Apparently, the ghost mall with which I am most acquainted (and where I first had tearoom sex) is about to become a Wal-Mart, eliminating once and for all the possibility that I’ll ever manage a clothing store across from the Chick-Fil-A there again. Which is probably a good thing…
This week’s superlatives:
Why yes, despite what you read — and despite what people in the Bay Area seem pre-programmed to believe — there are actually places where people (and local businesses) are HAPPY to see Wal-Mart coming. Knowing this part of my hometown as I do, I don’t think this will be quite the cure-all it’s made out to be, but neither do I see it as particularly damaging…
Speaking of huge chains, we had dinner at Ikea last night. As many negative things as I’ve had to say about the place over the years, our last couple of visits haven’t been nearly as horrible as earlier ones. And you gotta love anyplace that can feed the two of us so completely for fifteen bucks…
The Geek Shall Inherit the Earth:
Ah, those useless obsessions which have fascinated me since I was a kid. I wonder if anyone can tell me what the following cities have in common:
Put your guesses on the Message Board if you like. I’ll post the answer in a day or two…
It’s My Hormones, Really…
I’ve decided that menopause must feel an awful lot like going from being severely hyperthyroid to being severely hypothyroid in a very short period of time. And I have a bit more respect for all women of a certain age at this point. For the past two weeks, I’ve felt an awful lot like Edith Bunker in that episode from “All in the Family”. I think it may be starting to even out some. I hope so. At least I’m sleeping like a baby…
Did I mention that I’m married to the the most wonderful boy in the world?
Technology Sucks:
The Dish DVR has already crashed, taking with it about thirty epsiodes of “The Addams Family” which Mark hadn’t yet dubbed to DVD, not to mention a Cure special and a couple of “Fillmore” episodes which would have completed my collection. It’s the power supply, I’m told. Of course, there will be no effort by them to recover the data on the hard drive — not to mention a stiff penalty for us if we try it ourselves. We’re in a “replace, don’t repair” world these days, after all…
Twenty-two years ago tonight, at approximately this time (11:40 PM EDT), I was sitting in a little room on the third floor of Elliott University Center waiting for a stupid baseball game to end so I could be on the radio for the very first time…
Some days (years?) I miss it more than others. This is one of those times when I miss it a lot, perhaps because I’m scheduled to start my midlife crisis by turning 40 in just three weeks or so. Maybe I’ll start me one of them there internet radio stations one of these days…
Friday’s question has been successfully answered. The cities listed were all designated as all-UHF television markets by the FCC’s channel reassignment plan of 1952 and have remained that way ever since. They were designated this way because the country was running out of VHF channels and because most of them were situated close enough to multiple larger metropolitan areas that the shortage was particularly acute…
Before 1952, many of these cities had at least one VHF channel assigned. In Fresno, for example, there was channel 12, KFRE-TV at the time, which moved to channel 30 and now operates as KFSN. Bakersfield had channel 10, KERO, which is now on channel 23. Several cities, Columbia SC for example, retained this single VHF channel arrangement even after 1952…
I knew a lot of this stuff beforehand, because I was a freak and I used to sit around reading things like the channel assignment table when I was a teenager. But I got further information here and here at this cool history of the Dumont network…
Speaking of Dumont, those of you who are really inclined toward trivia might find it interesting that there is a direct link from the fourth network of the 1950s to the establishment of the fourth network of the present thirty years later. Dumont’s owned and operated stations became the Metromedia group after the network folded. This group was later purchased by Ruper Murdoch in the 1980s as the beginning of his new network…
OK, I’ll stop being so damned geeky now…
Until after breakfast, at least…
Video Killed the Dish DVR:
As Mark stated so very eloquently, we lost the third DishDVR in about ten days last night. Apparently, they just can’t send us a working model; so far, two of them have died the same death and one has died a seemimgly-unrelated one. Read the story and offer suggestions here if you have any…
Did You Bring Bottles?
In happier news, I was featured in Walt Wiley’s Sacramento Bee column yesterday. We may run up there on the way to Fresno today (yes, I was a Geography major and I know better than anyone that it’s not REALLY on the way) so I can get printed copies to send to Mom. I’ve been interviewed numerous times now about both sites, but it’s still rather exciting…
God Hates Fags but May Be a Nils Lofgren Fan:
And it’s definitely more exciting than being reminded — as I was via email this morning — that I am “not another stream. You are the reguritated waste of society and it’s (sic) great downfall. Life can not cope with maggots who fail to reproduce. Enjoy your defiance of the Lord (sic) while it lasts. Your day before the Lord (sic) will come and He (sic) will show no mercy.” Help me out: wasn’t “No Mercy” was a Nils Lofgren song from about 1979?
Jumping the Gloryhole:
Not to make it an all email entry, but I also got a message the other day telling me how my site had jumped the shark” since I stopped writing about sex clubs five or six years ago. Yeah, as if I (a) maintained websites for the purpose of getting good ratings — perhaps for all that lucrative advertisng revenue — or (b) would care what anyone who’s still using a 1999-era term like “jumping the shark” thinks anyway. Funny…
Wake Up, It’s 1983:
Another song from the 1980s which holds up better than I would’ve expected: “Should I Love You” by Cee Farrow, caught yesterday on internet radio…
I’ve been interviewed a number of time over the years and featured in several newspaper articles, but there’s nothing quite like the reaction that comes when the hometown paper runs an article and picture of you on the front page. I got email from my fourth grade teacher to whom I haven’t spoken since Nixon was still (barely) in the White House, ferchrissakes…
It was a nice article. Mom was happy. But, just for the record, I would NEVER say “I’ve gotten e-mails”. As many of you know, I always use the CORRECT phrasing and say “I”ve gotten email MESSAGES”…
Now that we’ve covered me and grammar, let’s get back to me, thanks. Those of you who are really concerned still have a week to select those last minute gifts for my 40th birthday. Not that I’m hinting or anything…
While I’m at it, those of you who might find yourself in the greater Los Angeles area this weekend are invited to drop by my semi-public birthday dinner at Clifton’s Cafeteria in downtown LA (648 Broadway) Saturday 7 August at 7:30 PM. I don’t really expect anyone to show up, but surprises are always welcome. I’m not buying dinner, so I’m obviously not a stickler for etiquette; thus, an RSVP is not required. However, if you want to let me know to look out for you, that would be cool…
Did I mention that I’m about to turn 40? Oh yeah, I did. Must be getting old…
Fortunately, Dan is older…
Just a few hours until I’m officially middle-aged. I should stay up all night getting drunk and listening to loud music or something, but I probably won’t. Face it: on some level, I’ve been middle-aged since I was 12…
Thanks to all the folks who have sent early birthday greetings. We just got back from LA so I haven’t had a chance to respond. Pictures and stuff soon…