Instagram Instants

 Instagram created a new feature called Instants. It's another ephemeral feature because

"we also know that a lot of people don’t really share a lot to their profile grids anymore"

I still use the grid because it lets anyone catch up with me whenever they want. No one should feel pressured to open an app every day just to see pictures from friends. If you want to double check something I posted, all you have to do is revisit my profile.

It's still really annoying how algorithm driven the feed is. It doesn't seem like we're ever going back to chronological order on Instagram.

MapTag

MapTag is a fun daily game that you can add to your routine.

Geography has always been a blind spot for me and I'm hoping this game helps. I'm embarrassed to say I couldn't even tell you where exactly every state is in the USA!

Give yourself some grace though. The USA is definitely a large country. Imagine if state lines were like country borders!

Ideas for new shows like "The Pitt"

I have started watching "The Pitt" and it is very entertaining and also thought provoking. It touches on things like family, mental illness, motherhood, aging, racism, and probably more aspects of life. I'm not even caught up but I have some ideas for other shows that could take place in real time and highlight the intriguing machinations of other industries:

The last operating day for USPS before Christmas
I'd love to see how stressful work is for postal workings rushing to beat the clock and deliver gifts to people around the country

Presidential election day
Have you ever watched Steve Kornacki on an election night? It's truly fascinating but imagine being able see the world of ballot counters as well as candidates. I realize this happens every 4 years but I think the should could work for scripted television.

A day at In-N-Out
The menu is pretty limited but the stress levels of trying to take orders and dish out burgers are through the roof.

A high capacity music venue
Imagine all the work that's involved in setting up a major stage production. The Lights, audio, choreography, and people. Everyone's going through something in their personal life and they have to leave the baggage at home and focus on the performance.

The case for using a background on video calls

I used to be a purist about video call backgrounds. The effect sometimes looks obvious. I know most computers couldn't possibly handle the processing power to perfectly detect people vs backgrounds but it always felt distracting seeing body parts of callers getting cut off. If this happened on a TV show or movie, you'd be completely taken out of the story.

I told myself some day I'd just hook up a nice camera with a proper shallow depth of field lens to hide my cluttered background. That will probably never happen. I don't have the money and space for such a long term setup.

Then it clicked. Maybe backgrounds aren't really about hiding a cluttered background. I don't think I would ever use a fake background at the office but what if using a background while working at home was a nice barrier to help keep work life and personal life separate.

I come from a company that prides itself on being a family company but why should I have access into the homes of other people. For all I know the corporate overlords are also peaking into video calls as well. Should they be given access to my home?

I've come up with a middle ground that's kind of silly but also feels like nothing's changed. I took a picture of my space and added digital noise.

It's the same image you'd normally but I don't have to worry about my cat walking by or reflections in the mirror. The noise obscures the room a bit but I might have to tweak this or take a new picture 6 months from now when the sun starts rising from a different angle and the exposure of my face looks very off.

Re: YouTube Premium price hike

It is true. I've given up Netflix and Disney Plus. There's just no way I'm giving up YouTube.

I use YouTube for entertainment and research.

The other day I was putting together some furniture from Ikea. The paper instructions aren't great but lo and behold someone had already done the hard work of demonstrating how to assembly this furniture and documented the process on YouTube.

It is unfortunate that YouTube is basically a monopoly for everything. Vlogging, movie trailers, recipes, tutorials. Twitch is a strong competitor for gaming live streaming though.

source: https://9to5google.com/2026/04/12/youtube-premium-price-hike-2/

Company Retreat

I can't believe they did it again.

The show really hit home for me. I know exactly what it means to be in a family company that is on the verge of being acquired.

I wasn't sure if the finale was going to be as emotional as the first season's but once Stephanie Hodge spoke about the challenges of being an older actor, I really lost it. It wasn't a messy sobbing but I did realize how much I had become engaged in the characters in this story.

It's short and worth the journey. What more can I say?

Also, the name isn't Work Retreat! I've been saying that this whole time.

trailer

Super Mario Galaxy

It's really unfortunate that producers feel like an intellectual property is so bulletproof that they don't have to put any effort into making a coherent story.

The first Mario movie was pretty mediocre and unfortunately made so much money the people behind the sequel felt there was no urgency to make a better movie.

I think it would be fantastic if a Japanese studio was given a chance to adapt the story for the big screen. Call me crazy.

source: rottentomatoes.com 

El Pollo Loco is doing very well

I have loved the Pollo Bowl for many years. It's very good, well priced, and very filling.

Doing well in Washington and New Mexico certainly seems like a good sign.

 source: latimes.com