I left work early today since I’d finished everything I could do this week with most people out of the office and unable to reply to email or anything.

Instead of going straight home, I drove up to a bookstore and sat there for two and a half hours, reading and listening to my iPod to drown out the music playing in-store (since they were playing some insufferably annoying band’s CD - the shit-storm that is Maroon 5, as it turns out, since I saw the CD case displayed on the way out).

I ended up buying three books, but flipped through about seven to narrow it down to the three. Actually, I narrowed it down to two and then one caught my eye on the way out of the store.

If you have Netflix, I highly recommend renting “This Film Is Not Yet Rated” - a documentary about the MPAA and the (often arbitrary) rating system. The Netflix summary says:

Kirby Dick’s provocative documentary investigates the secretive and inconsistent process by which the Motion Picture Association of America rates films. Dick questions whether certain studios get preferential treatment, exposes the discrepancies in how the MPAA views sex and violence, and reveals the association’s efforts to control culture.

It’s one of those documentaries that makes you laugh, teaches you something, and pisses you off grandly all at the same time. One of the many interesting things the filmmaker does is hire a private investigator to find out who the people on the MPAA ratings board and appeals board are - because that information is classified/secret… and, as it turns out, that serves a purpose since the people on the MPAA appeals board include COO’s and VP’s of movie studios and nationwide theatre chains, as well as clergy members and representatives of religious groups.

Freedom of speech or expression, anyone? Anyone?

Apparently, enough people got riled up about things, started a petition and some changes are being made. You can sign the petition, too - on the IFC site for the film.

I would like to have some tea.