Media

Super Bowl of extortion

Posted on by backuphill

nfl stadium field full with crowd watching the game during daytime

Photo by Robert Villalta on Pexels.com

I am not sure if anyone noticed. Well, maybe some of you did, but you weren’t sure what you witnessed with this last Super Bowl and the halftime performance. Yes, it wasn’t fantastic, but it wasn’t lackluster either. They invited some extra performers that weren’t really necessary and that always perplexes me. But, let’s get down to the real topic at hand.

To Maroon 5’s credit (and the other performers too), they stuck with their performance and didn’t bow out due to the pressure that was mounted against them. I am glad they didn’t bow down and performed on, arguably, the largest stage known to man. I mean, 1 billion (that is a ballpark guess) viewers is a lot of people. However, I am irritated that they satiated the protests by basically being extorted into giving donations to charitable causes. It’s great for the charities, but sets a bad precedent.

Let’s be honest. That Change.Org petition with around 100k signers is a drop in the bucket to 1 billion+ and really should have no bearing on what the NFL or the performers did. Shouldn’t have even been a second thought.

People say they care about the whole Kaepernick thing, and maybe some really do, but I tend to think that it is just something to grandstand on. If you really cared you would have boycotted the NFL completely and stopped paying attention to what they are doing. Here’s the thing, the people who are protesting the issue just keep coming back. Wanna make an impact? Stop showing up and stop caring what they are doing.

No instead they raise a ruckus over some halftime performers who can’t win if they don’t, and apparently can’t win if they do. I saw all kinds of media attention around people being mad at them performing. Then mad at them for not performing right, or not being edgy enough. This is their livelihood and I think they should get a little credit for what they did.

I haven’t seen anything from these protesters who feel so strongly about the Kaep thing that they are boycotting the advertisers who bought ads during the show (at least there is none that I have seen – let me know if I am wrong). Wait, what? I need to boycott them too? OK, yeah, now it gets serious. If you are going to stand on principle, you better be prepared to go the whole way. It’s gonna get real serious if you do and you’re gonna need to make some life changes, not just the NFL but the products and advertisers who support them too.

Yeah, I didn’t think you were that serious.

Extortion. It’s the new form of protest. 

 

 

 

Enough already, PT 2!

Posted on by backuphill

img_5301

This is an example of too much to read in less than 2 seconds. The photo is lovely, btw.

So, yesterday I had a little something to say about the “stories” feature on social media that seems to be taking the world by storm, but that some people aren’t telling stories but writing stupid novels with the overwhelming number of pics they post.

To follow up on that, can I just say that the other problem with “stories” is that people also want to put words on these photos. Not just a few words, like a caption for the picture, but like paragraphs…in small fonts…

Hey, if you want to write a paragraph on your photo, do it in the regular photo feed! I don’t know about most people, but I have a feeling I am not alone in that it is near darn impossible to READ a freaking small font paragraph in 1.32 seconds, let along all the links and other crap you include on the photo.

Again, for the love of your views and readers, keep the “stories” simple and short.

Enough already!

Posted on by backuphill

There is a disturbing trend going around social media these days and it bothers the heck outta me. I just don’t have all the time in the world for you, nor you me, so let’s keep it to one or two, not the whole story.

Social media has gotten this idea that people want to see a “story” about other people’s lives. Like I have none of my own, so I should see every aspect of someone else’s. So, Facebook and Instagram (yes, they are the same company) have instituted this “story” aspect where people can post multiple photos/videos that are chained together to tell a story. I hadn’t really payed much attention to these “stories” until just before the end of the year and then the end of the year came and I wish I hadn’t started in the first place.

You see, the stories have turned into a place for people to dump all their stupid photos. Instead of just spamming their account with endless photos that people wouldn’t normally see, now they post them all in stories and force everyone to look at them (or at the very least, tap through them). One person I follow posted (guess-timating) 70 photos to sum up their year. I don’t need that kind of crap. I don’t have that kind of time. I don’t have that much interest.

What’s worse, is businesses are using to sell their freaking products and I am just as stuck watching the commercial on this platform as I am on tv, only here I can at least “fast-forward” to some degree. Ugh, I don’t like it.

Social media was supposed to be a WINDOW into your life (no matter how fake it was), not your whole life! Oh, and commercial free too! Let’s get a grip here. If you are going to use “stories”, let’s keep it to one or two, three max. Don’t overwhelm people with your life.

I mean, really, we don’t care that much.

Let’s think this through

Posted on by backuphill

closeup photo of person holding panasonic remote control in front of turned on smart television

Photo by freestocks.org on Pexels.com

Last night I had to have a conversation with some family members that I never thought, in this day and age, that I would have to have. Yet, it seems to be a recurring event these days.

We all know about security and the internet and how bad things can happen if you aren’t careful. We also know there are a lot of dishonest people and cheaters out there. So, to some degree it doesn’t surprise me that I have to have this conversation with my family too.

Last night, a member of the family (less than adult) wanted to input our Netflix credentials into an app that would allow the app to log into our Netflix account so that his friends could log into the app and watch a movie with him. So they could have a “shared experience.” Obviously, if brought to my attention first, the answer would always be a “No” for this sort of thing. It was not, however.

Instead, another member of the family (more than adult) agreed to said procedure in a misguided effort to be “a good parent.” Um, wait, you said ok? Why? Explain to me how you thought this would be a good idea.

Long story short – the answer was still, no. On top of it all, I had to kick everyone in the family out of the Netflix account and reset the password, again. Only four months after aforementioned adult decided it would be a good idea to allow someone else of the extended family access to the account. What a pain in the arse!

So, let’s just think this through a little more before we act, shall we?

Jump, let’s make it real!

Posted on by backuphill

two people on mountain cliff

Photo by Valdemaras D. on Pexels.com

There’s a lot of jumping going on these days, only the jumping is not athletic in nature and not physical in value. It does, apparently, work the brain – even if it isn’t in a positive nature.

What jumping am I talking about?

Conclusions. Jumping to conclusions.

Damn it already, if social media (and regular media) isn’t set afire by people jumping to conclusions. Just since Thursday last week, there have been people jumping to conclusions at a record pace. False news. Misleading editing. All to get clicks or push an agenda. And the jumping just keeps getting worse!

The only place I wish people would jump is off a cliff, especially if they would like to find a conclusion. The conclusion can be at the bottom. Dead stop.

Get the facts people. Know the whole story. Investigate. Wait. There is always more than what meets the first impression.

Sound bites and neat, little 7-10 second clips (or a still photo) don’t tell the story.

If you’re going to jump, head straight for some place high with a definite dead-end, conclusion.

Getting tired of hearing ya’ll.

Red for Ed

Posted on by backuphill

abc books chalk chalkboard

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Yeah, I am going there.

It’s about time people listen up and if it takes a strike, then so be it. What I am tired of is that people don’t listen until it takes a strike, then people pay attention.

One reason I am not a teacher any longer is because of the lack of pay, lack of respect, lack of resources, lack of support, lack of (you name it). The thing is, I worked in a school that was pretty good. We had, for the most part, community support and better than average funding. But, it still got to be too much. I was burned out. I didn’t realize it until I found freedom in another aspect of education, but I realized it.

There are a lot of teachers out there, some with more experience than me and lots with less, that have terrible working conditions and barely make from month to month. But, the one thing they do over and over is give there very best for the kids in their classrooms and it is sad that it goes unappreciated and disrespected.

Those kids, people say, are the future. At least that is what they say. However, those same people then tear down teachers, the work they do, and their efforts to do the most with the least amount of resources possible. Teachers aren’t just saints, they are freaking super heroes and it is ridiculous that it has to get to this.

How about we invest in the MOST important resource we have, our kids. That doesn’t mean more testing. That means more funding for buildings, teachers, curriculum, teacher benefits, continuing education, etc etc etc. If you want quality teachers in the classroom, you have to act like it. Silicon Valley (or at least it used to, but tech companies in general) attract the best talent because they invest in it and pay them well. How does that not translate into our kids as our most valuable asset? It just doesn’t make sense.

It just doesn’t.

I stand with the teachers in California ( #LAUSD ) that are striking. They deserve better. The students they teach deserve better. We all deserve a better future and depriving schools and teachers of that doesn’t make things better, rather just the opposite.

Stand with teachers and wear Red for Ed ( #RedForEd ).

abc books chalk chalkboard

Music and explicit lyrics

Posted on by backuphill

car music audio controls

Photo by Breakingpic on Pexels.com

What is the deal with music and explicit lyrics these days? It seems as though, as a listener, it is becoming harder and harder to avoid. If you look at the top 50 on iTunes and on Amazon (“Best of What’s New to Prime”), at least 30% of the music has the [Explicit] tag with the title. So what gives?

Why does an artist feel the need to express themselves this way? Yes, I know about the whole Freedom of Speech thing, but that isn’t really the issue. The issue is the fact that the explicit lyrics aren’t necessary. It doesn’t improve the song. It doesn’t make the message of the song more meaningful. Music sold without the inclusion of such language in the past and music did well without it.

Perhaps it is just a genre thing? Maybe. I looked at the “50 Great Modern Country Songs” on Amazon music and there was only ONE with explicit language in it. Interesting.

All I know is that it is irritating to me. It perhaps should be irritating to you as well.

 

Political ads suck

Posted on by backuphill

i voted sticker spool on white surface

Photo by Element5 Digital on Pexels.com

I know it is two days late and a dollar short, but who cares.

I know you all agree with me so I am kinda preaching to the choir here, but political ads suck. They are everywhere during political season (mind you we just left one election cycle and the next presidential cycle is about to begin shortly), radio, tv, internet, next to the road, in the mail, social media…and and now also in my texts.

I kid you not, I got a text on election day reminding me to vote (and how to vote on an initiative). So, now we are going to get bombarded in the future with text messages from campaigns…

I didn’t sign anything petition so other than my public voter registration I am not sure how they got my number but this is a bad sign. A bad bad sign.

I should have taken a screen shot of it so I could post it here to prove it, but I was so pissed I deleted the second I opened it to read it. #smh

Anyone else get political ads via text this cycle?

Voting for the lesser evil

Posted on by backuphill

person dropping paper on box

Photo by Element5 Digital on Pexels.com

Hey, wanna have a voice? Use it!

You (provided you are a legal U.S. citizen) have a Constitutional right to have a voice in our government, whether it be local or national. Wanna make a difference? Vote.

However, why does voting in our democracy always feel like you are voting for the lesser of two evils? This person sucks but that one sucks even more. Which one will hurt me less? Which one will chip away at my freedoms and rights least? Which one will listen less to special interests and big money and really work for me the little person? Which one really is the best fit for holding true to the Constitution and the guarantees I hold dear?

So, yeah, get out and vote. Vote for someone that you believe is the better of the bad choice.

 

The floor is yours

Posted on by backuphill

P-M 100

There isn’t anything easy about it.

I don’t know how some of you do it. It? Post regularly AND have a great following, including interaction with readers and shares.

This ain’t easy. 100 posts and less than 100 followers. 100 posts of Pissing and Moaning about crap in life that’s irritating. Boy it sure feels good some days!

Are you in the same boat? Are paddling with half a paddle and bailing water with a hole in the bucket?

Go ahead, post a struggle or a frustration with blogging below. You now have the floor…