Guilt

I watch my share of Fox News.  Other news, too, mostly because I want to see what the other side is ranting about (it usually has something to do with white guys over the age of majority,who are pretty much universally despised)--TV news has replaced print media in my world. No more newspapers in the house.....nor have I renewed my subscriptions to news magazines. This means that I’m subjected to/hammered with commercials for prescription medicines and medical devices. What fun. Catheters.  Pre-lubed or pocket sized?  You make the call.  Medicare or medicaid will pay.  Just go see your doctor.  No problem. Hoveround takes me where I want to go.  The cost will be covered by medicare, I guess. But what really gets me are the commercials that tout the benefits of prescription medicines and encourages you to go to the doctor and insist on some.  It can’t be much longer until we see commercials for pot.  It’s medicine, you see.  Som...

No question about it.  When I have time on my hands, I watch an absolute crap-load of movies on television.  Not really “television” movies, although I have nothing against them as a genre.  I’m just not that sophisticated.  Plus, like I have frequently said, I’m not a critic.....I’m a fan. Movie Notes from the Rust Belt.....Youngstown, Ohio On Netflix, via my ROKU box delivered through the wireless home network into the 46 inch high definition wide screen Vizio (I may not have mentioned this before, but this is a “smart” TV--probably smarter than me in many respects), I watched a modern dark comedy drama thriller film noir from 2005 starring John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, and Oliver Platt called The Ice Harvest. Dandy story here--way too much plot to run down here, but suffice it to say that if you liked movies like Get Shorty, Fargo, The Whole 9 Yards, and Pulp Fiction you’ll most likely like this one too.  If you like books like The Four Corners of Ni...

My bride departed last week for the Left Coast to visit with some of the children and grandchildren and, I suppose, being it’s the Left Coast and all, commune with nature and eat some multi-grain breads.  In any event, this leaves me with a little time on my hands when I’m not working, and we all know, by this time, what that means..... Television Notes from the Rust Belt--Youngstown, Ohio Over the past three days, I watched the entire 32 episode run of Life, originally aired on NBC from 2007 to 2009.  I viewed this fantastic series in it’s entirety on the 46 inch high definition wide screen Vizio, streamed through my beloved ROKU box.  All courtesy of my wireless home network, which, at least for the time being, is functioning flawlessly. Life.  The setup is pretty straight forward.  A Los Angeles policeman is convicted of some murders that he didn't commit and is sent to Pelican Bay.  For 12 years.  Then he is exonerated via DNA evidence and is...