The Effects of Winter Snow on Our TV Reception

Posted on January 21, 2026 by cdsmiller17

Bell Satellite Dish

For the third time in two weeks, our satellite TV lost its signal. When I called Bell the first time, they decided to send me a new Smart Card for the receiver. Really? After a day, the TV stations appeared again, but I didn’t make the connection between the effects of snow and the loss of signal.

The Smart Card was exchanged, and the switch was completed by Bell via telephone. The TV stations were still missing, so we went through the way to redirect the satellite dish. About an hour later, everything was back to normal. That is, until two nights ago, when the signal was lost again. The penny finally dropped: SNOW!

I cleaned the snow off the dish, and then I repeated what I’d been shown late last week. It worked.

We got our channels back just in time to watch the episode of “All in the Family” where “The Jeffersons” started its own nine season run as a spin-off. It was the episode where they were “moving’ on up” to the East Side (the show’s theme song). The year was 1975. Fifty years ago.

Timely, eh?

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When Divorce was a Scandal in High Society

Posted on January 20, 2026 by cdsmiller17

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale (2025)

Lady Mary was dressed in red (scarlet woman) during the opening sequences of this final chapter of the Downton Abbey story. Visual clues are always welcome, especially when the viewer feels like they’re visiting old friends.

This film is set in 1930. The world has changed, but high society in the UK hadn’t caught up. (Until Queen Elizabeth II told Charles and Diana to divorce in the 1990’s, the stigma of scandal remained.)

By the film’s end, Lady Mary is alone in the building with her memories. It was a lovely moment, ending with a glimpse of her sister Sybil, when she was still alive, A full circle, for sure.

It’s hard to say goodbye to cherished characters, but all things must come to an end. This one was fitting.

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Like a Stone Skipping Across a Pond, It Creates a…

Posted on January 18, 2026 by cdsmiller17

Ripple (2025)

This Netflix show has eight episodes. I’m only a part way through. Toronto is the stand-in for New York City, and some of the stars of this show gave me a clue about that.

Thankfully, this show is a demonstration of how we are all interconnected. The characters still have their own choices to make or not, but that doesn’t remove how the Universe works in the background to keep things moving forward.

*Spoiler Alert*

Good for releasing tears, for sure.

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Old Hollywood, Retrospectively Celebrating Itself

Posted on January 18, 2026 by cdsmiller17

Jay Kelly {2025}

Finally, I got around to watching this homage to Hollywood life. “I’ve had regrets, but then again, too few to mention.” Jay Kelly seems to an amalgamation of several Hollywood heroes we worshipped over the years. In fact, during one sequence before a bathroom mirror, Jay recites their names. That was telling.

He appears self-absorbed. That’s nothing new. He regrets not being there for his children. A common theme. What sets this film is his ability to revisit scenes from his past, as if the Ghost of Christmas Past was there with him.

If you like Old Hollywood, you’ll love this story. If not, this will bore you to tears. You decide.

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To Do Your Job, Avoid the Temptation

Posted on January 17, 2026 by cdsmiller17

The Rip (2026)

I was tempted to call this post “Good Mill Hunting” since it stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. But I resisted. The questions raised by a “rip” of over $20 million in cash take up most of the plot.

This film reminds me of “The Sting” in which Robert Redford and Paul Newman seem to be working at odds with each other, but aren’t really. In “The Rip” there’s a lot of effing and blinding going on, but the ending has a payoff that makes total sense when the whole film is seen.

Honestly now: how could these two friends be anything but the ‘good guys’? See the truth for yourself.

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There’s Two Sides to the Story, and Then the Truth

Posted on January 16, 2026 by cdsmiller17

His & Hers (2026)

This show went deeply into the grief that follows the death of an infant. Blame, pain and regret are the major motivators, but we’re not told much about this reason for a couple’s separation until about halfway through the six episodes.

Because the two of them could be equally responsible for the initial murder, we kept flipflopping between them. By the 4th episode, I realized who the actual murderer was, but we’re not given confirmation until the final episode. Each episode has a narration of a few lines by Anna, the reporter. Pay attention to that narration. Her estranged husband, Jack, is running the investigation, and he knows it’s not himself who is murdering the women, but he suspects that Anna is the killer, since the murders start when she returns to their home town after a full year of being missing.

Neither person is particularly ‘nice’ so as a viewer you don’t really know who to root for. But it’s binge-worthy anyway. We watched it in one sitting, last night.

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There, But for the Grace of God, Go Us All

Posted on January 15, 2026 by cdsmiller17

William Sascha Riley (June 23, 1973)

Before I start this discussion, I wish to say that I have only experienced Sascha’s story second hand, mainly on Facebook shorts. This may be disinformation, meant to paint Trump and his cronies in a very bad light. But why bother, unless it’s all true?

The Epstein Files should have been fully released by now. But 99% is still under DOJ wraps. When there are gaps, people fill those gaps with whatever is being said on the internet. If this had been “just” another female victim, people would have yawned and gone on as they have before, but this ‘victim’ is male. That touches people (read, men) differently. Suddenly, it’s everywhere and the latest episode to spark outrage.

Does it seem credible? If you ask David Icke, he’ll say to you, “I’ve been warning you about the global pedophile system, since forever.”

You will need to do your own research to prove or disprove Riley’s story.

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When a Cultural Icon was Seen as a TV Interruption

Posted on January 14, 2026 by cdsmiller17

Max Headroom Incident (November 22, 1987)

I’d heard about this, and never thought anything more about it. But, because the details are so specific, I wondered what the event charts would show us.

This is the first attempt @ 9:14 pm on WGN TV. The Neptune (almost exact) inconjunct with the Ascendant may be the clue. But the 17 second interruption was quickly fixed by the WGN engineers. So, not a successful broadcast…

The second attempt, this time @ 11:15 pm on WTTN in the middle of a Dr. Who program airing. This time was more successful, lasting almost 90 seconds, with sound. The triple inconjunct between the Moon/Venus/Uranus conjunction and the Midheaven @ 25° Taurus may have been the reason. The Ascendant had moved on to 0° Virgo. Jupiter is still trine to the same four planets (the Moon, Venus, Saturn and Uranus) as the first attempt. Including the Sun, there are five ‘planets/lights’ as a stellium in Sagittarius all in the 4th House of Home.

With a fourth house stellium, your home, family, and heritage are typically an incredibly important part of your life and are the determining factor of many of your decisions in life. The planets involved can add more context to the relationship you have with your parents as well as your lineage, and, because this house is at the very bottom of the chart, it can also indicate that you’re someone who prioritizes privacy. 

http://www.astrology,com

I suspect the ‘experiment’ of invading the homes of the people watching TV would be considered a breakthrough. All I know is that it cannot be done now since television broadcasting and reception are digital. Anyway, it’s fascinating, for sure.

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DNA Testing Reveals More Than Just Genealogy

Posted on January 14, 2026 by cdsmiller17

Run Away (2026)

James Nesbitt is 61 years old today. Happy birthday, sir. I believe this show is his second series from Harlan Coben. I am a fan of Coben’s books. His shows are a little more ‘spotty’ because the effect of his story lines are so diverse in the beginning, that threads can be lost by the viewer. This one has that problem, but by the fourth episode, the divergent story lines started to come together.

Coben said in an interview that when his daughter was in her teens, he found some drug paraphernalia in her room. His imagination took hold of him, and this story grew from that event. He also said that she’s in her 30’s now and everything’s fine.

The reference to DNA testing is the real story behind the story. Perhaps, the need to know where we come from and who’s in out tribe is an imperative with so many, these days. In my own story, this method solved the question mark over my mother’s paternity. So, it’s useful, but in the wrong hands it could be disastrous. When you watch this show, you’ll understand what I mean.

Enjoy.

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He’s Growing Up, Every Day

Posted on January 13, 2026 by cdsmiller17

Buddy

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