The World's End kicks ass seriously

On Monday morning I was surprised to see that Lee Daniels' The Butler had been number one at the box office for the 2nd week in a row, not because of the subject matter, but because this is a small film and usually small films don't stay at the top too long.  Once the target audience had seen the film, these little movies usually fade away.  What I had been hoping for was that another small film, "The World's End," would have managed to have found a spot in the top three, specifically because the film has been getting good reviews (Rotten Tomatoes either 93% or 97% depending upon which day you looked).  To my chagrin, it came in at number 4, which becomes less disappointing the more you look at the numbers, not just ticket sales but theater count as well.  "The Butler" was playing in 3110 theaters, an increase of 170 - in that many theaters the $16 + million it made is more then a little disappointing.  "We're the Millers," was playing in 3445 theaters and made 3.5 million less - boy was that a waste of empty seats.  Normally, as you continue down the rank, especially for opening weekend films, the news just gets worse.  Except....

 

 

for "The World's End."  This little film came in fourth place in ticket sales with $8.8 million dollars in seats sold.  And, it did this in less then half of the theaters showing "The Butler."  That's right, this little film was in 1551 theaters, almost 50% less then the number one movie of the weekend.  The Jennifer Anniston film which was in almost 2500 more movie theaters beat by a little over $4 million - that is an hellatious amount of empty seats, in fact I would not be surprised if there were showing where there was no one in the audience at all.  If you do the numbers, "The World's End" kicked ass this past weekend.  What in the hell were those theater owners thinking?  How can you possible resist one night, 6 friends, 12 bars and killer, alien robots?

 



Pandora - choice not herd mentality

Recently I purchased a new vehicle and it came with Sirius XM Radio, something I've never had before, of course it was only for a three month trial period.  I have another two months left before my 'free three months expires," and I have to admit that sometimes it's rather nice.  I get to listen to the music I prefer (alternative) without a lot of normal FM radio patter, and, of course, there are no annoying commercials.  The Sirius DJ's do pop in every other song to provide little, newsy tidbits and, now and then, to ask you to follow them on Twitter.  But then I looked at the cost per year and took a step back, not that it's exorbitant, but I did ask myself was it worth it just for the Alternative station?  Last week I received a letter from Sirius encouraging me to subscribe and one of the first things to come out of the envelope reminded me that with Sirius XM I could listen to Howard Stern.  They must think I'm part of that herd mentality who feels it necessary to listen to Mr. Stern on a daily basis.  I'm not.  When people gather around the water cooler and begin discussing Howard's latest comments or antics I don't knot my hands and gnash my teeth as a horrendous, little voice wails in my head.  I have more important things in my life.  I don't need to be one of the people who tell other people how funny Howard Stern was that morning on their drive into work.  I would rather spend the drive listening to Alternative music.  In fact, I don't need DJ's interrupting every other song.  And then someone at work mentioned Pandora.

 

Not only is my car equipped with Sirius XM, it is also equipped to play Pandora.  It's a lot less expensive then Sirius.  I've been comparing the two over the past three weeks and, honestly, there really is no difference.  So far I have not heard one DJ on Pandora.  I do get much more information about the song which is playing: lyrics, should I want to see them, background info on the band, the album or EP on which the song was recorded.  Actually, I get much more info then the DJ's on Sirius patter about.  In case you haven't guessed, I'm going with Pandora and avoiding the herd mentality.

A Spoiled Brat Republican Ha Ha Moment

The Republicans are having another one of their 'ha-ha' moments, just in case you hadn't heard.  This one is over both a documentary and an intended mini-series on Hillary Clinton.  Ha - Ha.  Looks like we're going to have temper tantrum time from the spoiled brats club.  Just wait, any minute now they're going to throw themselves on the floor en masse and start pounding their hands and kicking their feet.  Their base loves this, you know whom I'm talking about, those 20 - 22% of Americans who will actually admit to being Republicans.  Personally, I think it's about time they started growing up and tried acting like mature adults.   Ha - Ha.  Like that will happen any time soon.  What is so really funny about this is that if Hillary Clinton just (and I know this is really preposterous) happened to be a Republican, the RNC wouldn't just be dancing around gleefully, they'd be jabbing with their pointy little swords and stomping with their hobnailed boots to insure no Democrat was left standing.  Remember those Swift Boat Commercials?  No wound can be too deep.  Now, it sounds as though their party is on the verge of drowning itself in crocodile tears.

Any body got a tissue?

They've voted to boycott any debate on CNN and NBC.  Do they really think that type of posturing is going to make the look wise?  Are they demonstrating how they expect their next president to act?  I think we already know the answer to that question.  Remember the Great Recession?  How George W demonstrated his compassion for all the suffering Americans by staying out of sight.  Every time somebody asked me where Bush was, I always gave them the same answer:  probably bowling in the basement.  Ha - Ha.  You would think the RNC would realize every time they pull one of these stunts to rouse their base, more and more disaffected, centrist Republicans wonder away.  They do not seem to understand that as a political party they are beginning to look a bit like a train wreck.  But if you've ever talked to a spoiled brat, they believe their atrocious behavior is perfectly normal.

Subway goes stale

I saw this article this morning on the MSNBC website and thought this is bogus reporting; how some business are already planning on cutting back on employee hours to avoid having to provide them with medical coverage.  This guy, Loren Goodridge, seems to be a real jerk.  Reading that one of his associates is having a difficult time getting by, even with the overtime, I couldn't help but wonder if Goodridge is breaking any laws.  If the associate is getting over 40 hours per week he needs to be classified as a full time associate, not a part time associate.  Of course I suspect Goodridge doesn't do this because he would have to provide benefits to a full time associate.  He owns 21 Subway franchises, meaning he's no slouch, just cheap.

while we treat our associates like crap

 And then there was this comment from a pudding head named Bill Law: St Petersburg’s president, Dr. Bill Law, said providing health care for the 250 adjunct professors would cost more than $777,000 dollars a year. "The cost associated with making a part-timer benefits-eligible really is not available to us as a public college,” said Law.  Supposedly, St Petersburg has 250 adjunct professors, however, for all of them to benefits eligible they would all have to work 30 hours per week.  For those who don't want to do the math, that's 7,770 payroll hours per week, and say they all get paid an average of $10 per hour, that would mean a payroll expense, just for the adjunct professors alone, of $77,700 dollars - per week.  Pretty hefty for a 'public college.'  I would say it's pretty apparent Dr. Bill Law is full of shit because, I suspect, most of those adjunct professors don't work a full 30 hours a week.  Of course, if you're anti Obamacare veracity is never going to part of the equation.

Republican Clown of the Day

Way back when George W was president, I remember how adamant the GOP was as a party, how anyone not agreeing with his policies on Iraq was not only Un-American, they were also Un-Patriotic.  This was not something one or two loose cannon Republicans were muttering, no, this became the party mantra which they repeated over and over again.  Of course this was the GOP showing only one side of its face, the other side, the one belonging to its base, popped out at the Missouri State Fair.  In case you haven't heard, some clown wearing an Obama mask did a very Un-Patriotic and very Un-American show to end the rodeo.  The first thing that went through my head when I first heard this was that he must have left his Darryl Issa mask at home; that was not the case.  This was nothing more then the base of the GOP showing its face.  These people are its heart and soul.  They are the reason the Republican Party is in trouble.

Republican Clown of the Day



 

If you are a centrist Republican, this is not the far right crazy shenanigan for which you want to be recognized.  Talk about stepping into a pile of shit.  If you are a far right Republican, you can not comprehend why every one is complaining.  Talk about dumb as a box of rocks.  They don't seem to understand that alienating voting blocks is no way to get themselves a Republican President.  They talk about being more inclusive yet don't seem to know who to even find that path.  Instead they seem to be going in the opposite direction, disenfranchising more and more conservative voters.  In fact, the only thing they seem to be able to do these days is send in the clowns.  Eventually, the only way they may be able to save themselves is by amputation.

Hoarders vs Pigs

There is a show on A & E which I used to occasionally watch called Hoarders.  I don't anymore because something happened, it transitioned from a show about people who hoard things to a show about people who are, for lack of a better word, pigs.  The original episodes concerned themselves with individuals who bought thousands and thousands of dollars worth of unnecessary items and filled their homes with this clutter:  dolls, and clothing, and purses, and knick-knacks, and most of it was boxed or in bags.  You might barely be able to walk through the stacks of clutter, but you could walk.  Those shows were interesting because there were psychologists and social workers involved, and they always ended with a blurb about the subjects, whether they were on counseling or not, and how well they were doing; if they had overcome their hoarding tendencies.

A hoarder's treasure trove

But as I said, something changed, perhaps because the producers wanted to increase their ratings, and they became increasingly about individuals who preferred living in squalor.  Hoarders tend to be collectors on steroids, there is no stop mechanism.  Pigs are too lazy to throw out the garbage.  I think the last episode I watched concerned a woman and her daughter who would eat outside in their van because there was no space in the house.  The rooms were filled with garbage rather then clutter; soft drink clans, pizza boxes, fast food bags.  The camera was showing you first hand what it was like to live in a pig sty.  When they revealed that this woman had a guinea pig sleeping in her bed and that she never cleaned up the shit and piss - that's when I realized the show had turned completely.

A pig's sty

 

In spite of what some would have you believe, this is not hoarding, this is nothing but stupid laziness.  The focus had changed direction, it was now on garbage and squalor and people who are pigs.  These people have serious mental issues.  Turning them into entertainment is rather repulsive.  None of them are going to get the help they need to pull their lives together.  No matter what friends or relatives may say, once the camera leaves they're pretty much on their own.  Unlike hoarders, they cannot change.  In no time at all they'll be pigs again.

Slciing and Dicing Eintein's pie

While I was walking my dog this morning up at Adams-Ricci Park, I started thinking about Albert Einstein and how much of an effect he has had on the world of physics.  His Theory of Relativity is considered by most to explain everything, so to speak.  There are those who have deified the man, which I think is a shame.  For them, his work is the whole enchilada, the pie in the sky, the beginning and the end.  What they are really saying is that a man from the early to mid part of the 20th century is a Law Giver for Eternity.  Personally, I find this a little bit hard to believe, that no other voice will rise up as loud as his. Take the speed of light, supposedly nothing can go faster, yet there are a number of individuals around the world who are working on ways to do just that.  Another group is changing tactics and trying to sidestep that little roadblock; some want to warp space, some want to bend space, some want to fold space.  The truth is there are a lot of people out there who are trying to slice up Einstein's pie.

A pie ready for dicing

From what I've read, some of his theories on black holes are now starting to be considered sketchy; things don't disappear forever.  Of course, in his day black holes were still considered theory.

At some point, I suspect, instead of being the whole enchilada, he will become one of the main ingredients, at that moment in future history his pie will be sliced.  What his devout followers need to do is take a big step back and realize his theory is still relatively brand new.  Two hundred years from now this will not be the case.  Technologically speaking, we are moving at a breakneck pace, computers are refining data to the point where some of our simple minds can only see it as magic.  The smartphone has become Star Trek's communicator and main computer all wrapped up in a tiny little bundle you can hold in your hand.  Can you imagine what they'll be doing 20 years from now?  The slicing and dicing of Einstein's pie may start off slow, but the way things are going, at some point it will be moving faster then the speed of light.

Mitch McConnell and Matt Bevin - RNC Jello heads

I saw where Mitch McConnell spoke at Fancy Farm (never head of it) which is something that happens at the St Jerome's Church Picnic (again, never heard of it), which is in Kentucky.  Evidently he showed up, gave a little speech and left.  He was, however, followed by some guy named Matt Bevin, who it seems is backed by the Tea Party, and Allison Grimes who is the Kentucky Secretary of State (?).  It seems as though they slammed old Mitch, both labeling him as an 'obstructionist.' I'll be honest, I've never really liked Mitch.  Every time he opens his mouth all I hear is pretentious bullshit.  In his defense, however, I suspect he has bent over backwards to kiss the RNC's ass.  If he is an obstructionist, it's because this is what they wanted from him.  Now, however, just like in Treasure Island, I suspect the RNC has given him the black spot, not because he's bad, but because this is how they plan to show the American people how much they are changing.

The sad truth, however, is that if Matt Bevin does managed to unseat old Mitch, he is going to be just as much of an obstructionist.  No change there.  You see Matt will be indentured to the Tea Party, and they will call the shots.  If he should win the election in 2014, the first voice he hears will be the Tea Party.  And what will they say?  You owe us.  It will be nothing more then superficial slight of hand.  They'll pull a bunny out of their hat who's been up their arm all the time.  Which is why the GOP is in trouble, you see it doesn't make a difference if you have a grape Jello head in office, or a strawberry Jello head in office.  They're both Jello heads.  Change is more then going from flavor to flavor, it means going from Jello to pudding. 

Weiner / Filner Jackasses coast to coast

I haven't really been following the Weiner scandal but evidently a lot of other people have, mostly, I suppose, to stretch things out as long as they can, until some other sexting shit hits the fan... Oh, wait, it has out in San Diego, of course they have a bit more, like head-locks, and groping, and forced kissing.  I did the Wikipedia thing on both Anthony Weiner and Bob Filner to educate myself.  First thing I noticed is that Weiner is tall, I mean really tall, six feet five inches tall, in case you didn't know, he is a big guy.  If they have their dates correct, he is 40 and about to do a swan dive into his mid-life crisis, in fact I'm quite surprised he didn't use that as his excuse.  Dealing with slowly dwindling testosterone in addition to the realization you life, for most purposes, is half over, is enough to send any tall, geeky guy around the bend.  Can you blame him for trying to immortalize himself?  So what if the medium he's chosen is a little... risqué?

6' 5" mans big hands, big feet, big.....

And then there is Bob Filner from San Diego, originally from Pittsburgh, where they drank Iron City Beer and made American Steel.  The first thing I discovered about him is that he's old, a lot older then he looks.  He will be seventy-one this coming September.  He's been divorced twice and at the time of winning they Mayoral race was engaged.  However, that relationship ended because, according to his ex, because of his verbal abuse and constant sexting.  Did I tell you this guy is going to be 71 in September?  He is doing everything he can to prove to himself he isn't nearly that old.   Of course at his age he doesn't really have a lot of time to just court and spark, hence, I suppose, the neck lock.  It's a good thing he didn't grow up on a dude ranch, otherwise things might be a low worse for him

There's no fool like an old fool

 

 

Besides the fact that both of these men are jackasses and one is on the East Coast and other on the West Coast, what else can I say?  How about one is an exhibitionist and the other a control freak?  How about that both are in denial about some very serious issues?  I suspect Bob Filner has been acting the same way most of his life, it's just that he can't get away with it anymore.  As for Anthony Weiner?  I suspect he's desperate for something and in the end it may just boil down to a need for attention.