Temporal Shift

It’s been a while, the longest while since I started this blog in fact. I got an email from Google last week letting me know that the site wasn’t mobile friendly anymore, so I logged on to fix it, and saw that I didn’t post anything at all here in 2014. I’ve still been online, just sharing my thoughts in other places like Twitter, Facebook and commenting on various other sites. I’ve added links to the menu above so you can check them out if you’re so inclined. I haven’t even really been that active on those places in the last few months because I always seem to be out of time.

In the years since I’ve started this blog, the amount of things available to fill my free time has grown considerably. I’ve upgraded my TiVo to a modern unit that’s capable of recording six channels at once. There’s shit on there from last year, entire seasons of shows that I haven’t got around to watching because there’s not enough time in the day. I still haven’t watched The Knick, Extant, or Gang Related (which I just learned was cancelled when I looked for the link to the show, that’s what I get for trying to avoid spoilers); I haven’t watched Halt And Catch Fire either and they added it to Netflix already, so I might as well delete those and make space for shit I won’t get around to watching until Christmas.

TiVo Screenshot
Yes, those shows are actually on my TiVo.

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A still from the music video of the song “Sorry” by the band, “Nerf Herder"

Sorry

My Song Of The Day subscribers may have inadvertently been sent one of my recent MoviePass posts because it was tagged incorrectly. Here’s a song to apologize.

Though Nerf Herder is probably best known for providing the theme music for the Buffy The Vampire Slayer television series, this was the song that initially blew them up (at least in California) and most likely got them the Buffy gig. This shit was all over the radio when I was on the West Coast back in late ’96 – early ’97, and it always stuck with me, because it’s genuinely funny. Happy Thanksgiving (if you’re in America, otherwise, Happy Thursday)!


If the embedded video doesn’t load, click to watch
Nerf Herder – Sorry at YouTube.

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Beat the Clock & Buy Advance Tickets with MoviePass

The title says it all, doesn’t it? In this video, I explain and demonstrate how to get around MoviePass‘ Countdown Clock and why it works. This doesn’t violate MoviePass Terms Of Service, either; I explain that towards the end, but once they get hip to this, I’m sure MoviePass will make some changes. Most ironic is that while MoviePass may not be too thrilled about this video, it’s the smoothest MoviePass transaction I’ve ever recorded. Seriously, I wonder how many MoviePass users have ever checked in and got their ticket that fast.


If the embedded video doesn’t load, click to watch
Beat The Countdown Clock and Buy Advance Tickets with MoviePass at YouTube.

I can’t front, I’m feeling pretty Damian Sandow-ish right now, but this is so face palmingly simple that I’d honestly be amazed if I was the first one to come up with it. You’re welcome.

Please be sure to check out the other articles in my series on MoviePass:

Why I can’t recommend MoviePass (and why I won’t be renewing my subscription anytime soon)

If you’ve read my other posts on MoviePass, it’s clear that overall I was happy with the service and how it was implemented for the first 11 months of my membership. Even with the Countdown Clock, many of you may find that MoviePass is indeed a great value that would suit your needs. The way the Countdown Clock was implemented and announced is only the latest in a string of ethically questionable practices that I have issue with.

Right off the bat, it was pretty impossible to recommend the service to anyone, despite how much value I was getting from it. Whenever I would tell anyone about MoviePass, they would ask, “What’s the catch?” at which point, I would rattle off a list. “So, the very thing MoviePass advertises as their service is pretty much bullshit,” is how people would basically respond to the list of restrictions on the “unlimited” service. I would contend that I didn’t believe it to be an intentional deception; the service was in still in “beta,” and I believed they were working towards offering what they were advertising.

“Get back to me when they’re out of beta.”

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A day is 24 hours, but 24 hours is not a day

If English isn’t your first language, that might not make sense. Hell, it might not make sense even if English is your first language. The distinction between a day and 24 hours is important. What is a day? That seems obvious: Monday is one day, Tuesday is another and so on. Now consider the period of time between 12 noon on Monday and 12 noon on Tuesday. Is that a day? What day? It’s 24 hours, and 24 hours is not a day.

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What can I see with MoviePass?

The MoviePass card is actually a branded Discover Card, so it should be accepted at any theater with a ticket kiosk that accepts Discover for payment. This includes most (but not all) of the theater chains in America. Many independently owned and operated theaters also accept Discover, so you should be able to use your MoviePass there. However, you can only see movies at venues that are listed in the app. Even if a theater is listed in the app, not every movie showing will necessarily be available to purchase with MoviePass. This can effectively limit your choices based on where you live. You can see which theaters in your area accept MoviePass at their website before you sign up.

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