Culture

Chain letter

Posted on by backuphill

stop signage under orange sky

Photo by BLAXTAR ESSENTIALS on Pexels.com

Irritating trend continues to the electronic age.

I am sure you are well aware of them. They seem to be everywhere. Honestly, I never thought I would see them in social media and yet there they are. I have done my best to ignore them and just scroll past them.

But then a close family member posts one…and I have a hard time biting my tongue. The one from the family member was worded slightly differently and talked about it being a “social experiment” so “don’t do it if you aren’t going to participate or you’ll break the experiment.” You have likely seen a version of this somewhere in your feed (provided you have Facebook):

The last few years have taught me that when it is our time to leave this world no one can stop it. We have one life to live. The material things we invest in are left behind only to be discarded. Memories are important to me. I’m going to start a “reunion of friends and family”. The idea is to see who reads a post without a picture. If no one reads my post, this will be a very short experiment. But if you are reading this message, make a comment using a single word about how we met. After that, copy this message on your wall and I will also leave you a word. Please, don’t leave a word and then not bother doing it. Grateful beyond measure!

I don’t like chain letters. While this isn’t exactly a chain letter, the idea is the same. Do something for me and I’ll do something for you and it will keep going (thankfully there is no threat of death like some chain letters have, LOL)

I also don’t like desperate attempts to get people to comment on something or “see if people are paying attention” or “cleaning out my friends list” type posts. I guess I am a bit of a rebel and refuse to play the game. I have had people tag me in posts where they have to do something and then “tag 5 more people” so they have to do it. I refuse to do it.

Call me obstinate. Call me difficult. Call me a jerk. Call me whatever.

 

Anyone else severely dislike these things? What other “chain letter like” things do you see on social media that irritates you to no end?

Friday the 13th

Posted on by backuphill

light landscape sky sunset

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

WTH?

Almost noon and I am just getting to this thing. Bet you thought I wasn’t going to do it, right?

Friday. 13th. Full moon.

Stuff nightmares are made of. There must have been a solar flare last night or something because computer issues and software issues all morning long for clients. Either that or they have forgotten how their stuff works.

Either way it was crazy busy this morning. Hopefully we are in the eye of the storm right now and the backside will be better than the front.

Can I just go home already? I am ready to sit and drink.

 

Do you notice weird crap going on during days like this or do you think it is just a mental thing?

Under attack

Posted on by backuphill

man couple people woman

Photo by Gratisography on Pexels.com

Do you feel that? Likely you don’t. Do you hear that? Probably not. Do you care much? I fear you don’t.

Somewhere out there, someone is attacking you and what you believe.

Let that sink in for a moment. You’re under attack and you don’t even know it. Well, you may know it but maybe you don’t even care enough to do anything about it.

In the climate we live in today it is reasonable to believe that the freedoms you have right now won’t be there in the near future. All because a small minority of people scream loud enough in protest to catch the attention of the media who are all too happy to highlight the division because it generates ratings and clicks.

There once was something in America referred to as the “silent majority.” They could be from either party, but they rarely discuss what they feel or believe publicly. The silent majority still exists, but if it stays silent too much longer it won’t matter that they are the majority. We can express our opinions via our vote, but is that enough? In most cases policy is being made without a vote, either in the public or private arena. Perhaps the vote isn’t enough any longer. Perhaps staying silent isn’t an option.

The ideological attacks will continue and as fringe groups become more militant in their efforts to garner attention, the non-physical attacks are likely to become more physical. It is only a matter of time before the silent majority is beaten into submission by small, loud minority groups.

 

 

Pick up

Posted on by backuphill

bloom blossom cleaning dandelion

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Time for a good ol’ fashioned rant about kids.

What is the freakin’ deal with kids these days? Specifically my own, but really it must be more than just my own. I may be a matter of culture at this point.

Here’s the thing: It doesn’t matter how old they are, they just don’t/won’t pick up after themselves.

When the adult children come over, they leave crap laying around. Stuff they used – dishes, a towel, a coat, shoes, personal possessions…then throw in if they have kids and then there is all their crap spread all over the place like the dang toy chest exploded. The adult kids don’t even pick up after their own kids. They leave stuff in the yard and spread out all over. They leave stuff in the driveway. They leave stuff in the bathroom, living room, etc. You get the point.

We got after them as kids to clean up after themselves. We disposed of things when they didn’t pick up after themselves and being warned. We grounded them. We yelled. Why did the message not get through? Wait, maybe it did. Maybe they are just that lazy that they don’t care. From the oldest to the youngest, it’s a problem. Not they have multiplied and their minions are doing the same thing.

Ugh.

I think I’ll move to Siberia. As least there it will be minimally populated and I won’t have to pick up after people.

 

Whether they are adults or not, what do you kids do that annoys you?

Ambassador

Posted on by backuphill

close up of human hand

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Why is it that every marketing campaign that involves a give away wants to contact you via email?

I was at a home show this last spring and every drawing a vendor had at the event requested an email address (among other contact details). Do I really want to give away my contact info if you’re gonna spam me with info? How do we even know someone one your drawing?

I recently got and email from a company who’s products I really like. They were doing a drawing for a whole bunch of gear from some other companies, including their own, that was worth like $7500. Sweet! Then you read the fine print any by filling out the form, which included your email address, you were agreeing to have the other companies send you marketing emails. Um, no. I didn’t sign up.

I get it. Everyone wants to sell their products and the best way to do that is to spam people who really don’t want to know everything about your products. But good golly, why can’t people just give stuff away without a catch??

Want good marketing of your products? Give it to me for free and then let me tell everyone I know about it because I like the product and use it myself. That would get you sales!

So, if there is anyone out there who is willing to sign me up as a “Brand Ambassador,” I am ready to sign on the dotted line. Hit me up in the comments and I’ll email you to follow up. 😉

 

Awards Culture

Posted on by backuphill

img_5726

Yesterday’s post was the 300th post on this blog. It was kind of a serious post, which is mostly out of character for this blog since it is really meant to be kind of a tongue and cheek kind of attitude.

Today, however, I decided that I really needed one of those blogger awards. I see them being bounced all the time and I keep wondering when someone will nominate me. I am not sure they are really serious awards, I mean it kind of seems like people just decided “I like this blogger so I am going to award them a moderately fake and self-aggrandizing award.” Makes sense.

We live in an awards culture (some call it a “trophy culture”) where everyone gets an award just for participating. They don’t deserve it for anything other than just showing up. Makes sense. I get it. Showing up is hard and takes extra effort.

So, in the spirit of the awards culture, I created my own award! I feel much better about myself now. I mean, it’s about time someone is finally recognizing that I showed up and that I am almost worthy of an award, even if I have to do it for myself. Call it “self-care.” That’s a buzz word floating around out there these days.

Also, in the spirit of “sharing is caring,” I want you to nominate someone (or maybe even yourself!) who is totally undeserving of an award but maybe feels left out. Actually, please nominate yourself if you also think the “blogger awards” thing is stupid too.

Drop your nominations in the comments section, or borrow the award and tag me in the post where you award yourself. Either way, is fine with me! Have fun with this, since that is really the intent!

img_5726

Exactly the point

Posted on by backuphill

NDT guns

Data doesn’t lie.

That’s the point.

It doesn’t minimize tragedy, it puts it into perspective. Perspective minimizes fear and hysteria.

The hysterical reaction to the above tweet proves the exact point Neil deGrasse Tyson was making. If you make a spectacle of something (which the media and illogical hysteria do), then you will of course have a perspective that is disproportionate to the event.

Should we want mass shootings to end? Of course. But are they really as big of a concern as we are led to believe? No.

You are more likely to die of a medical mistake than from a mass shooting. Do we see any hysteria around this fact? No. What if the media published or ran a body count update every evening on the news just like they did during the Vietnam War? Would people more afraid to go to their doctor or the hospital? Probably.

You are more likely to die in an automobile collision than from a mass shooting. We don’t see a call to ban cars (or really bad drivers) do we? No. Because it isn’t highlighted in the news like shootings are. A body count each night would do that though.

Is that what it takes to make the news these days? A body count? It would appear so.

Americans like to grandstand about highly publicized events, but don’t really think about their own irrational fears. Do bad things happen each and every day? Yes. Can you live in fear of cars, doctors, guns, crowds, mosquitoes, or whatever? I suppose you could, but does it really do you any good? No.

Let’s not be hysterical and have a knee-jerk reaction every time something bad and tragic happens in the country. Because it does happen, EVERY DAY. You just don’t hear about it because it wasn’t highlighted by the media. That’s exactly the point of the tweet.

Read the fine print

Posted on by backuphill

photography of a woman sitting on the chair listening to music

Photo by Min An on Pexels.com

Actually, the print isn’t really even that fine. It is in BOLD, and in CAPS.

Anyone else out there notice this trend?

So, once in a while I come across stuff in the house or garage that is still in good shape and would likely be useful to someone else. It could be worth a little cash, so I have tried selling this stuff on OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace. I have even tried Craigslist. I am not trying to make bank and if it doesn’t sell within the first couple weeks of being posted it usually ends up getting donated to one of the thrift stores in the local area.

BUT, there seems to be a trend of people who don’t really read the description and only look a the price. Here’s the scenario I encounter all too often: I have an item marked “Price is firm” and yet I get low-ball offers that no one in their right mind would accept. Do people really believe items are priced with no prior research? I know what it is worth and I have researched it so it isn’t the highest priced item. I want it to sell! But I am also not going to necessarily give it away either (unless it is truly something that can be donated).

The other trend is that people don’t actually READ the description. An item I have posted right now has been inquired about at least 30 times. It always starts with the “Is it still available?” question. I always follow up with confirmation that it is indeed available but ask if they read the description. Shortly thereafter they respond that they are no longer interested. Obvious proof they haven’t read the description, which clearly states in caps that the tool is NOT CURRENTLY FUNCTIONAL. It needs repair, but it is beyond my capabilities. It is nearly new (as far as use goes) so someone could get some value out of it. However, people are just wasting my time by not actually reading the description and just clicking a button. They are totally distracted by the price.

Anyway, it’s kind of frustrating. But, actually, it doesn’t surprise me anymore. People only see what they want to see.

 

Have you experienced something similar?

Not so woke

Posted on by backuphill

abstract alphabet arrangement away

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

I don’t care and neither should you.

If it takes two or three (or more) “Greats” in your family tree to find someone in your ancestry who owned slaves in the US, it’s not news. Plain and simple. It’s just sensationalizing a current topic of emotion, one of which has no bearing on today.

Yesterday, a politician who is running for president admitted that both he and his wife’s ancestors owned slaves. This after, apparently, he was going to be “outted” by a media outlet for this piece of history. He’s not the only person to do this since this is now the hobby of bored media researchers who need something to make a sensational headline.

There is no news here.

Is this person responsible for what his ancestors did? No. Is he responsible for anything that happened before him, no matter how far back? No. So why are we even remotely interested? Your past doesn’t define you, or me. My past doesn’t define me, or you. So quit living like it does and quit blaming others like it does.

I don’t know if my past includes slave owners. I don’t know, since I have German heritage, if my past involves the persecution of Jews. Quite frankly, I don’t care if it does.

I am not that person and I am certainly not doing those things today.

We should be judging people based on their actions today. We should be judging how they treat people today.

We should be learning from our past, but not living in it. We can’t make the past better. We can’t change it. We shouldn’t make reparations for it. We shouldn’t scrub it clean just because it is offensive.

If you care about such things from the past, enough to get yourself all lathered up about it, then you are the problem because you are living in the past. It shouldn’t be an excuse for lack of trying to improve yourself. That’s the only person you can be responsible.

So, you ain’t woke. You are just focused on the wrong person.

Just the facts

Posted on by backuphill

photo of head bust print artwork

Photo by meo on Pexels.com

I am sure you are aware, but just in case you aren’t…we no longer live in a society that is based on facts. A large portion of our society, our neighbors, or family members just live on feelings.

It is nearly impossible to have a discussion with anyone these days and actually use facts as a counter argument to their hysteria because they just don’t have any reason left.

**Side note: Yes, I am quite aware that Trump has a poor grasp of facts, as well, so you don’t need to point that out. **

As an example, last night I was having a discussion with someone about the whole Home Depot, former founder, and donations/support of President Trump. The individual was jumping on the bandwagon of boycotting Home Depot (never mind that the guy no longer has anything at all to do with the retailer any longer and hasn’t for more than 10 years) because of it and they made the blanket statement about “old, rich white guys ruining the country.”

See my response below:

Here’s the weird thing about picking on rich, old white guys….
Old, rich white guys fought to make the colonies, then states, free and the place you call home. Similarly, old rich white guys fought to keep the colonies from being free and the place you now call home. 
Old, rich white guys fought to give equality to slaves during the Civil War. It was also old, rich white guys that fought to keep slaves and break apart the country you now call home. 
It’s old, rich people (because it just isn’t white or male anymore) fight to keep Planned Parenthood from killing babies. And, it’s old, rich people who fight to keep letting Planned Parenthood kill babies. 
It’s old rich people who fight to let you keep more of your money so you can do with it as you please because, hey, it’s a free country and you have freedom of thought & opinion. It’s old rich people fighting to force you to give up more of your money so they can spend it as they please, tell you what to say and think, and take away the freedoms old white guys gave you in the past. 
Which group of old rich people does right? That’s subjective. 
What is not subjective is that rich people put their money where they believe they can get the best deal and make more money. If the wind blows this way, they invest there. If it blows that way, they invest there. Heck, some invest in both regardless of which way the wind blows because they know eventually the wind will change either way. 
I imagine you are not really all that different from the rest of us, you put your money where you can get the best deal and can get the most out of it. Saying you’ll stop shopping at one place or another isn’t really the truth because you’re really just like those old rich people, and so am I.
This well reasoned response was met with a “I disagree with everything you just said.”
REALLY? Everything? Sorry, are you not an American? Do you have no knowledge and understanding of history at all? Do you not know how the economy and politics of our nation work, whether we like it or not?
Thus, the conversation ended because there is no reasoning with someone who doesn’t have a grasp of basic facts. The problem is, more and more conversations end this way. Reason is getting harder and harder to use, let alone find.
Let’s be honest here, it isn’t old rich people that are ruining the country. They have just done what they have always done, found a way to exploit those who don’t think for themselves and manipulate those people to do the work for them. The problem is that the people who are easily manipulated are multiplying faster than those who have a grasp on Reason.
Therein lies the true danger to the country.

Have you encountered the same sort of difficulty? Do facts and Reason have no place in society any longer?