Back at It

The on again, off again nature of this blog at least stays consistent to the nature of what is on again, off again. It has been quite some time since the last posting on this blog and it is now time to do the on again thing. What direction will it take? How long will it last? What will it become? Who knows? Maybe this time it will be more of an on again thing than and off again thing but we shall see.

The Cost of Inflation

Is it just me or is everything really expensive these days? I see movies and hear references to the “olden days” when movies were a nickel, gas was like ten cents, etc. I realize, of course, that back then that was considered quite a bit of money. However, my point is that in the past sixty years or so events like movies have gone from a nickel to $10, gas has gone from about ten cents to about three dollars.

When I just sat down to write this blog post at the local coffee-house I got myself a cup of coffee for $2.50 and a small muffin for $2.85. I am not trying to be some sort of curmudgeon and complain and rant, but, over two dollars for a cup of coffee seems a bit excessive. I am not at a Starbucks or anything like that with what I call “fashion coffees” I am merely at a local independent coffee shop.

I don’t consider myself an economist or mathematician of any sort, I am probably the farthest thing from those sorts of expertise. All I know is to do almost anything these days takes dollars, and not just a couple of dollars, a real amount of dollars. Want to go on a date? It will probably cost you roughly $100 for the evening on average. Want to go to the movies? At the very minimum it will cost you something like $10. Want to take a leisurely drive? Add about $10 for gas.

I just feel we have accepted this as the norm for so long that we really don’t stop and question it too much. I once wrote an article on how I feel we will go so far forward that we will wind up going backwards. In this example I am suggesting that the cost of events and everyday outings might get so costly that people will have to return to the basics – listening to radio (not satellite) watching TV (not cable) taking walks, talking to one another (face to face) and enjoying the simpler side of life. This is no way a bad thing, in fact it is probably a good thing. It would be nice though if we could make things affordable for everyone and not only people who are wealthy or well off.

Here’s a thought – let’s get going on that time machine dream. Because if we can go back in time say only about sixty years with even $5 in our pocket we could have one heck of a time.

Batter Up!

There is nothing sweeter to me than the first day of Baseball. With the first game of the season just a few days away one has to ask two questions: Is it now Spring? and Will the Red Sox win the championship? The first answer is yes, according to the calendar and the recent weather outside it is officially spring. As to the answer to the second question I will be optimistic and stand behind Red Sox Nation and say yes they will. Good luck to the Sawx!

NFL Ad Targets Jessica Simpson’s Weight

You have got to be kidding me right? Sometimes I think certain individuals forget that people are people just like them. Well, not just like them, I mean, others may actually care about others. The ad that was aired during Fox NFL’s programming on October 11, 2009 was just plain silly:

First off Jessica Simpson is not that big. I mean maybe she has put on a few pounds since she was a stick figure but now she looks just fine. Secondly, the people that produced this commercial can only wish that Jessica Simpson would say two words to them…I can only imagine the two words she would choose to say.

Tracy Morgan Goes Off on ‘SNL’ Castmates

It’s not easy being Tracy Morgan. At least that is how Tracy Morgan sees it. In a classy move (sarcasm strong here) Morgan let’s his former fellow ‘SNL’ castmates have it in his new book ‘I Am The New Black’. This from New York Daily News:
“None of the cast I came up with saw this future for me,” reveals Morgan in ‘I Am the New Black,’ out next Tuesday. “All I have to say about that is, where’s Chris Kattan now? Where’s Cheri Oteri now? That b—- can’t even get arrested.”

Captain Kirk to Play Jack Ryan

Tom Clancy is back and better then ever! How about that for a tagline? Well for the reboot of the Tom Clancy novels which feature his heroine Jack Ryan, Chris Pine will be helming the ship. This from our friends over at Variety:

Variety reports that Pine is in serious negotiations to step into the role of CIA analyst Jack Ryan, in a reboot of the franchise based on Tom Clancy’s series of political-thriller novels. While talks have only recently begun, Paramount expects Pine to officially join the project as it comes to fruition. “The studio and producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mace Neufeld are working with a script draft by Hossein Amini, based on an original concept.”

MacGruber Plot Is Released

I know you have all been waiting for the storyline and plot of the upcoming movie Macgruber based on the SNL skit. Well no waiting needed any longer! This from Sreenrant:

In the 10 years since his fiancée was killed, special op MacGruber has sworn off a life of fighting crime with his bare hands. But when he learns that his country needs him to find a nuclear warhead that’s been stolen by his sworn enemy, Dieter Von Cunth (Val Kilmer), MacGruber figures he’s the only one tough enough for the job.

I Love Will Forte and Kristen Wiig. It is for those reasons along I would see this. Otherwise, it seems like another throw-away movie to build off the success of the SNL name. Eh, why not?

Spiderman 4 Villain…Almost

Spiderman director Sam Raimi has not necessarily given away who will be the next Spiderman villain but he sure does mention who will not be. Cinematical reports:

While Raimi “loves” the story of the Lizard, the Spider-Man team isn’t exactly looking to tie up those little mentions of Dr. Curt Connors.

Instead, look for a baddie who will toy with Peter’s internal and external demons a little bit: “What we’re trying to do right now is really understand the journey Peter is going to go on this time and have the villain maybe be a counter to that growth, something that he has to overcome.

Sir Ian Discusses The Hobbit and Magneto Films

Acclaimed actor Sir Ian Mckellan sat down at the San Sebastian Film Festival to talk about his upcoming 383 day film ing schedule for the Hobbit to begin in March or April. This from ScreenCrave:

“Unfortunately, there won’t be many of the actors going back,” he said, “unless they’re going to put masks on and be disguised as dwarves! Andy Serkis is, at the moment, I think, the only other actor who’s doing this film.”

The one they call Gandalf also talked about the possibility of a Magneto script in the same vein as the Wolverine beginnings movie that came out this past summer:

“There’s meant to be a Magneto script floating around, but I’ve not read it, so I suspect it wouldn’t involve me,” he said. “I think it would be about the younger Magneto, and the most I could hope for would be to top and tail that. They can’t have someone whose face is as lined as mine any longer!”

Mrs. Draper Does GQ

GQ Magazine is going to have one hot January in November. That is the November issue of their men’s magazine:

In a hysterically candid and beer-fueled interview with GQ magazine, ‘Mad Men’ vixen January Jones opens up about her odd path into Hollywood before she was on the hit AMC show. In addition to her potty-mouthed candor, Jones also steams up the pages of November’s GQ with a sultry photo shoot and dishes about how her ex-boyfriend Ashton Kutcher doubted her, in colorful language.