I like to Watch - HBO Now

'

Terri and I have become fans of HBO's Game of Thrones.  Season 5, episode 1 premiered last night and I had inconveniently cancelled our HBO subscription just two weeks ago.  We had been on a 3 month free demo from DirecTV that expired.  We have watched prior GoT seasons on bootleg web sites.  I have always been willing to pay for quality programming such as GoT and Homeland if an option was provided that did not include bundles or subscriptions.

We switched to DirecTV in December due to the cable company's confiscatory and increasing monthly rate.  DirecTV is more economical, but still requires you to bundle if you want the best price on premium services.  I refuse to pay $50 a month for all movie services, or $19 a month for HBO standalone.  I have been waiting for an option that allows a' la carte, economical and non-contracted subscriptions.

HBO brilliantly released HBO Now the same weekend that Game of Thrones began their new season.  I decided to trial this new risk-free option.  The first 30 days are free and a monthly rate of $15 follows for access to all past and new release HBO content.  I suspect I was one of millions who signed up over the past weekend.

I expected to be able to subscribe over Apple TV, but could not.  Instead, I found the simpliest way was to sign up by downloading the HBO Now app on an iDevice, and setting up an account.  You can then go to Apple TV and use your new credentials to sign into the HBO Now app already present on the Apple TV home screen.

Once you are in, you are presented with a slick Netflix-style navigation menu where content is grouped by series, documentaries, movies, watch lists, etc.  It looks like all the good stuff is there going back to The Sopranos, Oz, Band of Brothers and other classic HBO series.

I sort of expected an option to view HBO live, but that isn't how it works.  HBO Now is not HBO Go that allows HBO subscribers to watch living streaming HBO programming.  Instead, content is made available on HBO Now simultaneously with airing on commercial HBO.  GoT season 5, episode 1 became available for streaming on HBO Now at the same time the program was aired on cable TV.  I think I like it this way much better.  There are no series recordings.  The content just appears when released.  Accessing the latest episode of GoT is as simple and straightforward as accessing the first episode of Tombstone.

I suspected that video quality could have suffered if the GoT premiere had enticed millions to sign up for HBO Now, but was pleasantly surprised.  The video was delivered on time, in HD and there were no problems with buffering, stalling or pixelating.  HBO seems to have gotten it right the first time.

New Loves

It's been 4 weeks since I became unemployed.  Yesterday I had lunch with a good friend and former co-worker.  He asked me if I had any regrets.  Within 2 nanoseconds I answered NO!  It has been a great 4 weeks of acclimating to a new calendar. 

My new calendar has Sunday followed by 6 not-Sundays.  The reality is that 2 of my not-Sundays are days when Terri works.  On those days I get up with her to make the bed and the coffee, and help her get out the door.  I am a swell guy.

During the 4 weeks off, I have developed a love for things that I once hated or took for granted.  One of those things is coffee.  I always liked coffee, but now I love coffee.  Getting up in the morning and fixing a steaming cup of Seattle's Best in the Keurig is something that I look forward to.  My coffee intake has not increased, but more than ever, I really enjoy the 2 cups I drink each morning.

I have also learned to love Sunday evenings.  Formerly, Sunday evening was the official end of the weekend and the unofficial return to the work week.  Anxiety and stress would slowly return starting just after Sunday noon, and build the rest of the day.  Now, the relaxed stress-free feeling of Saturday evening continues all day Sunday.  It's a great thing.

My not-Sundays continue to be busy.  I have completed about half the honey-do's on the list and taken on new tasks that were not on the list.  I have also entertained doing a side job for one of Terri's customers.  Last week I received great news from the realtor for my mother's manufactured home.  We always knew that selling the home without owning the lot would be an uphill struggle and it has been, but we received and accepted an offer.  Closing is scheduled for the end of May.

Missouri law governing manufactured homes seems to be ambiguous at best.  I learned yesterday that we could not get a duplicate title for the home because it was never titled 11 years ago after it was sold to my parents.  Having the time to develop personal relationships with the staff at the Missouri Department of Revenue has been a blessing.  I have spent the last two afternoons there and will need to return at least once more. One thing I will never learn to love is the bureaucracy of government. But at least now I have the time to navigate through it. 

I Like to Eat - Guy and Mae's Tavern

Today, Terri and I enjoyed good food and good company, traveling to Guy and Mae's Tavern for some of the best ribs in the KC area.  We have been there before.  We first went to Williamsburg, Kansas to eat at Guy and Mae's - (there is no other reason to visit the ghost town) - maybe 20 years ago?  From Overland Park it is a 45 minute trip.  From Basehor it is north of an hour.  It has been around 8-10 years since our last visit when we dined with Tom Watson - true story.  We were sitting at a table in Guy and Mae's one Saturday afternoon and a couple of hunters walked in.  As they approached, I thought that I recognized one of the individuals.  As he neared, I became certain it was Tom.  I can call him Tom because I once ate lunch with him (well I ate lunch within 20 feet of him).

From the outside the tavern appears to be a deteriorating building along a row of dilapidated structures in a town that hasn't seen much action in years.  The first visit, I hesitated before entering.  I expected there to be a gang of bikers or hillbilly rednecks gulping their long necks and waiting for the next city slicker to walk in so they could go all Deliverance on them.  Instead, I opened the door and was greeted with a couple of pinball machines and a pool table where two 11 year olds worked on their skills.  It's a tavern in a country town.  No reason to be concerned.  It's probably safer than at a mall in the golden ghetto of Johnson county.

 

The tavern is long and narrow with a seedy bar running half of the length.  A recent addition to the dining area are the hundreds of messages written on dollar bills and hung or taped to nearly every surface.  A nice touch that actually added class to an otherwise gloomy dining room.

Once seated, don't expect a waitress to stop by with a menu.  The menu is conveniently thumb-tacked to the wall at each table.  If you have a taste for French fries, pulled pork or burnt ends, too bad.  The place was built on ribs, so get the ribs.  They do offer a ham, beef, turkey and/or polish sausage sandwich, but trust me, get the ribs.  For sides, choose from a rich selection of slaw, tater salad or beans, each a buck and each served in their very own Styrofoam cup.  Want a coke?  They got those too, served in an authentic Coke can.  Draft beer is served one mason jar at a time.  Whatever combination of sides and drinks you decide on, get the ribs.  They are why you travelled to the back of beyond.

The ribs and sides come quickly.  They are wrapped in heavy foil and served on newspaper.  In the 20 years of so that I have gone to Guy and Mae's, the ribs are consistently flavorful and tender.  The meat falls off the bone - bad in a BBQ competition, but great for regular people dining.  The smoky flavor is not overwhelming, but a distinct hickory flavor is evident.  I have had better tasting ribs, but not many or often.  The sauce is typical Midwestern tomato-based, but much thinner than most others in the area.  It is served in a sealed mason jar with holes cut into the top.  The idea is to flood the ribs and surrounding foil with sauce and push the meat around in it before consuming.  I am not a great fan of the sauce, but I suspect the sauce was not intended to be the star of the meal.  The ribs are.  And the ribs definitely are.

With the rich selection of BBQ joints in the Midwest, Guy and Mae's is often forgotten.  Not because the ribs are easy to forget, but the drive is.  A full slab cost $19 and at least 2 hours of your life.  That is still a pretty good deal.

For a little history on the place, take a look at this recent KC Star article.

Obscure Universal Truths and Vacuuming

Over the past year or so I have documented a few obscure universal truths that are important to understand how the universe operates.  I don't capture the obvious ones, like "If you play with fire, you will get burnt".  I'll leave those to other philosophers.  My running list include these:

1. Those who badger others for being intolerant are typically the most intolerant humans on earth.
2. The only inhumane torture tactic is being forced to listen to Diane Feinstein.
3. The opposite of irony is wrinkly.
4. The attendance at your funeral will largely be determined by the weather.

This morning I have added a fifth.

Today is Tuesday. Since I became unemployed, Tuesday is vacuuming day.  My thought process began when my wife told me that if I vacuumed the basement, it would be my final time before our daughter moved in next weekend.  Thereafter she would be responsible.

My immediate reaction was one that every man would have.  If we are moving her in over the weekend, why vacuum?  I mean, we will be hauling in boxes and furniture.  Boxes and furniture have dust and other stuff clinging to them.  It is very likely that dust and other stuff will fall onto and ruin my freshly vacuumed floors.

My next reaction was to think about what was right.  Shouldn't I just say I vacuumed the basement knowing that after we moved our daughter in, nobody would be able to tell that I didn't?  Isn't that the right thing to do?  While I was vacuuming the basement, I began to ponder why tidy wives think this way.

This is not an isolated behavior.  It is closely related to other seemingly irrational actions.  Exhibit 1: If company is coming over, the wife will want to vacuum even though we both know the company will mess up the clean floors.  Wouldn't it be better to vacuum after they left?  Exhibit 2: There is an unspoken requirement to clean the house before we leave on vacation.  Won't we be bringing back half the beach and a couple suitcases of dirty clothes?  Wouldn't it be more logical to clean the house once we return?

There must be a good reason why tidy wives insist on vacuuming at times their men can't understand.  It was this pondering that led me to stumble on obscure universal truth number 5.

    5.  Vacuuming is more like filling a gas tank than cleaning.

We all can relate to occasionally filling our gas tank when we still have a quarter tank.  We do it so that we can drive longer or further before we must stop and refill. Or maybe it is more convenient to fill up now than wait until we must. 

Tidy women think the same way about vacuuming.  If they vacuum now, the house will stay clean a little longer than if they waited until it was obviously dirty.  Or maybe they are concerned it will be inconvenient to vacuum  when it is actually needed.

It all makes sense now.  I will notice this weekend the exact time when the basement will need vacuumed.  It will likely be several minutes later than it would have been if I hadn't vacuumed.  Imagine the gratification that I will feel during that several minutes. 

Beginning Week Two

Week one felt like a vacation week.  Except Sunday evening. Sunday evening is the true beginning of the work week. Even before the weekend was finished, my thoughts would return to the stress and struggles of the week ahead. Not this week. That was nice. 

On Monday I attended an orientation for a job search service I am entitled to as part of the separation package. The first survey question they asked participants was how long had it been since we last searched for a job. Answer selections started at 1 year, 2-5 years, etc.  They didn't have an answer for >30 years, so I selected "18 years or more". I guess that I have been fortunate. 

The following discussion exposed the dichotomy of my situation. I have manager skills and experience. I don't want my next job to include cube life. The trick of finding a job that I want to do will be selling myself as an experienced and capable manager for a position that will allow me to be active and not desk-bound. I am having trouble imagining that job.

Task one will be developing a new resume. I have maintained my resume during my entire career, but a recent review was disappointing. It screams "I want to be a mid-level manager for a Fortune 50-500 company" again.  I don't.

After the new resume is ready, my networking will begin. Fortunately I know a few executives in large companies. The job search consultant claims that nearly 80% of jobs are found through networking, so I might as well start there.

I am really enjoying the first week+ of my unemployment. So much that I wonder where I could find a job repairing decks, fixing power washers, painting walls, landscaping, vacuuming, preparing dinner, and all the other tasks that I have occupied myself with so far. 

Now That I Have a Few Minutes

In May it will have been 2 years since my last blog post.  Believe it or not, I have missed the routine of thinking about what to write and then committing it to a blog.  Hence, the title of this post - Now That I Have a Few Minutes. 

As of March 10th, I became unemployed.  Something that I have dreaded most of my professional career has become more of a relief.  Fortunately, my former employer provided a separation package that allows me to take some time and find new work that I find interesting.  Even so, brief periods of anxiety have met this milestone for no good reason other than I am unemployed.

I estimate that I have held a job continuously for the past 46-48 years.  My first job was the Kansan newspaper route in my neighborhood.  Every day except Saturday, I would receive a bundle of newspapers at the end of my driveway, roll and band or bag them, and set out on my bike to deliver each to a home on my route.  Once a month I would collect the monthly subscription from each customer and pay the Kansan for the papers and supplies.  I kept whatever money was left.

From there I graduated to Kansas City Star/Times delivery from a truck driven by the route owner.  Next was my dream job of bussing tables (for $1.60 hr.) at the brand new Red Lobster in town. I was able to buy a new car on that wage. The Red Lobster gig became a 4 year progression from busboy, to dishwasher, backup cook, fry man, broiler man and finally, the expeditor responsible for running the kitchen. 

From there I was hired by a property management company where I mowed, cleaned clubhouses, maintained exterior lighting and whatever else they wanted me to do. I briefly held a job as a draftsman at a professional custom electronics company.  Briefly because I had no training as a draftsman, but it took them 2 weeks to discover it.  From there, I painted houses before finding my first big boy job at the local cable company.  That job prepared me to join the large telecommunications company, for whom I have worked directly or indirectly for the past 18 years.

Now I am unemployed.  On day one I started my BIG honey-do list.  It will take a couple months to complete.  By then I hope to be actively applying and interviewing for a new job.  Since I have a few minutes, I plan to occasionally post a blog on my progress.

Why is Al Gore so Pissed Off?

Every few months, Al Gore comes out from his palatial bunker to address his devout followers in the entertainment industry and far left.  Last week was one of those rare times.  His speech was similar to those he has delivered since leaving office.  He rants.  He screams.  He is profane.  Why is Al Gore so angry?

You might think that he believes his global warming – no, climate change – no, climate disruption - gospel.  Maybe he is enraged by a world that largely  ignores his dire warnings.  But probably not.  Remember, this is the Al Gore who owns private jets and mansions.  The Al Gore that has a carbon footprint many times larger than the average American.  The Al Gore who sold his television network to Al Jazeera (owned by the Qatari Government, a big oil and gas producer).   No, Al Gore’s actions bely his core beliefs - he does not believe in the snake oil he sells to others. 

Al Gore is a capitalist.  More accurately, he is a participant in crony capitalism.  His message of “manmade global climate whatever” is inspired by his greed.  You see, Al Gore began purchasing carbon credits as far back as 2007. These carbon credits were supposed to be the product in the carbon marketplace.  Obama was running for president then.  Obama is a supporter of a carbon tax, where industries would pay big money for carbon credits – the right to expend a certain amount of carbon into the atmosphere.  If an industry used up its carbon credits and needed more, a carbon marketplace would be available where additional credits could be purchased for exorbitant prices.  Al Gore would be one of those carbon credit suppliers.  He stood to make millions, if not billions in profits.

With Obama in office, it was all supposed to be in place now.  But Obama’s plan to regulate and tax carbon didn’t get implemented.  With a failing economy, congress did not have the appetite to ram through crippling taxes on industry and double or triple the cost of energy.  So Al Gore is left holding onto worthless carbon credits. 

Now imagine current events if the carbon tax had been implemented.  We are now in a period of cooling.  This spring has been the second coolest spring on record.  Yesterday and today the midwest broke all-time records for the coolest high temperature on record for the entire month of May.  If the carbon tax had been implemented, Gore , Obama and other libs would be claiming success.  They would take credit for stemming the rise of the oceans, and reversing global warming.  They would be the saviors of the planet.  They would claim the carbon tax had been so successful that a period of global cooling was in the future unless additional carbon credits were offered.  And Al Gore would have been first in line to purchase those credits so that we could regulate earth’s temperature.

All Gore is pissed because he has lost a second opportunity to profit from his hoax.