Pot, Meet Kettle

Russia tells Google to restrict ads it says contain inaccurate information on casualties

So... one overpowering evil entity is trying to control another overpowering evil entity? I say anything or anyone that attacks Google has my vote, usually... but Russia? No.

I want to endorse it, but I cannot. 

The human atrocities being committed are more important than my devout hatred of an increasingly more and more useless search engine. 

Hey Google... why can't I remove items I've already seen from my search f*cking results? 

Because that would limit the ads I see? Oh, right got it. It's NOT about me finding what I want, just about your marketing engine, and the more I struggle, and search and re-search and search again, the more money you make.

The Illogic of Waste

So... sadly my prediction on US, Russia and the Ukraine has come to pass. The world watched and did nothing as Putin invaded.

Where was the UN on all this? Why is the US response the only one being talked about? Why did we do nothing to help these people?

Now we (the World) are imposing sanctions. 

When have sanctions ever changed anyone's behavior? Never.

I once heard about a study done somewhere about parents bringing their kids late to some weekly event. It doesn't matter what that event was, but the organizers got tired of the late arrivals and decided the parents would be fined a small amount of money each time they were late.

Did this fix the problem? No. It revealed that people are very happy to pay a fine if they can do as they please. It also didn't matter to them how much that fine was. The fines were increased and increased and still tardiness did not stop. 

This is exactly the effect that sanctions will have on Putin. None.

I am saddened that human beings can still be okay with others being killed as long as it's not them. I will once more misquote Spock from Star Trek, "The Illogic of Waste."

Let's not waste more lives or resources sanctioning hate mongers who are glad to pay our made up fines and do as they please anyway.

Watchlist

Death in Paradise - UK

A formulaic detective show set in the Caribbean that's lasted through four leads. Each detective inspector (or DI) often breaks the case based on something odd in the crime scene. I don't really know why I love it. I just do. 

I look forward to new episodes every year. As far as I know this is also the only detective show on TV that, when the first show-lead, wanted to exit the show, they killed him (!) and made his murder the first case for his successor to solve. Brilliant writing.

Susan Calman's Grand Day Out - UK

Susan travels all over the UK and finds interesting and challenging things (for her) to do and show us. She's cheeky at worst and downright funny at best. I'll never see the UK like this, so going along, is always a pleasure for a serious anglophile like me.

The Amazing Race - US

My hus-bear and I watch this show religiously, though I think we often have a different take on it at times. Either way, we both do seem to enjoy our dialogs about any particular couple's struggling through a task or detour. We especially love to make fun when one of a pair gets weepy and whiney and the lead in to the commercial break is a teary, bratty scream of, "I can't do it!". 

Maybe we're just mean.

The Secret Life of Our Pets - UK

I've always had cats. I love most all animals. We currently have two male ginger tabby's we simply dote on constantly (named Sirrus and Achenar, of course). This show has some fun facts and interesting things. When a dog tells their "mommie"  she has a thorn in her paw by pressing "paw" - "hurt" buttons on the floor I was astounded. It really speaks to what animals are thinking and how complicated their thoughts might be. Acky? Do you want a snackie?

The Gilded Age - US

I am watching this show, but I am constantly saying out loud in my empty TV room, to myself -- Why? Why Julian is it sooooooo boring? Why does it have to be so bad? I want to like it but I just can't. I am going to finish it though. I have to be able to say that I watched (all of) it. 

Cindy Nixon and Christine Baranski talking about nothing ... is a waste of my life.

I just wish that a writer, who is now also a producer, could make something worthy of his talents and not this milk-toast, emotionally dead, bullsh--.

The Yorkshire Auction House - UK

Welcome to the small village of Kirkbymoorside and meet Angus Ashworth. An auctioneer with a gift and... he's so pleasing on the eyes. He's just a big bearded handsome teddy-bear of a man, that I am sure is 100% heterosexual but, that I'd love to give a hug to. Or see naked! Oops, did I type that out loud? 

It's mostly about when someone has recently passed and their loved ones want to clean out their house. The things they find and the prices they fetch. It's totally fluff TV, but, for me at least, it's fun.

Got Kids?

I was perusing my news feeds today and found an article with this title.

Why the US doesn’t have universal child care

I think we all know why America doesn't have universal child care. First, we don't have universal health care for adults and kids alike. Second if you want to know what America thinks about kids, read the next article I found in the same feed on the same day.

US gunmaker unveils semi-automatic rifle marketed to kids 

It seems America only cares for kids when they have money to spend and a burning desire to shoot their school friends. 

I don't doubt it as the American public school system operates under the same rules as the American prison system. There needs to be a complete reversal on public schools and how they work. 

In the mean time when your uneducated stunted child eagerly buys their first gun and takes out most of their school class, we can call that another tragedy, on the news for five minutes, and then go back to our normal lives blissfully unaffected because it didn't happen to us.

Is there Hope for LGBTQ+ in Cuba?

A gay hotel on a repressive island.

Cuba's first LGBTQ hotel? With a second on the way? Cuba? Really?

I'm sure it's very beautiful and has a bunch of hospitality stars, but a government that has such a bad record of human right abuses shouldn't be masking it's beliefs with tourist dollars.

When we got here we signed a waiver saying tolerance is the only way here and that if you're not tolerant of people you'll be asked to leave. 

No one should have to sign anything to stay in a resort and separate is never equal. Isolated pockets of acceptance should never be a goal. Widespread acceptance is always the goal. 

But... I can relent on this and to misquote Spock: Sometimes tolerance of the few assists with getting to the tolerance of the many. 

We have seen this before where a small change is needed before acceptance can become a reality. 

President Clinton was attacked for only releasing the Don't Ask Don't Tell when he ran on a platform of opening the military fully to the LGBTQ population. However, it was the correct thing to do at the time. It opened the door. Now we have a fully integrated military. That is because once the door was open people realized that a little gay was ok. Once that happens, all people can relax, make friends and all gay becomes ok.

So is it a good thing? Maybe. Let's hope.

Social Media should Govern... itself?

"Social Media Should Censor Itself, Without Government Intervention, Most Americans Say" 

Well, I would say... "Most Americans" are stupid.

No industry regulates itself. That would be like Senators voting for term limits. No one would vote themselves out of power.

Regulation only comes with a mandated outside party for governance and to setup clear rules. 

This is why we have the FAA for Airlines and the FDA for food safety. Before we had the FDA, companies were quite happy to put deadly chemicals (like Borax) in our food and sell it to us at the lowest price. Companies would gladly kill you if they could be sure to get your wallet, first.

Big Companies are Evil. 

All of them. 

Take it... as is, or leave it

China censors LGBTQ-related plotline in 'Friends'  

Would you buy the Mona Lisa and paint over the colors you don't like? And if you did are you really then displaying the real Mona Lisa? No. You are not.

It is the same here with the Chinese government altering or removing plot lines or dialog from the classic US created TV Series. 

I think the best way to deal with this problem is simple. The creators of the art, in this case the show, should revoke their broadcast rights unless their episodes air unaltered. That would make them think.

It might hit them where they care. 

Always remember that creators have control. If you don't want someone chopping up your art, don't give it to them. It is as simple as that. Access Denied.

Neil Young has the correct idea. Withholding your art from a company (or government) you disagree with is the correct way to handle it. You want it, then you take it as is or you don't get it. 

End of discussion.

In todays, influencer and you-are-the-product culture, we should all be extremely careful who we give ourselves and our art to.

In America, Omicron will Kill you

You're more likely to die from COVID-19 in the US than other high income countries amid omicron, data suggests

I hope that is not a shock to you, or even news. I don't think it's even newsworthy.

We (the US of  A) claim to have the best healthcare in the world.

That is a very false claim. 

We don't. 

The United Nations says it is a crime for any company to profit from a human beings health or sufferings. However the US does that every single moment. We need national healthcare, no doctor price gouging and full accountability (receipts that list the prices for everything) before we can even make a dent in the problem. That will probably never happen.

There is no healthcare in America. There is only overpriced, non-help for your ailments. 

So are people more likely to die from COVID-19 in the US? Yes, of course. 

Good news, though, for those that want actual healthcare, there is a very simple solution -- leave the US. You'll feel better almost instantly.

Something to be Positive About

IRS Won't Use Facial Recognition for Taxpayers After Lawmakers Object 

I was NOT a fan of this concept. I am very glad I will not be forced to give my personal information to a private company that could be hacked.

I also hear the facial rec. is confusing as to how it works and that it could be racially biased. So it's a good thing no one has to do this.

I am shocked that anything like this actually happened. Usually I disagree with something our government or society says its doing and it does it anyway. This is definitely something to be positive about. 

Yay!

Yet Another Reason Not to Fly

Yet another reason not to fly ---anywhere, ever.

Experts say Delta's call for an unruly passenger no-fly list invites legal turbulence

I think things are getting out of hand. Airlines have enough control over us. They can legally hold you on the plane for as long as they want. Isn't that cruel and unusual punishment for someone who cant stand cramped spaces and other people for very long? It is. Plus, even if you don't suffer from those problems, it is just ethically wrong.

The only reason (the only reason) we submit to taking our clothes off is because we think it will make things safe. But it wont. Did you know that the TSA consistently fails to find bombs during drills and tests? These people are not specialists in their field. They are one step beyond asking if you want fries with that, which makes the whole thing ridiculous. Stop doing it.

Why would you make me fly south to fly north west? Illogical, wasteful, bullshit. This makes sense only to the Airline, not the end-user.

Now they want to legally blacklist people who speak up about their bad time? Un-freakin-believable!

Let's kill the homeless too, that would solve that problem, right? Stop it, already.

There is a solution: Provide better service, safety and a lower price and you won't need a bad passenger list.

I just think there are too many rules and it's totally out of control. The airlines are out of control. How many more reasons do you need to stop flying? Unless changes are made that are positive to the whole customer experience and it's safety you can count me out. 

Which is good, because I would - be - one of those pissed-off passengers on your freakin no-fly list.

Watchlist

Batman (1966) - US

It's so bad its good! I have a love of cheese, both the foodstuff and the visual kind, TV, movies, etc. 1970's badly dubbed Godzilla films, old school Doctor who (with shaky sets), and this... its all cheesy goodness wrapped in a candy coated fun wrapper. When I was a kid I never realized the batmobile had no headlights. It explains why (almost) all the action occurs during the day-time though. I have to say Roddy McDowell as the bookworm as been so far my favorite villain although Morticia(!) (or the actress, Carolyne Jones) as Marsha the Queen of Diamonds was wicked fun too, ...darling.

I literally just told you - UK

A game-show where they give you the answers before they ask the questions. I love its simple premise and surprising difficulty and of course the host, a living UK, institution, Jimmy Carr.

And Just like that... - US

It's NOT Sex and the City. Thank god. I wouldn't want to see all that flab having sex in every episode. It IS the next chapter for those characters and it is still well written and still deliciously fun to watch!

Star Trek Prodigy - US 

Nickelodeon makes this show, but its clearly written for the adult as well. It is  good old family entertainment in the rich fabric of the Star Trek universe and canon. It has all the makings of a great spin-off, which it is.

The Book of Boba Fett - US

Love it. Not as much as the Mandalorian, but... it has got the right pace, good action, jokes, and lots of  secrets left to unlock and explore inside the Star Wars arena - a place we all seem to genuinely love. Kudos to Jon Favreau for keeping the characters bad-ass and the plots interesting and fun.

Hard Quiz - AU

Tom Gleeson grills contestants (on the barbie) until they drop down to the final two who go head to head on their specialized subjects in a bid for the "Limited Edition" Big Brass mug. I feel the earlier shows were more acerbic, but it remains good fun and I do laugh watching it. Laughter is the worlds magic.

Another billionaire Moron does as he pleases?

 More than 1,000 Dutch residents plan to throw rotten eggs at Jeff Bezos' superyacht... 

Jeff Bezos is an American corporate billionaire, that makes him a grade-A asshole by definition. If he wanted to  go around punching babies, he could pay his lawyers to make that work. If he wanted to be president he could certainly buy the office. Trump proved it IS for sale to the highest bidder.

Just think that every time you auto-re-order your toilet paper on Amazon, they kill a puppy. I'm sure you don't care, though, as long as you can wipe your ass with precision regularity.

Amazon, Google, Walmart... Bad, bad, bad things. Stop using them, because they are using you.