It's been a while since I've posted more than family news and photos here. Most things that cross my mind I post on my other blog since they are more personal thoughts and not related to the rest of the family.
But today I'm bored so I thought I'd just say some random things.
I've started watching "Lost" online (Netflix). I'd been wondering for a while what the big deal was with this show, since we don't pick up the channel it's on out here in the boonies. I'm on episode 16 and it's actually getting pretty good. It hasn't really blown me away like Heroes or some other things I've seen, but as you get into these characters' lives it's pretty interesting.
Healthcare is in the news. I have some very strong opinions about what needs to be done, but I'm not a politician or an expert in this area at all, so I could rant and rave all day, but it wouldn't really matter unless I knew what I was talking about. But there are some things I do know. When my company stopped paying for my health insurance, I was able to continue it under a plan called COBRA. However, instead of being double what I was paying before, it was more than 5 times as much. An incredibly insane amount - more than what I was making per month when I was working. So it was either spend every penny we had, plus more that we would have to borrow to continue my health coverage, or let it lapse and not starve to death. Also, if I had never gotten insurance and had saved all that money, I would be able to pay the bills for all the things the insurance wouldn't when I did have coverage, plus what little they did pay, plus have some left over. In other words, it cost me more to have insurance than it would have cost me to not have it. That's a broken system. Someone needs to stop the insurance companies from doing stupid crap like that. That's all I know.
My lovely wife got me an ice-cream maker for Father's Day. It's probably the greatest gift I've ever gotten. I've probably made 10 batches so far. Mostly vanilla, just because that's easiest, but I'm getting anxious to try new combos. The issue is, most recipes I find online are trying to get all fancy schmancy and stuff, saying to scald the cream and all this other stuff. If you're going to go through all that trouble, then what's the point? Others call for raw eggs. I'm not even going to go there. Just give me cream and sugar and something that blends in with it. I'm thinking my next batch I'm going to make chocolate then stir in m&ms and brownies and all that good stuff when it'd done. Death by chocolate.
One of the stupid girls from High School Musical took some obscene pictures of herself which have been released onto the Internet. My little girls love those movies. Like it or not, actors are role models. It's just plain shocking and stupid that someone who's fan base is under 12 would do something... well, shocking and stupid. At least wait until you're in your 20s, like Britney Spears, before you do something like that.
I've only been to one movie lately. I only get to see about one a year in theaters. Mostly that's due to poverty, but also because there are so few that I really want to see as soon as it comes out. I don't remember what I saw last, before this time anyway. It couldn't have been very good if it didn't stick in my brain. This time, it was Star Trek. (Thanks Mom!) Did I talk about this before? I don't know. If I'm repeating myself, I'm sorry. Anyway, a lot of Star Trek fans were worried that it wouldn't be any good; that you couldn't make a Star Trek movie without William Shatner or Patrick Stewart. But guess what? In spite of using the old stand-by trick of time travel, the movie was awesome. I heard they are already filming the sequel. Which is awesome.
That's enough rambling for today.
