Sunday Stealing Archives - Ramblin' with Roger

Sunday Stealing is F.A.B. yet again

More Brilliant Than The Sun

Law and Order Tornto Welcome to Sunday Stealing. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. Cheers to all of us thieves!

Since it’s Thanksgiving weekend, we’re going to keep this simple. We stole this from a blogger named Idzie, who called this the F.A.B. (film, audio, book) meme.

F.A.B. yet again

F. Film: What movie or TV show are you watching?

I stumbled onto Law and Order Toronto: Criminal Intent. Since 1990, I have watched a representative sampling of most L&O programs, enough to anticipate their beats. But the rhythm of this show, while familiar, is fresh enough with its Canadianisms to enjoy.

Wikipedia: “The series premiered on February 22, 2024, on Citytv, and became the #1 prime-time drama of the year in Canada by attracting 1.1 million views on the first episode. The first season ran for 10 episodes; in June 2024, it was renewed for a second and third season.”

It stars Aden Young as Detective Sergeant Henry Graff, Kathleen Munroe as Detective Sergeant Frankie Bateman, K. C. Collins as Deputy Crown Attorney Theo Forrester, and Karen Robinson as Inspector Vivienne Holness. In the first few episodes, the latter two had far too little to do; that’s been rectified a bit.

In the US, the CW has been broadcasting the first season – I just finished episode 9. Season 2, already completed in Canada, will air in the US in 2026.

Music

A. Audio: What are you listening to?

I have finally allowed myself to listen to Advent/Christmas music. Also, I’ve been playing the CDs of Rebecca Jade, who, as it turns out, is the daughter of my sister Leslie; in other words, the first niece. Check out her videos; I’m particularly fond of Peter Sprague’s and her take on Wichita Lineman.

B. Book: What are you reading?

My daughter borrowed a book from a Western Massachusetts college library and insisted I read it before she has to return it in late January. It is titled More Brilliant Than The Sun: Adventures in Sonic Fiction by Kodwo Eshun. Buying the book, which was published in 1998, would cost north of $400.

I can tell you that the Discontents, which you would call the table of contents, namechecks Miles Davis, Grandmaster Flash, Cypress Hill, Funkadelic, Kraftwerk, the Jungle Brothers, Sun Ra, Alice and John Coltrane, and Pharoah Sanders. The index mentions others, such as John Cage, Chic, Queen, Public Enemy, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, and Sly and the Family Stone.

Being an obedient parent, I shall have read it by the deadline.

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Sunday Stealing Goes Back To The Well

not as bad as it was

Welcome to Sunday Stealing. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. Cheers to all of us thieves!

This week, we’re once again stealing from Steph, aka Cry Baby. She loves Taco Bell and asking questions like these.

Revisiting Steph – Sunday Stealing Goes Back To The Well

1) Has anyone ever told you “I love you,” but you didn’t say it back?

This happened at least 48 years ago. This young woman and I were buddies, not even really close friends. We were hanging out somewhere outdoors, and she said that. I thought it came out of nowhere, and I felt terrible. When I didn’t respond in kind, she seemed really crushed. I reflected on the vibe I was giving off to her. I hadn’t thought about that in a long time.

2) Do you consider yourself organized?

I think that there’s more than one way to be organized. In some ways, I am, and in other ways, definitely not. My blog writing has a system: I know what I’m gonna write, but I leave room for inspiration. I go through my email, which is my organizational tool for triggering specific behaviors, such as paying bills. My cell phone helps me remember my medical appointments and other irregular events.

Conversely, my office is a mess. It’s not as bad now as it was a couple of days ago. I was having trouble getting Internet connectivity, and I knew someone from Spectrum was going to come into my office at 8 a.m., so I woke up at 4:40 without an alarm clock and moved stuff around for about 2.5 hours.

Pathway

Now there’s a path from the entryway to my desk, so the worker could, as it turns out, replace the modem I just got a month ago with one that actually works.

3) Where do you look first when you go clothes shopping?

I should note that I loathe going clothes shopping. Last time I went, I needed a new winter coat, so I got one at Lodge’s, the oldest store in downtown Albany. I also bought some socks because I can always use more socks. Usually, my wife buys me shirts from L.L. Bean.

4) Do you often reflect on your past in terms of eras or milestones (“it’s been 10 years since X happened”)?

Not exactly, but I do recall anniversaries. I note famous people’s 70th birthdays, my parents’ birthdays, and death dates, my sisters’ birthdays, etc.

The only time I reflect is in end-of-year posts, when I’m mainly looking back on the previous 12 months. The only milestone demarcations I suppose I have are before the daughter and after the daughter, and my previous church versus my current church.

5) Were you more recently ill or injured (flu vs. twisted ankle)?

Challenging to say. I’m often in a state of mild injury. I wrote about pain in my left knee some months ago. The last time I was sick was probably when I had COVID in August of 2022, and honestly, because I had gotten shots, it wasn’t all that bad.

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Sunday Stealing is Working Through It

the most pleasure

Jackie K. at Working Through It found 20 questions on Quora that can “tell you the most about a person.” By using the 10 best, we’re going to learn more about you.

What 10 Questions Can Tell You the Most about a Person

1. If you were an animal, what animal would you be?

An indoor house cat. What a life!

2. Are you generous?

I think so – generous with my time and, to the degree I can afford it, with my treasure.

3. Of the following, which consistently gives you the most pleasure: a) music, b) money, c) books, d) science, e) spirituality, f) food and wine, g) movies?

In order, music (please don’t tell me you are surprised), spirituality, movies, books, money, food and wine, and science.

4. Describe your dancing ability.

Minimal.

I have a worst enemy?

5. What do you think your worst enemy really thinks of you?

I have no idea who that could be. That said, he is self-absorbed, with his mind filled with obscure and useless information.

6. Can you tell when someone is lying to you?

Sometimes. It depends on the nature of the lie versus the likelihood that it could be true.

7. Describe how it feels to fall in love.

“It’s like trying to explain to a stranger ’bout rock and roll.” In other words, I have no idea.

8. In deadly peril, what three people would you want in a foxhole with you?

I talked with two of them on the telephone this week for more than 90 minutes each. The other is an OLD friend.

9. What is your greatest weakness?

I don’t know if it’s a weakness. But my late buddy Dustbury (Charles Hill) described both of us as magpies, always looking for the next shiny object. This is why I have a low tolerance for doing anything for too long. Some people can binge-watch television programs, but I cannot. I was working on a blog post, but it was taking too long, so I wrote another post, then this one; I’ll get back to the first one eventually.

10. If you were to live out the rest of your life as your favorite fictional character, which would you choose?

Columbo. “Just one more thing.”

Work Song – The Paul Butterfield Blues Band

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Monday Morning Meme on Sunday Stealing

math is everywhere

Maria called these questions “The Monday Morning Meme.” Unfortunately she didn’t link back and I couldn’t find the original blog that posted it. OK, I admit I didn’t try very hard, but still I found the questions and am sharing them with you. That counts for something, right?

Monday Morning Meme

1. What was the last thing you laughed at?

It almost certainly was some sort of wordplay, possibly my own. I’ve been known to crack myself up. I’m an easy audience. My wife was doing a Spelling Bee on Friday (Halloween), and looking at the letters upside down, I found the pangram WITCHING, which amused me.

Maybe it was this picture from Jeff Lefferts of the King Crimson Fan Club, done by one of his friends; it helps if you know the original.

There have been “bits” of comedians that cracked me up the first several dozen times, but I’ve seen/heard them too often: Jack Benny, Abbott and Costello, probably many others. But I still appreciate this bit from The Life of Brian, though it’s funnier in context.

2. Who among your friends/family “gets” your sense of humor?

My friend Bruce and I can banter about almost anything. Numbers are usually involved because, as he says, math is everywhere, and it is. I should note that my wife has slowly picked up on some of the play on words that I’m prone to using.

3. What jewelry are you wearing at this moment?

I was never a jewelry guy. When I was offered the option of getting a high school class ring, I declined. The only item I have is my wedding ring.

No schmuck zone

4. If you could offer one bit of etiquette that everyone should follow while dining out, what would it be?

Patience. At least some food establishments are understaffed, especially in the past half-decade. Screaming at the waitstaff makes you an ass; if you do it in my presence, I will be mortified with embarrassment. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t comment to them about the slow service or a wrong order. But don’t be a schmuck. That seems to be good advice for most situations.

5. What’s the first thing a guest would notice when they walk through your front door?

The coat rack is unsteadily leaning against the wall, filled with shopping bags.

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Sunday Stealing: Four 5’s

five cents

We found this one at CreativeGene, who stole it from someone named “Randy” because “it looks like fun.” Let’s see if you agree.

Four 5’s

FIVE things on my to-do list:

1. Write the book

2. Clean out the drawer

3. Book speakers for the FFAPL book reviews/author talk in January/February 2026 (interested?)

4. Submit reimbursement forms for my health care expenses

5. Re-sort my played compact discs

FIVE snacks I enjoy:

1. Oatmeal raisin cookies

2. Canned fruit cocktail

3. Golden Oreos

4. Apple sauce

5. Ritz crackers

FIVE places I have lived:

1. Kingston, NY – 2 months in 1972, a roach-infested place

2. Charlotte, NC – roughly 4 months in 1977, living with my parents

3. Jackson Heights, Queens, NY – roughly 4 months in 1977, living with one of my sisters

4. Schenectady, NY – approximately 20 months in 1978-1979

5. Binghamton, NY, my hometown

Workin’ For A Living

FIVE jobs I have held:

1. A box factory, for two weeks. Hated it, as described here

2. Janitor at some department store in New Paltz for a few weeks, and at Binghamton City Hall for about four months in the 1970s

3. Empire Blue Cross, customer service rep, eventually hated it, which I described here

4. Albany Savings Bank, teller, 02/1978—Two days after my training was over, and I was on the window by myself, spending an hour trying to find a five-cent overage, I quit with two days’ notice. They weren’t happy, but they were only paying me $6000 a year, less than what I had in my drawer every day. I left to work as a bookkeeper at the Schenectady Arts Council, which I liked a lot more and made $8200/year.

5. FantaCo, from May 1980 to November 1988

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