I want to know..

How in the scientifically minded hell, am I supposed to fit a pair of (oaky, men's) New Balance 619 Sneakers in a (relatively) small Sterilite "shoe box"? 

I know my feet are jacked up, but 

The box must be for baby shoes.

Seriously/

All because I was wanting to put a pair of sneakers away in my closet because I bought a new pair today (Nightmare Before Christmas canvas shoes.. which I'm having a hard time finding it on Amazon to reference.. I mean, there is a pair of sandals that look similar to this link, but I'm not finding the canvas lace ups. There are just too many and not what I bought). 

Yes, I bought Nightmare Before Christmas shoes because I like that movie. Don't hate. There's a good story there with a decent premise and if you know, you know. If not, I'm not explaining it in this post. Go watch it with an open mind (and not while stoned or drunk. There's other films for that). 

And yes, I wear men's shoes because sometimes the width is better than the women's shoes. Plus, depending on where I shop, the styles differ, so it's hard to get something that's comfortable, economical and makes sense. 

I should probably go watch that movie... I didn't do it this year and I normally do (on Valentine's Day, of course. I'm a sucker, I know). 

But yeah... what in the crazy... is this a sign we're continually getting too big for our stuff, that we can't fit a pair of sneakers in a box? Our clothes don't fit, our houses don't fit, our lifestyle doesn't fit... things are going bonkers. 

Yet I have to go to the supermarket after I finish this post because some sale ends tonight and we need stuff for the week.

So I guess toodle doo for now!

Stay skinny.

Cheersl

"Insanity laughs under pressure we're breaking"

When you're stuck in traffic and are listening to some random station, songs tend to bleed into each other before you start changing the channel due to ads.

First I heard Queen feat. David Bowie sing Under Pressure (track 11 off the Deluxe Edition of Hot Space). Immediately following that was Aerosmith screaming at me to Walk this Way (track 03 off of Toys In The Attic). All while sitting at two 4 minute lights.

I never really understood why Aerosmith is called "The Bad Boys of Boston", when Mr. Tallarico is a native New Yorker. 

Yeah, okay, maybe they "officially" formed in Allston (the area where Comm Ave meets Harvard St. Damn I miss Coolidge Corner). But prior to meeting, they were all in different bands in  New York and Massachusetts. At some point in my life, I heard it was New Hampshire too. Or once they became a group, they lived in NH for a minute? I don't know... the full history is lost on me. I think I've heard so many things about them over the years, it started going in one ear and out the other. 

The things I do know are the facts that even before Run DMC decided to collaborate with Aerosmith on Walk This Way, it's very much a screamer-esque type song. It's throaty, it's screamy... the way Steven Tyler "sings". Very different sound than one of those "from gut" songs. Yes, he's got a powerhouse vocal range, but this isn't a smooth sailing song. It's an arena-metal-rock party song that you try to replicate in your back yard. Maybe there's a reason Sweet Emotion is another anthem from the same album. It's a "hold my beer and watch this!" bet of a record. 

There's nothing wrong with it. I like the group. They've got pretty ace singles and just as many rarities. I just had a moment this morning where one song led to another and by the time I got to work, I felt like I should have driven down Route 24 at 65mph where my starting point was Route 9 in Brookline and I ended at Silver City Galleria in Taunton. Instead, I was traveling some construction zones in Fort Myers that I'd rather not be in anymore. 

I guess I need to keep trying for a two dollar lottery ticket... 

Oh, and Rachael informed me her book is out on Kindle in 10 days... so go order it and read it. It's for a good cause.

Cheers;

More?

Well, apparently the mushrooms are turning again, because my mother went outside to check on something, comes back in the house and tells me the fungi are brightly colored this afternoon.

I grabbed my (discontinued) Canon EOS Rebel T7i, popped on the regular lens, and went outside. I pulled the plant into the sun to get a little more light on the growth, but it didn't totally help, as the leaves were giving off too much of a shadow in places. 

Again, I didn't grab a macro lens because I didn't want to then have to do a full set up (tripod, etc). I wanted to be quick to be back in as we needed to work on something else in the house. 

But with out further ado, slightly edited (auto tuned with sharpen) photos:

Oh, and a random side note: I started watching United States Of Insanity yesterday.

 According to Amazon, the description is:

“The World’s Most Hated Band,” notorious rappers Insane Clown Posse, find themselves as unwitting warriors for the First Amendment after they and their one million die-hard fans (called Juggalos) are labeled a gang by the FBI. With the help of the ACLU, the band fights to uncover the reasons behind the designation and get removed from the gang list as their fans begin to losing their jobs, have their children put into protective custody, and face jail time — all because of their musical tastes.

 I'd call it a music documentary because it's a mix of interviews from various sources, including ICP. 

I  am not a real fan, but I've known people who are casual Juggalos as well was real major tried and true 'Los and 'Lettes. I've got a copy or two of Psychopathic Records musicians, but I don't go around saying I am a follower. I'm far from it, but this is a different insight about how the FBI was quick to label the fans a gang. I can see the point that ICP was trying to make in defending themselves and everyone who listens to them, and there are several good points that are made. 

There are comparisons to how the fans wear the Hatchetman symbol to real gangs (Crips, Bloods, MS13) that wear certain colors or sports logos. Juggalos are not out there doing complete malice like the groups on the FBI list, but because one or two bad eggs are the ones who started the government watching them, it's hard to not pigeonhole everyone else. One of the things that was said was there's some rapper that's a huge gang member (not Snoop, but someone in the new millennia), so what's to say his fans aren't in that style of gang? What if all the people who show up are that affiliation? What do you do then? Every time something bad happens at a sports stadium - fans fight fans... are those gang members fighting each other for the love of the team? If Juggalos are being threatened as something evil, shouldn't everyone that follows anything? 

I know I'm not writing clearly about this, but again, I'm not all the way through the film. It's one of those food for thought situations and I wanted to bring it up. Guess I should go finish it...  

Cheers;

Groovy

 Yesterday my mother went to water some of the plants out front, as we were changing the filter in our refrigerator (we've got one of those "on the door ice maker / water stream" things and it requires a filter change every 6 months to a year). So she was taking the ice from the bucket and using that as plant food. 

While I was trying to flush the water line with the new filter (because the filter comes with charcoal you have to get out before using it), my mother comes in the house and says "you know that big plant I have out front?". I said "yes", and she tells me that "there are some psychedelic mushrooms growing in it". I asked her how she knew, and she said "because they're bright yellow". I just laughed and said "okay...".

This morning I went out to check to see if she was really seeing yellow mushrooms. Yea, they're not super crazy bright or colored, but they're definitely different.

Upon talking to a couple neighbors who are in the landscaping business, these mushrooms are called "Florida mushrooms" and don't last but a day or two with their brightness. Otherwise they start fading, which my mother said is what they're doing this afternoon. 

I tried a couple different settings on my Canon EOS Rebel T7i (which is "Renewed on Amazon" or with bundles) - Landscape mode, close up mode, no flash, with flash. I then threw them in to Photoshop, just to sharpen them up a little and put my name on them. 

Editing them out, I probably could have used a macro lens to really get in there, but I wanted to be in and out and not try to play any games since I didn't know how safe these things really are.  I mean, the plant is dying in spots, so these mushrooms are doing something special in the pot. There's obviously a lot of moisture and little sun to make them grow, but how okay is it to stick a camera in there and get super close? 

So I got as close as I wanted to, which means parts came out blurry with the regular lens. I am fine with it. It's not like I'm going to be cultivating fungi any time soon and have it work a room. 

Pictures or this is all for naught:

Guess that's it for now. Stay cool, man.

Cheers;

By the way, have you pre-ordered Rachael's book yet??? 

#musicthrowback (early 2000s)

I feel like every time I hear Shakira's Hips Don't Lie (track 3 off Oral Fixation, Vol. 2) on the radio, there's a point in the song where Shakira is singing and a line feels cut off. Like the someone didn't want her to say something so they edited out whatever it was and didn't try to fix where she goes in to the next part of the song. 

It's so hard to explain and pin point where exactly that part is, as I heard it on the radio yesterday and it just got me thinking. It's a hard edit and doesn't flow so great. I mean, the song in its entirety is so streamlined, that the point it feels like there is a bad mix, stands out dramatically. 

As I'm typing this, I listened to the song again, so I am able to say exactly where it is and what it is. It's around the 1:40 mark when she starts singing "oh boy, I can see your body moving / half animal, half man". At the 1:45 mark, she sings "You seem to have a plan" and goes into "My will and self-restraint" at 1:46. That's the point where it goes into the question of what just happened. 

It's all one verse but the shift between "plan" and "my will" is harsh. Once she finishes the verse out, the song goes back in to a quality edit. 

Things I've read about this song is that it's a bunch of samples. Wyclef Jean has one song that was matched up to be re-recorded with this, plus some of the brass work from Jerry Rivera. 

It doesn't matter who she sampled or how long it took to create the song, every time I hear it, those two lines trip me up because I keep thinking someone had an oops moment in the editing bay. I know I'm reading too much in to this and it's just a song, but I can't help but wonder why that stayed in and not fixed. Like I said, the song in its entirety is great and you can't tell that it's not a pure 100% original track, except when you get to that 1:45 mark and Shakira's vocals shift. 

I know it's just me being crazy weird, but I felt like making a comment about it. Something to think about. 

- Shrugs - 

Cheers;

I got word...

... that a certain book is on presale right now. 

My friend Rachael has been working diligently on an animal rights book (well, a "we need to end bullfighting" story based on (political) headlines coming out of certain Spanish countries) for a couple years and she has now officially started the process of getting it self published (on Amazon). 

The book is titled Sangre De Toro and the (Amazon) synopsis is:

When Pepelito dramatically escapes certain death in a bullfight, he enrages some and delights others. Taken pity on by Rita Silvera, a caring homicide detective, he soon begins to heal from the physical and psychological torture of the bullring.

But Pepelito's nightmare is not over. Javier Castella is the best matador in Spain - maybe the world. He would kill for a chance to finish his masterpiece - and he's not the only one.

Because, as Rita soon learns, a serial killer is on the loose. And her love of animals might make her the next target...

Rachael has done so much research with this book, that it is being supported by CAS International. CAS International is group that " wants to end bullfighting and other 'cultural' events that cause animal suffering".

As we've been friends for over 20 years and routinely talk about everything going on, I promised Rachael that when the book was ready, I'd promote it on here for her. 

Currently, the Kindle version is listed as a presale only on Amazon, and it's located here, for $8.90 (US, as she's British and working in England). It'll be released April 30, 2024. All other versions will be released sometime in May (trade secrets that I can't post here).

The last time we had a good conversation about it, she stated that the proceeds are going to go to a charity to have bullfighting banned. I hope all her work (literally & figuratively) pays off because from what she's told me, this sport really shouldn't exist. We've all seen some sort of version of bullfighting and think nothing of it, but there's so many things behind the scenes relating to a moment of quick movements, that we don't know how bad it really is for the animal. No one talks about the politicians that support this, the harm (cuts, bruises, death) that comes to the bull... I feel it's quite possibly the equivalent what we commonly hear about the way chickens / cows / pigs are treated on farms in order to get us every day food. We're not eating these bulls after a fight, but they're more disrespected by owners and trainers and everyone else than we actually want to know about. 

So please support my friend Rachael and check her book out. It's a good read (I have previewed it in its early stages) and worth the time and effort. Rachael has done an amazing job in writing Sangre De Toro and I am so so proud of her. 

Cheers;

Finished!

 Friday night I finished Young Dracula. Because I'm using a Roku (3) streaming device, I ended up watching the last two seasons on The Roku Channel app. FilmRise's Classic TV only has up to season 4, so I wanted to make sure some other app had the fifth season before I got into season 3. 

Sure enough, the Roku channel had all five seasons. 

I do have to say, as cheesy as the series got to be, it ended nicely. 

I mean, sure, in some alternate reality, maybe a spinoff could happen or a season six could have been made, but they really tied all the seasons together with five seasons. There are a couple loose ends that really could have been a 16 episode series ender, but honestly, that would have been too much. 13 episodes per season is plenty. 

Yeah, there were parts overall where it was so stupid you rolled your eyes (Count Dracula over tried as a parent to Vlad in some scenes) and the Ingrid vs Vlad sibling rivalry was spot on for some families. Although the whole "girls suck" / "girls can't amount for anything" was over bearing. I understand the concept and then Ingrid trying to be a boss bitch, but there was just something off putting about that characterization. 

Plus the "mum's run off with a werewolf" ran it's course too harshly when they announced a puppy in the picture during one of the seasons. Said puppy was in and out of 2 seasons and forgotten about by the end of the series. Which was odd. 

Look at me, creating spoilers. Oops.

The series is made for kids with adult humor in mind, for sure. It's also 13 thirty minute episodes per season, so it's mindless if you want some background comedy. 

I'd probably watch the series again if I had time to kill and wanted to find some Easter Eggs or pick things out even further. But until that happens, I wanted to make an update saying I finished watching it all.

Cheers;

We have a visitor?

I was in the kitchen and went to open the window when I saw a mourning dove, hanging around in the mulch.

My mother says he's enjoying the weather (it's 82° out right now), but I think he's up to something.

I don't know if he's hurt or what, because we've never had a mourning dove sit in the back by the air conditioning unit. 

Usually they're in the gutters of the building or in the trees, never on the ground in the mulch. So hopefully this little guy is all right and the landscaping crew doesn't do damage to him since he's sitting there and they don't pay attention some days (I've got my car nicked before by the lawn mowers).

The things you see when you're not paying attention. 

The photos above were taken on a (now discontinued model and available online in bundle mode or renewed by Amazon) Canon EOS Rebel T7i with standard lens. The editing was done in Photoshop. All I did was auto tune it (tone, contrast) and add my name.

The video was taken the same way - with the Canon camera, except it was edited in Pinnacle Studio. Added my name and tried some basic auto tune to it, if only to see what it would do. I haven't done major editing in Pinnacle in a while. 

Just wanted to post yet another random Florida find...

On to watching Vlad..

Cheers;

Slayed season 1 & put it in its coffin

I finished season 1 of Young Dracula. It had the type of ending you knew would happen, but I'm not going to create any spoilers on it, in case any one wants to see it. It just set itself up for another season that you know will be just as questionable. 

The crazy thing is, like I said in my last post, the more I am watching this show, the more it has a 1990s appeal to it. It doesn't help that the actor playing Count Dracula (Keith-Lee Castle) has a total 70s rock band vibe (okay, spoiler - there is a scene in one of the episodes where some kids even ask him what famous musician he is). Yet, he looks like he belongs in the 90s. It's so weird; I guess he ages well? 

A struggle with this show is that the Van Helsing characters don't seem to fit in completely with the story. I know that seems like a contradiction as what's a vampire without a slayer, but the fact the dad and son live in a camper van is an odd living arrangement. 

For context, Van Helsing in this story is a woodshop teacher and he has a son he's trying to teach the ways of the slay to, and the son doesn't believe in vampires. Yes, it makes sense to have a slayer be a woodshop teacher, but they're slightly over reaching with it. It's comical the way they're writing this character because his fang obsession is too over powering. I'm not giving more spoilers, except to say "let's pretend he's not as adequate in the kill department as we know the name to be, yet he's trying to teach his son". 

But yeah, they live in a "I go where I'm towed" camper van. Just because you're attempting to follow the undead, doesn't mean you can sleep in an RV. At least get a one bedroom apartment or something when you roll into town and know there is "activity". Make it a little more realistic. Although, if you're constantly on the go, it does make sense to be on wheels because constantly putting rent down and not being there for a year is a little troublesome. 

I have to say, Vlad's friend Robin is too "white bread posh" to try to pretend to be goth and into vampires. Yes, Vlad makes a friend when the Draculas first move to their new city, but Robin and his family seem too "normie" to have one of the kids be into the darkness. 

True, most "normal looking" families have a goth kid (sometimes), but Robin's attempt at being undead seems a little much. Like it's a total act or something (as if his older brothers are betting him to do it). It works but it doesn't work. It adds to the predictability of this show, I guess. 

The last thing is, Renfeld could use a slight makeover. They made him under too much. The whole Riff Raff meets Crazy doesn't completely jive. One or the other. That is all I want to say about it. 

Don't get me wrong - I'm not knocking this show at all. I want to watch all 5 seasons because I want to sort it out. See where it goes because it's different, for sure. I do like it, honestly. It's mindless and it's a "fresh" / "new" take on the lore of the vampire. I guess we can thank Michael Lawrence for the inspiration?

Until I finish another chapter...

Cheers;

Why didn't I ever see this??

Put yourself back in 2006 for a minute. 

What were you watching? Where were you watching it?

If you didn't have access to any of the BBC channels (like me), odds are you missed a show on CBBC called Young Dracula (but if you had access to Saturday night TV on PBS... we're talking a totally different Brit comedy ballgame.. but in the same realm of odd laughs). 

Although the show is listed as a "comedy drama [that] follows the adventures of Vlad, the irrepressible son of Count Dracula, as he contends with life in English suburbia, his meddlesome family and the small matter of his destiny to lead the entire vampire race", imagine what Buffy could do if she traveled to Europe and went to high school with this kid... I keep expecting Giles to show up or something that didn't include Van Helsing as a woodshop teacher (creative, no?). 

I've been catching up on this show via the FilmRise Classic TV app on my Roku, but it seems like it's available for purchase and free with other streaming options on Amazon. 

I have to say, as of this writing, I'm "only on" the first season (and early on in it), it's definitely dated and I thought it was more from the early1990s rather than early 2000s. I'm not hating on it, as I don't know if they've done any type of upscaling to this (I can't tell). If they haven't, the film quality has kept up pretty good. I know there's been a lot of conversation about early shows trying to get on the 4K bus to appeal to new users, but sometimes, you just can't mess with old content. 

Yes, certain analog (color) shows haven't aged well for the digital sets (black and white is still classic but I don't understand the need to try to "hi-res" those things.. they're fine because they lack the digital color as it is), but I've read that sometimes it depends on what types of cameras and film were used to record the original episode with. Depending on generation, all it takes is a very minimal sweep in an edit bay these days, and you can't tell the thing you are watching was filmed 30 years ago. Then again, there are some things filmed 35 years ago that need a slight touch up. But who's complaining... I'll still watch it. 

Anyway, back to Vlad. 

From the episodes I've seen, the appeal is for the young kids, for sure. Like adults watching Disney movies, there's situational humor in the show that the children might not understand but their parents are literally giggling like the toddler in the next room. Don't get me wrong, it's not "laugh out loud" hysterical by any means. It's got it's canned moments and you can tell. It's thirty minutes of mindless entertainment and I'm enjoying it. It's a different take on the story of Dracula, that's for sure (and bonus points for Easter Eggs for finding Stoker related gems in the show!). 

I guess I should continue on watching the show... there are 5 seasons of this, after all... 

Cheers;

It's already the middle of February...

... and the hearts have been packed away in stores to make room for the sale of the original men who ran the country. 

Although, while shopping at the Big Red Bullseye store (Target) today, they were putting Easter stuff out. Totally bypassing St. Patrick's Day. I mean, I think Irish Eyes come smiling before a furry white rabbit delivers chocolate candies for the good little boys and girls this year. I could be wrong. 

This being the start of another crazy couple months, I've also started listening to new podcasts at work. Well, not "new" per se, just series from some of the other companies I've previously listened to. 

For example, The Slate Group ("Slate") has a political show called Slow Burn. Each year is something different - Watergate, Clinton Impeachment, Biggie and Tupac, David Duke, The Road to the Iraq War, The L.A. Riots, Roe v Wade, Becoming Justice Thomas. The seasons dive deep into whatever the theme of the season is, and has a lot of interviews and conversations. 

I'm pretty much caught up with this, so I've started One Year. According to Amazon, the synopsis of the podcast is "The people and struggles that changed America—one year at a time. In each episode, host Josh Levin explores a story you may have forgotten, or one you’ve never heard of before. What were the moments that transformed politics, culture, science, religion, and more? And how does the nation’s past shape our present?". Because they shift things around, the first two seasons aren't technically a decade or year. Just something pulled from history and talked about (Ruby Ridge, for example). I'm now on 1995 and am close to finishing it. 

I forgot about a couple of things that happened "in my youth" and am reminiscing as I listen to it all, even though there are some things I didn't know at the time (like the episode about "The Spot", which is about "aspiring filmmakers created the first ever soap opera on the Web. Hollywood saw it as the future of entertainment. But a fan-led revolt showed that interactivity sometimes has a price. This week, Evan Chung explains the rise and fall of The Spot". This didn't seem to make its way in to my realm of teen stuff, so it's definitely new to me). 

The rest of the links is stuff I've accumulated recently and have written down in case I end up deleting it and wondering if I listened to it 2 years from now.... solely based on the fact I've done that before. I've deleted series when I'm done and then wonder what I've previously listened to since Apple doesn't seem to keep a history. You have to keep the podcast in your library if you want to know, regardless of whether or not you're done with it. 

* Decoder Ring, which is "about cracking cultural mysteries. In each episode, host Willa Paskin takes a cultural question, object, or habit; examines its history; and tries to figure out what it means and why it matters". Hearing some of the ads for it, I'm willing to give it a try. 

* Out of boredom, The Osbournes Podcast because I stumbled on a video short of an episode the other day. What the hell; might as well take a peak at it. And yes, "Those Osbournes"... as in Ozzy, Sharon, Jack and Kelly. 

* Scrolling around, I've found The Salem Witch Trials Podcast: "a fast-paced and episodic examination of the witch hysteria in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. Each brief yet insightful episode harnesses the knowledge of an expert to help illuminate both the chronology of events as well the deeper context surrounding the hysteria, giving listeners an understanding of this fascinating and tragic event in early American history."

* Edith! - "Rosamund Pike stars as Edith Wilson in "Edith!" a scripted comedy podcast exploring the untold true-ish story of America's secret First Female President. After President Woodrow Wilson suffered a massive, paralyzing stroke in the White House, Edith Wilson did the unthinkable: she told no one. And for almost a year following the end of World War I, Edith Wilson acted as the de facto unelected President. She would sign documents as him. She would fire people as him. She would even cause international incidents as him. And all along the way, enemies both internal and external, inched closer to finding out her secret."

* Bad Vibes - "The ultimate horror anthology for the ears. Hello there, my frightful friend. It’s your old pal Mr. Boogey (Justin McElroy). I’m so glad you stopped by. Every week I will tell you a story in exchange for your fear. For dread and terror is the sweet, sweet, sustenance I crave and I am very hungry. Each weekly tale is more chilling than the next and as always I will be there to lead you in and out of the darkness. So take a break and join me won’t you? I promise you won’t live to regret it :). Tah-tah."

* Play On Podcasts - "Play On Podcasts are epic audio adventures reimagining timeless tales, featuring original music composition and the voices of extraordinarily gifted artists. This is where Theatre meets Podcast, combining the modern-day audio phenomenon with the power of live performance."

* Anatomy of Murder - "A murder case has many layers: the victim, the crime, and the investigation. To truly understand it, you need to dissect each piece of a tragic puzzle. Join Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi and Scott Weinberger every Tuesday for an insider’s perspective, as they reveal to you the Anatomy of Murder."

* Consumed - "When struggling journalist Sarah Simmons finds herself stranded in an idyllic New Hampshire town, her unexpected visit turns into a nightmare.  Steeped in history and filled with legends, the residents of Danville soon learn that the past is not always meant to be forgotten. Their lives will be forever changed, while the hope of a future without terror rests on the shoulders of a stranger who may hold the keys to the past."

^^ Part of the Grim & Mild family... stuff I've already have queued up (Lore, Bridgewater, Cabinet of Curiosities, etc). 

* Murder Homes - "The real estate market has never been hotter. Houses sell as soon as they’re listed. Bidding wars lead to all cash deals far above the asking price. But there is one kind of property that often sits on the market for years, no matter how much of a bargain it seems to be. Potential buyers come and go, the price keeps going down, and still the house stands empty.    In real estate jargon, it’s called a “stigmatized property” because the home comes with a history. An unfortunate one – a horrible death occurred here. But what few people know is exactly what happened.... or why.    Each week, Murder Homes tells the story of a single property. Who lived there? What secrets did they keep, and what did they leave behind? Part history, part murder mystery, this podcast mixes expert interviews, witness accounts, and court records to pull back the curtain on the hidden stories each property has to tell.    Would you be able to live somewhere that seems perfect, if it weren’t for the ghosts of its past?"

* How to Win Friends and Disappear People - "Starring Leslie Grace and Soni Bringas, this 10-episode supernatural thriller follows Nancy (BRINGAS), a nebbish computer scientist, who becomes obsessed with her mysterious new neighbor. It doesn’t take long for her to uncover a dark secret: the mystery woman, El (GRACE), is actually a centuries-old vampire. As Nancy becomes her familiar (basically her assistant), bringing the vampire into the social media-driven world of millennial New York City, they are both pulled down a rabbit hole of deceit, murder, and mayhem."

^^ This one wasn't the best. I listened to it in full, but it was 'meh'. 

* My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark - "My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners.  Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921."

* Undertow: Narcosis - "Undertow is Realm’s premier horror podcast channel, showcasing original works of elevated audio horror. Hosted by audio horror pioneer and creator, Fred Greenhalgh. Veronica West never planned to come back to Sinclair. But when her estranged childhood friend goes missing at sea, Veronica returns to the remote island to lead a dangerous recovery dive – only to find herself trapped in a series of underwater tunnels with her oxygen dwindling. But that’s the least of her problems. There’s something unspeakable down there with her. Something the mainlanders don’t want her to find…"

* Last Podcast On The Left - "The Last Podcast on the Left covers all the horrors our world has to offer, both imagined and real. From demons and slashers to cults and serial killers, The Last Podcast is guaranteed to satisfy your bloodlust."

These being the newest things, still means I've got to catch up on what I'm already plugged in to. I tend to get started in a series and listen to it all the way through, to whatever last episode was uploaded. Which then makes me delayed in listening to things already on my "listen now" list. 

Things like Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society, iNTO THE FRAY RADIO - An Encounter with the Abyss that is the Paranormal, the aforementioned Grim & Mild stuff, The Scarecast (which really is a guy taking Reddit stories and reading them for funsies. It's meh, but passes the time).

I wish The Monster Hunters would do a couple more seasons. This is actually a fun listen. I totally buzzed through it at my previous job. It has some laughable moments and was suggested to me by my cousin Brady. "Take a trip back to swinging London in the early 1970s and meet Roy Steel, ex-big game hunter, and Lorrimer Chesterfield, a brain in the shape of a man. Together they are The Monster Hunters. Their mission: to protect the country from vampires, werewolves and a whole pantheon of unmentionable terrors! Taking its cue from the classic period of British horror and adventure, the 1960s and 70s, The Monster Hunters is a comedy adventure series written by and starring Peter Davis and Matthew Woodcock."

Looking up Monster Hunters, I actually just added a couple of Definitely Human podcasts to my queue. The Bunker, Down and Marscorp. They look like one and done series, but they also look interesting. 

I'm a total science fiction, horror / thriller, political history person, apparently... just based on what I've got on my list. Is it good? Is it bad? I don't know. 

What I do know is that I've not even listed half of what I've listened to in the past 6 years. I've not included NPR stuff (like All Songs Considered) or cooking stuff (like Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Radio). Even an attempt to learn Italian by listening to Coffee Break Italian, which actually kind of works, except you don't see the words written out, so you don't have the opportunity to study anything while listening, unfortunately. 

I guess I'll add more as I come to it, and try to suggest others when I have time. Until then, hope this list gets you active! 

Cheers

When does customer service NOT work in your benefit?

When too many Karens make a mockery of the industry.

I realize this post is going to come off as me being a Karen, but it's not. I had an incident last night with a call center, because in person, it was just strange. 

Thursday my mother and I had gone to one of the local Dunkin Donuts. There's a deal going on this month where you can get a $2 medium iced coffee as long as you have a registered card (use the app, have a card on file). 

We both have the app and a card on file, but since I have more money on my card, we agreed I'd pay for both coffees (in all honesty, I had $26 and change because I got various denomination cards for the holidays). 

My mother ordered hers first, saying she'd like to do the two dollar medium coffee. She said that I'd be paying for it as one transaction, and then I'd be paying again for my coffee as the second transaction. 

Cashier says sure, not a problem, so my mom orders her coffee with cream only. I pay the $2.13 and receipt pops out. 

It comes to me, and I say I'd also like to do the $2 medium iced coffee and the cashier says sure, no problem. I ask the same - cream only. I go to scan my card and it pops up as $3.51.

I question it, as it had said that for my mother and it went down to $2.13 after my card was scanned. The cashier looked at the computer she was at and said it did go to $2. I asked if it was for both, and she said yes. 

I pointed to my side of the screen and say "it says $3.51 still. I don't understand why it says that if I paid the two dollars?".

Cashier looks at it again, starts struggling and says "well, I don't know how to tell you this" and starts dancing around the subject. "We, um, have the new rewards system. It turns out, uh, your coffee was free. Congrats. You had a enough points, to not pay at all", 

My mother and I looked at each other and I said "seriously? I had enough points on my card to have it automatically deduct a free coffee?" and the cashier, a little antsy, says "yes. It's part of the new rewards".

I asked why the screen showed up as I paid $3.51 and she said it doesn't; it came up as free. She had my order receipt in front of her that popped out and pointed to the line item that said 0.00 (which is what you get when you use a gift card. It is the change due line). 

She went on to say "See? Zero. Free" and started taking the receipt back. I actually grabbed it and my mother's before the cashier could do anything with them. I said to her that it doesn't make sense, but if she says it's free... fine. 

So we get our coffees and leave. In the car, my mother and I were trying to figure it out. As I was driving, I didn't look closely at the receipts. I just shoved them in my pocket. I didn't bother looking at the app for my transaction history because Dunkie's has a habit of taking a couple hours to load the information. 

I didn't think any thing of it the rest of the day. When we got home, I had put the receipts on the dining room table, to be able to go over them with the rest of my receipts from the day, and forgot about them. 

Last night, I was looking them over and my mother's receipt says I paid $2.13 for the coffee and the gift card balance was a little over $24. On my receipt, it said I paid $3.51 and my balance was a little over $20. 

I told my mother that I was totally charged the full price for the coffee and my gift card balance is now down. I then opened my phone to see the transaction history on the app, and sure enough, the app says the same thing. 

My mother questions it. Says to call customer service. So I did.

The automated phone system for Dunkin' Help is programmed to make you not wait for a human being. You go through the prompts to do everything under the sun, only to get back to the main menu and go over the prompts again. I must have been pressing the same numbers for a solid 4 minutes. 

When I finally got a human, I explained what had happened. She repeated part of it to me, and asked for the card information so she can see it on her end. I gave her the member ID that is on the app and she was able to see my account. 

She informs me that she does see my two transactions, and unfortunately, she has to tell me what company policy is. 

Company policy is that when Dunkin Donuts runs these deals, it's one deal per person per day. Because I made two transactions, only one of them was able to be used on the deal. The other was full price because I already used the promotion. 

I said I didn't know there was a one time use deal, and the cashier never said that either. I had told the cashier I was going to do two transactions for the two coffees and the cashier said okay. She then telling me my coffee was free, but obviously it isn't, if I paid $3.51.

The call center repeated it's policy guidelines and that's all that can be done. I said to the person "so there's nothing you're going to do? I'm calling about using a coupon promo and that the cashier didn't stop me from ordering and explain anything, and you are just telling me about policy?"

Call center says "yes". I'm sitting there thinking "what kind of customer service is this? Usually you call with a problem, they try to work with you. They apologize. This person is already hanging up on me because they did their job".

I didn't say all that, but I did ask if it's possible to get a refund on the account, since they can obviously see my transaction history. 

I got a snarky response of "you want a refund?" from the call center, and I said "if that is possible, yes please".

They said they're not allowed to do that, but they can escalate it up to a manager. They would need to put me on hold for a minute. 

I go on hold. 

Call center comes back on to say that they've made notes in the system and have escalated it to management. I should get a call or an email in two days and since they have done their job by informing me of policy, is there anything else I need before we hang up.

I repeated "so you're not going to do anything but escalate the problem and I'm to wait to hear from someone", and they said "correct, unless you want me to cancel everything I just did". I said "no, please keep it escalated". 

Okay. 

I asked what email they had on file, and they said "I'm not allowed to give that out, but I can tell you what provider it is" and she tells me the internet provider registered. I asked "can you also give me the ticket number in case something happens?" and she did. 

It's time to hang up because there's nothing else that can be done. I got a basic answer about something that happened at one of the stores and I have never experienced this type of push off in my life. 

Sure, I've had to call customer service a few times in the past for other incidentals with companies, but this is the first time a call center rep has told me company policy and stuck to it. No apology, no nothing. She tried her hardest to get me off the phone after reading the policy in the first 2 minutes of the call. I don't think that's right. A customer is calling about a problem, even reporting that the cashier was not telling the truth about the program, and the call center's responsibility is to read a line about promotion policy and hang up.

I think it would have been different if I was told in the store that it's one per person per day and I couldn't pay twice. My mother would have definitely used her card and I would have used mine and we wouldn't have had this issue, let alone the casher see I was charged and say "just kidding; it was free. You had points" when I didn't. Last time I 'used points' in the app, I had to physically select the free item in the app. Lots of scrolling and different bar code. I did none of that while ordering and paying this time. 

Now I wait to see if I hear from the local store manager. The response will probably not be what I'm expecting, but I'm going to make damn sure they know what their employees said and did, as charging customers and telling them the coffee was free, is almost like Dunkie's is stealing in a way. You think you paid for it and are told it got zeroed out because it's on the house... well... how else do you explain you feel like you got taken advantage of? 

As much as I don't like going to this particular store, it's close to where I do a lot of my errands. Dunkin Donuts are hard to come by down here, and it seems like every one I've been in, have challenges. I think there was may be one brand new one (several years ago) that actually had a smooth transaction and friendly staff. The other stores I've been into are chaotic as employees don't know what they're doing and give out the wrong orders. I've seen reviews on websites for these stores. It's not positive. 

I've never had problems in New England at the chain. I've been in real sketchy neighborhoods and felt that the service was so much better. Why is it so hard to get a decent cup of coffee around here? Things you're used to, don't exist. It's the weirdest thing. 

At the end of the day, I guess I am going to start frequenting gas stations for my coffee once I get down to zero on the gift card... 

Until I hear something, stay caffeinated. 

Cheers;

"Unplug the box, put the remote face down (numbers down) on top of the box"

First thing my mother says to me this morning (after I wake up and pee), is that the remote to her TV isn't working. She's already tried changing the batteries and it's still not doing anything. 

I take a look at the remote, and everything blinks when I press a button, so I don't think it's that. But just to see maybe those batteries on on their way out, I change them to a new pack. 

Still not changing a channel. Maybe it needs a factory reset?

I get online to see about doing a reset and can't find the instructions for our box, as Hotwire has several different brands they use. Of course, ours being a TiVo, the first page of searching doesn't have what I need. 

Must. Include. "TiVo". As. Keyword. 

As I'm doing this, my mother decides she is going to call Hotwire because it's becoming on of those situations that's taking up too much of our time. 

She calls the first number she has saved. It goes to a sales rep's office number. 

She hangs up. Tries another number and it goes to a call center. Presses the right keys to get a live person and explains what is going on.

Only after confirming our address and so forth.

The call center person asks some questions, I think to find the right script to read from. 

My mother explains how last night the remote barely worked so this morning she tried changing the battery. Two different tries, the remote doesn't seem to be talking to the box. Is there something she can do?

Call center tech confirms our boxes (three) and my mother says "yes, it's the primary bedroom one".

Call center says to us to "go to the box and unplug the first plug from the back of it. Put the remote face down, numbers side down, on top of the box, and don't touch it" because she's going to do some stuff on her end, puts us on hold. 

My question is, what in the hell does putting the remote face down on the electrically unplugged box have to do with anything? My mother shrugged.

A couple minutes go by and the call center gets back on the line. Asks us to plug the box back in, and we can take the remote off the box. 

Okay, we plug it in. Fision splash screen comes up. TiVo splash screens come up. The "press OK / Select to continue" message appears. We pressed OK. 

Channel pops up. I try the up arrow. Channel changes. Press the down arrow. Channel changes. 

My mother says to the call center "it is working" and asks me to go to a different channel all together. I did and it worked.

Call center says that sometimes they break, but she is happy to have helped us fix the problem. My mom thanks her and phone call ended. 

I said to my mother when she hung up, that this is totally fecking weird. We completely severed the power to the box by unplugging it. There has to be a battery back up of some sort within the box because otherwise, why would the tech have had us unplug it and put the remote on top of it? If they did some troubleshooting on their end, it must mean there is some back up power still going to the box. Otherwise the remote wouldn't have worked when she told us to plug the box back in.

Especially since I had started to do a factory reset on the remote. 

My mother said she doesn't understand it, except it's some Big Brother level stuff. I just had to laugh at that because how do I make a come back statement? My mother usually doesn't make that kind of joke, so for her to come out with it, you know something's funky.

I said to her that "I wonder if the next time this happens, we just do the same thing we just did and not call, see if things happen" and she said "worth a shot". 

It's just strange... cutting the power from the cable box and a remote call center still having access to it. I mean, I'm sure she saw on her screen that one of the boxes were offline... so surely something else would have needed to happen, besides putting the remote face down on it. Once we plugged it back in, it magically synced?

Makes no sense. Except I really think Hotwire has rigged these machines to be running 24/7/365 regardless of whether or not you have power. There's got to be some sort of battery backup in the box or the Ethernet cable runs power or something else is going on. The box is getting electrified whether it's plugged in or not. 

Scary. Messed up. Hotmess Hotwire. Comcast is fishy, but not this scammy... Way to start the morning! 

It's iguana plop-plop weather!

As I've previously mentioned, it's been "cool enough" in southwest Florida, that we have our windows open. Lately, we're talking 50s in the morning and by 3pm, it's 70. 

As I write this, it's 55° out and would be a "bring yer hoodie!!" day while doing errands. Even though the longer you live here, the more apt you are to be bundled from head to toe as if it's the snow that's coming later due to it being -4 in places. Trust me, I've seen it before. The people wearing down jackets, long pants, mittens, thick sneakers, wooly hats... I'm sweating just thinking about it. Yet there are also people who wear shorts, sneakers, a t-shirt, jacket and no hat, and are fine with it. It's all dependent on what you're doing and how fast you're walking (outside of how fat you are. LOL). 

Anyway, under normal circumstances, the rare occasion that it gets between 40 and 60, the news reports talk about the falling iguanas and to be mindful of them. 

Yes, there's such a thing as falling iguanas.

The big dudes with the long (sometimes spiked) tails hang out in the trees. There's a picture or two of them somewhere on my blog. I just don't remember when I added it. They sleep in the trees and night and wander around during the day. The height advantage warms them up before they can take a walk. 

So when it's "below freezing" by Florida standards, the iguanas go into a state of shut down and paralysis. They end up falling from the trees and landing on the ground. They're not hurt from the fall, but they do make a plop when they hit the grass. 

Instead of it "raining cats and dogs", Florida rains lizards in the cold. 

The places that are keen to having the reptiles in their trees probably have speed bumps in the grass right now, but allegedly it's going to get worse over night and into tomorrow, as the news reports this morning it'll be in the 30s in the morning. 

Am I still too far south to see snow??? 

I don't know what's worse - knowing big iguanas hang out in trees and on cold snaps can fall on you if you're not careful, or the fact people are reporting we're going to feel 35° this weekend. 

Sure, it's dropped to 45 a couple times, but I haven't seen anything below that since we moved here. I thought Florida was year round tropics? This definitely blows Tay's opinion out of the chunky monkey iguana tree, for sure. 

The humidity is gone, but the New England fall has decided to pay a visit?

At any rate, where ever you are, keep safe and warm. I've got to wrap this up because I am due to go out and shop with someone in less than an hour. They need my help with electronic stuff and want me to go with them to buy things. 

Until this place gets itself sorted...

Cheers;