Feeling A Bit Off Today

Sometimes, I am not happy.  Yeah, who isn't sometimes?   But "unhappy" doesn't mean "miserable" either.  Maybe unsatisfied is the better term. 

I don't watch the "usual" TV shows.  No sitcoms for a couple decades (the sad exploits of the characters came to depress me and they are start back at square one the next episode, having learned nothing).  Never watched a reality show or a dramatic soap.  Shows about aliens or weird places on Earth (that always turn out to be fake) make me annoyed.

So, I watch 6 kinds of shows (which seem like a lot, but they aren't...  Sports occasionally; the local teams.  I don't watch sports for the sport (I don't even watch the Superbowl), but I have a relatively meaningless interest in a couple of college and professional teams.  I actually have no idea why.  Serious science and history; they often explain new findings or dramatize actual historical events in new ways.  Political commentary like MSNBC and CNN and Bill Maher for discussion of real news events.  Actual animated comedy shows; not cartoons (though I used to) but well-drawn plot-oriented animation with a good touch of satire and sarcasm.  Stuff like Futurama, Archer, Cowboy Beebop, Full Metal Alchemist, etc.  I enjoy absurd humor.  And a couple really strange animated shows that I've found over the years.

Bear with me...

One of the last category was 'Samurai Jack'  (created by Genndy Tartakovsky ).  The plot is that a shape-shifting  evil wizard (Aku) takes over an ) Earth. world after defeating samurais.  One samurai's son almost defeats him but is cast into the future where the son can have no affect on his world-conquering plans.  So the son lives in a future utterly and completely controlled by Aku.

That world has all sorts of weird creatures on it, all dominated (some good, some evil) by Aku.  He helps the downtrodden while seeking a way to get back to the past and destroy Aku.  It went on for about 5 seasons, so I'm not going to bore you about episodes.  

But he makes friends along the way.  In the final season (with a gap of 10 years).  His friends collect to fight Aku (and lose).  Aku cannot be defeated in the present (Jack's future).

The series ended with Jack finally back in his original time accompanied by a female ninja.  She (a daughter of Aku) had spent several episodes trying to kill him.  I should mention that while Jack destroyed a whole lot of robots, he never actually killed a single living being until the female ninja and her sisters cornered him.  His shock at realizing he had killed living beings was intense.  One survived.

But she saw a butterfly alight on Jack's finger and it triggerred a memory of her childhood (enough to change her mind about her father Aku teaching her that Jack was evil).  

Jack's happiness is short-lived.  During the wedding, the female ninja fades away.  She was of the future and couldn't be Aku's daughter since he Jack had finally killed him in the past.  He finds a horse in the woods like one he had seen in dreams.  They go off-screen.  End.

I found the ending entirely satisfactory (how many TV shows actually have "endings" after all?) though many viewers were upset.   They wanted a longer fight with Aku.  They wanted a happier ending.  That wasn't the point.  

Genndy Tartakovsky isn't into "happy endings".  He was examining loyalty, struggling, and persistence. 

Genndy Tartakovsky is a minimalist animator (or at least directed his team to be).  His trees were simple and all the same.  His landscapes were sparse (nearly "road-runnish").  His characters were drawn in a simplified manner and if there was a group of them they were pretty much identical.  He wasn't concerned with the artistry so much as the message.  "Help other beings and they will help you".

Which gets me to the subject I really want to discuss. (and you thought I was done, LOL!)..

Two years ago, I stumbled across a new animation series.  It is called 'Primal'.  It was a newer Genndy Tartakovsky project.  I stumbled across it at the start.  I immediately recognized the artwork as his (from Samurai Jack).  I knew nothing about the show.

The series is scientifically absurd.  A caveman and a smallish type of T Rex bond and they struggle against unlikely huge snakes and bats and supernatural creatures.  I have to explain the bond though.

The caveman's name is Spear (for the weapon he used) and the half-sized T Rex type (something like "valapator").  Spear and Fang never spoke in the first year.  They both yelled a lot.  That in itself was interesting.  Spear's family was eaten by actual T Rexs.  Spear he sought revenge, and found Fang.  But  real T Rex ate her young and Spear attacked it as did Fang.  They drove it off.

Most absurdly, they formed a bond.  I know, "yeah right".  But I am OK with "the temporary suspension of reality".  He screams, she roars...  But somehow she understands that he helped her.

The first season, they just go around together struggling to survive among oversize bad critters.  The point was that they somehow got along.  And, again, never a word was said by either.  Yet you could understand what was going on.  It was extremely violent fighting "the nasties" but the occasional tough to the head and sleeping together showed the bond.

The 2nd season, things got more complicated.  Spear (presented as a bulky over-the-top Conan type) rescues a more advanced woman from a Viking-like culture.  He finally understands a word she says to mean her name.  Mira (could be Meera).  

She is determined to return to her home and somehow a ship is built (I forget some details).  They sail away.  At some point, he repeats her name.  I saw that coming and was annoyed.  Spear isn't supposed to speak.  On the other hand, it is the only word he ever says (though he repeats her name in later episodes).

Season 2 is mostly about Spear and Fang accompanying Mira, Fang having a clutch of 3 eggs and some weird evil female ship captain/queen mostly being a pirate with a city-sized ship.  She controls the ship by having the crew's children in prison.  There is also one huge guy who can destroy nearly anything and anyone.  

Spear is almost unstoppable.  Fang is of course violent and eats warriors for breakfast (literally).  But the huge guy defeats them.  He is controlled because the evil captain has his daughter.

They all defeat her and go on.  But there are signs that Spear and Fang are "wearing out".  But they find Mira's home island.  She is thrilled, but sad remembering the loss of her tribe.  Suddenly, she discovered that many survived.  They are welcomed into the new hillside village.

In an empty room he is offerred for sleeping, Spear blows charcoal over his hand.  And then (staring) draws the story of his life.   His parents, and children, the T Rex that ate them and Fang;s young  (Spear and Fang killed it earlier), meeting Fang, meeting Mira.  And a final blown hanprint with fingers closed.

Of course, it can't be easy.  A demon-enhanced old enemy appears.  The demon shoots fire.  It injures Fang badly and then spews fire on Spear.  Spear launches enough of an attack to cause The Master Demon (no explanation of that) to pull it down.

Fang is OK, but Spear is horribly burned.  The newest episode (Season Finale) showed Spear burnt and disfigured.  The Shaman treats him but leaves (which suggests no hope).  Mira kind of forces sex with him.

In the last scene, there are several of Fang's type of dinosaurs.  Mira is there, looking a bit older.  I girl cteen looking a lot like Spear and Mira combined is riding one of Fang's grown-up babies.

My conclusion is that Spear died, but that life goes on.  There seem to be debates on Reddit, but I'm not going to go there.

What saddens me (to get back to the original point).  I suspect the series is ended with Spear's death.  And that wouldn't be the worst thing.  It was an ending...

So a favorite show ended this week.  I feel sad about that.  

 

Tree Stump And Root Grinding

After seeing that the buried utilities were "officially" marked with lawn paint, and considering how long it would take for some of the stumps and roots to decay, I gave in and called the tree service.  They will be here this afternoon.  It's worth just getting over with.

I say"officially" because I'm sure the Miss Utility botched the job.  I've had it done before, and I recall there being a lot more lines and colors of paints.  But I now have "official" County documentation about where excavation is permitted.

I'm not trying to be cute or legalistic.  The utilities are buried 18-36" deep and the stumps and roots will only be grinded 6" or less.  There is only one stump close to the utilities and I will have them be careful about it.

I just want to have this project over with.

Remembering 9-11

I had intended to post about conspiracy theories regarding 9-11 yesterday, but my heart just wasn't in it.  It was a day of remembrance, not a day of argument.  So I thought I might do that today.  But I don't feel like it today either.

I decided there just wasn't really any point in doing so.   The people who think the US Govt or some secret society really did it are not going to change their minds due to anything I say.  Like any of them would be reading my blog at all, anyway...

And it wouldn't be of any value to people who generally agree with the "official version" of the tragedy (as I do).  In almost every situation, there are facts and there are imagined facts.  Each side of many disagreements is utterly and completely positive that "the other side" is the one using the "imagined facts", so what's the point of spending an hour debating "so subjects".  Although I will hasten to say that "some subjects" have actual facts and uncertainties on both sides, and I will engage in those subjects more willingly.

So, I watched a couple of hours on TV that repeated or reconstructed the major events of 9-11.  There was nothing new, and how many times can you watch the Twin Towers fall?  How many times can you watch he same people fleeing the debris cloud?  How many times can you see the aftermath of massive girders sticking up at the remnants of the buildings? 

I finally just turned off the TV.  It's not like I am forgiving or forgetting, but repetition begins to dull the memory rather than enhance it.  You see one muder of TV and it is a shock.  The 10th doesn't have the same impact.  The 100th gets a back page in the newspaper...

My recollection of the events of the day is still sharp and bitter.  My building in Washington DC was made of concrete and stone.  I physically felt the shockwave of the plane that hit the Pentagon.  We had a multiple TV conference room  in the office (we had an emergency management function.

I and everyone else rushed there.   I may be confused a bit about the timeline after 21 years, but I think the 1st Tower had fallen and they were replaying the collapse.  Most everyone was just crying or had turned away in shock.  By complete coincidence, I was the only one watching and suddenly shouted "that's the 2nd tower falling".  Everyone snapped to attention.  

Shock all over again.  There was an almost immediate announcement that all employees were dismissed until further notice.  We were on the top floor and there was a roof top we could access.  I looked out and saw the streets were packed with unmoving cars.  

I was the carpool driver that day, so I advised the carpool we weren't going anywhere right then.  Flight 93 had been announced as heading towards Washington.  I stood on the rooftop looking around.  Well, we couldn't get away and our building was block away from The White House.  So I decided to just watch.

When we learned that Flight 93 had crashed I also observed that the traffic was mostly gone.  I told the carpool we were leaving.  The drive home was difficult, emotionally and trafficwise.  I had to go on roads I was unfamiliar with.  Finally stumbled on one that I knew from previous traffic reports.  We got to our homes.  

Spent that night and the next day watching the news.  Slowly, some understanding of what had happened and who had caused it began to come out.  The initial reports were actually wrong in many ways but some sense of a timeline came out and possible people involved.  

A slightly funny story.  Not funny "ha-ha", but funny "I was upset and confused and not thinking well".  At home I was trying to decide who to remember the date in my mind.  Historical dates are always arbitrary, but you learn them culturally.  

I am bad about new dates so I searched for "something" that might help me recall the date.  You wouldn't believe how long it took me to realize that September 11th was also 9-11.  I have no idea about other nations, but 911 is the emergency telephone number in the US.  DUH, so obvious, easy to remember, and it escaped me completely for  what seemed like a long time.  To this day, I sometimes wonder if that's why the attackers picked the date.  

This is more than I expected to post about today, but I suppose I have a lot to let out...

We decided to attack Afghanistan because we learned that The Taliban had given Bin Laden shelter.  The day I heard about US plans to attack The Taliban, I thought it was wrong.  The explanation was that they had helped him with support and possibly planning and training.

Not that I knew much about Afghanistan at the time, but it didn't seem likely.  Afghanistan was a very internally-oriented "barely-nation".  There were plenty of reasons to dislike Afghanistan (opium trade, brutal suppression of both women specifically and everyone in general, and really medieval warlord-oriented control).

I thought the best response was to find out who specifically planned the attack and go after them as terrorists/criminals using Interpol and the CIA and other nation's security forces.  But President Bush II (driven by Dick Cheney and others who loved projecting US military force around the world) decided a full out war.  Well, of course, they decided "we would win easily".

Some people never learn.  Afghanistan is just not conquerable.  The British tried it, the Russians tried it.  IIRC, Alexander The Great tried.  All failed.  So of course, we had to try too.  And failed.

I sometimes suspect that the 2000 US presidential election will be judged by history as a major failure.  Al Gore should have been legally judged as President.  That is a personal opinion based on what I understand of law from experts in the field.  

I suspect President Gore would have made a very different decision than President Bush II did.  More covert action, less warfare.  But I reiterate that is a personal opinion.  We will never know.

What we do know now (and knew early after 9-11) is that the planner/organizer Bin Laden  and the perpetrators of the attack were all Saudis.  Or if we did know, we were afraid of their oil power and apparent control over the stability of politics in The Middle East.

Hindsight is 20/20...

Remembering

 

Unhappy Camper

 I am NOT in a good mood today.  The tree service company has irritated me beyond belief.

First, let me mention that there is a consolidated public service (Miss Utility) number to call before homeowners or contractors do any excavating around buried public utilities.  Maybe not everyone has that.  But here, they come and paint lines on the lawn where the utilities are.  No one can dig within 18" nearby or down in my area.  Miss Utility promises to do the painting in "2 business days".

If a contractor is doing the digging, they have to call Miss Utility themselves for legal reasons.  The homeowner (according to the website can only arrange for that if they are doing the digging themselves.

Second, the company I called to do the tree removal  is a husband and wife team.  He does the tree removal (with a crew) and she manages the office.  I am embarassed to even mention this, but "English is a second language for both".  But it probably has some consequences to the situation.

So...  Sept 1st, she called to say they would arrive Sunday  Sept 4th.  I asked if they had called Miss Utility about the 2 tree stumps near the utilities.  She didn't know.  The husband called back to say it wasn't necessary.  I explained that 2 of the stumps they needed to grind were near utility lines.  I explained that the law said the contractor had to call Miss Utility.  He said he would.  

On Sunday, the lines had not been painted, so the contractor said he would return when they were to do the stump-grinding.  OK.  Seemed reasonable.  They removed the trees and I paid him half the quote.

By Thursday (4 business days, the lines were not painted).  I called Miss Utility to ask about that.  They had no work order for my address.  After being transferred a couple of times, I reached a very helpful person who finally advised me there was no work order within a few blocks of me.  But she opened one (in spite of me not being the contractor).  They will arrive Sept 14th (5 business days) and she gave m e a ticket number.  I thanked her very much.

So I called the tree removal company to ask them what their ticket number for the utility-painting was.

That's where everything went bad...

I could hardly understand her to begin with, but I blamed myself (I have always had trouble with accents domestic or foreign and as I say, blame myself for that).  But all I was asking was for the ticket number for their original call to Miss Utility.  Seemed like a simple question.

During our 15 minute telephone call, I was not allowed to finish One... Single... Sentence!  Please understand that, in the office doing some trouble-shooting work, my co-workers sometimes expressed their surprise at my patience.  It doesn't come naturally to me, but I tried to be "Mr Spock". It helped me solve a lot of problems...

It is hard to summarize a frustrating 15 minute telephone call, but I try to get at the gist of it.  And note, I had to struggle to ask any questions because she kept talking before I finished, so this is actually an rather perfected version of how the conversation went (baby screaming in the background - that matters)...

ME:  Can you give me the ticket number of the Miss Utility work order?

HER:  They cancelled the ticket twice.

ME:  Can I please have the ticket number?

HER:  We will be there then they tell us the lines are painted.

ME:  OK, so they cancelled the work order?

HER:  Yes.

ME:  What did you do about that?

HER:  Nothing we can do when they cancel the work order.

ME:  What did you intend to do after they cancelled the work order?  I need the stumps grinded down.

HER:  They cancelled the work order.

It went around in circles from there.  I couldn't get their ticket number, any explanation of what they intended to do about that, or what would happen next.  She seemed to expect to wait (for a cancelled work order?)

I finally gave up and ended the call.  I waited 20 minutes and called the husband's number (same baby screaming).  He speaks better English than she does (and they both speak English than I speak Spanish - 56 years ago in high school, so they are better at languages than I am).

To my surprise, I got the same run-around from him.

I think they never called Miss Utility.  The nearest work order they (Miss Utility) had was 4 blocks away.  And I am supposed to call them (the tree company) when the lines are painted.

I won't call them.  I don't want them to darken my door again, ever.  I paid them half the cost of the work for the half they did.  The woman is *%#^ing nuts and the husband is apparently not far behind her.  There are reasons why some business fail.

I'm going to cover the areas they were "supposed" to grind out with "Brush-B-Gone" and heavy black plastic.  They will rot out in time (I'm a patient person).  Be assured I would have been glad to pay them to complete the job.  I may call another tree service about the stumps and roots...

But damn I'm annoyed about this!

Tech Dummy

I can be so stupid about tech stuff sometimes...  Seriously, I bought my first smartphone over a year ago and I can't figure out how to navigate around it.  And then my TV remote control went weird.

"All of a sudden" the TV On, Mute, and Volume buttons wouldn't work. Well, it was at least 10 years old, so I figured it had a failed circuit.  I ordered one online.  It had the same problem (which seemed weird) but it a cheap feel to it so maybe that was an expensive circuit or something.

I ordered "the real thing" and it didn't work.  So I figured it must be the "set top box" failing.  I suspected a replacement would mean no TV for a week.  

Did I mention the new sound bar I tried to install?  Of course not.  That might have made things too obvious. 😉.   It takes some internet access and I just hadn't gotten around to it.  I am great at procrastination.I am also reasonably good at analysis.  But sometimes my subconscious is the better part of me.  

I woke up in the middle of the night and decided the new (unworking) sound bar was blocking the signal.  The next morning, I moved the sound bar away and the remote worked perfectly!

How did my dreaming mind know that?  I suppose that, having nothing better to do while I was sleeping,  my mind considers unanswered questions.  That isn't unusual for me (or anyone else for all I know).  It is the sudden recall of a name you have forgotten or the name of a song, whatever.  

And what made me suddenly wake up after my subconscious mind arrived at the right answer? My subconscious must have considered many possibilities that were not the correct answer.  How did "I" know?

Meanwhile, I really need to get at that soundbar setup site...  😊