Category: Life

  • ODDS and ENDS: The Subway, Aaron Rodgers, and I’m Not Talking About Tottenham This Week

    “ODDS and ENDS” is my continuing series of random thoughts and follow ups…

    Riding on the subway sucks right now. I keep on thinking that I am going to get comfortable with it, but it still makes me anxious. Though I am vaccinated, I still don’t like people getting near me when I am in a car. And I especially don’t like unmasked people being around me. Then, the kappa donna is when I ride with the kid. I become super edgy with people, and try to get as far away from them as possible, in an attempt to keep my kid safe. I know that when she gets vaccinated, which will be soon, some of these feelings will ease up. But as of now, it’s like a necessary evil to get around the city.

    So… Aaron Rodgers was having so much fun because he was fooling everyone. Or he was all hyped up on B-12 shots. Either way, nice try Rodgers…

    Tottenham has a new manager, and barely got past Vitesse in their Europa Conference match. Sure, it was Conte’s first time leading the team, but looks like they have the same old problems that a manager can’t change. Spur’s defense is awful, and that’s where the fix needs to happen. I think between Lucas, Son and Kane, goal scoring is taking care of. They just need to stop the other side, and get the ball back on transition. (I sort of sound like I know what I am talking about.) Tottenham play Everton this weekend, and I don’t see them pulling it off. But… I’ll be there with my scarf on, watching them play.

  • ODDS and ENDS: Josh Hawley is Still Stupid, Aaron Rodgers, and Gyms

    “ODDS and ENDS” is my continuing series of random thoughts and follow ups…

    This morning as I was sitting in the car for the street sweeper, and I read Josh Hawley’s Op-Ed in the New York Times. If you have forgotten, Josh Hawley is the Republican Senator from Missouri who tried to help overturn the 2020 Election and was pro-riot at the Capital. You know, that Josh Hawley. As you can tell, I’m not a fan, but out of fairness, I read his Guest Essay, “The Only Way to Solve Our Supply Chain Crisis Is to Rethink Trade.” First of all, I love how conservatives rally against liberal media like the NY Times, but still want their opinions published in the NY Times. Second, the awful trade deals were created by both parties, not just Democrats like Josh claims. Third, jobs going overseas started forty years ago, which clearly doesn’t make it a new phenomenon. And last, if I understand Josh here, he is a person that doesn’t want government telling business what to do, but in his essay he  wants government to tell business what to do. Right… You still stupid Josh. Not for suggesting government regulation. No, you stupid for thinking that if it comes out of your mouth, it’s not a liberal idea. Stupid.

    So, does Aaron Rogers look he’s having the most fun playing football in the NFL?

    I have never been to a gym. That shocked my wife, but I really don’t workout, ever. I might have to join one soon though. Just saying…

  • Another IKEA Blog

    I think I do have a problem when it comes to IKEA. But in my defense, I wrote a blog back in July 2020 about IKEA’s Algot line that got discontinued, and man, that’s the little blog that could! I keep getting hits on that thing weekly if not daily. So, there is a demand out there for people to hear stories about IKEA.

    That having been said, we had another IKEA weekend, sort of. We are trying to finish off our daughter’s room before Christmas, which we will clearly achieve. This weekend, we had to flip the ladder from the left to the right side of the bed. I then had to take all the shelves down, and patch up all those holes, because we are going to repaint her room. Also, we moved her wardrobe from the corner of the room to be closer to her bed. Basically, that was my job.

    The wife’s mission was to run out to the Paramus IKEA to pick up the ELVARLI shelving unit. (Also, ELVARLI might be an elvish language Tolkien created.) The IKEA website said there were a few left in stock, and what that really meant was that none were in stock. The advice she was given was the check online for the availability, as they aren’t sure when things will be back in stock. (Supply Chain.)

    There are few corporations that have this much pull in my life, and IKEA is one of them. There is the bank my money is in, the media company that controls my internet, and then there is my furniture supplier, who keeps feeding my desire to put all of my life in neat tiny boxes, which will make my small space feel larger?

    I think I am admitting more about myself than I was expecting…

  • ODDS and ENDS: Free Parking, Online Footprint, and DUNE

    “ODDS and ENDS” is my continuing series of random thoughts and follow ups…

    I had a thought this morning; that I have become that old guy who keeps talking about parking all the time… And then I thought, I do pay for parking in this City. If I average out monthly what I have paid in parking tickets, it works out to $35 a month. It’s not free parking, I pay for my spot. Now, get off my lawn! And turn down your music while you’re at it!

    I’m think about changing up my online footprint. That sounds cool and I’m not sure what I mean, but I think the blog does need a redesign. I have said this before, and I really need to make the time for it, but really, the bigger question, which I still haven’t answered, is what do I want to get out of it? Bigger following? Earn money? Use as a marketing tool for other projects? On some days, updating my online footprint just feels like something to do, like reorganizing the pantry.

    DUNE is just an albatross of a story to put on film. And I’m saying this while enjoying the new DUNE, and having enjoyed all the other DUNE films. It’s just clunky as hell on film, and such a slow burn. Watching the new one, I can see how they tried to address these issues compared with the older versions, but there isn’t much you can do with the narrative. Again, I’m enjoying it, and this one does look amazing, but still in the back of my mind, I keep thinking this is a story that is just too difficult to make a movie out of.

  • Everything’s a Scam

    When I was in college, I took an Intro to Sociology class, which when I think back on it, was one of the better classes I ever took. Anyway, one of the many things that was taught in there was that, on the whole, as people age, their world view becomes more conservative. That doesn’t mean that if you are the hardest left liberal in your twenties, you will then become the hardest right conservative in your sixties. It’s more akin to, a hard-left liberal is more likely to become a centrist by their sixties. There are many factors as to why this might happen to someone, but the research showed that odds are you will be more conservative as you get older.

    That’s one of those pieces of knowledge that hangs out in the back of my head, and flares up every now and then when I find myself doing something, well, old man-ish.

    Such as thinking everything is a scam. This seems to have become my new “go to” on, just about everything. Like;

    Pumpkin patches? Scam

    Disney on Ice? Scam

    Pediatric Dentistry? Scam

    None of my scam beliefs are based on any facts. Just a feeling that I get when things aren’t adding up, and someone is out there trying to get my money. Also, I think this way when a product being delivered is of low quality. (Looking at you, corporate children’s live entertainment…) I can’t put my finger on when this started with me, but this thought happens more often than not.

    I just hope I don’t start watching OAN.