Cuparius.com

I was listening to National Public Radio's Weekend Edition as I was driving to work yestermorning, when I heard a segment by that great film critic from Minnesota, Kevin Murphy, also known to fans of Mystery Science Theatre 3000 as the robot Tom Servo. He did not review a film, however, but instead launched into an incredulous, exasperated attack on [Mmm... This is great coffee. I just made a fresh pot and couldn't refrain from commenting. This has nothing to do with this paragraph. Proceed.] the recent advent of advertising sludge that is thrown at us in cinemas before the film we PAID to see begins. I do not speak of movie trailers (although I will save that for a future rant), but of actual commercials -- many of which we also see on television.

I share his rage. The first time I saw commecials at a cinema (other than trailers and reminders to visit the concession stand), I was furious. Now, I'm not the type of person who ordinarily speaks during movies. When I go to the cinema, I want to hear the characters in the movie, not the characters in the seats behind me. Of course, the movie had not yet begun, so technically I wasn't speaking during the movie. At any rate, in the midst of being subjected to this mistreatment, I found myself declaiming loudly, "Commercials! I didn't buy an overpriced ticket so I could see commercials! I pay so I don't have to see them!" (or words to that effect). I'm not saying I advocate rioting, but it would have been nice to see something other than oblivious submission in the faces of those around me. Am I the only person infuriated by this? This is an evil precedent that will not stop at pre-movie depredations. No, they'll start inserting commercial breaks into the movies themselves. Of course, many movies are already top heavy with product placement advertising. The movie industry (at least the part in California) is governed by whores, after all.

I am not the only person who recognizes this and is offended. There's also Kevin Murphy. Thank you, Mr. Murphy, for stating it publicly. There are some who have not been morally and intellectually anaesthetized. I shall now refill my coffee cup lest I throw furniture about.

I loathe unsolicited e-mail advertisements, and in the interest of thwarting its perpetrators (and their address-stealing bots), I have altered any e-mail addresses in the Cuparium's guest book in order to protect those who have signed it. To e-mail a signer, merely replace the words "at" and "dot" with the appropriate punctuation and close the spaces. Hopefully, this will keep my friends' addresses out of the "sucker lists."

Another website to add to my list of online astronomy resources caught my attention yesterday: SPACE.com.

Now I need some more links of a terrestrial nature. Does anyone know of any good websites on earth sciences, nature appreciation, or environmental conservation? If so, please let me know! Scroll down to get my e-mail address and insert the correct punctuation where I have typed "AT" and "DOT."

Kelly persuaded me to read a favorite book from her childhood, The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron. It is out of print, but ABE.com has many used copies for sale for a wide range of prices. As far as I know, the author wrote five books in the series, which I have listed in order below:

1. The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet
2. Stowaway to the Mushroom Planet
3. Mr. Bass's Planetoid
4. A Mystery for Mr. Bass
5. Time and Mr. Bass

I finally saw The Matrix and The Matrix Reloaded. I neither loved nor hated the movies. I found them interesting. They were haunting, as dystopian fables ought to be, and the characters are likeable, which surprised me. For the moment, I am detached, but I shall see the third movie.

The recent movie that does enthuse me is A Mighty Wind, a mock documentary about three groups of folk singers reuniting for a special event. It has many of the same cast members (and the same philosophy of ad-libbing) as its predecessors This Is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, and Best in Show, and, like the latter two, was directed by Christopher Guest. It is offbeat, funny, and actually kind of catchy. See it before it blows away, which will probably happen soon.

Idiots at CBS are making incoherent sounds about Hack. They have decided to let it live another season, but they are complaining that it isn't happy enough for them. They want David Morse to smile more often and regularly (weekly) teach the bad guys a lesson. Hack is a program with complexity and heart; it is a program that scorns clichés; it is a program shot in Philadelphia. I know, it's hard to believe. How could an entire season have sneaked past their robot sentries undetected and intact? Now that the network hive mind has been alerted, it will be much more amazing if Hack makes it through the second season without being assimilated and rendered unrecognizable. Good luck, Hack. You'll need it.

"And please, do not tip the Ninja!"
--from Ninja Burger: The Role-Playing Game published by 9th Level Games, inspired by NinjaBurger.com.