Well, that wasn't such a chore, now, was it?

I think thatI should not be posting this ,,, however: Let me say that something happened today for the 1st time in 18 weeks for me and 12 weeks for my wife -  it happened without multipole phone calls and I mean in the 65-90 calls - to get done what we needed done !!

I am beginning to think that nothing happens without me making  Calls / Chats  / E-mails etc. to get someone to do what is required,,, there is an ongoing saga with a Large company that is named for a Fruit that I will tell here very shortly,,,, I though it was over ,, but received an E-mail today that told me - oh no - its not over !!!

Mind games...

 SO - I have read that IF someone - anyone -  is thinking about you long enough or often enough - you begin to think about them,,, and I guess Vise-versa...  Does not matter if that is Family, friend, ENEMY !!  What ever - that we somehow the hell or other -  share a collective telepathy in between humans.

So that if you think of a Person that maybe you have not thought of in years - it Could be that that person is or has been thinking about YOU ! Now that could be good or bad,, and If it's not someone that you could or even have the notion or ability to contact and confirm that thought with - it kinda goes un noticed or forgotten,,,,  

Wouldn't  be weird if that was true - huh ??   So next time you think of someone,, try givin them a call or a text and see if they have been thinking about you !  Might scare the $hit outta ya !!

Mind Games 

The King - thinking of YOU 

This NEVER happens to me !!

 So - we bought a humidifier  - HUPRO  HU-777 -  last fall to help with Moisture in the house as we have forced hot air, and it tends to be DRY,....   Wish I could install one in the Plenum in the Furnace but there is just not room - that is another story...

So it has worked great for 6 months,, we bought it on October 9th and it arrived on the 14th,... Amazon of course. It goes thru about a gall on or more of water per day... would probably use more IF we filled the Reservoir exactly when it ran out of water,,,, 

So the other day - I refill the container - and replace it in the Unit,  Nothing ! I can feel air coming out of the top ,, but no mist,,, I clean the unit and scrub out the bottom, , etc,,   after an hour or so of cleaning and Checking,,, Nothing  ! Ok- I am ready to dump it,,, and order another ,, not sure we need to right now,, as it's not dry in the Summer...  So I go onto the HUPRO web Site. I just wanna make sure that I am not missing something that I should be doing, resetting , checking , cleaning,,, who knows,,,,,,

While I am looking at the "Trouble Shooting"  section,,, a Chat window pops up .... ok,, I click that and Ask if they can help with trouble shooting this or is this just sales,,, they say that they can help trouble shoot the unit...  Ok - I tell them whats going on,.. they ask "is there an error message or Code on the display" - No there is not....   Is there a red ready light on the front ?? Yes.... Did this problem occur after cleaning ??? NO ... It happened after I filled the Reservoir ....  Am I sure there is not error code or Message on the Display ?? Nope - nothing but the RED Ready/Power Light,,,,   Ok - they ask "Was this an Amazon purchase?" - yes it was,,, can I give them the Order number, ??  OK - it takes me a minute to go back to 2020 and get the Amazon order number,,,, and Date that I ordered ,... They confirm that yes,, they can see the date - October 2020...  they Say - "Ok - WE will ship you a new one to the Address on the Order" ... Wait =  WHAT ?!?!?!?!    Do you want to trouble shoot this unit more ? I ask - NOPE - no reason to waste time doing that !!  Ok - have a good afternoon - BYE !

36 hours later - Yesterday afternoon - a New Humidifier shows up near my Back door !!!  

HOLY SHIT  !!  This Never happens to me !!!

I am NOT a FAN

 There are several rule changes that will be tried out in the Minor leagues this year,  for implementation in Major league baseball in the next year or so - If Successful = although I don' t know they are going to measure  success...

Let's look at these....

First one is sorta a two part change,,,, 

1st Part - a Requirement that you have FOUR fielders in the the Infield, that is there are 4 players that have BOTH feet in the DIRT of the Infield or what ever the Infield  / Out field line/barrier is...  so no more playing the second basemen or short stop as a Short Fielder that plays mostly in the outfield - and yes , you see this more against Left handed hitters.  You can position them all on one side of 2nd base - but thay all have to be in the Infield.

2nd part - IF the 1st part is successful in increasing the number of hits / Batting average of Left hand hitters,,,,  the 2nd part will be to require that there are 2 fielders on each side of 2nd base,,,  thus eliminating the SHIFT. NO more throwing out the Batter from a short to Short right filed. 

Next change is to increase the Size of the Bases.... from 15 inches to 18 inches.  In the hope of again - increasing the infield single and the Stolen base. I have always thought that 90 feet between bases was a magical distance.   Think about it... as runners have gotten faster, hit are harder so they get to the Fielder faster, Players arms got stronger over the years,,, that 90 feet is still a bang bang play,... the Throw from the catcher to 2nd base on a steal still needs to be strong and accurate - shorten that distance by say 6 inches,  and everyone (damn near) is safe at 1st ..... increase it by 6 inches - everyone is OUT !  So we will see if that 2 inches makes a difference on infield ground balls and/or Steals.

Speaking of Stealing ,......  The Pitcher will now have to Step off  the  Pitching rubber - they are calling it disengaging from the pitching rubber to throw to a base,,, no more Andy Pettitte  slide step (Balk Move) when a lefty throws over to 1st,.... Kinda eliminates the Pick-off .... AND AND  - the pitcher is only allowed TWO attempts every at bat -  "two step-offs or pickoff attempts per plate appearance"....  WOW  if they make a 3rd attempt and are not successful - it's a balk and the Runners move up .....  Which - hey in practicality - once the pitchers throws over twice - that pretty much gives the Runner at 1st - 2nd Base,,, and forget it , if there are other base runners.... and if this adds to successful Steal ...............   The consideration is to reduce it to ONE throw over...

In low level minors - implementing the Automatic Strike Zones, where the Technology calls the Balls and Strikes,,,  you have seen the Box that they are able to put up on the screen to show if the pitch really was a ball or strike, and the majors have used that to grade the plate umpires on accuracy over the past few years,,,  Now I guess you still have plate umpire as they have to call a Strike if the batter swings at a ball outside the Strike Zone, and foul tips , Catcher interference, things like that ... but I suppose that ump has an ear piece that tells them ball or strike,,, and they call/signal it..... 

Lastly - The other changes are a HARD timers on the  teams  to enforce time between pitches, inning breaks and pitching changes.

Now - if that last one seems counter to the others - you are correct,,,, in one way you are making changes that will increase the amount of Base Runners and make it easier for the runner to steal 2nd base,, they-by decreasing the possibility of a Double play...   and then you want the Teams to Hurry up and change pitchers quicker, and pitch faster,,,, to decrease the Time of the Game !! HUH ??? 

They would not need these changes  to speed up the game... IF the Umpires called the Strike zone in the Rule book !  

Definition. The official strike zone is the area over home plate from the midpoint between a batter's shoulders and the top of the uniform pants -- when the batter is in his stance and prepared to swing at a pitched ball -- and a point just below the kneecap.  - 

However - you seldom if ever see that "high Strike" called a Strike,,,  most players bitch if the Ball is a bit above their waist called a strike,,,, and also squak if its a bit under the Knee called a strike. ....

I also think  the Batter MUST MUST MUST keep a foot in the Batters box between Pitches,,, No wandering around,,, no fixing your batting gloves sixteen times between EVERY Pitch - See Nomar Garciapara !  

And - have another Ump at each game that reviews plays in real time. If the Ump got it wrong FIX it immediately - don't make us wait minutes for the Call - and If you gotta play that clip in slow mo - 20 times to see of the Players hang nail hit the base before the tag - them leave it be ! That is NOT what Replay was for anyway ! 

Gas Price analysis for Assholes

 all right - I have read about enough about gas prices and what President Biden did to increase them ! Have you been listening to Fake (FOX) news, and the new Lying Bastard - Tucker Carlson ??  Or others with that level of dis-interest in the Truth ??  Come on - do a Little research  on your own !! 

First - Where were they and you -  when Gas prices and I am talking average Prices in the US,  States (as we are all aware here in NY) tax gas at different rates, so Pump prices are DIFFERENT across the Country !  When the price of Gas during  the DUMP administration was higher than today  ?!?!? That was in MAY of 2018 and 2019 !! Yup - gas hit a much lower prices in April / May of 2020 in the beginning of the Pandemic !! NO travel !!  No gas use !!  Can you say "Supply and Demand"

Secondly - shouting about our dependance on  Foreign Oil and then equating President Biden stopping construction of the KeyStone Pipeline on Indian Land  with that and the Price at the Pump makes you sound like a JERK !! Why >????  The Keystone Pipe line carries TAR SANDS - from ???? Say it with me ....    A Foreign County !!!  now you might think Canada is one of the United States but it is not and Canadians don't think so !!! 

While we are on the Subject of TAR SANDS - Refining the sticky black gunk produces piles of petroleum coke, a hazardous, coal-like by-product. What’s more, the whole process of getting the oil out and making it usable creates three to four times the carbon pollution of conventional crude extraction and processing...  

AND - Let me be clear ,.....  The pipeline that carries this stuff between Canada and the Gulf coast refineries EXISTS TODAY !!!  What Biden did was STOP / Remove the permits for the Oil companies to construct a shorter pipeline across private Land, Indian Reservations Ect.... So there is still a way as there has been a conduit to get this stuff to the Refineries...

Do yourself a favor and read this article on the Pipeline...

https://www.nrdc.org/stories/what-keystone-pipeline

From a No Nukes concert  - John Hall (Orleans) and friends......Jackson Browne, Carly Simon , Bonnie Raitt,, Graham Nash,,,etc,,

Best Role in Life

 SO the best role by far in this life is a Grand-Parent !  yea yea - you gotta be a parent 1st, and that i a huge responsibility that I bet each one of us has thought that we failed in some way - that we could have , should have done better or different in some way ...   

the Grand Parent role is wonderful - you kinda get all the "fun" out of your Grand children. While you don;t need to be a huge disciplinarian... you can laugh when they do crazy shit ! You can play with them, hold them, hug them, kiss them,,, and then when they have a melt down,,,, Whoops - Back to the Parents !!

If you are a Grand Parent - I ain't telling you nothing that you don't already know !!

We have been extreemly fortunate in the last month just over 2 weeks really - that our Grandchildren have increased from 4 to 6  !!  Ronan (8lb 4 oz)  born last month and Lena (9lb 2oz) just yesterday !!!  OH - - one down side,,,the license plate frames on or vehicles that have the Kids names - well they now need to be replaced to add the Other 2 names !!

Holy $shit ! Bet you did not see that coming !?!?

 From the  HBO series  - DEADWOOD - a Quote from  AL Swearengen  (played by Ian McShane)

"Announcing your plans is a good way to hear God Laugh"

- Let's start with - that I have a new Grandson = #5  !! RONAN .. born on the 22nd,,, Everyone doing well...

Ronan - a very Irish name for a boy that at best is 20% or so Irish ,,,, a great name - none the less...

they came home on the 25th of February -  the plan was for me to fly to Vegas to be there for the birth of our 1st granddaughter. I rented a car and was driving to Atlanta airport - about 45 minutes from the airport,   I got a call that my wife was being taken via ambulance to the hospital - with severe abdominal pain .   Obviously she was fine when I left and hour  and 1/2 earlier...  I do an about face and head back to SC.   They don't let you in to the ER - Covid Restrictions - so I wait outside for 2 hours - until I can finally speak to an ER nurse .... she is being admitted.  Fast forward a bit to a Diagnosis of Acute pancreatitis..  5 days. Morphine and Oxycodone and an IV diet with Ice chips... for days - to let the Pancreas rest and treat the Severe pain - a bit of hallucination, but she improves to the point of Coming back to my daughters... they give her 2 Prescriptions upon discharge - we pick them up at the CVS in SC ... then the  decision two days later to drive home,,,, this is a 12 plus hour ride,,, we do 9 1/2 hours the 1st day and near 6 the next,,,, so the other time  is stopping  for meds, and Bathroom breaks.....   

Get an appointment the following day with the primary Dr back home,,,,, virtual appointment - as they wont see us on the office as we traveled from another state and need to quarantine,,, Ok - that goes well,, they reassure her that some pain is normal , especially after eating, as that is when the pancreas works,,, they want to redo a CT of the Pancreas and do a covid test...It was negative ... and they re-up the 2 prescriptions .....  Fast forward to going to CVS to pick them up Friday evening,,, they are not ready...

Go back Saturday - not only are they not ready , they don;t even have them ....  How can that be as we got a text from them saying they were ready....   Ok - I call my wife - read me the text that you got ... the prescriptions ARE ready at the CVS in SOUTH CAROLINA !!   Ok - Can CVS transfer them from SC to their NY location ???  Well - yes and no.... one they can and the other is a Narcotic - so that one they can;t do... I call the DR answering  service,  by luck - the one on call is the one that we talked to on Friday ...  they then redo the scripts to the NY CVS...  I go back into CVS - 1/2 hr later,  yes they got them... BUT they cannot fill the Narcotic one as it still shows at the CVS in SC,... I go back out and call that CVS - they have to back the Narcotic out of their system, and confirm it was not picked up....  that takes 20 minutes,,,  Ok,,, Finally that gets done and the 2 scripts get filled,,,, an hour and 1/2 after I stop in ,,I leave.....  Seriously  ?!?!?

Here are Susan and Derek ....   this is clearly a Marriage that was meant to be,,,, 

they have been married for nearly 20 years...  Each a great musician in their own right,,, but as is usually the case the Synergy is apparent - the combination is far great than the Parts  !!  this was from the Fureside session last week ... Can't wait to see them again in concert.,,, 

If you don't want to listen to the whole thing,,, Go out to  about 12:30  and check out the cover of 

You Got the Silver - lyrics by two guys ... named Jagger and Richards ,,,

let me follow up with  Brandi Carlile - Turpentine,,, it is Women's day afterall