Category Archives: Mr. Boy

Change for a $20 is a good idea

Posted on April 21, 2016 | 1 comment

I agree with the WSJ that Harriet Tubman to replace Andy Jackson on the $20 bill is a good idea. Even if I am related to Jackson by marriage. Andy’s use-by date is long past. Gathering mold for too long now.

Harriet would be a good choice for several reasons. Maybe the colored, er, people of, would stop whining so much with one of their own on the money. Maybe not. Worth a try. Also because Harriet was a gun owner (yay!) and a Republican. Now that’s change we can believe in.

Could be a lot worse. Could be Sojourner Truth, for instance. They taught Mr. B. about her in first grade. For several years he was sure she freed the slaves and I could not talk him out of it. Still can’t talk him out of much but he’s finally heard of Lincoln.

UPDATE:  Hmm, turns out Old Andy will be on the back of the bill which seems like a cluttered idea. He should be retired altogether for simplicity’s sake.

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Posted in Guns, History, Mr. Boy, Obamalot, The Culture

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Driving or texting?

Posted on April 9, 2016 | 2 comments

It’s not what you think. Not another one of those Don’t Text and Drive sermons.

It’s the observation of the father of one of Mr. B.’s chums. He noted that his 16-year-old son has no particular interest in getting his driver’s license. It reminded me of how slowly Mr. B. has been about moving through the end of his driving lessons. Putting the last ones off. Doing them once a week or every ten days.

My friend said when he and I were this age, we needed that driving license to get out of the house, to see friends, to go to the movies, to get out from under the parental thumb. Whereas nowadays, he said, they have private phones to talk and text with, Netflix to stream movies on, Xbox to play multi role player games with their friends, while talking to them on headsets, amid all the comforts of home.

Why go out? Why drive? Especially in Austin’s godawful traffic?

I suppose they’ll be too old for the real-life virtual reality games that are coming. That generation might be even less interested in getting a driver’s license. If unpopular public transportation can’t save the environment from the automobile, maybe the iphone and the Internet  can, eh?

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Posted in Mr. Boy, Obsessions, Rancho Roly Poly, The Culture

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Blade Runner

Posted on March 21, 2016 | 2 comments

Bought a copy of this flicker’s “final cut” on DVD to share with Mr. Boy at our new movie-of-the-week-at-home suggested by our counselor. Mr. B.’s never seen it. I remember liking it when I saw the classic scifi tale back in the day in one of the houses of sticky floors.

Been listening to the original soundtrack by Vangelis for several weeks now. Can’t remember how I got hooked back up to the music aspect. Hope the visual and story are as good as I remember. At least the flying cars were cool.

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Posted in Library, Mr. Boy, Music

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Rule 5: Paulette Goddard

Posted on March 7, 2016 | 1 comment

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Far and away the best part of a real stinker of a movie Mr. Boy and I watched last night: Charlie Chaplin’s “Modern Times” of 1936. Possibly Hollyweird’s first purely political film. But Ms. Goddard, (real name: Marion Levy) who crossed to the other side in 1990 at age 79, sure was easy on the eyes.

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Posted in History, Mr. Boy, Rule 5, The Culture

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Pumpkin’s Peripatetic Poop

Posted on February 23, 2016 | 2 comments

I usually scoop the poop out of Pumpkin’s litter box into a baggie people use to clean up after their dogs. Then, if I’m not interested in checking to make sure he’s not in the garage before I open the door, I put the baggie atop the spare tire on the back of the CRV. Planning to take it out when I take the car out.

Forgot it (of course) this afternoon, so when I took Mr. Boy for his haircut, I noticed as we were cruising through the neighborhood the baggie was still there atop the tire. I figured it would blow off. Brisk wind today. It didn’t. Entering the freeway, I was sure it would blow off. It slid in between the tire and the back window and stayed put.

I forgot about it at the barbershop and didn’t notice until the CRV was back in the garage that the poop bag was still there. Finally disposed of it properly. A little amazed at how persistent Pumpkin’s peripatetic poop can be. Heh.

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Posted in Mr. Boy, Rancho Roly Poly, Senor Gato

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Valentine’s Day with Mom

Posted on February 14, 2016 | 2 comments

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Mr. Boy and I took this rose and baby’s breath to the cemetery this morning and put in on his mother’s grave. We stayed a while talking about all the fun things Mrs. Charm used to do for us on Valentine’s: special breakfasts, lots of candy and cards. I’d buy the flowers.

It was warm but overcast and windy. At least it was quiet since we got there before the church crowd was released and its mourners convened. We plan to go back and do the same on her birthday. Maybe take a small cake and share it between us. I plan to order the stone later this week.

There is no “closure” with the grief over a lost loved one. You just learn to live with it. Creating new rituals is one way of coping. Mr. B. seemed a little less pensive afterwards. We both have a long way to go.

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Posted in Mr. Boy, Mrs. Charm, Rancho Roly Poly

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Shabbat Shalom

Posted on February 5, 2016 | 4 comments

Mr. B. surprised me by agreeing to join me tonight for services at our new synagogue of Temple Beth Shalom. He proved to be especially welcome because I had trouble hearing the page numbers.

Unlike me, Mr. B. is not as deaf as a post from a combination of age and too many automatic rifles going off at the same time too close way back in 1969.

I doubt if he will want to go very often so I’m planning to sit up closer. It’s that or find someone with normal hearing and sit beside them. As always, Rabbi Alan Freedman was a delight.

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Posted in Mr. Boy, Viet Nam

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