Last night I was cruising through the internet, because I was really bored. I was bored because I had the channel locked into "Storage Wars". I like Storage Wars, but I don't like the fact that they never seem to make any new episodes. So, on Tuesday and Wednesday night, I turn the channel to A&E and watch "SW". But, just like the last Tuesday and Wednesday for what must be 8 weeks now, it was just a bunch or reruns. They tried to spice it up a bit this week by featuring "Barry", but it was a sham. Barry is in almost all of the episodes, so they just ran their regular shitty reruns.
Storage Wars is so popular, that A&E decided months ago to saturate and kill the idea by making a spin-off named "Storage Wars -Texas". This is a much worse show. There are two obese guys, one guy named "Moe", one named "Victor" and an odd team of a trailer trash middle-aged woman who is accompanied by a huge black guy who she bosses around. I can't figure out the relationship. He's either her employee at her junk shop; her husband; her slave, or all three. Like I said, I can't figure it out, but he calls her "Miz Daisy" or something and whines whenever she spends a dollar or he figures he's going to have to pick up a box.
My cable bill with Xfinity, or Comcast ... or whatever these robber barons call themselves is almost a hundred dollars a month for the television cable alone. So, I figure I'm paying a pretty penny for an hour of news and 3 hours of Storage Wars an evening. But, that's my problem I suppose.
Anyway, last night I was half-watching Storage Wars and tooling around the internet when I ran across one of those sites that make the intertubes so cool.
The site was called "Walk Score". And it rates all parts of the country for walkability.
I live in a small suburban neighborhood many moons north of Chicago. And, when I get a chance, I walk. I find it pleasant and quiet, with a few parks to meander through that have birds and streams and just once in while ... Canadian Geese with homicidal tendencies. But I like it.
Walk Score rates neighborhoods from zero to one hundred for their walkability, so I figured my neighborhood would score high. I plugged in my address and zip code and waited for the Walk Score computer thingy to pass it's judgement. And my neighborhood received a ...
22.
And New York City ... that place of crime and grime and God knows what?
87.
Turns out, to be a big shot on Walk Score, there have to be restaurants, bars, grocery stores and strip joints (kidding) within reasonable walking distance to make the grade. 22 in my neighborhood means I have to "Drive" to get places.
Okay, fair enough. But I'll take this quiet little area any day over anyplace in New York City. If you'd like to see the score/rate in your area, just click here.
And remember, there are other things in life besides commercial establishments within walking distance to make your place special.
Next Post: Are Snowflakes Raining From Your Cursor A Good Thing, Or Should I Just Surgically Remove The Code?
April 12, 2012
April 10, 2012
Favorite Photo Of The Month
Once in a while, I run across a photo on the intertubes that brings back some memories of my younger days.
In 1965, the NASA Gemini program was well underway. Designed as a stepping stone to the Apollo moon program, it tested the astronauts ability to endure a trip to the lunar surface. There were some pretty wild missions, which by standards now, took a lot of risks, but there was one mission in particular that was really wild, wild west.
Gemini 6 with astronauts Stafford and Schirra was supposed to be the first attempt to dock with an unmanned Agena target vehicle, which would be launched a short time before the Titan/Gemini craft. Things didn't work out too great and the Agena vehicle blew into five big piece over the Atlantic. Gemini 6 sat on the ground.
Then, the NASA gunslinger mentality kicked in. Gemini 7 was already assembled and sitting on another launching pad. Eight days after the Agena vehicle blew into pieces, Gemini 6-A (as it was called) was successfully launched with Gemini 7, manned by astronauts Borman and Lovell, launched soon after. The goal was the two Gemini capsules to rendevoux with each other, thereby closely mimicking the originally planned Gemini 6-A/Agena docking.
It worked. The two ships maneuvered within one foot of each other. There were a lot of pictures taken, but this one is my favorite. I believe it's Gemini 6-A taken from the cabin of Gemini 7 ...
In 1965, the NASA Gemini program was well underway. Designed as a stepping stone to the Apollo moon program, it tested the astronauts ability to endure a trip to the lunar surface. There were some pretty wild missions, which by standards now, took a lot of risks, but there was one mission in particular that was really wild, wild west.
Gemini 6 with astronauts Stafford and Schirra was supposed to be the first attempt to dock with an unmanned Agena target vehicle, which would be launched a short time before the Titan/Gemini craft. Things didn't work out too great and the Agena vehicle blew into five big piece over the Atlantic. Gemini 6 sat on the ground.
Then, the NASA gunslinger mentality kicked in. Gemini 7 was already assembled and sitting on another launching pad. Eight days after the Agena vehicle blew into pieces, Gemini 6-A (as it was called) was successfully launched with Gemini 7, manned by astronauts Borman and Lovell, launched soon after. The goal was the two Gemini capsules to rendevoux with each other, thereby closely mimicking the originally planned Gemini 6-A/Agena docking.
It worked. The two ships maneuvered within one foot of each other. There were a lot of pictures taken, but this one is my favorite. I believe it's Gemini 6-A taken from the cabin of Gemini 7 ...
As a kid, the Mercury/Gemini/Apollo programs were fascinating. They didn't shape my future, but they were just the most interesting things to get involved in.
On a different note ... the last two months have been a all-out-balls whirlwind. I can't find time to take a relaxing shit, little alone write, which kind of pisses me off. But, there have been a lot of things that I've been saving up to write about. And ... I hope to do so soon.
April 05, 2012
Restaurant Recommendation
I may live in the greater Chicagoland area, but the aura of the city is weak here in the Northern Suburbs. And that's why when the local police chief gets arrested for drunken driving/auto accident/concealing a firearm ... and then tries to make it all disappear by flashing his badge at a Wisconsin deputy sheriff, well it's a real hoot.
But I didn't really give a shit about that. Happens all the time. What did catch my eye was where the police chief and his wife had left prior to his little incident. The Twin Oaks Country Inn in Wilmot, Wisconsin.
If you live here, you quickly become aware of the lack of new or even decent restaurants ... that is unless you really enjoy Applebee's and TGIF Friday. So, the big news in the police chief story, as far as I was concerned, was A NEW PLACE TO EAT! And I've made my reservations for Saturday night already. After all, if the police chief and his wife had THAT MUCH fun, it's going to be a blast.
Oh ... and the police chief. Well, he's in a bit of hot water and he's going to have to face the Mayor and other village bigwigs tonight to see if he keeps his job or not. And ... I happen to work with the mayor of this village. I say "know", but I just sat with him in a meeting once and all the women at the table fawned over him because he was a mayor. Plus, he looks like that guy in high school who was always successful and you hated. Plus his name is "Rhett". If my parents had named me Rhett, I would have changed it to D'Shawn when I was 18.
How someone can work full time for a giant pharmaceutical house and still have time to be a mayor is beyond me, but I guess his manly good looks get him through it.
Anyway, Mayor Manly Goodlooks will probably be too wimpy to fire the police chief ... and the citizens of the village will rise against him and run him out of office in disgrace.
That would be awesome.
Next Post: I Review The Twin Oaks Country Inn While Not Driving While Intoxicated.
But I didn't really give a shit about that. Happens all the time. What did catch my eye was where the police chief and his wife had left prior to his little incident. The Twin Oaks Country Inn in Wilmot, Wisconsin.
If you live here, you quickly become aware of the lack of new or even decent restaurants ... that is unless you really enjoy Applebee's and TGIF Friday. So, the big news in the police chief story, as far as I was concerned, was A NEW PLACE TO EAT! And I've made my reservations for Saturday night already. After all, if the police chief and his wife had THAT MUCH fun, it's going to be a blast.
Oh ... and the police chief. Well, he's in a bit of hot water and he's going to have to face the Mayor and other village bigwigs tonight to see if he keeps his job or not. And ... I happen to work with the mayor of this village. I say "know", but I just sat with him in a meeting once and all the women at the table fawned over him because he was a mayor. Plus, he looks like that guy in high school who was always successful and you hated. Plus his name is "Rhett". If my parents had named me Rhett, I would have changed it to D'Shawn when I was 18.
How someone can work full time for a giant pharmaceutical house and still have time to be a mayor is beyond me, but I guess his manly good looks get him through it.
Anyway, Mayor Manly Goodlooks will probably be too wimpy to fire the police chief ... and the citizens of the village will rise against him and run him out of office in disgrace.
That would be awesome.
Next Post: I Review The Twin Oaks Country Inn While Not Driving While Intoxicated.
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