Bill Bodden's Blog, page 5
May 11, 2020
An Emergency Move
Things came to a head last week: our 17+ year-old clothes washing machine was acting up in ways that were worrisome. T, ever the consummate troubleshooter, looked up the problem online. "Oh no," she exclaimed. "It sounds like the main bearing is shot. We could replace it, but it would cost at least as much as buying new, and with no guarantee that anything else about that machine wouldn't catastrophically fail shortly after."
"Merde." I said wittily, and we hopped in the car, carefully enmasked, to see about buying a new machine. The process was relatively painless. As is her wont, T had already scoped out Consumer Reports for the most highly-rated machines, and as it happened they had the model we wanted in stock - if we were willing to take the floor model. Supply issues have hit the appliance industry hard. Nothing about them is considered essential, or so I gathered, so many factories are shut down with no end in sight to the supply drought for new machines. We bought the thing we'd just been kicking and leaning on and counted ourselves lucky. That was Wednesday. On Friday, our new machine would be delivered.
Once back in the car, we looked at each other and groaned. Our basement...
To read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2020/05/11/an-e...
"Merde." I said wittily, and we hopped in the car, carefully enmasked, to see about buying a new machine. The process was relatively painless. As is her wont, T had already scoped out Consumer Reports for the most highly-rated machines, and as it happened they had the model we wanted in stock - if we were willing to take the floor model. Supply issues have hit the appliance industry hard. Nothing about them is considered essential, or so I gathered, so many factories are shut down with no end in sight to the supply drought for new machines. We bought the thing we'd just been kicking and leaning on and counted ourselves lucky. That was Wednesday. On Friday, our new machine would be delivered.
Once back in the car, we looked at each other and groaned. Our basement...
To read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2020/05/11/an-e...
April 27, 2020
Going Postal
There's been a move afoot for years to privatize the US Postal Service. Mandated in the Constitution itself (Article 1, Section 8, for those who need verification), the US Postal Service can only be dismantled by a major, concerted effort, including a constitutional convention -- and that effort is well underway.
In recent years, Republican-controlled Congress demanded that the Postal Service fund 70+ years worth of pensions - something no other private business or government agency is required - or even encouraged - to do, as a way to drive the service into desperate insolvency. Then, by demonstrating how poorly managed and insolvent the service is, calling a constitutional convention to dissolve it and accept bids from private firms to deliver the mail will seem like a no-brainer to many Americans. Chillingly, if such a convention is successfully called, other amendments can be added, including reducing or outright eliminating access to birth control, as well as limiting the right to protest. Right now, the Republicans control a majority of state senates and legislatures, so they have the power to do it. Fortunately, it takes something like two-thirds of the states to call for such a convention to make it happen. Unfortunately, we are only a very small handful of states away from this happening.
To read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2020/04/27/goin...
In recent years, Republican-controlled Congress demanded that the Postal Service fund 70+ years worth of pensions - something no other private business or government agency is required - or even encouraged - to do, as a way to drive the service into desperate insolvency. Then, by demonstrating how poorly managed and insolvent the service is, calling a constitutional convention to dissolve it and accept bids from private firms to deliver the mail will seem like a no-brainer to many Americans. Chillingly, if such a convention is successfully called, other amendments can be added, including reducing or outright eliminating access to birth control, as well as limiting the right to protest. Right now, the Republicans control a majority of state senates and legislatures, so they have the power to do it. Fortunately, it takes something like two-thirds of the states to call for such a convention to make it happen. Unfortunately, we are only a very small handful of states away from this happening.
To read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2020/04/27/goin...
April 23, 2020
Little Adjustments
We all know life is weird right now. Things are by necessity different, and we're all doing our best to cope. Some are coping better than others, but that's another tale for another time. I'm managing to keep it together, at least for now.
I do the grocery shopping for our household, and man, that is a scary proposition these days. I absolutely mask up for the trip, and spend as little time as possible in the store. At the big, warehouse grocery store, I use a self check-out aisle to minimize my contact with other humans. At the co-op, I do my best to maintain social distancing guidelines, and again, spend as little time inside as possible. I wash my hands thoroughly upon returning home, but so far we haven't taken the extraordinary step of quarantining our groceries when I get home. It's inconclusive how much this helps reduce the spread, but boy, I sure would be embarrassed if that's the vector that bring the virus to me or to T. I've kept my trips to once every two weeks. I had the good fortune to see what was coming and stock up a bit on canned goods, so we probably could go a bit longer if we needed to. In the two trips I've made since quarantine started, the number of people wearing masks has gone up substantially, but is still only around half.
To read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2020/04/23/litt...
I do the grocery shopping for our household, and man, that is a scary proposition these days. I absolutely mask up for the trip, and spend as little time as possible in the store. At the big, warehouse grocery store, I use a self check-out aisle to minimize my contact with other humans. At the co-op, I do my best to maintain social distancing guidelines, and again, spend as little time inside as possible. I wash my hands thoroughly upon returning home, but so far we haven't taken the extraordinary step of quarantining our groceries when I get home. It's inconclusive how much this helps reduce the spread, but boy, I sure would be embarrassed if that's the vector that bring the virus to me or to T. I've kept my trips to once every two weeks. I had the good fortune to see what was coming and stock up a bit on canned goods, so we probably could go a bit longer if we needed to. In the two trips I've made since quarantine started, the number of people wearing masks has gone up substantially, but is still only around half.
To read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2020/04/23/litt...
April 13, 2020
Bingeing on Weirdness
Like most people these days, I've occasionally been struggling to find things with which to occupy my time during isolation. We subscribe to Roku, so there's a whole slew of interesting stuff to watch there. There's a great deal of boring, silly, and just plain awful stuff there, too, but that's no different from any other TV service.
To read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2020/04/13/bing...
One of the wacky things I've discovered on Roku is a TV series from the early 1970s called Celebrity Bowling, and I have to admit, I was intrigued. I used to bowl regularly myself years ago - it's probably a midwestern thing, though a bunch of my Seattle friends used to bowl regularly too. Coincidentally, many of them are transplants from Wisconsin or Minnesota.
To read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2020/04/13/bing...
March 30, 2020
Underfoot
I used to be strictly a dog person. I grew up with dogs around the house, and their warm, unconditional love was a comfort. It wasn't until I moved away after high school that I first encountered house cats, and boy, my life has changed a lot since then. The most recent cats to enter my life are Monty and Mina, siblings adopted from a rescue org, that have completely...
Mina (left) and Monty, from November 2018 (and still kittens then!)
To read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2020/03/30/unde...
Mina (left) and Monty, from November 2018 (and still kittens then!)
To read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2020/03/30/unde...
March 24, 2020
Distracting Myself From... Myself
So the world's on fire, but you're tired of hearing about that, and so am I. Instead, I thought I might talk about things I'm doing to keep busy while stuck at home. I have a lot of hobbies, and rarely get the chance to indulge them, so here goes...
Miniatures I've worked on previously. That's a dime in the foreground, for scale...
First, I've been painting miniatures again. Mostly, I've been working on my Napoleonic (historical) miniatures, painting up some Austrians, French, and Russians. These are very small: 15 mm scale (meaning a figure of a 6' tall man would be 15mm tall). Surprisingly, they are slow to finish, and I get frustrated at the lack of progress and lose momentum. I've also been painting a few Warhammer Fantasy miniatures; I've just finished some goblins and wood elves. These are 28mm scale, so almost twice as big as the Napoleonics. Games Workshop's sculptors have a technique to make the details of the figure really pop - kind of like a caricature. This style makes highlighting the details easy, though I still have trouble...
To read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2020/03/25/dist...
Miniatures I've worked on previously. That's a dime in the foreground, for scale...
First, I've been painting miniatures again. Mostly, I've been working on my Napoleonic (historical) miniatures, painting up some Austrians, French, and Russians. These are very small: 15 mm scale (meaning a figure of a 6' tall man would be 15mm tall). Surprisingly, they are slow to finish, and I get frustrated at the lack of progress and lose momentum. I've also been painting a few Warhammer Fantasy miniatures; I've just finished some goblins and wood elves. These are 28mm scale, so almost twice as big as the Napoleonics. Games Workshop's sculptors have a technique to make the details of the figure really pop - kind of like a caricature. This style makes highlighting the details easy, though I still have trouble...
To read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2020/03/25/dist...
March 16, 2020
Apocalyptic Tango
Well, we''re in it now, aren't we? It's been said for years that a global pandemic is only a matter of time, and this year thew clock ran out. Now that we've started washing our hands compulsively, what else do we do?
1. Don't panic. I saw people at my local Costco two weeks ago with three or more BALES of toilet paper in their carts (each "bale" is @30 rolls). Seriously, what the heck do you need THAT MUCH toilet paper for - are you cosplaying the mummy for your pets' enjoyment? I bought one bale, because A) we were running low, and B) that's the amount I always buy, because Costco doesn't have smaller quantities. 30 rolls should last us for AT LEAST three months, even with...
T read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2020/03/16/apoc...
1. Don't panic. I saw people at my local Costco two weeks ago with three or more BALES of toilet paper in their carts (each "bale" is @30 rolls). Seriously, what the heck do you need THAT MUCH toilet paper for - are you cosplaying the mummy for your pets' enjoyment? I bought one bale, because A) we were running low, and B) that's the amount I always buy, because Costco doesn't have smaller quantities. 30 rolls should last us for AT LEAST three months, even with...
T read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2020/03/16/apoc...
March 9, 2020
DON'T Steal This Book!*
* With no apologies to Abbie Hoffman.
Reading for Haunted: Eleven Tales of Ghostly Horror, Room of One's Own bookstore, October 2011. L to R: Georgia Beaverson, Monica Valentinelli, Jason Blair, Alex Bledsoe, Bill Bodden. Reading was well attended.
Occasionally, memes go by on Facebook or Twitter regarding ways to support authors. This does not necessarily mean every and all authors, mind you -- just ones whose work you enjoy. It has never been more important to do so now; with conventions cancelling and postposing their events because of conrona virus fears-- events that many authors were counting on as a source of income as a guest by or selling their books -- it's possibly more important than ever to help spread the word so your favorite authors can continue to eat and pay rent.
Let's start with some basic things (I'll recap in a numbered list a the end.) First: Buy their books, of course, but also READ them. We're losing reading for pleasure as a thing people want to do, and the negative feelings toward reading are reinforced by all the dreck we're forced to read in school by people who think those paper implements of torture are Important Books. Buying books isn't always possible due to financial issues; everyone's comfort level with their disposable income is different. If you can't buy books, request them from your local public library. They buy books too, and their purchases help just as much, plus...
To read the rest of this post, please visit:
http://billbodden.com/2020/03/09/dont...
Reading for Haunted: Eleven Tales of Ghostly Horror, Room of One's Own bookstore, October 2011. L to R: Georgia Beaverson, Monica Valentinelli, Jason Blair, Alex Bledsoe, Bill Bodden. Reading was well attended.
Occasionally, memes go by on Facebook or Twitter regarding ways to support authors. This does not necessarily mean every and all authors, mind you -- just ones whose work you enjoy. It has never been more important to do so now; with conventions cancelling and postposing their events because of conrona virus fears-- events that many authors were counting on as a source of income as a guest by or selling their books -- it's possibly more important than ever to help spread the word so your favorite authors can continue to eat and pay rent.
Let's start with some basic things (I'll recap in a numbered list a the end.) First: Buy their books, of course, but also READ them. We're losing reading for pleasure as a thing people want to do, and the negative feelings toward reading are reinforced by all the dreck we're forced to read in school by people who think those paper implements of torture are Important Books. Buying books isn't always possible due to financial issues; everyone's comfort level with their disposable income is different. If you can't buy books, request them from your local public library. They buy books too, and their purchases help just as much, plus...
To read the rest of this post, please visit:
http://billbodden.com/2020/03/09/dont...
March 2, 2020
Dispersing the Hoard
A self-help guru named Marie Kondo has come under fire for her philosophy regarding clutter and possessions. Basically, she's in favor of getting rid of everything you don't really need - the "need" part being the element with which people seem to take issue. The main idea of her theory is to get rid of things that don't bring you joy. Turns out, a LOT of things give me joy.
Bill adding another box to the piles in the basement...
I have WAAAYY too much stuff. Our basement more closely resembles the warehouse at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark than anything else. A big part of my problem is that I'm extremely susceptible to the collecting bug. In my teens it was baseball cards, beer cans, and stamps; these days, the urge runs more toward board games and miniature figurines - none of which take up very little space. I'm not the only one in this house that falls prey to this same bug: the cats have more toys than they could use in a lifetime - if only they'd stop knocking things under the refrigerator!
To read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2020/03/02/disp...
February 24, 2020
Deep Sea Mysteries
Just finished reading Cherie Priest's Maplecroft, which I recommend for fans of Lovecraftian Horror. The mystery and horror elements involve the sea to some degree, and it started me thinking over the countless nature shows I've absorbed over the years. I LOVE nature shows, and deep sea critters are among my favorites to learn about.
Jeremy Wade with a 7-foot long Wels Catfish
A recent series I latched onto was River Monsters. Hosted by Jeremy Wade, a British biologist and angler, the show follows the host as he pursues mysteries of killer freshwater fish. Spoiler alert: 9 times out of 10, the culprit is some sort of catfish. After watching many episodes of this show, I now will never swim in murky water again.
One of the great deep sea mysteries of all time is the story of...
To read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2020/02/24/deep...
Jeremy Wade with a 7-foot long Wels Catfish
A recent series I latched onto was River Monsters. Hosted by Jeremy Wade, a British biologist and angler, the show follows the host as he pursues mysteries of killer freshwater fish. Spoiler alert: 9 times out of 10, the culprit is some sort of catfish. After watching many episodes of this show, I now will never swim in murky water again.
One of the great deep sea mysteries of all time is the story of...
To read the rest of this post, please visit: http://billbodden.com/2020/02/24/deep...
