Happy 2016

Well another year is mercifully coming to an end.  Another year is mercilessly coming (as years tend to do). 

I view New Years Day as one of the most worthless holidays out there.  The new year isn't going to get any better than the current year.  It won't be happy - because happiness is just a delusion.  Nothing really changes except for the calendar (and hey 2016 is a leap year, so 366 agonizing days instead of 365). 

Remember 2016 not 2015 (back in my school days that change used to mess me up for months).  Many people will give themselves totally impossible "goals" to achieve.  Life is failure and BS (at least 95% by volume). 

Maybe I'm too positive (I have to look into dealing with that in the new annum).



Windows 10 will still suck at the end of the year (and Edge will still be a crap browser, frequently greying out the tab and loading slowly).  It was supposed to be fast and stable. 

Xmas Full Moon

According to the local news monsters, there will be a full moon on Xmas.  Why is this notable?  According to said news monsters, this has not happened since 1977 (which really isn't that long ago, right?). 

My Winter Solstice Haul

So, this year i decided to make myself wait to open the stuff i got on Black Friday season (between the day before Thanksgiving to mid-December) until Winter Solstice.  Black Friday season is a pretty good time to get cheap Blu-rays and (sometimes) video games at retail.  i need to be a little more selective on what Blu-rays i get from Black Friday sales in the future.

So, this is stuff i bought for myself.  Maybe it is a little selfish, but isn't everyone.  i spent more on myself than usual (also using Bing credits throughout the year and using Coinstar) since this may be the last year i can do so. The most expensive thing is Rise of the Tomb Raider.  Only 3 thing were over $20.

Mental note, do not buy new releases stuff between September and the week after Black Friday (except for Black Friday era deals).

i used Xmas presents for "bookends".  notice how truly awful i am at wrapping.

Christmas: A Contrived Holiday

I was thinking that Christmas is such a contrived holiday.  No, i'm not talking about X-mas, which is awesome. i'm talking about the "religious" holiday.   Even though the word "holiday" comes from words meaning holy day. 

First off, Christmas was almost super-imposed on top of Winter Solstice (the real holiday).  They did the same thing with Eostre.  For some reason, Christians liked to use holidays as a form of subjugation.  They tried to replace the pagan (and much more fun) holidays with their manufactured religious ones.  Most of the things associated with Christmas (like a tree, mistletoe, holly, etc) were pagan in origin. 

Secondly: the Christ "origin story" is kind of ridiculous.  This seems like someone wrote an origin story after the fact (assuming a Christ existed, which I have my doubts).  They have to make him divinity somehow.  The Greeks, Romans, and probably even the Norse never had the god having children with humans - sarcasm.  Many nations at the time claimed a divine reason for rulership. 

A virgin birth, nope I don't buy it.  Well, a technical virgin birth is possible.  I wonder how many females have tried to use that as a reason. 

The time it would have taken people to see a star (or comet) would have this story happening over years (months at the earliest).  One night in a stable, inconceivable.  Then again, the bible is full of metaphors, allusions, coded messages. 

Thirdly: timing.  This whole Christ origin story wouldn't have happened near what is now considered Christmas, it would have been closer to Eostre. 

So,
* taking parts from other (pagan) cultures and giving them some pseudo-Christian meaning,
* placing a holiday, which even if it did happen, months away from when it would have happened
Christmas is a truly contrived holiday 

Butter Rum Lifesavers, i Finally Spotted Some at Retail (Sort of)

Remember when i said that i had not seen Butter Rum Lifesavers at retail for a really, really long time. Today at Target (my alleged sister's favorite place in the whole universe), i found some. Admittedly, this is a 6 roll assortment in a tin and only two rolls are Butter Rum, but it is better than nothing.  i would have purchased more, but it was a little pricey ($3.79).  Maybe i'll get a couple more if they go on sale for 50% off (who am i kidding, Target doesn't do 50% anymore).

Now i can assemble an old (but not that old) school Lifesavers Sweet Story Book (sort of).  The modern ones do so suck.  You rarely see Lifesavers rolls anymore.  i did see Pep-o-Mint or Wint-o-Green at 711 (to buy Winter Solstice lottery tickets, because "even a miracle needs a hand").  The other 2 flavors in the Butter Rum tin are Wild Cherry and 5 Flavor.  Not rolls for the other 2 flavors, but i'm going to count it.  Is it Winto-Green that sparks?

License Plate Observation Thing

This is a stupid title, but oh well.  A couple (or few months) ago I wondered how many states that I could see license plates from where I currently am.  I seem to have a difficult time identifying some license plates on moving cars (this would also be easier if states didn't have so many variations on their plates). 

Dog is Watching You

Obligatory Snow Pics

Someone out there wants pictures of snow.  i have a few.  Snow storms here are so depressing, they make it sound like there will be a decent amount and then it doesn't happen.  Well, by the standards of the place i grew up in, this is a veritable blizzard.  One of the branches did have an altercation with a cable line (worse when internet and cable go through the same line).

i know i have a Flickr account, maybe i should use that someday.

Websites: Has Loading Them Always Been This Bad?

i have been thinking for a while that the internet (i know lumping too much together) has seemed to have gotten worse lately.  Well, maybe not worse, but definitely slower.

Slower, you say.  Maybe you have a slow connection?  65 Mbps doesn't sound that slow to me. Could it be a slow OS?  Maybe, Windows 10 does not exactly run fast (and it hangs way more than i would like).

The real problem i see is with websites.  They seem to be loading to much crap that i don't want to see.  Internet Explorer crashed a bunch most likely due to this.  Pages don't need all of the embedded social networking, video ads, etc that are currently plaguing them.  i miss the good old days when you were loading the page/story not the excessive ads (and the sloppy scripting).

 i don't want a video to load unless i tell it to.  The pop-up/pop-under ads are a major annoyance too.  No, i don't want to click the stupid "x" to close out an ad that i never wanted to see in the first place in order to load a site (or read it) - also applies to "hover over ads" though they like to load even if i don't hover.  

Xmas 2015 The Interior Decorating

Usually, i start decorating for Xmas near/on Halloween.  Last year, i didn't decorate at all.  i was a little slow this year (by a half a week or so), but i have a couple of things up.  Apparently, i don't have all the right pictures yet

There are a few things i would like to add and some lights that i need to figure out how to use.  If i could ever win the lottery (with a decent net amount and collect), even the Griswolds would freak out at how over the top i would go.

It Came

So, I decided that I needed an Amazon.com shipping test before Black Friday.  Luckily for me, one of my favorite movies of all time has just been released on Blu-ray (finally).   Also luckily for me, Amazon price matched Best Buy.  Without further ado....

Loser Post of Loserdom: Lose Harder (June-October)

i saw a few movies, shows, etc during this period of June to October 2015.

At one point i had 6 season of show from the library to watch in a two week period. October was a month where i went a little crazy with Blu-ray purchases.  Once again, I can't remember most of these movies. 

Halloween 2015: Pumpkins Doing Pumpkin Things

Well, another Halloween (sadly) has come to a close.  Google said that you're never too old to trick or treat in an ad, but i don't think the neighbors here would agree.  i'm still 15, i just have several years experience at it.

Now for so pictures of pumpkins - they didn't turn out great this year.  i tried and failed one stencil, i decided the other pumpkin wast too soft (read starting to rot) to try a pattern..

Halloween, it's practically here

So, my favorite day of the year is almost here.  Bad pumpkin carving from stencils?  That post will come later

(also Blogger really sucks with Edge too)

This year I think I will be going as a were-human (I was a homicidal maniac last year).  Next Halloween, I want to go as a multimillionaire.  

If my current Halloween candy supply was an animal, it would be an endangered species. 

H a double L O W double E N

Happy Back to the Future 2 Day

Today is the day in the future that was set in the time machine in Back to the Future 2 (1989).  October 21, 2015.  They probably picked that date 26 years in the future (was it really that long ago?) to go with the idea that the characters were now middle aged with kids (at least one near the same age Marty McFly was in the first movie).  Actually, it was 30 years back in the first movie and 30 years forward in the second movie.

Like most Sci-Fi, they got more than a few things wrong.  The future in Back to the Future was so much better than today.  Next up the Jetsons (set in 2062 - a year hopefully i'll never see).  I'm still waiting on the time machine.  They do sell plutonium at 711s now don't they?

My Black Friday Wishlist

Black Friday is rapidly approaching - from the time of this post 38 days away.  Actually, I prefer sales on Thanksgiving.  So, what am I looking to purchase this year (if the price is right and I have enough money)?  Though, i'll probably just end up looking for cheap movies at Wal-Mart (hopefully with digital copies). 


In no particular order whatsoever.  i'll update this when the ads for Wal-Mart, Target and Best Buy leak (with whatever in the ads I'm actually interested in).

Halloween Candy 2015, the Halloweening

The most wonderful time of the year is just two short weeks away.  One of the big parts of the best holiday ever (better if people would give me Xmas presents on Halloween like I would prefer - but they won't) is candy. 


I've probably bought more candy than I should have already (though I have two more weeks left to do so, followed by Wal-Mart day after shopping - Target never has 50% off the day after any more).  So far, it is less than last year - I've only bought candy during this period that was on sale (mostly buy one get one 50% off). 


What ever happened to fun sized Baby Ruth?  Target doesn't stock them.  Last year I found them at Wal-Mart, but I haven't been there this year (and their website suggests that they are out of stock near me). 


Now for the breakdown so far this annum...
Pieces in package/Stated Pieces in Package (PP/SP)

Cyber Bullying and Unfriended

Recently (like today) i saw the "movie" Unfriended.  To say that i like that "movie" would be grossly inaccurate.  Yeah, a whole "movie" taking place on a computer screen.  The premise of the "movie" is that a group of friends (i'd assume) posted an embarrassing video of a classmate on YouTube a year ago "causing" said classmate to commit suicide.  Then supernaturally, i guess cyber-naturally, the friend exacts their revenge.  i can't believe they are making a sequel to this piece of crap (though the low budget probably saved it from being a total failure).

Windows 10: It Still Sucks (Currently)

So, i have had Windows 10 for a little while now (a work week of time) and am not impressed.  i "upgraded" from Windows 7.  Eventually, maybe Win 10 will run better - but not yet.  It is running maddeningly unwell on this computer.

i expect an OS to just work.  Windows 10 is currently not working like it should.  i'm having all kinds of problems.

Windows 10 Upgrade

Today i finally got the notification that my Windows 10 upgrade was available.  So how is it going so far?

Happy 711 Day

Today is July 11th (in the US date system, 7/11).  


If you don't know, 711 is kind of  a franchised convenience store (used mostly by me to purchase lottery tickets).  Apparently, 711 operates in a bunch of countries (mostly North America and Asia, with a few in the Nordic regions).  Apparently, there are more franchised 711s in Japan than anywhere outside the US. 


Useless information: the Slurpee capital of the world is Manitoba (according to the 711 Canada site) - it is probably a weighted per capita type thing, though 8,300 Slurpee sales a month per store isn't bad. 


To commemorate the day, 711 tends to give away small Slurpees for free.  Slurpees are a semi frozen drink with some type of flavoring - kind of like a snow cone but different.  If you want to know more for some reason, there is a Slurpee.com


This year, I got a Watermelon Sour Patch kids Slurpee. 

Losery Post of Loserdom II: Lose Harder (April and May?+)

Another random time period has passed randomly.  There is too much randomness in the universe. What isn't random?  The concept that i watched so movies/tv shows (basically visual media on some sort of disc type thing).  I didn't really watch that much in April and May, so, i'll add the stuff I watched during my "Summer Vacation" in mid May to late June. 



Commentary: most of Rankin Bass stuff sucks.  There are no decent Easter specials (since it is a purely manufactured holiday anyway).  Interstellar was odd with the time/dimension thing, Nightcrawler was ok (another movie about a sociopath), Taken 3 was not that memorable, The Wedding Ringer was the funniest thing I saw during that period (not on Summer Vacation).


Movies From The Library (17):


Big Eyes, Cake, The Captive, Here Comes Peter Cottontail, Home Sweet Hell, Inherent Vice, Interstellar, Kill the Messenger, Nightcrawler, Stretch, Taken 3, Third Person, The Voices, The Wedding Ringer, Wild, Wildcard, Woman in Black: The Angel of Death,


Movies from My Collection:
Airplane 2!, Arrow: Season 1, Better Off  Dead, Boys and Girls (I kind of want this on Blu-Ray), Friends Seasons 1-10, Kindergarten Cop (not the best transfer), Mannequin (want on Blu-Ray), One Crazy Summer, Opportunity Knocks (ditto), UHF, The Wedding Singer, Weekend at Bernie's, Van Wilder, Frosty the Snowman, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Olive the Other Reindeer, etc.

Movies in the Theater:
San Andreas

Not the Chicks i Was Hoping for

So here i am, i am not where i was.  What did i see when i got back here?

A couple of chicks (ok, "chicks" are baby chickens, these are of the egg laying variety). Now for some bad pictures (they just didn't want to turn out).  

The Confederate Flag

Recently (and inexplicably) the Confederate (or rebel) flag has become the latest issue in the recent wave of the media trying to convince people that racism is a bigger problem than it is.

president obama (no i am not going to capitalize any part of that - i'm still hoping it is all a terrible, terrrible dream) recently said that the flag was a symbol of the civil war that was all about slavery.

Wrong.  Slavery was not the cause of the "civil war".  i know that is what US teachers have been saying for decades, but that doesn't make it true.  Slavery was what the north used to "morally justify" and unjustifiable war (which actually more closely paralleled the revolutionary war).  The slavery angle was tied on to the war to obscure the South's valid concerns about governance (and their declining lack of a voice on their own affairs).   That and the North's egotism and hyprocrisy.    

Snow?

i was under the impression that the ground was not supposed to wear white after Eostre.  Apparently, that is not always true - if IE 11 worked well with Blogger, maybe I would show you (but it never has). i wonder if it will work better with Edge.

i started taking these after much of the unidentified white stuff began melting.  There might have been over 6", it is hard to tell with really wet frozen water (especially after it already started to melt).

Losery Post of Loserdom: Movies Watched in February and March 2015 CE

Another month (or a couple) have passed me by - as they tend to do.  I "watched" a few movies again - I know, hold your unbelieving sighs.  Well, "watched" may be a bit generous.  So there will be a list of a few movies (months 38 and 39, I think) that were playing on my TV at one time or another.

Furious Seven

Well, I saw my first "blockbuster" of the season today .  This is the last movie I have seen in the theatres since Insurgent (I didn't have to pay for that one).  For the first time in a while my Regal card actually worked (and I got a coupon for a free small popcorn - regularly $6.09, you've got to be kidding me right)


Now for the actual movie - Furious 7.  Is this the best Fast and Furious movie? 
Nope, for a "popcorn flick" Fast and Furious 6 is still my pick (I like Fast Five and the original better too).  Don't get me wrong, there were some decent action scenes, but for some reason it didn't sit as well with me (maybe I didn't have the optimal mindset coming in or something).  Yes, some of the scenes are ridiculously over the top and unrealistic (but most good action scenes are).  


It was a decent action move (and well worth the $4.99 I spent off of a gift card), but it isn't great.  It gets bogged down a little when there isn't an action scene ("acting" has never really been a strong part of the saga). 


One reason that I didn't like this as much was the "shaky cam".  I don't remember if the other movies in the series were as bad (or like this), but enough with the stupid "shaky cam" - I hate it so much (and makes some scenes seem a little blurry/softer). 

Today the Seattle Mariners Begin Their Inevitable Championship Season

Another MLB seasons is upon us.  Today the Seattle Mariners open up the season against the California Angels (that is what I'm going to call them). 

Happy Pi Day

Apparently this is a thing.  For some reason, I haven't really heard of this - maybe because I loathe geometry .


Greek letters, yuk. 


Today is 3 14 15 (Pi is 3.1415....).   π   (ALT 227).






The Winter of My Discontent: Part 2

Well, another disappointing "snow storm".

i measured about 7".  That must be a little low, as some nearby places were a few inches more.  i guess snow sometimes "collapses" on itself a little.  i wanted a foot of snow, but it was not to be (much of it is melted now, soon to be replace by an additional amount - it is snowing right now). This is from February 22nd (+/- a day)

Oh well, ready for a couple more bad pictures?  Too bad, you get them anyway

The Winter of My Discontent: Part Two Minus The Square Root of One

There was a quote in the movie Groundhog Day:
Phil: "What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same, and nothing that you did mattered?"
Ralph: "That about sums it up for me."

Yes, that equals true but that is not what this post is about.

This post is about a "winter storm" in this area.  This has been a hot winter (5 days over 70°) - as such i may not be content.  

Hopefully i will have some images of this odd weather phenomenon called "snow", that i am largely unfamiliar with. i heard some people got a lot of it (some east coast or midwest areas, like those really exist).  No, there will not be images of frozen cars and the like.  Yes, outdoor crappy furniture, decks, rulers and dogs may figure into this somehow.  Remember though, DSLRs (especially entry level ones from years ago) and moisture typically don't go well together.

Another Lottery Post

Well, here i am with another late post (that i should have done when the Powerball jackpot was near $500 million).  i guess this would be considered a little late to the party (or LTTP, i just figured out what that meant).

Losery Post of Loserdom: Movies Watched in January 2015

The last post in the "series" took a little longer than i wanted it to.  So here is what i have watched in January 2015 - as i am watching some of my Xmas time DVDs and Blu-rays. i might have missed a few movies.  

Friday the 13th 2015

Well, it is Friday the 13th again.  Supposedly there are between 1and 3 Friday the 13ths a year.  This year there are 3. 


While not common (and not really rare), this year there are back to back Friday the 13ths.  This can only happen in February and March (the last time this happened was 2009 - the next time is 2026). 


I always liked Friday the 13th (the movie was ok, but I can never remember who the villain is - was it Mrs. Voorhees?)


Do you have paraskevidekatriaphobia, i don't. i hope that Friday the 13ths could be lucky days (though they haven't been so far, but no other day has either).


I think I should do my Friday the 13th rituals like virgin and goat sacrifices - or maybe just buy a lottery ticket. 

If i Had More Than a Million Dollars...

My previous post was my view that $1 million may not be enough for all of my dreams (i'd still take it though).

Now that Powerball has soared to $485 million (or $485,000,000 - 9 figures looks so much more impressive to me).  Strike that, it went up to $500 million.  i was thinking what would i do with that much money.

If i had a million dollars...

In 1992 the band Barenaked Ladies released a song with this title (maybe they meant $1 million US dollars in Canada).  When i was younger, i used to think that $1 million was a lot of money.  Look at all those zeroes (1,000,000).  i don't know if my alleged father ever made $30,000 a year.  Now it doesn't seem that impressive

Internet as a Public Utility: You've Got to Be Kidding Me

The FCC is apparently mulling over whether or not to reclassify the internet as a public utility.  As you can probably tell, i find this to be profoundly stupid (but what do you expect from a country that requires a person to buy a commercial service?)

No, the internet is obviously not a public utility (like water, power, sewer, etc).  These public utilities are essentially heavily regulated (and taxed) because they are seen as natural monopolies.

The internet situation is not the same.  The internet is usually provided in an oligopoly setting (usually multiple big providers - like telecoms, cable companies, wireless providers and maybe even satellite providers).  Furthermore, you have other ISPs (who are likely licensing bandwidth from the providers).  So, there is some inherent competition there - not the same as a public utility.

Would more heavily regulating the internet provider be "good" for the consumer?  Nope (unless you like less options and more taxes on the service).  Forget innovation.  The internet is not a static situation like a utility.  Just when there seems to be a push to increase internet speeds - the US government wants to step in and crush that.  More regulations - less efficiency.  No, the internet is not a right.

This seems more like an attempt for a government takeover of the internet provider industry (without paying for any of the expensive wiring).  Regardless of your views on net neutrality, this seems like a really bad idea.

Worst Super Bowl Ever

Well another Super Bowl is over.  What was that Super Bowl XLIX (enough with the Roman Numerals already, next year will be L)?  It would have been more honest to call it IL. 


So what was redeeming about this Super Bowl (or a waste of four hours)?  As far as I am concerned, nothing.


Commercials: worst year in memory.  It has been bad for a while (actually ever since frogs and lizards were prohibited from selling beer).  Nothing was clever, nothing stood out (it just felt like weak paint-by-the numbers garbage).  There was nothing memorable for me.  They spent $4 million or so per commercial for this crap?


The Half Time Show:  well, it started off almost watchable (though it appeared that Katy Perry had some serious backing tapes going on - and she isn't the best singer to begin with).  Then it got weird and then unwatchable with Missy Misdemeanor Elliot?  (the rap crap).  At least it was only like 12 minutes long.


The Game: well the Seahawks looked like they would hold on going into the fourth quarter (I turned it off at about the 5 minute mark in the fourth - the Seahawks were still winning).  Then they did nothing for the rest of the game.  Have I mentioned how I have a strong dislike for the most overrated QB, Russell Wilson?  I guess it turns out he had a chance to win it but blew it - actually he should have had three or so chances.  Why does this guy get so much positive press?   


In parting, Go Mariners! (that's the one championship I really, really, really want to see). 

Super Bowl XLIX Prediction

Super Bowl XLIX (or XXXXVIIII or my preferred designation IL) happens on Groundhog Eve Day (February 1, MMXV) at 3:30 PM Pacific time.  Here are my Predictions (though i am not the prognosticator that Punxsutawney Phil is).

Russell Wilson Sucks (NFL)

i've been thinking this for a while.  Last season i posited that the Seattle Seahawks would never win a Super Bowl as long as they had Russell Wilson as a quarterback (QB).  Their defense was that good last season.  He is one of those players whose stats make him look better than he is.  Somehow they get wins, but it never seems to be because of their offense (occasional deep-ish sideline passes and "free plays" notwithstanding).

Admittedly, i am not really a football fan.  The Seattle Seahawks are kind of a hard team to watch (a decent/good defense and a less than thrilling offense.)  They are not one of the teams who i think can come back from a deficit any greater than 3 points.  Also, i have seen more Peyton Manning games in recent years (there is no comparison between Manning and Wilson as QBs - the only thing Wilson seems to do better is run).

i've never thought that Wilson was that good of a QB - every time i see Seahawks games he hasn't looked that good (especially as it relates to actually throwing the ball).  In the games that i have seen, it seems he is lacking accuracy.  His arm doesn't appear to be that strong either.

Take last year's playoffs for example (i have the Blu-ray of that).  Most of those games were low scoring and the only reason they scored on several plays was the defense gave them such good field position.  Still, it was frustrating to see how little they actually finished (touchdowns) in those games.  

Losery Post of Loserdom: 3 Year of Library Movies (pic)

So, do you wanna see what approximately three years of library movies looks like?  Well, here you go (these are reserve slips the library puts in cases).

Losery Post Of Loserdom: Movies Watched the Rest of 2014

Well, it's been a while.  Apparently i watched some movies during the span from June through December.  Yeah, the post could have been sooner.

Let's see which movies i "watched" that i can't remember anything aboot (so month 30-36).  Some of these will be repeats from previous lists.

2015: The Movies i Might Watch

Well, another year is upon us (it seems like the trend will never end)... anyway here are some of the movies releasing in 2015 (according to IMDB) that i am kind of interested in.  That doesn't mean that i'll actually be willing to pay $5 to see them though.  In fact, pretty much all of them are "wait for the library to get a copy" status.  i think i will pass on the new Star Wars movie.  

This list is not complete (or maybe it is, but IMDB's isn't).