DVR

Posted on October 15, 2011 | 2 comments

There are few technologies that are resisted, yet when tried, turn out to be required.  DVR is one of them.

However, I am finding that what DVR did was set off an “arms race”.  It is no longer enough that I be able to pause TV to grab a beer or put the kids back to bed.  No.  It has now become too inconvenient to even fast-forward through the commercials only to not go fast enough and then hit play juuust too late.  So you have to hit rewind a couple of times.

No.  That won’t do.

Now I have to buy re-run TV on DVD.

But I can’t tell you the hit of joy I get when the show fades to black signifying a commercial and I can just sit back and watch.  God how I love Boston Legal.

Life is good!

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Posted in Fun, Technology

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Minnesota Vikings: Corporate America

Posted on October 15, 2011 | 2 comments

I bleed Purple.

Much of my childhood is wrapped around the beat of the NFL football season.  It permeated everything as I grew up.

My church, bless their souls, scheduled the late morning service at 10:45 so that it would end at 11:45.  There isn’t a home in town that’s more than 10 minutes away; we all could get back in time to watch the Vikes.

We played scratch on the streets.  We kept our feet in-bounds by the feel of the curb even as we layed ourselves out on the boulevard to catch that pass.  We ALL were Ahmad Rashad.  We didn’t even TRY to be Page, Eller, Marshal or Larsen; they were simply too mean.

Bud Grant is simply the coolest human being in all the world.  He won championships in the NBA AND the CFL.  He played in the NFL.  Dude flat out nails macho.  And Minnesota.

I died when Drew Pearson Cheated.  And then winced as they twisted the knife with Herschel.  By that time I didn’t care that they took my Stars, what the hell, right?

I’ll die all over again if the team moves.  The team that BEAT Chicago on their first game; you kidding me?  I’ll just die.

But we can NOT buy them a stadium:

 Gov. Mark Dayton said Friday that National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell told him Los Angeles’ desire for a football team makes it all the more important for Minnesota to resolve the Vikings stadium issue.

Dayton said that no threats were lodged in Thursday’s conversation with Goodell, but the implications of no action were clear.

“If we don’t act in some way and get a stadium project going, it’s unrealistic in my opinion to think that we are not going to face competition for the team in the near future,” Dayton said.

The Vikings are one of several teams being mentioned as possibly relocating to Los Angeles, where there are competing proposals to build an NFL stadium.

I give massive props to the Democrat governor.  He is an equal opportunity State spender; the arts and the Vikings.  But as much as a abhor the State sponsoring of the opera, so too do I abhor the idea of the State paying for a private football club’s stadium.

I’d just die.

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Posted in Government, States Behaving Badly

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Stinky Hippies and Greedy Corporations

Posted on October 14, 2011 | 1 comment


I’ve been a long-hair since early 1988.  I did trim it some because I worked at a fascist amusement park that wanted to portray “family values” or something.  But after that, below my shoulders.  I had long hair even as I taught school.

However, it wasn’t until I took an office job that I began to pull it back and keep it tied.  So, for 12-13-14 years now, I’ve been a loyal fan of Scunci brand hair ties.  They don’t hurt your hair, ya know.

But man-o-man have they upset me.  Always I have found the ties to be incredibly durable.  Hot or cold, wet or dry, these things kept their tightness in tact.  The last batch I bought however, they lose their ability to remain tight after 3-5 days.  Then I have to pitch it and use another.

Corporate greed at it’s worse.  Creating a product that wears out quicker.

So listen up fleabaggers!  If you wanna protest, protest Scunci!

1 Comment

Posted in Idiots on Parade, Lobby/PAC, Stuff

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Light Bulb Technology: Update III

Posted on October 14, 2011 | 4 comments

This represents the final of the series in my light bulb experiment.

I have finished test driving three types of bulb technology, incandescent, CFL and LED.  The results are below and to be honest, I shocked.  To the point I may have to run it again.

Bulb Cost per Bulb Cost per KWH Cost per hour Lifespan 50,000 Hour Cost
Incandescent $1.00 $0.1701 $0.0070 2,000 $375.00
CFL $1.00 $0.1701 $0.0017 10,000 $88.00
LED $18.00 $0.1701 $0.0017 50,000 $103.00

The efficiency of the LED is not better, literally, then that of the CFL.  Further, the COST of the LED is through the roof.  Finally, the light given off by the LED is horrible; more akin to a institutional ward than a reading source or office light.

The hands down winner is the CFL with the incandescent coming in last.

Fascinating.

Now, for the dilemma.  Would we have seen the advent of the CFL without government intervention in the light bulb market?

4 Comments

Posted in Environment, Government, Technology

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Two Things I Knew But Reinforced Yesterday

Posted on October 14, 2011 | 4 comments

I went to the doctor yesterday for a “check-up”.  This isn’t my physical or anything like that, just a quick and simple check and chat.

Good times.

So, as always the doc isn’t happy with my weight, my exercise or my daily ration of my local beverage:

Whatever.

After telling me that she wanted to put me on blood pressure medication 2 years ago, I sign and accepted it; getting old is both a bitch and not a choice.  And it beats the alternative.  Then, last year when she asked me how my blood pressure was, well, she was less than impressed when I told her that I didn’t know.  I never check.

Well, after listening to her go on and on about how important it was, I rushed out and bought a digital cuff machine thingy.  And now I check twice a day.  And record it.

This time I had my data and, surprisingly, she was pleased with the blood pressure.

So, now she’s done and I ask her if it could be my turn.  She kinda looks at me and nods and then I ask her this:

Doc, I read a lot and recently I came across data suggesting that salt does not, repeat does NOT, contribute to higher blood pressure.  Is this true?

She leaned back and nodded, then said;

Yes.

Son of a bitch!

So, that’s the one thing I knew but confirmed.  The other is that hyper-tension is the #1 killer in America.  The cure?

A pill.  Total cost?

$4 a month.

What do these two things mean?

Life is good!

4 Comments

Posted in Health Care

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The Death Penalty

Posted on October 14, 2011 | 4 comments

Let’s be very clear: I am against the death penalty.

I am as sure as I’ve ever been that Joshua Komisarjevsky and Steven Hayes did what they were accused of doing.

I swear to you, if I were to come home to this scene in my own home, I would shoot them dead on the spot.  Further, I feel these men deserve to be put to death for their crimes.  I honestly feel that the State is entitled to deliver death on criminals who behave in such a manner.

However.

We’re wrong too often; both in application and accuracy.

4 Comments

Posted in Government, Liberty

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Occupy Wall Street and The Tea Party

Posted on October 12, 2011 | 2 comments

In one night alone the Occupy Wall Street movement had many people arrested:

(Reuters) – Tensions boiled over early on Tuesday in downtown Boston, where police arrested more than 100 protesters after the Occupy Boston group expanded its footprint and was told by authorities to move back.

The OWS folks have been at this for less than a month and already they have seen violence and lawlessness.

The Tea Party?

Zero arrests.

2 Comments

Posted in Idiots on Parade, Liberty

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Google

Posted on October 12, 2011 | Leave a comment

If you haven’t yet, go on over to Google.com

Cool Google draw today.

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Posted in Fun

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Brad And Britt: How The Left Works

Posted on October 12, 2011 | 5 comments

I’ve been listening to the Brad and Britt show for a whole bunch of years,  Partly because they are local, partly because they are entertaining and partly because I need some Leftist influence.  Just to keep me honest.  And almost always, they deliver.  I enjoy the show.

I get that they are a profit center.  They are hired to deliver ratings in a market so that they can sell advertising to an customers.  I get it.  And so I mostly let most of the stuff they say go in and then go out.  They’re playing to an audience and are more circus performers than they are knowers of important things.

But jeepers, sometimes they say things that are just not so right.  So wrong in fact, that they are lying.  And I call ’em out.  And when I post I tweet.  And they notice.

Sunday night I pinged Brad and Britt.  I posited that the Occupy Wall Street crowd is racist.  I came to this conclusion in the same way the media decided that the Tea Party was racist.  Some fun tweets occurred and we called it a night.

Then I listened to this:

Brad and Britt interview

The interview was offensive.  And after I dropped my kids off at school, more of the same.  A caller was interrupted by Britt parodying Rush and shouting him down.  Funny stuff, I guess, if you’re on that side of the football field.

And I called him out:

The response of the tolerant Leftists?  They “blocked” me on Twitter.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  I’m a Twitter rookie.  I’ve had an account for years and only posted a little.  That I get blocked or not blocked isn’t the point.  The point is, that’s how the Left rolls.

5 Comments

Posted in Idiots on Parade, Liberty

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California Bans Tanning Beds

Posted on October 11, 2011 | Leave a comment

California is just awesome.

It used to be the law that:

Previously, California had banned minors under the age of 14 from using tanning beds, but allowed those between 14 and 18 years of age to use tanning beds with parental consent.

Now, though, California has gone further:

Minors in the state of California will no longer be allowed to use tanning beds after Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill on Sunday prohibiting anyone under the age of 18 from using ultraviolet tanning devices.

But minors wanting abortions, without parental consent, are still okay.

Douche bags.

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Posted in Liberty, Politics: State

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