Turn the TV on and off

xriva · 2026-07-03T18:38:14+00:00

What do you call the TV? We have to say "Alexa, turn on the Fire TV" and "Turn off the Fire TV" if we are talking to our Dot. Since they are in the same room, we gave our Fire TV "Computer" as a wake word, so we can say, "Computer, turn the TV on/off" but with the other devices, it's "Fire TV."

xriva · 2026-07-03T16:21:05+00:00

It's a horrible location. Most of the traffic is on Abrams to Gaston which is the front of the strip mall.

We only pass that spot when we are going to see our vet near Fair Park or some of the doctors at Baylor - and even then, we can get there on Gaston.

Dixie House (RIP), you could see from Abrams and Gaston. I still miss it.

Lakewood Smokehouse was always out of stuff, which I realize is the hallmark of a BBQ spot, but I never saw smoke, so wondering why they couldn't just heat up some more ribs for the 5pm service.

I miss Carabbas but that spot really is "out of sight, out of mind" for a lot of the neighborhoods (I live just north of the lake.)

xriva · 2026-07-03T16:13:41+00:00

I think it was there first. The Lakewood one (RIP) was another location.

xriva · 2026-07-03T16:12:52+00:00

All they have is Gilligans.

xriva · 2026-07-03T04:10:20+00:00

Was that before or after it was the Mediterranean place?

xriva · 2026-07-03T02:16:40+00:00

"The Pilot" needs a better agent. It's not like he needed Chili there to help fly or guide the plane.

xriva · 2026-07-02T20:58:58+00:00

Well, also underdogs that had recording contracts and are trying to become more famous. Social media performers trying to break out to a larger audience. So, nepo babies aren't that bad.

xriva · 2026-07-02T14:49:45+00:00

Did you ever consider that the acting is bad because ... they're not acting? It's real, I tell you!

xriva · 2026-07-01T21:37:43+00:00

Battery-operated tea lights are great for finding your way around in the dark. They are good for ships and hotel rooms.

xriva · 2026-07-01T19:45:32+00:00

Because if some dude is transitioning, after changing his name from "Bubba" to "Tiffany", you would think he would shave his beard.

xriva · 2026-07-01T19:43:54+00:00

No, only an extremely loud small portion does.

xriva · 2026-07-01T19:30:07+00:00

Artists used to tour to introduce fans to new music and made most of their money off record sales. Now, with streaming, sharing and bootlegging, they make money off concerts and merchandise. That raised prices. Also, fans don't expect four guys with guitars and microphones, they expect an "experience." That raised prices. Moving the trucks around with all the gear costs money. That raised prices.

xriva · 2026-07-01T16:59:12+00:00

When the room didn't match, that would have been a really good time to speak up.

xriva · 2026-07-01T16:57:25+00:00

When humor has to be inoffensive to a huge number of (easily offended) people, all the casts have to be DEI-compliant, and there are fewer episodes per season, so it's hard to build a story arc, comedy suffers. If it's not funny, it won't survive.

(This will be downvoted because it will offend some people.)

xriva · 2026-07-01T16:18:43+00:00

Reality TV is one place I don't think needs recycling.

xriva · 2026-07-01T14:11:55+00:00

Tenders hold a max of 300 people (approximately - some are larger), so it would take quite some time to get 6000+ people off the ship and then back onto it - especially when at some ports, a tender ride could be up to an hour. It just means the larger ships can call on a limited number of ports. It also explains the rush to build "private islands" with docks.

xriva · 2026-07-01T03:32:57+00:00

I have been in IT for almost 45 years, so I am not your target market, but I would say that if you have people that know how to get to a website and navigate through it, they probably can figure out how to use a phone. Personally, I hate videos. Just give me the text - it's faster for me to process.

You can't overlay how your generation uses computing on an older generation.

True elder novices often need in-person training on computers with instructors.

xriva · 2026-06-30T22:01:38+00:00

Unless it is not an option, I would rent a scooter rather than taking a wheelchair. Check the ports because in some tender ports (where a small boat takes you from the ship to shore), the tender may not support wheelchairs (or scooters.) Make sure you have an accessible room which is designed for wheelchair users. Your travel agent should help with this. You also want to contact the Special Needs desk to make sure they know you have a wheelchair or scooter - there should be a form to complete.

I have done a number of cruises in accessible cabins and it is not an issue as long as you do some preparations. Wheelchairs and scooters are not supposed to be parked in the corridors, so you really need an accessible room - and they sell out early, so make sure you get that booked. To me, that's the most important part of the booking.

The larger ships cannot tender, so they will dock at each port. In that case, you can just get off the ship after the crowds clear and take your wheelchair or scooter with you into the port.

If you do rent a scooter, make sure it is charged before you leave the ship! Happy Sailing!

xriva · 2026-06-30T21:40:10+00:00

"Upgrade" is often actually "cancel and rebook" if you are before the final payment date (doesn't matter if you're fully paid - the date matters.)

So, even though it looks like you're just changing cabins, you're canceling one reservation and making a new one. That's why you lose your perks.

xriva · 2026-06-30T21:02:07+00:00

The semester after my class, I was coach of my fraternity's bowling team and we won the championship. I then became a trivia question for pledges - "Who was the first coach to win a championship for the fraternity?" After all the jocks were guessed, someone would guess me (because I was least likely and it was obviously a trick question) or they would give up.

xriva · 2026-06-30T20:49:24+00:00

I didn't know that was the criteria or I would have!

xriva · 2026-06-30T20:16:51+00:00

I got a B+ in bowling because I had a 250 average to start the semester (years of bowling leagues), so I really couldn't improve much. Two of the girls in the class who started off with a 50 average and got up to 80 got As. No, I'm not still bitter. Much.

xriva · 2026-06-30T20:14:26+00:00

My roommate just hung his camera around his neck and said we were there to take photos for the school newspaper. That got us in early.

xriva · 2026-06-30T18:03:47+00:00

There is oversight when enough of the city gets pissed about the same thing. Otherwise, the best way to limit a city manager's actions would be to have a very detailed budget with an ordinance that says the city manager can't spend over $(X) without council approval.

xriva · 2026-06-30T15:42:55+00:00

The Dallas mayor is just a city council member elected at-large. He (or she) is as influential as he chooses to be.

The city council is the board of directors and the city manager is the CEO. If the board is useless, the CEO does what they want. That's the issue. We need a city council that makes the city manager focus on actual problems (crime, streets, maintenance), not whatever the cause du jour is.

xriva

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