I'm not exactly sure why I'm taking time to fire off some bullets given how much stuff I have to get done today, but here we are... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• The Hawk! I had just finished rewatching Hawkeye, easily my favorite Disney+ Marvel Studios series, and was commenting how I wanted a second season so badly. Then this happened...

Well, shit. The guy was literally a part of billions of dollars in profit for Disney, and they want to pay him half of what he got for the first season? It's beyond shitty that this is how he was treated. Especially given how brilliant his series was.

   
• Unkerned! What is it with all these letter kerning crimes against humanity? This is atrocious. The Catholics couldn't get a designer for a tomb THIS important to them?

Literally "FR A NCISC VS" on that marker.

   
• Use The Force! Oh yeah, before I forget... May The 4th Be With You today!

Every once in a while I wonder what the world would be like if Star Wars never happened. It's honestly impossible to imagine. So much of sci-fi hinges on this one film. Sure there was the Star Trek TV series that came before it, but that was seen as a failure at the time (kept alive only by force of will from Lucille Ball and Desilu Studios). It was Star Wars that redefined what it means to be a blockbuster, and paved the way for so much of the science fiction we ended up getting. Sure, there might have been some other sci-fi movie that filled the void that the absence of Star Wars would have left... but I cannot even fathom what it might have looked like.

   
• Five Year Mission! And speaking of Star Trek... whenever I find an ad that I willingly want to watch, it makes me loathe bad ads even more. This ad is gold, and I love that the actors were game to do it...

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is the show that basically sells itself with its genius (and I cannot wait for the upcoming season), but it's nice to know that when they have to sell it they're trying to be interesting about it.

   
• Construction! Oh man. If you like carpentry, watching an American-style house get built by a Japanese carpenter is your new bliss...

I'm not saying that the final result is the design direction I would have taken... but the artistry that was involved in creating this incredible structure can't be denied. What a cool video.

   
• Elevation! Here's what's possible when you don't hand over the bulk of your country's GDP to the industrial complex that supplies your war machine...

It's proposed that the 2026 Military budget will be increased to $1 TRILLION DOLLARS. It's so absurd how modern warfare has changed so radically when it comes to how battles are fought, yet we're still throwing money into building this vast military force like it's the 1980's. I don't get it. I really don't. A trillion dollars?!? And we've got $92 million going to go into a fucking military parade on the president's birthday? What the fuck?

I mean, when you think about it, this is hardly surprising. But we're cutting NPR and PBS funding for this senseless crap? Seriously? We're cutting childhood cancer research for this shit? THIS?!?

   
• NEWS: CDC reports 216 children died this flu season, the most in 15 years — Congratulations anti-vaxers... things are looking up for you! Just think of how successful your campaign will be now that RFK is championing your cause! Maybe you'll go from hundreds of child deaths in 2025 to thousands in 2026! I mean, that's what you want, isn't it? That's the goal?

   
Not exactly sure how to wrap this up after delving into childhood cancer and easily avoidable child deaths. So... see you next week. I guess?

I fell down a rabbit hole of nurse abuse and had a really tough time getting out of it.

It's a raging epedemic that just gets more shocking the deeper you go.

Nurses, who provide a shocking percentage of the care that patients receive, are all too often treated like shit. And many of the stories I've read reveal that a lot of times the abuses happen while they're advocating for the care of people in their charge.

My journey started with this video...

A few thoughts...

• In what fucking universe should this asshole be allowed to practice medicine? If he treats nurses like this, how is he treating his patients?
• This hospital has a lot of explaining to do. I hope they respond appropriately and, if they don't, they deserve to have their reputation absolutely trashed.
• If this doctor hates this country so fucking much, go to another country then, you psychotic bitch. Your feelings about the USA are no excuse to treat this woman like this. Yelling at a nurse in such an unhinged manor is beyond disrespectful... it's abusive and dangerous.
• Fuck off, asshole.

And it doesn't stop there. So many articles and videos about nurses getting verbally assaulted by enraged doctors. And while, sure, some of it is could be a reaction to something, it's still no excuse. Whether because of a god-complex or just the profession attracting a certain personality type, it's mind-boggling to me. I cannot fathom in my wildest imagination my doctor acting like this! And if he ever did, he wouldn't be my doctor.

Until now I thought that nurses getting abused was due to patients... but doctors?!?

I'd like to blame it on stress, but I have a difficult time imagining that nurses have it any easier.

UPDATE: Annnnnnd... she was fired. Why am I not surprised.

This may be the 900th installment of Bullet Sunday, but the bullets are as fresh as ever... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• The Devil of Hell's Kitchen! I've been ridiculously busy and didn't manage to get past Episode 02 of Daredevil: Born Again until today. When I binged the entire rest of the series. It was better than I had even hoped. Came very close to eclipsing Hawkeye as my favorite Marvel Studios television series. What's surprising is how they managed to keep it as dark and edgy and its Netflix beginnings while toning it down just enough to fit under the Disney+ banner. I thought they would ruin what they had, but they pulled it off...

Highest possible recommendation. Like Hawkeye, they were beautifully source-material accurate. And between Charlie Cox's pained portrayal of Matt Murdock and Vincent D'Onofrio's intense take on Wilson Fisk, the series couldn't help but be good (and lest we forget Ayelet Zurer's deliciously cold and ruthless turn as Vanessa Fisk!). The great story just sealed the deal. I'm betting the second half in the second season (currently in production) will tie things up with a heck of a bang. Here's hoping that Disney has a plan for the Devil of Hell's Kitchen after that.

   
• Papal! Just throwing this out there...

I was baptized in the Catholic Church. And I am a man. Apparently that's all the qualification I need...

One thing's for certain. If I were Pope, priests and nuns who assault people, particularly children, would have no place to hide.

   
• Niamos! The Official Star Wars YouTube Channel has officially released a one hour video of Mon Mothma dancing to that absolute banger of a track from the end of Andor Season 02E03...

Now... if you haven't seen the episode, you have no idea what's happening, why she's dancing, or just how brilliant this series is. What happened just before the dance started will haunt me for a very long time. If you're not watching Andor, you are missing one of the best TV shows of all time... Star Wars or no Star Wars.

   
• Worth Fighting For! It's one thing to have read the infamous NSFW South Park letter. It's quite another to have the incomparable Matt Berry read it live...

I will never be able to see Matt Berry and not be mad that What We Do In The Shadows was canceled.

   
• Industry! Earlier this week Variety, whose bread and butter is covering the entertainment industry, had a headline of this: "Sinners" has amassed $61 million in its global debut. It's a great result for an original, R-rated horror film, yet the Warner Bros. release has a $90 million price tag before global marketing expenses, so profitability remains a ways away. This headline this early is blatantly manipulative and an obvious attempt to define a narrative which supports big budgets exclusively for IP-based films. Fortunately, Variety was immediately and rightfully called out on it. And one particular source caught my eye...

Bravo. And, just an FYI, as of this writing Sinners has a global box office of $121,726,427. With stellar reviews, great press, Ryan Coogler's fan following, and some serious momentum, The movie will, at the very least, break even at the box office. Then any home-video sales and streaming rights will be gravy. This movie will very obviously hit profitability, and the fact that Variety's shitty headline didn't bother to wait before questioning it's ability to get there is very, very telling. They aren't covering the entertainment industry... they're attempting to influence the entertainment industry. The question becomes why? Conclusions are pretty easy to draw, but the important take-away from all this is that no media is safe from having an agenda. Never have been. The difference is that now they're blatantly obvious about it.

   
• DOOM! Just an FYI... Avengers: Doomsday starts filming tomorrow.

   
See you at Bullet Sunday No. 901.

Pope Francis has died at 88 years old.

My feelings (as somebody who was in the Catholic Church as a child) are rather complex when it comes to the Pontiff of the Catholic Church. On one hand, I appreciate that the Pope tries to foster compassion and understanding. I remember thinking quite fondly of Pope John Paul II because he traveled extensively and seemed to be intent on making things better for all peoples and not just Catholics.

On the other hand, more and more the only thing I want from a Pope is to step up and say "The Catholic Church will work tirelessly to bring priests who are guilty of crimes, particularly sexual assault of children, to justice. No exceptions. My mandate is to no longer have The Church be made a refuge for these criminals." But it never quite works like that. Pope Francis kinda skirted around the issue whenever possible. Sure he was better than some, but it always felt as though he was doing the bare minimum, even as child assault cases mounted around him. That being said... at least he publicly acknowledged that priests and nuns are guilty of the assault. That ain't nothing. But it's hard to look at it as a magnanimous act when we have no idea how much we don't know. And what we do know.

All I know is that he could have done more. Should have done more.

UPDATE: As if to put a point on this post, this story just appeared in my news feed: US cardinal accused of covering up sex abuse scandal will help close Pope Francis’ coffin.

It's hard to look at that headline and see it as a reflection on the Pope's legacy.

Hold onto your Easter bonnet... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Home Video! I was going to buy Captain America: Brave New World because I haven't seen it. But the price is THIRTY FUCKING DOLLARS? Are Disney and Marvel Studios out of their damn minds? THIRTY?!? Well, guess I'm waiting until a sale to watch it. Wonder if Disney+ will stream it for free before then or before I remember? I swear... the clueless morons in charge of these studios bitch about how they didn't make enough money in the theater for whatever reason... then charge an amount nobody will pay so they will instead stream it for free so then they can bitch about how they didn't make any money from home video sales? Get fucked, dumbasses. THIRTY DOLLARS?!?

   
• Baby Shark! I love videos of people taking time to be kind to creatures of this earth...

And now Baby Shark is going through my head. Not fair.

   
• Potato! Poppy Cooks finally released The Potato Book. As a vegetarian, the potato is an invaluable part of my diet and finding new ways to cook them is always a plus...

There's plenty of recipes with meat, but enough meat-free options and idea to make it worthwhile.

   
• In Today's News! ISPs and robocallers love the FCC plan to “delete” as many rules as possible — Oh yay! I think what we're all hoping for is more text spam and robocall spam! Thank God we now have an FCC giving Americans exactly what they dream of! Who the fuck thinks this is a good idea?

   
• Here Comes Kayla! I loved the first season of Hacks at HBO Max. Hated the second season. It was a meandering mess that felt like absolutely nobody knew what the heck they were doing or where they were going. Then the third season recovered nicely. I loved it more than the first. They had a clear direction and each episode moved towards it beautifully. And now the fourth season just started. It's delicious. I hope they don't drag everything back to the status quo too quickly so it can marinate for a while. I mean, yeah, I know that a common foe will have to manifest to return to where we were because that's how these things go... but how brave would the show be if the conflict ran the whole season? That might be interesting!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I will go back to praying for Kayla to get run over by a fucking bus. Her character isn't funny. It's a never-ending distraction that goes too far over the top in every damn scene and any time she's doing her stupid shit I marvel that every other character seems to be handled with care to make sure there's some grounding to be had, but Kayla's just in outer space being an idiot 24/7. How does that help the show? Nobody in the history of the world would hire this fucking zero, let alone make her a partner. Every time I think something genius is going on in the writer's room... HERE COMES KAYLA! Lord.

   
• Six Days And Counting! If you've been eyeing Plex as you home media server, you may want to buy their lifetime pass at $120 before it over doubles in price...

This is what I use and have had a lifetime pass for many years. Just be sure the features of the lifetime pass are something you really need before investing the cash.

   
• Always Take a Screenshot! I have wanted a Le Creuset Dutch Oven for decades. But they're always so incredibly expensive (even on sale) that I just can't afford it. The price has gone from $340 to $390 over the years. I have no idea what the tariffs will be for France in 90 days, so when I saw the 4.5-quart of my dreams for $276 total including tax and free shipping (it's even the red one to match my kitchen!) I pounced on it. I don't have the money, but it's the cheapest I've ever seen it. Placed my order at Bed Bath & Beyond. Their order screen with free shipping said $275.94... their ApplePay screen weirdly said $253.79 (that's the price not including tax). So I foolishly assumed I would be charged $275.94. Silly me... I was actually charged $300.36! AND... there's NO WAY TO GET MY ORDER DETAILS TO KNOW WHY! Clicking on "Order Details" doesn't tell you anything. So... that's what... $24? $25? difference? Yes. That's $90 less than the usual cost, but I want to pay what I was told it would cost me!

I screenshot absolutely everything when I order stuff now-a-days, because this seems to happen a lot. Everybody should screenshot their order process because you pretty much have to.

So anyway... a half hour on the phone with Bed Bath & Beyond Customer Service and I'm offered store credit?!? Oh hell no. I WANT TO PAY THE PRICE I WAS TOLD I'D BE PAYING... CREDIT THAT OVERCHARGE BACK TO MY CREDIT CARD, BECAUSE I DOUBT I WILL EVER SHOP WITH THIS SCAM COMPANY EVER AGAIN. I honest-to-God do not understand how this is even remotely legal. Charging more money than you say you're charging? How does that even happen? Isn't that theft? I don't give a crap about why something went wrong. I don't. It should not take A HALF HOUR to get this resolved. I HAVE THE RECEIPTS! And what would have happened if I hadn't taken screenshots to prove this was a scam? What if I hadn't noticed I was overcharged? I guess I could have canceled the order... but come on. Just charge the price I was told. This is not rocket science.

Is this an issue for the Better Business Bureau? No idea. But I tell you what... I should receive compensation for the time I wasted trying to resolve their mistake. This call should have been me saying "I was overcharged and have the receipts to prove it." And them saying "Sorry to hear that, I will credit the overcharge back to your card immediately, then I will insist that this gets looked into, because we don't want to charge people more money that we say we're charging them... that would be illegal."

   
You may now resume eating eggs.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is celebrated on Easter Sunday, and the day of His crucifixion, which is celebrated on this day (oddly called "Good Friday"), are seen as the two holiest days in Christianity. Or at least they were. In modern times the holiest days are more likely to be seen as the day some politician won an election or the day a group of God's children lose their rights or freedoms.

As the years go on and I see more and more "Christians" promoting hatred all the while selectively preaching Scripture... well... it has me wondering Where has the Christ gone in Christianity? On the day we're to recognize His sacrifice, it seems fitting to ask ourselves "Did Jesus die in vain?" Because, Jesus Christ, a lot of people who profess to live by His teachings have abandoned His teachings.

If they ever truly followed them in the first place.

Rewriting a Bible you don't read to fit a narrative you choose to believe in more than you ever did a Savior feels more like sacrilege than faith, but this is hardly anything new for the New Testament.

I am warning you... do not ever sign up for a free trial of SiriusXM (it came with my car). They will never, EVER stop fucking calling you no matter how many times you tell them to stop. No matter how many times you block their numbers.

It doesn't matter if you have been working since 3:30am and are trying to catch up on sleep. They'll call. It doesn't matter if you're having dinner with friends. They'll call. It doesn't matter if you are in the fucking hospital visiting a co-worker THEY WILL STILL CALL AND NEVER STOP.

The other day I answered another fucking call from SiriusXM and just kept screaming "STOP CALLING ME! STOP CALLING ME! STOP CALLING ME!"

And I'll bet you money they will keep calling. This is one of the most repugnant fucking companies on the face of the earth. I hate SiriusXM with a passion that I usually reserve for people who kick puppies. Their non-stop harassment should be ILLEGAL. And if they will come back and say "It's not us, it's third parties selling our subscriptions!"

Fuck you.

STOP GIVING MONEY TO THIRD PARTIES TO HARASS PEOPLE. YOU ARE ENABLING THIS BULLSHIT JUST AS MUCH AS IF IT WERE YOU CALLING YOURSELF!

If I ever get any political power, I will devote my life to shutting down unsolicited calls of any kind. Companies doing this will be fined into oblivion and their CEOs publicly executed. Life is hard enough without these piece of shit assholes intruding on our lives no matter how many times we ask them to stop.

Well, after I split the difference between Daylight Saving Time and Standard Time so we don't have to fuck with our clocks twice a year. Priorities, and all that.

DEPORT HIM!!! DEPORT THE DRAG QUEEN CRIMINALS ASSAULTING OUR KIDS!

Oh...

Wait a second...

Not a drag queen?

YET AGAIN?

It's a drug smuggler who was pardoned by President Trump?

Never mind.

LOOK! OVER THERE!

A trans girl wants to play sports! UNLEASH RELENTLESS ATTACKS ON HER, AND HER PARENTS, AND ANYBODY WHO WOULD DARE SUPPORT HER! PERSECUTE HER 13-YEAR-OLD ASS! THIS HORRIBLE SITUATION CANNOT THREATEN OUR DEMOCRACY! BECAUSE LOOK! LOOK OVER THERE! DON'T LOOK HERE! LOOK OVER THERE! IT'S A TRANS CHILD!!!

Ooh! Spring is finally here! But am I going outside to enjoy it? No... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Stuck on You! Betty White's social media advertised that the US Postal Service tribute stamp to her was finally released. As my favorite celebrity of all time, of course I wasted no time heading to the USPS website to buy a sheet and also get the cancelation release...

Note the paw print earring. I also picked up some of the Keith Harring "Love" stamps which I had no idea existed.

   
• Close to You! Okay. First of all... how could you have never heard Karen Carpenter before? Second of all... I wish I could erase my memories of Karen Carpenter's phenomenal voice so I was able to hear her for the first time again...

What's interesting is searching YouTube for this topic. There are a LOT of reaction videos. And all of them go about how you think they would. If you've never heard Karen Carpenter with the music stripped away... you need to do that.

   
• Tariffs, Anyone? Aerogarden is shutting down, so their hydroponic systems are on sale for half price in a variety of places. I had one at my old place and loved being able to have fresh herbs available... but it broke when I moved.

So I just bought two of them (they only seem to have the small 6-pod units left @ $60, though I'm told they can be had for $50)...

I also bought a boat-load of seed pods (third party, because the Aerogarden has always been crazy expensive). Given how groceries aren't going to get cheaper any time soon... or ever, given how much of our food is grown in Mexico or harvested in the US by migrant workers who are getting deported... I need to do what I can to afford to make meals I love more affordable. Cilantro, which I eat a ton of, has reached $1.70 a bunch. Parsley $2 a bunch. Basil $3 a package. Thyme $3 a package. Jalapeños are 50¢ each. Butter lettuce is $4 a head. It goes on and on.

My $120 Aerogarden investment plus cheap seed pods will end up paying for itself in under a year. Now I'm considering growing my own tomatoes, tomatillos, cucumbers, and peppers outside to save money. The problem is that I work so much I won't be able to tend to them as they need. I dunno. I should try and find a way, because holy shit is eating expensive.

   
• Nice Beaver! Yeah, baby beavers are about as cute as it gets. Around the 90-second mark you can really hear them crying and squeaking. My heart. The total video is 10-1/2 minutes long, and the babies are just in the first two minutes, but you'll want to watch it all...

Half the video was a beaver eating avocado and beaver chow. I couldn't stop watching.

   
• License to Kill... A Studio! So I don't get accused of misogyny by hammering away at another incompetent female movie exec (the first being LucasFilm's Kathleen Kennedy) I'm going to let a woman do it in this video (oh man how I love Nerd Cookies!)...

But I am going to chime in and say "Amazon Prime Video... WHAT. THE. FUCK. TOOK. YOU. SO. LONG?!?" Jennifer Salke made so many moronic and expensive mistakes that it's beyond shocking she lasted this long. Usually you have to be a straight white man to get a pass on being this bad at your job. Hopefully Amazon will get their shit together and hire somebody who knows what the fuck they're doing and take advantage of their many amazing IPs. Because MGM deserves better.

   
• M'Baku to the Future! The Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement video was fun, I guess. But the only addition that truly made me want to happy-dance was Winston Duke as M'Baku. Don't care about the X-Men, but I've wanted a Disney+ M'Baku series since we've had Disney+, and it boggles my mind we haven't gotten one yet...

No Daredevil. No Moon Knight. No Blade. No Eternals. No Marvels. No Spider-Man?!? Strange. Oh... and no Doctor Strange?!?

   
• U-S-A! U-S-A! Thank heavens anti-vaxers and RFK are intent on bringing back preventable diseases by presenting misinformation about vaccines! The companies who makes iron lungs could use the business after the polio vaccine was developed and wiped out a need for their product. To get a look at what future generations of Americans may be in for, here's an interesting (but sad) look...

I remain absolutely floored at how anti-science rhetoric and "alternate facts" are fucking up this country. And I'm mortified that kids who have no say in getting vaccinated are going to pay the price for it.

   
And, on that happy note, I'm going to go enjoy this fine (albeit a bit overcast) Spring day... by cleaning my house.

Up is down. Blue is red. Bananas are apples.

I swear at this point nothing can surprise me. Except... what does continue to surprise me... even though I am fully aware that it shouldn't... is the fact that there are people so indoctrinated into a narrative that they question nothing and believe absolutely everything they're told, no matter how outlandishly stupid.

So long as what they're told fits into what they want to believe, there's no need for any other perspective. And sure as fuck no need for facts.

I should have never stopped drinking on my birthday.

Meh. Just ignore me today. I'm catching up on the news and am probably just jealous that I'm not included in all the cool group chats.

However...

Remember when a government employee sending emails on a personal server was considered such a reckless breach of security that it resulted in two FBI investigations? I do. Political opponents wouldn't shut the fuck up about it, even after the employee was cleared by the investigations. But now those same people have ZERO problem with how top-secret information is transmitted (hell, they don't even give a shit who is receiving it), and think there should be ZERO consequences for a massive security breach.

And of course the same sycophants who were screaming about the emails are falling for the banana in the tailpipe because they're being told there's no banana in the tailpipe.

Like I said, I am fully aware that this shouldn't surprise me even a little bit. Maybe it's because I want so badly to believe that people can finally wake up to reality that I have no choice but to be surprised. But in a world of "alternative facts" maybe I'm being too hopeful.

I should stop.

But without hope, what else is there?