From the News Desk: Donuts are Tasty, but That Tasty?

Fresh, warm Krispy Kreme donuts sure are delicious (assuming you can find a store that's still open), but I'm not sure I find them as good as they do down in Augusta, Georgia.

1 Dozen Krispy Kreme Donuts - 7.99
Lower cal wheat donuts - 3 extra years of life
$500,000 FCC fine - Priceless $500,000



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Credit to: UWeekly

Don't Order Online from AT&T

I have a general disdain for my local cable company. They don't do anything too egregious, I suppose, but the way they nickel and dime customers is annoying. Currently, I have digital cable, HD service, DVR, and Internet through them to the tune of over 120 bucks a month. Recently, someone discovered that one can receive DSL through AT&T for substantially cheaper AND they also offer VoIP phone service for the same price as Vonage. (I use Vonage.) This seemed like a no brainer to me.

Through the entire process (Online and on the phone before talking to a human) AT&T urges people to order their services online to get better deals. I'm sure this is an attempt to keep call volumes low. I noticed that if you lack an AT&T land line, the DSL packages went from the 20 dollar range to the 50 dollar range. I couldn't figure out why anyone would get VoIP service from them as well, because you would still end up paying over 70 dollars for the whole package. (Why would you get a land line when you use VoIP for your phone service, outside of wanting to help out AT&T shareholders?) What's the "CallVantage®" of that, exactly?

After getting in an argument with an automated voice recognition system, it mercifully and soullessly transferred me to a warm body. She was kind enough to inform me that they don't even offer VoIP, because they were still operating on SBC's system.

Confused about how SBC and AT&T are related? Let Stephen Colbert explain:

Deregulation Sucks! | Send To Friends | Animated Cartoons at JibJab

If I would have taken AT&T/SBC/Cingular/Whatever's advice and just ordered online, I would have had to have gone through the hassle of not only disconnecting my previous services, but then sending all of AT&T's shit back AND resigning up for all the old ones. Fuck off, AT&T.

An 8:30 A.M. Meeting? That Seems Like a Bad Idea

It seems I've missed some sort of medical insurance meeting. I probably could have dragged myself in here in time, but I forgot. Oh well, it's not going to be worth going through all the motions to sign up for cheaper COBRA (Where's Cobra Commander?) insurance...since COBRA is insane. It's so much easier going with Blue Cross/Blue Shield. If you need to supply your own insurance find the Blue Cross for your State HERE.

Don't say I've never done anything for you.

I See One of These in my Future

The Hole - video powered by Metacafe

The Wheels are Coming Off...Literally.

For the last few weeks I've been dealing with the steering wheel in my car vibrating at annoying levels. It was so bad that my keys would vibrate as well, and I'd have to hold them in order not to go insane and start running people off the road.

Anyway, my first thought is to take them to a local tire place and have them rotated and balanced. Start simple and work my way up, and if there's something more serious going on then they would notice. That's what I told myself. So I get that done, pay my money (36 dollars), and drive off.

Well, wouldn't you fucking know it? My steering wheel is still vibrating. Obviously, the balance and rotation did nothing. (More on this later.) A week later (yesterday) I call my local dealership and have them look at it (Staying vague about the problems so they can fish it out more.) It turns out that I have a bent right front wheel. Hey, and it's only 517 dollars! Wow! A bargain!

Oddly, the service manager words it in a way that suggests that he actually fixed it for free. (I have witnesses, I'm not insane.) So, I hop in my car and off I go. I'm guessing you can see where this sordid tale is going. Nothing had changed, except the exponential rate that my blood pressure was rising...and that twitching in my right eye that suggests I might start going Private Pyle on my respective Gny. Sgt. Hartman car people.

Finally, today, I go back to the dealership for clarification. (Yes, I would need to get a new wheel.) I re-affirm which wheel is the problem (front - right), and try to find a cheaper wheel.

Lo-and-behold, I do find a place that can get a reconditioned wheel for about 200 bucks cheaper, but wants to check it out first. I take it in, and the first thing the manager says is, "Well, we took the right front off, but that one is fine. Are you sure it's that one?" So, after having them check all the tires, we discover it's the front - left wheel. (Not that right, your other right.) After moving that wheel to the back, he throws in another nice tidbit. "Yeah, and your wheels weren't balanced either, so we did that for you." So, now he is searching for a wheel for me.

Let's review.

1. I take car to get a balance and rotation done at a place called Tireville.
2. Rubes at Tireville "finish the job" but don't notice any problems.
3. There is a problem.
4. Not only is there a problem, but they didn't even balance the wheels.
5. Never go to Tireville.
6. ??????
7. Profit

Update: Because I'm sure the two people who read this REALLY care. "New" wheel tomorrow. 300 bucks. Excelsior!

Shirking Responsibilites

About a month ago someone who now works at the oppressing company's main office sent a request of certain customer information. As it turns out, this list ended up being 39MB in Excel, which is not exactly something that can be emailed easily. At first, I just ignored it for a week and then agreed to FTP the file. I never really sought a solution to the ftp issue, and after another week said it would be easier to physically mail the file. Since then, I still haven't gotten around to mailing that file out.

Any bets on whether I can ride this out another 33 days?

Scorsese Finally Wins - A Look at Past Losses

So after 40 years of film-making, one of the greatest directors ever finally was honored as best director for The Departed. Previously, he had been 0 - 5 (Raging Bull, Last Temptation of Christ, Goodfellas, Gangs of New York, and The Aviator) An odd footnote to this is that 3 of his losses have come against actors-turned-directors. (Robert Redford, Kevin Costner, Clint Eastwood) I'm not sure that means anything, but it's curious.

Six movies he has directed have been nominated for best picture (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Gangs of New York, The Aviator, and The Departed.) Like best director, he had previously been 0 - 5 in this department until The Departed.

Let's take a look at what Scorsese was up against these years for Best Director and see how history has viewed his films and the winners.

I'd like to first point out that somehow he wasn't nominated for Taxi Driver. So, let's take a look at that year first.

Winner:
	Rocky (1976) - John G. Avildsen
Other Nominees:
	All the President's Men (1976) - Alan J. Pakula Ansikte mot ansikte (1976) - Ingmar Bergman Network (1976) - Sidney Lumet Pasqualino Settebellezze (1975) - Lina Wertmüller

While the other nominees are either worthy (All the President's Men, Network) and the other two I can't judge because I haven't seen them, I can state with certainty that the direction in Taxi Driver was superior to Rocky. Rocky also took home best picture that year (where Taxi Driver did get a nomination.)

Now, let's look at the first nomination: Raging Bull.

Winner:
	Ordinary People (1980) - Robert Redford (I)
Other Nominees:
	Elephant Man, The (1980) - David Lynch (I) Raging Bull (1980) - Martin Scorsese Stunt Man, The (1980) - Richard Rush (I) Tess (1979) - Roman Polanski

I have the same thought here that I do for Best Picture in 1980. The Elephant Man and Raging Bull took votes away from each other. Both are classics, and I could accept The Elephant Man here, but Ordinary People? Give me a break.

Next we have The Last Temptation of Christ.

Winner:
	Rain Man (1988) - Barry Levinson (I)
Other Nominees:
	Fish Called Wanda, A (1988) - Charles Crichton Last Temptation of Christ, The (1988) - Martin Scorsese Mississippi Burning (1988) - Alan Parker (I) Working Girl (1988) - Mike Nichols (I)

A controversial movie about Jesus against a movie about someone with a mental issue? He never had a chance. Hollywood loves movies like Rain Man and the actors who play the characters. (This just goes to show how bad Cuba Gooding Jr. was in Radio. You really have to be terrible to not get a sympathy nod.)

Next up we have Goodfellas.

Winner:
	Dances with Wolves (1990) - Kevin Costner
Other Nominees:
	Godfather: Part III, The (1990) - Francis Ford Coppola Goodfellas (1990) - Martin Scorsese Grifters, The (1990) - Stephen Frears Reversal of Fortune (1990) - Barbet Schroeder

Here we have the infernal Dances with Wolves winning. Everyone was in love with Kevin Costner that year, and it ultimately led him to make bloated (even more so than Wolves) movies like the infamous Waterworld and The Postman. Goodfellas pistol whips Dances with Wolves in front of all its friends in the driveway. Also, how did Godfather III get so much love from voters?

Following Goodfellas, the next film nominated was Gangs of New York. Nominated for 10 Academy Awards, it walked away with squadoosh. In terms of directors, this is how the nominees looked:

Winner:
	Pianist, The (2002) - Roman Polanski - Roman Polanski was not present at the awards ceremony, being a fugitive from U.S. justice since fleeing the country in 1978. Presenter Harrison Ford (I) accepted the award on his behalf.
Other Nominees:
	Chicago (2002) - Rob Marshall Gangs of New York (2002) - Martin Scorsese Hable con ella (2002) - Pedro Almodóvar Hours, The (2002) - Stephen Daldry

Can't really argue here, Polanski is a great director. Holocaust movies tend to do well in Hollywood. I think we can all be happy that Chicago didn't win.

Finally, Scorsese's last loss was in 2005 for The Aviator.

Winner:
	Million Dollar Baby (2004) - Clint Eastwood
Other Nominees:
	Aviator, The (2004) - Martin Scorsese Ray (2004/I) - Taylor Hackford Sideways (2004) - Alexander Payne (I) Vera Drake (2004) - Mike Leigh

Million Dollar Baby inexplicably wins here. I'm not sure why. I would say any of the other directors could have taken this one. Also, Hillary Swank with two Oscars? Really? Is she really one of the top actresses ever? I'm pretty sure that anyone who starred in the movie The Core should have any awards taken away. With extreme prejudice if necessary.

Oscar Predictions

Director - Scorsese (I'll probaby be wrong here)
Movie - Letters from Iwo Jima
Actor - Peter O'Toole (In an upset over Whitaker)
Actress - Helen Mirran
Supporting Actor - Arkin
Supporting Actress - Jennifer Hudson
Foreign Film - Pan's Labryinth