Friday 5 for July 8: Willing and Able

Questions are from Scrivener's site. I hate planned obsolescence.

1. What did you once dislike but now find pleasurable?

If I disliked it before, it is highly unlikely that I will find it now to be pleasurable. I dislike waiting in long lines, mingling in social crowds, high prices, filling out tax forms and many other things. Once it is unpleasant, it always is and will be unpleasant. The only good thing I can get out that is to avoid unpleasant situations as much as possible.

2. When did you last prove to be adaptable?

When I reluctantly went to a lunch recently in a restaurant after not eating out in a crowded joint since the implementation of COVID restrictions. I'm not a big fan of work lunches. I was happy after that lunch was way over.

3. Who’s especially adorable?

At this point in time, probably my grand niece who I have not seen in real life. She lives too far away (requires paying expensive airfare and wearing a mask for more than 6 hours).

4. Among your possessions, what’s especially durable?

I love things that last a long time. The following things that I own, still work.

1. 1993 Toyota Corolla - Had it since 2000. It is 29 years old.
2. Sears Kenmore Refrigerator - Since 1985.
3. Radio Shack 4-channel analog mixer - Since 1988.
4. Panasonic Technics turntable - Since the 1980s.
5. Many older film cameras - Minolta, Yashica, Canon, Olympus - various years.
6. Digital cameras 2011 and older (surprise) - They have easy to replace, removable batteries.
7. Old Records - Plenty of those... LPs, 45s. Better to be satisfied with the old stuff than buying new vinyl which have exploded with price increases in recent weeks. I haven't bought a brand new record in decades. Used records are a better bargain if you want to get vinyl. You just have to be selective and careful.
8. Compact Discs - Plenty in my collection that I've had since the late 1980s onward. Just need to take care of them, and they'll last forever. 
9. Cassette Tapes - I have plenty of mixed tapes that I made in the 1980s and 1990s.
10. Old T-shirts - Even if they have "puka" I keep them.
11. Old Photos, Printed and Digital - They are priceless memories.

I have plenty of other things that are old and still last a long time.

The problem with many 21st century tech items is that none are built to last like the classics. You can start with built in batteries that seal the planned obsolescence of many devices, such as smartphones and smart TVs. Computerization of everything does not help either as your device, even if it works, is rendered obsolete once the company that sold it to you stops supporting it with updates. Also many of today's devices are hostile to being repairable by owners or third parties. Ugh!

5. Among stuff you ate this week, what was the most delectable?

Take out pizza on July 3 is probably the most qualified for the week.

Friday 5 for July 1: Solstice

Questions from Scrivener's Friday 5 page.

1. How do you cool down on warm summer evenings?

Stay home, eat, sleep, watch streaming videos or listen to good music. AC or good ventilation helps.

2. What are some good songs for keeping the summer vibe flowing?

Just threw this list together:

• Good Day Sunshine - The Beatles
• Theme From "Endless Summer" - Sandals
• Surfin' U.S.A. - The Beach Boys
• California Girls - The Beach Boys
• In the Summertime - Mungo Jerry
• Pipeline Sequence - Honk
• Feeling Just The Way I Do (Over You) - Cecilio & Kapono
• Island Woman - Pablo Cruise
• Summer - War
• Black Sand - Kalapana
• Under the Boardwalk - Tom Tom Club
• Kokomo - The Beach Boys
• Wind Surfer - Roy Orbison
• Insy'a - Henry Kapono
• Deeper in Love - Hawaiian Style Band
• Pi'i Mai Ka Nalu - Sistah Robi Kahakalau
• Summer Kisses, Winter Tears - Julee Cruise
• I Can See Clearly Now - Jimmy Cliff
• Life's a Beach - Heymous Molly
• Don't Worry Baby (symphonic version) - The Beach Boys
• Misirlou - Dick Dale & The Deltones

Listen to these songs and maybe more on my Summer Time! Spotify playlist.

3. What’s a good summer movie or a good summer book?

• Movie: Jaws - If you haven't seen this classic Steven Spielberg movie see it! You'll think twice before going into the water at the beach. A swimming pool will be safer!
• Book: I can't think of any books that are specifically summer related. Except if you like plenty of sand, gigantic worms, a very dystopian society full of conflict in a world where the spice and water are super precious commodities, then I can recommend Frank Herbert's Dune, which is the first of several sprawling books in the series.

4. How is this summer better than last summer?

I don't know about that. Stuff costs more this summer than they did last summer. Have you seen the price of gas? That surely limits summer travel. Air fares are up too. But then I haven't flown since the start of COVID.

5. What special something are you doing this summer?

I'm thinking whether or not I should drive to the other side of the island to go see the U.S. Navy Blue Angels flight show in August. I've seen them two times before and the USAF's Thunderbirds three times before. It may be more of the same, but it is always exciting. I just don't relish the though on driving in traffic to and from the event. 

Friday 5 for June 24: Consumer Reports

Friday 5 for June 24: Consumer reports

The questions as usual come from the Friday 5 website.

1. When did you last eat or drink something purchased from a truck or other wheeled vehicle?

I used to go to a variety of lunch trucks in the past. The last time I went to one was probably in 2019, months before the COVID-19 attack happened. Since then I have not returned. Also prices for plate lunches spiked A LOT higher since the start of that darn pandemic.

2. When did you last purchase something previously owned?

A couple of $1 record albums that I bought from the Thrift Shop. New vinyl records are now WAY TOO EXPENSIVE! Thanks millennials for spiking the prices higher. Ugh! You folks should have just stayed with digital.

3. When did a purchase most recently exceed your expectations?

For any purchase to exceed my expectations, it has to 1. last longer than 10 years and 2. be affordable. That said, many of the cameras I use are older than 10 years. Some of my audio gear is old and analog. Love em. We need more devices that do not connect to the internet.

My Toyota Corolla is way older than 10 years. I certainly got my money's worth on that car, which I bought used many, many years ago. Things that cost more than $100 should last a long time. I use a 10 year time frame to gauge the quality of expensive consumer items. Long ago when you spent serious money, you expected things to last a very long time.

4. When did you last overpay for something because you needed it right away?

Gasoline! Damn that Biden. The Keystone Pipeline should be re-opened and our national policy should go to making our nation oil independent free of expensive foreign crude from the Middle East, Indonesia and Russia! Trump had that right.

Like everyone else that drives, we are severely impacted by the price of gas at the pump. Per gallon, while we are not the highest in the nation, $5.50+ cents per gallon truly bites, even if I only drive a Corolla!

5. Among recent purchases, what was the best bargain?

I got two FREE (with coupon discounts, etc.) Paul McCartney CDs from Amazon this week.... Egypt Station from 2018 and McCartney III from 2020 (see photo at top). Happy belated birthday Paul... 80 years strong and thanks for the decades of great music! Yeah!

Overall, CDs are now a way better bargain than new vinyl LPs. They cost way less, and like it or not, are more durable than record albums (which I still love, thank God I already have a big collection of many classic titles) and sound great even when bought used. Can't say that about vinyl record albums, especially when you take a chance on used titles (though I have been lucky with most).

Record albums should be $8 to $9 for a standard black vinyl issue as new. Clearly less than $15. I was cringing when reissues of LPs that I bought brand new for $8 or even less back in the day, are now selling for over $20 a pop and more recently with an industry price hike, selling for more than $30. I mean is a $30 copy of The Beatles Abbey Road worth it when a perfectly fine CD can be had for half the price? Duh! Good thing I have both the CD and a vinyl record copy of this classic album in my collection.

As for new music released this century I am more than happy with a digital download or a regular CD. Musicians of the current generation are not worthy for issuance on vinyl and the high prices that go with that.

Friday 5 for June 17: Flaming O

 

Friday 5 for June 17: Flaming O

I don't get the connection to "flaming O", but here are the answers to these fowl oriented questions. As usual the questions come for the Friday 5 blog.

1. Among stuff people have told you recently, what’s been most difficult to swallow?

"You stink". Ugh.

2. What swan thing from last week you’ll spend time reflecting on this week?

Probably reviewing this video that I produced from last Saturday.

3. What are you waiting your tern for?

Money that is not coming, otherwise nothing in particular.

4. Who do you suspect is robin you blind?

Been to gas station lately? The price per gallon is climbing way over $5. And who is responsible for this? JOE BIDEN of course. The rickety old man cut the Keystone Pipeline on the first day of his presidency. It is time to let the oil flow on through our own continent and in our own country once again. Never mind the Middle East, Indonesian and Russian crude.

The U.S. should be and could be pursuing a goal of energy self sufficiency in all sectors, including coal, oil, and nuclear in addition to all the "touchy feely" green energy that tree huggers and progressives love. 

We suffer from high prices because of the progressive agenda. We could also lose more of our freedoms because of progressives who learn horribly socialist.

5. To what cause or effort are you planning to pigeon sometime soon?

Well I do ongoing charity work for Assistance League of Hawaii if that counts.

OK. Wishing anyone who got this far, a great Friday and weekend. 

Bird photos from Wikimedia Commons.

Friday 5 for June 3: As happy as our cruel world allows

June 5, 2022: Questions from the Friday 5 blog.

1. Who has a great voice for acting in movies?

There are way too many actors to just narrow it down to one or even a few. Off the top of my head, I've enjoyed Tom Hanks, Clint Eastwood, Charlton Heston and John Wayne through the years. Doesn't help much that two of them are dead. From women I can't remember too many from their voices... perhaps Kathleen Turner (whatever happened to her?).... I don't know who the young and trendy actors are today since I hardly ever watch new movies unless they stream somewhere. Plus my attention span for movies are not like they used to be in the past. I tend to like shorter films these days.

2. When have you recently resisted temptation?

High prices are easy to resist like last minute plane fares and big ticket items.

Just say "NO" to expensive stuff and walk away from it. It's easy!

3. When did you last cry in front of someone?

When my mother died.

4. When did you receive encouragement from an unexpected person?

I can't remember if that recently happened or if it ever did.

5. How old are some personal letters you’ve kept, and how easily do you throw personal letters away?

I have a few letters and cards from my Mom, and a few from old, long lost friends from back in the 1970s. Today hardly anyone gets personal letters. The kinds of letters I get in the mail, I usually hate, which are from businesses and government entities. Today we are more than likely to get "letters" (not saying much here) in the form of emails or even shorter by direct messaging texts, posts or tweets. Letter writing has fallen by the wayside in the digital age.

Plus to cost to send out anything in the mail is expensive when compared to email or texts. See #2 "expensive".

That said, here is a video....

Friday 5 + 5 : Two for May

Friday 5 for May 27: Double Stuff

As usual all of the questions are from Scrivener's Friday 5 blog.

1. What do you have two of because while you knew you had one, you couldn’t find it so you bought a new one?

Got plenty of these. They include combs, scissors, keychains, scotch tape, thumb drives, SD cards, batteries, and a number of other small items that I misplace and find it easier to buy a new one... most of the time.

2. What do you own none of because it’s convenient to borrow it from someone else?

Nothing at this time.

3. What do you own an old version of because it still works fine even though it’s very old?

My 1993 Toyota Corolla. Still works. Still goes. Why should I buy a new car with all that computer crap built in that is destined for obsolescence on the next software upgrade???? Look at those cars that have components that become or will become obsolete soon because they have 3G technology built in. 

Electric cars will become prohibitively expensive after their batteries die. So what do you do? Fork over $8000 to $10000 for new batteries or just scrap your old Tesla or whatever and get another new $50,000 one???? Yikes!!!! The whole EV thing is a huge conspiracy to put you on an endless upgrade trail just like computers and cell phones. Ugh!

I also have my old Power Mac G4 computer, Chromebook from 2013, 2013 iMac and a 2011 MacBook Pro...

And then there are cameras... digital: Canon 600D, Canon S5iS, Canon Powershot G5, Canon Powershot S9000, Fujifilm HX10, several others... Film cameras... Olympus, Minolta (many), Yashica GS. Old records. Old CDs. They all work just fine.

4. What do you own identical versions of because you like to have one in different places?

Two Amazon Echo Smart speakers that are not very smart. Ugh!

They were on sale this past Christmas and I got them for a good price... less than $24 each. They are a blessing and a curse. Good for listening to music you don't have... plus audio books, news, etc. Plus you can also stream other bluetooth devices to them such as a phone or computer... whatever. 

They do have some huge privacy issues, most of which I turned off. I also don't like the ads they throw at you to buy this and that from Amazon. I am not interested in buying ANYTHING through those speakers. I turned that function off and it still bombards me with ads.

5. What are you most likely to upgrade when an upgrade is available, even if you’re happy with the one you’ve got?

I probably am going to have to bite the bullet and get either a new Mac computer and/or a newer Chromebook. Still deciding. Ugh!

Friday 5 for May 20: Do-Re-Meme

1. When have you yelled at a cat?

I like cats. I don't yell at them. 

I don't like dogs. I usually try to avoid them. I've had to yell at one last month after he bit someone who was walking in front of me. The dumb owner could not control her stupid dog. Those kinds of dogs should not be allowed out in the public.

2. Would you please tell us you’re looking forward to the weekend without telling us you’re looking forward to the weekend?

Relaxation?

3. What first-world problems have you recently complained about?

• Not in order but all first world problems.
• Biden (he is also a 2nd and 3rd world problem too)
• Inflation
• Gas Prices
• Shut off of Keystone Pipeline by Biden
• Illegal immigration
• Crime
• Environmental extremism
• Green agenda
• AOC
• Price spikes for groceries, consumer goods
• High priced new vinyl records (I stopped buying years ago)
• Smartphone Tracking
• Intrusion on our Privacy
• Built in batteries that are next to impossible to replace
• Taxes
• High cost of living in Hawaii
• Constant Upgrades to Devices
• Built in obsolescence
• Amazon orders being messed up
• Jumping through hoops on phone system calls
• Call centers
• Spam calls
• Spam emails
• Phishing Scams
• RAIL (Honolulu, Oahu only)
• Democrats
• Progressives
• The Left
• Socialism
• Y2K generation embracement of socialism
• Assholes
• There is plenty to complain about!!!!

4. You have one job this weekend: what is it, and how might you mess it up?

One of them is putting together the monthly newsletter for Assistance League of Hawaii. The occasional typo might slip through, even though we proof it a few time.

5. What did you learn when you were today years old?

I'm old. There is always something new to learn. Like this past week I learned how to whisk whipped cream. Never did that before! (See photo above - Orange Jello with Whipped Cream).

Friday 5 for April 29: Meh

 Meh!

The following questions are from Scrivener's Friday 5 website.

1. This week, when was good enough good enough?

Whatever task I was doing but not putting a full effort into was good enough if I completed it satisfactorily. Then I went home.

2. What are a few songs you'd include in a middle-of-the-road playlist?

Here is a rough list I compiled of soft rock / pop / easy listening music through the years. Some of the biggest pop and rock artists have made songs that can be considered "middle of the road" or "adult contemporary". You can listen to the music by scrolling further down this list.

1. Yesterday Once More - The Carpenters

2. The End of the World - Skeeter Davis

3. Chances Are - Johnny Mathis

4. Can't Help Falling in Love With You - Elvis Presley

5. I'm Sorry - Brenda Lee

6. Calcutta - Lawrence Welk & Orchestra

7. Strangers in the Night - Frank Sinatra

8. Never on Sunday - Connie Francis

9. (I Left My Heart in) San Francisco - Tony Bennett

10. Michelle - The Beatles

11. You're My World - Helen Reddy

12. Can't Smile Without You - Barry Manilow

13. Sundown - Gordon Lightfoot

14. Don't Expect Me To Be Your Friend - Lobo

15. Open Arms - Journey

16. On The Wings of Love - Jeffrey Osborne

17. Hard To Say I'm Sorry - Chicago

18. Always - Atlantic Starr

19. Hello - Adele

20. Fallin For You - Colbie Caillat

Hopefully you like the examples I have presented here and are able to create your own playlists with similar music.

3. What is the most ordinary thing about you?

My body parts are pretty much the same with some fixing as most of the species classified as homo sapien.

4. What do you like most about an average day?

Sleeping. Meh is the topic right? 

5. What do people seem to think is wonderful while you think its just okay?

My photography, though most of the pictures I have shot I consider "meh". Whatever. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.