Three Topics: Halfway Through the Year From Hell; Don't Take to me about Overrated Films; I Answer Frequently-Asked Questions

Rihanna, with whom I have a "relationship."

We're just past the halfway point of 2020 and so far this year -- let's see I want to be especially careful with my choice of words here -- sucks. I submit as evidence one word: pandemic. That's pretty much all you need right there. We don't get a lot of pandemics, indeed it's been 100 years since anything resembling it. Of course in the United States the pandemic has been especially bad because of the country's Idiot-in-Chief. Good lord but Trumpy is an endless source of idiocy, nonsense, hate, bigotry and despair. Hopefully he'll suffer a resounding election defeat in November thus salvaging something from this year. Then in 2021 most of the Trump-related news will be about his arrest, trial and conviction. That assuming there's any justice in the world.

Couple days ago I went to Twitter and the first tweet I saw was someone asking what people thought were the the most overrated films of all time. He offered two of his own. Both classic films that I happen to revere. My response was to mute the person's account, I don't need to be exposed to any more of his nonsense. And no, it was not that he selected two of my favorite movies that rankled me, it was the very notion. When you claim a film is overrated what you're really saying is: here's a critically acclaimed and/or widely popular movie that I don't like. Totally uninteresting and meaningless. If someone wants to discuss or list underrated films I'm all in. I enjoy celebrating films I love while I'm passionately uninterested (I've determined that you can be passionate about a disinterest) in discussing movies I don't like. I'm perfectly okay with dissecting what elevates certain films or types of film to the level of art and what other kinds of films (like your summer blockbusters) tend to be mindless entertainment. In such discussions there are points to be made about our culture, what we value and why. I recently made a mental list of respected films that I don't like and thought of posting on this blog. But I rejected the idea because I recognized that it would serve no purpose and likely piss of those few people who accidentally stumble on this blog and like one or more of said movies. Listing what films you think are overrated or what music or art or books you think are, is a pointless and often mean-spirited exercise that often reflects an over-sized ego. Why not list what kind of fruit you think is overrated or ice cream flavors or colors of the rainbow? It has as much value. On the other hand if you want to discuss overrated historical figures I'd be interested. Here you can present objective arguments and actually have a meaningful dialogue. When I've discussed a movie I like with someone who dislikes it or vise versa, nothing has been accomplished. No one suddenly says, "you're right, that movie does suck!" Oh well.

As a prominent and beloved blogger I get a lot of questions from readers and don't always have time to answer them individually. I'm truly sorry if you've posed a question in the past twelve years that I've not answered. As a means of addressing this issue I here provide some of the most common questions I receive along with replies for each. Hope this helps.

Q. What's your problem?
A. I was dropped on my head as an infant. Also as a toddler, a small child, a bigger child, a pre-teen, a teen and many times as an adult.

Q. You often joke about not having many readers. How many do you actually have?
A. It's pretty much just you and me, buddy.

Q. You don't really have a relationship with Rihanna, do you?
A. I have a restraining order from her that says we do -- of sorts.

Q. Where does the salad fork go?
A. If the salad is served after the entree, the small salad fork is placed to the right of the dinner fork, next to the plate. If the salad is to be served first, and fish second, then the forks would be arranged (left to right): salad fork, fish fork, dinner fork.

Q. I've been suffering from insomnia, what should I do.
A. Get plenty of sleep.

Q. What's the dumbest thing you've ever done?
A. Hire a band to back up an a cappella choir.

Q. What's a fun fact that not many people know about you?
A. Not only am I not ambidextrous, I never gone hang gliding nor do I own a Shetland pony. What are the odds, am I right?

Q. What is your greatest personal achievement?
A. Answering your question. It was a helluva challenge.

Q. Will you please stop bothering me?
A. I'm sorry Ms.Winslet. All I said is that if you show me your Oscar, I'll show you mine.

Q. What would it take to get you to stop writing?
A. I cannot be bought off at any price.
Q. Not even if that price has six figures?
A. I'm listening

Q. How does your wife stand you?
A. Wine and quaaludes.

Q. What's the best thing about being a blogger?
A. There are good things about blogging?