Moving to WordPress

I finally decided to move to a new blog destination. This is the 3rd or 4th stop on my digital brain dump not counting Twitter.

Google was probably the biggest repository. Like other products the company gave up on, Blogger seems to be neglected.

I liked having one spot to search, but oh well. I like what I see on WordPress. Besides, I started storing my posts separately before publishing them anyway.

Super Bowl Sunday

I'm not a big sports fan. Occasionally I'll watch an NFL football game. Most of the time I’ll watch the local team, the Redskins, so I know what kind of pizza deal I can get the following day.

My brother liked Walter Payton when we were kids. He had a few posters in our room. My brother also liked the Broncos. If I recall correctly, they won a few Super Bowls in a row.

This year the stupid, unpatriotic Patriots are once again in the biggest game of the year. They are playing the Eagles. I wish Tom Brady, the Patriot’s quarterback, would just go away. How many rings does his ego really need?

I was introduced to the Vikings when Randy Moss was a rookie there. He was an awesome wide receiver. He started to get on my nerves when I learned of all the crazy stuff he would say and do. I eventually stopped rooting for the Vikings.

After a while, my brother-in-law told my about his cousin Peyton.

“Who is Peyton Manning?” I asked.

I was soon hooked. I watched as many Colts games as I could without subscribing to ESPN or whatever. When Peyton went to the Denver, I became a Broncos fan. :)

Now, any team that can beat the Patriots is my team.Go Eagles!

Dirt Hill

There was an undeveloped block just north of my childhood home. Roughly in the center of this field was a giant hill of dirt which we affectionately called the Dirt Hill. We rode our bikes all over it in  the summer and slid on the ice and snow in the winter.

One year some wealthy developer burrowed his way in and destroyed the hill. It must have been a sad day for some kids, but I think I was growing up and found other things to do.

When people tell me they work on the Hill, I often think of the Dirt Hill for some reason. What a fun job!

History is everywhere

When we first got cable, around the time when I was in high school, I recall that most everyone in the family thought the History Channel was never going to be watched. It did not take long before I noticed it had become quite popular. They do a great job making history interesting.

I have had several conversations with a friend who seems very adamant against visiting historical sites and what not. She said they were not accurate. How could she gauge that if she wasn’t there herself I wondered.

People have faulty memories and to prove her point my friend asked what I did seven weeks ago. I responded that if I kept a journal I could look it up. Later I thought about other sources that could jog my memory or help piece together what happened on the day in question: other people’s accounts, news articles, photos from the day, my location recorded by my phone, etc.

I would not call myself a history buff, but I do enjoy a good history lesson of sorts. I admit there are descepinsees in a few stories I have heard over the years but it’s not my job to iron it all out. Besides, there is more history to learn from.

Thoughts on Fake News

The other day I was telling a story to a coworker. I hadn't gotten far into it before my story was animatedly categorized as Fake News. Flustered I walked away. It wasn't my job to verify stories. True or not, it didn't matter. It was just a story.

It seems convenient for conspiracy theorists and event deniers to shun everything that seems unbelievable.

I did see a piece of Fake News once. Well, once that was obvious. I remember hoping the post of Trump’s fatal heart attack was true. :)

There was a Simpson episodes were Lisa discovered some haunting facts about the glorified founder of Springfield. When it came down to the time she was going to reveal the truth, she decided against sharing what she found. I believe she said the fictitious legend of the founder had merit. The towns people took to heart valuable moral lessons.

Filmed before a live studio audience

When I watch TV, I try to get interested in a modern show, but I always fall back to older shows like Cheers. Maybe it is because I know everybody's name.

I like the old photos at the beginning of the show. I'm not sure if they are authentic, but it makes me wonder about the many people never mentioned in the history books. Some probably gathered in local pubs and probably for all different reasons.

The guy in the above photo makes me think he was a young businessman who wanted to impress everyone that he was more successful than he really was. The people at the bar probably know that, but let him live out his fantasy anyway.

We used to watch this show during dinner growing up. After the disclaimer at the beginning of the show "Cheers was filmed before a live studio audience." somebody in my family would always say "Which is better than a dead one."

I visited the bar that inspired the show. It was a lot smaller than the stage it was actually filmed on, but it was still pretty neat to see. Can't say I could ever see myself spending hours at pub telling stories and what not. My life just isn't that interesting.

I guess that is the point. People want to go where others are glad they came.

Devotion

The movie Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was pretty disturbing. The priest that took the heart out of the slave was scary, but the devotion of the guys that were encouraging him or encouraged by that priest was more so

I once met a guy that explained to me what these Mardi Gras beads are for and how you say a rosary for each bead. The guy was on his knees and intensely explaining his assumed devotion.

Some people in my own faith at times scare me. Especially with their devotion to a certain cause they think is right. Even a good friend of mine weirds me out when she gets on about certain subjects. Maybe she is just super passionate and I don't share the same sentiment.

Disrespectful people

Yesterday, I got on the bus to cut down the distance for my Uber ride. Just trying to save a buck I guess.

When the bus came, I thought there was a lady trying to get off the bus. I stepped aside to let her out, but she didn't move. I then figured she was talking to the bus driver.

I don't think I ever mentioned before, so I'm going to make a statement now. Years ago I noticed bus drivers are now encased behind a plastic door. I guess they were always in a protected area, but this is a complete encasement. Thought it was a sad reflection on society.

Anyway,  I chose a seat near the front of the bus. I usually sit in the back. As the bus was going over the Interstate, some guy from the back joined the lady in the front and started yelling about how he was disrespected by the bus driver.

I didn't witness the event. Something must have happened before I got on the bus. I don't know what it was, but I think it was taken out of proportion. Some people call foul too often, too easy over minor things.

The couple went to the back of the bus meanwhile insistent cries of disrespect was voiced. I rolled my eyes and asked if we were there yet.

Literally at the next stop, the bus driver gets off. Oh great I thought, how long is this going to take.

This gave the guy more things to yell about. I thought it was ironic that he was being disrespected and now he can be totally disrespectful to everyone else on the bus. If I had to be at my destination at a certain time I probably would have been more upset.

I'm guessing the bus driver was trying to call a supervisor or for some backup. I figured it was time to get off the bus after one stop. And I walked for about 10 minutes before I called for an Uber.

Should have just done that from the start.

This is why I hate public transportation. This is why I wear noise-reduction headphones while on public transportation. This is why I hate disrespectful people.