Christmas Surprise

 We got to surprise our daughters Thursday.  We drove fown to Miami.  The girls thought mom had an appointment with a lawyer.  The next day we drove to the Port of Miami.  Then we had to park.  We had hoped to pull up to the terminal, but the traffic was worse than usual or it was the usual.  At this point, we explained we had to park for the Carnival Magic.  Nothing.  I turned and had to say, you are going on an eight day cruise for Christmas!  Then, we got excitement.  One daughter claimed she knew it because she saw some paperwork.  It was a surprise to them.  Now, they want Christmas cruises every year.  I don’t think we can afford that.  

Oscars Streaming

 It looks like the Oscars will be streaming instead of showing on TV.  YouTube won a contract to show it after the Disney contract ends.  It's a sign of the times.  The one thing they embrace is the one medium they fear.  Those in Hollywood worry that streaming will kill the theater experience.  It definitely has changed movie watching habits.  Small, intimate movies do not really sell in theaters.  People want to see big movies on the screen.  I think it also depends on the story.  If it's not really good or just repetitive, what do they expect?  I wish they would realize that they need to make better movies for them to succeed in movie theaters.  They will never realize that lesson.  

Betrayed Update

When I was younger, I saw the movie Betrayed.  It is a gritty movie about an FBI agent who goes undercover in the world of white supremacy.  Today, we need a follow up.  Not a remake or a reboot.  They could have another person go undercover.  That movement is thriving.  With our current government, it is not being watched.  They are part of the government.  They are politicians, preachers, ICE agents, etc.  Their hate is now legal and even encouraged by the president.  If you watch Betrayed, you would see that in the end, they achieved what they were aiming for.  

New House

 My daughter is moving out.  She is strapped for money.  You'd think anything she could get to furnish the house would be appreciated.  I saw a curb alert on Facebook.  That is where someone is getting rid of something, but they are alerting people that it is free for the taking. I sent her a picture, and she said it was nice.  I told her it was free for the taking if you can beat others.  She does not care for it because it does not fit her style. When we were low on money, we did not have the luxury of style.  If we needed a piece of furniture, we'd get it for the least amount of money. When we could afford better furnishings, we would upgrade.  Kids nowadays don't mind maxing out their credit. I just don't get it.  I know a lot of it comes from programming in social networks. When you have no money? I'd rather have money than care about what people on a social network think.   

What is Hollywood to Do?

 Everyone is up in arms about Netflix buying WB.  I don't think either should be able to buy the company.  I have no say.  We need to go back to the Paramount Antitrust Decrees.  It says that those who create movies can not be the same as those who show those movies.  Back in the day, the movie corporations owned the movie theaters.  We are going in the same direction with streaming.  If I had to pick one, I would go with Netflix.  They currently do not own a production/film company.  They pay others to create for them.  They will not have as much duplication as Paramount will have.  If Paramount wins, there will be mass layoffs.  It will also mean fewer movies being released. Some will say no movies will be released in theaters if Netflix wins.  They say they will continue to release movies in theaters through WB.  Who are we to believe? Paramount says they will not fire people and that the Middle East partners will not control access.  I have a hard time believing that people who put up a large amount of money are not going to want something besides return on equity.  As you can see from WB Discovery, there was a decrease in that return. Another thing I have to point out for Hollywood, Oscar-bait movies are not doing well in theaters. Ella McCay was poised for an Oscar run.  After this weekend, I do not see it.  Look at current nominees for the early awards.  A good half are coming from streamers.  I just don't see how theaters will play a role in the Oscars, except for big-budget effects.  That is, unless the Oscars take over the MTV
 awards and start awarding best kiss, biggest box office take, biggest explosions, etc.  

Animal Farm Destroyed

 I saw a preview yesterday that I wish I could unsee.  George Orwell would be rolling in his grave to see what has been done to his novel.  It evolved from a cautionary tale to a DreamWorks animated tale, featuring all the usual characters and villains.  This will be one movie that I will never see.  It is not the book I read in high school.  That book had meaning.  This looks like a Hollywood producer said this is depressing, let's add fart jokes and current slang/music.  Sorry to any parents that feel forced to take your children to this movie.  

Forgotten States

 Every year, you hear of states that feel the government has forgotten them.  Now we have a president who only cares about making money for himself.  Those forgotten really backed a winner.  If you really must know, their problem lies with the people they elect.  They elect republicans who are totally beholden to the rich.  These politicians do nothing to help the people of those states.  Then, you have the idiots who are trying to save dinosaurs.  I mean, businesses like coal.  It's a dying industry.  Technology has surpassed the needs of coal.  Even China is backing away from coal.  From the pollution they have suffered through, they realize it is no longer sustainable.  Our country could be putting in factories for solar and wind power in these so-called forgotten states.  Jobs that are probably safer and pay better.  The politicians are taking bribes to make sure that they do not.  If you live in a forgotten state, probably a red state, elect representatives who speak and fight for you.  You have no representation when competing with wealthy donors.  These people don't even all live in these states.  They make money off of they're misery.  

Autocrat Condolences

 So, our wannabe Autocrat gave condolences yesterday.  He told the victims of the Brown shooting that shit happens and his fake prayers go out to them.  For Rob Reiner, he said that because he hated trump so much, that it came back to haunt him.  Go to love this guy!  The only person he cares about is himself.  Just what we need as a president.  So sad!  

Losing the Past

 I woke up this morning to another death of a past actor/director that I liked.  Rob Reiner did a lot of movies that I grew up on.  Not to mention watching all in the family as a child.  Before that, it was an actor who was a bad guy in many movies.  Getting older sucks.  

Paul Dano is a Great Actor

 I read about Tarantino's hate for Paul Dano.  I went to Amazon and bought Prisoners.  He has had many movies that I liked.  I do not understand why he does not like his performances, but they beat the hell out of all the movies he put himself in.  At least, Hitchcock knew to keep his walk-ons to a minute or two.  Check out some Paul Dano films.  Little Miss Sunshine, Prisoners, Mad Money, The Batman, and There Will Be Blood.  Although Tarantino has a good eye for actors to fill the roles he writes, he is not god and most of his movies are stories that he writes with shots borrowed from other filmmakers. To say his movies are original may be lopsided.  Maybe that is why Oscar for best director eluded him.     

Trump’s Hate Rules the World

 It’s trumps world and we’re just living in it.  More like the hate he espouses is infecting everything.  He probably loves it.  We have a shooting at another school, there is a mass shooting in Australia. Russia taki g out infrastructure in Ukraine, our military killing fishermen in Venezuelan waters, etc.  The world is just trying to survive the hate our country is importing.  Yet his political party remains silent.  How disgusting!  This man is a felon, who continues to commit crimes as president. 

War Crimes

 You see trump is taking oil shipments without killing anyone. Why can’t they do the same for the smaller boats they are blowing up?  Maybe it’s because they know they will not find drugs.  That is why they are executing survivors.  Dead men tell no tales!  There needs to be a full investigation.  He is acting like a dictator!  

Disgusting Pig

 Our president is a disgusting pig.  With his anti-DEI measures, he is going after the disabled.  How low can this guy go!  He’s fighting to stop from having to use an interpreter for the deaf!  I have disabled children.  People like him are no better than the Nazis.  His followers feel the same.  They probably think that disabled people add nothing to society.  I take a million disabled over one trump!  

Screenplay Contests

 On my Facebook page, I get ads for screenplay contests.  The problem I have is that I would have to pay to enter and there is absolutely no guarantee I would be able to do anything with it.  You got to think, Hollywood only has a certain number of scriptwriters that actually get jobs.  You might as well save your money and learn to write one yourself.  It would be the same, but you would still have the money.  Believe me, Hollywood is not an open business.  There are gatekeepers.  Just look at the screenwriters whose scripts create low earning movies, who still get to write more.  It’s the American way, fail upward.  Soon those awful scriptwriters will become producers or directors.  

Christmas Surprise

 This year, my daughters are getting a gift they know nothing about.  I cannot wait till they see what they will be doing.  Currently, they believe it's a road trip.  It will be so much nicer.  I just hope we see some real reactions.  They have shown that there might be some.  I know one daughter will just smile and wonder what is going on.  

Freezing in Florida

 Last night, I had to go out and cover my avocado plant.  We had a freeze warning.  That try has been growing for at least 3 years, and I do not want to lose it.  It would be great if it were big enough to stand a slight freeze, but I do not want to chance it.  At least I do not need to worry about the dormancy of our lawn.  If we had an HOA, they'd demand green lawns.  Nature be damned!  Karens think money grows on trees and winter will not brown lawns!  

Avatar 3 is Coming

 I can't wait for the third Avatar.  It looks really good.  If you believe it will fail, just look at how much the first two did.  This one looks to ramp up the tension by adding an additional group to fight the Sullys.  I learned this long ago with James Cameron: never think his movies will fail.  I did that with Titanic, and I ran a movie theater.  Guess what? I was wrong and lost out on commissions.  Get your tickets!  See it in IMAX!  This is the best format to view it in!  I wish we had an IMAX theater near here.  The closest theater is in Orlando.  It is located in our tourist corridor.  There are other venues with IMAX name, but the theaters lack the screen sizes that IMAX demands to be seen in.  

Storage Hell

 I was driving into work yesterday and noticed all these storage companies.  I remember when I was younger, and a building was going up.  I would wonder if it was an eating place or a store of interest.  Nowadays, it's a storage company.  People need to declutter their lives.  I had to use one once.  I will never, I hope, do it again.  Currently, I want to go through our belongings and donate as much as possible.  If not donate, hopefully sell.  Most is not worth much.  We do have some "collectables," but unfortunately, collectables are just a term to get people to buy. As I look back, there are some trends I wish I had avoided.  Beanie Babies, Baseball Cards, Comics!  It was at a time when they were cheaper, but they had little value.  Most of my baseball cards were from mass-produced eras, or the players were steroid addicts.  It's truly a shame that people buy so much unnecessary junk that they need these units.   Wake up, people! You can not take it with you when you die, and your family is most likely to trash it. Save your money and do things to make memories.  Take lots of pictures.  Stay away from anything that is trending.  It is a scam created by marketers!   

Turning on the Heat

 I woke up this morning and turned on the heat.  Well, actually, I woke up around 12 and turned on the heat.  It was set for 69.  It never dropped below that.  At 3, I woke up and nudged it up to 70.  That will be comfortable enough for me.  Any more and it starts getting too hot.  I really don't even like using the heat in my car.  

A New War Down South

 It looks like America is going after South America.  He's starting with Venezuela.  He says it's because of drugs, but if so, why pardon drug dealers?  Now he's even threatening Columbia because they were mean to him.  Will his son take control of all that coke?  They'll probably have a party at mar lago after they get the drugs.  If you think he is going after Venezuela because of drugs, then you need to turn of Fox news.  It's all about the oil.  It will be a war to give the oil rights to corporations.  I'm glad my kids will not be risking their lives for corporate domination.  All countries south of America should be wary of trump.  

Go Fund Me! Legal Scam

 Don't worry, I am not starting a Go Fund Me.  I just saw a story that makes me hate this service.  A girl up north was fired for insulting a black couple.  Now she has a Go Fund Me that is actually making money.  Just goes to show you racists will take care of their own.  I have never liked Go Fund Me.  It's a scam.  Actors who have "fallen on bad times" start them all the time.  They would never give to people in need.  They want you to fund their lavish lifestyles.  We tried doing one for adoptions, but they said we could not do one for adoptions.  Do you know the cost involved in adoption, especially overseas?   The red tape both countries have costs money.  Kim K can sell her garbage as a fund raiser for herself.  Unless you know a lot about the people doing one, do not give to them.  Especially actors/musicians, etc!  They have made more in their short lifetime than you will ever make.  If they pissed it away, oh well!  

Affordability, Yeah Right!

 Now Big Brother is trying to make Americans believe that he has made everything affordable.  I don't feel that way.  Costs just keep going up.  Going out to eat is a luxury.  Fast food is available at rates of $10 and over.  That is not affordable.  Bring a family and you're looking at $60+ to eat at McDonald's.  Don't even get me started about electricity.  I live in a state where the ruling party rubber stamps all increase requests.  They are even asking for more money in a season without hurricanes.  Our government is not making it cheaper.  They are phasing out renewables so that we can burn more oil and coal.  Instead of looking into the future, we are going in reverse.  Healthcare in this country is a joke.  Republicans feel that we should get the care we can afford.  If you can't afford it, sorry.  Just like education.  Only the rich will get the best.  The rest of us can get training to do menial jobs.  The government is even taking away loans for education.  Republicans want us to be dumb, Fox absorbing humans.  

Verses in General

 I wish Hollywood would go back to original storytelling and stop trying to create some kind of universe.  If the story warrants exploring other areas, then that's fine.  But they are writing all kinds of spin-offs before the first story even comes out. Universals Monsterverse was a stupid idea.  Like all these villains would come together to fight a bigger villain.  Plus, it takes the horror out of the story and turns it into some kind of dumb comic book gathering. Then, you have studios trying for the next Harry Potter.  That has given us lots of crappy films. Not even the kids it is geared towards want to see them. How does Warner Bros. compete with itself?  A streaming series of the same movies.  Now with actors that look like poor replicas of the originals. They have to milk the property for every dime.  Surprisingly, the writer is not creating stories within the books or a prequel.  They did try it with movies.  But it sucked.       

Flesh Eating Bacteria

 It looks like Florida has a new surprise in store for visitors.  Flesh-eating bacteria are on the rise.  This is at a time when waterways are cooling down.  I suppose it doesn't help when Tallahassee allows companies to discharge wastewater into our rivers and oceans.  If you come here, be careful.  Do not go into water with cuts or scratches.  If your skin starts to turn red or fevers begin to occur, go to the hospital.  It happened to my daughter.  She had a break in her skin.  She thought the salt water would help it.  It did not.  She ended up in the hospital.  This is the second time this has happened to her.  The first time was a freshwater swimming area.  Stick to chlorinated pools.  

Nice Cool Day

 Woke up this morning and had to put on a light jacket.  Some in Florida will probably break out their winter wear.  It's only in the 50's.  It will not stay that way.  Florida always warms back up.  Enjoy the cold when you can get it.  

Five Nights at Freddy's 2

 Wow!  I thought this movie was going to bomb.  From what I found out, the creator of the video game was also the screenwriter.  Frankly, it did not look that good.  I suppose the game's fans came out in droves.  I think that is great.  I need a movie with a story that makes you care about the characters.  This just looks like a movie where people enter an old building, and things jump out at them.  If that's your cup of tea, enjoy.  I'll wait for streaming.  I'm a Matthew Lillard fan.  I still look forward to it for that reason, no matter what Tarantino says.  Paul Dano is also a great actor.  See Prisoners, and There Will Be Blood, if you want to see his performance.  

Affordable Housing? (Pump-and-Dump Scheme)

 I saw one reason why affordable housing is such an issue.  It's from a pump-and-dump scheme.  If you saw the movie The Wolf of Wall Street, you know what pump and dump is.  If not, it occurs when a broker buys a large quantity of a penny stock.  Then, they encourage others to buy because of some future event that will increase the value tenfold.  Once it hits a level, the broker sells off their share.  That is what is going on in the Housing/Renter market.  Companies like BlackRock are buying up groups of houses for around $300,000.  Then they sell it to themselves for a value of $700,000 a piece.  This causes the values of houses to artificially increase.  At this point, they can sell them at a gain or rent them out.  Since the values of the houses are so high, they can set the rent values even higher.  Unfortunately, this is all legal.  These companies own the politicians.  As long as a politician is paid, they will not bite the hand that feeds them.  Those in America do have the right to vote.  Just remember what the rich are doing to you.  It's not the poor and immigrants.  They want you to believe it is.    

The Rain Continues

I'm shocked.  The rain has continued.  I love it.  In Florida, when summer ends, the state enters its dry season.  Every bit of rain helps.  Especially when you have as many homeowners' associations as Florida does.   They require everyone to have green lawns, even in the winter.  Then, water control districts have to reduce watering.  You'd think the government would make it so HOAs cannot enforce ridiculous rules, such as requiring green lawns all year long.  However, many people profit from it.  

Rain in Florida

 Running around yesterday was a game of hit and miss.  One minute it would be raining and then it would stop.  The rain really did not last for a long period of time.  At one point, I was picking up my daughters.  We walked out and it began to pour.  Someone asked if I needs an umbrella.  I said no, we’ll wait a minute.  Sure enough, the rain stopped.  It’s Florida.  

Amazing Weather

 Florida is having some of its best weather.  Not all will agree with me.  Just as warmth and humidity were sneaking back, we got rain and a decline in temperatures.  I love this.  I hate our usual weather.  December tends to be warm.  Maybe not humid, but definitely warm.  Air conditioning runs all the time.  For the last couple of weeks, we have not needed it.  I also think our farm dog is enjoying this.  He likes cold weather.  The chickens are another story.  We see a decline in eggs.  In a couple of months, it will pick up again.  

Better Call Saul

 If you haven't watched Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad, you should check them out.  They are probably the best shows ever created.  I recall that when Breaking Bad premiered, I wasn't sure what to make of it.  The father of Malcolm in the Middle in a drug show.  Once you start watching, you get hooked.  There are some amazing performances. It really has to be seen to be believed! It is not a comedy.   

Carry Your Papers!

 The US has gone crazy.  Our Gestapo, ICE, is now pulling all citizens and arresting them if they refuse to show their papers.  This is disgusting and scary.  Kids are going missing.  Families are being torn apart.  Politicians stand by and do nothing.  Now, our "supreme court" is siding with anything our corrupt government wants.  If you live in the US, carry your papers or you might disappear.  Even papers may not protect you.  Your politicians are worthless and will do nothing to help.   

Crazy Chickens

 I'm sitting in my office at home.  All I can hear is the sound of chickens squawking. I think they are trying to encourage me to feed them.  I know when I go out, it will be like Ace Ventura and the animals flocking to him.  I do know they will squawk before laying an egg.  The roosters are non-stop with their calls!  

Burning Down the House

 I'm sitting here in my house, and I start to smell smoke.  I start running around looking for a source.  Nothing can be found.  I look out towards the lake.  Smoke is coming up from the trees in front of the lake.  Our neighbor is burning again.  I do not know what they are burning.  Maybe they are clearing a path to the lake.  I believe some of that soil is swamp land.  Maybe they will build a walkway over it.  It would be nice if they would give us access, but we do not even know them.  I do wish they would stop burning trees.  I feel like I live in a campsite.