Baby Birds

Early this spring, I'd noticed that there were some stray twig-like things on top of the light fixture on my balcony. And I kind of watched out for it for a while, as it grew into a bird nest. I forgot about it for quite a while, then one Saturday, I woke up at around 6:00 am to the sound of knocking on my outside wall. (I live on the fourth floor.)
At first, I was seriously annoyed that the apartment maintenance was out there working at 6:00 on a Saturday morning, and I was all set to let them have it. (Yes, the noise was that loud, and really, the bird was not a woodpecker, so I think I can be forgiven.) I walked out on the balcony to look around at where they were working, and there was no one there. Then I saw the bird nest and remembered. I also looked down and saw a small piece of an egg shell, so I knew in no uncertain terms that I had to make sure the nest wasn't disturbed until the eggs hatched and were able to fly away ... of course, I had no idea how I would know when the baby birds had flown away if I was busy not-disturbing them.
Memorial Day Weekend, I was showing my mom and sister around, and we went out on the balcony, but first I made sure to jiggle the knob loudly. At that point, the eggs had surely not hatched yet. And Memorial day itself, I was going to set myself up on the balcony --- guess I forgot to not-disturb the babies --- but as I was setting up, Mommy Bird made her presence known and I decided I didn't want robin-poop on my computer, TV table, drink, snacks etc.
Anyway, a couple days ago, I decided to check on them again, but this time, from the safety of the bedroom window. I turned the slots in the shade to peer through, and sure enough, the eggs had hatched.


It looks like there are four birds here. Now, all I have to do is wait for the nest to empty.

Why My Blog Is So Pathetic

Boy, I really don't post here very often. Sorry if you've been frustrated because you've been checking and there was nothing new here.
I get a lot of ideas for posts when I'm in my car. Obviously I'm not going to post *from* my car and then I get home and I forget all about it.
Of course, now I've posted three times in one day, so I should be good for the rest of the year, right? Right? Hey, where are you going?

A Casino? Sexist? Really?

On Easter Sunday, my mom, my sister and I wanted to go to the casino (Harrah's, in Chester PA). Mom and Sister like to gamble. Me? I might throw twenty bucks at a slot machine, but that's usually about it. Repeatedly pressing a button isn't really my idea of a good time. But I love going to buffets, and the casinos usually have good ones. So I take my book with me, and once I'm done throwing money into the slot machine, I'll read my book, walk around, people watch (discretely, of course) and whatever else I can come up with.
Note: We'd already gone to a brunch for Easter breakfast, so there was no way we were going to a buffet for dinner as well. So, really there was no reason for me to even go.
So, we get to the casino and Mom and Sister give me their coats to check because they like to gamble and I ... not so much. So, I go downstairs, check the coats, go back upstairs and I'm walking to the casino floor when a security guard asks to check my bag. I have an over-the-shoulder messenger bag that I use to carry the aforementioned book as well as my cell phone, eyeglass case, pens and other usual stuff. The security guard asks if anything in the bag is a medical necessity. I say no, so he tells me I can't take the bag in. Meanwhile, while I've been standing there, the guard has been checking IDs on anyone under the age of 30 and has been checking NO other bags. Anyway, he's told me that I have to take the bag down to the coat check. I don't want to take the bag to the coat check because then I'd be walking around the casino floor with a book in one hand and a cell phone in another -- I did not explain this to the guard.
So I decide to complain to the hosts. I go to the guest services counter and tell them that security won't let me take my bag onto the casino floor but that he's not checking any women's bags and that's sexist. The guest service lady tells me I need to complain to the head of security. So I go to the security desk and tell them that I need to talk to the head of security. The head of security is busy with another issue, so I wait --- for somewhere between 1/2 an hour and 45 minutes (I didn't clock him). He comes and I explain that the guard won't let me take the bag on the floor and that he's not checking any women's bags and that this is sexist. The head of security agrees that it's sexist, but claims that this is a Casino Gaming Commission Regulation. Now, my first thought at that is, "I don't want to have to take this to the state capitol just so I can read my stupid book," but the representative from the CGC is on premises. So I tell him I want to talk to the representative.
It took a while, again, for the representative to get there and by this time the head of security has left. I again tell the CGC Rep that they won't let me take my bag onto the floor, that they're not checking any women's bags, and that this is sexist. I also tell him that the head of security said that this was a CGC regulation. *He* again agrees that this is sexist, but he tells me that he doesn't care whether I take the bag on the floor or not, that it's a casino rule. I tell him "I can believe you ..." and am trying to figure out how to say, "but I'm getting two different stories here," when he tries to stop me. I realize he's misheard me and emphasize that "I CAN believe you ..." (not "I can't believe you".) He repeats that he doesn't care, making it clear that he's done with me --- which is fine, since he doesn't care and thus I have no quarrel with him. I try to ask if he can stick around while I get the head of security back (so whoever is lying can't keep lying with the other person present), but he's leaving.
Anyway, I ask the guy at the security desk to get the head of security again. He calls the guy, and over the phone, HOS apparently asks what's in my bag. First, I say that's irrelevant because they're not checking women's bags (which everyone I've talked to has agreed is sexist), but then I explain what's in the bag. And I open the bag again so the guy at the security desk can look inside. He does, tells the head of security over the phone what's in the bag, then after a moment tells me that I can take the bag onto the floor. (Tells me, not the guard at the entrance to the floor, leaving me to have to tell that guard and hope he believes me.) Now, if this were a Casino Gaming Comssion Regulation, would the head of security, a casino employee, be able to give me permission to take the bag onto the floor? I'm thinking no.
So, I go to the guard at the entrance and I tell him that they head of security has given me permission. And he very nicely tells me he hopes there are no hard feelings. I agree that he was completely courteous and "just doing his job" as they say, and I tell him that my complaint is with the sexist rule --- or the sexist application of the rule, whichever it is.
(During this time, I've found out that the reason they check bags is to prevent people from taking anything from a weapon to a notebook computer (which could be used to help someone cheat) onto the floor. I can completely understand that. But do they really think that no women carry weapons, that no women cheat? And once you've established that you don't have any of those things --- I didn't --- you should be able to take your bag in.)
So, even though I've won the battle, I find Mom and tell her that I hope she continues to have a good time but that I have no intention of spending any money at that casino, ever again --- unless and until they change that rule. Of course, I broke that intention when I got bored and put five dollars into a machine, but it was only five dollars. Fortunately, neither Mom nor Sister had any interest in eating in the casino's sports bar either (it was Easter Sunday: the only things open were the buffet and the sports bar), so we grabbed food on the way home.
And I realize that a part of me should be saying, "A casino? Sexist? Really?" but having waitresses in skimpy outfits is one thing. Subjecting men and only men to a bag search is quite another.
I should also be counting my blessings, thinking about the time and money I'll save by not going back to the Harrah's casino in Chester, PA.

Yes, that's right, I'm naming names. I'm pretty sure I've managed to write this without libeling anyone and that everything above is completely accurate and whatever benefits of doubt need to be given have been.

stolen from SweePer ... which was stolen from paks...

You're on my friends list. I don't think I restrict replies to friends.
I want to know you! I want to know 33 things about you. Short and sweet is fine...You're on my list I still don't have a list, so I want to know you better!

1. Can you cook?
2. What was your dream growing up?
3. What talent do you wish you had?
4. Favorite place?
5. Favorite vegetable?
6. What was the last book you read?
7. What zodiac sign are you ?
8. Any Tattoos and/or Piercings?
9. Worst Habit?
10. Do we know each other outside of lj?
11. What is your favorite sport?
12. Negative or Optimistic attitude?
13. What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me?
14. Worst thing to ever happen to you?
15. Tell me one weird fact about you:
16. Do you have any pets?
17. Do you know how to do the macarena?
18. What time is it where you are now?
19. Do you think clowns are cute or scary?
20. If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be?
21. Would you be my crime partner or my conscience?
22. What color eyes do you have?
23. Ever been arrested?
24. Bottle or Draft?
25. If you won $10,000 dollars today, what would you do with it?
26. What kind of bubble gum do you prefer to chew?
27. What 's your favorite bar to hang at?
28. Do you believe in ghosts?
29. Favorite thing to do in your spare time?
30. Do you swear a lot?
31. Biggest pet peeve?
32. In one word, how would you describe yourself?
33. Will you repost this so I can fill it out and do the same for you?

Does the Government Just Not Get It?

(As you may have noticed, I'm not a frequent blogger. I'm okay with that. I just wish my own favorite bloggers were a little more regular. Does that make me hypocritical? I hope not.)

Does the government not get it, or do I not get it?

When the government proposed a 7 billion dollar bailout of the banking industry, I was thinking along these lines:

The banks have all these bad debts out there. The causes for the problems are complex, but can be fixed, but that won't fix the actual problems because even if they stop approving high risk loans, if they stop having loan officers work on commission (incentive to approve loans that shouldn't be approved), the bad loans that got us into this mess would still be out there.
Also, while we don't want to reward the bank executives that got us into this mess, we realize that it's our money in those banks that's becoming worth less and less.

So, I was all in favor of the government spending money to buy up some of these bad loans. And by assuming those loans, I thought maybe the government would eventually get at least some of that money back. Of course, that's not what's happening. Instead, Wells Fargo, PNC and other banks that seem to be not in trouble are buying the banks that are in trouble, which does absolutely nothing to solve the problem. It just removes competition. And that money? It will probably wind up going to those executives who sold off their bad banks and those executives who eliminated their competition. It certainly won't wind up repaying that 7 billion dollars. That's going to be our great-great-grandchildren's jobs.

No wonder when the 7-billion-dollar bailout got passed, the stock market actually went down.

So let's move on to health care. I'm in the process of moving to a state that has mandated health care. Now, I checked their web-site and before I found out I had to be a resident to get that mandated health care (what am I supposed to do in the time up until I can establish residency? Stay healthy?) I saw that there was one insurance plan with a reasonable monthly fee, but its deductible was $2000. Now, if you can only afford that low monthly fee, there's no way in hockey-sticks that you can afford $2000 worth of health care to meet that deductible. (Again, what are we supposed to do, stay healthy?)
The next health plan cost about $250 a month. This is the same amount I was paying in a state that did not have mandated health care, so all the mandate is doing is apparently punishing those people who don't get health care. It's not like I don't want health care. But let's say a person is unemployed. Let's say further that this person is unemployed from a good job, so he/she is getting $500 a week in unemployment compensation. And when that person was employed, let's say he/she bought a house, condo, townhome or other place, which costs $1200 a month, which is reasonable for a good-single-income. That means that of the $2000 this person is getting a month, $800 is left after paying the mortgage. If this person gets health insurance, that will leave about $550 a month to pay for everything else, including a phone (that he/she will need for interviewing), Internet access (again, a pretty severe need when looking for a job), heat and electricity, and credit card debts that he/she incurred when he/she was making a decent living and expecting to be able to pay those debts off ... at some point.
So, for this person who can't afford health care, what is a mandated health care state going to do? They're going to fine him or her, of course, for not having health care. Yeah, that's helpful.

Just so you know that I'm not just here complaining, what government health care policies need to do is actually reform health care so that people can actually afford it -- and afford to be sick if they get it (not that we actually want to get sick).

I'm LJ and I am not running for president. But I did approve this message.

just an idea I had.

As we charge head-first into a new fall TV season, I thought I'd pop my thoughts on here. Now, keep in mind, I have not seen a single episode of any of these. I have only seen premises and a few ads and the occasional cast picture.

90210 - It may have a more diverse cast and less dated wardrobe, but it's still a retread.
America's Toughest Jobs - One of the contestants says, "This is not a game show". It's a game show.
Crusoe - Looks splendid, and I personally think you can't go wrong with the Robinson Crusoe theme, but I don't know if network viewers will go for it, so if you want something that's going to make it to a full season, you may want to give it a pass.
Do Not Disturb - I love Niecy Nash. Can't say the same for Jerry O'Connell. And a creative team who calls a Manhattan Hotel "The Inn" can't really be counted on for creativity. Plus it's on FOX. Don't count on it lasting.
Easy Money - A show about a guy running a short-term loan business? At least it's not a comedy. The guy is cute, but these are the only things I know about it.
Eleventh Hour - A government scientist travels the country investigating abuses of science? Didn't this show get canceled three seasons ago? But it's from Jerry Bruckheimer and it follows CSI so it may not be all bad. Features Mark Blucas (at least once).
The Ex-List - Clips look promising, except for one problem: She has one year to go through her list of exes or die. (Can a premise really be a spoiler?) Features Eric Balfour, which is a plus, and quite probably a new hot male guest star every week. But if it makes it through the first season, what's it going to do for a second?
Fringe - I just can't take Joshua Jackson seriously. There. I said it. A mis-matched trio team up to solve crimes involving "fringe science". Wait. Isn't this The Eleventh Hour and didn't it get canceled three seasons ago?
Gary Unmarried - The premise seems to be that some woman (Paula Marshall) picked Ed Begley Jr over Jay Mohr. Sorry. I just can't see that. Maybe 30 years ago when Begley was in his twenties and Mohr was in diapers, but not now. Also, they have kids in the cast, which is never promising.
Hole in the Wall - A game show where people try to arrange their bodies to fit through a hole in a wall. ... Seriously? That's a premise?
In Harm's way - Documentary series featuring America's toughest jobs (see second title on list). If you like shows about heroic men and women risking life and limb just "doing their jobs", I'd probably pick this over ATJ. That doesn't mean I'll actually be watching it, though.
Kath & Kim - My favorite TV critic has already picked this as the first show to die. Can't say I disagree.
Kings - The Book of 1 Kings (from the bible) set in modern times? Given what I remember of that book, this could be excellent. But will they have the guts to include the gay subtext? And a good looking lead doesn't hurt.
Knight Rider - It had a summer pilot movie that I recorded but still haven't seen. If you saw that, you already know whether you'll like the series. I haven't so I can't say much. But it has David Hasselhoff in it, which fans of the original will consider a plus but I'll consider a minus.
Life on Mars - A cop from today wakes up in 1973? Not a bad fish-out-of-water concept, although I'd be wracking my brain trying to remember who won the World Series (as ... investment strategy). He has to solve crimes. Not quite sure what to make of the show, though he does look good in a leisure suit. The 70s were painful for me, but that was the late 70s.
The Mentalist - Zap2it essentially calls it Psych without the jokes. It looks good and I do like Simon Baker, and since he's not trying to pretend to be psychic, it might not wear thin.
My Own Worst Enemy - Christian Slater suffers multiple personality disorder / dissociative identity disorder, and one of them is an assassin? I don't buy it.
Opportunity Knocks - A game show comes to your door. Why do you let them in? You know it can't end well (though reviews say it'll be less humiliating than, say, Moment of Truth).
Privileged - A journalist-wannabe takes a job tutoring a rich woman's "bratty" twin granddaughters. I can't say I'm a fan of the bratty teenager genre.
Secret Millionaire - A group of millionaires (or so) goes undercover in the slums. If this were a drama, it might be slightly offensive. Instead, it's a "reality" show and some lucky poor person is going to get $100,000 (one lucky poor person for each secret "agent"). (I don't know if that's every episode or a grand finale.)
Stylista - Call it America's Next Top Fashion Editor. Then hand me the remote.
Surviving Suburbia - Zap2it calls this one "The hum-drum lives of suburbanites". Don't TV people realize that hum-drum doesn't play well on TV? Okay, actually, they say the hum-drum lives get turned upside down, but that's by a new neighbor who sues them to make them cut down a vine. Still sounds pretty hum-drum.
Valentine - Greek gods enter the contemporary world to play matchmaker. If the casting people found actors who were Greek godly, we would at least have something to look at every week. I'm going to try, but the one picture I've seen doesn't exactly feature Michelangelo's David and the Venus de Milo ... of course, some people might find a girl with arms a plus.
Worst Week - the commercials look horribly, abysmally bad, and since commercials are supposed to make you want to watch a show, I'm going to choose to believe them.

Remember, I am not a professional TV critic, haven't seen any of these shows (and thus don't actually know what I'm talking about. But this is what I'm basing my TV viewing on this fall.
If you're reading this and you're a network executive, instead of typing up that cease-and-desist order, think about how you could maybe try to attract someone like me who admittedly watches way too much television.