Random Musing, Opinions and Thoughts Vol. 173

I don't really have enough to write a whole piece, so here is another olio of brain drippings….

• I recently smoke an amazingly great cigar and it is affordable for most (sub $9). I usually do not pay much mind to the rankings the cigar rags produce each year (well maybe a little because it helps sales, and clientele like to smoke what is rated by the industry and what they are told is good). One of the polls had selected the EP Carrillo La Historia as the #2 cigar of the year. I have to tell you I was impressed within cigar, great construction, good draw, and the flavor profile is just where I like it with plenty of spice right from the initial lighting. Smoked it down to the nub and then some. The ranking is well deserved.
• Weather here still continues to be, how should I say, interesting, record snowfall levels and record cold, and all this has just driven the stupidity level of the people that live here in the northeast up another notch. I personally think the government should do something about these extreme conditions, but that would require passing regulation, reducing greenhouse gases, alternative energy use, and advances in science (along with a properly educated populace). We all know that is not going to happen…
• So I made a mistake with my taxes and the upcoming filing, after my divorce I forgot to change my withholding and now will owe the government this year, hard lesson to learn, but it happens. It is fixed so it will not happen again, I hope.

Until next time...

Frozen Pipes and HBM Update 6- We May Have a Name

I had a pipe freeze today because of the 'lovely weather' we have seen lately in the NE, and a failed heat tape circuit breaker. When I discovered the lack of water I immediately checked the hot water heater and noticed that the water level was low also, so acting quickly I flipped the circuit breaker on the tank in hopes of avoiding burning out a heating element.

After many trips outside and replacing the plug end and circuit breaker and an hour plus wait for the thaw, we have running water back in the abode, a little while longer and the tank was filled again. So I assumed it was safe to turn the heating elements back on. Another short wait and it seems we have hot water again.

No burst pipes, no leaks, no burnt out heating elements. Dogma at its best….

Through all this the 'stache has taken a beating in this winter weather. The exposure to extreme temperature jumps, the dry winter air, have all taken a toll on the up keep. Through it all, it still continues to grow and it has a requested special appearance coming up next month.

A friend threw out the term "El Nino" in conversation and it clicked as a possible name for the 'stache. Like El Nino, the 'stache has great affect on its surroundings and people, it is getting more notice and attention where ever it goes, and of course it is my baby…

So we see if that sticks as a moniker.

Where Do You Get Yours?

With the "retirement" of Jon Stewart from the Daily Show, we are losing a credible news source in today's world. I know that many will say that Stewart and the Daily Show (DS) was a comedy/satirical program and did not report legitimate news. But we just have to look at the records of CBS with Dan Rather and Lara Logan, NBC with Brian Williams, and CNN and its track record, and we can now consider the DS legitimate. (Probably missed a ton of other disgraced anchors and reporters here- feel free to add in the comment section below.)

Looking at all that, and Jon Stewart is as good a source as any out there. I have always felt that satire and comedy like the DS are funny because they jest with the truth, and that people find the humor in the world when the obvious truth is exposed to them. Stewart and company have done this for 17 years, making it a valuable source for awareness of what is going on in the world as any other reporting out there.

I first became a fan of Jon Stewart and the Daily Show, when he decided to cover a State of the Union address with his own take on what was being said. It was far more informative then what the talking heads of the time had to say on the big three (CBS, ABC, NBC). Stewart ran the speech unedited and provided commentary that was spot on in my opinion, not ad libbing or speculating with some hidden agenda guesses.

From that day forward I appreciated Stewart's take and approach on the world pulse. Let me be clear that I do not solely get all my news from the DS. I read and investigate on my own, even the slanted conservative sites provide insight as to what the vision of the world is, as warped as they may be.

Now this brings me to Fox News and the departure of Jon Stewart (and Stephen Colbert). The heads and talking heads at Fox must be ecstatic with the "retirement" or moving on of these two. This will allow the chance of Fox News to finally win that Comedy Emmy they covet so badly. Now if they could only get rid of that pesky Brit John Oliver…..

Yet, It Is Still My Problem?

I have been paying a loan online for about a year now. First half no issues….log in, enter amount, enter account, hit pay, and done. Oh yeah, subtract amount from checking…..

About six months ago, it started to take longer for the company to process it and I started to receive "reminder/chastising" e-mails that I had entered a wrong account number for my bank, but my bank was kind enough to process the payment anyway.

I checked with my financial institution, and they said they never processed any special waiver and were not "kind enough to process" anything out of the the norm and that everything they received and processed was with my correct account info. I even sat and reviewed the proper numbers that needed to be entered in each and every box, etc…I had been doing everything correctly as I had thought. We did this for several more months, and it seems I was doing everything correctly each time, yet each month the same e-mail message.

Balancing the books today, I noticed that the payment had not been taken out and that I had not received a "reminder/chastising" e-mail. So decided to call the collector and find out what is going on.

First they try and tell me I did not even make a payment for the month. But wait, I have a confirmation number.  I give said number and they say it sounds like their number, but they are not sure. So after several attempts to process that payment, we finally get that same auto-generated message about wrong account number.

After some frustration by all, we finally figure out that I have to modify my account number just for them, in order for it to process through the system; that they changed about six months ago (see the timing above). I pay several other bills the same way and do not have to modify my account number. So now I have to try and remember this every month. I am getting old, I will be happy I remember to pay the damn thing, let alone not some special way to do it….Good luck to all.