It boggles my mind how readily some people will defend exploitative practices done by employers.

Of course, the Trump administration is a meritocracy. If you associate with a Trump, you have merit.

critically this was the case in 1870 when the 15th amendment was ratified! there is literally no such thing as partisan gerrymandering and manipulation of voting rules in the south outside of the context of “white reactionaries want to neuter black political power”

Some people don't want to help you solve your problem. They want to use your problem to their advantage.

"Zone 414" (2021) is a cyberpunk detective story that few have seen. I discuss it in my latest Sci-Fi Retro-Watch. #scifi open.substack.com/pub/keithdwi...

What's a movie or TV show that is definitely sci-fi but most people wouldn't realize was sci-fi until they were deep into it? I'm looking for something that is truly stealthy sci-fi, where everything seems appropriate to the world we live in until you realize it's not. #scifi

While listening to calls, I swear it seems like our female agents are more likely to antagonize callers than our male agents are. If the caller comes in angry, the women don't calm them down. I'm going to have to pull examples and discuss them to make sure I'm hearing what I think I'm hearing.

I was reading the trivia on a movie, and it said the male lead used a body double for his nude scenes, but the female lead did her own scenes. It struck me since that's the reverse of what I usually see.

We wanted à la carte TV programming so we could watch what we wanted, when we wanted. We got what we wanted, but not in the way we envisioned it.

WTF is a "business hour"? A "business day" makes sense. It doesn't include weekends or holidays. If something is to be done in 24-48 "business hours," when can I expect it to be finished?

On a tipping post, someone asked if delivery drivers should be tipped on the cost of the food or on the distance they had to drive. They said they frequently order from an expensive restaurant 2 miles away and a cheaper one 6 miles away. Do you tip on the distance or the cost of the food?

No movie or TV series is going to be 100% scientifically accurate. Some allowances must be made for telling a compelling story, unless you want to bore the audience to tears. As long as the "science" is plausible or internally consistent, I'd say let it go so you can enjoy the story.

Why do so many TV news anchors and reporters mispronounce "Nvidia"? It's not like the company hasn't been in business for decades. Is the mispronunciation intentional?

America's chief Middle East negotiator - Jared Kushner - is almost completely dependent on Middle East government investment in his chief business. It's probably the biggest conflict of interest in American diplomatic history and we should be talking about this way more.

People will complain about not knowing what to watch, but then get upset that the user interface is suggesting shows based on their viewing history or favorite categories. Do you want suggestions or not? If you do, what do you want those suggestions to be based on?

What time is it?

Like, can y'all have a recall election on Sen. Fetterman? Asking for a friend....

I remain baffled by the number of people who choose to make a business phone call while driving. You might need to write something down or read something back to us over the phone, so how are you going to do this while driving?

Trump one month before the 2024 election: “Think of it - within one year you’re gonna have electric bills and energy bills and gasoline for your cars is going to be 50% cheaper than it is right now. That’s a big thing.”

The idea of specific foods as breakfast foods is fairly recent in our culture. Until the last century or so, we generally ate leftovers from the previous evening meal as breakfast.

I rewatched "Contagion" (2011) for an upcoming Sci-Fi Retro-Watch. Man, they were quite prescient with how we handled the COVID-19 epidemic. It's a fantastic study of human nature. #scifi

It was a scam to begin with. Anyone with half a brain could see through the obvious grift. No one is getting a phone. Those $100 deposits went straight to Trump.

For a limited time, my Bluesky followers can get an annual subscription to my Substack for free using the link below. #scifi keithdwilson.substack.com/bluesky500

I really dislike it when people post motivational messages in Teams or Slack. I'm motivated when they pay me and when they stay out of my way when I need to get stuff done. That little inspirational message does not inspire me.

If you haven't posted anything in over a month, but previously posted several times daily, I'm probably going to ask if you're ok. It's unusual to abruptly stop unless something has happened.

They honestly thought Iran would roll over and oil prices would be back below $80 per barrel in a couple of weeks.

A friend's food order was delivered to the wrong house and that neighbor opened her door, took the food inside, and that was that. Uh, don't you know if you ordered food or not?

Activating the time machine for the sci-fi TV shows and movies you might have missed. Follow my Substack for more each week.

My Sci-Fi Retro-Watch (SFRW) drops every weekend on my Substack. Subscribe to get it in your inbox. Each week, I discuss a sci-fi movie or TV series at least 5 years old, with an emphasis on those that flew under the radar. Subscribe for free, or get a paid subscription for full access. #scifi

I drop a new Sci-Fi Retro-Watch article every weekend. Follow my Substack (link in bio) to get it by email. Bluesky followers can get a free subscription for a year with the link in my earlier post. #scifi

ICYMI: The latest Sci-Fi Retro-Watch: Imposter (2002) What if you're not who you think you are? Gary Sinise stars as government weapons specialist Spencer Olham. Spencer might not be human, but he's convinced that he is. #scifi keithdwilson.substack.com/p/sci-fi-re-...

Since I'm finally within striking distance of 500 followers on Bluesky, I'm giving away free 1-year Substack subscriptions until 5/17/2026. Join for my Sci-Fi Re-Watch and more. Follow this link to get this exclusive offer. keithdwilson.substack.com/bluesky500

Hollywood has been lying to us for decades about the Old West. Around 25% of cowboys were Black, and around 33% were Mexican. That's not the impression we get from any movie or TV show set in the era.

What is Sci-Fi Retro-Watch? SFRW is my weekly Substack feature where I highlight a sci-fi movie or TV series that is at least 5 years old. Subscribe for free to get it in your email inbox. #scifi

Follow my Substack for my weekly Sci-Fi Retro-Watch feature and more. Link in bio. #scifi

The latest Sci-Fi Retro-Watch: Imposter (2002) What if you're not who you think you are? keithdwilson.substack.com/p/sci-fi-re-...

ICYMI: Sci-Fi Retro-Watch Sci-Fi Retro-Watch: Colony (2016-2018) keithdwilson.substack.com/p/sci-fi-ret... Sci-Fi Retro-Watch: The Thirteeth Floor (1999) keithdwilson.substack.com/p/sci-fi-ret... Sci-Fi Retro-Watch: Quintet (1979) keithdwilson.substack.com/p/sci-fi-ret... #scifi

The form asks for phone number, mobile phone number, and backup phone number. How many levels deep do we really need to go these days to contact someone?

Don't give your unconditional loyalty to someone who has demonstrated that their loyalty to you is highly conditional.

It’s staggering How swiftly states in the South can still move to stymie Black voters And how ready they were to do so

I'm always amused by the disclaimer at the BOTTOM of the email that says, "If you've received this email in error, don't forward it or disclose its contents, blah, blah, blah." Shouldn't we be agreeing to terms FIRST instead of at the end? That disclaimer is meaningless.

It's amazing how code-switching can defuse an angry caller.

It's amazing how we've just let him get away with this.

No, it doesn't actually take 3-5 business days to do what you're asking us to do. It only takes 3-5 minutes, but there is a backlog of many others ahead of you, and we can't move you to the front of the line without delaying assistance for someone else. Don't wait until the last minute next time.

🎯

Somehow, I thought Ted Turner was already dead.

horrible. this country’s turn away from science based medicine in the name of “wellness” is killing children and will kill a lot more. www.propublica.org/article/more...

Calls from my employer show up clearly labeled on the Caller ID, so "I don't answer calls from unknown numbers" is a weak excuse for not answering when we call.