And it's Comey and Disney... Again

Temps today are supposed to hit 60 (F), but just briefly before showers enter the picture.  We're going to be staying in this pattern of moderate temps and showers for a while.  Next Wednesday there 's a blip when the temps are expected to hit the low 70s (F), but it's only a blip.  Except for a few days with partial sunshine, the forecast is for showers, showers, showers.

Yesterday was a decent day.  Much was accomplished, including the purchase of 4 more tomato plants and a poblano pepper plant.  I've got 3 more containers to fill.  Last year I tried zucchinis and cucumbers and got zilch. Maybe this year I'll try eggplant.

I also got a 45 minute ride in.  My quad is still a bit achy, so I may go lite on the squats today.  There are leg extensions in today's workout, but both legs are used.  It was the single leg extensions on the left leg that were tough.

And I got an email this morning from YouTube.  They've blocked my edited version of Storm at the behest of Virgin Music.  I sent a copy to a friend yesterday morning and at that time it had 39,000 views and over 2000 likes.  That's not too shabby.  I suspect that if I had contacted Virgin and asked to pay for the rights they would have said "yes," but I don't doubt that would have bee expensive.  Copies of that shortened version are everywhere, so I was obviously not the only one impressed enough to make a copy.  

And the administration is going after both Kimmel and Comey again.  I've heard that the CEO of Disney is far more concerned about a public backlash than he is of the FCC, no doubt because he has lawyers who can tie that up in the courts for years, or at least until Orangie and his personal henchie Brendan Carr can be removed.  And the Comey indictment?  It's for his picture of sea shells on the beach that say 86 47.  This administration is a total joke and that is showing up in Orangie's approval ratings.  According to a recent poll by You Gov, only 18% of Americans strongly approve.

And in case you're wondering, it ain't gonna get no better for him.  I don't doubt that the Comey and the Disney bullshit are distractions from the fact that the economy is going to continue to tank.  Big headline today is that gas prices have gone up again.  They're going to go much higher, as will food prices.  Discretionary spending is going to collapse.  Americans are going to be punished for this idiocy, and so Americans will punish those in charge.  As I've said before, the midterms are going to be an extermination even for the Republican party.

Another incumbent Republican congressman dropped out of his race for re-election yesterday.  That brings the total number of Republicans to 36.  He'd rather dropout than lose.  No surprise there.

It's Being Reported

 Our outside temp was 67 (F) when I got out of bed this morning.  Temps are predicted to climb into the upper 70s (F) today, not that I care much.  Today's Saturday.  I work.  Rain is in the forecast for at least one day this week, but who knows how much we'll get.  So far the rain showers have been piddling. 

I am going to have to get out the lawnmower and trim the grass out front on one of those days.  It's just a small area 3 feet wide and 10 feet long.  The rest of my front yard stopped growing a few weeks back.

And yesterday was sort of a day of accomplishments, and, well sort of not.  I did get a loaf of bread baked, and that's yummy. And I got my workout out in.  There were 2 new exercises done with 40 pound bands which needed to be adjusted.  I did the same exercises with 70 pounds, so I let my trainer know and now we fixed the pound issue.  He also has me doing squats.  I don't like squats.  Still, I'm paying for a trainer so I'm going to do what he suggests.  There was a bit of discomfort after the first routine, however, that seems to have faded so they don't bother me... much.  I looked ahead and he has me doing what I think of as dancing squats, where I take 3 steps to the left, and then 3 steps to the right.  This means I'm going to need find some dancing music.  

My next workout isn't until Monday, so I have the weekend off.

Here's a pic of the bread.  I'm planning on take a thick slice to work today for a snack.  Yum.

And there are a lot of "reports" being posted on line.  So many, in fact, I think we should have a veracity index because, to put it simply, so many people simply make things up.  Some times they do this on purpose, at other times these posters will see or hear something and their brains will pixilate it into an unverifiable assumption they regard as truth.  With that being said:

It's being reported that Jimmy Kimmel's attorneys have had a meeting with Disney's attorneys.  This may be true, but there's a lot of inuendo being posted from his suing Disney, to his turning down a return offer.

It's being reported that the DOJ can find no link between Tyler Robinson and any Far Left Groups.  This might be much higher on the veracity index simply because it's going against the line the administration is pushing.  It's another one of many reasons Orangie wanted Kimmel off the airwaves for pointing out that Robinson was MAGA.

It's being reported that there will be no Bureau of Labor and Statistics jobs report this month because...  it is just that damn bad.  This is most likely very high on the veracity index.  This lack of information implies that the job news is so bad that even a well worded lie would fail.

Cancel Disney

 If you live in Central PA and believe today is going to be cool, you're wrong.  Even though our outside temp is a comfortable 61 (F), weather forecasters are predicting that your thermometers will end up in the mid to upper 80s (F).  Knowing how frequently the weather forecasters have actually under predicted our temps, I'm betting we will probably be hitting the low 90s (F).  We shall have to wait and see.

I got my first workout in yesterday and I was pleased.  The sequence of doing the exercises is dissimilar to what I've done all of my life, and that caught me off guard.  Instead of doing three sets of, say hammer curls, and then three sets of squats, before moving onto the next exercise, you do one set of each.  This sequence is then repeated three times with a 25 second rest between each exercise.  The workout is designed around different segments: strength, core, and then stretching.  You end with a yoga pose.  I found it a really good alternative to what I'm used to doing.  Today I ride bike!

In the afternoon I had lunch with my friends Tami and Ann.  I've known them for decades.  There is a good thing to have friendships that last for many years.  They add stability as we age.  In these disruptive times it's nice to have anchors of regularity we can rely on.   Of course, I ate too much.  But this is fine.  We laughed a lot, and, as some of you might expect, shared our negative opinions of the bloviating shitbag in the White House.

This also happened yesterday.

Last night I did cancel my subscription to Disney.  So what were the Kimmel's comments about Kirk that the FCC found so offensive?  Nothing.  It seems the FCC is tying itself up in knots because Kimmel went so far as to say that MAGA cultists were deliberately going out of the their way to prove Robinson, the suspected shooter, was anything but a Republican.  Wow!  Being honest, that's far from the most inflammatory thing I've heard since Kirk was assassinated.  This makes one wonder if there just might be an ulterior motive.... (Can you hear me laughing?)  Of course there is a completely different reason than the one given.  You see Nextstar, which owns a number of small market TV stations across the country, wants to by Tegen, a company that owns a number of middle market TV stations for $6.2 billion.  For that deal to go through, Nextstar needs FCC approval, and to get the go ahead on that deal, they're canceling Kimmel.  This is basically the same thing that happened to Stephen Colbert, canceling a comedian who's critical of the Orange Anus to get a deal approved by the FCC. Kimmel's getting canceled doesn't have a damned thing to do with Kirk.  In a sad way it's rather appropriate that Kirk, who, after spreading racial hatred for so many years, is now nothing more than a tool.  Now Disney is dealing with canceled subscriptions which, is not good for Nextstar which  means their revenue will fall.

Price Increases

 The for this weekend is going to be Soggy.  Ophelia has arrived.  Now, I know that most of you out there think of Shakespeare when you hear that name, as she was the one told to "git theeself to a nunnery," and, of course, before the young thing can go, she ends up drowning.  In current day, however, Ophelia is a tropical storm which may become a baby hurricane for a little bit, and she's churning up the east coast with her final destination being somewhat south and west of us.  Right now the prediction is that we're going to get at least 2 inches of rain, possibly more.  I hope Bob and Carlos have their waders ready because they're probably going to get a few more inches then we do here in Central PA.

The rain is going to drive retail sales down.  For those who need some form of definition: today and tomorrow are going to be slow at the great orange retailer I work for.  This means I'll be sitting quietly at the flooring desk, most likely making notes for the smashing conclusion of The Body in Motion.  

I saw where Amazon Prime is going to begin charging those customers who wish to avoid commercials.  They're saying this is necessary to pay for the extensive entertainment they are providing.  Wrong.  For those of you who aren't paying attention, there's a writer's and an actor's strike going on right now and I don't doubt that studios, including Disney, Netflix, and Amazon, will give those striking much of what they want, but it is you and I who will be footing the bill.  Corporate profit is everything to these entertainment behemoths.  What viewer really need to do is start a boycott to reign in these price increases.  Hah!  That will never happen.  People are too weak.  What would they do if they couldn't watch Peacock, or Paramount +?  Read a book?

Paradoxically, and possibly on a bright note, once the strike is over production is going to begin on Troll 2.

And, as you might expect, the country is turning to the chaos that has overwhelmed the Republican party.  Their Just Say No tactic is backfiring is a very public way, with many media outlets now pointing to the complete collapse of what ever governing skills they might have once had.  Their refusal to compromise may satisfy that vary small minority that makes up the ultra-far right, but the rest of the nation is looking at them and a total failure of the conservative movement.  Of course, they don't get it because that would mean their beliefs are anti-American, keep in mind, however that in their vision, American has a far right, authoritarian government.

  

Disney Delivers

 Holy Crap!  I cannot believe it's Thursday already!  I'm off today.  Normally I work Thursdays but our scheduling system looks at the total hours I'm available to work and would rather have me sitting at the flooring desk on weekend when we do our most business.  By contrast, next week they have me scheduled for 27 hours.

The temps yesterday got up into the mid 60s (F) here.  It was nice.  Then, last night around 11 PM a cold front came through, lots of wind, some rain, and a drop in temps.  Today we will barely climb into the low 50s (F).

I went to see John Wick, Chapter 4 last evening.  If it hadn't been so long, I would have liked it a lot more than I did.  However, the movie was over 2 hours and 49 minutes long.  You can only laugh at the over-the-top violence and they can be quite entertaining, but a 15 minute actions scene circling the Arc de Triomphe was way too long, as was the 20 minute sequence on the stairs leading up to Sacre Coeur.  The only sequence which actually stood out was one with the camera looking down and moving across multiple rooms in a villa.  That was actually ingenious.

The NYC Grand Jury is on vacation for a month.  Gee, even I don't get a month long vacation.

I got a big chuckle when I found that Ronnie DeSantis best laid plans to force Disney into a tightly fitting conservative box have failed.  Ronnie's appointees are fuming that unbeknownst to them, the previous board of directs pass rules that will tie the current board's hands for the next 30 years.  Ronnie D is now looking like the bumble, bumble he really is and will never be anything more than Meatball Ron.

One thing I don't find surprising is that 38% of Americans want Trump to have a 2nd term.  They are the MAGA brains, and old Tea Party Republicans who think the world will only be right when they can permanently say "shut up, we're in charge."  They are the MTGs of the party who will never understand the harsh reality that a majority of Americans think they're human failures.  In their minds, their only option is to be louder, and more aggressively stupid.  They don't understand that this works against them.  

Buzz This

 Well, we did get rain yesterday, some in the afternoon, most of it overnight.  In fact, there's still a bit of the drizzly wizzly still falling outside.  I don't mind the rain.  Rain is free, watering my mini-garden costs money.  Within the past 2 months, every one of my utility bills has increased: electricity up $6 per month, natural gas up $2 per month, and water up $4 per month.  These expenses are all easily covered by my paychecks from the big, orange home improvement retailer I work for, but this is not the case for others which may be why we've been hiring a lot of seniors lately.  

If the forecasters are correct, out temps today will only climb into the mid 70s (F) with a 92% chance of rain, however, this weekend we'll be topping off the thermometers in the mid 90s (F) with full sun.  Our next rain event will be arriving on Monday, that is if the forecasters are right.

Buzz Lightyear didn't hit expectations on when it opened this past weekend.  I will wait for to watch it when it hits Disney +.  I understand a lot of phony Christian /Conservatives are blaming a fleeting, lesbian kiss.  You have to remember that these parents and grandparents have turned Disney in a babysitter.   Plop the kids down in front of the TV and all you need to do is cast the occasional eye on them.  These homophobes are now pissed off because their kiddies might learn that there is nothing wrong with two mommies kissing, or two daddies for that matter.

I made some French toast yesterday with homemade bread.  Tasty!  Today I'm going to attempt potatoes with oregano, a side dish which will probably be main for later this afternoon.  That's right.  I usually eat my dinner late in the afternoon.  Meals before bedtime are not the best.

There's another January 6 hearing this afternoon at 3 PM.  I'll be watching.  I understand they're going to touch on Jeff Clark, the Trumpist Scott Perry was pushing to replace the Attorney General in order to steal the election.

I understand more subpoenas have been issued in regard to January 6.  Very interesting.  Republicans are really beginning to hate these hearings.  Democrats are allowing Republicans to make high level Republicans look reprehensible.  

One of those subpoenaed was Mo Brooks.  The Orange Anus saw him as a Golden Child, until Mo spoke up and said we need to move on and leave the 2020 election behind.  Suddenly his favorability ratings were shot to Hell.  Rumors are now swirling that he will testify, but only on live television.  Translation:  he's going to go for the throat.

As for blubbery Ginni setting the record straight and correcting those 'misconceptions?'  I wouldn't count on that happening anytime soon.  She likes to see herself as a behind the scenes mover and shaker.  The idea of having her bacon fried on TV is something she holds in deep disdain.  Besides, there's a limit as to how many times she can wear her stylishly red cardigan in public, and no other color picks up the roses in her cheeks as well as red.

Trump was Sent to Destroy them

 Will Sunday be a slow day?  Even though the sun is shining, and the temps are to climb into the high 60s (F)?  Well, if today is like yesterday, my money is saying "sloooooow," especially at the flooring desk.  The garden department was hopping.  Trucks, cars, and SUVs were lined up at we call the mulch pit, a driveway between too long walls of palletized mulch.   Drivers show garden associates their paid receipts and the associates load up their vehicles.  If you're into a paid workout, apply for that position now.

Here's a bit about one our new associates.  I was talking to a strapping, young man (mid-20s), fully bearded and looking like he's waiting to pose for Fearsome's page, who was hired to be one of the above-mentioned garden associates.  When I asked him how it was going, he said, "well, it's hard work and the customers can be really demanding, but this is just an in-between job."  He seemed like a nice guy, but I suspect he will always be working 'in-between' jobs until he decides it's too much work to apply for another one.

As the editing continues on The Body in Repose, work is still continuing on Eli and Max's next chapter, The Body Under Ice.  Listening to the radio, I'm always trying to pick apart the lyrics of the song that's playing and wondering if they might be useful.  Here's one that has joined the list of contenders for the next book.

And here is an interesting poll.  While Americans are still worried about the economy, Biden's poll numbers have begun to improve.  Republicans still hate him, but then Republicans hate everyone who doesn't kiss the ass of Donald Trump.  More importantly, this poll indicates a sudden increase in Democrats who are concerned about the mid-terms.  I don't doubt for an instant this is because of what we are seeing in Florida, and in Texas, and every other state where Republicans are in power.  For years, we've heard talk about what Republicans would do if they came into full power, in those states, Americans are seeing their dark side.  The attack on Disney?  That was the turning point.  The moment the Cracker Jack Crazies posted that large 'pedophile' sign at the entrance to Disney World they party of Trump stepped in shit.  And then there was Abbott shutting down the border in Texas to inspect every single truck.  Americans looked at that and said, "What The Fuck!"   And Republicans aren't stopping, they're shrieking away on Fox News, and Democratic voters and Independent voters are stepping back and saying "Holy Shit!" And in a little over a month, the January 6 committee is going to begin televised hearings during Prime Time.  Republicans are going to learn, Trump wasn't sent to lead them, he was sent to Destroy Them.

Retaliation

 Friday has arrived, as if you didn't know.  Being that it is Friday, I'm not working.  I did tweak my availability yesterday.  Monday and Thursdays will be the only days I can work a full 8-hour shift, while on Saturday and Sunday I can't be scheduled before noon.  This is good, since they're starting up Children's Workshop again.  For those who say, "how wonderful you hold a workshop for kids," remember, this generosity has more to do with merchandising and marketing than providing a 'fun' diy moment for kids.  

I got up early yesterday for my bloodwork, and as a result, went to be early last evening.  So... this morning I got up early because...  And I still got almost 7 hours of good sleep.  What can I say?  I like getting up early.  

Right now, the sun is shining.  Temps are supposed to go up to 70 (F) today and tomorrow they're supposed to climb higher.  Then, as has been the case for several weeks now, they're going to drop back into the 50's (F).  An associate at work was complaining "we're not going to have a spring; we're going to go right into summer."  I didn't point out that this is exactly what spring is, moderating temperatures, some days warm, some days cool.

And, as expected, Florida's Republican legislature handed Disney what they think is going to be some Payback yesterday.  They took away Disney's self-governing status.  As a result, Disney will have to pay taxes.  DeSantis thinks they're going to cave as a result.  He believes they're going to blink and bow down to him.  Disney will probably write-off those taxes when it files its federal taxes, thanks to the tax bill passed by the Republicans in the United States Senate.  Who will pay through the nose?  The constituents who put the Florida Republicans in power. 

For those of you who don't understand, this sort of thing that happens under authoritarian governments led by dictators.  It's the sort of thing that happens in Russia.  Obviously, DeSantis aims to be the American version of Putin.  Next thing you know, he's going to be riding around on a horse with his shirt off. 

Speaking of Putin, what about those French Elections.  So many were upset by Macron and his Covid rules, well, now they can go to the polls and vote for a Russian sympathizer, Marine Le Pen.  It's taken a lot of Russian money to get her this close to the presidency.  Think of her as Trump in a skirt.  Be careful what you wish for.  What you get may be far worse than you dreamed possible. 

Conservative Attacks

 Yesterday was cold and breezy.  That being said, I'm pleased with my accomplishments.

I took the Cannondale X6 into the bike shop for their 'trade and sale' event.  At this point in my life, there isn't even a bad reason for me to own 2 bikes.  While old, the bike is in pristine condition, but again, it is old, so I figured try to get $150 to $200.  I was more than a little surprised when they asked if I'd set the top price at $300.  Of course, I said "sure," but was even more surprised when, after the owner took the bike back into the shop, to have him hand me a receipt putting the top price at $375.  Even though that would be very nice, I doubt if it will sell for that much.  Still, the surprise was nice.

Laundry was done, I put in 2 miles on the treadmill, plus some rearranging and cleaning of the exercise/computer room.  Even though Microsoft provides good security, I was thinking about getting some additional free virus support for the new PC.  Avast has good reviews, so I downloaded the free version.  However, when I went to try out a game I'd downloaded from Microsoft's Game Pass, Avast blocked it.  We're talking Microsoft's Game Pass here, not some hole in the wall software company, so Avast was uninstalled rapidly.  I also had to uninstall the game and redownload it because when Avast blocked it, it blocked it permanently.

And how about the Conservative attacks on Disney?  Their hypocrisy is coming straight from Hell.

Republicans had no problem with Disney as long as campaign donations flowed into their coffers, however, once that started changing Conservatives turned rabid.  Truthfully, social conservatives have long had a problem with Disney's stand on diversity.  You see, they want Disney to hate the same way they hate, the same way Jesus tells them to hate... oh... wait a minute.  Jesus doesn't tell them to hate.  It's one of the other guys, one of the disciples, perhaps Saul, who changed his name to Paul because Saul sounded way too Jewish.  Social conservatives want you to turn off Disney.  Cut the cord!  They want you to believe you'll be damned if you watch the next season of The Mandalorian.  Can you hear me laughing at them?

The mixed bag

 Well hello, Thursday!  The temps are predicted to climb into the mid to upper 50's today.  Skies will be overcast, but not much in the way of precipitation.  We got most of that yesterday.  Lots of snow fell and melted, and drizzle, and just rain at times.  Had the temps been colder we'd have had much snow, in the end we got a mixed bag.

I'm having breakfast with my brother this morning.  I'm giving him an old mantel clock that had belonged to our grandparents.  Normally, there would be a lot of value in something that had been hand made over a century ago.  Unfortunately, my parents made the decision to have the clock refinished.  Yeeeee Gads!  What ever value it had was sanded off.  The original wood on the back was replaced with a piece of wall paneling.  Ouch!  It's just taking up space, so I'm giving it to him, maybe in about 4 or 5 hundred years it will be worth something again.

And, speaking of mixed bags... I went to see The Batman last evening, and sat through all 2 hours and 56 minutes.  I had other issues besides the fact that the film was way too long.  Part of the Batman mystique is the conflict between Bruce Wayne and his alter ego.  Out of that film, Bruce Wayne is only in the film for maybe 15 minutes at best.  The movie gets real artsy with lighting in portraying the Dark Knight, so at times color disappears, and sometimes light disappears completely and you're left watching bright flashes of gunfire on a black screen.  Every body talks slowly and there are a lot of long, lingering scenes.  Had they cut out about 45 minutes of moody inaction, this would play much better.  Pattison is sort of okay if you don't mind a lead who is always frowning.  I'm serious when I say The Batman is a mixed bag of disjointed scenes.  

So, I saw where Disney finally called DeSantis about the hate law in Florida... a bit too late since DeSantis evidently told them he's going to sign the anti-gay measure into law.  Honestly, I was surprised Disney didn't take a stronger stand.  I guess in the end, like every other corporation, decisions are based on profits and tax breaks.  People don't count.

And I don't know about you, but doesn't DeSantis look more and more like Putin everyday?  Though he might have a little more hair on his head, his actions mimic that Russian turds more than they do those of Trump.  The Florida legislation has just passed some sort of shit resolution to form a police group to monitor elections.  Damn, that's right out of Putin's playbook.  And just think, it's right on time for the November's election.  This is DeSantis way of having Florida secede from the Union.  That idea should make Disney happy.

Aladdin... and other stuff

Today is Wednesday and it's my 'get to go back to work for pay day.'  I'm not excited at all. The idea of working for 5 days, having 1 day off and then working for another 5 days just isn't tickling my fancy.
I went to see "Aladdin" last night.  I had the same problem with the live version that I had with the animated version.  While the first 15 - 20 minutes are interesting, the fun doesn't start until the genie makes his appearance.  This is my way of saying Will Smith does a really good job, and he is really blue... most of the time.  In the animated film "Never had a Friend like Me" is entertaining, in the life action film it is a fully blown showstopper.  The film takes on a whole new dynamic once his lamp gets rubbed.  Also, hats off to Disney for using a cast which is of middle eastern decent.  Sadly, it seems as though only genies get to take their shirts off.

In case you missed it, the Idiot Jerk in the White House held his kick-off rally last night.  His campaign slogan is "Keep America Great" and he was surrounded by white people wearing MAGA hats.  I'd have posted a picture but I don't think my security software could handle all of that corrupt data.  The last thing I want is for an image of him to crash my expensive gaming PC.

After over a month, I've finally gotten back on my bike, yesterday for over 5 miles.  I've been riding the CBTT Concord.  That's actually the Charlie Baker Time Trial for Concord.  There are some nice little hills which give the legs a good stretch.

The only thing odd is that the ride was filmed (that's right, on my monitor it actually looks like I'm pedaling down the street) in the late fall or late winter since there are no leaves on the trees.  That must have been one cool ride.  Once I get this nailed, I might try the ride around Red Rocks Amphitheater just to see what that looks like.

Things Change

Well, looks as though we're back to sweat pants and sweat shirt weather.  Today the high is only supposed to go up to 63 (F).  Monday and Tuesday we should hit the mid to upper 70's with some sunshine.  Today, though?  Overcast, drizzly, and cool is the forecast.
So I got to work yesterday and discovered that I had been told wrong, we weren't having tacos, rather nachos were on the menu... so to speak, and nachos do not a meal make... well, they do if you hear 4 or 5 pounds.  See, it was just nachos and salsa.  Thus my lunch consisted of nachos and a 'cup of noodles.'  Yummy.  Bet that has you all smackin' your lips just reading about it.
I see that the Idiot Jerk in the White House pissed off the French... and the British by farting stupidity during his NRA speech.  Anything and everything he says has one goal: for people to talk about him.  Does he care about France?  Or Britain?  Hell no.  But then he doesn't really care about America either.  His sole priority is getting his ego fed.  The country is being run by his advisers who have few other duties.  Those other chores consist of making sure Faux News is on every TV in the White House, and that there's plenty of canned, diet Coke on hand.
I do have a 'to do' list for my first of three days off, but it's not chock full of what I consider work.  I want to go to my Giant, I need to make an appointment to have my car inspected, and laundry is also part of the agenda.  I'd also like to dust and vacuum the upstairs.  This evening I'm going to go see "The Avengers."  Everybody I know who's seen it say it's very good.  One of my friends said to remember that this is only Part 1, and that Part 2 comes out next year.  Like most serials, I'm presuming bad things happen in 1 and then get rectified in 2.  I guess the real question is whether this movie is going to steamroll it's way to a billion dollars in two weeks.  Disney has become pretty much of a juggernaut when it comes to entertainment.  I can remember when Disney was the equivalent of pablum entertainment relying on saggy family films and milked down action films all of which had soppy endings with the company making most of its money from its theme parks.  My, haven't times changed.

The Price of Loyalty

So, I called off work today.  Rainy weather, combined with a pressure system has my arthritis aching... and I just didn't feel like trying to sell carpeting or blinds to non-existent customers; rain truly does effect the footprints passing through our store.  Even though it's been over a year since I last called off, I still got the same, curt response:  "okay, I'll put you in," and then the disconnect.  This is how life is, there is no question of my loyalty, just the aggravation of being short staffed, even on a weather crappy day.  They're not going to use that as a reason to fire me... unlike the Idiot in the White House.
You see, one of the Idiot's many problems is that he believes that because a minority party managed to squeeze him into the Oval Office through the back door of the Electoral College, he is now the Supreme Commander.  Someone needs to tell him that the Supreme Commander is only a character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and even though he looks cartoonish as hell, Disney would never hire him to play that part.  This is, however, beyond the Idiot's comprehension level; he's a business man, remember.
The Idiot, it seems, feels that he deserves unwavering loyalty, a dedication which supersedes all that is fair and good and right.  He wants people to say "yes sir," with out question.  Democracy?  Get over it, people.  The Idiot is in charge... right.  I suspect there is so much seething hatred running through the Idiot's brain right now just about everybody is disloyal, which means all of his sycophants must really have their hands full.

And this is fine, you know?  Because all of the disrespect people have for the Idiot is burning little holes in his brain, and instead of learning from his mistakes, he just fills those holes with lies and blame.  The Idiot loves to blame.  He claims that fake media is to blame... not that it isn't in a minor way.  What he's done is throw red meat to the media, and they're on it like a dog on a bone.

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if all of this disloyalty isn't making the Idiot rather paranoid.  I mean... who is loyal to him?  The military?  Hhhhmmmm, could be?.... not.

Disney's not so shocking shocker...

In case you've been living under a rock, word screamed across social media about the shocking truth in Beauty and the Beast.  (Take a deep breath... now).  Le Fou is gay.  (Have you started breathing yet?)  (Do you need me to call the EMT's?)
Now, I don't know about you, but I heard that and I... well, I had to scratch my head.  Didn't anybody see the original animated film?  Or, God forbid, even listen to the lyrics?  Evidently not.  Twenty-Five years ago, when I sat in the audience watching his scenes, I thought his sexuality was inherently apparent.  I must have been wrong... no, of course I wasn't.  You can't tell there isn't one Evangelical parent out there who wouldn't have shit a brick if they'd heard their little boy saying "gee, I want to grow up to be like Le Fou."  So, be prepared, because a lot of them are going to start stamping their tiny feet in anger.  A Million Crazy Christian Moms, will probably mount some sort of Crazy Christian boycott, which, like most of their boycotts will fail.

In the end, this movie is going to make a killing at the box office.  Josh Gad will probably be nominated of an Oscar for Supporting Actor.  And as for all of those faux complainers and whiners out there?  Their narrow world will get a little narrower, their base shrink just a little more, and they will fail.  This is how life is.

Disney's War

I saw this yesterday on the NBC news page and got a laugh.  Evidently some crazy in Texas has accused Disney of declaring war on Christianity.  Oh, and it isn't just Disney, this wacko lists a whole slew of companies because they stood up to the hate bill in Georgia.  Some crazy named Saenz, who's president of something called Texas Values.  I checked out the home page and the comments are all negative, especially in regard to what he calls "freedom."
Anyway, I got to thinking this was exactly the same thing that happened 2,000 years ago when Christianity was growing out of its underground religion status.  Back then the gods were really old, having been around for what?  About 3,000 years.  I'm sure the priests of Zeus said the very same thing, "there's a war against the gods!"  And they persecuted Christians; threw them into arenas to be slaughtered by gladiators because they represented a change to the status quo.  Society was changing.  Society is always going to change, there's no stopping it.  Religions come and go.  They stick around for as long as they are able to adapt.  If they can't evolve with every thing else, they slowly disappear.  Me?  I've always had a fondness for the gods, especially Mercury.

Dashing, isn't he?  Wouldn't you like him to chase you down the street?  I actually touched him once on one of my walks through the Louvre.  

Anyway, will groups like Texas Values, and idiots like Saenz ever understand Disney is not at war with them?  Of course not.  Their beliefs are too rigid.  Their is no room in their faith for adaptability.

Inevitably they will die off.  It's called evolution. 

George Lucas squeezing sour grapes

Glancing through the NYT yesterday morning, I saw an article on George Lucas where he said that Disney had sold Star Wars to white slavers, or something to that effect, and then retracted the statement.  Hhhmm.  Sounds like sour grapes to me.  He sold Lucasfilms, and the rights to Star Wars, for $4 billion dollars and then compared it to going through a divorce.  What an idiot.  They evidently said "thanks a lot, George, see you later," so he had no involvement with "The Force Awakens," which is no doubt part of the problem.  I think Disney did the right thing.  Looking back at the last 3 Star Wars films I have to say that, while they made a lot of money, they were totally forgettable.  The actors involved have put as much distance as possible between those films and their careers.  That's right, they were bad movies.  Everything was CGI, including half of the characters, which seems to be one of the problems Lucas has with the new film, they're not original enough.  This doesn't mean The Force Awakens doesn't have CGI, it does, but there are also some really neat set pieces, like a light saber duel in a forest... in the snow.  When I saw that scene I wanted to tap George on the shoulder and ask, "hey, why didn't you do anything that original in any of those 3 silly prequels you foisted on the fans?"

And let's be honest, this was a $4 billion dollar deal.  Nobody twisted his arm.  And it's not as though the film fell flat on its face at the box office.  No, what happened is that Disney took a moldy franchise and turned it into a mega-hit.  JJ Abrams' monster hit makes the last 3 films in the series totally irrelevant.  People will watch Episodes, 4, 5 and 6 again, but very few will watch 1, 2 and 3; there's no reason to watch them.  What George needs to do is quit his whining and sit back and count his money. 

One Million Moms stupefied the GOP

I'm sure a number of your have seen this article noting that about one third of registered Republicans would love to bomb Agrabah, the fictional city in Aladdin.  If you read it you'll see that around 51% are undecided, you know?  Should we bomb it or shouldn't we?  No one should really be surprised about this since socially conservative Republicans hate Disney.  Their films are too diverse.  Can you believe it?  Big Hero Six had an Asian / American lead!  With a co-star who was a big, marshmallow thing!

One of the most vocal socially conservative, Republican groups is One Million Moms, who's numbers don't really number one million, and who aren't all really moms.  A lot of them are just haters, which is why in 2010 they were designated a "hate group."  And, believe it or not, this small group of haters has apparently declared war on Disney.  To say that they are crazier then a box of Cracker Jacks is an understatement.  They hate everything Disney.
And, the Republican party kowtows to hate groups like this since they believe these minority voters are their future.  Right. With this mentality I'm sure very few Republican parents took their children to see Aladdin, since the real star was a big, blue genie voiced by that liberal Robin Williams.

As a result, many Republicans believe the fictional Agrabah is a real place, filled with real Muslims they are born to hate, and that small group of haters who desperately wish their numbers counted to a million, have stupefied the Republican Party.

Disney defangs Into The Woods

I saw Into The Woods the other night.  It was okay.  I saw it a long time ago on Broadway, and have seen it twice since then in regional theater, so I'm somewhat familiar.  Disney is fairly true to Act I, just a couple snips here and there, but nothing is really changed.  Like just about everybody else, I feel Depp and his zoot suit should be been replaced, but that's another story, isn't it?  Anyway, if you've ever seen the show you will know that Act II has a bit of a bite.  Disney, in their attempt to maintain a PG rating pulled most of its teeth.  That was a mistake.  What the audience is left with is something which meanders without much purpose.  Warning, here come what some might consider spoilers.

In the show Rapunzel is crushed to death by the giant, not so in the movie where she rides off with her prince.  In the show the Town Crier kills Jack's mother by hitting her over the head with his staff.  In the movie he pushes her and she has a heart attack... yeah, that's right.  In the show the witch shoves the Town Crier to the giant telling her it's Jack.  When the giant finds out it isn't, she hurls him away... through the air... but not in the movie.  That's 3 deaths which didn't make it to the silver screen.  Don't forget the Baker's wife, who seems to step out of frame in the movie.  You find out late she has actually fallen off a cliff.  Believe me, that's not how it happened in the show.  And then there's the Agony reprise, in which the two princes lament on how they've both found two more beautiful maidens, unfortunately they have to go back to their wives.  That's not in the movie, either.

What's funny is that for years I've been reading how Disney desperately wants to win a Best Picture Oscar... hell they're desperate to have a live action film nominated.  They might get a nomination this year, but they won't get a win.  The Best Picture Oscar tends to go to movies which have a little bit of a bite.  Into the Woods, unfortunately, was defanged by Disney in order to get a PG rating.  Those extractions will cost them.

Into The Woods

The trailer for Into The Woods has dropped and already there are people shrieking like a bunch of little girls who've had their panties pulled down.  "There's no singing!" So what?  It's not the first movie musical to have a song-less trailer.  "There are going to be changes!"  Of course there are going to be changes.  I would like one person to name me one Broadway musical that didn't undergo changes while transitioning into a movie musical.  Look at Burton's horrendous "Sweeney Todd."  I saw that show, on Broadway, with the great Angela Lansbury, and I can tell you there is no comparison to Burton's adaptation.  Ms. Lansbury was funny, what's her name... Burton's wife?... was not.

There are going to be changes.  Take the wolf's costume.  You see, I also saw Into the Woods on Broadway (I've actually seen the show several times in various productions) and the first time the Wolf came on stage I said to myself "that'll never make it into the movies."  You can't have a wolf running around on screen for 6 minutes or so with an erect penis if you want to keep your PG-13 rating.  Take that 8 or so inches away and his song is much less about pedophilia and much more about eating little Red Riding Hood. " But that's going to change the meaning of the show,' some whine.  To some extent... yes, but most likely not enough to change the focus of the show.

Okay, so it wasn't erect all the time.  Sometimes it just hung there.

Or take that other little Sondheim musical which happened to become a major Oscar winner, "West Side Story."  I was lucky enough to direct the show while in college and was surprised to discover, on reading the script, that the song "Somewhere" is actually song by an anonymous character in the middle of the "Somewhere Ballet" sequence.  You say what?  That's right, they cut a ballet which, gruesomely enough, has Riff and Tony (already dead) re-entering and killing each other a second time.  Try to find that in the movie.

Changes happen.  This is normal.  Here's the I wish  Give it a chance.