March 2022

Upload.

The pandemic has really screwed up our television habits. Back in 2020, near the beginning of the pandemic when everyone was passing the lockdown period by making bread and reviving parlor games, we were introduced to the Amazon Prime television series “Upload”. The show featured “life” in 2030, where society had figured out how to upload loved ones that have passed to a digital afterlife. This digital heaven came at a cost and showed us, in a comedic way, the class divide, even after we had passed on. Risks of being downgraded, limited bandwidth, etc., came to those that didn’t have the funds to keep their after life existence going in the digital world. Earl and I binged the series in May of 2020 and were looking forward to the next season when it was announced season two was coming along.

So, with the pandemic and all, season two was made during COVID and the production followed all the recommended health procedures. Perfect. Except, to save money or maybe because of the extra expense of the pandemic precautions, production houses are now making shorter seasons. Back in the 50s and 60s, a season could be over 30 episodes. By the 80s and 90s we were down to 22. With the streaming services were down to 10 and this latest run of “Upload” has seven episodes. “The Expanse” had six episodes in its last season. Perhaps it’s an Amazon Prime thing. Amazon doesn’t really have that much money, I guess.

So “Upload” season two followed the same storyline and season one, was clever but not as clever, and had a little bit of a meandering thing going on. I didn’t really enjoy the season as much as I remembered enjoying season one nearly two years ago. I still recommend it for the geek value, but a certain spark seemed to be missing.

If you’re looking to binge 3 1/2 hours of entertainment, go for it.so a bunch of precautions were smartly followed and

31 March 2022 by Everyone's A Critic. 0

Retiring.

I’ve always found Bruce Willis hot. I wasn’t much of a “Moonlighting” fan back in the day but once in a while I’d catch an episode and enjoy his manliness on the screen. I watched a few of his movies after he moved to the bigger screen and I found most of the ones I watched enjoyable. We probably wouldn’t see eye-to-eye on a selection of topics on any given day but hey, everyone enjoys looking at something they can’t have.

He announced that he is retiring from the entertainment world after being diagnosed with Aphasia. Aphasia is the inability to comprehend or formulate language because of damage to specific brain regions. To put it simply, it’s becoming more and more difficult for Mr. Willis to communicate through language. I’ve heard the term in the past but I’ve never met anyone afflicted with the condition. There are some therapies available to assist with those living with aphasia but there’s no cure.

I hope Bruce is able to find joy in his retirement. Everyone deserves joy.

30 March 2022 by Ponderings and Musings 0

Cool Down Rinses.

When we lived in the mobile home my parents had a pair of late 1960s Westinghouse laundry appliances. They weren’t paired together because the washing machine was in the bathroom and the dryer was in a small laundry alcove in the addition my father built. The alcove was wedged between the master bedroom which had a gun rack and could accommodate a double-bed, and the living room which could accommodate a black and white TV, a fold out couch, and Dad’s chair.

The washing machine was fascinating to me until it flooded over one day and then it made me nervous because the washing machine was no longer reliably doing what it was suppose to do. It was a basic model from Westinghouse, the cycle on the left side of the dial was for warm or cold wash with cold rinse and the right side of the dial was for hot wash with warm rinse. Unlike the photo of the similarly aged washing machine above, the “Cool Down Rinses” imprint was on the left side of the dial, just below “Lock ‘n Spin”. If you tried to lift the lid when the washer was spinning, it would buzz. The washer and dryer made their way to the house across the street until it flooded again; the dryer lived several years longer until it squealed so loud we could hear it down by the road at the other end of the 200’ driveway. Perhaps Dad was cheap.

Living in the desert has not been kind to my skin. My skin dries out quickly and I’m thinking taking a hot shower, which I absolutely adore, accelerates the activity. So I’ve been ending my morning shower by moving the handle from “9 o’clock” to “3 o’clock”, with 6 o’clock being off. The rush of fairly cold water is exhilarating and I thoroughly enjoy the experience.

As part of my typical brain thought processes, I can’t help but think of the late 1960s Westinghouse Washer every morning during my “Cool Down Rinses”.

My husband appreciates it if I don’t flood the bathroom by letting water out of the shower while I’m doing my business. I continue to do what I’m suppose to do./

29 March 2022 by Fun and Games Dept 0

Decoration.

I installed the metal art sculpture we purchased in Tubac yesterday. It matches the gazebo doors nicely and is a nice touch for the kitchen. I like the little touches like this.

28 March 2022 by Fun and Games Dept 0

Day Trip.

We went for a road trip today. We decided to head south of the city and made our way to Tubac. We did a little shopping; we found a metal sculpture to install over one of our doors in the kitchen. This was our first time walking through the quaint little town. I look forward to going back soon.

We then found our way over to Peña Blanca Lake and walked around a bit. The park had a few people here and there and was beautiful. It was great spending some time in the sun.

27 March 2022 by Fun and Games Dept 0

Caturday.

Truman finds it easy to keep an eye on the puppies running around inside the house and the activity outside of the house from his favorite vantage point.

26 March 2022 by He's A Feline. 0

Background.

Every once in a while I watch episodes from the short-lived, 1970s sitcom, “Bewitched” spin off “Tabitha”. The show starred Lisa Hartman as the grown up daughter of Sam and Darrin. The timeline was off with Tabitha’s age, Adam didn’t really seem like Adam, and all of a sudden we had a new aunt named Minerva (played by Karen Morrow), but the magic seemed the same and the sound effects were the same so it was like a road show version of the show. Dr. Bombay even popped in a few times.

“Bewitched” had a background extra that appeared in episodes throughout the entire series and his name was Gerald York. A while back I noticed that “Tabitha” has a background extra appearing all over the place as well. He’s a good looking blond man but I have no idea what his name is.

Here’s a screenshot with him casually glancing over to Robert Urich having a chat with a cafeteria hostess.

I have to admit he caught my eye because he resembles the very first man I ever dated back in 1986, but I have absolutely no idea as to who the background player is or if he ever continued acting. Sometimes he’s wearing glasses, sometimes he’s not. Sometimes he seems like two people in the same scene.

So in this scene he’s left the cafeteria after lunch, put on his jacket, and come back for lunch.

Here he is in another episode holding the cue cards for the news.

And here he is getting sprayed with an antidote from Dr. Bombay for Mary Wickes’ (as Cassandra) love potion that ended up in some chip dip.

OK, Mr. Blond Guy from “Tabitha”, I don’t know who you are but I certainly noticed you.

25 March 2022 by Geek 2

Think.

Last weekend I discovered an online shopping site for refurbished computer equipment called BackMarket. I’m a firm believer that we should keep our technological devices out of the landfills for as long as possible. I have a Mac Mini from 2011, which has been deemed by Apple as too old to run their MacOS, running Linux. It is a nifty little machine for web browsing, social media, and watching YouTube videos. And because it’s from the era before Apple decided to start gluing everything together, it can be updated with new hard drives and more memory as necessary.

I haven’t had a laptop in quite a while, relying on my 2018 iPad Pro as my portable device. As much as love the iPad Pro, there are some limitations for a tech geek like me, all having to do with the way Apple implements iPadOS and the whole app ecosystem. Yes, I can get pretty full-on geek with the iPad but not in the way I like. I wasn’t in the mood to spring for a brand new MacBook when there’s plenty of viable tech out there just looking for a home, so I gandered at the BackMarket site and found myself a 2018 Lenovo ThinkPad T460s laptop. It’s lightweight yet sturdy, has plenty of horsepower for what I’m looking to do, and has what I still deem probably the best keyboard in the business.

The refurbished laptop came with Windows 10 Pro on it, which is fine, but I prefer playing around with Linux. In 30 minutes or less I had a full install of Linux Mint MATE Edition in place, with all the frills I need for surfing the web, creating documents, doing some coding, and going through my email. Plus, I have full access to the likes of Discord and Telegram and such for staying in touch with friends and family far and wide. So far the experience has been flawless, except for the FedEx delivery.

When the package arrived it was markedly damaged, opened, and looked like it might have been run over by the likes of a forklift.

That’s what the package looked like when it arrived with the delivery man today. Luckily, the computer was not damaged at all and has been cranking along like a little trouper since I installed things in between work meetings this afternoon.

I’m quite pleased with the purchase and if you’re looking for an affordable approach at adding computer equipment to your collection and helping the environment by not throwing things prematurely into a landfill, I suggest BackMarket. Their website was quick and easy to navigate and their delivery was very quick.

24 March 2022 by Geek 0

I’m Smart.

After a successful flight, my husband and I enjoyed a burger and a beer at a local eatery near Davis-Monthan AFB. We had a fun time; and after maybe two beers, Earl drove us home.

I’m smart like that.

23 March 2022 by Fun and Games Dept 0

About J.P.

Just a guy with a husband. We’ve been together 28 years and he still makes me see fireworks on a daily basis. Hiker. Storm Chaser. Private Pilot. Tech Guy. Hackerish.

Weird? Eccentric!

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