Sunday, February 7, 2021

I am reporting on an issue of Ranger Rick Magazine from 1977 with a story called “The Best Present of All”. The story featured a King who interviewed every energy source as if they were job applicates. I recalled the quote from the story “Everything costs even things that are free. And once they are gone they can no longer be.” In response to the free Hulu, Disney, ESPN subscription. Today is Superbowl Sunday, and I am was not able to log into ESPN because of some technical issues. The subscription is free with Verizon, but since I can’t log in and password reset did not work. After six months it converts to a paid subscription, if one forgets to cancel it. Just one more reason I can’t stand Hulu, ABC, Disney and whatever else they have under that umbrella.

I found a sort of condensed version of the Ranger Rick story online in Google Books but I don’t like the way they edited it. Each energy source meets with the King in turn and lists their good points and bad points. The characters are solar power, water power, wind power, oil, coal, gas and nuclear power. Naturally the King rejects nuclear power as being too dangerous for his people and what to do with the nuclear waste is considered. The King ultimately chooses solar power. But I recall the water power has case that made me feel that the King should have not rejected hydro power. However dams are needed to make water power work, and this is not explained in the story. Water Power was called General Metals. The subtext was that Generals are bad because they got their metals based on wars. Wind Power was rejected, but I don’t know why. It may have something to do with birds getting chopped up in windmills on Wind Farms. Naturally, they did not tell children about birds getting killed. Maybe Wind Power was not included and I am just making that part up? I think Wind Power was put down by the King for being a blowhard. Solar Power is the last guest to show up and she comes in like Stevie Nick dressed in a beautiful flowing golden gown. Solar Power is a Goddess who saves humanity from climate change. When the King rejects each of the undesirable source of power with these words “Everything costs even things that are free. And once they are gone they can no longer be.” In the stories context it means that oil and coal will one day be gone from the earth as we will have used it all. I would like to find the entire Ranger Rick story but I am not sure which monthly back issue from 1977. A few back issues can be found on Ebay. Please leave a comment if you know the issue or contact me directly using the contact page.

So called free Hulu has commercials which are a cost to one’s mental state, time and aggravation. I was willing to accept short commercials, but I noticed at one point they pushed it up to 6 or 7 commercials all at once on certain programs. I had stepped away from the TV only to find what seemed like endless commercials playing. I normally cope with them by exiting Hulu. This is why seemly free offers do cost. I would be better off paying for the triple subscription out of pocket. Verizon has a lot of log in issues. I can’t normally log into Verizon. I went to the store and they created a new account for me which also does not work. I am still stuck in the old free account with the very bad email created by someone with an issue with spelling my name. Since the account is my first name last name misspelled no one can ever hack it. I am sure the log in issues are Verizon’s fault because I could normally log into Hulu when I was paying for it without issues.

Updated: Hulu Disney ESPN was not cancelled. The chat lied to me claiming it was cancelled, but since I don’t pay any money yet, I assume they decided to keep me on. I called Hulu and they said “Oh by the way ESPN did not have the Superbowl.” How was I to know that? It’s not possible to find the Super Bowl as every type of Network will claim they have it. I may have wanted to watch the Superbowl, but the commercials are a huge issue. I have never made it through an entire Superbowl. I always get bored. So I was not motivated to find it. I am very motivated to cancel Hulu and I already spend hours of time trying to cancel it. Never get the so called Free Deal on Verizon.

• The 70s