Ignoring Oaths and Obligations (and Amazon prices)

For the most part, I have to say the year has been a disappointment, but "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai! Across the 8th Dimension" is still pleasantly as bizarre as ever.

While I doubt Ms Collins or Ms Murkowski will do anything to budge #MoscowMitch into, at minimum, giving the appearance of a fair impeachment trial, it is nice that they are willing to pretend to care about impartiality, and maybe they mean it, but both tend to kiss the ring of Trump more than not, so I think it is just noise.  You can argue whether or not there was an impartial investigation, but during the public aspects of it, the Republicans were just complaining about the whole thing, rather than asking questions that might have provided some sort of defense to Trump. It seems they want a reality show and don't want to face the reality that it appears that Trump has involved or attempted to involve foreign governments in US national elections.

While I don't intend to harp on the subject, please beware of Amazon pricing.  Twilight Time Movies has issued a Blu-ray of an earlier cut than is on most public domain prints of "Beat the Devil."  While I appreciate that there was a handy dandy website that gave me that information (It came from the bottom shelf!), the proprietor of the website has a linking deal with Amazon, the movie in question was listed as $42 or so on Amazon and $20 or so at Twilight Time Movies.  True, it was on sale at the latter, but the normal price was only $30, so someone did some major mark-up, and that third party vendor was using Amazon, giving the appearance that Amazon is jacking up prices. I was going to leave a note for him there, but I figure he already knows what I am talking about.  In general though, Amazon is comparable to other movies sites for DVD/Blu-ray, though they aren't always willing to get them, as I do recall ordering directly from Criterion when Amazon advised me they were unable to get the disc, with my guess at the time being that they could not get the disc at a price favorable to them.

The Good News

While I am sure I do not agree with all the former editor's beliefs, I will give him kudos for standing up for what he believes, especially when others are so willing to ignore Christ's teachings while claiming to follow them. The biggest bit of hypocrisy they spout is how it is only illegal immigrants they dislike, but legal ones are fine--as if the Holy Family would have waited for the proper paperwork to legally flee once they learned Herod had issued an extermination order for those under two years old.  As the two thousand year history of the church has revealed over and over again, nit-picking is fun, and even though Jesus encouraged his followers to Love Thy Neighbor, those same followers will continue to find reasons to ignore that particular teaching.

I do hope in the future that those who speak for the religious, speak for following the teaching of their religion in practice, rather than the "do as I say, not as I do" sort of thing that seems to be going on now.  I am not sure which part of Christ's work Trump is doing, but with many evangelicals Trump walks on water, just like Jesus did.  We all know Trump loves his prostitutes, just like Jesus did, with the exception being that Trump pays for their services rather than absolving their sins. Hush many after the fact is exactly the same as paying for their services, the only difference is the fee isn't negotiated prior to the act.

Amazon and other stuff

It is always odd when you see things on Amazon that don't make sense, like an adult romance novel being listed as a children's book, but I couldn't understand what happened in the case above, as it looks like the UP Faith & Family trial version is priced like that to inspire you to subscribe, even though it is cheaper to rent than the other version.  I doubt there is anything different about the movie, it does make one wonder just how connected the various parts of Amazon are.  Regarding the movie, it is a guilty pleasure of mine, as it is a feel good movie, and while there are some religious overtones, it isn't quite as onerously preachy as others.

In other news, the impeachment is proceeding, though I have to honestly wish the republicans would actually take it seriously and present something concrete that mitigates or contradicts what looks like an abuse of power, but so far they have done nothing to argue a defense, preferring instead to attempt to turn the proceedings into a reality show circus that Trump will appreciate, though not too much if it gets good ratings.

Tuesday, a twelfth

Yes, a very Hello Kitty sort of Pez dispenser it is, and it was a gift.  I am not sure the Kelly's Heroes is the best sort of movie to watch while trying to compose a blog entry, but everyone likes to brag about their multi-tasking abilities.  It has been a laundry and housework sort of day, though since my oven decided to stop working properly, I opted for leftover chili, from the freezer to the crock pot.  Part of the reason for the puttering around the apartment is that I am waiting for a package of some sort to arrive, as it seems I was sleeping yesterday when they attempted delivery.  It was a driver from Amazon (not UPS or FedEx), so I can only hope they actually buzzed my apartment, even if I didn't hear it.  I know of other delivery attempts they have claimed to make when I was at home and awake, and I know there was no door buzzer request, so the driver was just being lazy.

What's with the sweet tea, Celestial Seasonings?

I am not quite sure when Celestial Seasonings started pre-sweetening their tea blends with stevia, but Cranberry Vanilla Wonderland is so sweetened. I drank what I made, but couldn't figure out the sweetness until looking at the ingredient list. For me, however much they used was too much, as it tasted a bit cloying to me, and that was with nothing additional added. I can't see any reason to try and finish this, as the Gingerbread flavor I bought doesn't have any stevia in it, so hopefully won't taste too sweet.  

Other than discovering my tea was pre-sweetened and doing laundry, there hasn't been that much going on today, though I have the original Casino Royale (with David Niven) playing.

Next week they are supposed to start open impeachment hearings. Is it too much to hope that the Republicans won't try to turn them into a circus? They have been like a child screaming "na, na, na, I can't hear you" as information has been made known. They complained about the private hearings, though there were Republicans there and by being private, there was no concern about state secrets, so those testifying could speak openly. Now with the public hearings it will likely be more grandstanding, and minimal useful new information. I am not looking forward to the farce Republicans will like make of it.

Lazy Day thoughts

My reading pile doesn't ever seem to get smaller, though I did move the Tom Bianchi picture books to the shelf, so they aren't here making things look worse.  Because this blog is proof that I haven't totally forsaken social media, I can say that I am happy about having, at least for the time being, given up Twitter, and Facebook has been gone for a long time. It isn't that I have found marvelous new ways to occupy myself, though I did make double chocolate chip cookies last week, but I think with only checking the news a few times daily, like morning and afternoon papers, then the evening news in the past, it keeps me current enough for all intents and purposes and I also don't overreact about anything, or even issue tweets that I may regret down the line. This is where I insert my opinion about too many cable news channels running 24/7 so they need to overanalyze Donald Trump's farts just to fill air time. The impeachment inquiry moves forward, and it doesn't look any better now that everything is "public" than it did when things were behind closed doors. Republicans really do need to put party aside and view these actions from a Constitutional perspective, and once they do that, then they need to pass legislation that allows the President to be investigated and charged with criminal acts while in office, as I doubt Jefferson, Hamilton, or any of their peers would think the current AG office is doing right by the American people.

Books with Polaroids

I recently acquired the two Tom Bianchi Polaroid photos books, Fire Island Pines & 63 E 9th Street. While I know these collections have been culled from a larger trove of pictures (but tell me whose camera or digital film roll doesn't have more lackluster than interesting photos), they are fun to look at, and the glimpse into pre-AIDS gay life is also really pretty cool.

Too bad about the impeachment inquiry

While it certainly can be said that I welcome the end of the Trump administration, it is unfortunate that it may end in impeachment.  Unlike Clinton with an intern or Johnson with his racism, Trump's impeachment inquiry is about determining whether Trump abused his power for political benefit, though the fact that even after Mueller if he chose to involve a foreign power, then he truly does deserve having the whole mess out in the open for the American public to see.  If it is ugly enough, perhaps the Senate will actually impeach and remove him from office, and if it isn't ugly enough, then at least Americans will see what is determined acceptable by Congress.  What really saddens me is that Trump has brought it to this point, because he certainly knew that requesting a foreign investigation into a specific person, who just happened to be the Democratic frontrunner, would echo a bit too close to his request that Russia break into his opponent's email and leak it for the world to see.  Trump knew better and if Congress didn't act, then they might as well have given him a golden ticket to do whatever he wanted.  Impeachment is the ultimate punishment for a public official, and while there are good arguments that it shouldn't have been used on Johnson and Clinton, there isn't a good argument that it was inappropriate to use it with Nixon, and I think history will show the same thing here, that it was a justified response to a President who refused to be constrained by law and the US Constitution.

Funny things in old movies

Just watching some older films today and in "The Golden Arrow" I noticed, aside from Tab Hunter's rather lamentable costumes, that the sound effects for the flying carpets remind me of jet engines. I can guess why the sound was chosen, but it struck me as humorous.

Later, watching "Charade" I was laughing at the methods used to make sure Audrey's deceased husband was actually deceased and not just faking it, such as a mirror under the nostrils or jabbing his hand with a pin.

There really isn't much of a point to this, except to note some observations.

Wonder how long it will last

Just as a lark today, I decided to deactivate my Twitter account.  I seem to spend a good deal of time refreshing the page, as it is something I would do whenever I pass my laptop.  Oh well, perhaps a bit less time in that specific sphere of silliness will be good for me.  I doubt Monty Python could top the absurdity that is Devin Nunes suing a parody account of someone representing his dairy cow.  I figure it will also allow me to review whatever stupidity Trump has gotten up to in the last day or so after the news organizations have had time to decide with was the biggest bit of asininity.

Another day, very seldom does that mean another post

Just puttering about today, and while I really should have had the television on watching Mueller, I sort of figured he would do what he did, which was stick to what he reported.  It was nice that he did specifically mention that he did exculpate the Idiot-in-Chief, regardless of the idiot's tweets say.  One other thing I have noticed as well is that Twitter, with its new format, doesn't seem to want to work for me on my Mac.  I really don't have much to add, this was just a killing time entry.

Keeping occupied on a July day

Working nights leaves me in an interesting position on my off days, as I wake up late and need to decide what to do. Today started with coffee and a bit of DDO.

For whatever reason, a film titled "William, the New Judo Master" grabbed my attention.  I can't say what about it seemed compelling to me, but in watching it, I am enjoying it, both the imagery the odd bits of humor that show up when least expected.  It is not a movie I would recommend to anyone who does not enjoy "art" films, because the structure is not that of a traditional movie. I chose to buy it for $8 rather than rent or initiate any new monthly video services. While I expect to resubscribe to Amazon and Netflix at some point down the road, it was not what I wanted at this time, though I think I need a Dekkoo subscription for this particular film.

Sorry for the disjointed nature of this post, but I am going back to the movie, which is distracting me, in a good way.

Old and New Photos

 I don't quite recall where this picture of these four men with money stuffed down their underwear came from, but I do have two versions of it.  I was sorting files on my computer today, trying to find a logical place for vintage photos I had been saving from Tumblr, when I came across this one. I wonder if I go back far enough on this blog if I have posted it before.  My guess is that I probably have posted it previously, but so long ago that it now seems fresh and new, though the fashion displayed in the photo is anything but fresh and new.  I hope none of them had the misfortune to get a paper cut down there behind their briefs. 

This photo here on the right is brand new and I only saved it once I realized just how bad the photo shop was. I am going to hazard that this guy is in reality in decent if not pretty good shape, so the contoured torso seems a bit ridiculous. It brought me a laugh when I saw it, and so I am sharing it. I have no idea if this was a photo from personal ads or something, as it was pulled as is from Tumblr, where you seldom actually get a proper feeling for the original context of any photo.

That's it for now and today's image analysis. I would say that I know everyone is looking forward to tomorrow, but my updates have not been that consistent for the handful of page views, which I am actually guessing are bots rather than people.

Unknown Subject (both topic and subject of photograph)

While I am not sure who the subject of the photo is, the photographer is Robert Gant of New Zealand.  This is one of those photos that showed up on my Tumblr, and I decided to save it.  My Tumblr is normally just postings of men in figurative art, most frequently painting and drawing, so this isn't something that would go there, though I might have re-blogged it there as well.

This is one of those days, and while I don't have all that much to say, and I know there is nothing profound to be found here today, nor anything remotely philosophical, I sort of feel the need to write, create, do something. Earlier was laundry, now is who knows, though I am hoping to fill this sidebar with words, so it balances nicely.

We have been having nice late afternoons, but chilly nights and mornings, so since I am a bit of an idiot and have been leaving windows open at night, my apartment is nice and chilly when I wake up, giving me all the motivation I need to stay under the warm blankets and avoid the day.

Frederic Leighton and mythology

I saw this image yesterday on my Tumblr feed and tried to find a bit more on it.  Unfortunately, all I could verify was the title "The Hit."  I saw some articles about Leighton incorporating mythology in his paintings, and then it occurred to me perhaps this is Herakles and a young Dionysus, since I had seen statue of an adult Herakles with the infant Dionysus. The animal skin (though leopard not lion) on the elder and the leave crown on the younger were the main drivers for me to make this decision on identities, though I am sure there are other ideas, if not some notes from the time that actually name the myth from which the image was drawn. 

Actually, I did do another search of it before pressing the publish button, and I found no more than I did yesterday, though I can purchase a Giclee print or a copy printed on wood or canvas.

Subscription Streaming Services (Netflix & Amazon Prime)

My subscriptions to both Netflix and Amazon Prime have been cancelled.  I discovered I wasn't watching enough of either to justify keeping them, as I seem to have migrated to classic movies that I collect on iTunes at $5.00 each or have purchased on DVD/BluRay, which can be cheaper than purchasing them digitally.  This is not to say that those services, as well as Hulu, don't offer something worth watching, but rather I only have so many hours that I choose to spend viewing television, and even if I buy nothing else, I have enough to get me through the next several months, and with summer approaching, there will be even less need for at home entertainment.  I am no doubt an outlier, because I have been fine with whatever the digital antenna can pick up locally, not having cable, so not having cable I never felt the urge to watch what I a service for which I was paying. Netflix and to a lesser extent Amazon Prime (which I could get some benefit from due to reduced shipping costs) compelled me to spend some time searching through their offerings to justify the money spent, because I am trying to avoid too many bought and forgot subscriptions.