Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
The term “Sticker Shock” typically means the shock at seeing just how much something new, usually an automobile, costs as determined by the price tag or sticker. After my recent experience with an auto dealership service department, I’m now extending the term “Sticker Shock” to auto maintenance. Honestly, with pricing that can only be described as obscene, auto dealers are putting themselves out of business.
Estimated reading time: 16 minutes
When we moved to our present house, I really expected to not be doing any more home improvement projects. After our pre-move-in and clean-up I thought the house looked pretty good. Then, Winnie built a massive brick and stone patio over the summer. Once again, I thought that would be the extent of home improvement here.
It was not to be. Right after Thanksgiving, Winnie announced she wanted to redo our kitchen countertops. Of course, the project needed to be completed before Christmas, as we had already planned a Christmas dinner with guests.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
It seems like the Internet scams are coming thick and fast now-a-days. I rarely go more than a couple of days without some asshole trying to scam me. People are continually trying to sell me Medicare plans, performance-enhancing drugs, or buy my house. Self-described hot young women send me their pictures offering to marry me or sell me even more awesome sexy pictures.
But then there’s the really offensive people who out-and-out try to defraud me. Like the latest email from some asshole pulling an online exhortion attempt with an email announcing, “You’ve Been Hacked.”
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
For approximately two billion people here on planet Earth, today is their New Year’s celebration. Otherwise known as “Chinese New Year,” “Asian New Year,” or “Lunar New Year,” today a whole lot of people are welcoming the Year of the Rabbit.
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
I must admit I’m enjoying the on-going buffoonery of Congress-critter Republicans as they attempt to elect one of their own for House Speaker. In truth, I see this chaos as a microcosm of a larger story; the rapidly melting wreckage known as the Republican Party.
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Once again, just like turning the pages of a calendar, we’re out with the old year and in with the new. But, maybe we don’t want to celebrate the end of 2022 too loudly. I mean, 2022 was a better year than 2021. But that’s like comparing drinking arsenic to drinking hemlock.
So, lets go quietly into the New Year while remembering the year that was.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Another Quora question got me reminiscing about my introduction to free enterprise after retiring from Navy life. It was the first, and only time, one of my boss’s appeared at my front door. It was an unexpected visit after I had abruptly resigned for reasons relating to his fraudulent business practices.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
So, I added to my ever-growing list of movie reviews by answering another Quora question. This one was on the most unrealistic movie scenes which annoy the hell out of me. Which led me into discussing the always-included Hollywood action-movie car chase scenes.
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
I’ve been watching the ongoing melt-down of the social media forum Twitter with a mixture of schadenfreude, sadness, and disgust. Schadenfreude, because I don’t know another word for watching the world’s richest man burn up $44 billion dollars in a hollow attempt to prove he’s a brilliant engineer and businessperson. Sadness, for all the thousands of people losing their jobs with a company in which they invested years of their lives build something they truly believed in. Disgust, because for better or worse Twitter became the 21st century equivalent of the 18th century town square and now it’s rapidly crumbling away with nothing to replace it.
So, I humbly offer my suggestion that it’s time for a government-run social media site.
The ABCs of Democracy
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
After fifteen votes in the House of Representatives this past week, Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R CA-20) finally debased himself enough to “win” Speakership. It was an abject fight – for him. For us normal people, it was a horrific lesson in how much humiliation a person would endure to obtain power.
But then, we have Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D NY-8) with his “ABCs of Democracy” speech. Which cut the clearest possible contrast between House Republicans and House Democrats.
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