My favorite color is blue... periwinkle blue, which has a touch of purple in it.

But my mom's favorite color was red, so my kitchen appliances, tools, and cookware are all red.

My beautiful new red Le Creuset Dutch oven, which I have been dreaming of owning for decades but could never afford, is finally here. Even though I couldn't really afford it now, the price is always going up (and won't be going down any time soon if tariffs have anything to say about it), so when I saw it at a good price I just went ahead and bought it...

The first thing I'll be making in it this weekend is some SourJo bread. My (red!) potato baker doesn't get as hot as a cast-iron Dutch oven, so I haven't yet made a loaf of sourdough in real cast iron yet. But I've always wanted to, because I'm told it really improves everything.

Wish me luck.

And so I downloaded Microsoft Outlook today.

Apple Mail has been a useless pile of garbage from the beginning yet Apple does not give a single shit. It's tied to absolutely everything else in MacOS, so you pretty much have to use it, but Apple doesn't care if it sucks.

But it gets so much worse the more you use it.

Searching for a word? Fine. Here's a list of emails that word appears in. But then you have to search within the search results to find out where the word actually occurs.

But it gets so much worse than just that.

The thing that sent me into a rage this morning that made me go running to download Microsoft Outlook? Something so outrageously stupid that I cannot wrap my head around it... SEARCH RESULTS IN APPLE MAIL ARE FUCKING CASE SENSITIVE?!? Jesus. Who the fuck does that? This is absolute insanity. Especially for names which have multiple capitalization options, meaning you have to search 3 or 4 times before you get anywhere. Madness. Absolute fucking madness.

But it gets so much worse than just that.

Most of the time when trying to actually get results out of Apple Mail search... the app crashes. MacOS gives you a full-on crash report and everything!

But anyway...

I know that other email programs make search much, much easier. For one thing, they don't immediately crash. For another, search results are only case-sensitive if you want them to be. For yet another, you search once for a word or phrase and the word or phrase is highlighted in all the emails where the app found results. You don't have to re-search or scroll forever (since re-searches crash the app).

And, yep, sure enough... Microsoft Outlook is a frickin' dream to use. Not just for search but for everything. It's not as integrated into MacOS X as I'd like, but it's so much easier to use and so much more capable that I just don't give a shit. I'll start up Apple Mail if it turns out I have to.

Way to go, Apple.

How long is it before I give up on MacOS X and Mac and start using Windows PCs? No idea, but it will be all your fault if it happens.

Pope Francis has died at 88 years old.

My feelings (as somebody who was in the Catholic Church as a child) are rather complex when it comes to the Pontiff of the Catholic Church. On one hand, I appreciate that the Pope tries to foster compassion and understanding. I remember thinking quite fondly of Pope John Paul II because he traveled extensively and seemed to be intent on making things better for all peoples and not just Catholics.

On the other hand, more and more the only thing I want from a Pope is to step up and say "The Catholic Church will work tirelessly to bring priests who are guilty of crimes, particularly sexual assault of children, to justice. No exceptions. My mandate is to no longer have The Church be made a refuge for these criminals." But it never quite works like that. Pope Francis kinda skirted around the issue whenever possible. Sure he was better than some, but it always felt as though he was doing the bare minimum, even as child assault cases mounted around him. That being said... at least he publicly acknowledged that priests and nuns are guilty of the assault. That ain't nothing. But it's hard to look at it as a magnanimous act when we have no idea how much we don't know. And what we do know.

All I know is that he could have done more. Should have done more.

UPDATE: As if to put a point on this post, this story just appeared in my news feed: US cardinal accused of covering up sex abuse scandal will help close Pope Francis’ coffin.

It's hard to look at that headline and see it as a reflection on the Pope's legacy.

Star Wars, as a franchise, is something I love... even when it's bad. Though there's precious few things that I actually consider "bad," because there's always something cool or interesting to be found. I positively loathe The Phantom Menace, but loved the pod racing and ship designs. I also loathed Attack of the Clones, but loved the chase of Sam Wessell in the opening and everything to do with Obi-Wan's story. I thought Return of the Jedi was a massive step down from The Empire Strikes Back, but the big space battle and duel between Luke and Vader were amazing.

Things get more complicated after that, especially with the television series.

The Obi-Wan series should have been a home run. It stars one of my favorite actors, Ewan McGregor, and he is indeed phenomenal in the lead role. And Darth Vader too? Sign me up! But the story was so weak. Not deserving of the character that McGregor made me care about so much.

Ahsoka began as one of my most-hated characters, but once they had her start growing up and getting rid of the annoying sidekick idiocy with "Sky Guy" (Anakin Skywalker) she quickly became on of the best characters in the entirety of Star Wars. And then... then... they cast Rosario Dawson in the role! Her guest appearances in The Mandalorian were too good to be true. So how excited was I for her own self-titled series, Ahsoka? Very. And while the casting and performance and effects were all great, they saddled her with a story which wasn't really her own. It was so jam-packed with other characters that it felt as if she was a guest-star in her own show. Why not just call it Rebels? And then there were positively silly moments that sank it for me... like that crazy spacewalk scene where she battled star fighters. JUST SHOOT THE SHIP!

But oh well. I still enjoyed Ahsoka... it just could have been so much better.

Then, at the other end of the spectrum is the Star Wars television shows I love. The first two seasons of The Mandalorian were good to great. I loved Skeleton Crew, even though I was pre-disposed to hating it because I thought it was just going to be a bunch of bratty kids hanging around Jude Law. Nope! Brilliant Star Wars.

But the pinnacle for me is Andor. The first season was not just some of the best Star Wars ever made... it was one of the best television shows ever made. Period. Very close to one of my favorite things ever, The Empire Strikes Back.

And here comes the second (and sadly, last) season...

Based on the first three episodes alone, I'm guessing that it will end up overtaking Empire for me. It's THAT good...

There's a single line delivered near the end of the third episode which will haunt me for a long, long time. You can't say that about a lot of the stuff you see.

I'll withold my comments until a while after the series airs because I don't want to ruin it for anybody. But, dang... if you're not watching, you should be. Even if you don't care much for Star Wars.

I feel so terrible harvesting lettuce to eat.

I raised them from baby seeds! But it's delicious and a lot less expensive (when excluding the hydroponics stuff, at the start). I think by the end of the year I'll be breaking even on my investment, then paying pennies on the dollar compared to buying at the store with today's prices...

And is it weird that even when I'm eating burgers at home I put them in a waxed paper pocket? I just like eating burgers that way for some reason. Keeps me from making a mess!

My tomato plants are coming along nicely. Hopefully I'll be able to make a salad soon!

Hold onto your Easter bonnet... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Home Video! I was going to buy Captain America: Brave New World because I haven't seen it. But the price is THIRTY FUCKING DOLLARS? Are Disney and Marvel Studios out of their damn minds? THIRTY?!? Well, guess I'm waiting until a sale to watch it. Wonder if Disney+ will stream it for free before then or before I remember? I swear... the clueless morons in charge of these studios bitch about how they didn't make enough money in the theater for whatever reason... then charge an amount nobody will pay so they will instead stream it for free so then they can bitch about how they didn't make any money from home video sales? Get fucked, dumbasses. THIRTY DOLLARS?!?

   
• Baby Shark! I love videos of people taking time to be kind to creatures of this earth...

And now Baby Shark is going through my head. Not fair.

   
• Potato! Poppy Cooks finally released The Potato Book. As a vegetarian, the potato is an invaluable part of my diet and finding new ways to cook them is always a plus...

There's plenty of recipes with meat, but enough meat-free options and idea to make it worthwhile.

   
• In Today's News! ISPs and robocallers love the FCC plan to “delete” as many rules as possible — Oh yay! I think what we're all hoping for is more text spam and robocall spam! Thank God we now have an FCC giving Americans exactly what they dream of! Who the fuck thinks this is a good idea?

   
• Here Comes Kayla! I loved the first season of Hacks at HBO Max. Hated the second season. It was a meandering mess that felt like absolutely nobody knew what the heck they were doing or where they were going. Then the third season recovered nicely. I loved it more than the first. They had a clear direction and each episode moved towards it beautifully. And now the fourth season just started. It's delicious. I hope they don't drag everything back to the status quo too quickly so it can marinate for a while. I mean, yeah, I know that a common foe will have to manifest to return to where we were because that's how these things go... but how brave would the show be if the conflict ran the whole season? That might be interesting!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I will go back to praying for Kayla to get run over by a fucking bus. Her character isn't funny. It's a never-ending distraction that goes too far over the top in every damn scene and any time she's doing her stupid shit I marvel that every other character seems to be handled with care to make sure there's some grounding to be had, but Kayla's just in outer space being an idiot 24/7. How does that help the show? Nobody in the history of the world would hire this fucking zero, let alone make her a partner. Every time I think something genius is going on in the writer's room... HERE COMES KAYLA! Lord.

   
• Six Days And Counting! If you've been eyeing Plex as you home media server, you may want to buy their lifetime pass at $120 before it over doubles in price...

This is what I use and have had a lifetime pass for many years. Just be sure the features of the lifetime pass are something you really need before investing the cash.

   
• Always Take a Screenshot! I have wanted a Le Creuset Dutch Oven for decades. But they're always so incredibly expensive (even on sale) that I just can't afford it. The price has gone from $340 to $390 over the years. I have no idea what the tariffs will be for France in 90 days, so when I saw the 4.5-quart of my dreams for $276 total including tax and free shipping (it's even the red one to match my kitchen!) I pounced on it. I don't have the money, but it's the cheapest I've ever seen it. Placed my order at Bed Bath & Beyond. Their order screen with free shipping said $275.94... their ApplePay screen weirdly said $253.79 (that's the price not including tax). So I foolishly assumed I would be charged $275.94. Silly me... I was actually charged $300.36! AND... there's NO WAY TO GET MY ORDER DETAILS TO KNOW WHY! Clicking on "Order Details" doesn't tell you anything. So... that's what... $24? $25? difference? Yes. That's $90 less than the usual cost, but I want to pay what I was told it would cost me!

I screenshot absolutely everything when I order stuff now-a-days, because this seems to happen a lot. Everybody should screenshot their order process because you pretty much have to.

So anyway... a half hour on the phone with Bed Bath & Beyond Customer Service and I'm offered store credit?!? Oh hell no. I WANT TO PAY THE PRICE I WAS TOLD I'D BE PAYING... CREDIT THAT OVERCHARGE BACK TO MY CREDIT CARD, BECAUSE I DOUBT I WILL EVER SHOP WITH THIS SCAM COMPANY EVER AGAIN. I honest-to-God do not understand how this is even remotely legal. Charging more money than you say you're charging? How does that even happen? Isn't that theft? I don't give a crap about why something went wrong. I don't. It should not take A HALF HOUR to get this resolved. I HAVE THE RECEIPTS! And what would have happened if I hadn't taken screenshots to prove this was a scam? What if I hadn't noticed I was overcharged? I guess I could have canceled the order... but come on. Just charge the price I was told. This is not rocket science.

Is this an issue for the Better Business Bureau? No idea. But I tell you what... I should receive compensation for the time I wasted trying to resolve their mistake. This call should have been me saying "I was overcharged and have the receipts to prove it." And them saying "Sorry to hear that, I will credit the overcharge back to your card immediately, then I will insist that this gets looked into, because we don't want to charge people more money that we say we're charging them... that would be illegal."

   
You may now resume eating eggs.

A couple nights ago I was laying in bed working while Jenny was sitting next to me watching television.

Jake hopped up on the bed. And looked confused for a second. He just stood there staring at us.

Eventually he walked to the other side where Jenny way laying, sat down against her like she was a back-stop, then started cleaning his butt. Jenny, like the trooper she is, seemed unbothered and just kept laying there watching TV. I was worried if I reached for my phone to get a photo that I might startle them, but nope...

Turns out he wasn't confused, he was just scoping out the best spot to do his business.

At least he wasn't leaning against me this time.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is celebrated on Easter Sunday, and the day of His crucifixion, which is celebrated on this day (oddly called "Good Friday"), are seen as the two holiest days in Christianity. Or at least they were. In modern times the holiest days are more likely to be seen as the day some politician won an election or the day a group of God's children lose their rights or freedoms.

As the years go on and I see more and more "Christians" promoting hatred all the while selectively preaching Scripture... well... it has me wondering Where has the Christ gone in Christianity? On the day we're to recognize His sacrifice, it seems fitting to ask ourselves "Did Jesus die in vain?" Because, Jesus Christ, a lot of people who profess to live by His teachings have abandoned His teachings.

If they ever truly followed them in the first place.

Rewriting a Bible you don't read to fit a narrative you choose to believe in more than you ever did a Savior feels more like sacrilege than faith, but this is hardly anything new for the New Testament.

Spectacular. IT'S SPECTACULAR!

Or should I say "It's fantastic?"

Not only should The Fantastic Four be one of the easiest comics to adapt to the screen, it should be a frickin' home run every time because the fundamentals of what makes the comic work are so grounded despite the crazy reality they live in. That's why the stories are so beloved.

The new Marvel Studios film finally... finally... starts with the concept of a familiy of adventurers who just happen to be thrust into the limelight as super-heroes once they get super-powers...

And perfectly cast, too.

Now was that really so difficult?

Apparently it was, because this is the fourth iteration of trying to make movies out of the franchise.

For Fantastic Four I guess fourth time's a charm.

I am warning you... do not ever sign up for a free trial of SiriusXM (it came with my car). They will never, EVER stop fucking calling you no matter how many times you tell them to stop. No matter how many times you block their numbers.

It doesn't matter if you have been working since 3:30am and are trying to catch up on sleep. They'll call. It doesn't matter if you're having dinner with friends. They'll call. It doesn't matter if you are in the fucking hospital visiting a co-worker THEY WILL STILL CALL AND NEVER STOP.

The other day I answered another fucking call from SiriusXM and just kept screaming "STOP CALLING ME! STOP CALLING ME! STOP CALLING ME!"

And I'll bet you money they will keep calling. This is one of the most repugnant fucking companies on the face of the earth. I hate SiriusXM with a passion that I usually reserve for people who kick puppies. Their non-stop harassment should be ILLEGAL. And if they will come back and say "It's not us, it's third parties selling our subscriptions!"

Fuck you.

STOP GIVING MONEY TO THIRD PARTIES TO HARASS PEOPLE. YOU ARE ENABLING THIS BULLSHIT JUST AS MUCH AS IF IT WERE YOU CALLING YOURSELF!

If I ever get any political power, I will devote my life to shutting down unsolicited calls of any kind. Companies doing this will be fined into oblivion and their CEOs publicly executed. Life is hard enough without these piece of shit assholes intruding on our lives no matter how many times we ask them to stop.

Well, after I split the difference between Daylight Saving Time and Standard Time so we don't have to fuck with our clocks twice a year. Priorities, and all that.