Dolby Atmos

Are you an audiophile? One who … appreciates music? Then perhaps you really enjoy going to the movie theater and hearing the magic in Dolby or IMAX. Those systems have hundreds of speakers and it just immerses you in a wall of sound. So if you didn’t know, Dolby has evolved and it is more than it ever was with sounds bouncing off the ceiling and wrapping around you in a total 360 experience. Well believe it or not — you now can get that at home if you are willing to put out some cash and upgrade your system. My receiver went out awhile ago but it still sort of worked … the center channel and the subwoofer worked but pretty much that was it. I honestly don’t know when the last time it worked right. Anyway, I took the plunge and bought a Sony receiver at Best Buy for about $500 USD. I have to say I love it. It is like I was watching movies with no sound effects for the past however many years. Where were the birds, water and wind before? Not in my home theater. All I can say is wow. If you are like me and watch a ton of movies, then you really should have a top of the line sound system. Hopefully my readers have just been reading my tweets, which are semi regular. Twitter .. meh, it’s a whole different beast. Unlike the website and other social media, there is little interaction. On a positive note with Twitter, I do have an official verified checkmark next to my name. I know, how cool is that? Anyone can get one, so I guess now I’m anyone. At least you know I am not a RObot. Or aka a bot. So if you decide to get some cool new sound, make sure your receiver had Dolby Atmos, and you will need 7 speakers and one subwoofer. I swear I am never leaving the house now that I have this amazing sound. Watching every favorite is like watching it for the first time. Btw, all your streaming services have Dolby Atmos content encoded, like Disney+, Amazon Prime, Netflix and of course HBO Max. GOT is in UHD high format so it looks and sounds amazing. If you aren’t following me on Twitter you really should, I do post a few interesting tid-bits here and there that I don’t post anywhere else. I try to keep content different on the other platforms.

Apologies for not posting more here, but as I told one reader, there literally days of reading on the blog and there is no way you read all of it. Or go back and read it again. I do — and continue to be amazed at some of the enlightening things that come out of it. As a reminder, many times I am just the scribe and the message comes from a higher power. Sometimes one of my readers needs to hear something and they won’t listen to anyone else, … like mom or dad. Sometimes YOUR guardian has something to tell you.

Twitter

So years ago when I built this site I incorporated some code to pull my tweets from Twitter to show up on the main page. It is kind of a cool trick that makes your static website appear to be active, other than your blog. Up until recently my Twitter posts have been few and far between. I only have a couple of thousand followers on there, and for some strange reason the demographics are of … older people, like adults. Not kids or teenagers. Just so you know, “most” of my readers are 14-35, and mostly guys. In the however many years that I have had/used Twitter, no one ever likes or retweets me. So why bother right? Well, as of lately I got tired of seeing Twitter posts (tweets) on my Facebook newsfeed, so I just decided to go to my own Twitter and see them myself. BUT I had to delete anyone that I followed that I didn’t know. There literally was thousands of tweets every few minutes and it just overwhelmed me seeing things I didn’t even really know why I was following.

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So now I followed a hand full of friends who followed me, some news sources, a couple of politicians and some celebrities. I have this theory that kids and teenagers don’t use Twitter. Every “group” has their own social media favorite. Facebook, Instagram, Snap Chat, Tik Tok, Podcasts, YouTube … I’m sure I am missing a lot. Especially in other countries, like China bans Facebook and YouTube so their citizens can’t get news and information. Yes seriously. The logs don’t lie and my fans/readers come directly to the site. This one.

So I am making a concerted effort to post on Twitter at least 5 times a day. I am using my computer and not the app. Yeah I’m kind of weird that way. I really only use “social media” on my computer and only use my smartphone for music and gps mapping. If you aren’t following my Twitter, you can check it out here. https://twitter.com/aaronmstephens

Or you can keep reading them on the main page.

And on a holiday note, did you know that apple music has every “A Very Special Christmas” version available for your enjoyment. I still love the very first one. I’m sure Alexa will play it for you as well.

Mystery Shopper

So this past weekend I ventured out to buy some holiday gifts/Black Friday specials. I had no idea what I was in for, but I knew what I had experienced in the past. First stop, Best Buy. I guess that the big box retailers still think that no one has a tv. Since that is ALL they seem to have. That and air fryers are all the rage, but it doesn’t seem like customers feel the same way. With streaming devices everywhere dvds and blu-ray discs are no longer marked down to ridiculous prices like before. It has been 2 years since the PS5 released and still there is no gaming consoles to be found. If I was a mystery shopper all of the stores would have failed. I know why they are down in sales. They don’t even say hello to customers, let alone shoplifters. The funny thing is Best Buy rearranged their layout, so loss prevention now faces the front door, and customers can see all their cameras in plain view. And a weird thing is they don’t give you a receipt unless you ask for it, so you literally walk out the door with no proof you paid. Yeah, I don’t get it either. Can we say “shrink problem”?

I tweeted to Best Buy and let them know of the epic fail on their part. They were very concerned and I gave them more detail in an email. I don’t know why they don’t sell things people actually want as gifts.

Black Panther 2 Review

I decided I am going to use the personal blog for reviews. If you have the WordPress reader, in theory if you are subscribed — the new blogs will just show up in your reader. I keep my reader open so I know that my blogs are live. Just go to WordPress.com and register for an account, and then all your favorites in one place.

So if you want to hear/read my thoughts on the new movie,

Go here:

Black Panther 2/Wakanda Forever

I also want to use the other site as there isn’t a lot of content, yet there are quite a few readers. Obviously this is the site that has thousands of readers. But I think that you will like the fun pictures and design of the “old” site. A long time ago, that site had its own domain “aaronsafterthoughts-dot-com” but it got hacked and I had to tear it down. I kept the content and moved a lot of it to the free wordpress.com version, which does not have a lot of functionality, but if you are just looking for a place to read and write, that has enough features for the average person.

The world needs new content writers. So maybe that person is you. What do you know that makes you an expert that you can share with the world? Great, can you put it into words and share it with the world? Go to WordPress.com and sign up for a blogger account and start writing. I started with one reader (me) and then a few decades later it turned it something much more amazing than just me. After you have started your blog and you have at least 8-10 good articles, then start sharing that with your network and see if anyone wants to read it. Write on a regular basis or have lots of content for readers. Keep it conversational and keep it interesting.

And if you are going to Black Panther 2, be prepared for a LONG movie. Lord of the Rings kind of long. I will be writing more, especially product reviews, … on the other site. So be sure you are subscribed as I won’t keep informing this site or on social media when there are new posts. I honestly don’t know what social media my fans use other than Facebook and Twitter.

New Car! 2021 Hyundai Elantra Limited Edition

I love love love my new car! It is getting 45-55 mpg using ethanol free gas. I’m a safer driver with driver highway assist and smart cruise control. It wakes me up if my head starts to nod. It slams on the brakes if it sees I am going too fast and the person in front is braking. It locks on to the leader and adjusts the speed. When I go over 35 mpg the headlights automatically brighten and dim when it sees another car. I can start the car remotely, turn the heated leather seats and adjust them interior temperature from my iPhone. It has a brake hold feature so can take your foot off the brake at a stoplight so you don’t accidentally slip and roll forward. Super cool feature. Evidently it is a feature only on luxury cars. I didn’t even know it existed. No drifting as it has an E brake. Of course I have tricked it out with upgrades and LEDs. Although you can’t really do much to stereos these days since they all have touch screens, so I wanted the Bose sound system with subwoofer. Two thumbs up from me! If I had a kid I would want him/her to drive one so I would know they were a safer, better driver.

The new Halloween – ends movie is out. I saw it. It was good. New storyline, sort of. If you have the Peacock app, you can watch it for free, or you can go sit in a theater. And ICYMI, the actor who played Hagrid in Harry Potter died at 72. So sad.

You Are NOT Your Job

There are millions of people who identify with their job. This is super common when you meet people with low self esteem and they immediately have to tell you they are in a job profession. “Hi, I’m ___ I’m an attorney.” No one cares. Are you going to sue me? Or did you just have to brag about your knowledge of the law? Nope, yep, and still no one cares. Guess what, when you ARE an attorney, the rest of the attorneys don’t care. You have to find some other way to impress. I worked at the Colorado Bar Association for a couple of years and dealt with all of them. When you know more than they do, they stop trying to impress you. The funny thing is, even when an attorney is not employed by an actual firm or has an actual client, they still tell you they are an attorney.

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So my last posting was basically telling you that the world still doesn’t know what they want to be when they grow up and get that degree. It really is a huge fail on the education system at a very young age. From day one children should be preparing on how to make money and make a living, other than living rent free in their parents basement. True story, … I had a friend who wanted to be a …. ready? A nurse. I was shocked and asked why. Oh she thought it would be fun. Damn girl, you ain’t seen fun until you are cleaning up shit and bed pans of your sick and dying patients. Fun? Damn, that is a one sick sense of humor. Me — fun would be more of an amusement park, a nightclub, a concert venue, sporting events arena … not a hospital. So I gave a very brief detailed account of what a day in the hospital looks like for a nurse, and then gave the detailed account of what happens when you get home, empty your pockets and collapse into a chair of exhaustion. Yeah, my mom is/was a nurse and as a kid you see things way differently. Mom didn’t say work was fun. She usually got on the phone and complained to whomever at how shitty work was. And then there was the no name stories of people who are dying, and their families. When you think you found your dream job or dream company, go online to glassdoors.com and find out what past employees say/think about that company. Find out how much those jobs REALLY pay before you commit to a career. And before you ever take a class, talk to someone doing it and spend a day with him/her (if you can).

My friend did not go into nursing and instead went into computer science and now makes a very healthy salary.

You can’t turn on any media without seeing the death of the Queen and all the royals. Now they have to say “God save the KING”, as the Queen was saved for 96 years. Since I live in the United States of America, it doesn’t really affect me.

Apple announced the new, but not really new iPhone 14. The chassis is the same, so I am pretty sure the cases will all still fit. After careful examination of all the devices … I have decided there is nothing wrong, or broken with my iPhone 11 Max Pro. The reality is it doesn’t matter what color the device is, because everyone puts it in a case. If you don’t, and you walk around with it naked, then you deserve what you get when you drop it on a marble, tile or hardwood floor. They did not upgrade the processor so it still have the same CPU as the iPhone 13. The whole SOS thing is neat, but I have that using Life360 app, which I have already endorsed. They are offering satellite texting free for 2 years. After that I would imagine the agreement with SpaceX will be finalized and the iPhone will use their services, just like any other app, but at a premium. So as long as you have a portable solar charger and the new iPhone 14, Naked and Afraid participants have another option.

I never need a 48 meg camera. Ever. In a year it would be full, even with the 1 TB. Or maybe that is the plan, right apple? Your iCloud storage is going to explode and you will need to upgrade that as well. Funny how it all just keeps adding up. I call it the “Cult of Mac”. Millions of users that will pay whatever apple tells them, and they keep buying every single one of their products. It literally took me 2 years to pay my phone off so I am really enjoying having a cell phone bill under $100. Evidently their apple card has paved the way for success as millions are putting their new devices on these cards that offer no actual cell phone protection, like the American Express charge card. The platinum gives an extra year of warranty. I have not looked at what the actual wireless carriers are offering, but the trade in program is awful. I paid over $1600 for my device and it is only worth $250 trade in. No thanks. It works perfectly and like most people out there, very little of its real potential is used. In reality, most people would be perfectly content with their entry level SE model. I don’t know who influenced apple to put the home button back on the main screen but the SE has it now. Love it or hate it, you now have another choice.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Do you know what “I” would do for the education system if “I” were in charge? Well, Mister Stephens, what would you do? First off, I would make it mandatory that every single high school student before the age of 16, take a career management class. We would call it … that’s right you guessed it, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Part of that year long course would be investigating, researching, job shadowing and interviewing real live people doing the job. It would include budgeting, finance, credit, and a slew of other actual helpful tactics to manage your career, the finances that go along with it and the ways you can earn income. When I was teaching that class, at the college it was too late to tell someone they picked a really shitty career with no hopes of ever making any money. Trust me when I tell you there are thousands of unemployed video game artists/developers. My year long course would include ALL kinds of professions, from trade to pHd and I would have forums where students could actually learn, ask questions and decide what is right for them.

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NO ONE plans to be an Uber driver, a ditch digger, or construction worker. It just doesn’t happen that way. And no one tells you that you can make money as an influencer, a sugar baby, a housewife/husband, … or even as a drug dealer. But yet, all of those occupations exist. Almost every job out there has the wonderful things and the shitty things. It is a good idea to know what both of those are before you commit yourself to that career. A buddy of mine from high school, super smart, went on to be a lawyer. He was very musically inclined and artistic, so I wondered why he would go in a direction like law. Well, turns out he didn’t stay a lawyer and he went back to his artistic side of things.

WHY do you want to be a millionaire? What do you want/need to buy that is THAT expensive? Know what your minimum and maximum salary needs are and focus on what is important. Making 200k a year sounds great, until you find out you have no life, and you work 70 hours a week. I think to myself, “If I didn’t have any bills, how much would I need each month to live comfortably?” Once you have that number you don’t have to kill yourself to overachieve. Just remember, NO ONE is banging down your door to pay your bills in full each month. They’ll get their money when they get it, right? As one of my managers once said, “We work to live, not live to work.” And when you confuse the two we will have a coming to Jesus meeting to get your priorities back on track.

Yo Biden. The department of education needs a revamp with a focus on finding students meaningful careers that will pay their bills. Each graduate needs an understanding of where their money comes in and goes out. It’s not rocket science, but kids these days can’t even do math or count back change. There needs to be a small business course so everyone can learn about tax breaks and advantages they had no idea they could claim. I don’t have a doctorate, so I don’t think that person in charge would be me. I just came up with the idea that could literally revolutionize America for a better tomorrow. Although it could be a lot of fun developing courses like, “eBay, and other online sources of income.” And while we are at it, everyone needs to take an ethics course.

Forgiving a small amount of debt doesn’t fix the problem of students going into careers with no idea how to earn an income. Millions of people have useless degrees that have no relevance to their actual source of income.

The Hand of the King

Hello my Game of Thrones friends! If you were unaware there has been a new show called “House of the Dragon” which basically is Game of Thrones in a different time with all new characters. When the show first came out on HBO back in the day, you literally had to have some shitty cable company and pay for that extra channel. I had Dish Network back in the day and HBO was not one of my electives, so I never got into it. Jump back to today … with high speed internet and the evolution of “apps”. Now you can pick and choose what you want to watch without some stupid contract with clunky equipment. I will admit, it took several times watching Game of Thrones (GOT) to finally understand it. I use the Vudu app and purchase all my shows there so I can stream them to my devices. It is a win win. So anyway if you are a fan, you know that the title I used is an actual title of a person in the show. I would guess it is made up since I had never heard of it. At any rate, it is a power position and an interesting title/topic.

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If you are a long time fan/reader then you know that I took a DNA test from CRI Genetics, and using their technology found out that I am literally an heir of royalty from China and Japan, AND I share DNA lineage with Princess Diana. So I think it is fair that I can look at my own hand and call it “The hand of the king”. On my right hand I wear yellow gold rings with rubies and diamonds and on my left hand I wear white gold and silver, with diamonds. I discovered that back in the day, kings and queens wore diamonds, rubies and sapphires. I knew I had good taste. Actually the ruby is my birthstone. The one rock that encompasses and amplifies love. As a guy who is now 49, my hands would say otherwise. I’ve been putting lotion on my hands as long as I can remember, and it shows. No age spots, liver spots, saggy skin, blue veins. Nope nope nope. I read somewhere that when you drive you should use your left hand and keep it at the 6 o’clock position upside down so you don’t expose your hands to the UV sunlight, … or wear gloves. If you have sunscreen you should really get in the habit of putting it on daily. I have an identical twin who does nothing for his skin and it shows. You can Google search twin skin differences and see how bad the sunlight is for your skin.

And back to the actual hand of the king … the new show, just like the GOT is slow, semi-boring, a lot of talking and not a lot of action. Kids probably won’t like it, and if you are new to the series, meaning you never saw the first 8 seasons of GOT, you may or may not like it. Without really ruining it, there is some king who needs an heir. His wife has a baby boy and they both die. NOW who will rule if the king dies? Argue about it back and forth. That is about all that has really happened. Trust me, it gets even more boring after that. I’m trying REALLY hard to like it. Oh yeah, big scary fire breathing dragons.

So far I am not sure if I would recommend it to a new viewer. But hey, you do what you want, you are your own person. Speaking of boring dumb movies, the new Rings of Power, a take off of the Lord of the Rings came out on Amazon Prime. Twice I started watching it and I still haven’t finished. This is not your Green Lantern ring show. You really have to be an original fan of the Lord of the Rings. Yes, it is slow and boring.

She Hulk has 3 episodes out on Disney+ now and so far it is entertaining. The acting in MoonKnight was better. If you have Disney+ you should watch it. It’s cute.

Tesla Stock Split

For the first time ever, Tesla has done a stock split. Actually it was cut in 3, so a 3 for 1 stock split. Fortunately I had a single share, not part of a share, so now I have 3 shares. Ah life is good. Some day these 3 shares of stock will be worth a lot. Remember back in the day day Walmart did their first stock split? Yeah, I wasn’t a part of that round either. But hey, now I can say I got 2 shares of stock for free. Sure the price is a little lower than it was, but I think we can all say that we know Tesla is going to be bigger than it is today, and I was lucky to be one of the entry level guys.

49 and Fabulous!

So this title was in reference to the Sex and the City episode where Carrie is on the cover of some New York magazine and she is “40 and Fabulous?” with a question mark. If you didn’t see the episode, she was out all night long, had zero sleep and looked like she was rode hard and put up wet to dry. Yeah, that bad. So this picture I took of myself on the airplane and due to the natural light I really liked it and decided to put it on here. I have always said that age is a state of mind, how old or young do you want me to be? I think as long as you look good and feel good, it doesn’t really matter how old or young you are. It matters how your brain acts and reacts to situations. So anyway, I will be turning 49 on Saturday and I have to say I am pretty happy with the results. If you want great looking skin then you have to take care of it. Some people take better care of their automobiles than they are with their own body. If you are new to skincare then just start with the basics and wash your face on a regular basis with a good exfoliator. 111SKIN is my favorite brand, and if you can afford it try out some of their products based on your needs. I also recommend taking a collagen supplement daily. I like Dose & Co. You can get collagen almost everywhere in a powder form. I put it in my coffee. Collagen is the glue that holds your cells together. It also helps your skin stay tight. The weird thing about skin, is it has a cellular memory. It stretches and moves and changes shape. But have you ever wondered why some people’s face is shaped one way and others are … well, less than perfect? I wonder if it comes down to the very first cell that became you, and then divided and multiplied until it was a human. Crazy thought right? What if that cell was bad from the beginning? Because mom or dad was drunk or on drugs? Malnutrition? What if …sounds impact the cell reproduction? So moms who listen to classical music when the baby is a fetus might have a higher chance in life than those who didn’t? So anyway, people ask me all the time what do I do to look so young? Good skincare products, drink tea, take collagen, stay out of the sun. I also recommend you watch some YouTube videos from Qoves Studio. It is a beauty podcaster channel. Very enlightening in my opinion. Things like high cheekbones can be attained by mewing. A defined jawline can be enhanced or surgically corrected. Having a double chin, or having it removed makes a huge difference. I found that just losing some weight can make a huge difference in your overall face shape. Watch a few videos. You’ll start mewing too.

So my trip to Vegas was also sort of my birthday getaway.

As hot as it was in June I know it is even hotter in July. Everyone has a different experience, some better than others. Where you are in life, your financial situation and most important — your excellent credit. When you have great credit and you can afford it, the American Express Platinum Card makes your travel easier, more pleasant and a delightful experience. You get free upgrades, access to airport lounges, and when you go to fancy hotels you get food and beverage credits. So you can stay at nicer hotels and pay the same or less than some of the other hotels. AND when you use their cards, you earn points for every dollar you spend, which can be used as credits towards those hotels. It really is a win win. This past trip I stay at TWO hotels, a fun trick I learned from another YouTuber. Bellagio was amazing. I could stay a whole week there. New York was nice, but not the “real” New York feeling that I was really hoping for … big huge floor to ceiling windows … uh, not. Great to visit, but probably wouldn’t stay there again. It’s cheap so lots of people stay there. The elevators are always crowded and in my opinion, less than ideal. The rooms were super small, only 350 square feet. Don’t forget that cool roller coaster runs til midnight and you get to hear screams all night long. Not exactly ideal and there is not much for sound-proofing. So if you do stay there, make it one of those “crash and burn” situations where you don’t care and just want a bed. The occasional scream or noisy hallway doesn’t bother you. If you are military you get upgraded to the pearl level, which only gives you free parking … an $18 value at each casino owned by MGM. Since I have been to Vegas many times, I didn’t have the need or desire to walk the entire strip to see each casino. Instead I opted for a Hertz rental car and I drove to each casino. Parking was free and it was blistering hot. Last trip I spent more in Uber fees so this time I decided having your own transportation for 5 was a great idea. Also there is this whole waiting thing when you are reliant upon Uber. If you are not a pearl level member you can get the MGM branded MasterCard and then you will automatically be upgraded to pearl level. There is no annual fee, so there are ways to get around paying for parking. If you eat at the MGM hotel buffets, you can jump the line and enter through the VIP entrance. I ate at the Bellagio buffet twice. Once for breakfast and then again the next day for lunch/dinner. I love how they have such small portions so you can try a little bit of everything.

Thor came out this past weekend, and I think that all of the Thor movies are pretty worthless high impact entertainment. I had to watch the YouTube spoilers to figure it all out. Like, why bring Jane Foster into the movie just to tell you she has cancer? It’s in the comic that way. Oh. Didn’t read the Thor comic. And “Thor” is a title, like Valkyrie. That’s why Jane is dressed like Thor. When she is Jane she has short brown hair. When she is a Thor, she has long blonde curls. Eventually it will make it to Disney+, but it you can’t wait that long, it will keep you cool in the theaters for a couple of hours.

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