Random News (not Politics) Thoughts

[Totenkindly]

Doesn't really fit under Politics, but maybe will serve as a catch-all for random stuff in the news.

Disney wants wrongful death suit thrown out because widower bought an Epcot ticket and had Disney+

A man suing Walt Disney Parks and Resorts for the wrongful death of his wife is facing a new legal hurdle: Disney is trying to get it dismissed and sent to arbitration — because he signed up for Disney+ years earlier.

www.yahoo.com

Like, this is so absurd -- trying to get this case dismissed where Disney Corp is at fault, resulting in loss of life, for a non-related and non-commensurate prior small-print agreement. This is where mega-corporations really abuse their power. Who would have realized signing up for a month of Disney+ years ago could negate (theoretically) one's ability to hold the corporation accountable for the death of one's spouse?

The other absurdity is for how little money the case was for, in light of how ridiculously deep Disney's pockets go, and yet they're still pulling these shenanigans.

A man suing Walt Disney Parks and Resorts for the wrongful death of his wife is facing a new legal hurdle: Disney is trying to get it dismissed and sent to arbitration — because he signed up for Disney+ years earlier.

Court documents show that the company is trying to get the $50,000 lawsuit dismissed because the plaintiff, Jeffrey Piccolo, signed up for a one-month trial of the streaming service Disney+ in 2019, which requires trial users to arbitrate all disputes with the company. Company lawyers also claim that because Piccolo used the Walt Disney Parks’ website to buy Epcot Center tickets, Disney is shielded from a lawsuit from the estate of Piccolo’s deceased wife, Kanokporn Tangsuan, who died of a reaction to severe food allergies.

In a legal filing responding to Disney’s claims, Piccolo’s lawyer Brian Denney called Disney’s argument “preposterous” and said that the notion that signing up for a Disney+ free trial would bar a customer’s right to a jury trial “with any Disney affiliate or subsidiary, is so outrageously unreasonable and unfair as to shock the judicial conscience....”

 

[The Cat]

Disney Lawyers don't follow the rediculous rule of two, but otherwise they ARE the Sith.

 

[Totenkindly]

Disney Lawyers don't follow the ridiculous rule of two, but otherwise they ARE the Sith.

And just as badly written!

 

[Totenkindly]

$2.04 billion Powerball winner Edwin Castro bought 3 multimillion-dollar homes in 6 months

In 2022, Edwin Castro of Altadena, California, became biggest lottery winner when he claimed $2.04 billion Powerball prize. He has homes in Bel Air.

www.yahoo.com

For the sole winner of the $2.04 billion Powerball drawing on Nov. 7, 2022, for example, life seems a bit more glamorous. Edwin Castro won the largest-ever lottery jackpot, and he opted for a lump sum of $997.6 million, just shy of $1 billion, according to the California Lottery. Since his historic win, news reports show he has splurged, buying not one, not two, but three multimillion-dollar homes in his home state of California, and many vintage cars that are sure to turn heads...

...
On March 1, 2023, Castro bought a $25.5 million estate in Hollywood Hills, California. According to USA TODAY, the 13,500-square-foot mansion, sometimes referred to as "Palazzo di Vista," sits on a 0.58-acre lot and features five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, game room, wine cellar, movie theater, bar, spa and fitness studio. The main room is on the third floor and has its own balcony. Other amenities include a garage big enough to park seven cars. Most of the house, which sports an outdoor infinity pool and fireplace, is made up of glass walls.

On March 9, 2023, according to the New York Post, Castro purchased a second home in Altadena, a $4 million mansion with views of the San Gabriel Mountains. Features of the 1953 Japanese-style home include a pool, movie theater, five bedrooms and four bathrooms, the New York Post reported. Castro was reportedly living in a one-bedroom home when he won the Powerball. The New York Post said Castro also bought a vintage white Porsche for $250,000.

On Sept. 6, 2023, Castro bought a third home, a $47 million mansion in Los Angeles from celebrity realtor Mauricio Umansky, USA TODAY reported in September 2023. The seven-bedroom, 11-bathroom home has a koi pond and infinity pool, offering a panoramic view of the city. Other features include DJ turntables, a Champagne room, glass walkway, wine cellar and (like his other California homes) a home theater. The bedrooms boast walk-in closets, oversized bathtubs and relaxing sitting areas.

In addition to his luxury splurges, Castro has a round-the-clock security team...

Honestly, that's so much freaking money and him coming from nowhere, I don't begrudge him some crazy luxury purchases, like the car (although that can end up being an albatross around one's neck). But three homes in the same state? I guess CA is big enough to get some variety. I don't think I would ever buy three houses, especially in the same state. Maybe two (if I had money) in very different locations, to be able to have variety and options? But how can you even spend time in three locations? You're also rather transient, rather than having roots somewhere. Although it's funny that all three houses have very different costs despite being in the millions ($4 mil, $25 mil, $47 mil).

It makes you wonder whether he'll be able to rein it in before going through the money. What could one do this amount of money?

 

[ceecee]

I mean, I'd buy three homes if I won this kind of money but not in the same state - LA and the Hollywood Hills are basically the same place and Altadena is not that far north. Weird.

 

[The Cat]

At least buy one in a more flame retardant state.

 

[SensEye]

$2.04 billion Powerball winner Edwin Castro bought 3 multimillion-dollar homes in 6 months

In 2022, Edwin Castro of Altadena, California, became biggest lottery winner when he claimed $2.04 billion Powerball prize. He has homes in Bel Air.

www.yahoo.com

Edwin Castro won the largest-ever lottery jackpot, and he opted for a lump sum of $997.6 million...

Somewhat off topic, but I wonder if any mega lottery winner has NOT taken the lump sum. A quick google search was inconclusive. It seems "most" take the lump sum, but I was unable to find even one example of somebody who did not (I admit to not looking that hard).

Still, much like misleading blanket legal agreements consumers are often forced to sign, the news media should not talk about the total annuity payment amounts for lotteries if next to nobody takes them. They should refer to the lump sum payout received, but of course, accurate information is no match for sensationalism.

 

[Totenkindly]

Somewhat off topic, but I wonder if any mega lottery winner has NOT taken the lump sum. A quick google search was inconclusive. It seems "most" take the lump sum, but I was unable to find even one example of somebody who did not (I admit to not looking that hard).

Still, much like misleading blanket legal agreements consumers are often forced to sign, the news media should not talk about the total annuity payment amounts for lotteries if next to nobody takes them. They should refer to the lump sum payout received, but of course, accurate information is no match for sensationalism.

I don't have numbers but I would expect 90-95% of people to take Lump Sum (kinda like what you're saying) based on what I always see published. I don't know if that's because of a "Today we party, tomorrow we die," attitude, or whether it's because they think they can invest better and get better long-term results than the annuity. Or maybe they want to have money up front rather than a trickle-down. I don't really attribute it (nor have I ever) to sensationalism. I think it would be more sensational to say someone just got $997 million, versus someone is now getting $50 million a year for 30 years or something. They're still going to have to tell you how much the lotto is worth in full, if you choose to take the annuity, because that is how the lotto is set up. The Lottery org could choose to just offer Lump Sum instead of an annuity, I suppose, and then that would be all that would be reported.

Of course when we are talking that much, and you're getting $50 million in the first year even with an annuity (or even $25-50 million), I'm not sure what kind of purchase people expected to make where they need to take the billion up front. Were they planning to be a small island? Small company? Publish their own computer game? Fund the rest of RWBY? Who knows?

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

Doesn't really fit under Politics, but maybe will serve as a catch-all for random stuff in the news.

Disney wants wrongful death suit thrown out because widower bought an Epcot ticket and had Disney+

A man suing Walt Disney Parks and Resorts for the wrongful death of his wife is facing a new legal hurdle: Disney is trying to get it dismissed and sent to arbitration — because he signed up for Disney+ years earlier.

www.yahoo.com

Like, this is so absurd -- trying to get this case dismissed where Disney Corp is at fault, resulting in loss of life, for a non-related and non-commensurate prior small-print agreement. This is where mega-corporations really abuse their power. Who would have realized signing up for a month of Disney+ years ago could negate (theoretically) one's ability to hold the corporation accountable for the death of one's spouse?

The other absurdity is for how little money the case was for, in light of how ridiculously deep Disney's pockets go, and yet they're still pulling these shenanigans.

Disney's already gotten into fruit. When Disney starts getting into big tech and computers, then we'll truly have the cyberpunk dystopia I'm talking about.

I wonder what the other mega-corporations would be. Apple? Coming from the other direction, maybe?

 

[The Cat]

Disney's already gotten into fruit. When Disney starts getting into big tech and computers, then we'll truly have the cyberpunk dystopia I'm talking about.

I wonder what the other mega-corporations would be. Apple? Coming from the other direction, maybe?

The Cola Wars. 2.0

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

The Cola Wars. 2.0

Ah yes, I fought in the Cola Wars just like your father.

 

[The Cat]

Ah yes, I fought in the Cola Wars just like your father.

COLA WARS
Episode I
A New Coke

The great Cola Wars of the 1980s were a battle between Coca-Cola and PepsiCo for dominance.
The disastrous introduction of “New Coke” in 1985 appeared to set Coca-Cola back.
Yet by the end of the year, it was clear the “mistake” had actually helped Coca-Cola’s sales, allowing Coke to retain its spot as the largest-selling soda over Pepsi...

How the 'Blood Feud' Between Coke and Pepsi Escalated During the 1980s Cola Wars | HISTORY

Was the unpopularity of New Coke actually a blessing in disguise for Coca-Cola?

www.history.com

Ok hear me out. Read this article whilst listening to the main titles of A new hope.
The whole article reads like a SW crawl.

​

The Cola Wars are interesting to me, because of how much of what they came up with to fight them are still in use in marketing today, and with around 40 years of the "24 hour news marketing style Ted Turner brought to the fore...you see it in current news publications and broadcasts. Its kinda surreal to realize how something so ultimately insignificant, has shaped and changed so much of our culture.

We joke but I'm always curious what the next "Cola War" that cycles up in the news is gonna be about.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

COLA WARS
Episode I
A New Coke

The great Cola Wars of the 1980s were a battle between Coca-Cola and PepsiCo for dominance.
The disastrous introduction of “New Coke” in 1985 appeared to set Coca-Cola back.
Yet by the end of the year, it was clear the “mistake” had actually helped Coca-Cola’s sales, allowing Coke to retain its spot as the largest-selling soda over Pepsi...

How the 'Blood Feud' Between Coke and Pepsi Escalated During the 1980s Cola Wars | HISTORY

Was the unpopularity of New Coke actually a blessing in disguise for Coca-Cola?

www.history.com

Ok hear me out. Read this article whilst listening to the main titles of A new hope.
The whole article reads like a SW crawl.

​

The Cola Wars are interesting to me, because of how much of what they came up with to fight them are still in use in marketing today, and with around 40 years of the "24 hour news marketing style Ted Turner brought to the fore...you see it in current news publications and broadcasts. Its kinda surreal to realize how something so ultimately insignificant, has shaped and changed so much of our culture.

We joke but I'm always curious what the next "Cola War" that cycles up in the news is gonna be about.

I've always thought Pepsi tasted better.

Yet former Coke fans didn’t just abandon the drink for Pepsi like the girl in the commercial. Instead, they organized. Grassroots organizations like “Old Cola Drinkers of America” sprung up around the country to petition the company to change the recipe back. On July 11, 1985—less than three months after Coca-Cola announced the formula change—the company announced it would bring back the old formula under the brand name “Coca-Cola Classic.”

This is the most American thing I've ever read.

 

[Totenkindly]

Elon Musk’s Twitter Buyout Is Officially the Worst Deal Since Financial Crisis

Loans that Elon Musk used to buy Twitter have become the worst merger-finance deal for banks since the financial crisis of 2008-09, according to a report.Seven banks involved in the deal, including the likes of Bank of America and Morgan Stanley, gave Musk’s holding company about $13 billion to...

www.yahoo.com

Lol. Just like with Trump, everyone else is left holding the bag.

... Seven banks involved in the deal, including the likes of Bank of America and Morgan Stanley, gave Musk’s holding company about $13 billion to take the social media giant private in 2022. According to The Wall Street Journal, banks who lend cash for takeovers typically try to sell the debt to other investors fast—but that has not happened with the Twitter deal.

The Journal reports that banks haven’t been able to sell the debt without taking huge losses, predominantly because of the company’s poor financial performance. That means the loans have remained “hung,” or stuck, on banks’ balance sheets.

The value of the loans declined after Musk’s $44 billion takeover of Twitter—which he’s since renamed X—was completed, but the deal is now in “historic territory” in terms of poor performance, according to the Journal...

 

[ceecee]

Elon Musk’s Twitter Buyout Is Officially the Worst Deal Since Financial Crisis

Loans that Elon Musk used to buy Twitter have become the worst merger-finance deal for banks since the financial crisis of 2008-09, according to a report.Seven banks involved in the deal, including the likes of Bank of America and Morgan Stanley, gave Musk’s holding company about $13 billion to...

www.yahoo.com

Lol. Just like with Trump, everyone else is left holding the bag.

The WSJ doing their best to generate sympathy for Bank of America and Morgan Stanley. lol They also need to learn that billionaire doesn't = smart.

 

[Totenkindly]

I haven't checked the full veracity of this (I did check her account a few days back about her not posting on Twitter, which seemed to be true), but it's amusing anyway.

"SILENCIO!"

Like deleting tweets is going to help, how?

 

[The Cat]

I wonder how she's gonna try to Slytherin her way out of this one...

 

[Totenkindly]

Former Google CEO does damage control over remote work comments

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt had blamed his company’s struggle to match San Francisco startups like OpenAI and Anthropic on its remote work policy.

www.sfgate.com

"You can't win if you don't make people come into the office!"

Next day: "Please take my video down, I misspoke."

Yeah, whatever. Depends on what the job is. Of course you can get a lot of work done if you chain people to their desks who are ambitious enough to work 80 hours a week and have no families (kind of like the pace Musk has demanded) and they are working a start-up or a company vying for a top position in the industry.

Personally, our fed service work has suffered with mandatory office hours because (1) the facility is not conducive to properly support our systems work and (2) people used to be willing to work extra from home, no problem, for the good of the agency, and they still got good time with their family and could get all the necessary non-work things done.

Now losing extra time for getting ready to go to the office and commuting and some level of resentment for the stupidity of not being properly supported with hardware/software/space at the office, people are no longer willing to work past their 8.5 hour day.

 

[The Cat]

"Somebody called the cops? Oh great how could this get any worse?"

In all seriousness. Holy hell. All those bricks shooting out in all directions. I was not expecting it to be quite so intense.​

 

[Lark]

I haven't checked the full veracity of this (I did check her account a few days back about her not posting on Twitter, which seemed to be true), but it's amusing anyway.

"SILENCIO!"

View attachment 31412

Like deleting tweets is going to help, how?