Ashamed to be a U.S. Citizen Day

Repeat daily until January 20, 2029.

Hapless puppets or willing collaborators?

Time for a rebrand to reflect new “values” Meta? Vichy Social seems on the money.

Update
My previous two posts over on Threads featuring this image and linking my Bluesky account have been disappeared.

So much for the free speech ruse.

iPhone Ennui

My iPhone XS turned 6 this month. An advanced age that shows. Its battery can’t get through the day without multiple charging sessions. I’ve noticed it freezing on certain apps (looking at you Meta). And it sports a few battle scars. No surprise that I ordered an iPhone 16.

I did it more from obligation than enthusiasm. I view its Friday delivery with dread. Despite Apple’s well-intentioned migration assistant, the setup process, tweaking preferences, and clicking through those new iOS device now using your Apple ID alerts on all my other devices have become tasks to endure not enjoy. 

As I made my breakfast, I realized that the iPhone quietly has become my least favorite Apple device. My ranking surprised even me. 

1. Apple Watch
2. iMac 
3. iPad Pro + Magic Keyboard
4. iPhone 

(Not accounting for the two Apple TVs, MacBook, iPad mini, and original iPad still lurking around the house because I don’t use them daily.)

If pressed, I believe the first three would satisfy my daily needs. Did not see the watch at No. 1 even two years ago. It shows the progress Apple made developing it as a standalone. If anything, I find it more useful today than the iPhone I bought on launch day 2007.

Retail Doom

The Washington Post published a poorly-reported article that’s just another example of retail executives who over-expand and otherwise fail at being merchants then use shoplifting as a convenient excuse for closing stores that should have never opened. The reporting is incredibly sloppy. The sub-head stating three San Francisco-Oakland stores closing is a lie. It’s one in SF, one in Oakland, and one in suburban Pittsburg, CA. The accompanying photo actually is my neighborhood store that’s not on the list.

The SF store set to close is a cursed space. It was originally a Sports Authority that failed ahead of that chain’s larger issues because there’s little foot traffic thanks to the location being under the city’s sole freeway. Worse, there’s a tiny parking lot that’s difficult to access due to the surrounding streets being a confusing maze of one-ways and no turns.

If you can’t tell, I have a great deal of contempt for how Target has been run of late. I was in my neighborhood store earlier today yet walked out without making a purchase. Unbeknownst to me, the item I needed had been on sale so the shelves were bare. So typical. Half the time, I walk out empty handed because they’re out of stock, the item is in a locked cabinet and employees don’t respond to those annoying buttons, or the in-store price is significantly higher than what’s offered on target.com.

I’ve taken to wondering if we’re seeing the tell tale signs of a long-term strategy to strangle brick and mortar. Certainly seems like a convenient way for executives to get out of expensive leases without admitting to Wall Street types that their expansion strategies were doomed and should have never made it past the PowerPoint stage.

Eldorado: Everything The Nazis Hate

If you’re LGBTQIA, any other queer letter I’m too out of it to include, or an ally—especially allies—you need to watch the Netflix documentary Eldorado: Everything the Nazis Hate that dropped this week. It’s a crucial history lesson on just how quickly hard-fought freedoms can vanish. Particularly relevant given the disastrous opinion issued by the regressive US Supreme Court today.

Trans Panic

The GOP’s demonization of trans people and drag queens makes me increasingly uneasy. You don’t have to be a history scholar to realize the tactics are ripped directly from the Goebbels playbook. Seems pretty clear that they’re trying to distract from past GOP policy failures that have made gun violence a fixture of American life, created another banking crisis, and of course allowed COVID to become the worst pandemic in a century. Americans who continue to support Republicans in 2023 have all the morals of Germans who supported the Nazis in 1923.

Tweet No More

I stopped using my Twitter account when Musk announced his bid to buy the service. And I deleted it as soon as I saw the news that said deal closed yesterday. I will not support anything that madman touches. You should delete your account also.

Kids in the Hall Again

A new season of Kids in the Hall appeared on Amazon yesterday. Do I really have to say anything else? Just go watch it.

Dave Returns?

Have you noticed the new life over on Dave Letterman’s YouTube channel? Clips from both NBC and CBS shows started appearing at the end of January for the first time since 2015. Then in March, new bits from what appears to be Dave on The Barbara Gaines Show debuted. So far, they’re averaging one per week. Definitely worth a sub for these gems.

Goodbye. Hello again.

I’ve posted for the last time on Twitter. If you know me, you probably aren’t surprised. I loathe Elon Musk and all that his brand of swaggering self-promotion represents. If you disagree with me, save your keystrokes. I’m just going to delete your comments because this is my sandbox. There’s no such thing as free speech when I’m paying the bills.