Sunday, August 7, 2016

ON THIS NIGHT OF THUNDER




Do I regret writing my previous post?
Hell, no.

Do I feel the need to apologize to those people who might have been irked?
Absolutely not.

As I stated in my previous post - this is the New Version of Jon. Welcome to my territory. I say exactly what's on my mind. My apology days are officially over.

I spent the better part of my life discounting my own opinions and apologizing to everyone in order to appease them. This was a pathetic habit I acquired from continuously apologizing to my father for being alive.

Ironically, I can't recall one person who ever apologized to me. It's a one-sided affliction.

As for the subject of politics, you might not believe it but I am neither Republican nor Democrat. Never voted in my entire life and never will. Politicians don't inspire me. I merely call the shots as I see them.

Question:
Jon, you don't have a TV. How did you watch the Democratic Convention?

Live Stream. On the computer.
It sounds like water sports...or golden showers...but we won't go there.
  

Blogging (writing) is the only emotional outlet I have left. I blog simply to convince myself I'm still alive. I've been severely depressed for a long time - because of more things than I'd ever reveal here. Writing keeps me above the surface - - saves me from drowning.
I'm working on a novel and my memoir. Both are raw and brutally honest.

Night of thunder?
An excruciatingly humid day. In early evening I sat outside in a rusty lawn chair, trying desperately to get a breath of air. At the edge of the forest, under thickening layers of darkly drifting clouds. Thunder rumbled with an angry threat of rain, but it didn't rain. Just thunder, ensuing darkness, and flashes of lightning. I watched the dramatic sky, mesmerized.  

When I finally went back inside, I had some watermelon.




I'm not nearly as enthusiastic about the Olympics as I used to be, but I wanted to watch the Opening Ceremonies last night.

An international television broadcast shouldn't be difficult to find somewhere online, should it? 

I tried without success for over an hour.
NBC will let you watch online streaming if you open an account - - and to qualify, they want the account number for your television service provider. Not Internet provider, only TV.

Hey, if I had a TV I wouldn't be wanting to watch the damn thing online.

I tried half a dozen places on YouTube and they were all scams. Watch the Opening Ceremonies Live - - "if you subscribe to my channel".
Bullshit. I subscribed to five channels and got nowhere.
I then quickly unsubscribed.

I tried independent websites. Live Streaming of the Opening Ceremonies.
They want your credit card number, along with a pint of blood and a sperm sample. 

Finally, I found a place online where you can watch TV for free. They provide an impressive number of free channels, along with some HD channels that require a fee. Who needs them?

If you want to watch free TV online go to www.streamlive.to 
 If you want to see the Olympics simply watch the NBC channel (this is for the U.S.A).
but beware of the usual annoying popups, unwanted ads, etc.

I'll be spending part of this night ripping up the carpet in one of my bathrooms (I have two), due to a sudden and unexpected plumbing "problem". I've always hated bathroom carpeting and plan to install tile - so this is actually a positive fluke of fate.

Now - if only I can find the source of the leak...... 

Note:
As of Sunday evening, Streamlive.to has REMOVED their free NBC channel. They now only have the premium PAY NBC channel available.
Obviously they don't want anyone watching the Olympics for free. 
   

22 comments:

  1. Not being a sports fan, I never watch the games either, but I do tune in to see all the hot swimmers and gymnast. By god.... the strength they have. I could use some of them. I know, I already have to many, but dear It's not the men in my life that count, it's the life in my men!!! it's hot here too. I just came in from being at side, enjoying a gin and tonic and a very nice thick Cuban. The perfect summer evening for me.

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    1. The very best part of the summer Olympics are the swimmers and gymnasts. What I really dislike is the endless volleyball games. They don't belong in the Olympics.

      I was EXTREMELY bad at playing sports when I was in school, but - ironically - I was very good at volleyball. Go figure....

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  2. According to my experience, living as I do in a crazy old farmhouse, the leak is probably from a worn-out wax flange under the toilet. Shut off and disconnect the water outlet to the tank, undo the bolts that hold the toilet down --if they're rusty, just unscrew them from the floor or however they come out, then hoist the toilet off its wax flange. Replace with new wax flange (also inspect subfloor for sinkage), resecure toilet base with oversized studs and reconnect outlet. Done it many times in the many crazy old farmhouses I've lived in. Yes, I'm still a hick --HELP! On second thought, just call a plumber or you'll end up like me!

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    1. Geo, that was the first thing I suspected - - mainly because it happened to me in Texas. Fortunately I know how to replace the wax flange - although I'm not looking forward to it. Also, there's a small leak coming from the water outlet to the tank.

      This was rather surprising, since the toilet isn't old. My Texas house was a lot older than this one in TN.
      Anyway, I'll be buying some plumber supplies tomorrow - along with kitty litter.

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  3. "It sounds like water sports...or golden showers...but we won't go there." - hee hee hee! :)

    I didn't venture outside yesterday; thick humid air and my asthma don't mix. the rain didn't get here til 7p.

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    1. HA - I knew you'd catch that one (most of my more "innocent" readers didn't).

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  4. I remember a carpet and a plumbing problem, no fun. Have a nice Sunday.

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    1. I remember in Texas when my water heater sprung a leak and my entire bathroom was flooded. Yeeeek!!!!

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  5. As a Compulsive Apologizer, I applaud your decision! There's congenial, and then there's sacrifice. (I've become somewhat better, but still apologize all the time at work -- simply to my OWN advantage while navigating mine fields strewn by an overbearing, self-absorbed woman.)

    IMHO, Rio's opening ceremonies were a bit underwhelming. Nice try on a not-so big budget, and Beijing was a tough act to follow.

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    1. Welcome to the Apologist Club. My ENTIRE life has been guilt-ridden and filled with apologies. There was a time when I truly did apologize for being alive. It is an affliction......caused by our own low self-esteem and those who take advantage of it. I can understand why you have to walk on eggshells in the workplace. That's one of the most dangerous places to be.....

      Truth to tell, I HATED the opening ceremonies of the Rio Olympics. It was the worst one I ever saw - - and it's become politicized with all the global warming crap...and lecturing us on how wonderful immigrants are. Tell that to the families of all those who were killed by Muslim terrorists.

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  6. I hope you find the leak.
    I can only watch what's online, also, because an antenna won't work in this building. (I swear the cable companies are in cahoots with the apartment contractors so that you will be forced to pay for cable--hummm.) It is annoying that some of the broadcast TV stations make you pay online to see only select current programs. But if you wait a couple weeks you can watch it for free--but only for another couple of weeks and then they take them off the website. Very stingy of them. I don't see much network TV anymore unless I can get it on Netflix a year (or more) later--LOL!
    Hope it cools off for you! :)

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    1. I REALLY miss the good ol' days when we simply plugged our TVs in and got the basic local channels - without all this unnecessary cable crap and expense. It's definitely all a racket.

      I did finally find the source of the leak (the toilet) and I'll be buying plumbing supplies tomorrow - along with kitty litter.

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    2. Me, Too!!!!!

      Have a safe, successful, no stress trip to town! :)

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  7. Jon, your photo grabbed my attention in such a way I had to force myself to stop staring. Why? It reflects the inside of my brain to such an extent my brain saw itself and couldn't look away. When I read how you've apologized all your life for being alive, I was nodding my head. When I got to the part where you said no one had ever apologized to you, I gasped and said "JOE! Listen to this!"

    Oddly enough, I spent a great deal of my older years apologizing to my daughter for being alive. I apologized for things I thought might be keeping her from loving me. One day, I caught myself apologizing for things I DIDN'T do! I begged her to tell me why she didn't love me. Did I get an apology or an explanation? Just a blank look and a shoulder shrug. I NEVER let go of the possibility that something is my fault. I'd confess to killing Kennedy, but I was too young at the time.

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    1. I've said this before and I'll say it again - being an apologist is an affliction. It's a sickness we acquire by being manipulated by egotistical people who get a rise out of putting us down. I truly did go through my entire life feeling guilty for everything and apologizing constantly in order to appease.

      I soon realized that this guilt and appeasement extends into the blogging world. Every time I wrote a post I worried about who it was going to offend....or how many "followers" I was going to lose.

      And then I realized that NOBODY in my entire life has ever apologized to me. I also realized that people can dish out the shit but can't take it if you dare to throw it back.

      I've FINALLY come to the point of being ANGRY about all this one-sidedness. I don't give a crap how many "followers" I have, or who doesn't like what I say. It's their problem, not mine.
      Dana - welcome to my Apology-Free Zone!

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    2. I really didn't kill Kennedy, but if I had to take a lie detector test, I'm sure the needle would fly off the machine if I said "no". I can convince myself of committing every faux paux imaginable and being the cause of another person's inconvenience. I've apologized for the last time also, my friend. If we can stick to it, and carry it out in real life, we owe each other a pat on the back.....and I apologize for the fact I can't reach you in Tennessee. Oops. Did it again. So, it takes practice. And one more thing: I also must learn to say "no" without adding an apology.

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  8. I'm seeking admission in your Apologist Club. I reached my point of no return this week. No more I'm sorry until I hear it back. Now if I could watch TV like back in the day I too would be thrilled. CABLE is a racket no doubt.

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    1. Welcome to the club - I think we have more members than we realize. Apologies are necessary if we truly did something wrong - but I am completely disgusted with being induced by guilt to apologize for no reason.

      Cable is DEFINITELY a racket. Sadly (and infuriatingly) I think just about everything nowadays is a scam, a racket, or a rip-off.

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  9. I don't have the problem since I don't want to watch the Olympics. Once I started watching, I'd probably want to continue, mind. So I don't start. Saves a lot of time.

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  10. I don't have the problem since I don't want to watch the Olympics. Once I started watching, I'd probably want to continue, mind. So I don't start. Saves a lot of time.

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  11. If you are up for spending about $55.00 for a Sling Media Slingbox on Amazon and if your cousin would agree, you could install it on her TV and view TV via wifi on your computer or tablet. It is free and is only limited to those stations available on her cable subscription. I have a Slingbox connected to a TV in Mississippi so I can watch New Orleans Saints games when they are not broadcast in my Alabama location. The picture is not top quality, but acceptable. Newer boxes may be of higher quality. It would be handy for the occasional special broadcast you may want to see.

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  12. Jon,
    I gave up on watching the Olympics years ago when I realized that the Olympics were only a series of commercials briefly interrupted by tape delayed competition. What really did it for me was when I couldn't find out who was leading in the medal count. In our country, there is so much emphasis on "U.S.A.! U.S.A!", that if the United States isn't leading in the medal count, the NBC doesn't let the viewers know if another country is leading in the medal count. I was briefly tempted to watch the opening ceremonies this year but didn't when I realized it was again tape delayed, which doesn't make any sense at all since Rio de Janerio is only an hour ahead of us. And oh by the way, all those soft focus stories on the athletes are SOOOO boring. I would like to watch the completion live but apparently the folks at NBC has decided their commercial are more important. This is also the reason I don't subscribe to magazines anymore, too many ads.
    Ron

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