Input & Aspirin...

This article is about research into the use of daily, low-dose aspirin to aid in preventing the spread of HIV.  I don't understand all the in's & out's.  It concerns inflammation & aspirin's ability to lower that condition.  Interesting read.

We saw Christopher Robin yesterday & it was great.  I'm glad we were able to see this is in the theater.  If we'd listened to the critics, we may not  have.   I use the word, critic, loosely.  These weren't people providing proper critical analysis of a piece.  No, they were mostly whiny, self-aggrandizing, narrow-minded brats.  That assessment of them is me being kind.  The reviews were awful.  I hate Yelp & other similar services.  It made these people's already gargantuan sense of self worth grow to a planetary size.  Their ego's & conceit know no bounds.

We waited & saw people, everyday folk, not alleged critics, were loving the movie.  I'm glad we ignored them.  The point is, even though others' input can be nice or even helpful, the decision is yours & you have to accept the consequences.  This movie was wonderful.  We had a good outing.  If we'd listened, we wouldn't have went.  That would've been because we placed stock in the word of strangers & their soap-box, fist-waving, ideology based blasting of a film.  

Your choices are yours.  Make sure you're making them for you.

Cya...

OT & Errands...

I have some more errands. This is off topic but applicable.  While growing up, we get used to things & develop preferences.  Sometimes those change as you age, sometimes they don't.

I'm not quite as sold on the childhood theory that more ketchup & cheese can make anything better as I was when I was a kid.  I still like cheese & ketchup, but they're no longer my food saviors.   I used to love the idea of supreme pizzas, the everything potato chips or the works burgers.    Now, I usually prefer simpler, more straight forward fare.

However, I still prefer boxed macaroni & canned biscuits.  I'm sure there are  others but those are the 2 of mine that get challenged most often.  I don't like homemade mac & cheese or biscuits.  Which BTW, taste eerily similar.   Someone just slapped gloppy cheese on the elbow macaroni.  

I know a lot of people who prefer the homemade versions,   That's just freaking, awesome for them.  They can eat all of that stuff they want, just leave my canned biscuits & blue box of mac alone.   But, they don't.  They feel they're right & they have to push their opinions on us uneducated, uncultured slobs who prefer Kraft Mac & Cheese.

This is a stupid clash over taste & isn't worth your time.  I can be rather cattish sometimes.  Leave me alone & I'll leave your face on your head.   Sometimes other people seem to feel they have the right to tell you how to live, what to eat, who to date... Unless, its hurting you or someone else, just do it & to hell with the naysayers.  

These things aren't worth fighting over. If these people will be rude to you over something so small as mac & cheese, what are they going to be like over the big stuff?  Totally unbearable. 

This is my life.  I like the blue box of mac & Grands biscuits.  I am chronically ill & didn't ask for your opinion on the virtues of the  homemade  versions.  I have limited energy & I'm seriously low F'cks to give.  I simply refuse to spend either on someone who thinks they're better than me & their food snobbery.  The same goes for the rest of my life as well.    If you want me to listen to your opinions on my life, then start paying my bills.  If not, shut up.

Cya...

Critics

I went to see the movie pictured above yesterday.  Was it a wonderful?  No, but it was a solid B or four out of five.  The premise of the movie, which is based on the novel of the same name, isn't all that original but what movie is these days?  Rottentomatoes.com give a 30 out of a 100 while the viewers gave it a low 70.  Yahoo movies  showed that the critics gave it a C- while the audience gave it an A-.  Netflix gave it the closest to the people with a 3.9 out of five.  

My point here isn't to hit all the movie review sites, but to point out that you need to check things out for yourself.  Netflix, generally gets my tastes fairly closely, sometimes they throw me a weird one, but most often they get it.  They should I've rated 1000's of moves there.  I've written an entry about this before, yet it seemed to bear repeating.  

I go to the movie almost 45 minutes before the film started.  I got my seat & I was thankful I'd come so early.  Within ten minutes the place was packed, I couldn't see a single empty seat.  That doesn't happen around here very often.  The crowd was ready & then the Screenvision started doing its bit. The little robot announced that a small segment of Justin Beiber was going to be on next after some trivia.  I readied myself to be annoyed, because I was surrounded by young girls, who reputedly all insanely love the Beiber.

I guess the girls in my area didn't get the memo.  They didn't react, other than to seemed annoyed something was delaying their movie.  Either the hype on Justin is just that hype or his appeal is starting to fade.  Yet, I had made a judgement based on the words of others I had heard on TV or read on the net.  Guess what, in at least this case those reports of Mr. Beibers popularity were greatly overstated.

My point is simple, too many of us allow others to make our minds up for us.  We let them sway our decisions with their words, their performances & commercials.  They alter our perception about political issues, movies, celebrities & a host of other things.  In a nutshell the Thomas Theorem states that perception is reality.  If that is the case, then if one can alter perception, then one can alter reality.  These spin doctors, critics & similiar ne'er-do-wells are powerful beasts.

However, it is a power given to them, by us & it is a power we can take back.  It's time to realize these people who do this spin-doctoring for whatever they are pushing are nothing more than salesmen.  They want you, to want something.  Plain & simple they are manipulating you.  It's hard to avoid their influence, but to quote Bear Grylls, "There is a way."  You have to stayed informed & refuse to act  on anyone else's information other than your own.  It takes time & effort not to be led like cattle to slaughterhouse by these people.

Open your eyes & pay attention.  You may be surprised what you can see, learn & experience if you don't let others make up your mind for you.