There was a time, however distant and quaint it was, that the movie theater was a necessary part of the movie-watching equation. The majority of people either didn't have the means or the technology of watching a movie in their home. That has changed.

With the rising affordability of flat screen televisions (in high definition, no less), projectors, surround sound and other home-theater equipment, the common person has never had such a chance of home entertainment.

Face it. The quality of movie theaters is unacceptable. It starts at the box offices. For the price of admission for a couple of two adults, they could just buy the DVD. By their own design, DVDs have a higher quality picture (they're not shown on reels, for starters) and they can be watched as many times as the viewer can handle. They can be paused at any moment and they can be watched in the comfort and privacy of the viewer's own home.

The problem progresses at the concession stand. Why would anyone in their right mind pay four dollars for a soda? It's possible to buy or make anything at the concession stand for far cheaper than what they are asking.

In the theater, there's the problem of cleanliness. Sticky seats? Tough luck. People talking? Too bad. Hard to see? Cell phones ringing? Forget about it.

Theaters were once a necessary means of watching movies. Today, it's just not worth it.

I was prompted to write this post after seeing the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie. It's hard to believe that the theater could be so shitty. It was small and crowded. Why don't they just release movies to DVD? Reviewers and movie critics could still write about which movies are good. The whole institution is just unnecessary.

"Walking through the garment center, Cully felt disgust at the dirtiness of the city and the pinched, haggard faces walking its streets. Hand trucks, loaded with brightly colored cotton dresses gallowed from metal racks, were being pushed by black men or old-timers with the seamed red faces of alcoholics. They pushed the hand trucks through the streets like cowboys, stopping traffic, almost knocking down pedestrians. Like sand and tumbleweed of a desert, the garbage of discarded newspapers, remnants of food, empty pop bottles caught in the truck wheels, washed over their shoes and trouser cuffs. The sidewalks were so clogged with people you could hardly breathe, even in the open air. The buildings looked cancerous, grey tumors rising to the sky."

Fuck. That's good. I like it, at least. Will I ever be able to write like that? It's a selection from Fools Die by Mario Puzo, the author of The Godfather. I read that paragraph last night and just thought about how vivid of a scene it was.

My writing is going downhill. I haven't been in a real class since December and I sure as hell haven't been writing since then. My story is stillborn at 5200 words. I have ideas--I just lack motivation. Maybe I'll write this weekend. Maybe I won't.

Either way, I'm glad it's Friday.

Newt Gingrich, the former US House Speaker, has said that we have entered World War III. In case you haven't heard of the other couple, check out this, this, and, uh, oh yeah, this.

If you can imagine, the world right now is teetering on the brink (of cliches, Tom?) of war. With the United States clowning around in Iraq and Afghanistan, North Korea shootin' off missiles, Iran up to no good, Syria possibly allying with Iran, and Israel playin' Clint Eastwood, it seems we have ourselves a problem.

If the whole world comes to war again, I do not want to be a part of it. Maybe I can move to a little island where I can live by the shore and not hear a word about it until it's over. I don't want to fight and I don't want to send my children to fight. Is that so bad?

It's too late to say this isn't about oil. Afghanistan wasn't, Iraq might not have been, but if there are serious conflicts (which, it seems, is the case), the United States would be forced to move in and control the area. Without oil, America would be crippled. According to this little gem, America uses one out of every four barrels of oil produced. Fossil fuels production has peaked, and the world will be watching as the US fights for the last few black drops.

For as technologically advanced as we are, we should be a lot more advanced in the ways of alternative energies. Europe is far better suited for an oil crisis. America, partly because of its size and partly because of its infrastructure--that is, its dependency on long distance transportation of goods (which is necessary for our economy)--is le fucked.. That being said, America will have to defend its economy to remain a world power.

That being said, this world is going to hell in a hand basket.

This post may come as a shock to you. I think it's the first serious one there's ever been. No kidding.