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TGIF everyone, another week in the books. How was it for you? Before I get going on what’s going on, welcome to a few new subscribers. Feel free to take a look around. This week was all about experiencing totality – and of course, I am referring to the solar eclipse on Monday.
The Toronto experience was pretty ho-hum thanks to clouds, but it was still pretty cool to see how dark it got around 3:20 pm, even if for only a few minutes. I checked out a few live streams and feel like I got what I wanted out of it. I will say the live coverage on TV was hard to watch. From news anchors and scientists feeling like they had to talk nonstop and explain everything, to the sponsored cams, the stores with eclipse merch, and the constant white flashes when the cameras had to adjust. I think sometimes you can certainly overproduce a moment. How was your experience where you were? Any good photos?
TV Time – As I have mentioned in previous posts, TV seems to be really picking up. Right now there is season 2 of Loot, Ripley, Sugar, Fallout. Then you still have a few more episodes on this year’s best show to date, Shogun. I have watched the first episodes of Ripley and Sugar and they are both pretty interesting. Ripley is a masterclass in cinematography and Sugar somehow makes the modern world look like it’s the 60’s. I have yet to watch Fallout, but I have heard it’s a weird show if you don’t know the video game, which I don’t.
Chili crunch hoopla – Who likes chili crunch? Well, have you been keeping up with the news on one of the more trendy condiments? David Chang’s Momofuku brand has sparked controversy by enforcing its trademark on the term “chili crunch,” a popular condiment with roots in Chinese cuisine. Momofuku, which introduced its own Chili Crunch in 2020, acquired the trademark for “chile crunch” in 2023 and has applied for a trademark for “chili crunch” with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The company has sent cease-and-desist letters to at least seven small businesses, including Homiah and MìLà, demanding they stop using the term for their products. This action has led to accusations of Momofuku being a “trademark bully” and has incited backlash from the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. What do you think? It seems crazy that this would even be allowed.
Pittsburgh plans – In a few weeks, the family is taking a road trip to Pittsburgh for a little spring adventure. We will be going to a Pirates game and enjoying all the local arts and foods. It was a little worrying to see the exact area we would be in flood last week due to heavy rain. But it seems to be under control. So hopefully we have some nice weather for our visit.
Sad Raptors – Wow this season can’t end soon enough for the Toronto Raptors. Why technically not the worst season in franchise history, to me it feels like it. If you add up everything from injuries to betting scandals, to losing Pascal and OG, to not knowing what the front office is doing, and seeing former bench players playing awesome elsewhere, it’s a season to forget. Let’s wipe it from the records and start fresh next year. I would love a new slogan, some new branding, some new TV hosts, and pulling off a steal with the three picks they have in the draft.
From the “X” – So check this out. Somehow I have been blocked by CP24. Yes a site that shares news, doesn’t want me to have the news it shares. It makes no sense. Yes I have posted tweets before complaining about typos on their ticker and that one of their anchors in particular uses way too many words to get to the point, but nothing that I would say is “block” worthy. I will wear it with a badge of honour.
Complaint Corner – Well if getting blocked by CP24 wasn’t enough to complain about, how about cable services and something I find so lazy considering how much money we pay? Now stay with me as this can get a little messy. We have Rogers for our cable TV and I am showing my age by saying I still record shows. Even with everything being on demand and available almost right away, I still like to record it. Now, for anyone who has recorded HBO shows, there times can go long and you miss the end. Sometimes you remember to add on time, sometimes you don’t. Anyways, this is a thing and the user can certainly control this. But what I am getting more and more irritated with is if you watch your recording and the ending gets cut off, you would think the on-demand version would be complete. Nope, Rogers just uploads the live record instead of a complete show like you come to expect for on-demand. It happened again this week with the Curb Your Enthusiasm finale missing the final 10 minutes. But, if I go on my phone and watch it via the Crave app and not Rogers, it’s complete. Yes, this is a little thing, but I don’t get in 2024 how this happens, except that it’s just lazy.
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