Wheel of Time and Caydence the Angel

 First of all I don't have a clue what "knowitall" is blubbering about. #ThankYouBrandon.   At least liberals have the balls to say FUCK Trump as opposed to hiding behind Brandon like a coward.  

And no - I don't like some of the things Biden has done but at least he is not mocking the handicap, having sex with another woman while married and ignoring the military so yea - I'm happy with Biden.  NOT my first choice but better  then a grifting treasonous weak loser.  I PRAY he runs (he won't because he is a coward) because it's a guaranteed win for the honest non-corrupt side.   

remember knowitall - you bet Obama would go to jail before the woman groper. 

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  MEANWHILE - I really have had not much to say.  I get up, have coffee, work on the NBA and NHL picks and then go work out.  Four times a week for about 1.25 hours.  Get home, have breakfasts and all my words are gone.  

Yea - been to the health club 20 times this month and it's starting to show. They have this awesome new rope thing that simulates climbing a rope.  I'll be like the guys in Black Sails soon  LOL    STILL - the best series I have ever seen.  

HOWEVER - DJ and I have started watching The Wheel of Time.  

We thought it was just a cheap rip off of Game of Thrones BUT NOOOOOOO!   90 million books sold second ONLY to Lord of the Rings and its REALLY REALLY good.   Prime

https://youtu.be/11ZozKfRqvA

 

Otherwise - all is well.  Family is fine - grandkids are awesome and I'm truly amazed how much a traveling ER nurse makes.  I've always said Caydence, who is gifted with Down Syndrome came to the family as a true angel.  

Without her Josh would have never gone head first into becoming a HIGHLY sought after traveling ER nurse.  Angels come in many forms it seems. 

Now if we can only get the complete idiots to get the vaccine we could get out of this Covid issue.  Seems they had to med flight a patient to Minnesota who was having a stroke as all the ICU beds in Wisconsin are full of unvaccinated morons. 

Now only are the unvaxed killing themselves but killing innocent people at the same time. 

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I finished Chris Wallace's "Countdown bin Laden : The Untold Story of the 247-Day Hunt to Bring the Mastermind of 9/11 to Justice"  

The guy was micromanaging  Al-Qaeda still.  They found applications for joining including checkboxes for wearing suicide vests and who the next of kin was.  Plus papers from field generals asking for raises and loans (he said no).  A lot of porn and opium and a ton of cartoon movies.  

Great book showing what can happen when everyone works together.    

I'm now reading The Wake of the Perdido Star by Gene Hackman - yup - the real Gene Hackman - he has a few books out.  It's pretty good.   

The Wisconsin Sleep Cohort study - year 30-ish - Don't Look Up

 First of all raisins

"Raisins are a nutrient-dense food that’s minimally processed, with no added ingredients or preservatives. But they’re also high in sugar and calories, so they should only be eaten in moderation".       
"Research shows that raisins can lower your risk of heart disease by reducing blood pressure and blood sugar. The fiber in raisins works to lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol, which reduces strain on your heart. Raisins are also a good source of potassium. Studies have found that low potassium levels contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. The amount of potassium our bodies need increases if our sodium intake is high, which is common for many people's diets today. As a low-sodium food, raisins are a great way to ensure you’re getting enough potassium."

just sayin - I don't think one of those little boxes will kill me.  And they are better than cheetos . . well . . not really flavor-wise  though, I would rather eat Cheetos - Cheese that goes crunch   

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Wisconsin Sleep Cohort study

When I started working for the state I was contacted to see if I wanted to be part of a lifelong long sleep study which seemed interesting but then they said they would pay me - FER SURE!! 

For 20 years I would answer a 200 question questionnaire and then go in to UW and they would give me a multitude of tests which would normally embarrass me with my lack of memory but then hand over a goodsize check to make me feel better.

Then Governor Walker, who never finished school and was the least educated Governor in Wisconsin history, canceled the lifelong study.  Knowledge is for losers. 

WELL -  A few weeks ago I was contacted and the study is on again but this was home visits. 

I got the questionnaire and they went through a ridiculous amount of covid protocols and last night they visited me and put me through the wringer once again.

Curious?  

Normal things like height and weight and measurements.  Then simple tests.  Sit, walk to a certain spot on the floor and go back all the while counting backwards by 7 from 125.  Easy. 

Next they put an object on the floor I had to step over and counting backwards from 90 by 3.  All of this is being timed. 

Then three balancing acts which were pretty easy.  One was stand toe to heal and balance for 10 seconds - piece of cake. 

The fun part was over.  Then came the memory drills. 

Remember when the X-president loser con man grifter did his memory test. Seems he left out a number of things like there were 15 words - not eight. 

WELL!!  I listen to 15 words, how many did I remember.  Then a 2nd time, how many NOW, then a 3rd time - how many - and finally a 4th time- how many.  Then different words - how many and FINALLY - without hearing the first words again how many did I remember.     

I got a total of  11 which I felt was pretty . . . OK

OH - a grip test for both hands.  They had me grip a solid  . . thing and squeeze as hard as I could 4 times. Then the other hand.  

They never told me any results from any tests ever -  BUT - one woman said "In my peer group" that was the hardest anybody had squeezed yet.  And my head swelled.  96 pounds with my right hand and 88 with my left.  

Then a dexterity test.  Put 50 tiny pin like keys (all the same) into tiny holes all pointing different directions.  ODDLY my right hand was not as dexterous as my left.  I could spin the little key thing in my thumb and index finger with ease with my left hand - a little harder with my right and weird thumb that was severely dislocated a few decades ago (but my bowling score average went from 172 to 194 after the dislocation). 

More tests.  Circles on a paper  1,2,3,4,5 and A B C D E type circles  alternating between numbers and letters draw lines as fast as you can. 

Then 2 typed pages double space with numbers.  cross out all the 6s as fast as possible. Did well after I change strategy halfway through.  Instead of my hand going left to right I went right to left so my eyes could scan ahead.

NEXT -a tough one - SEEMS simple but . . . . . . . . and I got a little embarrassed on this one  

in one minute - how many words can I say that begin with . . . . . C  go! 

First half minute I was fine but  WOW - after 30 seconds my mind was drawing blanks!!  I did say the "C" word that woman don't like.  LOL   Try it.  get a timer and pick a random letter - use your finger to pick a random one.  That last 30 seconds will blow your mind.  Do it with a coworker.

and if memory serves me correctly - that was it. Now I have to track my sleep time for a week and they gave my a nice size check (over $100) and see you next year.  

So they have 25 years of data from me from about 1991 with about 2000 other old people that worked for the state in the early 90s.   Not that I'm "old". You are only as old as you believe you are. Parts of me are older than the rest  :-)  I refuse to grow old  . . . . . mentally.  although I have noticed some words are just not there sometimes.      

The Wisconsin Sleep Cohort (WSC)

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  MANY MANY years ago there was a star guy on TV who would close every show with a "KEEP LOOKING UP".  

There is a new trailer from a movie with a TON of stars called  "Don't Look Up" That looks OUTSTANDING 

https://youtu.be/heYEyeKt9Ss

 

  

  Cheers 

        

Money Ball - and leafy greens

1,156,968 pages read  (so sad) 

Clark saw American Utopia at the Orpheum? When was this? DJ was asking if they ever were in Madison -how did we miss this. That must have been amazing!!  Well done. 

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I've had two photos on Channel 27 in the last couple weeks. This was on Monday I think. 

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Elwood finally watched Money Ball and commented how great that movie was and I agree.  

I was looking at which teams got the best bang for buck in baseball this year and what team totally sucked.  (2021 WAR * 8) - 2021 salary = net value 

Worst team in the league was the LA Angels but the Chicago Cubs were a close worst team in MLB. The Phillies were 21st and the Brewers were 5th best topped by Corbin Burns, Woodruff, Peralta, Adames and Wong - HOWEVER - the other side of the equation is JBJ, Hiura, Lindblom (WAS on my SOM team) Curtiss (who was that?) and Topa (also WAS on my SOM team).

and no Yelich was not in the bottom five.  

Interesting thing about Yelich.  He hit the ball harder and made more contact.  basically a huge bad luck year for Yellie.  He hit as many grounders as normal but they went into gloves.  He hit line drives harder but they went into fielders gloves.  

The analytical article I read was basically saying that in his MVP years he had great luck and in the last 2 years he has had horrible luck. Yea - there are some small tweaks and differences but analytically he is really not far off.   On average he hit line drives 1 foot farther and he has always been a ground ball hitter and he hit grounders harder then average . . . into gloves.

another stat showed that pitchers were REALLY good at hitting the corners against Yelich.  

Crossing fingers. 

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Getting new neighbors soon. We just can't keep neighbors.  The new ones are retired cow farmers from Columbus who no longer want to live in a farm but still wanted "country".  Then on the other side . . . I'm not sure anybody lives there but cleaning people are always around.  

and don't get me started on across the street where an older couple wanted to build a deck but needed it 12 inches wider for a wheelchair.  NOPE - not allowed and they had some pretty strong words about the city government and how they were treated.   

They LOVE Columbus citizens - "friendliest people they have ever seen".  Not so happy with city hall though.    

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DUNE - yup - pretty freaking good!!  a 2.5 hour movie that seemed like it was an hour long!  can't wait for the second episode  LOL 

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I hate green veggies - YUCK!  But because I have assumed diabetes even though I've been only 6 pounds overweight for 10 years I need to get more veggies in my diet. 

THUS - I'm eating carrots raw (they lose a LOT of goodness soft and I hate soft carrots) and canned spinach.   WAIT WAIT - I know what you are thinking  YUCK.  

DJ said that also but she had some of mine and said WOW - not bad at all actually . . AND . . MUCH MUCH better for you then fresh spinach. You can eat a LOT more and there is actually more vitamins in canned.  WEIRD 

Spinach is an AMAZING food. It's a super food that helps muscle, bones, blood sugars and so many things - it's basically a steroid.  POPEYE was right!!  No really!  Science has proven that spinach is an amazing diet supplement. 

I've tried green veggie drinks and almost gagged.  Now all I can do is take what I have and take a shot and rinse my mouth out.  

Also I've worked out 3 times this since Nov 1, my knee which was misdiagnosed at UW who wanted to replace my knee is feeling good (THANK YOU Prairie Ridge for being honest with me).  I'm aware of it but pain is never an issue unless I REALLY over work it - more muscle less pain it seems. 

So the wake-up assumed diabetes call has me working out and eating more veggies - not really a change of lifestyle at all.  Also eating more fruit like raisins and bananas.  

Nuff said at the moment. 

   

   

OMG Metallica S&M2

 A couple blogs ago I mentioned that we watched a Metallica documentary.  During the documentary they talked about combining with the San Francisco Symphony.  I had a CD from 1999 Metallica S&M and it was my first experience with symphonic rock (I discovered Nightwish a few years later). 

So I thought I would see if I could find this amazing piece - LO AND BEHOLD in 2019 - 20 years after Metallica S&M they did another concert. Metallica S&M 2   I order the DVD from Amazon ($11ish) and we planned on  listening to it Friday night.

DJ and I get home from Tequilas and we figured we would play it as background music while we played some yahtzee and shot some pool.  

I put the DVD in and we are preparing and then BOTH of us stopped.  WHAT THE F*CK are we hearing? This is AMAZING!   

The orchestra starts off and does a "solo" piece  that ROCKS OUT!!  WHAT?  I LOVE classical music but always felt Shostakovich was the rockstar in the 1940s - THIS?  a completely different animal.

We stopped and for the next 2.5 hours were literally glued to the most unique concert ever,  SO SO powerful. The Symphony was not just background but an integral and equal member of the band.  Typically most symphonic metal is the orchestra is just background - this?  WOW     

There is an intermission and the 2nd half begins with only orchestra and I will guarantee a lot of metal heads were turned on for the first time with orchestral rock with Scythian Suite Opus 20 II.  I will also guarantee most the the orchestra had never been to a rock concert. 

In the "extras" they interview the two conductors and they said it was "controlled chaos" but had no clue what the sound would be with an audience.   

One cool thing was there was a "we will play YOUR songs if you play OUR songs" - I literally just got chills. Yesterday morning I found the trailer and played if for DJ  she said "OMG - I just got chills and goosebumps - AMAZING" 

I think every piece in the orchestra plays every note of the concert - the electric cello duet with Lars the drummer is unworldly and the crowd was in a frenzy.   

https://youtu.be/yRCLe6_kBRc

   

Enter  Sandman 

I had to share - my friend Elwood "does not like music" - no really he said that.  Me?  If I had to choose between eyesight and hearing - I would choose hearing just so I would have music.  

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This morning Max on Channel 27 WKOW posted another photo of mine in the morning - that's 2 in 2 weeks I think. 

OK - nuff said - gotta rake leaves - the neighbors yard  is way way too clean.  He mows every 3 days  AAAGH!  LOL 

Diabetes, Eagle Rock Idaho and American Utopia

 SO - I have a new Doctor I had to meet as my old one retired (he was getting a little shaky anyway) and I needed bloodwork. 

Got the test back and I was in near perfect condition. Blood Pressure is 124/72  heart rate is 64, all the different cholesterols were optimum and everything was look GREAT!   

Then I get a call from my new young doctor - "You have Diabetes and need an appointment on changing your lifestyle ASAP" - WHAT?  

Let's see - I don't eat unhealthy but I'm not a "healthy" eater. No real fast food or restaurants, not MANY snacks, beer is maybe 2 a week (seriously - I drink more wine then beer) my weight has been constant for EVER (about 6 pounds over weight) and my hemoglobin has been in the 5.3% range since 2003 when I started my yearly spreadsheet (yes, I have a spreadsheet with all my blood work numbers) but all of a sudden in one year it's 7.2%?.

The only thing I can think of is with Covid and my knee I have not been working out although my knee is no longer an issue  . . . wearing a mask doing cardio is a issue.  I do walk the dog every day but that is more like a lazy stroll as he is a sniffer and not a walker.

So now I need to be talked too and a lifestyle change?   PERSONALLY I think it was blood work anomaly and I'm going to either say let's see what it is in a month OR can you tell me a specialist I can go too. 

On a good note I had started working out again Nov 1st and my knee feels GREAT and no masks so that is a literal step in the right direction. 

I DO have a "trigger finger" issue with my middle finger. Probably comes from giving it to all the gullible MAGA people that where "Way to go Brandon" caps (means F*ck Biden in their secret lingo).  Is that the most asinine thing you have ever seen?  They are cowards in my book. Why not just have a cap that says "I'm a gullible idiot". 

And don't get me started on Aaron dumbass Rodgers - what a moron.  I would be fine if he never takes another snap with the Packers. He's no leader in my view.  

sorry sorry - I'm angry that my 2 hard boiled eggs decided to hang on as long as possible to the shell. 

OH - we can fly helicopters on Mars but make an egg that deshells?  can't do it. 

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We watched David Byrne's American Utopia on HBO the other night - WOW - so so impressed. Every song is a unique adventure. You can't go wrong with 6 percussionist.  A must see if you ever loved The Talking Heads 

https://youtu.be/lg4hcgtjDPc

MEANWHILE - my brother is back from Idaho as he was researching history for book 2 of his trilogy and the City of Idaho Falls is 100% behind him and helping out. He visited the towns historical museum they said the yare 100% behind his book and will help in anyway. They ever have a recreation of the town when it was called Eagle Rock Looks like spring for the book to hardcover book to be published.  

Sort of a Deadwood, Hell on Wheels book with an astounding amount of research and history, a historical drama.  It's in one of the final editing stages.  Every character has a large back story (not in the book).  It's the real deal.  He did say Mormons might not be too happy but back then they were like the MEGA crowd - a bunch of crazy propaganda people. 

Can't wait.   

Carry on 

  

Fancy Park Motels, Metallica, Alice Cooper and Robe Lowe

 There was a suggestion in the comments about instead of a cabin in the woods for $275 per sq foot  to instead get a "Fancy Park Motel" instead.  WELL - that would be GREAT for 2 people but 2 grown ups with 3 kids it might get tight and really - those are $240 a sq foot houses.  LOL  AWESOME cute though.  

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We watched three documentaries this weekend. Two on AXS TV which is outstanding for music and concerts and one on NETFLIX. 

First was Metallica and how they never ever even thought about becoming famous.  Their first 3 albums were sort of bombs with big drums, big guitars and zero bass guitar and they pretty much figured to be a lifetime road band playing small gigs and eeking out a living.   

Then their next album was actually produced by someone who knew what they were doing - the Black album, which STILL sells 1 million copies a year.  

There is a story about how one of their slow songs was calling for an orchestral part and they contacted a conductor Michael Kamin who had never heard of Metallica.  He did his thing and sent it back and NEVER heard back for them. Not one word. vapor ware.

A year later he saw them accepting an award and heard them fir the first time live. THESE GUYS ARE GOOD!!   He went back stage and introduced himself and they all got up and shook and and said they LOVED LOVED what he did . . . but they went a different direction.   He hung out a while and they kicked around the idea of Metallica playing with a full orchestra.  

Nothing happened.  

EIGHT years later Kamin's agent, out of the blue calls him and says  - Hey - so and so from Metallica wants to do a concert with you . . .WHAT????   

Metallica S&M was my first  experience seeing metal rock and a full symphony orchestra ( San Francisco Symphony ) and if I would have seen this earlier in my life I would still be playing cello. And thus my absolute love for symphonic metal.  

https://youtu.be/qJj3xrkqdWU

 

Then we watched a thing following Alice Cooper.  

Our band Wonderhorse in highschool sort of took some  the groups theartics and used them and our grammy nominated drummer wore eye makeup like Vincent (who became Alice).  Mike Marquart went on to play for A Flock of Seagulls and created Windmark Recording and can be heard on a number of recordings with Coldplay, Jeezy, J. Cole, YG, Justin Timberlake, Pharrell, Kanye West, and Kendrick Lamar . . .but I digress 

Seems Alice was HATED in Los Angeles and were a road band surviving on peanuts and booze.  They got a gig in Detroit with MC5 and stole the show with their antics.  HOWEVER - they were made UBER famous by something they did not  even do at a different "fest".

They were suppose to play before John Lennon and near the end of their gig they had feather pillows that they ripped apart and with a fire extinguisher and feathers were going nuts on stage. 

Then from somewhere a chicken (nobody knows where the chicken came from) appears and Vincent (who soon becomes Alice Cooper) does a " I HONESTLY thought chickens could fly" thing and tosses it into the crowd thinking it would fly away . . . . . . It didn't. 

The crowd was in SUCH a frenzy never seeing anything like Cooper before the chicken met its demise and chicken parts were thrown onto the stage. WELL - media says Cooper ripped apart a chicken on stage which was not true but . . . . . . as you can imagine . . with every newspaper in the country reporting it the band had to make media appearances and they only wanted to talk to one person - Alice Cooper.  WELL - Alice Cooper was the band, not a person.

WHO IS ALICE COOPER . . . . SOMEONE has to be Alice Cooper and they all pointed at Vincent. 

So Vincent becomes Alice Cooper and as the years go by he becomes more and more and more Alice and less and less Vincent and drinking continually until he goes into rehab. 

Time goes by and he is sober but his bandmates are snorting coke and  . . well . . .he can do coke . . it's not beer right?  And he gets deeper and deeper into cocaine until one night he has locked himself into his house and a chunk of coke the size of his fist.  He has not slept for 3 days and at one point he looks in a mirror and his eyes are bleeding.  He sees this and realizes its not makeup - it's blood and in that one second he says at that point he had to make a decision - live or die. An ephoney.

 He goes to bed - sleeps for 14 hours, gets up and tosses the coke down the toilet, calls his parents and said I need Help. 

Goes to rehab where for the first time in a decades he is not Alice Cooper but Vincent Damon Furnier again. And that is the  Alice Cooper we see today, a scratch golfer with 29 albums who still tours. 

I saw Alice Cooper a few times.

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Then there is a documentary on NETFLIX called The Attack of the Movie Cliche' 

https://youtu.be/BC_mPcjsh1M

Rob Lowe who is a cliche' himself (I totally love Rob lowe) helps us understand.  It's fascinating and a little disconcerting when it comes to The Hero Negro.  There is a reason nobody brags about The Green Mile or Bagger Vance.  And then there's The Wilhelm Scream which is an industry inside joke.   

A scream created in the 1950s and still used today in hundreds of movies. When you hear it you will know.  

https://youtu.be/BC_mPcjsh1M

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have a great Monday