Happy Mother's Day, Mom. I Love You.

Today's New Releases On The Pirate Bay

On today's list is the HD copy of the RoboCop reboot.  It's a surprisingly good copy.  At least 720p, if not 1080p.  There is also the romantic comedy, That Awkward Moment, starring Zac Efron, Michael B. Jordan, and Miles Teller.  It looks funny.



There are also a couple of noteworthy documentaries to bring to your attention.  First off is Gaming in Color, a documentary focusing on the LGBT gaming community, or "gaymer" culture.



Finally, we have what is, in my opinion, the most important documentary to debut in years.  God Loves Uganda is a film discussing a group of anti-gay laws passed in Uganda, and the Americans responsible for writing the legislature. Please take the time to watch this and educate yourself on what is happening right now in Africa.

 

James Franco Debuts Nude Paintings Of Seth Rogan Because....Art?

And, because gay jokes are apparently still funny?

Today's New Releases On The Pirate Bay

It's been a while....at least three weeks...since anything noteworthy has popped up on The Pirate Bay.  A couple of gems have become available in the last few days.

First, we have the drama/horror/romantic movie, Only Lovers Left Alive.  It stars Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton as vampire lovers that have been together for centuries.  Looks really good, actually.



Also in today's post is the new Joss Whedon romantic comedy/drama (damn, a lot of slashes today), In Your Eyes.  Haven't seen any previews or reviews for it yet.  But, fuck it.  It's Joss Whedon.  It's pretty much a given that it's going to be worth watching.

Finally, you have Wolf Creek 2, the sequel to the 2005 insanely thrilling cult hit.  You may want to watch this one with the lights on.

Happy Zombie Jesus Day

"Shocked and trembling, the women fled from the tomb!  They told no one, because they were afraid!" - Mark 16:8

Mashup Monday

Just heard this....like in the last ten minutes.  And, it's amazing.  Avicii's 'Wake Me Up', mashed up with The Fray's 'Love Don't Die'.  Give it a listen:

"Keep Doing This In......Oh, Whatever"

Growing up as a Jehovah's Witness, I didn't get to celebrate a single thing.  No Christmas.  Trick or treating wasn't allowed.  No birthdays.  Hell, I wasn't even able to buy my mom a Mother's Day card.  My childhood sucked.  I tried to explain to everyone that, "You don't need to have a holiday to get toys or presents.  We get presents all the time."  That was bullshit, and everyone else that grew up JW would agree with me.

The one "holiday" that we did celebrate as Witnesses was "The Memorial of Christ's Death" or, as we called it, "The Memorial".  Imagine the strange looks you get telling that to your classmates when you're in the first grade.  The Memorial is sort of a reenactment of the Last Supper.  It coincides, supposedly, with the date on the Jewish calendar of Nisan 14. That's the day way back in the year 33 A.D., that Jesus and all of his drinking buddies hung out one last time.

Dramatic reenactment

The bible quotes him as saying, "Keep doing this in remembrance of me".  So, once a year, and only once a year, all of the Witnesses in the world come out from under their rocks and meet.  It was the one event during my childhood where I was guaranteed to get new dress clothes and have dinner out.  There are only 7.7 million JWs in the world.  In 2013, they had 19.2 million people show up for this thing.  They sing a couple of songs, read some passages from the Gospels detailing what happened that night, then they pass the bread and the wine that symbolize Christ's body and blood.  Unlike Catholics, they don't eat it.  They just pass the plate around.  You only partake if you believe that you're one of the 144,000 "chosen ones", or super special unicorn Jehovah's Witnesses that are going to heaven.

He totally drank the wine...

I tried to explain all of this to my wife once.  The Nisan 14 thing, how it's related to the Israelites in Egypt, the 10 plagues, the bread and the wine, how it has to happen after sundown, 144,000, etc.  She just looked at me like this:

Wha?

I'll be honest...I never understood the "logic" either.  Never wanted to.  At least the Witnesses believed that the bread and the wine were symbolic.  Based upon the Catholic way of thinking, you were taking part in cannibalism during each communion.  

Do you think Jesus would have ever guessed that, 2,000 years later, millions of people would be reenacting his last night in the champagne room?  I don't think so.

Freudian Slip Of The Day

Last night, Fox News host Heather Childers made the following announcement:

“The UConn Huskies are the 2014 NAACP national champs."

Seriously. Look at this...



I don't think that it wouldn't have been so bad, had it not been predicted on SNL last week.  Wait until the :20 mark...

Headline Of The Day

George Bush's paintings: this is the art of Forrest Gump

The Guardian has an exceptionally harsh review of Dubya's art installation, which debuted at his presidential library over the weekend.  Some selected excerpts:

"It's like being nice about the family idiot's latest art project. Aw, isn't that sweet, poor George has done paintings of world leaders."

"His portrait of Putin actually looks like something you would find in one of America's trash-rich Salvation Army stores and buy to laugh at. "

and the best line in the article....

"These empty headed daubs look the work of someone you wouldn't trust to mow a lawn without cutting someone's foot off."

My wife and I were talking about his art a couple of days ago.  It has this strange paint by number look to it.  It's almost as if Dick Cheney sketched the portraits down, and little Georgie did his best to color inside the lines...

John 3:16

"For God loved the world so much, that he gave everyone free samples of kettle corn.  So that anyone who believed that it was tasty kettle corn, could receive a large bag at a discounted price." - John 3:16, according to the popcorn guy out in front of my neighborhood Walmart.

I thought John 3:16 was a football play....

Life Lessons From 'How I Met Your Mother'

(Don't worry.  No spoilers.)

Last night, 'How I Met Your Mother' came to an end after nine seasons.  The final episode seems to have given many fans mixed feelings about the story's end.  Personally, I thought they did a very good job at wrapping things up.  The writers answered a number of our unresolved questions.  Though the show never really jumped the shark, it did have a couple of mediocre periods during it's nine year run.  It was great to see the show end with such a phenomenal episode....even though they never did get to explaining the "pineapple incident".

Over the course of 208 episodes of any show, it ought to be easy to come away with at least a couple of morals from the story.  After watching every single episode of HIMYM since early 2005, I can think of at least a dozen lessons I could jot down from the series.  I'll do my best to limit it to five or six.

1.) Take Chances/Accept Challenges

"It works two out of three times, every time."

Let's face it.  'How I Met Your Mother' would not have been worth watching had the characters not taken any chances.  Whether it be "The Naked Man" or a blue french horn, opportunities will present themselves to take your life into a direction that you haven't previously planned for.  Don't be afraid to step outside your comfort zone, and zig where you would normally zag.  Just don't do anything that could potentially get you arrested and/or have your name put on the sex offender registry, okay? 

2.) Know Your Murtaugh List (Accept Your Limitations)

The "Murtaugh List" was featured in season four.  It was named after the character Danny Glover played in Lethal Weapon, and the resulting catchphrase from the movie:

Ted created a "Murtaugh List", a list of activities he thought he was too old to do anymore.  Over the course of the episode, Barney attempts to complete every activity on Ted's list, with horrifying (and comical) results.

I have many things on my Murtaugh List.  I'll be 39 in two months, and there are many things that I did in my twenties that I wouldn't be able to physically attempt today.  Like, staying up for 72 hours straight at Coachella.  Or, buying general admission tickets for a punk show.  Or, let's say, anything involving a rave. (Do they even have raves anymore?)

There's no shame in knowing your limitations.  Doing so prevents massive hangovers and emergency room bills.   

3.)  Never Settle

Over the course of nine seasons, Ted had been with 40+ women, with varying degrees of commitment.  A couple were simply casual sexual encounters, and some were serious long term relationships.  There were at least four or five women that could have very easily become his wife.  But, they didn't.  They weren't "the one".

There are times in life, especially when it comes to relationships, when you start to think to yourself that you're never going to find that perfect outcome.  Sure, you may find yourself in a situation where you find some of the things you're looking for.  You think that "good enough" is better than nothing.  But, "good enough" isn't a dream come true, and it will always disappoint you in the end.

4.) Marry Your Best Friend

Lily and Marshall are the best example (on television) of a successful marriage.  They were together for more than 20 years, and in the end, were still buddies.  That was the key to their success.  They were the best of friends.  Most relationships tend to get rocky when two people spend too much time with each other.  Marshall and Lily's marriage suffered when they weren't around each other 24/7.

Over the course of the series, their open communication and trust in each other (with a couple of exceptions) set the bar for how married couples are depicted on television.  When you think about it, they were the one great story that came out of the series.  In the end, they had everything they could have ever possibly wanted.  Sure, there were times when their relationship took a step or two back.  But, they were always making progress.  No one was rooting for them to stay together.  No one had to.  No matter how much crap the world threw at them, we all knew they would come out on top, because they had an advantage that no other couple on the show had.  They were partners, lovers, and most of all, the best of friends.

5.)  Life Sucks Sometimes

I'm going to do my best not to allude to any spoilers here.

Sometimes, life has a habit of screwing up your plans.  And, it seems that bad things only happen to good people.  Your reaction to those bad things will determine whether your story ends in tragedy or in a "happily ever after".  

You're lucky if you ever find the love of your life.  Some people are lucky enough to find them twice in a lifetime.  It's all a matter of perspective.

6.) It's Totally Okay For A 38-Year-Old, 6'4", 320 lb Man To Cry Watching Television

That's all I'm going to say on that topic.....

Today's New Releases On The Pirate Bay

A couple of worthwhile torrents popped up on the site last night.  First off are the Blu-ray copies of Jason Bateman's Bad Words.  It looks pretty fucked up...in a good way.



...and Dom Hemingway, which looks equally, if not more so, fucked up....in a good way.



This morning, Hi-Def "web rips" of Ride Along and Robocop became available.  Looks like they have either hardcoded Chinese or Korean subtitles.  I would suggest waiting a couple of weeks, and the true American DVD copies will be available.

Happy pirating....

Today's New Releases On The Pirate Bay

I have a whopper of a list today, folks.  (Or, should I say, Kerri, Rachel, and the two other people reading this.)

In the last 72 hours, the internet has been inundated with independent films having gone directly to iTunes.  Grab a pen and paper.  Go ahead.  I'll wait.

First off, you have the new Doc McStuffins DVD, 'A Little Cuddle Goes a Long Way', and The Pirate Fairy, a new full length Tinker Bell movie.



Next up is a thriller called 13 Sins, starring Ron Perlman, and Better Living Though Chemistry, with Sam Rockwell and Olivia Wilde.  I'd watch anything with Same Rockwell in it.



Add to that Blood Ties, a crime thriller starring Clive Owen, Billy Crudup, Mila Kunis, Zoe Saldana, Marion Cotillard, and James Caan.  This one looks like it could have some potential.



Moving along (See, I told you it was a bunch of movies), we have Hide Your Smiling Faces, a drama about two brothers that looks pretty intense.



And, Grand Piano, a thriller with Elijah Wood and John Cusack.



Add to the list the new Veronica Mars movie, the Blu-ray copy of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, My Chemical Romance's greatest hits album, and a new album from Johnny Cash, which he recorded in the mid-80s, while trying to get sober.

Next up, we have Perfect Sisters, an intriguing new movie starring Abigail Breslin.  And Free to Play, a HIGHLY rated documentary focusing on the lives of three professional video game players.



Three more to go.  I was skeptical about Snowpiercer when I read the plot synopsis, but with a cast that includes, Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, Ed Harris, and John Hurt, I'd give it a try.  There are a ton of trailers for the movie on YouTube.  Unfortunately, none of them are in English. LOL

Finally, we have The Den, a horror type thriller revolving around a Chatroulette type of concept. And, last but not least is The Immigrant, a drama set in 1920's New York, with Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Renner, and Joaquin Phoenix.


Happy downloading.

On The Death Of Fred Phelps

(Post shared with Confessions of a Stay-at-Home Punk)

When I had read that Fred Phelps was on his deathbed, I'll be honest, a smile came across my face.

Phelps was the founder of one of the most vile organizations the United States had ever seen.  The Westboro Baptist Church made many Evangelical Christian congregations look tame in comparison.  They had a single message:  Their god was not a god of love, but of hate.  And that, to win his favor, you must hate the world as well.  And, boy did Fred Phelps hate the world.

Phelps and his congregation came into notoriety in the late '90s, after protesting the funeral of murdered gay teen Matthew Shepard.  They proudly stood outside the service, holding signs declaring "GOD HATES FAGS".  In future years, Westboro went on to picket in response to the Columbia disaster, and outside the funerals of fallen soldiers and celebrities.  Their hate was palpable.  Media coverage of their protests would literally put a foul taste in your mouth.  But, for all of the horrible things Phelps had done in his life, he surprisingly accomplished a lot of good.

Fred Phelps changed the way that the world looked at the LGBT community.  Over the last two decades, his actions showed us how ugly it was to be homophobic.  He gave us an example of how we didn't want to be.

Phelps inadvertently created millions of straight allies.  He brought together soccer moms and Hells Angels, anti-war activists and veterans, to work toward a common goal.  He created an environment that made it easier to come out to your friends and family.  Who would have thought that so much hate could create so much compassion.

Shortly before his death, word came that he had been excommunicated by the WBC last August.  The reason for his removal?  Advocating that church members be kinder to one another.  Ironic isn't it?

I would like to think that in his final days, Phelps was remorseful for the pain he had inflicted on so many families over the years. That maybe he had realized that he could have done things differently.  Probably not.  But, if you really think about it, the world is a better place because of Fred Phelps.  And, I'm thankful for that.

When my children are old enough, I'll tell them about Fred and his family.  I'll explain to them how, because one man was so mean to everyone else, he showed the rest of us how to really treat each other.  I think there's a very valuable lesson to be learned in that.  And, it's one that I'll never forget.

I hope your soul finally found peace, Fred.

Quote Of The Day

"Regarding the passing of Fred Phelps, Dennis and I know how solemn these moments are for anyone who loses a loved one. Out of respect for all people and our desire to erase hate, we've decided not to comment further."

 - Judy Shepard, via a post on the Matthew Shepard Foundation Facebook page.

She took the high road.  She could have very easily, and justifiably, not done so.

Today's New Releases On The Pirate Bay

I'll keep this short.

47 Ronin, the Frozen 3D Blu-ray, and a new live album from George Michael called 'Symphonica'.  It's quite nice, actually.

I Have Figured Out How 'How I Met Your Mother' Is Going To End

There are only three more new episodes of HIMYM.  In the timeline of the final "weekend" of the show's narrative, there are only four hours until Barney and Robin's wedding, when Ted finally meets the mother.  Two half hour episodes are scheduled for the 17th and 24th of the month, with an hour long finale airing on the 31st.

At first, I was really skeptical about how the final season would play out.  An entire 22 episode season taking place over the course of a 55 hour weekend?  Somehow, it worked.

There have been numerous theories float around about how the series was going to end.  Some say that the mother dies shortly after having her and Ted's two children, and that he's telling his kids about the mother they never really knew.  Another says that the kids are actually the children of Barney and Robin, and that Ted has custody of them after their untimely death. I'm hoping the finale isn't that depressing.

I, for one, think I have figured out how the show will end.  And, I found a photo online that confirms my suspicion.  WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AFTER THE JUMP.

Today's New Releases On The Pirate Bay

Walking with Dinosaurs is now available to download.  Perfect timing.  We're going to see it in the theater at 3 o'clock this afternoon. The first movie I've seen in the theaters in months, and the crappy thing pops up on the internet hours before we see it.  FML.

In other news, there's a movie called Cheap Thrills that made its way onto iTunes this morning.  It actually looks pretty good.  You might want to give it a chance.


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Today's New Releases On The Pirate Bay

Anchorman 2 is here.  And, from what I can tell, both the original theatrical version and the R-rated version with "763 new jokes", have been uploaded for your viewing pleasure.

There are also a couple of really bizarre animated features available on the site.  The first is from Marvel, called Avengers Confidential: Black Widow and Punisher.  I had no idea that Punisher was affiliated with The Avengers.

There's also a Scooby Doo/WWE crossover.  You read that correctly.  Scooby-Doo! Wrestlemania Mystery is scheduled to be released on DVD on the 25th.  Something tells me this one is not going to be worth the $14.99 price tag.

Starter Vs. Finisher Continued... (Update: Finished)

I have a long, messy history with starting something, feeling passionate about it for a short period of time, and setting it aside to move on to something else.  I'm going to be 39 years old in three months, and the only three things I have stuck with in my life are my marriage, my daughter, and this blog.  And, when it comes to this blog, I've changed the name of it three times in four years.

Here is a list of projects that I've started and failed to carry until completion, just since the year 2000 (off the top of my head):

• Purchasing a cello, with the intention of learning how to play it.
• Purchasing a bass guitar, with the intention of learning how to play it.
• Purchasing a full set of harmonicas, ditto on the intention. (I used to listen to Blues Traveler a lot.)
• Starting a DJ/karaoke business
• Starting an alt porn website
• Starting a clothing line
• Starting a political organization
• Starting a beard club
• Starting a dog rescue
• Soap making
• Clock making
• Wood burning
• Purchasing recording equipment, so I could start podcasting.
• More online causes and Facebook pages than I care to admit.

And,don't get me started on relationships.  Add to that more books and novels than I can count.  Hell, I have 479 items in my Netflix queue (I'm not even joking).

It's safe to assume that I have a problem with commitment.  I lose interest rather quickly.  I also have a history of looking for an exit strategy as soon as I see my first setback.  

I have dozens of ideas that pop into my head over the course of the day.  I'm just shitty on the follow through. I lose interest pretty quickly. It doesn't help that have a have zero attention SQUIRREL.  I have a second blog that I haven't written for since Christmas Eve.  I haven't given up on it, but it's just been sitting there collecting dust.  I also have four...count them, four...book ideas that have been swirling around in my head for the last half dozen years.  Five, if you consider the vampire novel that has been playing out in my mind since high school.

It's frustrating.  I've gotten to the point where I'm hesitant to start a project or pursue a new hobby.  I'm afraid that it will end up being a colossal waste of time and money.  Add in the fact that most days I'm struggling to find the motivation to do more than take my daughter to school.  And, more often than not, when I do feel well enough to accomplish something, my brain fog is so bad that I'm unable to focus on a fucking thing.   I just want to finish something that I've started.

Oh, and my Netflix queue is up to 482, now.... 

Starter Vs. Finisher

I'm a chronic starter.......

A Quick Read

I've been putting a lot of thought into what I wanted to have as a giveaway on my two sites.  In my mind, the most logical giveaway is a book.  But, I don't want to offer up a book that I haven't personally read.

I enjoy reading.  I really do.  I just don't do much of it.

In my younger days, my ADHD was so bad, that I would have to read four or five novels at a time. Otherwise, I would get bored.  Lately, my brain fog has been so out of control, that I don't have the mental ability to read one book at a time.  Heck, I could be reading a six paragraph post on a random website, get three paragraphs in, and forget what I was reading about.  Never mind reading an entire book.

In the last 18 months, I can only think of one book that I have read cover to cover - Jenny Lawson's Let's Pretend This Never Happened.  I've started to read scores of books.  Finished only one. In fact, all told, I've probably spent $50,000 or more on books in my adult life.  And, I have rarely completed one.

It's embarrassing...especially for a writer.

Today's New Releases On The Pirate Bay

There hasn't been much in the way of worthwhile downloads on TPB.  A lot of Hindi and Swedish movies.  A number of direct-to-web releases.  Nothing that I would really waste bandwidth on.

Yesterday, the DVD/Blu-Ray of the Vince Vaughn comedy Delivery Man became available.  It received a lot of middle of the road reviews.  But, from what I understand, Vaughn is particularly likable in this role.  I'm not a fan of him, but it might be worth a shot.

Also, Lars von Trier's Nymphomanic Volumes One and Two were uploaded to the site.  They're not expected to be released in American theaters for another couple of weeks. Good luck trying to find a theater that will show it, though.  Both films have received some pretty stellar reviews, along with quite a bit of press. Von Trier has a reputation of pushing the envelope with what is acceptable to show in cinema.  This isn't a film that you would want to see with your kids in the room....or your mother, for that matter.  Expect a lot of graphic depictions of sex, including multiple scenes with full frontal male nudity.

Headline Of The Day

Nice use of the double entendre.  And yes, the guy was masturbating....even through being tased numerous times.  Who needs Viagra when you have meth.

I've been waiting for the opportunity to use this gif in a post.  Thank you, random masturbating meth addict.

OMG! I'M FREAKING OUT!! (False Alarm)

A couple of days ago, I received this email:

WALTER WHITE IS FOLLOWING ME ON TWITTER!!!  HEISENBERG!!!

It's a phony Twitter account.  :(  Cranston's real account is here.

I'm going to go hang my head, and eat a box of Little Debbie oatmeal cookies now....

Prepare To Have Your Mind Blown By A Tattoo

GeometryChaos posted a photo of this tattoo on Instagram a few months back.  The artist is Cory Ferguson, owner of Good Point Tattoos, on Oakville, Ontario, Canada.  He has a phenomenal portfolio of geometric and dot work tattoos.  But, this one takes the cake.  Keep in mind, this is all an optical illusion.  The man getting the tattoo has a perfectly normal (round) head.

I am consistently amazed at the advancements in both technique and artistry seen in the body art industry.  Unbelievable.

What New Disease Does Adam Have?

I was hoping to create a Buzzfeed survey, instead of writing here.  It would have been a fun way to tell everyone.  "I have _______, and I'm also apparently a smokey Gouda."

So....here goes.

Last week, I was diagnosed with Lupus.

No.  Seriously.  It's Lupus.

I'm not kidding.  

A couple of months ago, my health started taking another downhill turn.  I went to my primary physician, and had a crapload of blood work done.  Turns out, my C-Reactive Protein levels were through the roof.  CRP is an indicator of inflammation or infection in your system.  It shows up most often in the event of Lupus or Rheumatoid Arthritis.  Another indicator for Lupus called a DNA antibody came back positive.  Since I tested negative for Rheumatoid, it leaves really only one possibility.

When I had some testing done a couple of years ago, it tested positive for Sjogren's.  I didn't realize until looking at the results again, that it was positive for SECONDARY Sjogren's.  That means that the Sjogren's is caused by another autoimmune disease or disorder.  Unfortunately, the rheumatologist I was seeing at the time never bothered to dig deeper to find the underlying cause.

I was expecting this diagnosis for some time.  It's a relief of sorts to know (albeit three years later) what is happening to me.  It's still a kick in the balls.  

I'm not ever going to get better.  I'll have the occasional period of remission, but the way I feel right now is pretty much as good as it's going to get.  I'm doing my best to keep a positive attitude about the whole thing.

Oh, in the event you were keeping track, I now have Tourette's, PTSD, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, small fiber neuropathy, radiculopathy, a Chiari Malformation, a massive cyst in my brain, three failed spinal surgeries, Sjogren's Syndrome, Type 1 Diabetes, and Lupus.  Fucking Lupus.

Oscar Predictions

I don't have much time, before I have to leave for the afternoon. So, this post is not going to have all of the bells and whistles.

Best Picture
Who should win?

Gravity.  Plain and simple.  No questions asked. Brilliant acting from Sandra Bullock, not to mention some revolutionary film making on the part of Alfonso Cuaron.

Who WILL win?

My guess is either Gravity or 12 Years a Slave.  I haven't had a chance to see 12 Years a Slave yet.  But, from what I understand, it is an outstanding film.

Best Director
Who should win?

Alfonso Cuaron.  End of discussion.  There are multiple scenes in the film lasting as long as 10 minutes or more, that were filmed in a single shot.  In my opinion, Gravity has changed the way films will be shot.

Who will win?

I'm thinking Cuaron.  Expect Gravity to also take Best Cinematography and Visual Effects.

Best Actor
Who should win?

Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street.  Saw it last night, and it is by far the best performance of his career.  It's also the best film of Scorsese's career.  If it weren't for a couple of really amazing releases in 2013, The Wolf of Wall Street would probably take everything tonight.

Who will win?

Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club.  The guy lost 40 pounds for the role. Played a guy with AIDS.  Awards ceremonies eat that shit up.  Look at Christian Bale in The Fighter or Charlize Theron in Monster.

Best Supporting Actor

Who should win and WILL win?

Jared Leto in Dallas Buyers Club.  

Best Actress

Who should win?

Sandra Bullock in Gravity.  It was such a bizarre role, and she carried what was practically a one woman show for 90 minutes.  Unbelievable performance.

Who will win?

I'm thinking Bullock, but a lot of critics are calling it for Cate Blanchett  in Blue Jasmine.

Best Supporting Actress

Who should win?

My bet is on Jennifer Lawrence in American Hustle.

Who will win?

Either Lawrence or Lupita Nyong'o in 12 Years a Slave.



You can pretty much guarantee Frozen to take Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for Let it Go.  I'm thinking The Act of Killing will win Best Documentary.  Best Foreign Film is a toughy, but I'm guessing The Hunt will take the award tonight.  Very haunting movie.

Today's New Releases On The Pirate Bay

Things have been pretty quiet for the last week or two on The Pirate Bay.  The torrents that have been uploaded haven't been all that spectacular.  In the last day or two however, a number of movies which previously had their awards screeners leaked have shown up with the legitimate DVD/Blu Ray copy.  Saving Mr. Banks, Inside Llewyn Davis, American Hustle, 12 Years a Slave, The Book Thief, Gravity, and Frozen are now available without those annoying watermarks.  I imagine that the 3D copies of Frozen and Gravity should also be available in the upcoming week.

The DVD of Kill Your Darlings is now available, starring Daniel Radcliffe as Allen Ginsberg.  From what I've read, it's worth your time.  On the other hand, I, Frankenstein has had its DVD leaked.  It stars Aaron Eckhart as Frankenstein, and received quite a few lackluster reviews.

The Art of the Steal became available to download a couple of weeks ago.  It's an Ocean's Eleven style crime movie starring Kurt Russell, Matt Dillon, and Terence Stamp.  Initially, I passed it over.  It was a direct to iTunes release and, more often than not, straight to web films aren't worth your time.  This one seems to be the exception.  It has been receiving some pretty stellar reviews, with many critics questioning why this movie wasn't released in theaters.  It might be worth taking a few minutes to check it out.  Here's the preview:

W̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶Y̶o̶u̶ ̶L̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶T̶o̶ ̶B̶u̶i̶l̶d̶ ̶A̶ ̶S̶n̶o̶w̶m̶a̶n̶?̶ Will You Help Me Hide A Body?

A little something to help get you through the 42nd time watching Frozen.

Tweet Of The Day

Oh, snap!

Quiz: Ukrainian Presidential Palace or Neverland Ranch

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was removed from power on February 22nd, after days of violent protests.  He is now considered a fugitive, fleeing Kiev after being charged with over 80 counts of murder, for ordering military snipers to fire on protesters.

To the public, Yanukovych was the image of a "man of the people".  That couldn't be further from the truth.  Ukrainian citizens gathered en masse at the gates of Yanukovych's multiple estates, and were dumbfounded at what they saw.

The following images were taken of either Yanukovych's presidential palace, or Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch.  Can you tell them apart?  Answers after the break.

Photo Of The Day - Oh Nein You Didn't

So, this unfortunately timed photo is of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pointing to a spot across the room, and inadvertently creating a shadow on the face of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.  I can't stop cringing.

Quote Of The Day - Gay Marriage Is Like WHAT?!

"The government should not force us to ever use our business and use our talents, to go against what we fundamentally believe in.  For example, we would not force a Muslim to participate in a Koran-burning ceremony. We wouldn't ask a black photographer, and force them to go take a picture of KKK event. This is America. And in America, we should be able to live freely and not be forced to support or endorse ideas."

- Kellie Fiedorek from Alliance Defending Freedom, speaking on CNN.

The Alliance Defending Freedom is a Scottsdale, Arizona group of 44 lawyers. While not yet technically an SPLC certified hate group, they have many board members that are affiliated with hate organizations.  Alliance has been getting a lot of media attention recently, because they're the group that drafted Arizona's SB 1062.  SB 1062 is the bill that allows businesses to deny service to individuals (gay folk), based on someone's "sincerely held beliefs".

MINI RANT

Every interview that I have read or seen with someone supporting this bill, the person being interviewed has repeated the term "sincerely held beliefs".  It's almost as if it has become some kind of catchphrase that Conservatives use instead of "homophobic".

Okay.  Mini rant over.

So, let me see if I understand this correctly.  Having to bake a cake or provide flowers for this:

is akin to participating in this:

Or this:

What kind of fucked up world do you live in, where these are the first two examples that come to mind?  Koran burning and Klan rallies? Why on earth would anyone even do these horrible things to begin with?  Why would anyone force any of their employees, regardless of what their religion or ethnicity is, to participate in something like this?

That would be like....well...forcing one of your gay or lesbian employees to refuse service to a gay customer.

Unfinished/Unsent

Recently, I was transferring my documents from one laptop to another.  I found a document called "Hi", written in January of 2009.  Had no idea what it could be.

I forgot that I wrote a letter to my mom.  Well, was writing a letter to my mom, at least.  The last conversation the two of us had, I told my mother that I had a number of serious doubts about the things I was taught as a Jehovah's Witness.  She asked for specifics, and I said that it was too much to bring up at that time.

That night, I started writing her a letter.  Five hours and 4200 words later, I saved the document and went to bed.  I didn't even begin to explain my objections to a lot of the doctrine I had previously believed.  Had no chance to get into the blood issue, or anything concerning 1914 or 607 B.C.  I very quickly realized that finishing the letter was pointless.  My mother probably would have never read it anyway.  What was the point in writing the apostate equivalent of War and Peace?

Considering my state of mind at the time, I'm surprised at how logical I was with my writing.  Didn't curse even once.  Read for yourself, after the jump.

*Interesting footnote:  Spell check programs do not recognize the words disfellowshipped and disfellowshipping.  Interesting....

tl;dr They're Crazy

The last couple of years, it seems that the majority of "genuine" comments I've received on this blog have been genuinely crazy. Recently, I don't hear anything for weeks, then a gem like this shows up.  Keep in mind, this was a comment left on a post about The Pirate Bay.

"THE TRUTH IS OFFENSIVE!

Some believers in Christ honestly believe that that truth is so offensive that Christians should only proclaim that God is love. Example: Only preach and teach that God loves everyone. Simply repeat John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (NKJV)

The problem is even John 3:16 offends many people.

Those who reject God's truth find part or all of it offensive.

GOD'S TRUTH THAT OFFENDS

1. Mark 16:16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.(NKJV)

Mark 16:16 offends those who believe that water baptism is not essential for salvation.

2. John 16:23 "And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.(NKJV) 

John 16:23 offends those who want to pray to the Virgin Mary and other dead saints. 

3. Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.(NKJV) 

Titus 2:11 offends those who believe God's grace is only offered to a predetermined select few. 

4. Hebrews 6:4-6 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to open shame. (NKJV) 

Hebrews 6:4-6 offend those who believe in once in grace always in grace.


THE NEW COVENANT TERMS FOR PARDON.

1. Faith: John 3:16
2. Confession: Romans 10:9
3. Repentance: Acts 3:19
4. Water Baptism: Acts 2:38 

The terms for pardon offend those who reject the terms. 

GOD LOVES EVERYONE, HOWEVER, SALVATION IS CONDITIONAL."    

GIF Of The Day - Prince 1978-2013

25+ albums.....4 of them decent.

Bigoted Asshole Headline Of The Day

From Matt Barber.

The particularly disgusting quote from the piece:

"It’s a shame that Ann (Heche) wasn’t younger, she could’ve waited ‘til now when coming out as gay goes viral on the Internet and you become untouchable by anyone and everything."

And, this doesn't even compare to some of the shit he's said......

Ridiculously Hilarious Headline Of The Day

Tea Party To Celebrate Five Years Of Racism And Hilariously Misspelled Signs

Details

Today's New Releases On The Pirate Bay

Late last night, Spike Lee's Oldboy was uploaded to the site.  I was really excited when I read that Lee would be doing a remake of the iconic 2003 Korean film. But, after reading a number of reviews, I decided to skip it.  The 2013 remake only has a 41% favorable rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

My advice:  Watch the original.  But, don't watch it on Netflix.  For some reason, the Netflix version is dubbed and has a weird aspect ratio.  It totally ruins the experience.  If my memory is correct, Hulu has the original unedited version available for its members.

Today's New Releases On The Pirate Bay

The DVD screener for Philomena has finally become available.  So, by my count, the screeners for all Best Picture Oscar nominees are on The Pirate Bay.

That's pretty much it.  It's been a slow week.  Hoping to see Anchorman 2 out soon.

Remember, Don't Try Any Of That Gay Shit At The Olympics...

So says this guy:

Today's New Releases On The Pirate Bay

Good afternoon, everyone all four of you.

Today, we have the awards screener of Nebraska making its appearance on the site for the first time.  It's been getting a lot of great buzz, and I'm assuming will be will worth your time.

You also have the Marvel "one shot", All Hail the King, which is scheduled to appear on the new Thor DVD, as well as a lovely tribute package honoring the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.  It's a bundle of 31 films featuring some of his best performances.  It's a hefty download (31 gb), but would make a nice addition to your collection.

Today's New Releases On The Pirate Bay

It's Thor's-day!!!

Other than that, it's nothing but crap.

You have the laughable Homefront, starring Jason Statham, Winona Rider, and James Franco.  It's a movie that USA Today said "what "Breaking Bad" may have resembled had Sylvester Stallone written the TV show."

You also have the advance copy of the direct-to-DVD-Robocop-ripoff Android Cop, starring Michael Jai White.  Remember him?  Me either.

How Many Days Does Bill Murray Relive In 'Groundhog Day'? The Answer Will Surprise You.

Every year on February 2nd, TBS shows the movie 'Groundhog Day' umpteen million times.  You know you watch it every year.  I usually see it on TV a couple of times a year.  Inevitably, the question pops up in my mind, at least once, "I wonder how long Bill Murray kept repeating that same day over and over again".

Well, wonder no more.  Years ago, when director Harold Ramis recorded the commentary for the 'Groundhog Day' DVD, he estimated that Phil Connors "spent about 10 years trapped in his own little corner of Hell".  Later, in June of 2009, a blogger took the time to dissect the film, and came up with the estimate that Bill Murray relived that single day in Punxsatawney 3176 times.  That breaks down to 8 years, 8 months, and 16 days.

Ramis read the blog post, and responded in an interview, disagreeing with both the blogger and his own earlier estimate:

"I think the 10-year estimate is too short. It takes at least 10 years to get good at anything, and allotting for the down time and misguided years he spent, it had to be more like 30 or 40 years… People [like the blogger] have way too much time on their hands. They could be learning to play the piano or speak French or sculpt." 

The issue seemed to have been settled.  Then came an article in February 2011, by Simon Gallagher of the blog obsessedwithfilm.com.  He poured over the film time and time again.  It turned a light-hearted movie into an arduous task:

"For anyone who wants to check all of this, I really don’t suggest watching Groundhog Day in this manner. It’s not the best way to enjoy what is essentially a light-hearted comedy whose metaphysical concerns are supposed to be enjoyed in fun, and not worked out mathematically. Normal people should be happy to just watch, and accept that Phil Connors is stuck repeating his one day endlessly over and over until he finds himself- but then, I don’t think I’m normal."

After taking into consideration scene changes, lines of dialogue, and skills that Phil had taught himself over the course of the movie, Simon had determined that Phil Connors had actually been stuck in a perpetual day of repetition for 12,403 days.  Taking into consideration for leap years, and you have 33 years, 358 days.

In a way, knowing that doesn't make the movie funny anymore.

As I was finishing this post, this song popped up on my Pandora.  Ha ha ha.....

Today's New Releases On The Pirate Bay

The last week or so has been crap for downloading.  Mostly straight-to-DVD or made-for-TV movies.  Honestly, if they were worth your time to download, you would have already recorded it on your DVR.

Looks like a better HD copy of Ender's Game is available this morning, as well as the DVD copies of The Counselor and Free Birds.  The Counselor received horrible reviews.  Many critics put it on their Worst of 2013 list.  But, it's from the writer of No Country for Old Men, directed by Ridley Scott, and has a pretty great cast.  Might be worth your time.

Now, Free Birds on the other hand.....

New Releases On The Pirate Bay

CATCHING FIRE!!  CATCHING FIRE!!!!  HOLY SHIT!!  CATCHING FIRE!!!

Today's New Releases On The Pirate Bay

With the exception of 'Nebraska' and 'Philomena', all Best Picture Oscar nominees have been leaked online.  I'm sure that they'll be available within the next couple of days.  In the meantime, it appears that the screener for 'Inside Llewyn Davis' has popped up, as well as the made-for-TV DVD of 'Bonnie & Clyde' that originally aired on The History Channel.  It's worth checking out.  Has a 6.4 rating on IMDB.  I'm sure it pales to the original, but can't be all that bad.

From what I can tell, it looks like an HD copy of 'Ender's Game' is now up to download, but it has hardcoded Korean subtitles.  If you're desperate to see it, it's worth trying.  Otherwise, you may just want to wait a couple of weeks, and the Blu-Ray copy will be available.

Today's New Releases On The Pirate Bay

'Instructions Not Included' and 'Metallica Through the Never'.....

Nothing too spectacular.

Today's New Releases On The Pirate Bay.

There are a shitload of Hindi movies that have been uploaded this morning.  If that's your thing, knock yourself out.

Otherwise, there are a couple of movies that I haven't heard of, but look pretty decent. One is 'Cold Comes the Night'.  It's a thriller starring Bryan Cranston as a Russian mob boss or killer.  It has some potential.  Getting a pretty strong review on IMDB.

You also have a comedy called 'In a World', about a female voice over actress trying to get work recording movie trailers.  Looks pretty funny.  Has a number of comedians in it that you don't know the name of, but you see a lot of on television.  It's worth a shot.

I imagine the Thor sequel should become available in the next few days.  Fingers crossed.

Today's New Releases On The Pirate Bay

Hello everyone.

Today, it looks like we have the DVD screener for 'The Book Thief', along with the DVDs of 'Last Vegas' and 'The Fifth Estate'.  There are also Hi-Def copies of 'Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2' and (supposedly) a 720p copy of 'Frozen' available, as well.  No complaints here.

Today's New Releases On The Pirate Bay

It's a great day to be a pirate!

Overnight, the DVD screeners for 'The Wolf of Wall Street' and 'her' became available.  These two movies are at the top of every critics list of the best movies of 2013, and both fall within the top 25 of IMDB's highest rated movies of all time.

The Sylvester Stallone/Robert De Niro comedy 'Grudge Match' is also available to download.  It's listed as an "HD rip", and seems to have hard-coded Chinese subtitles.  It seems to be getting some decent reviews, so take that as you may.

Also, within the last half hour or so, 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' DVD screener has popped up on the site.  There aren't very many seeders yet, so you may want to wait on downloading this one for a few hours.  Otherwise, it will probably take you all day to download.

Leave a comment, and let me know how the video quality is.

Today's New Releases On The Pirate Bay

A couple of noteworthy movies have been uploaded overnight.

First, are the awards screeners for 'Frozen' and 'August: Osage County'.  'August: Osage County' is on this year's short list for Best Picture nominees, with Meryl Streep likely to get another Best Actress nomination.  And, everyone that has seen 'Frozen' is acting like it's the greatest thing Disney has ever put out.  I haven't had a chance to see either, yet.

Typically with DVD screeners, the video quality isn't going to be hi-def. Many times, you'll see a watermark from the studio on the screen.  And, a copy in 720p or 1080p won't be available for some time.  But, it's a nice option if you've really been wanting to see a film.

Also released overnight were "HD Rips" of 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2' and 'Escape Plan'.  "HD Rips" generally aren't HD quality.  More often than not, they're pay-per-view rips from the Internet.  Lately, a lot of them have either Chinese or Korean subtitles. I guess the Chinese get movies much sooner than those in the U.S.

Happy downloading.

New Daily (As Necessary) Post

January is the best time of year if you download movies.  Just within the last week, the DVD and Blu-ray copies of 'Carrie', 'The Spectacular Now', 'Bad Grandpa', 'Enough Said', 'You're Next', and 'About Time' have become available to download.  And, with awards season upon us, the screener copies of 'American Hustle', 'The Hobbit - The Desolation of Smaug', '12 Years a Slave', 'All is Lost', 'Lone Survivor', 'The Act of Killing', 'Blue Jasmine', and 'The Dallas Buyer's Club' have become available in recent days.

Starting today, I will be posting a daily article (or as need be) listing new releases on The Pirate Bay.  I haven't decided yet whether or not to link to the actual download.  It would probably be in my best interest if I didn't (for liability's sake). Most of the files that become available are for straight-to-DVD titles that most people wouldn't have interest in to begin with.  But, especially for the next two to three months, you can count on some great titles to become available.  For instance, 'Lone Survivor' currently has a 7.6 rating on IMDB.  It isn't scheduled for wide release until this Friday.  The DVD screener became available over the weekend.

Remember, only download from trusted sources.  If you are downloading from TPB, you can generally trust files uploaded by users with a green or purple skull and crossbones.  I've never had an issue with anything uploaded by TVTeam, Juggs, or Vify.  You are always at risk by downloading a file from someone you don't know.  But, there are users on the site that have built for themselves a reputation of consistently uploading safe files of good quality.  If in doubt, read the comments.  If there is anything fishy about it, whether it be of worse quality than what it's claiming or not what it says, other users will point it out quickly.

Blind Link Of The Day

Very NSFW.  But, I promise you, you won't regret it.  It's one of the most interesting things you will ever read.

Click here.