Same Old Troubles, The Tigers, and A Few Thoughts
by Barry Bauer
Damn, it’s happened again! The DVD half of my record/player machine quit working. That didn’t come as a big surprise to me. From the very first RCA VCR we bought in 1977 to today we’ve had problems keeping one working for very long. After all, things we buy nowadays are cheap and not built to last. It’s the throw away generation so we should get used to it.
Not only did this machine have trouble tracking tapes recorded on our other machines but it also went into a horizontal picture roll that I thought disappeared back in the 1970s. A lot of people alive today have never heard of horizontal hold or even vertical hold when the picture tipped at a forty-five degree angle. Old TVs had an adjustment knob to correct both of these problems. Anyway, I had to stop and then restart the player to correct it. When you don’t have a knob to adjust what else can you do?
I really think the damned thing was possessed by the Devil.
You might be thinking, why in the hell didn’t I get an extended warranty on it? Well, with a lot of other things the extended warranty doesn’t pay off. And in this case I can’t remember it even being offered. I know the new one I just purchased from Amazon didn’t offer one. Maybe there’s a reason for that as in, they’re probably losing money on it!
Will I ever learn? I don’t think so, Gram.
Anyway, a new machine was just purchase from Amazon after I checked out a few including one locally. The price dropped by about $70 and there was no shipping or taxes so I had to go for it. Also the reviews on this machine were favorable.
* * *
I finished reading Laura Ingraham’s book, “Of Thee I Zing.” I don’t think it was a bad book, nor do I think it was a great book. It was just interesting. I’m reading another David Baldacci book, “Split Second.” It kind of reminds me of the Bobby Kennedy assassination which bothered me more than President Kennedy’s.
I think Stephen King has another book out and I need to check for more John Grissom’s books. All three of them are good writers. At least for us guys. Who among us hasn’t dreamed of being a secret agent or a CIA assassin?
Not me, I’m too old for that crap but it makes for good reading.
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Yes, I’m watching the Detroit Tigers very closely. I check the box score every day to see who hit and who didn’t. As of this writing they have a five-game lead but as we know from the past few years, that can disappear in a hurry. They have the lowest winning percentage of any division leader which tells me they’re a good team but not a great one.
I’m just wondering if the guys who folded in the past will suck it up and perform this time. We’ll see. Meanwhile, we’ve got the Lions!
* * *
A few thoughts:
Why isn’t a medical marijuana prescription filled at a pharmacy instead of a dispensary that politicians seem to have a problem with anyway?
People get all upset when Obama goes on vacation. Not me. I figure when he’s out of town, he can’t hurt us.
Presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, has everything it takes to win the 2012 presidential election except for one thing. CHARISMA! How do we light a fire under him? He’s too much like Al Gore which isn’t a good comparison.
Does anybody still use bluing in their wash to get the clothes whiter?
Until the next time . . .