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.