Good Wife Spin-off Would You Pay For It?

On Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017 the new spin-off of "The Good Wife" entitled "The Good Fight" will premiere on CBS's All Access service. Most of the cast--excluding Julianna Margulies--will still be in it.

I'll admit it sounds appealing despite it's reported partial nudity and strong language.



The wife and I were steady viewers of the series but we won't be of this new show. There's no way we want to encourage this stuff CBS is pulling along with a bunch of others. I'm already paying $170 a month for our cable TV/phone/modem service. Since this show's episodes will only be available on CBS's All Access service count us out. They want $5.99 a month ($9.99 w/o the ads).

The direction these corporate entertainment networks are headed shouldn't be encouraged. I already pay a "Broadcast TV Fee" to watch their bundled programs loaded with ads on cable. Now I'm supposed to give them another six buck$-- IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN.

So let me break this down. The networks are starting to make only crappy shows available to cable operators. Instead we're supposed to pay extra for any of the good stuff they come up with in the future. This while swallowing up cable franchises across the country. In other words controlling everything from the top to the bottom.

Here's What's Going Down
The over the air programming will get lousier and lousier. Thus forcing us into paying more for anything worth watching. Now imagine the six giants who own just about every cable channel and local stations start doing the same. Suppose each want five or ten buck$ and people cut the cable. Right there would be $30-$60 a month (base price). Already a bunch of worthwhile new shows are only available on Showtime, HBO, HULU, Amazon, Netflix, AT&T and others offering exclusive programming. Many featuring shows not available on cable TV's standard lineup. Both Sony and YouTube are currently looking to get into the act too. Prices for some of these online stand-alones range up to $15 a month.

Keep in mind these prices are teaser rates to get things started. No doubt--after cable TV is driven extinct--rates will likely go much higher. Might want to Forget about the antenna. There's talk these local stations--owned by these same big boys--might shut down their transmitters. Thus removing them from the airwaves in the not too distant future.

Careful What You Wish For
TV viewers always complained why they couldn't buy A La Carte. I'm not sure consumers had in mind paying a dozen providers' bills instead. Especially $5-$15 a month to each for what could be only one show they wanted to watch on any particular provider. This in addition to $30+ just to receive internet access for them in the first place.

It's clear where all of this headed. It started with free TV over antennas. Tons of good shows were provided over the three channels of network TV. Then we moved on. Now having to pay cable for the better programs this same bunch moved to ever increasing satellite channels they created. Channels which they then forced cable operators buy. Now this.

While I can not stop them--I'm not going allow myself to be used by feeding these money grubbers. What others do is on them. Just don't complain a few years down the road when TV cost more then it does now.

Anyone believing consumers came up with this idea of "cutting the cord" bought into the corporate controlled entertainment industry's propaganda hook, line and sinker.

Reminds Me Of A Jury Pool I Was On

Almost half of jury pool couldn't impose death sentence in Easton case
By Rudy Miller | For lehighvalleylive.com

"Almost half of the jurors in Jeffrey Knoble's pool Monday said their beliefs would prevent them from imposing a death sentence."

My CommentsSeveral years ago I was called to jury duty. It involved a really big hotshot malpractice ambulance chasing law firm out of Philadelphia who does a lot of multimillion settlement cases here in Lehigh County. This was the second time I encountered this ambulance chasing lawyer which I first served jury duty on a few years before This particular case involved some kid who died with this same lawyer seeking once again a super large payout.

Without going into all the intimate details-- I was summed before the judge, a defense lawyer and this jerk as to why I had issues serving. Both he and more importantly the judge made me feel like I was a criminal on trial because of my views. At stake was the future earnings this child who died could have earned over his lifetime. The judge was worse then the attorney grilling me as to why I couldn't accept some damn chart the judge presented me stating the money this kid could have been expected to earn had he lived.

I tried sincerely to explain the experience I had with my own kid who turned out nothing like I expected. Instead the two of them intimidated me every way possible as if I were a liar and the one on trial. They badgered me for over twenty minutes. And you wonder why people don't want to serve jury duty !

The whole experience left a bad taste in my mouth. Not everyone's looking to get out of jury duty. Some of us have very real positions we believe in. I was treated like dirt. Hence my feelings towards the little respect I have for the justice system. I can only imagine what's it's like for those charged since they have so little respect for those of us forced to serve. People like myself who never seen the inside of a courtroom until being summoned. We don't deserve to be treated this way. My hope is jurors in this case received greater respect then I received.

My further hope is these two guys were so pissed off I've been added to some list never to be called again. Both of them can stick it.

Careful What You Say Around ALEXA

According to The Huffington Post...
"The voice-activated gizmo-controller was only happy to comply last week after it heard 6-year-old Brooke Neitzel ask, “Can you play dollhouse with me and get me a dollhouse?” Presto: A $170 KidKraft Sparkle mansion dollhouse was delivered to Brooke’s Dallas home, along with four pounds of sugar cookies."

Further according to the story when some TV news stories ran other's devices overheard the TV and ordered as well.




Even though I have an account with Amazon one of the downsides I noticed with Amazon is they store your credit card information. I always use either my VISA or MASTERCARD accounts. Both let you create temporary numbers with dollar limits for whatever number of months you wish for them to expire. By using these methods I feel really comfortable knowing if any of these were hacked they'd be rendered useless.

The other part of this is ALEXA itself. I don't care what settings you might make. This doesn't mean these won't change with the next update. Nor does it mean everything you see is actually what happens. In case you already don't know this every email you've deleted is still retained on servers indefinably just like the information ALEXA stores. These items just no longer appear to you. If you don't believe me check out 'Outlook Live' online. In the delete folder you can recover a great deal of emails you previously deleted although not every one the government requires they keep what amounts to forever.. Smartphones---are you kidding--like they aren't listening and watching as well.

Today's connected cars, trucks, trains and planes are doing the same thing. Recording where, how fast, how long, etc. So do these street cameras, cop/parking authority car's license readers, E-Zpass and facial recognition system cameras as well. Even smart TV's and appliances do the same. These new electric, gas and water meters-- you name it-- somebody's always watching and gathering information.




1984

Protect Your Privacy?
BS...
You Can't!

Senator Mitch McConnell On Obamacare

Senate Majority Leader McConnell: ObamaCare failed Americans. Now it's time for relief
By Sen. Mitch McConnell | FOX News

"By nearly any measure, ObamaCare has failed: It didn’t lower costs, it didn’t increase choice, middle-class families continue to lose health plans they were promised they could keep, and Americans continue to call for ObamaCare’s repeal...

The Senate is currently working to pass the legislative tools to bring relief to the middle class by repealing this partisan law. "



My CommentsYo dude--- the way you make it sound everybody is forced to buy Obamacare. Nothing could be further from the truth. People who have employer coverage or bought a plan on their own are not affected. Any person who thinks they can get a better deal on the open market--go right ahead there's nothing stopping you. My response would be to anyone who doesn't like Obamacare--THEN DON'T BUY IT!

What The ACA Does Do
Requires people to buy some form of health coverage. Some freeloaders can afford it and don't. Other's who couldn't afford even minimal health coverage the ACA tries to help financially. Is it perfect--- no. However it makes no more sense to completely tear down a house needing a new roof then putting a wrecking ball to the ACA.

I can't understand why the outrage. Throughout my lifetime many people were adamant about others not taking individual responsibly for themselves. This program was designed to target those who cost us all more when we go to hospital having to make up their costs. Secondly help control the increase in our premiums forced to pay for free loaders who actually can afford coverage. This further goes towards the effort to reduce the large amounts of tax money going for these so-called free clinics.

I'm all for better ideas Mitch.
What's yours?

Obamacare Video (Make An Hour Available)

A while back President Obama sat down with Vox's Ezra Klein speaking about the "Affordable Care Act". I'm almost 100% certain more would rather watch paint dry. However I did take the time. Here's a few things I took away from it. * Instead of hating on all things Obama he's wide open to any plan that would improve on it. He went so far as to say he'd even campaign for it. So far nobody's offered better ideas.

* He stated he would have prefered to offer Medicare in addition to the other commercial plans. Knowing Republicans would absolutely object to any such idea he compromised limiting only those presently available.

* He also pointed out nearly every other civilized nation--but ours--already provides similar coverage.

* Obama was the first to admit ACA has it short comings. Rather then scrap it why not fix the parts that don't work? In my opinion had he been allowed to offer "the government option"--since everything was already in place--it would have made all of this a whole lot simpler and cheaper providing better coverage.

I still remained confused why anyone would believe Obama was trying to screw people by requiring others held accountable for their medical costs. I and most have been for ours. Why shouldn't everyone if they're able to afford to. As he pointed out a lot of people get a free ride until they run into a medical problem. It shouldn't be on us--who paid for coverage--to pick up the unpaid costs. The ACA closes that gap as well as extending MEDICAID another ten years.

So What's The Beef?
Maybe opponents of Obama hate him so much they'd rather toss the baby out with the bath water. All too many believe ignoring those without coverage somehow doesn't impact the premiums they pay for healthcare. Fact is plenty of people have the money to pay for health insurance--they just don't. There should no reason why those shouldn't be held accountable who can pay for it but refuse. That what this ACA does. Those who can afford it are held accountable. Those who cannot are given supplemental payments to help them pay.

Of course it's not a perfect solution--Obama admits that--but let this be a starting point on which to improve upon this program. Everyone one time or another requires healthcare without exception. Let's make sure everyone puts some of their skin into the game. Not just the ones who always end up picking up the tab for those less responsible and who can afford it.

Any one who truly believes some people are getting a free ride should support the ACA blemishes and all. Let's fix this to make it better--not eliminate what's been started.

I tend to think most have the attention span of a three year old and who won't spend one damn minute watching this video. Prove me wrong. Go ahead-- I dare ya!

Hard To Keep Up With All The Fake News

Police Call Out Breitbart Over Fake Story About Muslim Mob Lighting Church on Fire
by Justin Baragona | Mediaite.com

"Stray fireworks did start a small blaze, but only on netting covering scaffolding on the church and it was put out after about 12 minutes, the paper reported. The roof was not on fire and the church is not Germany’s oldest."
This is another example of how false news stories break faster then fact checkers can keep up with them (boring as that may be). Far too many people with short attention spans are willing to propagate this kind of stuff which fits their agenda. Rather then take the time dig down for the truth they instead choose the path that will generate a lot of exciting inflammatory reaction. This formula has proven quite successful for many talking heads in the media.

It's up to each and every individual to see past this and research (unbiased) on our own wherein truth exist. There's plenty of resources on the internet. Failure to avail ourselves will be upon each of us. Not they who seek to take advantage of our ignorance (laziness).

No one should accept media, government intelligence reports or any other person's words without due diligence.

Governor Kasich On TPP