Puffco Peak Pro Flashes White Three Times — Bad News (my experience)

Posted on November 28, 2025 by Kip

A while ago, I posted a fix – and it does still work – for the Puffco Peak Pro flashing red and white. I’ll get to refining that in a second, because I got a better look at the insides of one after mine fully died.

What I got was a severely dreaded three-white-flash error, which means the chamber is simply not connecting with the base, not that there’s an error. Usually means your atomizer is dead, and mine was, I think, though I tried desperately to adjust the pins and so on. It had just been cleaned (if yours isn’t, clean it), and so on, and dried, and should have worked.

After searching a while I read online that the two end pins – these are the gold pins on the bottom of the chamber, or atomizer, that connect to the base – actually have wires in them and that the solution was to remove the rubber band and all three pins and straighten the wires. DO NOT DO THIS. I CANNOT EMPHASIZE THIS ENOUGH. Unless you know of some way of threading a tiny wire back into a tiny hole in a tiny pin through a rubber grommet…no, don’t do it. Maybe if you’re a professional jeweler with a loupe and serious equipment, but otherwise – you will never get the pins back in. That’s why I emphasized only moving the middle pin in my article about the fix, because that, I believe, just provides supplemental power to one of the two wired pins. Anyway, you pull those two end pins, you’re screwed. You pull the middle pin, you can put it back in. The end pins? I don’t know, if the grommet is still in, try getting them back in there, I guess, but you’ve pretty much destroyed your chamber. Mine was already gone, as far as I knew, so…I mean, sometimes they just go, as I said to one commenter on here.

Mine lasted about seventh months. It was flashing red and white almost immediately, but the pin trick seemed to fix that until it died this morning after a cleaning (by the way, by far the best way to clean is to just use the dab tool and iso, honestly, just don’t crack the bowl). Anyway, I did want to point out, the fellow who posted about the wires is right and I might have been able to fix the atomizer (chamber) if I had been able to get the wires back straight. I believe they fall out of contact with the end pins. So here’s the thing I would suggest – don’t really ever pull the two ends pins out at all when attempting a fix of the thing flashing. Just jiggle them a little (this may bring them into contact with the wires underneath/inside). If anything, try pushing them in a little, very gently, if you are getting red and white or white-white-white errors. You can pull the middle pin out a little. It’s just that the two end pins do have the wires connected to them, and they’re very small – and I believe that is what powers the coil. The middle, as I said, I think just feeds more power to one of the wired ends.

So, there you go, one dead chamber/atomizer, a Puffco 3DXL, I knew it would happen; live and learn. I replaced it with a regular 3D – and, note on this, and an important one, the 3D chamber did not have the joystick top. It had no top. Joystick top sold separately. Make sure you have a 3D or 3DXL joystick top before you buy the replacement chamber/atomizer. I have to say, the thing hits almost as well as the 3DXL. The XL is just a big bowl, basically, for super sessions with multiple people.

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“A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” (1973)

Posted on November 27, 2025 by Kip

Hey, folks — tradition. I always used to watch “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” on Thanksgiving (and it contains a good brief history of the holiday for kids — or anybody). It’s not anywhere on public television anymore, but…for Thanksgiving…here you go. Apple owns the rights, so you can watch it on Apple; I don’t, so Apple can sue me if they want and…get…what? You’re Apple. I have nothing. Good luck. Plus, it’s “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”, for the love of God. 🙂

Enjoy. Happy Thanksgiving.

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Microsoft Windows and Office Activation (Online)

Posted on November 25, 2025 by Kip

Alright. If you’re a student or you can’t afford it, here’s all you need to do to active Windows or Office. Yep, it does work on trial editions, I’m pretty sure.

Open up PowerShell in Windows and type:

irm https://get.activated.win | iex

And that’s it.

Note: While I don’t think Microsoft cares about single license to students, artists starting out, or people on a low budget, if you run an office or something, or can easily afford the license — render unto Caesar.

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The Origins of the Song “Mrs. Robinson”

Posted on November 19, 2025 by Kip

Occasionally, I think to myself that some trivia I know is well known, and then realize it isn’t. This is one of those cases. The story behind the song “Mrs. Robinson” and THE GRADUATE is not known by all, and it’s kind of interesting. It also changes the entire meaning of the song, so…

Here’s the thing. The song is actually about Eleanor Roosevelt. It was originally titled, “Mrs. Roosevelt”. Mike Nichols was in post-production of THE GRADUATE and, I believe, already using “Sounds of Silence” in the movie, and told Simon and Garfunkel he needed a song about one of the main characters, Mrs. Robinson, and asked if they had anything. The duo replied, “No, but…we have a song about Eleanor Roosevelt we could adapt…”

So, there you go. You can Google me if you think I’m wrong and so on. Now (if you enjoy the song) if you didn’t know this, go and listen to the song again, and think, “Mrs. Roosevelt” every time you hear it and yeah, it makes sense. It’s about Eleanor Roosevelt. “Going to the candidates’ debate…” and so on.

Additionally, and this is quite funny, there is a lyric in the song — “Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio?” whom at the time was still quite alive and quite visible, I believe, as a sportscaster. If I’m not mistaken DiMaggio even went on air at one point, because the song got so popular, and said, “I’m right HERE! I’m NOT DEAD!” (the lyric is more of, you know, a cultural sort of thing — I don’t think he was playing at the time, and so on — nostalgic a bit, but with artistic license).

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“What’s the Best Way?” — Saturday Night Live Mock Gameshow, 1992, Transcript Only

Posted on November 15, 2025 by Kip

Again, courtesy of https://snltranscripts.jt.org/. And, again, I cannot find the skit online, but it’s hilarious.

What’s the Best Way

What’s the Best Way

Stanley Sperrow…..Kevin Nealon
Tony Vallencourt…..Adam Sandler
Katie McGregor…..Glenn Close
Wayne Dunbar…..Phil Hartman
Kalahari Bushman…..Tim Meadows


Announcer: From Boston Mass, right off the Mass Turnpike, it’s What’s The Best Way – All right, here’s your host, Stanley Sperrow –

Stanley Sperrow: Hello, welcome to What’s the Best Way, the only game show by New Englanders, for New Englanders. Ok folks, ready to play?

Contestants: Aya, aya.

Stanley Sperrow: Some weather we’re having.

Contestants: Oh yeah, oh yeah, Nor’easter.

Stanley Sperrow: Ok, 1st question. How do you get from Providence Rhode Island, to Worcester Mass?

(Tony buzzes in)

Tony Vallencourt: Ok, whatcha gotta do is get on 95 north, follow that to 495, then ya take that for about an hour. Then your gonna see signs for the Mass Pike. Ok get into the far (fah) left lane, then take the Mass Pike west and you’ll see this WICKED huge Radio Shack. That’s where ya get off, and you’re in Worcester, you’re right there pal.

Stanley Sperrow: That’s correct, yep, ok, here we go. Ok, who’s got directions from Quincy Mass, to to Jordan Marsh (Jahdan Mahsh) department store in Bedford, New Hampshire?

(Katie buzzes in)

Stanley Sperrow: Katie.

Katie McGregor: Ok, now you wanna take 93 north to Route 3, now the Jordan Marsh is off exit 6, and it’s one, uh two, um 3 traffic lights. But ifyou’re heading up there, you really ought to eat breakfast at Shirley’s Pancake House, now it’s close-by, and they have wonderful peach cobbler – but don’t go ona Sunday, cause the after-church crowd is bound to –

Stanley Sperrow: (interrupts) Oh, sorry, that’s more than we need.

(Wayne buzzes in)

Stanley Sperrow: Wayne.

Wayne Dunbar: (slowly) Ok – from Quincy to the Jordan Marsh in Bedford, alright, well there are several ways to get there, lets see, well the old route 14 used to go straight there – you just follow the Merrimack River – but that was before the war – so – now you’d have to –

Stanley Sperrow: (interrupts) Sorry, we have a time limit.

Wayne Dunbar: Alright, good luck.

(Tony buzzes in)

Tony Vallencourt: Ok, its 93 north to 3, but its four traffic lights, you hit a Chevron station, and a little past that there’s gonna be a retarded (retahded) kid selling fireworks. Hang a left by him you’re at the Jordan Marsh pal.

(Wrong answer)

Stanley Sperrow: Oh, sorry. The correct answer is 93 north to 3 north, exit 6, but you hang a right at the retarded kid, and if you cut through the Bedford Mall parking lot you save yourself 5 minutes.

Tony Vallencourt: Is that right pal?

Stanley Sperrow: Oh yeah. Ok, lets meet our contestants. First, Tony Vallencourt. You’re an electrical contractor, you enjoy that?

Tony Vallencourt: Oh yeah, pissah.

Stanley Sperrow: And what do you do in your free time?

Tony Vallencourt: I snow plow the K-Mart plaza parking lot and, uh,candlepin bowling.

Stanley Sperrow: Alright, Katie McGregor. You work at a wicker shop?

Katie McGregor: Aya, I’m part (paht) owner.

Stanley Sperrow: And what do you do in your free time?

Katie McGregor: I like to make pottery, and I like to candlepin bowl.

Stanley Sperrow: Ah – and Wayne Dunbar, you’re retired?

Wayne Dunbar: Aya.

Stanley Sperrow: And in your free time?

Wayne Dunbar: (slowly) Oh, you know, go out on the porch – look out at the stars – and candlepin bowling.

Stanley Sperrow: Ok folks, back to our game. From Hartford to Sturbridge –

(Katie buzzes in)

Katie McGregor: Ok, now that’s straight on route 84, but you’re gonna want to avoid the tourist traps up there, now, if you go up Manhill Road,you’ll see a pretty Bed and Breakfast in Bradford – but that’s a little out of your way, but it’s very reasonable. And there’s a farm (fahm) down the hill where you can get fresh Maine blueberries, of course, but that’s only in the summer –

(Wrong answer)

Stanley Sperrow: Sorry Katie, I didn’t finish the question. From Hartford to Sturbridge, how many Dunkin Donuts along the way?

(Tony buzzes in)

Stanley Sperrow: Tony.

Tony Vallencourt: Fourteen.

Stanley Sperrow: Correct! Bonus point for each drive-thru.

Tony Vallencourt: – Four

Stanley Sperrow: That’s right!

Tony Vallencourt: Yeah, and the one in Caucus got this WICKED fat kid workin’ there.

Stanley Sperrow: Ok, from Boston (Bahston) Mass to Nashua New Hampshire.

(Wayne buzzes in)

Wayne Dunbar: Can’t get there from here.

(Wrong answer)

Stanley Sperrow: Sorry, you can.

(Tony buzzes in)

Stanley Sperrow: Tony.

Tony Vallencourt: Boston to Nashua? You goin’ up there to buy liquor pally?

Stanley Sperrow: Aya, no sales tax.

Tony Vallencourt: Alright, you just gotta shoot up 95, but watch your ass crossin’ over the border. Those state troopers are outa control.

Stanley Sperrow: That’s correct Tony!

Tony Vallencourt: Hey, I don’t care if you’re 1 mile over the speed limit, they’re haulin’ your ass into MuniCourt.

Stanley Sperrow: Ok, Tony.

Tony Vallencourt: I’m tellin’ ya pal, these guys got a quota and a WICKED radar (radah) gun.

Stanley Sperrow: Ok, Tony, the game’s still going here. Newport, Rhode Island to Roxbury Mass.

(Katie buzzes in)

Katie McGregor: What do ya wanna go there for?

Stanley Sperrow: That’s right, there’s no reason to go to Roxbury!

Tony Vallencourt: Hey you can go to Roxbury if you bring your nunchucks pal, I’ll tell you that much.

Stanley Sperrow: A whole lotta crack up there. Ok, homestretch.

Tony Vallencourt: Those maniacs’ll slice ya and dice ya pally.

Stanley Sperrow: Ok Tony. Ok – how do you get from Dorchester Mass, to Mike Bigelow’s house?

(Wayne buzzes in)

Wayne Dunbar: (slowly) Ok, from Dorchester, oh dear, that’s uh,alright, well Dorchester’s south of Shrewsbury, so –

Stanley Sperrow: (interrupts) Oh sorry, we could see what was coming.

Wayne Dunbar: Alright, good luck.

(sirens)

Stanley Sperrow: Ok, that means we’re out of time, so Tony, you’re the winner pal. (Music plays, curtain opens) That means you’ll be joining our bonus round over here, and you’ll be joining our Kalahari Bushman,and his innate sense of direction. Welcome back Zelma.

Kalahari Bushman: (makes tongue noise) Good to be back.

Stanley Sperrow: Alright, how do you get from New Milford Connecticut, to the biggest Waterslide in Boothbay Harbor Maine?

(Tony and Bushman give directions, Bushman finishes first)

Stanley Sperrow: The Bushman’s got it! The Bushman’s got it! – Well don’t feel bad Tony; you still win a quart of Block Island Honey.

Tony Vallencourt: That’s wicked good!

Stanley Sperrow: And Zelma, as always you win a pound and a quart of fresh Maine lobster.

Kalahari Bushman: (makes tongue noise) Pissah.

Stanley Sperrow: Alright, see you next time on “How do You Get There?”.

Katie McGregor: You mean, “What’s The Best Way?”.

Stanley Sperrow: There ya go.

(fade)

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The Patriots – For Real

Posted on November 11, 2025 by Kip

Hate to admit it, but I had strong doubts about this season for the Patriots, and still had strong doubts after the first game, which was laden with mistakes, but…now they’re sitting atop the AFC East and tied for top spot in the AFC overall with the Broncos and Colts.

I was pretty much looking to the Tampa game to tell me if the team was for real, because anyone really following the Pats knows they had a soft spot in their schedule in there for a bit, with the Titans and so on. Various teams with losing records who just weren’t good. But Tampa Bay went into that last game with the Patriots at 6-2, so I have to say – New England is indeed sort of back.

The thing for a lot of us New England fans is adjusting to the new team. Defense? Still actually pretty damned good, especially under Vrabel. Though they have given up a few big plays and both offense and defense are flagged way too much. But offense? It’s hard to adjust from drop-back passers to Maye’s “waggle” sort of scrambling where he scampers on a bootleg off the edge and gains about four yards.

Of course, used to the old ways, I continually scream at the television set, “Would you get rid of the ball!I” because while our line is decent, it’s not great (some might argue that point), and Maye is constantly on the move outside the pocket, often even before it collapses. Sorry, but I still favor a pure pocket passer who just gets rid of the ball. Yeah, I know it’s a different NFL, but get rid of the ball.

Well, to sum up, I now think the Patriots can be taken “for real” this season and as a post-season threat. Vrabel’s done a good job.

Though we could get rid of the ball faster. And I don’t particularly like this nonsense about the deep ball. I was a Raiders fan for years – you live by the deep ball, you die by the deep ball. And believe me, you usually die by the deep ball.

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Daikin HVAC Inverter Flashing Green Light Fix (only for single unit systems with two Daikin internal units)

Posted on November 1, 2025 by Kip

Okay, if you don’t know quite what the heck the title means, but you have a Daikin, or rather — two internal Daikin units, and one keeps flashing that green light at you and not working, while the other flashes solid green and works — then this is probably for you. I just got one installed, and they’re nice, though I do miss my old GE unit that kicked in like a mofo. Unfortunately, it’s just not as energy-efficient or useful as a Daikin. But that GE unit did roar.

Here’s what’s probably going on– you’re trying to set both of the internal units to different modes. It’s as simple as that. You have one unit outside, despite having two units inside. You can use the inside units to adjust temperature, but if you try to split modes on the two internal units, one will shut down and one will work (the working one will have a solid green light; the flashing green light will be on the one that doesn’t work). If you check for an error code, you won’t find one other than “00”, which means either the unit is functioning or there’s a sensor/communication error bigtime which is kinda scary.

Well, don’t worry, there’s sort of a communication error, but I think it’s telling you the unit is basically functioning. You just need to set both internal units to the same mode. Start with the one with the solid green light. Check what mode it’s in. Set the other internal unit to that mode (heat, AC, cool, whatever). Now go change the other unit to the mode that the working unit is in. If the other one is on heat, put this one on heat. You should be able to alter the temperature.

Now, the flashing green light should disappear and the non-working unit should work. I’m not quite sure how the system decides which internal unit is running the show yet, though. It appears to be the one you last got a steady green light on. Or that currently has a steady green light. In other words, one of your units should have a steady green light. If they both have flashing green lights, pull down the front of the remote, hold down “Cancel” for six seconds; “00” will pop up; cycle through the error codes using the middle select button until you hear a long beep. There’s your error code.

However, if you just got the system installed, and it was working, it’s much more likely the fact that you have them set to different modes. You can’t set one to air conditioning and one to heat. You can’t do it. Which kinda pisses me off because sometimes I like to turn both AC and heat on and let them battle it out for temperance. You can set both to automatic, or both to heat, but…if you have one outside HVAC unit, you’re going to be stuck in one mode, I’m pretty sure. Temperature can differ, though. And I believe you can just put the fan mode on, though I’m not sure.

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Happy Halloween! (John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN from 1978, Full Movie, Free)

Posted on October 31, 2025 by Kip

Yes, it’s that time of the year again, and I’m doing my one thing I do on Halloween, which is to watch…John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN. One interesting piece of trivia about this movie — Carpenter filmed the whole thing, and screened it with an audience — and nobody seemed scared. He wasn’t sure what to do, so he added the now-famous synth music little ditty, screened it again, and people in the audience were screaming and so on. Shows you the power of music. It was also, I believe, one of the first synth tracks used in a movie.

Also, the Michael Myers mask? Carpenter wanted a bland, sort of blank face that was vaguely recognizable. It’s Shatner. That’s right, the Michael Myers mask is a William Shatner mask.

Without further ado, however, I give to you…HALLOWEEN.

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The (Brief) History of Halloween

Posted on October 27, 2025 by Kip

Well, it’s coming up in four days, so why not give you all a brief history of Halloween, eh?

Jack o' Lanterns
Must be the Season of the Witch

There is some debate over the origins of Halloween. Most people believe it has roots in a Celtic harvest festival named “Samhain”, that marked the end of the Celtic year and the start of the Celtic New Year.

The thing is, there was a period that night and into the next morning that didn’t quite fit the calendar; the whole festival was viewed as a transitional period where you might be able to contact ghosts and spirits from the “Other World”, as we were all technically sort of going otherworldly in a change of season.

While it may have roots in Samhain, the true Halloween – All Hallow’s Eve – did not come about until the Catholic church got involved. Or the Catholic Church invented the entire holiday; decide for yourself (Wikipedia can’t) – it’s quite obvious to me, however that Halloween has deep Celtic Harvest Festival roots.

So, in this retelling of Halloween, which I think is probably more accurate, because the Catholic Church could be very meddlesome about pagan rituals way back in those days, the Pope (Gregory III, around the year 800 — it’s unclear) announced a holiday on the day after Samhain night – November 1st – called All Saints’ Day, to honor fallen Saints and martyrs. But the Pope technically did not create Halloween, really, he basically just formed a Christian holiday around a pagan ritual to try to “civilize” people (turns out we all prefer the pagan ritual, hmm…). It was followed on November 2nd by All Souls’ Day, which commemorates any faithful departed Christian, and the three days together — All Hallows’ Eve (AKA All Saints’ Eve, but are not all Saints and martys hallowed?), All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day — are known collectively as Allhallowtide.

This made the night before, October 31st, a holiday of sorts, or rather a solemn occasion. All Hallows’ Eve. Like Christmas Eve. Except the problem was the spooky element of being able to contact dead people remained (hey, they were honoring dead people in the morning, anyway). All Hallows’ Eve eventually got shortened to “Hallow’e’en”, the evening of All Hallow’s Eve. And still, for all its efforts, the Church could not lose the connection between the pagan Samhain and the supposedly “holy” All Saint’s Day — so the custom of a more traditional, spooky Halloween made it across the world as the Irish and the Scots emigrated.

The Church is sort of responsible for the rough origin of trick or treating, by the way. On All Hallows’ Eve, in Britain, Austria, Germany, those areas — up until the 1930s, people would pray desperately to get deceased loved ones out of Purgatory. Hell, they’d pray for it all the time, but the night before a holiday honoring martys and Saints? You bet. Purgatory isn’t fun. It’s not Hell, but it’s close. You stay in Purgatory and you get your sins “purged” from you (a lot of fire is involved, I think). Purgatory is where you pay for your sins. I will be there for a while, I think, if it exists. However, supposedly, if enough people pray for your soul, it can get out of Purgatory and scend to Heaven. So “soulers” used to go door to door and offer prayers for deceased relatives, and in return would receive small treats or rice cakes. It was called “souling”.

Although trick or treating originated in Ireland and Scotland (again, the Gaelic tie), the phrase “trick or treat” was not used widely in Scotland and Ireland until the 2000s. Due to the spooky Celtic roots the holiday had you’d dress up as a lost soul or a ghost and go to other people’s houses, reading out poetry, or warning of misfortune, or so on. The phrase in Scotland and Ireland was “Help the Halloween Party!” for getting goodies. It was sort of like a warped Christmas caroling session.

“Trick or treat!”, and modern trick-or-treating, does date way back to souling and soul cakes, and all that, but not the way we know it. “Trick or treat” as a saying popped up in Canada around 1917, then moved into the United States around the 1930s or so, gaining strength until the 1950s, and then reaching the modern moderate extortion treat we know it as now – give me candy or I will toilet paper your house.

The key point is the kids were already out – in guise, usually of dead people, which eventually just morphed into “something spooky” – and, being kids, they got pissed when they didn’t get treats for showing up for the “All Hallows’ Eve” bizarre form of caroling. So they felt perfectly comfortable smashing your pumpkin if you didn’t give them a Hershey’s bar.

And that is about the extent of my knowledge of Halloween – well, condensed, and hyperlinked so you can fact check it.

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R.I.P. Sam Macaroni, Matt Karpman, and — Oh Shit

Posted on October 23, 2025 by Kip

Just like the headline says, we lost both last year. Kind of an esoteric little bit of knowledge, I mean, nobody who doesn’t know who they are by those names knows who they are at all. And, you know, “Karpman” is just a name, not a form of satire…

Let me just say, though, it bodes fucking ill for me. It bodes seriously ill for me. And hell, my house just burned down a couple of years ago, and then my dad croaked. I think I should get a checkup at a doctor, and quickly.

[CAPTAIN JACKSON slips out of the room with the “real” Orgazmometer]

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