Back From The Storm

On June 29, 2006, lightning struck the Harris household. Well, the large pine tree that's close to the house, but it did enough to knock out the power, phone lines, and cable. My computer, the one I JUST got for Christmas last year, was damaged. Sure, I had a surge protector (which is probably the only reason the actual computer is saveable), but the modem, the USB card, the CD-ROM drive, and my monitor were totally fried, which explains the almost three month absence from the outside world. And dealing with the insurance company hasn't been easy. In fact, they've done nothing. They didn't check the damage nor did much of anything else. So, instead of waiting for a claim check (which my family still is), my great-aunt gave me a computer to check up on what's going on out there. It's a little slower than my last computer (but still scores faster than the old Packard Bell POS I had for years), but it does the job.

Plus, in the middle of all of this, in the middle of the hottest week ever, my grandfather had a debilitating stroke that had him bedridden and virtually invalid for about a month. The doctors had said that he had liver cancer that had spread to his bones, so, basically, they gave up on him. I didn't. He's doing better, but he still lays down a lot more than he used to. At least he can eat on his own, which he couldn't do a month ago.

So, for the next couple of weeks, I got to get back in the groove of the whole interweb activity period, so bear with me. It's been a while, and I'm glad to be back.

Comments

E.A. said…
Unbelievable. You are a superhero, Jeff.

Glad to read you again! In time, things just have to improve for you and your grandfather. I'll keep praying, as always.
9/10/2006 02:28:00 AM
Emperor Fred said…
I know what it's like dealing with insurance companies and elderly grandparents myself, so you have my sympathies.

Good to hear from you again!
9/13/2006 04:10:00 PM
Ellen Yu said…
Oh my goodness lightning!!! I'm glad nothing caught on fire. Try the library for free internet access while you wait. A lot of people use this resource even if they have a computer.

Doctors....are a strange kind of species. They have to tell it like it is and always seems to tell the patient the worse scenario. Doctors give up on people maybe to create emotional barriers. I'll never really understand doctors.

I'm glad your grandfather is eating on his own. That is a very good sign! Just take your time. The web can always wait.
9/16/2006 02:25:00 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MeTV TOONS: A Few Pre-Launch Thoughts

Image
  On June 25, 2024, Weigel Broadcasting and Warner Bros Discovery are launching MeTV TOONS, an over-the-air broadcast network devoted to classic animation featuring the best of the best.  You'll have the usual suspects from the Warrner Bros library including Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo, The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, Top Cat, The Jetsons, The Smurfs, Jonny Quest, and Wacky Races .  You'll also find some shows that rarely get the airplay or shine from the studio like Silverhawks, Police Academy, Challenge of the Go-Bots, The Mask, and Beetlejuice and surprising shows like Freakazoid. In addition, you'll have some popular shows from other studios like Woody Woodpecker, Betty Boop, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Underdog, Speed Racer, Thunderbirds, and The Real Ghostbusters. With a lot of support from historians like Jerry Beck and talent like Bob Bergen, MeTV TOONS is a dream come true for older classic animation fans who felt abandoned by kid-sk
Read more

Let's Ride This FAST Car... toon Network Concept (Part 2)

Image
Three channels. That's all the Cartoon Network brand needs to expand into FAST media. Three channels. Why three? Because with nearly 30 years of original programming, you can't put it all in one place. That's why you don't see much of the library on television nowadays. Cartoon Network itself has a limited lineup, and they're hyper-focused on the younger demographics and push more modern shows. They tried to put some of the older CN library on Boomerang, but it was buried in late-night slots.  Plus, most major TV markets don't have Boomerang on their cable lineup. You'd think they'd try to get wider distribution deals, but I think Time Warner just gave up more than a decade ago. And yeah, I put the blame on Time Warner.  Not AT&T and WarnerMedia. Not Warner Bros Discovery. Hell, not even AOL Time Warner.  I'm putting much of Boomerang's lack of carriage on Time Warner. But I digress. With the Checkered Past block on Adult Swim, some of the ol
Read more

What to Do with WBD's Networks?

 If you've followed Thoughtnami over the past 20 years, thank you for your patronage and your support . It's so great to be back writing posts like this after all of these years. It feels more natural and less constrictive than tweets and occasional posts across social media. You also know that when it comes to one particularly Hollywood media company, I have a love-hate relationship with them. And that studio has had many names during the course of those two decades. AOL Time Warner.  Time Warner. WarnerMedia. Warner Bros Discovery. And they've all been called "the most poorly run media company" by me throughout those two decades. Now, granted, I may be a little hyperbolic with that statement. They're really not the most poorly run media company (looking at you both, Paramount Global and Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment), but considering the two years the current management team of David Zaslav (President and CEO), Gunnar Wiedenfels (Chief Financial O
Read more