A semi-regular attempt to address some of life’s minutiae that might otherwise be overlooked…..

Apparently a reboot of The Office is happening, and I will tentatively say “I’m in!!”. However, while I think the concept is perfect for a reboot, I do not believe it’d be wise to simply resume with the original cast working at Dunder-Mifflin in Scranton, PA. Most of those actors have moved on to other phases of their career, and within the fictional setting I don’t think any employees would realistically still be working in the same place. It’d make sense for the documentary company that chronicled the daily work life at a paper company to do a sequel, but surely they’d move on to a new business in a whole different industry located in another town. By the way, I’ve had a similar opinion for years about The West Wing…ideal framework for a reboot, just a whole new cast of characters working at The White House. I wouldn’t dare presume success for either “new” show, but if the writing is good & the casting director does a great job then why not give it a whirl??

Ignoramuses who blindly follow leftist ideologies love displaying “Free Palestine” or the Ukraine flag on their social media. The chasm has grown exponentially beyond Democrat vs. Republican or Liberal vs. Conservative. Those petty disagreements seem rather quaint nowadays.

Weird opinion: I do not enjoy Meet & Greets. While it’d be an exaggeration to say that I have social anxiety, I am somewhat socially awkward and simply don’t know what to say to folks in those situations beyond “Hi…nice to meet you”. It’s uncomfortable. I realize “famous” people are human beings who put their pants on one leg at a time like you & me. It’s not a matter of being star struck. Hell, I don’t even know names of most of my neighbors in my apartment building. I’m quiet & somewhat introverted. I keep to myself and am more effective with written communication than verbal interaction. There’s also the fact that meet & greets usually involve pics, and I hate being photographed. I’ve never been buff & sexy, but these days I am absolutely disgusted by my own appearance. Calm down…I’m not going to dive into the whole weight loss rabbit hole right now, but it is an issue. Honestly, I just prefer to sit in my spot, keep to myself, enjoy the show, then head home to bask in my solitude. Your mileage may vary, and that’s okay.

I was taught by my parents to be polite & respectful. Throughout my life I’ve tried to treat people with courtesy. However, sometimes a person just cannot take a hint. They lack the self-awareness to understand when they need to leave or when I simply do not want to be bothered with their foolishness. So I have had to force myself to be quite direct or even rude on occasion. It isn’t my comfort zone, but sometimes it becomes necessary to protect one’s own peace above all else.

Speaking of reboots…

When it was first announced that a Frasier reboot was in the works I was SO excited. A decade ago Frasier was firmly ensconced as one of my favorite TV shows of all time, and that opinion hasn’t changed. To be honest I became a little less excited when none of the original supporting cast signed on for the new show. I knew that Frasier’s brother Dr. Niles Crane would especially be missed, but actor David Hyde Pierce, who so brilliantly brought Niles to life, decided he did not want to reprise the role. In the end my initial enthusiasm trumped those secondary misgivings, and I’ve eagerly consumed the first few episodes. To say that reviews have been mixed is being kind, but I would not be deterred. That being said, I did lower my expectations. However, I’m glad to report that what I have seen so far is satisfactory. It isn’t a perfect show, and its predecessor casts quite the shadow. Comparisons are inevitable but a little unfair for many reasons, not the least of which is we get a ten episode season to digest this incarnation as opposed to two dozen Season 1 episodes for the original. Streaming is still weird for this old dude. Anyway, I like the Frasier reboot and think it has room to evolve into something we can hopefully enjoy for a few years. If you’re a fan of the old show don’t be hesitant to give the new one a chance…just be realistic with hopes & assumptions.