several decades and was played in the actual Gator Bowl stadium which is long gone.
• The Gasparilla Bowl has been moved from St. Pete's Tropicana Field, a terrible baseball stadium and worse football venue, across the bay to Raymond James Stadium, a real football venue that is home to the Tampa Bay Buccanneers and the Outback Bowl. A good decision unless the weather is really bad. Tropicana has a roof.
• The Cactus Bowl lost its name and is now The Cheez-It Bowl.   
• There is both a Military Bowl and an Armed Forces Bowl. Different days, different places. Each sponsored by large defense contractors. Cozy.
• There will be some of the made for TV bowls that will have about as many people on the field as in the stands. 
• Most of the venues are at least adequate nowadays. That was not always the case. The original Independence Stadium in Shreveport looked like a bad Texas high school stadium before the city rebuilt it. Hell, the old Gator Bowl was pretty spartan as was the Orange Bowl. 

The first game between highly ranked teams will be December 29th at The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl when #7 Michigan plays #10 Florida. Go Gators! That is also the date of the two College Football Playoff semifinal games. They are #3 Notre Dame vs #2 Clemson in the Cotton Bowl and #4 Oklahoma vs #1 Alabama in the Orange Bowl. 

I'm interested to see how Oklahoma does against Alabama. The Sooners score a ton of points but play in the Big 12 where nobody plays defense. Alabama does play defense.

The remaining big bowl games are on January 1st, the traditional date. The most interesting of those games may be #8 UCF vs #11 LSU. The non-Power Five Knights of the American Athletic Conference (AAC) against the mighty SEC Tigers. 

It's almost time to buy the snacks, chill the beer and get ready for some football. It shouldn't take much longer than about 125 hours to watch the 40 bowl games. I'm sure they will all be riveting. It will all be over on January 7th when Alabama beats Clemson for the championship.

Let's go bowling. I hope your team wins.

wjh