Author: DOuG pRATt

Garage garbage

Spent most of the day with Eric, cleaning out the garage. It should have been a Spring job, but it’s done. We took everything out, including from the always interesting loft (looks like a mouse and/or a squirrel was up there), gave the place a thorough sweeping and shop-vac, threw out a lot of stuff, and got everything back in, nice and neat.

In the loft I found the kiddie-sized resin chair Eric used when he was little. He sat in it for a moment as a joke and said we could throw it out, but I said keep it, in case a family with small children wants it. A few minutes later, a new family in the neighborhood with two small children walked by, and I offered the chair to them. They were happy to take it, and the father put in it the wagon he was pulling. It was one of those moments, that Eric doesn’t always appreciate, when I was able to say, “See? I told you.”

Back inside, I’m playing with the Squeezebox Touch I got for half price on a special deal from Logitech. The software still needs a few fixes, but that’s always the way with Logitech, and I have no buyer remorse with this purchase.

Happy birthday, Elvis?

August 16, 1977. Elvis Presley is born?

http://youtu.be/i57OqxAJlK8

At this link is Michele Bachmann’s other misstatement, about the battles of Lexington and Concord being in New Hampshire. Both of these examples can be brushed off as inconsequential, but in my experience people who are chronically careless about details are usually also weak on the fundamentals. In Bachmann’s case there’s the further issue that her positions on issues are filtered through her religious views. For example, the acceptance of evolution isn’t as controversial between scientists as Bachmann claimed here.

It’s valid to debate whether or not it was right to drop atomic bombs on Japan, but it’s not valid to argue whether or not nuclear fission works. By way of analogy, Bachmann and many in the Tea Party would have us think that nuclear fission isn’t a certainty.

But none of this matters, because I bet Bachmann won’t be nominated, let alone win the White House. Remember what happened to Ted Haggard? I wouldn’t be surprised if the same thing happens to Marcus Bachmann. At some point an old rendezvous buddy will show up and Bachmann won’t have plausible deniability. Being gay isn’t the issue. It’s the hypocrisy, stupid.

P.S. I forgot Michele’s other celebrity gaffe — the one about John Wayne.

When this old roof starts gettin’ me down…

A while ago I found a leak in the flashing around the chimney, and it’s gotten worse, so there’s no putting off finding a roofer to fix it. In the meantime, I’ve come up with this temporary workaround that reminds me of the funky idea I had when there was a leak in the basement a year ago last spring.

CBS Radio blocks online streams

CBS Radio has started selectively blocking online access to its stations. Radio.com on a browser works, but I use a Logitech Squeezebox Radio in my bedroom. This is what I hear when I try to listen to WBZ-Boston.

[audio:https://s3.amazonaws.com/dogratcom/Audio/2011/Aug/CBS_radio.mp3|titles=CBS Radio blocking stations]

Tunein.com now redirects to Radio.com, which doesn’t work with a Roku media player. I don’t know or care who CBS Radio is making happy by doing this, but it’s not me, and I have no intention of returning to AM radio to hear WBZ in the house.

Follow-up: There’s a workaround. I used the URL that’s been working in the Chumby.