Fly Like an Eagle

Living out in the countryside has many benefits with one of the more interesting ones being the variety of wildlife that inhabit the area. Bald eagles have been making a comeback over the past couple of decades and lately have been moving into the Yucatan area. For some reason I never have a camera when one is around. Today that changed, though I was not able to get good pictures in the end.

My father came downstairs and announce he had been watching quite an aerial show. Puzzled, I asked if a crop duster was in the area again. No, he had been watching a bald eagle fight with a turkey vulture over a carcass and had not bothered to let me know it was going on…

Fractale English Dub Arrives in July

The best part of the release is that it will be a combination Blu-ray and DVD set. I have to say that Funimation did a great job with the trailer for it, since it captures how serious and dark the series really is.

Between this and the final set of Kimi ni Todoke, I am going to be broke in July. Broke but happy.

Back Off! or Health 4-25-2012

You know that temptation to scream “BACK OFF!” (or the more profane variation) when somebody annoys you now end and will not shut up?  That is how I feel about my back right now, pun intended. If I could remove the thing and still be a functioning carbon unit, I would.

For the last couple of months, new and creative pinched nerves have popped up and on Monday I discovered one in my middle back. How? I dared to open the fridge door and try to push it open more. No, I could not have some dramatic story about lifting a car off of someone or going too far in a workout. Instead it had to be something ridiculous.

Anyway, it was not just the usual pinched nerve, but the blinding pain kind where my vision blacked out momentarily. Excruciating is the word to describe it and it simply would not stop. Hobbling into the living room bent over like Quasimodo, I collapsed into the chair with the shiatsu massager on it. Even that did little to relieve the pain or instant locking of all my back muscles.

Now it is two days later and I can at least use my left arm again and the pain is down to a dull ache. Twinges still happen, but at least I can lift things again. Sadly there is still no way to tell one’s own back to “back off!” – though I am working on it.

The Slow Death of the Minnesota GOP Isn’t So Slow Now

Back when I was in the leadership of the Houston County Republicans, I used to lock horns with the state organization and quickly learned they did not have a clue how things were in outside of the metro areas. Initially a strong proponent of the caucus system, once I actually saw how it worked I realized that it allowed very small groups vast power over candidate selection which allows for abuse. On paper it looks wonderfully democratic, but it is not in actual execution. A much fairer process is the primary system.

Those thoughts have resurfaced ever since the precinct caucuses to bedevil and annoy me. After reading that twenty of twenty four delegates are now bound to the very liberal Ron Paul, I have zero doubts about being correct in thinking the caucus system is a failure. It is not the first time I have seen superior organization put forth an inferior candidate here and I am sure it will not be the last.

Meanwhile, the state GOP has been served with an eviction notice. Yeah, that shows how well organized the state level has been. While the new chair cannot be faulted for the financial problems, the following email I received trying to downplay it does not inspire confidence:

The Prisoner (1967) Ep. 1: Arrival

In 1967, a surreal and cerebral television show unlike anything seen before debuted to the amazement of viewers worldwide. Ostensibly about an unnamed spy kidnapped and confined to a strange community on the sea, Patrick McGoohan’s deeply personal project delved into themes of individuality, totalitarianism, paranoia, conformity, brainwashing, and the struggle to be free. Still debated over nearly forty-five years later, it is arguably one of the best dramas ever put on TV, if not the best.

A first episode is always a tricky thing for a series and that is doubly true for one that aspires to be anything more than average. With the incredibly popular series, Danger Man (Secret Agent in the USA), wearing thin on him, McGoohan had a desire to do something different. Different only scratches the surface in describing The Prisoner and Arrival establishes that very quickly.

An extended version of the title theme by Ron Grainier (he also created the original Doctor Who theme) plays over a montage of a man (Patrick McGoohan)  in black driving a Lotus Seven roadster to a government building. Once there he angrily storms into an office while the sound of thunder accompanies his rant, which we do not hear. In fact, no sound other than the soundtrack is heard during this intense opening sequence. Slamming his resignation down on his superior’s desk, the man drives off while we see his record amended and filed away in ominously impersonal fashion.

Health 4-18-2012

One of the “joys” of having chronic fatigue syndrome is all the little infections I get, most of them being some form of upper respiratory problem. The latest has gone on since last Friday and is an inner ear issue with my right ear. Occasional dizziness has always been a part of the illness for me, but having the room swim around when I move my head is not.

So far no pain, so I refuse to waste anymore of the taxpayers money on a visit to the doctor. Instead, the H202 doses have gone back to daily and that has helped. Also, not taking my generic Zyrtec to allow the allergies to run wild should help burn the infection out. There has been improvement and I though I had it licked yesterday, but it is being mildly annoying today.

However, I am dead tired from a busy weekend and have not recovered at all from it. One way or another, I will make it to church on Sunday to substitute teach Gospel Doctrine. That should be fun, since I have not had the opportunity to do so before.

That reminds me, one of the odd bits about the dizziness is that it is worse sitting than standing as teaching Gospel Principles showed me this past Sunday. Weird. Bending over is not fun, of course.

The weather looks nice outside, wish I felt like taking full advantage of it.

Things Keep Falling Apart

Lately I have been having far too many items owned break down. This week it was my office chair, which collapsed when a cat jumped off me – seriously. While due for replacement by the end of the year from the upholstery tearing and the wood on one arm delaminating, the central steel tube tearing was not something I foresaw happening. So of course it did.

This followed having my Dell Axim PocketPC finally show its age and have problems with its batteries (I have a spare) and battery compartment, the already damaged (and cobbled together) halogen torchiere lamp burn out, and my subwoofer develop a noticeable fuzz. The Dell was replaced a couple of months ago, but I had to buy replacements for the lamp and chair this month. For a month where I was trying to save back a good chunk of money, I now find myself struggling to have enough to cover the bills.

At least I got some serious bargains in the process. The replacement lamp uses conventional bulbs (using GE Halogen ones in a experiment) while being 55% off at Shopko. The chair was 42% at Office Depot off and is getting its break in as I type this. The sub will not get replaced. Kindness to my eyes and to my back take precedence to my ears. Oh, and the light bulbs were on sale too.

The chair dated back to the mid-nineties, so I suppose I got every last iota out of it before it failed catastrophically. Likewise, the lamp was as old. But the timing was not great financially and that irks me. I would go beat on the engine compartment of the car, but thunderstorms are due today.

So I settled on blowing things up in a video game.

The moral of the story? Still working on that, but it might be that everything failed only when it was possible for me to buy things above my normal ability. Maybe I am being watched over no matter how much I whine.