Author

Al

Personal

One of Those Days

by Al
written by Al

Spring is finally in full swing around here (in fact, today seems more like summer with temperatures in the 80’s), so I’ve started working outside again.  Last Thursday, I went to Lowe’s and bought eight bags of mulch, two bags of dehydrated cow manure, and a bag of topsoil.  The topsoil was purchased to fill a trench I dug last year while running underground coax from the house to an antenna for my ham radio setup.   One of the weird things that I’ve noticed is that whenever I dig a hole or a trench in the yard, when it comes time to fill it, there is always less dirt than when I started.  I don’t get it. I dig …

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MoviesReviews

Hamnet

by Al
written by Al

This is a movie you’re probably going to either love or hate. I came in somewhere in the middle. While I appreciate the talent and artistry involved in the movie, it’s just not my cup of tea. Hamnet is a historical fantasy that speculates on the origin of the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Since no one was there and there are no accounts of what really happened, it’s pretty much pure fantasy. While historic fantasy is not that uncommon, I find myself a little uncomfortable with some of it. While books and series like The Man in the High Castle are historic fantasy, everyone knows that they’re make-believe because everyone knows that Nazi Germany and the Japanese Empire did …

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MoviesReviews

Project Hail Mary

by Al
written by Al

My wife and I went to see Project Hail Mary last night.  It was the first time we’ve been to a movie theater in about five years.  Between our local theater closing down and the lack of any compelling movies to see, we’ve just stayed home and watched movies on our large flat-screen instead. When our local theater was still open, movie-going was pretty much a weekly event.  Even if there was a movie playing we knew little about or had gotten mixed reviews, we’d go to see it.  Mostly, we went because the venue also served food, so even if the movie was marginal, we still got to enjoy a meal and get out of the house.  Sadly, the …

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CulturePolitics

Living Like Kings

by Al
written by Al

I’m sure this post will get me labeled as a heartless, cranky old man. So be it. As I posted early this week, I purchased an air fryer in the hopes of having a somewhat healthier diet. I’ve been experimenting with it and so far have cooked some chicken breasts and French fries, both of which were quite good. One of the great features of the air fryer is that it crisps food, giving it a nice texture and adding a great deal of flavor. I was thinking about it and decided that using an air fryer might be a good way to cook shaved steak for a cheese steak (I know, not exactly healthy, but I’m in the experimental …

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CultureReviews

Star Trek – The Apple

by Al
written by Al

I grew up watching Star Trek (1966–1969), known now as Star Trek: The Original Series. I loved the show, watched it every week, and attended all the Star Trek movies. Even today, I prefer it to any successor. At the time of its original airing, it was way beyond anything on TV. The stories were well done and thoughtful, the characters were interesting and likable, and the special effects were cutting-edge. Like all of us, though, age has not been good to it. Even with remastering and new special effects, it looks dated, and while it’s still fun, the stories often don’t hold up in today’s more sophisticated world. That said, I still love it, and I’m willing to look …

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Personal

Easter

by Al
written by Al

When I was growing up, Easter Sunday was a special day for my family. Beyond the fact that we were good Catholics and it was an important day for the Catholic faith, it was also a celebration of the end of winter. The day would typically start with my sister and me hunting for easter eggs. Most of the time, this would take place inside because spring mornings in New England tend to be cold, but occasionally the eggs would be hidden in the backyard. These weren’t real eggs, of course, but plastic eggs filled with chocolate candy (usually Reese’s). Sometimes we also got easter baskets, again filled with things like chocolate bunnies, little stuffed animals, and tiny chocolate eggs. …

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Personal

Time to Lose Some Weight

by Al
written by Al

Every winter, I end up putting on a lot of weight. It’s not intentional, and as winter approaches, I promise myself that I’m not going to let it happen, but inevitably, it does. The weight increase is a result of several factors; first, I’m prone to being heavy. I know it sounds like a cop out, but it’s not. Even though the medical industry tries to make believe it isn’t the case, body type is a major factor in how much someone weighs. When I was growing up, I had a good friend, John, who could and would eat just about anything. We’d go to Burger King for lunch, and John would order multiple Whoppers, with fries, onion rings, and …

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CulturePersonal

They’re Here… Maybe

by Al
written by Al

I grew up at the beginning of the space age. I remember, as a child, gathering in the school gym, huddled around a small black-and-white TV with rabbit ears and a snowy picture, watching America’s first steps into ‘the final frontier.’ I loved Star Trek, I loved science fiction, and I loved the idea that someday, we would travel to the stars. The librarians at the Thomas Crane Library in North Quincy would try to protect me from all these crazy ideas by preventing me from checking out adult science fiction books; Danny Dunn was OK, Tom Swift was fine, but reading something from radicals like Asimov or Clarke certainly was not. Their attempts did not work; instead of taking …

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Politics

For the Children

by Al
written by Al

This week, Maine instituted an additional 2% tax on millionaires. They follow in the footsteps of other commie states such as California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Washington. Of course, it was the Democrats doing this, and of course, the majority of the articles ‘reporting’ the heist frame it as a noble endeavor. Maine representative, Cheryl Golek, who sponsored the original legislation, said, “I just started overwhelmingly crying when I found out because this bill takes a step toward tax fairness that people of Maine have been asking for for many years. I am extremely happy for what it will bring to the people of Maine.” Golek claims that, “A person who’s making $65,000 right now is paying the same effective …

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Personal

Our Anniversary

by Al
written by Al

Today, April 1, 2026, is our thirty-first wedding anniversary. Yup, I know, April Fool’s Day. Who gets married on April Fool’s Day? Well, my wife and I did, and the primary reason we chose the day was that it was practical. Since no sensible people get married on April Fools ‘ Day, it was easy to line up a church and hall for the celebration. That’s one of the reasons I married my wife. She’s practical. None of the bridezilla garbage that some women put their husbands through, where everything’s got to be perfect, and if it isn’t, they freak out and throw a temper tantrum like a spoiled child. My wife’s an adult and acts like one, something that’s …

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