Monthly Archives: July 2023

Free Trial

Posted in All That Jazz by

When I bought the Chevy HHR, they provided a three month trial package of Sirious. I tried it. I decided I didn’t like it. I guess they had 4 or 5 channels of various kinds of jazz. I am not a fan of jazz or most of the contemporary channels they had. However they had one single channel they called easy listening. Guess what? They played jazz on that channel as well. It was about 30% jazz. Of course, if I wanted to listen to jazz, I could have listened to one of the channels reserved for jazz. Apparently, they could not reserve the one channel from jazz.

Therefore, when it came time to start paying for the service, I didn’t. Why should I pay for a service I didn’t use when was free?

When I bought the new electric car they told me, guess what, a three month free trial. Don’t think I will be going down that path a second time. I learned my lesson the first time. I have my recorded music, which I paid for, and I’ll be playing that, which, by the way, is likely not available on Sirious.

One nice feature about the Nissan is that it has a couple of USB connections and I can store a lot of music on one of the USB devices. Moreover, I can change it, should I want to, in a few seconds. Not that hard. Mostly, now that I’ve paid for it, I don’t have to pay anymore. I can play the selections over and over. And I never need to ask myself why in the world the artist were paid to produce such awful noise.

Anger

Posted in Abuse of Power, Alcoholism, Back Space Keys, Christian values, law enforcement, Lawyers and Representation, Mistakes by

First, to keep anyone from getting the wrong idea, this applies to both genders. When I use the masculine pronoun, it applies to both male and female, though not necessarily equally. In grammar, we are told to use he or him anytime we know not the gender. I don’t really agree with that, but the only way I know around it is to say him or her or use he/she. That gets clumsy after a while. So to remain grammatically correct, I will use he as well as him for both genders. Of course, no problem with plural. They and them are already clear enough.

At any rate, the reason I write this is that there is something I noticed about people and anger. People, in general hide behind masks. I am no exception. No one knows me better than my wife but there are things even she doesn’t know about me. I would guess it is common with everyone. None of us wants the world to know our deepest darkest secrets and desires. We all hide things, sometimes even from ourselves.

Anger, however does have a tendency to expose some of those things we wish to keep hidden. When we are angry, we lose control of ourselves and we tell others a little of that we would rather not be known. So. If you really want to know that other person, watch what they do when they are angry. That which you see everyday is only what he wants us to see.

We are all experts at pretending to be what we aren’t. Moreover, the more important that that one person is to us, the more we hide what we are from them. It’s just natural.

Here’s one that will likely get me in trouble. It is a common thought that one of the best places to meet the person of your dreams is in a church. After all, we should all be equally yoked. It’s biblical. However, it is also one of the worst places to meet a your future mate.

He is going to be at his best behavior in church. He will be hiding his real self from others more while in church than when he is in a bar with all his rowdy buddies. Just saying. Moreover, he will be even more careful not to lose his temper. I mean, we Christians just aren’t supposed to lose our tempers. It’s what we are taught even while we are still in diapers.

But we do. In spite of my best efforts, I lose my temper. I say things that I later wish I hadn’t said and I do things I wish I hadn’t done. Daily, I practice control from the time I wake until the time I sleep. However, it’s a good thing the TV doesn’t get its feelings hurt. My wife does ask me from time to time why I yell at the TV or radio. She said it won’t do any good. On the other side, it doesn’t hurt anyone either. Better I take out my anger at it. Well, maybe there are exceptions. I have managed to keep from losing it bad enough to put my foot through the thing, tempting as it is. I did hear on the news of a sheriff that put a bullet through one. I wonder if he went through any anger management courses.

I don’t know. I am not sure but I think anger is something that only humans have. Generally, when one animal attacks another, it is mostly for self-preservation or food, sort of the same. However, mankind can do some pretty horrid things while angry, especially while under the influence. Oddly, men have been known to kill their wives, the person he’d likely give his life to protect. Both men and women abuse their children while out of control. I simply don’t understand it. And, by the way, some of these people are highly respected members of churches.

I don’t understand it. I have seen it. I have heard of it. A leader of a church loses his temper and a very pleasant, amiable woman ends up in the hospital. Try as I might, I can’t figure it out. Well. I’m not alone. I suspect there are likely many in law enforcement that have seen it more than I have.

Oddly, for this reason, I make two important suggestions. If you are one of those, as me, who has a tendency to lose his temper… when you see you are losing it, walk away… before you do something you will be sorry for later, as I have. It’s why I take a walk when I feel myself hitting the boiling point.

Secondly, advice that is worth all your paying for it, don’t marry someone until you’ve seen him angry. If you have never seen him or her angry, then you don’t know him. I can assure you of it. Besides, it’s common sense. If that person is the type that will resort to physical violence, better to know before the “I dos.”.

One more little thing, a guarantee. If you do not know what he will do when angered before you get married, you will afterward. There are no backspace keys in life. Therefore, be careful before making those those lifelong decisions. Divorces are possible, but it will not erase that mistake that was made.

I Was Just Curious

Posted in Christian values, Deceit, Liberals, News media, Politally Correct, Priorities, responsibility & irresponsibility by

From the time I was seven, I was brought up near Disneyland. Actually, that’s not 100% true. The theme park was just an orange grove at the time.

Yup. For some time, when we passed the spot, the remark was made, “That’s where they’re building Disneyland.” Perhaps the one thing that was most visible was the Peter Pan pirate ship.

The transformation that followed was simply unimaginable. The area around Disneyland went from orange trees to hotels, motels, restaurants and parking lots.

The whole Disney empire exploded as well. The studio turned out one huge success after success. The theme park grew in size and attendance.

First time I attended, it was about 3 or 4 dollars a person. If you didn’t go on the rides, that was it. Most, however, bought books which included admission, a few each of A through E tickets. The A tickets, well, most used about half of them. The prize tickets were the E tickets. Invariably, most bought extra E tickets.

For a while it actually caused a frequently used expression, “Well, that was an E ticket,” implying it was a really good experience.

Well. Things have changed and they have changed. Just getting into the park is horribly expensive. I don’t know how people afford it.

Just out of curiosity, I looked it up on line. First, I had a difficult time determining what it costs for 1 day. All the quotes I saw were for three days or for multi-park costs. It seemed to me a classic up salesmanship.

It is as if, if I want just a day in the park, then they have no interest in me. Well, I did find the cost, sortof. It changes, depending on the time of the year.

Well, they may not have much interest in me. The feeling is mutual. Ever since Walt Disney died, the whole empire has been taking a dive, big time. Their movies are failing. Their park attendance is slipping and even ABC is having problems.

It’s sort-of what happens when companies go woke. It’s sort of what happens when they produce children’s movies with adult subjects and inappropriate material in them.

Moreover, they seem to lack originality. They keep redoing old movies with a woke touch. It just really doesn’t work. Most parents won’t put up with it.

It’s showing up on Disney’s bottom line and they just don’t get it. It would seem they believe that if they keep trying, that round peg is going to go though that square hole.

Sorry, I Messed Up

Posted in Abuse of Power, Being woke, Biden, Education, Face Masks, Lawyers and Representation, Norton, Politcal Opinion by

I apologize. Don’t know how I overlooked it but I did. In my post about training and education, I overlooked one detail, a very important one. I did not mention that all should go through at least one semester of school devoted to The Constitution.

As a matter of fact, I would submit that before anyone be permitted to vote in federal elections, they should be required to be able to demonstrate a knowledge of The Constitution and The Bill of Rights. That should be a minimum. It is not to limit voters but to make sure that those who vote have some degree of knowledge about what they are voting for or against.

It would have a beneficial side effect. The dems would really go out of their way to make sure that everyone would be able to demonstrate a knowledge of The Constitution. That would be a good thing.

It would be good for the voter as he would be able to vote for what he really wants. It would be good for others, as the voter would make better decisions. Finally, it would be better for the country as it would make it more difficult for controllers to deceive the voters.

Can anyone really call that a bad thing. A good education is the enemy of the would be dictator. It is why it is one of the first things that dictators try to destroy. Ironically, the current would be dictators are destroying our education systems by pretending to make it better.

Training and a Good Education

Posted in Abuse of Power, Being woke, Biden, Compromise, Deceit, Education by

Used to work on computers. One day I went into an office where the woman was having problems. She was properly frustrated and concerned she wasn’t going to get her job done. I listened to her complaint and then fixed the problem in less than five minutes.

Amazed at how quickly I fixed her computer she remarked, “You made that look easy.”

I shrugged and replied, “It is…when you know how.”

Through the years, I considered the situation many times. Maybe I should have taken longer. I should have gotten a couple of books out and did this and that and the other thing. I could have made the problem look very difficult. I could have taken two hours. Likely the woman would have thought more of me and, oddly thought I was better at my job. But that’s not me. I just don’t do things that way.

The fact is that it was, for me easily resolved. It’s what happens when a person is provided some good training and education. A good carpenter with the right tools can generally put together the frame of a 1500 square foot house in a day, two at the most. I know carpenters who have. Okay, he will have to sweat a little but he doesn’t work in an air conditioned environment as I did.

The sewer line went bad at our house, an unpleasant thing at best. The plumber came out and replaced it in about 6 hours. If I’d tried to do it myself, it would have been far less pleasant.

The point that I am trying to make is that training and education are extremely important for us all, no matter what line of work we go into. It makes the difficult easy and the impossible manageable. That’s true from the burger flipper to the doctors and lawyers. It is why society uses the apprentice system. Better to learn from someone who knows than to discover stuff on our own.

But then you knew that already. I didn’t have to tell you. Maybe I did help to emphasize it for you bit. Illustrations are good for that sort of thing.

Now, maybe it’s time we tell our politicians, representatives, and yes, especially, those who run our schools. Maybe they need to concern themselves less with gender and more with reading, writing and arithmetic. Incidentally, maybe it would help to provide an education about our true history and economics. A good sound science foundation wouldn’t hurt either. It’s all pretty important. It makes the difficult easy. On the other hand, that gender stuff, all it will lead to is grief, for everyone.

Incidentally, education is one of those things we should not compromise on, and yet we do every day. With the money our school systems get, our children should be getting the best education in the world and they aren’t.

Numbers

Posted in CEO Princeple, Customer complaints, Uncategorized by

I can remember the first time we got a phone, about 1958 or so. It had a little place where a piece of paper was inserted under the plastic. When the phone man installed the phone, he put the paper with the number on it under the plastic and none of us in the family had any problems remembering the number.

Of course, already we have an adage, that is to say an old saying, relating to it. We never remember our own number because we never call ourselves. Well, when I was younger, I didn’t have a problem remembering things. Now that I have trouble remembering my name, these cell phone companies expect me to remember my number, like that’s going to happen.

There is no convenient slot or piece of plastic to put a number under. In addition, most cell phones are black, making it difficult to write something on it. So, every time someone asks me my number, I suggest I call them and they use the caller ID.

No. That’s dumb. Sometimes it’s next to impossible. I suppose I could carry a card around with the number on it but I’d only lose it. Or worse, I’d still have it but I might spend fifteen minutes looking for it. Now there’s a thought for folks standing in a long, long line.

I do have something of a solution. My phone has a note pad. Mostly, I don’t use it. However, it does now have my number. Now, the trick is getting to that note pad while I’m in that long, long line. Do you have any idea how impatient people can be? And, of course, they angrier they get, the more difficult it is for me to find it.

Now, will those phone companies ever put a place for a number on a cell phone for me? Will they ever put something in the phone OS, that would make it easy for me to look it up? I don’t think so, leastwise until enough of us old folks start complaining. We need to tell them, no one remembers their own number. We need just a little help. Please. It’s not as if we are asking for a complete redesign of the phone. Just a small simple modification.

I suspect the first company that makes the modification will benefit greatly.

Master and Slave

Posted in Auto Quality Control, GMC, Safety by

Just a little before 1900, man started building cars. Some say the car is a to man that has and will serve man well. On the other hand, there are those who believe that we are the ones that are enslaved to the car: cleaning, maintenance, and who knows how many more expenses.

To be sure, there are those who don’t have cars. Indeed, before 1900, very few people did. It would seem we got along okay, though I personally believe the industrial revolution has had its benefits. Before cars, there were horses and, though I really do like horses, they do leave messes everywhere they go. Far worse than the current smog and global climate thing is.

Nonetheless, I was recently reminded of just how much of a slave I am to my old chevy. Replaced struts, replaced a light, had an alignment, and I don’t know. There was something else. Just can’t remember.

When I left the shop, my bank account was over 2 thousand dollars lighter. I still have a leak that must be fixed, two axles that need to be replaced and, oh yes. Of course. Some time within the last few months, a light came on. You know the one. The one that says to have the air bag checked. Does anyone have any idea what that air bag light will cost me. Maybe I can talk the mechanic to removing the light. It just might be a little less expensive. Don’t need the light anyway.

With 125 thousand on the car, I’m afraid. I’ll get it all fixed and the other light will come on. You know, the one that has the shape of an engine.

I guess I’m the slave. The auto is the undisputed master.

Update #1 on the electric car.

Posted in Electric Automobiles, Safety by

Did not expect to have any reason to post this update so soon. I figured I would wait a few weeks. However, just received an email from Nisson. It seems they are going to be paying for my recharging for a year. Now that’s a nice rebate, one I did not expect. It sort of dulls the pain of those big payments. I was spending about 30 a week, 120 a month on gas.

It does make me want to think of places I need to go.

As a small aside, it has rearview mirrors that electrically fold back, I guess for car washes. Most might like that. I think it might be a bit much for me. I mean, how much effort does it take to just push them back manually? Thing is, I accidentally activated it and now I’m going to have to figure out how to make them straight again.

Also, I figure that as long as I figuratively have your ear, I might mention that the entertainment system sounds awesome and my phone works very well with it. I keep my phone in my pocket and make the calls with the cars system, totally hands off. This is most beneficial when in motion. Hopefully, any small distraction will not lead to my need of another feature of the car. It keeps me in the lane and stops me should I not see that car or pedestrian in front of me. I’m not one who likes to rely on such things but I’m sure the guy in front of me will like the idea of me having it.

Shouldn’t Have but I Did

Posted in Electectric vehicles, New Cars by

Bought a 2023 Nissan Ariya (pronounced as aria in opera). I paid a bundle for it, and I should have never done that.

However, the car simply sold itself. It has a slightly greater than a 200-mile range. Considering I usually don’t drive more than sixty miles a week, that should work out well. The Nison dealership is about ten miles away and has a charger that charges it quickly. It has a list of features longer than my arm including park assist. It has enough room for four adults and still has a good sized trunk.

I guess if I need to go a long way, I need to just rent or take a plane. However, should I decide to drive. there is an assistant in the GPS that helps plan the recharging. As an aside, my wife’s side is set for 78 degrees while mine is set for 72 degrees. That make us both comfy.

I guess there is one thing I must admit is a little problematic. It has a big learning curve. I’m still learning how to put the car in drive or park, kind of one of those important things.

It has two glove boxes so my wife can fill hers to overflowing and I can keep my nice and neatly organized. One thing that surprised me is that the seat slides back before you get out and slides back in after you get in. Don’t have the foggiest idea how it knows, but it fit me and my 6-foot frame without me having to touch a thing. And yes, there was plenty ample room for me.

Door locking and unlocking is without a key, though one is provided should you want to use it. On the other hand, there are a myriad of buttons on the door handle, and you need good vision to see which button is for what. The wife had to wait a while, while I searched out the one to unlock her door. She didn’t like that. I’ll need to study the buttons more in the daylight.

I was told that normally the dealer provides two oil changes free of charge. However, EV’s need no oil changes. I told them that I felt slighted and wanted to the oil changes anyway. Fortunately, they laughed instead of looking at me as if I’m crazy nuts.

So, folks, keep turned. I’ll give you an update from time to time to let you know if I really made the mistake I think I did.

Tial by Jury

Posted in FOC, law enforcement, Lawyers and Representation, News Anchors, News media, Uncategorized by

In recent events justice has added a new tool, cameras caried by the police. Personally, for the sake of the officers, I wish that it had been added much sooner. Just a personal opinion. I suspect that it would have likely cleared many officers of false accusations, and more quickly. Perhaps that riot in Saint Luis would have never happened if the officer had a photo of the perp reaching for his gun. Maybe not. Some people just like to riot. Any reason will do. I suspect, too that it would have helped keep the officers on their best behavior, good for police and suspects.

The thing is that it has added a quirk to our justice system. People who are ignorant of our jury system simply don’t understand the reasoning behind not releasing the videos right away. There are some real ones, you know. It is to the advantage of all parties involved.

If the officers are to be prosecuted, they deserve a fair trial with an unbiased jury. If the officers are to be cleared, the authorities making that decision should be able to completely examine the evidence, physical, eyewitnesses as well as the videos. Finally, let’s face it. The video idea is not perfect. Sometimes they provide little or no proof whatsoever.

In any case, if the videos are released to the public, it might make it impossible to grant the officer(s) an impartial jury, being as they might have seen the videos on TV and heard comments by news anchors that will bias a large part of the public. Indeed, it might not be possible at all. It actually might permit the officers to get off on a technicality, though everyone knows they are guilty. At the very least, it will complicate the trial. It might disallow the very videos that might convict them.

Sometimes I wonder. I’m just a high school grad. I never had any law school. But I know these things. I don’t understand why most people are not aware of them. Worst of all, why is it that the media push to see the videos so very much knowing that it might poison the jury pool. Why do they permit some to speak from a podium knowing the complications they introduce.

I just guess they don’t like the idea of impartial juries. Maybe they will one day come to their senses when they are the ones who are relaying on the impartiality of twelve people who, just might have pre-judged them as the result of some news story or stories. Indeed, the innocent reporter might be convicted be a the partial jury.