Everyone's got one and doing it..

... but are they really using it?

Over the past few months, I've noticed a lot of people in the pool wearing some sort of smart watch; whether that be Apple Watch, Google Pixel Watch or Fitbit. 

Most user I have run into, have an Apple Watch, truth be told, even though I know quite a few who love their Android phone (out in the real world). I think I have come across more Apple users in my community, then there are other device users (some of the hip young kids are into the "Nothing" Phone or whatever is up and coming). 

It's strange but it's probably generational that they are all accustomed to using the same type of device (they all hang out together and trade health problems). If they have a home computer, odds are, it is Windows based. 

Yes, they also have iPads because they want a tablet and since they already have an iPhone, they want to also be able to have a bigger screen to "FaceTime" their grandkids. The catch is, if they still have a home computer, it's Microsoft. So they can't have things move between all environments and want to know why their apps aren't on the computer. Because it's two different things and the operating systems won't play together. Although, the truth is, they don't feel they need an expensive MacBook because Windows is dead simple to use and all they know the programs. Even though the iPad, iPhone and Watch probably cost as much as the MacBook, combined, when all was first purchased.

Can't win and can't talk them into anything otherwise.

Plainly because I'm a contradiction myself.

Personally, I'm using what is now considered a "Legacy Device": an Apple Watch series 3, with its stock band for my swimming watch. I was given a cousin's old Apple Watch series 6 when they upgraded to something newer, which means the series 6 is now my every day watch, to the point I've purchased some nice Velcro sports bands to go with it. I just need to invest in some more bumpers because I dumbly kept putting them on my series 3 and the pool was ruining them due to my trying to take the bumper off to clean the watch face. I need to replace the bumper on the 6 because it's getting too cloudy and scratched. 

I have an iPhone, an Apple Watch, and I use a Hewlett Packard laptop. The laptop is 13 years old at this point, so it's a little worn (Windows 8.1). I grew up with Microsoft computers, whether that was an IBM machine running DOS or various other name brands running newer systems over the years. It's what I know, but I also am not afraid to admit I've had my hands on Apple computers before. I'm of the generation where we played Oregon Trail on both the Apple II and Commodore 64 in elementary school. I earned my fruit stripes by getting dysentery, thank you very much (The Commodore was rare; I think there was like 2 in the school and we always fought for it)! 

Squirrel brain activated! Got to get back to the topic at hand.

I was trying to bring this up (the use of the watch) because it's interesting how everyone is literally attached to said time keeper, but they're not using it for the exercise apps that may or may not be included within their device's environment. They all seem to be using it to be able to check the time, see if they got a random text, or because they want to have a watch tan line (likely story 😜). 

I can't speak for Android, but Apple has not only the Health app, but they have the Fitness app. Both talk to each other, so if you do some sort of workout in the Fitness app, it tells Health you've completed an activity. With the watch, you can open Fitness, scroll to the workout you want to do, and the timer starts and the app senses what you're doing. It can tell your heart rate, your movement, and will time you while you're involved in that particular exercise. The downfall is you only get credit for an exercise minute if your heart rate goes above a certain number (100 and something). 

The standard goals in Fitness app are:

• 300 active calories (Move)
• 30 minutes (Exercise)
• 12 hours (Stand)

I've actually set my move goal to 500 but have kept everything else because I tend to do several hours in the gym. I go between the treadmill and elliptical, so I know I could achieve the 300 within the first hour I'm working out, should I pay enough attention to what I'm doing. Same goes for when I'm swimming; if I'm not just floating around and working on a pool shoe tan. 

When I said there's a downfall for exercise credit, I meant that in the 30 minutes you're "exercising", if your heart rate falls below 100 and something, the app doesn't register that as exercising. You have to do a serious work out if you want to get full credit. 

Example is, when I'm on the stationary bike, if I'm not pushing myself hard on it, my watch won't register I'm really working out. I can set the app up to show I'm riding for 30 minutes, but if my heart rate stays at (let's say) 95, then I don't get credit. Even though the bike screen says I've pedaled close to 5 miles, there's a definite disconnect somewhere. I've got to pedal hard and fast and start some sweating in order for the watch to know I'm doing something. 

However, if I'm walking on the treadmill at a 3.0 pace and over the course of an hour, I bump it up to 4 so I can run, my watch senses I'm exerting myself a little more, so the effort ends up pushing both my move coal and exercise goal up higher. By the time I finish the hour, I've not only closed the exercise ring, I'm a few pushes away from closing the move ring. Which leads me to use the elliptical for an hour and I've now fully closed the move ring and gone more in the exercise ring. All because I've pushed myself on two machines. 

Swimming is harder because I had to concentrate enough and do my laps. I can't sit there and talk to the people who just want to be there to run their mouth and tip toe walk the pool. When there are so many people in the morning wanting to get their social butterfly on, trying to go up and down the length of the pool is a little tricky because there are no lanes; it's a free for all and you're fighting for space with other swimmers. 

I've squirreled again. Hope you're still with me.

My point in all of this is, the watch can see what you're doing if you're using it to count your exercising. I'm using my watch now, while I swim, and it's been trial and error for me because there are several swim options in the Fitness app. I was doing "open water" which I think is the ocean, and that drained the battery quickly, in the two hours I was in the water. There's the manual "swim" mode that you can trigger if you don't use the watch; you can manually put in what you've done. Then there's "pool swim", which is what I've been using lately. I set it for the stock 25 lap set, and it counts my arm movement as I go back and forth, so for so many yards or laps, I get some sort of credit.

I swear, this isn't an advertisement for Apple products or exercise equipment. But the above screen grabs are from my Fitness app today and what my month has looked like so far (aka the "sessions"). I'm trying to do as much as I can, to get into some sort of routine and be healthy, however sometimes, things don't want to go your way.

At any rate, I've seen people in the pool, just bopping along and doing their thing, and none of them seem to be using their watch to keep track of their exercising. No one taps their watch to start or stop the timer, turn the dial to unlock the water drop thing, or even compare strides as they walk their lap. 

People seem disinterested in using their device for its full features and only have it as a show piece. Something to check the time real quick or if they got a text from a friend. In all the days I've been at the pool and have seen dozens of humans in the chlorinated H2O, I think I'm the only one actively using my watch for what else it can do.

One of the swimmers did ask me about it one day, but it didn't end well. The person is nearing 80, somewhat active (they not only walk the community in the morning.. which ends up being over a mile), they swim for 45 minutes afterwards. They had asked me about my watch and what I do with it, because they saw me dry it off one day when I was done in the water. I explained that I use the Fitness app to track my swim and it goes into my Health app. They said they know somehow their morning walk is in their Health, but they don't know how to use their watch to do any of that, and they're afraid to use the watch in the pool. I had said that I know the feeling about getting it wet, but also know that it's kind of safe to do, since I'm not completely submerging my arm in an ocean and I take care of the thing when I'm done. I'm not in the water for more than 2 hours, which I know is a lot as it is, but I am mindful of keeping track of what my watch looks and feels like. 

As I said, certain things run the battery up quickly, so I am careful I don't abuse it. 

The swimmer was still confused and concerned because she'd love to keep track of her laps, but is afraid of ruining the watch. I did ask the age of it, and she said it's not new; she's had it long enough, but doesn't want to damage it and end up with nothing. I completely understand that concept; if I didn't have the 6, I might be in the same boat as this woman, but also, knowing how the 3 is aged out, I would be due for an upgrade anyway. So I'd probably use it in the pool a little more sparingly than I currently am.

I explained all the reasoning behind it - what she can do with it; how the data can help her when she goes to her doctor, she can tailor the watch and the phone to suit her needs. 

She was just too worried about breaking the watch to really concentrate on what I was saying. Again, I totally understand, and actually hoped someone else who regularly wears their watch everywhere, would have jumped in and said she's fine. There are people in the pool who abuse their watch - they wear it golfing, swimming, out shopping, sleeping... I think the only time it's not on their wrist, is when they're in the shower. 

Overall, my whole thought process and question / reasoning is... if you're wearing a smart watch to use it for everything else, why leave it on while in the pool? What's the method behind this madness? It isn't doing you any favors by staying on your wrist while in the water because you're not keeping track of how you're doing in this "workout", much like you're not doing yourself a favor by leaving it off and by your towel. I can't wrap my head around it.

I mean, I can; I wasn't using my watch in the water for the longest time. I would manually put in the exercise into my Health app when I got home, because I was like that swimmer and afraid to get the thing wet. Now that I've tried it, it works and I still baby it when I'm using it. That's why I know I'm contradicting myself here. 

It's just one of those things that I try to understand and can't. When the swimmers out of the pool and drying off, they're on their phones. So are the manually putting in what they did? Wouldn't that defeat the purpose of turning on the Fitness app and having that do everything for you? Yes and no because they're not putting anything into the app. They're checking the email, their texts, the store circulars online. I don't think any effort is made into checking the Health app. 

I could be wrong and I would love to know what everyone else is doing. It's not me being nosy more so it's being inquisitive and asking the obviously wrong questions. 

Until I can figure out how to stop rambling about totally useless things and feel like I'm circling the drain with this, stay healthy and sane, y'all.

Cheers;

And thanks for sticking with me this long.

 

See also

• Apple Watch via Amazon
  
• Google Pixel Watch via Amazon
• Fitbit via Amazon
• Nothing products via Amazon
• 6 Pack Sport Nylon Loop Band Compatible with Apple Watch Band 38mm 40mm 41mm 42mm 44mm 45mm 46mm 49mm  via Amazon. 
• The title was longer, but this is what I'm using and has worked. I don't know how it fits all those sizes; I didn't ask. I know it fits the 40mm which is what the 6 is, but I haven't tried it on the series 3, which is a 38mm. I've too many other bands for that, and didn't want to waste it on it. 
• Apple Watch bumper via Amazon. 
• I've tried the hard plastic ones that just slip over the watch (snaps on), but found they get caught weirdly and end up slipping off my watch if I'm not careful. Since they just pop on, they usually end up popping off. Conversely, there are ones you've got to fiddle with to get it all around the watch (literally cocooning it), that seem to work better. But again, the more you try to take off the bumper and put it back on, the more flimsy the wrap is around where the watch band goes into the watch, so the more that the plastic will wear and snap off. It's a double edge sword, but honestly, I find it works better for my needs. 
• Example of bumpers:
• Hard case snap on bumper
• Soft flexible all around bumper
• You also need to make sure it has a screen protector because some don't and the whole point is to have the entire watch not get beat up. That's also my preference too.. make sure it stays good. I'm clumsy, so I'd rather pay for the whole protection than need to buy a new watch.
• 
  

(True) Crime doesn't pay...?

I started a new podcast this week. It's authored by HBO and the Boston Globe and is called "Murder in Boston". 

Via the synopsis on the Amazon page:

1989 Boston. The crack epidemic is raging, the murder rate soaring, and white flight has taken hold. Charles Stuart and his pregnant wife, Carol, are carjacked, drawn deep into a dangerous “inner city” neighborhood, and allegedly shot by a Black man. All of Boston – and the nation – is gripped by the hunt for the suspect. What follows will reveal truths about the city... and ourselves. Presented by The Boston Globe and HBO Documentary Films, Murder in Boston: The Untold Story of the Charles and Carol Stuart Shooting is hosted by Adrian Walker who, along with a team of Pulitzer-winning investigative reporters, unveils explosive new findings and change the narrative of a story long cemented in the city’s lore. The HBO Documentary Series Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage, and Reckoning is available to stream on Max starting December 4.

According to the "product details", the podcast was released November 27, 2023. Which would match the December 4 2023 drop of the HBO series. As I just started the podcast, I haven't seen the television series. Unfortunately, I do not have HBO, so I may end up not seeing it. It should be fine; the podcast is feeling more in depth anyway, as there are ten episodes where the HBO show is 3. The audio version is broken up into 35 to 55 minute segments where the video version are single 55 minute segments.  

So far, it's interesting. It's a culmination of interviews, reporting and speculation, all wrapped up in a neat little box. I was too young to know about this story when it was happening, but it's a part of Massachusetts history that you'll never forget. Plus, the areas they are talking about, I've been in; whether it's in passing (Mission Hill), visiting (Dorchester, Roxbury) or other (Tremont Street, hospital district). Life happens and you don't know what's going on unless it's on the 10 o'clock nightly news some times. 

What hasn't been on the news, except for being on my blog, is I've got new flower pictures. It seems like this will be the last week of iPhone 11 photos, as I've been upgraded to a 17. I don't have the new iteration just yet, as it won't be in my hands until the weekend, more than likely. 

Before anyone starts screaming, "how can you afford a new phone?? You're always talking about being poor!", I am poor. Hence the reason I'm using an 11 that I bought in 2019. It's just that the store we usually buy from, called us back in December and offered us a deal to trade in our phones (my mom had the 13) and it all works out in our favor due to the value of things. After a month of a cluster bomb with these new devices, my mother has her new phone as of Monday and I will allegedly have mine at some point this weekend. They got shipped from two different places. 

That's why I am taking advantage of having the phone while I still can, even during the chaos of having our cellular service preemptively shut off and me having to figure out how to get an eSim downloaded and turned on. 

Allegedly, my phone was trying to look for service on my physically Sim while Verizon tech was telling the device to install an eSim. So I had to take out the card and scan a QR code.. it was a mess. I have service once again, however, I don't want to attempt this in the future. 

It's no wonder why Rach once called me a "neo luddite" and it stuck! I have a love hate relationship with technology. 

Anyway, the flower pictures.. the bush at our front door was sprouting again, and I attempted to get some fancy views of it. 

As per usual, I didn't want to get all involved with my Canon camera. It was one of those random moments in time where I was at the front door to see if any packages had arrived before we went out to do errands. I also didn't do much editing of the photos in Photoshop, except a little sharpen in some places. Added my name to the final product. What you see is what you get. 

Final result is something I am okay with. I know it could be better, especially in editing them for color, contrast, and so forth, but I'm still not calibrated for that on my laptop. One day I will be. One day. 

I guess that's it for now. I'm thinking of another post idea, but need to research it a little more before I start writing about it. Want to get the opinion of some of my friends first.

Until then, stay curious and watch what you do in the day light hours and at night.

Cheers;

A Thanksgiving Present

I decided to make the attempt in editing together a six minute and forty one second video of all the clips I took of the Ben Folds concert on Thursday. 

Mainly because it bothered me that I couldn't upload anything and show how it was a bit of a struggle to keep focus on Mr. Folds when I was writing about not getting great visuals from where I was sitting, even though I had great seats. 

I honestly apologize in advance for the quick edits, the blurriness and the overall weirdness of how this came out. However, it does prove how great a showman and entertainer he is. 

The various videos were taken on an iPhone 11 and edited in Cyberlink PowerDirector, as I wanted to attempt something different this time around (also, I am using an older version of PowerDirector, so it wasn't what I was going for, but point proven?). I really wish I had better opportunity to get more clear shots and wasn't fighting a white hot stage light shining on him the entire time. Extending an extreme close-up gives him too much of a weird blur and glow. I'm not happy with it even though the audio came out spectacular. 

I ended up leaving a lot of "Army" at the end because it not only shows how he went off script in playing, but it shows how he energized the crowd into singing along with him. There are points in some of the zoomed in shots, how he was so wrapped up in playing and proud of himself, that you honestly feel happy to be there. There were definitely magical moments because he's a cool artist to hear live. Super enthusiastic for being "the dude who sings sad songs" (paraphrased from something he said Thursday). 

While further editing this, I didn't realize how most of his songs played were between 1998 and 2002, a period where I must have started to fall out of listening. Hearing them now, I have no recollection of them, but can say they definitely are cool little bangers. 

The track listing in the video:

* The end of some song, which I didn't get the entirety of. Just the jamming at the end.

* "Annie Waits", track 1 from the 2001 album, "Rockin' The Suburbs"

* "Zak and Sara", track 2 from the 2001 album, "Rockin' The Suburbs"

* "The Luckiest", track 12 from the 2001 album, "Rockin' The Suburbs"

* "Army", track 6 from the 1999 album, "The Unauthorized Biography Of Reinhold Messner" (this album is still under "Ben Folds Five"). 

If the crowd singing and cheering along is any reason to not go to a Ben Folds concert, then you're going to miss out on his story and his music. These are the things people remember and pass down to other generations. Sure, there are incidents where he stated sad reasons for writing what he is about to play but you can tell he's genuine. He laughed, he smiled, he admitted to shenanigans. He added some swears into the conversation, only to make him seem more real; more relatable. He wasn't using vulgarity to turn us away. He was admitting to his own faults, much like a lot of people do, or need to do. "I fucked up" sort of thing (or even "There was no way I was gonna fuck with that.. that's just crazy"). We're all adults; we get it. 

I liked him before (through the years), but I have more respect for him now, after seeing him live. Especially after learning about his non profit work and his tenure in a celebrated arts center. The latter ties into my #Masshole roots, not only because it's named after a president born in my state (it built way before that person was president), but also because I'm a PBS / NPR child that enjoys various "cultural performances" whether it's comedy, music or visual performance (I draw the line on some things though).  

This all illustrates the fact that if you keep an open mind and don't go in and judge first, you'll come out with a different perspective on things and maybe enjoy what you saw or heard. You never know. 

Until the next sound and vision post pops up, have a tubular Tuesday and hope you're getting ready for national "find me a big old poultry to cook" day. 

Cheers;

"'Say your right words,' the goblin said," [-WARNING: BAD LANGUAGE in post-]

- Warning: Use of swears and bad words below, as referenced in movie lines - 

[same scene, a few moments later]

"Goblin: That's not it! Where did she learn that rubbish?! It doesn't even start with [...]"

Okay, so I've quoted a couple different parts of the 1986 Jim Henson movie, Labyrinth because I had a moment in the gym today where I was watching The Silence of the Lambs. With no audio. Just closed captioning. I'll explain my reasoning shortly.

As the movie was being aired on BBC America, in the middle of the day, certain words needed to be censored or corrected for afternoon viewing. 

It's almost like when some movies rated PG-13 and above have specific words "you can't say on television" (thanks, George Carlin). 

The specific things I'm referencing are the regular use of the "f-bomb" and other incidentals ("s-bombs" and so forth). This in turn, make those words into something completely different. 

An example of changing swears into something 'family friendly' would be (#SpoilerAlert) the scene in Silence when Buffalo Bill is yelling at Catharine (forced to be in the well) to: "Put the fucking lotion in the basket!". This is that same scene where Bill tells Catharine she'd "get the hose again" if she didn't "put the lotion on its skin". The censoring took that basket exclamation and had Bill say "Put the freaking lotion in the basket!".

At the very least, that's what I caught in the closed captioning since I had the audio muted and was reading the dialogue on screen. I have been watching random movies while working out and don't have the sound on. The audio I do have, is in my headphones and its been various podcasts. I have changing sound in order to keep my mind from wandering. I also want to watch the television instead of staring at a time clock for over an hour. I am being respectful enough of the fellow gym goers, where they won't have to listen to what I'm watching, while they're doing their own workouts on the other side of the room. I have way too many podcasts in my list to not listen to them when I can, which is why I choose to have them play while I've got spare time.

The other side to the TV being on is when the other TV has on politics and it's rather loud. Like, I can hear reports over my headphones and I'm at least 25 feet away (which isn't much, I know). Sometimes I walk in to the room and both TVs have on politics and no one is watching on the side I'm about to use. Which is why I tend to turn up my headphones and watch what I want. I make the attempt to not bother anyone and most of the time, I'm by myself on one side of the gym (where the treadmill and elliptical are and I'm totaling two hours of machine use). 

If the person doesn't like what I'm watching, they can stay on the other side (where the weights and bikes are). Most people don't care; they'll stop every so often and look at the screen and then keep going on with their workout. It's pretty funny when the people doing free weights are walking the floor and whatever I'm viewing catches their eye. They'll stop for a moment and rather dumbly look at the screen. Then they give up watching and turn around to continue on with their weight walk. If someone does pop up next to me on a machine, they'll either watch the show with me or they'll turn on their phone to watch Netflix (happens a lot). Very seldom does someone use the YouTube app that's built into the new machines we have (Technogym, which is like Nordictrack and Peloton). 

One of the main reasons I am writing this and what got me thinking about how television channels are censoring the movies, is in the beginning of Silence, when Clarice goes to visit Hannibal Lecter, she passes by a side character named Multiple Miggs. 

For those who have not seen the movie, I'm not going to completely spoil this for you, but I do apologize for talking about the scene. 

It's got to be one of the more small but commonly referenced lines in the movie, where Miggs is in his cell and screaming at Clarice as she passes by him. It's at this moment when he says "I can smell your [c-word]". 

I am censoring that specific word, as it's one of the really obscene ones that we have in our language; this also tends to offend a lot of people. There has been conversations about the varying history in relation to the etymology of the phrase, but to be respectful, I am not using it here (even though I've used it in conversation, fully aware of the connotations and context of it). 

So to watch the movie and hear Miggs say the full sentence, the "c-word" gets changed to "scent". Again, I'm watching this with the sound off, so the closed captioning had him say "I can smell your scent", which for this incident, makes sense. When Hannibal Lecter asked Clarice what "Miggs hissed at" her, she repeats to Lecter, "He said - 'I can smell your scent'". However, when the scene does a close up of Clarice speaking, her mouth moves in the shape of the "c-word", so you know she's not repeating Miggs' word of "scent". 

When I was explaining this to my friend Shawn, he gave me an example he know of in The Big Lebowski: 

"In the movie, there's a scene where Walter yells at a kid and his line is 'this is what happens when you fuck a stranger in the ass' and proceeds to smash a corvette. The censored line is "this is what happens when you find a stranger in the alps'". 

I cannot confirm that particular quote, but I responded that "that's an extreme example of censoring!" (I trust my friend; he's another movie buff). Shawn agreed, and said he has "a book on that movie, and that particular scene had so many weird stories about it". 

He goes on to explain some other "insider information" about the Coen Brothers and John Goodman; how the "Brothers had closed a real neighborhood and Goodman was afraid to wake the neighbors during shooting because he didn't know it was a closed set". Since there are quite the array of books on the subject, I do not know which passage Shawn was quoting from. 

It's a rough one, these random changes. I don't know if my friends and I watch too many "cult" or "popular" movies and know all the lines, or if it's somehow we're a little more attuned to the ways things change in how films air on smaller screens. Sure, my communication major gets the best of me sometimes, and my other commie friends have said they've had similar situations. 

For the most part, I do have trouble watching movies and shows. I keep looking for faults - bad lighting where there shouldn't be (lens flares are the bane of my existence), improper product placement, low audio levels (drops), and an entire array of other crazies. I spend way too much time looking for bad and I don't spend enough time actually enjoying what I'm seeing. 

On another subject of censoring, when it comes in full lines or individual words being changed, it's not just a general foreign language / translation overdub. It's English movies changing English words. When you add closed captioning and it's another beast added to the list of "look what they did now!!".

To cite an example of this, I was watching... oh god.. what was it now? It was last month when I was rewinding back on previous days to "on demand" or "replay" the old horror movies on IFC, AMC, and a few other channels. I am totally blanking out on what film I was watching, but it was part of a series (I don't think it was a Nightmare on Elm Street movie, as it was a little more recent, I think?). 

The captioning threw me through a loop because it was translated into British English, even though it was an American movie. As I'm thinking about the choice of spelling.. was the movie "IT"? No... Crap; I can't recall right now. However, like I said, the translation into the captions was in British English; so "your mom" was "your mum" and when they said "ass" or "asshole", it was "arse" and "arsehole". 

I honestly can't remember what movie it was that had a double take on the transcription offered. I know it wasn't one of the early 1980s movies, but I could be wrong. I did have a chuckle over it because every other "basic" / similar spelt word was fine. It was just the one off small change words that were different. 

I really wish I knew what it was I watched. This is what happens when you just mindlessly stream so many things in a two hour time frame every day. 

I work out at least 6 days a week in the community gym. I'm there for two hours a day, depending on what I've got going on (if I have work or no work). I could be there in the morning, afternoon or evening, so when there's no one watching the screen, I've got control of the remote - I put on what I want. I stay in the same area for the most part, as both the treadmill and elliptical are next to each other.

This gives me opportunity to watch the film or show in its entirety. If I happen to finish it in under 2 hours (due to forwarding through commercials), I'll throw on YouTube to finish my set. Sometimes I end when the movie ends and go to the other side of the room and use the weights. 

It usually becomes a matter of "do I feel like using the dumbbells today, or do I just want to keep the rhythm going with the machine I'm on?". I find myself mainly staying on the machine and watching some random competitive eater or DIY stuff on YouTube. 

Yes, I watch competitive eaters and what new contest they've entered... while jogging on the treadmill. It's interesting to see what ends of the Earth they go to, in order to find a hole in the wall eatery with some sort of food challenge. The challenge usually is "finish this giant plate of food in so many minutes and win a prize!", like big money and your name on the wall (with your picture). Most of the time the restaurant requires payment up front because a lot of people attempt the food challenge and fail. If you win, you might get your money back, and sometimes some extra. It is up to the owner's discretion. Other times, you get a t-shirt and that's it. Very little notoriety for the socials. 

The other shows I've been watching lately have been the people who decide to create roving and roaming tiny homes out of school busses and RVs. Outfit them in a way where the raise the roof (literally and figuratively) and add full size appliances on the inside. There are also mini documentaries I've seen about the history of specific shows and movies or people and their lives. Maybe an abandoned mall is featured because some kids decided to sneak in and film what they saw. I'm all over the board some days and no two videos are alike.. for the most part. 

However, the closed captioning done on Youtube is not immune to chaos. Not only is it sometimes slow to catch up with each scene, but it has various cut offs. Meaning, there will be a description of what's going on and all of a sudden the next sentence will have a few partial words. 

What?

Stay with me on this one. Let me rewind to the last sentence with what I'm talking about. "Meaning, there wi[.] bea descript[ of what's going on andall of a sudden th nxt senence will hv afew partial words". Things like this. It's not exact, but it's something I have noticed on a regular occasion with how the app translates everything. It's weird; I can't make sense of it, unless it's due to the app being not a stock app on the gym smart TVs and someone having to download it. I'm tech savvy to a point, but I'm not that smart when it comes to knowing that type of intricacy. 

So yeah, the closed captioning on YouTube has its own type of strange. As the things I watch on it are real people, odds are, there aren't many swears coming across the screen, so there's less of a worry about any type of dubbing. 

I haven't watched Amazon, Netflix or anything of that streaming ilk in the gym, so I can't make a comment about what they're like. However, given the fact these channels have the real moves with little to no interruption, they are being aired in their original form. You know that R rated moving picture will have some nasty / naughty bits in it and they won't be cleaned up. It's really when they're aired on the television channels that it'll get some sort of PG level pass through. 

Welcome to some sort of new version / update of The Hays Code?

One will never know.

Unless I can figure it all out and report back with some other pieces of hard evidence, keep your eyes moving and your brain working. Stay strong and drink your milk. Gotta get the muscle gain.

Cheers;

See Also

* George Carlin made light of the "Seven Dirty Words You Can't Say On Television" and he lays them out in various forms of media, including his live standup and memoir. 

* Stephen King's 1987 book, "IT"

* The 1990 made for TV version of "IT"

* The 2017 theatrical version of "IT"

It was a rather "chill" night...

...Both literally and figuratively. 

We've had a cold front move in, causing Fort Myers humidity to drop to zero. It's been low 60s overnight and mid 70s during the day. I suppose it's to match the ages coming back for winter, as the snowbirds are slowly flocking down. Haha.

As per my last post saying "I might have another trick up my sleeve", I rolled my long sleeves down and went to "Child's Anthem: The Music of TOTO" at the local event center (Barbara B Mann). Since it was in the low 70s during the day and stayed close to that at night, the facility was colder. It was just as well that I wore long sleeves and pants, especially since I was working all day anyway. 

Just like Thursday, I had great seats. I was on the opposite side of the auditorium for Child's Anthem. This time, I had the row to myself, whereas the Strangelove concert, I was sharing seats with partiers (people drinking and dancing in the aisle) and a couple who opted for the "we're not moving an iota because we're doing something we shouldn't). 

Last night's empty row might have been a sign that tickets didn't sell so great because half of the row in back of me was also missing people. However, the center section was jammed packed with bodies. There were a couple empty seats in front of me, but not enough to make it really noticeable. It seemed like either people moved up once they got in, or these  were just the more popular seats. I know ticket prices were reduced at one point but it still didn't pack the house. 

Looking around at the humans who were there, I may have been the only one under 60 at this performance. It's not a bad thing, but it certainly doesn't bode well for my generation. I mean, sure, the common TOTO songs are "Africa", "Roseanna" and "Hold The Line" (which the tribute band played), but there were (and are) other songs I didn't realize the real band played. 

For example, there's a groove (funk) song called "Georgy Porgy". When Child's Anthem played it, it sounded really familiar. Like I've heard it before, but I don't know where. It's one of those random songs that you know it's playing in the background at a store or bank or you've hit a one off radio station and it stays in the background at a low lull. It's not bad; it's just one song I am partially familiar with. 

I guess you could kind of say it's similar to when the band played "99". That's an unheard of song for me; even though it was originally recorded in 1979. Considering all the songs are older than I am, it's amazing I know any of them! Like I said, I may have been the only "kid" there last night and it's not necessarily a bad thing. 

The band itself was great. They kept everyone active and singing along, even though this was a crowd who stayed planted in their chairs. Seriously; the majority sat and bobbed their heads, clapped their hands. Only a small amount of people got up to randomly dance - not enough to make it a wild night. There were a few people in front of me who randomly took their phones out for still photos (and videos of Africa and Roseanna being played), but for the most part, the grey hairs were pretty relaxed. They sang along and they hooped and hollered at the right times. There wasn't a rush to the stage or a crazy amount of weirdness. It was getting to be close to their bed times, I'm sure; I know I was getting tired. It's been a long week and I'm glad this concert was only 90 minutes. #oldtoo

I did feel weird taking my phone out because this definitely wasn't a show where everyone in every seat was recording. That's why I don't have a super large amount of "visual memories" for it. Plus, I was on the center side aisle of my section, so I didn't want to just stick my hands out and take photos and videos. Those in front of me who kept their smart phones out, did it sporadically as well, so I couldn't be stupidly greedy. The video I uploaded is a mix of some of the songs. I know it's a long video (clocking in at close to 7 minutes), but it shows the range of songs performed. I also know it proves I need to seriously update my computer. Pinnacle crashed on me about 4 times when I was editing last night. That's why it exported with those grey arrow circle images in a few places. It couldn't process everything 100 per cent. Slowly more signs are telling me the end is nigh for this HP laptop.... 

One of the interesting parts of this tribute band was how they're all doing something in the music scene. They all are working out of Nashville at the moment, but have come from all over the USA. Their backgrounds include the lead male vocal having toured with TOTO during the 1980 Hydra tour. The other band members have recorded or worked with musicians such as Reba McEntire, Kenny Loggins, Amy Grant, Alice Cooper, Willie Nelson, and the list goes on. These are people who know their stuff. Band info here (they also made the introduction during the show of who they were and where they've played).

Another thing they explained during talking points was that TOTO were studio musicians in their early days. Child's Anthem put together their own medley of songs to perform to the audiences they meet. They said something to the effect of "these are songs where two or more TOTO members had worked with a specific artist for multiple sessions". I could have misheard that. It might have been a song or multiple sessions that each individual TOTO member was a part of. I don't remember. However, the medley included Michael Jackson's "Beat It", Olivia Newton John's "Physical", Don Henley's "Dirty Laundry", Michael McDonald's "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)". There were a few more songs, but I don't remember them all, nor did I get a video of it. 

Overall, it was a good show; it went by quickly and the band did a meet and greet at the end. I didn't stay for that, as people were milling around to talk to individual band members, so there was no such thing as a "group photo". Everyone was separated, talking various things. The performers seemed super nice - they didn't push anyone away and actually let the conversations flow. This is their generation, so they're used to having long talks. Haha. 

Oh, and another thing, the screen in the back: you'll notice in the photos and videos, there's stuff in the background. I want to say (tech talk) that's a rear projector that was casting album covers, live (previously recorded) tour videos of TOTO, various still pictures of the real band. There were some music videos shown as well. Child's Anthem was so good, that when a video was playing, the audio was syncing rather nicely. It was hard to focus on everything, especially since the female lead was wearing a sparkling blouse under her blazer, so the lights occasionally flickered off her. She had to adjust the blouse a few times, as I think she realized the lights were hitting her too often and reflecting everywhere. The men wore jeans and button down shirts so they were non descript. The person in front of me made it hard to see the keyboardist who was straight on, so I had to get photos when that man got up (to walk away for a minute).  

Would I do this again (see this band)? Perhaps. There were songs I definitely knew and sang along to, and there were songs I didn't know and am glad I learned then. I do feel like they were a good cover band and kept the energy going throughout the duration of the performance. It's almost like "who had an energy drink and who had a couple cups of coffee before walking on stage??". There was no merch table, so I couldn't get a shirt or anything afterwards.  

Until the next round of "I did something..." appears, stay weird.

Cheers;

See Also

* All photos and videos taken on an iPhone 11.

* Photos edited in Photoshop.

* Videos edited in Pinnacle Studio

Chucky is...

 ... the serial killer version of the ‘My Buddy’ doll. 

For those of you too young to know, or not IN the know, ‘My Buddy’ and his ‘Kid Sister’ were dolls we had in the 1980s and early 1990s. They were toddler size, so imagine a 5 year old trying to carry around a toy that is literally their height. 

Photo of "My Buddy" being sold on the Walmart website

If you have seen the first Child’s Play movie, you’ll know how the little boy struggled to carry Chucky around the house and Chicago neighborhoods. Take that image and imagine you or your family doing the same with Buddy.

Photo of Chucky, taken from Amazon's website

I got to thinking about this because the company I work for, is having a Halloween party this week. Not everyone is working, but all are invited to stop in, in costume, for the chance of winning a prize. 

The price hasn't been spoken of yet. But there will be two winners. 

I’ve been trying to figure out what to do, since I’m one of the ones not scheduled. Luckily, I live within 10 minutes of work, so if I decide to pop in for a snack and a chance to scare my coworkers, it’s not completely out of the way for me. 

I know you’re thinking “ten minutes? What happened to having cross town magic? You used to talk about it taking forever to get to work, in horrible flooding, etc." Well, much to my dismay, I’ve got a new job. And it’s part time. I’m not going into details, but I’m in a different field and different situation. 

It’s actually more in line with my communication degree, to an extent, which might benefit me one of these days. It’ll even out at some point. 

I hope.

So I may do something Chucky related, as I do have a shirt I could wear. I'd just need to add some scary to it, and I'll be on my way. 

Speaking of scary (and work), I was a little early on Saturday, so I had time to walk around a little bit of the area that my office is located at. 

I saw the most random placement of carved pumpkins and didn't seem to find any others in that area. 

I also saw a Thomas Edison statue (with a bird on his head).

Some "low hanging fruit" on a tree. No, they aren't fruit, but they're definitely bulbous and strange. Along with the roots hanging down (or whatever they are). I couldn't get clear pictures of the orchids (?) hanging, as I was shooting in the sun and was trying to watch my time. 

Plus, I was trying to balance my Yeti in my hands as well (even though it's in a carrying case, it's still weird to try to hold a camera and the cup). 

One of these days I'll have to bring my Canon with me or go in on a day I'm not working, and take more photos. Everything posted above, was taken with an iPhone 11, including the photos below.

My neighbor added more decorations to their yard. The people with the skeletons hanging out on lawn chairs. 

You have to really get up close and personal to the skeleton by the bush, because there's a hidden person in there. 

I didn't even know she was reading by the drain spout until I walked up and saw her. I had taken a photo of the skeleton and wondered what else was put up, if anything was by the door. When I saw the witch, I was like "weird!" but there's nothing else around the corner. She ends the decoration.

I do have to say, I am amused with one of the neighbors though. 

I've seen a house with a Bigfoot stealing a flamingo flag and every time I see it, I nearly lose control of my car. It's so amazing to see that because you know you have to believe in cryptids in order to display something like this. The person has kept it out all year, and suddenly it has disappeared. Sure, they've put up Halloween decorations, but why take that flag down?

Well, I found it around the corner. Another neighbor has it.

And it looks like the same faded one the other person owned. This time, I was walking and I got to take a picture of it. I immediately sent it to a few of my friends who I know would enjoy it. 

It's just that epic. Especially for someone in Florida. It's not a normal flag you would find, and it surely adds to the "sun and fun" aspect without being crazy or weird. 

Oh, by the way: Emi, if you're reading this, I found another frog friend.

He was at the door at work yesterday. I thought of you and all the frogs we would see when doing the Farmer's Market cleanup. So maybe this guy is a cousin?? Who knows, but now we have more! Although lately, it's this type of frog I usually see in the shutters when we close them during a hurricane....

Hopefully it's just coincidence and nature that I saw this guy and we're not expected to get anything. Emi, are you back in the area?? Is this a sign you're taking a few days off from work????????

I should get going. I've got some errands to run and things to do, speaking of taking off from work. Maybe today will be a decent day and no rain, as it poured last night. We had a good thunder and lightning show, and majority of it happened when I was at the gym. Luckily, no loss of power, so I could watch a new AMC show and get my walking and elliptical use in. 

If we stay dry today, we stay dry. If it rains, well, this is Florida and the end of rainy season... 

Stay whatever you want. Be you and do you.

Cheers;