Conservatives Love Free Speech And Hate Frivolous Law Suits... Unless Of Course They Want To Sue You For Exorcising Your Free Speech.

As many of you know I have been threatened with a law suit by a blogger who shall remain nameless. Now Aria (another enemy of same said blogger) is being threatened with a law suit for posting on newshounds. Isn't it amazing how much "Todd" sounds like that said blogger? It couldn't be him could it?

Jonathan Goes To the Movies: Midnight In Paris

This week is dedicated to the best movie i've seen so far of 2011. Enjoy my review of Woody Allen's latest flick, and how I have become a convert to the Church of Allen.

Save for Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Hollywood Ending, i'm relatively new to Woody Allen. The cast - Marion Cotillard (who won the Best Actress Oscar for La Vie En Rose), Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams (Mean Girls, Sherlock Holmes), Kathy Bates (About Schmidt, Revolutionary Road), Tom Hiddleston (who played the cunning, backstabbing brother, Loki, in Thor), etc. - made me want to watch this movie, so I came into Midnight In Paris with an open mind. The first scene - three minutes of wordless dialogue, just Allen showing us the city of Paris, France at different parts of the day - had me hooked. Then the movie itself get rolling when Gil (Wilson) and her bitchy fiancee Inez (McAdams) get into another argument about his work - Gil wants to write a novel about Paris, circa the 1920's, the main character believes that those times are light years better than the present time he lives in right now - instead of turning out crap screenplays for Hollywood studios - which leads inevitably into a rather hilarious jab at the Tea Party, the first of a few Allen throws in the movie as Inez's parents John (Kurt Fuller) and Helen (Mimi Kennedy) don't like the fact he wants to throw away what they see as a successful career in the movie business for being an author, and him being a liberal even less.

The Paris vacation takes a turn for the worse as Inez runs into one of her friends, Paul (Michael Sheen), a tool who sees himself as an intellectual. Inez is fascinated by Paul's "knowledge" of the history of Paris, whereas Gil can't stand the man. Just as the trip heads south, Gil takes a stroll back to his hotel, gets lost, and winds up taking a ride with party-goers dresses as if they're from the roaring 20's, which Gil quicky realizes they are, as he is transported to Paris in the 20's. On these midnight trips through time, he comes face to face with his idols: F. Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston), and his wife Zelda (Alison Pill); Salvador Dali (Adrien Brody), and Ernest Hemmingway (a hilarious Corey Stoll), to name a few, and the beautiful Adriana (Cotillard), whom Gil becomes quickly attracted to during his midnight trips through time.

Somewhere along Midnight In Paris, I couldn't stop smiling at what I was looking at on the screen. I couldn't stop grinning and loving every single frame of this sweet, delightful romantic comedy Woody Allen has crafted. By the end, a goofy grin was slapped on my face, one that took hours to wear off. This was a beautiful, sweeping, and hilarious love letter to the city of Paris, France; to the writers and artists of the roaring 20's, most of them, I suspect, are favorites in the mind and soul of Allen; to the days of walking in the rain, roaming the streets of this majestic city without an umbrella; to the music that plays in a local cafe, on in your head as you walk about the city; and to youth itself, full of life and fresh idealism about how the world should and can be. I waked in a newbie, but after 90 minutes, I left a converted fan of this amazing filmmaker. Simply put: this is the film to beat in 2011.

**** stars out of ****

Why Would Any Republican Take Care Of His Children?

Been awhile since we've had a good troll quote. How about this one excusing Joe Walsh for not paying his child support...

Rick Patel
But, why would any man willingly pay a woman with whom he no longer has conjugal relations? It seems to go against human nature. Always has, always will.

Tea Bagger Who Ask The President For Decency Just Needed To Borrow Some For Himself.

Well We've found something Teabaggers hate more than America...Supporting their children.

Freshman U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh, a tax-bashing Tea Party champion who sharply lectures President Barack Obama and other Democrats on fiscal responsibility, owes more than $100,000 in child support to his ex-wife and three children, according to documents his ex-wife filed in their divorce case in December.

“I won’t place one more dollar of debt upon the backs of my kids and grandkids unless we structurally reform the way this town spends money!” Walsh says directly into the camera in his viral video lecturing Obama on the need to get the nation’s finances in order.

Walsh starts the video by saying, “President Obama, quit lying. Have you no shame, sir? In three short years, you’ve bankrupted this country.”

In court documents, after his ex-wife, Laura Walsh, asked a judge to suspend his driver’s license until he paid his child support, Joe Walsh asks his ex-wife’s lawyer: “Have you no decency?”

Joe Walsh’s attorney, R. Steven Polachek, called the claim of a $117,437 debt “unfounded.”

“I dispute that he owes the child support that she’s claiming or anywhere near that amount,” Polachek said. “Joe Walsh hasn’t been a big-time wage-earner politician until recently — he’s had no more problems with child support than any other average guy.”

While Laura Walsh’s attorneys say they have been awaiting a meeting with Joe Walsh’s attorney to work out a settlement, Polachek said it’s her attorneys who have been stalling.

So in the guy's defense like many other teabaggers it sounds as if he is stranger to employment.

See You, Space Cowboy: My "Songs of the Night"

In addition to being one of the most celebrated anime of all time, the show Cowboy Bebob boasts amazing jazz, rock, and heavy metal tunes, all composed by Yoko Kanno and her group, The Seatbelts. These are just a few of my favorites from this group:

"Adieu"


"See You, Space Cowboy"


"Blue"

Remembering James Bond. Casino Royale 1954. In Honor Of Linda Christian

Linda Christian the first Bond girl Passed away tonight at the age of 87 So I am posting the 1954 Television movie Casino Royale. I happen to think this is really quite well done for what it is however I am under no illusions that the film is high art. It is and and always has been nothing more than a cheap early television movie. Still for what it is it's quite good.













This is how the film is suppose to end. The ending is cut off of video releases. Why? As the Youtube poster speculates maybe because of low video quality.

Anyone honestly surprised by this story?

In case you don't know this man, he is Alabama's Attorney General Troy King. King is one of those crusading traditional conservatives, who rails on the gay/lesbian community, as demonstrated in an email he wrote to, The Crimson White, for having a gay/lesbian alliance on the campus of a college:

The existence of the Gay/Lesbian alliance on this campus is an affront to the state of Alabama, its citizenry, this diversity and its students. However, it is also an outrage to compel those students with both moral and religious objections to the activities and ideas espoused by this organization to contribute money, via student fees, to subsidize these activities.

One has but to look at the forces which the controversy has united--from the American Civil Liberties Union to the National Organization of Women to the Queer Nation just to name a few--to clearly see how corrupt a cause this truly is.

If you think his hangup on gays and lesbians stops there, well then you need to be reminded of his outrageous bill he helped pass, banning all sex toys in the state of Alabama - which was quickly overruled a year later.

Well, he's in the news today, and he's in quite the scandal: King was caught having (drumroll please...) homosexual sex with his gay male assistant!

This may come as a shock, but a prominent anti-homosexual Republican attorney general has apparently been caught having homosexual sex intercourse with his homosexual gay male assistant. Bonus: The dude’s wife caught him, in their bed. This is the rumor that the AG’s office has officially denied, so now of course everybody is spilling the sordid details.

AG in question is Troy King, who, of course, is only interested in outlawing homosexuality and sex toys. His gay lover is either a college “buddy,” or a very young youngster and “Homecoming King” from Troy University. What are the odds of a dude named Troy King getting caught in bed with a Homecoming King from Troy University?

Isn't there an old saying somewhere about those who live in a glass house shouldn't be throwing stones?

I'm insulted!

So the Count and "Bob" are in an epic war of words on their respective blogs, but there's no mention of yours truly. All I have to say is: what gives, "Bob"? Where do I fit in all of this? Sure, i've taken a hiatus from writing anything political, but come on! The last few years when I would contribute something nearly everyday should be grounds enough for some kind of name-calling! I'd happily take "idiotic, naive liberal brat who doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about", but I can't even get that! Maybe I should return to talking more about current events, and less about movies and Harry Potter.

Edit From The Count: Ehh Bob Likes you I think. At the very least he respects your writing. He thinks you are a more talented writer than I am to which say... Duh! As for the epic war? Nah. Last week was the first time I mentioned him in 6 months and that was only to express that I wouldn't want him around my children. People say you know Bob said this or Bob said that. I laugh it off. I don't read what he writes and do not care. He does read what I write and he does care.

My advice for what it is worth is to stay out of it. Stick to whatever it is you want to write about movies, current events, how great the Padres are this year. But leave Bob to me and most of the time I'll leave him alone.

One correction though. Since Your talking about a "blog" war I am sure you mean Planet Bob not "Ranger" Bob. Two different Bob's. Of course neither claims to be "Suicide" Bob however after reading their work I am being to have my doubt about "planet" and "suicide"

Another Edit From The Count: After consulting my law firm of Dickerhoof, Fleckenstien & Morin. I have decided that the subject will be dropped. He's not welcomed here so anything he posts will be erased and any mad blatherings he writes on his blog are his own business. This blog shall be Peters free.

The View From My Ass: Where I Start To Understand The Unibomber

Sometime between the ages of 20 and 30 a funny thing happened in life. I went from thinking my Father was the dumbest man on the planet to actually becoming my Father. Well maybe not quite. Unlike him I understand why technology has taken over our lives and why MOST of the time it's a good thing. However like him I do not understand why there is never a backup plan for when all these gadgets and gismos that make our lives so much easier fail. I get why the grocery store has gone computerized, I do not get why the grocery store has to come to a complete stand still when the computer system crashes. Man should run the computers instead of computers running man. I know what a quasy idea.

Tonight at 5 o'clock central time The University of Minnesota put it's football tickets for the Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin games up for sale and the tickets were sold on line only. OK No problem tickets sold on line only. This is the world we live in today. And nobody I mean nobody would be dumb enough to put the tickets on line only with out having a server strong enough to hold the traffic after the Colorado Rockies World Series fiasco right? Right? Ok so tickets are $95. That's a little steep and part of the cost is they're making Nebraska, Iowa and Wisconsin fans buy a ticket to another shittier game earlier in the season AND unlike are old Big 12 brethren at least they are also soaking Iowa and Wisconsin besides Nebraska. And $95 isn't that bad. The other Big 12 schools charged that or more with out throwing in a ticket to Miami of Ohio. Anywho the website says tickets go on sale 7-22-11 at 5:00 PM. OK.

5 O'clock I am on line. click...click...click. Here we go. The server is down. You have got to be shitting me! This I will NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER understand. YOU chose to do this entirely on line. And you couldn't test your server to see if it would hold up? See I think the internet is a marvelous thing. The greatest invention of my lifetime but can we really not cope with out it? How about server's down call 1-800-blah blah blah? How about testing your servers? How about staggering the times when you put the tickets for your 3 biggest games on sale? Instead of all 3 at 5 on Friday why not Friday for NU, Saturday for IU and Sunday for UW? Hell even if you staggered them a few hours it would thin out the traffic and put less stress on your servers. Anyway I keep trying to get in and buy tickets. I am not Sarah Palin I do not quit easily. Server down, server down, server down, Wait I am in. What does this say? We are experiencing a higher volume of traffic than expected (And why in the fucking world wouldn't they have expected it to be heavy? Nebraska fans travel 2000 miles to see games you think they won't travel 350?) you are now in the online cyber waiting room. OK cool. I am on cyber hold but at least I am in. 3 minutes later server crashes again. I start over.

click...click...click...server down, server down. server down. CYBER HOLD AGAIN! Maybe this time It will go through! 5 minutes still on hold! Good sign! Server crashes again! Now at this point I am pissed. Nebraska's website I would have 12 tickets by now. But I keep plugging away. Server down, server down, server down On line Hold again. THIS TIME I AM GETTING THROUGH I KNOW IT! Well ten minutes and another server crash later I finally say OK I am holding things up I've been here 45 minutes, we need to go eat I'll get these tickets later. OK we go eat we go to Borders to see if there was anything left worth grabbing, that place was a mad house and already 60% empty. I think they just liquidated their crappy stock no way could they be that picked clean already. But I digress. We get back I get on line...click click click I get through to Minnesota's ticket site. HEY quick and easy. Do you want to buy tickets to Nebraska, Iowa or Wisconsin games? YES! next screen! I am really finally going to get these tickets! Nebraska SOLD OUT!

Man was I pissed. When the tickets were there and I was on line at the time I was told their worthless server kept crashing because it couldn't handle the volume. Not my mistake but theirs. Now the tickets were sold out? I got the tickets. I went to another site which I thought would be too expensive since they mark up the tickets plus I hate those fucking places anyway. They are a huge part of the problem. But at $119 a ticket I decided it wasn't that much worse than what Minnesota was charging and I didn't have to think up away of unloading Minnesota Vs Rudypoo U. With taxes and charges (the same Minnesota would nail me with) it was $137 a ticket. All because They weren't ready to do the job they said they were going to do. Or more precise their server wasn't ready to do the job that they said it was going to do. And of course no plans were taken on their part to have any sort of backup should the server crash.

Finally on the subject of technology and convenience . The E-reader is a neat little gizmo and being able to push a button and have a book sent to you with out getting up is a nice luxury but it also takes a job away from the book seller. 11,000 of which are about to lose theirs. internet commerce is great and quite a luxury but when businesses like athletic ticket offices finally have the capacity to handle their transactions correctly, and I have to think someday they will! that will be even more jobs gone. No need for the ladies in the ticket office anymore when everything is sold on line.

Sometimes If I am forced or we just need an item or two (even that takes too damn long) I go to the store with the Contessa and she uses the machine that lets you scan your own groceries bag them and pay for them yourself. Being the killjoy I be. I said to her I know you love that machine and it's convenience but that machine has taken a job that somebody was once getting paid to do. Funny with more and more do it yourself machines in the stores and less and less employees to pay the cost of groceries isn't going down is it?

KTF
Stephen

R.I.P. Borders

This is not exactly breaking news but Borders bookstores are going out of business. The Liquidation sales start tomorrow in their stores. Borders is to blame for being slow to recognize the E-reader market, online sales and hiring some real shitheads to manage their stores but it's not a good thing the store is going out of business. I am a believer in competition and I am a member of all 3 big book sellers book clubs. (We do have 1 Books a million store) I often made purchase decisions on which store Borders or B&N gave me the best deal. Now with Borders out of the way there isn't much incentive for B&N to continue to give discounts even to their book club members. Books a Million may compete in the South but not here. When I go in to their one store here it's always empty and the workers are always startled to have a costumer. Also it's the only store that doesn't seem to give out coupons offering 30 to 40% off twice a week. Of the 3 major stores I preferred Borders. I thought their store was the best and they gave the best discounts to their card holders. They will be missed. One piece of advice for B&N. If you buy up some Borders stores buy the one across the street from you at 72 Street and get out of that graveyard known as the Crossroads mall. Surely you must notice that between you and Sears there is nothing left of Crossroads but few mall walkers beating the heat and maybe a few teens in the bathrooms beating something else.

Please Read

I do not mind if you post on old threads however on the threads at least a week old the comments go to moderation. I had to do this because I was getting sick of having to erase bot posts in the comments section offering free porn, better car insurance and Russian Brides. Any comments left on old thread like "Ranger Boob Rules" I got that yesterday, or "I'm not a racist I own all 6 seasons of Sanford And Son" and "Oh BTW Count you and so and so suck" won't see the light of day. Thank You.

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