It's New Years Eve.

I'm going to try to stay awake until at least 10:00.

If I make it till midnight, it will amazing.

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

The freakin' Bruins managed to give up a freakin' two goal lead and then freakin' lose to the freakin' Devils in a freakin' shootout this afternoon.

I was more than a little pissed and my wife actually looked up and asked me who I was talking to. I told her I was talking at the TV because the Bruins just shit the bed.

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

I'm going to go make a fancy New Years Eve dinner and then try to stay awake.

You can view these links:

• There are a lot of old mines in Pennsylvania so I suspect this is not uncommon.



• Attention Alanis Morissette: This is ironic.



• Presenting this episodes Brilliant Criminal of the Day.



• This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?

They are now 2 points behind first

The Bruins won last night and they are now 2 points behind the Capitals and 1 point behind the Blues in the NHL. Their next game is tomorrow in New Jersey against the second-to-last place Devils.

The Bruins really need to keep winning and the Capitals need to go into a slump. The Blues could stand to lose a few games as well.

⧫

As for the Patriots, they are now scheduled to play the Titans this Saturday at 8:15.

The Titans are not an easy team to beat and the Patriots stand a pretty good chance to going on vacation this Sunday.

If they do defeat the Titans, they will either take on the Ravens or the Chiefs. I think it's the Chiefs but don't quote me on that. I'm not really paying a lot of attention to the seeding.

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Yes, my head cold is still there. Thanks for asking.

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I'm going to go pop some more Nyquil and fall asleep earlier than I normally do.

While I do that, you can click on these:

• No thanks. I'll pass.



• Why not. They're banking everything else these days.



• As if New York City weren't shitty enough, now the buildings are trying to kill you.



• For the record, I've been to California many times. California is a crappy place to visit. I would never want to live there.



• Key phrase in this story: "...1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass..."



• Canadian researchers are actually contributing to the betterment of our society.

Well, that kind of sucked.

The Patriots managed to lose to the Dolphins this afternoon. I wrote yesterday that I did not expect them to win by 20, as all the "experts" predicted but I did expect them to win. Unfortunately, the Dolphins had other plans.

So now the Patriots are now the number 3 seed and are forced to play in the wild card round next weekend.

I have no idea who they will be playing.

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Yes, there is hockey and I really hope the Bruins beat the Sabres tonight.

I need one of the teams I root for to win today.

⧫

So I have a nasty head cold going on right now. I blame my nieces kids.

On Christmas eve, we spent 4 or 5 hours with a bunch of little kids and at least two of them had some kind of snotty thing going on.

Two days later and I started up with a runny nose.

Three days later and I went to my brothers house toting a pocketful of kleenex.

Here I am four days later, popping Dayquil & Nyquil like candy and carrying an entire box of kleenex around with me.

I hate having a head cold.

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While I watch the remainder of the Steelers game and then watch some hockey, you can click on these:

• Texans: Don't mess with them. Even when they are at church...



• Key phrase in this story: "And we're like, oh dear."



• In case you were wondering, the Australians are a little crazy.



• Disney - It's the Happiest Place On Earth.

And the parties continue

This afternoon was Christmas at my brother's house with all my siblings & spouses, my children and their children plus all the spouses/girlfriends/boyfriends. It was a good time and, as usual, I ate too much.

One of these days I will go to a party where I don't eat too much.

⧫

The Bruins beat the Sabres last night and while they are in third place in the league, they are now only 1 point behind the Blues and 4 points behind the Capitals.

They seem to be working their way out of their slump and that means they have a pretty damned good chance of picking up those 4 points and then moving in to first place in the league.

First place is always a good place to be.

Their next game is tomorrow at 7:00 against the Sabres but this time, they are at home. I'm hoping for a repeat of last night.

⧫

Football will be played tomorrow at 1:00 with the Patriots hosting the Dolphins. The Patriots are expected to beat the Dolphins by at least 20 points.

Personally, I expect them to win but I'm not sure they'll win by 2o points.

I guess we'll have to wait and see how it turns out.

⧫

Here are some links to click on:

• This is what is commonly referred to as "first world problems".



• Sometimes Trump is a bumbling idiot, sometimes he does the right thing.



• Yes please!



• This is the best reason to not have cameras inside your house.

There is hockey tonight

When I was younger, I never spent a lot of time watching sports.

I played sports all the time but other than baseball, not in any organized fashion. It was always neighborhood pickup games of hockey, baseball or football. I played organized baseball with the parochial schools when I was a little kid but once we moved into Wilbraham, I stopped the organized stuff because the neighborhood stuff was more fun, we could play it on our own schedule and we didn't have adults telling us how to play a game.

As I've gotten older, I find that there is very little on television that appeals to me anymore so I have gravitated to watching the sports I used to play as a kid. I find it way more interesting to watch someone shoot a puck at 100mph into an opening about the size of a dinner plate than I do watching someone try to get a date or win a singing competition or decorate a house or whatever else they are running on reality television.

Also, since I managed to break both my arms, several of my fingers, my nose and a few toes playing sports over the years, I find it a lot less painful to watch than to play. I'm old and I don't heal like I did when I was a kid.

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Here are some links to entertain you:

• Newsflash: Candles cause fires. Also, sky is blue and bears shit in woods.



• To quote Dean Wormer: "Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son."



• Too bad his name wasn't Andy Defresne.



• Man, Kevin Bacon has really let himself go.



• Are they sure it's not because of exploding butt fears?

Man, I can really feel those days getting longer.

We have picked up one additional minute of sunlight since December 20th.

Break out the SPF50 suntan lotion!

⧫

Around this time last year, I providing some comparisons to help us understand the difference between 1 million and 1 billion. I want to do it again this year because the media keeps giving us stories like this:

Massachusetts Legislature passes $43.1 billion state budget for fiscal 2020

To be clear, $43.1 billion is a shitload of money. How much you say? Well let me tell you....

Most of us have a pretty good handle of what 100 is. We've all seen 100 of something. 100 pennies is $1.

Working from there, we can pretty much recognize what 1,000 of something is. Chances are pretty good that we've all seen a thousand of something. 1,000 pennies is $10.

Here's where things get fuzzy. Most of us have never seen 1,000,000 of something. We don't have a mental picture of a million. We also do not have a mental picture of a billion or a trillion.

Here's a little something that might help you with the differences between thousand, million, billion and trillion:

100 seconds is 1.6 minutes.
1,000 (thousand) seconds is 16.6 minutes.
1,000,000 (million) seconds is 11.6 days.
1,000,000,000 (billion) seconds is 31.8 years.
1,000,000,000,000 (trillion) seconds is 31,800 years

Remember that when you hear some politician talking about a billion dollars like it was nothing.

⧫

There is no hockey tonight, anywhere. The Bruins play the Sabres tomorrow at 7:00.

There is no football tonight, anywhere. The Patriots play the Dolphins on Sunday at 1:00.

There is no baseball tonight. Pitchers and Catchers don't report to spring training camp until February 11th and the first game isn't until February 21st when the Red Sox play there traditional first game against Northeastern University.

This means I really need to find something to watch in the evenings.

While I do that, you can do these:

• Yes, drugs were involved. Lots of drugs.



• Key subheading in this story: "American continues to lead - and to innovate."



• This is what happens when politicians hamstring the police and end things like "stop and frisk".



• Key phrase in this story: "We're all about answering the important questions..."



• Key phrase in this story: "Because who's going to believe that I hit a catfish..."

Merry Christmas everybody!

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

I was raised by an extra-catholic woman so I was brought up to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

The world, however, has changed and we now live in a world where that statement can be seen as exclusionary. Since I am known for my  sensitive to the feelings of people who are offended by everything, including things that have no effect on them, I want to make it clear that I would never exclude anyone from my expression of good tidings.

So, let me just add:

To my jewish friends, Happy Hanukkah.
To my black friends, Merry Kwanzaa.
To everybody else, Hey! How's it going? Have a nice day!

I think that covers it. If you continue to be offended by my writings, then let me just say that you should go read someone else's website, you hopeless putz.

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

I'm going to go do Christmas stuff now.
You should also go do Christmas stuff.
Or not.
It's entirely up to you.

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

Let the celebrations continue

It is Christmas Eve so I have things to do and family to see.

I'm betting you do to.

Have I mentioned that I am on vacation?

The college is closed so I am on a very nice 10 day vacation.

I may have mentioned this already but in case you didn't catch it, I really like working there.

⧫

The Bruins take on the Capitals at 7:00 this evening.

They are still slumping, having won only 2 of their last 10 games and this is a key game for them.

They are 6 points behind the league-leading Capitals and 1 point behind the second-place Blues. A win tonight would put them 4 points behind the Capitals and assuming the Blues lose to the Kings at 10:00 tonight, 1 point ahead of them.

I realize this is a lot of "ifs" but what the hell, you gotta have some faith that the team you follow is going to overcome its problems and turn itself around.

I'm hoping for a Stanley Cup at the end of this season...

⧫

I need to get some flying time in.  Hopefully that happens in the next week or so.

While I watch the hockey game and contemplate some flying time, you can visit these links:

• We used to call old Christmas trees "green gasoline". You ain't seen nothing until you've seen one of those things go up in flames. It happens so quickly, it's a small explosion.



• Turns out somebody erased the paint off those old Roman and Greek statues.



• Not sure what they are going to do about it.



• Moral of the story: Don't steal puppies.



• Good job Mr. Unnamed Postal Worker.



• Some kids aren't very bright.

And they're home

The vet student and the small emergency backup dog arrived home this afternoon. They will be with us through the holidays before returning back to her studies.

It's always very nice to have them home, even if it's only for a brief time.

⧫

The Bruins managed to lose in overtime, again.

They really need to get out of this slump because the deeper they dig that hole, the harder it will be for them to get out of it.

⧫

Here are a few links:

• I'm betting that alcohol was involved.



• This seems like the kind of thing that would happen in Kansas.



• Key phrase in this story: "The woman who was left can be seen in the video running after the getaway car."

There is football and hockey on a Saturday!

Thankfully the Patriots game started at 4:30 and the Bruins game doesn't start until 7:00. I may miss a few minutes of the first period and I'm okay with that.

As for the Patriots, they are currently tied with the Bills 10-10 at the half.

Brady is actually throwing the ball to the receivers instead of at the receivers feet or over the receivers heads.

I'm hoping the second half goes the Patriots way and the Bills fall apart like they usually do.

After that, I'll be hoping the Bruins have come out of their slump and kick the crap out of the Predators. It would be nice to see them win a game in regulation and grab two points.

⧫

Have they stopped talking about the impeachment thing yet? I haven't been paying attention to the news because I'm sick of watching all the politicians having apoplectic fits over this.

This is all going to come to a head during the election next year. Either Trump is going to get re-elected and the democrats are going to have a full-on meltdown and storm the White House or a democrat is going to get elected and Trump will claim it was a rigged election and refuse to leave office.

It's going to be great to watch as long as it doesn't turn into a shooting war.

⧫

Here are some links you can visit if you want:

• Key phrase missing from this story: "Suspended with pay pending the outcome of her trial."



• If you can't remember the last time you bathed, you are either taking some mind-altering drugs or you are a complete moron.



• Dad has some explaining to do. First to his wife, then to the authorities and finally to all of his buddies at the bar.



• It's the Hap-hap-happiest time of the year.



• Ancestry.com: Solving more crimes than the FBI.

Christmas beverages with the boys

I stopped and had some celebratory cheer with Tommy and the boys this afternoon.

That means you get a limited amount of data from me:

• Australia: What doesn't kill ya, gives you the runs.



• My sister spent some time at China Lake, which is not to be confused with China Grove.



• Key phrase in this story: "I was very shocked to hear that this was an intentional act."

Lunch with the Bills

Today was my monthly/whenever lunch with The Bills (and Jim). These are three retirees from my old employer that I get together with periodically for a two hour lunch and catch up on ailments, children/grandchildren and spouses.

It's always fun talking with the boys. They are good guys and they enjoy reminding me that I have to get back to work. I enjoy reminding them that my retirement account is still intact and untouched.

⧫

I'm going to watch the Bruins play the Islanders. Hopefully I'm going to watch them beat the Islanders.

While I do that, you can do these:

• Itchy Backside would be a fantastic name for a 1950's western movie character.



• Australia - They have companies with names like Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers.



• Is it just me or does she look an awful lot like Ted Williams...



• I thought it was because I am getting old.



• This is what is known as TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome).

Thank goodness for ice melt

I used my snowblower to clean off the end of my driveway last night but there was no way I was going to be able to get that 1/2 inch of ice and sleet off the full drive. So this morning, I spread some ice melt on the entire driveway and during the day, as the ice melt did it's thing, my wife was able to scrape a lot of the ice off.

Over the next few days, the temps are going to plummet and we probably won't be able to get the entire driveway clear but it's better than it becoming a skating rink.

⧫

The Bruins blew it in overtime last night, remaining 5 points behind the Capitals. They play again tomorrow and they really need to start winning.

And I still don't know why they are losing. They played good hockey last night but the Kings were able to slip the puck past Rask in the final minute of the 3-on-3 OT period.

There is still a lot of hockey left to be played in the season but as I like to say, it's easier to stay on top than it is to dig out of a hole.

⧫

I'm going to find something, anything, to watch other than the political pontifications being aired. Every time one of those loud-mouthed, self-centered so-called "leaders" stands up and starts talking, I throw up in my mouth a little bit.

Enjoy these links:

• Australia: What doesn't kill ya, slowly roasts you to death.



• If you run Windows 10, Microsoft is about to install a new browser for you. If you want to avoid having Microsoft suddenly jam a new browser into your system, this is for you.



• As I've said before, some people are just stupid.



• Only in Florida.

Little bit of a snow day

Based on the forecasts from the weather dweebs, you would have thought there might be 6 inches of snow on the ground by noon today. Instead, there is ½ inch of ice and sleet.

Since the roads didn't appear to be getting any better or any worse throughout the day, the college told us all to go home around 2:00. I left around 1:30, stopped and picked up some ingredients for dinner and was home by 2:15 or so.

All-in-all, not a bad day. Now I just need to figure out what to do about the ice on my driveway.

⧫

I'm going to watch the Bruins hopefully beat the Kings. They beat the Panthers on Saturday, snapping a five-game losing streak and it would be nice if that was the start of a multi-game winning streak.

⧫

My wife has created a dinner and I am prepared to eat it. Then I'm going to go clear the end of my driveway where the plow left me a nice pile of ice. After that, I'm going to watch some hockey.

You can click on these:

• If this happens, it will piss off a bunch of Red Sox fans.



• Well, I guess that's one way to beat the social security system. Good for her.



• I wonder if all the other seals make fun of them.



• Based on what happened during World War II, I would not mess with the Finns.

No hockey tonight

Not only is there no hockey, I don't have any DVRs on my machine.

Guess I'll just have to entertain myself with bad television.

And trust me, the entertainment I look for will not include anything that involves the words "impeachment" or "politics". I've had it with all the bullshit being foisted on us by our alleged politicians and leaders.

They are all lying sacks of shit.

⧫

You can visit these links if you want:

• This, ladies and gentlemen, is what full-blown socialism looks like.



• The last thing any of us needs is an image of some old hippie "surging".



• Yea, right. Let's check back in December of 2020 and see where things stand.



• Meth Underwear Placer would be a fantastic name for a DC comic book character.



• Some people aren't too bright.

They clinched a playoff slot

The Patriots beat the Bengals this afternoon, clinching a spot in the playoffs. As it stands right now, they are projected to be the second seed.

In the hockey world, the Bruins barely held on to beat the Panthers last night. Unfortunately, so did the Capitals, leaving the Bruins still 5 points back in the race to first place.

As for baseball, the Red Sox are working on firming up their infield. They've picked up two infielders and one pitcher. Nothing showy but all three are solid ball players.

⧫

Enjoy these links:

• Presenting the Brilliant Criminal of the Year.



• My brother Mark was stationed there in the late 80s.



• What is it with people climbing into chimneys?



• Some children are simply stupid.

We are now a Disney+ consumer

A few months ago, my daughter asked if we had an unlimited Verizon cell phone data plan. I said, "No. Why?" She said if we had the unlimited data plan, we would get 6 months of Disney+ for free.

I told her that I was not going to increase the price of my cell phone plan by $50 just to get 6 months of access to a streaming service that costs $70.00 a year. Besides, I told her she would be better off spending her time studying for the upcoming board exams.

Well, she finished her exams last Wednesday so today I signed up for the Disney+ streaming service. I figure $70 a year is a pretty cheap price to entertain my family.

Besides, they have all the Marvel movies, all the Pixar movies and all the Star Wars movies. I'll probably spend a lot more time watching that then Netflix.

⧫

The Bruins are going to try and beat the Panthers tonight and I'll be watching them.

They really need to win and get themselves out of the funk they are in.

⧫

You can click on these if you want:

• Personally, I prefer to pack my soft cheese in zip lock baggies.



• Key phrase in this story: "We have chaos."



• Apparently the people of Pittsburgh don't no that we repealed the 18th amendment back in 1933.



• At some point, Pacific Gas and Electric is just going to turn everything off and tell the state of California to piss off.



• It's the Hap-Hap-Happiest time of the year!

And the celebrations continue

Today was our department Christmas lunch and it was a good one. We had an Italian Christmas lunch with ziti, chicken parm, lasagna, sheet cake and salad. Let me tell you, you cannot go wrong with an Italian Christmas lunch. Everyone likes it and there is usually more than you need.

The biggest danger of Italian is that you might get some sauce on your shirt.

⧫

The Bruins are in a slump and I can't figure out why. They are playing good hockey and they are doing all the right things but they just can't seem to get the puck in the back of the net.

As things stand right now, they are still number two in the NHL but they are now 5 points behind the Capitals. It's going to be hard to overcome those 5 points but if they can get back on track, they can do it.

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The Red Sox are starting make a few moves and I'm a little upset that they are not making any noise about Brock Holt.

I like Holt, he is a good hitter and he plays almost every position on the field except pitcher or catcher. He is also a great teammate who can fire up a team when they are struggling.

Unfortunately, I suspect that he will end up getting a nice little 4 year offer for at least $5, maybe even $10 million a year from some other team and the Red Sox will be a little less than they used to be.

⧫

While I continue the digestion of my lunch, you can click on these:

• If Touch of Generator ever runs in the Kentucky Derby, I'm betting $100 on him to win.



• Key phrase in this story: "...a group of Minions hauling ass."



• Australia: What doesn't kill ya, scares the shit out of you.



• No, no he doesn't.

We spent the afternoon at the mall.

There is nothing quite like spending time at a mall to put you in the Christmas spirit. The crowds, the cranking people, the road-raged drivers.

It's a veritable cornucopia of joy and delight.

Actually, it wasn't all that bad. I think our timing was pretty good. We got there at 1:30 and left at 3:30.

We found a reasonable parking space with almost no hassle, got a bunch of things purchased and hauled out to the car and then went back in to grab a bite to eat. We found a few more things and we decided to call it a day just as the crowds were starting to build.

We left at 3:30 and the ride home was kinda long. Traffic slowed us down twice but we made it without too much delay.

⧫

The Bruins lost to the Capitals last night, dropping them to five points behind the Capitals.

Tonight they are in Florida to play the Lightning. I really hope they can get their shit together and get back on the winning track.

⧫

You can click on these links if you want:

• Just so we're clear, 500 days is a long time.



• Only in Florida.



• Penis-Fish would be a fantastic name for a really bad porn actor.



• Giant Glowing Dick would also be a fantastic name for a really bad porn actor.



• Surprise!

More multi-tasking.

I have another webinar to sit through tonight.

I also have a hockey game to watch.

I also doubt there will any posting tomorrow either.

I am, in all honesty, kinda busy.

No webinars tonight

I don't have any training tonight but I do have one tomorrow night.

Guess I'll be multi-tasking again.

⧫

The Bruins lost last night but so did the Capitals so they are still 3 points behind the Capitals.

Guess who they are playing tomorrow night?

It should be an interesting game.

⧫

I managed to find a few links for you:

• Key phrase in this story: "...the ordeal took place in Newaygo County..."



• For the record, there is no such thing as a "self driving car".



• He better not sit next to me on a plane.



• It's like a scene out of a bad 1980s Kurt Russell movie.



• Australia.
  That's all I got to say about that.



• I know some people who claim it's the only thing worth living for.

No posting tonight

I am sitting through a presentation on the new FAA/ACS Instrument Rating Checkride.

Exciting Stuff, I know.

Also, there is some hockey being played so I'm multi-tasking....

Sorry about the last two days

On Friday, I stopped and had some beverages with the boys. I didn't get home until almost 7:00 and after I ate dinner, I was done for the night.

Last night was our neighborhood Christmas party and we didn't get home until 9:00. That was too late for me to start webernizing.

⧫

I did manage to catch the third period of last night's hockey game and too be honest with you, I should have just gone to bed. They did not play good at all and the Avalanche ran over them 4-1.

With last night's loss, the Bruins are now three points behind the Capitals in the Eastern conference. They are still in the number 2 slot and they can certainly overcome those three points but it's never easy digging out of a hole.

⧫

As for today, I'm currently watching the Chiefs beat the Patriots.

It's kind of upsetting and I'm not unconvinced they won't come back in the second half but the game is in the third quarter and the score is 23-7 in favor of the Chiefs. The Patriots are gonna have to have a stellar fourth quarter have if they want to win this game.

⧫

While I make some dinner and watch the second half of this football game, you can click on these links:

• Attention criminals: Do not eat gassy food before hiding from the cops.



• Australia: What doesn't kill ya, might just make it possible to repair severe injuries and deformities.



• Oh Canada.



• Yes, alcohol was involved.

No post

Today was the neighborhood Christmas party.

Yes, I stopped for beverages

No post tonight.

Busy day today.

I managed to get quite a bit done today and still get home at a decent hour.

Sometimes the work gods smile on me.

⧫

The Capitals won last night so the Bruins are once again back in second place. If they win tonight, they'll pick up two points and move back into a tie for first place.

I'll be watching and "encouraging" them.

⧫

Here are some links for you to click on:

• I guess I just don't understand "art".



• Only in Florida.



• Australia: What doesn't kill ya, sends you to jail.



• I kinda feel bad for Dave.



• I have a feeling my dog sees everything as cookies, cheese or roast beef.



• Only in Florida.

No snow day today

It was a very nice 6 days off but work beckoned this morning and I was able to drag myself out of my house and in to my office.

All-in-all, not a bad day. I sat through a very boring webinar from Google, then an interesting webinar from the FBI. I also got a start on my year end update to the community.

I try to send out a short security newsletter every so often, just to keep everyone aware of what the bad people are doing and how to protect themselves. My philosophy regarding information security awareness is to educate people on things that could affect them personally. If they are secure in their daily lives, that will translate to them being more secure in their work lives.

Awareness training is a keystone of any information security program.

⧫

No hockey tonight. The Bruins won last night but so did the Capitals. This means they are still tied for first place in the NHL.

I'm hoping the Sharks can beat the Capitals tonight. This will still leave them tied with the Bruins while giving the Bruins a chance to jump ahead when they play the bottom-dwelling Blackhawks tomorrow evening.

Jumping ahead would be nice.

⧫

You can click on these if you want:

• Yes, alcohol was involved.



• Key phrase in this story: "Goodwill has the best treasures for $9.99."



• Key phrase in this story: "This isn't one of those stories."



• Australia: What doesn't kill ya, has sex with ya.

Snow Day - The Sequel!

Well, so much for the "2-3 inches" they predicted. We woke up to an additional 12-13 inches.

This is the picture I sent my daughter this afternoon:

It would be nice if they could get the weather kinda right every once in a while.

⧫

The Bruins are taking on the Hurricanes at 7:00 tonight and I'm hoping they play better than they did the other day against the Canadians. They kinda sucked during the first two periods and made a miraculous come back in the third period.

They need to come out onto the ice ready to play all three periods because the Hurricanes are going to do their best to win tonight.

⧫

Here are today's links:

• No thanks, I'll pass.



• Must be a slow crime/news day in Guernsey.



• I guess the 15th house wasn't sexy enough.



• Where were these teachers when I was in high school.



• Only in New York City.



• How do you not see a parked train?

Snow day!

Turns out they closed the college and I did not have to work today. That turned our three day Thanksgiving break into a four day Thanksgiving break. Add the two day weekend in the mix and I just had me a nice little 6 day vacation.

Have I mentioned that working at a school is pretty nice.

⧫

This was an easy storm to clean up after.

I cleared the 4 inches of snow off my driveway at 10 this morning and they are saying we'll probably get another 2 or 3 inches before tomorrow morning. If that happens, I'll go out at 6:00 tomorrow morning and clear it off before going to work.

Hopefully the plows will have gone through by then because the last thing I want to do is come home at 5:30 tomorrow night and have to go clear the end of the driveway.

⧫

The Patriots lost to the Texans 28-22 last night and simply put, it was because they didn't play all that well. I know that a lot of them were dealing with the flu but the problem was that the receivers were having trouble getting open and when they did get open, Brady wasn't hitting his targets.

Having said that, I would like to point out that scoring 22 points against the Texans isn't a terrible game. They probably would have won if the defense was firing on all cylinders.

They are currently projected to be the number 2 seed and will not have home field advantage. That honor is projected to go to the Baltimore Ravens.

⧫

As for the Bruins, after a rough first two periods, they managed to come back in the third period and beat the Canadians 3-1. They are once again tied for first with the Capitals.

It was an interesting game and I'm glad I stayed awake long enough to see the third period.

⧫

If you are interested, you will see some links below this line:

• Here's your Naked Guy In The News story.



• This is probably the most M.I.T. thing you will read today.



• Key phrase in this gawdawful story: "...and sexual intercourse with a dog."



• Another reason to not live there.

Millions in the path!

Once again, the talking heads on the television are saying that there are millions of people in the path of a major winter storm. They make it sound like this is armageddon. Like no one is making out of this alive. Like this is the end-time and we should make peace with our maker because this is all she wrote.

Remember the good old days when the national news never talked about the weather except for hurricanes? Uncle Walter or David & Chet never once told us it was going to rain or snow. They left that trivial weather stuff up to the local peons like John Quill.

And John never had animated weather maps. His map was a drawing of the U.S. that he drew on with a grease pencil, indicating wind, fronts, snow measurements, etc... And he never once talked about radar or made a snowfall prediction with a range of 2 inches. He never said, "We can expect between 4 and 6 inches." No sir, not John. He said things like, "You can expect between 2 and 14 inches, depending on where you live."

We all knew that meant we probably would have school the next day because they ran the buses even when there was 4 inches of snow on the ground. I have vivid memories of sitting in the back of the bus as it fishtailed down Dipping Hole Rd. We had a hell of a ride that morning but we all made it to school and got home safely in the afternoon.

So anyways, it's going to snow but that's okay. I've got no place I need to be and there is both hockey & football being played this evening. As long as we don't lose cable, I should be all set.

I don't anticipate having to clear the driveway until tomorrow morning and I'm not even sure I'll have to do it them. From what they are saying, we may wake up to 1 inch of snow tomorrow morning. That means I'll just have to shovel the top 15 feet of the driveway before going to work.

It sounds like when I get home tomorrow afternoon is when I'll have to use The Beast.

Who knows, maybe they'll close the college tomorrow and I'll have an extra day off!

I seriously doubt that will happen but if it does, I certainly won't complain.

⧫

The Steelers beat the Browns this afternoon, leaving them in the wild card slot in the AFC North. They are currently projected to be the 6th seed and if the season ended today, they would be playing the Patriots in the AFC Divisional Round.

The Patriots are playing tonight and they are in a world of hurt. The flu is running through them and as of yesterday, they have 10 players listed as "Illness - Questionable".

The Texans have been playing pretty good football so this will be a real challenge for the Patriots.

I will start my sports evening at 7:00 when I watch the Bruins play the Canadiens. At 8:20, I'll flip over to the Patriots and check in on the Bruins between downs.

It will be a good day if they both win tonight. The Patriots will continue to hold on to home field advantage with a win tonight and since the Capitals won yesterday, capturing sole possession of first place, the Bruins will move back into a tie for first with a win tonight.

⧫

Here are a few links:

• Something tells me this isn't very safe.



• Only in New York City.



• Key phrase in this story: "...he rolled the dice."



• Key phrase in this story: "That common goodwill was there - until now it isn't."



• Just get one of those fake trees.

Guess who got in a little Christmas shopping today

While my wife was putting up the Christmas decorations, I headed out into the wild, wild, world of retail and spent an hour picking up a few things. It wasn't much because my daughter is still in Iowa and, as anyone of you that know me can attest, I suck at buying presents for my wife.

Fortunately, my daughter will be home on the 22nd so we are going to go out for an hour or two on the 23rd and get some gifts that might actually be nice.

⧫

You can enjoy these links if you want:

• Someone needs to explain to me how a 91 year old guy can resist arrest. Most 91 year old guys can't pee standing up, never mind put up a fight.



• Trust me, it is not possible to get into a house via the chimney.



• And this, my friends, is why you never set booby-traps in your home. Or anywhere else, for that matter.



• Key phrase in this story: "Unaware of rescue efforts, he went about his Thanksgiving."

None of the black Friday crap for me

The last thing I want to ever do is set foot in a crowded retail operation. I don't like going shopping on days when no one else is out, never mind when every raging mental deficient on the planet is trying to get the latest thing-a-ma-bob, hodingle or what-cha-call-it.

When we had little kids and it was our job to buy them Christmas presents, we would wander out into the wilds of the malls and buy them crap. Now our kids are adults and seem happier with money or food than they do with anything we can pick out for them.

The only person I need to shop for is my wife and she does most of it for me.

⧫

The Bruins beat the Rangers this afternoon to take sole possession of first place in the National Hockey League.

The Capitals are 2 points behind the Bruins in the standings and they are currently losing to the Lightning. If they turn things around and win tonight's game, the best they can do is end up in a tie. If they lose tonight, the Bruins will retain first place.

First place is always a good place to be.

⧫

These links are for you:

• This doesn't sound good. No sir, it doesn't sound good at all.



• Brings a whole new meaning to the term, "Please insert chip card".



• Twice?



• Oh Canada, where apparently you are still allowed to be an adult.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Don't eat too much.

On second thought, eat too much.

Nothing like a nice tryptophan nap.

⧫

I'll post something later.

~~~~~~~~

And I'm back.

Since we celebrated our Thanksgiving in late October, it was just my wife and I today. We went to visit with her mom for a bit and then came home to eat a traditional Thanksgiving dinner of baked scallops, fried cauliflower and mashed potatoes.

After that it was time to finally watch Avengers:Endgame.

Now we are watching news and probably some football.

All-in-all, it was a pretty good Thanksgiving.

⧫

Here are some links:

• Can't you just grow the stuff?



• I didn't know about this because, well, I don't care.



• Morons.



• I'm on board with this.

New windshield

We had the windshield replaced on my wife's car today. If you need to have glass work done, give Casey Glass a shout. They did great work, they handled the insurance and the did it all quickly.

Just sayin' is all. You can call whoever you want to call. No skin off my teeth if you call someone else.

⧫

We also got a little grocery shopping done this morning. I have no idea what the grocery stores were like this afternoon but they were pretty close to empty at 8:15 this morning.

One of the highlights of waking up early is that we get things done before a lot of people even think about starting their day.

One of the lowlights about waking up early is that we fall asleep at 9:00 at night.

Guess you have to take the good with the bad.

⧫

Based on my calculations, the DJIA, the S&P and the NASDAQ are all making it possible for me to once again believe that maybe, at some point in my future, I might be able to think about possibly retiring.

Just wanted to throw that out there for ya because I know you are all concerned about my financial well-being.

⧫

Yes, there is hockey again tonight.

After stomping of the Canadiens 8-1 last night and moving into a first place tie in the NHL, the Bruins hopped on a plane (or a bus or a train) and traveled the 100 miles to Ottawa where they will play the Senators.

The last time they played the Senators, they won 5-2 so I'm hoping for a similar outcome this time.

⧫

Here are today's links:

• How did this turn into a news story? Did she call the newspaper and report it? Is she proud of her little toy?



• Massachusetts passes a ban on menthol cigarettes. Some call that the government looking out for our health. Others call it an economic boost for the state of New Hampshire.



• Fishing with magnets sounds like a good way to find a lot of rusty, busted-up crap.



• Cops, for the most part, have a good sense of humor.

Last day of work

I am now on break until Monday!

⧫

Not much going on today.

The Bruins are playing the Canadiens at 7:00 so I got that to look forward to.

Instead of me writing a bunch of drivel, how about I just post some links:

• There are some pretty weird people living among us.



• Key phrase in this story: "violent overthrow of democracy"



• Here's an important update on a latex clad gimp.



• Only in Florida.



• Pardon my skepticism but I call bullshit on this guy

Well, they won.

The Patriots won 13-9 last night. It wasn't a pretty win but it was a win and they now have a 10-1 record and the lead in the AFC by at least 2 games.

And for the record, the Jimmy G and the 49'rs have same record in the NFC.

⧫

This is a really short work week for me. The college is closed on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Have I mentioned that I like working at there?

⧫

I won't be watching the Raven play the Rams tonight because, well, I could care less and since I've burned through all of my Gold Rush et al DVRs, I have to find something else to entertain me this evening. Maybe I'll go find some woodworking videos on YouTube.

While I do that, you can do these:

• Meet Willie Murphy, the newest member of the A-Team.
  (Note: Don't mess with her. She can even make shampoo into a weapon)



• Key phrase in this story: "It seemed, in retrospect, a bit of a low point — a medium-size dog racing through an airplane at 30,000 feet, spraying diarrhea toward passengers throughout the cabin."



• Only in Florida.



• Naked Oreo Run would be a fantastic name for a 1970s porno movie.



• Here's your Naked Guy In The News story.



• Here's another Naked Guy In The News story.

The Bruins won in OT

They were down 4-2 and managed to score 2 goals to tie the game before the final siren sounded. Then they scored to win the game during OT.

They are now in second place in the Eastern conference, 2 points behind the Capitals.

I know it's still early in the season but things are looking good for the Bruins.

⧫

The Patriots are playing the Cowboys and they are up 10-6 at the half. It's raining like hell out in Foxboro and I'm betting that football is slick like greased lightning.

Hopefully the Patriots come out for the second half and explode on the field. I would love to see them run roughshod on the Cowboys. I don't like the Cowboys or their owner, Jerry Jones.

He's a jerk.

Jerky Jones.

⧫

I'm going to go eat some dinner and watch the rest of this game.

You should click on these:

• Apparently the cops in Michigan are giving out bribes.



• China.



• I bet a dollar that he doesn't even have a girlfriend.

Yard work and wiper blades

The lawn is clean, the wiper blades are replaced, The Dogs latrine is clean and my hair is cut.

That is what is known as a productive day.

⧫

Now I'm watching the Bruins lose to the Wild. It's the end of the first period an d the score is 1-0 in favor of the Wild. If the Bruins don't start playing like they can, they are gonna lose this game and slip to third place in the Eastern conference.

While I do that, you can do these:

• This is the ugliest thing I've seen since AMC released the Gremlin.



• Oh Canada.

I need new wiper blades

There is one thing I can't stand about new cars and that is the extra bright headlights. They are terrible on a dry day but let there be a little rain and instead of a single bright light shining in your eyes, you have the refraction off of the water droplets and I can't see shit.

To make it even worse, my wiper blades are streaky and the skip a portion of the windshield right at eye level.

First thing tomorrow morning, I'm changing those things and hopefully I'll be able to see a little better on a rainy night.

I considered carrying my bb gun and shooting out the headlights of those oncoming cars but I understand that may be against the law and I'd probably get in trouble.

⧫

The Bruins won last night but they played like crap. They seem to be losing track of the puck.

To paraphrase Wayne Gretzky's dad, Walter, they need to start going to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been. Now that I read that, maybe they just need to go where no one else is and be ready to receive a pass. I believer they call that "getting open".

⧫

No sports tonight so I'll burn off some more DVRs.

While I do that, you can do these:

• Always check the TO: field before you click send....



• Wait. Ugg has outlet stores? Why?



• You have gotta love dogs.



• He may be a clutz but he got away with it.

Outspoken

I was doing some web searches for information on trilobites (Yea, I know, I'm odd. What can I say) and I ran across the twitter feed of a paleontologist whose profile said

"Astrophysicist, paleontologist, geologist, speaker, playwright, engineer, artist, outspoken liberal, grandfather & fan of graffiti & Waffle House. Resistance!"

I'm sure he is a good person, a good grandfather and probably a good paleontologist but the part that caught my eye was "outspoken liberal"

My question is; Is there any other kind of liberal? If you are a liberal, aren't you required to be outspoken? Aren't you required to push your opinions on to everyone around you? Aren't you supposed to assume that anyone who doesn't think and act like you is an evil, dimwitted moron?

Just asking is all....

⧫

I'm gonna watch the Bruins play the Sabres and then fall asleep early.

Here are a few links:

• "Accidentally"



• To use one of my father's favorite lines: This would have gone over like a lead balloon.



• Only in Florida.



• Apparently we are running out of sand.



• Gives a whole new meaning to the word, "SuperCuts".



• Some call this fraudulent. I call it honesty.

Back to busy

I didn't have a lot of time for webernizing today.

Here are a few links:

• The Airbus A380 is a double-deck aircraft that seats 800. That's 800 people that need to go change their underwear before that plane can take off.



• Back in the 1980s, his nickname was Randy Andy:




• A 500 pound emerald? Really?

Yes, there is hockey tonight.

The Bruins are in New Jersey to play the Devils this evening and I will be watching the game.

The Bruins remain in first place in the Atlantic division and are tied for second place in the Eastern conference. If they had been winning games instead of picking up one point for a shootout they would be in first place in the conference.

But at least they are holding their own and, if they can keep it up, they will be playing in April during the playoffs.

⧫

I'm trying very hard to not talk about the testimony that is going on in the congress but there is one thing I want to say:

I think this whole thing is a shit show.

This incredible waste of oxygen is being put on by a bunch of people who should be trying to figure out how to help people with opioid addiction, how to help people who want to live in the United States or how to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels.

But their not working on any of that. They are too freakin' busy ranting, pontificating and harumphing.

I can't stand either the republicans or the democrats. They are both acting like a bunch of spoiled brats throwing hissy fits in the aisle of a toy store because they aren't getting their way.

Why do we keep electing these idiots.

⧫

Here are today's links:

• This idiot is going to prison over a 16 year old POS Chrysler. I wonder if he thinks it was worth it.



• Uh, NO!



• Never bring an ax to a gun fight.



• Must be a slow news day in Florida.



• Then again, only in Florida.

And I'm back to being busy

I suppose if you are going to have a non-busy day, Friday is the day to have it and if you are going to have busy days, Monday thru Thursday are the days to do it.

⧫

There is no hockey tonight but there is football. Unfortunately it's between two teams (the Chiefs and the Chargers) that I could care less about.

I do have some Gold Rush et al DVRs I can watch so I figure I got that goin' for me.

While I do that, you can click on these links if you want:

• At what point did these two decide this was a good idea?



• Well, he did write the book on it...



• Guinea Pig Tossing could be the next big late-night bar entertainment craze.



• Why?



• Oh Canada.



• Here's your Naked Guy In The News story.



• Only in Florida. And some prison systems.

I managed an hour in the pattern today

I flew for an hour today and I managed to get 5 take-offs and landings, including one go-around.

There was a slight crosswind but nothing unmanageable and all of the landings were good. The go-around happened when I got hit by a little gust that caught me off guard just as I crossed the runway threshold. Rather than fight the plane onto the runway, I decided to let it keep flying and just go around for another shot at it. The second time went a lot better.

So anyways, I have once again meet the FAA's "3 full stop landing within 90 days" requirement so I can still carry passengers if anyone wants to go for a ride.

⧫

The Christmas gathering invitations have begun and we have a few to attend. The traditional neighborhood party, the family parties and the friends parties.

I gotta be honest with you, at my age, parties are kind of a pain in the ass but it's always nice to see everyone.

⧫

The Patriots were in Philadelphia this afternoon to play the Eagles and things went kinda okay.

The Patriots were predicted to win by at least 4 points, with most predictions in the 4 to 14 point range. No one predicted they would lose.

As it turned out, they won by 7 points. And it was a tough 7 points.

⧫

Here are some links:

• Key entry from our favorite police log: "9:32 p.m. A man got kicked off Amtrak’s Empire Builder in Whitefish after he snapped a towel at the conductor. The man was told that he could ride the train tomorrow if he behaved."



• Key phrase in this story: "Driver leaves behind bumper with clues."



• It appears the Chinese are as crazy as the Japanese.



• This should make for some interesting family gathering conversation.

No flying for me today

I had scheduled a plane for two hours but when I got to the airport, I found that the wind was blowing at 15 knots with 25 knot gusts and it was a direct crosswind.

That, my friends, is beyond my limit. Last thing I want to deal with is a 20 knot gust of wind against the side of the plane just as I'm trying to land. That would more than likely end poorly for both me and the plane. At the very least, I'd probably torque the wheels on touch down and end up blowing a tire.

I've landed with a blown tire but it was on a runway that is 7,000 feet long & 150 feet wide in Westfield and I ended up coming to a stop right at the edge of the runway.

The runway in Northampton is 3,000 feet long and 50 feet wide. If I had the same problem there, I would have gone off the runway and probably done a lot of damage to the plane.

So anyways, I rescheduled my rental for tomorrow morning when the wind is supposed to be 7 knots with no gusts.

I can handle 7 knots.

⧫

Colin "I hate all of you!" Kaepernick schedule a workout with the NFL in an attempt to get himself a job playing quarterback for some NFL team. 20 teams agreed to send representatives to watch. The NFL agreed to film the workout and send it to the remaining 12 teams. In other words, after all his complaining about no one wanting to hire him, he was finally going to have a job interview.

Then he got pissy and refused to sign a liability waiver. He also demanded his own film crew. He also demanded that Nike be allowed to film it to use as a commercial.

When the NFL said no, he refused to show up.

Seems to me that if he really wanted to get a job, he would have shown up for the interview.

He's a moron and still unemployed.

⧫

I'm going to watch a little hockey and then fall asleep early. Since I didn't fly, I had the time to get some grocery shopping done, clean my gutters and clear the leaves off my lawn.

While I enjoy this hockey game, you can enjoy these links:

• Key phrase in this story: "...claimed he was searching for his pet chihuahua as it had been dognapped by a Romanian circus troupe."



• And he will still do a shitty job playing the part.



• This is probably the worst idea for a bar ever.



• Another reason to never visit Africa.

Feast or Famine

The last few days have been feast and today was famine. Not only was I not busy today, I was bored. At one point I thought I was going to nod off in my office.

The highlight of my day was resetting someones MultiFactor Authentication settings so he could work from home.

The lowlight was when I was listening to a web presentation on what North Korea is currently doing via the internet (attacks, hacks, etc..). It was, to say the least, a bit dry. The speaker had a monotone voice and his presentation was too technical for the subject matter.

At one point it got so bad I swear I heard someone in the background say, "Move on" while he was speaking. I think that was when I realized I was about to fall asleep.

⧫

I'm going to watch some hockey. Hopefully they win tonight.

Here are a few links for you:

• Only in Florida.



• Yes, alcohol was involved.



• Drunks on Scooters would be a fantastic name for a 1950s childrens book.



• What's the fun in that? Half the fun of Christmas was watching the dogs, the cats and the kids pull the tree down on top of themselves.



• Stolen Jesus would be a great name for a 1990s punk band.

Another day of busy

The college put on its annual Thanksgiving lunch for us today and it was very good. And by very good, I mean pretty damned tasty.

Every month, they put on a lunch for us and sometimes it kind of sucks. Most times it's okay. Today was really really good.

I'm still full so no need for dinner tonight. Maybe I'll just have a snack later on.

⧫

We continue to muddle our way through the changes going on in my department and I am beginning to get frustrated with the pace that things are moving. I am of the opinion that when you have a band-aid to remove, it's best to yank it off quickly.

The sooner the changes are implemented, the better off we will all be.

⧫

The state of Massachusetts has passed a law banning menthol cigarettes and imposing a 75% tax on vape products.

I don't smoke so I don't care but this, my friends, is the government telling you how to live your life and I find it very disconcerting that people are okay with this.

This is bad.

Very bad.

⧫

The Bruins are off tonight but the Steelers are playing the Browns this evening.

Maybe I'll watch some of that.

While I do that, you can go clickity-click on these:

• I want to do this.



• Well, guess I don't have to worry about my retirement fund anymore.



• Kind of arrogant if you ask me.



• This does not sound tasty to me but then again, I'm not an 8 year old little boy.

Busy day

The department I work in is in the process of redesigning itself, along with having new bosses wandering around. It kind of makes things interesting and I get to sit back and watch the jockeying for position that is going on.

We're going to work it all out in the end but in the meantime, it's generating a lot of additional effort on everyone's part as we try to get things done.

⧫

But that's not what I came here to tell you. I came here to tell you that the Bruins fell apart last night and lost the freakin' Panthers.

The Panthers! From Florida!

They don't even have ice in Florida. How the hell can you lose a hockey game to a bunch of people that live where they don't even have ice?

So anyways, the Bruins led the game 4-0 at the end of the second period and then gave up four unanswered goals in the third period to end the game tied 4-4. That means they went into a shootout and the Panthers managed to score one goal. That was all it took.

This means the Bruins picked up only 1 point when they should have picked up 2.

They still league the Atlantic division and are still in second place in the Eastern conference but they should have picked up the 2 damned points.

⧫

No sports tonight but plenty of gold mining DVRs.

While I watch those, you can click these:

• If you were wondering what to get me for Christmas, wonder no more.



• "Hey! Look! I made this meat! It's made from..... uh..... air! Yea, that's what it's made from. Air! My girlfriend loves it! Her name is.... uh... Morgan Fairchild! Yea, that's my girlfriend, Morgan Fairchild. I'm dating Morgan Fairchild. Yea, that's the ticket."



• Here's your Naked Guy In The News story.



• Only in Florida.



• Yes, alcohol was involved.

So much for snow

Not only did we get no snow, we got very little rain.

Basically, it sprinkled a bit this morning and then it got cold.

⧫

With the Seahawks win over the 49r's last night, there are no longer any undefeated teams in the NFL. It was a pretty good game and I made it all the way to the half before going to bed.

Watching the first half of the game, I figured Garappolo was going to drive the 49r's to victory and remain undefeated but the Seahawks managed to keep up with them. The game ended in a tie and the Seahawks kicked the winning field goal in overtime.

Tonight there will be hockey.

⧫

Here are some links for you to visit:

• If anyone ever offers you a drink made from South African gin, don't take it.



• No thanks.



• Australia: What doesn't kill ya, will probably try to kill you later.



• This is probably the worst idea I've ever heard.



• You kids get off my lawn!



• What kind of idiot would buy something like this?

Snow's a comin'

They are predicting less than 1 inch of snow so I don't think I'll need The Beast. Hell, I don't think I'll even need a shovel.

Maybe a push broom.

⧫

The Bruins managed to lose last night in a shootout. That means they still picked up one point. They are still in first place in the Atlantic division and are tied for second place in the Eastern conference.

As for the game, the Bruins flat out sucked during the first period, did so-so during the second period and played a hell of a game during the third period. The regulation game ended in a 2-2 tie and the Flyers managed to score one goal during the shootout, giving them the 3-2 win.

⧫

Here are some links that you might want to click on:

• You gotta love The Sun. They have all the cutting edge news.



• Key phrase in this story: "I live by the five W’s: Wine, whiskey and wild, wild women."



• Oh Canada.



• Yet another reason to never go to prison.

Kind of a lazy day

I managed to get the leaves of the backyard, or as I like to call it, The Dogs latrine. I also remembered to bring my garden hoses in before they froze solid.

Other than that, I spent the day doing as little as possible, lounging on my couch and watching bad television and some football.

⧫

Speaking of football, the Patriots are on a bye week. They still hold the number one spot in the AFC at 8-1 while the 49'rs are still undefeated in the NFC at 8-0.

I was going to watch the Steelers host the Rams but Fox decided to carry the Panthers / Packers game. Fox does that sometimes and it kind of pises me off. They did it during the baseball season when they were scheduled to carry a Red Sox game and instead carried a LPGA tournament.

Fox sucks.

⧫

The Bruins are hosting the Flyers this evening so I'll watch as much of that as I can. Since I slept until 6:30 this morning instead of my usual 5:00, maybe I'll be able to watch the entire game.

Only time will tell.

⧫

Enjoy these links:

• Look, no one likes it when someone start playing Christmas carols before Thanksgiving but still, there are better ways to express your dislike.



• Basically, the Japanese are crazy.