Junkyard Dogs
06/06/21 06:59
What a washout! The first big holiday weekend in a while and it rained pretty good for all three days. A little less in the third day of the three day weekend but I think the temperatures never got out of the forties in any one of the three days. That right there folks is what makes it more difficult to get out and go biking and to maybe stay active when you really just would rather stick your head under the covers and catch up on some sleep.
It's too bad, really, for the retailers who were hoping for a rebound in their fortunes after being locked down for the better part of a year due to the Covid bullshit. If you drive though downtown Portsmouth you will find that many of the outdoor venues put up by restaurants who have been limited in their ability to seat customers at 100% are still up and operating even though indoor seating capacities are now back to 100%.
I don't know if they are there to stay and that is a decision that the city fathers will have to deal with sooner rather than later. My guess would be that having an expanded seating capacity is probably good for the bottom line of the businesses involved but there are tradeoffs involving obstructed traffic patterns, etc. Businesses who don't have the option to expand their seating for whatever reason may have a bone to pick with those who do. There may be liability issues that insurance companies may not want to assume at any price.
Most retailers hereabouts are no longer requiring that customers wear masks although most people are still wearing them as fas as I can tell. It's a real head scratcher if you ask me. What is the matter with these people? If you aren't vaccinated, it makes perfect sense to wear a mask. If you have co-morbidities with or without the jab, you may want to wear two masks. I'm just waiting for somebody to say something to me about my not wearing a mask. I'm ready to go with something about the CDC or believing the science or something lie that. I'll be making it short and sweet.
I honestly don't care if an unvaccinated person wears a mask or not. That's their business. Just don't cough on me, mother fucker. I'm kidding. Hack away and see if I care. I do wonder, though, how people who are still wearing the damn things for all the wrong reasons feel about those of us who want no part of masks anymore.
I hear on occasion from this or that business that the city of Portsmouth requires them to insist that their customers are masked but I don't think the city has that kind of power. My best evidence for that would be the number of businesses in the city limits who no longer require masks city mandate or no city mandate.
The missus and I were in both Lowes and Target yesterday and neither required masks. Target had a sign that said something about not having to wear one if you were vaccinated but preferred that you did wear one if you were not yet vaccinated. I don't even think I saw a "masks required" sign in Lowes.
Just so you know, the missus doesn't go anywhere without her mask. She can do whatever she wants and that's fine with me. If she wants to wear a bag on her head I say go for it. Do you ever wonder if some people feel more comfortable hiding behind their masks? And masks simply do not cut the mustard as a fashion accessory so there's that.
We had a couple of lads show up yesterday to give us an estimate for a roofing job. They seemed thorough enough and they ended up giving me a price tag that exceeded even my expectations. It was through the roof, pun intended. It was higher by a factor of ten compared to how much we paid back in the 90's. I know inflation is a fact of life, but by a factor of 10? Does it have anything to do with the craziness in the real estate market across the nation? Does it have anything to do with the price of materials used in the building trades that have also been skyrocketing? Maybe this isn't the best time to tackle this project.
This must really be squeezing margins for people in the trades. I don't spend a lot of time worrying about the profit margins of various businesses but when you see what's happening today in real estate you can only conclude one thing: Something, sooner or later, has to give. For now, homes don't last but a day or two on the market and folks are getting the asking price or better. This is reminiscent of what we saw back in 2007 and 2008 where people were mortgaging their lives to buy into this or that investment hoping to double or triple their investments. That is, until it all came crashing down.
Markets like stability and when stability skews wildly in one direction or the other it will always revert to the mean. In the meantime, I think we can go a bit longer before we need to do anything with our roof. In the words of the long departed Mr G (Da), nobody is chasing us. Indeed. It was a ploy on my part initially to see if I might be able to negotiate a better deal on an upcoming insurance renewal. One thing led to another and one prospective carrier wanted to do an inspection of the roof after we actually signed on with them. If they deemed it not up to snuff, they would give us 30 days to have it replaced or the policy would be cancelled.
That's a lot of balls to juggle even for me. Did I mention I'm not keen on ultimatums? Too many if's and buts made the deal almost a non-starter but it highlighted the age of our roof and the need to address it maybe sooner rather than later. We may take the path of least resistance and just renew what we have and see if we can't deal with the roof down the road a piece. I think it's a lot for the missus to absorb at the moment so when I see her eyes fogging over at the mere mention of how this all might work I know I'm on thin ice. I'm no Hans Christian Anderson so there you have it.
I seem to be struggling for a so-called theme for this week's blog and it doesn't seem to be getting any easier as the week goes on. I don't mind bouncing around but it helps to have an underlying theme of sorts. I'm thinking it would help if I started a new project or two just to make things a bit more interesting. Not that I would comment on the projects, per se, but it will get me going down a different path and maybe pull me up and out of my doldrums.
Maybe something as simple as starting a new book or maybe going to the gym for a change. Were I a drinker, I might just toss back a few and let the chips fall where they may. Alas, I am not a drinker so that's one more door I can close behind me as I leave the room in search of greener and more interesting pastures.
My new Roku streaming device is arriving in the mail today so that's exciting. I am a self-described electronics geek so this should be fun. We'll see how it compares to the Apple TV which we've had and have enjoyed immensely from the day we bought it a few years back. I'll be using it (Roku) primarily as a device from which I can telecast or mirror my Xfinity channels. It's the poor man's version of the box that Xfinity wants to lease to you for $10 a month but without the monthly charge. I think Roku is the only device that does this and it's in cooperation with Xfinity somehow so we're not bending or breaking any laws here. God forbid.
I always have a debate with myself about getting back to people who may or may not be expecting to hear from me. We've decided that we'll just let the roof go for now but I'm not inclined to advise anyone of that fact. Would they like to know? Probably. I decided that the second of the two appraisers had the better spiel and I'll be going with them if and when the time comes. Maybe I just like to keep people in suspense. Maybe I don't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that his schtick worked with a schlepper like me. Had he been more insistent about hearing back from me then I might well have contacted him by now.
Part of me wonders about the company he says he represents. How much of what he told me is true? How much do I stand to lose if pay a deposit only to never hear from them again? Would someone go through all the trouble of setting up a web site to lure people in to their trap for what amounts to a small deposit? If they are on the up and up, what would their dissatisfied customers tell me about their experience? How do I know that the reference they gave me for one of their satisfied customers isn't the brother or cousin of the person or persons perpetrating this fraud? I was warned about accepting lowball bids only to see costs escalate after the fact. Where does this all leave me?
I don't think I've ever heard as much noise coming out of the bird house in our back yard as I have this year. There are four young sparrows, at least I think they're sparrows, that are balls-to-the-walls boisterous hour in and hour out banging the proverbial drums for another mouthful of whatever the hell it is that their parents bring back to the nest for them. The parents are nothing if not attentive and the cycle of life goes on. Their little heads fill the opening of the bird house and resemble four little catchers mitts with their unformed leathery beaks elastic as they are and all the better as receptacles for the live morsels being served up to them.
Whereas four little yapping mouths once filled the opening, now that they are getting bigger and bigger by the day, maybe only three can fit in the opening. What would it take for one of the chicks not getting his or her fair share to give his or her sibling a gentle nudge and then there would be but three in the nest. Funny how that works. I could be mistaken but it looks like the parents are maybe feeding them less often in the hopes perhaps of luring them out of the nest so they can begin the next chapter in their lives.
Fast forward 24 hours and I'm watching this morning as the last of the four chicks perches tentatively on the edge of the hole in the bird house that has been their home for the last number of days or weeks. What must he or she be thinking? Should I go or should I stay? Where the hell did my brothers and sisters go? Where is man next meal going from? Who's going to come and clean this damn place now that I have the birdhouse to myself? It's a shit hole! What do you mean I'm supposed to fly out of this place? Says who?
In the space of maybe 45 minutes, all four took to the wing and exited the nest presumably never to return. I'm not sure if they were egged on by one or more parents whistling dixie from a nearby branch or maybe it was just time. It's possible that one or more of the parents sat on a nearby branch holding food at arms length hoping that one or more of the more courageous chicks might set an example for the others and just take flight for flight's sake. That's my Petersen's Field Guide version in case you're curious about such things. It's more likely that the parents, maybe just fed up with all their bullshit just tweeted out, "get the hell out of my house"?
I'm glad to hear that they got Ev's air conditioning squared away. It was on the fritz for a few days for whatever reason. That's a new building so I assured him that it was probably just a bit of a glitch and something that is probably still covered under warranty. Nonetheless, we agreed to send a work order to the powers that be over at his place to move things along knowing as we do that the weekend is forecast to be warmer than usual. Left to his own devices, the Ev man would likely not send a note. My recommendation to him was that he stop down and see the management just to inquire. He seemed disinclined to do that too. We agreed that he was probably not the only tenant without air conditioning.
He was also a little concerned that someone would have to come into his unit. I'm guessing his concerns had more to do with his having to pick up his place beforehand should a visitation be necessary. Sure enough, they came knocking after the air conditioning was up and running again. Had we not sent the note, they probably would not have come around. He was prepared for that inevitability so that was good. He said that they came and left fairly quickly after checking his thermostat. I doubt that our placing the work order moved them to get things up and running again but it probably didn't hurt. There's a lesson there somewhere.
The missus wasn't too happy that I didn't wake her up to see the birds hit the skids this morning. I don't think I realized that they would all be leaving the nest in such quick succession. Besides, it was painful to sit there with a pair of binoculars up to my eyes for a prolonged period of time. Even I had to take a break from the action as intermittent as it was.
I need to get out on the road early today with my bike. The day is heating up and the sun is hot and getting hotter by the minute. I'll not avoid the traffic down on the boulevard if I wait much longer. As much as I like to look at the lotioned and lathered bottoms of the scantily clad lovelies making their way to the beach, they are a dangerous distraction when it comes time to avoid things like car doors opening, inattentive drivers jockeying for parking spots, family units pushing perambulators and carrying beach umbrellas, and yes, elderly drivers out dilly dallying on the road before the traffic gets too heavy.
We stopped by to see Mrs G yesterday afternoon. She wasn't home but her door was open so we let ourselves in and leisurely unpacked the items she had requested that we pick up for her. We couldn't find the small cans of soda she had requested so bought her the large size can thinking that she can just take what she wanted and she can pour the rest down the drain. We found what we thought might be a suitable bottle of wine knowing full well that her only real prerequisite was that it be a red wine and that it have a twist-off cap. We couldn't find a suitable orange juice container so we substituted a gallon sized water jug. Not the best choice in hindsight.
Mrs G was her chipper self and had fewer things than usual for us to attend to. She graciously offered us the tapioca dessert that came with her bagged dinner and we politely declined. My guess is that she chose this particular dessert from perhaps one of many on the menu because she enjoys tapioca. I like Tapioca as much as the next guy but wouldn't dream of depriving Mrs G of something that maybe she was looking forward to enjoying herself. Meatloaf was on menu that evening and if I had to guess I would say that, liver and onions aside, meatloaf is one of Mrs G's favorites. Who doesn't like a good meatloaf?
She said the management of her facility had big plans to change up the wireless arrangements in each of the units and they would be coming to her place in the upcoming week to do just that. I happened to notice when I was setting up her printer once that her network included printers in other units in her building. You choose the wrong printer when setting up your print job, and that sucker will be printing in someone else's apartment. Were I a hacker of ill repute, I might be tempted to drive a truck through the holes in their network and god only knows what I might find. This change is long overdue.
The missus and I have been watching this three-part television series on Epic called "Fall River" this past week or so and, knowing what we know about Mrs G's history with Fall River, we meant to ask her if she had any interest in taking it in. Apparently, Debbie Rah-Rah had already broached the subject with her and she seemed to be in with both feet. There was just one glitch. She was able to watch the first episode for free but had to sign up for $5.99 if she wanted to watch more episodes. Gleaning from the expression on her face when we brought up the subject, it was clear that her interest in the show was well worth the pittance they were charging people to see it.
I wasn't sure if she hadn't signed up because she didn't know how to sign up or what. She didn't elaborate one way or another. I took the initiative and signed on and signed up and left her at the proper screens where she could just pick it up at her leisure which, presumably, would be later that evening. The show itself was about the dregs of society, prostitution, murder, and what that looks like in a city the size and scope of Fall River in the early 1990's. If you had any interest at all in knowing more about the seamier side of life in Fall River, this show was for you. For the cold case aficionado, it was a veritable treasure trove of trashiness and tell-all badness.
Why someone felt the need to do an expose' on a handful of miscreants in the shit hole back streets and alley ways of Fall River some thirty years after the fact, I'll never know. Did it really deserve a thee-part mini-series of its own? Was it a story that warranted a rehashing not even 30 years later? Was there a miscarriage of justice somewhere in the story that I missed? Admittedly, I haven't watched all the episodes. Even if the ringleader of this bunch didn't do the actual killing, he was certainly guilty by way of association and belongs in jail.
The characters in this story ended up where they ended up not because they were worthless human beings or, in the parlance of the day, white trash, but rather because they committed an egregious act when they decided to take someone's life. What little satisfaction they may have derived from committing such a heinous act has to pall in comparison to the years that they will now spend, and have spent, behind bars paying back their debt to society. It was never, and is not now, about rehabilitation. It is also a debt that can never be repaid. It will always be about a loss of life and there isn't anything, especially the courts in their infinite wisdom, can do to change that outcome.
It's too bad, really, for the retailers who were hoping for a rebound in their fortunes after being locked down for the better part of a year due to the Covid bullshit. If you drive though downtown Portsmouth you will find that many of the outdoor venues put up by restaurants who have been limited in their ability to seat customers at 100% are still up and operating even though indoor seating capacities are now back to 100%.
I don't know if they are there to stay and that is a decision that the city fathers will have to deal with sooner rather than later. My guess would be that having an expanded seating capacity is probably good for the bottom line of the businesses involved but there are tradeoffs involving obstructed traffic patterns, etc. Businesses who don't have the option to expand their seating for whatever reason may have a bone to pick with those who do. There may be liability issues that insurance companies may not want to assume at any price.
Most retailers hereabouts are no longer requiring that customers wear masks although most people are still wearing them as fas as I can tell. It's a real head scratcher if you ask me. What is the matter with these people? If you aren't vaccinated, it makes perfect sense to wear a mask. If you have co-morbidities with or without the jab, you may want to wear two masks. I'm just waiting for somebody to say something to me about my not wearing a mask. I'm ready to go with something about the CDC or believing the science or something lie that. I'll be making it short and sweet.
I honestly don't care if an unvaccinated person wears a mask or not. That's their business. Just don't cough on me, mother fucker. I'm kidding. Hack away and see if I care. I do wonder, though, how people who are still wearing the damn things for all the wrong reasons feel about those of us who want no part of masks anymore.
I hear on occasion from this or that business that the city of Portsmouth requires them to insist that their customers are masked but I don't think the city has that kind of power. My best evidence for that would be the number of businesses in the city limits who no longer require masks city mandate or no city mandate.
The missus and I were in both Lowes and Target yesterday and neither required masks. Target had a sign that said something about not having to wear one if you were vaccinated but preferred that you did wear one if you were not yet vaccinated. I don't even think I saw a "masks required" sign in Lowes.
Just so you know, the missus doesn't go anywhere without her mask. She can do whatever she wants and that's fine with me. If she wants to wear a bag on her head I say go for it. Do you ever wonder if some people feel more comfortable hiding behind their masks? And masks simply do not cut the mustard as a fashion accessory so there's that.
We had a couple of lads show up yesterday to give us an estimate for a roofing job. They seemed thorough enough and they ended up giving me a price tag that exceeded even my expectations. It was through the roof, pun intended. It was higher by a factor of ten compared to how much we paid back in the 90's. I know inflation is a fact of life, but by a factor of 10? Does it have anything to do with the craziness in the real estate market across the nation? Does it have anything to do with the price of materials used in the building trades that have also been skyrocketing? Maybe this isn't the best time to tackle this project.
This must really be squeezing margins for people in the trades. I don't spend a lot of time worrying about the profit margins of various businesses but when you see what's happening today in real estate you can only conclude one thing: Something, sooner or later, has to give. For now, homes don't last but a day or two on the market and folks are getting the asking price or better. This is reminiscent of what we saw back in 2007 and 2008 where people were mortgaging their lives to buy into this or that investment hoping to double or triple their investments. That is, until it all came crashing down.
Markets like stability and when stability skews wildly in one direction or the other it will always revert to the mean. In the meantime, I think we can go a bit longer before we need to do anything with our roof. In the words of the long departed Mr G (Da), nobody is chasing us. Indeed. It was a ploy on my part initially to see if I might be able to negotiate a better deal on an upcoming insurance renewal. One thing led to another and one prospective carrier wanted to do an inspection of the roof after we actually signed on with them. If they deemed it not up to snuff, they would give us 30 days to have it replaced or the policy would be cancelled.
That's a lot of balls to juggle even for me. Did I mention I'm not keen on ultimatums? Too many if's and buts made the deal almost a non-starter but it highlighted the age of our roof and the need to address it maybe sooner rather than later. We may take the path of least resistance and just renew what we have and see if we can't deal with the roof down the road a piece. I think it's a lot for the missus to absorb at the moment so when I see her eyes fogging over at the mere mention of how this all might work I know I'm on thin ice. I'm no Hans Christian Anderson so there you have it.
I seem to be struggling for a so-called theme for this week's blog and it doesn't seem to be getting any easier as the week goes on. I don't mind bouncing around but it helps to have an underlying theme of sorts. I'm thinking it would help if I started a new project or two just to make things a bit more interesting. Not that I would comment on the projects, per se, but it will get me going down a different path and maybe pull me up and out of my doldrums.
Maybe something as simple as starting a new book or maybe going to the gym for a change. Were I a drinker, I might just toss back a few and let the chips fall where they may. Alas, I am not a drinker so that's one more door I can close behind me as I leave the room in search of greener and more interesting pastures.
My new Roku streaming device is arriving in the mail today so that's exciting. I am a self-described electronics geek so this should be fun. We'll see how it compares to the Apple TV which we've had and have enjoyed immensely from the day we bought it a few years back. I'll be using it (Roku) primarily as a device from which I can telecast or mirror my Xfinity channels. It's the poor man's version of the box that Xfinity wants to lease to you for $10 a month but without the monthly charge. I think Roku is the only device that does this and it's in cooperation with Xfinity somehow so we're not bending or breaking any laws here. God forbid.
I always have a debate with myself about getting back to people who may or may not be expecting to hear from me. We've decided that we'll just let the roof go for now but I'm not inclined to advise anyone of that fact. Would they like to know? Probably. I decided that the second of the two appraisers had the better spiel and I'll be going with them if and when the time comes. Maybe I just like to keep people in suspense. Maybe I don't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that his schtick worked with a schlepper like me. Had he been more insistent about hearing back from me then I might well have contacted him by now.
Part of me wonders about the company he says he represents. How much of what he told me is true? How much do I stand to lose if pay a deposit only to never hear from them again? Would someone go through all the trouble of setting up a web site to lure people in to their trap for what amounts to a small deposit? If they are on the up and up, what would their dissatisfied customers tell me about their experience? How do I know that the reference they gave me for one of their satisfied customers isn't the brother or cousin of the person or persons perpetrating this fraud? I was warned about accepting lowball bids only to see costs escalate after the fact. Where does this all leave me?
I don't think I've ever heard as much noise coming out of the bird house in our back yard as I have this year. There are four young sparrows, at least I think they're sparrows, that are balls-to-the-walls boisterous hour in and hour out banging the proverbial drums for another mouthful of whatever the hell it is that their parents bring back to the nest for them. The parents are nothing if not attentive and the cycle of life goes on. Their little heads fill the opening of the bird house and resemble four little catchers mitts with their unformed leathery beaks elastic as they are and all the better as receptacles for the live morsels being served up to them.
Whereas four little yapping mouths once filled the opening, now that they are getting bigger and bigger by the day, maybe only three can fit in the opening. What would it take for one of the chicks not getting his or her fair share to give his or her sibling a gentle nudge and then there would be but three in the nest. Funny how that works. I could be mistaken but it looks like the parents are maybe feeding them less often in the hopes perhaps of luring them out of the nest so they can begin the next chapter in their lives.
Fast forward 24 hours and I'm watching this morning as the last of the four chicks perches tentatively on the edge of the hole in the bird house that has been their home for the last number of days or weeks. What must he or she be thinking? Should I go or should I stay? Where the hell did my brothers and sisters go? Where is man next meal going from? Who's going to come and clean this damn place now that I have the birdhouse to myself? It's a shit hole! What do you mean I'm supposed to fly out of this place? Says who?
In the space of maybe 45 minutes, all four took to the wing and exited the nest presumably never to return. I'm not sure if they were egged on by one or more parents whistling dixie from a nearby branch or maybe it was just time. It's possible that one or more of the parents sat on a nearby branch holding food at arms length hoping that one or more of the more courageous chicks might set an example for the others and just take flight for flight's sake. That's my Petersen's Field Guide version in case you're curious about such things. It's more likely that the parents, maybe just fed up with all their bullshit just tweeted out, "get the hell out of my house"?
I'm glad to hear that they got Ev's air conditioning squared away. It was on the fritz for a few days for whatever reason. That's a new building so I assured him that it was probably just a bit of a glitch and something that is probably still covered under warranty. Nonetheless, we agreed to send a work order to the powers that be over at his place to move things along knowing as we do that the weekend is forecast to be warmer than usual. Left to his own devices, the Ev man would likely not send a note. My recommendation to him was that he stop down and see the management just to inquire. He seemed disinclined to do that too. We agreed that he was probably not the only tenant without air conditioning.
He was also a little concerned that someone would have to come into his unit. I'm guessing his concerns had more to do with his having to pick up his place beforehand should a visitation be necessary. Sure enough, they came knocking after the air conditioning was up and running again. Had we not sent the note, they probably would not have come around. He was prepared for that inevitability so that was good. He said that they came and left fairly quickly after checking his thermostat. I doubt that our placing the work order moved them to get things up and running again but it probably didn't hurt. There's a lesson there somewhere.
The missus wasn't too happy that I didn't wake her up to see the birds hit the skids this morning. I don't think I realized that they would all be leaving the nest in such quick succession. Besides, it was painful to sit there with a pair of binoculars up to my eyes for a prolonged period of time. Even I had to take a break from the action as intermittent as it was.
I need to get out on the road early today with my bike. The day is heating up and the sun is hot and getting hotter by the minute. I'll not avoid the traffic down on the boulevard if I wait much longer. As much as I like to look at the lotioned and lathered bottoms of the scantily clad lovelies making their way to the beach, they are a dangerous distraction when it comes time to avoid things like car doors opening, inattentive drivers jockeying for parking spots, family units pushing perambulators and carrying beach umbrellas, and yes, elderly drivers out dilly dallying on the road before the traffic gets too heavy.
We stopped by to see Mrs G yesterday afternoon. She wasn't home but her door was open so we let ourselves in and leisurely unpacked the items she had requested that we pick up for her. We couldn't find the small cans of soda she had requested so bought her the large size can thinking that she can just take what she wanted and she can pour the rest down the drain. We found what we thought might be a suitable bottle of wine knowing full well that her only real prerequisite was that it be a red wine and that it have a twist-off cap. We couldn't find a suitable orange juice container so we substituted a gallon sized water jug. Not the best choice in hindsight.
Mrs G was her chipper self and had fewer things than usual for us to attend to. She graciously offered us the tapioca dessert that came with her bagged dinner and we politely declined. My guess is that she chose this particular dessert from perhaps one of many on the menu because she enjoys tapioca. I like Tapioca as much as the next guy but wouldn't dream of depriving Mrs G of something that maybe she was looking forward to enjoying herself. Meatloaf was on menu that evening and if I had to guess I would say that, liver and onions aside, meatloaf is one of Mrs G's favorites. Who doesn't like a good meatloaf?
She said the management of her facility had big plans to change up the wireless arrangements in each of the units and they would be coming to her place in the upcoming week to do just that. I happened to notice when I was setting up her printer once that her network included printers in other units in her building. You choose the wrong printer when setting up your print job, and that sucker will be printing in someone else's apartment. Were I a hacker of ill repute, I might be tempted to drive a truck through the holes in their network and god only knows what I might find. This change is long overdue.
The missus and I have been watching this three-part television series on Epic called "Fall River" this past week or so and, knowing what we know about Mrs G's history with Fall River, we meant to ask her if she had any interest in taking it in. Apparently, Debbie Rah-Rah had already broached the subject with her and she seemed to be in with both feet. There was just one glitch. She was able to watch the first episode for free but had to sign up for $5.99 if she wanted to watch more episodes. Gleaning from the expression on her face when we brought up the subject, it was clear that her interest in the show was well worth the pittance they were charging people to see it.
I wasn't sure if she hadn't signed up because she didn't know how to sign up or what. She didn't elaborate one way or another. I took the initiative and signed on and signed up and left her at the proper screens where she could just pick it up at her leisure which, presumably, would be later that evening. The show itself was about the dregs of society, prostitution, murder, and what that looks like in a city the size and scope of Fall River in the early 1990's. If you had any interest at all in knowing more about the seamier side of life in Fall River, this show was for you. For the cold case aficionado, it was a veritable treasure trove of trashiness and tell-all badness.
Why someone felt the need to do an expose' on a handful of miscreants in the shit hole back streets and alley ways of Fall River some thirty years after the fact, I'll never know. Did it really deserve a thee-part mini-series of its own? Was it a story that warranted a rehashing not even 30 years later? Was there a miscarriage of justice somewhere in the story that I missed? Admittedly, I haven't watched all the episodes. Even if the ringleader of this bunch didn't do the actual killing, he was certainly guilty by way of association and belongs in jail.
The characters in this story ended up where they ended up not because they were worthless human beings or, in the parlance of the day, white trash, but rather because they committed an egregious act when they decided to take someone's life. What little satisfaction they may have derived from committing such a heinous act has to pall in comparison to the years that they will now spend, and have spent, behind bars paying back their debt to society. It was never, and is not now, about rehabilitation. It is also a debt that can never be repaid. It will always be about a loss of life and there isn't anything, especially the courts in their infinite wisdom, can do to change that outcome.