We got an advanced copy of Woodward's next book and he was gracious enough to sit down with us for an interview (something he normally won't do unless there's a major TV channel putting him on camera). Here's what he said: "There are the amazing revelations as my books always have, but nothing is revealed in time to do anything that might make a difference, so don't even bother buying the book, just send me money, because that's why I wrote these things, and why anyone buys them I have no idea, but I'm glad to take their money and am glad to get on TV to talk about my book."

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Hulu is an absolute MUST for a streaming source.  Whether or not you believe that, there's no risk or loss in taking a gander, because as the Hulu website sets out, you can have a free 30-day trial. If you don't do anything else, take the free trial and watch Normal People and This Way Up. You'll thank me. PS: You can share a Hulu subscription with one other TV even if it's across the country.

For Android phones, there are several apps that make the backup process easy. SMS Backup & Restore is a solid option with good reviews. For iPhones, tap on Settings/iCloud and toggle On under Messages, or use iExplorer but that's beyond my i-expertise.

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Valentine is a new Central Phoenix restaurant that got high marks in a very splashy two page review in the Arizona Republic punctuated with glossy pictures. Its website is about as unglossy and uninspiring as they come with no pictures whatsoever. It does not even tell you if they do take-out or delivery. I sent them an email and they said they will do take-out if you phone in an order, but the kitchen is closed between 3:30 pm and 5 pm so don't try to do so then. I likely will not be trying them at all.

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Hyperlinks to publications (such as the WSJ and NYT)--which appear in blue and underlined--in this blog should all open to the full article even if you do not have a subscription to the publication itself. That was not always the case but my crack technical team uncovered a work-around solution to the problem. In all events, whenever you see a hyperlink, if you click on it, it will take you somewhere.

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Junipine Resort is, or at least was, a delightful place to stay in Oak Creek Canyon. It is quite a bit more expensive now than it used to be and its quaint dining facility appears to have upgraded and its prices are certainly higher. There is no mention on the website as to their cancellation policy. Upon phoning to find out what the cancellation policy is (one should always be suspect when it's not clearly stated on the website), a cheerful and polite clerk will quickly explain: You are correct that there is no mention on the website, but it will be set out in the booking confirmation email you'll get. Pointedly, as they explained, the booking confirmation will state that, if you cancel within a week of your arrival, the cancellation fee is one night's stay plus tax. So, as you point out, if you were to book 2 nights with arrival set for 6 days or fewer hence, even if you cancel immediately upon seeing the cancellation policy, you will be assessed a cancellation fee equal to one night's stay plus tax. Putting aside the plus tax issue, the cheerful clerk will acknowledge that not disclosing this on the website could lead to surprised, shocked, and disappointed guests.

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A loyal reader and an erratic reader both have read the Sally Rooney book and watched the TV-series version and give it high and very high marks respectively, and not just because each episode is just 30 minutes or because of the sensuality, but instead, because of how well the story describes young love, belonging, and depression. Having now watched the first two episodes, it turns out the loyal reader and erratic reader are both correct. The only thing that some might see as a downside is the slowness with which all unfolds, but remember, you can't hurry love. That said, this is not a romcom. It has undertones of David and Lisa, but it is rivetingly different as well. Your advised to be sure the closed captioning is on so that you can better understand the Irish idioms and slang.

IMDb Link to Normal People

Text of letter that won't be printed: "There is little question about what doesn’t work to get the 70 million unvaccinated vaccinated. Having President Biden or Dr. Fauci or any of the supposed experts pleading on CNN and MSNBC and through the mainstream print media doesn’t work. Bribes don’t work. Mandates don’t work. It’s time to try something different. Flood Fox News shows, especially the prime time Hannity, Carlson, Ingraham shows, with advertisements plugging vaccinations and debunking the myths and debunking what the hosts say. And fill those advertisements with facts such as Fox News mandating vaccinations for its employees and those named hosts getting vaccinated even without being mandated to do so, along with Trump. Given what their making on their vaccines, Pfizer, J&J, and Moderna should be more than willing to fund such an advertising blitz."

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Many of us are completely at sea in trying to understand much of the behavior that has been exhibited in connection with the pandemic. As it turns out, a book published in 2019 entitled, "The Psychology of Pandemics," predicted with uncanny insight what we are witnessing. Thanks to a loyal reader who sent it in, you can read about this book in this Seattle Times Article.

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With Trump, it was easy to know the truth: It was the opposite of whatever he said. It was hoped with the Democrats taking over, we could turn the page. But, when I turned the page and saw some of the details of Biden's Government Family Plan, I was both shocked and surprised (unlike with Trump where you were always one or the other but not both). The White House and Democrats claim that "nearly four of five private sector workers have no access to paid leave" and that this bill will ensure that everyone is covered, especially low income workers. I'm all for that. But wait, there's more. Workers who live from one paycheck to the next can't afford to take time off for a partial wage replacement, but a new parent earning $200,000 per year could be eligible for more than $1,000 per week for 12 weeks, as can that parent's partner even if they are earning six figures. 

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If you have an Android phone, you don't need to know anything about iOS 15, not even the FaceTime Stuff because you can do FaceTime with an Android phone, or the new Safari Stuff which is driving users nuts because you don't use Safari. But if you have an Apple device, this WSJ Article is a must read.

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This WSJ Article presents an excellent overview of home rapid tests, including Abbott’s BinaxNOW, which are flying off drugstore shelves, including what you need to know about how to use them and how reliable they are.

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The following is from an email I got from the adviser I consult and without whom I could not navigate the Medicare maze.  It covers some points of interest as the Annual Enrollment Period approaches:

 1 - The Annual Enrollment Period does not apply to supplemental plans - it relates only to drug plans and Advantage plans. If someone has a supplemental plan, they can change anytime so long as they can get through medical underwriting with a new application and answer all health questions NO. If someone with an Advantage plan wants to move to a supplemental plan, there are a couple of carriers with no underwriting but the premium would be over $300 per month (unless they can answer NO to all the health questions, in which it might be half that); premiums do depend on age. 

2 - We will have information on the drug plans (and Advantage plans) after October 1st. Right now we have very little, and the carriers are just starting to ship supplies to brokers. The window for applying for a new drug plan is between 10-15 and 12-7 and that plan would then go into effect on January 1st. If there are any changes anticipated to your current drug plan, you should be notified by the carrier soon. If you are happy with your plan, then you need do nothing and the plan will automatically renew into the coming year. Some drug carriers are taking major hits this year - but we will still have quite a few under $30 per month and some under $20. So far we know that the Humana WalMart and Basic plans are fine, Silver Script looks good, Omaha hanging in there and Wellcare taking it in the shorts on their Select RX plan. We have heard nothing on the AARP plans. 

3 - Those annoying TV commercials... There have been no changes whatsoever to Medicare benefits in over 25 years other than the Part B deductible, which goes up a little bit every couple years. The "give back" program is for low income, like a single person making under $1469 and a couple making under $1980 per month, from all sources with a resource (money in bank, bonds, investments etc) of under $8,000 for an individual and under $12,000 for a couple. If you qualify under these limits, then it doesn't matter what kind of plan you have, you can qualify for assistance through Medicare. 

4 - BEWARE of scams! Medicare and Social Security will never call you. Publisher's Clearing House will never call you - they don't have your number, even if your enter their sweepstakes. Your car warranty isn't expiring tomorrow and your anti-virus program provider doesn't have your phone number.  Your grandson isn't in jail and needing bail money and  the International Monetary Fund is not related to the FBI in any way. The most identity theft occurs when someone gives out their Medicare ID or social security number or bank information. I can tell you first-hand that once that kind of personal information is 'out there,' the problems go on forever, in ways you can't imagine. Know your caller. If you don't recognize the number, let it go to voice mail - it is even gets that far. Or if you do pick up and think it is suspicious, hang up and call the number back and see how it is answered. Better yet - look on the Internet for information related to that phone number. No legitimate entity ever asks for payments in gift cards or by wire transfer. This all sounds like common sense but it is alarming how these people get through to unsuspecting and trusting people of all ages, and it costs the public billions per year. Not to mention the incredible inconvenience and headache.

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Last year there was no vaccine and there was a Trump in the White House. This year there is a vaccine and no Trump in the White House. One would think this year would be less stressful than last year. But, as this WSJ article explains, pandemic related stress actually has heightened this year marked by more blow ups in public and at home. I for one never would have guessed. Go figure.

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1. Do not let an untrained professional near the wall oven intending to put it through its self-clean cycles. Being able to heat up frozen sweet potato fries does not make one a trained professional.

2. If an untrained professional does get near your wall oven, tell her not to initialize the self-clean cycles for either the top or bottom ovens, and certainly not for both at the same time.

3. If your efforts have failed, don't panic when you find that the oven has locked itself such that you can't close the oven door or have either oven do anything., i.e., none of the controls work.

4. There are many suggestions The Google will have on the matter, some of which you can try (like cutting the power to it for 5 minutes) but likely with little success.

5. Even if it's a GE Profile/Monogram, don't waste your time calling GE for service. The phone tree will bully you until you try to schedule an appointment on the website which, once you try, will tell you to call for a phone appointment.

6. One of The Google's suggestions is just to wait until the oven returns to room temperature, under the theory that the lock will not release until that state is reached. The fastest way to have that happen is make an appointment with any appliance service firm, which, once sensed by the oven, will release the lock, and your oven will work fine. Although the oven might not seem warm to the touch, the safety locking feature is very sensitive to any heat emitted by either oven chamber.

7. Be sure to stress to any untrained professional with access to the oven to stay away from it.

8. Given the door locking issue in connection with the self-clean cycles, it might be best not to ever run the self-clean cycles. Doing so also will diminish the likelihood of disharmony erupting in the home, which is something to avoid especially when dealing with an untrained professional.

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Drinking Buddies has your Olivia Wilde, whom we really miss since House no longer airs and briefly spotting her at a NYC pizza place was just not enough, so it seemed worth taking the risk, especially since its run time is just 1.5 hours. Alas, even a half-hour proved too much, because the outcome was obvious given the movie's fixation on the flirting between the two leads who were co-workers while each involved with someone else. That might not have been a disqualifier, but the dialogue was terrible in its attempt to do cinema verite when instead it was cinema ennui. If you're a beer drinker, the movie likely will go down better if you have plenty of beer on hand. 

IMDb Link to Drinking Buddies

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Cry Macho is a Clint Eastwood movie that, at least based on the first half, is like a cliche of a Clint Eastwood movie. It's not horrible. But it's not a grabber either, and some of the scenes, and the portrayals of people in them, are ridiculous. For goodness sake, Clint Eastwood is not Rowdy Gaines any more. He's a 150 years old, and that's not a reason to dismiss him, but it might be a reason to cast some doubt as to why the women half his age are scripted to find him so irresistible. The premise of the movie is a bit weird, and some at least might not watch to the second half to see how it turns out. Finally, it's very difficult, if you are a Seinfeld fan, to watch this movie without thinking about the Little Jerry episode.

IMDb Link to Cry Macho  

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Although he's not without his critics and blemishes, many people laud Fareed Zakarias. His piece in WaPo entitled Is Biden Normalizing Trump's Foreign Policy?  is worthy of consideration and quite sobering: "Biden can use the U.N. pulpit [in his speech there next week] to return to his deep roots as an internationalist who understands that countries don’t simply ally with America out of fear, bribes or narrow security concerns. They do so because its best presidents have articulated and pursued policies that, while always being attentive to U.S. interests, also tried to build an open, rules-based international order that helped others prosper and thrive. If Joe Biden continues his current course, though, historians might one day look back on him as the president who normalized Donald Trump’s foreign policy." "This address comes at a crucial moment in the Biden presidency and will have a particular impact on how it is viewed abroad. After almost eight months of watching policies, rhetoric and crises, many foreign observers have been surprised — even shocked — to discover that, in area after area, Biden’s foreign policy is a faithful continuation of Donald Trump’s and a repudiation of Barack Obama’s."

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Ellen Pao's guest column in the NYT argues that it can be sexist to hold her accountable for alleged serious wrongdoing and not hold an array of men accountable for reports of wrongdoing or bad judgment. You might have been tempted to put down the Sunday Review section and cancelled your subscription. But if you turn just a few pages to Maureen Dowd's piece, you will be treated a blistering riposte, which argues as follows: "What ever happened to the good old-fashioned art of Owning It? Our culture is awash in people who get called out for their behavior and then retreat behind some victim-y excuse. If you’re going to go for it, go for it. The ne plus ultra of this charade is Elizabeth Holmes, who is on trial for being a big fraud after she pretended to have invented a simpler, cheaper way to do blood tests with a finger prick.Holmes plans to blame her behavior on “a decade-long campaign of psychological abuse” perpetuated by her former boyfriend and business partner, Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani — a charge he denies. In a Times guest essay, Ellen Pao, a former tech executive, suggested that, while Holmes should be held accountable, 'it can be sexist to hold her accountable for alleged serious wrongdoing and not hold an array of men accountable for reports of wrongdoing or bad judgment.' Sexism this ain’t, sisters. Holmes went for it. She became the youngest female self-made billionaire by spinning gold out of blood. She really put the con in Silicon Valley." And by way of a post-script, did anyone say Enron?

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