DVR Remote Control - Doesn't want to work

You point it at the DVR, push the button and nothing happens.  You take better aim, push again and it works.  After this happens a few times you begin to wonder if this old remote control  is wearing out on you.  So, you think to yourself, "I'll use it until it dies then get a new one."

Or maybe you just adjust your chair a little bit to insure the remote has a good clear shot at the device.  That seems to help and you feel good about it until your button push doesn't stop the fast forward, so you push again, then you have to reverse to get to the spot you wanted.  After a couple of episodes of this you are 'pissed' and ready to throw the controller away.

You're looking at the remote to see if it's damaged in any way, but these things today are almost indestructible.  While looking it over you notice a removable cover on the back side.  You open it and it has batteries!!!  It occurs to you they may need to be replaced.  But you just bought the DVR 6 months ago!!!

Your remote is in control again!  It's like you bought a new one!

JD, checking batteries here in the BToS...

BaltimoreWashington - RavensRedskins - Fan?

You live approximately equidistant from Baltimore and Washington.  Are you a Ravens fan or a Redskins fan?  Ravens are in the AFC and Redskins are in the NFC.  Who do you root for?  Or, do you like both teams.

I fall into the latter category.  I've gotten to a point in life where I seldom spend time watching any kind of stick and ball sports on TV.  When I was younger, I was a big NFL fan and typically rooted for the Skins, mainly because of the unsettled NFL situation in Baltimore with the Colts, a period with no team and now the Ravens.

Given their different conferences, Ravens/Redskins games are rare.  Sunday was a relatively slow day for me, so I set the TiVo to record the Ravens/Redskins game.  I figured most fans would be at home watching and I could get a bit of running around and shopping done without the typical Sunday crowd.  I spent a couple of hours at that, then came home.

I prepared a snack and decided that since it was the two local NFL teams playing I'd make an exception and do something I never do; watch the whole game without skipping portions.  I made good and actually devoted about 2 hours to what was an interesting game.  Although the first half of the game was good to watch, the excitement came in the final few minutes of regulation and the short overtime period.

Monday I watched the game coverage on both the Baltimore and Washington evening news programs.  Washington sports folks were more concerned about their quarterback getting a strained knee than they were excited about the win.  In Baltimore the news folks were lamenting the loss and fans were very opinionated.  I learned the Ravens fired their offensive coordinator earlier that day.

Unless the Ravens and Skins are both in the NFL championship game, my NFL game watching is done for the season.  Watching one game all the way through is a chore, even with the TiVo (DVR).  I can't imagine how I used to watch a live game and listen to all the announcer drivel and incessant commercials.

JD, here in the BToS staying away from NFL crapola.

Ally McBeal Monday - Progress Report

 Ally McBeal Monday's were suspended about 4 months ago, due to circumstances beyond my control.  Return to Ally McBeal Monday begins tonight. 

To tell the truth, circumstances weren't beyond my control, it was more a matter of my live-in relatives being more interested in watching some new, original TV programming.  If I didn't already mention it, live-in folks have moved across the water to their new home and I now have the freedom to schedule my own TV activity.

This is a good time of year to watch a series like Ally McBeal.  Many of the regular shows I watch seem to go on a Holiday Hiatus while the networks fill time with feel-good holiday programming and seemingly endless sports programming.  I like a teary Christmas movie as well as the next guy, but I have to tellya that some of the new productions over on the Hallmark channel seem to be thrown together and have so much background music that I find them hard to watch.

Most difficult part of resuming Ally McBeal Monday will be to determine which episode I last watched.  Since I have control of the TV, I'll likely make it a complete Ally McBeal Monday by watching at least 2 episodes each Monday, about 90 minutes.  I'll be ready for bed by then.

JD, gearing up for Ally McBeal Monday again here in the BToS

PS - First night Ally Monday on new schedule was a success.  Located which episode to watch and managed to watch two and am back in the groove.

It's Another "Ally McBeal Monday"

Santa displayed his kindness this year by delivering Ally McBeal to me...well not really Ally herself, but the DVD set "Ally McBeal - The Complete Series," all five seasons of Ally McBeal on a 31-disc DVD set.

You're right, Ally was a long time ago starting in fall of 1997 and running through 2002, 112 episodes. Man, that really was a long time ago...I was still working, had just entered my 60s and still feeling a bit spirited; unlike being an old retard today.

I thought about other DVD sets I have and how difficult I found it to watch all the episodes, even of shows I loved like Northern Exposure. In the case of Ally, I decided to make Monday evening "Ally McBeal Monday."

If you were an Ally McBeal fan, I don't have to tell you how great it was to watch the pilot last Monday night and how much I enjoyed it. Tonite the journey continues. Let's see 112 episodes spread over 112 Mondays. If I don't get carried away and rush it, I should get to the finale around February 24, 2014.

Don't poo poo me, I know I can hold schedule and succeed in this journey. If you've read many of my blog posts, you know just how much I luv road trips and this one is great on the BIG SCREEN TV...luv it!!!

JD, feeling young again here in the BToS

PS - You're right, I was the Santa that arranged for the DVD set from Costco. Whatchagonnado when others just don't know what to get you for Christmas. :-)

PPS - I'm even subjecting my daughter's family and Bella Boxer to Ally McBeal as long as they live here with me. So far they're enjoying it, altho Bella Boxer seems more excited about gnawing on her chewy bone and wearing out my 43 year old carpet.

PPPS - Ally McBeal Monday was a mix last evening. Episode 2 had a glitch about 2/3 way thru on the DVD. Fooled with it for about 10 minutes and ended up watching episode 3 too. Man I'm already ahead of myself here and cut a week off my schedule, new finish date is February 17, 2014.

Weatherman Scares Me with "Feels Like"

We're into about the second day of high humidity levels and temps in upper 90s and forecast is for another 3-4 days of it here in the Big Town of Savage.

I don't know about you, but the local TV weather reporters have almost scared the life out of me! I'm all geared up for hot, humid days with temps close to 100 and the weather reporter tells me that it's gonna 'feel like' 115 degrees!

It's almost like the weather folks have become our keepers and are forced to watch over us and suggest ways to battle the heat, like don't go outside unless you have to, keep hydrated, etc. The rascals scare the crap out of us, then tell us how to live.

I guess they mean well, but I am definitely worn out with the 'Heat Index'. If you're an adult, you should already know how to cope with the heat without them taking 20% of the weather report to tell you how to live your life in these oppressive conditions. There's other stuff I'd rather know.

I do know one thing. If your AC is working inside; then, you don't know and don't care what the humidity level and 'feels like' is outside and furthermore, you probably don't wanna know...

Just another mini-rant from here in the BToS,
JD

PS - Really good thing about this summer is the NFL lockout and contract negotiations. I've gone the whole spring and summer without daily reports of the local Ravens and Redskins. Life's wunnerful on the evening news when it comes to sports, they're even covering local teams that I didn't know existed.

Super Bowl Weary

I've become worn out on the NFL and on the Super Bowl. I'll have to find another outlet for my time this evening as I will definitely not be watching the NFL Super Bowl.

What happened???

30-40 years ago I was as big a sports fan as anyone I knew and never missed a Redskins game or a playoff game. Like most, I would park in front of the TV and actually become excited as the game unfolded.

Have I been spoiled by the DVR (Digital Video Recorder) and the ease of skimming thru television programs? Yesterday I recorded a Maryland basketball game for the first time this season. I devoted every bit of 20 minutes to watching it last evening. I might watch the action between commercials making note of the score, then fast forward to the end of the 15 minute segment. Then watch a bit more. I probably devoted all of 20 minutes to the 2 hour TV show and watched maybe 30% of the actual game action.

Same happens with an NFL game. I can no more watch a whole game than I can watch an hour episode of Memphis Beat without skipping commercials. In the case of sports events, it matters little whether you watch the whole event or just check the score at various points of the game to get the flow and determine the eventual winner.

Why do I not have interest in sports today? Is it just because I'm an old fart and don't like to waste time on drivel (stuff in which I have no interest). I don't know the real answer, altho I did post some thots on the NFL a while back. The only sport I come close to watching live is NASCAR CUP racing. I do still have a strong interest in that competition.

So, what will I do tonite. Likely, I'll find a movie to watch and go to bed early so I can be well rested for Monday. You may or may not know that Monday thru Friday are days most retired folks look forward to. Everybody else heads out to work or school and from about 9 am till lunch time, things are relatively quiet on the roads and in the stores.

So this will just be a regular Sunday nite for this old fart from the BToS...

JD

PS - Maybe I'll record it and just watch the commercials!!!

PPS - NASCAR on track action at Daytona begins this Friday with the Bud Shootout Saturday evening followed by the Daytona 500 the next weekend on Sunday (Feb 20).

Completed 'Pride and Prejudice'

As a follow-up to my previous post, I did finish reading Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice' book.

The description of the continuing lives of the major characters compared to the TV series was excellent. It tied up what I had considered a lot of loose ends for me and gave me a much better feel for their world after the wedding, which ended the TV series.

I don't know if I'm a Jane Austen fan to the extent that I'll read her other books, but I am truly enamored with the 'Pride and Prejudice' book and the remastered/restored TV series episodes. I cannot think of any better way to spend the hours I devoted to the effort of assimilating the content of both media.

I can see that it will not be too long before I may want to revisit both to refresh my memory.

I hope you enjoy a similar experience,
JD

Eight Days Since Last Blog Post

It's been 8 days since I last posted an entry on the 'Thots from the BToS'. That's a long time, even for someone like me, an old fart with nothing to do but observe the world and characterize it to fit the train I'm traveling on.

Looking back on the past week or so, there were no big events that would have taken my mind away from a post; even the facebook minutia wasn't enough to captivate my interests. Basically, I could come up with no rationale to justify the lack of action on my part; but no post.

Pondering what I've been doing for the past week, the only thing I came up with is my current interest in reading Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice' book. It's not the type book I would normally spend time with as I'm more of a non-fiction kinda guy when it comes to books.

However, on one of my jaunts thru Costco a few weeks ago, I was perusing DVD s and noticed the restored version of the 'Pride and Prejudice' BBC TV series from the mid '90s. I enjoy British flicks and Colin Firth. I also recalled Jennifer Ehle from the movie 'Possession'. So I figured what's $17 for a 6 part TV series with 2 actors that I enjoy.

After watching the TV series over several evenings (summer TV is slow even with a TiVo to capture middle of the night shows), I decided that while the show was great, it might be nice to actually attempt to read the book that was written a couple of hundred years ago too, mainly to pick up some details and get a better feel for the spacing of time in the events that were depicted in the series.

I don't really think Amazon.com is my browser's home page, but it's only a bookmark away. I ordered a copy of the book which I am just now within 50 pages of finishing. 'Pride and Prejudice' has been my reading room item for a while now. Progress is slow, but the light is good and I'm not rushed.

I've concluded that I would have a very difficult time enjoying the book had I not visited the TV series. Having said that, I am definitely enjoying the book and have a much better appreciation for the spacing of time for all the events and the added details the book provides that aren't available in the TV series. I've also been watching the TV series an episode at a time to match my progress thru the book and uncover more nuances with each visit.

So there you have it, no posts had been made for 8 days and now I've bared my soul to you and revealed my latest escapade in the reading room and completed this post for 'Thots from the BToS'.

Until next time; do good stuff and be sure to have some fun,
JD

NFL Draft - ESPN ALL DRAFT; ALL THE TIME

Am I the only guy in the US that is worn out by the NFL Draft TV coverage. I'll admit that at my advanced age, I am no longer a fan of any stick and ball sport.

Having said that, I don't ever recall being so turned off by the sports/NFL broadcast nerds that flood my cable channels and radio stations with descriptions of one 22 year old guy after another, detailing his ups and downs and so much other minutia that makes you believe you know more about the Redskin's first round pick than you know about your own kids.

I'm so worn out with this TV Sports Crappola that calls itself NFL Draft Coverage, that I had to find a way to vent, this is it.

Thanks for helping me vent,
JD

PS - Does ESPN really cover 'sports' as a game or event like they used to 20 years ago, or has it just become 'ESPN is The Event'!!! I have to pay each month for all these ESPN channels on my cable bill and can't stand to watch 'em. I will admit that I have no choice and watch ESPN when they televise a NASCAR CUP race...I watch none of their pre-race or extended NASCAR coverage as it's like eating canned tuna, you know what it is before you turn it on.

Do you luv your job???

Some of us don't like our jobs, others just wander through their assignments doing what comes naturally, seemingly without a care in the world.

Which type are you?
JD

It was a NO-NASCAR Weekend

After four wonderful weekends of CUP Racin', this was a quiet weekend for all three major NASCAR series. Basically, nothing to watch on TV.

At my old age, I've gotten to the point where I don't really enjoy watching stick and ball sports on TV. As a kid I luv'd 'em all, possibly because to a small extent I attempted to participate. As I aged I found racing at drag strips could be a lot of fun and provide a sense of accomplishment when you did well; and be extremely frustrating when you didn't.

On this wet, dreary Saturday, I attempted to watch some basketball, a sport that I seldom watch any more. The more games I watched, the less I found to entice me to watch. I found that I had no interest in the shows. I ended up watching a movie that evening in an attempt to find something engrossing.

I have a similar problem during football season. I can't relate to the teams. Even my old favorite Redskins don't do it for me. We now have full-time radio sports coverage of every little nuance of NFL teams. When I tune one of those stations like WTEM in DC, except for the Tony Kornheiser Show, it's like minions droning on about nothing. As self centered as Kornheiser is, he's at least entertaining with his life trivia.

I've about decided that my lack of interest in basketball and pro football is because there are very few white folks like me that play those sports today. One college game I had on had no white players on the floor. There was little excitement in the game, just the players and I didn't relate to any of them.

I've pondered the issue since and it appears there may be an analogy in the case of NASCAR which I can spend inordinate amounts of time watching. I can relate to the folks in NASCAR. Almost everyone in NASCAR is white, there are very few black folks participating.

Is it possible that black folks have the same problem relating to NASCAR that I have in relating to basketball and pro football? Am I being too simplistic here? Can it really be as simple as watching your own kind of folks on TV? In real life we tend to stick with our own kind, our own culture; folks that are like us.

I'll ponder this one some more and let you know what I come up with,
JD

Seasons Greetings from CBS via the BToS Blog

Two-Gun Annie in northern Virginia sent this over earlier today and I couldn't resist posting it. Annie must know that as an old retired guy here in the BToS I can truly relate to the simpler times in my life.

From 1966, do enjoy 'Seasons Greetings' from the Big Town of Savage



"Seasons Greetings" was designed for CBS in 1966 by R. O. Blechman and animated by Willis Pyle using hand-drawn pen & ink drawings. Music arranged by Arnie Black.

TV Crappola -- NASCAR Chase Position

TV folks consistently prattle on about 'position in the Chase'. Nothing regarding the Chase has less meaning than 'position in the Chase', unless your position is #1.

The key to the NASCAR Chase is points; how many points am I behind the leader, not what position am I in. Position was relative when attempting to race into the Chase, but completely meaningless now that the Chase is in progress.

Evidently, TV announcers, directors and producers have to invent discussion items to fill air time with prattle, because they seem ignorant of what really matters, "it's points dumbass!"

Then last nite I see this item on NASCAR Now having something to do with 'average running position during the Chase'. Just one more meaningless piece of drivel. Who the hell cares about this meaningless statistic.

ESPN truly excells when it comes to this type inventive, meaningless drivel. They make their living doing similar crappola for all sports they cover. NASCAR is just the latest. What was an interesting daily news coverage show is degenerating into typical ESPN sports drivel. Bummer.

There is only one meaningful statistic in the Chase. "WHAT'S THE POINTS!"

Step off soapbox until next rant,
JD

PS - In rereading this post, it appears I overused the word 'drivel'. Well, that's enough of this drivel. :-)