I am a coward and a shitheel who enjoys accusing others of doing the exact same thing I do: Flame people. I haven't a clue what I'm talking about most of the time, though I happily lap up whatever puddle of perceived wisdom is splatttered across an internet forum.

Oh, and I insist on demonstrating my sub-literacy by refusing to capitalize words and failing to properly utilize grammar, spelling and usage...not that I know what those words mean.

Manjoo gets it wrong again. OBVIOUSLY Moore got the boot. Microsoft just doesn't want its shareholders to get nervous, hence the goofy spin. There is no such thing as a tech manager at Moore's level who gives two shits about time with their family. I've worked with enough of them to know.

Actually I did, Andrew, quite easily. I'm very sorry that your attention span is so attenuated that you cannot comprehend or enjoy movies that actually have, you know, plot and all that. I suppose your ignorance of world history must have mucked things up as well. The arrest and torture of the character of Ines is a tragically typical example of the way in which The Inquisition was used as a way to shake down the wealthy, be they Jewish or not.

I'm inclined to forgive all of that, but what is unforgiveable is your snark regarding such great works as "The Lion In Winter", "A Man For All Seasons" and, most egregiously, "Beckett." Sorry if all the big words in the dialogue frighten you, Andrew. They inspire the rest of us.

I live in a suburb of San Francisco, and the programming rule for suburban theatres seems to be: "Our audience is made up of gibbering idiots, so lets fill our 20-screen theatre with the worse dreck imaginable." No matter how potentially entertaining a really good film might be, if it shows an OUNCE of wit, intelligence and/or creativity it will NOT be shown on one of the 44 screens in my area.

Those of you bitching about the ads - and I agree they are infuriating - have apparently never experienced the truly Satanic "charity pitch." This is where, after the previews but before the film, a short ad asking for donations to this or that charity screens, then the house lights go up, and the theatre staff come by with donation cans. And they will NOT STOP UNTIL THEY HAVE ASKED EVERY ROW FOR A DONATION.

When I lived in San Francisco the United Artists chain, especially the theatre by Stonestown, was the most egregious offender. I had to feel bad for the kids who had to schlep the cans around under the noses of enraged patrons. "Fuck YOU!" was a common refrain.

But eventually theatre chains learned their lesson, and now when asking for donations in an ad simply direct people to charity stations in the lobby. Current theatre chain owners seem to be brain dead, in that the entirely negative response to those damned TV ads has done nothing to make them stop showing them.

Believe it or not, it really is true that theatres make something like 60% or more of their revenues from the snack bar. And it doesn't just come from the ridiculously high prices they charge. No, if you knew what theatres paid for, say, a gross of popcorn kernels it would blow your mind. Ready? Here goes...

About .25 cents per bag. Each bag will yield about 20 extra large buckets or bags of popped corn at about $7 - $8 each. Just do the math. The only cost-to-price ratio that's worse is for the self-serve candy that's priced by the ounce. I could go on, but you get the idea. If theatre chains cut their concession prices they would quickly go out of business.

Editors:

You delete my rather thoughtful dismantling of Bateman's latest P.O.S. cartoon, then leave up my wicked, wicked slashing of Anonymous. You guys are nothing if inconsistent.

But kudos for red-starring Craig's post. It's a nice piece of writing.

YOUR MOTHERS SUCK COCKS IN HELL AND SHAT YOU ALL OUT OF THEIR ASSES BEFORE THEY WENT THERE, YOU COCKSUCKING, MOTHERFUCKING, CRACK SMOKING, DOG FUCKING, CAT RAPING, CHILD MOLESTING, MOTLEY CREW OF MALEVOLENT MOTHERFUCKERS!!!!

YOU FELLATE YOUR FATHERS WHILE IMPREGNATING YOUR SISTERS!! YOU SET FIRE TO YOUR GRANDFATHERS' BEARDS WHILE BRICK-BATTING GRANDMA!! YOU PISTOL-WHIP YOUR SPOUSES' PUSSYS/PENISES WHILE DRINKING THE BLOOD OF ALBANIAN VIRGINS!!!!!!

AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Mmmmmm...now that feels better.

That quote is from Mario Cuomo's electrifying speech to the 1984 Democratic National Convention. He was talking about the Social Darwinism of the Reagan Revolution, of throwing aside the poor, the elderly, the infirm for more and more and more wealth for the already wealthy. In those years it was common to read The Nation or, especially, The Progressive and be warned about what that revolution would ultimately mean: Food not fit to eat, water not safe to drink and, yes, infrastructure left to crumble.

In fact the issue of delapidated infrastructure started in earnest in the early 90s. Plenty of mainstream publications published articles and essays about the problem. Then it was forgotten.

The point is to remember that everything that is coming to pass was predicted upwards of 25 years ago. So the next time you hear a sagacious person holding forth about what Bush II's policies will mean for the future, don't be so quick to dismiss them.

That's hardly pornographic. Now if the device were called the He-Spat-His-Load, that would be different.