I get barraged with offers for subscription boxes. Dog toys/treats. Japanese unique candy. Men’s accessories. And many more. It is pretty easy to ignore.
The idea is that the purveyor selects a collection of items. For the “Men’s Accessories” I have seen things like a shaving cup and brush, a Leatherman tool, or some men’s grooming items. For $40 or whatever a month, you will get a box with the goodies in it.
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We all suspect that members of our family harbor some racism and/or bigotry. I mean, we all have that crazy uncle (or Aunt) who causes us all to roll our eyes at Thanksgiving by saying some completely insane shit out loud.
But, having grown up in Silicon Valley in the 60’s and 70’s where people of color were segregated due to a long history of redlining, and a lot of implicit racial segregation.
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I know I have said I could be strong. But alas, I am weak. Weak as a kitten.
Nostalgia is a bitch, and when it strikes, it hits hard. In this case it is the nostalgia for a guitar neck. My third guitar, and the first one I bought with my own money was a 1986 vintage Charvel Model 4, from the era that they were made in Japan. It was a black body, with the pointy head stock, bolt on neck, second generation Kahler tremolo, and superb Jackson active electronics. (more…)
The first hint of age catching up with me was when I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my left thumb. Alas, that was at an age that the surgical remedies were not recommended (fusing the joints – YIKES).
But the latest has really been a gut punch.
I stopped drinking beer quite a few years ago. There was a direct correlation between a couple of brewski’s and a gout flare up. Gout is no bueno. So I canned the malted, hopped beverages. Frankly, this led to significantly less alcohol consumption.
Therein lies the second problem.
I still enjoy the occasional glass of red wine. A Chianti with Pizza, or a Zinfandel with the rare steak I eat.
Alas, even a single glass of wine gets me buzzed, not really a problem, being a cheap date is not a bad thing at my age.
But it is the aftermath. Once the alcohol metabolizes, I wake up. Like wide awake, and not able to go back to sleep. Last Friday I made pizza, and we shared a bottle of a Spanish Rioja (it is what we had that was appropriate for Pizza) and at 1:00 AM I was wide awake.
This never used to be a problem at all. I used to be able to have moderate alcohol intake, and sleep it off without any ill effects. Now it is a principal cause of insomnia.
Just kill me now.
I began watching the Apple TV+ show, Severance, but by the third episode I was thoroughly freaked out and stopped watching. The presumption that an implant could completely separate your work life from your home life was too freaky.
I have long espoused the work/life balance, and this show takes it to the extreme. (more…)
About once a year, I look at my music streaming accounts that I pay for, and think I should trim one. Currently, I pay for Apple Music (part of my One bundle), Amazon Music (because, well with Prime is about the cheapest), and Spotify.
Little known fact that when I was in college, each year, I took great pleasure each semester going to the local stationer’s shop and buying supplies. Mechanical pencils, high quality fine point pens (all the better to write and rewrite equation sheets) and other beautiful things. Often from German companies, high quality pads of paper.
It wasn’t necessary for my success, but there is something very pleasing about high quality paper, and writing instruments.
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I work at a place that at some point in the past decided that the week between Christmas and New Year was pretty much a wash, and decided to just shut down for the week (usually with a couple of extra days depending on how the holidays land.
This year, there were three days of “work” the week of January 2, and like many of my peers, I succumbed to the pressure to just add the three days and make it a full two weeks off.
It is now Monday, January 2, 10 days into this 17 days off, and I can state confidently that:
And I still have 7 more days to relax.
This is the way to do it!
Something happens when you hit middle (or late-ish middle) age. You have these fond memories of how things used to be. I am no different. My fond memories are around two subjects, guitars, and motorcycles. Activities that I used to participate in as often as I breathed. Both are either memories, or fading.
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One of my favorite all-time movies is Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Sure, it is somewhat corny, but it is a genuinely fun romp, Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard are outstanding lead actors, and the story is fun and feel good.
But one thing has always bugged the fuck out of me. Mr Yunioshi, Holly’s upstairs neighbor, ostensibly a Japanese photographer. A fine character. That is not the problem. It is the casting of fucking Mickey Rooney in this role.
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