This blog will NOT become AI, Omnibus

I used to be a little boy,

So old in my shoes.

And what I choose is my voice,

What’s a boy supposed to do?

Smashing Pumpkins – “Disarm”

Today, I received an email from WordPress. They are proud to tell me that they have added AI into their repertoire. They are “excited to introduce the Jetpack AI Assistant—an all-new tool to help you polish, proof, and prepare content for publishing. This versatile writing aide is found right inside the WordPress.​com editor, readily available at all times to make your creative process smoother and more efficient.”

I am here to tell you that I shall not and will not use this widget on this blog. The words posted on this blog, unless otherwise noted as quotes, or written by a guest author, are 100% my own. The opinions expressed here are my own. This blog is in the writing camp of Mark Twain & Ernest Hemmingway, in which I mean that I write in the I speak in real life. What you read here is exactly the way I would converse with you face-to-face. (Or over the phone, or in a video conference, etc.) This is also why I desperately need a proofreader.

I see the writing on the wall. I see where AI assistance can come in handy. But I’m not doing my blog for the views or the SEO. In a country (and social media) that has been hijacked by the lunatic fringe, I will remain an iconoclast from both the mainstream and the radical conspiracy theorists. That being said, if you read something on social media, or any website that seems like it was something I wrote, chances are: (1) I’m being plagiarized by a creatively lazy and bankrupt influencer; or (2) an AI app has incorporated this blog into its algorithm and also using my words uncredited.

The I, Omnibus blog (iomnibus.wordpress.com) is not a side hustle. It is not a vainglorious attempt for internet fame. It is my legacy. It is my reflection of me staring at the abyss. This is me when I’m off the clock. This is me when I’m off the grid. I am a GenXer; I grew up on WYSIWYG. Perhaps I am fated to be one of the last of the Wysiwygers. That’s probably why you are here. If so, I hope you stick around. I thank you. Now back to my usual rants and ramblings.

The I, Omnibus 2023 music year in review

Been dreaming, l’ve been pushing through
I’m not the star of the story
And I’ve been hurt, and I’ve been missing you
I’m that special kind of lonely

The Revivalists, “Good Old Days”

The consensus among the pop music reviewers on YouTube is that 2023 was a terrible year for pop music. Good thing I don’t listen to pop music.

What the heck is happening on LinkedIn?

“If you make sure you’re connected
The writing’s on the wall
But if your mind’s neglected
Stumble you might fall”

Stereo MC’s – “Connected”

It is foolish to believe that websites will remain static when technology evolves every other day. This goes double for social media platforms. I’m not just talking about aesthetics or efficiency. I am specifically referring to the site’s original mission statement. A highly publicized change in ownership is an obvious and clearly visible sign for the (d)evolution of the website FKA Twitter. In a more quiet and subtle manner, LinkedIn has entered a similar downward spiral. Instead of being the professional alternative to Facebook, the 2023 version of LinkedIn has morphed into a slightly less toxic version of Meta.

The dirty secret why NYC’s Alt92.3 FM failed

On October 27, 2022, the popular all-news radio station 1010 WINS began its simulcast on the FM dial, taking over the 92.3 frequency that previously belonged to the alternative rock station. This is not the first time an alt-rock station lost its FM station in order for an AM station simulcast in New York City. Once again, this leaves the largest media market in the US without a modern rock station. Technically, that is not true. There are two stations that play a vast amount of what is considered “adult alternative.” One is the Fordham University radio station, WFUV 90.7. The other is situated just outside the five boroughs in Port Chester, NY, WXPK 107.1. Along with modern adult alternative, they also play an eclectic mix of music from the past 55+ years, which I must conclude is the personal preference of the Program Director. (It just so happens that their taste in music coincides with mine… so bully for me?)

This makes all the sense in the world for the parent company conglomerate, Audacy. The all-news station has been in the top three in ratings for the important morning and afternoon rush hour periods for as long as I can remember. And as you can probably tell based on the image above, the music station has been relegated to the HD2 Phantom Zone, which you might as well say is the same as not existing at all. And while I feel bad for all of the on-air personalities that have lost their jobs, the station has only itself to blame for its own demise. Because there is a secret about the late Alt 92.3 that didn’t want you to know.

On fandoms

The bottom line is that there is nothing wrong with being a “casual fan.” Don’t let any “true fan” tell you elsewise.

Unless there is an official license or certification at stake, almost all online quizzes are bullshit. And at or near the top of the mountain of dung is the purity test. Believe me, the person(s) / franchise / subject of your fandom is happy for your support, irregardless of the intensity of your fandom. Actually, they are probably much happier is you’re just a casual fan. Remember, “fan” is just shorthand for “fanatic.” 

Can a site like Channel Awesome work in 2018?

If you are (or were) a fan of That Guy With The Glasses, The Nostalgia Critic, or any of the producers that are or were affiliated with Channel Awesome, then I’m sure you are aware of the current firestorm brewing about that site. For those of you unaware of the site, here is a brief synopsis: Channel Awesome (CA) is a site that was originally created to promote of whole bunch of internet critics, who reviewed a wide variety of pop culture: from movies, to comic books, to video games, to anime, to pop music. Each producer had their own niche. But the “star” of CA is the site’s host, Doug Walker, a.k.a. “The Nostalgia Critic”, a.k.a. “That Guy With The Glasses”. In fact, channelawesome.com used to be thatguywiththeglasses.com. (I’m not hyperlinking on purpose). So it is no surprise that Doug would get top billing. Since its inception, many producers have come and gone. There were always rumors about certain personalities leaving on bad terms. But since most of the former producers kept quiet on the details, they remained as rumors. And since CA removed ex-contributors’ content immediately and with no fanfare (with one notable exception), many fans were kept in the dark. Until recently…

I, Omnibus went to NYCC 2017. Here are my thoughts.

Another New York Comic Con has come and gone. And as the convention continues to evolve and grow every year, the rules to adapt and survive continue to evolve as well. Any media outlet, any social media account, any YouTube channel can recap the events, the panels, the breaking news, and especially the cosplay, so I’ll leave that aside (except maybe the cosplay). Here’s what I learned…

The Top Ten Comic Book Mini Series

“I don’t need your civil war,”
– Guns N’ Roses, “Civil War”

During the 1980’s, the comic book industry, after seeing the success it brought the television networks the previous decade, decided to create their own mini-series. Before then, if a comic book wanted to tell an extended story, they would just tell the story over multiple issues with little to no fanfare. The story arc would be given a name after the fact (e.g.: the X-Men’s “Dark Phoenix Saga” is the name given to issues #129 – 138 of the comic title, “Uncanny X-Men.”) But when comic books industry hit its first bubble in the eighties, the companies decided that they can generate even more sales if they hyped their story arcs ahead of time, and dubbed them as events. And it worked!