Media | Piss and Moan

Ain’t a whole new world

Posted on May 24, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by Naya Shaw on Pexels.com

Unfortunately, Disney has found it necessary to continue to grab money by remaking it’s classic animated movies into “live action” movies. It’s rather irritating, really.

I wasn’t a fan of the Beauty and the Beast remake. I saw it on DVD. I am not liking what I am seeing so far for the Aladdin remake. I am optimistically hopeful for the Lion King remake.

Disney continues to make these remakes because they can and people pay money to see them, well, because it’s Disney. Really though, it is just a money grab. I suspect that if Disney made an animated movie, releasing it in February, and then took the exact same movie and made it live action for release in November – well, people would pay to see both. Because, as consumers, we just aren’t that bright.

It ain’t a whole new world. It’s just a rehashed and recycled world.

Headline spoilers

Posted on May 23, 2019 by backuphill

Thanks a lot, HuffPost!

Not only are you a hack news outlet, but you are also the jackwagon news outlet that chose to post a headline spoiler for “The Voice” the morning after the finale. Look at the other headlines. Any of those have a spoiler in them? NOPE!

I am still gonna watch The Voice finale, but I am irritated that this stupid gossip rag doesn’t have enough sense to keep the spoilers out of the headlines. I bet they also published that Santa and the Easter bunny weren’t real either….

Ever had something spoiled because you looked at the news?

Precedent can be dangerous

Posted on May 14, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Sound the alarms! Everyone to the streets! Crisis! Crisis! Oh my! Let the fear-mongering begin.

Alright people, let’s calm down.

Precedent can be dangerous. The Supreme Court has shown this in the past and is showing it again in the present. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

A court can’t rely solely, or place too much weight on precedent (past SCOTUS decisions), or things can’t/don’t/won’t change for the better.

If the Supreme Court never breaks with precedent, then it isn’t actually doing it’s job and would just continue to “pile on” bad past decisions.

Think of it this way – as a parent, are you allowed to change your mind in how you parent a child if a decision you made previously didn’t have the intended outcome? What if you didn’t have that ability or you were required to maintain the bad decision because that was the way it was always done in the past? Yeah, I don’t think any of us would like that.

The Supreme Court should be no different. Sometimes, the court has to fix its own bad decisions from the past. Prime example: Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896). The “separate but equal” precedent was never a good decision to start with and everyone knows for all intents and purposes that it would not be applied equally. For the next 58 years there were lots of challenges to Plessy and that precedent. The court held with precedent. It wasn’t until 1954 that the court finally broke with precedent and decided that “separate but equal” was not equal in Brown vs. Board (1954), correcting a previously bad decision.

Those who protest about breaking precedent now, in essence, are arguing again correcting previously badly or erroneous interpreted decisions. Is that what you really want from SCOTUS? To never fix their errors?

People are ugly

Posted on May 7, 2019 by backuphill

I have debated and debated with myself about sharing this comment from one of my blogs because, really, should something like this really see the light of day? But, after much contemplation, I have decided that exposure is better.

Simply put, people are ugly. Discrimination is ugly. Hate is ugly. Discrimination and hate goes both ways. It isn’t just an issue for certain backgrounds, heritages, or colors.

Behind the scenes, I have been trying to get Google/Gmail to do something with the email account this comment came from. So far, crickets. Haven’t gotten a response in user forums and can’t find a place to be able to report abuse from such an account. Interestingly, the tech giants are eager to silence some opinions, voices, points of view, but not others.

Anyway, it’s pretty clear to see from the user info that the intent of the email account is to harass a certain demographic of the population, but also to hide behind the anonymity of the internet. Oh, but there is an IP address, so not really all that “secret” if someone has the means track them via that method.

Oh, and the comment will probably shock you. Actually, it probably won’t. If you have an opinion on anything and have a blog, you’ve probably run into some of these ugly people in your comments section, provided you allow comments. I have noticed some blogs don’t allow for comments. I can only assume it is for the reasons seen below:

Kind of makes your stomach turn, doesn’t it? Even if it isn’t shocking. Do you take it as harassment? A threat? Both? Or do you pass it off as some ugly, unhappy person sitting in their elderly mom’s basement leaching off her social security and spending time trolling people all day?

At the end of the day, I know not all people are ugly. But, unfortunately, there are more ugly people than pleasant people. Well, maybe that isn’t even true. I guess what I am trying to say is that the small minority of ugly people make a lot more noise than pleasant people, thus we end up hearing more about ugly people than pleasant people.

So, pleasant people, go out there and make one person’s day by doing something for them that make a bright spot in their day. Heck, even smiling at someone can make their day better. Try it.

Have you had a comment like the one above? What do you do it if you have? Do you delete and ignore, engage and respond with kindness, or something else?

Just ask Venezuela

Posted on May 3, 2019 by backuphill

man wearing mask sitting down and holding newspaper with fire

Photo by Ashutosh Sonwani on Pexels.com

Here’s something to think about when it comes to politics and who controls the system…

Republicans, generally, are accused of getting political donations from Big Business and rich individual donors. These donations are usually made to benefit themselves in some way in the future, but they are made from choice. For the most part, when it comes to taxes, the Republicans leave people alone and allow the market forces to do the work of choice. In essence, they stay out of the pocket of the little guy so the little guy can become a big guy. As such, prominent Democrats have flourished and benefit from the system they say they dislike because it is unfair to the little guy.

Democrats want to tax everyone and everything in sight, including those Big Businesses and rich donors that donate to the Republicans, as well as Democrats, so they can give all that money to the little guy to help them get ahead. Unlike money given to the Republicans, it isn’t given willingly rather it is taken from everyone by coercion of penalty.

Here’s the weird thing though…said taxes usually end up hurting the little guy the most and actually keep them from being able to get ahead and moving up a level to become “the big guy.” Instead, the little guy becomes dependent on the government handout. And that, my friends, is where control of the population begins…

Just ask Venezuela, she’ll tell you.

Do you know who is in your pocket and why? Who is really after control?

WordPress scheduled post delay

Posted on May 1, 2019 by backuphill

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A schedule is a good thing and it helps to plan ahead when you know you are busy. So, writing a blog entry ahead of time and then scheduling it to post on the appropriate day and time is great, except…

Anyone notice that your scheduled entries aren’t posting at the designated time? Like you said you wanted it to post at 8:00am but notice the time comes around and you still haven’t gotten notification that it has posted. 30 minutes later you’re thinking to yourself, Did I set the wrong time? Did I choose the wrong day?

When you go to check then you get a notification that it has posted. Sometimes that notification, at least for me, doesn’t even come until I get to the actual blog entry to see what was wrong with it.

Here’s the thing, WordPress can’t tell me it was posted and I just didn’t get the notification because there are times I will look at my Reader and my post doesn’t show up there. I scroll and scroll to make sure I didn’t miss it – it’s not there! I got to my blog page and it isn’t there either. That’s when I go straight to the blog entry to actually force it to post.

I have to say it is rather irritating.

Why do I have to do this if I have set a time? Is anyone else experiencing this?

What the heck, WordPress?

Posted on April 25, 2019 by backuphill

Are you like me and logged in this morning to find something different with your WordPress account? Maybe the layout is different? The Sidebar on the left is missing stuff?

Looks like WordPress has made change to the organization of the sidebar and I DON’T LIKE IT!

In the “cleaning up” process, they actually created more clicks for users to start a post. It went from one to three because an “Add Post” button is now buried in the menu.

This sucks. Stop changing stuff and put it back!

Thanks, but no thanks on this one.

Time for a face palm

Posted on March 26, 2019 by backuphill

As if the nation didn’t hear a collective groan from pundits, media personalities, celebrities, and just Democrats in general upon the submission and conclusion of the Mueller Report.

A large segment of the population has waited with bated breath for a conclusion of collusion. What they got instead was their “worst nightmare”? Not sure how the public can openly root and cheer for the demise of a sitting president, but that’s what has been happening.

A whole host of people have waited so impatiently to get dirt on the president so they can kick him out of office. They despise him so much they are willing to perpetuate lies (yes, we know he lies too) and spin information with no reliable source. They have undermined their own democracy for an agenda they can’t justify.

No one deserves a bigger face palm than those who have waited and waited only to find their hopes and dreams dashed with the truth. The problem is, the truth isn’t what they wanted in the first places to the immediately parse, spin, and suggest more conspiracy theories. The hate and vitriol has been astonishing, and quite frankly embarrassing.

I am glad this is over but come on people, it’s time to move on and do the work of the people! The media needs to stop commentating and editorializing everything they “report” and be more transparent about their sources so that information can be vetted and verified.

I am a Trump voter but not necessarily a supporter. I voted the way I did because he was/is better than the alternative, sad but true. I am not happy with all he does and says, but I am happy with some. Did I wonder if the collusion was true? Sure. Did I hope it wasn’t? Yes. Do I want him to be success? Heck yes! I don’t want any president to fail.

So, for those of you out there having to eat a whole flock of crows – get to it and be honest about it!

If you deserve a face palm, I have a palm available if you need it. I would be happy to help you out.

In the meantime, I will continue to do my own face palm as you act like children because you didn’t get what you wanted. You aren’t that three-year old in the cereal aisle at the supermarket, so stop acting like it.

Can you hear me now?

Posted on March 14, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by Studio 7042 on Pexels.com

Perhaps I am just a little weird when it comes to noticing things. Perhaps I am not. Perhaps I am just “that guy” that brings stuff up that should just be left alone…but what they hell, I like poking the bear.

Anyway, I want to brings something to your attention that I am sure is a national scandal. I hope all the “fake news” agencies pick up this observation and made a big deal of it. I really need to get my 15 minutes of fame in quick because life is short and I am over half done already.

Is there an unwritten code for comedians that the rest of us don’t know about? I’m serious. Think about this for a second (ok, three, because you’re gonna have to wrack your brain for a moment). Here goes…

Why do comedians used corded mics while performing?

Clearly technology exists that would allow for a wireless lapel mic, or just a wireless mic, or one of those cool wrap around the head wireless mic things (I don’t know what those are called). So why, in 100% of performances I have seen live or on TV, do the comedians use a wired mic?

Think about this: I saw Jim Gaffigan live and he drug a corded mic all over the arena stage. I have watched the Netflix Original shows for numerous comedians and all of them have had wired mics on stage. Kevin James, check. Ray Romano, check. Ken Jeong, check. I have watched comedians perform on America’s Got Talent. They all use a wired mic. Get the pattern here? It doesn’t matter how famous or “big” the comedians get, they still use a corded mic.

So what gives? Is there a secret code we don’t know about? Is it a security blanket they just can’t get rid of?

I NEED to know WHY? Seriously.

Any comedians out there that wanna break the silent and secret code and let us in on this obviously important national question?

That’s not funny

Posted on February 21, 2019 by backuphill

Photo by Monica Silvestre on Pexels.com

Generally, I think I have a pretty good sense of humor. Maybe I am just getting old or something.

I went to a local theater the other night and saw a performance of “The Male Intellect: An Oxymoron?” done by Robert Dubac. I like comedy. I was looking forward to it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t that entertaining. Yeah, I got a few chuckles out of it but there wasn’t really anything that struck the funny bone. Instead, it was just a lot of material that others have done and a lot of cliches repacked and retold in a different format. Kind of disappointing. If I had a comedy meter, if would have gotten two chuckles out of five. Bummer.

Oh, and let me save you some time. I just finished the Ray Romano special on Netflix. It was a snoozer! Good grief. I saw there was a special for him and I liked his TV show, “Everybody Loves Raymond.” So, there was a bit of expectation that he would be funny. Not so much. I watched the first 30 minutes and I don’t think I chuckled once. I turned it off. Imaging me sitting on the couch…not even cracking a smile. So, to be fair, I decided to watch the rest of it on another day. Maybe I was in a bad mood or something. So, I just finished the special and I have to say that on the comedy meter it would be given one chuckle out of five. Really disappointing! I can actually say that I didn’t even laugh until about 42 minutes into the special. That’s a long time to wait for something to crack a smile for. My advice – avoid the special and veg out on something else.

I guess my funny bone is broke. Or maybe I am old. Or maybe it’s both.

Anyone else seen these two things? What did you think?