USDA

AITOOW thinks it's funny that religion/morality is often more capricious than ethics? It's supposed to be the other way around. However, a few century old prejudices (that really are subordinate or antithetical to the thesis) tied onto the belief system by man end up alienating potential believers and threaten its existence. These fringe overreaches (homosexuality, divorce, contraception et al) demote morality to a sub-ethical subjectivism. It's fairly obvious that although the Devil may be in these details, a benevolent (or even a  vindictive Son of a Bitch) God is not. They are more than likely mis-interpretations, contrivances or conventions of ancient man. You obsess over these manifestations of Man to the detriment of the most important ideas of your Creator. Call it the USDA (United States of Deviant Americans) if you must. Just remember it may be a terrestrial author you are advocating for and not a higher authority.

      

Dark Chatter

AITOOW has discovered a new language? It's called Black. It's now the preferred language of the executive branch. A phrase such as "We are working towards..." (ie release of POW's) translates to -  "we are doing nothing measurable". Working = Thinking about thinking about it. It's a language where action verbs do not denote action - just the contemplation of action. All definitions are mutable. If they inure to the benefit of the speaker then they have a very expansive definition. If they are injurious they have a narrow definition. Some etymologists believe the language evolved in Arkansas in the 1990's.

This Baloney Has A First Name

AITOOW doesn't understand what passes for art these days? If I have to see another one of these films/performances lauded on Charlie Rose or the like, I'll scream.

American Hustle was a poor imitation of a Scorcese film (ie Casino). I hate the director's obsession with under lighting and his repetitive use of actors (especially in consecutive films). Jennifer Lawrence was over the top and miscast (age alone). she is not capable of doing any role yet. Bradley Cooper was less believable than he was in SLP. Adams, Bale, and Louie CK were good. They saved it from being as banal as SLP. The material was great. O Russell just tarnished it with his "stylism".

Nebraska had the gravitas and puerile pretension of a film school submission. It would be terrific as a table top book, but, it was a movie. Why do some auteurs not understand that things that make interesting still images are not enough to make an interesting moving image (at least a linear, non-metaphorical one). The plot and setting was dull. The payoff was small. The actors ranged from miscast to (hopefully) novice. I have no idea why they are lauding the old lady. She could barely get the dialogue out of her mouth. I hope she isn't a professional actress. The nomination is some sort of joke/pity. Dern just had to play a guy whose mind is blown and has a limp. Not hard for an ex-hippy. I think the director said he wanted to tell stories about real people not Super Heroes. But, this material has already been plowed.

Captain Phillips was ok. Hanks couldn't even do a proper accent. He's just a beneficiary of A material. The director did more with first timers than the guy who directed Nebraska (probably didn't have time to interact with the humans because he was setting up shots). It wasn't really a must see.

I liked most of the others. Didn't see Philomena or DBC yet. Cate Blanchett proved Woody Allen can't ruin every film he sets out to make if he has Cate Blanchett carrying 80% of the weight. The Bradley Cooper nomination  is a joke. Amy Adam's tits and his perm were more memorable than him. Her best prestidigitation is making us believe she is sexy when she is so obviously not. Fassbender had the bigger role, but, other supporting players in his own film were more nuanced. He was just a dick. The whole supporting actress category is a joke. The Blue Jasmine actress did an ok job if that isn't her being her (never seen her in anything else). The Lupita girl did an ok job. Same complaint as I had with Fassbender. Gravity was all special effects and one panic-y lady, so I'm not sure if the production part of it (directing) deserved mention. Before Midnight and Her deserve the writing awards. Jonah Hill was great, but, I think it was an impersonation more than acting. I didn't see Osage, but, the commercials made Streep's and Roberts performances look unworthy. Not that Roberts has ever been worthy. I'm guessing dope addict Matt McConaughey is only getting accolades because he lost weight and the material is gay sensitive. You can't act through a marijuana haze. The eyes look all Costas-y. Di Caprio needs to reach for harder material.

BTW - I keep seeing clips of this older film with Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro. She acts circles around him. He does his "furrow his brows" and then "puff out his lips" thing. She is all perfect subtlety. How did De Niro ever get a reputation (Pacino too) as a good actor? Were the 70's so devoid of talent that these guys passed as talented? They are just loud and feral.

Choke-chi

AITOOW thinks the US Winter Olympic team was one of worst in recent memory? They really only won medals in sports that used to be Jack Ass stunts. Is it further proof of the ineffectual parenting skills of Generation X who are overdoing the under parenting of their scions and creating uber-babies? Or is this still the fault of of the last vestiges of the hippy baby boomers "esteem" parenting?

Money Shot

AITOOW who thinks is poignant that a company that is a rehash of another company (Friendster, My Space) had to use some of its undeserved lucre on another company that is a rehash of another company (Hotmail, Skype)? People ask why would they do this deal. It's simple. They have a 13 year old novice at the helm who wants to support his legacy entity by co-opting/disrupting the economic viability of a subsidiary. It's done all the time by Empire builders. They absorb a finely constructed "militia" into their "army" and buy themselves a few more months/years of sustainability. Eventually they dissolve because they bankrupt themselves doing so, or the entity becomes unmanageable because there are too many acquired assets and/or those assets fight their overlords, each other or other acquired assets. History is replete with evidence of the consequences of this maneuver. It just shows that for all their (Millenials) talk of re-inventing the wheel, they are just like every other generation that believed that bigger is better and might makes right. I thought that "new technology" was going to makes us a nation of 1 and that size was no longer a metric.

Whenever I see these two dollar ideas purchases for billions, it makes me wonder why the corporate behemoth couldn't have re-engineered the idea in house. I mean that is how most of these companies got their start. They tweaked an existing platform (right Google?). I thought we told/discouraged all the "small guys" that they had to worry about the marketing might of the 'big, established" brands and the relatively low barriers to entry for all comers - a two front war. Try and get a small business loan and that's what they tell you before they reject your request. If this is the case, then why are these monoliths going off the reservation for solutions? They should be able use, say 19 billion, in advertising to steal your customer base not take a stcky load between their eyes.

Bullshit Talks, Money Walks

AITOOW is sick of these supposedly civic minded billionaires using their money to buy influence instead of addressing the problems they are supposedly in favor of directly with that money? The only beneficiaries are politicians and media companies.

Consistently Inconsistent

AITOOW is infuriated with the fact that people can't think consistently? Now liberals (who have no problem killing a fetus) who are using executive (governor's) orders to vitiate state law on capital punishment, are in a rage because a guy who shot another guy for loud music only got life imprisonment. The stupid parents also are infuriated with the "defend your ground law" that they say legalizes killing. The guy got a life sentence. Who cares what charge produced it. If everyone is so against killing, why are they always seeking it? I ask the same question of the right wingers who want capital punishment but not abortion.

Starting Trouble

AITOOW wonders if the starter at the Olympic Speed Skating races is the guy you hear over the PA in all those early James Bond movies? Is there any way to say "ready" more laconically? He couldn't sound more bored. It's hysterical. So much for re-inventing Russia to non-Russians. I hope this doesn't get him sent to Siberia.

I LIKE LIKE Mike

AITOOW doesn't have a problem with Michael Sam being gay? Hell, if you are looking for a player to chase down a same sex opponent, wouldn't you want him to be gay? Wouldn't he try harder than a straight man? Then again, maybe the other guy would try harder to get away. What I don't like is that I believe he did it to ensure he WAS drafted (and probably higher than before the "revelation"). Now, if someone doesn't give in to tokenism, the whole league is homophobic. It's like Jason Collins. He only "found the courage" when his ability was no longer good enough. He probably thought he could get a TV job as an oddity at the worst. I also wonder about the claims of the "penetration" of gay athletes into sport. I believe high school "sorts" out a majority of personality types into the activities that they prefer. That's why is believe most actors and artists are gay. If the "sorting" does occur, then it would be logical that the mix in society (10%) is not indicative of the mix in sports. At least manly sports. Soccer is different story. Do you think that soap on a rope will make a comeback because of this?

Crime-ean War

AITOOW wonders if there are more people in jail because there are just more people or if the same amount are committing more crimes or if more are getting caught or more are getting prosecuted?

Half(ie) Time

AITOOW wonders if academically superior schools are becoming more competitive in sports because of race mixing?

.Gov Me A Break

AITOOW finds it ridiculous the our government is using our money to pay for commercials that pitch a service that they have decided that we must buy? What a business model! Maybe the health care providers should be fitting the bill for this?

Ad-app-ting To Technology

AITOOW thinks these things masquerading as apps are really just "shortcuts" to some company's already existent mobile webpage?