Guardians Of The Galaxy

Rated PG-13 / 2 hr 1 min / Action - Adventure - Scifi

What is it about?

Star Lord is an interstellar criminal who has stolen an orb that is worth quite a bit of money. What he doesn't know is that it contains a powerul item that many powerul beings would like to get their hands on. That includes the mad titan Thanos. Thanos has dispatched Ronan to get the sphere with the help of his daughters Gamora and Nebula. In exchange for the orb Thanos promises to destroy a planet of beings that Ronan is not too fond of.

You will like it if...

You like epic scifi movies that are filled with heart and laughs along the way. The closest movie I can compare this to would be Serenity which was the movie version of the fantastic Firely TV series. I suggest you pick up both if possible. Joss Wheeden wrote for that series. He's the same guy that did the Avengers movie. Rocket and Groot steal most of the scenes they are in which explains why they are voiced by Vin Deisel and Bradley Cooper while a lesser known actor takes the lead role. The weakest actor of the bunch, Bautista, plays a character that is so clueless that his lack of acting experience plays into very well. This is yet another hit for Marvel. Guardians of the Galaxy will have you laughing at and cheering for these heros up until the credits roll at the end.

Change In The Air

I appreciate all of you who have been following me since the beginning, and have been supporting me. I am going to make yet another change in direction for this blog. This past month where I was updating nearly every day has shown me a few things. Daily updates work. I get a lot more traffic to my blog by updating daily. The downside is that I have had a lot less time to write.

I recently read a blog post on The Creative Pen blog that outlined a few paths to success as a writer. It wasn't anything new that I hadn't seen before, but I then sat down and thought about it. To truly be successful I am going to have to be a prolific author. My novel has been in the works for almost 2 years, and that simply won't cut it. I have been writing other stories, and all of the writing combined would be enough for another novel if it were all one story. I need to get to the point where I can write and publish a new novel in at least 6 months.

That means that I need to spend a lot more time working on my writing and a lot less on promotion and my blog. That doesn't mean I'm going to stop updating here. It means that a lot of my posts that don't get much traffic and cost me a lot of time are going to go away. Some of the features that are going to stay are my regular blog posts (although these may pop up less often), the music playlists, and movie reviews. The rest of my updates will begin to take a more conversational tone like this one. I will try to update daily, but if I miss an update I'm not going to feel bad about it. I am going to put my writing first, and hopefully once I get more and more of my writing published on Amazon it will prove to be worth it.

Some of my other features will still pop up from time to time. My graphics with quotes from my stories on Wattpad will continue to pop up on twitter, facebook, instagram, and tumblr. The memes I have been making are quick and easy to make also. They will continue to pop up across my social media outlets. They just won't be here on my blog anymore. Those updates are already seen across my social media accounts. There is no reason for me to link to the same thing here. Now it's time to get back to some good old #amwriting.

Writer's Playlist - July 26 Edition

The evolution of the music playlist continues! I have found that I can simply share a direct link to the list in Spotify. In future editions of this I will include that link along with the list of song titles and artists. Fifteen songs are featured which will make a playlist of a little less than an hour estimating an average song length of 4 minutes or less. If you have any song suggestions for the list please leave a comment!

The List

Link to the list in Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/user/12145759073/playlist/4L63LkF1oGEgtE6dqUN2uX

1. Bobby Brown - Every Little Step
2. Soul For Real - Candy Rain
3. Schoolboy Q - Studio
4. The Notorious Big - One More Chance / Stay With Me
5. B.O.B. - Headband
6. The Rolling Stones - Paint It Black
7. The Animals - House Of The Rising Sun
   
8. Busta Rhymes - What's It Gonna Be?!
9. Tony! Toni! Tone! - Whatever You Want
10. Aerosmith - Crazy
11. Nelly - Country Grammar
12. Michael Jackson - Remember The Time
13. Jay-Z - Run This Town
14. The Box Tops - The Letter
15. Sheryl Crow - Soak Up The Sun

Lucy

Rated R / 1 hr 30 min / Action - SciFi

What is it about?

Lucy has been partying with her boyfriend all night. In the morning he wants her to deliver a metal briefcase for him that he says contains paperwork. She goes to deliver it and finds out that she has been roped into a drug deal. She is then recruited to be one of their drug mules. The drugs have been inserted in a package under her skin, but the package begins to leak. The drug gives her more access to her brain, based on the assumption that humans can only access 10% of their brain. She begins to develop superhuman abilities that give her heightened senses, allow her to read minds, and telekinetic powers. The drug is killing her, and she reaches out for help from a scientist who studies the brain.

You will like it if...

You like SciFi movies that speculate on ideas even though they are based on psuedoscience. If you can get past the fake science then this can be an enjoyable movie for the most part. It does tend to get a bit speculative and strange towards the end. The tension and action in the movie is interesting especially when Lucy begins to develop her powers. If you can push past the fake science, the ending still may not be your cup of tea. If you're not a fan of movies that take that turn towards the strange, as some SciFi stories tend to, then this might be one to avoid. I wanted to enjoy this movie more than I did, but it lacked the consistency to be anything more than a bit above average.

Grim Chapter 8 - Questions

Grim is a serial story that is updated every week on Mondays sometime before midnight. The story follows a grim-reaper who has lived in this role for longer than any other in history. His name in life was Thomas Bjorn. The angel Remiel and demon Ornias enter into a wager over which side the reaper will choose. The unsuspecting reaper becomes a pawn in a game. Caught between Heaven and Hell the reaper does his best to do what he thinks is right. Which side will he choose? Will he find out about the wager? Will the demon Ornias find a way to cheat the process, and force Thomas to choose to become evil?

Catch the story from the beginning: http://www.wattpad.com/47729575-grim

Chapter 8 Questions - Harold asks the reaper some questions. Read this chapter here: http://www.wattpad.com/60882129-grim-chapter-8-questions

Ninjamemedo - Kindle Unlimited

A Look at Kindle Unlimited

What is Kindle Unlimited?

Kindle Unlimited is an ebook subscription service presented by Amazon. This isn't a new idea. There are several other subscription services that have been available for a while now, and have quite a bit of funding behind them. This service is a bit different from the others. Let's take a look at some of the features of this service.

• Price: $9.99
• Selection: Over 600,000 books
• Audiobooks: Several of the books available through this service are also available in audiobook format through Audible
• Amount of books: Unlimited up to 10 at a time
• App: Available through any device that supports the Kindle app
• Free Trial: 30 day free trial

What makes this service different from the others available?

Not a whole lot to be honest. You can read my previous post exploring the other subscription services that are available here: http://brianbasham.blogspot.com/2014/03/a-look-at-ebook-subscription-services.html. Here's a list of the biggest differences between Kindle Unlimited and these other services:

• The inclusion of audiobooks
• A direct path for self published authors to make their books available to this service through KDP
• The selection of books contains mostly self published works along with works from several smaller publishers
• The selection of books does not currently contain any books from the big 5 publishers
• The distribution of the Kindle app. It's available on just about every mobile device
• The backing of the Amazon targeted marketing machine

What does it mean for readers?

A few of my friends signed up for this as soon as they got the email from Amazon, and instantly fell in love with it. They complained that some of the books on their "to read" list weren't available, but they moved on to pick up several other books that looked interesting to them. It didn't slow them down much. They didn't seem to know anything about the other subscription services that are available. Kudos to the power of Amazon's marketing. It also shows, in spite of the large amounts of funding, that the other subscription services haven't been successful in getting the word out.

Those who read tons of books are going to love this service. It won't matter that the selection doesn't include many A list titles from the biggest publishers. They will still purchase those books, but will likely miss out on many mid-list books they would have normally purchased otherwise. Instead they will most likely spend that time reading books published by smaller presses or via KDP that are available via Kindle Unlimited.

What does it mean for authors?

It's not clear what this service might mean for authors. Some authors are running around proclaiming that the sky is falling, but it doesn't seem like that is the case. Some others are looking at it as potentially another revenue stream which it most certainly is, but the real mystery is "how much?". It still isn't clear what the royalty payout will be for authors in this deal.

How this service effects visibility for authors is another matter. This gives authors another incentive to publish through KDP. It won't be worth it for authors who have an established following outside of Amazon. Those authors can still publish their shorter works (the ones with smaller revenue stream) through KDP to take advantage of the visibility that this service may provide. It may help other first time self published authors gain visibility that they would not otherwise have. Their book may still be a needle in a haystack, but it's a much smaller haystack.

One last thing

Today July 19, 2014 is the last day to sign up to be eligible for my $20 Amazon Giftcard giveaway. To enter you just need to sign up for my monthly newsletter.

Sign up for the newsletter here: http://brianbasham.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_29.html
More information here: http://brianbasham.blogspot.com/2014/06/giveaway-and-other-goodies.html
If you're interested in Kindle Unlimited here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=9578129011

I'm leaving to go on vacation to visit relatives in a few hours. I will try to be active on instagram and twitter, but I'm not sure how well the internet access will be where I am going. If I disappear for the next week it won't be because I have forgotten about you all!

Sex Tape

Rated R / 1 hr 34 min / Comedy

What is it about?

Cameron Diaz plays a mom who blogs about her experiences as a wife and mother. There is a corporation that sells toys that is looking to expand it's online presence that is run by Rob Lowe. They bring Cameron in to discuss possibly having her be the voice on their online blog. The corporation wants her to tone down some of her more racy posts. She had recently vented her frustrations over her sex life with her husband played by Jason Segal. To celebrate her impending success Diaz sends the kids to her parents so she and her husband can make a sex tape. They record it on the husband's ipad which then syncs to every ipad he has ever had. He has given several ipads to friends and family. Now they have to try to get the sex tape back from anyone that may have one of the ipads.

You will like it if...

You like mild comedies that feature Cameron Diaz's (and/or Jason Segal's) naked butt. For an R rated comedy this movie is rather tame. There is some nudity, but nothing that you haven't seen in PG-13 movies. They could have easily made this a PG-13 movie if not for all of the unnecessary F-bombs sprinkled throughout. The only frontal nudity is featured in a book that the couple uses. The humor isn't as raunchy as it could have been. While there are a few chuckles here and there, there aren't many big laughs. The same tired jokes that have been borrowed from funnier movies are used in several spots, but they aren't funny anymore. It's a cute little movie, but the only thing that makes it special is Cameron Diaz's butt.

Writer's Playlist - July 17 Edition

This week's music playlist is a bit different from previous versions. The links will go to my tumblr where it is setup to play directly from that site. I have found that some songs I have wanted to include have been blocked on youtube. Hopefully that will not be the case this week. Fifteen songs are featured which will make a playlist of a little less than an hour estimating an average song length of 4 minutes. If you have any suggestions for the list please leave a comment!

The List

1. Janet Jackson - That's the Way Love Goes: http://ninjadueces.tumblr.com/post/92005871631
2. Sia - Breathe Me: http://ninjadueces.tumblr.com/post/92007570711
3. A Great Big World - Say Something: http://ninjadueces.tumblr.com/post/92008178846
4. Duffy - Mercy: http://ninjadueces.tumblr.com/post/92008904091
5. Fugees - Killing Me Softly: http://ninjadueces.tumblr.com/post/92009319636
6. Gotye - Somebody that I Used to Know: http://ninjadueces.tumblr.com/post/92009776661
7. Maroon 5 - Won't Go Home Without You: http://ninjadueces.tumblr.com/post/92010291961
   
8. Colby Caillat - Bubbly: http://ninjadueces.tumblr.com/post/92011033141
9. Jason Mraz - I'm Yours: http://ninjadueces.tumblr.com/post/92011554861
10. Miguel - Sure Thing: http://ninjadueces.tumblr.com/post/92011818901
11. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black: http://ninjadueces.tumblr.com/post/92012098096
12. Bruno Mars - Talking To The Moon: http://ninjadueces.tumblr.com/post/92012406671
13. Blackstreet - Fix: http://ninjadueces.tumblr.com/post/92012813951
14. That Way - Wale: http://ninjadueces.tumblr.com/post/92013297841
15. Adele - Set Fire To the Rain: http://ninjadueces.tumblr.com/post/92013808281

Ninja News - July 15 Edition

Ninja News is weekly feature on my blog where I share some of the strange or interesting or interestingly strange news that I have come across over the past week. If you want to share a news article to share in this feature then please don't hesitate to message me on facebook, twitter, or in the comments.

What the...

• http://www.wired.com/2014/07/the-creature-feature-10-fun-facts-about-the-echidna/ - You had me at 4 headed penis

Writerly Stuff

• http://blog.smashwords.com/2014/07/2014-smashwords-survey-reveals-new.html - Interesting blog post on data collected by Smashwords
• http://blog.bookbaby.com/2014/07/seven-deadly-sins-of-book-promotion/ - Promotional sins from a publicist's perspective
• http://www.indiesunlimited.com/2014/07/08/are-indie-books-being-squeezed-out-of-book-promo-sites/ - Disturbing trend at book promo sites.

Amazon vs. Hachette. Ready. FIGHT!

• http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2014/07/09/sycophants-and-stockholm-syndrome-more-publishing-rhetoric-yay/ - Interesting/funny blog post on Amazon's latest offer

Grim Chapter 7 - No Good Deed

Grim is a serial story that is updated every week on Mondays sometime before midnight. The story follows a grim-reaper who has lived in this role for longer than any other in history. His name in life was Thomas Bjorn. The angel Remiel and demon Ornias enter into a wager over which side the reaper will choose. The unsuspecting reaper becomes a pawn in a game. Caught between Heaven and Hell the reaper does his best to do what he thinks is right. Which side will he choose? Will he find out about the wager? Will the demon Ornias find a way to cheat the process, and force Thomas to choose to become evil?

Catch the story from the beginning: http://www.wattpad.com/47729575-grim

Chapter 7 No Good Deed - The reaper moves on to his next job, but the other soul may interfere. Read this chapter here: http://www.wattpad.com/59623793-grim-chapter-7-no-good-deed

Author Superfriends Teamup Part 2

Before I get started I want to say that this is the last week to sign up for my giveaway! A $20 Amazon gift card will be given away to a random person who has signed up for my monthly newsletter. The gift card will be sent electronically through email to whoever wins. Sign up before it's too late!

Sign up for the newsletter here: http://brianbasham.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_29.html
More information here: http://brianbasham.blogspot.com/2014/06/giveaway-and-other-goodies.html

Meeting Places

In part 1 (http://brianbasham.blogspot.com/2014/07/author-superfriends-teamup-part-1.html) I discussed a grand idea for helping to promote works of those who wish to participate. This is a collaborative effort that will require the efforts of everyone involved. Now we need a place to meet and share ideas. For such a large effort, we will need multiple venues to get the word out and organize events. I have decided to begin with Facebook, G+ Communities, Wattpad, and Goodreads. We will need to pick a venue to be headquarters for this effort. For now we need a place to discuss our ideas.

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1459162277685586/ - This is the Facebook group for discussing how to best promote each other on Facebook. Facebook is one of the best places to promote your works according to many popular and successful authors. Promoting on Facebook is a must for any author wishing to be successful.

Google+ Community

https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/103733724132030260502 - Google has made a push to have their own social media experience become popular. This is one of the fastest growing social media sites for good reason. Google writer's communities are very active and informative. Anyone who has a gmail account can log in here and easily find discussion groups on any number of topics.

Wattpad

http://www.wattpad.com/59575481-author-superfriends-teamup - Millions of writers and readers contribute to this community. This is a great place to help try to build a fanbase. It's also a great place to provide samples of your writing for potential readers or fans.

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/139888-author-superfriends-teamup - Another great resource site for readers and authors alike. The discussion groups are a great place to network with authors and readers. It's also a great site for posting and reading reviews.

Ninjamemedo - Bron Bron

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Rated PG-13 / 2 hr 10 min / Action - Drama - Scifi

What is it about?

This movie takes place several years after the Rise of the Planet of the Apes. The virus that had given the apes their intelligence is now spreading through humans, but it kills them. There are a few humans that are genetically immune to the virus. They band together across a bridge from the apes who have built a city of their own. The humans are running out of fuel to run their generators, and need an alternate energy source to keep the lights on. There is a hydroelectric dam nearby, but it's near the city of apes. The apes want nothing to do with the humans. If the humans run out of power then they are going to attack.

You will like it if...

You liked the previous Planet of the Apes movie. This time around Ceasar is all grown up and has children of his own. The threat of war between the two factions provides tension throughout the movie. The most impressive thing about this series is the way they have made the story seem so realistic. The CGI animation has been upgraded, and the emotions the apes show seem real. The movie is so well made that you don't notice the all too common occurance of actors not focusing on the CGI animated characters. The movie isn't perfect. There are some issues with the plot, and the storyline borrows heavily from previous Planet of the Apes movies. I think this is the best in the series, but there is still room for improvement.

Ninjamemedo - Pull My Finger

Grim Chapter 6 - Death Goes On

Grim is a serial story that is updated every week on Mondays sometime before midnight. The story follows a grim-reaper who has lived in this role for longer than any other in history. His name in life was Thomas Bjorn. The angel Remiel and demon Ornias enter into a wager over which side the reaper will choose. The unsuspecting reaper becomes a pawn in a game. Caught between Heaven and Hell the reaper does his best to do what he thinks is right. Which side will he choose? Will he find out about the wager? Will the demon Ornias find a way to cheat the process, and force Thomas to choose to become evil?

Catch the story from the beginning: http://www.wattpad.com/47729575-grim

Chapter 6 Death Goes On - The reaper tries to remove the soul that attached itself to him. Read this chapter here: http://www.wattpad.com/58723924-grim-chapter-6-death-goes-on

Author Superfriends Teamup Part 1

This week I had an idea. It's a large scale idea that could work out very nicely for those who wish to participate. Before I get started I want to reiterate that a $20 Amazon gift card will be given away to a random person who has signed up for my monthly newsletter. The gift card can be given electronically through your email.

Sign up for the newsletter here: http://brianbasham.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_29.html
More information here: http://brianbasham.blogspot.com/2014/06/giveaway-and-other-goodies.html

The Idea

So what is this grand idea I had? I want to organize a group of authors for a long term collaborative promotional effort. I'm sure that this has been done over and over again with other groups of authors. I have seen several cross promotional efforts over the time I have been trying to do this myself. Critique events, review contests, pitch events, etc.. Many of these are across multiple blogs. BUT.. What happens after the event? Everyone goes on their merry way.

What is so different about this?

This will be an organized effort across multiple social media outlets, and I don't intend to dissolve this partnership. We authors are all Supermen and Superwomen. Still it is very difficult to organize and keep up with all of the social media outlets that are around. Who has the time for all of that? I'm looking to help with this. I am also looking for people to help organize and promote along with me. Of course none of us will be locked into this partnership, and anyone can leave at any time.

I Want You!

I need others to help make this work. I don't want to be alone on stage farting on a snare drum. No one wants to see that! I want this to be a collaborative effort from the start. I have a ton of ideas to share with anyone that is interested in this idea. If you are interested then please contact me any way you can. I want everyone that is interested to start coming up with their own ideas.

United We Are Strong

Next week I will start to unveil the beginnings of this group effort. We will need a place or multiple places to meet and decide what direction this group will take. For such a large effort, I cannot run things alone. We will need several leaders within the community to help organize and lend ideas. Everyone will be able to participate in the process of building something that I hope will be truly special. More details to come next week!

Writer's Playlist - July 7 Edition

This week's music playlist includes links to the videos of each song on Youtube. Fifteen songs are featured which will make a playlist of a little less than an hour estimating an average song length of 4 minutes. If you have any suggestions for the list please leave a comment!

The List

1. D'Angelo - Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine: http://youtu.be/h3y2aP0B4Ic
2. Missy Elliott & Da Brat - Sock It 2 Me: http://youtu.be/9UvBX3REqSY
3. Lorde - Tennis Court: http://youtu.be/D8Ymd-OCucs
4. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Otherside: http://youtu.be/rn_YodiJO6k
5. B.o.B - Nothin' On You [feat. Bruno Mars]: http://youtu.be/8PTDv_szmL0
6. Timbaland + Magoo - We At It Again: http://youtu.be/7Fvsw94DD4g
7. Pharrell Williams - Come Get It Bae ft. Miley Cyrus: http://youtu.be/SkF0E6PGzsU
   
8. Nirvana - Lithium: http://youtu.be/pkcJEvMcnEg
9. Foster The People - Pumped up Kicks: http://youtu.be/SDTZ7iX4vTQ
10. MAGIC! - Rude: http://youtu.be/PIh2xe4jnpk
11. Tony Toni Tone ~ If I Had No Loot (Live): http://youtu.be/85hU1151P2Q
12. Playa - Your Dress: http://youtu.be/u-vOB_Dez8o
13. Craig Mack - Flava In Ya Ear: http://youtu.be/9-MLp3l2fkA
14. Disclosure - Latch feat. Sam Smith: http://youtu.be/93ASUImTedo
15. Aaliyah - Rock the Boat: http://youtu.be/LNenJf8SmdM

Ninja News - July 6 Edition

Ninja News is weekly feature on my blog where I share some of the strange or interesting or interestingly strange news that I have come across over the past week. If you want to share a news article to share in this feature then please don't hesitate to message me on facebook, twitter, or in the comments.

What The?? LOL

http://www.moonmontchronicle.com/supreme-court-rules-jcpenney-allowed-to-sacrifice-employees-to-appease-cthulhu.html - The latest Supreme Court ruling has unintended consequences.

http://insatiablebooksluts.com/2014/06/27/publishing-vs-amazon-play/ - Hilariousness that perfectly explains the rediculous stance traditional publishing has taken against Amazon.

http://news.distractify.com/fun/fails/people-who-should-never-be-allowed-to-fix-anything-again/?v=1 - If it ain't broke don't fix it.

Interesting Stuff

http://animediet.net/commentary/the-future-of-love - Love and Robots

http://www.msnbc.com/melissa-harris-perry/watch/minimum-wage-fight-gets-boost-from-ikea-292463171647 - Ikea and Minimum Wage

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/118424/jk-rowlings-silkworm-shows-what-she-thinks-publishing-industry - Tell me how you really feel JK Rowling

Publishing Stuff

http://www.hughhowey.com/the-new-top-down-approach/ - Another insightful article about publishing from Hugh Howey

http://thenextweb.com/dd/2014/06/21/publishing-industry-isnt-dead-evolving/ - The revolution will not be televised.

http://updegrove.wordpress.com/2014/07/04/the-future-of-competition-in-publishing-be-very-afraid/ - A dark prediction for the future of publishing

Writerly Stuff

http://www.hughhowey.com/do-writers-need-a-union/ - Writer Unions by Hugh Howey

http://www.lindsayburoker.com/social-media/book-promotion-what-matters-most/ - Quick and dirty promotion with a time budget

http://janefriedman.com/2012/05/18/4-ways-to-immediately-improve-your-book-marketing-efforts/ - Marketing tips

Deliver Us From Evil

Rated R / 1hr 58 min / Crime - Horror - Thriller

What is it about?

Officer Sarchie, played by Eric Bana, is part of a special unit that handles tough cases for the police. Sarchie is able to pick up on when something evil is about to go down. His partner calls it his "radar". They get a call about a domestic dispute that seems straightforward, but his radar goes off anyway. The two officers arrive at the home, and notice scratch marks on the wood floor. It's the first sign that something strange is going on. The husband they arrest is one of three who were in Iraq together. Sarchie following his gut investigates the strange happenings surrounding the three and becomes a target himself for whatever evil entity is causing these events.

You will like it if...

You like disturbing thrillers about demonic possession. If you are looking for a scary horror movie then you will be disappointed. There are a few cheap jump scares, but the overall creepiness factor throughout the movie is very good. The sense of dread you feel never has a real payoff that feels satisfying. The finale has the feel of a color by numbers picture that everyone should know by now. Bana throughout his career has been all over the spectrum from terrible to very good. This is one of his better performances, and he has gotten better with age. Everyone else gives solid supporting performances. In the end it's an entertaining thriller that has an unsatisfying ending. The ending doesn't ruin the movie, but it does hold it back from being as good as it could have been.

Tammy

Rated R / 1 hr 36 min / Comedy

What is it about?

Melissa Mccarthy plays a down on her luck fast food employee. She gets fired then she catches her husband having a sit down dinner with the neighbor. She assumes that her husband has been cheating on her. She packs a suitcase, and the handle falls off, spilling all of her clothes on the ground. It's the worst day ever. She decides to then go on a roadtrip with her grandmother to Niagra Falls.

You will like it if...

You are Melissa Mccarthy's husband or you like bland dramedies. There are very few big laughs in this movie which is disappointing considering her past couple of forays have been fantastic. If you liked The Heat and Bridesmaids then you will be thoroughly disappointed with this one. Susan Sarandon has some fantastic facial expressions in this movie, and does a serviceable job, but it's not enough to save the movie. It's bogged down with an uncomfortable "I like you but I'm shy" romance subplot. The script also meanders about with no purpose. If you must see it then wait for it to come out at Redbox.

Wrath of the Ninja: Politically Correct

When the movement to become more politically correct came around, I thought it was harmless. It was initially intended to make the world less offensive to those touchy few of us that get their panties in a bunch whenever someone says something remotely offensive. Some people would be offended by the picture here because of the skull on it. Get over yourself!  That's not what I wanted to discuss here. I want to discuss how groups are starting to use this as a political tool to get what they want. I find that to be offensive. If you are easily offended then I would stop reading here.

The NRA

I understand that we need to protect our 2nd ammendment rights to bear arms, but what these barrel cleaners are doing is taking it a bit far. Not that they care what their members or anyone else thinks. I don't know how a group with so much political clout can have such batshit crazy leadership and still hold on to their fanbase. Wait.. *looks at the current political parties in power* nevermind. Seriously the NRA leadership sent out an email to members of Congress to shoot down a bill that over 70% of their members agreed with. That's how much they don't give a crap.

So what are they doing now? They are taking reporters to task for calling a murderer who shot people with a gun a "shooter". The shooter also shot people with a knife and gunned down people with his car. The NRA's news mouthpiece says that is no reason to call the gunman a shooter. I hope Billy Johnson reads this, so he knows that I'm calling him retarded. Let me ask you.. Did he shoot someone? Yes? Then how the crap would he not be a shooter? There's a special place in hell for people who make my head hurt this bad Billy. I hope you know that.

The New Conservative Order

The New Conservative Order is trying to protect the feelings of the super rich and super religious people out there. They don't even call the rich that any more. They call them "job creators". So let me get this straight. Mitt Romney, the man who has personally sent thousands of American jobs overseas through outsourcing, is a job creator simply because he's rich. Do you think about the excrement that comes out of your mouth before you start spewing it?? The republican leadership has gone so far as to not even discuss the wealth gap because it might make the super rich cry (QQ). They even think words like "middle class" are dirty words. Wait. What? If you get hurt by words like that and it makes you cry so much that you use a hundred dollar bill as a tissue then here's a tip. Don't be so freakin' greedy! Congrats you're rich, now do something with your money you retard!

They have also put a ban on terms like "sea level rise" and "climate denier" because people who refuse to believe PROVEN SCIENCE find it offensive. So what should we call them? I vote retard. How out of touch with reality do you have to be to go against things that have been proven by science? Where do they find these people? If I say "The grass is green", are they going to say "Nope"? When I pull out a green crayon and put it next to the grass to prove without a shadow of a doubt that it is in fact green, are they still going to say "Nope"?? Seriously?

Retardedness

I believe that words are just that.. words. They only have the power to offend you if you give them that power. With that being said, I use the word retard. It's not because I wish to be offensive towards people with mental deficiencies. It's because there is no way to say something like this without being offensive. Mental retardation is real no matter what you call it. I sincerely apologize to anyone who has that mental condition for comparing you to the leadership of the NRA and/or Conservatives who are crying because of science or because they have lots of money. No one should be put down like that.

Ninja Solution

There is no cure for crazy. The only thing you can do is avoid these people who will not listen to reason. That should be easy for ninja with their many stealth techniques! Although if you know someone rich that is crying about being rich then I would volunteer to take that burden from them. Ya know...  so their feelings won't get hurt so much.

Ninjamemedo: I have an idea!!