DVDs Hate Me

I have a beef with the DVD production industry (I guess that's who I'm supposed to blame?)  When I want to watch a movie, I want to watch that movie.  And only that movie.  Other than maybe the first time I watch a DVD, I am entirely uninterested in previews.  Previews belong in the theaters, when people care, not 12 years after every movie in the previews has a greatest hits special anniversary edition DVD format.  Honestly, is there really a problem with just opening to the root menu?  Is it really necessary to force me to push menu 30 times (or failing that, root menu; or, if the DVD really hates you, the skip button?)  I mean, they claim I can push menu at any time and it will go to the menu but they. are. lying.   Disney DVDs are particularly obnoxious with this, putting almost as many minutes of previews as actual movie on their discs and neither root menu or menu buttons take you to the menu.

You may not know this, but I am plagued with inferior DVD players.  My TV has a DVD player in it, which, in the past, when it was my sister's, worked reliably.  At that time I had an old TV (no, a really old TV,) so pretty much anything was an upgrade (though I honestly miss that TV.  It worked.)  Anyway, when the color started to go on that one, I inherited my sisters TV and she got my parent's old TV (I am, by this point, really tired of how many caps are in this post.  I hate acronyms.)  I guess the color on that one went fairly soon after my getting it, cause now that I think of it, this is my third set.  Anyway, at one point it worked reliably and now it doesn't really.  The disc player usually works on the first try, but more often it complains that I should "Please check the type and scratch of disc."  So I had a separate disc player (you have no idea how my family goes through external disc/tape players, it's ridiculous.)  That one worked right up until a few weeks ago, when it decided every disc ever had an irreparable debilitating scratch (but only about a third of the way through the movie.)  So I eventually got tired of that and dug an extra out of the attic.  Why do we even have extras?  This one, aside from having a ridiculously blinding red light ALL THE TIME, seemed to work far better than its' predecessor.  I "fixed" the light with a bit of electrical tape and was more or less satisfied with it.  Today, I felt like watching The Lion King because I love it so and had the songs stuck in my head.  Now, my DVD player seems to hate it immeasurably and won't play it without pausing every 15-20 seconds.  Maybe I should just watch it on the internet.  At least then it'll be high definition.

Disney, why do you like "modernizing" your movies when they get released on disc?  Take The Lion King, for instance.  When you finally are able to skip to the menu bit, they make you watch a 6 minute, poorly done CGI Zazu flight sequence before it actually gets to the menu (I think you can at least skip this part without confusing the disc, but the first time I didn't expect it.)   As if that wasn't enough torture, they then have Zazu (not even the original actor) explain the menu items.  Come on, Disney, nobody wants to listen to Zazu for longer than they have to.  That goes for the Morning Report song also.  (Plus, it shouldn't auto-play the "extended version," it should auto-play the theatrical version, duh.)
Also, don't put CGI menus on traditionally animated films.  It's stupid.

Weather, Cut it Out

Seriously, Weather, this rise to 60 degrees and then drop of 40 in a few hours, it's...it's not working out.  Weather, you have, in the past, been both wonderful and horrible to me (usually being wonderful when I have to stay inside and horrible when I could actually go outside and do something productive, or exercise even.)  But I find your mood swings and temper tantrums have finally gotten to me and I can no longer ignore them.  Really, Weather, you make it difficult for all of us when you act this way, and you do it in public, too, and that's just unacceptable.  So, I'm sorry to say this, especially as Valentine's Day is so close, but we have to break up.  I need my space, you see, and you need someone more...mercurial.  Oh...oh, Weather, don't cry, especially when you've gone and made it so cold...Weather, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, let's try again.  We can make this work, I know we can.  Maybe if you could have a bit of a sunnier disposition and not get so angry at me, and I can stop spending so much time with Central Heating and Air Conditioning.  Please, Weather, let's work together on this.