Rich's Rants

COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT UPDATE

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 22:44:00 -0700

Hello all, Many of you might remember that I had (and won) a lawsuit against Hogan Courrier, owner of Geeks Galore computer center in Canada, a few years back (see past blogs for all the gory details). The lawsuit was painful, lengthy and cost me over $8,000.00. I won the case but never saw a penny of the $7K that Courrier was ordered to pay me. And, from what I understand, he's still using my character's images on his storefront-- a local resident emailed me photos last summer showing this. The "law" up there are, apparently, useless against deadbeat criminals like Courrier. eyeoncomics journalist, Don MacPherson has written two articles about the case. I think you'll all find the following article very interesting and further demonstrate what a lowlife this Courrier is. http://www.eyeoncomics.com/?p=2448 Under Attack Posted by Don MacPherson on April 2nd, 2012 As a courts/crime reporter for a daily newspaper, I?m well aware many of the people I write about don?t want me to write about them. Defendants have begged me and attempted to bribe me not to run their names in the paper. I?m been cursed out and lied about. It comes with the territory, and I take appropriate (though fortunately minor) precautions to protect myself and my family. And now I face retaliation from someone I wrote about on Eye on Comics. In the fall of 2009, I wrote about a federal court decision out of Ontario ruling in favour of American cartoonist Rich Koslowski, who won a legal action against Hogan Scott Courrier, the owner of Geeks Galore Computer Center in Marmora, Ont., for copyright infringement. Courrier used an image from Koslowski?s 3 Geeks comics in signage and other material for his business. A year later, I wrote a followup piece, in which Koslowski confirmed he hadn?t received the court-ordered monetary award and that Courrier hadn?t removed the image from his business material. In that followup, I also quoted Courrier after having reached him via email to allow him to tell his side of the story. That was the last I heard of the story ? until last week. More than two years after I published the original article and more than a year after the followup, my hosting service contacted me mid-week to notify me a complaint had been filed alleging a violation of the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The complainant: Courrier. While both I and Courrier live and work in Canada, my hosting service is an American company, and it felt compelled to react to the complaint. A representative emailed me, notifying me the service had received a notification of an alleged violation under the act and informing me unless I responded with a ?counter notification,? my account would be suspended. The following is an excerpt from the email sent to me by my hosting service: It has been reported that your Web site, eyeoncomics.com, allegedly contains material in violation of copyright infringement laws contained in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). You can find this Act at the U.S. Copyright Office Web site (http://www.copyright.gov/legislation/dmca.pdf). I was notified by a representative of Geeks Galore Computer Center. They are claiming that your site contains material that infringes on their intellectual property rights. The following images/links were reported to having infringing material: http://www.eyeoncomics.com/?p=522 Unfortunately, I hadn?t checked me webmail for about a day, so by the time I saw it, my account was suspended and Eye on Comics was down for a short time. As soon as the service received my informal reply, though, the account was reinstated and Eye on Comics was live again ? complete with the original content with which Courrier took issue. Further communication with my hosting service revealed Courrier sent the following message to the service: My name is Hogan Courrier, owner of Geeks Galore Computer Center. It seems Don MacPherson from Eye on Comics, hosted at your hosting facility is using my name and business name on his website without my permission. He is also acting in a slanderous and libel way with regards to my personal information. I would ask if you can have him remove my information and business information from his website. And then there?s the following passage from Courrier?s formal letter of notification (which I received as a PDF document from my hosting service): I have a good faith belief that the items or materials listed below are not authorized by law for use by the above named domain name owner or their agents and therefore infringes the copyright owner?s rights. I hereby demand that you act expeditiously to remove or disable access to the material or items claimed to be infringing. Allegedly infringing items or materials: Using my personal name and business information in a negative way without consent. The hosting service also notified me Courrier was claiming the content constituted a breach of the Canadian Privacy Act. It?s a ludicrous claim. Simply referring to an individual and a business name in a legitimate piece of journalism doesn?t constitute a violation of copyright or privacy. Furthermore, reporting on a publicly and readily available court judgment doesn?t constitute libel. That I?ve had to respond to such outlandish and unrealistic allegations is frustrating, to say the least. I was initially quite irked with the hosting service for failing to determine if there was an air of reality to Courrier?s claims and for seemingly siding with a complainant rather than a customer. However, further communication revealed staff were simply following procedure and once my counter notification was filed, the service won?t touch my account again unless directed to do so by a legal authority. A representative with the hosting service informed me thusly in a couple of emails: I apologize to bother you again but it appears that the said representative from the previous emails we have discussed is not letting this issue go and has filed an official DMCA notice. I will attach it in this email so you can read over it. Because of this we are suppose to take steps to suspending your services with us unless you can provide us with a counter notification. Please let us know what you would like your next step of action to be. Thank you. I believe there is some confusion about what exactly our role as the hosting company is in this situation. We in no way are accusing you of anything illegal and are not partial to either group in the situation. Because of U.S. law when we receive a DMCA complaint we are required to take steps to remove the content unless a counter notification is filed with us. So I didn?t examine your content or believe that you were in the wrong. We were simply following procedure. Since I have now gone ahead and forwarded your response to the original complainer that will work as a counter notification. Once a counter notification has been filed we as a hosting company is no longer involved unless we receive a court order requiring the removal of the data in question. I hope that makes sense. So essentially we just act as a middle man in the situation between you and the one who filed the DMCA complaint. Like I mentioned at this point it is now up to the courts and we won?t take any action against your account unless we receive a court notification requiring such. That came as a relief. I also learned the hosting service forwarded my explanations and defence of my content to Courrier, who?s apparently not satisfied, according to the hosting service: I have now gone ahead and forwarded part of your email from yesterday to the person in question. I will wait to hear what they respond back, but it appears from my conversation from yesterday that they are willing to take legal action. No such legal action has been launched, as far as I know. I?ve been served with no documents, and I?ve not heard from Courrier directly or from his legal counsel, if he?s retained any. Furthermore, I have no idea where such an action ? the jurisdiction in which the hosting service is located; Marmora, Ont.; or Fredericton, New Brunswick ? would be filed. The irony of the situation is this false accusation of copyright infringement on my part comes from an individual who?s been found in breach of someone else?s copyright and has yet to make good on it. After I became aware of Courrier?s complaint, I contacted Koslowski to get an update on his dealings with the man. ?No, I haven?t ever seen a dime and yes he?s still using my copyrighted images. I tried pursuing this more but without being willing to pay even more money out-of-pocket to lawyers and/or collection agencies, etc. I had no recourse. I did call one collection agency up in Canada but they never even got back to me,? Koslowski told me last week. ?I?m out over $8,000 as it is in legal fees and about a hundred hours of my time as it is.? I will keep readers apprised of any significant developments in the situation. In the unlikely event it results in another disruption of Eye on Comics, I?ll inform colleagues at several other comics sites. Follow Eye on Comics on Twitter. word. R

ARCHIE MEETS KISS The Finale!

Sat, 24 Mar 2012 21:24:00 -0700

Hey all! Real quick note that I now have all 4 issues of the now-legendary ARCHIE MEETS KISS crossover event of the century (Hey, why not?...was certainly better than Civil War/Skrull Invasion/Siege/Whatever else they're now doing to kill the Avengers franchise)!!! So get 'em while I got 'em! They're going fast! Also! WonderCon in Aanaheim was terrific last weekend! Next stop Big Wow! in San Jose May 19-20th. See you all there. Okay, going to go and watch some PSYCH on dvd now. Great show! word r

WONDERCON 2012

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 23:56:00 -0700

Greetings comrades, WonderCon 2012 fast approaches and it time to appropriately gird our collective loins for "Comic-Con jr." For that is what WC has become. Over the past few years WC has grown from a nice, medium sized convention to a behemoth just shy of Comic-Con's magnitude. And now that it'll be in Anaheim (huh? Closer yet to the Hollywood peeps!) I'm expecting even more hooplah and frenzy than ever before. I will be manning the Top Shelf Comics booth, aided and abetted by my wife Sandy and protege Stella (International Award winning artist!) and Mr. JD Arnold will also be splitting time at the TS booth and a spot in Artist's Alley. I'll have all the Top Shelf books and a slew of my own titles (The 3 Geeks; Geeksville; Archie) and a ton of Original Art for sale. If you make it down to WC this year please stop by the booth and say hello...then buy everything on the table so I can impress my bosses at Top Shelf and they feel compelled to offer me some ridiculous multi-book deal worth sick amounts of money. I'd appreciate it. OH! Also--if it's not too much to ask--bring Mr. Spielberg or Mr. Whedon or some other Hollywood powerhouse over (preferably a little drunk) to broker a deal on one of my properties. If it's not too much trouble. Kind of a dream of mine. Y'know, 300 million dollar movie, sequels, toys, etc. Again, I'd appreciate it. I'll do my best to get you an "Executive Producer" credit on the film(s). And I'll get you drunk. Okay, WC in, what?!, five more days!!! Holy smokes. word. R

IMAGE EXPO REVIEW & WONDERCON PREVIEW

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 21:54:00 -0700

Giddyup! The first ever IMAGE COMICS EXPO was a rousing success. While Friday and Sunday were a tad slow and the crowd sparse Saturday more than made up for it. Big crowd, good sales coupled with the fact that the show was well-organized, great site (and clean bathrooms!), friendly con staff and great neighbors all around me. Stella was also able to nab the table right next to mine and she sold quite a few pieces of her original art so she had a great weekend! I was also able to talk with a couple publishers and it's looking very promising for a couple big projects I've been chomping at the bit to get going on. Stay tuned! All-in-all it was a solid 6 out of 10 which I consider to be tremendous for a first time show. I'd definitely go back next year should they do it again. Another highlight of the show was the dinner on the way out of town. We visited local legend, Chicken and Waffles, and the food was so scrumptious and comforting after an exhausting weekend it was just a great way to end the weekend in Oakland. And so in a could more weeks I'm off to WonderCon in Anaheim. Yup, the same WonderCon that the Image folks replaced up in the Bay area. They have, temporarily, relocated this year in Anaheim because they couldn't get a big enough convention space in San Francisco this year. So we're looking forward to WC as the last couple trips there were terrific for me. I'll be manning the Top Shelf booth again this year so make sure to stop on by. Don't tell the pubs but I'll be making ridiculous deals! And, of course, besides all the fantastic TS books (mine included of course) I will also have a nice selection of my other books and original artwork for sale. In other news... Thanks to Justified and The Walking Dead for giving us something to look forward to watching again. Justified has been very solid so far this new season and remains our favorite show of the past three years. If you have yet to jump on board do yourself a favor and go rent season 1. The Walking Dead has become a bit stale. They really need to get off that damn farm. Move. On. We definitely need a serious change of scenery here, folks. Part of the fun of "Zombie survival fantasy" is seeing how people adapt and overcome. They've been nestled in there too long too comfortably. And that's why we're getting so much damn bickering between them. Seems that that's all they do now is bicker. I know it's the Zombie apocalypse but c'mon, there'd be the occasional moment of triumph...of levity. Give us some levity for god's sakes, writers. In other news... Best comics of late... Journey Into Mystery has been the best, most consistent Marvel comic the past year. I have canceled anything with Avengers on the title after decades of never missing an issue as that title has failed miserably by becoming the most bloated and boring comic since the X-Men went horribly awry with tangential titles in the 90s. So JIM has been the most pleasant of surprises. Truly terrific writing! And, hey, some levity! I'm also liking Batwoman by DC. I haven't collected much DC in the past few years but since Marvel's been losing it lately with all their shameless "event" crossovers I'm looking elsewhere for new series to follow. And BW has been a nice new "must read" for me. And, of course, I continue to scour the great independent publishers for the best our medium has to offer. Drawn & Quarterly NEVER fails me as a publisher. They continue to set the standard for excellence in graphic novels. IDW has also been consistently producing high quality reads. Okay, I should...SHOULD have some pretty exciting news in the next month so stay tuned. I know you haven't seen a new BIG project from me in awhile and there's a reason for it. I've been working hard on developing a few new projects and, after a couple years, it looks like a couple are coming to fruition...and if they do come to fruition they are going to be HUGE. I will leave you with that teaser. word. R

IMAGE COMICS EXPO

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 13:31:00 -0700

Hello true believers! Tomorrow marks the first day of the first ever IMAGE COMICS EXPO located at the Oakland Convention Center in Oakland, CA. I shall be there with all my Image back issues and other books, original art, and sunny disposition. So if you're in the Oakland area please stop in and check it out. Image was pretty smart stepping in in the absence of WonderCon's presence in the Bay area this year so I'm hoping they get a good turnout. There will also be a pretty cool panel on THE WALKING DEAD that I'm hoping I can get away from the booth to see myself. And it appears that all the Image founders will be attending as well. So that's pretty cool, eh? The show runs Friday (3pm-8pm), Saturday (10-6) and Sunday (10-5). See you there! word. R

THE TEMPLE NOW AVAILABLE!

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:12:00 -0700

Hello faithful readers! I am very pleased to announce that the Motion Comic I was lead artist on (but not the only artist), THE TEMPLE, is now available for viewing and downloading at Amazon Studios. I will now turn over my blog to Director and all around fantastic fellow, Alex Greenfield, to tell you more about this incredible journey... Take it away, Alex... <> So there you have it. I hope you all check it out and spread the word.

IMAGE COMICS EXPO

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:03:00 -0700

Giddyup! I just signed up for the Image Comics Expo being held in Oakland, CA at the Oakland Convention Center Feb 24-26th. Check out the website for all the pertinent details at http://www.imagecomicexpo.com/exhibitor-list/ They look to "fill the void" left by WonderCon's absence from the Bay area this year. They've got a pretty impressive lineup slated for the show and it looks to be a lot of fun. So check it out all you Bay area comic books fans! And fret not WonderCon fans, for they have not stopped but just moved for 2012 down to Anaheim, CA this March. I will also be there for that show manning the Top Shelf booth with my lovely wife and daughter. Yep, Chris and Brett decided to trust me with the money...tee hee hee... So, after initially NOT planning on any winter/spring shows for early 2012 I am now doing two rather BIG shows! And I'm fairly ecstatic that I am. So hope to see you there! word. R

ARCHIE: OBAMA & PALIN IN RIVERDALE!

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:25:00 -0700

Yes, it just HAD to happen! Archie has, after all, crossed paths with the likes of The Punisher and the rock band KISS in recent years (months) so one must assume he'd eventually cross paths with the President of the United States and former Governor of Alaska. I mean, c'mon. I am proud to offer this JUMBO oversized trade paperback collection of the limited comic book series here on the website. I inked the story so I can now add "working with the President" to my resume! "Oh yeah, and BTW the former Governor of Alaska." So the story unfolds like this... Politics run awry at Riverdale High during the latest student council elections. So, natch, the President and Governor stop on by to help smooth things over and lend some sound political insight. I'm sure they do this all the time at high schools across America. So check out the website where I just posted it. As always I will autograph all purchases and ship any order over $10 for free in the continental US of A! In other cool news... Writer/pal/former cookie maker JD Arnold and I were just informed that a high school (no not an Archie/President/Governor connection) up in Oregon will be using BB Wolf and the Three LPs in their 11th and 12th grade English Lit classes as a teaching aide! The English teacher felt that our book was not only an entertaining read, but also had underlying themes and messages beneficial to their curriculum. Needless to say we were both delighted and honored by this news. I can now add "shaping the minds of America's youth" to my resume! Also... The Green Bay Packers are my favorite football team. Some of you know this. I grew up in Wisconsin where most citizens cherish (some worship) the beloved Packers. I enjoy the fact that they are not only a superb team steeped in tradition but also the fact that they are owned by the people and play in a town (not CITY) that by all rights should not be able to sustain a professional team. There's simply not a large enough population. And yet they do and the team thrives. I will, of course, be watching them this Sunday in the playoffs and rooting for them. But what a horrible shock to hear the news the other day of the drowning death of the Offensive Coordinator's 21 year old son. How incredibly sad. I can't even begin to imagine how sad the family is--and by "family" I mean the Philbin family, the entire Packer's team and town of Green Bay and for that matter state of WI. And yet they will play on. With heavy hearts, I'm certain, but they will play. As a fan I hope they can overcome their sadness for those few hours and win the game and honor the Philbin family with the victory and, hopefully, bring them a little bit of joy during this terrible time. I don't mean to make light of the situation at all, trust me. Nothing can replace the loss of a loved one. That entire family could just use a little bit of good news right now is all I'm saying. And finally... JUSTIFIED is finally back on the air next week! Yes!... because other than Football (GO PACK!) and Sportscenter there is nothing on tv that we watch anymore. Nada. We've been buying dvd sets of shows like ROME (as awesome the second time watched as the first!) and re-watching those instead of the dreck that's shown these days. If you have not seen Justified (or ROME) yet, get yer rearends to the local video store and rent them now. word. r

THE TEMPLE!!!

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:40:00 -0700

Hey all, Some pretty cool news to share. A few months back I was contacted by, Alex Greenfield, a writer/director about a "motion comic" he was doing through Amazon Studios called The Temple--a horror story done in a very Lovecraft-ian style. They needed a background artist to design the look of The Temple and then illustrate a good 50-65 backgrounds for the film. Well, after a brief fashion I got the job and have just last week finished the final BG and the rest of the film crew is now hard at work putting the final polishes on the Rough Cut--which I just saw yesterday and am very excited about. I don't know yet when the motion comic will be ready for public consumption, but I will, of course, keep you posted. If you liked Aliens and good old fashioned horror I think you're going to like The Temple! Stay tuned! word. R

TRZY PALCE

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:43:00 -0700

Yes, it's true!...TRZY PALCE! What's that?...you no speaka Polish? Oops, so sorry. For those of you who do you, of course, know that TRZY PALCE translates into THREE FINGERS. And for those of you familiar with my body of work you'd surmise, perhaps, that this must mean that my book Three Fingers has a Polish language edition now out. And you would be correct! I just got a wonderful surprise from the UPS man today...a box of Polish edition Three Fingers graphic novels and they look fantastic. The print quality is outstanding! The Polish publishers did a fantastic job producing this edition--great paper stock, top-notch printing and terrific re-lettering! The best part was that I had completely forgotten signing the Polish deal over a year ago so when I opened the box it was quite delightful. That happens every time with the foreign edition deals...you sign the contract and it takes 1-2 years until the book's are actually made. So you pretty much forget about it until the books arrive at your doorstep. Anyway, a very nice start to the new year and I now have the TRZY PALCE editions on the website if any of you are interested. Or have that very special Polish someone in your lives to buy a copy for. Word. R

ARCHIE MEETS KISS!

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:08:00 -0700

Yep, it hadda happen! ARCHIE MEETS KISS....yes, the rock group, KISS, not just another Betty or Veronica kiss. And I hadda be the Inker, True Believers!!! I'll admit I kind of scratched my head when I first heard this project was happening but I was also pretty stoked as I was a bona fide KISS ARMY member back when I was a wee little lad in the early 1970s. And when they told me I was going to be the Inker on this limited series I was pretty thrilled. So the 1st issue comes out and it's an instant sell out (of course!)! I had to beg, borrow and steal just to get myself some extra copies. But get 'em I did and now have the very hard-to-find 1st issue available here on the website. I also had a very "fanboy geek out" moment when good pals, Dan Parent and Alex Segura (artist and writer on the series), nabbed me a signed copy of the variant issue when they did a signing tour with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley last month! So, yep, I got one signed by Gene and Paul and it's already framed and hanging on my wall above my art desk. Pretty cool, eh? All right...I've got nothing else to report that'll top that bit o news so I'm gonna sign out. I'll just quickly add that I will be at the Top Shelf booth for WonderCon in Anaheim in 2012 so please stop on by. I'll have a couple new items available and also previewing my new book that'll be out from TS in the near future! Word. R p.s. Happy New Year!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS 2011

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 22:12:00 -0700

Greetings and Happy Holidays and all that. I have recently received a few inquiries regarding Holiday shipping. Yes, if you order something through the site before December 17th I can almost guarantee that it will ship in time for Christmas. Basically allow at least a week and we're pretty safe...No absolute guarantees though so don't be quotin' me on that. I shall, however, do my part and get any orders out immediately. Then it's up to our good ole Post Office (yep, same one that's filing for Bankruptcy soon). ALSO! since I'm so Gosh Darned nice I will be adding a FREE original sketch with every order I get before the 2011 year's end! Howzabout that?! Yeah, pretty cool, right? Prices are still "recession busters" as well. AND I've got a few new items posted including the new ZVC (Zombies vs. Cheerleaders) Trade Paperback and the brand-spankin' NEW issue of INDIE COMICS MAGAZINE issue #4 the CHRISTMAS issue. 64 pages of fun that includes a brand NEW (there's that word again!) 3 GEEKS story! A re-telling of the classic "It's a Wonderful Life" story 3 Geeks style! This comic showcases some of the industry's best Independent talent. Okay, other than that I'll quickly mention that that Detroit Lions player, Ndickahead Suh, is now the biggest tool in pro sports. Anyone who watches any sports is bound to have seen his infamous "trying to regain my balance" scene. Yes, I was being facetious. The douche bag violently shoves a Packer player's head into the ground not once, but twice, then gets up and kicks him/stomps on his arm and then, after he's ejected from the game, claims he was just "trying to regain his balance." HA! 6-7 million people see this live and all see the same thing in replay after replay after replay and he still tries to give some lame-ass story. Glad he got the 2-game suspension (which he appealed, and subsequently lost said appeal) and even more glad that he's been exposed to the world as not only a dirty player but now also a dirty liar. I don't think Ndickahead Suh's going to be getting any presents from Santa this year. Sadly the dick makes millions a year even though he's a jerk so I'm sure he don't care. It's an unfair world sometimes... Word. R

ZOMBIES VS CHEERLEADERS IS BACK!!!

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 00:26:00 -0700

Hello true lovers of Zombies and Cheerleaders (who isn't?), Happy to announce that I now have the ZOMBIES VS. CHEERLEADERS VOL. 1 Trade Paperback available for sale her on the website. Normal retail price is $16.95 but I've got it here for an even 14 bucks, signed and free shipping! So get 'em while I got 'em. the ZVC TP collects the first five issues of the wildly popular series that Moonstone and 5Finity Productions co-published and I was lucky enough to be invited to contribute an 8 page 3 Geeks story. Which turned out quite nicely I might add. The ZVC TP clocks in at a gruesome 144 pages and is in vivid bloodcurdling full-color! Word! R

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 23:32:00 -0700

Happy Halloween, true believers! Here at Koslowski Central we had a magnificent time Trick-Or-Treating dressed up as the ADVENTURE TIME cast. Stella was Jake, I was Finn and Sandy was Marceline. Home-made costumes and they really turned out great and were fun to make. Especially since Stella, who had planned on going as Marceline, didn't know that we were secretly making the Jake and Finn costumes at night and while she was in school! What a shock she had when we strolled out in the costumes. Of course (and we expected this) as soon as she saw the Jake costume she wanted to be him (no offense Marceline). Sadly, walking around in the Jake head was a bit disorienting for poor Stella and we had to cut or T-O-Ting short by about half. Still got a lot of candy, though. Exciting other news regarding my career as a comic book artist! I have been contracted to illustrate the background art for a new "Motion Comic" titled, TEMPLE." It is a fantastic horror story that Amazon Studios is producing. I'm not sure of the release date yet but I believe we're looking at a major launch for Comic-Con 2012. I will, of course, keep you posted. And!...I just received my copies of the ZOMBIES VS CHEERLEADERS VOL 1 trade paperback! This collects not only my terrific 3 GEEKS story and cover art but over a hundred other hilariously gruesome stories and cover art. I'll have TPs available on the site soon but in the meantime look for them at your local comic shop. Been trying to maintain our interest in THE WALKING DEAD but it's so damned downbeat we're struggling to continue liking it. You gotta give these poor bastards the occasional victory, writers! Yeah, we know...end of the world. Apocalypse. Yes. But they still need a slice of happiness here and there. And for cripes sake are there the obvious story holes! Why in the HELL would they still be driving around in that piece-of-crap RV when there must be thousands of abandoned RV dealers across the country that they could simply take a new one??? Or a band of Hummers??? Or Military vehicles??? And they have two, TWO, cops in their ranks. Um, don't you think everyone would have a friggin' walkie-talkie so they'd always be able to communicate? Don't get me started. LOT of story holes. And we really, really wanted to like AMERICAN HORROR STORY but we gave up after three episodes. Too weird. And we like weird, but not when it's just for the sake of being weird. The characters don't ring true and just how much super, horrible bad stuff can we really be expected to believe can happen to one poor family so quickly and in such volume? Seriously. There is a fantastic quote that goes something like this..."It is easier to make the viewers believe the impossible, than the improbable." I can suspend my disbelief that a "man can fly" in a movie but I'm not going to swallow "twenty murders happen in this house; crazy maid basically gives herself a job the owners can't afford to pay for in the first place; they don't change the locks even after crazy girl next door keeps getting into house (and her klepto mother); Freddy Krueger-like guy always chasing husband while jogging in a suit; and so on..." Really wanted and needed a good horror genre show to get into but it ain't happenin'. Was going to check out GRIMM or ONCE UPON A TIME but the reviews haven't exactly been enticing us on those either. Maybe next year, right?

I GOT NUTHIN'!

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 21:24:00 -0700

I got nuthin... It occurred to me today that I hadn't blogged in awhile. Then it occurred to me that I had a lot to chime in on about but nothing that anyone would probably want to hear. Or that it might offend. And these days I just can't afford to offend anyone. Y'know, burning bridges and all...so i shall refrain from blogging anything too controversial. Okay, like, for instance I could've chimed in on something like this... Glad Gadaffi got whacked today. Yep, some of you would cringe and say, "No one...no human being should be executed. No one has the right to??" where I would then cut you off in my mind and say "Shut up. Screw you. He was evil scum breathing good human's air. A cancer, and what do we do with cancer?...we cut it out!" So there. See, if I were to have blogged this I probably would've pissed some of you off. Or... My Brewers lost in the NLCS to the Cardinals. Sucks. I am sick of the small market teams having almost NO chance of ever winning a World series in today's economic set up in pro baseball. To which 20+ million NY Yankees fans will actually argue "that they're playing within the rules and doing nothing wrong. It's fair." To which I would then say, "Suck it! You're a-holes and you know it." See, I win, obviously, but those comments could potentially offend. Or pose a question like the following... "Why in the HELL does Hollywood keep paying Adam Sandler sick amounts of money to shit out the crappiest movies ever made? And WHY IN THE HELL DO SO MANY IDIOT PEOPLE KEEP PAYING GOOD MONEY TO GO SEE THEM?" I might have blogged that question after seeing the latest trailer for his latest movie Jack and Jill where he plays a set of twins; a man and his sister. It (of course) looks absolutely asinine (as do all his movies) and yet it will go on to make all kinds of money as the sheep pay to see it. See, if I were to actually voice this opinion it could offend some of our population with lower IQs and I wouldn't want to be perceived as being insensitive to the mentally challenged. So I won't blog about how I think all of Adam Sandler's movies suck. Nor will I rag more about how the Chinese are effed up beyond repair after seeing the disgusting video of a 2-year-old girl being run over (twice) within 8 minutes and how dozens of passersby saw, yet chose to ignore her as she lay there in the street dying. No, I shall refrain from condemning these apathetic monsters because some of you will, no doubt, stand up for them and blame the government (theirs or ours). To which I would probably say something like, "I hope your next trip is to China and you get run over." Nope, not gonna rant about these things that have been nagging at me lately. Like I said in the title, "I got nuthin'" to say today so I shall refrain. word. R