- Formula for an exciting evening – Take two six-year-old boys, give them pizza, ice cream, and popcorn, season with a Siamese cat and a Labrador Retriever, shake well, and let sleep out in the living room.
- I listened to the audiobook of Larry Correia’s Hard Magic this weekend. Now everything I read sounds like Bronson Pinchot in my head.
- The stereo at the pool was playing the Miami Vice theme song this morning. I happened to be wearing a brightly colored tee-shirt and a two-day beard. I’m sorry to report that Moonshine did not turn into an alligator while we were away.
- Note to self – When reading political news stories, which is just about all news stories these days, just read the story and do not read the comments.
- The stupid runs deep on both sides of the aisle this year.
- I’m drawing the line at not buying gummy eyeballs for Halloween.
- By the way, if you makecorndogs in the oven as a treat, and leave about seven of them on the stove, you must realize thatcorndogs are like crack to Labrador Retrievers.
- Of course, I got the “Who, me? I don’t know what you’re talking about!” look, but he’ll crack under interrogation.
- Started cleaning out the garden beds tonight. The cucumbers are done, and the tomatoes aren’t far behind. We should know if the potato box worked in about three weeks.
- When pulling a weed out of your pepper patch, make sure you’re not grasping a pepper plant that’s covered in almost mature chilis.
All posts for the month August, 2014
Musings
Posted by daddybear71 on August 31, 2014
https://daddybearsden.com/2014/08/31/musings-74/
Today’s Earworm
Posted by daddybear71 on August 31, 2014
https://daddybearsden.com/2014/08/31/todays-earworm-538/
Product Review – Sony Noise Canceling Headphones
On a recent trip, I was seated at that wonderful spot on an airplane where I can hear not only the engines and slipstream, but also every noise made by the other people in the magic flying tube. I was trying to listen to a history podcast on my phone, but eventually had to give up. The foam tips of the earbuds just didn’t block out enough sound, and the voice of the narrator was drowned out by white noise.
Upon landing at my destination, I spent some time poking around for a better solution, and found the time sink that is noise-canceling headsets. Price points went anywhere from “nice dinner out with the wife” to “car payment”, promises were almost as astronomical, and online forums reminded me of the worst of the “Glock versus 1911” debates.
In other words, what you decide to get depends mainly on who you believe and how much money you’re willing to part with. I settled on what seemed a reasonable price from a manufacturer I have used before, and bought a pair of Sony MDR-NC13 earbuds.
The NC13 is a comfortable set of earbuds, with a small (pack of gum sized) battery pack that clips to your shirt. Its noise canceling function worked extremely well on my return trip, and it allowed me to listen to my podcasts and music with about equal ability to hear the playback. Most of the ambient noise was eliminated, and even the quietest music or speech came through clearly. Sound quality was slightly better than the cheap earbuds I had been using, but wasn’t in the “you’re in the lecture hall” sound promised by higher-priced options.
The NC13’s come with a AAA battery, an adaptor to allow the earbuds to be used for in-seat airline audio, a device for gathering up extraneous wire, and a selection of soft earbuds in small, medium, and large.
The positive things I found about the earbuds were that they do a good job of delivering decent sound in high noise environments, such as on an airplane or while mowing the lawn. The earbuds themselves are remarkably comfortable in the ear. The dual capability of the set to either work as normal or noise-canceling headphones saves on battery power. I’ve been using the set pretty regularly since May, and I’m still using the battery they came with. The price point of between $60 and $80, depending on vendor and shipping, is toward the lower end of the price spread for noise-canceling headphones.
The things I wasn’t so happy about is the lack of any controls or a microphone on the headset. I’ve become accustomed to headsets with start/stop, volume, and forward/reverse controls on the cord. The lack of a microphone to use on a smart phone also is also a negative. If I’m listening to music with the NC-13’s and the phone rings, rather than clicking on a button and starting the conversation, I have to remove my phone from my pocket, disconnect the headset, and then answer the phone. I know, it’s a small inconvenience, but when I can get that from a cheap pair of $20 name-brand earbuds, I expect to get it from a $70 pair of noise-canceling earbuds.
So, I’d give this headset about a 7 out of 10. The price was decent, as was the quality of the sound they produce and the amount of noise they remove. However, the lack of what really ought to be standard features in this age of smart devices brings it down quite a bit.
Posted by daddybear71 on August 31, 2014
https://daddybearsden.com/2014/08/31/product-review-sony-noise-canceling-headphones/
Movie Quotes – Day 243
My name is Addison DeWitt. My native habitat is the theater. In it I toil not, neither do I spin. I am a critic and commentator. I am essential to the theatre. — All About Eve
Giving criticism is easy, taking it is much more difficult. But it’s an essential part of improvement and success. Even if you have the personal integrity to look at your own work and be able to point out where you have done poorly, getting the perspective of someone else can show you things you never considered.
Of course, how comments are given makes a huge difference. “You are crossing your thumbs when you bring your support hand up.” is better than “You’re holding it wrong!” or worse. Criticism needs to be constructive and helpful if it is to be heeded.
Posted by daddybear71 on August 31, 2014
https://daddybearsden.com/2014/08/31/movie-quotes-day-243/
Movie Quotes – Day 242
Well, boys, we got three engines out, we got more holes in us than a horse trader’s mule, the radio is gone and we’re leaking fuel and if we was flying any lower why we’d need sleigh bells on this thing… but we got one little budge on them Rooskies. At this height why they might harpoon us but they dang sure ain’t gonna spot us on no radar screen! — Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
When are you out of the fight? At what point do you pack it in and accept defeat? It is completely up to you. You decide when you’ve had enough and want to stop trying, not the one who is hurting you. This is true in violent situations, but it is even more true in just every-day relationships. Are you going to let an abusive boyfriend beat you into submission, or are you going to stand up and stop taking it? Are you going to let a cheating wife get away with it one more time, or are you going to stand up and stop taking it? Yes, you’ve been knocked down. Yes, you’re bruised, bloody, and beat up. But you are not finished until you say so.
Posted by daddybear71 on August 30, 2014
https://daddybearsden.com/2014/08/30/movie-quotes-day-242/
Blogs Roundup
- Graybeard does a good job explaining the difference between .308 and 7.62x51mm. He also gives us a good graphic on the subject.
- Ex Bootneck points us to the different field rations used around the world. I miss the five fingers of death, myself.
- Drang explains why sometimes the stupid directions are stupid for a good reason, not just because sometimes soldiers are, well, stupid.
- Some people have all the luck. This month, at least in the gun department, its Pediem.
- Marko reminds us of Peel’s rules for policing. Remember, police are fighting a low-level conflict all the time, and they need the trust and cooperation of the people to be successful. Once they lose that, they aren’t much more than an occupying force.
- Captain Tightpants gives us his views on the Ferguson, Missouri, Kerfluffle of 2014.
- One of Raindogblue’s compatriots is in a bad way, and could use our thoughts and prayers.
- Mrs. Homegrown gives some good pointers on using worms to aid in composting.
- Commander Zero weighs in on the .40 versus 9mm versus .45 ACP debate, and the graphic he uses is worth your price of admission all by itself.
Posted by daddybear71 on August 30, 2014
https://daddybearsden.com/2014/08/30/blogs-roundup-47/
I Believe
Haven’t done one of these in a while, so here goes.
I believe that if someone else has to pay for you to exercise your rights, then maybe you need to reevaluate what is and what isn’t a right.
I believe that spreading fear in order to move the masses one way or the other has become a growth industry in American politics.
I believe that stupidity should hurt, and real stupidity should be fatal.
I believe that there is a happy medium between Barney Fife and a jackbooted thug, and that we have swung way over into the jackbooted thug side of things in a lot of places.
I believe in American trucks, Texas barbecue, and Kentucky bourbon, but I’m a true internationalist when it comes to firearms.
I believe that if you let your vote be taken for granted, then you get the politicians you deserve.
I believe that running a lawnmower before 7 AM and after 7 PM ought to be a hanging offense.
I believe that if you can’t play by the rules, then you should go play your games somewhere else.
Posted by daddybear71 on August 29, 2014
https://daddybearsden.com/2014/08/29/i-believe-2/
Overheard in the Living Room
Irish Woman – Boo has an appointment with the pediatrician on September 19.
Me – Is it in the calendar?
Irish Woman – Yep.
Me – I have a dentist appointment next Thursday at 2.
Irish Woman, smiling – Is it in the calendar?
Me, smiling and nodding – Yes.
Irish Woman – Why are you making that face at me?
Me – I’m smiling.
Irish Woman – Oh, it looks like you want to rip my head off. Sorry.
Yeah, maybe I need to work on the smile in the mirror a bit.
Posted by daddybear71 on August 29, 2014
https://daddybearsden.com/2014/08/29/overheard-in-the-living-room-20/
Movie Quotes – Day 241
Remember, you’re fighting for this woman’s honour, which is probably more than she ever did. — Duck Soup
One of my rules for Girlie Bear is that she has to dress like a lady three times every school week. Without that rule, she’d be perfectly happy to wear old shorts or jeans and bad attitude tee shirts and sweatshirts. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but she needs to be more. I want her to know how to dress in a feminine manner because I want her to know how to do it without looking like a street-walker. I want her to know the difference between dressing up to go to the club and getting dressed for work. I want her to know that, when it comes to cosmetics, less is more. I want her to learn that being attractive is better than looking trashy.
In other words, I live in abject fear that she might attract the kind of man I used to be, and I’m doing everything I can to prevent that.
Posted by daddybear71 on August 29, 2014
https://daddybearsden.com/2014/08/29/movie-quotes-day-241/
Book Review – The Book of Barkley: Love and Life Through the Eyes of a Labrador Retriever
The Book of Barkley: Love and Life Through the Eyes of a Labrador Retriever, by L.B. Johnson, is a memoir that tells the tale of her experiences raising a puppy and letting it become her companion and protector. The story Mrs. Johnson tells is at different times funny, introspective, and sad. From the adventures of teaching a labrador puppy manners and housebreaking him, to the final trip to the vet that all pet owners dread, but know will happen someday, this book gives us a window in to the love and trust between a woman and her best friend.
Mrs. Johnson is an outstanding writer, and the amount of thought that went into this work really shows. When she describes a scene, such as when Barkley chases a miscreant away from her yard, I could see it playing out in my mind’s eye. Her descriptions of environments and people are excellent, and her writing evokes emotions on every page. To be honest, I laughed out loud at a lot of this book, and I shed tears at times. I can’t say that about most things I read.
However, while this book was not difficult to read, it is not a fast read. Cover to cover, it took me two weeks to finish it. This was due to a need to set it down and give myself time to ruminate over the chapter or two that I had just finished. Like I said, the author is a master at setting a scene and transporting you to a time and place she wants to describe. After doing that for a while, I needed to think about what she was trying to say and the message she was trying to convey.
One of the best things I can say about any book is that I plan to read it again and that I plan on giving it to my children to read. The Book of Barkley has found a permanent home on my bookshelf, and once Girlie Bear and her brothers have found a space in their school reading lists, they are going to be encouraged to experience Mrs. Johnson’s story.
In other words, this is a book in which I think everyone will find something that will touch them. If you’ve ever had that special pet that was your constant companion, you will connect with this story, and I heartily recommend it.
Posted by daddybear71 on August 28, 2014
https://daddybearsden.com/2014/08/28/book-review-the-book-of-barkley-love-and-life-through-the-eyes-of-a-labrador-retriever/
DaddyBear
DaddyBear’s Den 