Very Random Thoughts - April 2017

• Isn't draining a swamp environmentally destructive? Oh, nevermind, we no longer give a shit about the environment.
• Why does the world get so upset when chemicals are used to kill people yet can ignore years of bombing and killing those same populations? 
• Most things slow down as we age. One exception is how quickly I can now forget stuff.
• No wonder nothing gets done in Washington. Every meeting, committee, panel, etc. is huge. Anyone who has ever been in business knows big meetings assure few or no results. 
• We have become a society of victims. Victims looking to sue for a big settlement. 
• Most conspiracy theorists are anti-government. They think our government is incompetent yet they believe that same government can pull off vast conspiracies and keep them a secret for decades. Seems contradictory. 
• So let me get this right. Fox News released Bill O'Reilly because of sexual harassment allegations that were paid off to keep quiet. Yet, Fox News knew about the allegations and helped O'Reilly make those payments.  
• Should we say "thank you" when Alexa, Siri or Google answers a question or performs a task? I think so.
• Is Adam Sandler the most over rated, over paid comedian or is it Kevin James?
• What's the difference between sauce and gravy?

wjh

Very Random Thoughts - March 2017

• You can't fact check feelings.
• Why are there braille keys and audio instructions on a drive-up ATM? 
• Who are backseat drivers going to yell at when we all have self-driving cars?
• Same vein, what will Google or Siri say when the kids keep asking "are we there yet"?
• Will the automated driver threaten to "stop this car right now" when the kids are misbehaving?
• Amazing. Ian McCaw, the former Baylor athletic director, who was placed on probation and later resigned due to the school's sexual assault scandal has a new job. He is now the athletic director at another alleged "Christian" institution, Liberty University. Are Liberty football players now allowed to rape female students?
• Are people so needy that they require "likes", comments and "shares" on Facebook? 
• Please explain this to me. People who have survived some dangerous situation say that God &/or Christ was looking out for them. Often that same situation includes others who died. What was god looking at then?
• Seems like whenever government is involved in something that went awry, a spokesperson says that they followed all their procedures. Not common sense or good judgment but procedures. We probably need fewer procedures and more common sense.
• Do you ever refer to someone as "that old person" only to realize they may be younger than you?
• It always amazes me how stars of TV series can recover from life-threatening wounds in time for the following week's episode. Seem like Matt Dillon got shot two or three times a season, yet never missed a show. 
• Isn't it great when you really want something to eat/drink and you're not sure if you have any in the kitchen then you find that something? It could be the last piece of pie or cake, a few spoonfuls of ice cream, leftovers from a favorite meal, the last beer in the fridge, etc. 
• Of course, the opposite is also true when all of that something is really gone. Crestfallen disappointment. 

wjh

Kroger Automation

A few weeks ago Kroger updated the software on their self-checkout stations. They are very annoying. By the time I can attach two reusable bags to the frames, it asks 5 or 6 times "are you using your own bags?". The attendant now has to come to your station and scan their badge to approve beer & wine purchases. It announces the price of each item and immediately tells you to place the item in the bag. On produce, when you enter the PLU # or name, it repeats every number or letter you key in. It repeats your total bill when you hit the "pay now" button and then proceeds to give excruciatingly detailed instructions on how to check out. Of course, Chatty Kroger Kathy reminds you to remove your bags and take your receipt before leaving, multiple times. Please and thank you apparently aren't in the new vocabulary.

I realize that the self-checkout kiosks need to verbalize some instructions, especially for newbies. But do they have to browbeat the customer and not allow even a nanosecond to elapse for an action to be completed before a scolding? "Resistance is futile."

I know, why don't I just go to a human cashier? The main reason is that I normally ride my bike to the grocery store. That means I have a limited amount of cargo space. It also means that the ride home is easier and safer if the load is balanced. It doesn't have to be exact, but I don't want 25 lbs. in one sack and only a bag of chips in the other. I might tip over. Cashiers and baggers have no clue about that. They are used to putting just a couple of items into those plastic bags. Besides balance, when you load up two reusable bags there is a good chance that the crushable stuff will wind up on the bottom. It gets even more crushed during a bumpy bike ride home. I don't have shocks on my bicycles.

So you see, I'm stuck between two dilemmas. I either put up with an annoying automated bitch or less than competent bagging.

The old self-checkout software was OK, only annoying at times, not always. I wonder how many marketing, design, and psychology geniuses worked on this new improved customer interface? Or maybe they just let the antisocial geek programmer in the back of the IT department write it without any input. Either way, I'm sure nobody involved with the upgrade actually uses self-checkout.

I fully realize that this is a first-world problem but hey, I live in a first-world country.

wjh

Brain Farts III

• Was baking some sweet potatoes the other night and fell asleep. Luckily precision timing isn't required. They sure were tender. And delicious.
• You can't go to a liquor store on a Sunday in Texas. Well, you can go to the store but it will be closed.
• A pesky gnat was annoying me while I was watching TV. Thought it landed on my leg so I gave it a fast hard slap. Turns out the gnat on my leg was actually a very small scab. That scab is now dead. The gnat is going strong.
• Went to the dark kitchen during a commercial. Opened the fridge, grabbed a beer and tried to put it in the koozie I had in my hand. Seems you have to remove the empty before inserting a fresh beverage. 
• Got up from my chair, grabbed the dirty plate and glass, then headed straight to the bathroom. I guess technically you can wash your dishes in the bathroom but I usually prefer the dishwasher. My dishwasher happens to be located in the kitchen.
• Put a beer in the freezer when I got home from the store. Then a friend called and I went to her house. That beer was damn solid when I got home.
• On the same return trip, I failed to zip my bike seat bag that had my money, credit cards and keys in it. It's hard to unlock the door without keys. Retraced my route and luckily found the keys on the street. Also lucky the money and credit cards didn't fall out.
• I broke a bottle on the kitchen floor. Vacuumed and mopped. Of course a couple of days later I found a glass sliver with my foot. Deep enough to draw blood. I decided to pull it out with my fingers instead of tweezers. Now I have a bleeding foot and finger. Double the pleasure.
• Over the years as I age, I've gotten a little better about making notes to remind me of stuff. Now, I'm finding that often I have no idea what the note means or what I was trying to remind myself about.  CRS (Can't Remember Shit) disease is a real affliction. 
• I now have to set a kitchen timer and a timer on my phone or Google Home when I am cooking. I often don't hear the kitchen timer. The phone is usually closer to me and more persistent. Hearing and brains both deteriorate. 
• I had left my koozie on the counter next to the fridge the night before. After a bike ride, I grabbed a beer and put it on the same counter. Then I picked up the koozie and put it in the cabinet. Of course, I then opened the cabinet and grabbed my koozie. All's well that ends well.
• I put the cucumber skins and a lettuce core into a used baggie so it wouldn't stink up the place or draw gnats. Instead of throwing it into the garbage, I put it back in the fridge.  
• I discovered tonight that when watching Netflix on my Roku, my DVR remote will not pause, fast forward or rewind the program.
• I have determined through experience that when you turn on the wrong burner, it takes damn near forever to cook the food. It seems to get stuck at room temperature.
• There is no need to start the kitchen timer before you put the food in the oven. I've never seen a recipe that started with "leave uncooked food on counter 12 minutes at 72°".
• How long does it take to brew a cup of hot tea in the fridge? I mistakenly tried to find out the other day.  
• Sometimes I put something down, like keys or glasses, in a place not normal but convenient at the time. I often think when I do it that I won't remember where I left my stuff. That thought is about 98% correct.
• If a thought pops into my head that needs some internet answer, verification or just further information, I can lose that thought before I can get to the bookmarks tab. That's even when I'm already on the computer or phone.
• There is no need to put the pepper mill in the fridge after using.
• Wrote a check to pay a bill. Noted the check number on the bill then filed the CHECK with the paid bills. 
• I have found that you are much more likely to get a response to a text or email if you actually send it to the intended recipient. 
• I have one of those watches/fitness bands that the screen comes on when you raise your arm and turn your wrist. I was in a dark room and did the required arm movement to see what time it was. The screen didn't come on so I tried again, same result. One more try and I started to reach to push the button on the watch. At that moment, I remembered that it was on the nightstand charging. BTW, it was 6:42 AM.

wjh

Very Random Thoughts - February 2017

• In February, you have to cram a whole month's worth of random thoughts into only 28 days.
• We have become so used to constant noise that if there are more than a couple of seconds of silence on the TV we think it is technical difficulty.
• Be very suspicious when you hear politicians and others say things like "always", "never", "worst or best ever", "first time ever"... Or now when Trump says "tremendous","fantastic", "huge", "believe me", "trust me"
• I have at least nine pairs of readers scattered around the apartment. I also have a pair I leave at a friend's house. Does this seem excessive? Of course I still often don't have a pair within reach when I need them.
• Is the new Big Mac Jr. an oxymoron?
• You don't see as many quicksand accidents on TV as you used too. That used to be a staple danger in old Westerns and adventure shows.
• Style, not substance. The messenger, not the message. Form, not facts. 
• Why does honey have a "best by" date? Honey lasts for centuries. 
• I think Fox News and MSNBC should be forced to share offices and on-air shows. It might thin the herd of talking head BS "analysts" (there would probably be a body count). It would also present both extreme sides of the issue so people could decide for themselves. Hyperbole from both sides might cancel out. Better than fake reality TV.
• Even the science fiction writers of the last few decades did not predict the advancements in technology. Our smartphones are better than the communicators and comm badges on Star Trek. Google is at least as smart as the Enterprise computer. Holodecks are probably close. But, we still don't have transporters and warp drives.
• That rolling down the window gesture has no meaning or connection to the youth of today. Power windows their whole life. I guess you have to text people now or maybe knock on the window if you're close enough.
• Was listening to music and "Black Magic Woman" by Santana came on. Is that song about a Black woman who is magic or a woman of indeterminate race who practices black magic?
• I'm beginning to think all those tests on Facebook are not entirely honest. "Most people can only answer 4 out of 10 correctly". "Only 1 in 50 will get this right". Either that or everyone I know is a genius. #clickbait 

wjh

Manchester by the Sea

I realize that Manchester by the Sea has been out for awhile, but we just got around to it. The movie has not had a wide release in our area. At the theater we usually go to, it was only showing once on Friday at 4:40 and once on Sunday. For those of you who are impatient and want my opinion, I liked it.

The film is a character driven story. No car chases, little violence and no nudity. It is about a very damaged man, Lee, dealing with his past and the death of his brother. That now dead brother has designated Lee as guardian of his teenage son and executor of his estate. 

As expected, it is not a smooth transition. There is also the side story about Lee's family's horrific tragedy and contact with his former wife. It is well into the movie before we are let into the tragedy via flashbacks. His nephew's relationship with his estranged mother also comes into play. 

This is a very serious and often dark film. There is little comic or light relief. Nobody seems happy with their life, they just go through the motions. On the bright side, the performances are outstanding and some of the scenery is gorgeous. For those of us not from the northeast, the Massachusetts accents can be amusing. 

Casey Affleck is tremendous as the tormented and flawed Lee Chandler. Lucas Hedges is terrific as the 16 year old nephew who just lost his father. The relationship between them is the main driver of the film. Michelle Williams plays Randi, Lee's ex-wife. All the players do a good job.

The story takes an up and down winding road path to what some may see as a less than satisfactory and abrupt ending. I won't give anything away, but it does not appear that everyone lives happily ever after. Maybe not a completely happy ending, but pretty pragmatic and realistic. 

Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges and Michelle Williams and the film are nominated for a total of six Oscars including best picture. Casey and Lucas are very deserving and could win. Michelle is OK, but I don't see an Oscar for her this time. The other categories, best picture, direction, and writing are all deserving of the nominations.

I give this movie a solid A rating and recommend it. Not for everyone, but a well written, well acted, well executed film. 

wjh

Bridge of Spies

Finally got around to watching Bridge of Spies. I enjoyed it. The movie takes place in the late 1950's and early 1960's and revolves around the true events of the capture and spy exchange of U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers and Soviet spy Rudolph Abel. 

Tom Hanks plays James Donovan, the lawyer who defended Abel and negotiated the exchange. If you want to know all the details, watch the movie. It received six Academy Award nominations and Mark Rylance (Rudolph Abel) won the Oscar for best supporting actor. Steven Spielberg produced and directed the movie.

The movie is very well acted and well done. It captures the look and feel of the 50's both here in the United States and in what was then still Soviet East Germany. 

The movie shows us how paranoia can take hold and effect an entire nation. We were so scared of the USSR during this period of the Cold War that we were willing to compromise our laws and ideals. Our government knew best. Anything was fair game if it was against Russia and made us feel a little safer. The judge, lawyers, FBI, CIA and the public were all willing to ignore our Constitution and laws to convict Abel of spying. It is worth noting how easily we are willing to surrender our rights for even a false sense of security. It seems an appropriate lesson for these times. Give it a watch for a little history refresher and some entertainment. 

The movie is a little long at almost 2½ hours. It is playing this month on Showtime and available at Redbox so there should be plenty of opportunities to catch this movie if you missed it in the theaters or just want to see it again. 

The movie is a little long at almost 2½ hours. It is well worth the time though and gets a solid A from me. 

wjh