Ric Chetter - From Radioland

Episode 336: We Have Watched Everything

One of the basic needs of people during a quarantine seems to have been Netflix. The issue is that Netflix hasn't been able to keep up with demand. Not in a connected sort of way. In a content way. It would appear the quality of some of the productions they bought into fairly recently were not all that great. It presents an interesting problem. Just how long, in this cord cutter society, are people going to suffer through bad shows before they decide they have had enough? It's a viable question for sure. Especially when factor in the simple fact that more people than anyone cares to admit watched all of Tiger King. And let's face it, that was pretty bad for television, even by Netflix standards.

NEXT WEEK: The Copy Writer Blues

 

Episode 335: Facebook's Legitimacy Issue

It's hard to say exactly who thinks Facebook is a legitimate source for anything. Seriously, who takes Facebook seriously at all? That question has since become more valid as time has progressed. That same question is also being asked by major companies who used to give the social media platform money for advertisements. There is certainly something to this and it seems to have started when Twitter began labeling certain tweets from the President of The United States as being devoid of any truth. So, why didn't Facebook do the same? They tried and failed. Miserably. Ric knows because he got caught in a weird algorithm that kept posting something legitimate. In this episode, Ric takes a look at how that works and why major advertisers seem to be exiting the company that created social media. Also, Ric tells you about an upcoming special guest and the latest from the graveyard.

NEXT WEEK: Netflix, WTF?

 

Episode 334: Ain't Nothing on The Evening News

We have all had that conversation with people who invariably say they don't watch the evening news. Then there are those who will admit they do but tell you they hate watching. Which begs the question for both of these people, why? The answer is really quite simple. There is nothing to see here. In this episode, Ric tells you about his time in the world of television news and what it was once like. Now with the internet hanging around, it seems sort of redundant to have such an institution around. What purpose does it serve? Here's a hint, it doesn't serve the public any more. Plus an update from the graveyard.

NEXT WEEK: Facebook's money trouble.

Episode 333: Social Media Toxicity

When one looks at all the different social media platforms out there, you would see they are all fairly different in approach to one another. Ranging from sort of useful to downright bogus, there is a little something out there for everybody. However, if you were to look at all these platforms with one particular filter, you find only one as being the single most toxic of them all. Here's the thing, it's probably not the one you are thinking of. In this episode, Ric takes a look at how one platform practically fosters the notion of being able to say anything you want by hiding behind your keyboard. Not one of these people would say what they say on the platform to anyone's face without the fear of having to endure an old fashioned Memphis ass beating. Plus, Ric's new YouTube show, Drinking With Dead People debuts at midnight.

NEXT WEEK: Just what is the role of television news these days?

 

Episode 332: It's A Big Problem

It is one thing to get into a pandemic, but it is a completely different thing to get out of one. There are so many things to consider and the prudent among us would like to think you should get back to some sort of normalcy in a practical and safe manner. Apparently, a lot of people in power didn't get that memo. In this episode, Ric takes a look at what is happening around the country as things begin to open back up. There is a big problem. It appears The United States is not ready. The numbers of infections are rising at a rapid pace as well as the numbers of deaths. At the very same time, there are those in power who say otherwise and this puts some people in a bad spot. They need the money and they need the work without getting sick. We are talking about musicians here. 

NEXT WEEK: The granddaddy of all toxic social media.

 

Episode 331: Sponsoring a World Crisis

Corporate America has a knack for being tone deaf. That is a simple fact. There are some ads out there using a protest as a backdrop. In this episode, Ric takes a look at the idiocy of this move. It is yet another point proven when corporate tries to look hip and with the times, they look ridiculous. Now is not the time for anyone to be tone deaf, but here we are. The amount of willful ignorance happening around us all is astounding. It's as if there are those out there who want to give people a reason to protest. Frankly, no one has to look terribly far. There are some pissed off people out there. Also, Ric has a problem with his ISP plus, his sinus issues are being dealt with using a torture device. 

NEXT WEEK: The bars, the bands and maybe the crowds.

Episode 330: A Change is Going to Come

Protests and pandemics are all harbingers of things to come. If you spend any amount of time looking at the history of the world, you might see as societies have dealt with very similar things in the past, one valuable lesson that is always learned is that change can be and is often quite difficult. This difficulty with change is rooted in one simple notion and that being fear. Everyone who is not accepting of the reasoning behind any type of change are afraid. They are afraid that their lives won't be the same as they were. The fact is, they won't be. In this episode, Ric takes a look at what it means to go home and to know that you can never go back. Progress is fraught with adjustment and this is a good thing. The George Floyd protests are a fine example of that. This is necessary change. As is the changes that must come in our society in dealing with an illness we still no very little about. Granted, it is a lot on everyone's plate but, the good news happens to be we will all be better having gone through all of this together. Even if we have to drag the troglodytes with us. 

NEXT WEEK: This Protest is Brought to You By... 

Episode 329: The New Normal

Change is an issue and it is never easy to cope with the inevitable. When something like a pandemic occurs or the other social issues we all face these days, coming through the other side expecting anything to be the way it was before all of these events is a pipe dream. We will never be the same after all of this is said and done. That is just a simple fact. The other simple fact, is there will be a select number of people in our society who will reject the first fact. We tried this in 2016 and the results have been nothing short of disastrous. In this episode, Ric casts a jaundiced eye at what the future holds for our society and what we as individuals could probably look forward to once the storm of a pandemic passes. Also in this episode, the aftermath of laryngitis even if it was fun sounding like Batman. Plus, a computer tip.

NEXT WEEK: You Can Always Go Home, But You Can Never Go Back

Episode 328: Connection Interrupted

Being connected seems to be bringing about all sorts of innovative tech. All of it is designed to keep you on the platform you are using it from. Be it Facebook, Twitter or Google, none of those companies want you to go anywhere else. As consumers, we certainly do have a bunch of options when it comes to this sort of thing and that can be good. Some you pay for (Zoom) and others are free (Facebook & Google). But how would you define "free". Also, as cool as it is to have this technology in your hands, is it really something we all need? Is anybody actually any good at using this stuff? Does it really matter? In theory, you could answer all those questions with a "no". Plus, Ric has been in the studio quite a bit this past week. Along with all the extra work he has picked up and the usual slate of shows, his voice is going out. It's the return of the dreaded laryngitis. But he will tell you all about the other things he has on his plate as well.

NEXT WEEK: The New Normal

 

Episode 327: Semper Pie & Meal Team Six

We are all getting weary of this pandemic, it seems. The truth is, we are weary from the coverage of the pandemic. There is a very loud minority of people out there who feel they are being put upon by having to stay at home or having to wear a mask when they go out in public. These people are going out to protest and they are doing so with assault rifles and are agitating an already nervous population. On top of this, we are getting information about the pandemic from so many different sources that it seems no one on the right page. One group says this and the other says that and both are pointing fingers at someone else. You would think all of this energy could be directed at something constructive like, trying to contain Covid-19. In this episode, Ric is exhausted and we may not even be closer to the end of this situation. It's all a matter of trying to get the madness to stop.

NEXT WEEk: Connection Interrupted