It Gets Harder and Easier as Time Flies

broderic on February 17, 2024

Let’s start this with the sad news. Yamashita Mizuki, Nogizaka46’s ace, announced her graduation today. I woke up, found out, and now I have to quantify my feelings about seeing off one of my absolutely favorite Nogizaka members ever.

Here it is. This one hurts the most, and the loneliness is the most largest I’ve felt from a graduation announcement. Except, it doesn’t. As an idol fan, especially being one for almost a decade, member graduations come with the experience. Be it the least member to their aces, graduation comes for all, and you get used to it. So used to it, you are immune to them. But once one of your oshimen announce graduation, the feelings come back and hits you again. Overtime, it doesn’t hurt as much, but it still does.

It is what it is. You’ve been through them. You’ll come through them. You’ll experience it with them. You’ll celebrate with them. You’ll smile with them. Come the graduation date, you’ll see them off onto bigger adventures knowing that the time was well spent.

So, it is Mizuki’s time.

I have been her fan since August of 2016 during the third generation’s SHOWROOM auditions. “Shi-chan” caught my eye on the very first day. And to be honest, has never quite let it go. That’s almost eight years. Even as my original Nogizaka oshimen graduated, she was there to anchor my fandom for the group. Now, it turns into supporting her on her bright future.

I wish her all the happiness in the world. Thanks, Mizuki.

“I don’t think what Bill made you sign was legally binding.”

broderic on September 8, 2023

RIP Jimmy Buffet. He did not sing the Pina Colada song. That guy in the video did, and as you can tell, he’s no Jimmy Buffet. He’s like your high school science teacher! Anyhow, when Buffet died, I immediately thought of this song, because it is a running joke that he did not sing this song.

I don’t want to make fun of Buffet’s death. I enjoyed his laid back attitude more than his music. I am sure we will miss his leisurely pace in this frantic world. It’s 5 o’clock somewhere. Let’s get some margarita’s.

Link of the Day [8.13.23]

broderic on August 13, 2023

Kottke points us to a Mastodon thread explaining why the huge size of cars (and trucks) is a bad thing.

Maybe it’s just a problem in the United States.

I was just in Europe and rented a car which would be compact in the States. It had 4 doors and fit 5 tightly. There’s a trunk and fit our luggage. It was probably smaller than my Mini Cooper.

And there was an even smaller option.

Most every one in Europe was smallish compared to the US. Small to fit the small streets of many of the towns and cities. The city streets were sized for these smaller cars. Human sized.

But anyhow, our cars are getting too big which leads to many bad things. It ruins roads quicker. It kills harder. It costs more. And somehow, we’re gonna run out of room for them: road widths, parking space widths, home widths. Just not human sized.

https://kottke.org/23/08/car-bloat-huge-cars-are-terrible-for-society

See ya tweets

broderic on January 22, 2023

I deleted Tweetbot from my iOS devices not just because of the turmoil going on at Twitter, but also because Twitter has broken third party apps. It is an end of an era.

Twitter is my favorite social media. I’m on there most all the time. Usually, when I’m out, it is Tweetbot that I would be using. Now. That is no longer the case.

I’ve never logged in to the web page on my iPhone. I am not going to so far. I guess I am going to be using Twitter a lot less now. Of course, while I sit on my couch, I will be using the website. I guess I need to get off my couch then.

Just An End Check In

broderic on December 6, 2022

Yo. I’m still alive here. Maybe writing a few things but this blog is still going. Strong? Not so. Weak? Yeah maybe. Most likely. Well even this post is weak sauce and just words on the blog.

So I am just telling you. I am a bit sad about not writing. Maybe sometime I’ll do something good.

Please, stick around.

It’s The New Style

broderic on October 23, 2022

Did the usual Sunday thing and headed to the bookstore, the new, improved B&N, just to check it out. Eventually, I did buy the latest issue of Monocle to make the trip worth it, but the new store isn’t a place to hang out any more. No cafe and barely any seating. It’s slightly cramped. It’s missing the technology/computing section.

It reminds me of the bookstores you used to find in a mall, B. Dalton’s or Walden Books. They had the latest best seller, not a deep back catalog, magazines, and limited selections of various genres. We’ve gone back in time.

The most bothering thing is missing many of the familiar faces that I was used to. The one gentlemen who moved over from the Borders that closed a few years ago. The baristas in the cafe. So now its just a smaller crew a few new faces, too. Just wonder if they landed on their feet somewhere.

I am going to have to break my habit of going there often. Maybe twice a month?

“Bill thinks having a bird crap on him is a compliment from the gods!”

broderic on September 21, 2022

Quote of the Day [9.21.22]

“What users really want is good tools. They want systems that are easy to learn and easy to use, and that help them do their work. They want software that doesn’t slow them down, that doesn’t trick or confuse them, that doesn’t make it easier to make mistakes or harder to finish the job.”

Larry Constantine, “What do users want?”

Divisive

broderic on September 2, 2022

It sure was meant to be divisive. You’re gonna have to pick a side in this. You’re either for the United States as a democratic institution or you’re for a fascism.

Baja Blast

broderic on August 14, 2022

It’s not like I’m gonna try another flavor. Okay maybe Code Red.

Although lately, I’ve been searching for Mountain Dew Baja Blast. Looking for it outside of Taco Bell, it’s natural home. It so happened back in June I bought a sixer, and then I became hooked on it.

I am always hoping to find it on my grocer’s shelves, but it is in limited release and in limited supply. As I do my weekly grocer shopping, I go down the sugary soda aisle hoping to see the electric blue. Sadly, it’s always one of the other flavors. Who likes Baja Gold? Or that watermelon looking one? Who is drinking those? It seems no one is as they are still unsold.

I am coming to the realization that maybe the summer of Baja Blast has come to an end. The shelves are full of Mountain Dew just no Baja Blast.