Better And Better

If you don't draw yours, I won't draw mine. A police officer, working in the small town that he lives in, focusing on family and shooting and coffee, and occasionally putting some people in jail.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Thursday random thoughts.

--When Marty McFly went thirty years into the future, he went to 21 October 2015. That's a little over two and a half years from now.

--I've got a friend turning in his gear to muster out of the US Army in Korea. I actually still can see a point in being there, unlike Afghanistan. But even then, the reason to be in Korea isn't good enough. Let's bring them home. This is less about me being a peacenik and more about me wondering how we're going to pay for this, and wondering what it is that we think we're buying with all those taxpayer's dollars?

--South Korea is mighty industrialized, now, and China has little or no truck with North Korea, now.

--I've been watching old episodes of Barney Miller, lately. As a kid, I remember that show coming on, and wondering why anyone would want to watch it. What kind of a cop show was it, where mostly people just stood around and talked, and a laugh track ran? Why didn't anyone ever fire a gun, or chase somebody?? 

Now, I'm fascinated again at the anthropology of police work. The detectives' squad room, for instance: no computers. Hell, even the typewriters are manual. The cops wear Detective Specials and 2" Model 10's, and maybe the odd Agent or something. Apparently the detectives routinely get called out to hot calls in-progress. Nobody has a portable radio. Very, very rarely is a female cop seen, and it's a big deal. Come to think of it, it's a big deal that one is black, and one is Polish, and one is Chinese, and one is Puerto Rican, too. Then there's the character Deitrich, who's just weird. I like his character the best. Sadly, Steve Landesberg and Jack Soo and Ron Carey and James Gregory are all dead. Ironically, the actor who portrayed the sick and burnt-out Phil Fish (Abe Vigoda) is still quite active as an actor at 91.

It took me a while to realize that Detective Harris is Shepard Book from Firefly.

--Watching the 30 minute cop comedy that spanned from 1974 to 1982, you become very aware of that tendency of television shows from that time period to attempt to grapple with social issues. I've seen ones on Vietnam, and the aftermath of violence, and on racial relations, and civil rights ("In a very special Barney Miller: Deitrich gets arrested, standing up for what he believes in.").  I just watched one about Agent Orange that had an investigation less plausible than that purportedly presented in J.F.K.

--The captain has a couch in his office. I've had a boss with a couch in his office. I want, someday, to have a couch in my office.

--The dicks wore their guns right in the show, though, for the most part-- behind the strong side hip. Modern cop shows are terrible about putting that pistol at 2:00 or even 1:45, just so that you can see it even when a cover garment on. The show's main character carries it too far, with Hal Linden deciding that the good captain would have his snubbie at about 4:30 or even 5:00 o'clock.

--That reminds me: I need a new couch at home. We've shredded the leather. I've stitched it back. My daughter's stitched it. It's time. We got our $1300 out of it. (What? That was 10 years ago. We'd gotten an insurance check, and needed a couch.)

--Remember when you would occasionally see benches in men's rooms? My wife tells me that there's a couch in the lady's room at her office. I seem to recall, as a little kid getting dragged into ladies' rooms, that couches were rife in womens' restrooms.

--I had someone question some point of my manhood recently. I pulled out my pink cell phone, pointed to it and my ring, and said, "I've got almost 15 years of marriage to the woman that I've had two kids with. I quit caring about having to prove my masculinity to anyone a long time ago."

--Apparently, the SCOTUS just heard arguments about whether states can do mandatory blood draws without a warrant. I've been kind of uneasy about our new "If it's a felony, you have to give blood" law, from the outset. I'm absolutely fine taking an involuntary blood draw after having a sworn warrant. I've got a sneaking suspicion that we're going to see a lot of specimens thrown out for violation of 4th Amendment. I can deal with losing the admittedly useful investigative tool.  I'd rather live in a free[r] country, even though I promise you that some intoxicated drivers will walk because of this, and will cause some deaths.

--I've had some felony DWI arrestees voluntarily provide me with a blood sample, so that their license wouldn't be immediately suspended for refusing, stating that they knew that I could take their blood against their will, anyway. Tough break for them if the mandatory blood draw gets thrown out.

--I bought a new dishwasher for Mom for Christmas. I got delivered today. The delivery guy knocked off some insulation, said, "Uh oh," and left it. I tried to stick it back on. Maybe I've got it right? I found that Whirlpool dishwashers need a special adaptor that you have to buy separately, to hook 'em to your water supply. They salesman that us the washer forgot to mention that. The salesman at the store when I went in to get the adaptor was shocked, and said that it should have been mentioned. The manager gave me a $25 gift card, so I'm basically happy. 

--But now I have to finish installing a dishwasher. Which I hate doing. Uninstalling the old one was two tons of fun, too. It's been sitting full of stagnant dirty water for about half a year. Ew. It made a mess.

--I went to a Council of Governments class on grant-writing yesterday. That was kind of a beating. I'm hoping that I win us a grant, and that it becomes worth it. As the coordinator for our city, it's going to be like herding cats.

--This looks like an interesting integrated rifle system. The misuse of the term "bullet" is frustrating, though.

--My elder daughter refused to let me pull her out of AP honors geometry to put her in the regular class. She's been struggling, and feeling some stress. (First B in years.)  I'm really proud of her for not taking the easy way out, when I was giving her that option.

Labels: , , , , , , ,

10 Comments:

At Thursday, January 10, 2013 10:07:00 PM, Blogger Alan said...

I have a couch in my office.

I guess I've finally arrived.

 
At Friday, January 11, 2013 9:07:00 AM, Anonymous Jennifer said...

It would just be nice to have an office.
I hadn't realized Detective Harris was Shepard Book.
Good for your daughter!

 
At Friday, January 11, 2013 12:18:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

1) My father told me many years ago "Any man who is confident in his sexuality can wear pink"

2) Brava for your daughter!
Over her lifetime, a B in an Honors-level course will be MUCH more valuable than an A in the lower-level class.

 
At Friday, January 11, 2013 5:19:00 PM, Blogger Old NFO said...

Meh... No couch either... sigh... Guess I'll be a peon forever! And good luck with the dishwasher...

 
At Friday, January 11, 2013 8:20:00 PM, Blogger TOTWTYTR said...

I always enjoyed "Barney Miller". For a time we had an ambulance nicknamed "The Ole 1 2". Sadly, the new EMTs won't get the joke.

It's funny how comedies like "Barney Miller" and "Scrubs" are often more accurate than the "serious" dramas.

Good on your daughter for sticking with it.

 
At Saturday, January 12, 2013 12:24:00 AM, Blogger charlotte g said...

$25 gift card, huh? You are learning Profitable Cranky. I have to admit my new dishwasher spruces up the whole kitchen, and with written directions in the kitchen, I actually can run it. I even remember part of your lecture.
Chris picked real good. : )

 
At Monday, January 14, 2013 3:13:00 PM, Anonymous Blackwing1 said...

Didn't you notice that Fish carried a 1911-style pistol in a vertical shoulder-rig?

 
At Monday, January 14, 2013 3:54:00 PM, Blogger Matt G said...

@Blackwing1 No, I didn't notice that, because he didn't. He wore what looks like a 4" K-frame square butt revolver in a shoulder rig, as seen in the bottom picture that I found here.

 
At Wednesday, January 16, 2013 7:42:00 AM, Anonymous Blackwing1 said...

Mr. G:

Dang it...I very clearly recall him in the first season carrying a 1911 in a vertical rig under the left-side, indicating he'd be shooting right-handed.

But now all of the pictures I can find (with my admittedly feeble Google-Fu skills) show the same thing your linked photo did...a K-frame in a shoulder rig on the RIGHT-hand side (indicating he'd be shooting left-handed.

I may have to buy the first season on DVD just to see I my memory is that terrible.

Hey, thanks for the correction.

 
At Monday, January 21, 2013 10:43:00 PM, Anonymous pax said...

The couch in the ladies' room is for breastfeeding moms.

There aren't enough of 'em, most places, and they're usually manky, and anyway, isn't it a bit squicky to feed your child in the bathroom...?

But that's what they're there for.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home

Add to Technorati Favorites
.