Tonights dinner.
What did you have?
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Friday, July 31, 2015
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Post 3020 - Thursday
Back from the Salem United church. Lots of passionate people fighting to keep the River John school open.
One guy hitch hiked from Wolfville to be there. Slept under the bridge. Goes around painting people's noses blue. Ivany report stuff.
I wish the folks of River John all the best in keeping their school open.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Post 3019 - Cottage Bloggin'
These humble, sub-par, wilted, slightly pathetic words come to you from the River John Library in beautiful downtown... River John.
We have been here for 2 hours now and haven't actually looked at the books. We spent some time reading the current digital edition of Frank Magazine, which contains many pages of amusement and edification and I recommend you check it out.
We spent the morning sort of lazing around. The weather out here is finally improving to the point where we don't want to scream at the weather gods to let up already.
Tonight will be a cottage-prepared pizza along with some other goodies, perhaps of an alcoholic nature.
Tomorrow may prove interesting. I will tell you what I can about it, then.
See you tomorrow, my lovelies.
Bevboy
We have been here for 2 hours now and haven't actually looked at the books. We spent some time reading the current digital edition of Frank Magazine, which contains many pages of amusement and edification and I recommend you check it out.
We spent the morning sort of lazing around. The weather out here is finally improving to the point where we don't want to scream at the weather gods to let up already.
Tonight will be a cottage-prepared pizza along with some other goodies, perhaps of an alcoholic nature.
Tomorrow may prove interesting. I will tell you what I can about it, then.
See you tomorrow, my lovelies.
Bevboy
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Post 3018 - Tuesday
Late. Watched two movies this evening.
Picked up fresh spring water today. They keep telling people not to drink it but everyone does to no ill effect.
Library tomorrow. Yay.
See you tomorrow
Bevboy
Monday, July 27, 2015
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Post 3016 - Sunday
Mowed the lawn today. Took me three hours. Big lawn.
Sleep, please.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Saturday, July 25, 2015
Friday, July 24, 2015
Post 3014 - Cottage
Hi. Got here about nine hours ago.
tomorrow is yard sale day in River John. Will see what useless crap I can find.
See you then.
Bevboy
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Post 3013 - Fun with Alfred Hitchcock
Hi. Past 8:30.
I remain in the city. There was a complication or two getting my Frank column in to my editor. Something at my end, not theirs. I think I know what the problem is, but I have to experiment with it further before I can say it is fixed.
Otherwise, I did not do much today. After I wrote last night's post, I did decide to remove a bunch of books from the fourth "cell" of the bookcase over my other computer desk and replace them with old crime fiction paperbacks by the likes of John D. MacDonald, Robert L. Fish, Brett Halliday (or whoever the actual people were who wrote the Michael Shayne mystery novels), and a bunch of Alfred Hitchcock paperback anthologies.
Those are ... interesting in a slightly negative sense. If you read the front and back covers and didn't know any better, you might think that these books were all about horror, the supernatural, things that go bump in the night, and not in a way that would put a smile on your face.
I started buying these books when I could afford them, around the age of 12. They all promised that there would be chills aplenty inside, but at best these are crime stories, with the occasional hint of something really sinister. Jack Ritchie never wrote anything horrific in his life. He probably did enjoy the cheques whenever these anthologies reprinted one of his stories, though. To be fair, though, Gary Brandner, now deceased, did write The Howling novels, which are about werewolves. But he spent many years write crime-based short stories.
Here is an example of what I mean.
First of all, while this may have been its first time in paperback, it was published once before under a different title. At least they're honest about that right there on the front cover. But like I just said, these are crime stories at best. Nothing wrong with that, unless you're expecting something else, in which case you will be disappointed.
While we're on the subject of Hitchcock, the man died 35 years ago, yet 10 times a year Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine is still published, as it has been since 1955. A large number of gullible folks think that whilst alive, he contributed in some way to this magazine. The only contribution he made to AHMM that I know about is a series of photographs that he posed for and which the editors used over and over, with different coloured backgrounds to give the reader the impression he was looking at a fresh cover. Eventually, the editors realized that they could not continue to foist these upon the reading public, so they hired artists to draw caricatures of Hitchcock in increasingly droll situations reminiscent of what you see in the sample book above. Even the brief editorials signed by Hitchcock in those early issues were written by the editors. Hitchcock only sold his name to them. I don't know what he was paid, but occasionally the producers of the Alfred Hitchcock show would cull the magazine for story ideas and adapt them to them episodes of the show.
Here are a couple examples of what I mean. First, the re-used photographs.
This is the cover for the January 1973 AHMM:
And the same picture for the February 1976 issue. Just a different color background. Lazy and cheap.
My goodness, AH was a homely man.
Here are a couple of the caricatures I mentioned before.
Same artist both times. Kinda fun. Eventually, after he died, they moved away from the caricatures and incorporated some of the photographs into new art, making it look as if Hitch were pointing at the scene in question. Little hard to explain. Nowadays, the magazine doesn't mention him at all, other than by the name of the actual magazine that is.
One last thing about AHMM. Back in the day, they would have illustrations, not much more than sketches really, to go along with most of the stories. From time to time, in keeping with Hitchcock's penchant for making cameos in his own films, the artist would incorporate Hitchcock in these pictures. Fun to pick those out.
Do you care? I think not.
I had no intention of writing so much or scanning so much this evening. I hope I haven't bored you too much. To give you some idea, Newbie is snoring away above where I am writing right now.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
I remain in the city. There was a complication or two getting my Frank column in to my editor. Something at my end, not theirs. I think I know what the problem is, but I have to experiment with it further before I can say it is fixed.
Otherwise, I did not do much today. After I wrote last night's post, I did decide to remove a bunch of books from the fourth "cell" of the bookcase over my other computer desk and replace them with old crime fiction paperbacks by the likes of John D. MacDonald, Robert L. Fish, Brett Halliday (or whoever the actual people were who wrote the Michael Shayne mystery novels), and a bunch of Alfred Hitchcock paperback anthologies.
Those are ... interesting in a slightly negative sense. If you read the front and back covers and didn't know any better, you might think that these books were all about horror, the supernatural, things that go bump in the night, and not in a way that would put a smile on your face.
I started buying these books when I could afford them, around the age of 12. They all promised that there would be chills aplenty inside, but at best these are crime stories, with the occasional hint of something really sinister. Jack Ritchie never wrote anything horrific in his life. He probably did enjoy the cheques whenever these anthologies reprinted one of his stories, though. To be fair, though, Gary Brandner, now deceased, did write The Howling novels, which are about werewolves. But he spent many years write crime-based short stories.
Here is an example of what I mean.
First of all, while this may have been its first time in paperback, it was published once before under a different title. At least they're honest about that right there on the front cover. But like I just said, these are crime stories at best. Nothing wrong with that, unless you're expecting something else, in which case you will be disappointed.
While we're on the subject of Hitchcock, the man died 35 years ago, yet 10 times a year Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine is still published, as it has been since 1955. A large number of gullible folks think that whilst alive, he contributed in some way to this magazine. The only contribution he made to AHMM that I know about is a series of photographs that he posed for and which the editors used over and over, with different coloured backgrounds to give the reader the impression he was looking at a fresh cover. Eventually, the editors realized that they could not continue to foist these upon the reading public, so they hired artists to draw caricatures of Hitchcock in increasingly droll situations reminiscent of what you see in the sample book above. Even the brief editorials signed by Hitchcock in those early issues were written by the editors. Hitchcock only sold his name to them. I don't know what he was paid, but occasionally the producers of the Alfred Hitchcock show would cull the magazine for story ideas and adapt them to them episodes of the show.
Here are a couple examples of what I mean. First, the re-used photographs.
This is the cover for the January 1973 AHMM:
And the same picture for the February 1976 issue. Just a different color background. Lazy and cheap.
Here are a couple of the caricatures I mentioned before.
Same artist both times. Kinda fun. Eventually, after he died, they moved away from the caricatures and incorporated some of the photographs into new art, making it look as if Hitch were pointing at the scene in question. Little hard to explain. Nowadays, the magazine doesn't mention him at all, other than by the name of the actual magazine that is.
One last thing about AHMM. Back in the day, they would have illustrations, not much more than sketches really, to go along with most of the stories. From time to time, in keeping with Hitchcock's penchant for making cameos in his own films, the artist would incorporate Hitchcock in these pictures. Fun to pick those out.
Do you care? I think not.
I had no intention of writing so much or scanning so much this evening. I hope I haven't bored you too much. To give you some idea, Newbie is snoring away above where I am writing right now.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Post 3012 - Wednesday
Hi.
Past 10pm.
Still in the city. Patricia drove to the cottage this morning. Last time I checked, she was settling in comfortably.
I finished my Frank column this evening and sent it off. Glad to get that behind me.
I also finished sorting my collection of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, a mag I have read since I was 11. As I mentioned before, I came in to a large number of newer issues a couple of months ago, along with some vintage issues from the 1960's and even a couple from the 1940's. Over the last few evenings, I have taken an hour here and there and sorted them chronologically. While doing so, I discovered quite a number of duplicates, and I am not sure what to do with them. I could hold on to them here. I could take them to the cottage as reading material, and the last time I checked, Patricia was amenable to that. Or I could donate them to someone who cares. Not sure yet.
The magazines sit above me as I type these words, on one of the bookshelves my father built for me probably around 10 years ago now. Two of the four "cells" in it are devoted to EQMM. The third has my Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine collection in it. The fourth, has assorted stuff in it, but I am thinking of moving some other crime fiction-related magazines and books there. Maybe my John D. MacDonald paperbacks, or my Alfred Hitchcock anthologies. Or both. Or neither. Have to give it some thought.
I know you don't care in the slightest, but I do. There is an orderly aspect of this which I find comforting. Maybe you like beer. Or watching sports. Or downloading corn. But I like sorting things into an order which I find pleasing. Sue me.
Tomorrow... well, I'm not sure yet. I will let you know when it gets here.
See you then, my friends.
Bevboy
Past 10pm.
Still in the city. Patricia drove to the cottage this morning. Last time I checked, she was settling in comfortably.
I finished my Frank column this evening and sent it off. Glad to get that behind me.
I also finished sorting my collection of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, a mag I have read since I was 11. As I mentioned before, I came in to a large number of newer issues a couple of months ago, along with some vintage issues from the 1960's and even a couple from the 1940's. Over the last few evenings, I have taken an hour here and there and sorted them chronologically. While doing so, I discovered quite a number of duplicates, and I am not sure what to do with them. I could hold on to them here. I could take them to the cottage as reading material, and the last time I checked, Patricia was amenable to that. Or I could donate them to someone who cares. Not sure yet.
The magazines sit above me as I type these words, on one of the bookshelves my father built for me probably around 10 years ago now. Two of the four "cells" in it are devoted to EQMM. The third has my Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine collection in it. The fourth, has assorted stuff in it, but I am thinking of moving some other crime fiction-related magazines and books there. Maybe my John D. MacDonald paperbacks, or my Alfred Hitchcock anthologies. Or both. Or neither. Have to give it some thought.
I know you don't care in the slightest, but I do. There is an orderly aspect of this which I find comforting. Maybe you like beer. Or watching sports. Or downloading corn. But I like sorting things into an order which I find pleasing. Sue me.
Tomorrow... well, I'm not sure yet. I will let you know when it gets here.
See you then, my friends.
Bevboy
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Post 3011 - A Night Out
Still haven't gone to the cottage. Soon, my friend. Soon.
Patricia had won two tickets to "Amy", the documentary about the life and death of Amy Winehouse. Those tickets came in today's mail, so we decided to go to the Oxford Theatre tonight to see it.
I was not a fan of Amy Winehouse's. Her music just didn't do it for me, but it was impossible for me not to notice her downward spiral in recent years, and to know about her untimely death at 27. She's a member of the so-called "27 Club", which foolish people with nothing better to do believe is some kind of conspiracy in which talented young people in the arts die at the age of 27, apparently in droves. People, if they wanted to, could device a "25 Club", or a "57 Club", or a "42 Club", if they wanted to, but it would disrupt the carefully-constructed conspiracy they have concocted and which they share. But I digress.
I did not love "Amy", but I am not sure if I was meant to. The story is sad: how a talented young woman with a robust future, achieved some success; and the same addictions that had dogged her when she was unknown, became amplified. People enabled her addictions, while others were afraid that the gravy train that she conducted would go off the rails, leaving them without a meal ticket. This film should be required viewing for anybody who wants to be a star. The price is probably not worth it.
We got back home. I got an email from the phone company that my latest bill was available and I had but to log on to my account to see what the amount owed is. The problem is, the account # I thought I had, is not registered, which is hardly a surprise because I don't recall registering it. But when I try to register it, I get nowhere because it wants an email address, but I don't know what GD email address to specify. I managed to call an automated number and find out what I owe, but I am afraid to pay from my bank account to that account number for fear it will not be paid to the correct account. My goodness, what an ache in the anus this is.
Little things are starting to get to me. I need to leave town for a while. As soon as my latest Frank column is done, I'm out of here.
See you tomorrow, my lovelies.
Bevboy
Patricia had won two tickets to "Amy", the documentary about the life and death of Amy Winehouse. Those tickets came in today's mail, so we decided to go to the Oxford Theatre tonight to see it.
I was not a fan of Amy Winehouse's. Her music just didn't do it for me, but it was impossible for me not to notice her downward spiral in recent years, and to know about her untimely death at 27. She's a member of the so-called "27 Club", which foolish people with nothing better to do believe is some kind of conspiracy in which talented young people in the arts die at the age of 27, apparently in droves. People, if they wanted to, could device a "25 Club", or a "57 Club", or a "42 Club", if they wanted to, but it would disrupt the carefully-constructed conspiracy they have concocted and which they share. But I digress.
I did not love "Amy", but I am not sure if I was meant to. The story is sad: how a talented young woman with a robust future, achieved some success; and the same addictions that had dogged her when she was unknown, became amplified. People enabled her addictions, while others were afraid that the gravy train that she conducted would go off the rails, leaving them without a meal ticket. This film should be required viewing for anybody who wants to be a star. The price is probably not worth it.
We got back home. I got an email from the phone company that my latest bill was available and I had but to log on to my account to see what the amount owed is. The problem is, the account # I thought I had, is not registered, which is hardly a surprise because I don't recall registering it. But when I try to register it, I get nowhere because it wants an email address, but I don't know what GD email address to specify. I managed to call an automated number and find out what I owe, but I am afraid to pay from my bank account to that account number for fear it will not be paid to the correct account. My goodness, what an ache in the anus this is.
Little things are starting to get to me. I need to leave town for a while. As soon as my latest Frank column is done, I'm out of here.
See you tomorrow, my lovelies.
Bevboy
Monday, July 20, 2015
Post 3010 - Monday
10:33.
Is it possible to do less than nothing? Other than some work on my Frank column, I did nothing today.
Tuesday, Patricia will drive to the cottage, remaining there until a day or so before we return to work. I will be joining her on Thursday. Looking forward to it.
Newbie rests next to me on the computer desk. I am guessing that the warmth generated by the fibreop modem is appealing to him.
You guys have a good evening. See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Is it possible to do less than nothing? Other than some work on my Frank column, I did nothing today.
Tuesday, Patricia will drive to the cottage, remaining there until a day or so before we return to work. I will be joining her on Thursday. Looking forward to it.
Newbie rests next to me on the computer desk. I am guessing that the warmth generated by the fibreop modem is appealing to him.
You guys have a good evening. See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Post 3009 - Nothin'
10:47pm.
We did as close to nothing today as a person can get. Other than a quick trip to Costco, we didn't go anywhere. We did not go to Dykes versus Divas, figuring that the rainy weather would make at the very least it difficult for said Dykes and Divas to play the game properly.
We were exhausted after the hard work we did on Saturday. But, it is done, and it feels great.
Monday, Patricia will be heading to the cottage, while I hang back for a couple of days and take care of some other pressing details.
It's nice not to have to go in to work for a couple of weeks.
You guys have a good evening. See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
We did as close to nothing today as a person can get. Other than a quick trip to Costco, we didn't go anywhere. We did not go to Dykes versus Divas, figuring that the rainy weather would make at the very least it difficult for said Dykes and Divas to play the game properly.
We were exhausted after the hard work we did on Saturday. But, it is done, and it feels great.
Monday, Patricia will be heading to the cottage, while I hang back for a couple of days and take care of some other pressing details.
It's nice not to have to go in to work for a couple of weeks.
You guys have a good evening. See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Post 3008 - Saturday
Late.
We had a freakishly long day today, but one that resulted in us getting a long-put-off chore out of the way. It started late this morning and didn't get done until about 8:15 tonight. We both feel that we have earned a good night's rest. Patricia turned in some time ago. I remain up. Will probably fall asleep in front of the tv, which apparently is what an awful log of middle-aged white guys do. May as well join the crowd.
Tomorrow, we will either stay close to home, or venture out to the Halifax Common to see the dykes versus divas baseball game. Apparently it is a hoot, maybe even a hoot and a half. One and a half hoots. 3/2 hoots. A sesquihoot.
I think, the reality will be that we will end up staying here.
Think I will turn in.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
We had a freakishly long day today, but one that resulted in us getting a long-put-off chore out of the way. It started late this morning and didn't get done until about 8:15 tonight. We both feel that we have earned a good night's rest. Patricia turned in some time ago. I remain up. Will probably fall asleep in front of the tv, which apparently is what an awful log of middle-aged white guys do. May as well join the crowd.
Tomorrow, we will either stay close to home, or venture out to the Halifax Common to see the dykes versus divas baseball game. Apparently it is a hoot, maybe even a hoot and a half. One and a half hoots. 3/2 hoots. A sesquihoot.
I think, the reality will be that we will end up staying here.
Think I will turn in.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Friday, July 17, 2015
Post 3007 - Vacay
Hi.
I'm on vacation!!
I do not return to work until the day after the long weekend in August. So, that is... August 4th, I think it is.
While we are away from work, we have work to do here before we can go to the cottage. We will be spending a big chunk of Saturday doing some stuff here at the house. We still plan to go to Dykes versus Divas on Sunday if at all possible, assuming we still have strength in our body to do that after our crazy day on Saturday.
After Sunday, likely on Monday, Patricia will go to the cottage, and I will join her a few days after that. River John Days are next week, and we want to make sure we both catch the village-long yard sale a week from Saturday. For some odd reason that yard sale was for years on a Tuesday. Lots of people went, but I guess more logical heads prevailed and they switched it to Saturday, where even more people can go.
Now, about the blog. I still plan to produce something for the blog every day I am off. I do not think I will have a "best of Bevboy's Blog" thing again this year. Instead, I will likely just produce a short post every day from wherever I am letting you know I am still alive and thinking about you in a way that should not make you feel uncomfortable or ask for your mother.
Tomorrow promises to be a very long day. I think I will turn in relatively early.
See you tomorrow, my friends.
Bevboy
I'm on vacation!!
I do not return to work until the day after the long weekend in August. So, that is... August 4th, I think it is.
While we are away from work, we have work to do here before we can go to the cottage. We will be spending a big chunk of Saturday doing some stuff here at the house. We still plan to go to Dykes versus Divas on Sunday if at all possible, assuming we still have strength in our body to do that after our crazy day on Saturday.
After Sunday, likely on Monday, Patricia will go to the cottage, and I will join her a few days after that. River John Days are next week, and we want to make sure we both catch the village-long yard sale a week from Saturday. For some odd reason that yard sale was for years on a Tuesday. Lots of people went, but I guess more logical heads prevailed and they switched it to Saturday, where even more people can go.
Now, about the blog. I still plan to produce something for the blog every day I am off. I do not think I will have a "best of Bevboy's Blog" thing again this year. Instead, I will likely just produce a short post every day from wherever I am letting you know I am still alive and thinking about you in a way that should not make you feel uncomfortable or ask for your mother.
Tomorrow promises to be a very long day. I think I will turn in relatively early.
See you tomorrow, my friends.
Bevboy
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Post 3006 - Thursday
Hi.
Day 3 of having fibreop is drawing to a close. I remain amazed at how quickly everything is running. Downloads can finish within 30 seconds for a standard definition tv show. I can't get over it. It's like going from caveman drawings to 1080p.
This time tomorrow we will both be on vacation. Patricia has stated that she wants to attend the Nova Scotia Designer Craft Council thingy at Burns Park after work, and see the Lego version of the Halifax Library, which is at the Halifax Library. Which means that I want to see these things, too, right? Right.
Rather than go to the cottage on Saturday we will likely go on Monday. We want to do some work around the house on Saturday, and on Sunday we want to See Dykes versus Divas, part of the annual pride week. We have never been to Dykes versus Divas and hear that it is a scream. We will go this year for sure. Don't tell us how it ends.
Oh, I was a little hurt by what someone at work said to me yesterday. He said that because I now have Fibreop I can now download and stream porn that much more quickly now. My god, people. That is degrading to women. You know how I feel about that. I cried, folks. Cried. Cried! I told Patricia all about it all the way home, so wracked by tears that I nearly went off the road. She consoled me and said, "The nerve of that guy! Where does he get off saying that? They should all know that you're not the one in the house who downloads porn!"
I felt better after that.
Getting late. Guess I will turn in.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Day 3 of having fibreop is drawing to a close. I remain amazed at how quickly everything is running. Downloads can finish within 30 seconds for a standard definition tv show. I can't get over it. It's like going from caveman drawings to 1080p.
This time tomorrow we will both be on vacation. Patricia has stated that she wants to attend the Nova Scotia Designer Craft Council thingy at Burns Park after work, and see the Lego version of the Halifax Library, which is at the Halifax Library. Which means that I want to see these things, too, right? Right.
Rather than go to the cottage on Saturday we will likely go on Monday. We want to do some work around the house on Saturday, and on Sunday we want to See Dykes versus Divas, part of the annual pride week. We have never been to Dykes versus Divas and hear that it is a scream. We will go this year for sure. Don't tell us how it ends.
Oh, I was a little hurt by what someone at work said to me yesterday. He said that because I now have Fibreop I can now download and stream porn that much more quickly now. My god, people. That is degrading to women. You know how I feel about that. I cried, folks. Cried. Cried! I told Patricia all about it all the way home, so wracked by tears that I nearly went off the road. She consoled me and said, "The nerve of that guy! Where does he get off saying that? They should all know that you're not the one in the house who downloads porn!"
I felt better after that.
Getting late. Guess I will turn in.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Post 3005 - Yay!
Fibre op is here.
I love it.
Adam from Aliant showed up around 12:30. Three hours and 5 minutes later, he was getting ready to leave, having ugraded the land line to fibreop, replaced the dsl connection with fibreop, and hooked up the 4 HD tv's in the house to fibreop.
There is no comparison between the old world and the new one. Downloads are routinely 10megabytes per second, and I am sure there is a way to speed that up a lot. But I am not sure I care because those same downloads yesterday were 35 or 50 KILObytes per second. If I do a download here in my home office, it has no effect on Netflix watching in the next room or upstairs, or in both places. Of course, I can be downloading and also Blogging at the same time.
Meanwhile, television is faster as well. If I changed a channel under Eastlink, there would be second-or-two hesitation before the motion commenced on the new channel. Not here. Change channel, and boom! The TV here in my home office is the one with the wired connection; the remaining 3 are all wireless. The wired one has the pvr. With the pvr, I can record a few different shows at the same time on different channels. I think 2 of the shows can be in HD. The pvr is accessible by any of the tv's in the house.
After Adam left, I drove to Halifax Shopping Centre to return the Eastlink cable boxes, all 5 of them. After cancelling the cable, they told me that we have a credit situation because they bill in advance. They will mail me a cheque. Which is fine, because every cent of this found money will go toward the Aliant fibreop gaping maw.
Been a very long day, rich with incident. I almost need another vacation day to get over this day. But I can hold on for 3 more days and start my vacation.
You guys have a good evening. See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
I love it.
Adam from Aliant showed up around 12:30. Three hours and 5 minutes later, he was getting ready to leave, having ugraded the land line to fibreop, replaced the dsl connection with fibreop, and hooked up the 4 HD tv's in the house to fibreop.
There is no comparison between the old world and the new one. Downloads are routinely 10megabytes per second, and I am sure there is a way to speed that up a lot. But I am not sure I care because those same downloads yesterday were 35 or 50 KILObytes per second. If I do a download here in my home office, it has no effect on Netflix watching in the next room or upstairs, or in both places. Of course, I can be downloading and also Blogging at the same time.
Meanwhile, television is faster as well. If I changed a channel under Eastlink, there would be second-or-two hesitation before the motion commenced on the new channel. Not here. Change channel, and boom! The TV here in my home office is the one with the wired connection; the remaining 3 are all wireless. The wired one has the pvr. With the pvr, I can record a few different shows at the same time on different channels. I think 2 of the shows can be in HD. The pvr is accessible by any of the tv's in the house.
After Adam left, I drove to Halifax Shopping Centre to return the Eastlink cable boxes, all 5 of them. After cancelling the cable, they told me that we have a credit situation because they bill in advance. They will mail me a cheque. Which is fine, because every cent of this found money will go toward the Aliant fibreop gaping maw.
Been a very long day, rich with incident. I almost need another vacation day to get over this day. But I can hold on for 3 more days and start my vacation.
You guys have a good evening. See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Monday, July 13, 2015
Post 3004 - Monday
Monday night. 9 o'clock.
Tomorrow is the big day.
Fibreop will be installed.
Oh, boy!
At coffee with the boys today we discussed how Tuesday will come down. Turns out that the website's estimate of "about 3 hours" to install Fibreop tv and internet is optimistic to the point of naiveté. One guy told me that Aliant took over 8 hours to install it in his home. Another warned me how Aliant is drill happy and takes delight in drilling holes everywhere it can, whether the hole is truly necessary or not. Wonderful. Just great. How joyous.
If I could tolerate at all the dsl-based internet connection here at home, I would likely continue to, if only because I won't have to take a vacation day tomorrow or put up with someone trying out for a stage revival of Woody Woodpecker. But just since I got home I have had to unplug and plug in the modem twice. I keep looking over at the "internet" light. It remains solid for a few seconds, and then blinks at me, as if to say, "Screw you, Bevboy! I know where I'm going tomorrow, and I will make your life miserable until then!" If the modem had a moustache, it would be twirling it and tying Patricia to a railroad track. Other times, the internet light just goes out, necessitating yet another modem reset. Sigh, double sigh, and so on.
So, new internet connection and tv experience, all tomorrow. Can't hardly wait. As much as I will enjoy the new internet connection, I will love saying goodbye to Eastlink television. They are chuckleheads, dipsee doodles, frig muffins, hors dovers, der moles, non-carbon-based lifeforms, and generally just not the best people to deal with. I don't even get bills from them anymore. I have to guess how much I owe them, or log on to the website to my account and then send along the payment it states, even though they likely have already received some money from me since that last bill run took place.
After work on Wednesday, I will take the cable boxes I will have unplugged from every tv in the house and deliver them to the Eastlink store in Halifax Shopping Centre, there to cancel my cable and run away from them with a receipt signifying I owe them nothing.
Tomorrow, everyone. My life changes... tomorrow. See you then.
Bevboy
Tomorrow is the big day.
Fibreop will be installed.
Oh, boy!
At coffee with the boys today we discussed how Tuesday will come down. Turns out that the website's estimate of "about 3 hours" to install Fibreop tv and internet is optimistic to the point of naiveté. One guy told me that Aliant took over 8 hours to install it in his home. Another warned me how Aliant is drill happy and takes delight in drilling holes everywhere it can, whether the hole is truly necessary or not. Wonderful. Just great. How joyous.
If I could tolerate at all the dsl-based internet connection here at home, I would likely continue to, if only because I won't have to take a vacation day tomorrow or put up with someone trying out for a stage revival of Woody Woodpecker. But just since I got home I have had to unplug and plug in the modem twice. I keep looking over at the "internet" light. It remains solid for a few seconds, and then blinks at me, as if to say, "Screw you, Bevboy! I know where I'm going tomorrow, and I will make your life miserable until then!" If the modem had a moustache, it would be twirling it and tying Patricia to a railroad track. Other times, the internet light just goes out, necessitating yet another modem reset. Sigh, double sigh, and so on.
So, new internet connection and tv experience, all tomorrow. Can't hardly wait. As much as I will enjoy the new internet connection, I will love saying goodbye to Eastlink television. They are chuckleheads, dipsee doodles, frig muffins, hors dovers, der moles, non-carbon-based lifeforms, and generally just not the best people to deal with. I don't even get bills from them anymore. I have to guess how much I owe them, or log on to the website to my account and then send along the payment it states, even though they likely have already received some money from me since that last bill run took place.
After work on Wednesday, I will take the cable boxes I will have unplugged from every tv in the house and deliver them to the Eastlink store in Halifax Shopping Centre, there to cancel my cable and run away from them with a receipt signifying I owe them nothing.
Tomorrow, everyone. My life changes... tomorrow. See you then.
Bevboy
Sunday, July 12, 2015
Post 3003 - Sunday
Sunday evening. 9:25. Wanna get this out the door so that I can watch "The Strain" at the top of the hour. By the way, that show is not about a guy who eats cheese for a living.
So, Saturday morning, a day and a half ago, right after Weekend Mornings was over (part one of the tribute to Stan Carew) I told Patricia that it might be fun to get strawberries in the Valley that day. She was elated. Which means that she was happy, just in case someone from Cape Breton is reading this.
Just in case we got back late, before I set the alarm, I turned on the outside light. We piled in the car and drove to Wolfville. We decided to go to the Farmer's Market in Wolfville, which is a strange thing unto itself. The Wolfville Farmer's Market, with all due respect, is the perfect size for me. It takes me less time to decide whether to go to the Wolfville Farmer's Market than it does to go to the Wolfville Farmer's Market, so we almost always just go.
We got lunch in town at Rosie's Restaurant, which is in the same facility as Paddy's Pub. Mom and I; Patricia and I; and Mom, Patricia and I, have all had good meals there over the years. I cannot think of a single time I ordered something that left me disappointed. We all thought and think that it is better than the Kenvtille Paddy's Pub/Rosie's outlet.
After lunch, we went to the Box of Delights bookstore. The Deep Roots Festival rents space downstairs, and we learned that early bird tickets were available for sale, which included a special Thursday night show featuring Matt Anderson playing at University Hall on the Acadia campus. We got weekend passes, again, so we will have to book off part of Thursday that week in September as well.
We then wandered down to the Wolfville Animal Hospital, where they keep rescue cats. We played with them for a few minutes. One cat was so big and heavy he would make Newbie look like a new-born kitten. One cat was 15 years old and put on a show for us. It knew on some level that its chances of being adopted out were slim. Heart breaking.
Our day was getting away from us. We found a place to pick berries, Stirling's to be exact. Only two boxes per box. We picked 10 boxes, found a full box in a row that someone had left behind, so Patricia was out 22 dollars. All but one box reside in the freezer now, thanks for asking.
We went to the family home. Put the boxes in the fridge. Rested a spell. I grabbed a box full of science fiction books I have promised to some people on freecycle and put them in the car, along with the berries. This was about 6pm.
We returned to Wolfville. Decided to get some munchies at Shopper's Drug Mart. I wandered over to Just Us! coffee and got an iced mochaccino. After she had made her purchases, Patricia and I went over there together, where she got an iced mochaccino. She noticed there would be a play at the Al Whittle Theatre that evening, in about 90 minutes. It is called "I'll Be Back Before Midnight", and it is presented by Valley Summer Theatre. The only actor we recognized in the 4 person cast was Jeremy Webb, whom we had never seen in a play. There was a woman next to us ordering some iced tea. She mentioned she was associated with the play that evening, so we asked her some questions. Before I knew it, we had decided to go to the play, so I returned to the house, re-deposited the strawberries in the fridge, and returned to Wolfville.
I got some pictures of the really neat pride-based cross walk in front of the Al Whittle. At 7:30 we made our way for the front row. And the show started at 8.
I gather this is the kind of play where you're not supposed to give away the ending. I'll just let you know that it is by times, funny, frigtening, funny again, and surprisingly sexy. At one point, I was scared enough to pass wind. Patricia noticed. I hoped that nobody else would.
During the intermission, I went to the lobby to get a drink of water. I overheard someone talking about the first half of the play. Mostly positive remarks, but then they mentioned that at one point, some guy in the front row had farted so I kept walking.
The play got over shortly after 10. We left, and returned once again to the home where I got the strawberries out of the fridge again, Patricia checked her emails, and we loaded up the car, yet again. We got homt shortly before midnight. The front light I had left on all day was a welcoming beacon to us. Newbie greeted us at the door and all but looked at the invisible watch on his wrist and wondered where the hell we had been.
It was a supremely long day, and almost all of it was spontaneous. From the trip itself, to the early bird Deep Roots tickets to the play where I had a little accident, it was a day of fun that wasn't supposed to happen. The plan had been to stay in the house all day and do some cleaning up. Instead, not so much. No regrets, except that all that work was waiting for us this morning. And this evening, not all of it is done. Sigh.
Another work week starts in hours. And on Tuesday... fibreop!
You guys have a good evening. See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
W
So, Saturday morning, a day and a half ago, right after Weekend Mornings was over (part one of the tribute to Stan Carew) I told Patricia that it might be fun to get strawberries in the Valley that day. She was elated. Which means that she was happy, just in case someone from Cape Breton is reading this.
Just in case we got back late, before I set the alarm, I turned on the outside light. We piled in the car and drove to Wolfville. We decided to go to the Farmer's Market in Wolfville, which is a strange thing unto itself. The Wolfville Farmer's Market, with all due respect, is the perfect size for me. It takes me less time to decide whether to go to the Wolfville Farmer's Market than it does to go to the Wolfville Farmer's Market, so we almost always just go.
We got lunch in town at Rosie's Restaurant, which is in the same facility as Paddy's Pub. Mom and I; Patricia and I; and Mom, Patricia and I, have all had good meals there over the years. I cannot think of a single time I ordered something that left me disappointed. We all thought and think that it is better than the Kenvtille Paddy's Pub/Rosie's outlet.
After lunch, we went to the Box of Delights bookstore. The Deep Roots Festival rents space downstairs, and we learned that early bird tickets were available for sale, which included a special Thursday night show featuring Matt Anderson playing at University Hall on the Acadia campus. We got weekend passes, again, so we will have to book off part of Thursday that week in September as well.
We then wandered down to the Wolfville Animal Hospital, where they keep rescue cats. We played with them for a few minutes. One cat was so big and heavy he would make Newbie look like a new-born kitten. One cat was 15 years old and put on a show for us. It knew on some level that its chances of being adopted out were slim. Heart breaking.
Our day was getting away from us. We found a place to pick berries, Stirling's to be exact. Only two boxes per box. We picked 10 boxes, found a full box in a row that someone had left behind, so Patricia was out 22 dollars. All but one box reside in the freezer now, thanks for asking.
We went to the family home. Put the boxes in the fridge. Rested a spell. I grabbed a box full of science fiction books I have promised to some people on freecycle and put them in the car, along with the berries. This was about 6pm.
We returned to Wolfville. Decided to get some munchies at Shopper's Drug Mart. I wandered over to Just Us! coffee and got an iced mochaccino. After she had made her purchases, Patricia and I went over there together, where she got an iced mochaccino. She noticed there would be a play at the Al Whittle Theatre that evening, in about 90 minutes. It is called "I'll Be Back Before Midnight", and it is presented by Valley Summer Theatre. The only actor we recognized in the 4 person cast was Jeremy Webb, whom we had never seen in a play. There was a woman next to us ordering some iced tea. She mentioned she was associated with the play that evening, so we asked her some questions. Before I knew it, we had decided to go to the play, so I returned to the house, re-deposited the strawberries in the fridge, and returned to Wolfville.
I got some pictures of the really neat pride-based cross walk in front of the Al Whittle. At 7:30 we made our way for the front row. And the show started at 8.
I gather this is the kind of play where you're not supposed to give away the ending. I'll just let you know that it is by times, funny, frigtening, funny again, and surprisingly sexy. At one point, I was scared enough to pass wind. Patricia noticed. I hoped that nobody else would.
During the intermission, I went to the lobby to get a drink of water. I overheard someone talking about the first half of the play. Mostly positive remarks, but then they mentioned that at one point, some guy in the front row had farted so I kept walking.
The play got over shortly after 10. We left, and returned once again to the home where I got the strawberries out of the fridge again, Patricia checked her emails, and we loaded up the car, yet again. We got homt shortly before midnight. The front light I had left on all day was a welcoming beacon to us. Newbie greeted us at the door and all but looked at the invisible watch on his wrist and wondered where the hell we had been.
It was a supremely long day, and almost all of it was spontaneous. From the trip itself, to the early bird Deep Roots tickets to the play where I had a little accident, it was a day of fun that wasn't supposed to happen. The plan had been to stay in the house all day and do some cleaning up. Instead, not so much. No regrets, except that all that work was waiting for us this morning. And this evening, not all of it is done. Sigh.
Another work week starts in hours. And on Tuesday... fibreop!
You guys have a good evening. See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
W
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Post 3002 - Saturday
Hi. Got home a few minutes ago. Nearly midnight. Had the modem unplugged the whole time we were away. Plugged it in. Got about 3 minutes of use out of it before the connection went away. Tuesday can't get here soon enough. It's the day I get fibreop here.
I will likely lose the connection in any second, so I will tell you about Saturday, and our adventures, tomorrow.
See you then.
Bevboy
I will likely lose the connection in any second, so I will tell you about Saturday, and our adventures, tomorrow.
See you then.
Bevboy
Friday, July 10, 2015
Post 3001 - Friday
Hi.
No, I did not go to Stan Carew's funeral today. Patricia had a doctor's appointment that came close to abutting the funeral start time. We figured that a funeral was more of an intimate family affair, so we decided not to go. Maybe that was a mistake. The CBC streamed it on its website.
I heard a documentary series on the CBC this afternoon about a guy who was trying to track down the origin of a couple of photographs taking during the Crimean War. The host of the program insinuated himself into the story every few seconds, completing sentences that the story's subject had started, not as part of a conversation, but just through the kind of editing that barely let the subject get a word in edgewise while the host looked erudite and urbane but came across as a boor. Had I been the subject of the story, I would have walked away or told the host to shut up.
My point is that I did not know Stan Carew. I am not sure how many people did. It would be foolish of me to state I did know him and therefore to write that much about him other than the known facts, which I have done in my latest Frank column. To have written about him knowingly would have made me like the host of the show I just mentioned, and been a disservice to the subject (Stan) and made me look like a so-and-so. Even people who worked with him since the 1970's have confessed to not knowing as much about Stan as they thought they did. His gift was his voice, and his delivery was smooth and silky and seductive and beguiling.
Over the years I spent maybe five minutes with him. Our longest conversation was the time I was on hold after winning a mystery vocalist contest on his show. He was getting my mailing address and he talked about how a couple of things that made me think he was comfortable with me. He did agree to an interview with me at one point a year or so ago, but like many things in my life, I did not follow through. My loss. I think. I am not sure how much I would have learned about him. He was a private man.
The best way I can illustrate the kind of guy I think he was, was a telling comment he made when he filled in on Information Morning a few years ago, between Christmas and New Year's. I think he was filling in for Don Connolly, but it may have been Louise Renault. I cannot remember. But the co-host asked Stan how his Christmas had been. "Fine", he said. "I spent Christmay Day binge-watching the latest season of 'Dexter'". Not many people would spend their Christmas Day that way, and admit to it. Why did he choose to spend that day by himself? Or was it his choice at all?
Do you still think you knew Stan? Really?
Anyway, after her appointment, we got some breakfast at the Canadiana Restaurant in Bayer's Lake before returning to the house. We decided not to go to the cottage this weekend after all. Instead, we drove to Peggys Cove and ambled about the rocks like a few hundred other people did. My camera is upstairs, or I would include a couple snaps of our trip there. Maybe I will put them here tomorrow, if I think of it.
We returned to the house yet again. Patricia napped and I ate dinner. She came downstairs to eat after "Inner Space" was over. I took a nap and now I am here in my home office telling you about my day while you use toothpicks to hold your eyes open because you're so damned bored with reading about the trifles of my life.
Well, phooey to you.
See you tomorrow, you dirty rat finks you.
Bevboy
No, I did not go to Stan Carew's funeral today. Patricia had a doctor's appointment that came close to abutting the funeral start time. We figured that a funeral was more of an intimate family affair, so we decided not to go. Maybe that was a mistake. The CBC streamed it on its website.
I heard a documentary series on the CBC this afternoon about a guy who was trying to track down the origin of a couple of photographs taking during the Crimean War. The host of the program insinuated himself into the story every few seconds, completing sentences that the story's subject had started, not as part of a conversation, but just through the kind of editing that barely let the subject get a word in edgewise while the host looked erudite and urbane but came across as a boor. Had I been the subject of the story, I would have walked away or told the host to shut up.
My point is that I did not know Stan Carew. I am not sure how many people did. It would be foolish of me to state I did know him and therefore to write that much about him other than the known facts, which I have done in my latest Frank column. To have written about him knowingly would have made me like the host of the show I just mentioned, and been a disservice to the subject (Stan) and made me look like a so-and-so. Even people who worked with him since the 1970's have confessed to not knowing as much about Stan as they thought they did. His gift was his voice, and his delivery was smooth and silky and seductive and beguiling.
Over the years I spent maybe five minutes with him. Our longest conversation was the time I was on hold after winning a mystery vocalist contest on his show. He was getting my mailing address and he talked about how a couple of things that made me think he was comfortable with me. He did agree to an interview with me at one point a year or so ago, but like many things in my life, I did not follow through. My loss. I think. I am not sure how much I would have learned about him. He was a private man.
The best way I can illustrate the kind of guy I think he was, was a telling comment he made when he filled in on Information Morning a few years ago, between Christmas and New Year's. I think he was filling in for Don Connolly, but it may have been Louise Renault. I cannot remember. But the co-host asked Stan how his Christmas had been. "Fine", he said. "I spent Christmay Day binge-watching the latest season of 'Dexter'". Not many people would spend their Christmas Day that way, and admit to it. Why did he choose to spend that day by himself? Or was it his choice at all?
Do you still think you knew Stan? Really?
Anyway, after her appointment, we got some breakfast at the Canadiana Restaurant in Bayer's Lake before returning to the house. We decided not to go to the cottage this weekend after all. Instead, we drove to Peggys Cove and ambled about the rocks like a few hundred other people did. My camera is upstairs, or I would include a couple snaps of our trip there. Maybe I will put them here tomorrow, if I think of it.
We returned to the house yet again. Patricia napped and I ate dinner. She came downstairs to eat after "Inner Space" was over. I took a nap and now I am here in my home office telling you about my day while you use toothpicks to hold your eyes open because you're so damned bored with reading about the trifles of my life.
Well, phooey to you.
See you tomorrow, you dirty rat finks you.
Bevboy
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Post 3000 - Letter G, Apple Blossom Festival
Hey, welcome to post 3000, my friends.
Remember: the contest was a blog post in which I would be given a subject and a starting letter of the alphabet. I was to write a post in which I discussed that subject and cycled through the alphabet with each sentence beginning with a word whose first letter is the next letter in the alphabet. A 26 sentence post. I have done this a few times before over the years.
Here goes.
---------------------
Golly, I used to attend the Apple Blossom Festival ever year. Hey, I can be just as nostalgic as the next Bevboy. I would look forward to the festival every year, saving my money so that I could splurge on hot dogs and cotton candy. Junk food was my friend.
Know somethin'? Legend has it that my parents as youngsters attended the Apple Blossom Festival. Maybe that is why I clung so tenaciously to this "tradition", even when it became unwieldy, inconvenient, a pain in the tuchus, for me to get there, and long after there was any excitement or interest left in my body to go, and long after I would look around me and realize I was there by myself.
Now, don't get me wrong: I loved the idea of the event. Only in the Valley would they celebrate the blossoming of the apples and create a festival around it. Probably because of the bucolic nature of the Valley, the Festival became a symbol for its prosperity, even though it was largely built on the backs of people who would toil in fields for 12 hours a day, or slave in inhospitable conditions in some poorly-ventilated building. Quite a "tradition", huh?
Really, when you think about it, the Apple Blossom Festival is more of a symbol for how workers with poor educations and even poorer prospects are exploited by the wealthy farmers who work them to the point where they have no soul, no spirit, and are too beaten down to improve their situation. Sure makes me glad I stayed in school and got an education. To make them appreciate their lot in life, if I had children, I would make them pull some shifts picking strawberries, digging potatoes, plucking apples, one hopes working with people who have to be there to put food on the table.
Usually, traditions don't change much, and the Festival is no exception. Very well-intentioned people put on the same events years after year, in the thinking that it is what people want. Women, young ones, every year would vie for the crown of Queen Annapolisa. (Xavier Cugat, who loved his women young, would be delighted to be on the judging panel.) Yet these women were exploited in their own way: at one point they had to be virgins for goodness' sake. Zounds!
Able-bodied women who were maybe not considered traditionally attractive, or who had lain with a man, or who had had children, were not welcome to put their names forward. Because of many years of public outcry, many of these rules are being relaxed. Cross dressers, though, still need not apply!
Don't get me wrong: The Festival has some good points about it, but as I have grown older, the seamy underbelly has become visible to me, and I like it less and less. Even the most innocent of us have to grow up sometime.
Frankly, did you expect any less?
Remember: the contest was a blog post in which I would be given a subject and a starting letter of the alphabet. I was to write a post in which I discussed that subject and cycled through the alphabet with each sentence beginning with a word whose first letter is the next letter in the alphabet. A 26 sentence post. I have done this a few times before over the years.
Here goes.
---------------------
Golly, I used to attend the Apple Blossom Festival ever year. Hey, I can be just as nostalgic as the next Bevboy. I would look forward to the festival every year, saving my money so that I could splurge on hot dogs and cotton candy. Junk food was my friend.
Know somethin'? Legend has it that my parents as youngsters attended the Apple Blossom Festival. Maybe that is why I clung so tenaciously to this "tradition", even when it became unwieldy, inconvenient, a pain in the tuchus, for me to get there, and long after there was any excitement or interest left in my body to go, and long after I would look around me and realize I was there by myself.
Now, don't get me wrong: I loved the idea of the event. Only in the Valley would they celebrate the blossoming of the apples and create a festival around it. Probably because of the bucolic nature of the Valley, the Festival became a symbol for its prosperity, even though it was largely built on the backs of people who would toil in fields for 12 hours a day, or slave in inhospitable conditions in some poorly-ventilated building. Quite a "tradition", huh?
Really, when you think about it, the Apple Blossom Festival is more of a symbol for how workers with poor educations and even poorer prospects are exploited by the wealthy farmers who work them to the point where they have no soul, no spirit, and are too beaten down to improve their situation. Sure makes me glad I stayed in school and got an education. To make them appreciate their lot in life, if I had children, I would make them pull some shifts picking strawberries, digging potatoes, plucking apples, one hopes working with people who have to be there to put food on the table.
Usually, traditions don't change much, and the Festival is no exception. Very well-intentioned people put on the same events years after year, in the thinking that it is what people want. Women, young ones, every year would vie for the crown of Queen Annapolisa. (Xavier Cugat, who loved his women young, would be delighted to be on the judging panel.) Yet these women were exploited in their own way: at one point they had to be virgins for goodness' sake. Zounds!
Able-bodied women who were maybe not considered traditionally attractive, or who had lain with a man, or who had had children, were not welcome to put their names forward. Because of many years of public outcry, many of these rules are being relaxed. Cross dressers, though, still need not apply!
Don't get me wrong: The Festival has some good points about it, but as I have grown older, the seamy underbelly has become visible to me, and I like it less and less. Even the most innocent of us have to grow up sometime.
Frankly, did you expect any less?
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Post 2999 - Finally!
I am getting fibre op internet and television installed in the house. Will be taking a vacation day on Tuesday to get this done.
Long overdue. Fully admit this. The old dsl connection crashed on me during the day; thee modem internet light was off when I got home tonight, messing up some downloads that got suddenly aborted. Fun times.
With the package we're getting, we will have full fibre op internet, with really fast downloads and good uploads. The tv will be HD and will include a pvr that can be addressed by all the other tv's in the house. And the existing phone connection will remain as is.
I can hardly wait for this. My patience with the dsl-based connection is gone.
Oh, the modem we're getting next week? Comes with new accounts, but represents a hundred dollar upgrade to existing customers. 802.11ac modem with 4 ethernet connections on the back, so the two desktops in this home office plus the two NAS devices will all be used.
Tuesday, sometime between 8 and 5, we can say a loud goodbye to the dsl connection here. Can hardly wait.
In other news, my latest (greatest?) column to Frank has been sent in. Once again, I have information in there you cannot get anywhere else, including some exclusive Stan Carew anecdotes. Look for that column in the new Frank that comes out on Monday.
You guys have a good night. See you tomorrow for... post 3000! Remember, it will be the alphabet game, so if you have any last minute suggestions, send them in!
Bevboy
Long overdue. Fully admit this. The old dsl connection crashed on me during the day; thee modem internet light was off when I got home tonight, messing up some downloads that got suddenly aborted. Fun times.
With the package we're getting, we will have full fibre op internet, with really fast downloads and good uploads. The tv will be HD and will include a pvr that can be addressed by all the other tv's in the house. And the existing phone connection will remain as is.
I can hardly wait for this. My patience with the dsl-based connection is gone.
Oh, the modem we're getting next week? Comes with new accounts, but represents a hundred dollar upgrade to existing customers. 802.11ac modem with 4 ethernet connections on the back, so the two desktops in this home office plus the two NAS devices will all be used.
Tuesday, sometime between 8 and 5, we can say a loud goodbye to the dsl connection here. Can hardly wait.
In other news, my latest (greatest?) column to Frank has been sent in. Once again, I have information in there you cannot get anywhere else, including some exclusive Stan Carew anecdotes. Look for that column in the new Frank that comes out on Monday.
You guys have a good night. See you tomorrow for... post 3000! Remember, it will be the alphabet game, so if you have any last minute suggestions, send them in!
Bevboy
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Post 2998 - Tuesday
Once again, the internet connection is flakey here at home. Driving me crazy. Something must be done about it, and soon.
I must type quickly.
Okay. Another long day. After work, though, Patricia and I grabbed dinner at Tarek's Cafe on Robie Street, in the strip mall across from CTV. I had only been there once before, it was Patricia's first time.
We ordered what they call the half and half, which meant something quite a bit different when I was younger and single, but to them means a shwarma plate with both chicken and beef on it. We shared an order, and we loved it. We are looking forward to going back.
On the way out, I told one of the servers that the meal wasn't just good; it wasn't just some good; it wasn't just right some good; it was right some jeazly good, 'by. That is the highest compliment a person can pay another person in Nova Scotia. And you all know that.
We left. Drove home. Discovered that a bag of the things I threw out to the curb this morning had been left on the curb because, gosh, it was just too heavy for the boys to lift, and the bag broke anyway. We stuffed the materials in to 2 bags and I put them in the shed until the next time we are here for a recycling day, which is not for 4 weeks, alas as we are on vacation.
My internet connection has crapped out twice whilst writing this post. My god, this is frustrating. Fibre op, here I come!
See you tomorrow, my friends.
Bevboy
I must type quickly.
Okay. Another long day. After work, though, Patricia and I grabbed dinner at Tarek's Cafe on Robie Street, in the strip mall across from CTV. I had only been there once before, it was Patricia's first time.
We ordered what they call the half and half, which meant something quite a bit different when I was younger and single, but to them means a shwarma plate with both chicken and beef on it. We shared an order, and we loved it. We are looking forward to going back.
On the way out, I told one of the servers that the meal wasn't just good; it wasn't just some good; it wasn't just right some good; it was right some jeazly good, 'by. That is the highest compliment a person can pay another person in Nova Scotia. And you all know that.
We left. Drove home. Discovered that a bag of the things I threw out to the curb this morning had been left on the curb because, gosh, it was just too heavy for the boys to lift, and the bag broke anyway. We stuffed the materials in to 2 bags and I put them in the shed until the next time we are here for a recycling day, which is not for 4 weeks, alas as we are on vacation.
My internet connection has crapped out twice whilst writing this post. My god, this is frustrating. Fibre op, here I come!
See you tomorrow, my friends.
Bevboy
Monday, July 6, 2015
Post 2997 - Quickly Noted
Hi. My internet is acting up this evening. I have had to reset the modem several times now. I expect it will crap out again.
Yes, I know that Stan Carew died today. I will be writing at some length about him in my next Frank column.
And I also know about Brian Warschick's death. I was largely unaware of his radio career, being mostly familiar with his life as a regional councillor for a number of years. I will be writing about him, as well.
Had a busy day otherwise. Sold a bunch of old comics today and gleaned enough from the sale to fill my gas tank, buy me a new pair of running shoes, pay off the young man who mowed my lawn over the weekend, and still have some a bit left. Of course, I do not want to think too much about what comics I lost. The reality is that I would never have read them again. Time to sell them and let someone else enjoy them.
Got home. Dragged two extremely large and heavy bags full of old magazines and newspapers and the like. They're out on the front deck and will go to the curb in the morning. Same with the pile of broken-down-and-lashed-together cardboard boxes I dragged down stairs.
Like I said, a long day, and a very sad one if you're at all into radio.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Yes, I know that Stan Carew died today. I will be writing at some length about him in my next Frank column.
And I also know about Brian Warschick's death. I was largely unaware of his radio career, being mostly familiar with his life as a regional councillor for a number of years. I will be writing about him, as well.
Had a busy day otherwise. Sold a bunch of old comics today and gleaned enough from the sale to fill my gas tank, buy me a new pair of running shoes, pay off the young man who mowed my lawn over the weekend, and still have some a bit left. Of course, I do not want to think too much about what comics I lost. The reality is that I would never have read them again. Time to sell them and let someone else enjoy them.
Got home. Dragged two extremely large and heavy bags full of old magazines and newspapers and the like. They're out on the front deck and will go to the curb in the morning. Same with the pile of broken-down-and-lashed-together cardboard boxes I dragged down stairs.
Like I said, a long day, and a very sad one if you're at all into radio.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Post 2996 - Sunday
I write these humble, sad-looking, decidedly sub-par words in the city, to which I returned shortly after lunch. I am freshly showered after spending a few hours in the middle bedroom finding stuff to get rid of this week. Bags and bags and boxes will be going out on Monday and Tuesday.
Newbie has been all over me like an ovulating woman with strong maternal instincts. (Ha! I can't say that at work, can I?) He lays next to me on the computer desk, inviting me to pet him, until I do, at which point he nips me. In other words, nothing else is new.
It hit me today that in less than 2 weeks, I will be on vacation for two weeks. A week from this coming Friday, 4:31pm, out of the office for a couple of weeks. I am very much looking forward to it.
I think I will turn in. Long day tomorrow.
See you then.
Bevboy
Newbie has been all over me like an ovulating woman with strong maternal instincts. (Ha! I can't say that at work, can I?) He lays next to me on the computer desk, inviting me to pet him, until I do, at which point he nips me. In other words, nothing else is new.
It hit me today that in less than 2 weeks, I will be on vacation for two weeks. A week from this coming Friday, 4:31pm, out of the office for a couple of weeks. I am very much looking forward to it.
I think I will turn in. Long day tomorrow.
See you then.
Bevboy
Saturday, July 4, 2015
Post 2995 - Saturday
Hi.
I write these humble, sub-part, slightly pathetic and off-putting, words in the Valley. It is Saturday night, just past 10 o'clock. I am listening to "Saturday Night Blues" on CBC, but will switch over to the K-Rock request show in a moment. Or maybe I did 3 seconds ago. Whatever.
And do you think I can get through to the host? Phone is ringing off the hook there, I'm sure. Why can't other stations try a request show on a Saturday night? At the very least, it would demonstrate who is listening?
I drove up here Friday night. This morning, I mowed the lawn, yet again. I even cleared some of the debris behind the garage, but I am by no means finished with it. I would almost need a scythe to clear that. Nice to see see the ground there again, though.
The guy from the phone company showed up shortly after 2pm. I had booked someone a week ago to fix the internet connection. Kyle is his name. He took one look at the modem and surmised what the problem was. He went away to the office and called me to ask what was happening. I said I was sitting around, chillin'. When he said, no, I was wondering about the modem, I ran into the bedroom and told him that the DSL light now solid, but the internet light was red. He came back to the house and reset the modem and logged on to the modem and changed some settings that he could have just told me to change to save him some time, but nooooo! I guess he wanted to see me. Flattered. He is much younger than I am.
Anyway, turns out that when another guy was here a couple of months ago and resolved an earlier issue with the internet, he had missed one step, a step that meant that the port associated with this account went into a "to be used" bucket. A week ago Friday, the internet was working. But a week ago today, that port was allocated to a client who was just signing up for net service. Now, as of 7 hours ago, I have a new port number, one associated with this phone number, and one which will remain mine until I give it up. Which I won't. Because I like Netflix too much.
After Kyle left, I watched some stuff on youtube and Netflix. I just got finished watching "An Honest Liar", a documentary about The Amazing Randi, a person I have admired for more than 35 years. I only found out a few years ago that he was gay. And I remember reading that his husband had been arrested for something, but had forgotten what. This documentary explained what happened, and why. My admiration for Randi has only grown. My god, what a terrific human being he is. That he would spend decades of his life chasing down the a-holes who try to dupe gullible people out of their money under the guise of religion, when he could have spent that time making millions of dollars in his own magic act, only further justifies how I feel about him.
Hey, I still can't get through to K-Rock. Dylan Langille, if you read this, please know that I tried to get through to you to request a song.
Tomorrow, I will return to the city. Another work week awaits me. But it is a shortened one. Friday will see us in Pictou County, and Saturday we will be at the Read by the Sea event in River John. Looking forward to that.
Wanna see some pics of me? Taken a few minutes ago? With a rum and coke? Okay! Here goes.
You're welcome.
Say, who's reading this tonight? Who wants to call me here at the house? Someone nice, please. You know how sensitive I am.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
I write these humble, sub-part, slightly pathetic and off-putting, words in the Valley. It is Saturday night, just past 10 o'clock. I am listening to "Saturday Night Blues" on CBC, but will switch over to the K-Rock request show in a moment. Or maybe I did 3 seconds ago. Whatever.
And do you think I can get through to the host? Phone is ringing off the hook there, I'm sure. Why can't other stations try a request show on a Saturday night? At the very least, it would demonstrate who is listening?
I drove up here Friday night. This morning, I mowed the lawn, yet again. I even cleared some of the debris behind the garage, but I am by no means finished with it. I would almost need a scythe to clear that. Nice to see see the ground there again, though.
The guy from the phone company showed up shortly after 2pm. I had booked someone a week ago to fix the internet connection. Kyle is his name. He took one look at the modem and surmised what the problem was. He went away to the office and called me to ask what was happening. I said I was sitting around, chillin'. When he said, no, I was wondering about the modem, I ran into the bedroom and told him that the DSL light now solid, but the internet light was red. He came back to the house and reset the modem and logged on to the modem and changed some settings that he could have just told me to change to save him some time, but nooooo! I guess he wanted to see me. Flattered. He is much younger than I am.
Anyway, turns out that when another guy was here a couple of months ago and resolved an earlier issue with the internet, he had missed one step, a step that meant that the port associated with this account went into a "to be used" bucket. A week ago Friday, the internet was working. But a week ago today, that port was allocated to a client who was just signing up for net service. Now, as of 7 hours ago, I have a new port number, one associated with this phone number, and one which will remain mine until I give it up. Which I won't. Because I like Netflix too much.
After Kyle left, I watched some stuff on youtube and Netflix. I just got finished watching "An Honest Liar", a documentary about The Amazing Randi, a person I have admired for more than 35 years. I only found out a few years ago that he was gay. And I remember reading that his husband had been arrested for something, but had forgotten what. This documentary explained what happened, and why. My admiration for Randi has only grown. My god, what a terrific human being he is. That he would spend decades of his life chasing down the a-holes who try to dupe gullible people out of their money under the guise of religion, when he could have spent that time making millions of dollars in his own magic act, only further justifies how I feel about him.
Hey, I still can't get through to K-Rock. Dylan Langille, if you read this, please know that I tried to get through to you to request a song.
Tomorrow, I will return to the city. Another work week awaits me. But it is a shortened one. Friday will see us in Pictou County, and Saturday we will be at the Read by the Sea event in River John. Looking forward to that.
Wanna see some pics of me? Taken a few minutes ago? With a rum and coke? Okay! Here goes.
You're welcome.
Say, who's reading this tonight? Who wants to call me here at the house? Someone nice, please. You know how sensitive I am.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Thursday, July 2, 2015
Post 2994 - Things I Learned From Reading Comic Books
So, I grew up reading comics. I still have the dregs of my collection, that I am selling off piece by smaller piece. I will not miss most of them once they are gone.
I had some good times reading comics when I was younger, and I still reflect on trivia I picked up during those years. I thought I would share a couple of those things with you.
1. There was a Batman story from ... 1978 or so. Special 4 parter, in which "the" Batman was dead, and Two-Face was conducting some kind of trial to determine which of the Batman's Rogues Gallery had actually done the deed. The opposite of a traditional trial, these villains were all stepping forward claiming full responsibility, and it was up to Two-Face to prove or disprove these claims. The issues were written by "David V. Reed", a pseudonym for a 1950's to '70's science fiction writer who would sometimes "slum" by writing comics for extra money.
This storyline is remembered well enough that people have written blog posts about it, and later creators have all-but ripped it off. Here is but one. You can find quite a few more if you google a bit.
Anyway, the thing I learned from the storyline was the issue in which ... I forget which villain it was, but the bad guy claimed that some sticks of dynamite had heated and exploded, killing the Caped Crusader. Two-Face then hauled out some dynamite and proceeded to heat them up. The court was in hysterics until he explained that heating dynamite doesn't actually cause it to explode. An open flame to the wick will, but not heating it. He pointed out that in mining camps back in the day, prospectors would place sticks of dynamite in a skillet and heat it over open flames, as a way of priming it.
In the many years since, whether in books, or movies or on tv, I have seen many a stick of dynamite explode when exposed to flames. All these years later, I have said, "A-ha! That would never happen that way! You cheaters! You didn't do your research!" And I feel smugly superior. I guess they didn't read that Batman story in 1978 like I did.
Do you want to know how the story ended? Two Face was actually "the" Batman in disguise, trying to figure out who had tried to kill him.
2. Several years earlier, I read a comic story about a guy who was preparing for some kind of apocalypse. Probably some kind of nuclear event. Today we would call someone like that a "prepper". Back then, he was just some crazy dude.
Anyway, Buddy purchased all manner of canned goods, and stuffed them into his bunker, along with every other manner of item he would need to survive what was to happen. As the short story (5 pages or so) ended, there he was, in his bunker, as the earth was being destroyed. He is smug and self-assured until he realizes, to his absolute horror, that he forgot one thing: a can opener.
I read that story probably about 40 years ago. I have made sure that everywhere I go that I have a can opener with me. I bought one last month that I keep at work with the can opener I already had at work. I have two can openers at my work, in other words, in case one breaks. I don't know if there is a can opener at the kitchen at my work or not. I am smugly assured in my confidence that if something really bad happens and we are stuck at my work, that I will have a can opener to use as I see fit, plus a small selection of canned goods to use when I get hungry. My colleagues and co-workers can all starve to death, watching me eat a can of chicken noodle that expired 3 years ago. I am prepared.
I could go on, but it is getting late. Perhaps in the near future I will list some more things I learned from reading comics.
This is where you can pipe in and tell me about things you learned from reading comics.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
I had some good times reading comics when I was younger, and I still reflect on trivia I picked up during those years. I thought I would share a couple of those things with you.
1. There was a Batman story from ... 1978 or so. Special 4 parter, in which "the" Batman was dead, and Two-Face was conducting some kind of trial to determine which of the Batman's Rogues Gallery had actually done the deed. The opposite of a traditional trial, these villains were all stepping forward claiming full responsibility, and it was up to Two-Face to prove or disprove these claims. The issues were written by "David V. Reed", a pseudonym for a 1950's to '70's science fiction writer who would sometimes "slum" by writing comics for extra money.
This storyline is remembered well enough that people have written blog posts about it, and later creators have all-but ripped it off. Here is but one. You can find quite a few more if you google a bit.
Anyway, the thing I learned from the storyline was the issue in which ... I forget which villain it was, but the bad guy claimed that some sticks of dynamite had heated and exploded, killing the Caped Crusader. Two-Face then hauled out some dynamite and proceeded to heat them up. The court was in hysterics until he explained that heating dynamite doesn't actually cause it to explode. An open flame to the wick will, but not heating it. He pointed out that in mining camps back in the day, prospectors would place sticks of dynamite in a skillet and heat it over open flames, as a way of priming it.
In the many years since, whether in books, or movies or on tv, I have seen many a stick of dynamite explode when exposed to flames. All these years later, I have said, "A-ha! That would never happen that way! You cheaters! You didn't do your research!" And I feel smugly superior. I guess they didn't read that Batman story in 1978 like I did.
Do you want to know how the story ended? Two Face was actually "the" Batman in disguise, trying to figure out who had tried to kill him.
2. Several years earlier, I read a comic story about a guy who was preparing for some kind of apocalypse. Probably some kind of nuclear event. Today we would call someone like that a "prepper". Back then, he was just some crazy dude.
Anyway, Buddy purchased all manner of canned goods, and stuffed them into his bunker, along with every other manner of item he would need to survive what was to happen. As the short story (5 pages or so) ended, there he was, in his bunker, as the earth was being destroyed. He is smug and self-assured until he realizes, to his absolute horror, that he forgot one thing: a can opener.
I read that story probably about 40 years ago. I have made sure that everywhere I go that I have a can opener with me. I bought one last month that I keep at work with the can opener I already had at work. I have two can openers at my work, in other words, in case one breaks. I don't know if there is a can opener at the kitchen at my work or not. I am smugly assured in my confidence that if something really bad happens and we are stuck at my work, that I will have a can opener to use as I see fit, plus a small selection of canned goods to use when I get hungry. My colleagues and co-workers can all starve to death, watching me eat a can of chicken noodle that expired 3 years ago. I am prepared.
I could go on, but it is getting late. Perhaps in the near future I will list some more things I learned from reading comics.
This is where you can pipe in and tell me about things you learned from reading comics.
See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Post 2993 - Wednesday
Happy Canada Day!
Well, I told you last night, how much I would get done today. Here goes.
I broke down a bunch of boxes this afternoon. Probably about a dozen. I haven't lashed them together yet because I will probably find more boxes to toss out. And I filled two large clear bags of old magazines and some books and the like. All of the above will go out this coming Tuesday, the next day recycling will be picked up.
After that, I was down here playing around with my downloads and putting away some magazines that I want to hold on to. We also watched some episodes of "Supernatural". We would have watched more but in a couple of episodes the audio and video do not match. I do not understand why it is so difficult to match them, but it is apparently an art that lots of people have not mastered.
Been a quiet day. Back to work in the morning. These mid-week holidays feel weird to me.
You guys have a good evening. See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
Well, I told you last night, how much I would get done today. Here goes.
I broke down a bunch of boxes this afternoon. Probably about a dozen. I haven't lashed them together yet because I will probably find more boxes to toss out. And I filled two large clear bags of old magazines and some books and the like. All of the above will go out this coming Tuesday, the next day recycling will be picked up.
After that, I was down here playing around with my downloads and putting away some magazines that I want to hold on to. We also watched some episodes of "Supernatural". We would have watched more but in a couple of episodes the audio and video do not match. I do not understand why it is so difficult to match them, but it is apparently an art that lots of people have not mastered.
Been a quiet day. Back to work in the morning. These mid-week holidays feel weird to me.
You guys have a good evening. See you tomorrow.
Bevboy
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