Blog number 375 **** 19 February 2009
We went to see the movie, "Shutter Island" this afternoon. At one point this woman character asked the male lead where pain comes from. He replied, "Depends upon what part of the body is injured.
She replied in turn, "No. It comes from the brain. Pain is caused in the brain. So is fear. And anger."
I thought, "Go on! Go on! Continue." But it stopped there, as I expected it would.
Oh well. Maybe it's for the best. If she had continued to the logical conclusion, the audience might have burned down the theatre in protest.
One never knows.
People really hate having reality confronted.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
WELL IF THAT'S THE WORST THAT EVER HAPPENED
Blog number 374 **** 10 February 2009
This just happened to pop into my mind a few minutes ago.
Back when I was married to my first wife - the bad one - before I married this one - the good one, my first wife and I were separated and I was living in a small town in Iowa, managing a grocery store for a chain.
I read a lot in those days - still do, actually. I was looking through the library in that small town for a good SF book or some other interesting book when this library lady came up to me and asked if I was finding what I wanted. I mumbled something - I was scared of women in those days, so she made me nervous anyhow. She then asked me what authors I liked. I looked at the spine of one of the books on the shelf and replied, "Doubleday! He's good, isn't he?" She left me alone after that.
I was so embarrassed. I knew that Doubleday was a publisher, but at that moment my mind went blank trying to think of a name of an author. I never noticed what authors wrote any of the books I read except my favorite SF writers, of course.
Wasn't my fault.
Her fault.
This just happened to pop into my mind a few minutes ago.
Back when I was married to my first wife - the bad one - before I married this one - the good one, my first wife and I were separated and I was living in a small town in Iowa, managing a grocery store for a chain.
I read a lot in those days - still do, actually. I was looking through the library in that small town for a good SF book or some other interesting book when this library lady came up to me and asked if I was finding what I wanted. I mumbled something - I was scared of women in those days, so she made me nervous anyhow. She then asked me what authors I liked. I looked at the spine of one of the books on the shelf and replied, "Doubleday! He's good, isn't he?" She left me alone after that.
I was so embarrassed. I knew that Doubleday was a publisher, but at that moment my mind went blank trying to think of a name of an author. I never noticed what authors wrote any of the books I read except my favorite SF writers, of course.
Wasn't my fault.
Her fault.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
FIRST TIME I CHECKED GUYS LIKE THESE OUT
Blog number 373 **** 09 February 2009
We have, for the better part of a year or so, been receiving calls from heating and air conditioning firms who say they are going to be in the neighborhood and can give us a very good price on service. I always said no, and finally started telling them that we just had it done and no use calling any more. That didn't stop them. I don't know whether they were different firms or not, since I didn't pay much attention to their spiel.
One day a couple of years ago we called a firm here in Casa Grande and had our heating and air serviced. We liked the service, so we filed his receipt.
A couple of days ago I got a call from a firm in Phoenix and they told me that old story about being in the neighborhood and therefore could give a really good deal. I said, "How much?" They said. "$34.95." I said ok and made an appointment. I figured it was a scam, but worth the price to find out if they were scammers.
Sure enough, the guy took the control cover off, brushed the inside and then told me the coils had to be cleaned with acid. He would spray around "here" and "there" and that would take the stuff off the coils. I asked him how much that would cost and he said, "$127.00." I said no.
A little spray and five minutes of work for $127.00? Was he spraying with pure gold?
He got a surprised look on his face when I said no and told me the dangers of not having that done and was I sure that I didn't want it done. I again said no. That's all I said. I didn't explain anything.
Then he said I need two more pounds of Freon. I asked him if that would cost more than the $34.95. He said it would. I said no.
When he left with our $34.95, we called our regular guy and asked him the price. For $59.50 he did his more thorough job. I asked him if it needed more Freon and he said it didn't. Just as I thought. There was no talk of spraying the coils.
We had a thumping in the attic and the first guy listened, said he thought it was because we were low on Freon. He didn't offer to go up and see what it was. The second guy went up into the attic and taped a vibrating copper pipe that was banging against a rafter.
I don't know if firms think they can make more money by cheating customers than by building up a business or they just look at the money and don't really care about their business. I guess they can start another business under another name, I guess.
I think maybe they think if anyone is dumb enough to fall for their pitch, they will also be too dumb not to hire them again. But I think even if customers are too dumb, they will get an uncomfortable feeling about the firm even if they don't know why, and not hire them again. That's what I think.
We have, for the better part of a year or so, been receiving calls from heating and air conditioning firms who say they are going to be in the neighborhood and can give us a very good price on service. I always said no, and finally started telling them that we just had it done and no use calling any more. That didn't stop them. I don't know whether they were different firms or not, since I didn't pay much attention to their spiel.
One day a couple of years ago we called a firm here in Casa Grande and had our heating and air serviced. We liked the service, so we filed his receipt.
A couple of days ago I got a call from a firm in Phoenix and they told me that old story about being in the neighborhood and therefore could give a really good deal. I said, "How much?" They said. "$34.95." I said ok and made an appointment. I figured it was a scam, but worth the price to find out if they were scammers.
Sure enough, the guy took the control cover off, brushed the inside and then told me the coils had to be cleaned with acid. He would spray around "here" and "there" and that would take the stuff off the coils. I asked him how much that would cost and he said, "$127.00." I said no.
A little spray and five minutes of work for $127.00? Was he spraying with pure gold?
He got a surprised look on his face when I said no and told me the dangers of not having that done and was I sure that I didn't want it done. I again said no. That's all I said. I didn't explain anything.
Then he said I need two more pounds of Freon. I asked him if that would cost more than the $34.95. He said it would. I said no.
When he left with our $34.95, we called our regular guy and asked him the price. For $59.50 he did his more thorough job. I asked him if it needed more Freon and he said it didn't. Just as I thought. There was no talk of spraying the coils.
We had a thumping in the attic and the first guy listened, said he thought it was because we were low on Freon. He didn't offer to go up and see what it was. The second guy went up into the attic and taped a vibrating copper pipe that was banging against a rafter.
I don't know if firms think they can make more money by cheating customers than by building up a business or they just look at the money and don't really care about their business. I guess they can start another business under another name, I guess.
I think maybe they think if anyone is dumb enough to fall for their pitch, they will also be too dumb not to hire them again. But I think even if customers are too dumb, they will get an uncomfortable feeling about the firm even if they don't know why, and not hire them again. That's what I think.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
WHO KNOWS A PERSON BETTER THAN A MAN'S OWN WIFE?
Blog number 372 **** 04 February 2009
We had just finished watching "The Office," mine wife and I, and I told her she could watch "The Fringe," which she watches religiously while I never do, while I take my shower. She then proceeded to tell me that when she first started watching "The Fringe," she didn't think she liked it, but it grew on her.
She continued, "There's a guy on there that's eccentric, but he's a genius. He reminds me of you."
Now, I don't think she realized the implication of what she said, but it's too late now. it's out there.
EEEEHAW!
We had just finished watching "The Office," mine wife and I, and I told her she could watch "The Fringe," which she watches religiously while I never do, while I take my shower. She then proceeded to tell me that when she first started watching "The Fringe," she didn't think she liked it, but it grew on her.
She continued, "There's a guy on there that's eccentric, but he's a genius. He reminds me of you."
Now, I don't think she realized the implication of what she said, but it's too late now. it's out there.
EEEEHAW!
Monday, February 1, 2010
KARMA HAS A WAY OF COMING BACK AT YOU
Blog number 371 **** 01 February 2009
I have this son who shall remain nameless because he wants it that way, who likes to take his mother and father - that's me and my wife, to church with him early Saturday morning. He gets up around 4 A.M. and drives down here, wakes us up 'cause we go to bed late, we get to church by 8, then usually to Mimi's for breakfast and then home to watch TV or he and I work on jigsaw puzzles or play with our dolls - dress them up, things like that.
That's not true. We don't play with our dolls.
No, wait! We don't have any dolls.
I don't have any dolls.
He told us to go to bed early Friday night so we wouldn't be crabby Saturday. His mother was crabby last Saturday, so he said to her, "I told you to go to bed early." Hah!
It was like he was saying, "I told you! Why didn't you mind?"
I'm sure we must have said something like that to him when he was the child and we were the parents, but how the tables have turned.
I'm think I'll ask for an allowance. I think I'm old enough for one.
I have this son who shall remain nameless because he wants it that way, who likes to take his mother and father - that's me and my wife, to church with him early Saturday morning. He gets up around 4 A.M. and drives down here, wakes us up 'cause we go to bed late, we get to church by 8, then usually to Mimi's for breakfast and then home to watch TV or he and I work on jigsaw puzzles or play with our dolls - dress them up, things like that.
That's not true. We don't play with our dolls.
No, wait! We don't have any dolls.
I don't have any dolls.
He told us to go to bed early Friday night so we wouldn't be crabby Saturday. His mother was crabby last Saturday, so he said to her, "I told you to go to bed early." Hah!
It was like he was saying, "I told you! Why didn't you mind?"
I'm sure we must have said something like that to him when he was the child and we were the parents, but how the tables have turned.
I'm think I'll ask for an allowance. I think I'm old enough for one.
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